Bargello Technique - Part Deux. Just Try, Try Again

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Hey y'all. Happy Humpday! Hope you're having a great week. I just have one more work-day then I'm off for a long weekend and a concert trip to Hershey! Woot!

Do you ever wish life had a replay button? Kinda like that movie with Adam Sandler, Remote I think it was called, but where life doesn't go crazy if you change one little thing? Boy, howdy! There are some days I think I would have to re-do multiple times just to get them right. Of course the good thing about having something go just not right enough that you wanted to do it over is, hopefully you learn something from it and don't make the same mistakes over and over and over again like Bill Murray in Ground Hog's Day. LOL!

Somehow with my cards that's happened now two weeks in a row. First with a sketch challenge I did and then last week with my End of the Week Technique. Now, don't get me wrong, I liked last week's technique card, I just felt like I could do something more. I don't know, it's hard to explain. I also think that even though I staggered my strips I did them evenly, square for square, instead of staggering them in the middle of the squares. I think this gave it more of a "Patchwork Quilt" look than a true "Bargello" look. So, you know me, I had to give it another try. Since I told you I'd try again and post it for you, I do my best to stay true to my word.

Here's what I came up with-

Bargello Technique Featuring
Patio Party DSP

I think this card more accurately reflects the Bargello technique. As you can see I used a stair-step technique here instead of a zig-zag. I'm very happy with how this one turned out.

Here's two things I learned-

1- Our Glue-Stick works great for this! Shocker- No Tombow. No, this is not a sign of the impending apocalypse. I used Tombow on my last card since I didn't have the adhesive sheets and while it worked, it did leave a few areas that I had to go back and touch up. (Just keeping it Reals, folks!) With the Glue-Stick, I just swiped the whole base piece and laid my strips down. So Easy!

2- Using a DSP that already has "strips" of different patterns in it, means you don't have to cut out the initial strips and lay them side by side to cut them out. I don't know about you but anything that is going to save me time is fine with me. Additionally if your DSP Coordination Challenged, you know who you are... it's hard to mix and match your patterns, this is great! Heck SU not only picked patterns that would go together they even laid them out in a nice pattern for me. SWEET!!!! Thanks SU! :) I can not even begin to tell you how much stress this took away from me. No, Seriously! One shouldn't have to stress over something that is supposed to be "Stress Relief". Am I right!?!

I adhered the Bargello panel to my Summer Starfruit base with Dimensionals. I'm going to fall in love with that color if it takes me 2 years.

Please, Please, Please, Don't let it take 2 years!

Here's the inside-

I stamped the sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes, and the butterflies from Make A Cake in Midnight Muse and I was done. Maybe 30 minutes max,start to finish and that's with cutting and attaching all the strips.

Well, that's all I have for you today. I hope you thought it was a worthwhile second attempt. Using the DSP with all the patterns really helped. This is definitely something I'll try again. Not only do I hope you liked it, I hope it inspires you to give yourself permission to have a "do-over", even if you just want to improve on the first go-round. I love hearing from you, it always makes my day. If you get a chance I'd love to hear what you think, and as always if you try this technique or just have a re-do, I'd love to see what you come up with. If you like today's card and would like to +1 or Pin it, I've put the buttons on my sidebar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

On a non-stamping related note, I've started a new blog called A Better Shan. It's an honest look at my attempts to be a better me, in all aspects of my life starting with my journey to a healthier weight right down to weigh-ins. I'll have some recipes and links on there too for some healthy/ier noms. I just started it, but if you have a chance to stop by and join me on my journey, I'd love to have you along for the ride.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you have a Great day! Till next time-

Remember- Life is often  more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the Storm to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain. 


Be Safe,
Shan

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End of the Week Technique #37 Bargello / Thinking Thoughts of Hope for a Friend

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Hey y'all. Happy Thursday! Just one more day till the weekend. Holy cow and I still have 13 swaps to design and make before Saturday Morning, and no time tonight to work on them! AUGH!!!!! So excited though to have our team meeting Saturday and then begin taking a techniques class (hopefully learn some fun new stuff to post here). Gonna be a busy but fun day. Hope your weekend is shaping up too. :)

Sadly, I found out earlier this week that a team-mate has had a re-occurrence of her Breast Cancer. Even after over 23 years of being a nurse (Amazing for the simple fact that I'm only 29, lol!) the one thing that has always frustrated me was the utter Randomness of Disease and of Violence. I decided to make a card for her and this is what I came up with. I hope she likes it and I hope she gets a laugh when she figures out how much Tombow I used to get it together. My Tombow addiction reliance is a common laughing point in our team. I'm not sure if she follows this or not, but if she does, "Linda, this is coming your way. Try and act surprised when it arrives."

