Patterns

Believe it or not, I have been trying to get this card posted for over a week now!!  

It would seem that my secretary tends to overbook the calendar. I really need to fire her.  

Oh wait.  That would be me. 

Can one be fired from a job that one doesn't get paid for?

Sigh.

At any rate, I made this card for a fellow paper crafter, who just happens to be our office PR gal. We celebrated her birthday last week.  

I originally had just planned to use another print from this particular paper pack that had these wonderful flocked/raised flowers on it.  I was running short on time and was going to let the paper do all the work for me.

Then, I had a brain freeze and decided to embellish the card myself.

 No, I prefer to think that I took advantage of the excuse of needing to make a card to carve out a bit more creative time.  

Or, I had a brain freeze. 

The 5 inch square card base is Gina K's Pure Luxury 120# in Ivory.  I then ruined utilized several pieces of black paper in my attempts to try and punch out the decorative border, keeping a straight line.  I obviously failed and after the millionth attempt, (only a slight exaggeration, I assure you), I gave up and figured no one would notice the uneven framing of the patterned paper (from an old DCWV paper pack) but me.

The flower was die cut from some bright, rich red metal that a friend gave me.  I could not capture the actual color with my photo or correct with my limited photo editing skills.  The flower was die cut using the Tattered Florals Die.  I used a decorative wheel and the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder to make the pattern and lightly sanded with a burnishing block.  

I had figured out that I could stamp on the ribbon BUT! Alas, another brain freeze attacked and I adhered the flower (with E600 glue, no less) prior to the stamping.  That rendered my trusty stampamajig useless as I could not bend up the petals enough to place the jig where I needed it to make sure my stamping was straight.  After several failed attempts to fashion a more narrow jig from Legos that actually worked correctly, I finally stamped on some velum paper and adhered with velum adhesive to the ribbon.

Note to self:  DO NOT USE YOUR PRECIOUS METAL FOR CO-WORKER'S CARDS!!!  It would seem that when other co-workers are signing the card, they don't appreciate the the delicacy of embellishments.  This poor flower was smooshed, smashed, bent and crumbled every which way!! 

That's it for me today!! I now need to change the creative gears and try to come up with a card for the Oldest Kiddo.  It would seem he needs a b-day card by Friday!!

Nope.  No panicking here!!

'Till next time!

 

Red, Turquoise, Box?!!

There are some days (weeks) that I am amazed that I am even able to complete a project.  Not because of time restraints, but because my brain continually zigs and zags all over the creative route. I start out with one idea, then ZIG! Another idea leaps in, changing the path. I go along happily on the new path and ZAG!! A major rut cuts down the path, resulting in another detour.

This creative endeavor is a prime example of my wandering creative journeys.  I started on a path for a birthday card that included red metal altered with alcohol inks against a design paper that brought thoughts of a sunny blue sky with wispy clouds floating.

ZIG!!

Found a few jewelry trinkets that I decided would accompany the  birthday card.  Just so happens the jewelry was turquoise and leather.  Okay, switched gears a bit and decided to make the card coordinate with the gift.  Got out some new metal, paper and accents.

For the life of me, I just struggled with the card.  While I liked the elements for the card, I could not escape the feeling that something was "off".

ZAG!!

Detour number two took me from a card to a box to hold the trinkets.  Ahh! Yes!! Finally! I could see the path through all the weeds!!

Supplies:

Box: from my stash

Paper:  (from my stash):  From Fabscraps Shabby Chic Romance

Metal:  Ten Second Studios  Peacock and Dark Chocolate metal.  Kabuka mold #13. Decorative wheel and fine tip refiner

Embossing folder: Cuttlebug  Swiss Dots

Dies:  Tim Holtz's Tattered Florals and Garden Greens by Sizzix

Other:  SU Antique brad altered with Copic marker.  Suede ribbon: stash.  Brown Paint 

Adhesive:  Glue and Seal, Beacon's Glass, Metal and More

The flower creation was totally inspired by Lin from Yours Artfully .  She graciously allowed me to create a tutorial based on her flowers for SCS a while back.  The step by step photos can be seen here on the SCS resource page or the video below

'Till next time.........remember the path we start out on may not be the path we actually travel!!