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I love making cards but when I look at everyone elses cards in the daily gallery I feel like mine are so plain and simple. I've tried working in ribbon but it just seems so out of place most of the time. Then I tried flowers and other embellishments but if there is no reason for them on the card I tend to leave them off. Do I need a new way of looking at card making or what? Ladies can you help me jazz up a bit? Thanks of any advice.
Marcia
I looked at your gallery and your cards are great.
If you want to add more embellishments maybe you should find those in the gallery that you like and case them. After you case a few you may become more comfortable with jazzing up your creations. The clean and simple look is also very nice so it isn't necessary to have an embellishment on every card. It also might help to do some of the daily challenges.
Marcia, I just looked through your gallery all the way back to February 2009!!
Your cards are WONDERFUL!!! I don't think they look too "simple" at all . . . you have a great eye for composition and you use your embellishments wonderfully. And you do scenes so well ~ I love the punch critters and flowers, too.
There have been constructive comment threads here before, maybe there's one now and you can link certain cards in particular. But I hesitate to make any general suggestions because I think your style is simply fabulous just the way it is!
I think this speaks volumes to all aspects of our lives..."Don't worry about others, just do what makes you happy". Life is too short to worry about things like that.
It will be a very sad day when I no longer find joy in being creative with my card making. If others like my creations...great, but I don't need that validation. I do it because it is fun for me.
You have no reason to want to improve on your cards. I agree with Nancy. Your cards are wonderful. I just looked at your gallery. I even got some ideas from them. I just want to say, Keep up the great work. I will be checking your gallery more.
__________________ Janet - aka Ridge Stalker
Wife of 52 yrs, 2D, 2GD, 1GS, 3GGS
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Everyone has their own 'comfort zone' so just do what feels right to you. I see some of the cards that people make and they, in themselves, are gifts. I have tried to add more to my cards but am not happy with the results. I think I am someone that can't make a card with more than 3 or so added elements.
Just make your cards in your 'style'. I'm sure the recipients of your cards enjoy getting them and thank you for your personal touch.
P.S. Love your 'Unfroggetable' card. My grandniece loves frogs - don't ask me why!. I use this set almost everytime I make a card for her and she loves it. Even bought a frog punch just to use on her cards.
Last edited by Crafter 4 Life; 03-10-2011 at 08:49 AM..
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Oh my! I just had a look see in your gallery and I think your style is wonderful! You have some really pretty cards. I say stick with what you do best! If all of our work had the same style this would be a very boring place! I too admire some of the really jazzed up cards (lots of layers and embelly's) but I also admire a clean and pretty card just as much.
I think your cards are great just the way they are! I'm not a big "embellishment" person, either. That's just my style. I look at others who pile them on and I'd love to do it, but when I try my cards never look right to me.
I think in the end, you have to do what you find pleases your eye!
Apart from agreeing wholeheartedly with all of the above comments I can empathise totally with your dilemma. ALL of your cards are truly lovely and your use of ribbon and embellishments are just perfect - especially on the incredibly pretty Valentine card - to name just one!
If it makes you feel any better, I feel exactly the same way as you do! I have literally boxes and drawers full of flowers, ribbon, gems, brads - you name it! And every card I make I feel like I should at least justify my ownership of all this "stuff" by using it! I can spend literally DAYS moving bits of ribbon etc round a card trying to incorporate it then accepting that it looks better without! I am very slowly coming to realise that just because I have these things I DON'T HAVE to use them! It's not easy though and when I see so many exceptional cards here on SCS I often just feel like chucking everything I have in the bin!
Sorry if this post has been less than useless but I just wanted you to know that you make great cards and that you are not alone in your frustration! Happy Making from the UK Alison
this is the thing, isnt it? We have an overload of product selection and get stuck on where to start or how to mix them at times.....because we wanna use it all!!!
A great place to start is card maps or sketches. and another thing I find handy to "go to" is pick out the strongest colour from the collection of papers and use them as accent colours to draw the whole project together.
Ribbon does look lovely on a card but isnt always necessary x
__________________ My mucky fingers always smudge the furniture - a sign of great productivity ;) My Blog Designer for ProMarker pens, Tattered Angels and Tonic Studio
Marcia, I saw your post and feel the same way sometimes. When I went to your gallery I would say that you have great technique and a developed style. You are not totally clean and simple, but don't go for 8 layers either. I love to do the Monday Clean and Simple challenge where I see amazing designs w just a few elements. But I do the sketch challenge on Wednesday which gets me in the other direction. I stretch myself so I use different embellishments and designs but eventually come back to simpler things much of the time. If you want to vary things a bit maybe the challenges will help you do that but you will eventually know your style. I have a drawer full of brads that are dusty but love my ribbon and pearls. Keep stamping and have fun with it.
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Your cards are beautiful, unique, special, detailed, and full of variety! They are gorgeous! You have a wonderful way with embossing. Nothing ho-hum there at all. Stand up and be proud of your fantastic talent!
If you feel like you personally need to change it up a bit...go for it, but don't do it just because others have a different style and you feel yours are not as good~your beautiful cards shine!
__________________ All I want is the chance to prove money won't make me happy!
My goodness, just looked at your gallery and your cards are beautiful! Especially the ones where you've colored/painted. You wouldn't want to take away from the beauty of your art with a bunch of embellishments.
Lots of times I'll see a card that's pretty, but it's just "too much," YKWIM? I love embellishments, but there does have to be a limit, for me at least. I know everyone is different, which is good because the recipients of our cards probably all have different tastes, too!
I agree with FlowersandHearts. You cards are beautiful without tons of embellishments. Sometimes you can't see the cards for the stuff all over them. It is refreshing to see a well done simpler card where one can actually see the focal point. Keep up the good work!
