Hello crafty friends! Even when I take a break from blogging, I never stop creating “for the fun of it.” In this post, I’m highlighting a couple of projects that I completed during a blogging hiatus. The Graphic 45 Safari Album turned out beautifully and was fun to make. Since finishing this one, I’ve been inspired to create several more! So . . .
Let’s Start with the Album!
I created this fun, Graphic 45 Safari Album using a tutorial that I purchased from ClayBuana Paper Creations. Alexandra does an amazing job in her tutorials. She makes these complex creations easy to understand and follow. Her instructions are very clear and concise and most of all , they work. I had no problems while creating this. I highly recommend her tutorials. She has several free tutorials as well as more complex ones that you can purchase. This tutorial was just $15.
I tweaked some of the inside pages to allow my photos to fit, and I added the waterfall pages and many flip outs and pockets. The suitcase and the basic album construction is all from Alexandra’s tutorial. I was very pleased with how it all came together! She has since updated her tutorial for the Vintage Suitcase and Album, and I encourage you to try making one. I think it will surprise you how easy it is and it is incredibly rewarding when it’s completed.
Copic Markers for Card Makers
Also during my long break, I invested in additional Copic markers and signed up for the “Copic Markers for Card Makers” online class. This class is taught by Sandy Allnock, Jennifer McGuire, Kristina Werner, and Kathy Racoosin. (Several other guest teachers joined them in the videos.) I found this class to be worth every penny. The cost was $35 for 13 different lessons. Each lesson has multiple videos from different teachers so you see many different methods to achieve the same look with your Copic markers. They encourage you to develop your own style. If you want to improve your own coloring, I highly recommend this course.
Following my usual batching method of creating, I’ve been making many cards from images that I colored months ago. I found I was having a bit of a creative brain block, so to push myself over the hump, I tried a few ideas I found on Pinterest so some of you may recognize some of the card designs. The stamped images are all from MFT and the Boat die is Stamps of Life.
Well, I guess that is enough of an update for now. I will be posting soon on the craft clubs I am currently in and some of my creations from the club goodies. I also have posts planned for sharing my method of clear stamp storage, which if you’re like me and have oodles and oodles of clear stamps, you won’t want to miss these helpful tips.
Keep creating for fun!
Carrie
