Fake ironing Friday and a giveaway

We have heard a lot about fake news in the last year. Today's card has a lot of fake going on. I'm so current. This woman in the window is fake ironing. Kind of the same thing I do.

The interior sentiment, My Birthday Suit is Wrinkled, is from Hampton Arts. I don't have an iron stamp or a stamp of someone ironing, but I found that I could use this woman if I crop her at just the right spot. She looks like she is ironing through the window. The woman in this image doesn't have hair and is holding a watering can. I love finding a new way to use stamps.

I used a die set for the shutters, window frame and the flowers at the bottom of the card. The flowers are very small and my fingers are rather large so I needed a small applicator for some kind of adhesive. I used Ranger's Multi Medium Matte in the small .5 oz bottle. Even though it's a small bottle I wanted a smaller applicator. I bought an empty precision tip applicator bottle a while ago and put the tip on the Multi Medium Matte bottle. Ranger has a special tip for this size bottle, available here, but I didn't go that route because I didn't know it existed back then.

GIVEAWAY

Have you ever ordered something online and accidentally hit the order button twice because you are so excited? I have done it more than a couple times. I did this in my last order from Simon Says Stamp that arrived last week. Soooo

I have an extra stamp that I want to send to a Katemade Designs reader. I have a goal of reaching 100 followers this year. I am 52 followers away from my goal. If I reach 100 followers on the blog I will add a paper crafting product. For each 100 followers, I will add another product to the pot. I have a set of Tim Holtz Distress crayons, a few duplicate stamps including a background stamp and numerous embellishments. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Art Impressions His & Hers Gardeners

Poppystamps Small Madison Window Set

Ranger .5 Oz MINI MULTI MEDIUM MATTE Glue Adhesive Paint

Quilled Creations PRECISION TIP Empty Applicator Bottle

Copic SKETCH 72 PC SET A Markers

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Wash Wednesday - More Spring Cleaning

Traditionally laundry is a Monday thing.  When I worked at a neighborhood historical society 20 years ago there were all kinds of references in letters, books, and photographs that laundry was a Monday chore. It took all day before washing machines became common in the 1950s. My grandmother used to wash clothes on Monday even after she got a washer and dryer.

Even the folks living in that little house on the prairie washed their clothes on Monday.

Ma used to say, "Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday,  Mend on Wednesday,  Churn on Thursday, Clean on Friday, Bake on Saturday,  Rest on Sunday."               — Laura Ingalls Wilder 

Now that women are working outside the home the days chores are completed has changed. We do stuff when we can, or when we absolutely have to get it done. A child's lack of clean underwear (because he hasn't been putting stuff in the hamper like he should) can totally change the order of chores to be done.

So today is wash day. 

I made this card using Lawn Fawn's "Little Bundle" and "Loads of Fun" to create this card. The baby clothes are so sweet. Everything here is colored with Copic Markers. The strips at the bottom of the card are from my green drawer where I keep scraps precut to 5.5" so I can quickly add them to cards. The T-shirt, undies and boy's onesie are all paper pieced, those papers came from my patterned paper scrap drawer. The onesie is actually a bit of packaging - I love free paper.

Happy Crafting,

Copic SKETCH 72 PC SET A Markers AAAS72A

RESERVE Lawn Fawn LITTLE BUNDLE Clear Stamps LF1127

RESERVE Lawn Fawn LOADS OF FUN Clear Stamps LF1048

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Tidy Tuesday - spring cleaning

I love stamping and coloring and playing candy crush until I'm out of lives. I do not generally like cleaning. It's a chore. You can tell because it's called a "chore" instead of a "game" or a "woozzle" or something else. I tidy up and vacuum, dust, and swiffer but moping or steam cleaning is not a regular thing. 

Today I am going to get that steam mop out and fire it up. The floors will be cleaned so thoroughly, that if you wanted to, you could eat off of them. 

       ha 

              ha  

                      ha 

                              ha   

I would love to say that is going to happen but in actuality it probably won't. I have it on my do to list but it's not a high priority. It's after work work, you know the kind that pays the bills, finding work - need to find a new job, laundry, dishes, and making cards for various occasions.

But I have been working on cards that show cleaning, so that's something. Right? 

I really like this image from Sunny Studio. The sentiments in the set are"Without you…" "my life would" "Suck" and "I'm sorry…" "That sucks!" great for some cards, not so much for a birthday card. 

