Modifying a Card

Like recipes that turn out different every time, I can never seem to make the same card twice.  I'm always modifying the design, or the paper or embellishments.  Here's a few examples.

Here's the original design.  I like it but the flowers were very difficult to cut.  So I changed the flowers to the design below.

Again, it's OK, but the design didn't blow me away.  So why bother!

 

 

So I found this design and tweaked it until I really liked it!  Now this is one of my favorite cards.

 

I love the design of this card, but was having a hard time picking out the right paper for it.

 

Again, it's OK, but not great!

 

Now this is getting better, but still not perfect.  Wish I had used the teal secondary paper for the hearts instead of the white.

I think I've finally got it!  Love the pop of red.  And the little ribbon on the sentiment card stands out.

 

 

Here's another paper change.  I love this green card base, but it really muted the whole card.

 

 

Changing the base to white it better, but it still needs something.  I'll keep working on it.

 

Love the sentiment, but the design is barely acceptable.  So I changed it!

 

This card has had a major overhaul.  Much better now!  Sometimes I just have to see it on paper first before I can figure out how to make it better. 

 

This first card is so serene - I just love it! 

But as I was making it this weekend, I decided to use a pop dot to raise the flowers.  That way the curved petals can stand out more.

 

 

And sometimes, not often, I get it right the first time!

 

It seems that I'll always have something new to learn - enough to keep me busy for my lifetime.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still Seeing Flowers!

 

It may be the end of summer, but I'm still seeing flowers.  This week I spent TV time making paper flowers.  Unfortunately, I only know 2 methods without my cutter, but I sure do love them.

Here are some of the flowers I made. 

 

 

The ruffles flowers are 6 layers of small circles.  Poke a hole in the center of the stack of circles and push a brad through.  Then start crumpling the paper around the brad, layer by layer.  When all the layers are crumpled, loosen the layers with your thumbs and stop when you like the shape.  The others are a strip of paper cut perpendicular to the length, then snipped almost to the edge.  Roll around and glue every once in a while and glue the end.  They make a nice splash on the card.

 

This lotus is cut on the Pazzles Inspiration.  Two flower shapes are layered and the edges inked.  A small circle is clipped to create a fringe in the center.  Then I added a small pearl.

 

These flowers are similar to the lotus flower, just a slightly different shape.  Again, 2 layers of petals and a pearl in the center. 

 

 

To get the flat paper to take a curl, I followed the video on the Pazzles Craftroom.  Using a foam pad or an old, soft mouse pad, and a ballpoint embossing tool, rub the petals in small circles on the pad.  In a short time, the paper will curl right up.

 

If you know of other ways to make paper flowers, leave me a comment.  I always love to learn new things.  Thank you!

A Potpourri Weekend

This week's cards are a bit of a potpourri! 

Love the mourning doves - quite a peaceful card.

Here's a bunch of pen work.  Took forever on the Pazzles Inspiration, but I love to watch it work.

 

The GraphicStock images are still amazing me.  Found this wonderful doodle - thought it would make a great birthday card.

This started out as part of a Cinco de Mayo ad, but now it's just right for some Hot Stuff Birthday wishes!

Had to work hard to figure out how to keep "crabby"-ness out of this card, but I think I got it!

I've been working on this card forever.  Finally found the right background at GraphicStock.

Fonts make all the difference in the world!

Just a little lighthearted fun!

Kind of a blue card - but the inside:

makes it all work!

Just love these print and cut cartoon animals - so fun to work with.

Still working on increasing the stock of Love cards.

This turned out to be my favorite this weekend!  I'm thinking about more cards based on song lyrics.

I hope the "Rock" is understood to mean the rocking chair!  Having a little fun with this Retirement Card.

I've had these round designs for a long time - it took a bit of planning but I like they way they turned out. 

So nice to get back to cardmaking.  If only I could do it 24/7!

To Everything A Season

In my twenties, I attended weddings and baby showers.  In my thirties, it was graduations and housewarmings.  The forties were surprise birthday parties and surprise baby showers!  Now comes the season of

RETIREMENT PARTIES!

 

 

So the time has come to expand my selection of Retirement cards.  Hard to be happy and funny when the people you've worked with for decades and lived with 9 hours a day are leaving. 

 

Oh, sure, we'll get together and have lunch or maybe a reunion party once a year, but it's not going to be the same anymore. 

 

Yes, they will be footloose and fancy free, but I'll still be chained to my desk with all the Youngsters!  Don't get me wrong.  I like them plenty - but it just won't be the same.

 

Bring up the Beatles in a musical reference and you get blank looks!  Talk about how we used to file our nails so we could type on a typewriter (huh?) or how we used to spend hours uncurling the phone cord (phones had a cord?).  Playing records on the phonograph and black and white TV - well, I must be talking in another language.

 

Waaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!  Now I'm going to be the Old Lady!

 

A Whole New Category

I received a request that I was stumped to fill - Love cards!  Why don't I have any Love cards?  Well, here's a start.

I'm starting off with some serious cards and some fun ones.

Like this fun guy who states that he's "Bananas about you!"

And it helps to pull ideas from cards in other categories.  This design is from the Birthday cards.

But others, like this butterfly, are new designs.

This started its life as a Valentine's card.

After finding a bird silhouette I liked, this card was made quickly.

Love the color spectrum!

"When shared with you!"

"than bacon!"  The perfect guy card!

Finally found a card to be able to use this "ribbon" - small metal dots on a mesh.  Glad I thought of it!

So, now I need to make room in my carousels for the new Love Collection!