Inspiration Comes from Unexpected Places

About a month ago I received a card from a friend I’d left in Mi Wuk Village, CA in December.  She’d asked me to make a special card (you can see that post here), which I did, and she was thanking me for it.  Her card just spoke to me with its simplicity and clean bold colors.

H***mark thank you card

 

I wanted to attempt to duplicate the idea and knew I had a favorite retired Stampin’ Up! set (2016) that I’d held on to called Tap Tap Tap.

Tap Tap Tap stamp set

 

I also became recently aware of a technique called Spotlighting.  I had to try it too.  Below is a first attempt and a rather poor one at that but I’m going to keep trying.

Tap Tap Tap Hello
This was my first/test card which did get mailed out to a lucky recipient.

 

There are several scenarios that occurred while creating this card.

  • Masking:  I stamped the typewriter on a piece of computer paper, cut it out and laid it atop the typewriter image on the card layer like a ‘mask’.

Tap Tap Tap Hello - masking

 

  • Then I laid a piece of scratch paper from the top left of the mask on the typewriter to 1/2″ below the upper left of the stamped layer.
  • I also laid two sticky notes across the keyboard so I could make a ‘table’ for the typewriter.
  • I sponged Smoky Slate Classic ink over the left portion of the card layer, then switched the upper large masking piece to the right side of the typewriter and sponged on more Smoky Slate.
  • Finally I moved the post it notes from below to over the typewriter, exposing the white area below and to the lower sides of the typewriter and sponged the area with Crumb Cake Classic ink.
  • Ooops, one more final thing:  I used a wood-like image from the also retired Gorgeous Grunge stamp set and stamped ‘wood grain’ over the ‘table’ again using Crumb Cake Classic ink.

Go back now to the top finished card and note how I apparently didn’t like Smoky Slate sponged background attempt#1 or #2 and made a third attempt to get that spotlight where I wanted it.  You can see the lines.

Tap Tap Tap Hello before 'bling'
This was my initial card and it just wasn’t quite finished in my mind’s eye. Look up at the first card and see if you agree with me that the little heart bling finished it off without overloading it.  What do you think?  Please let me know in a comment.

 

I can’t believe that I didn’t keep one of the six cards that I made this morning.  They each went to friends back in Mi Wuk Village CA.  I’ll be working on more cards this week that will also be going to friends we left behind—but friends I don’t want to lose touch with.

tap tap tap
These cards each got bling before being place in envelopes. The bling was a Heart Epoxy Droplet colored with the Dark PoppyParade Stampin’ Blends marker.

 

You can purchase any of the items used for today’s card by clicking on the product name above and going straight to my Stampin’ Up! online store or click this link: (https://blythestamps.stampinup.net) so you can search and wander around.  Be sure to use March’s Hostess Code if you decide to place an order that’s between $50 and $149.99.  At the end of the month, I’ll send you a free product gift as my thank you for choosing me as your demonstrator.

Hostess code

 

*  Shop Stampin’ Up! in Blythe’s Store   * Like my Facebook Page  *  Follow me on Pinterest  *  Join Paper Pumpkin and play along  *  Shop Stampin’ Up!’s Clearance Rack and save up to 60%  *  Join My Country Loft Team

 

 

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