How to use the same image and get different looks|Slimline, mini slimeline and A2 cards|The benefits of creating out of order
I often create out of order. When I get stamp sets that have images that need to be colored I usually stamp out a bunch of those images on Neenah solar white 80lb CS. I keep a stack of stamped images in a page protector. When I am watching TV at night or in a creative slump I grab a few sheets of images and color them with copics. When I have the sheet of images finished I die cut them out and store in some old plastic packaging and then put in a binder.
See the birds in the middle of the wreath? That image is from MFT "Beautiful Day" stamp set (no longer available). I have a stack of those birds in a rainbow of colors. I think I colored them well over a year ago. I rarely complete a card from start to finish. I often have some part of a card--- die cuts, colored images or backgrounds made... sometimes for a future card idea.. but not always. Similarly, I purchased the "Mini Boxwood Heart" from The Greetery. Not knowing what I was going to use it for, I decided to just stamp a stack of these in various greens. It gives me satisfaction that I have put ink to a stamp and it's not just sitting in my stash. Some could be used for spring cards and with darker ink they could have a more holiday feel.
I think the benefit of creating in pieces is that it does not feel like you are spending so much time on a single card. When you come up with an idea it's then based on things you already have completed... at least some of the more time consuming parts. The downside to it is you have to work with what you have vs. starting with a color combo and creating all the pieces to coordinate with that color scheme. It still works, you just have to sometimes settle for good enough on the color coordination.
I was on creative weekend getaway with some friends recently (done safely). I pulled out the stack of the boxwood hearts and looked through my die cuts and stamped images. I thought the bird in the wreath would make for a cute card. I had to figure out how I was going to position/ground the wreath. I didn't just want it floating there. I thought it would be cute hanging from a branch. I went digging through my stamps and found the tree branch from the SSS & Lawn Fawn Stamptember Set "Nutty or Nice" (no longer available). I die cut then stamped a bunch of these. I had my basic design premise set.
I was able to knock out a bunch of cards relatively quickly (for me) using the basic design and I just changed up the card size, background, or number of images to get different looks.
For the 2 cards above I made a mini slimline line cards. 3.25x6.25. The envelope is a top close standard letter/slimline cut down to fit the mini card... glued at the bottom. You can see each has a slightly different look. The branch has a different orientation on each card (right vs. left). The background ink used with the cloud stencil is changed up and of course the bird color (just one of a selection I had in my binder).
Heart Wreath - The Greetery Mini Boxwood Heart
Bird - MFT Beatiful day ( no longer available) any small bird or critter image would work
The Branch - SSS/Lawn Fawn Nutty or Nice Stamptember (no loner available). Any branch image or die cut could work.
Background- MFT Cloud Stencil
Embellishements - Trinity Stamps Funfetti Hearts
For this card it was the same basics-bird,branch,wreath. This is an A2 card. I used 2 images one from the left and one from the right and I changed up the stencil. Very similar yet different from the others.
Heart Wreath - The Greetery Mini Boxwood Heart
Bird - MFT Beatiful day ( no longer available) any small bird or critter image would work
The Branch - SSS/Lawn Fawn Nutty or Nice Stamptember (no loner available). Any branch image or die cut could work.
Background- Basket/fence stencil -- not sure of the manufacturer.
Embellishements - Trinity Stamps Funfetti Hearts
Sentiment - SSS Hexagon Greetings
This time I made a slimline portrait orientation 3.5 X 8.25. I drew the string in here instead of using bakers twine... not in love so I did not do that on any of the other designs.
Same cloud stencil, bird, branch and wreath. I changed the shape, the color of the clouds, and the sentiment for a whole different look.
Heart Wreath - The Greetery Mini Boxwood Heart
Bird - MFT Beatiful day ( no longer available) any small bird or critter image would work
The Branch - SSS/Lawn Fawn Nutty or Nice Stamptember (no loner available). Any branch image or die cut could work.
Background- Basket/fence stencil -- not sure of the manufacturer.
Embellishements - Trinity Stamps Funfetti Hearts
Sentiment - Altenew Sentiment Strips 2 White Heat embossed on C9 honeysuckle CS
I did another slimline card 3.5 x 8.25 but used a landscape orientation. This time I did not have the wreaths hanging from a branch but used a woodgrain paper for more of a door or wall scene. I used 2 birds that had a similar color and this time put a sentiment in the middle wreath. Same wreath, same bird... new look.
Heart Wreath & Sentiment- The Greetery Mini Boxwood Heart
Bird - MFT Beatiful day ( no longer available) any small bird or critter image would work
This last card you may have already seen posted to IG for Jenn Shurkus' #getcrackinonchristmas challenge.
Here again I used something previously made. I had made a bunch of helpless backgrounds a few months back. I has used a number of them on other cards you can find in my GELPRESS blog post. At the time I wasn't in the mood to create any winter or holiday cards... really we had just finished up the holidays and I was looking for more spring inspiration. I still had some birds and wreaths left and thought this could be a cool look to have a winter scene. Just added Nuvo drops to the branch and wreath for a frosty feel.
I pulled out this background and found a bird that was a close shade of purple.
So here again same bird, same wreath, same branch- new background but in my stash.... whole new feel.
Heart Wreath - The Greetery Mini Boxwood Heart
Bird - MFT Beatiful day ( no longer available) any small bird or critter image would work
The Branch - SSS/Lawn Fawn Nutty or Nice Stamptember (no loner available). Any branch image or die cut could work.
Stamp sentiment - Hero arts Merry Stamp and Cut
Joyful Die cut - N/A cut with Memory Box Glitter CS
Hope you enjoy my creative process insights and are inspired to create in whatever way makes you happy. Please follow me on IG @vallegirlcreations.
Learned so much from this, thanks for sharing your process. I like the idea of producing pieces until I find inspiration to pull it all together.