Current Projects

We always have a couple different projects going on at one time depending on what interests us and the time of year. Like most people, Fall through Christmas time is the busiest time of year for us not only because of the holidays, but it seems everyone in our family has a birthday. O, and we need to make cards for them and O, then there are the Christmas cards to make for everyone and their mother. Every year, we always try to start making our Christmas cards around June or July because the amount of cards we send out and the detail we put into the cards. And remember, these are just the cards we send out to family, friends, co-workers, ect. Not the cards we are selling. Minus this year, this time of year is usually our slowest as well. We usually make around 30+ cards depending on how much time we give ourselves and our level of creativity. Last year, we admit was a bad year for creativity. It just was not happening in large dosages. Now this year, we are ready to hit the ground running. We just have to make time and we are ready to go!

Another project we are working on is our 'secret project'. We have been hinting about this project on our Facebook page. I'm sure if you look at the pictures and (hint) look at previous cards we have made, you will figure out what we are making. And the good news, these cards are for our Etsy shop!

Speaking of selling cards, we are getting some of our cards ready to sell at local shops in our area!! People keep asking us if we have our cards in stores and hopefully sometime this summer the answer will be YES! When we have all the details worked out, we will be sure to tell the world. Yes, we are that excited about it.

Lastly, selling cards is great, but giving them away is even better. We started making our cards to just give to people we like, love, care about. In fact we loved it so much that we didn't want to sell our cards initially. So in the spirit of keeping to our roots, we are working on a special set of cards to give away to a couple local charities that have asked for them. One of these sets is called the 'tea pot' project.We also hope to finish these cards sometime this summer and will definitely be sharing them here on why this set is worth mentioning.

As you can tell, we are busy busy busy. But in a very good and exciting way. We will keep everyone posted as projects are finished and new ones are added.

Etsy Shop

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CreativeJuicesofMK?ref=hdr_shop_menu

As we have said from the beginning, we are very proud to have an Esty shop. It is something we have been thinking about doing for awhile now even though it is completely out of our comfort zone. Prior this new adventure, M had email and was just learning to text. K only had a Facebook account and was set on having NO MORE. On to present day, we not only have a shop, we have business accounts with Facebook, Instragram and Pinterest. It has been a huge learning curve, and still is, but has presented a new range of possibilities. In short, it has been the rollercoaster ride of a lifetime.

Like we have stated before, we are not taking custom orders currently for a range of reasons but we still have plenty to choose from. We have birthday, thinking of you, sympathy, praying for you, get well soon and blank cards for any occasions.

Here are some background stories on our cards.

This card is very memorable to us because the paper used is a design we actually made ourselves. Until this card, we always just brought our paper and never thought to do anything different. Making this card was an experience with good and bad parts. We mixed water and spray paint together, which has a cool effect but can turn flaky after drying and cutting the paper. Once cut though, it fine, promise! If you look closely, we cut the paper into strips and matched them up, or you could say, not matched them to make the effect shown.

This card looks and feels, yes feels, different. We say feel because the front of the card has felt fabric on it instead of paper. We sometimes use what we have left over from other custom card projects or miscellaneous craft projects. We had the felt left over from a baby card we made a year or so ago for a friend. However, using materials besides paper is a pain.in.the.butt. But in the end, it looks good, so that's all that matters, right? ( Right now we are trying not think about what we had to do to get the felt to stick properly). Another point to mention is the size of the card. As you can tell, its size is not what you normally would find with handmade cards. But, just like left over material, we do the same with envelopes. For some reason, but good reason, no complaints, people give us random envelopes they have laying around. So of course, we use them since they are free! And that is why the card is this size. I know, nothing major behind that story, but still important to mention. On using materials we already have, it not only saves us money, but makes us push our creativity to another level. And that we would say, is never a bad thing!

