Sylvia's Simple Shots

I have discovered this Youtube channel - Wondering Melodies.

I just love the watercolor art work in these videos. The characters are so cute. Rabbits, hedgehogs, bears, mice, deer, owls, cats, and more I am sure. I prefer the wild animals.

The Celtic music is very lovely as a background for crafting or slow stitching or just chilling.

My Christmas cards went into the mail on Monday.  A lot less than usual since I can't deliver them to church like I used to. 

I was lucky that I made some last year that did not get mailed because of the postal strike.

That means a new church in 2026.

At $1.30 in postage though there will have to be a reassessment of the list.

With the change in weather I needed a rug at the front door to catch the snow and gravel being dragged in on boots.

I am happy with this 2 foot by 5 foot dark grey one I bought this week.  Covers the area I needed.

It's that time of year again.

The low pressure tire light came on the car this week.  I have this happen every year when the weather turns really cold.

I called to OK Tire and headed over and they helped me out.

It took a bit of time this year to clear the light.  The guy told me it could take 30-50 kilometers.  With being so cold I was not going far.  It did eventually clear before I took a long trip.

This is the book on my bedside this week.  The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly.

It was written with youth in mind but it is a great book.

Set in the summer of 1899, Calpurnia is eleven turning twelve toward the end of the year.  She has brothers and a wonderful grandfather.  He is a naturalist and putters in his library and shed out back observing nature.  

Calpurnia's mother wants her to play the piano and learn the domestic arts but she would prefer to accompany her grandfather in the woods, streams and meadows around their home.

She receives the book - The Science of the Housewifery for Christmas which a bitter disappointment. Can she be a scientist in the new century?  I will keep the book because the cover is so beautiful. 

Card - Watercolor and Ink - Fall Colors

The original ink drawing was done on 90lb watercolor paper measuring 4.00 X 5.25 inches.  I used a fine tip permanent black marker.

I was inspired to start ink pieces by the Inktober Challenge. 

I drew it then applied watercolor to it in fall colors. Yellow, oranges and browns.

I rubbed a black marker around the edge to finish off the lines in the drawing.

I added a fabric accent "City Express Post" 2 cent stamp.  Unfortunately, I was not express enough and this card is a few days late. 

I added 2 deep yellow mini brads at the top and bottom of the stamp. The watercolor drawing was then adhered to the front of a Tangerine Tango card.  

I will hand deliver the card tomorrow.

I have been working on art pieces for the upcoming Value of Color show at the art gallery.  Turned out to take more time than I thought.  Keep an eye out for those coming at the end of October.

Exchange Cards - September - Yellow Flowers

My Exchange Cards for September feature autumn colored flowers.

This first one is a sunflower.  The 4x4 inch photograph is from one of my annual photo calendars.  Trimmed the numbers off and it was ready to go.

I chose a Stampin Up Summer Sun card base.  I cut a 2" strip of black card stock which I punched with the SU Banner Triple Punch.  

It is very versatile as it easily centers the V on several widths of banners. Allow allows you to make any length.

Once that was adhered I installed 3 golden yellow caplets by making holes with the Crop-a-dile and then inserting the caps and choosing the right settings to press these into place.

A full half sheet white insert make this a card which can be used for any fall occasion.

This card features the same Summer Sun card base. This time I chose a Chocolate Chip piece of card stock which I aligned closer to the top of the landscape oriented card.

I adhered the 4x4 inch photo of a dahlia aligned on the left.  

Then, I chose a metal postage stamp brad in a golden yellow color.  I marked the spot for the prongs on the back and used a push pin to create a hole for them.  Press the prongs apart on the inside.

A full half sheet insert and this card is ready to be mailed on Monday.

Christmas Thank Yous

I made my Thank You cards for the wonderful gifts I received this Christmas.

My tradition is to make my TY cards from the gift wrap on the gifts.  I had a few choices and I chose this one.  It is a double sided paper so again more choice.  I found the large snowmen not as inspiring but the strips of postage stamp images were just great.  There were several colors included as well so I could have a variety of card colors. 

I chose 5 colors - Red, Turquoise, Green, Purple and Pink for the cards, then I coordinated the greeting layer with that. I used a happy font for my greeting and I printed them on a quarter sheet of white card stock then trimmed the one side to make it 5.25 wide and ripped the bottom edge.  I cut the strips of images between the rows free hand.  Four across was perfect.  I just made sure I had one that matched the card stock.




This paper was on the gift from my niece and it worked wonderfully for this project.  Thanks so much!

I have been so blessed this year by friends and family.  A few gift cards, some tea related gifts, some yellow and navy for my kitchen, some nice scented shower gel, a couple handmade gifts and a turquoise scarf.

Exchange Cards - October

I took this card kit from Card Club and adjusted it.

My sister made a similar card here which is my inspiration.

I embossed white rectangles with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots and the Devine Swirl embossing folders. I glued them in opposite corners onto the bright green card.

I glued the postage to a piece of vellum then this accent was adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.

Another card kit from Card Club.

I ripped the vellum to separate the vellum greetings.

I attached the vellum to the black card front.  I then adhered the gold foil stickers to a teal card stock then punched them out. 

These were adhered over the edges of the vellum strips.

These cards are headed to my card exchange partners.

Postage Stamp Trees

After I took out postage stamps for my class this week I sorted some green ones to create these cards.

I glued them to some dark green card stock and let them dry.  I cut triangles 2" wide and 3.5 inches tall. I then layered them onto red card stock leaving a tiny border. 

I created a greeting layer with a triangle tree and a sentiment printed in Handsome Hunter.  This layer was trimmed to leave a small border onto a dark green card. 

I added a gold star sequin at the top of the tree held in place with a tiny gold star brad.

Another few cards for my Christmas card stash.  Very good.

Card Making with Seniors - Postage Stamp

This is a stash busting card.  Many years ago I collected postage stamps from letters sent to the place I worked.  I have sorted, culled, and sorted again several times over the years.

I decided on this bright postage in honor of the 125th Anniversary of the Universal Postal Union issued in 1999.  It was soaked off the paper it was glued to and then allowed to dry.

I mounted it to a piece of card stock slightly smaller to stiffen it.

I created a background with script and cancellation stamp images from The Graphics Fairy which goes with the concept of a postage stamp.  Digitally, I added a box for the stamp then printed the background on a quarter sheet. It was trimmed to leave a small border.  It was adhered to the front of the bright green card.

I applied 3D foam tape to the back of the stiff postage stamp and adhered it in the window.

Here's another version with the Rural Mail Boxes stamps issued in 2000.

Sending these to my card exchange buddies. 

Card - Pond Hockey

Here's another Earth Day card re-using cancelled postage stamps.  We all some of these hanging around.  This one is from the 50th National Hockey League® All-Star Game published in the year 2000.
I found a pond hockey photo on-line which is the classic idea of scrapping the snow off a pond and creating a skating rink.  I wanted a little bit of red to off set the stamp so I put a red maple leaf in the left bottom corner. I printed it on vellum and let it dry. I trimmed the vellum and put it on a pale blue card which matches the background on the stamp.  It is held in place by 4 tiny black brads in all four corners.  I then adhered the stamp to a piece of card stock to give it a bit of stiffness and then stuck that to the vellum in the top right hand corner. After the golds in hockey at the Olympics this is a great card to honors those medals.