CornerstoneLAE

Green beer and Shamrocks

2012-02-03T13:38:00.000-05:00

Some Saint Paddy's Day love for ya

Featured by Jenny and Kate!

2012-01-29T20:23:00.006-05:00

Lately I've been changing it up a bit and working on my fabric crafts, so It was nice to be featured on Jenny's blog . She features a different Etsy seller every day, so go and check it out. Thank you, Jenny!

The green basket was also featured on Kate's blog along with other green items that remind every one of spring. Yea! Thank you, Kate!

Birthday Shark

2012-01-24T12:47:00.000-05:00

A shark circles a boat of birthday presents and snatches one for the birthday recipient.

Heart-shaped Journal in Shabby Chic Pink

2012-01-19T16:15:00.000-05:00

Covered in a dusty rose pink fabric and sewn to chipboard

Just One Snowflake!

2012-01-10T11:22:00.001-05:00

One of the easiest pop-ups to make: punch 2 large snowflakes and slit halfway thru the center. Line both snowflakes up and score 1/2" away from the slits, making sure the score line is parallel with the slits. Insert one snowflake into the other, bend the scorelines and glue to a card. So easy, and fast!

The Lattice Heart

2012-01-05T13:18:00.000-05:00

A liner behind the open lattice work keeps your personal words from showing thru the front.

Bethlehem Star Pattern

2011-12-08T10:01:00.004-05:00

I have been neglecting my blog a lot lately, but here's a new one for ya! If you are new to paper construction, I would recommend trying a different project, because this is not as easy as it would seem.

The back story: every year I like to add some handmade ornaments to my tree, and over the past few years I have been recycling my Christmas cards for this purpose. You can see a couple of them in the edges of the pic. This year, I went online with the hopes of finding a pattern for a 360 degree Bethlehem star, and had no luck! You can find one-sided and two-sided patterns, but not 'ball' shaped ones. So I came up with my own, which turned out to be a tricky bit of geometry - what exactly do you call a 14-spiked sphere where some of the spikes are 3-sided and some are 4-sided?

Anyway, here are the patterns and instructions for your personal use. The pattern printed full size makes about an 8 1/2" long star. Just double-click on the pics to enlarge. Merry Christmas and Happy Crafting!

The Deed is Done!

2011-10-24T20:51:00.000-05:00

My eldest was married this weekend! And since this is a craft blog....the above picture includes some of the items that I made over the past 13 months for her wedding. Not included were the bridal bouquets, etched glasses, and jewelry that she made.

Gaelic Storm Band is Amazing!

2011-09-12T08:04:00.000-05:00

Went to see them last night, and being such a crafty-minded person, I had to find a way to attach "Darcy's Ass" to my dashboard. There's a back story (and a song of course) to this little donkey, and you can find out about their missing mascot, the band, and their celtic music at http://www.gaelicstorm.com/

Labels for Favors and Tent Cards

2011-09-06T12:29:00.000-05:00

Personalized labels are easy to make! Here I've imported an image to my graphics program, and tweaked away! The labels include a mock nutritional label, with ingredients such as "love" and "happiness", as well as a thank you message from the bride and groom.

Tent-style table number cards are made from the leftover invitation scraps.

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-27T12:49:00.000-05:00

Had to adjust my sign a bit!

Whew!

2011-08-02T06:08:00.000-05:00

These wedding invites for my daughter took awhile, as I was trying to find a balance between "casual fun" and "formal occasion". The rules from the bride: lots of fall color, nothing elegant, no ruffles, bows, ribbons, or buttons,lol! Hence, the velcro dot and leaf brad enclosures...

A Cat and a Cake

2011-07-14T08:29:00.001-05:00

...and candles, of course! I colored the flames with orange and yellow oil pencil, then sealed them with glitter glue. If you don't seal your chalks or pencils when they are used inside a card, you'll wind up with smudges you didn't count on. The sealant doesn't have to be glitter glue, I just wanted the sparkly effect.

