Thursday 16 August 2012

Having a blue day

This has nothing to do with discovering that a local plumber has been advertising our telephone number as his fax number, and that the internet is peppered with it, and old ladies are calling me and wanting to know what a fax is. Honest.

No, I'm not feeling blue in the emotional sense. But blue is my favourite colour today. When I am asked "what's your favourite colour?" I can never answer because it changes depending on how I'm feeling. Yesterday I was all about green, today it is blue.

I've been wondering how people get those perfect sponged shapes (Mandi's beautiful flamingo circles, and Squirrel's effective oval) so this morning I've been playing. I die-cut circles and squares out of card scraps as a template, and sponged inside the shapes. I'm not getting that lovely crisp edge though. I suspect that my template may be too thick. I'll try again with paper.

But I also learned a few things about Distress ink, chalk ink and pigment ink, namely that you can't use Distress ink OVER chalk ink. Well there you go.

I also want to know what those masks are made of which you can use in embossing folders to get a non-embossed shape in the middle. It isn't craft foam or really thick card. I didn't want to use anything really strong in case I broke my folder. Or my Cuttlebug. Hmm.

As a result of all this playing around, I now have a handful of embossed scraps, wobbly shapes and wasted card blanks. And this one successful card.


Let's try and enter it into these challenges and see what happens:
CAS-ual Fridays (2nd entry) - square card
Charisma Cardz and Stampin' for the Weekend (2nd entry) - monochrome
Creative Card Crew - maps/newsprint/sheet music/script
Less Is More (2nd entry, first was fur now feathers) - fur/feathers

13 comments:

Flutterby Trina said...

Lovely simple card, Thanks for playing along with us this week at Charisma Cardz and our 'Monochromatic' challenge - hope to see you again soon! Hugs Katrina - Charisma Cardz DT xxx

Chrissie said...

This looks great Squirrel, I always find that paper makes a better mask than card because of the thickness, as you so rightly assume.
I love the touch of manuscript on your stamped panel.
Thanks again
Chrissie
Less is More

Vicky said...

A lovely card, beautiful colours, well worth the scraps and the effort :) Thank you for joining us at Creative Card Crew

hugs Vicky xxx

Squirrel x said...

This is gorgeous hun! Love the blues. I tend to favour Post-It Notes for masks (if I'm being tight) or Eclipse Masking Tape (if I'm feeling extravagent) but usually its the PINs, the little bit of adhesive is just enough, doesn't mark the under surface, and can be reused a few times. Hugs, Sxx

JoAnn Ross said...

Well, it may have taken you a while to get there, but you learned some things along the way and ended up with a really lovely card! It's very special!

Funny, I'm in the midst of painting a bunch of the walls of our year old house. (I've been living with builder's beige.) I went with a middle tone sea glass color that's midway between blue and green. So, that way I didn't have to make up my mind between the two of them. It also looks different in different light, so I never know exactly what I'm going to wake up to. :)

Debby said...

Its great to find time to play with new techniques and as a result you have a stunning card! Thanks for joining us at CAS-ual Fridays this week :)

Bubbles said...

Great card, love the simplicity of it! Thanks for joining us at Charisma Cardz.
Joanne x

Cat's sCrap said...

Absolutely fantastic ! Simple and clean as I like ! Bravo !

Thanks for joining us at Charisma Cardz this week.

Hugs from France.
Catherine.

Mandi said...

I agree about paper making a better mask Rosie
Super card
Thanks very much
mandi
"Less is More"

Joanna M. said...

I'd be a little "blue" about having the plumber publish my phone number too! your card is lovely. Thanks so much for joining in Creative Card Crew's Challenge. Good luck!

Allison said...

sweet card, thanks for joining us at Charisma this week
Allisonx

Elle said...

Golly, reading your post made me smile. I love those days where we try to recreate things we see. And I never mind the fails, cos sometimes the fails are the best!

Thanks for joining us at Creative Card Crew this week. Hugs. Elle

Anonymous said...

I love your blue card! I can almost hear the bird singing!