Busy, Busy, Busy!!

I've been a little MIA from the blog this week, and even now I'm supposed to be cleaning an cooking, we've got a dinner planned for tonight!, Nothing formal but The house needs to be de-dogged!!

The last few days I've been working on things for my blog shop to hopefully open tomorrow!!
I'm not sure that is going to happen but I am so close!! 

I've got cards made and kits done.  I've got to make a few samples, package and photo things!  Plus I keep coming up with ideas!!

 

I've cut This week what seems like a mountain of paper, in reality about 15 reams.

 

Sorted by colors and style of card stock

 

With each kit there will be six card bases, six envelopes, liner papers, designer papers

 

 

 

 

There will be ultra smooth cardstock for stamping images and for sentiments

Laces, paper embellishments, buttong, bling - and eclectic ensamble for making cards!

 

 

Kitting up

 

Packaging x about 100 kits

 

 

 

I will hopefully have 10 styles up this week!

 

I hope you are having a nice weekend!

I've got to go get dinner ready!

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Ginny M

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Swaps

This week I am really busy with normal life AND getting stuff ready to go into the Studio shop.  I am having a great deal of fun doing this, I am really hoping my crafty supplies will be a boon to my fellow card makers!
I'm also making cards to sell and of course cards to swap!
AND for the first time I am getting ready to host a ATC swap on my Christian Card Makers facebook group!!

Last night I made 6 cards to swap on the Addicted to Card Making facebook group, Thought I would share them with you!!  These are all 5x7 size


Card made with Chip Board

 

 

 

Card with Sports

 



 

 

Anything Goes

 

 

 

 

Card with Twine

 

 

 

 

Red, White and Blue

 

 

 

Waterfall card

 

 

 

These were fun to do, there is also an ATC - Vintage and mine is Asian.  But I'm making a batch of them so I'm not ready to show them yet!

 

Thank you for stopping by, I hope you have a wonderful day!

Ginny M

 

 

 

It's WOYWW #260!! Swaps and Stock

It's WOYWW#260, the Big 5th Anniversary Issue!  Being celebrated with ATC's!  This is my Third year here I still haven't jumped in!!  Oh well maybe next year!  The BIG PARTY starts here at Julia's Blog hop over and enjoy yourself!!

Today my desk is really busy! 
Getting my swap note book and my  "studio" note book organized Maxam Made studio is my site where I sell crafty supplies kits and generally cool things pertaining to paper crafting.  I am re opening 6/1 and I've been working over time on stocking the store (this is a small online selling venture)

Card for an ATCM swap I made 6 cards tonight for my June swaps.

Sorting through ribbons, irresistible to Tink

making ribbon/clip embellishments.   4 out of 5 work spaces are in process..  The real challenge is to remember just what it is I am doing.....

 

So that's my workdesk!!  I'm hoping to get around the hop today and leave comments, I know I've been Bad about that the last month.   Just to busy to sit at the computer for very long!

I hope you enjoy the Hop and thank you for stopping by!

Ginny M

Monday's Challenge

I hope you all had a nice weekend, we did here.  It was a little quieter than normal but we enjoyed every minute of it!!  I needed to make a few family birthday cards tonight and I though I'd get the Mojo Monday challenge is as well.  Turns out is 2 am and that is the only card I've gotten done!!

Here is the sketch:

 

And here is my card!

 

Time to clean up and go to sleep!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!

Ginny M

Memorial Day

We give thanks by honoring those who have served. Many have come before us and many will come after but ALL need our prayers. Will you help me pray for our military members while giving them "thanks" for their service and time(s) away from family. They gave selflessly in this "all voluntary" military expecting nothing, the least we can give them is our honor and prayers.

~Steve Maxam

 

Birds and Flowers

Busy day here doing Maxam Made Studio stuff and it's also my day with my Mom!  I'm getting stacks and cases of paper ready to be cut for kits to put in the studio, not only do I have a ton of paper to cut, but I have to find someplace to put it and the kits!! 
Since you were so kind to take the time to see what I was doing here I wanted to make sure I left you something nice!   So here are two sets of freebies:  Birds and flowers!

The Birds are Audubon Illustrations , you can read here about Mr. Audubon.   His major work, a color-plate book entitled The Birds of America (1827–1839), is considered one of the finest ornithological works ever completed. Audubon identified 25 new species!  Here are two of them:

 

 

 

I thought these illustrations would look awesome printed out in half tones as background.

 

and these to color or not:

 

Wouldn't these look great with the flowers also printed on designer paper, cut out and placed on top of the square? Great Focal or back ground.

