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With the holidays approaching and desire to make cards is upon us, this is a simple guide to making your own pattern paper and mass producing cards. Make a variety of colors and keep them on hand. Or give a matching set of cards as a gift!

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For this holiday season, I am sure many of you are making your own cards. Here are a few tips I have learned from making mine.

• Start early. If you are just starting now...you still have time, but don't think it will happen overnight.
• Have your design planned before you start. Don't just dive in hoping something will come to you. It might, but you don't want the added stress if it isn't the way you want it.
• Pick a few colors to work with. You don't want to make it too busy because that just means more time.
• Do one part of the card at a time. This means you'll be going through all your cards a number of times, but it keeps you from forgetting something. For instance, fold all your cards, then attach all of one color to each card, then attach the patterned paper, then stamp your sentiment to all of the cards...getting the idea?
• Get a friend or family member to help. Make it a goo excuse to get together and just chat. The work goes twice as fast and it will just be more fun.
• Don't worry about being perfect. I have done this WAY too many time. Most people won't notice a small imperfection that you can't stop looking at. In a worst case scenario...just send that one to grandma who can't see real well anyway!
• It's the thought that counts. This goes with the previous one. Your friends and family are going to care more about the thought that went into the card than how detailed they are.
• Find a large space and don't be afraid to spread out. You won't believe how much space 60 cards can take up! Put things on the floor as they are drying or if you just want to feel accomplished by everything spread out around you in a sea of cards!
• Buy a stamp sentiment for the inside of the card. You can find something as simple as "Seasons Greetings" to a much longer holiday phrase. This will save your hands from writing what you want to say on the inside. And by the time you are done making them, I promise you aren't going to want to write inside them. Signing your name will be plenty!
• Print your addresses on labels. Again, you don't want to be writing these out. So save a document on your computer to have on hand. This can be your address book, too. It's dual purpose. But after printing on labels, you just stick them on and voila!
• When all else fails...order photo cards online! Like I did this year because I haven't had an ounce of time to make cards. But making cards is still my preferred method for the holidays. :)

I hope some of these tips have helped give you some ideas you hadn't thought of before. Or just some ways to make an daunting task a little more fun. Happy card making!

So did anyone out there miss me? I have been busy with school and haven't had a moment to do any crafts. I have a few things saved up that I will be sharing, but I have no idea if there is anyone out there paying any attention to little old me anymore.

If you are still out there, thanks for sticking around. I hope to post something once a week or so for now. At least until I have some things made. I might post some ideas I see that I want to share.

Happy crafting!

I saw these online and thought they were a great idea for decorating your table. You could do these for any season and could easily change them with the holidays or to coordinate with your room.

I would love to see some ideas you have for centerpieces or things you have made!

These are some of the cards I recently made at a Stamp-A-Stack at Katie's. Since it is getting so close to fall, I thought I should show a fall card that we made. I think the leaf paper is so pretty and that deep purple is to die for! I used a variety of paper to give them slightly differing looks.

And this is one of them close up. Of course I had to do a close up of the stripe paper (since stripes ARE my favorite) and because I thought the "thanks" was so pretty.

Enjoy!

This little beauty is from my lovely friend Katie. She sent this as a thank you card for her birthday gifts. I love the fun colors on it and this card made me want this stamp! But I have been so good and haven't bought any craft things in ages! Which is mostly due to the fact that I haven't been making much!

I did go to another stamping event at Katie's house and I helped my sister-in-law make her wedding invitations. So I will be working on posting those soon. For now...you get to gaze at this one! :)

Enjoy!

You really need to check out this site I recently came across! It is so funny! It's called Handmade Gone Wrong!

I know all of us out there at one time or another have felt like their project was a complete disaster! But I bet they weren't as bad as some of the things found on this site! And heck....if it is *THAT BAD*....submit it to them for all of us to see! :)

Enjoy!

Last weekend I went with my sister-in-law to a craft studio in our area (Studio at Rush Creek) to make a bunch of glass pendants for her wedding this fall. She's using them as favors in a very creative way! We made almost 150 of them. This is what they look like before they were fired in the kiln to give them smooth edges and fuse the glass.

They will be so pretty when they are done and will make great conversation pieces. This is a finished one my SIL gave me.

Enjoy!

Last Christmas I received these earrings as a gift. I fell in love with them immediately, but saw one flaw in them for my wardrobe. I don't wear that much red. I wear a lot of pink. I do find many times to wear these, but I knew I had to make another pair of them.

So, I had my hubby teach me how to solder. I bent the earrings to shape and made the square piece. I then soldered the square wire together all on my own. I was so proud! Next, I made the pieces to hang from the earrings and made them all in clear so they were more versatile! Sweet!

I realized there was still one more flaw...Where was the pink!? So I made this little piece on a removable clasp so I could add or remove it as I wanted. And Voilà!

Now I believe that the earrings really suit my needs. I have yet to make more pieces to add to them, but I know it would only take a second to make if I wanted another color. These get worn ALL the time and have become my new favorite pair. (I also get many compliments on them.)

I am now hoping to dapple a bit more in soldering wire to see what other crazy creations I can come up with! I do highly recommend copying something to make it suit your own needs. I have learned how to make many things by doing this. And you can never go wrong trying something new. The worst that happens is you don't like it and you try again! Enjoy!

This is a pair of earrings I made. I was lacking white earrings in my collection. I didn't have any white beads on hand that I was happy with, so I took apart some old earrings I didn't care for and made these. I just added them to pieces of chain to make them into a cluster.

Every time I wear these I get asked what they are. I call them birds because they appear to have small eyes. But I have been told they look like boomerangs and even teeth! You can make your own decision on what you think they are!

These earrings have been worn a bunch and I don't know how my collection of earrings didn't include these before now! They have become a definite staple! Enjoy!