And I'm Back! With A Light Box...

The finals of second year have been finished.  I have sat in the auditorium for a basic science lecture for the last time.  Ahhh... how sweet these few days will be until I have to start studying again on Saturday for the real exam... the United State Medical Licencing Exam -- Step 1, aka "The Boards."  Until then, I am going to be carding-it-up and allowing for my previously stifled creative juices to get a-flowing again!

My first post (which will be followed by many over the next few days) is sharing my attempt to make a light box so that I can take better pictures of my cards.  The design is modified from the following websites:

http://www.wikihow.com/Create-an-Inexpensive-Photography-Lightbox

http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent

As a disclaimer, I made this box with things sitting around our apartment, and in no way is it my final attempt.  I just wanted to see if I would like it.

In place of a large box, I simply used a Sam's Club cereal box that we had.

I cut off the tabs on top of the box.

Then I cut out "windows" in 3 of the sides of the box, leaving the back intact.

I then used white poster board to make the "infinity white" background.  To do this, you cut a piece of cardboard to the width of the back of the box, and tuck it in so that it sits in the box, covering the bottom and one of the sides -- WITHOUT creasing it.  A crease will show in the photographs.

I then used some more poster board to cover two of the sides of the box.  It was recommended to use a light fabric for this step.  For the next one that I will make, I think I will use an old white t-shirt.  I didn't, however, take pictures of this step.  Sorry!  

I would like to purchase an inexpensive desk lamp to serve as the light source that I can move around either from above the item that I'm capturing, or to place it from the sides to shine through the cloth/paper.  Here's the first photograph.  Not perfect.  But I will attempt this again on a bigger and better scale!

Cuttlebug Challenges Spa Weekend

While I may not be carding-it-up for a while, that doesn't mean I've stopped looking at all of the inspirational work that the card making community creates each and everyday.  And what better way to showcase it than with a spa!

Check it out for yourself!

A Small Hiatus

With finals coming up extremely quickly (yikes), and boards just a few weeks down the road, crafting (and blogging) is going to have to take a small hiatus temporarily.  While it does manage to keep me somewhat sane, sanity is a luxury I can no longer afford.  Only thing now is study, study, study.

Take 2...

While I already completed one card for the current caardvarks challenge (Trees a Crowd) and for 2S4Y (Laura #24), my mind kept working on how to make my cards look more like I wanted.  This card came to mind, using some of the things that I have picked up from the incredibly encouraging and creative carding community that I unexpectedly found now that I've started blogging.

1.  Add more layers and dimensions to cards.

2.  Use digi-stamps to fill in the gaps in my supplies.

3.  Add embellishments to add some extra pizazz.

These new rules produced this:

Nuts About You

Trees A Crowd & Laura #24

Now in the spirit of challenges, I made this card for the caardvarks Trees A Crowd challenge, as well as the 2 Sketches for You -- Laura's #24.  This is my first sketch suggest card, and I'm still trying to figure out exactly how to use the sketch as a template, but not be so limited as to my interpretation.  So much to learn.

Sadly,  I am desperately feeling a shortage of supplies without the stamps and Sissix that I had in Pittsburgh.  Definitely things to add to my birthday wish list -- besides the whole passing the boards thing.