Saturday 12 September 2015

Lack of inspiration!

I have had plenty of days when things didn't work out as I had hoped but, this time it was the pits. I have got more rejects than I have had in many a year! I hope that I may be able to resurrect some bits from some of the cards, but the recycle bin is feeling quite pleased with itself!
This is the best of a bad job!
It's so simple it's almost not there, but I like the layout and the composition and I love this stamp!
It's from Deep Red, a company I can't exactly say I've heard of and I don't remember where I bought it... probably at a show somewhere or other. It does have a little twinkle added, but I didn't manage to capture it in the photo.The one consolation is that it will be a really quick to make if I'm a few cards short at the last minute!
The computer generated sentiment uses the fonts  VNI-HL Thuphap and Lydian BT.

I don't really care much for this one, but I thought I should I'd add it anyway.  Again it's a computer generated sentiment,  using the same two fonts as the previous card. A Hero Arts stamp coloured with watercolour pencils and blended with a water brush. The background has been twinkled with Clear Wink of Stella and the stork and the blanket with Glamour Dust.

Both of these cards are for the ONE LAYER challenge at Less is More this week!
I hope you'll join in and have some fun!

There were a couple of queries about how I do my sentiments. This is a tutorial I wrote some time ago on the Less is More blog, but is still applicable even with slightly later versions of Word.
  1. Click Insert and then click Shapes, then choose Text box and insert the appropriate number of boxes. I use one text box for each part of the sentiment 
  2. Divide your sentiment into components and write the parts in separate boxes
  3. Change the fonts to the size and style you prefer.
  4. Highlight the boxes and click on Format and then the arrow in the lower right corner on Text Box or Shape Styles
  5. When the box pops up (Fill) drag the Transparency toggle to 100% and click OK
Leave the box outlines in place at this time to allow them to be moved into position more easily.
  • When highlighted, the boxes can be moved around and overlapped and because of the transparency setting, the text will not be obliterated by another box.
  • When happy with the positioning, (boxes can be fine tuned by highlighting and using the arrow keys to manipulate them) select all the text boxes together by holding shift and highlighting them, and when in the Format tab, click Shape Outline and select No Outline. If you right click at this stage and group the boxes, the sentiment will stay as a unit and can then be moved around the page.
If using a digital image I also pop that into a text box, so that I can place that exactly where I want it.
I have found that on my laptop, if I have the view set to 105% the screen image is just the same size as an A4 sheet, so that if I hold a piece of paper cut to the size of my card against the screen, I can see exactly where the words will appear.

I hope this helps, any queries.... just email me!

23 comments:

  1. I think you're being very hard on yourself, I love these two Chrissie! Because that tree stamp is just amazing a simple sentiment is all it needs, and I love your simple baby card - clean, crisp, fab fonts, lots of white space - what's not to love?! xx

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  2. We all have times like this Chrissy, some of us(me) have long lasting inspirational famines. I usually trawl through Pinterest and steal bits of other peoples ideas. Having said that, your cards are super, they show and say exactly what they are supposed to.
    Lynne xxx

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  3. Send me your reject cards as I would be happy to pass them off as my own, Chrissie!! I love that first card and am going to look Deep Red up because those trees are stunning. A CAS, crisp and stylish one layer Christmas card. I always find new baby cards hard to make - don't know why - but this sweet stork stamp is a fun focal image.

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  4. Sounds familiar!
    2 fab cards xx Jan

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  5. Thanks for stopping by my blog and your very kind comments x. Yep all this is sounding very familiar too. For the most part I take an inordinate amount of time fussing, experimenting etc and get very little at the end of it! When I use the brusho's or sprays etc I get so mixed results and messy and sometimes frustrating but mostly I had fun xxx You've got to give those brusho's you've bought a try x

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  6. Not easy I know when inspiration has gone AWOL lol, but I do love these cards Chrissie! I am still thinking what to do. Well done again ;) Viv xx

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  7. Well, what do the rejectors know? I think both your cards are lovely. Especially like the Christmas card. I've been looking for simple pine trees like that. Love the fonts too.

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  8. I'm new to your blog so hope you won't mind a question. Can you share how you get computer generated sentiments right where you want them? I know little about computers so the only time I can use a computer generated sentiment is when I'm going to cut it out with a die and place it on a card. Do you use a word processing program or something else? I'd love to know how you line it up to print exactly where you want it. Thanks in advance!!! (suzyquesq2 at gmail dot com)

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    1. I have added a little tutorial,if you have any questions, just email me!

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  9. i like them both, the trees might have benefitted from some green but i like the black and white feel of it as well...it;s all good

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  10. i like them both, the trees might have benefitted from some green but i like the black and white feel of it as well...it;s all good

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  11. I love the elegance of the black and white and those trees are gorgeous even without any sparkle! Love the sweet baby card too. Bet when you look again you'll realize you were inspired.

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  12. I have to say Chrissie that your rejects would be my best if these are anything to judge by lol! Stunningly effective cards - your tree card inspired me to make a tree scene myself (but not for this challenge) and your baby card is too cute! The fonts for both cards are beautiful - I echo the question asked by Suzy above, concerning aligning your sentiments. I usually allow most of the page - perhaps trying to print two sentiments, in the hope that at least one of them can be cut into a card front! Not the most efficient use of card I know! Thanks for your continued inspiration each week!

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  13. Oh Chrissie, you are being harsh on yourself, but I do know what you mean. I can spend hours on a project that just doesn't turn out how I want and end up throwing it in the bin. I think they are both lovely, stylish cards, as usual and I love the fonts you've used. Sue.x.

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  14. Oh Chrissie, you are being harsh on yourself, but I do know what you mean. I can spend hours on a project that just doesn't turn out how I want and end up throwing it in the bin. I think they are both lovely, stylish cards, as usual and I love the fonts you've used. Sue.x.

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  15. I have those kinds of days too Chrissie. Your cards turned out beautifully!

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  16. Both cards are very pretty! And thank you for the tutorial!

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  17. 2 FABULOUS one layer cards Chrissie! Love the monochrome Christmas one but the super cute baby one is brilliant too!
    Thanks for the super duper techi-torial! will have to give that whirl sometime - I should know how to do that but know where to find the instructions now if I mess-up! Sarah x

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  18. 2 FABULOUS one layer cards Chrissie! Love the monochrome Christmas one but the super cute baby one is brilliant too!
    Thanks for the super duper techi-torial! will have to give that whirl sometime - I should know how to do that but know where to find the instructions now if I mess-up! Sarah x

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  19. I'm not sure why you don't like your first card - I think it's great. It's a classic Christmas card that could be replicated easily in any colour and I'm with you, some of the Deep Red Rubber stamps are lovely......I may have to buy those trees!

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  20. I've had lots of weeks where I have NO mojo....so I understand that feeling well! I do think your cards look great, so don't stress over it. I think the first one is my favorite. I also like adding sentiments with the computer. Adding sentiments with the computer means that I will always have the "right" sentiment!

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  21. I've had lots of weeks where I have NO mojo....so I understand that feeling well! I do think your cards look great, so don't stress over it. I think the first one is my favorite. I also like adding sentiments with the computer. Adding sentiments with the computer means that I will always have the "right" sentiment!

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  22. Those trees are stark and stunning, love 'em! Useful tip about the 105% screen xxx

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Thank you so much for popping by, I appreciate your comments!
Thanks,
Chrissie