One of my very supportive, extremely crafty friends recently ordered a card for one of her friends, and, I'll be honest, I do love me a special order. There is something very scary and yet liberating in being asked to interpret another's love into send-ible form. My prompts were, mom of two, and a new born, who is faithful... not much to build on, but that just left the door open for my own vision.
To get in the creative zone, I thought about how, the busier we are, the less time we take to appreciate what fills our life. I thought about how doing something alone, happens so very few times for busy new moms, and when it does, it's for something we never dreamed would be so enjoyable- a shower lol. About how sometimes when we feel overwhelmed, doing so much for other people, a little piece of happy mail comes to show us that someone we love, loves us too. I thought about what a beautiful feeling it is to hold your newborn in your arms... I thought about the vibrancy of the sunrise and how somehow, seeing that beauty can make all the difference when a new mom is up at the crack of dawn for another round of on-demand feeding.
So yes, I did channel my own personal feelings into the card, and of course it's no surprise that I love the way it turned out :-) But, actually , YOU may be surprised to know, I was! First, let me tell you how it was made, and then why I was surprised.
I started with a piece of watercolor paper and, after painting it with water, I floated some sky-like colors over the top and some green on the bottom. Then I went over that with some grey, imagining already the "path" of motherhood. Once all that was dry, out came the stamps, and I even did some masking to create some flower clusters in the grass. One on each side helped to ground the card front and frame my sentiment, and I actually thought far enough ahead of time to plan that out, lol. Then, I used watercolor pencils dipped in water to fill in the images. Last, my silver pen went over the spokes and other metal bits and really brought the bike to life. Of course, a busy mom would not have time to ride it, so it just sits there, kickstand down, and maybe she and her children are nearby putting those flowers in the basket... Hey, I love me a good story behind my makings! It's all part of the creative process for me.
So, why, after all this effort, and storytelling, and the musings of my heart being put into my project, was I surprised to enjoy the finished product? Because for some reason, this much effort usually results in a feeling of disappointment at the turn out. Especially, it seems, when my project involves stamping. I cannot tell you how many times I've labored over a card front, only to later lament how many I
could have made- and liked!
This feeling of satisfaction was so foreign, I even offered to make a different card before giving it over to my friend for review... how's that for a selling point, haha. "I don't really think this is too good, but give me $7 for it, please, and then allow me to make ad give you another card that I'm sure you'll like better, for free." Wow. I can just see the repeat sales coming in! Is it any wonder my creative side rules over my business side?
So, will I be making more cards
just like this? Not likely, despite my love of the way it turned out~ 'cause, I just don't tend to make anything the same way twice. Will I still take custom orders? Absolutely! Because like I said, I adore the challenge of making for strangers based on their friend's observations. Just imagine how your friends descriptions of you would differ from what you would write about yourself... But, dear reader, will I perhaps be a little more loving to my labored over creations in the future? That, is to be determined...however, my magic eight ball says, "Chances are Good."
Thanks for reading, and please, comment below; what are three character traits you adore about your current bestie? I'll be looking forward to attempting to make something in that description's honor, and posting it here... til then, thank a mom who looks a bit frazzled, and maybe even make something nice for her to show your sympathy <3
