A Blessing in My Life

I’m gearing up for Stampin’ Up!’s Annual Convention this week, so I spent most of my weekend preparing projects and blog posts so that the lights can stay on at StampWithBrian.com while I’m gone.  As with other trips, I’ll be sharing new projects and ideas while I’m gone (no updates while I’m there because I really want to soak it all up while I’m there), but I’ll give a thorough recap here when I’m back and settled in.  It’s really best for both of us that way.  🙂  That said, I will be posting pictures and updates on my Facebook account (so much easier to post live updates) – if you’d like to follow me on Facebook, please click here to “like” my Facebook page.

Today’s project is a combination of a sweet-and-simple sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and a color challenge from The Paper Players.  Here’s my card:

Love & Sympathy, Blessed by God, Stampin' Up!, Brian King, FMS144, PP204And here are the challenge banners that inspired my card:

Tips, Tricks and Reminders

  • Border Consistency.  The sentiment is punched with the 1-3/4″ punch and the border is punched with the 2″ punch.  The difference that’s created governs the borders of Mossy Meadow throughout the rest of the card.  The base of the card is bordered with an additional 1/4″ on each side, and the flower centerpiece is bordered with 1/4″.  I believe this consistency of borders adds to the overall appeal of this card by adding repetition.
  • Balancing the Banner.  Since my Wisteria Wonder banner crosses over the flower centerpiece (that has two layers of cardsock and lays flat on the Lost Lagoon panel, I cropped another banner from the framelits, chopped off a portion of its side and then carefully glued it to the back of the Wisteria Wonder banner.  Because the banners are exactly the same size, they fit nicely behind one another.  This gives a little extra support to the banner so that there’s no crease or fold once it’s glued down to the card front.Layering the Banner from underneath, Brian King
  • Honoring the Sketch Components.  For the most part, sketch and color competitions provide inspiration for a design.  There’s no rule that every aspect of the sketch or color combination must be exact.  When possible, though, I make a concerted effort to honor every element in a sketch.  I tried to add a Wisteria Wonder or Very Vanilla button in the top, left portion of the flower panel, but that didn’t work for me.  Too solid and bulky.  Instead, I added three Very Vanilla Candy Dots.  While they add a bit of texture and create that additional element, they don’t add undue weight to that corner of the card.  Score!

Stamp Sets:  Love & Sympathy, Blessed by God  Papers:  Blackberry Bliss, Mossy Meadow, Lost Lagoon, Wisteria Wonder, Very Vanilla  Inks:  Blackberry Bliss, Stampin’ Write Markers (Mossy Meadow, Wisteria Wonder)  Accessories:  1-3/4″ Circle punch, 2″ Circle punch, Banners Framelits, Neutrals Candy Dots (Very Vanilla), Stampin’ Dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by today!

Brian

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28 Comments

  1. That is the most beautiful card! Enjoy your Convention, I can’t attend this year, looking forward to fun posts from SU Buddies all around America!

  2. Very nice card Brian! I can’t wait to see you at convention!!!

  3. Absolutely beautiful card! Have fun at convention! 🙂

  4. Love the card and all the borders. Good job with the color distribution. Terrific! Love the hint about an extra layer behind the Wisteria banner.
    Have a great time at convention. Can’t wait to hear/read all about it. 🙂

  5. I absolutely love how you combined both the Freshly Made Sketch and the Color Challenge to make this amazing card. Changing the Button embellishment for the Candy Dots was a perfect choice for this card, I think a button would have been a bit to much, the flower image is perfect standing on it’s own.
    Have fun at the Convention, can’t wait to see the pictures 😉

  6. Love. Difficult color combo and you make it look so easy! Have fun at convention!

  7. You are right, the equal size borders do work well on this card. I wondered how the colors would look together, but you used just the right touch of each, to make it very pretty.

  8. Lovely, lovely card.

  9. So soft and pretty! See you soon!

  10. Isn’t that a great color combination! Nice job, as always.
    See you in SLC!

  11. Soft, serene and lovely! Travel safely–I’ll see you in SLC!

  12. Brian, I was really wondering about the color scheme for today’s color challenge, but then it wouldn’t be a “challenge”, would it? As usual, you came through with a great response to that challenge. I don’t believe I have ever used tone-on-tone candy dots (or brads). Having said that, I will in the future. They are the perfect choice for this! I might have reached for pearls and then said no. The Very Vanilla candy dots are the right choice.
    Have a wonderful time at convention! Thank you for working so hard to have blog entries while you are gone. We’d all be suffering from withdrawal otherwise!

  13. Such a beautiful card and what a great tip! I usually use dimensionals in such cases, but your solution makes so much more sense! Have a super duper time at convention – you deserve it! Thank you for all you do!

  14. Great card and thanks for such good detailed instruction. I make double or triple layered die cuts ,etc. often like you did with layering your banner. Since I mail a lot of my cards they can get creased or dented with uneven layers. Love the Candy Dots ! Stampin` Up needs to come up with the In Colored ones !
    Watch out Stampin` Up here comes “The King” !!!

  15. Great card for both challenges, Brian! I love how you layered the colors and the layout is very balanced, plus I love that pretty flower! Thanks for playing along with us at The Paper Players!

  16. Great card Brian, I love your interpretation of the sketch. I have to start trying some of the sketch challenges one of these days. I’m sure your updates from the Convention will be wonderful.

  17. Outstanding! I love the layout and what you did with it, as always. I also enjoy your tips on how you made the banner stand up to it being over the middle layer. I would never have thought of that. Beautiful! Have fun at convention…can’t wait to see what you bring us back. 🙂

  18. Great tips for making your layers work. Very unusual color combinations that really do work together. Thanks for keeping us “fed” with ideas while you’re gone. Very thoughtful of you! Know you’ll have a great time!
    Safe travels!

  19. Absolutely lovely card, and very well-balanced indeed! Gorgeous use of the colors. Thanks for joining us at The Paper Players again this week!

  20. Enjoy convention. I always loved being surrounded by thoughtful, card making people. Will be waiting for tidbits of news….

  21. Pretty card Brian , ok have fun , hello to our pals , wish I could be there 🙁
    Hugs and love frenchie ,

  22. Great card! I hope you have a wonderful time at convention.

  23. So beautiful, Brian, and so peaceful!

  24. gorgeous card, love the colors and layout. Enjoy yourself, bring back lots of ideas

  25. What a beautiful, calm, serene way to use these colors, Brian! A lovely card with a lovely sketch and such nice images and sentiment! Thanks for playing with my color challenge this week! Hope to see you at convention, too!

  26. A beautifully stamped, beautifully balanced card and great use of this week’s colours Brian. I love those tone-on-tone candy dots too. Great tip regarding the banner too! Thanks for joining us at The Paper Players this week. Enjoy Convention – us Europeans still have a few months to wait for ours!

  27. Brian, I know you will have thoroughly enjoyed convention and I bet you are as excited as I am about the new Mini 🙂

    I love this serene take on the challenges. The sentiment is perfect and is really highlighted in the circle. Fabulous card. So glad you joined us again that the Paper Players
    Jaydee

  28. El, a Stampin' Pretty Pal

    Beautiful card, Brian!

    Congratulations on all of your achievements! I’m looking forward to hearing all about your experiences at Convention!!!

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