Strange cardmaker I am...

"Happy Birthday to you!" stamp by Stampin' Up! 

I've just finished making two cards out of given, bought and reclaimed materials and have realised just how different they are! The first one is quite muted, made from wooden embellishments, a left-over tag from a wedding order and die-cut leafy branches from reclaimed designer paper. The second card has been made from die-cuts received as a free gift with an embossing folder. They have been further hand cut, dry embossed and embellished. And, of course, I am a little obsessed with doing some kind of simple drawing on most of my cards!

I haven't had a chance to make many cards lately as I have been busy with other ventures and, boy, do I miss it! It's the real reason I started markets but, sadly, it is too hard to sustain stall costs on handmade cards alone (even though my cards are quite popular). The other crafts (e.g. jewellery making) that I have had to do to substantiate my market stall have been a distraction from what I really enjoy doing...

Same goes for my new online store. I have been so busy making craft supplies, etc. for customers that my cardmaking has been put on hold, but only temporarily! It appears to be quite hard to sell handmade cards online but I am determined to give it a really good try and see what happens :) If you have purchased my handmade cards before, or have received one and find yourself curious enough to be reading this post, please take the next step and contact me. I'm itching for an excuse to list some handmade cards online (over the products that have been selling). Please place an order by emailing, texting or phoning me--click on the contact tab above :)

If you have been looking out for me at the markets, my attendance has been a bit sporadic of late. I will back regularly as of next Sunday and, hopefully, with plenty of new cards! See you there :)

Happy New Year!

Flower stamp from 'Embrace Life' set by Stampin' Up!

Although I dream about living in the tropics, I have had to be true to myself and give up on the idea. It would simply be too hot and humid! I shouldn't confess this (due to the scorn it will undoubtedly bring), but I have been loving the wintry 'summer' weather up here in the mountains. I used to live by the coast in Sydney, which was wonderful in many ways, but I've come to enjoy the cooler climate over the past decade.

The handmade greeting card pictured above is a recent creation and reflects my idealisation of tropical living alongside palm trees and bright flowers. I've been to the South Pacific Islands a number of times and it's been such an amazingly beautiful and aesthetic experience every single time. I used to have a little photo album of favourite tropical shots on my desk at school. Whenever I was feeling a little down, it always made me feel so happy to flip through these photos.

The inspiration for this card came from a photo I took in Fiji last year (below). I was walking along the road in Namaka, near Nadi, and snapped a few shots along the way. The picture below features Bougainvillea flowers and I love the foreground and background layers captured by my rudimentary camera.

There were so many beautiful things to photograph in Fiji, some of which I will share here another time. Sometimes I think I should invest in a better camera as mine is so basic, but then I realise I wouldn't have the time to really focus on this hobby alongside all of the others I have! For now, I'll just have to focus on the image rather than the technicalities of the tools. Even with a simple camera, you would be surprised at the quality of shots that can been achieved :) I'm just a novice in the real sense of the word but my photographic cards are quite popular as an alternative to handmade cards, so it is worthwhile for me to continue to add new images to the collection.

Hope you're having a Happy New Year and I look forward to seeing you at my market stall in the oncoming months. Alongside my regular stock, I am always creating new cards and gifts, available at affordable prices, incorporating that handmade touch :)

It's tough at times...

Image above: Fifth Avenue Floral Stamp by Stampin' Up!

Here are a few of my latest cards. I'm starting to realise that there really is no end to the diversity of cards that can be made! I've started to scratch the surface but so much more creativity is still waiting to emerge...

On another note, trying to grow a small business can be extemely tough and, at times, I wonder if I have spent more on materials, tools and stall costs than I have made. Nearly everything I sell is made by hand, so it is also a time-consuming venture. Lately, I have been challenging myself to make better cards at a faster rate. This has quite been tough because I don't wish to skimp on quality. I have also been approached by a couple of potential stockists, but actually haven't had time yet to make the stock!

