It’s Friday the 13th and the wind is howlin’, the unrelenting rain is coming down sideways, and the sky is that November grey, but it is bright and colorful here in this latest installment for Runway Inspired Challenge #95.
Lot’s of new going on in this card and a variety of techniques, including some serious texture, which makes it a contender for the latest challenge at Virginia’s View!
There are so many lovely aspects to the model’s ensemble from the dual toned blue-black lace and the pops of fuchsia to those capped sleeves and the intricate shoes!
Rather than incorporating the lace and blues in a bold way, I opted for a more subtle pop of color and texture against the white and a bold statement.
The leaves are from the new Julie Ebersole set, Gourd-jus, at Ellen Hutson. I stamped some watercolor paper with Hero Arts cornflower dye ink and this fabulous lacy, paisley background stamp from Prima, then die cut the leaves.
The flower stamp is from Unity, a stamp of the week that I hadn’t put to use yet. I Distress-inked watercolor paper with Picked Raspberry and then stamped over the pattern I liked best with Ranger Archival Ink in that rich, fabulous black. It works really well with highly textured paper. The flower was then fussy cut and manipulated a bit for dimension.
The background panel was embossed with my favorite Linen plate from PTI. This impression is just so amazing; I experience synesthesia just looking at it (which, for me, means I want to eat it!). Weird, perhaps, but I experience this phenomenon with colors and textures; my inclination is to taste them or have an extreme need to touch them. Some people see color when listening to music or composing; others can experience taste through a different sense, or feel physically in a part of their body something they hear, which also happens to me. Synesthesia is really pretty cool; except when it’s not, like when my teeth feel like they might fall out of my head if I touch or think about certain textures, or when I experience sensory overload visually and auditorily. You can read more about it here if you are interested.
Anyway, I love this linen plate! And the way the sentiment from Kaisercraft looks on it.
And what about that border? Oh my gosh. I have owned this die forever and never put it to use! It is actually being discontinued by Memory Box, (I stand corrected, thanks to my dear friend Jeanne, it is POPPYSTAMPS Longier Stem die! You can see her use of it here.). actually the Memory Box die indeed, Whimsy Leaves, and all this back and forth has been incredibly funny to me! You can read more about the confusion in the comments below! I am glad I not only bought it, but finally used it because it is cool! (And so is the Longier die by Poppystamps, for that matter! And you should still check out Jeanne’s use of it and Starlit Studio!)
The intention behind it was to echo the model’s shoes and the ladder-like pattern around her ankles and feet. Neat shoes, but boy do her feet look uncomfortable!!
Everything is layered on Studio Calico’s new digital paper from the Canyonland’s collection, which I have been putting to use in some cards and layouts. The final touch was a bit more texture with some shimmery electric blue thread and dew-drop sequins. Love the play of the dotted lines angling against the border and working with the grid pattern of the flower!
Smooth, textured, delicate, bold–I am really happy with how the elements came together for this piece!
Behind the scenes, I am working on a spread for #30daysofgratitude, which I am excited about, and several occasion cards. Looking forward to the Thanksgiving break when I can catch up on some creative and professional work, as well as mingle with some good friends.
So much to be grateful for–including you! Thanks so much for stopping by. And thanks to Jeanne for letting me know about another challenge–Poppy Challenge #14 “Home for the Holidays” into which this card will fit (or NOT, after all!). Check them out–all the DT inspiration and entries are fabulous! And if they don’t ban me from the challenge, I have plenty of Poppystamps to use when I try, try again! 🙂
Hope your holiday season is off to a smashing start!
UPDATE: My card was chosen to be in the top 10 of 239 entries! Thanks Virginia!!
Pinned & Penned 
Oh gosh I didn’t even realize it was Friday the 13th! Love your design.. and that die? Its actually Poppystamps Longier Stem! I hope you will enter this one at their challenge – this month the theme is Home for The Holidays and I think this one qualifies. Your card is gorgeous and that sentiment reminds me to be grateful for what I have – and yep.. on this cold blustery day.. theres lots of simple things to be happy for! Hugs to you !
Oh my gosh, you know I thought it was Poppystamps, but was too focused on writing to get up and check. I got this one and a discontinued Memory Box from Starlit Studio nearly a year ago. She has super good discounts AND focuses on both companies. THANK YOU for the head’s up and for correcting my error. That’s where lazy gets me! 🙂
LOVE your card and so glad I have this die! I’m the same way, never used it! It is a Memory Box die, Whimsy Leaves… the poppystamps die Longier completely cuts out the leaves on both sides of the stem and completely cuts out the stem too. Here’s the one Jeanne is talking about… http://poppystamps.com/1012-Longier-Stem-craft-die_p_69.html but the one you used and I have is the Whimsy Leaves http://www.123stitch.com/item/Memory-Box-Whimsy-Leaves-Craft-Dies/MBOX-98618 So glad you posted this! I’m inspired to use mine now! 😀
So an apt analogy can be made here: I told my student the other night that when taking a test, always go with your first answer, your gut response. About 90% of the time it is right. It’s overthinking that gets us into a snag, right? Guess I should have gone with my initial answer– but even more apt is the lesson about laziness. Had I both gone with my gut AND gotten up to look at the die and it’s package (as I did second guess myself, wondering was it Poppystamps?) then all would have been well! You think I might have noticed that Jeanne’s card looked a little different die-wise… moving too fast! Finding much humor in all this. Well, it IS Friday the 13th after all. And I DO have both dies, Longier and the Whimsy Leaves (obviously) used here. I bought both at the same time for a deep discount over at Starlit Studio. Her prices, sales and selection all rock!! Anyway, SO glad I could inspire you with the die– you work some wonders with Memory Box and Poppystamps. Hope I am not banned from Poppy Challenges!
dang it! Pam is right! They look so similar!! I’m so sorry Kathryn! I got so excited when i saw that die ! I was like YES!!! So beautiful! Could never get sick of you! Come and play any time!
Another incredible creaton, so beautiful!
Thank you, Therese!!!
The linen textured background looks amazing with that edgy flower and beautiful sentiment! Thanks so much for joining us on the Runway 🙂