Playing with Challenging Sketches

As I mentioned in my last post, I made five cards on Wednesday. I'm not sharing two of them--they're SO bad!!--but I'll share these two. 

I was playing along with The Paper Players sketch for challenge number 501 and really struggled with it. The diagonal element in particular stymied me quite a bit. 

I finally settled on the card above, but it still felt a little too busy to my CAS loving heart. 

So, I made card number four:

Same stamps, same sentiment, but with fewer layers. I think the card above this is lovely, no question, and I really do like the combination of Granny Apple Green with Gorgeous Grape (which is such a rich color). My life is so cluttered and busy lately, this simpler card appeals more. :shrug:

Here's to less time on screens, less time scrolling, and more time being creative. It feeds my soul in a way electronics just don't. 

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Stamp Sets: Sweet Essentials, Summer Silhouettes, Branch Out (butterflies)

Paper: Heavy Whisper White, Gorgeous Grape

Ink: Granny Apple Green, Gorgeous Grape, Pool Party

Back to Those Sillohuettes

I just love this stamp set!  I can't seem to get enough of it. I can't help but wonder if I'm going to glut myself on it and then never want to see it again, or if it's more like eating way too much cookie dough and getting a stomachache and vowing to NEVER eat it again and then somehow managing to do so again anyhow. 

At any rate, I've continued to play around with fewer layers and using acrylic blocks to create a focal point. 

I played around with this idea, trying to get the layout just right, and wound up using up an entire card base doing so.  This one was particularly lovely so I just cut down the card and mounted it on another card.  Most of the time, you can save a mistake--it just takes a bit of thinking outside the box. :oP

--Rach

This card uses:

*Stamp Sets: "Summer Silhouettes", "Express Yourself"
*Inks: Strawberry Slush, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Sky
*Paper: PTI white card stock

Butterflies and Silhouettes

A month or two back, the Paper Players had a sketch challenge that I was really inspired by.  I created a couple of cards and left a couple of sponged pieces of card stock lying around. 

As I was sitting at my desk in the offudio, I happened to spy it and decided to create a card.  I inked up the Queen Ann's Lace looking flower from "Summer Silhouettes" and stamped it, and decided it needed a little something more.  I found a butterfly I had previously stamped and fussy cut from "Strength and Hope" and thought it would be perfect.  I stamped it on the page as well, and then adhered the butterfly using a strip of Tombo and then dimensionals under its wings.  I finished it off with some pearls for it's body. 

I stamped the sentiment from "Express Yourself" and added the pearls in the upper left corner and I was done. :)

--Rach

This card uses:

*Stamp Sets: "Summer Silhouettes", "Strength and Hope", "Express Yourself"
*Paper: Whisper White, Soft Sky
*Inks: Pool Party, Wild Wasabi, Strawberry Slush
*Accessories: pearls, dimensionals

More Summer Silhouettes

So, have you ever made a card, been pleased with how it's going and then get a smudge of ink where you REALLY don't want it? 

Yup, that's what happened with this card.  I had stamped the focal square using Gumball Green, masked it off using some washi tape, and stamped the leaves from "Summer Silhouettes" and I'll be darned if the mask wasn't big enough and I didn't wind up with ink in the upper right hand corner.  ARGH!!

I had stamped these flowers in Raspberry Ripple (stamped off first) and fussy cut them out, and figured I could use them somehow to cover my mistake.  Perfect!

I made a second version placing the sentiment in a different location. 

I think both cards work, and like the white space in the one on the left, while the one on the right seems a bit more balanced.  Hm. 

Some other details.  While I stamped off to get the lighter colored flowers, I used the Raspberry Ripple again to add the centers to the flowers.  That's also RR on the small blossoms on the leaves.  I stamped them without using my Stamp-a-ma-jig and am thinking I would have been better off doing so.  Oh well.  Live and learn. 

--Rach

This card uses:

*Stamp Sets: "Sweet Essentials", "Summer Silhouettes"
*Papers: PTI's white card card stock, Raspberry Ripple
*Inks: Raspberry Ripple, Gumball Green
*Accessories: dimensionals

More Playing with One Layer Cards

I have three cards for you today since they are all variations on the same theme.

Oh how I love "Summer Silhouettes".  Adore it.  Can't get enough of it.  At all.

This card started as a scrap where I was stamping for the fun of it.  Before I knew it, I liked what I saw and kept going, adding some reds and oranges and putting in the green leaves last of all.

I changed the sentiment here, but kept the idea behind the card the same.  I also substituted Daffodil Delight for the Summer Sun.  I prefer the brightness and intensity of Summer Sun and wish SU! hadn't retired it's "true" yellows...

And, here, I wanted to play with roses and raspberries. :o)

One layer cards can be very challenging, yet I've had a blast making them lately.

--Rach

These Cards Use:

*Stamp Sets: "Signature Greetings" (PTI), "Summer Silhouettes"
*Paper: PTI's white
*Inks: Gumball Green, Rose Red, Raspberry Ripple, Rich Razzleberry, Real Red, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Summer Sun (retired), Pumpkin Pie

More Summer Silhouettes

So, my obsession with this stamp set continues.  I just ADORE it and find it incredibly versatile.  I may have said that already...

Anyhow, I was giving some thought to Lissie's post yesterday and thinking about how far I've come as a stamper and card maker.  Sure, my style has evolved and become more "sophisticated" (for lack of a better word), but I'm not embarrassed by my earlier attempts. I think there's always something to be learned from cards we've made--whether it is how that particular technique didn't work or, wow, "I LOVE that card and want to make more of it, I'll just change this one thing". 

You aren't born knowing how to walk and talk and feed yourself--it takes practice, lots of it.  I think card making is like that.  The more you do it, the better you are and the better you feel about what you have created. 

