Hack Job, Part 2 of 2 (the stampy part)

I think I have pretty much established that part of my reason for being is to be an example to others. Or maybe that should be "warning to others". Yeah, just let me try something and I'll be sure to show you how NOT to do it. Or maybe how to save yourself from yourself. Sorry, tonight there was not a lot of saving going on, and not for lack of trying.

Let's go back to last night, where I'd posted my attempt at Brenda's awesome box. Don't get me wrong - the box IS awesome, and I encourage you to try it! Just don't be like me and have NO CLUE how to finish the top and have it be do-able by 15 Ladies of varying levels of skill and patience.

To pick up where we left off, I needed help. I want to thank you for all your comments and suggestions. AND, Brenda herself emailed me with a bazillion different "Oh, and what if you tried ...". Brenda, I love you, but I am beyond help. Really.

Let me show you some of my handiwork. Here we have a pathetic attempt at using the white gel pen to do some faux stitching along the holes left by the Top Note die.

What a mess. Next, I tried sponging some white craft ink along the other edge, just to see if it would provide enough of a contrast to cut all that green:

Nope. Then I added a sentiment between the two floofy stamped images:

Nope. So I started over. This time I stamped the snowflake in Versamark, but did not add clear EP or heat it.

Yawn. B-O-R-I-N-G. Here they are, side-by-each:

(Please ignore my flannel-clad knee.) Oh, and I do feel obligated to tell you this was my 4th attempt at starting over. Seriously. I cut and discarded two other green Top Note die-cut pieces before it got even THIS good. I still hate intensely dislike it.

So I sponged the edges - what did I have to lose?

Blech. THIS WAS NOT WORKING! So I went to Plan 72, and mounted my Scenic Season set, with the intent of eventually stamping a simple tree scene on Naturals White. But did I do what a normal person would do and just mount the two stamps on the provided wooden blocks? Oh, no no no no no. Welcome to Hack 2 of 2:

I cut (yes, cut) the sentiment off the die-cut piece of red rubbah and mounted it separately. In hind sight, this might not have been a very good idea.


I did not even apply the sentiment sticker straight. I am truly hopeless. I WANTED to make my customers love this SU chunky glitter so much they'd need to buy it all, just like I did.

So I stamped the trees, then the sentiment (crooked, of course), then applied some 2-way glue and schmooshed on some of the chunky glitter. FAIL! I hated intensely disliked it, or at least my own execution of it. And I won't tell you that THIS was the 4th or 5th attempt at getting a presentable version. Oh, I guess I just did tell you, didn't I?

The problem with the sentiment being separate? It is a little wobbly to stamp this way. It is a bit too tall to fit on the side of the wooden block, so I mounted it as you saw above. It is a little unwieldy to hold that big block and expect to line up the sentiment. My bad.

On to plan 73: Let's forget all that silliness and instead we'll make a checkerboard quilt-y top! Yeah, let's try THAT! I could use some of the abundance of packs of Christmas paper I bought. Yeah, that's the ticket! So I started out by cutting many pieces of 12x12 paper into 1" strips, then sticking them to a piece of printer paper:

Then I cut those into strips:

... and stuck them down to a piece of white card stock ...

... and cut a Top Note shape out of it:

Then I tied a ribbon on it (GOTS to have ribbon) and set it on top of the box:

Beautiful! But wait! The box is still green. Should I make another box out of a better color of card stock? Wait. How many of these would I need to cut to have enough for everyone? WAIT! Will they shoot me and scream things at me if I make them glue all this stuff down and cut it and then die-cut it AND make the box? WHAT WAS I THINKING?! So I scrapped the whole thing. Not gonna do it.

So what have I learned tonight? I have learned that:
1. I am easily distracted.
2. We knew that already.
3. I need to have these projects made a lot earlier in the month.
4. I tend to overestimate the patience of my customers.
5. Oh, look, cat hair in the laptop keyboard.
6. I still need a 4th project for Sunday.
7. I am hungry.
8. Stamping is not a neat hobby.
9. I am so glad I have The Captain's Quarters and do not need to deal with THIS tomorrow:

So now I must go surf and find another project to CASE for Sunday. I have kits to make and stations to set up! Time's a-wastin'!

Thanks for stopping by!