I saw the sentiment I used on the card at Viva Las Vegastamps and the unmounted price was within my budget. I still have plenty of EZ mount from my adventures in stamp converting.

Happy Crafting,

Sunny Studio That Sucks Stamps

VLVS Getting Old Is Like 1 x 1 1/2

Copic SKETCH 72 PC SET A Markers AAAS72A

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Welcome Spring

When someone says "Spring" there are a couple of phrases that come to mind. Spring cleaning and spring chicken are top of mind. SO this week will be spring cleaning week. I will post cards related to cleaning or other spring activities and at the end of the week, I will do some spring cleaning with a giveaway.

First up a little video. A very little video.

As soon as I saw this Art Impressions stamp set I knew I was going to get it because… chickens. My sister keeps chickens and has her kitchen is decorated with chicken images. I put the chicken panel on an action wobble because …spring.  The chicken and the ground were colored with Copic markers.

cLucky us!  
Simon Says Stamp is having a

Copic marker sale

all 25% off

use the code MarkerSale. 

Click on the logo below to go get yours.

Come back tomorrow for another spring-inspired card.

Happy Crafting,

Sympathy Cards are Hard

The hardest cards in the world to make, write and receive are sympathy cards. No one receives a sympathy card unless they have endured a great loss. Knowing what to say to someone who has suffered a loss is difficult at best. 

Mondo Peony by Julie Ebersole for Essentials by Ellen (Hutson)
colored with Copic Markers. Sentiment from Hero Arts.

 Last week I had planned to show you all a few cards I sent to a family of friends who lost their mother/grandmother. She was a nice lady that my son knew as Grandma Betty.

Image is from a retired Stampin' Up! set, water colored with
Stampin' Up! inks.

While I was preparing this series, my brother-in-law lost his mother. She was a very kind woman who wanted to take my whole family home to India with her. 

Images and die cuts are Henna Elements from Altenew.
Sentiments are from Hero Arts.

Before I could get too far into the series two aquaintances lost their dogs. I was beginning to think that I should abandon the idea of sharing sympathy cards at all. 

I colored this beauty with Copic Markers. I have no idea who made this image,
if you know let me know. The maker of the sentiment is also a mystery,
again if you know let me know.

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Happy Crafting,

Loving On - Your Next Stamp. A different kind of blog hop.

This week I should be swamped with life. Monday is scout night for my son. Tuesday I have my final improv class before our student show on Saturday*. A friend is having surgery to fix a broken arm Tuesday and will need help this week. Plus the magazine I design goes to press and print week is always a bit of a bear.

I want to Love on Your Next Stamp but I don't think I will have the time to do it right. So I thought I would open it up and ask for help. This week I will have several guest bloggers here showing their beautiful creations using stamps from YNS. Please show them some love.

My love of Your Next Stamp started a few years ago when I was looking for a die to run through my Cuttlebug that would cut photos down to 3x4 with rounded edges for my Project Life book about our new dog. I used the heck out of that die making journalling cards out of all kinds of things: dealership repair tickets, menus, Christmas cards, and paper scraps.

When I started poking around the website I began adding stamp sets to my wish list and it just keeps growing. It grows much faster than my income. The whimsy level on these stamps is off the charts. I love Dante the dragon, the three wise men, and the dancing gecko (he's next on my list), plus YNS has a nice ass.

I dig this cute little digger. This is colored with
Prismacolor pencils on kraft cardstock.

See they have a cute ass! This card was made with a Go Vote message.
Each donkey represents one of the four candidates that were running in 2016. 

The couch and window are from Your Next Stamp
and the little girl is from Mama Elephant.

This blog hop has an added bonus.  Karen, the owner at Your Next Stamp, has offered a stamp set to one lucky winner this week. So leave a comment to enter and get yourself some of the YNS love.

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Happy Crafting,

*Laugh Out Loud student show is Saturday, February 25 at 1 pm. Cost is $5.

Loving on Wplus9 - Yes, and…

You know those days when you have a great plan? You have things to do and schedule everything, including a little time for playing with pets and dealing with teenagers, and life says, "NOPE!" That has been my week.

A friend of mine was supposed to be in a week long training session about an hour away from my house. She asked if I would watch her dog and I said, "yes," because my son and I absolutely love her dog. 

