Wednesday, April 17, 2013

The Creative Process - What IS she thinking?


It's funny that I find myself so torn these days. I want to spend time crafting and working on card designs but I have invitation samples due and deadlines to meet. Does work get in the way for you too?  Yes, the invitation design process is creative but the majority of my design time is spent on the computer and not "playing" with my various products or pretty embellishments.  Don't get me wrong.  I absolutely LOVE designing invitations.  Maybe that is not exactly right.  I absolutely LOVE creating that perfect invitation that reflects a person's style and hopes for the event.  And seeing the girl's reaction when I show her the invitation I designed specifically for her...well, it is just the best. Everyone knows the invitation is really a guests "first glimpse" of the party.  The style, the theme, the feel are all reflected in that one invitation.  And when I get it right, we are both just over the moon!  Who knew that a wedding invitation with a fruit image could make someone so happy!?!  I will share once the wedding takes place!

Make the Time
So where am I going with this?  Well, whether you are designing wedding invitations, creating a card or a page layout, the first step is making the time.  I think sometimes we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to create this masterpiece, every time.  Even the simplest of projects can make my day and seem like a masterpiece to me.

Have a look at the "Tiny fingers" card above.  What do you think?  Gorgeous.  Yes, I will tell you that I think it is gorgeous.  It took me a whole 30 minutes to pull together and the majority of that was hunting for the right embellishments to match my theme which was baby.

So here is how it played out.  I had a baby shower to go to and a card was needed.  Of course I was designing THAT morning....you all know, that is just how I roll.  Pressure brings out the best in me.  Actually, having a tight deadline MAKES me make decisions otherwise I "fart around" with the layout and can spend hours on one little project.  I don't have the luxury of time and I think many of you are in that same situation but that should be no reason for not starting.

The Commitment
So I knew I only had minimal time to dedicate to the project so decisions had to be made.  I had this gorgeous background paper by My Mind's Eye (MME).  It was a 12x12 sheet with that gorgeous collage image in one corner.  I chose it because of the word "happy" and because it was so soft and girly.  I know we could all spent hours going through our stashes of paper but commitments must be made to get the job done!

I then hunted through my stash of chipboard, stickers, etc and came across these adorable little die-cut words from MME.  I have had them forever and they just seemed to be meant for this project.  I distressed them a little to play up the vintage feel and finished the card with a button and of course, twine!  The choice for the matting and card itself came together so nicely as I wanted the card to have a soft feel and so I kept with the soft pinks.  I almost always work in layers of three.  The gray seemed to be the right choice.  Have you heard gray is the new black?

The End Result
So she loved the card.  I received more excitement and reaction from the card than I received from the gift.  What does that tell you?  People appreciate when you take the time to create something special JUST for them.  So keep doing it!  People really do notice.

Kim

PS....Oh.  I wanted to let you know that there are still tickets available for the Zonta Cardmaking Extravaganza THIS Saturday (10-4) at St Clair College Thames Campus.  Need a little jump start to get the creative juices flowing?  This event will do just that!  It is the perfect way to spend the day!  Get your tickets at Rubies or register online.  The Paper Pickle WILL be there!  Come and see me and share your creative process!

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