Rosy Decisions

I have made a decision...what decision might you ask. Well even if you didn't ask, I am gonna tell ya! That is what you get for reading my blog, my thoughts and my cards! Anyway, I have decided to walk away from Stampin' Up!. I still love the cardstock, colors, etc, but I simply am unable to maintain my demonstrator status with they way I currently do things (basically no workshops and classes once or twice a quarter). I by no means was making any real money with it (that wasn't the reason I started...just wanted to make money to spend on stuff I wanted so I wouldn't have to ask my husband every time I wanted to buy some stamping stuff!) and I told myself if I couldn't meet the quarterly minimum that I would give it up. Well I didn't make the minimum last quarter (2nd or 3rd time now, so I gave myself some leeway) and have decided that means it is time to walk away. So I will continue to create with Stampin' Up! products, but I am sure other products will quickly show up since I will feel no guilt in exploring...not that I ever really did! I am hoping to make a little extra money this last month that I can submit orders just so I can stock up on some stuff, so if anyone would like to place an order with me, I am offering FREE Shipping (that is in addition to the Sale-a-Bration promotion going on!). I plan on placing the orders all at once on January 20, so let me know by then!

Now onto the card at hand. I finally got my Mojo on again after quite a long draught...I missed my Mojo Sketches! Well I came back in time for a contest week, so this is my entry for the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #120. I broke out an old Stampin' Up! set, Stipple Rose. Hard to say it is a set when it is just one stamp, but you know what I mean. I stamped the rose on Watercolor Paper with Black Staz-on Ink. Then I watercolored with water and paintbrush (the old-fashion way) and ink pads. I incorporated both the Cameo Coral and Rose Red from the Raspberry Tart DSP into the rose so it is one of those multi-colored pretty roses. Then the tedious part of cutting it out (including the little ridges on the leaves!), but I love it layered on top of the patterned paper...just made the rose pop! I also added a layer of Crystal Effects to the rose to make it that more special.

As I mentioned before the patterned paper is the retired Raspberry Tart DSP and I used some Polka Dot Black satin ribbon for the ribbon portion...oh yeah it is the back side of the ribbon (that isn't printed on it). I didn't have any wide solid black ribbon and then I noticed that it was only printed on one side...not perfect but it certainly works! I gather the ends together with a little piece of 1/4" black grosgrain ribbon. Lastly are the little pearls...the ones I used are very old...something my husband's grandmother gave me. They came with little holders that are then like brads in clothes, but I have found gluing them on works great. Please don't look too closely at the gluing of the brads...my glue decided to come out in HUGE amounts and so there was way too much extra glue and it is a little unsightly up close...though I suppose by now telling you that, that you are going to look! Oh well!

Thanks for checking out my kind of engineering!

The Engineering Details

Stamps - Stipple Rose (retired Stampin' Up!); Paper - Cameo Coral, Basic Black, Raspberry Tart DSP (retired SU!), Watercolor Paper; Ink - Black Staz-on, Cameo Coral, Rose Red; Accessories - Circle and Scallop Circle Nestabilities, Crystal Effects, Scallop Edge Punch, Polka Dot Black Satin Ribbon (Offray), 1/4" Black Grosgrain ribbon (SU!), Half Pearl Embellishments (unknown), paintbrush/water, dimensionals