Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Make it Monday #188 - Stamping Ombre Backgrounds

Good morning friends.  Laura Bassen is hosting this weeks Make it Monday challenge and shows us how to use the ombre effect for backgrounds on our cards.  I thought I had a quick and simple idea for my card that should only take a half hour or so to make.  Two and a half hours later and a fuller wastebasket, I finally had a card that I considered "ok". 



I knew I wanted to stay in the "blue" family and use my "Fancy Flakes" die, but the colors became my first issue.  I only have 3 blue colors from PTI: Hawaiian Shores, Aqua Mist, & Spring Rain.  I used "Background Basics: Super Chevron" to start building my ombre background, but once I added the Spring Rain to the Hawaiian Shores and Aqua Mist, I didn't like it!  I tried it a few different ways, but it just didn't look right, so I ended up only using the Hawaiian Shores and Aqua Mist.  Then I cut out the snowflake and replaced all the small pieces to keep my chevron pattern going and stamped my sentiment....and the center of my sentiment didn't stamp...grrrrrr!!  Of course I tried to match up and stamp over it, but no luck!  Stamped another background and carefully stamped my sentiment...so far so good!  Cut out my snowflake, punched out the small parts, replaced the stamped snowflake with a plain white snowflake on the card (inset), and then went to replace the small stamped pieces, and couldn't find them all!  My elbow must of brushed them off my desk, and I don't know if one of the dogs got them or what, but I could NOT find them!  Started at the beginning AGAIN, and this time when I stamped the sentiment, I also added a small black line right over the bottom of the snowflake (top of my acrylic block got some ink on it and I didn't realize it until after I stamped the sentiment!).  At this point I was SO frustrated, but refused to start from the beginning again, and just added the bakers twine to cove up the black line.  Anyway, it's done and it is what it is! 

Make sure you check out Laura's beautiful card and video, and all the other great entries, over on Nichole's blog right here .

Thanks so much for stopping by today and listening to me grumble...hopefully the rest of the day will go much better! :0)

7 comments:

Kathryn A said...

Well, your perseverance paid off, as I really like how this turned out! The colours are beautiful and are a great background for your Fancy Flakes. But I know how you feel--some days nothing seems to go right.

Unknown said...

Beautiful card! (And I well know the frustration of where do those little pieces go? After accusing the dog, they usually turn up 2 days later.) Again, love the card.

Jacquie Southas said...

Love the ombre effect using just the 2 ink colors and completely feel the pain of losing the small pieces you want to inlay - I've found them on my clothes or the bottom of my shoe long after giving up the search. The final card really looks fabulous!

Diana K said...

The dog ate my card ...I had already been LOL from the beginning of your story and then I got to where the dog ate some pieces of your (quick and easy) card. I have many days of cardmaking that go exactly like this. Marcia, the end results are beautiful. Blues and white and a frosty snowflake = gorgeous!

Helen F. said...

I am happy you persevered, Marcia! Your card is absolutely beautiful!
Oh how each word of your post hit home ... I can't count how many of my half hour cards have turned into 2-3 hours :-)

Colleen said...

I have had days like that...starting over with mess up after mess up...you are so patient at persevering and it totally paid off...this is stunning and the two colors work so beautifully together. In-laying the snowflake is genius and gorgeous! Awesome card, Marcia!!

Birgit said...

It's a beautiful card and it paid off in the end. I think we've all been down those roads several times in the past and will again. It's all part of being a crafter. No one would know to look at your card that you had to go through all that to get the finished project. It's as sweet as can be! ~ Birgit