Happy Valentine’s Day ~ Cards

Went through my stash of old cards and found this bit of artwork to up-cycle on a Valentine card for Old Roady. I didn’t want fru-fru pink hearts or lace so stuck with browns and a muted maroon. I used a Cuttlebug die for the corners and Spellbinders Label Four die (S4-190) for the artwork.

This next card is more traditional. Screaming Valentine’s Day! The red glitter paper is from Stampin’ Up. (I think it was introduced in the Holiday mini catalog.) I cut out the hearts with my Sizzix dies. The smallest heart is stamped with a PSX stamp. (I understand they are no longer in business and the secondary market has some outrageous prices for their rare, collectible designs.) I stamped the image with VersaMark clear ink and embossed with red embossing powder. MS punch along the bottom is Doily Lace. The embossed background is done with the Craft Concepts Cottage Floral embossing folder.

HAPPY
VALENTINE’S
DAY

Not Quite What I Envisioned…

We like to put our best work out there for the world to see, don’t we? Basking in the admiration of others is part of the fun of unveiling our latest idea or creation. I think the reason we enjoy this so much, is because of the many times, the unseen-hidden-from-view times, our work falls short of what we’ve envisioned. This happened to me today.

I needed to make a card to give and so after work I headed straight for my basement hideaway just the other side of the washer and dryer. I had an idea. I knew exactly which embossing folder and which die I would use to create my beautiful card. I wasn’t sure of the colors, I needed to riffle through my horde, but I was excited and couldn’t wait to start.

The card I made is perfectly acceptable. But it’s not what I had pictured in my mind when I raced to my craft table. If I hadn’t said anything, you’d never know the execution didn’t live up to my vision, so why am I telling you? Why have I posted it for all the world (well, a few of you in the world) to see? Because on this creative journey, I believe my bloopers and stumbles are just as important as the perfect execution of an idea. I learn from my mistakes. Whether it’s a rejection letter from an editor or unmatched corners in a quilt block, if I take the time to examine the feedback and study where I went wrong, I can improve my results the next time.

On the card below, I embossed the printed paper with die cut flowers already adhered using Cuttlebug’s D’vine Swirl (Divine Swirl) embossing folder. The flowers were cut using BossKut’s # 0692 Petite Flowers die. ‘Thinking of You’ is stamped on paper cut using Spellbinder’s Label Four die. Though I thought the swirly paper was just begging to be embossed with D’vine Swirls, I don’t like how it came out. I’ve included a close up so you can see the embossing. I think that’s what isn’t working for me. The embossing doesn’t show up. So I’m going to use these exact same tools and duplicate this card using a different color combination. I’ll post the results – good or bad.

Father’s Day Cards

I’m a lucky, lucky girl. I have two of the best dads still here on earth with me. My daddy and my dad-in-law who treats me like I’m his very own. Both are in their 80’s so I treasure our time together.

This first card is for my dad-in-law. He enjoys working with wood, making small projects to sell at the church Christmas Bazaar, so I thought the Woodgrain Embossing Folder from Craft Concepts was perfect for his card. I used Spellbinders Label Four die for the wording. Rather than frame it in a different color using the next size die, I sponged the edges with Memento’s Rich Cocoa Ink.

The second card is an experiment. My dad is visually impaired so I went larger with everything hoping he’ll be able to see some detail. The card is a piece of 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of cardstock folded in half. I know colors stand out for him, so I used an old Stampin’Up stamp set called Posie & Bee. I’m not sure if color bleeds together in Daddy’s vision, so I used only two bright inks. I dotted the center of the flowers with gold Pearl Pens to add texture. If Daddy can’t see the individual dots, I hope he’ll be able to feel them. The lettering was done on the computer at 48 pt. and cut using the Spellbinders Label Four die. I sponged color on the edges. For an envelope, I’m using a mailing envelope with clasp from the office supply store.

Have you ever made a card for someone with special needs? What did you do that was different?