Doing Your Best

I like that title because it describes the way I like to do things in life :) I try to be kind and do my best, even when sometimes it doesn't work out. But that's life and there's always a lesson to be learned along the way, in every situation.






I Love, love how this card turned out! I thoroughly enjoyed making this card and when I look at it, it makes me happy. I was trying for a simple monotone colored card, and I didn't have to paw through my paper for 2 hours (like usual), I found this piece in 10 minutes and Knew I Had to use this one. It just spoke to me and looks beautiful. I love that pink color, and pattern. It just grabs me visually.

I made this card for the My Favorite Things: September Guest DT Member Challenge. Their challenge is "Getting Sentimental". The object is to make the sentiment the focal point. And that's why I though maybe going monotone for the colors would be best. I have never made a sentiment be a focal point, so this was a challenge I both welcomed and was interested in.

I used My Favorite Things stamp set Pure Innocence "Have a Blooming Good Day" stamped in Ranger Distress Inks "Antique Linen". Then I stamped over that with a harvest sentiment stamp set from MFT company. After stamping them, I heat embossed both of them so they would stand out some more. Tombow markers were used to color in her heart, hairbands, shoes, flower and grass, to add a bit of color, or else it would all look "flat" with out some color. I die cut their Open Scallop Die and placed it under the matted image. And I used some ribbon along side for interest and to break up all the pink, pink, pink going on :) I used a punch to cut out little flowers to place over the ribbons, then pearls were added after for a softer creamy pink in the middle. I could have used buttons, and I did try, but it just wasn't working, so I went with the punched flowers. The last thing I did was place pop dots under everything to lift it off the paper. I like the 3D element it adds. I like my cards to have dimension, and not be laying flat on a card front. It looks boring to me. It only takes 2 minutes but the results are worth it, to me :)

So I finally figured out my lighting situation (I know I say that every time! LOL). I took my homemade LightBox (Thank You Kim Teasedale!! She's the BEST), and went outside and added a couple lights along the sides for more light, and Voila! The BEST pictures I have taken in a while. I have always loved and wanted pictures that many others seem to be able to do. The kind that are a bright, white "studio" picture with full color. I could never seem to get that, and when I tried to Photoshop light in...Ugh! It all looked so unnatural. I hate that look. So, I hope this works out, although I had to cart two lights, a LightBox, coffee table, camera and card outside, and lug it all back in... I'm sure my neighbors think I'm crazy lugging this stuff out on my front lawn... :)


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Psalms 136:1
Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: His mercy endures forever