Hi there blog friends!! I didn’t go into the studio at all yesterday, I was just empty. I do really enjoy it but a break was in order. So here’s what I did today and I found it refreshing. I decided I would let myself go out there but I issued myself a challenge. I wasn’t easy on myself either.
- I had to be done within one hour.
- I had to use items within my arms reach.
- I had to do three things on the card that I find very hard to do.
- No measuring.
- No fussing with the bow.
Wow, I can tell you that all of those were daunting items for me, but I accomplished them. I have to admit that it feels soooo refreshing. I was done within an hour – a miracle in and of itself because I normally spend hours. The items were all items you’ve seen on cards in the last couple of weeks or are on my desk (I practically have to get up for everything I use). The three hard things? First, I used orange!! Yep, orange and me don’t normally get along – I have only a handful of orange paper. Second, I tilted the image on the card. Don’t know why I think that’s so hard, but I do. Third, I used thin ribbon – pretty rare for me.
Although I didn’t have a product in mind when I sat down for the challenge, I’ve had some Creative Scraps from Crafty Secrets on my desk for the past month. Oh my did they come in handy! I’ve not used anything like this before and was tickled when it became the inspiration for my card and even worked with orange. (See, another new thing for me!!) I’m going back to take a second look at these fabulous sheets. I only wish I could color like this, this particular one is called Birds and Blossoms.
| SUPPLIES I USED |
|
Stamps: Craft Secrets – Creative Scraps – Birds and Blossoms (preprinted and colored), Crafty Secrets – Cupcake Party |
Be good to yourselves, have fun while you’re creating and every once in a while shake things up. What a great way to get out of a rut or develop a new habit. Happy Creating!!
I think your card is absolutely beautiful. So elegant! I am not an orangey person either and like you I like the images straight up and down. Your card looks good though. Glad you had fun with it!
The results are worth it! You have a fabulous card here!! With your creativity and artistic gifts, stepping out of your “norm” just opens up a whole realm of even more wonderful possibilities. I love the results and hope it was as fulfilling for you as an artist as it is for me as an admirer of your art!
Challenge?? Well keep them coming then because this is just beautiful and the bird image is gorgeous…
The card came out beautiful!!! Love all the details, very elegant as always! hugs, Frances.
Absolutely, totally gorgeous! (orange is hard for me too . . . LOL)
Looks like you were refreshed from your break- this is absolutely stunning!
Awesome card and what a great idea to set new and different goals! Something I know I should try more often. I understand your “orange” thing, I have it also, but do make an orange card once and a while but it has to be intentional. Thanks for sharing your inspiration with us lovely lady. and I agree, keep those challenges coming ;) We all need them. Blessings
STUNNING – obviously your challenge worked well for you! Not sure if I could accomplish those goals or not but you totally did!
If I had half of the talent you have in one little finger, I would be happy. Very nice card for out of the box, for you.
So beautiful……..so a nice card!!!
Annette
not bad for a no fuss, no muss! and the bow is just fine!
Hard to believe that something that pretty was created within an hour…stunning.
Your card is absolutely awesome Becca, so if that´s what you make, when you have a hard time, I would sure like to see, what a beauty it would be, if you did your very best and only used the easy things for you ha ha ha. I love this one, even I normally don´t like orange at all either, but this looks really gorgeous. Sooo great work hum.
I’m a “Huge” fan of nature so this card in any color works great for my eyes. I think your colors blended beautifully and it’s another High ^5 winner in my book.
Your stuff is so danged gorgeous! Each one is a masterpiece!
Thanks for sharing and making me feel that there’s still hope for us regular folks.
Franny
I just love how your card came out Becca!! You really are so creative!! I love the orange :)
You met the challenge with gusto ,it is a Beautiful card!! So different than your usual style and equally wonderful. :)
Really love your “Challenge for Me” card, definitely a work of art. There are certain colors that I tend to stay away from as well, but I think that if you find the right mix of papers you can work most any color into a card and the ending result will be unexpected and often quite nice. Thanks again for sharing :-)
Becca, I’m always ispired by the pure beauty of your designs. I wish on my best day I could create something as pretty as you make on a blah day. You dont seem the type to let the blah’s take up residence in your life. Hope you’re back to happy, sunny days soon!
Peg
Hi Becca!
