Freshly Made Sketches: Let Your Joys Stack Up

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Linda.

When I was sitting down to do this last weekend - it was snowing!!  It was a beautiful light snow with big flakes - but it was still snow in April which just seems wrong  (And it's in the forecast for this week too.)  So I went overboard with spring!


It was one of those cards that almost didn't happen.  Every last one of you will be able to relate to this although maybe you are smart enough to walk away before frustration sets it.  Here's my process on this card...

• See the sketch and immediately know it will be on kraft with soft patterns and flowers.
• Pick the perfect stamp and plan ahead - stamp the solid base in the a.m., let it dry, and  in the p.m. add the detail with embossing powder.
• Oh no.  Where's the coordinating die for it?  Because I do NOT fussy cut.  Spend incredible amounts of time looking for the die.  Even consider paying $7 shipping just to get a replacement die.
• Give up, walk to the mailbox for a break and realize there's a stamp order there - and one of them is a great replacement!
• Try inks from four different companies looking for matches to the background paper - including a retired ink stashed way in the back of the stash.
• Success!
• Find the perfect sentiment.  Lay the actual stamp on the card - then refill coffee.  Sidetrack a bit on the computer and tidying up a very messy workspace.  Turn back to the card. Oh no - the stamp is gone!  (And I'm fairly certain the cat hasn't wandered by - stamps and dies are favorite play toys.)
• Look.  Look again.  Look in the sink under the empty coffee cup.  Dig through the garbage.  Crawl around the floor feeling the rug.  Track the cat down.
• Tidy some more including putting away the retired ink that's stashed far way in the back of the stash.
• Give up.  Find an acceptable alternative stamp.
• Stamp it.  Oh no.  It's crooked.  Re-cut the rectangle and reach for the stamp positioner - on top of which is the packaging for the new stamp set that came in the mail - that I would swear up and down I haven't touched since about the day before when I stamped the flowers.  But clearly I had because from the bottom falls the missing sentiment.  Joy!!
• Ink it up. Realize the acrylic block is a little messy, but I'm getting a little tired of this card so decide I'll just stamp carefully.  Sentiment looks good. Oh no.  The messy block got ink on the tulip.
• Dig the ink back out of the retired ink box that's stashed in the back of the stash so I can restamp the tulip.  
• Finished.  Seriously and truly finished - and I'm not convinced I like the card after all of that.  I'm sure it's the trauma of it all.
• Do something a little easier - - - like submit my taxes!!!

And..yes...I do know the stripes are crooked.  Tough!!


I hope to see you playing along - and I hope your experience is better than mine!!!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Bitty Bouquets, Choose Joy (sentiment)

Dies: Papertrey Ink Bitty Bouquets, Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangle Stacklets

Cardstock: Taylored Expressions Toffee, Stampin' Up Apricot Appeal

Patterned Paper: Sunny Studio Dots & Stripes Pastels

Ink: Papertrey Ink Smokey Shadow, Taylored Expressions Granny Smith, Simon Says Stamp Hollyhock, Stampin' Up Apricot Appeal, Peekaboo Peach and Lucky Limeade

Other: Pretty Pink Posh Valentine Mix Gems