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Sunday, February 26, 2017

Avant-Garden, Special Reason, Birthday Card

Well, for what started out as an easy card to make, I sure made a mess of it. It really was easy to make and it was even easier to mess up.  I was not paying attention when I was adding the leaves.  The block had some ink on it and I was not stamping evenly, so there's a line of ink on and above the flower on the left.  I decided to go ahead with the card anyway.  I should have stopped and redone it but it was the last leaf I was making.  See why it's important to use a block that is closest to the size of the stamp image you are working with. Larger blocks with small images is just inviting problems!

And as if the green line wasn't enough. When I went to add the words, some how there's a black mark on the upper left.  UGH!! I don't know how that one happened, but it looks like a part of a fingerprint.  I looked at my hands and didn't see any ink on me. I must have just transferred it all.  I haven't a clue how that got there.  I'm usually a pretty clean stamper.  I don't often make these kinds of mistakes.  But today I surely did!! OOPS!!!

So if you want to make a card like this, minus the mistakes, it's pretty simple.  I took the other half of the Melon Mambo cardstock that I had cut for yesterday's card.  I folded it in half.
Then I took a piece of Whisper White cut 4-1/4" x 3". And before I stamped the Avant-Garden flowers I cut a piece of Window Sheet (or transfer sheet) 3-1/4" x 2".  I set the Window Sheet over the white cardstock and centered it.  I inked up the flower with Melon Mambo, I removed the Window Sheet and I stamped the flower near the corner of the Window Sheet area.  Then I stamped the left flower (without inking the image) and I stamped the flower one more time (without inking the image).  

I used Chocolate Chip ink to stamp the flower centers.  I did not reink the image for each flower. I stamped them the same way I did the flowers.  

The leaves were stamped using Pear Pizzazz ink. I only used the stamp twice, not 3 times like I did with the flowers.  Once I was done with that I cleaned up my stamps and put them back in the case they belong in.  It gave me time to let the ink dry.  I didn't want to smear it up anymore than it already was.  (that part worked, no extra smears!!! LOL).  

I took the Window Sheet and centered it on the flowers.  I took the Basic Black marker, the writing end, and drew around the sheet being careful not to draw over any stamped area.  

The words are from the "Special Reason" set.  I stamped them and that part was all done.  All I had left to do was to add the Dimensionals and set it in place on the card base.  Pretty simple but easy to mess up if you are not paying attention or using the right size blocks for the size stamp.  There, you learned a great lesson today.  I knew this but I still use the wrong size blocks and today it caught up with me.

I am thinking about making another card like this but using a different color.  I do like this look. I may even use a texture on the card base.  I have to think about that more.  It may not need it, it may distract from the focal piece.  I'll see what I can come up with.

So with notes taken and lessons learned, I hope you enjoyed this card.  I found it on Pinterest and I just had to make one.  

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

2 comments:

Patty said...

Came across your post this morning & couldn't help commenting that I went through the same smudge/ink mistakes as you! I was making a set of 5 cards in different colors with the same flower stamp. I could only salvage three of them! I saw this tool that Jennifer McGuire says will take of ink, and I'm going to buy it and see! It's the Tombow Mono Sand Remover. I figure it's worth a shot if it will keep me from ruining some cards!!

Susan said...

Oh, I did enjoy reading this post, it made me feel normal! Smudges can appear from nowhere! Plus, I think your card is lovely. Couldn't work out at first where you were going with the window sheet, then it all made sense. Thanks for sharing, mistakes and all. I love this stamp set, even though at first I thought it was a bit limited, but now it is high on my list of favourites. Great post.