Early-morning stamping

I seem genetically predisposed to wake up early - often before 6 a.m., no matter when I go to bed. As long as I go to sleep early enough, I actually really enjoy this time - it's quiet and I'm the only one up, with no one to worry about except myself. I often find myself working on cards at this time of day and sometimes I even manage to finish a card before the kids wake up.

I'm feeling challenged-deprived over at SCS - I have only done two challenges in the past week. But I've managed to get some of my kid cards done, and this morning I made another Rachel card. I used my Polka Dots and Paisley set again, focusing on the dots and paisley this time. I actually had the coolest paisley patterned paper that inspired me, but in the end I realized that it was too much paisley to use that and the stamps. It's so interesting learning about the artistic process and seeing how things evolve as I go along. Often the plan I start out with doesn't end up being represented in the finished product.

Enough musing and on to my card - I cut the card first - what color is that anyway, blue? green? I love it, whatever it is. I stamped the allover dots with Versamark. I stamped the paisleys in VersaColor bamboo ink and then colored the flowers with colored pencil. I really wanted to do a two-color stamp but it was just too fussy, although it looked so nice. This way was almost as good, I think. I stamped more dots on a green scrap in bamboo and then overstamped the sentiment (Inkadinkado) in Prussian blue from Color Box, then punched out into ovals. Finally I wrapped olive green organdy ribbon around the paisley panel and attached a bow - most times this is the only way I can get a nice bow, but whatever works is OK with me. I mounted it all and this is what I ended up with. I think it turned out really sweet.