 

 

I made this really fast to demonstrate what I was talking about with the popped image:

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like the images!

Have a great day!

Ginny M

Word Art Wednesday and Special Forces

Just incase you might think my life is a snore, I thought I'd share a little special event:
I got locked in work yesterday, so dumb I left the shop key, my phone and purse on a table , hung a couple of broad sides and thought yea I'm done, time to go home! So I pad locked the interior door thinking my gear was on the same side of the door I was as it normally is when I lock up the shop. DUH, there it was 15 feet away! My boss has the only other key and he is in California.   All I had for tools to get me back in were a bunch of type and a printers chase. I tried to climb over the wall, that didn't work, to high and I couldn't get my feet in the wire frame of the barricade. Can you imagine the trip down over that wall once I bellied over it, come on, I'm almost 54, and my special forces days were over long ago! I probably would have killed myself!
   I took the 8x8 square cast iron chase and beat the lock till it broke! The lock is easy to replace, The antique chase is another matter, I did not want to break that!!  So on my to do list today is lock repair!

 

 

While I was busy with the shop yesterday, Word Art Wednesday posted their Scripture for the week: Karen posted a very touchy post, This would be a good time to stop over and leave her a little Love. There are also prizes to be had for entering the challenge,

 

I wanted put this in a frame , you may down load both of these, my gift to you today!!

 

 

 

Next colors and layers, I was in the mood for Blues

 

 

 

Working the image

 

 

I went for a slate blue, I printed the images on solar white card stock, colored in with a bit of alcohol marker and to give the frame some pop, I used clear nail polish with blue and black and lavender glitter in it.

 

 

Heres' the card:

 

 

Super Stamp Girl, if you are reading this, this took my 35 minutes!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have time to spend a few minutes Word Art Wednesday today! enter the challenge. 

Ginny M

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WOYWW#259

It is that time again, and the World Wide Blog Hop starts at Julia's desk over the pond in the UK!  Grab a cuppa  when you find a few quiet minutes , enjoy the trip!!

Well my desk is pretty simple today.
I've used Julia's idea to keep my "To Do" notes in a note book instead of a pad or sheets of paper!! Now I also just tuck the book in my purse when I am out!!

I've got the covers cut to my chap books and picked out the interior papers.  

 

 

 

I also have to say my idea of the little books is turning out to be much more difficult that I thought.  I have to take a course on Microsoft Publisher or hand print/stamp.  I am opting for a quick online course in MP. I will do the binding by hand as it will be simple. I am developing a new and greater appreciation for the trade of book making!!

I hope you all have a wonderful day, I am off to work at Letterpress Things, I may even bring a few stamps and ink pads to see how Using

 

 

 

 

 

 

a A Vandercook Proof Press would work with our medium!

Stay Tuned??

Ginny M

 

Monday's Challenge and packing up prizes!

It is a BEAUTIFUL day here in Western Massachusetts , I am so enjoying a little time in my craft room before I head out to work. I had a great weekend with family and I was able to get a lot done with setting up Maxam Made Studio .  I'll be selling supplies and kits and cards, All I need to do now is fill it!

To clear my business brain, I went to Mojo Monday for their weekly card sketch challenge:

 

here is my entry:

 

These are fun challenges to participate in and the First Monday of the Month they have awesome prizes!

 

 

I also spent some time getting my blog contest prizes packed and ready to mail!  Going out tomorrow!

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a great day!

Ginny M

 

Fast cards

Nicecrane Designs put out two new set of images that are wonderful for card makers looking for a beyond elegant frame for scripture and verses!  This is a card that I think took all of five minutes to make:

.  You could easily make this a one layer card and just print and fold! 

 

I printed the image on regular cardstock, stamped my verse or you could use a digi, cut it out, dry embossed another layer and mounted the image on it.  Glued it on the base , tied a ribbon and added a clear iridescent glaze to the Iris. 

The set is called Custom Scripture cards and there are three sets to choose from!

Here is the one I made this card from

 

These are so pretty and versatile!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are enjoying your weekend!

Ginny M

Card Kits and supplies

Coming soon, Premium Supplies, Card Kits and Ready Made Cards!

Grand Opening June 1st!

Design wall

Busy day and no time to work on my books!!

 

 

I did make two Swap cards

The first was an ATC with the theme Friendship:

 

The is actually a photo of a tile with a claudaugh carved into it!!  I printed it on white card stock, reduced the image 25 percent and created a blank center printed on 30# vellum and stamped the sentiment!

