I.N.S.A.N.E. (cards + NaNoWriMo)

**warning: slightly longer post than normal**

oh my goodness. it's been forever since i posted last! so so so sorry :/ it's been ridiculously busy this week--i made cards on wednesday, but didn't get to taking pictures/ posting until today. yesterday was my mom's birthday, my last swim meet coaching for the season, and this whole week was chock full of things to do (clean the house, wrap the presents, go to work, etc etc)

anyway, i decided it was about time i get on the ball, and i'm super excited to share some of these cards with you. unfortunately, some are kinda old (as in--i'm behind in posting). i'm going to be putting a "schedule" together of my weekly activities so i can organize my time better. i'm a list person--do so many more things when i go to check them off a list. speaking of why i need to make lists...

i have to tell you--i'm doing something CRAZY. like literally I.N.S.A.N.E. i am participating in NaNoWriMo. it's crazy. here's a little info about it.

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and—when the thing is done—the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

okay, so you realize i'm crazy, right? 50,000 words?! and i teach! and i craft?! o.m.goodness. i can't believe it. i am LITERALLY insane. and am in need of support. so please! encouragement would be awesome. and maybe i'll be brave enough to share some of what i write.

you can follow me on twitter as ginnygurl if you're interested in seeing what i'm stressing about next :D / :S should be interesting no matter what.

okay, and on to the cards... the first one (at the top) was made using two stamps and lots of punches/ paper. i used the DoodleFactory gingerbread man stamp. there are actually two sides to the stamp--one where the little guy is happy, the other where he's sad... so cute. i used the DeNami Design "Merry Christmas" sentiment... i just love how swirly the script is--perfect for all sorts of things.

okay, and here we go with a "bird cage card." the transparency is from Hambly, and then i used a new technique *yay* of glitter tape along with some red DeNami glitter. hmmm, and that ribbon, pom pom trim are fab too, eh? i like the fall colors here.

and that cute fall leaf brad? YEAH! i love it. i used it on my mom's bday card that i'll share later. oh! and last year when i went to CK Seattle i got some of these "calendar pockets"? that i have never used... but seeing as Christmas is coming up, i thought they would be a perfect countdown part for cards... and for birthdays... and anything, really.

so so so in love with satin ribbon right now. and i love the look of layered flowers, don't you? i used MME glitter paper for the card--anything with a vintage feel has been catching my attention lately... hmm, wonder why?

okay, this next card has a similar color scheme cause i couldn't bear to NOT use it again... i borrowed a flower idea i saw on a blog the other day. now i can't remember where i saw it, but it was where you cut a square piece of paper and folded it and eventually rounded some corners, and VOILA! a flower shape. yeah, i didn't do it exactly like it was explained, but the brown part of the flower was a perfect backdrop to make the embellie stand out, don't ya think?

that "always adorable" chippie piece is from K&Co. how do they always have the CUTEST products? i could spend the majority of my $$ getting stuff they release... *sigh*

okay, and lastly, here's a SUPER fun card i made at the stamp party last weekend... the group i went with turned out being bigger than i thought--so lots of fun was had! i seriously could NOT resist these adorable snowballs... they're like bling, but for Christmas! how cute are they with this snowman... looks like he's about to throw them at someone, huh? hehe.

all the stamps i used were from the Impress store. the way it works for the stamp night is you pay $20 for pizza, drinks (yay for martinis this time around) and unlimited use of stamps and ink pads. you also get entered for door prizes and get 10% off all purchases :D so yeah, i had a lot of fun, and it was so great to relax and create with my girl friends.

well, hope you enjoy, and look back soon... i have a blog-o-versary coming up :D

oh, i have a question. what do you think of my new blog header? the title, GinnyLou Studio, is actually the name of my Etsy shop that is somewhat neglected as of late. i like the colors, but would love your input as well... so be honest!


whew, so thanks for reading to the end! take care, and don't forget to comment--i love seeing what you have to say! :)