Good Morning! Most likely when you are reading this…Stanley, Milo and I are “trucking” our way to Gulf Port. Needless to say it will be a L O N G day for me (so please think of us) and this has been a busy week trying to get my “ducks in a row” to make the trek.
I have had the past 1 1/2 days with Hannah and it has been great….Stanley looks fabulous and we are excited to go to Gulf Port. (Hannah will not be joining is until next weekend) so it is just me and my boys!
SO…..LET’S GET SOME CHATTING GOING!
I think that we all like to hear from each other as this is a way that we learn…get ideas….inspiration so I thought that it would be fun to hear some feed back!
Please leave a comment and let us know…when you go to create a card…do you have a “plan” in place or do you just say “I am going to make a card”
Here is my answer:
When I go to make a card…I first pick out the theme that I am needing (as I do try to make my cards for my blog for a specific purpose) and then I think if the color scheme that I like, the stamp set…and then just go for it!
I use to spend a bunch of time looking at pinterest….going to You Tube etc…..but I realized that it was a HUGE TIME GOBBLER but I think that you all agree that you can spend a BUNCH of time surfing! I LOVE those options but I have to limit my time as I tend to get lost in time….as we all know there are soooo many ideas!
I will RANDOMLY PICK A WINNER and announce it tomorrow with my Simple Saturday Post….and GET READY for simple….(make sure that you do not have coffee in your mouth when you see this post – you will BURST OUT LAUGHING)!
What will you win??? One of my NEW MUST HAVE FAVORITES….the Big Shot Die Brush.….it is a dream…just LOVE it and I would love to give it to one of you for sharing a comment with everyone!
Hearing from each other we learn…and I love to learn from you – thanks for your support, your comments and your endless inspiration to give to me!
I have spent way too much time surfing and not making cards because I guess I don’t trust my on creativity. I really like seeing the sketch that inspires your cards. It makes me think I can do it without just reproducing someone else’s card.
Ooh! I spend WAY too much time following blogs!!! 😉 But I am a chemist by trade and I need a recipe. I’m only as good as my tools and I love to case cards verbatim. Unfortunately I don’t have a creative bone in my body (& would wear Garanimals if they came in my size-lol!)…but I still love paper crafting!
I love Designer Series Paper and a lot of time that is what inspires my card. The colors and the designs usually help to bring something to mind. I also love looking through the Idea Catalog samples.
I need a plan, a challenge, weather in color or placement andI like the creativity and options that are out there when people share with each other.
I always have a plan and a person in mind when I make a card.I am not very creative so I love blogs and pinterest!
First, what is the occassion? then colors and cardsock and then stamps. I’ve been trying to incorporate some DSP since I have so much of it and it is so neat, but that’s a hard chore for me. I check out some blogs too.
I’m more of a CASER. I see someone’s idea and create my own version most often. Challenges are good for me too. I hope to get good enough someday to be able to create as you do. Safe travels and thanks for the blog candy offer.
I usually have an idea in my head, of course it does not always look like my head idea when I start stamping. Also get ideas from other cards that I see.. Love making cards and sending them to family and friends..
I simply fly by the seat of my pants in card making. I normally have a theme (birthday, anniversary, get well or thinkingof you). I randomly pick a stamp and start my designing process. My mind does in one direction and I end up sometimes with a project I love and other times slightly disappointed.
Cammi from indiana
I too am guilty of spending way too much time looking on the internet for ideas. But it helps then when I need to make a card I think of what I’ve seen and then go from there. I usually have an idea of what I want to do when I sit down to make a card!
I usually have a stamp set in mind when I start to make a card. Then I pick my colors and go from there. I have five favorite blogs that I visit every day and that gives me a ton of inspiration. Thank you for the tips you share. I just ordered some Stick It from Amazon can’t wait till it arrives. Safe travels, Susan.
I go to my favorite bloggers and search their sites and also to Pinterest for inspiration. I don’t go out of the box – something I really need to try to do.
I have to say I CASE ideas from the Internet a lot. I usually decide what stamps I will use and go from there. I have gotten a lot of inspiration from your blog and look forward to it every day. Thanks so much for being there for us!!
Susan, please have save travels with your boys. Enjoy your time with Hannah. I love to look at your site and I also spend way too much time on Pintrest and other blogs. I like to get ideas from them. Whent I sit down to make my card I change it just enough that my card is mine. I love your blog. Have a great day. Hugs,Ellen Hinds
I love visiting blogs and pinterest provides me with lots of ideas also. Of course, I always have to improvise but that is ok!! Enjoy your trip!