For SOME REASON I missed the NO SEW, NO TIE, BOW TIE! It looks FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ve got to go back & see the tutorial! Your card today looks GREAT!!!!!!!!! I understand the challenge thing!!!!! You did a FANTASTIC JOB!!!! :)
sometime you need a break, it looks like your creative juices are alive. thank you for continuing to inspire us with your wonderful cards.. I agree with Davi, it is a departure from your usual cards, but stepping outside the box is healthy and refreshing…
Happy Sunday Becca,
I hear you about the color orange, and the angle thing. But if I push myself I usually am pleased with the results, as you should be with this beautiful card. Love the little bird. So cheery!!!!!! And I love the ribbon. I used to use only narrow ribbon because I had trouble with the bow thing. But nice detail. Thanks so much for sharing what is difficult for you… because I think you are wonderful at everything!!!! LOL Kathleen
I could stay out of the craft room for weeks on empty, challenge myself and never make a card as beautiful as you do. I have ideas but they never translate into anything near to your creativity or talent. Just wonderful!
What an inspiring project! Good job and I like your goal list. I’m going to try to do that in the future. I spend way too much time designing.
Whoo-hoo! Jumped right outside your box, didn’t you? I have to go make cards right now, and you’ve inspired me to do the same! An hour at most!
Sounds like a plan!
You go girl!
There is not a thing wrong with scaling down. My goal today is to make simple cards. I’m way behind, and I tend to spend way too much time on cards, doing pop-ups and stuff like that. Simple can be quite lovely!
This is just stunning Becca, and I am so proud of you, one hour, no fuss. :)
Becca, this card is pure beauty. Sometimes it is nice to scale down and limit yourself a bit.
God bless,
Peggy
I love the Birthday card. I thought the bird was so cute and the color are beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
Have a great day :)
Delama
As always, Becca, your card is absolutely beautiful…I think the orange looks great! Thank you so much for sharing your talents with us all…you are truly an inspiration to all of us. We can only hope to be a wee bit as good as you are and you certainly provide a goal for us! God bless you (and I KNOW He does)!
Doesn’t matter what you make, Becca!
It is always wonderful.
Love that you made something so different than normal for you today :o)
Hugs, Candy
Hi Becca,
Yes, it was a change for you – and even though I adore your usual
style, this one was both refreshing, pretty and fun.
Your advice to shake things up a bit every now and then – is truly
the right thing to do, to expand one’s own horizons. Thanks for setting a good example.
Becca,
Beautiful card, I too seldom tilt my images, and they look so pretty that way. Love the orange and bird. Thanks for all the inspiration.
Becca,
Wonderful and again inspirational.
Linda in NZ
Becca, it is beautiful. I don’t like using orange either but you’ve made a gorgeous card with orange….and to think in only an hour!!
Becca all of your work is beautiful always. I especially like this card. Not everyone could make orange work so well.
It is a real lovely card. I only use orange when I am thinking of fall but you pulled it together just great! Great job!!
Orange would be a challenge for me too, Becca, but look how beautifully you pulled this card together. Sometimes we need to stretch ourselves (ouch) and work outside our box (oooooooooh, ugh!) This card is beautiful! You’re such an inspiration!
Hugs,
Barb
oooh, i love this card. i love the orange (it looks good enuff to eat) and i am a bird watcher so this image of the bird really made my day. you are an inspiration to so many with this challenge. congratulations! you scored a big touchdown with this one. sorry, just had to make a reference to football today.
Love your card. I am not a ’tilter’ and find that hard to do. I always wonder if the person I send it to will think I just got it crooked! Guess that is something to challenge myself with.
Oh WOW! This is another gorgeous card, love the bird and your layout!!!!
Hi Becca,
I find your card absolutely beautiful. And the orange colour is just great.
Just wonderful.
creative greet Marja
(the Netherlands)
You are incredible! I would find it very hard to create a card with so many challenges and especially with the 1 hour time limit. As usual your work is stunning!
What a Beautiful Card and what a great way to challenge yourself. I think I will go to my studio and give myself a fun challange like this. Thank you Becca for sharing your hard work with us.
Wow…absolutely gorgeous! This card would have taken me all weekend to accomplish.
I would love to receive this for my birthday. *grin*
WOW! What a delightful beauty! Love the soft elegance!
I’m not an “orange” person either, but I fell in love with this card soon as I saw it. You did a beautiful job!