This card looks pretty and more 'simple' for our style of cards. However, one word that reminds of us of this card: STRESS! We love making cards partially for the stress relief and the fun of it. This card did not fit either one of those descriptions, lol! For such a simple card, we thought we would never finish this card. We can't remember how many times we added and then deleted items and debating if we had too much going on color wise. It’s the perfect example of needing to walk away from a card for a while and come back later with a fresh mind. Thankfully, the end result is something we like and are proud of. Believe us when we say, there have been cards that ended up in the trash. Another issue we always have to keep in mind, and definitely came up in the process of making this card, is making sure the front of the card matches or goes along with the inside. It needs to look like one card, one style instead of two. You would think this isn’t a big deal but it comes up regularly for us. In the end, even though the process was stressful with this card, (and others), we always learn something from it and come away from it proud and…you could say more creative and inspired.

These are just a few but clink the link below to see more of our cards.


https://www.etsy.com/shop/CreativeJuicesofMK?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Custom Orders

Currently we are not taking custom orders on our Etsy shop for a couple of reasons. Number one, selling our cards online is still to new to us and we want to be more comfortable before we get into that minefield! As we are write this blog, we are just imagining the issues that could come about and one word, stress! No thankful for the time being. Going on to number two, we have so many other projects going on (which we will get into more detail sometime later this week) that adding something else to our plate is just not possible currently.
However, the good news is that we do have the goal to eventually add this feature for our shop. Until then, enjoy the pictures of some of our past custom orders for family, friends, co-workers, ect.

Our work space

We think a space tells a lot about a person so we decided to feature our work space!  Looking at the pictures, you’ll see they aren’t anything pretty or ‘cool looking’ but, maybe one day, we will have room for an area that you see in a magazine! We keep imagining and hoping, lol! But for now, we have a place that is organized and most importantly, functional. You will also notice there are two work places shown. This is because we live in two different cities. Of course we try to see each other as often as we can, but we mostly run the business through calling, texting and, most importantly, sending pictures. You would think not living close by would hinder our business but we have very specific roles and processes that we stick to. We also have completely different card making processes. Because of this, we have learned that it works better for us to be separated at times, lol! Either way, together or separate, we have the same goals and motivation to create great cards!

                                          By the way, here is picture of our 'dream room'. If only...

Favorite Craft Stores

Another topic to discuss is our favorite craft stores and why we like them! We buy from a handful of different stores which include Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, Pat Catan’s , Jo-Ann Fabrics, Hollo’s PaperCraft and Embellished Scrapbook Boutique. We decide where we go depending on what we need, location, sales going on and ‘ah, I just feel like going to this one today’. Hollo’s PaperCraft and Embellished Scrapbook Boutique are locally owned so we try to support them as much as possible for obvious reasons. Both can be found online with their location and supply information but you won’t get the full and exciting experience unless you visit their store. Our favorite aspects of Hollo’s PaperCraft are of course, their handmade paper we are always talking about and their insane amount of different sized envelopes. If you are interested in making your own wedding invitations, they also have a large selection. Embellished Scrapbook Boutique is as their name states. They a have large selection of ‘embellishments’ and just different supplies that are harder to find in a corporate owned store. They probably have the best customer service we have ever seen in our lives (seriously). They are that great. They also try to help out their customers by having a ‘garage sale’. Customers can bring in their supplies they haven’t used fully and sell it at reduced cost to other customers. Supplies can get very expensive so this is GREAT! Overall, having great craft stores is part of the experience of creating cards. Can’t tell you how many times we have gone to the store just to get ‘inspired’ and it works!

Favorite Supplies

Card 1

Card 2

Card 3

Card 4

Card 5

Today we have decided to talk about our favorite supplies! We realize this can be a boring topic to a non-crafter (is that a word?) but it is such a huge part of how we make cards. And when we say ‘huge part’, we mean they make our lives easier and keep creativity flowing. When reading the list, keep in mind that we don’t use all our favorites on every card. We like the challenge of trying different supplies (and finding new favorites). Use our cards shown below as a reference of how the item can look on a card. Also, the list is a combined, generalized list of our favorites in no certain order.
1. Decorative and Corner Hole Punches:
(You will have sticker shock the first time you see the price on a hole punch but useful, promise). SEE CARD 4
2. Paper Cutter:
(LIFE SAVER if you can’t cut a straight line to save your life.)
3. Mod Podge
( There are a TON of different kinds available but we keep it simple with the original) SEE CARD 5
4. Double-sided tape:
(We use Scotch, permanent kind. There are different kinds but they don’t work as well for us).
5. Glue Sticks:
(Scotch as well. Any other cheaper kind doesn’t work).
6. Fun-shaped Scissors:
(Can use these instead of a decorative hole punch). SEE CARD 3
7. Adhesive foam sticker dots:
(You put them under layers of paper to add ‘depth’ or more detailed ‘layers’ to a card). SEE CARD 1
8. Glitter Paper!!:
(‘K’ is addicted and has to be told to stop using it! Also, much better than ‘loose glitter clean up wise. The paper is more expensive but when your sanity is involved, it is worth it.) SEE CARD 2
9. Colored pencils:
(They are cheap and can add so much color to a card. Hint: they can also hide flaws in the paper used and mistakes made grin emoticon ).
10. Compass (the tool. Old school way of making circles and making the perfect shaped holes for brads to be placed in.)
Like we stated, just some examples of what we use more often, but not always! Our motto with supplies is to keep it as simple and cheap as possible. The more supplies you have, the more space you have to find to fit it all in. Finding space in a tiny space or making cards? hmm....Making cards!

Where we get our ideas to make cards.

Today we want to talk about ideas! When you have made as many cards as we have, ideas can be lacking or just not happening! When we first started out, looking at examples in a Stampin’ Up catalog was enough. (Yes, that’s how long it’s been since we started. Back when catalogs were still popular and didn’t have to ‘special order it’). However, we have learned over the years that you have to search for ideas EVERYWHERE, and that includes unconventional places. We won’t go into all our ideas because they can be so weirdly random and we honestly don’t remember them all. So, to start out, we are going to follow up from a previous post we made about going to the craft store to get ideas. This is probably the most ‘fun’ way to get ideas, but let’s face it. This usually involves buying an armload of random things (usually not in the card/scrapbooking areas) that you hope might work. So of course this can get expensive and wasteful. There is also always places, like Etsy that you can see what others are doing. We also always try to remember to take pictures of our final products. That way we can look back at pictures a few years later and remember ideas we have forgotten. Also, ‘K’ found technique ideas from a scrapbooking catalog. Believe us when we say scrapbooking and card making are completely different realms! But honestly, most of our ideas come randomly from our supplies we have available. Like a piece of fabric or the shape/size of the card we are using. The pattern, color and even size (scraps) of paper we want to use. It’s amazing to us how an idea can form and realistically made into a card.

Our styles

For being a team and always agreeing to the final 'look' of a card, you might be surprised to learn that we have different styles when making cards. For us, it doesn't necessarily make things more difficult, we just have to decide early on which style to feature. This decision starts with one of us being 'the lead' on the card. Like anything in life, you can't have two leaders and still get something completed, lol! But we choose who will lead by who has the idea and sometimes the skill to make the card (easy enough, right?). So it is no surprise that whoever leads, their style tends to take over on the card. However, no matter who leads, both us have an equal say in what changes need to be made and the final look. We may not always like or agree with the opinion of the other, but we have learned that second opinions are a MUST. The person with the second opinion is pretty much always right! Why is that? Because the lead usually has an idea in their mind about how the card should look. Obviously, this must happen in order to start the card. However, that idea is not always realistic either because of our lack of skill set, doesn't 'look right' on the card or something our materials don't allow for.
As you can see, there are two different cards shown below. The first card features 'M's style and the second care features 'K's. BTW, we are selling these cards at our Etsy.com shop currently.



As you can see, 'M' has the back of 'Stampin' Up'. Straight lines, using stamps and different styles of hole punches.

'K' has a style that doesn't always have colors matching (as you can see, lol). Colorful is always a must for 'K' and pushing the boundaries of what you put on a card.



Cards that tell a story.

