Oopsie Daisy Birthday Bonanza

Between friends and family, I have just a few (ahem--make that ten!) birthday cards I need to send in the month of July. Needless to say, my stash of birthday cards is severely depleted. So yesterday I took some time to make some birthday cards using my Oopsie Daisy Greetings to Go. I have a lot more to go, but hey, it's a start.

I totally copied Tricia's idea from page 3 of the G2G instructions.

This sentiment makes me giggle.

This one, too!

I love that splatter stamp, and the caterpillar is SO cute!

The white pen is perfect for highlighting. Covers a multitude of sins.

I separated the "HAPPY" from "Anniversary" (Greeting UM) to stretch my creative options.

I can't wait to get back to the basement and make more birthday cards. Oh, and speaking of birthday cards, lookie what I got:

I host the monthly Birthday Card Club Swap, and since my birthday was July 6, I got to open over 20 cards from my creative CS friends. Score! If you'd like a birthday card haul similar to mine above, just join the swap each month. Then, when your birthday rolls around you could be basking in birthday hugs, too!

Creatively yours,
Karen

Picnic ATCs

We are all short on time. Our lives are busy, busy, busy. I don't know about you, but creating is good for my soul. It makes me feel better to create . . . even if it's just a little something.

Artist Trading Cards (ATC) are a great way to get those creative juices flowing, without a big commitment. The canvas is smaller: 2.5 x 3.5". This small size forces you to really stretch your artistic muscles. And if you "mess up"? No big deal, just grab another blank and try again.

I decided to get crafty and try making some ATCs with my Picnic kit. And you know what? It was fun! I trimmed down just two papers (I can always order replacements, wink-wink) and got out my Picnic unmounted stamps and just played.

Ink green base with dark green ink for a watermelon rind look.

Love that little lady bug!

A little masking magic.

Stamp glass 2x, trim, layer with dimensional adhesive. Add glitter pen to ice cube and top of glass.

Sentiment added from an "old" Mosaic Twist UM.

These are just a start. Now that I'm warmed up, I hope to make a few more. Heck, I've got a bunch of blanks left, so why not?

You can get a lot of ATC "blanks" from one sheet of paper. Here are the diagrams you can use for either 8.5 x 11 or 12 x 12" papers.

To create ten ATC bases, cut 8.5x11" vertically at 6 and 3.5" Rotate 3.5 x 11" horizontally
and trim at 10, 7.5, 5 and 2.5". Rotate both 2.5 x 11" horizontally and cut at 10.5, 7 and 3.5".

A 12x12 will yield 16 ATC bases, but it will require you to whip out your craft knife.

Lynn (Hasmom99) hosts an ATC swap every month on the Club Scrap Forum. Lynn says of the swap, "The creativity and variety are really wonderful. For someone like me, who works full time and rarely has time to make more involved projects, the ATC is a fun way to get a little creative with my stash. It is always great to see how everyone has different ideas with how to use the kits."

Here are some past swap samples for your enjoyment:

March Trees ATC swap.

February's Big Deal ATC swap.

For even more inspiration, check out Club Scrap's ATC Board on Pinterest.

Want to join in the fun? There's still time to get in on the Dungarees Swap if you create and mail the ATCs by June 25. Or, if you prefer, grab your Picnic kit and create your own ATCs. If you join the July swap, one of the Picnic ATCs above could be YOURS, because I'm in!

Creatively yours,
Karen