I'll often start with an idea and create something I think is merely "okay".  I'll then look at it and stew over it (and ask my extra set of eyeballs known as "Brien" what he thinks) and make improvements.  I refer to those as "mock-ups" or "rough draft".  I've ruined many a sheet of card stock in my attempts to get something just right. 

Other times, I'll love what I've created and just make a tweak here or there to see how I feel about those changes.  This card (and the next) are perfect examples of that. 

I created this card first.  Of late, I've really enjoyed creating white-on-white cards.  I stamped the flowers first, masked them, and stamped the leaves. 

An aside here: When trying to determine color combinations, I'll use my markers to draw lines on a piece of scrap card stock to decide which I like best.  In this case, I had about four different color combos going on, and finally settled on Strawberry Slush, Raspberry Ripple and Gumball Green.  They were rich and delicious and definitely what I was going for. 

But, back to that card.  I thought it was lovely, but could maybe use just a little something more.  I decided to add the same Raspberry Ripple base that I had to the sentiment and a few more leaves to the center.  It really did finish it off.

Here they are side by side.  Both cards are just lovely, but the one on left is (to my mind), just that much more. 

(Oh, and under that sentiment layer?  A great big ol' mess that is well hidden. ;oP)

See, there's always something new to learn, and always improvements to be made.  No need to be embarrassed, you're just showing growth and development.  :o)

--Rach

This card uses:

*Stamp Sets: "Signature Greetings" (PTI), "Summer Silhouettes"
*Inks: Gumball Green, Strawberry Slush, Raspberry Ripple
*Papers: PTI's white card stock, Raspberry Ripple

One Layer Summer Silhouettes for PP159

I'm still working on cards for that OWH card drive, and still having a blast.  I have discovered something about myself, I become obsessed with stamp sets and colors and will use them and use them and use them.  Often, I'll finally get enough and move on. 

However, I can't say that for this stamp set.  I cannot stop using it!  I'll put it away.  I'll stash it at the bottom of a pile.  It's out of sight.  And yet, it's NOT out of mind, and before I know it, I have yet another idea I just have to try!

This was especially true when I saw the Paper Players challenge this week.  I had already created a number of fairly simple yet (in my opinion) elegant cards using it, and knew it was my go-to set. 

I used my "D" acrylic block to create a focal point/grounding point for the leaves by inking in Soft Sky, stamping off, and then stamping it on the base.  I then inked up the leaves from "Summer Silhouettes" in Gumball Green (which, I have to say has really grown on me this past week--I really wasn't a fan at first) and stamped them. 

Using my Stamp-a-Ma-Jig, I added the little flowers in Cherry Cobbler.  I have a photo I took of a trillium that was that luscious deep red against the green leaves and knew I wanted to go with that color combo here. 

I wanted to give a sense of movement, so I had a couple of the flowers "falling" below the focal square, stamping them in a triangle, with the bottom one falling "off" the page. 

I then inked the sentiment from "Signature Greetings" (PTI), stamped it, and sat back to see what else the card needed.

It looked almost finished to me.  I mentioned my obsessive behavior, right?  My other recent obsession is pearls.  I just had to use those teeny little pearls in the flower centers.

I added this one so you could see the focal blue square just a bit better.  This card is just lovely in person.

Now it was finished. ;oP

--Rach

This card uses:

*Stamp Sets: "Summer Silhouettes", "Signature Greetings" (PTI)
*Paper: PTI's white card stock
*Inks: Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler
*Accessories: pearls

Gingham Garden for Ella

First off, an apology for the quality of the photos.  While the golden light of dawn makes for beautiful landscape photography, it causes some problems when trying to snap photos of cards.  However, we're off to visit Jess and crew in a few minutes, and I wanted to get this loaded before we were.

Why are we off to visit?  Well, for Ella's First Communion, of course!  And, I needed a card for our sweet girl.  I'm so happy for her and can't wait until tomorrow to see her make that sacrament for the first time. :o)

I found a fun sketch over at Paper Players and thought it would work well for Miss Ella Bella's card.

Since my new goodies arrived yesterday, I couldn't wait to play with them (may I just say how in love I am with the new In Colors?  They're so fresh and crisp and clean and just wonderful!).  I picked up the Gingham Garden DSP and washi tape (I'm a bit of a washi hound so getting that was a no brainer ;oP) and knew they were it.  Ella's favorite color is pink, and in fact, has a wall that is either Melon Mambo or Strawberry Slush in her room.  Yes, it's very intense. ;o)

However, what is intense for a wall in a little girl's bedroom makes for a lovely card base.  :o)

I inked up "Summer Silhouettes" with Pear Pizzazz and Melon Mambo, used my "Beautiful Wings" embosslit, and some pearls as a finishing touch.  Since washi tape is rather transparent, I didn't want to lie it down directly on that gorgeous Melon Mambo gingham so I put it down on Whisper White first and then cut it out.  I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.  Oh how I adore washi tape...but, that's a post for another time...;o)

I'm not one to let an inside go unfinished if I have the time, and well, I had the time. ;o)  The sentiment comes from the new SU! hostess set, "Express Yourself".  I'm a sucker for sentiments in a lovely font, so these were right up my alley.

I added another pearl to dot the "I".

And, here's a close up of the focal images.  I popped the stamped image up on dimensionals, and only adhered one side of the butterfly's wing to give her some movement and depth as well. :o) 

All in all, a happy (if terribly photographed--ugh!) card for a beautiful girl. :o)

This card uses:

*Stamp Sets: Summer Silhouettes, Express Yourself
*Inks: Pear Pizzazz, Melon Mambo
*Paper: Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Gingham Garden DSP
*Accessories: Beautiful Wings embosslit, pearls, Gingham Garden washi tape, dimensionals, scallop border punch

--Rach