International Wedding

2011-07-13T09:05:00.001-05:00

This one was made for a friend of my daughter, and combines some cultural features of Spain, Austria and the US:

The background is of an etching by Josef Eidenberger, an Austrian artist, and is titled Linz Hofgasse. The Spanish bride has lace trim and Swarovski beads on her dress (a nod to spanish lace and Austrian crystal). Her bouquet features the national flowers of the US, Spain, and Austria (rose, pomegranate, and edelweiss). Each flower is made of paper by me.

Table Numbers

2011-07-07T11:48:00.000-05:00

I've been MIA for a while, working on the invites to my daughter's wedding, but here is my latest project: the table numbers.

Long Neck

2011-06-17T11:05:00.000-05:00

This pop-up giraffe prefers the ground vegetation over the trees.

Summertime!

2011-06-08T11:53:00.000-05:00

Now I need to make an apple pie card to match!

Big Screen Buddies

2011-06-04T16:50:00.001-05:00

Dad and his son are enjoying a favorite pastime. (Inside, the son has grown up.) The screen part was made to have a photo slid in from the top.

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-28T15:04:00.001-05:00

Just a simple paper cutout design: there's a white lining to hide the message inside from peeking thru the cutouts.

Computer Guy

2011-05-21T08:12:00.001-05:00

Integrates a purchased sticker into the design

Chalk guidelines

2011-05-10T17:46:00.005-05:00

A quick tip for getting those slots in just the right spot: use a chalk pencil! It wipes clean when your done. Simply chalk the fold line, then close the card. Rub gently, and the chalk will be right where you need to cut the slot. No ruler needed!

Outfished!

2011-05-03T09:21:00.002-05:00

Dad is outfished by his son for this Father's Day pop-up.

Happy Easter Everyone!

2011-04-22T18:15:00.002-05:00

Just the latest in my self-guided cake decorating escapade. The lesson here was how to work with piping gel to get that stained glass look. This one - my first ever piping gel attempt - took me 5 hours just to do the flower design!

Garden Gate and Dandelions

2011-04-19T18:18:00.003-05:00

My yard will be blooming soon!

Vote for my Little Guy!

2011-04-09T08:25:00.004-05:00

I've entered him in the "Green is Universal" reuse contest because he's made from plastic security packaging and leftover Christmas wrapping paper. (In his previous life he was wrapped around the HP ink cartridges at Costco.)

So please vote for him, and at the very least click on him to find a semi-tutorial for how to make the plastic part :)

The link: http://www.greenisuniversal-reuse.com/sweepstakes , and you'll find him under 'toys, games, and gadgets'. An extra bonus - your vote will enter you to win a $500 shopping spree at Etsy!

For the Future Oscar Winner

2011-04-06T15:59:00.002-05:00

Not showing well in this pic was the shine on the statue. I used metallic gold cardstock, and hand-inked the shadows, but the paper did not have enough shine to it. So the paper statue was coated in clear gloss acrylic finish.

Progress Halted!

2011-04-04T15:54:00.003-05:00

Because I can't decide what words to add to the cover! This will eventually be the cover of my daughter's wedding guestbook, but indecision has had me staring at it for the last hour.
Don't look too close yet - I still have to add more 'depth' to the woodburned picture.

Coordinating Mother's and Father Day Accordian Cards

2011-03-30T12:41:00.005-05:00

These two are paired up for the Etsygreetings Team Design challenge, which was to somehow coordinate Mother's and Father's Day cards. To see the rest of the challenge entries: http://etsygreetings.blogspot.com/2011/04/mothers-dayfathers-day-challenge-voting.html

Silhouettes and String

2011-03-23T10:04:00.001-05:00

Most of the elements of this card were custom requested (mandolin, banjolele, guitar, keyboard, family members, pop-up). The challenge was to find a way to get them all on the card without making it look too crowded! The conclusion was a two-color palette, with lots of layers, scoring, and string.

