Store Bought Schmore Schmought

Vintage-y paper

2009-06-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

When I see the cards some people I know make, I feel kind of stupid posting mine...so many people do such cute things with expensive papers and stamps...I just use my scrapbooking papers and copy stamps and fonts I see online or in magazines. I still think they're pretty cute though, and it saves money drawing the things yourself. I've got a collection of over 20 now for when I need them. They make good gift sets too.

A lot of the cards I make, I just cut scrapbooking paper to the size of whatever envelopes I have (you can make envelopes too), and glue plain paper inside for writing on.

These are from a while ago, and not the same paper set obviously.

Various occasions. Same paper set.

2008-09-05T14:41:00.000-07:00

I will continue making cards out of this paper set until it's gone, and that's gonna be a while! I bet people who visit this blog will find themselves receiving cards they see on here. Or maybe already have found this.

Again I've copied most of my ideas, and added some variations, used different colors. The birthday card on the top R below is a peekaboo card, where "happy birthday" is actually inside the card, and there's a little slot in the cover over it.

This one is a baby card, also a peek a boo, kind of, but you can't tell here. Sideways too. The inside was copied off of a stamp I think from Stampin' Up.

"Manly" cards.

2008-08-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

Well...as manly as it's gonna get right right now. Manly means not totally floral- something I wouldn't mind giving a man, and something my husband wouldn't mind giving someone. Still a bit girl though, admitted.

It's a bonanza.

2008-06-22T19:24:00.000-07:00

This one is "meh." A noble attempt. It's another one where I'm keeping the box blank to put something in it when I know who I'm giving it to.

Simple: a copy, but I really like this one.

Hey, look! My own designs finally! These, and many other cards, were made from a matching paper pack I bought recently.

I turned these sideways ones the right way but it didn't come out like that...

I love this one. Copied, but I came up with my own color scheme. I sent it to my friend who just had a baby.

I like this one a lot. I'm finally starting to be able to either design some things myself, or adapt other designs a little more skillfully- I think this one is more adapted than my own.

These ones are meh. Pretty, but they look a bit amateur. I copied a stamped card and I think stamps would look better but alas, I will not be buying stamps right now. Or any time soon.

William's Father's Day card. My own design again. I like this one. I used stickers for the letters.

Multi-purpose

I want a Cricut.

Blue floral somewhat smeared greetings.

2008-06-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Scrapbook pages

2008-06-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

These are some of my more favorite pages I've done. They are not in order of when I made them, but just trust me; I've improved.

Many of these are copied ideas as well. I use a lot of Creative Memories supplies b/c...

I have a bit of a philosophy. Now I love all the cutesy, elaborate scrapbook pages you see in magazines and whatnot. They are really cute. But I have some problems with them, which is why I don't really do that, and I might simplify even more as time goes by:

The point of scrapbooking, to me, is to archive pictures. You could just put them in albums but I enjoy papercrafting so I think scrapbooking is fun. I think in the future, well I hope, that kids and grandkids will enjoy thinking, "my mom (or grandmom) made this by hand!"

I like fun papers and creativity and such. But I also want these pictures to last, and I believe Creative Memories products are the best for that. A lot of the other stuff out there is not made to last, and I think these elaborate pages people make will fall apart and yellow and wither.

Plus, people get so elaborate and I think all the rivets and metal and stickers and 3D stuff will damage the pictures around them or on the opposite pages. Not to mention the glues.

I also think it's silly to make an elaborate page with only one picture on it. Maybe for special occasions but for the most part, I want to fit as many pictures as possible on one page. I mean I understand, b/c they are fun to make, and cute. But still. That's why I like card making - you can use all the elaborate 3D stuff you want b/c it's just a card, not important that it lasts, really.

Plus, and this goes for card-making too: there is SO MUCH stuff to buy out there- it gets ridiculous. It can get so expensive. Isn't scrapboooking supposed to be with SCRAPS? You can buy rivets and stacks of little circle pieces of paper to use and scraps of material- weird. Expensive. Silly. But really cute, I'll admit.

Usually, no one cares but you, that's the big secret about your scrapbook pages. Oh well.

It's also important to me to include info about the picture. Not usually cheesy cutesy quotes, for me, but where the picture was taken, when, who's in it. B/c you know you're always looking through mom's boxes of pictures asking her "who is this?" and "how old was I?"

Multi-purpose

2008-05-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

I think guy crafts are hard to make. Especially b/c they most likely won't care about the work you put into it or how cute it is. But on http://www.papercraftsmag.com/ I saw a husband-card with ties on it, so I thought that was cute. These are for Father's Day.

I'll figure out what to do with this one when an appropriate occasion arises. All my cards are usually blank inside.

Probably will just be a "hello" kind of pick-me-up card, but could be a birthday card or something. I have a hard time with my cards coming out wrinkly b/c of the glue I'm using. It looks cheap and bad, so I'll have to buy some better glue next time around. I don't know what kind is good though.

For a wedding.

The card I used as my inspiration/copycat piece puts the recipient's initial in the box, so I might do that, but this could go in many directions.

I see so many adorable cards that use stamps and other embellishments. You could spend a million dollars on all that stuff. "If I were a rich man..." or woman...I would be so excited to use such cute tools and make such cute things! But I think you should be able to make cute things without all of that. Some things really help though and I want to increase my arsenal as time goes on. Right now I'm just beginning, so I'm using all my scrapbooking papers and supplies.

Birthdays

2008-05-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

Zara's 1st b-day party invites. I actually came up with these by myself; you can tell, b/c they are much less involved.

Most of my ideas are currently either directly stolen or very inspired by:
http://www.papercraftsmag.com/

I think it's a good idea to make a few at a time. I like to have a bunch on hand for different occassions that come up.

When I decide who to give this one to, I'll put the number of what birthday it is for them- for example, if it's for a 16th birthday I'll put "16th" in the circle.

Floral greetings

2008-05-29T13:03:00.000-07:00