MME March Die Cut Challenge

Oh the lengths we will sometimes go to get a photo. LOL! Not what I originally was going to start this post with but it is so true and I am sure there are many of you who know what I am taking about.  After over 4 days of overcast snowy/freezing rain skies and in the quest to get some decent natural lighting, I ventured outside between flurry clouds to prop my card against the fence because it was too windy to prop up otherwise (even with the fence it fell into the snow several times.. the upside... it is -8 degrees Celsius so the snow did not melt on the card, it was brush/blow off-able. LOL!)  I would so not try this with a layout because I would fear for the photographs. Some might wonder.. why not just use editing software? I do use a very simple one for the most part just to crop and sharpen but for me it all begins with a good shot.

Well I think it was worth it and I got a decent shot.  An added bonus... the fence colour works with the Indie Chic Ginger papers.  Who knew?

Supplies: patterned papers, die cut, garland, buttons, twine and packaging (MME), cardstock (Bazzill), doily (Today's Kitchen), letter stamps, hole reinforcement stamp and ink (CTMH), France Postage image stamp (Melissa Frances), butterfly punch (EK Success), tag die (Sizzix), jewels (Dollarama)

Sometimes things evolve in such a way as you go and it is a good thing.  That was the case in the creation of this card.  I started with the MME March Challenge task which was to use some MME die cuts.  When I first read the challenge, I had to laugh for just a few days before I had made a layout for the PageMaps sketch challenge that purposely used 3 die cuts from the Collectable line as both the title and journaling. You can see it in this post here.

After choosing which die cut and theme I wanted to use, I knew I wanted to add the garland and the strip of paper, a Bon Voyage stamped sentiment to go with the die cut theme, an arrow and butterflies.  From there it grew,  a doily to back the die cut, pop up dots to add dimension, oh a tag I had made but had abandon for a larger one on a previous MME layout... mmm...stamp a travel image... oh found a reinforcement stamp on an alphabet sheet... works...add some twine to the arrow... okay add some buttons... hey, I like the packaging image line...think it would make a cute thin arrow...works... ummm, I want some more grey... twine around the arrow, in the buttons... oh that single strip of pattern paper looks lonely... a little twine with that and oh don't forget just a bit on the tag. Call it done.  I really do love how a challenge and great products inspire me to play and create something good.


You can see all the bits in this closer look.

If you get a chance, check out some of the other wonderful creations entered into the challenge here.  Talk about eye candy!:)


TTFN,