Sometimes my process begins with the need, b-day, get well, etc. But over all I go with a sketch and let things shape up on it’s own. I have to say I also do a lot of CASEing. Have a safe trip and find loads of joy.
I also pick a theme then a stanp set. I then google the set for ideas. I usually do a bit of tweaking but it does get me started. Love your blog!
I say to myself…I’m going to make a card, then I pick out a stamp set, one I haven’t used in a while, then choose a color. It all comes out to be a great card. Of course, lots of time, I use one of your cards for inspiration! Thanks so much.
I enjoy checking out my favorite blogs to spark my creativity. I usually have a theme in mind. After that I choose my color scheme and then work around the stamp set I have chosen.
I copy & print card examples I like & use that file for inspiration. Then after the card is finished I make notes on the example sheet of who the recipients are so that I don’t duplicate!
I seem to do better on the “fly”, just a theme or stamp set is all I go with. I tend to over think things if I spend too much time planning it out.
Usually it’s a sketch, blog or pinterest that gives me an idea. Then it’s all about the paper and color. I then figure out the stamp set and the purpose. It seems a little backwards , but I it works for me.
Ahhhh . . . I have a document/file on my computer of cards I like. Just little thumbnails. I find Pinterest too overwhelming for me. When I have to make a card I search my “2016 Card Samples”. I’ll pick out one or two and print out only those and go from there. When I first started SU . . . I printed these pages out, but they only took up a lot of room and then the sets were retired, etc. I also have learned how to google search!!!
Susan be safe in your travels.
🙂
Most of the time I have some kind of plan, but there are occasions when I just go and “play” in my stamping room. Your cards DO give me some great ideas. I check your blog daily for inspiration! Thank you!
I usually am making a card for a specific person, so I find an idea from the samples I have pinned. Then I decide on a stamp set and then the colors. Sometimes my card ends up pretty close to my sample; other times I end up with something entirely different!
I too, spend way too much to e on YouTube. So I try to limit myself to every couple of days to cruise the new videos. I don’t look at pinterest too often any more. Because I caught myself spending over 2 hours lost in the things I love to look at. To no end….
I have even considered taking my boards down…. Well at least some of them.
Thanks
I subscribe to several blogs, including yours (which is awesome). When I come across a card that I think might inspire me in the future, I copy the image and link to a Word document. When I decide to make a card, I look through that file with the recipient in mind and find the image that “calls out to me.” Then I determine what changes I might want to make (e.g. a different stamp set or color scheme). I have picked up many, many inspirational images from your site…thank you so much for sharing your talent.
If I’m just creating, I may surf a while and then get started. If I need a card NOW, I just wing it – usually picking out DSP or stamp set first.
I go to the web for inspirations but always seem, in my opinion of course, improve on their ideas. Just need that nudge to get the juices flowing. Except for your blog, your ideas are always thought out to perfection!
I find inspiration in blogs. I only follow a couple because I, too, found I was spending way too much time on the web. It is the techniques and colors that draw me in. I love the way you use your favorite stamps in more than one project because I like finding versatility in what I have too. (Vivid Vases and You’re Sublime come to mind). I love learning, and you and my other bestie keep my creativity satisfied. Pinterest is super handy to check out how others have used different stamp sets too. I wish I had more confidence in my own creativity….I am working on it!!! Thank you for being a constant for me…I love what you do. Safe travels and happy times, Susan.
I look at a lot of different blogs and get some ideas from them. I also like to look at You Tube for some inspiration. If I need a card in a hurry I also just wing it sometimes and go with the flow of my mind. Thanks for all of your great ideas too Susan.
I pick out a stamp set and go from there. I will make birthdays one day and get wells the next, etc. I need to have a stash as I send a lot of my cards to church friends as well as personal friends.
I most often have a need for a card…like birthday or thinking of you (most). Then I sort through some stamp sets and get an idea in place…Sometimes I go through my binder for some ideas I’ve pulled from various sites of demonstrators…but those will get tweaked based on what I have on hand. I will make 4 or 5 base cards and finish the one I need, but put aside the others to personalize later with greeting inside and words outside like happy birthday…saves me a bit of time later.
I can easily get lost in the internet vortex – so I’m trying to limit that a bit! I usually go into card making with a plan and a purpose. I enjoy following sketch challenges. I also like to take coordinating products and piece them together – like a puzzle!
I usually pick a stamp set that I want to work with then pick out some fun paper and colors and go from there. Sometimes I see something on Pinterest that inspires me but I agree there are many times that I surf the Internet for ideas instead of spending that time creating.
