Sunday, May 25, 2014

Papertrey Ink May 2014 Blog Hop

Happy Sunday!! I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend. I know I am.

Yesterday I FINALLY planted my vegetable garden. The plants I bought from school were not looking so hot as the weather in CT has not been ideal for planting this year. They look better now that they are in the ground and I hope the survive. I will be crossing my fingers. (and no, I did not take photos, though I will now that I am typing this.)

Today I had time to play in my scrap room. I was supposed to be organizing (shhh!) but I felt like making a card instead. The organizing and the mess will still be there tomorrow for me to do, right? I am playing along today with Papertrey Ink's blog hop.


The challenge was to use the colors of melon and aqua. The photo below was the inspiration piece.


I love these colors together, don't you? I only wish I had a room I could redo with this pretty palate! 

When I started creating this card, I also intended on using this weeks retro sketch #116. I love this sketch but in the process of making my card, I went terribly array and did not even come close. This is the sketch:


 Here is the finished card:


See what I mean? The sketch and the card are not even close!! 

Today I am going to tell you all about the process behind this. When I read other people's blogs, I love it when they write about how they came up with the whole idea. In fact, creative people's minds fascinate me. 

Anyway, as I said before, I started out by wanting to use the sketch and using the two colors. Then when I started playing, I tripped myself up. Instead of this being a "quick" card, this took TWO HOURS!! Doesn't look like it, though, does it? I stamped the clock face first on a piece of white card stock. I used a stamping off technique to get the really light color. To be honest, I stamped this clock 4 times before I got the one that was "perfect" in my mind. I then stamped the sentiment. 

I knew I was going to use a Melon Berry base and some type of aqua accents. However, I screwed up and pulled out a piece of Berry Sorbet instead. I told you this was a total comedy of errors today!! The plain card base was too blah so I used Papertrey Ink's Polka Dot Basics II set and Melon Berry ink to stamp a polka dot background. (At least I got the melon ink right!) I then used an ink blender and blended more melon ink around the edges.



Next I die cut different doilies out of Aqua Mist card stock. I also knew I wanted to use a butterfly somewhere on the card so I originally cut PTI's "Beautiful Butterflies"out vellum. They were too big for the card so I had to go another route. I wound up cutting out so many "extras" to play around with that I have a bunch left over. Do you ever do that? This does not even show the "experiments" that I threw out!


I will use them on a later card but if you only knew how many times this has happened...I have tons of little bits from so many projects that I should just give them away. I hardly ever go through them again to use them up.

Sooooo, anyhow, I finally decided that my Martha Stewart butterfly punches were the perfect size I needed for the butterfly accent. I punched three, doused them in Aqua Mist ink, and adhered them together. I then adhered all my accents to the card front.


I am really happy with the results. Next time I hope it won't take me so long to create a card like this AND I will double check the ingredients!!

Thank you for looking! Have a great night!

Nora
Supplies:




13 comments:

Unknown said...

This is beautiful! Love the polka dotted background!

Tracey McNeely said...

Nora your design is so pretty! Love how you used the Hands of Time set!

Cecilia Hsieh said...

Awesome combo of two challenges!!

Cecilia Hsieh said...

Awesome combo of two challenges!!

Joyce said...

Very pretty card. I am laughing that you started with the Retro Sketch. I have a card I will post tomorrow or so, and it started with the retro sketch, and ended up somewhere else as well. Well, it's all good, and you still have a pretty card, right?

maria f. said...

I really like this design and can SO relate to your "process". The soft and delicate feel to the items on your card was totally worth the effort, IMHO ;)

Kristie Larsen said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog Nora! I think this is a lovely card! I am like you... i cut a BUNCH of stuff and never use any of it. Or I do use some but end up tossing it because i messed it up! all the other stuff gets put in a bin and i dig through it only when i have to make a tag or something quick for a birthday. I usually have 20 min. before i have to get to the party and realise i have nothing to mark the gift. I actually like this kind of creating. Its very quick and fast and you have to use what you got. Controlled creativity, i like to call it. Its not always the most beautiful thing, but when its going to get ripped open in two seconds flat, I don't really care about looks ; )

anyway, thats a ramble... sorry. What I meant to say is, I love the card! I love those doilies. they are gorgeous. I have yet to own anything from MFT! Can you believe it? I need to fix that...

lovely lovely job!

Monika/Buzsy said...

So pretty Nora. Love the delicate doilies and the layered butterfly.

Marlena M. said...

This is pretty Nora! I know I never end up with what I planned...but I do love the creative process of surprise~

Taunya Butler said...

Nora, I think your card is absolutely priceless. Love the color combo and the way that you used it - so it's not like the sketch, who cares when it turns out as beautiful as this!! Love it!!

Darnell said...

Very amusing accounting, Nora! We can all relate!! However you got there and however long it took, can I just say that the result you did end up with is just fabulousness!! Truly pretty card. Hugs, Darnell

Inkyfingers said...

Oh Nora, you could be talking about my mistakes and procrastination! In spite of all the angst I think you came up with a wonderful card and those little butterflies are the perfect embellishment to finish it off. I forgot the hop this time round - bird brain that I am.
Hugs
Carol x

Sherrie M. said...

Its a beautiful card so well worth your two hours!