Sue
I'm not a lady but I thought I'd offer the encouraging words:
Just be the best card maker you can/want to be! Try not to compare yourself to others.
I do that from time to time and then remind myself... there will always be somebody whom I think is "better" than me. I'm sure there may be some misguided soul out there who thinks I'm better than them.
If this wasn't a hobby, but a contest, competition, or race... I'd be worried. It's a hobby, however.
Once I start looking at others and that saps the joy from me, then it's no longer a fun hobby, but something more sinister.
Don't let that happen... make a card. Be proud of it...send it off and watch somebody else get some joy.
It may take practice, but you'll get there!
__________________ "Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint on his knees."
Marcia, geez! Are you kidding me?! I love your style and flair. It's unique and you! I'm with everyone else, stop worrying and go with what makes you happy. You have mastered techniques that I can't, and believe me, I have tried LOL
__________________ �:*�*:�My next house won't have a kitchen. Just a bunch of vending machines and garbage cans.�:*�*:�
I have seen your gallery before and went back to look at it now. There is nothing wrong with you cards. They are great! I like embellishments and layers, but I don't believe in going overboard. I want my cards to be able to be mailed. You do just fine and I sure wouldn't worry about comparing them to other people's cards!
Probably see you on Comment Round 8 again!
Marcia, I think you should celebrate your style! Your gallery is full of wonderful creations and obviously many people think so since so many of your cards are favorited by a LOT. I understand wanting to change things up on occasion and being frustrated - btdt - but holy cow, I would love to be able to make cards as beautiful as yours. Your sense of composition and colors is wonderful and your cards nevernevernever look unfinished/incomplete or lacking in ANYthing. I think you should continue trusting your instincts and talent and let yourself realize just how good you really are at this wonderful craft.
Hi Marcia, You have nothing to worry about as your cards are fab!!! I used to worry about what people thought about my work BUT now i just do what makes me happy and thats enough for me! xx jo xx
I think everyone has their own style and I love your cards. Someone else mentioned that they're more than Clean and Simple but aren't over the top embellished. You have great cards and I think you shouldn't be so hard on yourself by comparing yourself to others.
__________________ Kathy
Proud Mama to Mason 4/3/99, Miles 5/25/02, and Maya 8/26/04
I think your cards and style are beautiful, I wish I had that much talent
__________________ 2 cats short of the Crazy Cat Lady (5 Ragdolls RIP Katie DSH, RIP little Merlot Flame Ragdoll & Sunna Torbie Ragdoll- we miss you! Damn FIP) http://rebecca-rebeccasemptynest.blogspot.com/
OMG your cards are fantastic!!! Sometimes we are our own worst critic. I look at my stuff and say "yuck" and my stamping buddies will go nuts over it. So, I've learned to just have fun doing what I like how I like to do!!!
I want to thank everyone for their heart warming comments. I've always been happy with the way my cards have turned out. I just felt a little ribbon and embellishment challenged. Thank you all for making me see it dosen't matter. I have learned from you I have a style and it's ok. You ladies here on SCS are the best. You have given my confidence a much needed boost. Thank you all again from the bottom of my heart.
Ok I have to chime in here, and lord knows I'm good at that.. You've always been one of my fave's on SCS because you dont over embellish.. I think sometimes more is too much..
But I have to agree with what Ted said here>> Once I start looking at others and that saps the joy from me, then it's no longer a fun hobby, but something more sinister.
I find when I look at the gallery I say to myself "why bother" (erm maybe this is why I haven't posted/done anything in a while..:rolleyes:
But keep you being you.. you ROCK!
Happy Saturday.. Sunday.. or whatever day ending with Y you read this on
I looked at your gallery and loved your cards! I like some embellishments but like FlowesandHearts and Snowowl find some of the cards over embellished for my taste. But that's what makes us all individuals with different styles. Don't change if you like what you're doing.
The cards that inspire me the most are the ones that have minimal embellishments. I've also discovered over the past couple of years that I'm not a big embellisher, and I don't need to try to be one. And it's not that I don't know how to use ribbons and bows and buttons, I just prefer not to (except if a challenge specifically calls for it). I look at all the pretty cards that I have recieved from others and I notice they are not heavily embellished either.
But I have to agree with what Ted said here>> Once I start looking at others and that saps the joy from me, then it's no longer a fun hobby, but something more sinister.
I find when I look at the gallery I say to myself "why bother"
"Comparison is the death of contentment." Don't know who said it, but this little ditty has served me well in many, many areas of my life...including my newly-found love of making greeting cards. I think everyone of us has a signature style that just comes out as we create...yours is lovely.
__________________
~Oney~
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We are our own worst critics, right? Your cards are lovely and perfect the way they are! I agree with another poster, if you want to use a specific embellishment on the next card, find an example in the gallery and CASE how they used it. After doing it a couple times, it will be easier to use.
I also agree that we can become overwhelmed with all the goodies we own and want to use them all! I almost become paralyzed with options.
Sometimes I try setting out the special embellishment I want to use out first and work the card around that -picking papers that match, then an image and sentiment that flow with the "feel" of what I chose. Kind of backwards approach, but it works!
Looked at your gallery - every card is LOVELY. Can't imagine why you are not happy with them... but as someone else said, we are our own worst critics. I can only comment on my own cards. When I'm unhappy with the a card I'm putting together it is usually because I haven't edged one or more of the layers. But that is just me.
__________________ Louise Bergmann DuMontAuthor, Speaker, Serious About Her Coffee, Lover of all that is Chocolate...Worshiper of El Shaddai (The All Sufficient One)
What can I do
