Today's card shows how abstract images like this swirly backgound can be cut into pieces and make a wonderful focal point. (Cutting up images of people or animals is dicier...no pun intended. Mostly, though not always, it just looks weird.)
Cut and popped, these swirls gain visual interest, even if the act of cutting them really has little to do with the image or the sentiment. Using red on white heightens the visual interest and also provides a link between the image and the theme of the sentiment, which ultimately unifies this card for me.
I made this card on a standard size card for an A2 envelope, but had to trim the bottom off to balance it...there was just too much white space on the bottom; I think because the image itself is heavy, it needed less space below it to ground it. I'm not even sure what the final measure was...I just kept trimming a bit until it balanced better. Next time I do this, I'll try to get before and after shots to show why I sometimes chop bottoms off cards.
Off to brave the crowds at Best Buy to exchange the non-functional Wii that totally disappointed my children yesterday. Sigh. Wish me luck.
WOW!!!
ReplyDeleteWOW!!
WOW!
JUST WHEN I THINK I COULDN'T POSSIBLY LOVE ONE OF YOUR CARDS BETTER................
HOW DO YOU DO THIS??!!
WHAT A TALENT YOU ARE!!
and how lucky for me to have discovered you.
thank you once again.
you made my day. again!
marty ferraro
p.s. i first found you on your splitcoast site when i saw your
"good things grow" notecards. simple and spectacular. i was hooked. thanks! :)
I only recently found your blog and just love your cards and the simplicity of them!
ReplyDeleteIt confirms the old saying that "less IS more!!"
Blessings this holiday season :o)
So many possibilities...
ReplyDeleteI love the red swirls and have always liked the split panel effect, which can work with some images, but definitely not others!
This is fantastic! A great idea too; I'll have to ponder if I have a stamp this will work with.
ReplyDeleteLove this! The design cut apart really is more interesting than it would have been as one piece. I do agree that this works well as a square card. I often struggle with that myself - deciding if something works as an A2 or if square is more balanced.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't have gone out shopping (or exchaning) today for anything. Hope the crowds and lines weren't too ridiculous.
Oh Wow, I can hardly wait for the holidays to be over so I can reclaim my dining room/"studio" and unpack the many cartons to find stamps that would make great panel candidates. What a genius concept.
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch, AGAIN.
Broken Wii from Best Buy is so common it makes me wonder if they've ever sold one that is NOT broken of if the broken one you take back just gets shrink wrapped and put back on the shelf. It's SUCH a disappointment for the kids! :-(
I agree with your first commenter, Marty Ferraro - this card is "da bomb"!! WOW!! Perfect!
ReplyDeleteI discovered your blog for the first time today on a very wet post Christmas day in Brisbane Australia (perfect for card making). Your style is inspirational and exactly the kind of design you need when doing cards in bulk. This design is just so beautiful and simple. Keep up the great work
ReplyDeleteStunning! As usual!
ReplyDeleteanother winning design Susan!!! Love it, totally inspired by it!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteRed and white and wonderful! Jo x
ReplyDeleteAs always Susan your cards are beautiful and inspiring. I've made a congratulations card for a friend and your card was absolutly the perfect starting point. My card can be found at I SPI. Thanks for sharing such wonderful cards.
ReplyDeleteFantastic! This is a real show stopper!!
ReplyDeleteWow!!! Love this one, Susan!
ReplyDeleteI really, really like this card! Would love to see before and after shots!
ReplyDeleteLove the card. Glad you had a lovely Christmas. I thought my Wii was broken at first too but turned out I had it upside down so the DVD was in upside down too!!
ReplyDeleteHope you got a working one now!!
I use what I call the "rule of thirds" from photography. Your (beautiful, as usual) card is balanced now because the red design and saying are in the middle third. That's why you had to cut off some of the bottom to balance it. The same thing is true vertically. I envision my designs as being placed in a 9-square grid, which becomes instinctive after a while. When something seems "off" that's usually why. (Hope this helps!)
ReplyDeletePS--there's an example on my blog entry for Nov. 3, 2007. I had the same problem and the same solution!
ReplyDeleteFantastic panel card and love the bold red!
ReplyDeleteQuite simply;
ReplyDeleteI love it.
Thanks for sharing.
I'm totally in love with this card, Susan! I'll be CASEing this one for sure. It's good to back visiting my fave stamping blog - it's been awhile!
ReplyDelete