Nov 27 2009
The Accidental Card
This is not the card I intended to make when I started. I had in mind some pretty ornaments hanging on a clean white card base with touches of gold and glitter, and a simple sentiment stamped along the bottom. So how did this happen? Well……….
I stamped and colored the ornaments, then decided to get out my seldom used Pilot silver paint pen and color the ornament caps. Now, I’m usually so careful, but the next thing you know I had smudges of silver paint all over the white image panel. The more I tried to fix it, the worse it got. But after all that coloring, I didn’t want to give up so I tried to minimize the damage. Let’s see….. how about some Prismacolor pencil and Gamsol shading around the ornaments? Oh, my! Who knew how Gamsol would darken and spread metallic paint? Oops! Okay… more shading. Still not good enough. Stamp some strategically placed flourishes on the panel. It helped, but still…… Cut the panel smaller and go looking for designer paper to fill the space. The smudges are gradually disappearing. The ribbon, bows, brads, and sponging helped to cover more. It’s looking salvageable.
Now for the sentiment. In the lower left corner I stamped a nice sentiment. Well, gee, the font was too fine and was swallowed up by the flourishes. Color a poinsettia to cover that goof. Wouldn’t you know, one was not enough, so color another. Finally, I was able to finish it off with a bolder font, add some Stickles glitter to the poinsettia centers and the blue ornament, and call it done. Whew! That took long enough!
The following are the Copic Collections from Flourishes I used for coloring:
Other supplies are listed in the recipe at the end of this post.
I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. We had to call RotoRooter on Thanksgiving day, so you can imagine some of the fun we were having. I have to say, though, we did have fun. We laughed our way through it – all of us out in the yard for half a day trying to fix what the RotoRooter guy ultimately corrected within minutes of his arrival. Long about the time I said “at least it’s not raining”, it started to pour. All in all, we had a good day.
So, it’s Black Friday — the official kick-off to the Christmas shopping season. There was a time I enjoyed mingling with the hoards and getting in the spirit, but I find these days my spirit is perfectly intact without leaving home on Black Friday. There are great sales online, though, and I love shopping in my jammies. Flourishes, for instance, is having a 24 hr sale — everything in the store 15% off. Just do your regular shopping, and then use the promo code JINGLE at checkout. The sale includes gift certificates in increments from $25 - $100.
Gosh, I didn’t mean for this post to wind up so long. It grew, just like the card. Oh, well, while we’re at it, why not check in with Christine and Laura to see what we can find for inspiration.
Finally, I’ll finish up with the recipe and wish you a wonderful day. Hope to see you again soon!
Stamps: All That Glitters, Poinsettia and Boxwood, Flourished Christmas (sentiment), Flourished Elements Paper: Chocolate Chip, Classic White, 7 Gypsies designer paper Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Sahara Sand, So Saffron, Copics for coloring (as listed above), Prismacolor pencils in Yellow Ochre and Burnt Ochre, Pilot silver paint pen Accessories: Ribbon, brads, Stickles glitter, Gamsol (odorless mineral spirits), Scotch brand foam mounting tape (to pop up one Poinsettia)
Ahhh… you know what they say…they aren’t mistakes, just opportunities to be more creative. Sounds like you had a regular adventure going there, Leslie. As always, the card is beautiful!! Thanks for sharing your “imperfect” journey. Makes us all feel a bit better about our “goofs”.
Hope your Thanksgiving was filled with joy.
Peggy
“There are no mistakes in stamping-only opportunities for embellishment”—so says my mentor in stamping! Your card…is BEAUTIFUL! And while you can probably see what went wrong—I had no clue (and yes, I’ve had my morning coffee! ; ) ) Thanks for sharing. Blessings, Sharon
Your description of your salvage job made me smile Leslie. From smudgy beginnings you ended up with a beautiful card. Thanks for sharing all the glitches along the way you might just have given the rest of us the means to salvage the odd card or two.
Gorgeous Leslie, I laughed as I read your post. I’m working on some Christmas designs that have unintentional added elements throughout the project . . . .LOL! Sometimes these imperfections lead to very creative perfect designs! This design is an absolute stunner!
Leslie, this is sooooo pretty, pretty, pretty! Inspiring me to get out the ornaments and start decorating!!
Hope you had a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving! ~m
Well no matter how you got here, it turned out marvelous! I love it. I probably would have cut the ornaments out and popped them up on a new card and then I wouldn’t have ended up with such a masterpiece!