Envelope Book

2011-03-12T16:37:00.004-05:00

The quest here was to find a way to use my larger prints, other than scrapbooking or collage. I tend to buy the slabs of paper, but only use the smaller background prints for my cards. This was a great way to make a dent in my paper stash, and now I can buy more, lol.

Firefly

2011-03-03T09:05:00.002-05:00

Two of my impulse buys are put to use here for the first time - the jar stamp and the bug punch! Stamp on the back side of the acetate so that the ink won't smear with handling.

Cake Notes

2011-02-26T10:05:00.002-05:00

This one's for my use - I needed a way to organize all my cake decorating info. But it really was just an excuse to buy the Bind-It-All. This was my first attempt with wire binding, and I think I added too many pages to make it work as well as I'd like. I also crimped the wires too tight. Lessons learned!

Book Sliver

2011-02-15T08:55:00.002-05:00

If you're looking for a slim book with just enough room to have a single sentence, quotation, or memory per page, then this is the perfect size! Colorful dividers section off each of the signatures inside.

Cake Trials

2011-02-13T23:45:00.006-05:00

Stepping away a bit from paper here, but lately I've been occupying most of my craft time with learning how to decorate cakes. It's my goal to do my daughter's wedding cake this coming October, and she wants autumn leaves on a brown cake. So....

cake #1 was my first cake ever. I tried store bought fondant, which tasted awful, but it was a good practice attempt at smoothing and icing. The cake itself was dry, and so I went on a major research quest to find amazing cake recipes suitable for a wedding cake. (I was eventually successful, so ask me if you're interested in either a white or chocolate cake recipe that will knock your socks off.)

cake #2 was really to attempt a square cake. Corners are harder, so now I know: I don't want to do a square cake. I also learned that I don't really want to make flowers out of fondant - too floppy.

cake #3 was for my daughter's 23rd birthday (she's the bride-to-be). Each layer was a different cake flavor. It was also my first (and last) time I will ever attempt to tint fondant dark brown. What an arm workout!

cake #4 involved gum paste leaves. I used cookie cutters purchased on line, and handpainted the leaves. They looked terrific on this cake design I attempted from an online picture, but edible gum paste isn't really edible unless you have no taste buds! Still, I may use gum paste as it was very easy to work with, and the caterer wouldn't have to serve up the leaves with the cake.

cake #5 was really all about the white cake recipe inside with a strawberry filling. All who tried this one thought the cake tasted amazing. I also started for the first time tweaking the fondant recipe to find a way to make it taste better. In this picture it was half white chocolate 'plastic' and half fondant. It was much better, but still not tasting good enough for me.

cake #6 is not fondant, as i decided to look for alternatives. Icing the cake the old-fashioned way with regular chocolate buttercream will taste great, but not be as easy to get that smooth, wedding cake polish. So I came across this rolled buttercream recipe, that rolls out like fondant. This tastes wonderful, but is harder to work with as it is softer and easier to tear. For this reason, I would not recommend using this for a cake bigger than 10" round. Those roses are chocolate plastic, and taste a lot like tootsie rolls.

(side note: the real cake #6 was completely covered in semisweet chocolate plastic, and tasted so amazing that I didn't have time to snap a picture before it was eaten.)

cake #7 was made for my other daughter to take to school for Valentine's day. It is a chocoholic's dream - the cake, the icing, the bark, the roses and the white-chocolate pink flowers.

Many thanks to the students, coworkers, and family members who have all been my guinea pigs lately! Thank you for taking all these experiments off my hands!

Next up, are plans to try using white chocolate for the autumn leaves, so that people can eat them. I'd also like to try my hand at airbrushing instead of handpainting them. And I still haven't tried homemade marshmallow fondant yet. My goal is to have a great looking, and great tasting 4- tier wedding cake, that can be done and still keep my sanity in the days before the ceremony. Wish me luck!

