Katemade Designs

The Unstoppable Rise of AI Writing: Why It Will Not Replace Human Writing

2023-10-28T13:20:00.003-05:00

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has made remarkable strides, particularly in the realm of natural language processing. One of the most prominent manifestations of AI's capabilities is AI-powered writing, with tools and models like GPT-3 and its successors gaining significant attention. While AI writing is undoubtedly a groundbreaking technology, the idea that it will entirely replace human writing is debatable. In this blog post, we'll explore why AI writing, despite its advances, is unlikely to fully supplant human creativity, individuality, and authenticity in the world of content creation.

Creativity and Imagination

AI writing operates on patterns and data, which means it's limited to what it has been trained on. It can mimic existing writing styles and generate coherent content, but it lacks the intrinsic human ability to think creatively and imagine new concepts. Human writers draw from their unique experiences, emotions, and perspectives to create innovative, fresh, and imaginative content that resonates with readers personally. AI lacks the capacity to truly invent and innovate.

Emotional Connection

Human writing often carries a deep emotional connection, evoking feelings, empathy, and authenticity. Whether it's a heartfelt personal story, a moving poem, or a persuasive argument, the emotions conveyed through human writing are rooted in real experiences and sentiments. AI, on the other hand, may struggle to replicate this emotional depth because it doesn't possess emotions, feelings, or personal experiences.

Context and Cultural Sensitivity

Effective writing often requires an understanding of the cultural, social, and historical context. Human writers, drawing from their own experiences and cultural awareness, can create content that is sensitive to the nuances and subtleties of a specific audience or context. AI writing may produce content that is factually accurate but lacks the cultural and contextual insights needed for truly meaningful and impactful communication.

Ethical Considerations

AI writing also raises ethical concerns, particularly in the context of misinformation and manipulation. AI can generate content that appears factual but is misleading or false. Human writers, guided by ethical principles and a sense of responsibility, are more likely to uphold journalistic integrity and avoid spreading misinformation.

Diverse Voices and Perspectives

The diversity of human voices and perspectives is a hallmark of great writing. Humans come from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, and this diversity is reflected in their writing. AI, by contrast, can only replicate the voices and perspectives it has been trained on. This limitation may hinder the production of content that resonates with diverse audiences and represents a wide range of viewpoints.

Collaboration and Complementarity

Rather than replacing human writers, AI can be a powerful tool for collaboration and complementarity. AI can assist writers by generating initial drafts, offering grammar and style suggestions, and helping with research. This collaboration allows human writers to focus on the creative aspects and the unique human elements of their work while benefiting from AI's efficiency and accuracy.

Conclusion

AI writing is an incredible technological advancement, but it is unlikely to replace human writing entirely. While AI excels at generating content quickly and efficiently, it lacks the essential qualities of creativity, emotional connection, cultural sensitivity, and ethical judgment that are intrinsic to human writing. Instead of seeing AI as a threat, we should view it as a valuable tool that can enhance and complement human creativity in the world of content creation. Human writers will continue to play an irreplaceable role in producing authentic, emotionally resonant, and culturally relevant content that captures the essence of the human experience.

NOTE: This article was written by Chat GPT 3.5 in about 3.5 seconds. It took me longer to write this paragraph, and AI gave me pointers on how to make it better.

Happy Crafting,

Katie's 2019 Birthday giveaway cards and winners.

2019-07-10T13:07:00.000-05:00

The cards have been created and the winners have been drawn. Here is the video showing it what I did with those stamp sets.

Click on the company name in the list below to go to the item mentioned. Some are affiliate links - if you purchase from clicking those I can feed my stamp addiction and make more videos. 😉😉

Kitten Encouragement by Lisa Glanz - Unity Stamp Co
Blue Footed by Dina Kowal - Impression Obsession
Chirp Chirp - Picket Fence Studios

Galentine's Day (currently in Clearance) - Lil' Inkers Designs
Laughing Girlfriends - Art Impressions

Cross Stitch Canvas Die – Altenew
Circle Embroidery Hoop Die Set – Altenew
Crafty Like a Fox - Picket Fence Studios

Wedding Ring Stitch Embossing Folder Quilt It by Lene Lok – Spellbinders
Shine Bright – Brutus Monroe - Retired 😪

One Kind Word - Visible Image

Reel Great Guys - Art Impressions

Born to Ride - Art Impressions
You’re My Happy Dies – Concord & 9th
Route 66 – Clearsnap

Fred Said by Dina Kowal – Impression Obsession

I Don't Give A Shit & Toilet Seat Up - Viva Las Vegastamps

Happy Crafting,

Introducing Finance Friday

2019-05-31T18:28:00.002-05:00

I've recently started working with a financial services company and I have a personal mission to save families from financial ruin. I am learning so much. 

I have been thinking about my Dad a lot lately too, Tuesday was his birthday. So I have decided to start a weekly series here called Finance Friday where I will share some of my Dad's words of wisdom when it comes to money. If I have learned that another way is better I will let you know that too. 

My dad thought the credit card crisis in this country was ridiculous. "People should learn to live within their means." I have never had credit card debt for more than 3 months in my life — this lesson was so central to everything my dad was about. 

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who are in the red not because of lavish spending on credit cards but because of some emergency. A broken refrigerator, a busted car, or an accident that keeps someone from working can wreak havoc on a families finances and credit score.

The college debt in this country is over $1.5 trillion. That's trillion with a T. It's gotten out of hand and it's not like credit card debt because as a nation we value education and push kids into school so they can make a good living. A good job will bring good pay and allow those students to pay off their debt. It's not working. Sometimes finding a job within your field can be difficult. Low wage jobs make the employment rate look good so politicians can brag about the numbers but the reality is much bleaker. I know people who are in their 40s who are still trying to pay off college debt.

