The card maker’s equivalent of a bad hair day.
Today I sat down full of hope for a productive time. A few minutes spent clearing a space large enough to work in (10cm square) and I was away. Except I wasn’t. Couldn’t settle on what I actually wanted to do. Stamping? Die cutting? CDs? Cards? Notepads? Bags? Boxes? One hour gone by. Stamping then. This one? That one? One I know I have but cannot find? Another hour gone.
In my hunting I found a WIP bottle tag, so the rule of ‘if you touch it you’ve got to finish it’ came into play. There are a lot of rules when I craft. Gilding flakes and a cheery greeting are all that is needed, I thought. So, added gilding flakes and turned to the pc to print out a greeting and try to colour match it by eye. Hmm, what font? So many to choose from. Another hour gone.
Eye swerves over to a stamp I have not yet used, a gorgeous large rose background. Maybe I should just try it out? I need a thank you card anyway. I decided to do a quick and simple one, then something trickier and end up with a Nobel Prize winning effort. Ambitious on any day, even more so considering how things were going.
Card one. I used Wild Honey distress ink. Lovely colour. Never used it before so was taken by surprise when, after diligently cleaning my stamp, I saw my hands looked like I have been smoking 1970s cigarettes for a bajillion years. Nothing a bit of soapy water won’t deal with, I hoped. And a lot of vigorous scrubbing, as it turned out..
The rest of the card was a breeze. Sort of. The die cut sentiment is so fine that adhering it is tricky. So I stick it through the sticker maker. Can barely get it off the carrier sheet and some of the sticky seems to have made it on to the front of the die cut, somehow, but a bit of faffing sorts it out. Sliver of vellum, couple of dotty punches and done. Another hour gone.
Now for the tricky bit. Really? Were the last four hours not torment enough? What kind of eejit doesn’t learn from such an experience? Not, me clearly. I decide to stick with the distress inks, but to go really subtle. Milled Lavender and Spun Sugar leap to my fingers.
I stamp them out – beautiful. Except, strangely, I have Wild Honey hands again. More scrubbing ensues. Then…nothing. Cannot think what to do next. I look at them for an amount of time I am not prepared to ‘fess up to, and a couple of ideas come to mind. I try stamping onto vellum, hoping to heat emboss a glittery something, but the powder refused to cling to the ink (even thought it was pigment so should have). I tried a dropped shadow with a word die but it looked rubbish. Then I gave up.
BUT, my last idea was to open it up to suggestions. Anyone got any good ideas what I can do with these?
Apparently Spun Sugar (the one at the bottom if you haven’t come across it) has extra magic qualities and pretty much disappears when photographed! They are actually really pretty, a lovely stamp and beautiful colours. They are each 14.8 cm squares.
Anyone? No prizes, just my eternal gratitude.
I feel your pain… been there many a time 🙂 x
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Thanks! Good to know its not just me.
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Love the stamp! I’d use them as backing-find a paper similar colour to die cut and layer. So base (colour to match ink), stamped paper, nesting die cut from colour and then white nesting die cut on top. Add sentiment and bow and sparkly crap (sorry, embellishments 😉) and simple pretty card. 😊
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Duly noted, thanks! Loving the term ‘sparkly crap’ by the way. Might adopt that.
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Look at these gorgeous creations, I would have known how much you struggled. I love your gold card! As for your backgrounds, I get as far as an solid card stock base to match your flowers and a vellum over lay with a wide satin bow. This stamp reminds me of Anna Griffin style crafting with the big cabbage roses. Perhaps a peek on her site might provide some inspiration?
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We’re on the same wavelength! That was the sort of look I had in my head (I love Anna Griffin more than I love new shoes, which is a lot!), but it kept on escaping me. Good to know someone else thinks that would work too so I might attempt to climb Everest again tomorrow. Thanks for your input.
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oh can’t find the edit button but meant to say I would have NOT have known how much you struggled…….
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No worries! I guessed that was probably what you meant! I would put a smiley face here but I have no idea where they might be found either…..
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Trim them into three panels and mat them onto cardstock of similar colours, they would make really pretty wedding cards with their soft colouring. Or Sympathy cards dare I suggest. Nice sentiment, pretty ribbon perhaps, you know the sort of thing.
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Three panels sounds good. I think a plan is forming…thanks for the help!
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I like the three panels idea too.
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This is a gorgeous card! Love the stamp – and the colour you chose! I’m behind the 3 panels idea too 🙂
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I love Milled Lavender but have the same dilemma…Yay, it’s not just me!!! 🙂 I normally use mine for backing or punching/die cutting. Beautifully stamped on all three. Hope the hands are now ink free.
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They just about are, thanks! The ink now has a warning on the lid, in case I forget!
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hahahahaha I know the feeling. Also found my hair conditioner is great for removing a multitude of crafting colours from my hands.
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A handy (!) tip!. Thanks!
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Ideas for tye backgrounds … add a wide satin ribbon bow in a colour which picks up the tones of your roses. Mat and layer then adhere to a scored card. Add a sentiment and, if you feel it needs something else, then maybe a metal ‘doodad’ of some description and which appeals to you, hanging from beneath the sentiment, and you’re ready to go!
Or .. you could use one/two as a background for mounting photographs on. You could buy a white box frame and then frame the backed photo and give as a gift to someone.
But then … you’ve probably already used them so this post of ideas is ‘mute’. LOL
Sending love ~ Cobs. x
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I have used the usable ones, but I still have the stamp! Love the photo frame idea. I think that is another project! Thanks Cobs! xx
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