 

This card was for a water themed image swap, I wanted something a little different:

 

 

But what really kept me busy was this

 

A new collage wall at Letterpress Things:

 

This is the entrance way, isn't it inviting? After our customers climb 8 flights of stairs I want them to have something pretty to look at just before they pass out!

 

The opposite wall:

 

Aren't these type cabinets beautiful!!  We have dozens all sizes and shapes and all my wood stamps want me to bring on home!  Only one problem I don't have room!!!  Whaaaaaa!!!!

The sun was streaming in on these plates, Unfortunately I can't marry these beautiful images into my rubber stamp art, they require a lot of pressure and a ink that has a very viscose composition!

I might however be able to use this sweetie:  A Vandercook proof press:  I'm told it would give me a very superior image!  More on that experiment later!!

 

 

I'm off to a big rubber stamp tag sale!

I hope you have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!!

 

The New Project

I Really enjoyed reading all of the comments that came in regarding my new project and the little contest I am having!  I love winning prizes, but I really don't want to work to hard for them!
 I had eight people get close enough and I picked FOUR winners!!!!
I think my favorite comment was from Shaz in OZ, This would be a great blog post in itself, gosh I am happy to have such clever friends than make me look good!!!
Shaz wrote:
"My thought is a summary - you have ink bottles but no nibs, thread, but no needles, fabric glue but no fabric!! and conundrum that is what it is Ginny :D
Thread may not require needles nor may fabric glue require fabric, ink nibs etc (maybe paint anyway).. but you do have card..
I think knowing you, it is a gift first and foremost and possibly booklet format like a prayer journal 'cos looking at your list there are thoughts that are Bible orientated, colors with various thought association - like Teal and zeal"

I actually have two new projects, but I was only asking for one and I'll tell you who the winner(s) are in a minute  (building suspense I hope)

The first new project is I am reviving Maxam Made Studio.  The studio was my outlet to sell my cards and printed gifts, Card making supplies and book/journal making supplies.  By the Grace God I have been able to purchase premium supplies at really good prices, in turn I reflect those price in the goods I sell. I'm not trying to get rich, I am trying to promote The gospel, encouragement and rubberstamp art and keep myself in ink.  I've never wanted to sell from this blog.  This blog is for encouragement and art.  At one time I had a .com sight and it was a disaster, it was so unfriendly to operate, and shop from.  Steve Got sick, my mother got sick and I closed the website, Family came first.   This Week I felt the unction to give it a go again.  Right now I have it's face up and hopefully in the next week I will stock it.  For a sneak peek go here: Maxam Made Studio.

Now the next project which the contest was all about - and hopefully you are still awake and reading.  I wanted to do something I have never done before, something that was meaningful.  I wanted to make a chap book!  A chap book is a simple book, under 40 pages.  They are very popular in the letterpress trade and spotlight the printers craft.  They can be on any subject and usually in runs under 150 copies. 

 This is a simple chap book

 

Of course if you are going to make a book, you have to put something in it!

 

my idea all came together while I was counting supplies for my Studio shop.

I want to publish my book for my 54th birthday and send it to the people that have blessed my life - in just a little over a month, I want the book to be about me.  Does that sound vain?

 

 

 

My favorite book ( not the Bible - The Bible is no mere book, it is the living word of God )

Is Pilgrim's Progress.  It was the first book I read after I became a Christian and it so deeply impressed it's message into my thinking and spirituality, I will forever be thankful.

 

 

I have felt like the last 33 years of my life have also been a 'Pilgrim's  Progress".

So in a small short beautiful Chap book I wanted to publish the  Word that has gotten me from     there to here and then to where I am going.

 

I am going to make thirty copies, it is a huge first time endeavor, I've never done anything like this before! 

 

I have everything I need

 

a book to help me with the binding, cover papers, book pages, binding thread, glue

 

 

The cover will be a 110# Navy blue felt textured,                                                                                      the pages are a wonderful suede color 30# laid finish.

 

 

I have plenty of stamps, ink and embossing powders

 

 

 

I do still to select the verses I will be using, the "typesetting" and amount of copy.

 

So I've got about 45 days to do it!

Oh yeah, The prizes!!

 

Well Shaz gets one for being so clever,

Random . Steve picked numbers for me and they were:

2- Shelly Schmidt

3-Marilyn Mathis

7- Angelartistock

So Ladies if you would please email me at maxammade@gmail.com with your address and favorite Color I will send you a card making goodie kit - please tell me if you have a fav theme too!

Thnak you for stopping by and thank you for your support, it really means so much to me!

Ginny M

PS reading about chap books and Pilgrims Progress make for very interesting reading!! 

Just ask Mr. Google!