is it a challenge card or a challenging card

When I saw the Tuesday Trigger, I immediately envisioned the perfect card that would make me a Trigger Target. It made use of a Memory Box wreath stamp, gorgeous PTI autumn rose felt, sweet little berries that were a steal last year at Michael’s… but, wait, I had to burst that thought bubble before it got any bigger. I had no time for felt flowers; there were birthday cards to be made – for guys – which brings me back to the title of this post.

I, too, fall into that majority group of card makers, those who are challenged by masculine cards. I tend toward fussier cards with lots of layers and pretty colors, not something my brother-in-law would want to receive for his birthday. That fantasy in fall photo would not leave me be, though, so I decided to try to use it for inspiration for Jon’s card.

Three elements – the colors, the circles of the flowers, and the imbalanced weight – had the most influence on the card’s design. The colors started out as the four felt colors, but the rose shade, even though in a masculine pattern, pushed the card toward a more feminine feel. I ended up switching it to the orange dotted paper, which picked up the orange of the berries. The use of circles is fairly obvious with the layered circles visually capturing the shape and depth of the flowers. Lastly, the majority of the weight of both the wreath and the photo is found in one area. I tried to mimic that with the layered border running down the side of the card.

Generally, I am a very literal person and would have run with a wreath design, no explanations required. It was fun and challenging to push myself in a different direction with this Tuesday Trigger.

The many circles that ended up on this card fall right into Tip Top Shape #4 of Creative Paper Trade’s fourth challenge. Just like Cath, Andrea shares some stunning photographs as inspiration. I would love to see that waterfall in person.

I hope that any challenges you might face this week are no greater than those I experienced making Jon’s card.

nancy

supplies:

paper:  rustic cream c/s (PTI); Island Mist Double Dot pp (Bo Bunny); Dolled Up, Lost & Found Two Sunshine, and Six by Six Vanity Fair collections (MME)

stamps:  tag-its #10 and Birthday Basics (PTI)

ink:  rich cocoa dye (Memento); VersaMark

dies and punches:  simple circles border (PTI); standard circles large (Spellbinders); jumbo circle punch (Marvy Uchida)

extras:  clear embossing powder and gold Stickles (Ranger)

bright side

Those lime polka dot cupcake liners brought to mind a sentiment stamp I own that says to look on the bright side. First I thought of going the cupcake route because I am such a literal person, then thought of the flower that I’ve been using frequently of late. It has a polka dot center and the shape reminds me of a flattened cupcake liner. With the elements I was planning to use, I knew the card needed to be clean and graphic, no inked or distressed edges in sight.

The sentiment stamp is rubber, wood-mounted, so I finally needed to break down and use the stamp-a-ma-jig that I bought many months ago.  I now understand why people become converts once they try it.

nancy

supplies:

paper:  gingham (A Muse); white c/s (Staples)

stamps: Look on the bright side (Rubber Soul); Round & Round (PTI); Create Spring (Hampton Art)

ink:  moss green pigment (Clearsnap); tangelo and dandelion dye (Memento)

extras:  ribbon (Michael’s)

grape or raspberry?

Make It Monday and Tuesday Trigger somehow just seem to go together, like peanut butter and jelly or mashed potatoes and gravy or a burger and fries or… Well, you get the point. Sometimes, though, I worry that I might be forcing the pairing. PB&J just isn’t the same unless the jelly is grape, and I was afraid this card was going the raspberry jelly route, good but not great.

Anyway, when I saw the TT photo, I wished I owned the PTI Button Boutique set. Since I don’t, I needed to come up with another idea that would capture the feel of the button card. That along with the colors were what stood out for me.

Love Lives Here was sitting on my table, so I used it to test colors, also trying out patterns with the square stamps, which are the bottom portion of the house stamps. The 3x4 patchwork pattern speaks to me of the buttons grid. I’m happy with how it turned out.

I used harbor blue as an accent and the buttons are a given. The top of the card panel is embossed with polka dots to complement the dots in the stamps, pick up the hardanger stitching in the napkins, and meet the requirements of MIM#6, a partial embossing challenge. 

I’m still trying to decide. Is it grape or raspberry jelly?

nancy

supplies:

paper:  vintage cream c/s (PTI)

stamps:  Love Lives Here (PTI)

ink:  creamy brown and chestnut roan chalk, dune and harbor pigment (Clearsnap)

punches:  1-inch circle (EK Success); 1/8-inch circle (Recollections)

extras:  Swiss Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug); buttons (La Mode, Basic Grey, My Mind's Eye); lace from LSS; ribbon (Michael’s); seam binding (thisgoodday Etsy); ecru floss (DMC); quilt pin from stash; beads (Michael’s brand); Caribbean blue opals (Jolee’s)

it's distressing

When I saw this “oh so lovely” image for Moxie Fab’s Tuesday Trigger, I knew that I wanted to use Distress crackle paint to get the aged look of the chair. And lucky me, it meant that whatever I made could be entered into Papertrey Ink’s Make It Monday #5:  Distressing Edges, too.

I had hoped to pull in the lushness of the floral bouquet, but couldn’t get it to work with my supplies on hand. After making a few sketches and looking through my inspiration folder, I came up with the idea for a card using buttons for dimension, but there was still something missing. Enter Betsy Veldman’s use of PTI’s soon-to-be-released angled label die and I knew what would finish my card, a ticket.

In the interest of full disclosure, I had pulled the elements of my card together, but had not yet assembled it, before seeing Lisa Johnson’s Flower Fusion #2 card. I was pretty pleased with myself for coming up with a similar design as one of the talented PTI design team members. Go me.

Life has been somewhat distressing this past month, which explains my lack of posts. Creativity had taken a back seat, so I was excited when ideas starting percolating upon viewing the trigger photo. Thanks, Cath.

My wish for you is that your life is not as ragged around the edges as this card.

njm

PS – My plan was to enter my sister’s birthday card into the Papertrey Paper Dolls PTI challenge, but as the deadline nears and my daughter keeps calling in frustration over a performance installation piece, my plans have changed. This card is being entered in the challenge. My P*T*I items are:

            P:  paper and paint

            T:  ticket and twine

            I:  ink and inspiration from PTI DT member Betsy

supplies:

paper:  kraft c/s (PTI)

stamps:  Just the Ticket, Round & Round (PTI); Create Spring (Hampton Art)

ink:  silk green pigment, burnt sienna chalk, creamy brown chalk (Clearsnap)

paint:  old paper Distress crackle paint (Ranger)

dies:  Just the Ticket border (PTI)

extras:  buttons (PTI and Basic Grey); jute twine (Westrim Crafts)

moxie fab world tuesday trigger: winter white

Like many of the people who have been inspired by this magnificent wedding cake as the Tuesday Trigger on Moxie Fab World, I planned to make a wedding card. I don’t like making a card without a recipient in mind, though, so I thought I should try a different approach. I used my time shoveling to think about my design and, surprise, decided a “warm wishes” or “winter wishes” card with snowflakes would work well.

The paper from Graphic 45 fits the winter white category… snow after the snowplow has passed by.  The glitter of the snow is achieved with Perfect Pearl.  Snowflakes, gold tulle and other die cuts were layered and topped with a pearl, similar to the flowers on the cake.

It’s too late for you to play along this week if you haven’t already, but you should join the fun next Tuesday.

Wishing you a warm winter. (That’s how it goes, isn’t it?)

njm