If you are trying to pay off credit card or student debt and need some help you can go to

http://www.phpdebtsolutions.com/sm/594747

Happy Crafting,

Invitation accepted — Oddball Art Machine

2019-04-02T11:21:00.005-05:00

It has been so long since I wrote an actual blog post. I hope I remember how to do this.

Katemade Designs is now available in the Oddball Art Machine.

2018 was a good year for Katemade Designs.

I started selling my cards in shops.

You can get a variety of themes at Jaunt in Arlington Heights, IL.
Need a Doctor Who themed card? You can buy it from the Blue Box Café in Elgin, IL.
If you want quirky or snarky cards, they can be purchased from Soulful Sparrow around the corner from the Blue Box Café.

A couple of months ago, Mary, the owner of Soulful Sparrow, invited me to create some art for the Oddball Art Machine in her shop the next month.

What the heck is an Oddball Art Machine?

It is a repurposed 1950s Fleetwood Fawn cigarette vending machine that has been converted to sell artwork the size of a pack of cigarettes. There are 21 slots in the machine, each containing artwork by an individual artist. I am now one of those artists.

The machine travels to different businesses around Elgin to promote the arts while simultaneously promoting downtown businesses. The Oddball Art Machine is in Rediscover Records on 9 South Spring Street in Elgin, IL.

So what is in that funky machine with the Katemade Designs name on it? Here is a taste of what is on offer:

Go to the Oddball Art Labs blog and check out the full selection.

Oddball Art Labs is a non-profit artist-based organization created to advance the presence of the arts in the Fox Valley and greater Chicagoland area.

It works explicitly to build individual artist recognition and to create opportunities within these communities for artists to show their work in various ways:

Hosting art shows

Featuring artists through various social media platforms

Building relationships with local galleries and area businesses

Providing resources to artists in preparing grants and putting on their own shows

Happy Crafting,

Evernote for Creating a Craft Inventory

2018-07-06T08:41:00.001-05:00

Evernote for Creating a Craft Inventory

There are a lot of YouTube videos that teach you how to use Evernote. Kathleen Driggers from the Stamping Enablers group on Facebook was the first to really turn me on to Evernote. I do things a lot differently than she does. She uses numbers to identify her sets. I don't. She puts a lot of tags on her listings. I don't because the program does a good enough job of searching the content of each listing for me. (link below)

In searching for Kathleen's video I found one from Scott Bradley called "Evernote Tips: The 11 Amazing Features That Make Using Evernote So Freaking Awesome" (link below) In his video, I learned to stack notebooks, and that you can share notes and notebooks. How wonderful would that be for a group of paper crafting friends to see what everyone has before meeting up to craft? "Susan, can you bring that Unity set that has the car? I'll bring the alphabet stamps you asked for and Jane has that bear set you wanted too. Can't wait to get inky with you"

While I was poking around in the program I found the merge tool, which changed my world. I discovered tables and how to format them which also makes my life a lot easier. I use Evernote when I go craft shopping to see if I already have that cute stamp set, embossing folder, die or stencil before I buy it again. The mobile app is a godsend. I recently got home with a couple of embossing folders and discovered I already had them. That night all the embossing folders were added to Evernote.

Evernote is also useful when you are trying to find a sentiment or image for a project. I not only put a photo of the item, generally dragged from the Internet (works on a Mac don't know if it works on a Windows machine), but I also write up a description of the images and then type up all the sentiments. They are bullet points so they are easy to go through. I have discovered that images can become corrupted and disappear. With a written list I never lose what is in the listing. It also is another layer of information for Evernote to use when searching.

Kathleen Driggers video - Evernote Tutorial: How to Create a Stamp Inventory Using Evernote

Scott Bradley's video - Evernote Tips: The 11 Amazing Features That Make Using Evernote So Freaking Awesome

Happy Crafting,

#Mancraft Monday — Juan Ambida

2017-06-12T08:12:00.000-05:00

I have been a daughter, a sister, a school girl, a mom, and a menopausal woman. I have never been, nor will I ever be, a man. I love seeing different perspectives and that's why I started the Mancraft Mondays series. I wanted to find male paper crafters and see if they brought a different feeling to the craft I love.

Stamp sets created by men like Tim Holtz and Brett Weldele (both with Stampers Anonymous) and the sets designed by Chuck Carson for Brutus|Monroe definitely have a unique vibe. However, I've found that the creations of all paper crafters depend on the stamps they are using. Certain illustrations styles lend themselves to a particular interpretation.

This month's man crafter is Juan Ambida aka Juana from Western Sydney, Australia. I'll let him take it from here.

Hi, my name is Juan Ambida aka Juana I was born in the Philipines and came to Australia when I was nine. I have always had a passion for art and design and have always undertaken some kind art project from school events and have carried through work and personal life mainly as a cardmaker.

Stampin' Up! — Special Reason Bundle

I have a background in graphic design and have worked for an advertising agency. I currently work as a freelance graphic designer and also create and sell handmade cards.

Stampin' Up! — Beautiful You

I am hobby Stampin' Up! demonstrator. I initially joined for the starter kit in early 2016 and progressed from there, as I just couldn't get enough of all the great products.

Joining Stampin' Up! and the Crazy Crafters team of SU demos, led by Kylie Bertucci who is one of the top SU demos in Australia, has introduced me to the world of paper crafting. Since joining I have started my blog page juanacreate and participated in regular blog hops as well as card challenges. It's truly helped to developed my skills in this fun craft.

Stampin' Up! — Everyday Hero

I had the privilege of being a display stamper with SU conventions in November 2016 and April 2017. I have also taken part in an exclusive International Tutorial Bundle Design Team of SU demos from around the world since February and just recently joined a Stamp Up! Review Crew.

