Where do I start?!

Hellooooooooooooooooo!  I'm back!  Yes, all the Christmas cards are officially in the mail so I get to "play" again!  I have already spent half an hour rummaging through my box of BRAND NEW STAMPIN' UP! TOYS that came days ago.  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!  So many new things, so little time!!!!!!!  Hee hee - I get myself into a stamping frenzy when I get lots of new stuff at once!  I am suddenly stricken with MAJOR attention deficit problems .. I start making a card with stamp set #1 but then I spot stamp set #2 ... #1 is quickly pushed aside as I frantically reach for new paper and embellishments - as I reach for something else I spot yet another new item ... and on it goes.  half an hour later I wonder why I can no longer find the top of my desk and have completely lost the plot on what I started to do in the first place!  It's going to be a fun few weeks as I try to focus and actually complete a project *lol*

Now ... I tore myself away from my new toys to post a project ... but where do I start??!!  I have so many to share!  ... and of course, those who follow me regularly know I ramble on for 3 pages before I GET to the project ... and then the project itself usually has a 3 page story behind it.  So ... maybe you better grab the beverage of choice, get comfortable and then proceed ... we may be here a while *lol*

RIght. (here comes the start of the story behind the card(s))   As we all know I struggle with cards that are "clean and simple".  So imagine my delight when I attended our Stamping Christmas Party and we made this lovely, clean and simple little Christmas card:

Fabulous, isn't it?  Yes, once again Tamye Dunbar (www.stampinfun.ca) managed to put together a card that I could easily copy and mass produce to send to my 70+ customers this year.  So quick and easy!  She used a 1 1/2" strip of Very Vanilla - ran it through the Snowburst Embossing Folder - stamped the Easy Events Christmas image in black Staz-on ink, colored it with Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive markers, added some pearls and Wa-low (Voila to adults ... Wa-low to my 6 year old!)  Quick and easy.  So I head down to my craft room the next day all ready to ctrack off 70 of these bad boys.  Hmmm ... I think I would prefer it in Whisper White to the Very Vanilla.  Ok - still quick and simple - just a color change.  Well .. I just don't feel right sending out a card designed by someone ELSE to all my customers - it has to be a Tamara original.  No big deal - we'll just change the stamped image.  Well ... of course no other images were as simple ... or the right size ... or the right font.  Hmmm - ok, we'll try using Merry Winter and a different sentiment - ya - one from Four the Holidays.  How about this:

It's basically the same, right?  I just turned it on it's side, stamped the sleigh and snowmen in Night of Navy and Cherry Cobbler ... added the sentiment.  Hmm ... needed something - ok - some snowflakes from the Serene Snowflake set ... and then some rhinestones to their little hats.  Wa-low!  I copied Tamyes.  Yep - quick, simple, easy ..... nope.  I hate it.  WHY is it that try as I may I can't bring myself to keep it simple?  I'm always finding cards I love that are 1 layer, 1 color, simple - lovely.  I make them and I instantly have to start adding something to it!  I can make the identical card that I loved on-line but when I see it live I don't like it!   Sigh.  It's hard being me *lol*
Right - so - now I'm back to the drwing board.  Quick, simple, mass producable ... is producable a word?  Hmm - gotta look into that later ... ok - so - here was another card I fell in love with - it was from Dawn Olchefske (www.dostamping.typepad.com)

Isn't it FABULOUS??!!  I love it!  So ... off I set to make the exact same card.  I made it 100% the same.  Sat and stared at it.  Hated it.  Maybe if I changed the small white layer to the Silver Glimmer Paper.  THAT would complete it.  No.  To sparkly.  Hated it too.  Right - what about if I COMBINE the layer idea of Dawn's card with the stamp set from Tamye's card ... ya ... let's try THAT:

NOW we're talkin!  Of course you can see a few little details that just had to be added.  Like the layers being slightly askew ... askew is a word, isn't it?  Oh sure it is ... I some how don't think that's how it's spelled though ... hmm - better look into that too or Dad will be on my case ....Right - back to my story.  So the base is your standard 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" but the layers are not my usual 1/4" smaller.  This time I have the first layer at 5 + 2 ticks x 4 - the embossed layer is then 4 3/4" x 3 3/4" ... I think ... it's getting late and my math isn't what it was ... ANYWAY - I ran the top layer through the big shot with the snowburst folder then punched out the circle with the BIG 2 1/2" circle punch.  I stamped the Easy Events image inside - popped the layer up on dimensional (THAT was fun ... NOT!  I used 8 per card ... actually I used 4 "full" dimensionals in the corners and then I used "scraps" for the other 4 around the circle.  I save all my dimensional sheets after they are all used up and then use the scraps for projects like this).  I added the Cherry Cobbler Quilted Satin ribbon for a little pop of color.  Speaking of color - had to then color the image (Cherry Cobbler & Old Olive - JUST LIKE TAMYE!)  Hmm.  Done?  No - couldn't be.  Let's add some Dazzling Details to each card too.  Kill me now!  Ok - so Tamye's quick and simple 1 minute card now takes a LOT longer, a LOT more paper and a LOT more wondering what the hell is wrong with me?!  ... on the bright side ...  I love it :)  Yep - love it, love it, love it.  So ... let's make 40 of them. 

Right - so that's the story of my quick and simple card.  Now .. I couldn't POSSIBLY send that card to my club girls could I?  Well NO, Tamara - you couldn't do that!  Every year you make and extra SPECIAL card for your "girls" ... (now if you are one of my club girls and you got the above card please don't be offended ... I simply thought that the above card suited your personal stamping style more than the following one ... and let's face it ... in the end I think the "quick and simple" card took more time and effort thatn the "over-the-top" card!)
So ... remember this birthday card I made for my friend a few weeks ago?

Well this little guy grew on me so I wanted to use him on my "special" card.  After looking at the size of him for a while it struck me that he HAD to be used on an easle card.  So - without further adeau (is that how you spell it??  Dad .... ??  I suppose I should mention here that my dad just shakes his head whenever he reads anything I write - my grammar and spelling make him twitchy.  *lol* He and my mom are great spellers and great with grammar.  I, on the other hand, suck.  When I was in grade school they tought me to spell by sounding words out. Well ... as we all know the English language really doesn't spell the way it sounds so I was pretty much doomed from Kindergarten on.  And my grammar?  Well ... sorry Mr. Hurley - I loved you as a teacher but we all know how much you liked the grammar section in High School ... and that we only ever did the 1 or 2 weeks learning it right before finals each year.  What chance did I have??!!)  But I digress ... need a refill on that drink yet?  I TOLD you to get comfy!  OK - right - focus Tamara - the card. Here it is closed:

... and open:

... and from the side ...

Hee hee - isn't it cute?  Yes, I made 32 of these ... I'm starting to bore myself with my ramblings now so I don't think I need to explain EVERY detail of it.  You know how to make an easel card, no?  Easy to figure out from the picture, I think.  Oh, all right.  Cut your sheet of paper the long way (4 1/4" x 11) - fold it in half and then fold one half inhalf again).  I used the ribbon punch for the strip that holds the card up.  I used my blender pen and inks to color the images.  I used Cherry Cobbler and Night of Navy.  Anything I missed?  I don't think so - the snowflake punch and some rhinestones finished it off.

So - as I said before, and as I'm sure you can now appreciate ... It's hard being me.  So hard, in fact, that I have now exhausted myself just telling you all about it so I'm off to bed.

I have more projects ... so keep comin' back for a look!  (Just remember to do it when you have an hour to read my ramblings *lol*).  Yes, I'm quirky and I know it ....

Have a fun weekend :)


Tam