Hi! It's Charmaine and today it's my turn to share my "Divine Details" with you! Like most of the other Verve Divas, when I had to sit down and think of what exactly my creative process was, I got really nervous because I didn't think I had any earth-shattering secrets to share with you. Then I just told myself all I had to do was tell you what exactly I do and even though it wasn't earth-shattering to me, you might find something useful or even information that helps make your own creative process less intimidating.
It is no secret to anyone who knows me or reads my blog, that I LOVE sketch challenges. They are my favorite simply because they give me a starting point for a card. For this card, I chose the Viva la Verve Sketch July Week 5 Sketch with a Twist. What I LOVE about these challenges is that not only do I get a starting point for my card with the sketch, but I get some extra parameters to work within. The "twist" for this sketch was texture. I love adding texture to cards. I used the Finial Press embossing folder from Stampin' Up for my "texture". Since my cardmaking style is usually pretty clean and simple, one of the ways that I add that extra something is through Cuttlebug embossing, paper piercing or scoring. Also, since my cardmaking style is usually pretty simple, sketches like this with lots of layers help me to add extra details that I might not normally add.
As far as how I choose papers, that changes all of the time. If I have a collection of patterned papers, I'll use different patterns within that collection with coordinating solid cardstock. Sometimes, I'll just go through my scrap bin and choose some coordinating papers to use for a card. Other times, the stamps I'm using make me think of certain colors.
For embellishments, I don't heavily embellish my cards so a few brads or Dew Drops, maybe some ribbon are what you'll see on my cards. One of my favorite embellishments to use is paper piercing or faux stitching. I love the extra touch they add without making the card too busy.
I adore creations of the other Verve Divas who use lots of embellishments and layers on their cards, but my brain just doesn't work that way. When I try to imitate their creations, my cards look too busy or cluttered and nowhere near as beautiful as their cards. That used to frustrate me so much, but I've learned (and I'm still learning LOL) to go with what looks good to me and makes me happy! After all, that's why we all stamp, right? Because we ENJOY it!
So, as you can see, I don't have any big secrets to share with you. Honestly, the less I "think" about a card, the easier it is to create! I hope you've found some valuable information in my creative process.
Wanna play along with us? We'd love it if you did! Just make a project or card that shows us your Divine Details. Verve Stamps are not required, but if you've got 'em we love to see 'em! Then just add a link to your creation to the Mr. Linky form on the Project Parade Day 1 post before 8PM Mountain on Saturday, August 1. Two lucky participants will win a stamp set of their choice from the Verve Store. We've also hidden another $25 gift certificate somewhere along the parade for a random commenter. So if you like what you see, be sure and give a little shout out in the comments of each post! Have fun and good luck!