It has been so much fun to create and share my creations and I love it immensely. My style is quite varied, quite eclectic and I can work in any medium. I love to create anything that is intricate to clean and simple.

My Favorite Things — Ninja-Mazing

I branched out and began using other brands including Lawn Fawn, Mama Elephant, My Favorite Things, Hero Arts, and Simon Says Stamp. There is so much inspiration out there from these brands and their designers that I will continue to create for the pure joy and love of creating.

My Favorite Things — Sushi Date

When you do something you love, you do it well. I love creating and maintaining a high level of quality workmanship.

Mama Elephant — Tiny Ninjas

Where to find more of my creations —
Blog: http://juanacreate.blogspot.com.au/
Pinterest: https://au.pinterest.com/juanacreate/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/juanaambida/

Happy Crafting,

Birthday Giveaway

2017-06-01T19:20:00.003-05:00

It's almost my birthday and I want to give some of my readers a gift. I have a box of Oops orders. I get excited about getting new stuff that sometimes I miss the fact that I have ordered 2 instead of one.

So to make room for new stuff and to spread a little birthday love I am giving these items away. I have cling and clear stamps, stickers, papers, embellishments, ribbon, and a few other things that I would love to share with you. I could sell them but this is more fun.

What I want for my birthday is more followers, more readers, more commenter, and more appreciators. SOoooo I will send out a package for my Facebook page followers, a package to my blog readers, and a package to my Instagram friends. I have goals for how many readers, followers, and online friends I would like by my birthday (June 6). If I reach those goals I will send out a second package for each platform.

I made an Adobe Spark page, mainly to see how it works. The goals are on the page below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Happy Crafting,

The Secret Language of Postage Stamps

2017-05-09T08:34:00.000-05:00

I collect stamps, but not in a philatelic way.

— Katie Bolinger

Recently one of my favorite card artist (she goes beyond a maker), Sandy Allnock, posted a photo on Instagram of a piece of mail she received with the postage stamp upside down. She was unaware that that meant "I love you" so I clued her in. I remember learning this years ago when I accidentally put stamps on upside down on a stack of bills and a friend had a mini freak out saying I was telling those companies I loved them.

I wondered if there were more hidden meanings in the way stamps are placed on mail and did some research. Boy did I learn a lot. So I thought I would share this wealth of knowledge with you.

Cheapskates and Lovers

Before postage stamps were used it was the recipient who paid for the delivery of a letter. If the outside of the envelope could convey the message without being opened the letter would often be refused and the postage never paid. If you are old enough to remember pay phones this is the equivalent of placing a collect call and talking really loud and fast on the other line so no one had to pay for the call.

With the introduction of cheaper postage and the pre-paid postage stamp in 1840 in England, this practice generally died out. In the late 1800's, the introduction of the postcard with a message that could be read by anyone, the idea of the special marks was given a new lease of life in the form of secret messages in the way that the stamp was placed on the card. Who wants their parents knowing what their beau is saying?

The interest and use of this new language spread rapidly, and after the turn of the century, the rules of the language of stamps received their particular chapter in the etiquette books along with the languages of flowers, handkerchiefs, and fans. In many countries, the acquisition of this language was assisted by special manuals, such as Cupid's code by George Bury for the transmission of secret messages by means of the language of postage stamps (Ashford, Middlesex, circa 1899). (1)

Stamp Positions and Meaning

Here are some of the interpretations of the stamp language as reported by the Philatelic Database. (2)

Upside down, top left corner = I love you

Crosswise on top left corner = My heart is another’s

Centre of envelope, at top = Yes

Center of envelope, at bottom = No

Straight up and down, any position = Goodbye sweetheart

Upside down, top right corner = Write no more

At right angle, top right corner = Do you love me?

At right angle, top left corner = I hate you

Upright top right corner = I desire your friendship

Upright in line with surname = Accept my love

Upside down in line with surname = I am engaged

At right angle in line with the surname = I long to see you

Centered on right edge = Write immediately!

Why are postage stamps always in the upper right corner?

“Placement was less important in the days when all stamps were hand-cancelled individually by postal clerks. With the introduction of high-speed canceling machines starting in about the 1890s, the placement of stamps in the upper-right corner became more important to be as efficient as possible," according to Daniel Piazza, Chief Curator of Philately at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. It's believed that placement coincided with the dominant hand—the right—of most mail handlers. (3)

Postage stamp design evolution

The early postage stamps in the US generally bore the face or bust of an American president or another historically important statesman. However, once the Post Office realized during the 1890s that it could increase revenues by selling stamps as "collectibles," it began issuing commemorative stamps, first in connection with important national expositions, later for the anniversaries of significant American historical events. (4)

Modern stamps celebrate all kinds of things from holidays to superheroes that you can use to add an extra layer of meaning to your correspondence. When a girlfriend gets a card of encouragement with a wonder woman stamp on it, she knows you think she is a badass. If you're planning a wedding you are going to get the latest "love" stamps to put on those invitations.

If you are looking to add another level of meaning to your snail mail correspondence try turning the postage on its head.

Happy Crafting,

Links:

(1) IPDA "The Language of Stamps" http://www.ipdastamps.org/languageofstamps.html

(2) Cochrane, William (May 1, 2013) "The Language of Stamps" retrieved from The Philatelic Database, http://www.philatelicdatabase.com/nostalgia/the-language-of-stamps/
(3) Rossen, Jake (May 25, 2016) "Why do we put stamps in the upper-right corner?" retrieved from Mental Floss, http://mentalfloss.com/article/80165/why-do-we-put-stamps-upper-right-corner

(4) "Postage stamps and postal history of the United States" retrieved from Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postage_stamps_and_postal_history_of_the_United_States

Other interesting articles not cited:

• Urbina, Ian (August 15, 2005) "From Love to Longing to Protest, It's All in the Tilt of the Postage" retrieved from The New York Times, https://mobile.nytimes.com/2005/08/15/us/from-love-to-longing-to-protest-its-all-in-the-tilt-of-the-postage.html

• Smithsonian National Postal Museum, https://postalmuseum.si.edu/index.html

#MancraftMonday — Kevin Bray

2017-05-08T08:30:00.000-05:00

Instagram is a fantastic thing. It's where I post most of my creations because it is so quick and easy. Another great thing about Instagram is the "discover" feature. I use that when I am looking for inspiration or to find new talent to follow. I have made friends through the service and I want to introduce you to one of them today. Kevin Bray is a young man with a lot of talent. I'll let him take it from here.