When creating a card I always play in a challenge. I check what the challenge is, then while I’m doing my exercises I think of what I can do with the challenge. It gives me time to figure it out. Some days a thought comes quickly but other times it takes longer. If I stare at stamp sets and dp for too long and can’t figure out what to do, I just put everything back and forget creating. I don’t normally make a card for a certain person, I just keep enough for each event and when they come up, I’ve got cards to choose from my stash. Have a safe trip with your pooches in tow!
When I have a need for a card, or if I just want to create, I usually start with browsing through one of my Pinterest boards where I’ve already saved ideas from SU demos like you. I may change things around a bit, but I still use the basic idea. Thanks for sharing your creations with us :-). Have a great trip!
I always have a card that needs to be made for some occasion. I grab a set and go from there. And yes, I do spend way to much time looking on line for ideas! I have been reading your posts with great joy every morning. Thanks!!!!
I usually take inspiration from the person I am making the card for. But I also will get inspiration from a new technique or fold or idea that I want to try and I am excited about. Thank you Susan for your fun and inspiration. You are a gem!
I am driven by guilt – both the event (late birthdays) and lovely stamp sets that have never seen ink. Couple those with an appropriate color scheme and edgy saying and voila’! There is my planning process. Depending on how much time I have, I may experiment with a trendy technique.
I make cards by theme getting ideas from blogs and pinterest. When I make a card, I usually make two….have to have a stash on hand just-in-case!!
I guess I’m sort of “left brained” because my creativity is in short supply. I’m pretty good at following directions. So if I need a female birthday card for example, I search through my Pinterest pins until something catches my eye and then I change it somewhat because of the supplies I have on hand. Maybe after a couple more years of card making I will be able to just “go for it”.
There is always a reason/event for my cards so that starts the process. I do like to CASE cards that I have seen mostly on blogs but sometimes from Pinterest. I try not to go to Pinterest often because I inevitably spend more time there than I should. I try to use the color scheme that most delights my recipient, but seasons are a big influence on colors as well. I stamp once a week with friends so we influence each other also.
I actually do both. Since most of the cards I make are individualized to a specific person, I use a color combination and or theme geared to them. I have lots of inspiration cards on my iPad and Pinterest so if nothing pops in my head, I will puruse my stored ideas for a layout or color combination.
I most often have a person or occasion to create for so the focus of the card is decided. I look through my stamps, dies, and punches and a theme emerges as I choose what I would like to work with. The theme most often determines what type of folded card I will make. Then I decide on a color scheme.and search through my paper stash. All this takes a little longer than I’d like but sometimes I come up with several ideas in the process so it is all worthwhile.
Thank you for sharing so many of your wonderful ideas with us.
First I find a sketch idea that looks appealing to me. Then I grab a piece of designer series paper and pick out three colors that work nicely in the sketch. Choosing the stamp set is last, because that makes it special for the person I am thinking of.
Thank you Susan for the chance to win. Barbara
You mean I am suppose to have a plan? There, I knew you wanted me to say that! I love visiting blogs for ideas or CASing. I have several regular ones that I also comment on regularly. But, believe it or not, I have once in awhile picked a DP or a punch and made something on my own from that. Generally though, it is a specific person in mind for a birthday or whatever. I am learning to come up with some basic card ideas for birthdays etc. and have them on hand and maybe tweak them to the individual. I do have a couple people who demand and I do mean demand that the card is purple. So, I am still in a learning process and trying to get organized (don’t laugh everyone-I did say trying!), Or, I might take a Paper Pumpkin kit and come up with something different just to have fun, rarely do I make the kit as shown. Also, I might take a technique or a certain fold, watch the video on how to do it and then run with my thoughts. Yes, run as I have most of my stuff upstairs and end up running up and down the stairs getting all the stuff to make it. One would think I would learn by now to unload the chair and desk so I could work in one place but then I couldn’t complain now could I? Did I ever really answer the question or did I just skirt around the issue? Anyway, it was fun reading the comments and wow, what comments you had today!
Wishing you safe travels. Give Stanley an apple from me and Milo a treat and belly rubs! Have a great time which I think you will. Plan on bringing any new fur babes home?
I usually have a sketch or idea pulled up from blogs, Pinterest, etc. on my phone or IPad that I can go by. I, too, find that I get lost in the blogosphere and Pinterest, so I must limit myself. Safe travels to you!
Usually I find the colors first, then the DSP, and then the stamps.for that particular need. Sometimes I find the stamp set first and go from there?. You had a card swap before
Christmas and the card I received was a triple fold with a bird stamped on it. Don’t know what the stamper called the design, but I fell in love with it and I’ve been waiting for the right stamp set to create a card with that design. Well this was my week, I used the Love Bug stamp set, modified the oval cuts to fit the Volkswagen and ended up making the cutest wedding card.
