If at First You Don't Succeed . . .

. . .try, try, again! That old adage is two-fold for me tonight. First, it was my card, and then it was my Internet service that has been on again and off again for the past couple of hours. While I was willing to work on the card, I found myself with little patience for the technical difficulties.

The inspiration for the card came from Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge. This particular challenge was suspended for a few weeks while Beate took a break from her Fresh & Fun blog to spend time with her family. I enjoying making cards using the sketches prior to her hiatus and thought I'd pick up on it again now that she's back.

When I saw this particular sketch, however, I was at a loss for ideas as to what to do with it. Even after seeing other cool cards on other blogs, I couldn't come up with anything. Tonight, I sat down in Kathi's Corner and told myself, "You are going to do this!" The Floral Tapestry paper packet was still out on my desk as was a piece of Twilight textured cardstock. My materials were in front of me. I put everything together with the exception of the focal point. I contemplated stamp sets and then reached for Beloved Blossoms. I also reached for my "not-my-favorite" Orchid Bouquet ink pad. I stamped the flower and some leaves, distressed the edges of the circle with my Bamboo ink pad, and paper-pierced my Garden Green scalloped circle before adhering the piece to the card and photographing it. I didn't like it. The flower looked like a flat, Orchid Bouquet blob. Ugly, in fact. I told myself, "You can do better." With that, I went back to my desk, and stamped the same flower in Twilight. I stamped one set of leaves instead of three. Ah, that's better, but maybe not the best. I cut yet another 2-inch circle, and stamped one more flower, this time with Orchid Bouquet rolled in Cranberry. I added a little more Cranberry with a marker and softened it with a blending pen. In the process, the lighter color lost its definition, so I inked up my stamp with Orchid Bouquet over the image. That's when one really appreciates clear stamps! It worked, and I like this last flower the best. By the time I was all done, the sentiment, "Believe in Yourself" from the Faith stamp set, had taken on new significance, too.

That's a heck of a story for one little card, isn't it. Sometimes, I get it right the first time. That's fun, especially if I'm short on time. Other times, I'm presented with a challenge, which may be part of the reason I love stamping. On that note, I'm off count sheep. Hopefully, I won't have to count as high as I did last night. Talk to you soon.