My name is Kevin Bray and I am from Plummer, MN. I currently go to Minnesota State University, Moorhead, majoring in Exercise Science and Coaching.

Die and stamps are from Wplus9.

Card making is a great creative outlet that lets me focus on something other than school. I started about 2 years ago after seeing all the wonderful videos on YouTube. My style has evolved a little bit since I started, mainly since I have invested in some actual card making supplies.

Honeybee Stamps

I try to keep things fairly clean and simple but once in a while, I venture to other styles for fun.

Wplus9

Copics are my new favorite coloring medium, but I do enjoy watercolor as well.

Lawn Fawn

As you can see from my favorite creations, Christmas is my favorite holiday!

Lawn Fawn

I am currently on the Kat Scrappiness, Stamp AnnieThing, Crafter's Companion, and CanYouCaseIt? design teams.

My Favorite Things

I never ever thought that making cards could turn out to be such a big part of my life, but here I am!

Finding Kevin

Visit the Kevin Bray Blog to see how his creative mind works and which challenges he's entered and which products he's used.

Follow KevinBray10 on Instagram to see more of his work.

Happy Crafting,

ISO a few good paper crafting bloggers

2017-04-12T08:05:00.000-05:00

I have an idea I'd like to float past you. What if you could write 2 blog posts and have 5 days of content? Would that help lighten the load? What if one of those posts brought your blog new readers? Interested?

I would like to put together a network of paper crafting bloggers that work together to highlight a brand or topic for a week at a time, help build each other's readership, and create crafting friendships. This is not a for people who are design team members nor is this a call for design team members really.

The Loving On… group is looking to add new bloggers to the mix. Once a month we "love on" a stamp manufacturer. We create several projects (mostly cards) using the featured companies products that we already have on hand. Love doesn't need to be new to be real.

The time and writing commitments to participate in a week of Loving On… are rather minimal. You only need to write 2 blog posts for a week's worth of content.

The initial post is for your readers, people who already know and love you. Tell them why you "love" this stamp company. Is it image style, just right sentiments, product quality, customer service, something else, or a combination of reasons.
This post will feature 3-4 projects using different stamps by the featured company.
The second post that will be used by other bloggers. Introduce yourself to their readers and tell why you "love" the featured stamp company.
You will need to supply images of 2 projects for other members to use on their sites.
Members should not be using the same images on their own blog and on other blogs.

At the end of each week of Loving On… we have a drawing. We will either have company sponsorship or we will pool resources to come up with a prize.

Here is the calendar of how a week of Loving On… should look on your blog and social media.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
On your blog
Your post	Group member A	Group member B	Group member C	Group member D
Feature 3-4 projects you made	Feature 2 projects member A made	Feature 2 projects member A made	Feature 2 projects member A made	Feature 2 projects member A made
Link to your social media	Link to A’s Monday post and their social media	Link to B’s Monday post and their social media	Link to C’s Monday post and their social media	Link to D’s Monday post and their social media
Promote drawing	Promote drawing	Promote drawing	Promote drawing	Promote drawing
Promotions on your social media and in groups you are in on social media
Loving On… Week is on your blog	Member A is on your blog	Member B is on your blog	Member C is on your blog	Member D is on your blog
Promote drawing	Promote drawing	Promote drawing	Promote drawing	Promote drawing

If you are interested in joining us please leave a comment with a link to your blog along with a short list of companies you are interested in loving on. I will contact you with full details within the week.

Happy Crafting,

#ManCraftMonday - Timothy Thomas

2017-04-10T19:46:00.001-05:00

I have become kind of an Instagram junkie. I look at all the pretty pictures of other people creations and enter the names of my IG friends into the comments of giveaways. Last year I noticed lumberjacks from different stamp companies showing up in my feed so I went looking for more. That's when I discovered this card and became a Timothy Thomas follower and fan.

Stanpin' Up! Wood you be mine? stamp set

Welcome to #ManCraftMonday for April. I'll let the man of the month take it from here.

My name is Timothy Thomas. I was born and raised in Arizona. Ever since I was a child I have always been interested in art and creating things with my hands. I honestly never thought I would like stamping, but in the summer of 2014, I went to a Stampin' Up! class one of my friends had, and I fell in love with stamping. Now 3 years later most of my stamps are still from SU!

My favorite form of paper crafting is card making. I have always been a giving person, and I think it means a lot to my friends and family to receive something handmade. For me, crafting is my escape from reality.

Once I start crafting, I don't have a care in the world and I often lose track of time. Crafting makes me very happy and it's something I love to do as much as possible.

To see more or my creations you can find me at Timman23 on Instagram.

Happy Crafting,

Fake ironing Friday and a giveaway

2017-03-24T07:30:00.000-05:00

We have heard a lot about fake news in the last year. Today's card has a lot of fake going on. I'm so current. This woman in the window is fake ironing. Kind of the same thing I do.

The interior sentiment, My Birthday Suit is Wrinkled, is from Hampton Arts. I don't have an iron stamp or a stamp of someone ironing, but I found that I could use this woman if I crop her at just the right spot. She looks like she is ironing through the window. The woman in this image doesn't have hair and is holding a watering can. I love finding a new way to use stamps.

