pushing....

...myself to do something different is always difficult for me.  Well, especially when it comes to stamping/card making.  I think that the reason why is because for so long I have had such little free time and so "experimental" card making just wasn't an option.  Think about it...if you have just a little, bitty, teeny, tiny window of time each week to pull out your crayons and have fun then, well, you tend to do something that gives you both satisfaction and enjoyment.  For me, at least, that means simple layouts as well as coloring flowers.  Kinda always the same but made me happy.  So, now, I am facing a time in my life where my windows might open from little, bitty, teeny, tiny to wide open.....at least once in awhile.  And that means I have the time to pull out my dies, my embossing folders, my stamps that take me three, four (yikes! more sometimes) attempts to color them in a way that I am satisfied, content.  Basically, liking the finished product.  So, today I sat down with one of my new Penny Black stamps called Snowflake and Holly.  I really love the look of this stamp but it took me several attempts to get to a card that I liked.  And I liked that process.  And I wasn't rushed and stressed about all my mistakes.  And I got out my cuttlebug....and my die cuts....and I diddled and daddled and, it. was. fun.  Wow-forgot how fun it could be to jump into the "pool" with my eyes closed and just "feel" the process.  Make sense to you all?  Sometimes fun is "just".....just doing, just playing, just making mistakes...whatever...So, I did set myself some challenges...do what I don't usually do.  So, I embossed (never emboss....too messy man-esp if you are in a hurry!) and that embossing is for the Lily Pad Simon Says Stamp Resist Challenge.  I did hold true to something that is always near and dear to my heart and that is unconventional colors....so, meet my blue snowflakes and turquoise holly....and they will be for the cr8fn37 challenge! 

This particular card I versamark pen embossed the colored holly leaves and then clear embossed them. 

This next card uses alot of the same elements as the first card....but in a different way.  I wanted to use the scraps from the first card and see if I could make a card with the same stamp, same colors, many similar elements but with a whole different vibe.  I think I did.  I like them both but I really LOVE the pop of orange on the second one.

Well dearies...thank you so much for stopping by and slogging through my massive post.  I was really pretty long winded here wasn't I?  Guess I just got LOTS to say ;-D

Be well (and well read),
Sheila