So the SUO Blog challenge for today was "New Toys", and the SCS color challenge was Coastal Cabana, Tempting Turquoise, and Crisp Cantalope. Believe it or not, I started out with my new stamp, which I cut the Easter greeting off of and mounted it separately, because come on, these tulips are the BOMB and I don't want to be limited by Easter!! Then I decided to use some brand new DSP and the new chevron ribbon. This was one of the cards that you seriously almost trash, and I almost did, and then you try just one more thing to breathe some life into it and VOILA!! I love it!! But I surely started out hating it. I colored the tulips using a crisp cantalope marker, and shaded with a bit of Tangerine Tango, (is that cheating?) Then I did a background wash of Coastal Cabana, and I instantly started thinking gee,,,,,that looks ugly sort ofÂ….so okay, let me outline the flowers with a tempting turquoise marker, and wow, spectacular, that looks even uglierÂ…..hmmmmÂ…Â…Meanwhile I am trying to rush, because I am working on a huge stamp camp coming up this weekend. I am almost in tears nowÂ…..I do not have a lot of time to waste on this and these colors are my waterloo, they are VICKI DUTCHER colors, and she can make anything with colors like this SINGÂ…Â…but moiÂ…Â…not so much. I didn't give up, I just kept on trying. Let me wash over the whole ugly despicable thing with an aqua painter so - slip slop slosh, over the top of the whole image with water, there now I can throw it away since I absolutely wasted it - it's doomed for the circular file. At this point I have at LEAST an hour into this puppy and I want to give it artificial respiration, what can I do to save the card???? It's hideous at this point, the colors have run together, it's drab, and to top it off it's soaking wet. JUST THROW IT AWAY KAREN AND START OVER. SO I tossed it off to the side and started over and made a card with NO COLORING. GIVE IT A BREAK, these colors are just not you so make a card that's JUST NOT YOUÂ…..you can go see my second creation on SCS if you want under the color challenge for this week, - I was using different toys and I was going to feature that one for both challenges, I used NEW toys, the banner punch, and more DSP, I am so NOT the banner girl, so I stretched and thought outside the box and came up with a card that is totally not me, but kinda cute all the same. BUT even after I finished my banner card, those darn tulips were calling me from their watery graveÂ…Â…and I looked and I thot gee, it finally dried and is there a chance that I could actually do something with that waterlogged image of tulips? OUT came the aqua painter again only this time I grabbed the one I must have used on my last whitewash cardÂ…..because over the top went a coat of white embossing ink all watered down and once again I thought, okay, now that is the ugliest ugly most pathetic thing you have ever madeÂ….. give.it.up.Karen.give.it.up. I threw it off to the side againÂ…Â…but for some reason it kept calling my name. I thought of an old technique I demonstrated once at Leadership where you take an image and put versa mark ink all over the top of it and then emboss with iridescent ice embossing powder,,,,would it help? What did I have to lose? It certainly couldn't get any uglier!! So over the top with versa mark and iridescent ice, some heat from my heat tool and VOILA!!! That ugly washed out waterlogged image came to LIFE!!! What do you think? It's like the ugliest duckling cardÂ…..it's like the frog who was kissed by a princess, it's like US after God gets a hold of our lives and makes something beautiful from ashes and dust. I think I like it!! Do you???
Date: Monday, January 13, 2014 GMT Views: 5735
Favorited:36
Registered: November 7, 2004 Location: Gulf Breeze, FL Posts: 15142
Mon, Jan 13, 2014 @ 7:38 PM
I am rolling in the floor laughing! Such a beautiful card and I love the iridescent was over the pretty tulips! Yes it is okay to use Tangerine Tango cause I have some teeny weeny real red hearts on my cards.....
------------------------------ Peggy SCS Color Challenge DT/Crazy4Challenges DT
Blog: Artfulljourney
Registered: April 22, 2005 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 14382
Mon, Jan 13, 2014 @ 7:46 PM
From Trash To Treasure. You could write a book about your stamping life, Karen, and it would be a best seller. Your card turned out to be a great work and I love it!
Registered: September 3, 2007 Location: native Texan living in extreme N. GA Posts: 73398
Mon, Jan 13, 2014 @ 7:51 PM
I think it's beautiful, Karen! I LOVE the glitter on top and the neutral bg w/ black layers really makes it stand out. LOL at your frustration...that's exactly what happened to me last week. The card you raved about is actually the third & last and I was really rushed to finish it!
Registered: March 15, 2012 Location: Alabama Posts: 11018
Mon, Jan 13, 2014 @ 7:57 PM
Oh Karen! I am so glad you stayed with this, because it is gorgeous!!! Your coloring is beautiful and the sparkle on top makes me so happy! You got me with your wonderful story-telling too! Love it all!!!
Splitcoast Dirty Dozen Alumni Splitcoast Challenge Hostess The Charmed Life
Registered: November 19, 2005 Location: Bethel Park, Pa Posts: 37249
Mon, Jan 13, 2014 @ 8:15 PM
you are such a hoot girlfriend-your story had me laughing-the tulips are so pretty-I can see why you like them so-the bg went through some changes to bring it to a beautiful completion-for what's it worth this is my 2nd card as well-the colors gave me fits too (lol)!!
------------------------------ Mary Marsh SCS Color Challenge DT Coordinator My Blog- The Charmed Life
Registered: November 19, 2004 Location: Lutz, FL Posts: 15938
Mon, Jan 13, 2014 @ 8:16 PM
OMG, Karen -- I could so see myself in your saga. The only thing that would have made it more me would be something like "and I was really frustrated that I had spent so much time on it because I know the person I was making will not appreciate the time that went into it...."
In any case, I am glad it didn't end up in the circular file. I think it is quite lovely.
------------------------------ Debbie
Featured Stamper 283
Splitcoast Dirty Dozen Alumni Creative Crew SU Design Team Alumni
Registered: October 29, 2004 Location: Coos Bay, Oregon Posts: 24007
Mon, Jan 13, 2014 @ 11:09 PM
LOVE, LOVE your sparkly and beautifully colored tulips Karen. I love all your other layers and ribbon too....so glad you rescued your pretty card. TFS and telling a funny story :-)