Posie Sympathy Card

I am making great headway in the studio!

Whenever I buy a new stamp, I catalog it by stamping the image on the appropriate page in a large 3 ring binder. I never put a stamp away until it's been stamped into the binder.

THAT was the problem. I hadn't put away a single stamp I'd purchased in OVER A YEAR! And you remember I was at the Rubber Stamp Show in Mesa in March ... as well two Paper Trey Ink orders and Stampin' Up, stamps for new babies and for weddings, Michaels bargain bin finds, clearance stamps,  and . . .   

So - I was running out of room to work because of the boxes and trays of new images and it was time to get it done. Of course, there are so many that it's not done yet - but every day I take a stack of them, stamp them into the binder, and put them away where they belong. It's a huge job, but it's progressing and I vow not to leave it so long again.

At the same time, I'm working at peeling some of my rubber stamps off of their wood blocks and putting them in DVD and CD cases. I started this project a long time ago, and with the crazy busy year we've had I just forgot about continuing. However, when I opened the 'Christmas' drawer to put in some recently cataloged stamps - there was no more room!  So every day I take one of the Christmas trays and work on peeling the rubber off. (I microwave them for between 8 - 15 seconds and that makes the job easier).

I found a great tip online, and it is one of those Really Simple Things that I cannot believe I never thought of. Paint the back of the rubber stamp with Aleene's Tack It Over And Over.  !! I am loving this idea -- just a thin coat and it dries fairly quickly. YAY - and thanks to everyone who shares tips like this for other's to make use of.

I also found a good site to order the clear DVD cases from (no inner hub) - but I will wait until I receive my box before recommending them. I want to see the cases in person.  (Couldn't find a Canadian source, unfortunately - so if you have one please leave me a comment below.)   Earlier this year I had ordered a case of CD jewel cases from ULine. They are Canadian, and they have great service and great products. The cases came in two boxes - one with the cases and one with the center hub piece for the CD. Which of course I don't need - I was pulling them out of the CD jewel cases I did have and tossing them. I can recommend Uline without hesitation.

Today I thought I'd share one of the Sympathy Cards I put in the eighty cards I made for my Mom's birthday this month.

I cut down a piece of 12x12 patterned paper and formed an A2 card using it. The solid on the outside and the pattern inside. Then I added a matted panel of the pattern to the outside, as well as a fussy cut flower. Words were stamped inside (on another matted panel) and on the front as well.

Hopefully work continues to progress in the studio. I am looking forward to having a (mostly) clear work space once again - it's been a L-O-N-G time!

Thanks for stopping by today.