Susan I really appreciate all you do to share your talents in making cards.
What a fascinating question and wonderful answers. I subscribe to about 5 blogs. It’s the highlight of my morning to check them out. I definitely cherish the inspiration a get from those blogs……..thank you! I feel like I’m usually prepping for classes, so I try to think of a mix and hopefully my samples will be what I need ultimately as well. Honestly it’s why I really your card kits. I feel pampered to sit, papers ready, design ready and just make cards, which is what I LOVE to do. Sudsol is another source of inspiration. Truth: I’ve probably have a forest in paper I’ve used to ‘print’ all the cards I’d like to make!!
Have a safe trip and a great time!
I often start with a stamp set I want to use and end up with about 15 sets out. If I start with DSP, I end up changing part of it part way through. Sometimes I CASE something, though usually not exactly. I do have a file on my computer of cards to CASE. I have even actually done a couple of them! Meanwhile, I end up feeling guilty because I have SO MUCH DSP waiting to be used, SO MANY stamp sets I have never even opened, and SO MUCH cardstock, much of which is retired colors. I get overwhelmed with it all and then I have a hard time getting anything at all done. Making a specific card for a specific person usually results in a finished card, but I still feel guilty for not having made cards for all the other people, etc.
Cyberhugs!
Hope to catch you on the flip side!
I make LOTS of cards. I like to send someone a card on their special day or event. I really am not very creative on my own so I do CASE a lot of cards……always with a little tweak here & there to fit the person I am “creating” for. I follow a few blogs & have a file of cards that inspire me. Splitcoaststampers is a wonderful place to get many ideas. I am a “clean & simple” type of stamper & I always enjoy your style of cards. Thanks for many card ideas & have a safe & enjoyable trip.
I have a specific person in mind, surf for ideas, then make it my own creation. I keep pictures of all the cards I make. I don’t want to give the same type birthday card to the same person as I gave last year. Your simple cards provide lots of inspiration for me. I love your blog and the other probably 30 that I get on a daily basis. Soooooo I spend too much time visiting my “friends” before getting my day started. I’m retired and loving it. It is so easy to get lost in the cyberworld before realizing an hour or two have gone by. Getting a Die Brush would be fantastic. I love using intricate dies.
I usually have a plan, either a sketch, or I need something specific for a swap, then I look over my stamps with who or what I am making it for and then go from there, whether I need or want DSP or just stamp something in the background. I get inspiration from the blogs i receive and CASE lots of things, usually with a tweak and credit to the person who inspired it.
Since I am new to stamping, I try and case cards I can use. Many times, I do not have the stamps used and just rely on the ones I have. I am grateful for all the creative people who give me inspiration…including you.
When I made a card I usually make it for a particular person (birthday, sympathy, get well, thinking of you, etc.); I try to use a color that I know is one of their favorites and pick out a stamp set that I think of them when I see it. When I see cards that catch my eye I try to remember it and use it for that special occasion..
I used to think I was the Queen of CASE but I have come to realize how much our stamping community in general relies on all the shared creativity out there. I follow 5 blogs daily, not just for the artistic boost, but because the five have wit, sensibilities and passion that mirror my own. When creating, I generally start with a need, think back to a card I saw and liked (yeah, probably too much time on the web…) and go from there, trying to create from memory. It means quite a few tweaks in the end result; older brain=inaccurate memory! 🙂
Thanks for always being so accessible to your followers, for sharing so graciously with us, and encouraging us to ” just GO FOR IT”. Safe travels.
I have to have a plan. I first decide on the theme and then usually go to my favorite blogs and do searches for that theme. Thank you for all you share.
Where I go to create a card is at my Mom, no theme, I just follow my Mom’s lead. She creates beautiful cards. We have so much fun talking and giggling like little kids. She is 84 and so much fun to be around. She can make something beautiful out of scrape pieces of paper. Amazing. Love your blog. How’s Eddie and the pups doing?
A lot of the time I see a card someone else has created and print it off for an idea to start with later on, and then make it my own. This is easier for me because sometimes I have trouble creating from a “blank canvas”. I have used many of your cards for inspiration, believe me!
I usually have a plan in place. If I don’t I tend to spin my wheels and not get much done. Thanks for the chance to win.
I have been playing with paper for about a year now. I have a pinterest board that is crammed with cards I have been attracted to and it is “organized” with both themes and card sets. Yes. I have spent WAY too much time on that and not enough time MAKING cards! When I have cards to make I do go to my boards and then start pulling “stuff” out and putting it together. I LOVE your blog, Susan. We have coffee every morning. Have a terrific trip!
