My little brother endured a grueling back surgery on Monday – a pinched nerve and erupted disc have impaired his activity and caused him pain for years. For three days after the surgery, he’s not allowed to sit – only stand or lay flat. I know he has struggled with horrible back pain for years, so the surgery was a must, and I’m happy for him.
Here’s a card I made for Matthew:
His card was inspired by two online challenges (Create with Connie and Mary’s Color Challenge and Mojo Monday’s Sketch Challenge). Here are the banners for each:
Tips, Tricks and Reminders
- Balancing Act. Almost two years ago, I patented the “sit back and squint” technique. To determine whether a card is balanced – sit back, squint your eyes and ask if everything looks balanced (colors, textures, shapes). Then send me a nickel (remember, it’s patented). My original design had a solid Crushed Curry circle inside the Starburst, but I switched it to the same striped design as the DSP to extend the pattern across the card. Things were STILL not balanced (too heavy on the right side of the card), so I added three Real Red candy dots on the left side of the banner to add weight to the Very Vanilla side of the card. In these design elements, I paid myself almost 35 cents.
- Masking with the Stamp-a-Ma-Jig. The sentiment is “better get better” from A Dozen Thoughts. I stacked the words one on top of the other. I could have achieved this look by cleaning the stamp and inking only the words I wanted, but I chose to mask the images I didn’t want each time (so I wouldn’t have to clean the stamp – ugh!) Here’s a quick look at the masking technique – I lined up the words and slid the post-it notes between the Stamp-a-Ma-Jig sheet and the card stock before positioning the Stamp-a-Ma-Jig arm.
- Envelope Liner. The Envelope Liner Framelit Dies are a PERFECT way to add a little zing to the inside of the envelope you are mailing. You can crop out the liner with the same (or a coordinating) DSP to make your card even more special. In yesterday’s Weekly Deals, it was announced that the Envelope Liners are on sale this week. Yippee! If you haven’t ordered them yet, now’s the time. The Weekly Deals are listed below.
Stamp Sets: A Dozen Thoughts, Pictogram Punches Papers: Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Real Red, Very Vanilla, Flashback Designer Series Paper Inks: Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Real Red Accessories: Party Pennants Bigz L die, Starburst Framelits, Circles Collection Framelits, Brights Candy Dots (Real Red), Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, Hexagon punch (for banner tips), Stampin’ Dimensionals
Thanks for stopping by today!
Brian
Weekly Deals. As I mentioned above, the most noticeable discount this week is the Envelope Liners Framelits – but there are several other great deals. Woo hoo! Here are the other items on sale this week:
SAVE WHEN YOU BUY THE STARTER KIT. Between now and June 30, Stampin’ Up! is adding a reduced-price Starter Kit. The old one is still there ($99 for $125 of product – and FREE SHIPPING), but the new one ($50 for $55 of product – and FREE SHIPPING) gives you the option to create your Starter Kit at a reduced price. Perfect for a “test drive” or for a previous demonstrator to get a foot in the door again. There’s absolutely no obligation to purchase another thing after you join. Please contact me at [email protected] with questions or click here to join now.
Aw! I hope Matthew will soon be out of bed and free of back pain! Love the card and it’s sketch is very fun! Your color pallet selection bright and cheery and should put a smile on your brother’s face!
Praying for your brother to have a smooth recovery . I love the card and Colour choices. Have a great day in Hot Atlanta. It is going to be a great day here to create.
Sharon Storm
Virginia Beach, VA
This card will put a smile on your little brother’s face. And as our little priest from Tanzania would say, “we will pray for the healthy of Matthew.” (it’s too cute for any of us to correct his grammar!) : )
Best wishes to your brother for a speedy recovery and thanks for a blog that’s written with humor and always makes me smile — love your “sit back and squint” technique. (the nickel is in the mail :-D)
Brian, I’m sending lots and lots of healing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~for your brother, I hope soon he will be 100% better!!!!! This card will surely cheer him up while on the road to recovery.
Great tip to line up the sentiment, I love my Stamp-a-magig, I just can’t believe I made it without it until Mary suggested I get it just about 3 years ago, sheeesh!!
That really is grueling surgery! I hope it was successful and that he will have relief from pain! What a great card for him…the colors are perfect and I like the use of the striped print. LOVE the way you stacked the banners! Thanks for playing along this week in the Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge!
Wish your brother all the best for a speedy recovery, I know what a painful back is all about and wish him only the best. He’ll love your card as much as we do, Brian.
Love the masking for “better get better.” As always, so clever! Oh, and I know you will make a real fortune with the squint technique. (Don’t quit your day job, yet.)
Oh my, poor Matthew! Thoughts and prayers for his speedy recovery. Your get well card is so very cheery and will surely lift his spirits.
The colors are perfect for cheering someone up and your interpretation of the MOJO Monday Sketch is also perfect! Using your “sit back and squint” technique to determine that the solid Crushed Curry center was too heavy really worked. Since I sat back and squinted to envision the solid center and agree that the DSP was definitely the way to go, I should be sending you a nickel, too! 😉 I love your sentiment banner with its matting and cluster of stars!