Pretty sure this is the first ever card we 'officially' made together. Back in the days before selling cards and getting our name out through various social media sites was even a thought in our minds. Prior to this card, we were that 'second opinion' for each other. We still are. But the ideas and the process of how to design the card are more of a team effort now a days. And we won't lie, we continued to make cards separately for a long time after the making of this card, but we both agree this card was the turning point for us and started the process of getting us where we are today. And the funny part is, the card is cute but it really isn't all that good (at least for our standards) but yet it has so much meaning behind it for us.

We have to mention these couple of cards because of the recipient. These are just a few of MANY cards she has received from us over the years. We have known her for a very long time (way before we started creating cards). She has been a fan since Day One. We have learned many things about creating cards and selling them over the years but one of the most important lessons is knowing your support system. Just like any job, we have our good days and our bad days. Some weeks we just want a break from creating cards. And some cards are harder than others to get the 'creative juices' going. Creating cards mostly is fun for us. But creating cards is a process, sometimes a VERY long, HARD process where we have to move on to a 'Plan B' and so forth with a card. She is one of many who support us by just being a positive and encouraging person that pushes us to keep going. And we don't even think she realizes this funny enough. People like her is what reminds us what we are doing and why.

What to expect (we hope, lol)

The goal of our blog is to cover a couple different topics relating to cards/arts/crafts. Not only are we going to feature our cards, but the stories and processes behind them. We have been very busy this spring with in person special orders and giving cards to our friends and family for special occasions that we are just now able to start making new cards to sell online. We have lots of ideas and will be featuring a 'behind the scenes' as we create them. We also plan on experimenting with "how to's" for different craft topics. However, for the time being we want everyone to get to know us and our cards a little bit better before we get into this blog with our creative juices flying!

Mom and Daughter duo creating and selling cards!

Hi Everyone! Welcome to our new blog. We are a mom and daughter duo who create and sell cards as hobby - kind-of business. We sell our cards at our Etsy.com shop and in person.  Below is a pretty good history of ourselves we posted on our Facebook page earlier this year. BTW, besides Etsy.com and Facebook, we have accounts with Pinterest and Instagram.

What does M&K stand for?
Answer: Our first names!
And no, ‘M’ does not stand for ‘mom’. Neither one of us consider ourselves ‘artistic’ in a family of artistic and very gifted people. And we never really had a ‘hobby’ that we stuck to prior to making cards. To start our story, ‘M’ never actually liked doing ‘crafts’ until a good friend, who was hosting a Stampin Up party, got her started. Soon enough, ‘M’ was making all kinds of cards for friends and family while still learning the basics. ‘M’s style has not changed much from her early days but has of course, refined it. ‘K’ never thought ‘M’ would stick with the hobby for the long term and therefore, pretty much ignored what ‘M’ was doing. And soon learned to stay out of the way. Meaning the ‘craft area’. ‘M’ tried from the beginning to get ‘K’ involved by doing a lot of, ‘come help me fix this card…What does this card need?...you do that so much better, so make it for me’. (Pretty much how we communicate now). Much to the frustration of ‘K’, staying out of the card area did not hinder ‘M’ for long by physically going to find her from where ever she was ‘hiding’. This went on for more than a couple of years when ‘K’ actually started making her own cards, and admitted to enjoying it. (That last part is important, lol!). The turning point for ‘K’ was when she realized that her own style was different than what she was being taught by ‘M’. A style that did not bore or frustrate her, but excited. It was something ‘K’ was definitely uncomfortable about it, but giving cards to others and having them rave about it helped her maintain this more non-traditional style. (Confidence boasters in this business is always a good thing (hint, hint))! However, even though ‘K’ had this revelation, it still took her many years to finally decide to become serious about making cards and admit that she needed her own space.
On to present day M&K, our styles are still different from each other but have learned that with 'M's simplistic style and 'K's non-traditional, over the top style, they equal each other out. We also ‘officially’ work together and are proud of it! Even though we have always made cards ‘separately’, (but always with input from the other), we couldn’t imagine starting our business without the other. Or, more like ‘K’ talked ‘M’ into doing it…like ‘M’ talked ‘K’ into making cards. We’d say we’re even now!