My family has a lot of October and November birthdays, and most are for women. For this card, I wanted to make a positive yet soothing birthday card for a relative who's going through a stupendously rough time.
I toyed with the idea of adding more chocolate to the area of the stars, but the blush blossom really is very relaxing, don't you think? Increasing the contrast with more chocolate or even some close to cocoa would have upped the energy of the card. As it is, the cinnamon VersaColor ink I used on the stars is slightly darker than the blush blossom, which gives a bit of dimension. The gemstones are perfectly understated as well. The chocolate sentiment does draw attention to the message, which is small and not overwhelming.
When you're making a card for someone specific, do you try to do something you think they would like/need/appreciate, or do you follow your Muse? My Muse likes this layout a lot, but she says this card is a tad boring in color. I'm ignoring her because my heart says it's the best for the recipient. Plenty of my cards aren't for someone specific--I've sent over 600 to the troops this year--so my Muse gets to do what she wants a lot.
Sometimes, it's all about the recipient. I hope this card gives her a hug. She needs as many as she can get.
Grady Update: For those who are interested, Grady is doing very well. He just needs to be able to regulate his body temperature, and he can go home! He's eating, sleeping, breathing, and fussing just like he ought to do. I got to hear him squeak on the phone! Babies make so many fun noises...and some not so fun, LOL! My sister is also recovering well. Thanks to all of you for the good wishes and prayers.
Perfect card. Loved hearing about Grady. And kudos to you for supporting our troops in such a generous way. And when I get home, I'm casing this card. I've got all of the same stuff.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear Grady and your sister are doing well!! I really like this layout too! I am going to try my hand at it this weekend. I am wondering if you are doing something different these days when taking photos of your cards. They look like they are made of Bashful Blue cardstock and not white which is making the other colors look different too. It might just be my monitor...but your older cards still look fine. Just thought I'd let you know!!
ReplyDeleteDonelda, I think it's the result of too much cloudy weather lately. I try to take my pics beside a window for natural light, but lately it's been so cloudy when I've needed to shoot. I'll try to mess around with color balance better when that happens. The red and white Christmas card I did a few days ago looks fine on my monitor, but the last two days (with the blush blossom cards) do look blue-ish on my monitor, too.
ReplyDeleteLove this one! Might have to give this one a try myself. ;0)
ReplyDeleteAhhhhhhh! (sigh!) Here we go! VERY soothing....the Grady Report AND the card.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't have thought 4 stars would be legit, but the separation in size and focus makes them all perfectly perfect.
Thanks so much for being you, exactly as you are!
Brilliant news about Grady and your sister ... gladdens the heart to know all is well.....
ReplyDeleteAhhhh another beautiful card,I love the gentle colouring of this one ... always listen to your heart and you can't go far wrong.
Hope your relative gets all the hugs she needs and more.
TFS
Beautiful card, tho I did wonder fleetingly if it was a blue base, then realized that sometimes my cards come out "bluish" when I photo them, too.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear that Grady is continuing to do so well!
So glad to hear Grady is doing well! When I'm making a card for a specific recipient, I definitely try to use colors and images I think they will like. By the way, I find it much harder to make a card for a specific person, rather than just to make cards I like! Good for you for having made more than 600 cards for troops already this year! That's awesome!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great card. It has just the right feel. I really like the colors and layout. Love the little gems on there. Great job
ReplyDeleteThis is understated and beautiful! It sounds like it's perfect for your relative. I'm glad to hear that your nephew is doing well.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right about the soothing result with Blush Blossom and low contrast. This is a very soothing card in an uplifting sort of way. Pretty, too!
ReplyDeleteGood for you, following your muse, generally, and sending all those cards to the troops. My muse is all over the place, but when making a card for a specific person I try to fit their personality. My muse is not always present for those cards.
Good news about Grady and your sister. It's good to hear both are doing well.
Very pretty card and the soft colors are perfect!
ReplyDeleteThis is a nice, soft color combo that says "happy birthday" without all the fanfare. I like too that you used the "make a wish" sentiment which, although is perfect for a bday card also seems appropriate to send to someone going through a rough time because they can wish for better things to come.
ReplyDeleteGood news about Grady.
Oh, I forgot to mention... if I am making a card for a specific person, I do keep in mind what their style is or things they like. So cards for my mom often feature cats or dogs and ones for my "girly girl" friend have lots of bling. I like being able to personalize things that way.
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