Your talent astounding me hon, so wish I could come cardmaking with you one day and learn from you. Even when you’re not feeling the mojo and have to issue a challenge for yourself you make something breathtaking.
really beautiful!! love the image! I tend to avoid orange too!! You worked wonders here though!!
Hi Becca! Here in Tennessee, orange is THE COLOR!! They say Vols fans bleed orange! Your card is very pretty. I tend to stay within my comfort zone too, stay close to the shore. But out there in the deep water is where the big fish are. :) Take care Becca. You’re in so many people’s prayers. Iris, Saved by Grace.
Becca, love this card. If you didn’t tell us you didn’t spend hours on this card, we would of thought you did! Beautiful!
This is a beautiful card. Becca I can’t believe you made it in an hour! I’m like you, it takes me several hours to make things, so I am really impressed. Great job!
You certainly have met your challenge in a beautiful way. This is a gorgeous card Becca. It has a certain flow to it if you know what I mean. Nothing takes over is what I’m trying to say. Orange goes so well with the main focal and it’s not so overbearing as orange can be at times. LOL!!! I love how you embellished your card Becca. Beautiful work. As always Becca, TFS!!! :-D
I think this is my favorite card you’ve completed in a while! My birthday is May 19. lol
I can’t believe your inspiration, but it’s to be marveled! Thank YOU!
Becca, you make the most beautiful cards I’ve ever seen…… thank you for so many wonderful idea.!!
LOVE this card, Becca.You definitely rose to your challenge!!
Maybe orange would be more appealing to you if you referred to it as “peach” or “melon” or ” tangerine” or “marigold” or “cantaloupe” etc. Some art suppliers are geniuses at naming the colors of their products to appeal to us. I do love beautiful names for colors!!
Your card is beautiful. I am in a big slump for being creative and I will try your challenges; maybe it will spark something!! Thanks for sharing with us, Becca.
Hugs
This is beautiful, as usual! I don’t think you have a “bad” idea.
well done Becca – give yourself a big pat on the back – it turned out really well to say it came about because of all your own challenges.
Paula, Derbyshire, UK.
x x x
Birds and Blossoms…..one of my favorite cards that you have made….and you said you felt empty….maybe this is what happens when you have to dig down deep!! I loved it!
Thanks,
Phyllis
Ramstein AFB, Germany
We often need breaks Becca. I agree yours paid off. I laughed when I read that you don’t like orange. Neither do I. I made a card just recently that had to have orange on it and my DH loved it.
I tend to do your kind of challenge more and more as I have lots of little pieces around to use up! Usually I love the result of a fast card as much as I love my fancy one who took me half a day. Thanks for sharing….
Never would have pegged it as a “Becca” creation…but you are right, it’s good to break out of the ‘norm’ once in a while. I do like it and the colors are great too!!! Surprise yourself and us some more…please.
Jan
Beautiful as always. Less than an hour – omg, I can’t even imagine getting it done in less than SEVERAL…
Awesome. TFS. You make orange look good!
As always, your card is fabulous!
I loved your card.
Becca, I hear you about the orange, I have a problem with that myself. I like how you mounted the bird image. I have an envelope full of puppy pictures I saved from a calendar that I always hoped I could find a way to use since they’re just so dad-blamed CUTE! Now, I know how I can use them and make them look great. Thank you for sharing your creativity.
BECCA BECCA YOU ARE RIGHT. THIS IS NOT A BECCA CARD BUT
IT STILL IS BEAUTIFUL. YOUR JUST NOT USED TO THIS COLOR OR
THE RIBBON OR THE STYLE. READ YOUR COMMENTS AND YOU WILL
SEE THAT EVERYONE ELSE LIKE IT TOO. YOUR JUST NOT USED TO
CREATING THIS STYLE OF CARD.
\
CYNTHIA
I relate to your hour time limit. I too spend hours on my cards, as everything has to be just right. My sweet niece got me involved in a challenge that was limited to one hour time length and I thought I was going to go crazy. Your card is as beautiful as though you had spent hours on it. Love it.
Hello Becca
What an amazing studio you must have, for all those items to be close at hand!! Still, all the paper and goodies in the world would be nothing without your talent. Even your simple-made in an hour-card is a beautiful thing.
Thank you for always being an inspiration to us all.
Trisha
Love this card. I’m loving the use of the seam binding for ribbon. I’ve seen several crafters that use this. Where do you get it from? Do you just buy it at your local fabric store?
