Category: Anna Griffin

Posted in Anna Griffin, birthday cards, Birthdays, card making, craft, decorative paper, Stampin Up

A Way Through Creative Block

Posted on by Be Encouraged

My Canadian Cousin had a birthday last week and while she is a serious professional there is something about her aura that suggests she’d like a sweet garden card. So, from Grace’s Garden Stamp Set I laid out a garden scene and pulled out the watercolor pencils for her card. Then we received some bad news at the house and I just couldn’t make anything work.

My creative energy was blocked and I needed a design that relied on decorative paper more then artistry. So I used a pretty and high quality metallic plaid paper in my stash from Anna Griffin, with a strip of gold and a sentiment square of the plaid pattern turned 45 degrees. I’m hoping this super quick card looks like a gift wrapped in plaid.

I would use this format again for a gift card holder ( sorry Cuz nothing this time) especially if multiples were needed for teacher or seasonal gifts. The gold paper strip could be embossed to make it more like ribbon but otherwise the simple elegance of plaid does all the work.

Blessings

Posted in Anna Griffin, card making, craft, Stampin Up

Cards to Encourage

Posted on by Be Encouraged

This is my first post since the Corona Virus outbreak and subsequent isolation, life felt so sad and serious for a while. However now there is a light at the end of the tunnel and I’d like to share a few things.

First, thank you to the doctors, nurses, clinicians, and first responders who put their lives at risk during this crisis to help others. May God bless you extravagantly for your heroic actions. I’d also like to thank those who stayed home to flatten the curve and save lives. Some have made fun of this hardship but isolation is a form of punishment in institutions and is known to have a detrimental psychological effect. So please let’s be kind and gentle with one another.

I salute you all with a “just for you” card created with Anna Griffin’s painted garden decoupage kit https://annagriffin.com/product/painted-garden-decoupage-card-kit/. This card came together quickly by pairing a card base with flowers, ribbons and tags. I sent out quite a few of these to friends and family lately because playing with the raised flowers is wonderful stress relief and they turn out beautifully.

Sending Cards to family and friends who I can’t be near shows them I’m thinking of them and they are appreciated. A card kit like the one above is a great way to make a lot of cards fast. Another way to create a bunch of stylish cards quickly is to use Stampin Up decorative papers and coordinating cardstock.

Last night just before falling asleep I saw a great fun fold card on Sharon Armstrong’s site Txstampin.com https://txstampin.com/2019/02/fun-fold-card-youll-feel-proud-make.html . I woke up this morning with my version of it already planned out, thanks Sharon. It doesn’t have her inner card within the card layout but it’s a clean look and makes great use of the gorgeous Bird Ballad Paper from Stampin Up (which is discounted right now on the Stampin Up site: https://www.stampinup.com/ecweb/product/149592/bird-ballad-designer-series-paper ).

These papers coordinate beautifully with the calypso coral, balmy blue and my favorite … blushing bride cardstock with the sentiment stamped in soft suede ink (see picture above). I had these five cards ready after just a few hours of play and relaxation, love these easy designs.

Thank you for stopping by my site. If you don’t already have a Stampin Up Demonstrator I’d love to share the instructions for this “Miss You” friendship card and if needed help you order any of these products from Stampin Up. Hope you are safe and sheltered through these crazy days. Blessings,

Tricia

P.S. Here’s my product list for this card from Stampin Up:

Bird ballad designer series paper

Calypso Coral, Balmy Blue, and Blushing Bride Cardstock

Whisper White Cardstock

Soft Suede ink

“Miss you” sentiment from All Adorned Stampin Up stamp set

Paper trimmer and bone folder

Posted in Anna Griffin, card making, craft, recycling, Stampin Up

Recycling Greeting Cards

Posted on by Be Encouraged
Anna Griffin Embellishments

As you know, I enjoy sending handmade paper cards with a loving message to the special people in my life, that is a greeting card’s purpose. Just as receiving a card makes me feel someone cares and can lift my mood, sending a card causes me to slow down to remember significant people in my life, which also raises my spirit. This would be a win-win situation if it wasn’t for the paper waste left behind. So to reduce my environmental impact here are some ideas for card material after reading.

Shred and use for:

Packing material – Why buy more plastic when you can use a natural material. This will require saving up the shredded cards unless you are very much loved.

Easter basket fillers – Just a few shredded cards can fill a basket and it’s nice how the card’s color adds a decorative element.

Fire starter – First pack it hard into toilet paper holders or pack then wrap in wax paper to avoid wisps of embers or flames when burning.

Planter or garden mulch – Paper is wood fiber which can be used with other fine mulch on garden beds, though colored paper should not be used around vegetables.

Paper mache pulp – A paper mix to form facial features or ornaments on larger paper projects , here is a link with details and instructions https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/paper-mache-paste-recipes-1245287. .

Use whole for:

Home decorations – Add paper or metallic elements pulled off cards to wreaths or planters around your house. At Christmas try making a swag from previous year’s cards to decorate a doorway or mantle.

Recycled Greeting Cards – Glue a new inside sentiment page in the card you received and send to another friend. A note on the back saying it was recycled would make it even more appreciated.

Paper mache strips – In this case, it’s the building blocks of paper mache not the glue or paste, again check link above for details.

Creating Beads – Create beads for jewelry making with the paper scraps, here is a link with how to information https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-make-paper-beads-4045300.

Sailing Home Stamp & Die Set

Please share your ideas in the comment section below, we’d like to see them. Thanks