1-2-3-4 Challenge Card

Love this photo so much I had to give you the extra-large format size!!  :)

"The love of dress is very marked in this attractive animal.  He is proud of his coat, and cannot endure that a hair of it shall lie in the wrong way."
                                                                     ---------Jules Chamfleury

Hi, Friends....

I am here today with a card for the MFP Simple Salutations 1-2-3-4 Challenge (1 image, 2 flowers, 3 papers, 4 brads).  This card was surprisingly difficult for me to put together, even though I have tons of designer paper (my hubby might say this is literally true!) and flowers galore in my stash.....not sure why I had so much trouble getting a concept for it.  

I am also entering this in the Viva La Verve Challenge using their lovely September color palette:

Darnell gets this third and final entry from me in her NBUS #2 Challenge, also, since I am using more of my brand-new MFP stamps.  The lovely floral image is from the MFP Works of Art set.  (THANKS, MFP!!!)

I stamped my dogwood image with Memento Rich Cocoa ink and used my waterbrush and Gelatos to paint it. 

 I couldn't resist mounting it on this pretty DCWV foiled kraft paper.  You know me and gold!  LOVE.  I put a bit of sparkle in the centers of the blossoms with a sparkly gel pen.  The brads have been in my stash for a loooong time.  I'm not sure if I've ever used them before or not.....maybe. 

The scrap of pink shimmery paper I used was too wide and not long enough for my card.  So I cut it lengthwise and glued it together, hiding the seam beneath the upper panels.  That can be our secret, huh?  I finished the card off with a couple of velvety Prima flowers.  I love the soft look and the texture they bring. 

So, I got the whole card finished and sat back looking at it admiringly.  Oh, no!!!!  EEEEEK!!!  This is supposed to be a Simple Salutations challenge.  I got so engrossed in the 1-2-3-4 aspect that I forgot completely about the greeting and I hadn't left room for a banner with some salutation on it.  Oh, woe!  :(

Well, there was only one thing to do.....I would have to stamp directly onto the finished card.  ARGHH!!  This was one of those times where it had to be perfect the first time.  The pressure was building....  I chose the Happy Birthday from my new MFP Silly Shells set.  I carefully selected where I wanted the greeting and inked it up.  I held my breath as I gingerly placed it and stamped.  Did I dare lift it up yet?  Had enough of the ink transferred?  Or would I be left with a completely ruined card to be remade and salvaged at a later date?   With dread in the pit of my stomach, I lifted it up.  Ahhhh-mazing!  As close to perfect as I can ever hope to expect.  And I love the look of it stamped directly, instead of using a banner that I can do and redo as many times as necessary!!  Whew!!!  (Now tell me.....do you think I stress out too much about my cards?  Ha!!)

Ding-ding-ding-ding!!!  New Follower Introduction Time!!!!  Welcome to followers #59 and #60!!

Brandie Partello - I sorry that I can't share any info on you, Brandie, although I think you have commented and I replied.  I wish I could find it!  I would love to introduce you better.  If you have a blog you would like for me to share, please send me a link using the sidebar thingy.  At any rate, I am so glad to have you as a new follower.  This ginormous smile is all for you!!!!

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craftyamiga - Another new member and I don't have any blog info to share for others to know where to visit.  If you would like to send me a link to your gallery or blog, I would be delighted to post that update to your introduction.  In the meantime, this ginormous new-follower smile is yours!!!  Thanks so much for becoming a follower!!!!

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Thank you all for your enormously generous and kind comments on my projects.  I have said to my family that the average rating for comments on a craft blog seems to be 5 stars out of 5 stars....."Never is heard a discouraging word".....but I think you, dear readers, rate an average of 6!!  THANKS soooooo much!!!!  You make my day!!!

<3
Janis 


Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1.  MFP Speedy TV Simple Salutations Challenge #113 - 1-2-3-4
2.  Viva La Verve Sketches September Color Challenge
3.  djkardkreations - NBUS Challenge #2 - Anything Goes with Never Before Used Schtuff
4.  Pinkfresh Studio - Gold Challenge  
5.  Word Art Wednesday Challenge #149 - Anything Goes with an Encouraging Greeting