Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Stuck on this die....

lately.  I have used this particular die for several cards recently and one of the reasons is because I end up spending so much time with it I feel like I have to use it no matter what!  I know, I know....wrong way to get a card made. I love this die but it is a little tricky to get the branch overlay out.  What I have been doing lately is cutting out the heart and then putting double sided adhesive paper over regular paper and then cutting out the branches.  Then after I get the rather thick branch section out of the die I carefully peel off the adhesive cover and then stick it in some Glamour Dust.  But even though I like it I don't love it so I guess I haven't found the way to be  really, really happy using this die yet.  It seems like it is missing a mounting layer to my eye....but when I have tried to free hand cut one out they always look a little like amateur hour.  Oh well. Anyways, after I get the heart cut and pasted with it's branches I really feel like I MUST find a way to use it.  By then I have spent so much time fiddling with it! I mean, it would be wasteful not too....so.....I often end up spending a lot of time on a card that doesn't  truly deserve to have my attention that long!  I am trying to make a card a day.  I feel if I really try and commit myself to this challenge I will ultimately get enough practice to become better at this hobby.  Many times my crafting comes in spits and spurts and then I tend to stay at the same competency level without ever progressing to better cards with better sketches and using better techniques.  So, I figure that some days I will have more time and other days I will have less time but if I have to get a card done each day then I will become more efficient in the time that I have available on that particular day.  Some many of my blogging friends are taking that online course and their cards are just fabulous!  I have total card envy ;-D  But, I have taken online courses before without fully thinking about how my upcoming schedule looks and unfortunately I have missed large sections of the class....only to try and play massive catch up in the day or two that I have free. So, knowing how crazy busy Jan, Feb and March are I decided not to take the class and so, OF COURSE I  am now bumming about how much I am missing and that  I should have taken it blah blah blah! Over at the Simon Says Stamp Blog the new challenge is Anything with a Heart and so I thought I would enter this card into their challenge!



Anyways, here is my card....kinda intense....I was going for the shabby look but I don't think I quite made it there!



The inside is decorated and says "May all of your Dreams come true" but I didn't include the picture as it was so overexposed that it looked completely washed out!  Thank you for stopping by and I hope you are able to fit in some crafting time!

Be well,
Sheila


6 comments:

Lisa said...

That heart image is fabulous and I love the way you've colored it and blinged it up! Your cards are so beautifully layered and interesting!!
Class has been a lot of fun! You know you can still sign up and do it on your own right??

rcwidow (Linda) said...

Love the card and love that you have challenged yourself to make time to create! Inspires me to have more creative time. I did get my desk cleaned up so I have more room to work. :)

joy said...

I like your card a lot, Sheila! Have you tried laying waxed paper between your die and the paper? Someone mentioned that it helps with releasing the die.

Dawn T said...

It certainly is a very intricate die and I love the look you got on this card Sheila. It is lovely

Maureen Morton said...

This card is magnificent, Sheila! But, I gotta tell ya, I would sure not fight like that with any die......it shouldn't require it and it sounds like such a struggle. I'm not taking the class, either. But they are a good way to challenge yourself. One card a day is a huge challenge! Good luck with that, girlfriend. Love to visit here.

Robin K. said...

This is a fabulous card Sheila! I understand your frustration with more intricate dies. I have a few MB dies that I had to add layers of masking tape to the back of the die to selectively shim spots that weren't cutting well. I've also found that running the die through again after turning it in another direction has also helped.