Don’t Lose Hope Card – “Make It Better”

I am so excited to be sharing my first card project as a member of the Perfectly Rustics Design team! This fortnight, the challenge is called “Make It Better” (challenge no. 43) where we are to improve on a project that we have done in the past while making sure to keep some elements of the original project the same.  (See challenge post HERE.)  The card I chose to re-do is a card I did last October called “Don’t Lose Hope” which was a card of encouragement for someone battling breast cancer.  I like the layout of the original, but I was going for a vintage look, and I feel it ended up a bit dark.  Here is the original card:

(click HERE to see original post)

In addition to the background being on the dark side, I felt the flowers were much too dark.  I thought the paper I used was burgundy, but it really seemed dark brown once it was on the card.

For my first attempt at a re-do, I decided to try it in lighter shades while still keeping the layout and vintage style similar.  Here is the card I came up with:

I changed the background paper, used a piece of the original, darker paper as an accent, added a smaller, light panel for added interest, and spruced up the corners with a ticket punch and pink pearls. I also made two of the three flowers lighter to match the new background.

Personally, I like these new, lighter shades better, but I know brown tones aren’t for everyone!  So, just for fun, I thought I’d try a completely different color scheme and changed the background and flowers to a bright greenish-blue.  The leafy flourish now matches the eggplant mat.

This version has only two flowers.

The two re-done cards are definitely not as dark, and I am happy with the results.  I probably like the first attempt with the warm tones better, but that should not surprise anyone who knows me! (I do like my browns!!!)  It was really neat to see how changing a few aspects of the card really changed the whole look of it.

Now it’s your turn!  Choose a project you did but are not crazy about.  While keeping some of the elements the same, change some of them to “Make it Better!”  (You only need to make one new version.)  Link your new version for the challenge, but be sure to include the “before” photo somewhere in your blog post along with your new version.  I can’t wait to see what you create!  (This challenge will close at 11:59 pm Saturday 21st March 2015 (AEST) Australian Eastern Standard time.  Here is a Time Zone Converter to figure out when they end wherever you happen to live!)

Thanks for checking out my card project!

[The greeting stamp for these cards came from the Gina K Designs “Don’t Lose Hope” duo and was stamped with Tim Holtz walnut stain distress ink. (Clear embossing powder was used on the original and greenish-blue cards.)  The flowers were handmade using dies from the Heartfelt Creations (Spellbinders) Vintage Floret set. The leaves were made using dies from the Heartfelt Creations (Spellbinders) Cut Mat Create 2A Die set.  Cardstock used was a pink from a Recollections paper pack, Recollections Evergreen, and Gina K Edible Eggplant. The printed card stock came from two Heartfelt Creations Paper pads: Floral Key Collection and Antiquity Collection.  The greenish-blue paper is K & Company Addison Blue Garden Swirls.  The ticket corners were made with a Tonic Ticket Punch.]

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Sympathy Card with Alcohol Inked Background

This card was made for the Mod Squad Challenge – Teal and Purple.  In addition to using teal and purple on our card, we are also encouraged to use stamps designed by Melanie Muenchinger who is the sponsor for this week.   (Sadly, this site is no longer active.)

To make the background, I used glossy card stock and the following Tim Holtz Adirondack alcohol inks: sailboat blue, silver mixative, purple twilight, eggplant, stream, and meadow along with the alcohol blending solution.  It was mounted on Gina K edible eggplant card stock and then on a white card base.

The panel in the center was stamped with a sentiment from the Gina K Designs “A Beautiful Life” set in Gina K wild lilac ink.  I went over the text with a Sakura Stardust clear glitter pen to add a bit of sparkle.  The flowers in the background came from the Gina K Designs “A Year of Flowers 2” set and were “stamped off” first (with the wild lilac ink) before stamping on the panel.  They were then sponged lightly with the wild lilac ink.  The panel was double matted with Gina K wild lilac and edible eggplant card stock.

(click on photo to see the sparkle)

Both of the stamp sets used on this card were designed by Melanie Muenchinger.

Because I sponged color onto the flower and leaves with a sponge dauber, I am also entering this card in the StampTV Release Party Challenge where we are to color with a sponge.   (Sadly, this site is no longer active.)

Thanks for checking out my card project!

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Flowers in Vase Sympathy Card – Original Post

I have a lot of trouble coming up with ideas for sympathy cards in general, and my mind basically shuts down when I actually need one.  I probably should make a few (when I don’t actually need them) just to have on hand.  I really struggled with this one for our neice whose father recently passed away.  But I finally finished it.

A mask was made using the Spellbinders Deckled Rectangles.  The background panel was then stamped (using the mask) with the Rubbernecker Stamps “French Script BKG” stamp and Tim Holtz Frayed Burlap Distress Ink on Gina K Pure Ivory card stock.  Then, a second mask was used to create the two squares over the script to add a bit of color.  The inks used were Memento Elderberry and Stampin’ Up Pistachio Pudding.  Using the deckled rectangle mask again, the area over the script and squares was lightly inked using Memento Elderberry.  The sentiment stamp was from the Gina K Designs “With Love and Prayers” stamp set and was stamped with the frayed burlap ink.

The flowers were made using the Heartfelt Creations “Sun Kissed Fleur” die and the “Sun Kissed Fleur PreCut Stamp” for detail.  They were stamped and sponged with Stampin’ Up Soft Suede ink on Stampin’ Up Pistachio Pudding card stock.  Buttons and jute were added to the centers.  I made several of these flowers when I made my Thinking of You Card back in October and had saved the extras to use later.  (Originally, I had stamped flowers directly onto this card base over the inked squares but decided to use these 3D flowers and the vase instead.  I may have positioned the squares differently had I thought of this earlier.)

The two layers of the vase were cut with the Spellbinders Filigree Vase dies from Gina K Edible Eggplant card stock.  The vase and the flowers were adhered to the ivory panel using pop dots.

I hand-embossed the lines around the edges of the ivory panel using a score board.  The card base was made from Gina K Edible Eggplant card stock.

Thanks for checking out my card project.

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