Another Papertrey Card....

This card sort of got away from me! Yikes!

I am challenging myself a bit more than usual to use stamps to create background paper, which seems to be especially easy to do using stamps from Papertrey. As you all know, that's not really my "forte", so to speak. I am a designer paper chick through and through!

But, in an effort to grow, I've been trying this technique more and more. The card started out with a piece of white cardstock from Papertrey. This stuff is so sturdy! Way better than SU! I'm not a big fan of white card bases, mostly because I can't keep it clean while I'm making it! Any of the rest of you have that problem? LOL. It's inevitable that it gets an ink smudge on it somewhere before I'm done with it.

Anyways, I made the background using two different designs from the Everyday Blessings set from Papertrey. I stamped them with Brilliance black ink and River Rock. It turned out cool, so I was ready to take the next step. Not knowing what to do without designer paper, I stumbled around for a while trying to decide what to do with the card. I found the fun wide, black and white gingham checked ribbon in my ribbon drawer and took some of it out. I placed it vertically on the card. Then I decided to make three medallions to place consecutively down the ribbon. I colored the middle of each medallion using a Copic marker. The medallions were matted with River Rock cardstock.

It's at this point, I really didn't know what to do with the card. I tried so many options, and none looked very good. I tried a bible verse horizontally down at the bottom of the card on black cardstock with white craft ink, but that looked yucky. I was SO frustrated because I had designed myself into a corner. In the end, I decided to take the bible verse that was stamped on the black cardstock and make it into a little bible bookmark, and then proceeded to make a little pocket for it to rest in on the front of the card. I stamped the pocket with the same image that I stamped in the medallions for a cohesive look. The little scalloped edge was a last ditch effort to snazzy up the pocket a bit. The same bible verse that I had stamped for the bible bookmark was stamped on the front of the pocket with Brilliance black ink.

There is so much going on with this card it's hard to decide what to focus on! It's a card on steroids, if you will! But, in the end, it turned out OK. I'm glad I persevered and triumphed over a difficult design situation. It was rough, but manageable!

Today is my BSF leadership meeting. Then I can come home and stamp for a while until it's time to do some other important things I need to get done before the end of the day.

I met my girlfriend who works at Archiver's corporate office last night for appetizers. It was so great to see her and spend time talking "business". Hi Jennifer! Jen listened intently to my ideas and suggestions about the store for over 2 hours. What an opportunity to have the ear of the Director of Marketing for Archiver's for so long!!!! Lucky me! Jen's done a great job there. She's been with them for 8 years, and started when there were only 2 stores. Now there are 44 stores! She is going to put in a good word for me with the manager of the store near my house. I will drop off an application for employment there sometime this week, once I have time to get it filled out. It will help immensely to have Jen's recommendation!

Well, I've got to run. Lots to get done before I leave for my meeting.





The chance to meet up with Jen again last night--rekindling friendships is a joy!