I used a die set for the shutters, window frame and the flowers at the bottom of the card. The flowers are very small and my fingers are rather large so I needed a small applicator for some kind of adhesive. I used Ranger's Multi Medium Matte in the small .5 oz bottle. Even though it's a small bottle I wanted a smaller applicator. I bought an empty precision tip applicator bottle a while ago and put the tip on the Multi Medium Matte bottle. Ranger has a special tip for this size bottle, available here, but I didn't go that route because I didn't know it existed back then.

GIVEAWAY

Have you ever ordered something online and accidentally hit the order button twice because you are so excited? I have done it more than a couple times. I did this in my last order from Simon Says Stamp that arrived last week. Soooo

I have an extra stamp that I want to send to a Katemade Designs reader. I have a goal of reaching 100 followers this year. I am 52 followers away from my goal. If I reach 100 followers on the blog I will add a paper crafting product. For each 100 followers, I will add another product to the pot. I have a set of Tim Holtz Distress crayons, a few duplicate stamps including a background stamp and numerous embellishments.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Art Impressions His & Hers Gardeners

Poppystamps Small Madison Window Set

Ranger .5 Oz MINI MULTI MEDIUM MATTE Glue Adhesive Paint

Quilled Creations PRECISION TIP Empty Applicator Bottle

Copic SKETCH 72 PC SET A Markers

InLinkz.com

Wash Wednesday - More Spring Cleaning

2017-03-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

Traditionally laundry is a Monday thing. When I worked at a neighborhood historical society 20 years ago there were all kinds of references in letters, books, and photographs that laundry was a Monday chore. It took all day before washing machines became common in the 1950s. My grandmother used to wash clothes on Monday even after she got a washer and dryer.

Even the folks living in that little house on the prairie washed their clothes on Monday.

Ma used to say, "Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday, Mend on Wednesday, Churn on Thursday, Clean on Friday, Bake on Saturday, Rest on Sunday." — Laura Ingalls Wilder

Now that women are working outside the home the days chores are completed has changed. We do stuff when we can, or when we absolutely have to get it done. A child's lack of clean underwear (because he hasn't been putting stuff in the hamper like he should) can totally change the order of chores to be done.

So today is wash day.

I made this card using Lawn Fawn's "Little Bundle" and "Loads of Fun" to create this card. The baby clothes are so sweet. Everything here is colored with Copic Markers. The strips at the bottom of the card are from my green drawer where I keep scraps precut to 5.5" so I can quickly add them to cards. The T-shirt, undies and boy's onesie are all paper pieced, those papers came from my patterned paper scrap drawer. The onesie is actually a bit of packaging - I love free paper.

Happy Crafting,

Copic SKETCH 72 PC SET A Markers AAAS72A

RESERVE Lawn Fawn LITTLE BUNDLE Clear Stamps LF1127

RESERVE Lawn Fawn LOADS OF FUN Clear Stamps LF1048

InLinkz.com

Tidy Tuesday - spring cleaning

2017-03-21T08:20:00.002-05:00

I love stamping and coloring and playing candy crush until I'm out of lives. I do not generally like cleaning. It's a chore. You can tell because it's called a "chore" instead of a "game" or a "woozzle" or something else. I tidy up and vacuum, dust, and swiffer but moping or steam cleaning is not a regular thing.

Today I am going to get that steam mop out and fire it up. The floors will be cleaned so thoroughly, that if you wanted to, you could eat off of them.

I would love to say that is going to happen but in actuality it probably won't. I have it on my do to list but it's not a high priority. It's after work work, you know the kind that pays the bills, finding work - need to find a new job, laundry, dishes, and making cards for various occasions.

But I have been working on cards that show cleaning, so that's something. Right?

I really like this image from Sunny Studio. The sentiments in the set are"Without you…" "my life would" "Suck" and "I'm sorry…" "That sucks!" great for some cards, not so much for a birthday card.

I saw the sentiment I used on the card at Viva Las Vegastamps and the unmounted price was within my budget. I still have plenty of EZ mount from my adventures in stamp converting.

Happy Crafting,

Sunny Studio That Sucks Stamps

VLVS Getting Old Is Like 1 x 1 1/2

Copic SKETCH 72 PC SET A Markers AAAS72A

InLinkz.com

Welcome Spring

2017-03-20T17:13:00.001-05:00

When someone says "Spring" there are a couple of phrases that come to mind. Spring cleaning and spring chicken are top of mind. SO this week will be spring cleaning week. I will post cards related to cleaning or other spring activities and at the end of the week, I will do some spring cleaning with a giveaway.

First up a little video. A very little video.

As soon as I saw this Art Impressions stamp set I knew I was going to get it because… chickens. My sister keeps chickens and has her kitchen is decorated with chicken images. I put the chicken panel on an action wobble because …spring. The chicken and the ground were colored with Copic markers.

cLucky us!
Simon Says Stamp is having a

Copic marker sale

all 25% off

use the code MarkerSale.

Click on the logo below to go get yours.

Come back tomorrow for another spring-inspired card.

Happy Crafting,

Sympathy Cards are Hard

2017-03-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

The hardest cards in the world to make, write and receive are sympathy cards. No one receives a sympathy card unless they have endured a great loss. Knowing what to say to someone who has suffered a loss is difficult at best.

Mondo Peony by Julie Ebersole for Essentials by Ellen (Hutson)
colored with Copic Markers. Sentiment from Hero Arts.

Last week I had planned to show you all a few cards I sent to a family of friends who lost their mother/grandmother. She was a nice lady that my son knew as Grandma Betty.

Image is from a retired Stampin' Up! set, water colored with
Stampin' Up! inks.

While I was preparing this series, my brother-in-law lost his mother. She was a very kind woman who wanted to take my whole family home to India with her.

Images and die cuts are Henna Elements from Altenew.
Sentiments are from Hero Arts.

Before I could get too far into the series two aquaintances lost their dogs. I was beginning to think that I should abandon the idea of sharing sympathy cards at all.

I colored this beauty with Copic Markers. I have no idea who made this image,
if you know let me know. The maker of the sentiment is also a mystery,
again if you know let me know.

Happy Crafting,

Happy Pi(e) Day Everybody

2017-03-14T10:55:00.000-05:00

Eight years ago there was a lot of excitement in my little circle of friends. One of our own, Paula Haney, was opening a pie shop in Chicago's Ukranian Village. Hoosier Mama Pie Company (HMPC) was born on Pi(e) Day and by the time I got there at 11 am the line was still down the block and they were already out of certain flavors of pie. To say they were a hit would be an understatement. The shop was tiny but the love and flavors were big. (You can see a picture of the dining area here.)

HMPC specializes in hand-made, artisanal pies that only use locally sourced and in-season ingredients. They have become a local favorite and a national destination gaining praise from Bon Appetit, the Food Network, and Food & Wine as one of the top pie shops in the country.

Since they opened in 2009 they have served countless pies (at least I don't want to count them), opened a second location in Evanston, and released a cookbook for people who can't make it into Chicago.

The Hoosier Mama Book of Pie reveals Paula's secrets of buttery crusts, fruity fillings, creams and custards, chess pies, over-the-top pies, and even the stout and hearty savory pie. The practically oriented, easy-going, and accessible style of this book will help bakers both new and old make the perfect pie for every occasion. I purchased the book as a gift for my sister who likes to bake and holiday meals have never been better.

To celebrate pie day I made a quick card using Lawn Fawn stamps. I hope you enjoy the card and can find yourself a piece of pie today.

"We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie."
~David Mamet

Happy Crafting,

Recalling the week that changed my life and a winner

2017-02-27T10:35:00.003-06:00

Last week I was Loving On Your Next Stamp. Because the magazine I worked on went to press on Wednesday it was a really busy week for me I asked for some help. A few people answered the call; Micheal Trent who blogs at World of Michael Trent, and Kelsey from ModernCrafty had their beautiful cards featured on my blog.

Unfortunately, the post from Hannah Rubenstahl at Fanciful Spaces didn't get posted last week (I'll get into that later in the post). So I am going to post her lovely creations first today.

"What drew my attention to this stamping company out of Canada is this Magical Unicorn! It is HEAVENLY! I am a child of the 80s/90s, where iridescent school folders and Lisa Frank were everywhere. This stamp brings me right back to that era, I want to put rainbow unicorns EVERYWHERE, especially if they are glittery!

I have chosen to show you the Magical Unicorn, not in the bright crazy rainbow world that I foresee, because we all know the work of Lisa Frank, but instead to show you a softer side. I hope you enjoy these cards I made for you, they were made with love."

I'm a lot older than Hannah, so I missed out on the Lisa Frank frenzy, but I think her creations are beautiful.

I wanted to share one last card I made using these great stamps before announcing the winner of the drawing that Karen at Your Next Stamp offered.

This is Dante. He is a friendly fire-breathing dragon who loves smores. Creating this scene was so much fun. My Copic markers really got a work out on this one. I used white embossing powder on the sentiment but white was so stark so I used Copic markers on that too. I love Dante.

I put all the comments on all this week's Your Next Stamp posts on slips of paper and drew a winner.

drum roll, please!

The winner is Rannah Romps!

Now for the things that changed my life.

I was in my first improv show this Saturday and I loved it. I will be taking more classes as finances allow and doing more shows.

The other life-changing event is the loss of my job. There was a reorganization that I wasn't aware of and I was let go. This happened on Thursday and the news put me in another world. Hannah's cards were scheduled for Friday and I was crazy busy cleaning out 6 years of desk life at work and trying to set up my new life (such as it is).

Happy Crafting,

Michael Trent is Loving on Your Next Stamp

2017-02-23T08:10:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone. My name is Michael. Twenty plus years ago, I walked into my first rubber stamp shop, and was completely hooked. This was the beginning of my creative journey with rubber stamps, inks, stencils, markers, and papers. My first love is card making, but I also try to find time for 3-D projects, mini albums, mixed media projects, and using stencils with my StenDoodle technique, which is doodling with stencils and adding lots of color.

I fell upon Your Next Stamp a few years ago. I found their images to be fun, unique, and, because I love to color, their images are perfect for me. My first purchases were Christmas images and just kept going since then.

Although I am a 100% New Yorker, having grown up on Long Island and Queens, I currently live in the countryside of Sao Paulo, Brasil, with my partner, Ruy, our 7 dogs, 3 cats, vegetable garden, and our very own rubber stamp store - Cosmo Carimbo e Scrap. If you want to see more of my creative work or photos, feel free to visit my blog at - worldofmichaeltrent.com on Instagram or on Facebook.

Don't forget to comment here on Katie's blog and on my blog this week for a chance to win a stamp set from Your Next Stamp.

Happy Crafting,

Moderncrafty is Loving On Your Next Stamp

2017-02-21T22:20:00.001-06:00

My name is Kelsey Arneson from Moderncrafty and I have been a cardmaker for over ten years. I was introduced to paper crafting through Stampin Up. In the last few months, I have started my blog and Instagram to share all my paper creations. I am delighted to have been asked to show my love for Your Next Stamp.

I was introduced to Your Next Stamp when I was searching for Canadian rubber stamp companies to support. I love that I can purchase from a more local source for my hobby. Their images are very fun and lend a lot of inspiration to create whimsical cards.

