I started with these DARLING stamps from good old Cosmo Cricket! Never mind the color and sketch challenges I was attempting to work with: I've had this set on my mind since I went to the mountains with some of the most darling friends in the universe, just a few short weeks ago... THESE GUYS!
Look at THAT wild bunch! Hee Hee Three families! Lot's of kids {and by that, I'm mostly referring to the husbands!}, lots of food, forest and FUN! Yes, friends, Ms. Blondie is none other than DANA from Paper Daydream fame, her brood, and the LOVELY and talented, Mrs. Eustace and clan: great friends, who's dear friendship is forged from a foundation of none other than PAPERCRAFTING! {You can't hear me, but I'm bellowing "wooooooooooooooooooooo!"}
Anywhoo, since that fun-filled weekend up in the Shasta area, Mc Cloud, California, I've been planning to do this whole "Mr. Campy" thing to celebrate the event and great pictures of our little ones cavorting in the Mc Cloud river, etc., but I just haven't "arrived" there creatively....
Perhaps I should get the actual photos developed and then, I dunno: SCRAP SOMETHING! Phew! But for now, I'm just having warm and fuzzy happiness of having spent a fun mini vacation with such darling folks... BUT, NOW, back to my post {Hello, rambing WOman!}
THIS CARD:
Is for THIS CHALLENGE:
And THIS one, too!
WAHOOO! Not exactly camping colors, not exactly earthy and gritty... That's where my square peg, ROUND hole conundrum comes up... Because, sometimes FORCING something can produce a happy ending: I like my card! And what I REALLY like is that it went from being a celebration of a vacation adventure to an ENCOURAGEMENT kind of card, and I would have NEVER thought of that! I just had to make it, and then see the spiritual value of the sentiment! Now I can send this to just about ANYONE who's going through a hard time, and know it will bring a smile and some nice food for thought! The sentiment changed from whining kids {in my head!} to more of a heavenly question... Are we done with this difficult time? And yet the color and image is so sweet and hopeful, it seems to ask the question and comfort all at the same time: WHO thinks of something like that? Not me...! I'd enjoy a card like this and marvel at how it told the story, but I wouldn't have arrived at the message, unless I took the journey.
Wow! Talk about spiritual. Guess it's not always a bad thing to "force a square peg into a round hole" every once in a while! Neato!
Thanks for reading my crafty ramblings! Have a wonderful rest of your evening!
Supplies:
C/S - Stampin' Up!
Stamps - Cosmo Cricket (car & camper/ sentiment); Hero Arts (clouds); inkadinkado (woodgrain); Impression Obsession (polka dots)
Ink - Stampin' Up!; Staz On
Ribbon - MM
Corner and Scallop Punch - Stampin' Up!
Thread - Gutermann