Bad Blogger: A Very Necessary Apology

I have been a very bad blogger in more ways than one. 

I just recently enrolled in Shimelle Laine's Blogging for Scrapbookers class and I found out I was doing a big no-no...this no-no is actually somewhat counter to my thoughts on what is proper etiquette in the real world, but makes complete sense in the digital world.  What I did a few times was use an image by using a link to the original image along with including a source link.  I thought I was making certain that I was not taking any sort of credit for the image, but this meant I was stealing bandwidth.  Big no-no.  I apologize for my extremely inconsiderate behavior and will be taking out all such images. 

Additionally, I apologize for also including images from others without their permission.  I realize now I have allowed my (mistaken) belief in the internet being somewhat of a Wild West to cloud my ethics.  I need to receive permission from the creator/artist before posting any image here or only post images of my own.  Otherwise, I am being extremely rude and far worse poaching (stealing) others' hard work, creativity, talent, skill and energy.

This reminds me of receiving the guidelines to proper crediting of sources in college. Having read it I became profounding afraid of improperly crediting a source or somehow accidentially tredding on another's creative and/or intellectual property. Because of this (among other reasons), papers became an exercise in anxiety-ridden torture for me to write. I should have thought of that handbook whilst I blogged!



My apologies to one and all for being a very bad blogger and member of the creative community.

Another lesson learned.

Shop Talk: A Strenuous Recommendation

I can't believe June is nearly over and I haven't posted since early May.  I have some half written posts that are at various stages, but they aren't complete obviously.  I feel I must rectify this by at least posting once.

Where have I been you may (or probably not) ask.  I have been sucked into technology actually.  I recently have been keeping up with all those digital scrapbook sites, looking into online classes and listening to the ever amusing and interesting Paperclipping podcasts.  Anyone listen to these?  What do you think?  I find them to be wonderful and I am listening to them all the time right now...as I brush my teeth (seriously), go to sleep, etc.  I love shop talk.  I have a couple of friends that I talk with about art and all things related and we can talk until the end of days and still have more to chat about.  We discuss stamps, paper, paint, companies, artists, digital design, classes, new products, old products, how evil Martha Stewart is (she is I swear to always find ways to make me covet her products), Tim Holtz, scrapbooking, websites, blogs, time, organization, projects here and there, kit companies, and on and on.  So listening to the Paperclipping Roundtable and Paperclipping Digi Show is like ambrosia (as in food of the art and crafting gods) to me. 

The all important links:
Paperclipping Roundtable (available on iTunes FREE)
Paperclipping Digi Show (available on iTunes FREE)

They also offer a membership for their copious amount of video tutorials (very well done from the clips I have seen).  I plan on joining at some point because Noell and Izzy Hyman (the couple behind Paperclipping) deserve the support.

If you haven't already discovered these shows, GO.  It is catnip for scrapbookers, memory artists or anyone interested in listening to various subjects regarding creating, organization, process, design, the industry, photography, digital scrapbooking, etc.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is just around the corner and I luckily still have both of my grandmothers to make cards for.  During the Hero Arts Club meeting in March we played around with alcohol inks (fun!).  I happened to make a card in which I covered both front and back with alcohol ink and stamped on with flowers.  Because the colors ended up being purplish and the stamps were flowers I knew I could cut up the card into two panels for my grandmothers (one of them loves purple and the other loves flowers).  I would usually make two different takes on the cards, but after it took me an hour to find this card (I have reorganized which basically means I have to figure out the new places I put things) I decided it would make more sense to make the same card (there are very slight variations like size).  I chose a very simple layout and application (I am shocked at myself!) and let the alcohol ink panel really be the star. 

I wish all the mothers, grandmothers and caregivers out there a very wonderful Mother's Day.  May your day be filled with love and care.

Thanks for calling at the Hall!

Flower Power Mother's Day Cards
Supplies
Stamps: Silhouette Burst (H5312), Flower Blossoms (F4489) and Flower (not sure what stamp this is even after an extensive web search), Hero Arts
Inks: Jet Black, Archival Ink by Ranger Industries
Alcohol Inks: Cranberry, Pool, Stream and Gold (if I remember correctly), Tim Holtz Adirondack by Ranger Industries
Cardstock: Purely Pomegranate, Stampin' Up!; Lavender Moon, Papertrey Ink; Gold Metallic
Border Punch: Dot Scallop, Martha Stewart Crafts
Other: Black Ribbon, Ofray; This-to-That Dimensional Foam Adhesive, American Crafts (my new favorite for chunky dimension!)

Seeing Double

Hello everyone!  Welcome to any new readers!  How is everyone doing this fine week?  Can you believe it is May already (I say this every month though)?!?  Time seems to be in fast forward.  Anyone else experiencing that sensation?  I imagine parents must experience it accutely with how quickly children grow up.  One minute you are anxiously awaiting their arrival and the next you are anxiously awaiting their first words, first steps, first day of school and so on. 

I recently needed to make a card to go with a gift for a friend expecting twins--identical boys actually--and what could be more adorable than identical multiples?  Well, unless there are too many, they act as a singular unit, have strange menacing powers and look too eerily alike as in "Village of the Damned" and then it becomes scary.   Back to reality, I decided since there are two boys there should be two similar cards, but not identical (the kids may be identical, but they will not be of one mind unlike...see comment regarding "Village of the Damned" above).

I decided to go monochromatic and play more with pattern.  I chose the baby animals from the Little One Just Born set from L'il Davis Designs that I've had for a while because they are just so adorable.  I did stamp Dot Spot on the elephant to add interest and tie it in with the pattern already on the giraffe.  I am pretty happy with the results.  And I am loving Papertrey Ink's background stamps. 

I hope you enjoy the cards too:

Inside the cards:

Thank you for calling at the Hall!

Verdant Baby Giraffe Card

Supplies

Stamps: Baby Giraffe (from Little One Just Born set), Li'l Davis Designs; Dot Spot, Background Basics: Diamonds, Background Basics: Text Style and Bitty Baby Blessings (inside card); Papertrey Ink

Inks: Shabby Shutters & Peeled Paint, Tim Holtz Distress Inks by Ranger Industries

Cardstock: White, Georgia Pacific; Earthstone, Neenah Papers

Other: Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper, We R Memory Keepers

Golden Baby Elephant Card

Supplies

Stamps: Baby Elephant (from Little One Just Born set), Li'l Davis Designs; Dot Spot, Background Basics: Diamonds, Background Basics: Text Style and Bitty Baby Blessings (inside card); Papertrey Ink
Inks: Scattered Straw, Wild Honey and Rusty Hinge (inside card), Tim Holtz Distress Inks by Ranger Industries

Cardstock: White, Georgia Pacific; Earthstone, Neenah Paper

Other: Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper, We R Memory Keepers