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-10T07:28:00.003-05:00

This card was donated to Etsy's "Special Delivery: Share Your Love 2011" Valentine's Day card drive, as is destined for New York's Citymeals-on-Wheels program. It is an open, heart-shaped paper weave with a pale-pink lining insert, allowing light to shine inside.

Cool Cats

2011-01-13T13:38:00.002-05:00

A custom request, using paper piecing and thread as the guitar strings.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T14:36:00.003-05:00

A repeat for me, but appropriate for the day! Hope you all have a good holiday :)

Merry Christmas to You!

2010-12-20T13:33:00.001-05:00

I've only had time for one new design this season, and this is it! Inspired by my Christmas tree which, had lights strings go out on it 3 times already, lol.

Long Time No Post!

2010-12-08T18:05:00.004-05:00

Yep, It's that time of year again, and my blog has been suffering from neglect! I've still been crafting, though not so much cards and more stuff for my daughter's wedding. She wants an autumn leaf theme, and I 've been busy making the aisle flowers from coffee filters. The aisle is super long so I'll be making them for awhile :) You can find directions for coffee filter roses on Martha Stewarts' web site, although I changed up her directions quite a bit for the ones pictured here. I have about 80 made, and could use about 80 more!

Have Some Cake!

2010-10-29T17:36:00.001-05:00

(It's my birthday. Still needs more candles on this card to be accurate.)

Autumn Tree

2010-10-28T19:09:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-27T19:39:00.000-05:00

Cookies for my teen's party...

Save the Date

2010-10-21T12:35:00.002-05:00

Just taking a side trip away from pop-up cards a bit, to make save-the-date flat cards for my daughter's wedding. She wanted colorful, autumn leaf motif. I, of course, can't bring myself to make just one style of card (since she'll need 60). So it looks like a mixed bag of designs, including a few more not pictured here.

Falling for Handmade Craft Fair

2010-10-18T20:41:00.002-05:00

It was good to meet all the fellow DC area crafters this past weekend at the first ever Falling for Handmade Craft Fair.

Card Display - Cheap and Easy

2010-10-13T08:28:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's the last minute before a craft show and I needed a way to display cards. My requirements: to be able to see over the tabletop display (24" high), reach around the display (18" wide), and be as light as possible (thin particle board). These were made from stuff I had around the house, with the exception of the flashing (under $3 for 10 feet and glued on with E-6000). Even the hinges are upcycled and put on with craft brads, so that I can take them off later. I may add a safety chain towards the bottom of the 'V' but so far the boards are not sliding around at all on the tablecloth.

Arrgh!

2010-09-30T09:49:00.003-05:00

Takes a little time to burn all those edges, but it's more authentic to me than using ink. You do have to wipe off any excess carbon. These pages are for 3 pirate-themed photo journals.

Haunted Tombstone

2010-09-13T12:25:00.001-05:00

The vellum ghost slides out when you open the card.

Pinecone Branch - Color this time

2010-09-11T11:24:00.002-05:00

Last year, I made this design in all white with a green background, and a touch of glitter.

Spider Web

2010-09-02T08:21:00.002-05:00

Pinecones and Leaves

2010-08-31T13:13:00.003-05:00

Each petal was hand cut for the pinecones, but a punch would probably do the job.

Pool Table

2010-08-30T13:52:00.003-05:00

Although I used felt and sphere embellishments for texture, you can easily use green paper and a hole punch for the balls.

Mummy!

2010-08-24T09:10:00.000-05:00

I'm just too old to be still using googly eyes on my cards, but there ya go...

Ribbon Scrap

2010-08-19T12:39:00.003-05:00

This card was made from the ribbons that tie up fat quarter bundles.

2010-08-17T10:22:00.002-05:00

If you live in the DC area, come visit me and about 50 other members of the EtsyCrest Street Team!

