{Caardvarks Double Take}

This was my submission yesterday for day 2 of {Caardvarks} 10 Day-10K Challenge. We were to make two cards using the same supplies. I decided to make two new cards instead of using the cards I made a few days ago using the same supplies. I like challenging myself, so I got busy first thing yesterday morning.

I had some really fun new scalloped paper that I wanted to use on my cards, but for some reason, the direction I was going with the paper was just not working I hemmed and hawed for what seemed like forever. The paper itself was GORGEOUS, but I had paired it with another paper (a Basic Grey favorite), but the two together just wasn't cuttin' it for me. I finally ditched those papers and started over. This time I chose some fun swirly paper (shoot, I forgot to pay attention to who made it.....), really funky.

For the flowers for both cards I used my Stampendous Petal Flourish stamps. The flower for the card above was painted with hot pink and lime green H2O paints. I had to tone down the pink with a little lighter shade of pink because it was just too bright! I added a large striped black and white brad for the center of the flower. I wanted the flower stem to appear three dimensional, so I used glue dots to adhere the ribbon to the front of the card in a curvy fashion. The stem leaves are also from Petal Flourish. The sentiment, the same on both cards is from Penny Black.

The second card is just slightly different from the first, namely because of the flower. I wanted to change it up just a bit. I painted these flower petals in the same hot pink, but added some red paint to them instead. The dots are still lime green. The stem here is flat, not curvey like the other, and the leaves are positioned differently than the first card. I also altered the sentiment slightly. I wanted the "thank you" to be farther away from the rest of the sentiment, so I inked up the verse only first and stamped it. Then I inked up the "thank you" separately and stamped it lower on the card. Very subtle, but I like the look of the "thank you" further away from the verse.

Overall, I like how these cards turned out. They are prettier IRL. They didn't photograph so well because the colors are more subdued (well, except for the hot pink and lime green:)).

I have been hard at work getting some cards ready to submit for publication. Thanks you to everyone that left a comment regarding my card a few days ago that wasn't picked up. Many of you had some great advice that I have taken to heart and will incorporate the next time I submit. Lots of you have experienced the same feelings I have (frustration) regarding your work not being picked up by these pubs. The good news is we get to continue submitting as much as we want. There is nothing that says because we've been rejected we can never submit again. So, we have to "lift ourselves up by the bootstraps" and keep trying! At least I am. For now!

I don't know what's on the agenda for the rest of today. Hopefully stamping. I need to run a few errands. I am going to CHA in a few weeks on behalf of Craft Critique, so I'd like to get a few nice pieces of clothes to wear before then. I think I am also going to run to one of my LSS to buy some more of my favorite Scenic Route bird paper, which I've run out of (boo-hoo). I hope they still have some! Tonight we might take the boys to the horse races for some fun. A friend of my husband's is the guy who calls the races at the track, and he can get us into the fancy part of the track for free! Gotta love that. We're not big betters (what a waste of money), but it's fun to spend a little bit trying to pick a winner!

Tomorrow Eldest Son has another parade. This time it's in our own home town. The bad news is it's going to be a scorcher, and in my opinion, it's absolutely NO FUN to watch a parade in the sweltering heat. It's even less fun to have to be in the band MARCHING in the sweltering heat. On Monday, Eldest Son leaves for camp for TWO weeks! Yikes! The first week he'll be counseling, and the second week he'll be on the workstaff. I've never been away from him for 15 days! His 16th birthday will fall while he's up there (it's the 14th), so I think I might drive up there next weekend for a day to take him out for pizza. Youngest son has a baseball tournament, so I might have to miss that in order to go see Eldest Son at camp. But, I've watched a zillion baseball games for Youngest Son, and I don't want to miss my other son's sweet 16! What's a mother to do?