Great card Brian, all your components seem well balanced to me, my nickel’s in the mail. I know your card will brighten your brother’s day. I’ll keep him in my prayers
What a cheerful card! This will surely bring a smile to your brothers face. I hope he gets the pain relief he has been seeking!
Can I just mail a roll of nickels in advance?
What are the dimensions of the card layers? I am new to this, a “hobbyist” in training 🙂 and I am inspired by the cards, but struggle with figuring out what size to cut the layers! Thanks… for the inspiration, and for the info!
Megan
Hi Megan, I mailed this card out, but here’s what I can figure out from looking at it – the base is 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″. The red layer is 4″ x 5-1/4″. The Vanilla layer is 3-7/8″ x 5-3/8″. The DSP is 5-1/4″ x 3″ (I believe). I hope that helps. I don’t often give out measurements because I want people to play around with paper and figure out what works best for them, rather than to just create the card I created. Does that make sense?
My best to Matthew.
In lieu of the nickel, which is difficult to email, I’m sending a Yankee dime and you can keep the change.
As always….the King rules! Great card!
Sending prayers up for Matthew! The card colors remind me of circus colors. Don’t know why-I think I’ve only been to a circus once in my life! I’ve learned a great deal about the importance of balance by following you. I’ll have to remember the “squint” technique!
Love your squinting technique. This bright and cheery card is perfect for someone who is not feeling well/recovering from surgery. Thanks for joining us at Create with Connie and Mary.
i really like this, and once you explained how you came to the final elements, it’s hard to imagine the card without those little candy dots. who knew such little things could be so weighty?
i like the three little stars too.
Great get better card ! I am sure Matthew will find relief from having the surgery . Doing what the doc says is very important in recovery success also !
Too bad you have already mailed the card you could have signed all our names to it along with yours !
Fun colors and the Mojo sketches are always fun to work with too.
What a great card! I really like the layout.
I do also particularly like how you paid yourself almost 35 cents 🙂 lol
Hope your brother makes a speedy recovery! xx I had to lie flat for a week after I fractured my pelvis in a car crash. It was very tedious by the end, especially as one of the few things I could eat was thick porridge as it was the only thing that would stay on the spoon at a funny angle!….
Vxx
Adorable card Brian. I’m sure Matthew will just love it. I send prayers to him for a speedy recovery.
Brian, Great card! Add mine to the list of well wishes for Matthew! BTW, by my calculations, I owe you at least 300 “squinting” dollars! ;=)
You are so funny & creative. Combining 2 challenges at once would be too much for me. I hope your brother gets better soon. Sending healing thoughts his way. 🙂
This is fantastic! I love the layered banners! And your layout is fabulous! Love this! Thanks for playing the challenge at Create with Connie and Mary!
Oh I wish Matthew a speedy recovery. I’ve had two back surgeries, so I know what he’s going through. Your card will bring smiles I’m sure.
Oh how I love it when you have all your ducks in a row lining up the DSP to give it the continuous look. Why don’t I ever remember to do that? Such a nice card for Matthew. Very frustrating for him now, I can’t even imagine. Praying he will be pain free after all the healing is done.
Oh ouch…my hubby suffers from bulging disks in his back (why he couldn’t sit for a long period at dinner on the cruise…those chairs were a killer!). Hope your brother gets back on his feet soon! LOVE your card! Great idea to layer that Party Pennants die like that! Thanks for playing along with the color challenge this week on Create with Connie and Mary!
He will love this. Speedy Recovery. I’ve worked with many back patients, they always say they are grateful for the surgery because the pain was so bad,
Love this card! Such a clean look. The colors are striking with your choices of elements in the layout. Thanks for playing the Create with Connie and Mary color challenge this week!
Wishing your brother a very speedy recovery and praying the surgery is a success! Love your card! The colors are fabulous and the layout is perfect!
Brian,
I am sure your brother will enjoy your card and all the comments that are sent to you.
Thanks for the Squint technique, it helps. The colors make this a cheery card.
Tell Matthew to follow Drs orders and he is in my prayers.
What a sleek, colorful and clean card for your brother! Yes, I squinted and it is balanced! : ) This is a great look and a card suitable for many occasions! Hope your brother recovers quickly and feels better than he’s felt in years!! Thanks for joining us for the sketch challenge this week at Create with Connie and Mary!
Balance is key and you are the king! I love your take on this sketch! One of my favorite aspects of this card is how the lines in the DSP match up between the circle and center panel! I would have thought that you cut the circle first to achieve this effect. I suppose it was all about placement once it was cut. I think this card is a winner for both challenges.
I wish Matthew a speedy recovery and will pray for him. I can’t imagine how horrible the recovery is.
Oh Brian, I wish Matthew a speedy recovery and lots of love. BTW, the card is beautiful! Love those colors.
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