I have decided to share a card using one of my favourite Your Next Stamp stamp sets, Holiday Buddies. The recent snowfall where I live has given me a ton of ideas for using this snow themed set.

You can find me on Instagram as Moderncrafty and at my blog moderncrafty.wordpress.com.

Leave a comment on my blog and Kelsey's for a chance to win a stamp set of your choice from Your Next Stamp.

Happy Crafting,

Loving On - Your Next Stamp. A different kind of blog hop.

2017-02-20T21:51:00.000-06:00

This week I should be swamped with life. Monday is scout night for my son. Tuesday I have my final improv class before our student show on Saturday*. A friend is having surgery to fix a broken arm Tuesday and will need help this week. Plus the magazine I design goes to press and print week is always a bit of a bear.

I want to Love on Your Next Stamp but I don't think I will have the time to do it right. So I thought I would open it up and ask for help. This week I will have several guest bloggers here showing their beautiful creations using stamps from YNS. Please show them some love.

My love of Your Next Stamp started a few years ago when I was looking for a die to run through my Cuttlebug that would cut photos down to 3x4 with rounded edges for my Project Life book about our new dog. I used the heck out of that die making journalling cards out of all kinds of things: dealership repair tickets, menus, Christmas cards, and paper scraps.

When I started poking around the website I began adding stamp sets to my wish list and it just keeps growing. It grows much faster than my income. The whimsy level on these stamps is off the charts. I love Dante the dragon, the three wise men, and the dancing gecko (he's next on my list), plus YNS has a nice ass.

I dig this cute little digger. This is colored with
Prismacolor pencils on kraft cardstock.

See they have a cute ass! This card was made with a Go Vote message.
Each donkey represents one of the four candidates that were running in 2016.

The couch and window are from Your Next Stamp
and the little girl is from Mama Elephant.

This blog hop has an added bonus. Karen, the owner at Your Next Stamp, has offered a stamp set to one lucky winner this week. So leave a comment to enter and get yourself some of the YNS love.

Happy Crafting,

*Laugh Out Loud student show is Saturday, February 25 at 1 pm. Cost is $5.

Wplus9 - day 5

2017-02-10T15:24:00.000-06:00

It's Friday. Woo Hoo!
Time to take my friend to another hospital. Say a prayer she gets the treatment she needs, this has been a long week for all of us.

Forest Friends and Curious Forest Friends

I'm kind of a sucker for cute critters I can color. (say that 10 times fast) I love making scenes. I initially colored these guys with white masks and couldn't quite figure out why they looked so weird. Google images to the rescue. I really like the tree but I wish it didn't end with a line across the top. The hole in the tree can be filled with a variety of things. The sleeping raccoon in a smaller hole is only one option. The set comes with acorns, a la Chip and Dale. You can also add a bear's head poking out of the tree. I'm sure these sets will get a lot of use.

When I started this week of Loving on Wplus9 I looked through their website at all their sets and saw they had a Papel Picado stamp. Recently I did a project where I made my own Papel Picado but the Wplus9 version was so much cuter and easier to use. I am planning on making a lot of cards with Papel Picado on them. The samples for this stamp set were so beautiful that I ordered the stamp. It arrived yesterday and I had to play with it. Some of that playing isn't worth showing you but I really like the card I finished.

Papel Picado and Holiday Cheer

with a sentiment from Bubble Talk

Happy Crafting,

Loving on Wplus9 - Yes, and…

2017-02-09T14:32:00.000-06:00

You know those days when you have a great plan? You have things to do and schedule everything, including a little time for playing with pets and dealing with teenagers, and life says, "NOPE!" That has been my week.

A friend of mine was supposed to be in a week long training session about an hour away from my house. She asked if I would watch her dog and I said, "yes," because my son and I absolutely love her dog.

On Tuesday my son was running late for the bus and forgot his winter coat (a hoodie would be ok for a run to the bus stop). After school, he got home and couldn't get in the house because his house key lives in his coat. Instead of going to someone's house he protected himself against the wind by sitting in a small garden shed that's the size of 2 garden chairs and is only 4 feet tall. Kids! With time on his hands and nothing else to do he got his homework done. When I got home I told him he had me worried because he wasn't answering the phone. His apology, "I'm sorry for making you worry," was so sincere it warmed my heart.

Tuesday night I go to an improv class, during the conversation after class one of the other students told me I was really funny but I said, "no, but…" instead of, "yes, and…" I felt so bad. It's the first rule of improv this, "yes, and…" thing. I have kept that in mind all week.

Tuesday night when I got home from class my friend who is in training called and said, "I've broken my arm. Can you come get me and take me home?" I said, "yes" and… I was on my way. I headed out at 10:30 pm. I drove for an hour praying Google maps would get me where she was before the battery ran out on my phone. I got to the ER and sat with my friend while they poked and prodded and finally put her in a temporary cast. I took her back to her hotel because she was determined to go to the next day's training. Badass right? I headed home and walked in at 3 am.

Three hours later I woke up with dogs walking on me wanting to go out… NOW! I walked the little fuzz balls, made sure my son got up and off to school and went back to bed after texting work that I would be about an hour late. When I woke there was a reply saying, "nothing to do, take the day off." Whew! I went out to run a few errands that I had scheduled for after work and while on the road the phone rang. My friend's pain was too intense, she had not received pain meds in the ER the night before, "Can you take me to the local ER?" I said, "yes" and… I was on my way. Seven hours later, after more X-rays, a new and improved cast, and a prescription for pain meds, I took her home.

Why am I telling you all of this? 1) bloggers should share a bit about their personal life, be real. 2) I wanted to explain why you hadn't seen other Wplus9 creations this week. 3) I just needed to vent a bit.

Because of all the aforementioned activities, you will be getting 3 cards instead of one today. Enjoy.

