Good to be back...

I am not sure it's a good sign that it's 11:55 pm, and I have had to restart this post for the third time, because I keep accidentally hitting various buttons & losing the post.

Technological glitches not withstanding, I am actually quite excited to be blogging again. I've been cardmaking consistently for the last two years... which is how long ago, approximately, I last posted. Not quite sure where my blogging mojo went. I think part of it was not knowing how to garner the traffic I see other bloggers get. I know I was frustrated by my stash, and how disorganized it is.  Or maybe just not having the time, or the patience, to devote the needed energy to it. Since COVID hit in March, I have been a bit rejuvenated around creating.

I admit it wasn't like that at first. Like many, I had no idea what to do when this situation first started. I never really expected it to last as long as it has. It's been interesting to be a school trustee (I'm still on the school board - in my second term) during a pandemic. I'm pretty proud of how we've been managing the situation.

I have rediscovered sketches, and I have found some great inspiration on Youtube & Instagram. I'm especially inspired by Kristie Marcotte and Call Me Crafty Al. Today I'm sharing a set of cards I made using Kristie's 6x6 paper tutorial. It's actually an updated version of the tutorial. She used multiple sketches for her examples; my cards are based on OWH Sketch 154.

This sketch is very versatile; I will likely use it again and where I have the blank strip, I'll add a small die cut sentiment. These cards are blank because I made them as a going away gift for a friend.

Although I'm feeling creative, I'm not as organized as I'd like to be. I still have to get my cardstock sorted. It's all Stampin' Up, but I stupidly went rainbow order and mixed current colours with retired colours As such, I have some that I can't identify. For now, if I put a * next to something, that means I'm not sure I have correctly identified the item in question. My goal is to sort the cardstock this weekend. I have an unopened package of all the colour families, so I should least be able to pull out the loose current colours. The reality is I will likely let go of some of the older, retired colours I can't identify.

Card details:

Cardstock: Pacific Point, Bashful Blue, Mint Macaron (SU)
Glitter paper: Tonic Studios

DSP: Pretty Petals (SU)

Die: SU

VC Rocks Fun With One Color Blog Hop

Well hello!

I cannot believe it's been over a year since I've posted to my blog. Our Yahoo! group VC Rocks has started up again for the season, and we're starting the month of May with a blog hop. The theme this time is Fun With One Color.

VC Rocks is a group of SU stampers who do all sorts of fun activities for each summer. You can learn more about us at the website.

I've got two cards to share with you today. I want to get back to posting at least 3 times a week, so I'll be back again at least twice this week with more cards that fit the theme of today's post.

The first card I am sharing use Lemon Lime Twist. It's by far my favorite of the 2017-2019 In Colors. In fact, I'm very sad that when Stampin' Up announced their upcoming color family revamp, they didn't move this color into the core palette. I get why they didn't - it's sticking around for another year & that would leave the In Colors short one for a year - but I can't help it. I love this color. I don't want to lose it. I also really love this stamp set. The funny thing is I was unsure I'd use it when I first saw it. The basic design for this card came from my friend Laura B, who is an SU demo. She hosts a stamper's group at my place once a month.  

I apologize for the fact that the color is off; I'm not quite sure why. I do know I need to get a better light set up for photographing my card, but in this case I think it's more than that. 

The next card also uses one of the returning In Colors - Berry Burst. It's another one I made in on a card night. I admit I'm still not in love with this set. It does work really well here on this clean and simple 'Hello' card, though.

I'm the last stop on this month's hop. If you're starting here, head over to Robin's blog - she's the first person on the list.  We love comments so please go through and comment on all the participants' posts.

Or, if you've completed the hop, head over to VC Rocks and  leave a comment there, too!

Card details - All products Stampin' Up!

Happy Birthday Gorgeous

Stamps: Beautiful You
Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White, Lemon Lime Twist
Ink: Basic Black, Lemon Lime Twist
DSP: In Color Pack

Hello

Stamps: Climbing Orchid
Dies: Orchid Builder Framelits
Cardstock:  Berry Burst, Whisper White
Ink: Berry Burst, Chocolate Chip