Renaissance Flourish

Sometimes, I buy a stamp or stamp set for sentimental reasons. This always generates creative issues because stamps purchased for sentimental reasons often don't make me happy when I start to make cards with them.

I like the idea of the set, not working with the actual set.

*sigh*

Such is the case with Shakespearean Poetry from Hero Arts. I adore the idea of this set but have struggled mightily to make satisfyingly LateBlossom-y cards using it. When I saw this card by Rosemary Dennis in Take Ten, however, I decided to give the set another try.

At first glance, this choice may seem out of left field. Rosemary's card has a lovely, natural, rustic feel combined with Papertrey's Dot Spot, which is so delightfully geometric. The tension between those two styles works perfectly in Rosemary's card, but why in the world would it make me think "Renaissance flourish"?

Well, that great layout is incredibly versatile and can be adapted to any number of styles. It focuses on a stamped background with a clean border demarcated by a ribbon. You could use all sorts of stamps for this...including the large flourish in Shakespearean Poetry, and here's the result.

How very satisfying! Note that I switched from portrait to landscape orientation for the card. Now, I don't care what your orientation is, truly, but sometimes stamps work better oriented one way and sometimes they work better oriented another way. That big flourish works better oriented horizontally, and we shan't judge it for that.

Rosemary works with squares and circles and dots and lots of asymmetry on her card, all to excellent effect. But my big stamp needed a bigger panel, which in turn required symmetrical matting. Tweaks like these are de rigueur in adapting layouts. Go with them. Flow. It's fun!

The aquamarine and charcoal inks, combined with satin ribbon and pearls, make an elegant statement, don't they? I love how the basic layout of Rosemary's card works equally well for both her rustic, dotty interpretation and my elegant Renaissance flourish.

When you're looking at a layout for inspiration, don't be at all afraid to experiment with a completely different style and whatever tweaks you need to make that work.

You might end up with a flourish!

Mercy, grace, peace, and love (and apologies for the very bad last sentence),
Susan

Supplies
stamps: Hero Arts Shakespearean Poetry, Clear and Simple sentiment
ink: Hero Arts charcoal and ocean
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: satin ribbon, half pearls, ScorTape (to attach ribbon), dimensionals, scallop scissors (to snip the corners of the stamped panel)