I usually have a plan. I spend WAY TO MUCH time on pinterest—But—I get some great ideas for my cards.
I usually have a theme in mind and the colors I’d like to use. Not a fool-proof plan but it’s a good start. I’d really like to make a notebook of stamped images for my sets. I think it’d be a great help. And Susan, I DO use my color swatches!! Thanks for offering that 🙂
Oh boy! Do I ever surf! I have not found my ideal style of card making that is why I am so drawn to yours. Clean and simple:). Have a great weekend!
Oh, that’s a good question. My answer is “It all depends.” Sometimes I see a cute card I want to CASE, like your valentine with the notebook paper stamp. Sometimes I have new stamps/dies/embossing folders/paper I just HAVE to try, so they determine the theme as much as anything. Sometimes I need a card for a specific kind of event, like Valentines Day, and I have something in mind I want to try, like a box pop up card. Sometimes I pull out a huge mess (just recently ALL my valentine stamps, papers, embossingfolders, embellishments) and start rummaging around to see what I like together. I may or may not have a specific card I want to make; I’m just looking for ideas.
I have a plan….. all idea in my head inspired by someone, something, nature, etc.
This year I’ve been joining a lot of challenges so they sort of dictate what you can use (color combo, cute critters, one layer, brads, etc.). Within those guidelines I check to see if I need any cards coming up soon and try to fit those together. I try to have a basic idea of what the card will look like when I start but I allow it to evolve as I go.
I don’t normally have a plan, I just start going thru the stamps and when something strikes me, I go from there.
I think of myself like an airplane on the runway. I need to look at my Pinterest pictures I have saved from various paper artists. This gives me “revving the engine” ideas. Then I pick out paper, stamps, ink, and start to design. This represents the airplane picking up speed on the runway. Eventually, the card is made, like the airplane is finally up in the sky!!
I usually look at a blog or Pinterest for some ideas then change it up to make it my own. Have a great trip, Susan!
I am kind of both, like you plan your cards. I also spent a lot of time looking for the “perfect” card on various sites. I just came to the realization last Saturday that I spend way to much time surfing for ideas! So….that day I just created and wahlah! A card in 20 minutes and I was HAPPY!!!
Like most of us, it is nice to find inspiration through sites like pintrest and blogs but I like to change up the colors if I do that. One of my other favorite ways to start is to find a design sketch. Then pick theme, stamp set, card base, then DSP and then voila!!
I love to make cards that I see. I do spend a lot of time on Pinterest and various blogs finding the cats to CASE. Thank you!
I like to pick a set that I want to use for the occasion. Then I start looking online at other cards made with the same set. I take my ideas from there.
I usually have a set in mind and then look at my pinterest boards to find a card I can copy (sort of) and yet make it my own.
I usually have a plan in place but normally there is a mishap that needs to be covered up and the card plan changes. But I start out with a specific person in mind and choose paper, stamps, embellishments….this is why I find it hard to make a stack of cards. I like to read blogs for inspiration.
I use Pinterest and bloggers like yourself for inspiration, but then I take into consideration who the card is for and what the occasion is. I like to use the recipients favorite colors and interests to steer the direction the card will take. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s always fun!
The majority of the time I find an example by using Pinterest and looking at web sites, then I get inspired and create my own version. Occasionally, I get my own creativity going and create my very own original card! 🙂
I usually think about the type of card I would like to make. sometimes I go to my pinerest board or others boards. If I see something I like I modify it to make it my own, colors, stamp set , etc Colors are the last that I think of unless I have something in my head.
You are going to fall over, getting a comment from me after so long of being quiet. I had some unexpected surgery and haven’t felt much like being online. I have the brush and it is a must-have, awesome item! I get a lot of inspiration from your blog as well as Amy Koenders. You are both my faves. I get inspired by something I’ve seen and then adapt it to the particular occasion I need a card for. I haven’t crafted for nearly 2 weeks now and am finally starting to get the bug, a sign I am perking up! Enjoy your travels!
Oh no….I am so sorry to hear that you have had to have “down time” – another reason why I wished we lived closer to one another. I bet Caleb is being a PERFECT NURSE to his wonderful MOMMA!!!! Hugs my friend….
I like to “see” an idea and go digging in my stuff to find what I have that I can put together to be somewhat like the idea. I do like to make several copies of simular cards as I often give a packet of cards as hostess gifts when we travel, or as a small gift to someone who might be having a birthday or other celebration that a few cards would be welcome to receive.