Sunflowers

2010-08-16T14:17:00.004-05:00

These sunflowers are assembled from cardstock, felt, oil pencil, and acrylic paint. To get the 3-d effect for the centers, under the felt I've added a doughnut-shaped piece of foam.

Pizza Time!

2010-08-08T22:00:00.002-05:00

He'll eat practically anything!

Layered Window Card

2010-07-27T14:25:00.001-05:00

Each flap of this card holds a layer of the cover design, adding a little depth to it.

Fabric meets Paper

2010-07-10T14:18:00.003-05:00

A metallic gold fabric print covers this handbound journal.

The Umbrella

2010-07-03T17:44:00.003-05:00

Make your umbrella pop from the page by adding a small piece of scrap chipboard to the back before gluing the umbrella to the card.

Just a Tiny moment to Say how Proud I am of my son!

2010-06-25T12:56:00.004-05:00

He was a Parade Magazine/The League All American for Environmental Service, in particular for his projects involving energy and recycling waste at his school. Pictured in this screenshot of the White House vieo are the fourteen other winners from around the country, Secretary of Education Arte Duncan, and Vice President Biden. Way to go, Jake!

Office Decor!

2010-06-20T21:36:00.004-05:00

This miniature patriotic bunting is perfect for showing your holiday spirit. I was making a few that say "Happy Birthday" and this one snuck in the mix.

Columbia Arts Festival

2010-06-13T08:10:00.002-05:00

I was just a spectator for this event, enjoying a beautiful day! Double-click on pics for better viewing.

the oh-so simple whale of a thank you note

2010-06-09T15:33:00.001-05:00

Only 5 minutes to completion!

Moose Mania

2010-06-07T16:55:00.003-05:00

The antlers swing up on this card when you open it - lots of motion. Should I make this one again, I'll try for even bigger antlers.

Graduation Time!

2010-06-02T21:20:00.003-05:00

No crafting this week - Child #3 of 4 just graduated!

The Last Minute Lacrosse Card

2010-05-25T13:48:00.005-05:00

So my teen asks me this morning to make a team card for her lacrosse coach, to give at her end-of-season party tonight. I say, "What party?"

The netting in the sticks is made from a lace tablecloth. Plus I cheated, and used a metal storebought Thank You embellishment, to save time.

Tennis Anyone?

2010-05-17T12:41:00.003-05:00

Wire mesh is used for the racquet cut-out, so the inside has to be as finished as the cover. Of course I had to buy a ton to get my 2" scrap, so I guess other wire mesh designs will soon be showing up here!

Copper Sunset

2010-05-13T13:00:00.003-05:00

Just letting the metallic papers speak for themselves here.

Dad's Saturday Shirt

2010-05-11T15:45:00.003-05:00

The best part about the weekend (according to my husband) is no shirt and tie. So out comes the "Best Dad Ever" t-shirt for this Father's Day themed card.

Wedding Dance

2010-05-05T15:05:00.003-05:00

Sometimes 'less is more', and in this case it certainly was true. The design seemed to work better without embellishments. My only major change was to put the groom in silhouette so that there was enough contrast between the bride and groom.

The Challenge: a Swing Dancing Wedding Card!

2010-04-29T11:28:00.002-05:00

This request is from my daughter who will be attending a fellow college students' wedding that has a swing dancing theme.

It's been a while since my last wedding card, and the pic above is my first mock-up of the design. Next up is to make any changes before I make the final card. I think I'd like the design to be all about the swirling skirt, which needs to be bigger. I'm thinking nice, upgraded papers, with real lace trim as the petticoat, and tulle for a possible added veil. Stay tuned...

Time Travel

2010-04-26T17:03:00.003-05:00

The finished product - finally! The woodburned covers are coptic stiched to parchment pages, and postcard printed paper is added as dividers. This, I think, would make a terrific travel log.

