So Thoughtful

The theme for the final challenge at Operation Write Home, sponsored by Our Daily Bread Designs, is "thank you cards." I have had this image & greeting set from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps for several months at least, and have never ever used it! This past weekend, when making some cards to send in my final OWH package, I pulled out several digi images that I haven't used, and printed them out to color and add to cards. This is one of those cards.

I decided that the image needed a somewhat large area, so I chose Sketch #213 by OWH. I created a blank "canvas" in Photoshop, sized to 4x5.25". After determining where the edges of my patterned paper strips would land, I dragged the image onto the canvas, and sized it to fit in the open area. I also added one of the greetings from that same Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps set. Finally, I printed it on a piece of Strathmore Mixed Media Paper, cut to the same size as the Photoshop canvas.

I colored the image with my Inktense pencils, using a damp paintbrush to blend the colors out and create some shading. I chose 3 different patterned papers from my scrap stash, and cut them into strips to border the image. I wasn't sure at first what to do with the circle element in the sketch, where the strips intersect. I tried punching a small heart first, but it was just a bit too small, and got lost in the circle. I ended up die cutting & embossing a heart with the smallest of Little B's "Hearts" dies. I did need to die cut a slightly larger circle than I did initially (using a Spellbinders "Standard Circles LG" die), but the size still worked.

After adhering my patterned paper strips in place on the main panel, I glued the heart to the circle and glued that in place on the panel. I did have to cut the bottom-most strip slightly shorter, to keep it from sticking out past the left part of the circle. Finally, I matted the panel with a piece of dark blue cardstock, and mounted that on a white A2 card base.