On Tuesday my son was running late for the bus and forgot his winter coat (a hoodie would be ok for a run to the bus stop). After school, he got home and couldn't get in the house because his house key lives in his coat. Instead of going to someone's house he protected himself against the wind by sitting in a small garden shed that's the size of 2 garden chairs and is only 4 feet tall. Kids! With time on his hands and nothing else to do he got his homework done. When I got home I told him he had me worried because he wasn't answering the phone. His apology, "I'm sorry for making you worry," was so sincere it warmed my heart.

Tuesday night I go to an improv class, during the conversation after class one of the other students told me I was really funny but I said, "no, but…" instead of, "yes, and…" I felt so bad. It's the first rule of improv this, "yes, and…" thing. I have kept that in mind all week.

Tuesday night when I got home from class my friend who is in training called and said, "I've broken my arm. Can you come get me and take me home?" I said, "yes" and…  I was on my way.  I headed out at 10:30 pm. I drove for an hour praying Google maps would get me where she was before the battery ran out on my phone. I got to the ER and sat with my friend while they poked and prodded and finally put her in a temporary cast. I took her back to her hotel because she was determined to go to the next day's training. Badass right? I headed home and walked in at 3 am.

Three hours later I woke up with dogs walking on me wanting to go out… NOW! I walked the little fuzz balls, made sure my son got up and off to school and went back to bed after texting work that I would be about an hour late. When I woke there was a reply saying, "nothing to do, take the day off." Whew! I went out to run a few errands that I had scheduled for after work and while on the road the phone rang. My friend's pain was too intense, she had not received pain meds in the ER the night before, "Can you take me to the local ER?"  I said, "yes" and…  I was on my way.  Seven hours later, after more X-rays, a new and improved cast, and a prescription for pain meds, I took her home. 

Why am I telling you all of this? 1) bloggers should share a bit about their personal life, be real. 2) I wanted to explain why you hadn't seen other Wplus9 creations this week. 3) I just needed to vent a bit. 

Because of all the aforementioned activities, you will be getting 3 cards instead of one today. Enjoy.

Bubble Talk

This card was made with scraps of paper from my stash. The banner of party hats and "happy birthday" sentiments were stamped with images from the Wplus9 set Unforgettable. The elephant was stamped on grey cardstock and colored with Copic markers. The party hats were stamped with Stampin' Up! inks and then filled in with an aquabrush. The splatters of ink were made by opening Mister Huey inks and tapping the spray pump instead of spraying it.

Party Animal

When I saw the giraffe from this set on Sandy Allnock's blog I knew I had to add him to my collection. The balloon felt like it wanted to lift this little guy so I let it. Everything here is colored with Copic markers except the blue sky. I created that with Distress ink.

Bubble Talk  and Party Animals

Combining Wplus9 stamp sets works so well because the images have the same feel and are well proportioned. Everything here is colored with Copic markers except the blue sky. I created that with Distress ink and a mask I made with a My Favorite Things Die. 

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Happy Crafting,

Loving on Wplus9

In February 2010 Dawn Woleslagle (wool-slay-gal), an accomplished watercolor artist and graphic designer, founded WPlus9 Design Studio. The first time I saw the company name I wondered what it meant, once I saw Dawn's last name it was it was a total "duh".

The first image I remember seeing was "Pocketful" and I wanted it - badly. Because money was not plentiful I had to pass on this set that included jean pockets with a variety of things that could poke out of the pocket. It was adorable. I've been enamored with Dawn's work ever since.

From whimsical critters to elegant florals to versatile sentiments, Wplus9 continues to bring beautiful sets to market. Stamps are released on the 5th of every other month, starting in February. The first week of release months the Design Blog features samples, product previews, and drawings for free products.

A couple of years ago when elephants were all the rage I fell hard for the elephants in Unforgettable and Bubble Talk. Those adorable critters needed to come live at my house. One of the things I like about these 2 sets is that they work so well together. The images are the same scale.

Unforgettable

This card was made with paper scraps that I keep in drawers near my desk.

Happy Crafting,

Hot Diggity Dog these Stamps are Tee-rific

Tee-rific

I purchased the Tee-rific SugarPea Designs set a while ago because I loved the penguin so much. I don't play golf unless there is a windmill on the course. Good thing this set includes a windmill. 