Rising Candle Pop-up

2010-04-26T09:21:00.002-05:00

tip: use the print of the paper to express design elements. I could have used solid colors for this cupcake, then scored in the cupcake paper ridges, but why do that when striped paper can imply those ridges? The same point here can be made for the cupcake 'icing' paper choice.

Work in Progress: Woodburned Journal Cover

2010-04-23T07:26:00.003-05:00

I've got these clock faces burned in, but still have to sand, paint the edges, and varnish before assembling the guest-book sized journal.

Upcycle your Plastic Packaging

2010-04-19T10:03:00.004-05:00

A while back, I bought a stamp centering tool called a Stamp-a-ma-jig. It essentially is a mini t-square with a sheet of clear plastic, and it worked great! As time went on, the plastic sheet started to scratch and turn white, mostly from age and my washing the ink off after each use. You can buy replacement sheets of plastic, but why do that when you can just hit up your recycling bin?

I used the security packaging from printer cartridges. Whatever you use needs to be fairly thick. Using only your ***OLD*** blades and scissors cut out the flat part of the packaging into a rectangle. Voila! You're finished! And the best part: I don't wash my new upcycled sheets: I just make a sheet for every four stamps (You can put one stamp design in each corner), then file them away. Be organized, and put all your birthday designs together, then it's pretty easy to see which stamp will work best for the card you're creating.

Easel Backs

2010-04-16T14:44:00.004-05:00

The only requirement for easel backed cards? They must fold flat! Here is a mini collection of different ways to do it. Double-click on the image for better viewing, as they are in a print friendly format.

Changes in Color

2010-04-14T11:51:00.002-05:00

new larger flowers, assembled from smaller flower punches. The goal: to use up all my scraps!

Refillable!

2010-04-12T12:40:00.002-05:00

I've been making these for a while (without the tray) and it's always bothered me to glue the pads in. With the tray, a new post-it pad can be popped in easily!

Points on Bull

2010-04-11T07:57:00.003-05:00

The dartboard cabinet could be the card itself without any background, should you choose to make it larger. The board inside is 3" in diameter in this card.

Happy Easter Everyone!

2010-04-03T09:37:00.001-05:00

Our new indian runner ducks: named, of course, by my 15 year old daughter!

Swinging Pendulum

2010-04-01T14:06:00.001-05:00

Inside the grandfather clock, the pendulum swings freely.

Graduation Money Holder Card

2010-03-31T12:05:00.003-05:00

Just another way to do the same design as the grad invites! This one holds a gift card, is larger, has no background (just the cap shape), and features sparkly paper and a braided tassle.

Grad Invites

2010-03-29T17:40:00.003-05:00

A new design here for my son's graduation. He needs 80 of them, so I needed something that could be duplicated easily. Once the design was finalized, I created a clear plastic template. One down, 79 to go!

Flowerpot Accordian Card - Interchangeable Message

2010-03-19T12:32:00.004-05:00

It's handy to have a card around that works for many occasions. This could be a get well, birthday, thinking of you, etc. The card on the floral pic is not glued in until right before you need it. What is really great about this one is that it is super easy, and a wonderful project for a beginner paper crafter.

Stained Glass for Easter - a Work in Progress

2010-03-17T14:51:00.003-05:00

New design for me, and timewise, it's huge!The idea is to let light shine thru the 'stained glass'. There is a lot of intricate cutting, which actually was the easiest part! The hard part was adding the tissue paper color. Everything is protected with acetate. The Inside will get a vellum lining - I think! May change my mind on that... To be continued :)

Born out of Necessity

2010-03-13T10:35:00.004-05:00

I had this wonderful paper card file box for over 22 years, and it has finally bit the dust! So I designed one for me (and one for etsy), with all the features I'd like to see a card box that has to sit out on display. Mine is made of fabric and chipboard, with glued and machine sewn joints. The trim is sewn on, not glued, and the measurements are based on the biggest envelopes I have. I made 8 dividers for the inside, out of poster board.

