Getting It Just Right

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I've begun serious deliberation over what this year's holiday card should look like. I came up with a layout I like and began to create it in several different color schemes. Sometimes a card just comes out right the first time and I don't have to tweak it. Other times I need to go over it and over it, changing a little something each time until I achieve something I'm totally satisfied with. When I'm unsure and need a fresh perspective on my work, I call in the experts...my children. You might think that my kids are biased in favor of my work but that is not the case, and I have come to rely on their brutally honest insights. They don't try to water down their opinions in order to placate me. They tell me exactly what they think about anything I'm creating and many times I have used their constructive criticism to improve on my work. In addition, since this year's holiday card is something that will represent us all as a family, I thought it was appropriate to get them involved in the creative process.

Above you will see three variations of the card layout: green/red, lt. blue/dk. blue, and silver/gold. When I asked my kids for their opinions I deliberately asked them separately because I didn't want them influencing each other. Interestingly enough they both said exactly the same thing. They immediately set aside the traditional red/green and said they would prefer the blue trees on the white background. I took their suggestions to heart and came up with the card you see below. When I again asked for their opinion, they once again agreed: the new version got a thumbs-up from both of them.

So here's our family's card for the 2009 holiday season. Creating them won't be nearly as daunting as addressing and stamping all those envelopes.

Anybody know how to mail-merge?

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

It's Been an Exciting Month!

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This month has been an unexpected whirlwind for me. In September I wrote about a card I created for a challenge swap being voted first place by my peers in the Oriental Stamp Art Yahoo group I belong to. (You can read that post here for some background info.) Well, this month I had the unrivaled thrill of being notified by the editor of Vamp Stamp News (www.vampstampnews.com) that this card was also chosen for publication in their December 2009 issue! I was over the moon. First time one of my cards was submitted for publication, it was chosen. As if that wasn't unbelievable enough, it got even better. It wasn't just chosen for publication, it was chosen for the front cover! AMAZING! The owner/moderator of the OSA group who submitted the cards on behalf of the members told me that no one EVER gets published on their first time out, much less on the cover. What a rush!

But wait...there's more. Lightning struck twice. Within days of this news, another of my cards that was submitted for publication was chosen by yet another magazine, Rubber Stamp Madness (www.rsmadness.com)! That's two cards chosen for publication by two different magazines. I'm still reeling from all this.

I'm including images of the two cards chosen for publication. The Holiday Tri-Shutter card appears in the December 2009 issue of Vamp Stamp News. The other card, featuring two figures walking together, will appear in Rubber Stamp Madness' Spring issue scheduled for release in January.

Hmmm, I just noticed something. Both cards are green. I guess that must be my lucky color.




Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

I have a question...

I have often considered giving a workshop or teaching a course on papercrafting and cardmaking. My question to you is this: if you wanted to take such a course, what things would you like to learn? Would you want to learn the techniques I use so you can use them to create your own cards? If so, what techniques would you like to learn? Would you prefer to create a card from a template? If so, do you have a preferred style of card? (You can choose from among my cards or send me a link to the kinds of cards you like.) I'm trying to get a seat of the pants feel for what people would like to learn in such a workshop or class before committing myself to such an endeavor.

I would really appreciate any and all feedback and comments you may have. If any of you have conducted workshops or taught classes of this type, I'd be interested to know what your experience was like. Please leave me your comments on the form at the bottom of this post. Thanks again.


Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Better Late than Never

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Last week my family and I sat down and actually spent some time doing something together...we painted pumpkins for Hallowe'en. Usually the only time we are together in one room is for the occasional family dinner (which is becoming rarer as the children get older) or the occasional family television program (which is extremely rare given our disparate tastes in entertainment). When the kids were younger we used to get pumpkins and carve them for the holiday and create a scarecrow out of their outgrown clothing, but we haven't done either of those activities in some years now. This year I decided to resurrect them, as much out of my personal affection for this holiday as for gleaning the last drop of childhood out of my young adults as I can. My husband brought home two large pumpkins for carving and I brought home four smaller ones for decorating. In these pictures you will see my husband and children busy working on their creations. My kids decided on creating video game motifs on their respective pumpkins while my husband, anxious to get watch a baseball game, created a quick and dirty grimace on his pumpkin, complete with bloody scars and stitches. I, anal-retentive artist that I am, took my time painting an outdoor scene featuring a blue sky with clouds, trees, stalks of corn, a pumpkin patch (pumpkins on a pumpkin, how original) and some pretty hybrid sunflowers. My daughter calls me Bob Ross, a reference to the late iconic oil painter who brought art into America's living rooms through his long running television show. Well, Lord knows I'm no Bob Ross but I enjoy creating art. Two views of my pumpkin can also be seen; one showing the pumpkin and corn patches and a top view of the starry night sky.

