Love it when that happens.
This time sponging, I used two colors (SU's summer sun and more mustard) to add some depth to the background and used a simple silhouette branch (also from SU) to be the focal point.
I love how the stripe of color is ever so slightly too small to fully contain the branches, how the image of this single highlighted plant looks so special against glowing autumnal gold, and how the sentiment focuses on gratitude!
Yep, here's another Thanksgiving Crusade Card!!!! How's your Thanksgiving Crusade coming along?
On another subject altogether, reader Karen asked me what I do with cards I'm not quite happy with. It depends on what I don't like about a card. If there's anything obvious wrong with it (something crooked, not stamped cleanly, an unbalanced design), I pitch it right away. I cut the front off and toss it, and reuse the back for scraps.
My scrap drawer overfloweth.
If it's just that I don't like something about a card (the color combo, the image, an embellishment, a minor design flaw), I usually hold onto it for a while. Time lets me see more clearly if there is, indeed, something egregiously wrong or if I'm seeing flaws where there are merely questions of personal preference and style. Generally after some time passes, if I would give a card a grade of B+ or better, I'm willing to send it out either for personal use or to OWH. Anything below a B+ gets filed in the circular file.
I overcame my perfectionist tendencies as far as B+. You should be proud of me. That took YEARS of serious meditation.
In this post, where I showed my before and after designs demonstrating proportion, I'm keeping the before card in my OWH pile right beside the after card. My quibbles with the before card are small design issues--and mainly only noticeable by me, judging from the comments!--and I don't hate it. It's not bad...just too brown and busy for my taste, with a minor design flaw.
I hope all this makes sense. It's getting late, and I'm off to the Land of Nod. Don't forget to play along with Karen's OLW Challenge!
Supplies
stamps: SU, Papertrey (sentiment)
ink: SU, Memento
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: sponge, post-its
Your sponging is very striking and is a perfect background for the branch. The two colors are gorgeous together and are perfectly blended.
ReplyDeleteHi Susan, the blending of the two colors is giving a glow like effect behind the plant which is so endearing!! I also appreciate your point of the plant just a lil off from the stamped area, kinda free-flowing and out of set boundaries....
ReplyDeleteI have only followed last few posts of yours and enjoy the writing and your lovely creations. I like that you are able to explain with such clarity whatever is not right in a particular work. With me it is always that 'it does not feel right' and I can not pinpoint what that is....and a process of trial and error follows....
http://www.kalasirjana.blogspot.in/
As always, Susan, another beautifully CAS card. The little fronds sticking over the blended panel are, in my eyes, perfect. Your posts are always inspiring and informative. Wonderful card, wonderful blog. Bev
ReplyDeleteThanks once again for your kind words (sponge goddess? the mind boggles). I love the richness of your sponged panel and the lovely silhouette that creeps over the edges.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day,
Heather
Love it.
ReplyDeleteLove this card, Susan. You did a fabulous job on your sponging, and it definitely glows! Thanks for answering my question, and congrats on overcoming your perfectionistic grading of your cards. We are our own worst critics!
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful Susan! I love the sponged panel, and the way the branch overlaps. And it's lovely to read about your feelings about your cards. I can be critical of mine sometimes but I don't often admit it in public lol!
ReplyDeleteLizy xx
Soooo pretty! Love the color! :)
ReplyDeletethis glows .. so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Bonnie (Stamping with Klass) I found your blog. I've been inspired by Heather forever, but never thought I could do her sponging. However, I've had a card in my head very similar to yours & now you've inspired me to get it done! Did you emboss the branch before sponging or it doesn't smear even stamped in dye ink?
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely card and I think the simplicity would work nicely as a sympathy card.
ReplyDelete