Sending Big Love In a Small Package - The Mini Card

Hello again, my lovelies!

Today we're gonna talk about one of my favorite things... the mini card!

Now, I know that small cards are not exactly new in the papercrafting/cardmaking world, but they have just recently been a great way for me to send big love in a small way.

With Covid-19 still doing its thing (you know I had to mention it in at least one post) I've found this to be a great way to send a small sip of joy to someone. 

Here are some benefits to the small card:

1. You Don't Have to Write More Than You Want.

Say you don't really know the person well, but you still want to send them a note that you're thinking of them. Instead of trying to figure out how to fill a 4 1/4 x 5 inch space with extra words, a small square can be a perfect place to put a small quote or a thought that might warm their heart.  

2. It Will Put Those Small Stamp Sets to Use

We all do it.  We just can't resist the cute image staring back at us, pleading with us to make adorableness with it.

Especially during Stamptember, the most wonderful time of the papercrafting/stamping year. This is when all of us gather online and purchase all the stamps and get wonderful bargains in the process, all while supporting small business owners who love what they do.

One of the things I love are the small stamps that sometimes come free with your order or is at such a great price who are you to let it languish on a shelf somewhere when it can be at your fingertips here?

Those small pieces are golden for these cards. They don't require too much mixing and matching and are a great way to see their beginning potential. And who knows? You may think of ways to combine those images with others in your stash.

3. It's Good for the Environment

I often recommend this as a tool for small businesses and non-profits who like to send out personal cards as thank yous to their customers. It's impactful, personal, and allows the message to be digested quickly. It also saves on waste...so if there is a customer who reads the info once and wants to toss it (which I know is sad, but let's be honest, does happen) it is not creating a bigger carbon footprint than is necessary. 

So, now that we know why they are such an incredible card to use, we will put a few together in my next post. It will have measurements, step by step instructions and plenty of ideas to get your creative juices flowing. 

Just in time for this year's Stamptember! Let me know what you love about small cards or if you've never tried them and you want to give them a go. Who can you think of that needs a quick hug in an envelope?

I look forward to being with you next time. Until then...

May your Inkpads & Creativity Never Run Dry,

Janice 

Creating Cloud Cards

HELLO MY LOVELIES!

In this video tutorial, we are reaching toward the sky with our Follow Your Dreams Cloud Cards.

This method is a great way for you to work on creating sky backgrounds on your cards. You can play with different colors and create something realistic all the way to the fantastical!

I used Distress Oxide Inks from Ranger for the video except for the Versamark ink for embossing, but you can use whatever you've got. 

*Pro-tip: this is a great way to use some of your not-so-used inks before they dry up.

So, have fun, experiment with what you've got, and send someone an inspiring card today!

Find me on Instagram @indigihipcreations and let me know how yours turned out. 

You can also purchase these at my Etsy shop...just choose your colors!

Thanks for stopping by...

May Your Inkpads & Creativity Never Dry!

PS- Click Here if you're having trouble clicking on the video itself. 

PPS- The next one will be a full-on blog post...promise!

Altering Your Digital Stamps - Featuring The Greeting Farm

I have always seen myself as a stamping purist.

When beginning my papercrafting journey, it was deep red rubber stamps mounted onto their own individual blocks that were considered “the standard”. It made things easy to line up and you had to have a particular knack for getting all the ink where it needed to be the first time you laid the inked side to paper.

If you were really good you could reink the image in the exact spot with no shadowing. I think that was the Holy Grail of stamping at the time. 

Now things like Photopolymer clear stamps and digital stamps are the norm. But for a long time, I fought with the idea of digital stamps. Wasn’t that just printing out an image and coloring it in? Was that really stamp work? 

Then a few years ago, I happened upon The Greeting Farm (thanks to Kristina Werner!) and now I’m hooked.

Their adorable images plus the affordability of these stamps were drew me in. And the fact that there is no physical storage required and it’s a way to be a more green and responsible papercrafter is an added bonus.