Last night was Hallowe'en night and all of our pumpkins were on display on our front steps, greeting the little gremlins, goblins and princesses as they came to trick-or-treat. Our pumpkins were in their element and in their full glory. Today the moment has passed. The pumpkins no longer reign supreme. Yet here, in this blog, they are immmortalized. They and the loving hands that created them.



Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Div

Update on the Passport Invitations...and a New Printer!!

The custom order I was working for 100 passport-styled invitations has been completed and delivered to the client today, five days ahead of schedule. I am relieved and very, very satisfied that the way this project turned out. (To read the background story, click here.)

I ran into several minor problems with this order, most of which were printer-related issues. First I ran out of ink. Then the replacement ink I ordered (remanufactured to cut costs) did a miserable job of printing. The print and the graphics were fuzzy and not at all sharp. (Never again!!) Had to return the ink and re-order manufacturers' original ink at double the price. Printing was better but still not great, not because of the ink but because the printer itself is not well suited to graphics printing. I had been see-sawing for years about buying a new printer, feeling guilty about buying a new printer when I had one that worked well but just didn't give crisp graphic images. This time I bit the bullet and ordered a new HP Photosmart Printer. With the exception of my current printer, I have always used HP printers both at home and at work. The print quality is excellent and the machines are workhorses. My current Dell (boo...hiss...) printer was given to me and a free printer trumped one I had to pay for (or so I thought). My experience has me running back to the hardware I have come to trust for crisp, sharp printing. It should arrive sometime next week and I can't wait to put it through its paces. Future client orders will look awesome. So bring 'em on. I'm ready!

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Little Angel

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My daughter needed a card for a gift she was bringing to a baby shower. Naturally she casually mentions this on the evening before the event. Of course, I think to myself, I can whip up a quick little card. But as soon as I sat down to create I found myself taking out all manner of embellishments and brass stencils, cardstock and what have you. After fiddling for nearly an hour I realized I was overthinking the whole thing and decided to go for a very simple look. I used a stamp that I had never used before and, in fact, had been put in the pile of ophaned stamps I have in my workshop. It turned out to be the perfect choice for this quickie card.

The yellow base card was stamped all over with VersaMark watermark and Dazzle Inks (Frost and Champagne) then selectively dusted with green and gold PearlEx pigment powders. The image was stamped in black Stazon ink, colored with Prismacolor coloring pencils, matted on olive green cardstock. The stars and heart were gone over with a clear sparkly Gelly Roll pen for a bit of shimmer. It was attached to the base card with foam tape for a little dimension. Tiny green rhinestones were added to the corners of the image for a touch of glitz and a finishing touch. The inside of the card had a hand written greeting that said "Your Angel is on its Way".

Simple. Easy-peasy. Why didn't I think of that in the first place?


Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Passport Invitation

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It seems as if my life is being carried in a small boat along a fast moving stream. So much has happened in the last month that I have not had time to post on my blogs or participate in any of the challenges hosted by the online groups to which I belong. Fortunately my little boat is not sailing without a rudder so I can keep myself from capsizing into the rapids.

One of the big events for me was being contracted by a returning client to produce invitations for her annual client event. Her invitations are always tied into the theme of the event and are intended to set the mood from its receipt. This year's theme is adventure so I came up with the concept of creating a passport document to act as the invitation. A specific color palette was requested and you can see two of those colors in the photo above. Although the concept was easy enough, designing it proved to be somewhat more challenging than I expected but after two weeks of brainstorming I prevailed.

When I presented the prototypes to my client and her assistant, they were completely bowled over. They particularly liked the small details I used to convey the idea of adventure and travel throughout the document. In years past the order was for 50 invites. This year's order was doubled! This presented a double challenge for me; 1) I now had to produce twice as many cards, a substantial task when you consider they are all made completely by hand and 2) I had to do it in less time than I had in the past because the process began later this year. Regardless, I am up to the challenge and am enjoying it immensely.

To see additional photos of this card, click here to go to my Photobucket album where you'll find photos of my other cards as well.


Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva