Beach Cards

While visiting back in PA, I borrowed this sweet beach stamp from my Mama and a few days ago I spent the afternoon experimenting with it to create some cards.

While visiting back in NE, Mom Carlson introduced me to the idea of using Crayola markers to color different parts of your rubber stamp so you can get precise, multi-colored outlines instead of just a single color (such as black) as the outline and coloring in the object.  I used this idea to make purple outlined shells, and then took it a step further by using my foam adhesive to make the shells “pop” off the card.

I also tried out some of my new word stamps.  “Sea Breeze” seemed like it fit with the beach theme I was working with.

Then, the unthinkable happened – somehow one of my stampings didn’t come out correctly.  In fact, it was missing the entire bottom half of the stamp.  Grrr…I didn’t want to waste the card, but wasn’t about to try to free-hand the bottom half of the picture.  And so, my even-more multi-dimensional card was born.

I “popped” the chair and basket into the mid-ground and then the purple shells into the foreground.  Actually turned out to be fun.  Sometimes, being forced to work outside the box with a crafty project helps you learn new techniques and explore other artsy ideas.  And sometimes (especially in the case of a perfectionist like myself), you have to have the freedom of knowing you can’t possibly mess up the project any more than it already is, in order to let yourself try new things.