But what I just recently learned was the complete versatility. 

A friend of mine is getting married this month to his partner of four years and I wanted to send them a personalized card. Something that would be special and would fit them both. I couldn’t find any stamps that had two grooms (or two brides) to use for my card, so I decided to make one myself.

Using the Caketopper Kiss Digi, I created what I call the Mr. & Mr. card. 

To see how to do this with your digital images and the results I got for this, you can click on this short video. 

Let me know how it worked for you! I’d also love to see what cards you come up with, so find me on Instagram @indigihipcreations . 

May your Inkpads and Creativity Never Dry,

Janice

3 Ways to Stay Creative

Ahhh, the sweet smell of paper crafting.

 

There is nothing quite like it.

 

For some people, it is a private room where they can lock themselves away from their always-too-close family to create in peace for bit, while for others it’s vying for space at the dining room or coffee table in between laundry loads and snack prep.

 Regardless what your creative space is, they all have one thing in common: they are an oasis.

 I know, I know. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like it, right? You sit down to lose yourself in something else for a bit when you get the dreaded “Mommm” or (in my case) a knock on the door to ask about coffee or dinner or some other thing that could probably wait until I’m finished.  

Sorry, I went off track a bit…where was I?

 Right. Oasis.

 The still place where the external stuff disappears for just a little bit. A calm between the hectic day to day parts of life. And whether you have minutes or hours (lucky!) to work play in your medium, here are just a few tips to making that feeling last from one session to the next.

 

 1. Use the Five Minute Rule

 

Normally used for procrastination, this rule/technique has you choose a task you would otherwise avoid and set a goal to work on it for only five minutes. It is an amazing way to boost motivation and get more things done, but I like to use it when I’m pressed for time.

I tell myself, I am giving myself at least five minutes to sit and craft something.

By doing this, I can really focus on one or two elements I want to get done. And when the five minutes is up, I can decide to work for another five minutes or go about whatever I feel is more pressing in my day.

 Think of all the elements you could complete for your cardmaking in that time: Score a stack of card stock into note cards, stamp an image multiple times for assembly line work, set up a clean sheet of watercolor paper for your next session, clean some old stamps… the list is endless!

 

In fact, the list is so big, I may have to put one together as a post or a downloadable PDF to share with you. Let me know in the comments!

 

 

2. Jot Down Ideas

 

There have been plenty of times when I’ve been shopping in a store like Marshall’s or TJMaxx and have seen something stitched or embroidered that would make a lovely card or bookmark. I will normally snap a photo and revisit it once I’m sitting at my craft desk. I also do this with TV shows, commercials, and sometimes scribble down something on a piece of paper when having a conversation with friends.

This allows me to not waste any of that precious oasis time choosing what I want to create. 

I have an idea already in place and can get to the zen part of the work faster.

 

3. Stop Before You’re Finished

This one is a tricky one for some people. 

Most get frustrated when they have to leave a project they’ve been working on incomplete and often wonder why they started in the first place. But don’t be discouraged! It isn’t my recommendation to leave it incomplete forever. Just until the next time you sit down to craft.

Many successful writers and other creatives use this technique all the time. 

In order to keep the momentum of creative juju going, you want to leave your work at a spot where you’re dying to get back to it the next session.

By doing this, you get the satisfaction of knowing what you will be working on initially in the next session and it also gives you the chance to start the next project so that you’re not trying to build momentum for whatever you want to work from one crafting opportunity to the next. 

The excitement stays with you.

Keep creativity a part of you.

I usually use these ideas in tandem, but feel free to play around with them to fit your needs. 

Giving yourself permission to play fast and loose with your paper crafting time and energy will help maintain that oasis of creativity and fill you up with more joy and inspiration for the future.

 What are some tips and tricks you use to keep your creative juices flowing? How have they worked for you? Would you give these a try? Let me know in the comments!

 

May your ink pads & Creativity never dry,

 Janice