Pink Mod Paper Hug
Is it perfection? No. Does it matter? Probably not.
When I first saw the Simon Says Stamp Sunny Vibes release (see it all here), one of the first things I did was stamp some of these greetings and stamped this fun mod background stamp on some different colors. I wasn’t sure at the time what I was going to do with them, but knew I’d use them on something.
I had these two pink panels sitting out on my “staging area” in my studio waiting for the right idea. One evening, I just decided to combine the two.
Overall, this is a pretty straightforward card to produce.
Techniques:
I considered an angled edge between the two colors, but this pattern stamped in black is big, bold, and strong, and I knew that adding in a different geometry would be too much. I took care to line up the pattern on the two colors when I attached them together.
Because the deep Dragonfruit cardstock is much darker than the lighter Pink Lemonade, I used that in a smaller section, and placed it at the top so it wouldn’t feel too visually heavy. Balance is achieved by the larger lighter and the smaller more bold pairing.
You may notice that the bird doesn’t stand out a lot against the patterned background, but that is intentional. I wanted it to be a secondary detail. He’s kind of camouflaged down there, but still adorable. I like having details that aren’t all in-your-face at the same level. I think it adds valuable layers of interest.
The bird’s beak is dipped in Prom Queen Lunar Paste. Another subtle detail, but in person really helps him pop and finishes him off. There is also a shiny black enamel dot for his eye; another feature to keep him from blending in too much.
In contrast with the pinks and the black pattern, there is a trio of white elements. The white frame grounds and contains the bold pattern. The white backdrop for the greeting creates a good focal point. (This greeting would get lost on that bold background otherwise.) The sprinkle of white enamel dots adds just enough detail and movement to lead your eye to that greeting.
cardstock: Concord & 9th Dragonfruit and Pink Lemonade, as well as white*
ink: Versafine Onyx Black
extras: enamel dots in white and black, Lunar Paste in Prom Queen (pink)
What would I change about this card? Perfection in cardmaking…
I often wish I’d done some things differently as I go through a card making process. That’s a natural part of my brain evaluating everything and looking for improvements. But I also know that for a project like this, it is probably ok. (If it is a design project on a different scale, that is larger, more expensive, and with client expectations I do make the adjustments.)
So much of cardmaking is about the creative process. (At least it is for me.) It is a chance to play with paper and supplies, indulge in that creative experience, and create something that will also bring joy, connection, or comfort to someone else. None of those really require perfection. I think that is valuable to keep in mind when we critique ourselves as we are creating. If you’re at all like me, we critique ourselves more that we critique what others do, especially if it is something that they took time and care to make and send to me. To me, that’s really the part that matters.
That said, I had two things I considered redoing it to fix. Did you notice? (and if you did, did it change your enjoyment/appreciation of the card? I’m curious. Let me know in the comments.)
This one is actually a two-part one, but it is the same element on the card so I’m combining them. I used some of these products when I was crafting with friends, and didn’t own them all. (At least not at that time… I may have placed a couple of orders since then…) I stamped and die cut the greeting while I was with her, knowing I’d want to use it and likely that way. In this case, ideally I’d have stamped it directly on the arched shape. But I didn’t have it and really wanted to use it this way, so I did. Related to that, I thought I compared my white scraps to the greeting white and got it right, but I was creating in the evening and even with good lighting, I didn’t catch that they are different. It became clear when I took the picture in the daylight. (Yes, I could have cheated and edited it in Photoshop, and that did cross my mind, but why? It is ok to not get it all right all of the time.)
Some of my stamping of the background pattern is less than perfect. Something shifted, apparently, and there’s a bit of shadow effect in it. And some areas aren’t quite as solid, which I didn’t notice while crafting and chatting with friends. ha! Again, I didn’t have the stamp with me when I made this (I do now!) but wanted to get it made, so I tried to use sections that were more clean.
Thank you for visiting! I hope you get some time to create something soon.
And please, do not let a goal of perfection keep you from making and enjoying the process.
Links are below if you’re interested in any of the products I used.
*Affiliate links do not cost you any more when you shop, but it is beneficial to creators when you use them, so thanks in advance!