A blog devoted to the cards I make in my tiny upstairs space. When my sister stays there, she calls it an "artist's garret". I'm not an artist, but am an enthusiastic cardmaker - hence the title "Cardmaker's Garret".
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Saturday 22 July 2017

Decorative Paper or Embossed Background?

This week's Merry Christmas Challenge is to use patterned paper - a good one for me as I have quite a stash of it and rarely use it these days.


I picked a pretty green dp with a small print, and then found a piece of light kraft cs that blended with it well and stamped and heat embossed in white.  I coloured with white and green coloured pencils, trimmed it down and bordered in white. 

A pretty basic card that takes me back to my early days of cardmaking.  I like it but I'm not sure it's my style anymore (maybe I really should get rid of a lot of that dp!!).  So while I had the stamp and the kraft cs out, I made an alternate version.


I used a darker kraft cs for more contrast, the same heat embossing and colouring, but this time bordered with dark green cs and mounted on an embossed background.

The question then was "do I like it any better?".  Or should I also get rid of a bunch of my embossing folders too?  My style seems to have evolved away from this too and I'm enjoying more mixed media stuff, making my own backgrounds, etc.  It will be interesting to see at my annual card sale what cards sell the fastest.  If people still really like these ones and they sell quickly, then I need to keep making some of them so will have to keep my dp and embossing folders!  I'll report back in December!

What do you think?  Decorative paper or embossed background?  Move on from both of them?  Since I'm ambivalent myself, you won't hurt my feelings!





Supplies:
Stamps - Penny Black
Ink - ColorBox white
Paper - white, green, and kraft cs; unknown dp
Size - A2
Accessories - white embossing powder, coloured pencils, Darice embossing folder



8 comments:

  1. I love the texture of the embossed folder it looks perfect with the white. I'm with you on the DP, I really struggle to use it now that we have all learned to make our own beautiful coloured backgrounds.

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  2. I like the embossing folder better. I gave most of my DSP to the grandkids! They were delighted! And I was delighted to get it out! I'm not using my embossing folders as much either. I still love them though. Love your doves, especially the second one on the darker cardstock! Great coloring!

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  3. They are both pretty, but I do like the more CAS 2nd card the best. I have given away much of my DSP, but still have plenty. I have not bought any new DSP for a couple of years, so that is a plus. I am sure someone at your sale will love your cards though. TFS and reminding me of my older style of cards too. Hugs..P.S. I still love stamping in white on kraft paper even if I do not do it very often and love your dove layers.

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  4. I hardly ever use DSP and I don't use embossing folders very often either. I still have lots of both, though. Maybe we can figure out a technique or two that uses DSP. Something to think about. As for the embossing folders, I still like to have them because I do like the embossing folder stamping technique, although I haven't done it a lot. I need to keep a list of techniques as a reminder because there are so many that we have done over the past few years and tend to forget about some of them. :) Hope that helps. As for your cards ... I like the embossing folder version better. Probably because I am partial to white backgrounds. :) xx

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  5. Both are lovely cards...however, I prefer the embossed background. The embossed design resonates the theme in your focal point...and the focal point presents itself to the foreground "peacefully". :D

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  6. This is fabulous! Thanks for sharing at The Merry Christmas Challenge!
    ~Owner/DT Janis

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  7. I have the same issue Susan and find I rarely use my enormous collection of papers. I do like both cards though and I think it is because I love the beautiful focal point of those folk art inspired doves.
    Hugs
    Carol x

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  8. Super cute!!! Thank you for joining us at TMCC, good luck!!! Amy DT

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