You Mean the World to Me

Our Daily Bread Designs has been having a sketch challenge on their blog this week. I created this card based on their sketch:

I chose to use ODBD's "Violet" stamp--one I frankly had forgotten I even had! I came across it in my collection while I was looking for another image to use, and thought it would be even better. I stamped it on a piece of white cardstock, using Hero Arts Soft Leaf ink. Then I colored it in with colored pencils, and die cut it out. I used a "Nesting Scallops" die by Lifestyle Crafts, and the one that cut around the whole image was actually too large for my design. So I used the next smaller size, and did an "outside the box" technique. I made little tick marks where the die would cut across the leaves, and cut through the cardstock with my scissors, around the leaves, to those marks. Then I slipped the cut-out leaf sections over the die, so they would not be cut, and ran it through my die cutting machine. Finally, I erased my pencil marks.

For the greeting, I stamped one from the "Word Labels" set by Sizzix on another piece of white cardstock, using Versafine Onyx Black ink. I stamped the matching border around it in Memento Grape Jelly dye ink, then cut it with the coordinating die. I glued that to a piece of green patterned paper from my scrap stash, and glued half the image circle to the background. (I only glued half, so I could tuck my diagonal strip underneath, then finish gluing the circle.)

I toyed around with a few ideas for what to use for the strip between the image & greeting elements. Finally, I cut a piece of lavender cardstock, and die cut both long edges with one of the "Stitched Borders 1" dies by Pretty Pink Posh. I positioned that diagonally on the card, over the scalloped circles. I cut around two of the leaves a little more, so I could have them lie on top of the strip. I then adhered the strip in place with some ATG adhesive, and cut off the portions that hung over the edges of my panel.

At this point, I was stumped with what to do on the bottom of the panel. I played around with some die cut border strips, but nothing really screamed, "Use ME!" So I walked away and took a break for a while. When I came back, I knew I wanted to use a ribbon. I had some 3/8" wide sheer purple ribbon from Michael's out. I ran a length across the bottom of the panel, and adhered the ends on the back. Then I created a "faux bow," loosely following this tutorial I'd seen on YouTube. This creates a much flatter bow, without the bulky knot you get in the middle if you just tie it normally. Finally, I matted the whole panel with a piece of dark purple cardstock, and mounted that to a white A2 card base. I will be sending this with my cards for MD Anderson Cancer Center, hopefully to help a cancer patient's loved one tell her he loves her!

I'm also entering this card in Virginia's View Challenge #19: "Color It."