New Week, New Start !!

Good Monday Morning Ladies, 

I hope today finds you feeling fresh and relaxed after the weekend ☺️.  We just 'pottered' most of the weekend,  yesterday afternoon was lovely here, I wanted to go outside with Paul but just couldn't bend to put bulbs in (which is what I needed to do), so I gave up on the idea of going out in the sun, then I heard Paul calling me so went to see what he wanted, bless him he had set the garden shredder up with a HUGE pile of branches  and old Raspberry canes, he asked me if I minded helping him (I knew he had just created the job to get me outside)  so I stood and did as much as I could, after that we prepared Roast chicken dinner with Apple crumble, I sat and made today's card while Paul peeled vegetables etc.  Nothing very exciting but I am perfectly happy doing anything in Paul's company x

Today's card is made using a Hero Arts die that I bought a long time ago and have never had it out of the packet, after buying it (from a seller on fb for £4) I just couldn't decide what to do with it, so after a bit of googling Background die cards I saw something similar to this so set about making it.   I die cut the background 3 times, adhered 2 together (for depth) and used the 3rd to cut up for the flower embellishments, I coloured those with my StampinUp Alcohol pens, I stuck the background down to my Balmy Blue card base and I was going to add the flowers but decided that looked a bit 'flat' so I decided to cover the coloured flowers with Versamark and then cover them with clear embossing powder and heat set, wow did it bring them to life!!

 I stamped my sentiment and die cut and added a narrow white mat.  I arranged the flowers around the sentiment and popped some coloured glossies in matching colours on the flowers in the background.  

It was finished.....

Without white background 

With white background 

But for some reason it didn't look right, or maybe it looked unfinished,  so I sat, deflated for a few minutes and then I thought  🤔  Put it on a white card base!  So I trimmed along the top and then cut a card base 1/4 inch bigger and adhered my card front. That was it, it looked finished,  sometimes it can be the simplest things that can make so much difference,  like adding a coordinating mat to a card or adding a few gems or flowers, so before you discard something you have been working on walk away and have a think about how you could change it,  or message me and I will suggest something,  Karen and I often do that, Sue and I too,  You just need a fresh pair of eyes to look at it, it's always something super simple.

Brenda,  I agree with you 100% about the Diecutting Essentials Magazine,  I remember when I first subscribed last year the first few dies were awful, then there was a good run of nice dies.  I have found the Techniques a bit 'samey'. The ones in Creative Stamping magazine have been better.  Sue bought a couple of her magazines with her on Wednesday and one if the features was a 100% copy of one of my Diecutting Essentials Magazine,  the dies they used were the magazine free gift!  Nobody wants to pay for repeated content,  so I may take a break.  I think it might be better to look at them on a shop and buy if you like the free gift, that way you aren't paying for things that you don't use.  Although it's nice to have some happy mail during the month.  Sue's latest Simply Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine seemed way better value, I'm pretty sure there was a set of masks, stamps and a die and a stencil brush!! So I might look at that one too. XXX

Thank you all for your wonderfully kind and uplifting messages yesterday, it meant a lot ❤️ 

Sending my love and hugs to you all,

Sandra

xxxxxx