Sunday, August 16, 2020

Re-Inspired during The Great Weirdness

 In The Great Weirdness, I find my mind doesn't work the way it used to. It's often irritable, restless, and far more negative that it usually is. I mean, my mind usually doesn't say, "The glass is half full." My mind says, "Hey, that glass is refillable!!!"

But The Great Weirdness is a thing. And sometimes the glass is empty.

After spending far too long surfing Pinterest for inspiration, I got the idea to let my previous cards inspire me. That led me to make these two cards, inspired by THIS CARD, which was inspired by THIS CARD. So the original inspiration wasn't, in fact, my card, but someone else's, whose pin has been adulterated with a spam link.


If you bother reading my original post for this design, you'll note that it took many steps to make that card. This card went together rather quickly, mainly because I skipped the embossing. The colors are Distress mustard seed and speckled egg. I used the inking tool to ink scraps for the solid panels...which gives a very different look than colored cardstock. 



While some of my adopted college students have returned to school, some have (like our son Nick) opted to stay home this semester. All of Nick's classes are online, and he didn't fancy another shot at the roommate lottery. The above card will go in a care package to one of the girls who's returned to campus. 

The ones staying home to study will still get packages, though. The Great Weirdness is so hard on all of them. 

After I finished the card above, I still had some small scraps of mustard seed and speckled egg paper. The following card came from using them. I like it a LOT. 




Which version do you like best? Why?

I hope you're doing as well as you can in The Great Weirdness. I start teaching on the 24th, two classes online. It's getting exciting as the plan comes together! But oh, my. It's so weird.

Mercy, grace, peace, love, and kindness,

Susan

18 comments:

  1. Hello! I’m with you about the Great Wilderness. I like the 2nd card best. Thank you for sharing.

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  2. The Great Weirdness is the best name I've heard for these strange times. And your cards are both stunning. I prefer the second, because it has dragonflies on it - I can't resist a dragonfly.

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    1. Dragonflies are pretty, aren't they? I saw some lovely black and iridescent red ones at Yellowstone years ago...still remember them.

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  3. I love your new name for this situation ... I'm going to use The Great Weirdness too.
    I love your colour combination (and using that difficult leaf stamp - I think I have it too!). I like both cards, but the first one made my soul sigh. So balanced and lots of space to breathe.

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  4. First off Love Love Love the colours. Secondly I needed this sign today. Feeling low with my husbands recent passing and just reading the "you can do it" brought a glimmer of hope. The butterflies and dragonflies are also signs from above. Thanks for sharing, great job.

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    1. Nancy, when my husband died a couple of years ago, my stamping hobby kept me sane. I feel so blessed to have this wonderful hobby which allows me to "disappear" for hours and hold sadness at arm's length. I am sorry to hear about your husband...these first couple of years are a real journey that only you can travel. You CAN do it.

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    2. Oh, Nancy, I'm so sorry for your pain. Hugs and hope to you.

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  5. Susan, looks like we all love "The Great Weirdness"...sums it up pretty well! I am partial to your first card... colors, layout & simplicity are a perfect combo!

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  6. I really, really love the colors you used, Susan. Number two is my favorite because of the texture. Stay well, please.

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  7. The second card made me smile. Not sure why but maybe because there are even numbered items on it and that is rather odd (no pun intended!) I too find the colors pleasing together and I am not a yellow person. Paired together they remind me of a friends use of blue flowers on yellow fabric that she used in all of her living room, kitchen and dining room back in 1987. Maybe that memory made me smile!
    2020 has not been what I thought it would be...and yes I agree it is weird. Very, very weird.
    Faye

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    1. Sometimes breaking the rules works just fine, doesn't it?

      Your comment reminded me that my sister-in-law had a blue and yellow living room/dining room in her house. So pretty!

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  8. Both cards are gorgeous. Soft and full of little details. Love blue and yellow. I use other language to describe 2020!!! HA

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment!