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Monday, March 13, 2017

Christmas Inspiration and Hoarding

So there's an awesome card by Jill Foster I saw on Pinterest that served as inspiration for today's Christmas card. I took the idea of clear-embossing resist and the layout from Jill's fabulous card, made the stamped area smaller (more white space!), used a Tim Holtz mini blending tool rather than watercolor, and simplified the design.

The influence of Jill's card, however, is easy to see.





To make the card, I used masks (simple post-it notes) to create a soft gradient on green for the top two-thirds of the stamped panel (after clear-embossing the pine branch, of course) and then the red strip on the bottom. The sentiment sits in the middle...uniting the natural, peaceful green with the joyful, energetic red. So simple. So clean. So festive!

Now, some thoughts on hoarding.

Regular readers might remember that I periodically cull older sets from my stash, store them in my unfinished basement (cold storage), and then revisit them a year later. The usual result is a sale of grab bags so I have more cash for new stamps. If I didn't pull the stamps out of storage in the course of a year, the logic goes, I clearly don't need them.

Something different happened this time.

Peaceful Pinecones, the stamp set used to make today's card, came from storage. It was so much fun to play with, I decided to go through the whole box and reconsider all the sets. In the end, all but four sets (probably thirty sets in all) went back into my regular stash, forcing me to rearrange stamps and pull out additional CD storage boxes.

It's all so surreal.

With such a massive influx of stamps I've not used in a year, it might be a while before I buy new stamps. Some (perhaps many) of these sets will likely end up back in cold storage, but Peaceful Pinecones won't be one of them. Its classic, clean images should never have ended up in cold storage in the first place.

I do not have a problem.

I do not have a problem.

I do not have a problem.

Do I?

Mercy, grace, peace, and love,
Susan



Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Peaceful Pinecones
ink: Tim Holtz Distress inks, Versamark (for embossing)
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: clear embossing powder, heat gun, post-it notes, craft foam, glue, mini inking tool

13 comments:

  1. You do not (have not had and will not) have a problem.

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  2. You just saw creative possibilities from a re-newed and fresh perspective!...and I, for one, cannot wait to see what you create with them! This card is wonderful! Your color combinations are amazing (I am severely challenged in that department!).

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  3. I don't think we're probably the ones you should be asking about this. :)

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  4. Beautiful card. Love the blending and resist technique. I enjoy your daily emails. You only have ONE box in cold storage? I'll bet I have at least 30 boxes (lg. flat rate size), plus Iris carts, in my 'cold storage'. I need to revisit and purge. Lots of PTI sets, but need to find the matching dies. I'm a hoarder.

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  5. PS: Since the Blizzard has begun here in CT, today might be a day to CASE your card. Love the way it's put together. It's never too early to start making holiday cards.

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  6. I love Peaceful Pinecones-- it's definitely one to keep. And your layout is perfect for this set ; thank you for the inspiration!

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  7. What do you put in your CD boxes to "hold" the stamps? I used the sheet they come on, but they still keep falling off!!

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  8. Your card is really so lovely! The original inspiration is beautiful but I love how you translated that into your style.

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  9. First, I love the card. I hope to try this technique and get somewhere near the result you did. Second, about hoarding. Sometimes I can justify my spending on stamping supplies (it helps me express my creativity, the money might be going somewhere else that is very bad for me, stamping is something I can share with others, and so forth), but at other times I just feel guilty, guilty, guilty.

    One thing I have been doing with my stash is culling stamps I'm not in love with and using them as prizes at my monthly stamp camp. My guests are thrilled to come away with a free gift and that makes me feel good, too.

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  10. Truly a card filled with peace and joy. So glad you reconsidered.

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  11. Angela is right that we probably aren't the ones to ask if you have a problem because it is obvious you don't, mostly because if you have it so do we. I try not to look at the stamps I've decided to part with. However, if I go to sell them and they don't well.... well then I can legitimately have them back. That's my wacky logic.

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  12. No, you do not have a problem. You wouldn't wonder about it if you did - LOL!

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment!