The production line...

Ladies! Thank you for all your wonderful responses to my blog. I really appreciate all your comments and just love to share with you all! I would like to give a special shout out to my friend Pam and all my West Virginia followers!! Hi girls!!!!!

Now let's get right to the stamping! This week we're talking about mass production and getting those cards stockpiled for the month and mailed out. Today I'm going to walk you through my process of how I mass produce. I thought this might be kind of silly because you all do this, but in reading some of your comments I realize that maybe it's not so silly after all...that maybe you don't have a system in place yet. Well here goes!



This photo shows another one sheet wonder that I created using a jumbo SU! wheel. Then I added stamped images to create my own sheet of patterned paper. Again, do several sheets of these if you need to make lots of cards or label a file folder and stick them in there for future use.



Now I'm moving on to how I usually stamp. I almost always mass produce cards when I have a stamping session. I realize that some of you, a lot you actually, probably only stamp one card at a time as you need it and it's probably late at that, right? Well we need to get past that and think more efficiently girls! I always produce in two's since you can get two cards out of every sheet of solid cardstock.

Tip: Score your solid sheet of cardstock first then cut it in half. I score my cardstock using a bone folder and the groove in my Fiskars paper trimmer. You've saved time because you scored once but got two card bases! That is grand!

Then I move on to my card design. I usually design one card first to get it just right, then I move on to the production line. I get out all of the supplies I need so that I'm not going back and forth to my supplies. I cut all the cardstock I need for the card bases. Then I cut up my patterned paper, all mats, ribbon, etc and lay out my embellishments like brads, eyelets and more. Stamp all the main focal images and stack them up too. I do not make one card at a time. I create all the little pieces and parts and lay them all out. For this stamping session, I knew I could get 8 pieces out of the patterned paper. So I cut out 8 of everything.

Then I start the assembling of my cards. I adhere all the pieces together with adhesive, starting with the patterned paper that goes on the base card. Then the main image to the mats. Then I tie on the ribbon, layer the pieces and add the embellishments.

Tip: When adding embellishments like brads and eyelets, I secure them before the card is all assembled. This hides the back of the metal and it does not show through on the inside of the card.



So here's my finished products. Eight finished cards that are ready to go into my personal card basket (see yesterday's post if you missed it). And I put any extras into my sale basket to start stock piling. I tell ya, I'm like my own little Hallmark warehouse! Ha! Throw in a visual of Lucy standing at the chocolate assembly line and there ya have it! Now some days I don't have time to stamp in mass production. Some days I don't want to stamp in mass production, I just wanna mess around and have fun. Do what works for you but try this method when you need lots of cards or want to get a stash going. It works and it will save you time.

Tip: If you create cards that are *generic* in nature like flowers, etc you can change out the sentiments. For these cards, I used 3 different Papertrey sentiments.

Tip: You may not want to hear this one, but DO IT! Clean up your crafting area after EACH stamping session. You will thank yourself time and again. I know you just got your new Papertrey ladybug set and you're dying to try it out.....but you know that other mess is still there from all the graduation cards you were scurrying to make. Clean it up, Missy!

Okay, now I've totally inspired myself to go stamp again! It's the last day of school for the girls which means I get to quit my job for 3 months! Woohoo, school's out for summer!!!!! Happy Stampin' everyone!!!!

Note: This design was cased from Val who cased Vitality from a SCS challenge. Awesome layout that will go straight to my sketchbook!