What NOT to do at the table: A Lesson in good etiquette

Normally, we try to keep meal times somewhat civilized with an attempt at manners. No fake burping or farting, no spitting, keeping our hands to ourselves, no playing with our food, and other various etiquette related things. There are times though when it just isn't worth the fight but definitely worth the pictures.

Here's the lowdown on lunch today in picture format.

Here Z is done eating and is now making fake burping noises at his brothers persuasion. First rule broken...

 He looks over to see what brother is doing and begins doing the same. Second rule broken...

It stands!!! So exciting!!

 Here is IV starting to do what he does best. Pestering his brother. Third rule broken...

Ok, so this was kind of sweet. Until...

 Z started licking IV. I think this falls under the no spitting rule since it involves saliva. Forth rule broken...

 IV is back to his creation.

 Meticulously placing grape stems into his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

 

The finished product. 

He's an artist I tell ya.

I think we covered all our manners...it was worth it.

Card Demo

I've had a lot of people ask me how I make my cards. It's hard to explain because there are so many steps and it's just easier to sit down and show you. But since I don't have time to sit down with everyone that would like to see I'm attempting to do a demo by pictures. Mind you, these are by no means professional photos. I just tried to get the best picture I could to show whatever it was I was demonstrating.

Also, these are just general guidelines that I tend to follow for creating the core of the card. After the basic set up of the card the decorating is for the most part a hodge podge of what I think looks good at the time. I tend to go for a vintage, eclectic, mix match, dirty, warm, and "well-loved" look.

So, here it is:

Choose some paper. Since it's for Valentine's Day I choose papers that had mostly shades of red and pink.

I make my own envelopes and cards because I can control the size, shape, patterns, and decorations.
The below picture is of my lovely friend the Cricut. The cartridge that I use is the Plantin SchoolBook.

If you aren't making your own envelopes just hold on to your paper. You'll still need it.

I love that you can cut whatever size that you want and use whatever paper tickles your fancy that day!

When I do a batch of cards I always do 15-30 at once. It just seems to be easier to get them all cut at once. I cut several different sizes ranging from 2"x 2" to 8 1/2" x 4".

This will make a 5" x 5" card

These make a 7 1/2" x 3 1/2" card

This will make a 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" card

Hold on to all of those scraps from your envelopes.

Now for folding the envelopes. These are the tools that I use: glue stick, ruler, scrap paper, and a bone folder. I use the scrap paper as protection from the glue for my table.

I start by folding the envelope by using the ruler as a straight edge. You give the flap of the envelope a nice little fold over the edge of the ruler so that it will have a line started that you can follow.

Go ahead and remove the ruler so that you can fold the flap over. Then take your handy dandy bone folder and gently slide it over the crease so that it is nice and flat.
By the way if you don't already know, the bone folder is one of the handiest tools ever! It makes making cards and so many other things so much easier. It definitely saves your finger tip when folding 15-40 cards and envelopes!

Continue folding in all the sides.

Go ahead and glue them together next.

Next I cut and fold the cards to fit the envelopes. Again I use the bone folder and paper cutter.

Cut the paper to the size that you need and then fold it in half.

Hold on to all the lovely scraps from cutting the cards.

Now you should have sets of cards and envelopes.

All ready to be decorated!

If you don't have a cricut another great option are pre-made cards and envelopes. These are awesome and from the dollar section in Michaels.

Grab your scraps from the envelopes, your stamps, your ink, and paper cutter for trimming. All of the stamps in the picture below are from the dollar section in Michaels. They have both the acrylic stamps and the wooden block stamps and have recently also started carrying the acrylic blocks and ink for a dollar! I don't know what it is but every time I go to Michaels the stamps just jump into my cart...

For those of you using the pre-made cards just grab whatever scraps you have laying around. They will work just as well!

I usually try to stamp scraps that will stand out against the card that I have chosen to put it on.

Ok, now it's time to grab all of the scraps from your envelopes.

For this step you will need your bone folder, scissors, glue stick, scrap paper, and envelope with stamped piece that matches.  Find a piece from the envelope scraps that will highlight the stamp and stand out from the other colors already used. Mount the stamped piece on top and trim the edges.

Continue that will all of the stamped pieces until all of them are completed. Don't glue them to the cards yet! There's still another step...

Back to the scraps again..

Take your scraps and choose one that is different from both the envelope and the piece that you mounted the stamped piece on. trim it however large or small that you would like to cover up some of your card.  Go ahead and glue that piece down. At this point I usually go ahead and glue down the stamped piece as well. But if you're not sure about it's placement and where you want to put everything else on your card you can leave it off.

 

Next you will need to have your scrap piece of paper, your card, distress ink pad, and a dry baby wipe. I have found that I like the dry baby wipe best but you and use a thin piece of cloth, tissue, or napkin. Also, the ink I am using can be found at Michaels (I LOVE Michaels!). It comes in several shades. This one is the walnut stain. I like it because I like my edges to look pretty dirty. :)

The way I dirty the edges is by wrapping the baby wipe around my finger to where it is one layer thick on the pad of my finger. I then press it into the ink and start to rub in a circle around the edges of the card until it is as dark as I would like it. To make it fade lighter into the center of the card and away from the corners just lighten the pressure as you circle inwards.

Not a very good picture but I have shaded all the corners and edges on both the card and the stamped piece.

Here is a closer look at the shading but also shows the next step that I do. I always take a pen and draw what looks like stitching around the stamped piece and the other decorative piece of paper on the card. If you don't have a very steady hand...get ready for this....Michaels (bet you never would have guessed) sells an acrylic stamp that looks like stitching!

 

Oh, here's a picture of the things that I used for the stitching as wells as the stamp.

I also like to stamp the back with a stamp where I can sign and date my work. Since each and every card is different they are all a mini piece of artwork.

The steps that I use to actually decorate the rest of the card are pretty hard to walk you through. It is kind of up to you on what you would like to use. I tend to use at least one or two more stamps on the background, a couple of flowers with buttons or brads for the centers, 3-4 pieces of different colors or ribbons, one rhinestone, and a little more detail around the flowers and on the stamped areas with a white and a glitter gel pen.

My grandmother owned a flower shop and I worked at a flower shop for a couple of years so a lot of my inspiration comes from the corsages I used to make. I like to display the flowers where each is seen and I use the same techniques for looping the ribbon in a corsage.

I usually package them with a piece of yarn so that they stay together in the display where I sell them.

None of my cards are ever the same. That is what keeps it fresh and fun! Hope that this was a bit of inspiration for you! Thanks for looking!