Doodle Bud Bouquet

Hello Craft Loving Bloggers,

I tried to make this birthday card special for a special friend, Jennifer.  Jennifer got me started in card making.  I had wanted to teach her to scrapbook.  She found scrapbook pages to look too busy with all the embellishments; taking away from the enjoyment of looking at the photos.  What she really had wanted to do for several years was make cards. 

 

THE STORY

Jennifer and I started attending card making classes together back when Archiver’s had a wonderful craft store open.  There we learned to do different techniques when creating the cards Archiver’s had selected for us to make.  When we arrived, we would find our packets for the class on the craft table at our reserved seats.  I loved going to those classes with my friend.  She’s much younger than I am and faster at work.  When I would get behind on a card we were being led to do by the instructor, she would help me catch up.  I think, probably due to online purchasing and digital photo albums, Archiver’s had to close their doors.  That’s my guess.  A person can still order from Archiver’s online, but it’s not the same.  I’ll put the link below.  Oh, how I miss that store!  My husband misses it too.  Anytime, day or night, that we made a trip south toward Atlanta for anything, we would always stop at Archiver’s for me to look around and shop.  Now, when we pass by that shopping plaza, he says, “It’s so sad that Archiver’s had to close.” 

On Friday and Saturday nights, Archiver’s would have scrap nights called Scrap Mania.  A seat was reserved for a given night and the fee paid.  At the time my daughter and I went, the fee covered the cost of a meal.  They had a couple of linked rooms in the back of the store with tables and chairs that seated about 70 crafters.  It was jam-packed with all of the scrapbook totes on wheels, crates and thick albums ladies brought in to work on.  The store had paper cutters we could use and an Ellison machine to cut their dies.  That’s when dies were not so easy to find as they are now.  We had the best time, scrapping and visiting with people we had never before met and making new friends who had a common interest.  I must confess that I got little done when we went to Scrap Mania.  I would take all of my things to work on and hope to get several 12 x 12 album pages completed.  But I had too much fun chatting with other scrappers and going to different ones to see projects they were working on that caught my interest.  My daughter, Angie, had a preschooler at the time and was working on an album for Kassidy.  She would get flustered at a page layout she was working on and ask me to help her (which I loved).  Then after an hour or so, the catered food would come and a store worker would set up the food table.  It was buffet style.  We filled our plates and went back to our crafting tables.  We had eats such as pizza or sub sandwiches and sometimes pasta from Olive Garden, as well as veggies and dip, cookies, chips and soda.  We also had cups of M&M’s or something similar  on the crafting tables to munch on through the night.  Throughout the evening, a store worker would do raffles and someone would win a prize.  For coming, everyone got a packet with a project suggestion sheet and 12 x 12 inch scrapbook cardstock that coordinated.  As well, they would have a demo or two of a new product they had in the store, and if I remember correctly called it a Make and Take.  This was optional, but I would always go to the front of the store to see the demo and give it a try.  I loved taking things home.   Speaking of taking things home, the store was open for scrappers to shop until we left at 11 PM.  The beauty of scraping at the store was being able to purchase something at the exact same time as needing it.  In the store section, we would pick out what we needed, take it to the register, and the clerk recorded it on our running tab.  Then we would go back to the scrap room and use it.  I always gave myself time to look around and make plans for upcoming album pages.  At the end of the night before leaving, we would stop at the registers and settle up our debts.  Because we were at Scrap Mania, we got a 20% discount on merchandize purchased.   Oh, and whatever we paid for the night, early on it was $5.00, translated into $5.00 off our merchandize when checking out before we left.  Later on, it was $10 a night or maybe more.  I know we had to pay for the dinner we ate also.  Angie and I only went occasionally, so it was a real treat when we did go.  Also we didn’t HAVE to purchase merchandize while we were there, but I always did, even if it was a few pieces of cardstock or stickers.  Besides Scrap Mania and card making classes, Archiver’s had scrapbook album classes.  Angie and I attended one of these classes and made an 8 x 8 inch scrapbook in one day.  It’s beautiful!  This did not include placement of the pictures.  That came later after we got home.  I was able to crop my photos and journal in my album at home right away to complete my keepsake album.  My album was Our First Grandparents’ Day (at preschool).  Another plus for Archiver’s was the fact that a crafter could go to the workroom in the back anytime there wasn’t a class going on and stay there for hours for free, scrapbooking or making cards.

Alas, my daughter discovered digital photo albums and quit hands-on scrapbooking.  She is a busy first grade teacher who works a lot of overtime without overtime pay.  At the time that Jennifer and I made cards together, she was a stay-at-home mom.  After she got a job, she hasn’t had time to make cards AND raise her two young children, so it’s been about three years since we made cards together.  Her supplies are still at my house, and she told me to use her stuff when I needed something.  While I use some of her tools and stamps, I don’t use her consumables in hopes that she will one day be able to make cards with me again. 