Fat Envelope Packaging Tutorial

2010-03-08T12:42:00.005-05:00

For whenever you need packaging of fatter items: card sets, business cards, etc. Note the different style of enclosures: the scalloped-edged one has velcro dots for resealing, the business card one has a slot and tab, and the envelope one has a self sealing strip for mailing. I've also made them out of chipboard before, as a box for handmade journals. This tutorial is in a print-friendly jpeg format. Just double-click on the pics to enlarge, then read or print.

Cursive Writing

2010-03-05T09:02:00.001-05:00

Loved this paper! It's a shame cursive writing is a dying practice....

The Wheels are Turning

2010-03-03T12:03:00.004-05:00

Cogs and gears are a favorite woodburning subject of mine. but this time I decided to make them out of paper - and make them turn! Not all of the gears turn at the same time, so you'll have to play around with them. Some are connected to each other, some aren't. Notice how the one wheel hangs over the edge a little bit: this is for easier turning, but don't forget to leave extra room in the envelope :)

Mom will not need her glasses!!

2010-02-28T15:42:00.001-05:00

These letters are huge! I had to make a custom mailing box for it since it's 5/8" thick.

Hello, Pretty Bird!

2010-02-26T15:15:00.008-05:00

This is my ivory version, with a color version coming in a few days. Inspired by my own catalina macaw, Picasso http://cornerstonelae.blogspot.com/2009/10/chatterbox.html . He's such a good model!

Welcome Spring!

2010-02-26T10:50:00.003-05:00

Spring, where are you? Cabin fever is setting in....

My Newest Etsy Shop!

2010-02-24T17:13:00.003-05:00

Paper Compositions is now a branch off my old Etsy shop, CornerstoneLAE. The idea is to separate my paper creations from my fabric scrap and woodburning. While any of my cards and journals currently listed at CornerstoneLAE will stay there until they expire, all new paper creations for sale can be found at http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaperCompositions

Zip It!

2010-02-17T08:47:00.004-05:00

The zipper pull swings freely here, and it adds a lot to the card by not having it glued down. But as I was putting it on the card, I couldn't help but wonder if the recipient would try to actually pull on it. Working with thin metallic paper was a pain. Thicker cardstock would probably have been easier to manipulate.

Dancing Leprechaun Interactive Card

2010-02-16T22:57:00.002-05:00

To see him do his Irish jig motion click on the video (which I reloaded, because it didn't seem to take before).

Dancing Leprechaun

2010-02-15T07:53:00.003-05:00

As first attempt mock-ups go, I'm pretty satisfied. The leprechaun's legs swing freely as he dances his irish jig. There are still plenty of changes I would make. There's a casing to prevent his legs from swinging past his coat tails, but it is too limiting. So his coat tails will have to be wider. Those distracting four leaf clovers will have to go. His actuals proportions are bothering me a bit: he doesn't look short enough to be a leprechaun. I was planning on drawing his facial features and buttons on, but think I will stick to pure paper composition for the details.

I'll post the final product soon.

My Amazing Mailman...

2010-02-11T12:03:00.001-05:00

...actually came up our hill to deliver today! I thought they'd get a snow day, too. We had 38" (highest in our state) plus another 17" of snow last night.

Wintery Pop-up Display Card

2010-02-06T11:09:00.003-05:00

Yes, it fold to fit in a 5" x7" envelope. I was working on a graduation card, but the 30+ inches of snow on my driveway inspired me!

Blob Labels Updated - Finally!

2010-02-04T12:34:00.002-05:00

Slowly I am trying to spruce up this blog so that information can be found more easily. New labels have been applied, with more of a breakdown in the pop-up card section coming soon.

Corsets

2010-02-02T10:24:00.002-05:00

Trying to find ways to use all the printed paper I have in stock. (Most of my pop-ups use plain paper.)