I have not really crafted this week. I am kind of in a funk. I really enjoy doing challenges from the plethora of challenge blogs but have been finding that looking at the design teams examples sometimes hinders my own creativity. I feel like that I won't measure up so I often will not even partake anymore. Am I the only one who feels this way or am I just being a dork?
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE browsing the blogs I have bookmarked and browse all of them a few times a week. I get so inspired by the techniques I see...then try them and do not like my result. Do you experiment often with new techniques? Doe your first try result in a masterpiece or do you often have to try again? I am just curious.
Yesterday my sister came over to use my stamps and dies to make Christmas tags. I wound up stamping while she did the die cutting and then colored in some of the images with my Copics. My sister does not have these markers at home so I helped her out. It was fun visiting for a few hours.
Now on to the two cards I want to share that I created for my friend's birthday present. In my last post I used Botanical Blocks stamp set to create the sunflower cards but the cards I am showing you today were made using the Botanical Blocks II set.
The first card I created I started by layering a white die cut that I cut using Paper Trey's cover plate Twist Die over a purple card base.
I then adhered a doily cut from vellum onto the bottom right hand side of the card.
Over the doily, I layered a stamped and matted hydrangea block that I colored with Copic markers. I tried my blending techniques that I learned in my online Copic class but the leaves didn't blend as well as I wanted them too. However, I do like the colors I chose.
The last step was to adhere different sized clear sequins over the hydrangea. I think this card came out really pretty.
Even though I used the same stamp for the next card, I had to showcase the block in a different way. I am TERRIBLE at making the same card twice. I get bored of the same design!!!
I chose to use layered Royal Velvet card stock and patterned paper from PTI under the hydrangea image. I am not a purple person but I LOVE this color!!
Unlike the first hydrangea card, I left the frame around the stamped block and colored that in with a purple Copic. I also used a darker blue for the background and my leaves blended better. Practice does make perfect!!
I used glossy accents in the darker areas of the hydrangeas to give the flower some dimension. It is hard to see but if you look hard in the above photo, you can make it out. I then layered sequins over the hydrangea in random areas.
My last step was to die cut a butterfly out of vellum and adhere it over the the bottom of the stamp. For an added touch, I glued a sequin to the middle of the butterfly. Out of all the cards I created, this one is my favorite!!
Thank you for taking the time to stop by. I hope you have a fabulous day!!
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3 comments:
Now talk about a pair of stunning cards...these are both just gorgeous and I love all the purple and your coloring, simply fabulous.
Nora - First of all - I get you, and I get what you are saying!! Sometimes I feel WAY intimidated to make something for a challenge and sometimes when I try it usually does not come out as fantastic on paper as it was in my head!! But these two cards, my friend, are incredibly awesome - I love those hydrangeas, they just look so lovely!! I think you colored them so well and the use of the sequins just helps bring out their beauty!! I am always so impressed with the cards you make because they use a mix of diecuts, coloring, and stamping!! You do such a marvelous job!! I love each card with its differing backgrounds and love the vellum doily on the first one and the diecut butterfly on the second one is just amazing!! Way to go - you totally made these cards beautiful!!
I wouldn't say you're being a dork because everyone feels differently about things. I would say that you make gorgeous, unique creations and shouldn't be measure YOUR talent and YOUR design against anyone else's. Challenges are there to encourage creativity not hinder it! Find what style works for you - have fun! You don't have to do everything... I can't build a CAS card for my life, so I just don't do those challenges because they don't make ME happy.
I hope you get your mojo back and that you look at your creations for what they are - beautiful!
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