Turn Things Around
It seems as if the world is full of negativity, hard times, and bad stuff. Sometimes it is simply our perspective on the situation. And sometimes it is that bad things are happening! Even when we experience challenging things or hard times seem to be all around us, we can choose to look at it all from a different vantage point. This is true not only in the world around us but it is true when looki
ng at our crafting.
Let’s look at some products and how we use them with fresh eyes. Let the creative juices flow. Start looking at the negative pieces of dies. Look at the images in your stamp sets; turn the images around, upside down, sideways, and see if it sparks some creative thought. What can you do with an image that is outside the box? Use a punched image in a new way by trimming it up. What sets can you combine to create a new and different image, product or project?
Using the Negative
Consider using the pieces left over when you use dies. The dies I used were from the Stitched So Sweetly set. The negative images from the largest rectangle and the second largest rectangle formed the double frame for this card. I made sure that I centered the dies in the middle of the pieces of cardstock. The best part of this is that not only did I have the frame images I created but I was also left with the rectangle die images to use on another card.
First I cut a 4 x 5 1/4 piece of Gorgeous Grape cardstock and used the largest stitched rectangle To create the double framed effect I took another piece of cardstock of the same size (4 x 5 1/4) in Highland Heather which is a lighter shade.
I kept this die cut image to use later. The card base is 81/2 x 5 1/5 in Whisper White. To ensure I was stamping within the window space I set the smallest window frame on top of the Whisper White to get a visual idea of where to stamp. I removed the frame and then I inked the large flower image from Beautiful Friendship (149252 $22 USD) in Gorgeous Grape ink and stamped it in the center of the Whisper White cardbase. I used Crushed Curry ink on the interior image of the flower (piston’s perhaps) and Pear Pizzazz on the leaf images to add some dimension and interest. Next, I adhered the two frame layers to the cardbase using Stampin’ Dimensionals making sure the larger rectangle is on the top.
I threaded the Bumblebee Gingham ribbon (153658 $7 USD) through the top frame layer and tied it in a knot. I chose to do a knot but a bow would look cute here too. The color contrast between the Gorgeous Grape and the Highland Heather worked perfectly for the negative images that created the double frame. This card turned out beautifully! Talk about turning a negative into a positive!
Upside Down
Sometimes you need to look at an object with new eyes to see it in a different way. For this card I used a die from the Smooth Sailing die set (149576 $32 USD) . Can you tell which die cut piece is from this set? This die set coordinates with the Sailing Home Stamp Set(149457 $24 USD). Do you see it? It is the smaller sailboat turned upside down to create the ice cream cone in Crumb Cake. Then I used an embossing folder (not yet available- ssh! It’s coming out in the August-December Mini Catalog) to give the cone texture.
I used a circle from the Stitched Shapes die set (152323 $30 USD) to create the ice cream scoops in Blushing Bride, Mint Macaron, and Calypso Coral (all from the Subtles Collection) and the Stitched So Sweetly die set (151690 $32 UDS) for the rectangle in Soft Sea Foam. The printed paper is our Flowers For Every Season Designer Series Paper (152486 $11.50 USD) and it is a great deal; you receive 48 sheets of 6×6 paper. There are 4 each of 12 double-sided designs. The beautiful designs are floral and geometric in this pack which is why I chose this to accent the card. The darker blue is one of our new In-colors; Misty Moonlight. The blue green is Just Jade which is also a new In Color! Don’t they make the card pop?
See that cute ribbon on the bottom? It is also Misty Moonlight from the Flowers For Every Season Ribbon Combo Pack (153620 $10 USD). This pack comes with three different ribbons: Just Jade Gingham Ribbon, Whisper White Faux Linen Ribbon, and Misty Moonlight/silver Baker’s Twine (which was used here). I created the sweet Happy Day tag using the Lovely Labels Pick A Punch (152883 $23 USD) to trim both ends of the Whisper White cardstock. Then I inked up the Happy Day stamp from Itty Bitty Greetings (151331 $36 USD) in Calypso Coral ink and stamped it in the center of the tag.
