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!

Help Needed on Wedding Card - Take 2

Hi Everyone!

I am trying to make this wedding card using the SU To Have and To Hold stamp set and I'm stuck.



The card stock is Bashful Blue and Whisper White and I have heat embossed the sentiment in white. It's difficult to see but I've also heat embossed the pair of hearts from the stamp set randomly on the background in white and started to put some glitter on the gown. I'm thinking of adding more glitter to the gown but it still seems to be lacking something. I'm also wondering if the sentiment pops enough.

Thanks in advance for your always-helpful comments!

*****************************************************************

UPDATED 04/30/08:

Sorry that I seemd to have dropped off the face of the earth but as I'm sure you all find...there are just not enough hours in the day. This is a just-because card and not a I-need-it-now card so it fell to the bottom of the heap. I took your advice on the ribbon and this is the first version.



And Jolie, I like your idea of taking the couple off entirely. I'll post it when I do have time to make it.

Thanks to everyone! (And keep your comments coming if you see something on this card that you would add or change!).

Now What? - Takes 3 & 4

I've made this much of the card so far, and all it's got is potential. I think. When I am faced with a busy background like this, I freeze. I am really bad at collage-y things, too, probably for the same reason.

Any ideas for a sentiment? No sentiment? Wha?

Thanks in advance!

Update: I loved the idea of a coffee theme!!! I had this sentiment out (er, not put away yet), and I used the coffee cup from part of an A Muse image.

I used the blue for matting the sentiment to try and pull that color out a little. Do you think it also needs a layer of green before the brown?

I also really liked the idea of chipboard letters, but all of mine are as big as the card, so I opted to not use them.;-) I'll just file that idea away for another time!

Too much? Too little? Maybe some brads in the top corners?

Update Last:

For this version I added a green layer, and Ithink I like this one much better than the previous one.

Then I went a little crazy. I do not have a big coffee cup, but since I liked the idea of the sentiment on the cup, I tried to make one. I think if I leave off the silly line (my attempt to define the top of the cup), it will work.

Any final thoughts? Wanna vote? :-)

Thanks, as usual, for all your input!

Color Help Needed

I have been practicing shading with watercolor markers.

I need ideas for color palettes for this stamp. I can't tell if I just don't like the image or if it has potential if I picked colors that were harmonious.

This project has a ton of detail work and

I do think it's beautiful but it still needs something to finishi it off...I made it long ago but was not impressed with the results so I put it away and it has been sitting idle with no home to give it love...So sad!

Give me some ideas if you will...TIA

{ I am so sorry!! }

Just wanted to apologize to everyone for the personal post. Something very strange with blogger today. I posted on my personal blog...then read it afterward, on my personal blog...and now was informed that it was on Stamping Critique! Again, I am sorry...it is gone now. :0)

I Need Your Help!

What does this card need? I was thinking of putting something white on the bottom middle/right? Does it need anything or should I just leave my hands off of it?

It just feels like there is something missing.

Its hard to tell as the base card is Whisper White card stock. I then layered Sofst Sky then Designer Series paper. I placed the White taffeta ribbon around the card then added the sentiment stamped in Soft Sky onto Whisper White then punched out with the scallop punch. This was layered onto soft sky then whisper white. Does it need anything else????? Thanks for your help. Paula.

Playing with Stuck Again sketch

To Stuck Again. I hope you do not mind me playing with your sketch. I really liked the basic layout so I just played around with it and this is what I came up with.

I added the turquoise eyelets to the upper right area so it did not look so bare. I actually could have gone with more white rubons but I did not think they would show up enough.

I used a stripe paper for the center of the card in the same family and just backed it with certainly celery card stock. I used scissors to notch the corners. I then used the scallop punch on tempting turquoise and 1-1/4" circle for the center. You can stamp just about anything in it. I needed a get well card so that is what I stamped. I should of sponged around the white circle but I had already stuck it down.

I hope you don't mind my creative license with your sketch. Happy Stamping, Paula

Stuck, again ... UPDATED!

I almost always get stuck at this point in the card-making process. I see pretty paper, and I see the SU colors in it, and I put them together. Perfect match! Now what?

Actually, this is all SU stuff, so of course it was a perfect match! But I have no idea what to do with it now. I could look at it for a week, but then I thought I'd solicit ideas from all of you! :-)

Please ignore that mangled corner. I tried white rub-ons - failed. I tried folding it up to hid the rub-ons - not too excited about that. I punched a notched corner in the folded part ... See? I need HELP!!! All ideas will be warmly received!

Update: I humbly ask you to a lot of pretending here...pretend there is no extra hole in the top corner...pretend the brads are not retired...and pretend the bottom corner is not still mangled.

Thanks to Paula I got a clue, and I went with her idea! I really like the idea of mixing the patterned papers, and I took her idea of the scallop and substituted two Sale-A-Bration sets in its place. I think when I re-do this I'll use the Teal instead of Turquoise for the scallop.

Thanks for the suggestions! What do you think?