Mother's Day
Well, Mother's Day is just around the corner, so thought I'd use my "Happy Mother's Day" stamp that I picked up last week to try and get back into making cards. This is how it turned out.
I used some neat-o techniques on this card. I inked the writing on the stamp like one regularly would with a pad. Then, for the flower I flipped the stamp over and colored the flower with a special pen (specifically designed for this technique) and colored the stem green in the same manner. Then I stamped. After, I colored the flower in with a colored pencil and took a Q-Tip dabbed in olive oil (and blotted on a scrap piece of paper) and used that to blend where I had colored with the colored pencil. I did the same for the paper flowers to the left of the card. I LOVE the results of this technique.
Pretty, but boring, if you ask me. I am feeling frustration when it comes to my cards. I feel like I have to psych myself up to make them, and when I sit down and make a card it doesn't necessarily turn out as good, or exactly as I would like. Perhaps this is because I have begun comparing my work to others'? I look thru other people's work and my paper to get inspiriation, but it's just not working. Whatever the reason, I do NOT enjoy the feeling of not being able to produce my best. Perhaps this is what writer's block feels like? A blockage of the creative juices? It's not fun.
I am doing something to battle this, however. I've begun keeping a small sketchbook of ideas to use when something strikes my fancy. Now, as many of you do, I do have a Cricut that I do use quite frequently. I also have the Gypsy, which allows you to design a Cricut card on the go. These are both useful and fun tools to use, but I have found that using my Cricut and Gypsy have also changed the way that I design and make cards. It's more strict. There's not as much inspiration from paper. So I decided that a good old fashioned sketchbook is the way to go. Particularly for the days and projects that I don't necessarily want to use my Cricut (it's currently unplugged - I'm not even using it lately!)
On the other hand, my jewelry has been going quite well. I have been actively creating, photographing, posting, tagging, bagging and preparing for the street fair that is in May. I'm begining to gather my things and whatever I may need for my booth.
I recently made a pair of bow earrings for the fair and my etsy site, and I went to all the trouble of filming and editing (which can take HOURS if you do it right) and then accidentally moved the files on my computer and lost everything. There is positively nothing more irksome and irritating than losing something that you worked so diligently on due to your own stupidity. Accept, of course, losing something due to a computer malfunction! I'm sure that you all know what I'm talking about.
I'm really going to push myself to make my cards better. I feel that focusing on 1 particular stamp and theme is really the way to do it. And working with layers and texture. Hopefully I can break out of this tragic wasteland of creative blockage!!!
I used some neat-o techniques on this card. I inked the writing on the stamp like one regularly would with a pad. Then, for the flower I flipped the stamp over and colored the flower with a special pen (specifically designed for this technique) and colored the stem green in the same manner. Then I stamped. After, I colored the flower in with a colored pencil and took a Q-Tip dabbed in olive oil (and blotted on a scrap piece of paper) and used that to blend where I had colored with the colored pencil. I did the same for the paper flowers to the left of the card. I LOVE the results of this technique.
Pretty, but boring, if you ask me. I am feeling frustration when it comes to my cards. I feel like I have to psych myself up to make them, and when I sit down and make a card it doesn't necessarily turn out as good, or exactly as I would like. Perhaps this is because I have begun comparing my work to others'? I look thru other people's work and my paper to get inspiriation, but it's just not working. Whatever the reason, I do NOT enjoy the feeling of not being able to produce my best. Perhaps this is what writer's block feels like? A blockage of the creative juices? It's not fun.
I am doing something to battle this, however. I've begun keeping a small sketchbook of ideas to use when something strikes my fancy. Now, as many of you do, I do have a Cricut that I do use quite frequently. I also have the Gypsy, which allows you to design a Cricut card on the go. These are both useful and fun tools to use, but I have found that using my Cricut and Gypsy have also changed the way that I design and make cards. It's more strict. There's not as much inspiration from paper. So I decided that a good old fashioned sketchbook is the way to go. Particularly for the days and projects that I don't necessarily want to use my Cricut (it's currently unplugged - I'm not even using it lately!)
On the other hand, my jewelry has been going quite well. I have been actively creating, photographing, posting, tagging, bagging and preparing for the street fair that is in May. I'm begining to gather my things and whatever I may need for my booth.
I recently made a pair of bow earrings for the fair and my etsy site, and I went to all the trouble of filming and editing (which can take HOURS if you do it right) and then accidentally moved the files on my computer and lost everything. There is positively nothing more irksome and irritating than losing something that you worked so diligently on due to your own stupidity. Accept, of course, losing something due to a computer malfunction! I'm sure that you all know what I'm talking about.
I'm really going to push myself to make my cards better. I feel that focusing on 1 particular stamp and theme is really the way to do it. And working with layers and texture. Hopefully I can break out of this tragic wasteland of creative blockage!!!
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