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ok..im new to this stamping stuff and i just spent a whole day making 19 cards..i have YET to find "the one"....sometimes it takes me hours to make the perfect card! i have looked at the card sketches, i have saved NUMEROUS cards as favorites yet when i try to put them together it still doesnt come right. is there a less stressful way of doing a card? lol@stressful but WOW!...
You are being too hard on yourself. I has taken me a couple of years to get a room full of "stuff", where I can just sit down, and create a card. Find a posted card you like, then decide, what do you like about it, then go from there. Put your own personality into it, there are no "card police" roaming around to tell you your card doesn't look right.
I found my stamping improved as my selection of supplies increased - but also when I stopped trying to stamp what I thought would get a response out of the recipient...kwim? Not everyone will be "wowed" by a handmade card!
As far as the number of cards you've completed - WOW! I've never (other than for a swap, when I was stamping assembly-line style) completed more than 5 in one day...and there are days (not enough of them!) when I stamp from sun-up to sun-down! This includes lots of "duds" that never make it to a completed card and lots of time just brainstorming for ideas.
If it's not fun - take a breather! Clean up your stamping space...flip through a magazine...just change your scenery for a bit...it will come back to you!
I have 4 or 5 cards up on my blog, but you can't see the others that I feel flopped and aren't "blog worthy". My dh thinks they're fantastic but I just don't like them. I seem to get better at making cards as time goes by. I don't stamp very often so it's taking me longer than others
Give it time, practice. I couldn't imagine making 19 in one day ! I'm lucky if I get 5 done !
thank you all.....i know that it is supposed to be fun. i guess when i get something in my mind i wont stop till im happy with it!.....i do believe that once my supplies grow it will get easier....patience is NOT a word in my vocab!.....btw..i only managed to get that many done because my parents were in town and i was making some for my mom.......lol......usually i cant complete ONE until the kiddos are in bed.....
I can remember how my first card looked. I still have it. I wasn't "happy" with my "work" for a long time. BUT.........it's not supposed to be "work!" I don't even consider it a craft...it is art and that is very personal. We don't all stamp in identical ways, with identical tools, or in identical color schemes. We can stamp anything we dream...in as many ways as please us!
The best thing that ever happened to me was finding my first One Sheet Wonder. I played with those pieces as though they were pieces to a puzzle.
As I manipulated those pieces of paper....I experienced a kind of "ownership."
It was good for me! Before I knew it, my husband began to ask me to stamp things for choir competitions, gifts for judges, placecards, etc. Then....he took down the bed in the guest room and made it a stamping room. It was at least eight years before I visited SCS before I say my prayers each night!
19 completed cards?? Wow, now that is some work! LOL! I have been stamping for about a year and a half. I have many days where I struggle to get the look I want (assuming I know what that look is! haha!) and some days I just have to walk away. Stamping is relaxing for me so I try not to stress too much. Hope you're able to find your groove soon! I'd love to see you start a gallery!
I forgot to add that I have a box FULL of unfinished cards that I never could quite get together for various reasons...and I hate to waste anything! LOL!
Relax. Try to remember you are the artist and your creation is your own. No two cards are alike.
It takes time sometimes to get your creative juices flowing or get the perfect card in your mind but you are probably being too critical of your own artwork. I don't have much posted. That's my job for the weekend but I know that there are some good or great cards and some that are eeh, just ok.
Give yourself time away from it too. Maybe then you won't find it as work but a creative outlet and actually enjoy it and then see it as... YOUR art. You are the ARTIST. I'm sure Michealangelo's first few creations weren't awesome without some practice. Just try new things, colors, techniques, and enjoy.
My words of wisdom...never be in a hurry to create. You will injure your creative greatness. I agree with my sister above. 19 cards in one day? I'm lucky if I get one in at all. Let the spirit move you. Maybe a stamp set or paper, or something you see on SCs will inspire you. I think when do a card, I am creating. I also am a perfectionist, but not in creativity...no such thing. Hang in there surf SCS or some other sites. Hang in there, girl.
Also, peek at my gallery. Nothing perfect, but everything made with perfect love.
You have some great advice here. I know I have ups and downs in creativity - just be patient it will come to you. This is the place to be to spark imagination and creativity
__________________ Kate
�So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.�
I agree and got a laugh from some of the comments. It IS fun and what makes it even better is when you do make a good card. I too have a box of cards to be improved some day but there are so many I want to make that that day may never come.
Don't look at other people's cards and try to judge your own - everyone has their own style - their own colour preferences etc and just because someone puts everything including the kitchen sink on a card doesn't mean yours are no good if you don't. Keep on with the sketches and use other's ideas when they suit YOU.
19 cards in one day is a LOT, believe me! My best days are when I say to myself, I'm going to "play" with my stamps and paper. On those days I usually start with the cardstock and say to myself, "I want to make something using this color and that color" and then I look for a layout or a sketch that I like and then I look for the stamps I have that can turn the colors and the layout into something "I" like. Sometimes it helps if I think about the person I want to eventually give the card to - 'cause I might know of an image/theme that will please them, but mostly I create to please myself and THEN, hey, it all comes together.
It took me awhile to learn that just because everyone else was making new-fangled fold cards or using the latest and greatest product that I didn't have do the same thing.
I'm REALLY glad that I have coordinating cardstock, ink, markers, accessories (SU) because that really helps things come together easier too I think.
My words of wisdom...never be in a hurry to create. You will injure your creative greatness. I agree with my sister above. 19 cards in one day? I'm lucky if I get one in at all. Let the spirit move you. Maybe a stamp set or paper, or something you see on SCs will inspire you. I think when do a card, I am creating. I also am a perfectionist, but not in creativity...no such thing. Hang in there surf SCS or some other sites. Hang in there, girl.
Also, peek at my gallery. Nothing perfect, but everything made with perfect love.
And tastes differ a lot. I've sent cards that I thought were just "OK" and I've gotten a lot of "wows" on it. And I've sent cards that I personally liked a lot and sometimes don't get any comment. Oh well....
I used to be one of those people who turned every hobby into work. If making one cake was good, why not be more efficient and make 10 and freeze them. The quality of the individual cakes suffered. Sanity returned when I tried to do the same with cards and found that no two pieces of cardstock behave the same, the stamp image wobbles, I ink the wrong color because I'm tired, etc.
Altho I still create multi-cards, I do them one at a time, some fall into the circular file before being finished, others become scrap to be recyled, but I end up with some I really like and keep for gifts. "A card is not finished until I love it! Until then it is a work in progress or trash." I have learned that "progress, not perfection" is a goal I can achieve. I second the statment, "this is supposed to be fun."
Just take a time, have fun and play around!
You can't force the "one" card - it will come when you just keep on playing. And the best cards are the ones resulting out of our mistakes!
Keep on stamping!!!!;)
Stamp what you WANT not what you MUST. Unless you are one of those that really thrive under pressure, it is much harder to find motivation and patience to stamp 10 lovely Thank You notes, when all you REALLY want to do is Krazy Kids Party Invites. You never know when inspiration strikes, I have learned it is best to just go with it. You may end up with a home run.
PS - A few people already mentioned this, but chances are everyone BUT you think your creations are marvelous. Maybe we should all adopt that "made with perfect love" motto and be proud of our craft.
ok..im new to this stamping stuff and i just spent a whole day making 19 cards..i have YET to find "the one"....sometimes it takes me hours to make the perfect card! i have looked at the card sketches, i have saved NUMEROUS cards as favorites yet when i try to put them together it still doesnt come right. is there a less stressful way of doing a card? lol@stressful but WOW!...
any words of advice?
I am quite like you - I expect perfection the first time around and if not, then I guess I'm just not creative. I spent several hours last night working on a card - got frustrated - played with some new stamps and coloring techniques - of which some are good some are trash. Got up this morning, worked on it some more - and then took it all apart to recycle. I feel much better now that I have given up on this particular card. I love the advice given. I know I am creative - I've made some great cards (I think) but not all of the time - I'm just human I guess, and I'm trying to learn from my mistakes, have fun, and work on my technique. Dru
I agree with the others - 19 cards is incredible! I was reluctant to get into stamping because my work was never as good as others. Then one day I realized that the person who gets the card has no idea what it was supposed to look like! It was a revelation for me; just because it didn't meet my standards of perfection no one else knew that!
19 cards in ONE day???? That is amazing in itself!!! The thing that has helped my cards and stamping improve the most is doing the daily challenges on SCS whenever I can. The challenges give you a starting point, and on Sundays it is a featured stamper that is chosen, and you go through their gallery and choose a card you love, then you reproduce the card with a few changes. Awesome learning experience!
It takes me a long time to make 19 cards! You go, girl!
My first cards were - well, very beginnery! One thing I found was that using high quality cardstock made a huge difference. I started with the stuff from Michael's because I could get a huge pack of paper for less than $5 with a coupon, and when I got some SU paper and showed my cards to friends, they invariably liked the ones made with quality paper best. It has a different feel in your hand and a different look on display.
I didn't start making great cards right away (hey, I'm still a beginner!) but I have improved and I have enjoyed every bit of the learning process. I am still not quite happy with all my coloring, but I have fun trying!
Give yourself a break, I just bet your cards are better than you think!
And I agree with a previous poster. Sometimes a great card happens when I have to cover an "oops!" and something wonderful happens!
I've been stamping for about 5 years now - and lovin' every minute of it! This is not supposed to be stressful - it's fun! Don't worry about perfection - there's no such thing. I have found two things that helped my creativity a lot - one is the daily challenges here on SCS. They really made me work outside of my "little rut". The other is one sheet wonders. What an amazing concept - to cut up that paper and play with the layouts! A lot of fun, too! Just enjoy your creativity!
