Do you have finished cards that you’ve never given to anyone because there was something about them that you didn’t like, but you couldn’t figure out what it was or how to fix it? I have boxes full of just such cards. One of my goals is to decrease the number of cards in those boxes. Today I’ve managed to decrease that number by three.
With this first card, no matter what image I put on it, it would get lost with all the background stamping. I even added a red ribbon accent to try and get the thing to “pop”. Here is how it has been sitting in my craft room for years! I can tell because it was clear back in the days when I stamped my own backgrounds instead of using patterned papers (and generally only made card fronts that were added to card bases when needed.)
Aha! The card was popping with the ribbon, but that was doing nothing to help to pop the image. Voila! Add some red behind the image as well.
Love this holly image from SU’s Bells & Boughs set!
Here is another oldie-goldie-background stamped card (July 2006) that was about as blah as they come. The red didn’t do much to pop anything this time.
My solution was to add another color entirely. This is such an odd color scheme, but I think it worked to bring some life to this golden coma.
This final card (front) (August 2006) was actually one that I loved but wasn’t thrilled with my coloring on the sailboats. So couldn’t bring myself to give it away.
But now I have COPICS!!!!
Moral to the story? NEVER give up!! That’s three cards that are now ready to give away. Just have 300+ more to go! lol
Happy Crafting!
Susan, I love the first one, and the last one. Will you be disappointed in my if I say the middle one still doesn’t grab me? But I think it’s okay because we all have different tastes, And I do know that ‘in person’ vs. ‘on computer screen’ can be very different!
And……I want to say Thank You! For inspiring me to have a ‘box’! And for the confidence that someday the cards in it will be ‘done enough to be done’! =)
Have a great weekend!
Love what you’ve done with each one, Susan. Amazing what a few changes can do. I just had a huuuuge battle with a card a few days ago and after adding, changing things I finally won LOL! Just love the first card – the holly image is lovely and the white on the berries adds so much. Have a great weekend.
Great idea to give life to those cards that always seem to get picked over. Love what you did with the sailboats.
Boy, can I identify with this post. I have boxes of “rejects”. I will have to give this a try! Your new versions are winners.
oh your mojo was flowing freely with these! I love your “modifications”…they are all so vibrant and fabulous! I have little pieces like this floating around my workspace…and I rarely return to them, but can’t let them go. Oh I am so inspired! Love love love the little colourful sailboats! That pop of colour is over the top!
Well you did breath some great new life into these oldies and made them fresh and inviting.
Great job on all 3! And when you can’t find the right solution for some of those others, think about donating them to a children’s hospital, or to Operation Write Home – I’m sure they’d love them no matter what you are frustrated about with them!!
Wow…way to spruce up those older cards, Susan!! Your coloring on the holly and the sailboats looks fantastic!! Thanks for the inspiration!! (I need to pull out my box of oldies as well).
OMGoodness…you made these cards come to life and they are all just perfect and ready to give/send. Awesome ways to spruce them up and make them picture perfect. Pat
How cool, great job of changing them up, love your ideas… I had one the other night that I knew was wrong but wasn’t sure what, showed it to my husband and he said oh wow that is an ugly card…. I am glad he said it, because after I fixed it, I really liked it, and am much happier about sending it to my niece. When I make a card it is usually for that person and I need to get it out in the mail, so I have sent some that I wasn’t too happy about, after they are sent of course I come up with something I could have done differently but by that time it is too late.
Wow, wow, wow! What an awesome post, Susan. I LOVE how you fixed your old cards. They look AMAZING now.
Hugs and smiles
More GORGEOUS work Susan!!~
This is fabulous Susan! I really love that sailboat card either way! 🙂
I have a box just like that too….thanks for the inspiration!! 🙂
Yep, the red matting definitely made it pop! That’s some gorgeous background stamping on that one as well. All are great cards…I think my fav is the colorful sailboat card. Sweet! 🙂
Great solutions to the age old question. “What the heck was I thinking when I made that “? lololol
Great fix-ups! It’s good to know that I’m not the only one with cards that didn’t quite make the grade, but even better to know that all is not lost! Thank so much!!
You have recycled your older cards beautifully, Susan!!!! I love all the updating you did…the image on the first card is sooo pretty!!! I love the added color to the second and your colored ships on the third really pop!!! I’ll have to dig into my boxes of cards and see what I can *fix*!!
Oh, how fun! Your hand stamped backgrounds are fabulous, and what a great lesson to learn in this post. I have occasionally done the same thing with my rejects and still have a few sitting around gathering dust. I really love all those colorful sails in the last card.
Love that gorgeous holly card, very elegant! And the fun colors of the ships…very cute. Your coloring is the best! 🙂