New Chalkboard Calendar

Remember my Blog Calendar that I posted a few weeks back:

Well it turns out our walls are crap and nothing sticks to them. My calendar ended up in a ball on the floor about a week after I put it up. On to plan B: spend a little more money and buy a chalkboard with a frame.

Here is my new blogging calendar. I bought a plain framed chalkboard and had a little fun. I looked into buying a pre-printed calendar, but most of them ran Sun-Sat. I prefer to think Mon-Sun. The ones that ran M-S were very expensive or the peel and stick kind that didn't work last time. So I grabbed a plan one that was only $5 at Michaels. I estimated my spacing and marked it off with washi tape. I realize that the spacing isn't exact, but that's the beauty of washi tape. If it bugs me, I just peel it off and redo.

Once I had my boxes, I went in and added dates to the boxes. It's hard to see in my picture as the dates are in white and very faint. I just wanted to have my markers. Then I went in and filled the dates with my proposed drafts. Each category gets a different color. Orange is SU News and Sunday Hauls. Green in Project Life. Pink is cards. Blue is miscellaneous.

So far, I am loving my system. As a draft is completed, I cross it out. At the end of the month, I take a wet cloth and wipe everything away. Simple, cheap, but effective. Just how I like my crafts!

Hexagons and Embossing Folders

Today's card is being featured on Stylin' Stampin' Inkspiration and uses many embossing folders. Our project today was to use one of SU's embossing folders, but I couldn't decide which one to use. Instead, I decided to use four different ones. The look is full of texture and layers. I love it!

• Stamps: Six Sided Sampler, Work of Art
• Inks: Tip Top Taupe, Cucumber Crush
• Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Cucumber Crush
• Accessories:
• Tools: Hexagon Punch, Chevron Embossing Folder, Decorative Dots Embossing Folder, Hexagon Embossing Folder, Lucky Stars Embossing Folder

Fun with Decorative Masks

Good morning everyone and welcome to The Craft Sea! I'm so excited you are here to check out my crafting journey. I'm flattered to have been asked to join the Stylin' Stampin' Inkspiration Design Team! I love the variety of challenges and posts that the team posts each month. I'm looking forward to sharing my own creations and connecting with fellow bloggers. Make sure to check out the main site for other great products and play along with us!

Today's card is featured over at Stylin' Stampin' Inkspiration and highlights SU's new set of decorative masks. Instead of 2 8 1/2" by 8 1/2" masks per package, the new Happy Pattern set features 4 6" by 6" masks. I decided to make two cards using two different masks.

The first card was inspired by the great rainbow cards I've seen on Pinterest. I wanted to use the mask to make my own rainbow. And I love the results! A simple large sentiment helps fill the space but doesn't overshadow the mask. Finishing the card with some sequins was the perfect touch!

• Stamps: Hello Life
• Inks: Watermelon Wonder, Calypso Coral, Hello Honey, Cucumber Crush, Bermuda Bay, Rich Razzleberry, Staz-on Black
• Cardstock: Smoky Slate, Whisper White
• Accessories: Bermuda Bay Sequin Trim, Gold Sequin Trim
• Tools: Happy Patterns Decorative Masks

The second card used one of the other masks for a simple one layer card. I wanted to featured my favorite 2014-2016 In Colors: Lost Lagoon and Blackberry Bliss. I threw in some Tip Top Taupe and Sahara Sand to balance out the color. Simple but cute.

• Stamps: Work of Art
• Inks: Lost Lagoon, Blackberry Bliss, Tip Top Taupe
• Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Whisper White
• Accessories: Lost Lagoon Satin Stitched Ribbon, Blackberry Bliss Satin Stitched Ribbon
• Tools: Happy Patterns Decorative Masks

July 2015 Crafting Goals

A recap of last month’s goals:

• Finish my May PL pages — Success! I always feel good being up-to-date with my Pl pages.
• Evaluate the state of the twins’ scrapbooks and make a plan to catch up -- Success! I evaluated the state of the scrapbooks and dove in head first. I finished the half-filled album and moved on to Project Life style albums. I recently printed a ton of photos and am moving on to the next set. I hope to be caught up by the end of August.
• Send out any remaining thank you cards for SU and Thirty-One orders — Success! I sent out cards to everyone who ordered from me. Feels good to say thank you.
• Organize the kid crafts cabinet —Fail. Never seemed to get around to this task. Maybe next month.
• Put up my retired supplies for sale on FB — Fail. Just didn't do it, although they are all collected in one spot. Just need to move forward with the selling now.

This month’s goals:

• Finish twins' 2014 scrapbook pages -- I'm on a roll, I don't want to stop and lose momentum.
• Finish June PL pages -- My monthly goal.
• Organize the kid crafts cabinet -- Carry over goal from last month.
• Make one other non-card craft project -- I've got an entire Pinterest board full of non-card and non-scrapbook crafts. I really should make something off of that board.
• Make Beautiful Butterflies and Technique class cards -- Really want to complete my card examples to put up on Meetup.
• Schedule July and August classes and open houses -- I took June and most of July off from classes, but I want to look ahead and get some things on the calendar.