Happily Ever After

I haven't used this stamp set in ages. The images are so small and my tastes have changed so it sits on the shelf. However, this sketch suits little images. Splitcoast Sketch Challenge SC205.

I started with so saffron DSP from last year on a standard chocolate card base. Fortunately, a lovely blogger Dannie figured out the dimensions for the three panels! She included sizes for both the panel and a mat, I just used the mat size because I couldn't decide what colour to use as a mat but later I wished I had matted the saffron panels for visual interest. Anyway, I stamped the little wedding car on vanilla and cut it and the scalloped chocolate mat with Nesties. I used a combination of Copics, SU! markers and a silver gel pen to colour the image.

I added a chocolate ribbon across the card and tied a second ribbon around it for a tie. You all know that trick right? TIP: Tie a small ribbon around one stretched across the card, adhered at both ends, instead of tying one ribbon from the left with one from the right together for a tie. That way you can adjust the tie easily if it isn't exactly where you want and you don't have to struggle to get it tight enough either, holding one finger in the middle while you tie it a second time. If you are mailing the card, the tie isn't so lumpy either because you only need to tie it once, not twice! 2nd TIP: The thicker the ribbon, the more slack you should leave when adhering the first ribbon to your card or when you add the tie, it will be to tight and pull the card front into a curve. Ask me how I know!

I used black foam dots to adhere the car layers to the card over the ribbon. Now it looked way too boring. This is where the trouble started! I got out my flourish stamp from Autumn Leaves and stamped it in close to cocoa ink. Well, the stamped image was spotty at best. The ink didn't adhere well and puddled in spots, leaving others with no ink at all. Ughhhhh! So I tried stamping over it. Nope, didn't line it up right. So I ended up taking the top two panels off, recutting them and restamping. Before I restamped I tried to condition the stamps by sanding them. The test stamp on the dull side of the chipboard that comes with scrapbook paper looked OK so I stamped it in chocolate, this time on the card. Helped but not enough. Dang it! I am guessing the difference is the absorbency or surface texture of one paper vs the other. So I ended up using a chocolate marker to go over the areas where the spotty ink problem was most prominent. I still thought it needed something at the bottom but I was hesitant to add another flourish. So I went with the sentiment that goes with the little car; I rather like that font. Now I am relatively happy with it. Hope you think it is at least OK. In case you noticed, I swear the ribbon was trimmed perfectly at one point. I must have brushed the angled cut end the wrong way, rats! Don't yajust love the country song "(It Doesn't Have to Be) Perfect" by Sara Evans!

RECIPE

Paper: chocolate chip, very vanilla cardstock, so saffron DSP Stamps: elegant flourishes by autumn leaves, Greetings Galore Ink: Stazon brown, chocolate chip
Accessories: chocolate ribbon, black foam tape-unknown, silver gel pen-unknown, Copic markers, SU! Markers. All supplies SU! unless otherwise noted.

Enjoy, Rebecca