MOJO MONDAY'S GOT ME MOVIN'!

MY MOJO MONDAY SKETCH #129

When I saw this sketch, it didn't move me right away, but then I realized that it would be good for me to try and tackle it. We all tend to stay within a crafting realm that we are use to or feel most comfortable. Personally, I decided some time ago that I would always try to push myself and challenge myself not just in the crafting world but also other areas of my life. This sketch for me was one of those challenges! It did me good to do it because, I actually did something on this card that I NEVER DO on my cards and that is the "edged inking" technique. I've not yet decided if I'm going to be a fan of it or not, although I do like the way this card turned out. I can be particular about some things and this is one of them. I tend to be a perfectionist and I get it honest, I believe, from both of my parents. My parents were firm believers in, "there's a place for every thing and every thing has it's place". My mother was a crafter most of her life and very perfect in her workings. Her tools were always well cared for and everything was in it's place... or it better be if she went looking for it! I tend to like the inking if it's within a monocromatic setting more so than if it's not. Any who, here's my contribution to Mojo Monday and I hope you like it...It's a first for me! Whoo Hooo!!

There is glitter on this card although I'm not so sure it translates well in the photo.

I used versa mark ink along with a Stampin' Up stamp to get the flower image on the

cardstock.I actually used a very thin metal letter opener to curl my petals and I used a very large

 Stampin' Up flower stamp for the main image. I stamped it twice and cut one out to create the layer

so I could achieve some dimention by curling the flower's petals. Also used was the Cuttlebug

"Happy Birthday"  embossing folder.

THE FREEDOM TO DREAM IN COLOR!

CAARDVARKS PHOTO INSPIRATION CHALLENGE!

I am very excited to be able to join in with this photo inspiration challenge, it's been a lot of fun for me! As soon as I saw the photo I almost instantly had a vision in my head. This photo, for me, inspires freedom from the fluid movement of the butterflies as we know them to be in nature and the freedom that is almost within the birds grasp (in photo). I chose to represent the bird by using the "bird call" cuttlebug embossing folder because this particular bird is free. I wanted to give the bird that much, and I thought it was perfect in that the birds image in the photo is almost overlooked, hence the choice of white for the cuttlebug bird within the background. He's there and you know he's there, but he's not jumping out at you. Although the white is almost overpowering in this photo, I think for me, the somewhat suttle integration of the green stood out in the forefront of my mind. I think it's probably the rebel in me, perhaps the desire to be a little bit different, interesting or just more outside the box then most people. I could go a bit deeper and say it represents that freedom from things I've given priority to in my life... who knows. I just hope you all like it as much as I am happy with it. Thanks for stopping by!

I used clear fishing line for the antenne, the "swiss dot" cuttlebug embossing folder on the butterfly wings, oval and round pearl beads for the bodies and heads, lime green seed beads for bodies. I punched out (using butterfly punch by Marvy) 22 white and 6 green butterflies. I bent wings upon first layer of butterflies, glued them down where I wanted them, then took the remaining 14 (11white & 3 green) butterflies and cut them in half, glued down each individual half under the first wing layers. I felt the card was a bit too heavy so I added the extended border to it to "beef" it up and it worked for me!