Here's today's card-

Bargello Technique "Pink Ribbon" Card

Ok, so two things about today's card-

1- All cardstock/DSP (except the two pieces of Whisper White), ink, and stamps are retired. I rarely do this but it's what I needed for the card. You can do the technique with whatever c/s, DSP you have on hand.

2- When I laid out my strip for this technique, I had the card in "landscape". The pattern is there you just have to turn your head 90 degrees to see it. I'm not sure when, or why, the orientation got changed. In fact, I didn't even notice it until I began writing this. *SMH!* Remember when I said earlier this week that I show everything I make even when it doesn't turn out "blog perfect"? I present yet another example. I'm still very happy with the card, I just am a little befuddled as to how I manage to do things sometimes. 

Note to self- I do many things well even when I'm tired. Obviously, cutting and pasting isn't one of them. LOL!!!!! Note to everyone- While this is a really neat technique, if you're a little on the OCD side, (your's truly) this may not be the ideal technique for you...just saying...ask me how I know!

For this card I used a base of Blushing Bride. My Bargello technique uses DSP from the 2010-2012 In-Color Collection. The ribbon is an a-la-carte stamp from last year's catalog. If you can find it, it's great to have because you  can make cards for so many causes with it. On the inside I used Sincere Salutations, and two stamps from last years special set benefiting Breast Cancer Awareness. I actually got that set to use for Domestic Violence Awareness, here's one of the cards I made with it, which, unfortunately is the same month as Breast Cancer Awareness. 

Here's a close-up of the ribbon-

I stamped it in Blushing Bride and used one of the new Apothecary Accents Framelets to cut it out. Next I sponged the edges and then let Tink have her way. I was worried at first that the color wouldn't be "pink" enough, but after a little Two-Way Glue and some Dazzling Diamonds, I love how the color turned out! This was popped up on Dimensionals.

Here's the inside-

Down at the bottom I used the flourish and the "H for Hope" stamp. Both were stamped in Blushing Bride. For the flourish, I stamped off once. The flourish is outlined as well with Two-Way Glue pen and Dazzling Diamonds.

Here's a closer look-

I sure do wish the sparkle translated in pictures. It's really pretty.

Now for today's technique, here's what you'll need- DSP 4-6 different designs (same color family), adhesive or adhesive sheets, paper cutter.
Basically here's what you are going to do, I'm including a video to show you.
1- Cut strips of your DSP the same width for the example 3/4", and 6-7" long.
2- Adhere them to a piece of cardstock, alternating the placement of the patterns until you get a pattern you like. In the video she uses a Zyron to make her c/s sticky. Since SU doesn't sell Zyron's I chose to just use Tombow liberally on the back of each piece of DSP. SU sells "Multi-purpose Adhesive Sheets" but I didn't have any. Tombow will work if you don't have any adhesive sheets lying around either.
3- Once everything is adhered you will cut "across" the strips so you get all of the DSP patterns on one strip of c/s.
4- Adhere these to strips to another piece of c/s alternating the patterns until you get one you like i.e. chevron, zig-zag etc. (Believe it or not if you look at my card you can see the "pink c/s with the white stripes and the white cardstock with the pink floral image are in a "zig-zag pattern" They're the easiest to see.
5- Trim off any excess c/s hanging off the edges of your c/s base.
6-Optional- I ran my c/s / DSP through my Big Shot with my Lattice EF.I did this for two reasons, 1- to help "embed" the DSP and ensure it was firmly attached to the c/s base and 2- because I thought it would make it look a little more like a quilt. Embossing is totally optional.
7- Mount your finished piece on your card. I used Tombow instead of Dimensionals because I had already planned to use them for my ribbon and for ease of mailing.
8-Admire your work and smile when you think of the joy receiving you card will bring to someone.

Here's the video. She does a really good job of explaining. Somehow though, it took me much longer to make my card then it did for her. :)

I think this is a really neat technique and I'm going to try it again with DSP that has more contrast and I'll be sure to post that and let you see how it turns out. This is a really good technique to use up your scraps of DSP. I hope you'll give it a try. As always, if you do, I'd love to see what you create.

Well, that's all I have for you today. I really Hope my firend likes it and I hope you liked it too. My hope is that it inspires you to try something new. It doesn't have to be this, just something. After all that's the goal of this blog... to "Just Try". I'd love to hear what you think. Your comments always make my day! Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :) If you have a moment to send up a little prayer for my stamping friend that would be great too!


Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today. I hope you'll come back tomorrow, I have a Clean and Simple card for you. No, it's still not one layer, but it is pretty.


Till next time-


Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.


Be Safe,
Shan

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