Wow, that card is stunning!
Sometimes in life we travel down many roads to reach a beautiful place.
I guess you just did the same with your card.
It truly is a masterpiece.
Too funny how things work out sometimes…it is an absolutely beautiful card…thanks for sharing your tale. It certainly has happened to me, as well!!! Happy Holidays!!!
I only wish my accidents turned out so well! This is gorgeous! Love the edges and poinsettas! Beautidul all over!
Oh Leslie! What a story! The card….and the yard!
Well, because of your persistence - those ornaments look stunning, and I really love the small poinsettias. You recovered it all beautifully!
Well with all the mishaps and the changes with the gamsol etc… it turned out BEAUTIFUL… Oh I like the shading around the ornaments and the ribbon is perfect. Love it…. Now go make that clean crisp one on the white and lets see it. bawhahaha… Kidding… Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. hugs.
Wow it sounds like it was alot of work but it did turn out to be just Beautiful, I love all the shading myself, but I am sure it would have been lovely clean and simple too! Enjoyed hearing how it all came together!
Well, all I can say is, this gorgeous card was determined to come into existence. You, as the designated facilitator, were simply dragged along every step of the way! You crack me up, Leslie. I needed a good laugh out loud this morning. Thanks! Linda
There are no mistakes - just creative opportunities - right? The card is great and your blog was a joy to read - Nimmy
Omigosh Leslie!!!!! I wish I could make mistakes like this!!! You should sell this at a boutique for $20! I’d buy it and I don’t have money to burn either! Love ya!
Oh my that was certainly a “labor of love” but in the end it turned out beautifully.
Leslie, this is the most gorgeous accidental card I’ve ever seen. It turned out beautiful!! Does one have to follow each of those steps to re-create this card? I think I’d rather skip the smudges, but if that’s necessary, sobeit. LOL This is truly lovely. We had our bout with the Roto-Reuter on Tuesday, so it made yesterday a little calmer. What is it about holidays and back-ups?! We’ve been down that road before at Thanksgiving. Glad you were able to laugh. Did Wally get turkey? That was his first Thanksgiving, right? Thanks for sharing your cute story.
What a gorgeous outcome! Usually my attempts to salvage turn into total trainwrecks!! Persistence and a sense of humor are requisite no matter what. ; - )
Gorgeous accidental card Leslie, the ornaments are colored beautifully!!
Leslie would never know there was a mistake o this beautiful card the shading around the ornaments actually makes them look 3-D I love every element of your accidental card.
Your mess is STUNNING!
Wow…by looking at this, you would never know you had the trouble you did!! It’s so beautiful, Leslie!!
This card is so gorgeous. You would never think that there had ever been any ‘mistakes’.
Isn’t it amazing how beautiful “goofs” can be?!? I love all your embellished cover ups
I am so glad you were willing to share your beautifully colored ornaments by fixing your boo boo’s. Sounded like a memorable T-giving too 
BTW, we are home after a really fun T-giving with the kids and friends…..
I think your card turned out beautiful. I find anytime I try to make a card - it never looks how I want it to. I’m also lovin’ the bold colors. great job!
Oh Leslie, you had me in tears laughing! I thought only I had those kind fo experiences in my stamp room!!!! Seriously!
What’s fun is that looking at your GORGEOUS card, no one… no one would know! 
Wow this is gorgeous. Thank good ness for the “mistakes.”
Glad you didn’t give up on this card! It turned out beautifully! The ornaments look like real, I love the idea with the ribbons they attached too! Stunning card. Leslie!
All those boo-boos sure made for a stunning card Leslie!! Your ornaments are gorgeous, and the embellishment balance is perfect!! What a beauty!! Sure glad you kept going, cause this turned out fabulous!
Absolutely stunning!! Your ability to transform “oops” into “wows” is nothing short of amazing!!
I laughed so hard when I read this Leslie…Oh how many times I have been down that road. I just now finished an image that took me probably 1-1/2 hours to color and it looks just awful!!! I hate it, but I am going to have to start all over. As for Mr. Roto…LOL…just when you thought things could not be worse…rain….!
Oh my, how nice to know I am not the only one whose cards have hidden stuff here and there! This card is just stunning, I love how you improvised and turned out this beauty! Thanks so much for sharing the journey from the first bit of ink to the last bit of shading!!
Love your card! Can definitely relate to the oops-and-cover routine. I got the giggles as I read your description.