Easy Embrace Life Card

Brenda,

I love the simple card you did, but you gave me a big challenge....

how.....by needing a simple card....I had not done this in ages so....

just for the fun of it..... I challenged my self to use mostly white card stock with one other color. I only used markers. The flower is colored with Apricot Appeal then I used close to cocoa for the stem. I did cheat a bit and used my aqua painter to dab Groovy guava ink from the pad onto the flower. I scored the bottom of the card three times at 1/2" intervals then added flower brads. You could add ribbon instead, they were already out so I used them.

Now......here is my challenge to everyone else. Make a card with a white background and one color card stock. Only use one embellishment and markers to color your images. Use the stamp set Embrace Life. Lets give Brenda lots of ideas to send off to her cousin. Thanks for playing along. Paula

Advice Needed on Simple Birthday Card

I'd like to make a simple birthday card for a cousin who is just starting to stamp. She recently purchased the SU Embrace Life stamp set and a full set of markers. She doesn't have much colored cardstock so my thought was to make a card with a white background.



I apologize for the coordinating background but it just faded into the white background when I used that. I can retake the photo with a black background if that will help.

It is difficult to see but I used a Regal Rose Marker to edge all around the card as well as sponging around the main image. It's been so long since I've done a simple card that I'm having trouble deciding if I'm done or if it needs something else.

What is everyone's opinion? Thank you in advance for your ideas!

Soda can Embellishment- bare or leave alone

Hello there, I am Susan Daly and I am new to Stamping Critique. This is my first post.

I made this card for Card Positioning System's weekly sketch. My main focus in this card was the oval embellishment that I made out of a soda can. I wanted to highlight how the embellishment turned out.

My question is should I add more to this card or leave it alone. It may look a bit bare.

What's Wrong With This Card? - Update Last (Thanks!)

I thought this would work, but I am not liking it much right now. What's wrong with it? Should I lose the tan patterned strip? Is it the wrong ribbon (the only one I had that was not red + white-white)? Should I not emboss the sentiment? Should I lose the glitter spots? Does it need some more off-white somewhere? WHAT?! Sigh ....

Thanks in advance...





Love the ideas, ladies! Keep 'em coming! I firmly believe in baby steps, and when possible I only like to change one thing at a time. First up is making the eagle pop a little more.


I really like the idea, though I do not think my execution is on the mark. I think I'll lose (or narrow) the tan strip next. I still believe it needs some more white ... somewhere .... maybe ... oooh, maybe some white glitter instead of red? I'll sleep on this and try again tomorrow. Thanks for the help!!!












Here we are again! I broke my own rules and changed two things: I added the white layer behind the blue and I changed the ribbon. I decided to leave the tan patterned paper since the ribbon was not so much of a contrast any more. I might go back and trim the white layer to match the blue scallops ...

I think it is MUCH better, and on its way to being an okay card. :-)

Do you think the sentiment is passable now? I was going to try either leaving it off entirely so the card could be used for any occasion, or maybe using my Cuttlebug Olivia alphabet to do the sentiment instead of stamping it. I may also lose the red glitter gunk and replace it with clear Stickles.

Thanks, as always, for the great feedback!

I've decided not to bore you with all the in-between steps that have happened since the previous post, and just show you this last version; and I think I like it.

I trimmed the bottom of the white layer, and I like it better. I tried to use the Olivia alphabet for the sentiment, but it was wider than the whole card, so I opted for what you see here. I also covered up the red glitter spots with clear glitter Stickles.

Thanks for all of your great suggestions! It really helped me see beyond the idea in my head and make it better. :-)

Kristin.

Kristin, I used your wonderful card as a guideline.
I did not have the same stripe paper and I was to lazy to go in the other room to get the same stamp out, but....I did use your card as my guideline.

Since the rub-ons were hard to see on my striped paper I took them off. First, I put the stripe paper onto a solid color piece of card stock (you can just barely see the Wild Wasabi behind the striped paper). I then added a different piece of designer paper with the same colors to break up the middle of the card. It is mounted on Pumpkin Pie. I then added the flower and since I did not want to go digging for a big brad, I used an eyelet. I stuck it on a piece of pumpkin pie scalloped card stock because it did not stand out enough like your pretty flower with the white edge. I stamped happy birthday, and mounted it in the middle of the second piece of designer series paper to break it up a bit. I added the ribbon and just tied a knot. A ribbon slider would accomplish the same thing. I then added the three orange brads to fill some of the empty space. I loved your layout, I just added too it. You are on the right tract and I like what you did, I just went one step farther by filling in some of the middle.

Rubber Hugs, Paula

Need something??

I whipped this up quickly yesterday after a serious lack of stamping, and hoping something would just come to me. Sometimes I can stamp like that successfully and sometimes I can't. I'm not sure this time. I like it, but wondering if it needs a little something else?? Another sentiment?? Thanks for your help!

Kristin

One time only special offer

To stimulate growth on this blog we are running a drawing from 6/1/08 - 6/30/08. Anyone who posts artwork to be critiqued will have their name entered into a drawing for a grab bag of ribbon. I live near the Offray ribbon outlet and I can stuff many ROLLS (as in 1 yard to 6 yards) of ribbon into a mailer. Ribbon is light and I'll open this up to our international friends as well. Leslie (my co-moderator) and I are not eligible to win, but we are allowed to post to the blog during the contest

Our goal is for this blog to have 1 new piece of artwork posted per week. Help us meet that goal- sharpen your artwork and your critique skills.

I know personally, I learn a lot from reading the critiques- it can be very helpful to hear why something isn't working!