Take Time to Play!

Okay, so I don't really like the way this turned out -- looks like a weird bonnet or something! But I had fun playing with a bunch of different techniques and trying the new things that went into this card.  It inspired some really nice cards (like the Christmas card I shared yesterday).  And gave me several new things to try on other cards.

• It was my first time playing with "Perfect Pearls" as a paint, and I loved that! They are nice and sparkly! I love using them with outline stickers.
• The white background was done with a spellbinders nestability.  I wanted the oval to be a bit "rounder" than it naturally was, so I cut out two of the nestability shapes, lined them up so they overlapped, cut through both down the middle and taped them together on the back. I then used the ribbon to hide the line.  Though I don't like the specific application here so well, I DO like the basic concept and will do it again.
• I have often hand-drawn a border along embossed edge of a nestability, but this one was done differently - a regular oval rather than scalloped. Since it was an afterthought after the ribbon & focal had already been glued down, it didn't turn out as well as I would have liked, but I like the look and will do this again.
• And I really like the look of the squiggled lines in the center of the oval.  These were done free-hand with a silver metallic pen - inspired by my cake-making days - and I love them. Will definitely want to do this again, too!

Here's another result of my playing.  This time I used a nestability on thin folded cardstock - with part of the nestability extending beyond the fold.  This gave me a neat card with a fancy edge.  I also dry embossed the rose & then colored the front with perfect pearls "paints" (forever green & forever red).  I got the thin card a bit too wet, so the front is no longer as smooth as I would have liked, but I enjoyed the basic technique & will do this again, too!

So, there you have it -- allowing myself to play and be less critical of the outcome, gave me several new ideas to use on future cards, even if the specific examples were a little like diamonds in the rough!