In the recesses of my imagination, there’s a Stampin’ Up! factory dedicated to producing all of the papers, inks and accessories in Baja Breeze. I just can’t get enough of this color. Baja Breeze pairs just as well with light pinks and yellows as does with dark browns and blues. It looks just as lovely with Whisper White as it does with Very Vanilla. The color combinations are endless. I have to believe that I help to keep the lights on at the Baja Breeze factory because I’m reaching for it at every turn.
Pam let me borrow some of her stamp sets while she was traveling, and one of them is My Friend. I tried so many ways to use the silhouette of flowers in this set before I had to give it back. I tried embossing in clear and then brayering a dark color over. I tried stamping in black and then sponging a sunset behind. I was never happy with any of the results. As she was pulling into the driveway to pick up her stamp set (and on her way out of town again), I quickly stamped the flowers in Baja Breeze on First Edition DSP and really liked what I saw. I tried to continue the theme of Baja Breeze and Very Vanilla in a sympathy card:
So, here’s the deal – there’s something I really like about this card, but there’s definitely something I don’t like. I intended to put a strip of the Baja Breeze ribbon across the Very Vanilla panel at the top of the card, but then the whole thing would look like a gift-wrapped package. Booo! I was stuck. AND, it’s all glued down, so I can’t “fix” it until I can get back over to Pam’s to use her stamp again.
Can you help me? What are your suggestions? What do I need to do to “fix” this mess? I want to keep it clean and simple but feel it’s missing something. I tried a Papillon Potpourri butterfly, but that didn’t work. I feel like this is almost where it needs to be, but I don’t know what to change. Please let me your commnents below. I’d love to hear what you have to say.
Tips, Tricks and Reminders (just one today):
- Use the punch for a partial shape. I punched the Baja Breeze border with the Decorative Label Punch. I stamped the sentiment on Very Vanilla and then punched the top border with the punch turned sideways (making sure I lined up the sentiment along the top of the sideways placed punch). I then fed the image back into the punch to cut the bottom portion. I trimmed the sides to even them out.
Stamp sets: My Friend, Thoughts and Prayers Papers: Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla, First Edition Designer Series Paper Inks: Baja Breeze Accessories: 1/2″ Seam Binding Ribbon (Baja Breeze), Decorative Label Punch
Brooke’s Birthday Dinner (part 2):
Under my promotional contract with Annie’s Thai Castle (see yesterday’s blog entry), I am required to show pictures of our delicious celebratory dinner. First, Brooke loved her card. Here she is giving her best “hey, look at this” face:
We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner, and she was “surprised” by some fried bananas with coconut and mango ice cream. I say “surprised” because they brought out the dessert plates and forks about five minutes before they brought the surprise dessert. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by my blog today!
Great card! I love the Baja flowers stamped on the news print. I see what you mean about the Very Vanilla panel and I think if you run it through using an embossing folder (you can carefully deconstruct it), the texture would give it the subtle touch that it needs. It’s really a beautiful card. Thanks for sharing!
I would add a butterfly or two or three on the bottom left. Also try adding some pearls or rhinestones along the bottom of the vanilla CS to add some interest!
I like the embossing idea from Traci. Maybe a linen-like pattern — not too open and flowery. If you can’t emboss that piece of Very Vanilla, maybe you could add an embossed piece on top of it. Can you remove the label and emboss that, too? How about inking the edges of the label?
My thought also was to add texture to the VV cross piece. Perhaps the stripes EF on a separate piece and just tuck it under your sentiment embellishment. Speaking of which, I love how you altered the top piece!! Brilliant!
And, yes, I had the right Brooke in mind! She is as sweet as she is pretty! And that dessert sounds to “die” for… LOL! Good times, good friends!
What about adding a button from the new Naturals button collection? Maybe with some linen thread tied through it and attach with glue dots? Or I like the idea of using a few small brads to even it all out.
Sympathy cards are best left simple and to the point. I wouldn’t change a thing. I love your card, it’s color and it’s simplicity.
I thought maybe you could add three silver brads to the area. What do you think?
I am having trouble with the content of the newsprint in relation to sympathy. I don’t feel like it’s a good match. I like the stamped image on the newsprint and I love the color..The vanilla strip across the top doesn’t seem to add to the design but kind of clutters it.
I love the stamping on the First Edition, love the colour scheme…I would just omit the Vanilla strip altogether. (I know that it’s not that easy to remove it without a trace from this card…but maybe for next time?)
You have some great comments above! I agree sympathy cards should be understated so let’s take that Sentiment off with a heat gun because this newsprint if one was to read it as a story would not be fitting here. Love this stamp however on the print, minus the Very Vanilla panel, change this sentiment and you now have a Fab card! Ha! Guess you’re starting over tonight Brian!
I have to agree with Patti! I do love everything about this card … just change up the sentiment and you’ve got another winner!!!
Do you subscribe to this blog? Brian is funny and he has great ideas!
Xoxo
: ) Debby
You could always try to make that vanilla card stock “fit” it more by lightly sponging some Baja Breeze on it in a random pattern.
I agree with Vandee, but I would put three baja breeze brads horizontally in the very vanilla area. I love all the ideas that people shared.
I really enjoy your blog Brian, I definitely found you through Stampin Pretty and spent a couple of hours reading all of your blog posts till I got to the very beginning, in that way, it’s nice not to have so many… almost feels like I’m more interested because I read all the way through to the beginning. I enjoy the personal touches of your life, and your stampin’ tips, which can get lots in a lot of these other demos.
Keep up the great work, I think you’re fabulous.
P.S. Ditto on the brads ideas on top, or embossing the entire news print section.
You must get a bottle of Un-du so you can alter your card. It’s a clear liquid that you apply to the backside of the cardstock wherever you have placed adhesive, and in a few seconds, the layers pull apart easily as the adhesive is momentarily disengaged. It leaves no residue after drying and the adhesive becomes sticky again. Believe it or not, it works on sticky strip and Scor-tape! If you used liquid adhesive, it takes a couple more seconds to soak in. It does have an odor so use sparingly in a well ventilated area. I found it at AC Moore but I’m sure other stores have it. I would emboss the strip of very vanilla with the Dotted Swiss folder or something similar.
Thank you SO much for all your replies. I LOVE that you would take the time out of your day to (a) read my blog entry and (b) respond with such thoughtful responses to help me recraft this card, to pull myself out of the designer’s rut. Your responses are all wonderful! I am so appreciative!
I think you should rearrange things so that the vanilla strip is along the bottom instead. I like the ideas about embossing it first…like with the square lattice EF would be nice.
I’ve been enjoying your blog btw…following you in my Reader for a few weeks.