So, a few months ago I discovered that blogland is full of sketches and challenges for all kinds of papercraft projects. You don't need a blog to participate in most of them, but it is helpful to have one — and that was one of the reasons that I decided to go ahead with this little venture. One thing that I enjoy about participating in challenges is that it encourages me to try new techniques and new color combinations. It pushes me outside of my box a little bit — and that can be a good thing!
Since I'm generally a "try it once and it better be good enough" type of crafter (I'm not one to do things over), I'll probably post both my "hits" and my "misses." Surely no one gets it right all the time! It's all about the learning experience, right? That said, I'm not sure about this card. I don't love it (although it is starting to grow on me) — but then, I don't hate it either. I used the sketch from Julee Tilman's Mojo Monday Sketch #82, found at http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2009/04/mojo-monday-week-82.html. (I've gotta learn how to do those links where you can just say, "here", and click on it to go to another blog or whatever! Time to call my graphic designer daughter!)
What I like: the sketch is great, the layered buttons tied together with the hemp and the way they slightly cinch up the ribbon, the little edging of black cardstock around the squares. What I don't: I'm not crazy about the colors that I chose to work with — they're OK, but don't send me over the moon, the stamping is really just so-so — I wasn't trying to make the letters even, but the 'M' being so far below looks a little odd and I seem to have pressed too hard and rocked the stamps which blurred some of the letters, also the main image seems a little blotchy, and then the words I stamped. . . they are appropriate for the image, but who sends a card to say "call me"??? Well, I guess my imagination can come up with some scenarios where it might happen. . . but still. hmmm. Anyway, here it is:
SHOW
AND TELL: stamps from Stampin' Up (Occasionally, Straight Up Alphabet & Numbers); cardstock from Papertrey Ink (summer sunrise, berry sorbet, true black, stampers select white); ink from Papertrey Ink (melon berry, true black); patterned paper from Scenic Route; other stuff from Papertrey Ink (melon berry satin ribbon, true black and melon berry buttons), EK Success (border punch), and Stampin' Up (black hemp, Stampin' Dimensionals)
