Thursday, February 27, 2014

A Soap Opera?!

Hello!

Well, here's a card that started out totally differently...

I wanted to try two new techniques that I have spotted in blog land lately, on making your own backgrounds (which I am loving right now).  I actually combined the two techniques into one, and was pretty happy with the results.  I designed the rest of the card and put it together.  And then two things happened:

- First I used a cluster of balloons from Mama Elephant, which I had the rabbit holding from string.  As a last minute thing, I decided to add some Wink of Stella to jazz up the balloons a bit.  But hardly any glitter was coming out.  So I squeezed the top...a little harder than I should have, and a giant blog came out of the pen and all over my balloons!!!  Gah!  But, okay.  It only hit the balloons and the background was still salvageable.  So I tore off the balloons and went to work again.

- Rather than using the ME balloons, I thought it would add more dimension if I used some PS balloons and coloured / cut them all out separately.  I figured the result would be worth the effort.  And it was.  Perfect, the card was fixed and ready to be photographed.  But wait a minute.  Was it?  Nope.  When I replaced the ME balloons with the larger scale PS balloons, the card was totally off centre, and totally off balance!  Grrrrr.  What can I add to balance it out?  Hmmmm.  I tried a few things, but nothing looked right.  Then I thought: splatter, that will even things out!  So I covered up all of the parts that I didn't want splatter on and went for it.  I liked the look.  I took off the mask hoping it was done, but nope, it needed splatter in a few other places.  I masked it all back up again, added a bit more splatter and it turned out just how I wanted it to.  I took the panel and glued it to a note card.  What I didn't realize was that the splatter hadn't dried yet and there were black splatter smudges everywhere!!  My little creation was ruined!!! 

So I ripped off the balloons again, along with the bunny.  This time, I gave up on creating my own background (for now - I will try again another day!) and just pulled out some patterned paper.  And here, after all that blabbering and complaining, is what it ended up looking like:


Because I had given up trying to do the background technique, I thought I'd try a different VERY new to me technique - sewing!!!  I sewed the banner on!!!  Mom, if you're reading this, I really did!!!   I left the threads dangling like I've been seeing so much lately.  But aside from that, just stamps, patterned paper and some Copics.  Now that I see the photo though, I'm going back for one last final surgery - that heart (from PS heart dies) on the left on it's side is driving me crazy!   (With all these surgeries, this card might as well be starring in an episode of General Hospital!).

Hopefully I can make a fresh start on the background technique in the next day or so and have a little more success this time around!  I'll show you as soon as it's done :)

Thanks SO much for stopping by to see me!
Shannon

15 comments:

  1. I love those balloons! The tiny hearts are adorable. Such a sweet card!

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  2. Adorable and lovely!!!! I had a very similar experience recently too!

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  3. So ADORABLE Shannon!!! Love the stitching...love the way you used that balloons from ME, so Creative! Hugs <3

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  4. yahooooo for sewing! It looks fabulous! SUCH a SWEET card!

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  5. Well...I really feel badly for you with the 'other' attempts! But hey, you learned not to squeeze a plastic bottle too hard and that 'splatters' take longer to dry than you think! End result though is fabulous! I love the polka dots and love your perfectly shaded balloons! Adding the wee bit of blue around the outline of the bunny really defines a white image!

    Great save Shannon! Looking forward to seeing the next version all 'winked up' and sporting some might fine splatters!

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  7. (Version 2 - blogger got me!!)
    Oh my...card-making conundrums aren't fun (story of nearly every card I make), especially when you, so adventurous in trying new things, have *the* perfect background and flubs happen. I can just picture you 'grrr-ing" in your craft room as you mantle and dismantle your little work of art. (My Wink of Stella has winked a few globs once too often with me, as well. Grrr...to wasting sparkly pretty stuff!) The glitches episodes, however, appeared to work in your favour, because the 'second choice' polka-dot paper and slip of stripes pair perfectly with this A-DOR-ABLE bunny (that smile is contagious!) and his balloons! Total cuteness, as in overload cuteness! And the signature Shannon hearts are sweet just as they are! Your sewing; WOW, WOW and WOW! You're a girl of many talents already; adding sewing to your vast repertoire, amps up even more possibilities for dazzling delights! Everything about your card is super fabulous, my friend! Geri's right: some *lessons* learned, but your ability to perform the save = mega SCORE with the final result! Looking forward to seeing the 'supposed to be' background; it'll be awesome x amazing! Hugs~c

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  8. What a fun post, Shannon! And it left me breathless! LOL! Your card looks perfect to me and one would never guess all the surgeries it went through! Have you ever used UN-DU? It's to remove stickiness (like from a label or sticker) and it's also good for removing "mistakes" that are glued down. It's a must have for me because I'm always performing surgery, too!

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  9. ...and I love the stitching and dangling thread! Good job!

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  10. Oh gosh! I laughed right out loud reading all you went through to make this card! haha! Anyway, it turned out absolutely adorable! I love the polka dot background all though I would love to see the first one you worked on, even with the mistakes it sounds neat! I love the sewing too! I need to try that myself! So cute! And thank you SO much Shannon for the sweet comments you've left on my blog about my clay ornaments!! You totally made my day!! :)

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  11. "Like sands in the hourglass, so are the cards in my recycle bin..." or something like that! Had to empty my little bin; chock full of boo-boos! Oh Shannon, I'm so sorry that things didn't work out with your other card, but this one is just darling! A sweet little bunny with pink balloons on a yellow polka dot background -- love it! This is epitome of happy! Love it! Bev

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  12. I think you are the daughter I never had! Honestly, what a darling uber goober you are, Shan!! I can so relate. I only wish you had shown us the ones you miffed, too! Oh, dear, wiping tears away, some of laughter, some just from remember all the similar incidents I've experienced!! Your card, bottom line, is perfection! Seriously. Now stop messing with it, lol!!

    I'm looking forward to your next efforts and applaud that you are keeping Percy Verence on the payroll!! Hugs, Darnell

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  13. Oh my gosh, this is just the cutest, Shannon! I never would've imagined you had trouble with it at all. I absolutely love it!

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  14. Sounds like a typical cardmaking day to me!!!! You are definitely braver than I am ... I haven't done the backgrounds, nor have I sewn, and I rarely splatter. I figure there is already too much left for chance (like smudges when it isn't dry!) that I just can't branch out that far!! And I totally relate to realizing there is something you don't like when you look at the photo - I can't understand why I don't ever see it earlier because at the point of the photo, I am definitely DONE!!!

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