365 Card Challenge and Cinema Saturday #23

Okay so I have a long to-do list...I need to work on my Project 52 Album, I need to design cards for my 10 cards for $10 workshop and I also need to design a friendship card for a friend's home gathering oh, and I need to whip something up to send to Cathy and Sarah for making a comment on my blog. (PS, its not too late to get something made my me...don't feel pressured to re-post the prompt, I would love to send you something just for leaving a comment!)

In the mean time, I have been making cards like crazy as part of the 365 Cards challenge site. This is my first post with cards for this week's challenges so I am just going to put them all in one post for now, please bear with me. I am going in reverse order with the most recent challenge first. They use Mr. Linky so it is super easy to post your creation. Also, the challenge is only up to #18, we have a long way to go, so feel free to jump in any time. I plan to pick and choose the ones that are most inspirational to me. So far, so fun!

The first challenge is a 2-in-1. I haven't seen this week's Cinema Saturday Creative challenge movie, but I have had an idea in my head for a St. Patrick's day card all week, so I am going to enter it in both challenges. For day 18 over at 365 Cards, we have to make a card with green as the dominant theme and for CSCC #23 the movie is Waking Ned Devine. I have never heard of this movie, but the other half of the challenge was to use green. I go this idea from a bulletin board I can use as Close to My Heart Consultant. I used a big heart stamp as the petals for the clover leaf. I really like this card and since the caption is 'Lucky U" I could use it for anything, not just St. Patty's Day.

For Day 17 over at 365 cards, we have to create a card using 3 buttons and 3 bows. I hope it is okay that mine are knots instead of bows.....I used a corsage pin to hold the knots on and I used vintage paper for the 'button flowers.

For Day 16 over at 365 cards, the theme is to use SUNSHINE!! I love this idea so I made 2 cards with a sunny theme.




And now, some just-for-fun-cards. I love being at home for Spring Break...can ya tell?? I am a crafting fool! AND, the best part is, the UPS guy just made my day when he delivered a package this morning instead of the usual evening time...now I have some new stamp sets, cardstock and ink to play around with....oooh, and some vellum and silver pearl embossing powder (Inspired by fabulous Sarah)....but you will have to wait to see that. I haven't made anything yet. Without further ado, here are the fun cards:







All of the stamps and inks are Close to My Heart. The star background is a card kit from Michaels. The card bases are craft card kits, very fast and easy. I love making simple cards. While I like the look of random stamped background paper, I find that a simple plain card base is so fast and elegant that I often opt for that.

Butterfly Map Cards

Have I mentioned lately that I a really, really, really into butterflies? At the crop last night I just couldn't stop using my butterfly punch. I made these great cards based on a design over at an Etsy shop: Bombus. I just fell in love with these cards and I decided to make some myself. They are super simple. The punch is from Martha Stewart. The textured cardstock is from Close to My Heart, the black and white paper is also CTMH and the map is vintage from an atlas.

Some sweet cards to go with my sour attitude. :-)

My favorite thing to do is sit in my crafting 'space' when the house is quiet and create, for hours. Lately, it seems like my husband is always home, with the t.v. blaring. When he is there, all I want to do is be with him....Last night I went to dinner with some girlfriends from work. I was a little annoyed when it took a long time to get our food. I was totally counting on using the time when I got home to make cards. A 5:30 dinner turned into not getting home until almost 8:00.

Luckily, I raced inside, opened a new shipment of supplies that arrived yesterday, and then straight to my craft table. The house was empty. Seconds after inking up my brand new stamp set, I heard a car pull up...my husband was home....grrr....I didn't know what to do. I just wanted to make something!!! Anything!!
I did not make one thing this weekend. I was having crafting/blogging withdrawls. I just want to participate in a challenge. I want to use my new supplies. I want to use GLITTER!!!

So, I compromised with myself. I worked in my craft room for 1 hour. Then I watched American Idol until after 10:00. This makes for a long night when you get up at 5:30 a.m.!!

Tonight we are going to the art gallery for an event which includes free dinner, I should have some time to create when we get home because I don't have to cook. Thankfully Friday night I am going to a crop. It is bittersweet though because all of my friends are getting together for a game night....I haven't had time to wash laundry in weeks because I am so busy with family and friends...I am completely out of socks...and towels! I can't get everything done that I need to do and still find time to do thing things that I REALLY NEED, like crafting. I am looking ahead to my schedule and I see it filling up fast....Saturday high school reunion with my husband, Sunday MY family (who I haven't seen since Christmas is coming over for dinner...I must cook and clean before they get there...it WAS my idea so I am not complaining), Monday watching the Bachelor finale with girlfriends, Tuesday night, Close to My Heart Home Gathering....and that is just the next 5 days. Beyond that my weeks are scattered with busy days and nights.

I know that since I am a teacher I should be able to get home by 3:45 and craft until 5:00 when Jeremy gets home, but it never works out that way...I am always staying at school until 4:00 for meetings and clubs and other stuff. I rarely get home before 4:30...and I am usually stopping at the bank or the store and these simple errands cut into my crafting time too!

Making a card is my stress reliever. I feel guilty when I am in the craft room and my DH is watching TV alone. I feel like I should be spending time with him. I had the craft table in the living room for weeks, but it is not the same....If he had a hobby, I think I would feel better about mine. I am also worried because spring is my busiest time of year. I am worried that the past 2 weeks is a prelude. My husband told me that he wanted to take a day or 2 off during my spring break...and I was like NOOOOOOOO!!! I need to be off, alone, working on designing, I NEED IT!

I just don't know how people with children do it. I envy those great multitaskers who can work full time, be involved in extracurricular, take care of a family, and find time to create. Whew, it is exhausting!! Thanks for listening!! I feel a lot better and I think I just need to set up a schedule with myself. I really love it so I know I will make time for everything.

Now on to the cards and what I made last night...I have really been excited about cupcakes lately. I am even teaching a cupcake unit at school focusing on the artist Wayne Theibaud. We are making clay cupcakes and painting cupcakes...Super fun!! I got a great new stamp set from Close to My Heart with some sweet cupcake stamps and a new cupcake punch from Martha Stewart. I made several cards with glitter, the pictures are always so-so when you are photographing glitter, in real life they are always waaaay prettier. I layered the punched images with foam tape. Super fun to make in my one-hour cram session.