hummingbirding and such

One of the friends has asked for a hummingbird birthday card, so I found a set of stamps on Ebay and they arrived yesterday. Exciting! I couldn't wait to start playing with them - the birds are a little small (maybe an inch in diameter) but they will work perfectly well with the other components from the set - flowers and vines. For now, here are the colored birdie cutouts:

I'm also playing with some Christmas tags, planning to use them as freebies at the upcoming craftshows - I will be in Carol Stream on October 27th and in Oak Lawn on November 10th; possibly also in Elmhurst on November 3rd, but this is still pending.

So many ideas, so little time! This is going to be a recurring thought in the next two months :)

another tag-a-day spread

Wonder of wonders - the second tag spread in my art journal is finished! Where did all these days go? I was doing so well, but now, after a super-busy weekend, I'm three and a half tags behind.

8 - prototype of the bauble card series
9 - first snow
10 - helping with a mailing at the press
11- a wonderful Christmas concert
12 - prototype of the lacy card series
13 - setting up branches in a clay pot, a.k.a. the floral foam fiasco
14 - Egg Harbor Cafe breakfast at work
15 - product day at work

in white and gold

Here is a card created this morning - very simple in the color combination, but akhem somewhat baroque-ish with all the dots and cut-outs. It's Christmas, though - much sparkliness is allowed!

I have also surprised myself with a tag-a-day project; the idea came from Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas, but mine are, of course, waaaaay simpler than his. (His usually require between 30 and 50 steps, plus a mountain of fancy supplies.) I'm really liking this sort of diary, commemorating various experiments (I use tags to create prototypes of cards), and what happened on a given day. Here are the first eight, as pasted into my art journal:

Card factory

I've been cutting and gluing daily, nightly and even morningly, preparing some orders, our own cards, Christmas keepsakes... A blissful condition, especially with pleasant music in the background.

The latest series started with testing the bauble design on a tag:

It worked - so a line of cards was created:

They are all a family, but there are no identical twins:

Some details - I've rediscovered Glossy Accents and I'm having loads of shiny fun with the little bottle!

Also, I need to note that today we woke up to the first significant snowfall this season (significant meaning actually reaching the ground and staying there in a visible manner). Another year when I'm going to love the living room view!