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7/30/2013

Christmas

Hello & Welcome.

If you recall I mentioned struggling with a Christmas card last week. Here's the card I finally finished, and I'm still very unhappy with it. It may get totally re-done after I look at it for a while. I really do like the stamp and want to use it, as my favorite purchased Christmas cards are the Madonna & Child themed ones.  (well, I admit, I love the Cardinal ones too!)


the stamp is made up of  'dots' to create the image. In this version, it was stamped in Versafine Sepia on some very good quality cream paper (don't know the mfg name. Purchased on my recent trip to New England, and the store owner assured me it was good for copic markers. It was.) My first effort was to stamp on vellum, then color the back side with Inktense pencils. Not a good result. Also in turning it over to check results and then getting interrupted - when I started back I got on the stamped side, and of course the ink blurred. Started over with another stamp on a fresh vellum, using copic markers. This worked just a tiny bit better & I thought to mark the paper with a B(ack) & F. Had done all the coloring except for putting a bit of blush on the Madonna's cheeks and somehow - I did the same stupid thing of getting on the wrong side. Smeared like crazy. Still not happy with the results though, even before I goofed up. In frustration, I just stamped the image on the cream paper and left it alone for a couple of days.

Diecut the image using a S/B square while I was working on my S/Binder restorage project. Used the Marvelous Square to cut the gold textured paper. I had the idea of making this look like an old painting using different metallic papers to create a 'frame' with the Marvelous Square as a mat inside a frame. What I tried was a total failure! Decided to just emboss a cream cardbase, adhere the image with the gold part of the framing and add a sentiment.

I think this is one I'll look at for a long time, and may try to salvage it if I can think of something. Do you ever have any cards that work like this for you? This was one of my most frustrating efforts in a long time!!! Oh well, Lesson Learned. I guess.

Have a happy afternoon. Thanks for joining me. Hugs






9 comments:

  1. Beautiful Christmas card Mary, I like the image and the frame.
    Kevin xx

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  2. It is a beautiful image and the stamping looks perfect and love the gold frame but if you don't mind me saying so I would have placed it on a square card without the embossing and the card being a frame for the frame, if you follow that!
    I have had loads of cards like that, most end up in the bin, so well done for sticking with it.

    Thanks for your lovely comment.

    Kath x

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  3. What a beautiful image...it is really lovely.

    My Mum does not consider it a real Christmas card unless it has some religious significance,,,she would give card her stamp of approval!

    i have a wee suggestion. What if you did it on a brown base card and then did your mats in some metallic papers. I have a beautiful shimmery glimmery metallic paper in reddish/brownish tones that would look gorgeous under that beautiful gold mat.It would give that sort of old world look. If you lived next door I would pop right over with it. If i was not leaving on Thursday, i would go on a hunt for it and mail it to you...if you are still thinking about this card in Septmeber, I will do just that.
    An old fashioned tapestry DP would be lovely under that gold frame as well! How i wish I lived next door as i have a shimmery one of those too! lol
    It is a pretty card as it is so if you decide to leave it, it will be truly loved too.

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  4. I wouldn't be unhappy at all with this! Awesome image and your card looks perfect to me. LOVELY!
    Lynn

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  5. Not sure what you don't like about this card Mary, as I think it is simply beautiful!!! Love the image and love the frame! I love all Christmas cards that have Madonna and Child and when I purchase store bought Christmas cards I tend to gravitate to them. Always been a favorite, and so this card is just perfect to me!! Hugs my friend!

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  6. I love the image Mary and it is certainly worth sticking with it. Sometimes we just have to play around and then leave it for a while. When you get back to it it may just all fall into place for you with just a minor tweak here or there that you just have not thought of yet. Hugs Mrs a.

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  7. I would not be unhappy either Mary - it is beautiful. Such a beautiful image.
    Sandy

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  8. I hope that after looking at this for a few days, you like it as much as I do! A beautiful image!

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  9. I agree, a square card, simple layering....perfection! It look great as it is but I think a square card would just keep the eye focused more centrally!

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