Becca, once again your work is a piece of art. I have to admit I get excited everytime I see an E-mail from you; just can’t wait to see what beautiful creation you’ve sent now. I so appreciate your tutorials, and all that you share. Wish you lived close enough so I could take personal classes from you. Keep up the beautiful work.
Beautifully done! I really love it!
Becca, I think this is a lovely card! I don’t care for orange either but the colors in the beautiful bird look so nice with the colors you chose, very soft. I can’t even imagine finishing a card in one hour! I may try this challenge myself.
Challenge accomplished. I admit, I can’t remember you ever working with orange, but this turned out lovely. I really like the EK success punch that you used and I love the birds in blossom. I am a huge fan of vintage. It is fun to see you dauble out of your element. You are just so creative.
Marcie
That was some challenge Becca and good heavens you reall pulled it off with a stunning card!! Does this mean you’re not going to need to spend as much on craft items now?Lol!!
Just an amazing card!
Love Sheila xx
Oh I know what you mean about orange lol. This is beautiful Becca and I’m glad it was a liberating experience for you. You are obviously hard on yourself as a crafter….quite the perfectionist I gather…..don’t make it into a chore lovely Becca will you…we would hate to have you not enjoying what you do so very well. xL
You certainly know how to rise to a challenge, Becca. What a lovely card! Stepping way outside your creative box, but with superb results as usual.
You invest so much of yourself in delighting us with your creations. So it’s most important, to take regular breaks and self-care before you feel the need, dear mentor. I hope you regularly recharge your physical, emotional and spiritual batteries well before they are depleted.
Your well-being comes first.
This little card is so pretty and while it may have only taken you a few minutes to create, it looks like it took hours! Love the image and the embossing. Even the ‘unfussy’ bow is amazing!
Thanks for sharing! :o)
this is beautiful, simple for you but gotta tell you,,, this verges on complicated for me.i would be busting my buttons if i produced this. i stop by your blog daily and always am inspired… it’s a great way to start my day and gives me a goal to aspire to.
I love using images when I need a quick card, or stickers come in handy too! This is so pretty, neat design and cool button too!
Gorgeous. I find that sometimes it’s nice to use an angle, because you don’t have to worry about being so precise. And I love the bottom border and that wonderful button.
That is an absolutely lovely card Becca!!! I find it so interesting the ways in which we are all so unique, and I too should challenge myself. But then, some days it is a challenge just to create something, anything, and I guess those days I just act as if!!! You sure succeeded with the challenges you gave to yourself!!! It is refreshing… thanks so much for sharing your process with us…
Hi Becca,
It’s true, sometimes we just need a break from creating but I am going to be selfish as say that I am glad that your break didn’t last long. Awesome challenge for yourself. :)
Your card is beautiful and you used orange so elegantly. So pretty sweetie.
Have a beautiful day.
Hugs,
Deb
Oh, Becca:
It’s so good to hear that someone besides myself takes so long to make cards! My biggest problem is getting all my random decorative papers to match up or coordinate. I have so many different brands that I got on sale, and sometimes I wish I hadn’t purchased them! It’s so hard when the colors just don’t meld because of the slight variation in hues. I wish that someone had a tip for mixing papers. Do you only buy coordinating papers? Is that the secret?
Dianna N.
Amazing that you could create this card in 1 hour! Good for you. We do tend to gravitate towards a certain style, but, you did accomplish “your style” with this card and added some additional elements as well! Great job, I loved your card!
Becca,
Beautiful card and a great thing to challenge yourself. My grand daughter challenged me by asking for a Godzilla/ Dinosaur birthday party. Let me tell you,it is quite hard to find dinosaurs let alone godzilla items. But I looked around at what I had and low and behold, I found my sons’ old dinosaur stamps and one just happened to look kinda like Godzilla, so I went to work. I made her a nice card with the stamps and even made it some what girly and then I found some glass finish paint for paper and I am in the process of making her a dinosaur necklace with dinosaur “beads” from using the glass finish on the stamped items. then I got creative and stamped and colored many of the dinosaur images and made them into little cards for her to play with and laminated them as well and put them into a little card box. I think she will get a kick out of all the dinosaur stuff and be a happy little girl, I am happy too, I created something very out of the ordinary and had fun doing it with unusual items!
It is fun to try new thing sand use different items we are not comfortable with, it builds our strength and creativity!!! ~Gin~