I Don't Like Murphy

I don't even know who Murphy is other than he is famous for coming up with a law -- whatever can go wrong, will! Well, I was defintely feeling as if I were a case study for him this morning as I worked on the following card ---

 

I was attempting to use the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches so that I can enter this week's challenge, but for some reason, whatever could go wrong was going wrong. Here is the TMS sketch:

 



 

As you can see, with a little flip-flopping and tweeking, I did manage to follow the sketch (and add another Christmas card to my stash to boot). Whew. Never worked so hard for so little -- wait, I can't really say that -- ok, it did take an awful long time to accomplish this little feat. Sometimes it pays off to be a stubborn mule and sometimes it doesn't -- not yet sure which category this falls into (grin).

 

So, I started with a piece of kraft card and cut it to size. (Kraft seems to be my color of choice this year for Christmas cards, hmmm.) I layered a piece of cranberry card and then a piece of green DP (yep, some of that 18 years old paper again). For the middle strip, I cut a piece of cranberry and tan DP and matted it with a piece of the kraft. I cut the piece of Cryogen that my little Magnolia Tilda was printed and coloured on into a square (OK, so it is a rectangle -- after what I've been through making this card you're really going to get technical with me???) and matted it with the kraft.

 

Because my little wreath with sentiment (chipboard Holiday Time sticker made by Handmade Stickers) was moved to the top instead of down at the bottom as in the sketch picture, I also had to move my gems/brads, so there are three at the bottom on the left and three at the top on the right. As you can see, I also flipped the half circle design. The little doily is by Life Style Crafts (isn't it cute?). I cut it in half, using one half at the side of my image (per sketch) and a 1/4 piece as a decorative corner on the left above the wreath.

 

I think the little card is cute, and I am trying to keep the Christmas cards simplier than my "norm" so that mailing and postage won't be so difficult during the holidays. However, I'm having to try to "get used to" the more austere look. I keep looking at this little card and thinking there is something "missing" about it. Will mull it over between now and Christmas and if my Muses should happen to tap me on the shoulder (or more likely whomp me atop the head) with an idea, I will give it due diligence. In the mean time, the card does meet the requirements for the challenge at Tuesday Morning Sketches, so I'm off now to enter it there.

 

Challenges:

http://tuesdaymorningsketches.blogspot.com/ - sketch provided