Recently, I made the worst decision I have ever made for 'Green Gifts' since 2003 (in terms of lost money and time). I rented a stall space in a shop in Sydney for four days (which needed to be prepaid). Unfortunately, I tumbled for the positive blog posts and other reviews promoting this new initiative without first visiting the shop. The reality is that the shop is in a poor location with very limited foot traffic. The operators will receive the short-term benefit of rental income from people like me, but ultimately, the enterprise will leave frustration and disappointment in its wake.

I just wish the operators would be true to themselves and the craft community who are trusting them to do the right thing. The initiative will work for some, but only very few. I'm annoyed with myself because I am used to achieving a certain level of success for my hard work and feel completely duped this time round (due to non-disclosure of the likelihood of infrequent sales). I still have two days left and it is looking improbable that I will even recoup the cost of the materials for the items sold, let alone the stall costs! Live and learn people...

Fresh new designs for the New Year!

Little Leaves Cutting Die and Happy Birthday Stamp by Stampin' Up!

It has been a while since my last post. I've spent some time with family in Sydney and have been working on a range of ideas for my market stall and online shop in 2011. Thought I'd post a couple of cards that I made last night. If you have any questions or comments about anything you see on this blog, please click on the 'comments' link below. You can choose to be anonymous if you prefer!

Glitzy Pink Card!

As a child, I was never one to go gaga over the colour pink. But over the years I've actually become more of a girly girl! I own pink blankets, jackets, tops, perfume bottles and a scarf (acquired this winter--made from hand dyed and spun wool). I think this card turned out more girly than I planned! I've owned the embossing folder to make this card for about a year and have only now had the chance to use it. Can't wait to use it with a whole different colour scheme--like green or blue. This card took quite some time to make, so I will be selling it for $5.00. Do you want to know what goes into making a card like this? Then keep reading...

1. Cut metallic silver cardstock to A5 size. Fold in half.

2. Run front half of card through embossing machine using Cuttlebug Tiny Bubbles embossing folder. Adjust folder and run through again to emboss bottom section that was missed.

3. Cut pink cardstock to size. Run through embossing machine using Cuttlebug Friends Forever embossing folder (looks a little like arty dandelions). Attach to silver card.

4. Draw over the embossed (raised) lines with a metallic silver pen. Add self adhesive rhinestones in different sizes to some of the florets of the dandelions.

5. Stamp a sentiment on a coordinating piece of paper (Stampin' Up! stamp used here). Cut to size and mount on silver paper. Mount again using double-sided foam tape to give sentiment a 3-D effect.

6. Hand draw a border around the pink cardstock and sentiment box. Even subtle borders give definition to the different layers of a card.

7. Adhere metal dragonfly. Voila!

New Notecard

In the future, I will begin preparing to sell my handmade goods online. To start with, I will focus on selling cards including, greeting cards, photographic cards and notecard sets. So, I thought I'd better start honing my skills at taking appealing photographs of various products. It's really all about getting good close-ups in the right light. N.B. The morning light (above) probably didn't provide the best illumination for this notecard.

I love the butterfly on this card. It came from a piece of junkmail! I get a real kick out of upcycling unwanted things into something new and vibrant. The wings have been embellished with clear resin to add texture to the card.

Dimensions: 9.8 x 7cm; Cost: $2.00 with white envelope; Materials: 'Whisper White' cardstock and envelope by Stampin' Up!; 'Little Leaves Sizzlits Die' by Stampin' Up!

Recent Handmade Greeting Cards

Leaves Design: This card is hand drawn, titled, cut and glued.

Embossed Design: This card is hand drawn, cut, coloured, glued and dry embossed.

Beach Design: This card is hand stamped, cut, glued and inked. 'Seaside' stamps by Stampin' Up! (c)

Frangipani Design: This card is hand stamped, drawn, cut, coloured and glued.