My last encounter with real golf was when I was 8 when my dad was practicing his swing. I got too close and caught the business end of a driver in the face. No real damage except a desire to stay away from golf.

This adorable set is part of the SugarPea Designs Bean Stalk Collection. There are 7 images that can be used to build scenes or can be on their own as a focal point for your creations.

There are eight (8) sentiments for the golfer in your life from Happy Father’s Day to Get Well wishes perfect for the duffer feeling sub-par.

Hot Diggity Dog (sentiment from Avery Elle, mirror frame and rug hand drawn)

For nearly 50 years I thought of myself as a cat person. Thirteen years ago I found out I was a cat person who wasn't allowed to have cats. Allergies were not going to let me breathe if my fuzzy friends were around. Sadly I had to let my two calicos, Penny and Gwen, go. When my son was little he would ask me anytime I seemed even a little bit sad, "You miss you Penny right?" 

When he got a little older he decided he wanted a dog and would regularly remind me that I was NOT allergic to dogs. He had a sinus issue one year, and I took him to my allergist at the suggestion of his pediatrician. They did allergy tests and he is only allergic to one thing. Dogs.

Three years ago I became a dog person. We got Jewels, a schnauzer puppy, to distract my son and me from the sadness of my father's death the previous year. She has worked wonders for me. I have met a lot of wonderful neighbors while walking the dog. 

A bunch of women with dogs would meet up at the local park early on weekend mornings and chat while the dogs played. We would leave the park before the neighborhood children were even awake let alone ready to play in the park. 

I purchased the SugarPea Designs Hot Diggity Dog set to make cards for these ladies. Even though the dogs in this set don't look a thing like any of our dogs, it still gets a work out for Yappy Birthday cards and other occasions. 

Happy Crafting,

How to write a thank you note.

In a previous post, I told you why do you say thank you.  In this post, I'll tackle how to say thank you. What do you write on the inside? This is always a problem for me. So I did a bit of research and found out a pretty good formula.

Formula for saying thank you 

1. Don't be self-centered. 

Starting your note with “I” or “We" doesn't make it about your recipient but about you. Instead focus entirely on the other person. Phrases like "You throw a great party", "You are a wonderful cook," or "You have a great talent for finding the perfect gift" will make your recipient happier than saying "I love my new whatchamacallit," 

2. Name it and be specific.

When saying thank you for a gift go beyond just writing down what it is. Write about  how it looks, how it makes you feel, what you'll do with it, or how you will display it. 

If someone gave you money, your thank you note shouldn't read “Thanks for the $50.” Instead it should read “Thank you for your generosity,” no matter what amount is given, because money is always a “generous gift"

3.  How did you benefit from the person's kindness or generosity? 

If you’re thanking friends for a party, mention details about the event that you’ll hold as memories: a favorite food, the table decorations, someone at the party you enjoyed meeting, or anything else that comes to mind as special. 

Before the holiday break several Scout families took turns bringing my son home from meetings. Their kindness allowed me to take improv classes. You better believe I mentioned this benefit when I gave them thank you cards.

4. End your note by writing about when you will be together again.  

You could write something like, "I'll call you next week to arrange a time to meet for lunch or coffee," or "I look forward to seeing you again at so-and-so's birthday party."  If you tell someone you're going to call and make arrangements for a meeting, be the kind of person that makes the call to make arrangements for a meeting. 

5.  Don't use generic salutations.  

Sincerely is fine for someone you don't know but when thanking  a friend or family member put some heart and humor in it. You can allude to the gift, if someone gave you a coffee maker, you could write, "with love from your new favorite barista." 

According to the experts, the stationery for your thank you notes doesn't really matter it's what's on the inside that counts. As a card maker, this seems so very foreign to me. When I make a thank you card the image on the cover relates to the gift or the giver, the event or the host, the kindness or the deed. Here's the latest thank you card I made:

Image from Purple Onion Designs, Sentiment from Mama Elephant.
Sequins from Neat and Tangled. Coloring was done with Copic markers. 

It's important when sending a thank you card that you are timely in getting it in the mail. Two weeks is a good rule of thumb, though I'm sure new parents are given a bit more grace than others.

