Lost Art Cards and Designs: September 2011

Fall Pumpkins, finally, a new card!

9/15/2011 |

Posted by lost art cards and designs |

The best inspiration comes from God. When we pray He answers and gives life, creativity, goodness and love.

Purchasing a current issue of Card Maker Magazine, 37 Popular Techniques for Card Making, helped me practice cardmaking techniques I had forgotten or not used for a time. Opening the magazine, browsing the entire issue found me eager and a little nervous to begin.

The paper this card is stamped on is at least two years old. The hand-drawn pumpkin drawings with a muted graphic style paper on the reverse side attracted my eye immediately the day it was purchased. After perusing through my paper box I selected several pages with a fall theme and was ready to start.

The first technique illustrated how to make a gate fold card. After measuring I bravely cut the paper, almost hearing those plump pumpkins yelp:) I folded the paper and stopped. "Now what?" I thought. Minutes passed. It was then that I bowed my heart and head asking the Creator of the whole universe to help me design this card. "What is your design for this card?" I asked Him. Soon after praying, His still, small voice directed me. " Try some of the Spellbinder Die Cut templates." I pulled out the storage drawer labeled diecuts and searched for the exact shape to use. The ideas flooded in.

As I turned my gate fold card over and over I wondered what to do next. "What would this front look like with a cut angle in the middle?" "What shape should it be, square or rounded?" were some of my thoughts. Trying several different template shapes, I settled on the one the He originally gave to me-- a square placed as a diamond, cut in the middle of the flap. Then with brilliant and blazingly insight He guided me with this question--"What about a diamond shape cut out of the center of the back to make a unique peek- through type card? " What a great idea! Though I didn't want to risk my only piece of this paper I trusted His instinct in me, decided on the correct size of the square placed as a diamond and Cuttlebugged the shape. "Perfect!", I thought. To add dimension to the inside center I cut a smaller square of the muted graph style paper on which I planned to stamp a design using Rubber Stamp Tapestry's Pumpkin Border set. It looked nice, but still needed something that would make it jump out. "Wonder what green would look like on top of terra cotta?"... and a creative idea was born.

Choosing Versa ink colors was the next step and I practiced on a piece of scrap paper. Duplicating the design on the muted graph paper wasn't difficult and then I tied a small piece of raffia style paper ribbon in a knot guided by the distressed looking line on the upper left portion of the small square I cut. Not forgetting Stickles, the image was complete.

The next idea that came was to cut out a whole hand-drawn pumpkin from the remaining paper and place it on the bottom right flap. Itching to try my new Copic Marker colors, I colored in the hand-drawn lines and liked the result. Not completely satisfied I stamped some pumpkin leaves and tendrils on paper, cut them out and glued them on using Martha Stewart craft glue on the pumpkin. Now the pumpkin was noticeable.

Words were next. Not finding anything suitable I leaped into the van and headed for Michael's Craft Store and after a quick jaunt down the sticker aisle I chose to purchase some clear alphabet stamps by InkaDinkaDo. Anxious to finish the card I returned home, placed the letters on a clear acrylic block and stamped a practice set so that I could choose the correct ink color. Arranging the word 'fall' in lowercase letters I stamped the word on the lower left flap and traced around each letter to highlight the word. Turning the card over I completed my project by stamping my logo that was designed by Sarah Roberts,www.reflectingthedesigner.com and smiled.