Thinking of you - Wishing You Well

This tri-fold card again uses the Bodacious Blooms die set.  It was made for a challenge on the PW message board.  The challenge was to use all the following in a card:

1. Use fire engine red and bright yellow
2. Use any sketch you like
3. Use a template as a stencil
4. Play with flowers

Because if was a PW challenge, most of the products used were made by them and/or purchased through their website. I used:

• Patterned papers made by HOTP
• Bodacious Blooms Cutting Die set by HOTP
• 15 Butterflies and Dragonflies Template by HOTP
• Paula Hallinan Stencil purchased from Paper Wishes
• Yellow cardstock, scrap of red paper
• Red dimensional paint (I have some I bought from them but it wasn't the right color of red - this was from DreamWeavers).
• My own sketch:

Card Base: To make the card, I started with a piece of bright yellow cardstock that was 8" x 12" and scored it in 3rds - score line at 4" and 8" so I had three panels that were each 8" x 4".  With the three panels in front of me, I folded the right one over the center one, then the left one over both and creased well with my bone folder. This formed a tri-fold that was 8" tall and 4" wide.

Stenciling Dimensional Paint: Using bright yellow cardstock for all of these, I did the following:

1. Die cut and embossed a piece of cardstock using the next to largest of Spellbinder's Labels Four die set. Then centered the stencil over it and spread dimensional paint through it, removed stencil, and let paint dry. Washed stencil immediately (very important).
2. Using small pieces of cardstock that could easily be held in place, I applied dimensional paint through one of the smaller butterflies in the 15 Butterflies and Dragonflies template, then removed the template and let it dry. I did this twice more so I had 3 butterflies (being careful I didn't get paint on the back of the template!).  Again, I washed the template right away so the paint wouldn't damage it.

Front Panel Prep: I cut a piece of dotted red paper so it measured 3 3/4" x 7 3/4" and glued it on the front panel. I drew a light pencil line down the center of the panel vertically.  Then I drew a horizontal line that was 2" from the top edge. Opening the card up, I used these lines to center the next to largest die and ran it through my Grand Caliber. (Big Shot would be too small for this - would need to make a card only 6" tall to use it.)  I erased my lines on both the card front and the flower I cut from it, saving the flower for later.  This gives me a panel with a large flower-shaped cut-out.

2nd Panel Prep: I cut two pieces of paper for this panel and layered them.  The larger white one was 3 3/4" x 7 3/4"; the smaller yellow with white stars was 3 1/2" x 7 1/2". I drew lines as before, centered the next smaller die, and ran it through my Grand Caliber, erasing pencil marks and saving die cut flower as before. This panel now has a medium-sized flower-shaped cut-out that is centered behind the cut-out on the front panel when the card is closed up.

3rd Panel Finishing: I cut two narrow strips (3/8" wide) of the dotted red and glued them down either side of the center panel.  I cut the smallest die out of red paper with white dots.  Then I assembled my flower - red dotted from front panel first, then yellow from 2nd panel, then small one. These were glued together only in the center of the flower with petals and inner pieces bent up for dimension - and each new petal was offset from the previous one. The small center flower was attached with foam tape. I put double-sided tape on the back of this stack of flowers and centered it carefully behind the cut-out on the 2nd panel.  I closed the flaps, then attached a red flower from my stash in the center of the flower and added a butterfly (one of the dimensionally painted ones - making sure it was visible through the cut outs.  It now looked like this:

2nd Panel Finishing:  To finish the 2nd panel, I stamped the words, "and wishing you well" down the center of the panel so it looked like this:

Front Panel Finishing: I cut a piece of red paper that was approximately 1 1/2" wide and glued it near the bottom of the card.  I added the sentiment using foam tape, then added another small butterfly.  Another butterfly near the top of the large flower finished my card as you see it at the top of this post.

Live and Learn: This card doesn't look as good as some. Why?  While the bright color combo may not appeal to all, it is not the main problem.  The problem is the layout. While the original sketch works fine, because of the colors and sizes used in this adaptation, I ended up with a fight for focal.  If I wanted the flower to be the focal, I really needed to tone down the sentiment and perhaps make it smaller.  If I wanted the sentiment to be focal, the flower should have used less of the bright yellow.