Happy Crafting,

Resources:A Proper Thank You: Etiquette rules for thank you notes
The Gracious 5-Step Formula for Writing Thank You Notes

Playing catch up

Best intentions

Sometimes no matter how good your intentions are you fail. Stuff happens and takes your focus, energy, and/or desire away. I had every intention of posting regularly to the blog and even more regularly to Instagram. Well, I got the Instagram part right, sort of. I try to make a card or cards every day but writing a blog post each day isn't happening. I just don't have that much to say.  Posting to Instagram is so much quicker, easier, and more practical for what I do. If you want to see those daily please follow me here: https://www.instagram.com/katemade.designs/ 

I am still working on the "Use Every Stamp Challenge" so I am not able to purchase new stamps, even though my wish list is long. Here is the link to my wish list on Pinterest. I am not allowed to purchase new stuff but nothing was said about receiving new stamps as a gift.

Being Social

I have recently joined some crafty groups on Facebook. One of my favorites is Stamping Enablers. I think I found my people y'all. I've learned things. I've been in conversations and I've even won a stamp set. The sentiment and kitty from this card are both from the Art Impressions set Loving Feline. The shoes are from Claudine Hellmuth and the rest is me just cutting paper and coloring with Copic Markers.

I plan to make several of these cards for The Tree House Humane Society. I can't volunteer there. Can't even walk in the place because of allergies. But I love cats and want to help find homes for them if I can. I have not been able to attend their fundraisers. But I can make cards, with my friend who does volunteer there, to sell in their gift shop.

Organization Tip

One of the topics in the Stamping Enablers group is organization. But then isn't it always a topic among paper hoarders crafters. Storing stuff so it's accessible is huge for me and there was a discussion recently about storing blending foams that go on those Ranger blending tools. Divided boxes were popular but I have a system that I found works great for me.

I only have 2 blending tool handles and I don't have a lot of room to store more. I have a foam for each color I own because if you use the same foam for multiple colors it really muddies up the ink pads. I stamped the ink color on a slip of cardstock and used the blending tool to add color to the end of the card. After writing the color name on the card I slipped it and the foam into a badge holder. Once they were all colored, stamped and labeled I put them on a binder ring. I added another ring to the first ring so I can hang it on the knob under my drafting table.

Happy Crafting,

Lovin Feline Set

Sparco Book Ring, 3-Inch Diameter, 10 per Box, Silver (SPR01441)

ADVANTUS Proximity Badge Holder, Horizontal, 3-3/8 x 2-3/8

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Use Every Stamp Challenge

Hello. My name is Katie, and I am a stampaholic. I love buying cute stamps and sometimes I don't use them before buying new stamps. It is especially true during the holidays. You know all those Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

I have a non-crafty friend who doesn't understand my need for new stamps. She issued a challenge that I use "Every single stamp in your collection" before you buy a new set. I have already failed. I just received "Map Love" and "Tree Hugs" from Concord & 9th, and I am looking forward to playing with these new stamps.

But my friend has a point. I have A LOT of stamps. I should make use of them, or let them go to someone who will. So in the words of Barney Stinson, "Challenge accepted!"

Each week I will feature one stamp company, or illustrator, or theme. I will post all cards on Instagram tagged with #UseEveryStampChallenge and the feature of the week, along with any other tags that seem appropriate.

As I go through the stamp sets, I will find sets that no longer fit my style or needs. I will list these stamps for sale in my Etsy shop. I know I also have a few oops stamps. You know, those items you accidently hit two instead of 1 when purchasing. These will be given away as prizes when I feature the stamp manufacturer.

I know using every stamp will be different for each of you — So want to play?  You can do this challenge along with “The Daily Marker 30 Day Coloring Challenge”. The 30-day coloring challenge encourages you to color at least 5 minutes a day from February 1 - March 1. I am going to accept that challenge plus I am going to Use Every Stamp I can during that time. I will need to stamp a lot longer than 30 days. Like I said before — I have a lot of sets to go through.

In honor of the Coloring Challenge, this weeks theme is #coloring.

Lawn Fawn, Washi Tape, Copic Markers

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Happy Crafting,

Copic SKETCH 72 PC SET A Markers AAAS72A

Memento TUXEDO BLACK INK PAD Full Size me-900

Lawn Fawn COLOR MY WORLD Clear Stamps LF793

*Crafter's Companion ACRYLIC BLOCK STARTER SET 5 Pack AH05

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