I should also mention that my Jennifer and I attended Stampin’ Up! classes, too.  This was always a lot of fun.  I loved knocking out a bunch of cards at one sitting and enjoyed taking things home.  There were prizes to win too.  Angie went with me to a few classes too.  In fact, Angie was the one who got me started in Stampin’ Up! classes when one of the secretaries at her school had a Stampin’ Up! party.  Stampin’ Up! is different from Archiver’s classes.  At Stampin’ Up! we are given packets of papers that are already trimmed and ready to put together.  We then assemble the materials for a particular card.   At Archiver’s classes we were given prepped packets, but we had an instructor who taught us to do techniques with the materials.  That’s what I love, learning and doing techniques.  Thankfully, I now have online videos to teach me new techniques.  Thank God for the wonderful paper crafters who so generously share their talents with us online.  Thank God for technology!  For me paper crafting is more than a hobby.  It is therapy.  Before I became an avid paper crafter, I was sinking into depression.  I do not have a depressed nature, so this was unusual for me.  Recently retired, living in a new place and not knowing many people, being at home by myself for hours since my husband worked left me with little aspiration to do anything.  Jennifer was new in town as well and needed a good friend.  She came to visit our church and I asked her if she would like to sit with us.  She did and our wonderful friendship began.  Thanks to my special friend and finding card making, I was able to pull myself out of depression.  So I thank her immensely for getting me started on this path, and I blame her for all the money I spend on my “therapy.”  Ha!  There is no insurance policy for THIS therapy to help pay for it!   

THE CARD

I got my inspiration for using Doodle Buds stamps from Kathy Racoosin at The Daily Marker (linked below) during one of her 30 Day Coloring Challenges.  I wanted these stamps a long time before I was able to purchase them, since I am now living on retirement income.

MAKING THE FLOWERS

• Wplus9 Doodle Bud Stamps
• Ranger Watercolor Cardstock
• MISTI (Most Incredible Stamping Tool Invented)
• Archival Jet Black Dye Ink Pad – Let this dry a bit before coloring.
• #4 round watercolor brush
• cup of water
• rag
• Zig CLEAN COLOR 12 set Real Brush Markers – Let the flowers dry before proceeding.
• EK Success Cutter Bee Scissors – Cut just outside the edges.
• Uni-ball Signo White Gel Pen – Let this dry.
• Zig Wink of Stella GLITTER CLEAR Brush Tip Marker – Let this dry.
• Glad Saran Wrap – On a piece of 5.5 x 4.25 piece of paper, lay out the flower arrangement.  Lay a piece of Saran Wrap, sticky side down, over the arrangement, press down on the Saran Wrap to get the flowers to stick to it.  Now the flowers can be lifted up and moved to a card front to be adhered.

 

MAKING THE CARD BASE

• Creative Memories 12″ Straight Trimmer   
• 110# Neenah Solar White Cardstock, cut to 8 1/2″ X 5 1/2″, folded in half to make a top-folding card base
• Martha Stewart Scoring Board
• bone folder
• 100# Simon Says Stamp Cardstock, Lemon Chiffon 
• Cuttlebug Embossing Machine (cuts dies)
• Lawn Fawn SCALLOPED RECTANGLE STACKABLES Lawn Cuts Dies – Use the size that fits just within the card base front.
• 65# Recollections Black Cardstock from Michael’s Craft Store – cut to fit within the lemon chiffon scalloped rectangle. 
• Scrapbook Adhesives E-Z Runner Tape – Layer the cardstock as shown and adhere together with this tape.

 

MAKING THE CARD FRONT PANEL

• 110# Neenah Solar White Cardstock, cut to the size rectangle that will fit on the black cardstock and leave a border.
• Cuttlebug Embossing Machine (cuts dies)
• Lawn Fawn SCALLOPED RECTANGLE Dies
• Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection Bitty Grunge Stamps
• Simon Says Stamp Ink Pad, Fog
• Tsukineko VersaFine ONYX BLACK Ink Pad
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad, Blueprint Sketch  – Go around the edge of the panel with this, using a dauber.
• Finger Dauber

Pick up the flower bouquet that is attached to the Saran Wrap and lay it on the front panel.  Find the position for the sentiment.  Remove the flower cluster to stamp the sentiment.

• Sentiment – Wplus9 Doodle Bud Stamps
• MISTI (Most Incredible Stamping Tool Invented)
• Tsukineko VersaFine ONYX BLACK Ink Pad – Let this dry.

 

FINISHING THE CARD

• Scrapbook Adhesives E-Z Runner Tape – Adhere the front card panel to the card base.  Then run the tape along the back of the flowers stuck to the Saran Wrap.

Pick up the flower cluster and place it on the card front where you want it to be, making sure you don’t cover the sentiment.  Press down on top of the Saran Wrap, then lift the Wrap and remove it gently one flower at a time.

• Liquitex Matte Gel Medium -Use to adhere flowers and leaves anywhere they are not attached, especially along the stems. 

Press everything down and wipe up any excess glue.

• 5 x 7 inch acrylic block or any other large flat object – Lay this on top of the bouquet until it dries.
• 11″ Doodlebug Designs White Twine – Tie into a bow. 
• 3 CraftMedley Viola Cupped Sequins
•  Liquitex Matte Gel Medium – Use to adhere bow and sequins.
• Acrylic Block – Lay on top of bow and sequins until dry.

There you have it.  I’m sorry this post is so long.  I wanted you to know my card making story about my special friend, Jennifer, who led me to card making, and also about the crafting my daughter, Angie, and I have done together.  This along with directions to make the card makes this post TOO long but take from it what you will.  If you wish to comment on anything about this post – my story, the instructions, the birthday card – please leave me a comment by clicking Leave a Comment that is located right under the title.  And don’t forget to LIKE this post by clicking on the LIKE button at the bottom of the page.  Thanks a lot for reading this and looking at my card.

Blessings,

Tricia Ann

LINK

Kathy Racoosin’s Doodle Bud Coloring – http://www.thedailymarker.com/

CHALLENGES ENTERED

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Celebration  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Fabulous Florals  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/

Word Art Wednesday  Anything Goes Challenge Weeks #242-#243   http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com/