TGF "Maria"

I spent all weekend crafting, working on the binding folders for my Spellbinder Dies, packing up around 6pm to spend the evening reading. Well, the craft juices hadn't stopped flowing and I found I couldn't concentrate on my book as I kept thinking about The Greeting Farm stamp "Maria" that I had stamped in May to use for a Mother's Day card but never got around to using it. I really wanted to colour her in with my Copics, so I finished the chapter I was reading, but my book down and went back into my craft room. 

The card below is what I came up with.  I did not plan the layout of this card and I had no idea of how it would turn out, I just kept adding stuff until I was happy that it didn't need any more stuff. I did think at one point I might over do it, but in the end I was able to stop and feel that I hadn't over done it.  I'm sure my friend Elle will be amazed to hear this as I am such a planner. LOL

When creating this card, I drew on inspiration from Amy of Prairie Paper and Ink (blog and YouTube) as well as Arlene from Butterfly Kisses (blog and YouTube). I find that both these ladies inspire me with their creations.  Both ladies are fabulous in putting patten paper together, the layout of their cards and how they colour with their copics.  I also love Arlene's off the page (OTP) projects and her idea of cutting our her images once coloured in.

The card is made entirely from scraps, with the majority of the embellishments coming from packets already opened or that I've had for over two years and hadn't used.  I often get caught up in what I'm going to do, plan it out, ignore all the scraps I have and head straight for my uncut new cardstock and papers.  Hearing how Arlene always cuts her images gave me a way forward as I noticed that sometimes I get stuck on wondering what to do with an image and stressing over so much white space.  We all know that crafting is meant to be fun and if you stress over how something should be, how much fun is that really.  Taking Arlene's idea of cutting out a coloured image, I found my card just came together.  It is such a simple idea you think I could have worked that one out for myself LOL.

This morning on my way to work I decided that I am going to give this card to myself as a reminder of what can be achieved with scraps.  Anyway, I've rambled on enough. Here is the card.

Supplies:

• Stamp: The Greeting Farm; Stampin' Up!
• Copics: E50; E51; E53; R81; R83; C1; C3; spica 0
• Paper: SEI Jolie Chocolate
• Embelishments: Tim Holtz Button; Hot Dollar (Cheap shop in Oz) Key Charm; Prima Marketing Bling; Kaisercraft Brads; Wild Orchid Crafts Flower and Crown Pin; lace from my stash years old; miscellaneous twine
• Ink: Tim Holtz Tattered Rose Distress Ink
• Glimmer Mist: Vanilla Breeze; Pink Bubblegum
• Cardstock: Kraft; Bazzill Pink/Burgundy of some sort

Cheers FiLoMa