Saturday, June 7, 2014

Thanks!

Hello!  There are many times I have been astounded by the kindness that exists in this paper crafting community.  I have "met" and been inspired by many wonderful people...just one of whom I wanted to talk about today.  I've been a long time fan/follower of Cristina Kowalczyk.  Her cards and projects always amaze me.  She is an author, too, and I am thrilled that her recently published book is already receiving fabulous reviews.  (Read more about her book here.) I have always thought Cristina was a wonderful person, and recently I was the blessed recipient of her kindness and generosity.  I wanted to send Cristina a thank you and decided that a card from my stash just wouldn't suffice...I wanted to create something just for her.  Remembering that she had a Pinterest account, I searched her boards for inspiration...what better way to be able to see what a person likes? :) I chose this color scheme and this piece of art (by Marius Roosendaal) and got to work creating this card.  
You would think that since I had my color scheme and design literally spelled out for me that this card would have come together in no time.  It probably would have if I had a die that cut circles in the size I wanted that I could then place the negative image on the card for a template.  Instead, I worked at snail's pace the "old fashioned" way -- punching out circles, placing them on a grid I'd drawn on my card base, and then using a ruler to check and correct alignment.  It isn't perfect, but trust me...the effort was there. :) I really didn't mind how many hours it took to create, though, because I was making it for someone special, and I figure the labor was just another way to reinforce the sincere gratitude I feel.  
ETA: So after much debate I'm linking this up to the wonderful Darnell's NBUS (Never Before Use Schtuff) Challenge celebrating her having 500 followers (yay for you, Darnell!).  Why the debate? I wasn't sure if the style counted as my comfort zone.  I'm still working out the kinks on my dream comfort zone and my actual comfort zone, but in the end I decided it worked because CASEing a beautiful piece of art is most certainly in my comfort zone. :) To meet the other requirements, the stamp set is deliberately NBUS, and I don't know what could emphasize friendship more than a note of thanks.  Plus, the kindness and generosity that inspired the card are certainly two of the best qualities in a friend...even if you've never met them in person. :)

Card Supplies
Stamps: Simon Says Stamp (Thanks)
Ink: Hero Arts (Navy)
Cardstock: PTI (Berry Sorbet, Melon Berry, Soft Stone, Stamper's Select White); from my stash (grey, navy blue)
Other: hole punch

22 comments:

  1. Cristina I am sure will LOVE and greatly appreciate this Lindsey!

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  2. What a stunning interpretation of the art work, Lindsey ... so perfectly and precisely executed ... and a lovely tribute to Cristina ... I'm sure she'll love it! Yep, this papercrafting community really is something special ... isn't it fabulous to be part of it! Anita :)

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  3. Lindsey, your card is fabulous. I have no doubt Cristina will adore it.

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  4. LOVE how you were inspired...your card turned out perfectly perfect!

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  5. It's beautiful Lindsey! I am sure it will be well loved by Cristina ! You always put so much thought into everything you make.

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  6. So bright and gorgeous!! I love the colours!!!!

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  7. I'm sure a lot of time went into creating this fabulous card....but it was sure worth it. You did a great job casing your inspiration piece. I know she'll love this card!

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  8. Fabulous card and wonderful story!

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  9. Lindsey, what a BEAUTY this is! Cristina will enjoy receiving it.

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  10. A beautiful card for Cristina and I am sure that she will appreciate the thought, time and effort put into this custom card!

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  11. Whoa! I can see how you were Pinterest and Cristina inspired--this is awesome, Lindsey! And the fact that you did it the old fashioned way makes it even more amazing! I think Cristina will think so, too! Thanks for sharing!

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  12. Lindsey, your heartfelt tribute to the wonderful Cristina was a joy to read! She is very special indeed and so is your exquisite CASE! She will treasure this always and, as a fellow card artist, she will appreciate all the love and effort that you put into her card!

    I'm honored that you choose your tribute thank you card for Cristina to enter in my NBUS Challenge! It's perfect. You may not have defined your "comfort zone" yet, but you definitely followed the part about making something that brought you joy. It is very obvious that making this card brought you joy and made you think of friendship! Thank you so much for your support! Have a great day! Hugs, Darnell

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  13. This is a terrific card! I'm sure it will be much loved.

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  14. Love the card and the effort. A beautiful clean and not so simple card. It was worth the effort.

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  15. Lindsey, this card is amazing! Superb! It is perfect for Cristina, I'm sure she loves it!

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  16. Well I love what you've made here and taken so much care over. Glad you entered it into Darnell's NBUS challenge. Will go take a look at the lady you admire so much.

    Hugs, Sarn xxx

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  17. This is such a wonderful thank you card, and as a paper crafter, I'm sure that Christina will appreciate the painstaking effort you took to make this gorgeous card just for her.

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  18. Wow, you really put a lot of effort into this card! I'm sure Cristina will love it.

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  19. Such a cool card, love all of the dots!!

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  20. Wow what a cool design! Love the bottom!

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  21. And I commented on this post too : ) Such a perfect card for Cristina! And yes, she is the sweetest there is. I'm hoping to go to her book signing on Wednesday, hopefully the schedules will allow for that. SO IMPRESSED that you placed all those circles by hand. It looks amazing! Good thing you're giving this to a card maker who will totally appreciate the skill and time involved : )

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