I didn’t know what I was stepping into when I presented my first Build-a-Card post yesterday.  While some of you thought it was fun, others felt anxiety about not seeing the finished product right away.  In turn, that created a feeling of anxiety in me about whether or not my finished product (which was already done) would thrill you or disappoint you.  If you didn’t see yesterday’s post, please check it out here before moving on – it’s for your own good.  I can’t delay the inevitable any longer, so here goes nothing:

STEP SEVEN:  On the Whisper White layer in the center of the card, I glued down two Lucky Limeade punches from the Ticket Duo Builder Punch.  This layer repeats the green found in the outside layer of the card and the outside of this layer.  The punches don’t meet exactly in the middle of the card, but that’s OK because I’m going to cover that space with something else – I’ll show you that tomorrow.  Just kidding.  This ends today. 

STEP EIGHT:  I added a tiny strip of Daffodil Delight card stock.  The width of the piece is 1/8″ (the length from the blade to the first notch on the trimmer), but the length matches the Whisper White card stock base of 3-1/8″.

Before we go into the details of this next step, I want to take a step back and explain my next design decisions.  So far, this card is BUSY.  Lots going on with colors and shapes and the orientation of the images.  I originally wanted to include some adorable images from Spring Sampler, but they only added to the busy-ness.  That’s my defense.  You may continue. 

STEP NINE:  I felt the need for more blue, so I included a Marina Mist 1-1/4″ Scallop  punch.  Since the square layer behind this is the same color, it draws your eye toward the center of the card.  That’s what I wanted – I want the complex background to be seen, but I want the simple center piece to be the centerpiece.

STEP TEN:  I added a Daffodil Delight 1-3/8″ Circle punch.  The yellow pulls color from the banner underneath and the strips of yellow in the Designer Series Paper.  It’s going to be partially covered up in a second, but I guess you already knew that, huh?

STEP ELEVEN:  Now, I’m partially covering up the Daffodil Delight circle with a 1-1/4″ Melon Mambo circle.  I told you that would happen.  More pink, but it will soon be covered, too.

Before you move to the next picture, please know that this is it.  Done.  No more anticipating.  No more waiting.  You are almost finished with this two-day blog post.  Once you see this picture, you’ll be able to get on with your day and leave the anticipation behind you.  You won’t be counting down the hours or minutes or seconds until the moment you will finally be able to see what the finished card looks like.  You won’t have to take any medication to fight off the anxiety about whether you will like it or hate it.  There’s no more worrying after you’ve seen it because what’s done is done.  Once you’ve seen it, you can’t go back, though.  It’s like moving away from home for the first time as a teenager – you can go back to your parent’s house from time-to-time, but you can never really go back to the innocence of youth – before you had to be responsible to pay bills and fend for yourself.  Once you make that step, that part of your life is lost.  FOREVER.  I guess what I’m trying to say is that you should enjoy the journey up the side of the mountain as much as you enjoy reaching the top.  It’s the journey that counts the most.  That’s where we really experience life and find joy and happiness with ourselves.  I could have just shown you the card yesterday and said, “Here’s a card.” and you would have said, “Gee, thanks” (or something like that).  But no.  I wanted you to yearn for the finished product.  I wanted you to imagine what would appropriately fill the space in the middle of this card.  How would I use punches and colors to fill in the rest of the image?  But no longer.  I’m not going to make you wait any more.  That would just be rude, and I’m not rude.  Here’s goes nothing…

STEP TWELVE:  Using a stamp from Teeny Tiny Wishes, I stamped “thank you” in Marina Mist (bringing in my third element in that color) on Whisper White and punched it with a 1″ Circle punch.  Glue it down, and you are done!

Stamp sets:  Teeny Tiny Wishes  Paper:  Lucky Limeade, Melon Mambo, Marina Mist, Whisper White, Sunshine & Sprinkles Designer Series Paper, Daffodil Delight  Ink:  Marina Mist  Accessories:  Ticket Duo Builder, 1-1/4″ Scallop punch,  1-3/8″ Circle punch, 1-1/4″ Circle punch, 1″ Circle punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I hope you like the finished product.  As I described above, I couldn’t really place a complicated design in the middle of these luscious layers of card stock shapes.  I hope to never put you through anticipation like this again.  BUT wait until you see tomorrow’s card.  It’s a beauty! 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian