cheers to YOU

Hi, everyone! Hope it's been a relatively stress-free, return to work/school day.


I'm here with my first card of the new year. Yes, I've posted a couple of cards these past few days, but those were made in the waning weeks of 2016. Today's card, however, is my first creation of 2017. And, I'd almost forgotten how liberating it is to just go in and create.... not meeting any specific deadline or checking off any to-do list item. Just creating.

I went to a couple of my favorite blogs. Saw a great sketch over at Mojo Monday and immediately started thinking about what dp I wanted to use. Then, I hopped over to the Simon Says Start Afresh Monday Challenge, which is to use something straight-out-of-the-package crafty when making your card/project.

The SSS challenge reminded me I had set aside that You Matter background stamp and coordinating stamp set... when a bit of magical inspiration hit. Don't you love it when that happens?!


So, I used the You Matter background stamp as the background for the entire card, enhancing it with color blocks of peacock feathers, mustard seed, and picked raspberry.

Strathmore watercolor paper; Stampin' Up black cardstock
SSS You Matters background stamp and coordinating stamp set
Stampin' Up! good greetings stamp set
Nestabilities scallop die; Creative Memories circle cutting system; Paper Smooches bow die
black soot, peacock feathers, mustard seed, picked raspberry Distress Inks and StazOn jet black; Tuxedo black brush pen
inks applied using Ranger application tool, slightly misted toothbrush, or Princeton liner brush
adhesives: Scotch ATG; Zig 2-way glue pen; Zots glue dot

I adore the way this card turned out... and am quite relieved. There's been a creative block hanging over me the last couple of weeks. But, this card came about so organically... and felt so right.

What do I love about this card? Let me count the things.

• This combination is soooooo pretty. The sketch's large rectangle is picked raspberry, it's vertical strip is peacock feathers -- which are two of my all-time happy colors! -- and the The horizontal strip is mustard seed. Using watercolor paper helped these blend together to create such nice green and orange blocks. Needless to say, there was some serious masking going on here!
• After blending the inks, I decided black borders would add some needed contrast and really make them pop. This, of course, presented numerous opportunities to mess up a great card base. Rather than trust myself to draw perfectly straight lines, I masked... and masked even more... to make straight, consistent lines.
• Of course, the circular element made for a perfect sentiment panel. The sentiment was stamped using the SSS companion stamp set and two sentiments from SU's good greetings set. I stamped "cheers to" in StazOn black and then used masking to create the rainbow "YOU." This process created numerous opportunities to mess up, but luck was with me.  :)
• After stamping the sentiment, I realized this element still needed a little work. So, I carefully spattered tiny specks of Distress Ink and very carefully filled in the Y, O, U using a fine liner brush. Again, so many ways to mess up. Whew!!!
• The sentiment panel was starting to feel like a tag that needed some sort of ribbon, brad, gem embellishment to adorn the top of it. But, nothing felt quite right... until I inked up a strip of watercolor paper and cut out the little tiny bow. 

Of course, no crafting project of mine would be complete without some sort of dissatisfaction -- sounds like the making of a New Year's Resolution. (Well, maybe for 2018. LOL) So, the one thing I wish is that the background stamp image was a little sharper. But, considering that I stamped it on heavy weight watercolor paper, it's not too bad. Definitely worth the trade off to get those pretty color blocks.  :)

Since this card has a celebratory theme, I'm sharing it over at CAS-ual Fridays.  There's a celebration challenge going on over there for the next couple of weeks.  

Parting Thoughts

There's still one more day left to play along over at Words 2 Craft By. Stop by and play along (or join as a follower) for a chance to win a Simon Says gift certificate.

Thanks for stopping and happy craftin' in the new year!