Valentine Series 2016 #6

Hi ya!

I am excited to show the image I used on today's card. I borrowed this stamp from a friend over a year ago I believe (and am a little embarrassed to admit). I took it with me to Ireland and looked at it often always having the intention of making this card but didn't quite get to it. I brought it back home with me because I had the card I intended to use it on already in my head. It has been in my mind for quite some time and it feels great to get it out here into the real world!

This is for a friend of mine who LOVES tulips and I wanted to make a card for her with this image because I cannot look at it without thinking of her. Plus the little gal on the image looks to me like she is just bursting with joy to share all the tulips she has. I think the image lends itself to bright and happy colors and I really wanted it to have a cheery feeling.

Ingredients: 

• image is from Penny Black and created by Mo Manning
• the yellow and blue paper is from my stash
• the red striped paper is from Echo Park 8x8 paper pad Dots & Stripes
• I used Copic markers to color the image
• Wink of Stella in clear to add some sparkle to the flowers and the vases
• I stamped the sentiment on to a label created with a label punch from the Paper Studio
• the sentiment is from Hampton Arts Jillibean Soup Handwritten Sentiments
• stamped the sentiment using My Favorite Things hybrid ink in Wild Cherry
• stamped the main image using My Favorite Things hybrid ink in Black Licorice
• the paper the image is stamped on is Neenah Classic Crest Card in Solar White (this is the paper I bought in the UK and the sizing is different than in the States) 

I have made this card for one of my closest girlfriends and I look forward to giving it to her for Valentine's Day. There really isn't anything that lends this particular image to V-day itself but when I see this image I think of my friend and I thought it would be a perfect image to include on a card to let her know I love her and am thinking of her. So keep in mind that if you don't feel that you have a Valentine specific image that lends itself to be used for friends or family etc you don't have to! Just find an image that either makes you think of them or that you think they would enjoy seeing. The sentiment doesn't even have to be related to Valentine's Day you can always just write it on the inside. Either way I cannot imagine that they wouldn't be pleased to get a card from you and that it would certainly bring a smile to their face, we all like to know we are loved.

Oh! One more thing...it may not stand out to you and I realize that I may be pointing it out and ruining the image for you but it SCREAMS out to me when I look at the card but I have repeated the mantra that "handmade items are NOT perfect nor are they meant to be" (sigh) and I am okay now. I was coloring that tiny little piece of her scarf between her ear and her hair and my marker "burped", which means that too much ink came out and I FREAKED OUT!!! It went into her face and I thought the image was ruined and i had already colored all the flowers and vases and I was in shock! Then I calmed down, blotted the area with a paper towel and used my lightest skin color to move the yellow out of her face as much as I could. I think it is passable enough to still be used and given but I would be lying through my teeth if I said that my eyes don't go straight to that blemish as soon as I look at the card, I am however able to take in the entire image and I feel better about it. I mention this little incident to just encourage you that if you make a mistake or a mistake is made for you DON'T PANIC! There is usually a way to resolve it without trashing the card and starting over. :)

Thanks for joining me for a card and a bit of rambling!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)