Friday, May 24, 2013

Papertrey's Make It Monday #117: Paper Piecing


Something about Nichol's fabulous "Up, Up, and Away" stamp set, always reminds me of July 4th. It was the first set I ever purchased from Papertrey, and has been used more than all the others.

I was going for the feel of a hot summer day, and a more minimized style than I usually do. The card works for me......but something is missing! I've tried out sentiments placed here and there. (By the way, you can do this by stamping on a piece of scrap acetate with non-dye inks, and moving it around the card till you find the right spot.) I didn't find the spot. I tried a long flag from the top of the balloons; looked ridiculous, but even more so with a bird pulling a banner through the sky (think big primordial-bird-size or Godzilla bird)!

Please! If you have any ideas to help make this card work, I would so appreciate them. I love all my comments, but the critiques are the ones that stay with me.

Papertrey supplies: "Pinefeather cardstock" and "dye ink", "Up, Up and Away" and "Garden Variety" stamps sets and "Fresh Snow Pigment Ink"

Thanks for taking the time to visit and jot me a line.


13 comments:

  1. Oh, this is SUCH a nice card, Marcie! I don't have that set, but I agree...it's fabulous and looks like so much fun to work with! I can't believe you paper-pieced with it though...did that take FOREVER with those tiny shapes??? I LOVE the red, white and blue you've used...those balloons look perfect together! And about the sentiment...man, I know what you mean...you get a perfect card goin', and then try to fit a sentiment in somewhere, and just can't get it to work...or with all the textures and layers, it doesn't stamp well and the card is ruined! Beware, my dear, beware!!! Seems like it would need to be at bottom right if you added something. How about two little one-ended flag style banners...one shorter from one of your prints, and one longer underneath it, maybe from Kraft, with the sentiment...obviously a skinny one-liner!;) Straight edges of banners would match up with the right side of the card, with flagged ends cut on the opposite ends...maybe the lengths of them could be cut to stay within the angle of that sweet little hill. Now see there...you shouldn't have asked...you could just leave it as is...which is WONDERFUL!

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  2. OMG...I'm gasping at the sight of my huge comment!!! You REALLY shouldn't have asked!;)

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  3. First of all, Marcie, I sincerely want to thank you for all your wonderful comments! I've been meaning to come by for a long time now, but with being new to a challenge DT, learning how to visit everyone's blogs to pick a winner, and do all the commenting, I'm still figuring out how to fit my personal blog visiting in! You are so very sweet in your comments, and I really appreciate each one!

    Secondly, what patience you have to paper-piece those balloons!! Wow, such a great effect. I can totally see what Geri is describing, that would look fantastic! I agree that the sentiment would fit well in the bottom right. You could also put it directly on the hill and then emboss it in white. I'm such a fan of white letters on dark papers recently. Depending on your sentiment, you could go back and color (red?) one or more of the white embossed words with an alcohol marker. If it doesn't turn out, you could just cut another hill. I do that all the time : )

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  4. Hi Marcie! I never thought of the balloons as 4th of July ....but I do and will now! I love the look you have given the balloons with your paper piecing . I like it just as is! I do the exact same thing as you with the scrap acetate!
    I love Kelly's hill idea ...:) . Hope you have a great weekend!

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  5. I have always loved this stamp set and now I really do need to put it in my wish list (AT THE TOP) so I can make some beautiful cards like yours! Your card makes me what to get up extra early and take a balloon ride myself, better yet to to Paris, France and take a balloon ride.

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  6. Wonderful patriotic scene for 4rh of July or Memorial Day, Marcie. Love the pp you used for paper piecing the balloons!
    Hope your weather improved and you are enjoying the weekend in MA!
    (originally from Boston ~ still have family and friends to visit in your neck of the woods :)

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  7. Boy, I don't know, Marcie. I'm usually ready with my opinion of what might make a card this or that, but with this, I'm not seeing that it needs anything. I love how you've done the clouds and how you have the hillsides and flowers in the shade, so the eye is drawn just to the cluster of fabulous balloons. This looks just like how the scene looks in real life, IMHO!

    OTOH, it wouldn't hurt to try a white sediment in the lower right, which you could always cover up with another hill, as Kelly said. But I like the fact that there isn't any competition for the eyes and they are simply drawn to the focal point. The color and patterns are so cool. I can't believe that you paper pieced them! You are now my new Queen of PP!! Hmm, that didn't sound right . . .

    I'm glad to meet you! I was introduced to you by Geri on her fantastic blog!

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  8. Hey, Marcie!!! Just saw your comment...so good to hear from you!!! You are the second person to ask about the stamp on the black/white card...it IS a smaller motif stamped three times, so you probably have something that would work for that. This one is old...clearanced Me & My Big Ideas...cost nothing but had lots of great images. Just wanted to let you know, DEAR!!! (I'm itching to work with my new set again, by the way...SO inspired by it's images!!!) Oh, yeah...the bear was stamped in normal ink...I was just very careful until I felt like it was dry...and it did OK. If I messed with it much, even now, it may smear, since it's not permanent...but I think it's send-able and everything!

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  9. I wanted to stop by to thank you for your sweet sweet comment! What a way to start off my Sunday! ALso want you to know I LOVE your patriotic balloons!! Very pretty card ;)

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  10. Sweet card Marcie. Love the paper-pieced hot air balloons. Great colors.

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  11. I came over after you left such a nice comment on my blog - you make great cards! What happened - you must have been quite busy, since your last entry was in May.... Don't stop making cards. As for a suggestion for this one - I would just put a sentiment at the right hand bottom - embossed in white.

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  12. Hi Marcie! I was thinking about you and wondering how you are? Mix you and your cards, hope you are well!

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  13. I love your hot air balloons, and how you've done the landscape below them! Great card! And thanks so much for your lovely comments on my blog hop card! I appreciate what you've said very much :)

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