I was trying to come up with a card for our card swap group to make. According to the Organizer we need to "inspire our group". And I get the job of creating an "Inspiring Card" YIKES!! No Pressure there. It has taken me 4 days of pulling Ideas from SCS, messing with stamps, and drawing sketches to finally put something together in my head and make it. It is still in Temporary adhesive mode.
As for mass producing. Do it assembly line style. If you are going to color in. Just work on that part, then cut all out, Then work on each layer.... It helps much to focus on one part at a time. Oh and 19 Wow.
I've walked down memory lane in this thread. I've been stamping for 10 years and I still have so far to go. But as I look at some of the cards I made in the beginning and what I'm doing now I am amazed. The Lord has provided much for me to use and I'm having fun using it. One of the things that happens to me is sometimes the base card sits on my work table for two or three days before my brain catches up! This is such a wonderful way to allow your creativity to shine. Mistakes can be covered up and turned into something special for that very special person. Made with perfect love! Thanks for blessing my day.
__________________ ShariW
Trust in the Lord with all thine Heart-Prov.3:5a
Isn't it funny how we are always so hard on ourselves?
19 cards in one day...I am so impressed. I sit down to make cards and I make a couple then the computer calls to me, the dogs want my attention, my dh wants to chat, the phone rings, splitcoaststampers is calling my name ....I envy that you were able to accomplish that kind of production!! Please come to my house ....teach me !
I can't remember the last time I completed even 5 cards from scratch in one day!! lol
I think we get TOO many ideas sometimes and it clogs our creative arteries. I live on this site most evenings favoriting cards I like and going through the tutorials. Then when I turn to my stamp table, there are so many things I want to try, that I can't make anything work right!
Whenever I make a card that just doesn't "feel right" (about 90% of my cards!), it goes into my organizer box anyway. I have plenty of friends and family who don't really get the whole "hand-made" and "I-put-a-lot-of-work-into-this-so-don't-just-look-at-it-and-throw-it-aside" concept. They're the ones who get my "sub-standard" cards. I save all the ones I'm really happy with for those who truly appreciate them.
So start a box to hold your cards by type and you'll never have to worry about not having a card on hand if you forget your father-in-law's birthday!
I can't remember the last time I completed even 5 cards from scratch in one day!! lol
I think we get TOO many ideas sometimes and it clogs our creative arteries. I live on this site most evenings favoriting cards I like and going through the tutorials. Then when I turn to my stamp table, there are so many things I want to try, that I can't make anything work right!
Whenever I make a card that just doesn't "feel right" (about 90% of my cards!), it goes into my organizer box anyway. I have plenty of friends and family who don't really get the whole "hand-made" and "I-put-a-lot-of-work-into-this-so-don't-just-look-at-it-and-throw-it-aside" concept. They're the ones who get my "sub-standard" cards. I save all the ones I'm really happy with for those who truly appreciate them.
So start a box to hold your cards by type and you'll never have to worry about not having a card on hand if you forget your father-in-law's birthday!
I agree with you totally. I only discovered SCS a few weeks ago and I've got so many ideas from the lovely people here that so generously share their work / ideas. I've spent two weekends now hardly producing anything as I've got so many things I want to try. I'm going to do one technique only cards next weekend to get me going again!!
I'm also like you with the sub-standard cards - once people know you make cards, they expect a handmade one even if they don't appreciate it.
I keep going with the idea that practice makes perfect.............that gives me an excuse to spend plenty of practicing time in my den!!!
Does your upline offer classes or group meetings? Sometimes it's easier to let someone else set up the "mechanics" .... stamp set, colors, etc. and just "go with the flow" to create the cards. You can see what works well together or if you don't like a card, ask yourself, what would I change about it? It's alot easier to not have to "start from scratch". After you have completed a few cards, think about what you like about them and try another color combo or stamp set to see how that works.
I love the sketches provided on this web site --- I'll pencil out a card sketch (placement of the stamps, etc.) and then as I work through the card see how it has to be tweaked to get it to the point where I like it.
Have fun with it!
Remember, it it's not perfect, it's an "original piece of artwork"!
Wow! I thought I was the only one who felt this way. SCS can be so intimidating with all the creative talent to view! I am not the best cardmaker in the world so I was frustrated at first, too. Then I found this quote that I put right in my signature line (see below). I refer to it often. Now I stamp just for the fun of it. My family loves receiving homemade cards and I try to tailor the card to their liking, i.e. stamp image or favorite colors. Once I let go of the idea I had to try to create only masterpieces, I found this hobby is a lot more fun! I have practiced more and my cards are getting better. It does really help as mentioned above to have the coordinating supplies from Stamping Up. I'll never be Dirty Dozen worthy but I'm having a blast! Everyone on this site is very supportive so you couldn't pick a better place to start a gallery and just dive right in.
__________________ Julie
"People will forget what you said, forget what you did, but never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou
HELP!!!! im frustrated!
Frustration....
