technique Archives - Keep It Simple, Stampers

Lemme ask you this.

Have you ever made a card that you just didn’t love. Something was wrong with it, but you couldn’t pin-point it?

That’s exactly what I ran into while making my cards for the Stamper’s Dozen Blog Hop on Monday. I will admit… I actually screwed up something on one of the cards so I thought I would re-do it. Then I liked the screw up better. Still, I couldn’t let all that other work go to waste so I tried to create another card using it… but it just didn’t have the same feel about it.

Well, here it is.

Now, of course… if you don’t know what I did wrong… you won’t know what this picture is really all about. It’s the foil… but I don’t mind this foil here… I just didn’t like it as much. But, I still feel like there is something missing or too much added or something. Maybe it’s the brightness of the copper in the back with is drawing my attention away? I don’t know.

What say you? What is wrong with the cards… what would you have done differently?

Oh – and that mistake I made… When I ran the foil through the Big Shot in the Embossing Folder, I forgot to do any distressing to it first. (FYI – this technique is called “tarnished metal”.) So, I set it aside and tried again. But then, I didn’t think the embossing was deep enough, so I ran the second one through again… but the wrong way! I DEbossed instead of EMbossed. Ugh! But, I kept working with it and didn’t seem like it would work. I went back to the other silver foil snowflake to see if I could reclaim it. It didn’t turn out bad. I just liked the other one better. Couldn’t let it just go to waste so I tried to create a card with it… but my brain wasn’t functioning and I got the card above!

Now… it’s not a terrible card. At least, I don’t think it is. But, it’s just not hitting that “great” card spot in my soul.

Does a card have to hit you like that for you to consider it worthy? What do you do with it if it doesn’t? This one will probably be my nephew’s Christmas card this year! You better not tell him this was a cast-off!

Well… Until next time… keep it simple, Stampers!

🙂 Joanne

Hello and welcome to my first hop here with the Stamper’s Dozen Blog Hoppers! I am so excited and honored to be a part of this group! This month we are featuring our favorite sets from the NEW 2017 HOLIDAY CATALOG.

I have chosen the Snowflake Sentiments Bundle (146052/146053) featuring the Snowflakes Sentiments Stamp Set (144817/14420) and the Swirly Snowflakes Thinlits Dies (144678). When you get your catalog, you can find the set on page 35!

This first card is simple yet elegant!

For this card, I used Silver Foil to cut the band of snowflakes using the Thinlit. I used silver embossing for the sentiment and other snowflakes. A little silver edged ribbon and some rhinestones is all it too to add that touch of sophistication to this very easy card!

The next card has a completely different feel! It was inspired by Robin Messenheimer.

Who says that you have to use red and green on a Christmas card? This one uses two of the new In Colors… Berry Burst and Lemon Lime Twist. They play really well together on this modern, non-traditional card. And, BONUS… I made a project sheet for this one!

Proj Sheet – Christmas with a Twist

And, my last card with the set…

Now this one is very masculine. I just love that “TARNISHED FOIL” effect. Don’t you? I actually used the NEW Winter Wonderland Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (144686) to de-boss the snowflake image in the silver foil. Add some black ink and embossing powders and you get this great effect. That little snowflak in the corner comes for the same Thinlit used on the top card.. I just cut it away for the bunch. Wouldn’t the man in your life love to get this card this Christmas? (PS – the sentiment came from the NEW Christmas in the Making stamp set (144841/144845).)

I hope you enjoyed these projects.

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