Bubble Talk

This card was made with scraps of paper from my stash. The banner of party hats and "happy birthday" sentiments were stamped with images from the Wplus9 set Unforgettable. The elephant was stamped on grey cardstock and colored with Copic markers. The party hats were stamped with Stampin' Up! inks and then filled in with an aquabrush. The splatters of ink were made by opening Mister Huey inks and tapping the spray pump instead of spraying it.

Party Animal

When I saw the giraffe from this set on Sandy Allnock's blog I knew I had to add him to my collection. The balloon felt like it wanted to lift this little guy so I let it. Everything here is colored with Copic markers except the blue sky. I created that with Distress ink.

Bubble Talk and Party Animals

Combining Wplus9 stamp sets works so well because the images have the same feel and are well proportioned. Everything here is colored with Copic markers except the blue sky. I created that with Distress ink and a mask I made with a My Favorite Things Die.

Happy Crafting,

Loving on Wplus9

2017-02-06T20:10:00.003-06:00

In February 2010 Dawn Woleslagle (wool-slay-gal), an accomplished watercolor artist and graphic designer, founded WPlus9 Design Studio. The first time I saw the company name I wondered what it meant, once I saw Dawn's last name it was it was a total "duh".

The first image I remember seeing was "Pocketful" and I wanted it - badly. Because money was not plentiful I had to pass on this set that included jean pockets with a variety of things that could poke out of the pocket. It was adorable. I've been enamored with Dawn's work ever since.

From whimsical critters to elegant florals to versatile sentiments, Wplus9 continues to bring beautiful sets to market. Stamps are released on the 5th of every other month, starting in February. The first week of release months the Design Blog features samples, product previews, and drawings for free products.

A couple of years ago when elephants were all the rage I fell hard for the elephants in Unforgettable and Bubble Talk. Those adorable critters needed to come live at my house. One of the things I like about these 2 sets is that they work so well together. The images are the same scale.

Unforgettable

This card was made with paper scraps that I keep in drawers near my desk.

Happy Crafting,

Hot Diggity Dog these Stamps are Tee-rific

2017-02-03T23:10:00.000-06:00

Tee-rific

I purchased the Tee-rific SugarPea Designs set a while ago because I loved the penguin so much. I don't play golf unless there is a windmill on the course. Good thing this set includes a windmill.

My last encounter with real golf was when I was 8 when my dad was practicing his swing. I got too close and caught the business end of a driver in the face. No real damage except a desire to stay away from golf.

This adorable set is part of the SugarPea Designs Bean Stalk Collection. There are 7 images that can be used to build scenes or can be on their own as a focal point for your creations.

There are eight (8) sentiments for the golfer in your life from Happy Father’s Day to Get Well wishes perfect for the duffer feeling sub-par.

Hot Diggity Dog (sentiment from Avery Elle, mirror frame and rug hand drawn)

For nearly 50 years I thought of myself as a cat person. Thirteen years ago I found out I was a cat person who wasn't allowed to have cats. Allergies were not going to let me breathe if my fuzzy friends were around. Sadly I had to let my two calicos, Penny and Gwen, go. When my son was little he would ask me anytime I seemed even a little bit sad, "You miss you Penny right?"

When he got a little older he decided he wanted a dog and would regularly remind me that I was NOT allergic to dogs. He had a sinus issue one year, and I took him to my allergist at the suggestion of his pediatrician. They did allergy tests and he is only allergic to one thing. Dogs.

Three years ago I became a dog person. We got Jewels, a schnauzer puppy, to distract my son and me from the sadness of my father's death the previous year. She has worked wonders for me. I have met a lot of wonderful neighbors while walking the dog.

A bunch of women with dogs would meet up at the local park early on weekend mornings and chat while the dogs played. We would leave the park before the neighborhood children were even awake let alone ready to play in the park.

I purchased the SugarPea Designs Hot Diggity Dog set to make cards for these ladies. Even though the dogs in this set don't look a thing like any of our dogs, it still gets a work out for Yappy Birthday cards and other occasions.

Happy Crafting,

Katemade Designs

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Introducing Finance Friday

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2018 was a good year for Katemade Designs.

What the heck is an Oddball Art Machine?

Evernote for Creating a Craft Inventory

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#Mancraft Monday — Juan Ambida

Birthday Giveaway

The Secret Language of Postage Stamps

Cheapskates and Lovers

Stamp Positions and Meaning

Why are postage stamps always in the upper right corner?

Postage stamp design evolution

#MancraftMonday — Kevin Bray

Finding Kevin

ISO a few good paper crafting bloggers

#ManCraftMonday - Timothy Thomas

Fake ironing Friday and a giveaway

GIVEAWAY

Wash Wednesday - More Spring Cleaning

Tidy Tuesday - spring cleaning

Welcome Spring

Sympathy Cards are Hard

Happy Pi(e) Day Everybody

Recalling the week that changed my life and a winner

Michael Trent is Loving on Your Next Stamp

Moderncrafty is Loving On Your Next Stamp

Loving On - Your Next Stamp. A different kind of blog hop.

Wplus9 - day 5

Papel Picado and Holiday Cheer with a sentiment from Bubble Talk

Loving on Wplus9 - Yes, and…

Party Animal

When I saw the giraffe from this set on Sandy Allnock's blog I knew I had to add him to my collection. The balloon felt like it wanted to lift this little guy so I let it. Everything here is colored with Copic markers except the blue sky. I created that with Distress ink.

Loving on Wplus9

Unforgettable

Hot Diggity Dog these Stamps are Tee-rific

Tee-rific

Hot Diggity Dog (sentiment from Avery Elle, mirror frame and rug hand drawn)

Papel Picado and Holiday Cheer

with a sentiment from Bubble Talk