COMMISSION# 4

This is the first order I got outside Metro Manila (well, outside Luzon). I was excited to make the cards. I love it that I get to challenge myself with every one of the orders I receive. I can try various techniques to achieve the card that was wanted. For this particular order, I got to use the spatter paint technique which was awesome (I still have to remove the stray paints that went to my desk though).

As you can see in the image above, the cards are for Valentine's. Though it's late and too early for Valentine's Day, the customer still wanted to give the cards to a special person. This reminds me of the many times I was late in making and giving cards to my friends. Ha ha. Usually, a year or so would pass before I could hand the cards to them. I was rather busy and exhausted in the last three years that I couldn't even meet up with friends. Oh well. That was that.

CARD# HPJ-2014-40: Love

The card measures 4.5" x 5.75".

The first card in the batch is green-themed as was requested. I used a paper from the Graphic 45 French Collection and a bit from All About Scrapbooking. [Pardon, but I cannot really remember the name of the pack. The company doesn't usually post their products individually online and I already got rid of the packaging a long while ago.]

You know how fond I am of foam tapes. I added two layers of them on each card stock for dimension and one layer for the embellishments. I had these rub-on stickers from an online purchase before and thought they're perfect for the project. I transferred two hearts on a board paper and coated the images with crackle paint. I was supposed to put the epoxy stickers inside the hearts, but it didn't look the thing. I decided to just use the stickers on the inside panel.

I made the other embellishments as well like the charm that was hanging from the ribbon. I adhered a sticker onto a die cut which I made using a Spellbinders die and inserted a jump ring on one of the holes to attach the chain. I used another jump ring to fasten it onto the ribbon. I then affixed a brad on top of the knot with a glue dot. I placed light green crystals on the left side of the card as a finishing touch.

MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED: Ivory board paper, Graphic 45 French Country Collection, All About Scrapbooking, Rouge de garance Nymphéas, Prima Marketing Tea and Silk Collection Ryoanji, Papemelroti sticker sheet, rub-on sticker, epoxy stickers, self-adhesive crystals, brad, jump rings, metal chain, ribbon, Ranger Distress Crackle Paint Rock Candy, Spellbinders Nestabilities Splendid Circles, Cuttlebug Machine V2

CARD# HPJ-2014-41: My Universe

The card measures 6" x 4.5".

And here is the second card--planet-themed. Wow. I think this is the first time that I made something like this. I mean something about the cosmos or planets or something related to science. It was quite refreshing. This order gave me the opportunity to get my creative juices working pronto which led me to use one of so many long-used and loved techniques--spatter paint technique. I haven't done this in years. I had fun doing it. It had been raining almost everyday for the past few weeks and the sky was almost always overcast. Crafting indoors on a bad weather is great, but I couldn't not think about the destruction it has wrought to various places in the country. The typhoon season here has started.

Now back to the card. I used a black board paper 'speckled with elegant pearly inclusions' which was great for the theme. The glitters on the paper were like the fine little stars in outer space. Cute. I spattered silver and gold poster colors and yellow ochre acrylic paint on the front of the card. I cut the planets I printed and adhered them on the card stock with foam tape. I adhered a couple of small crystals all over and affixed a black tag with the sentiment written on it. I just love this card. The sentiment was so cute! People who receive such cards with this kind of sentiment are oh so lucky. I don't think I would ever get one. [sigh]

Inside the card, I added a slightly distressed patterned paper and left it blank for the message.

MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED: Malmero Perlé Black Board Paper,  Scrapworks Spellbound Last Words, computerized image, self'adhesive crystals, Uni-ball Signo Broad White Pigment Ink Pen, Reeves Artists' Poster Colour Silver and Gold, Pebeo Studio Acrylic Colour Yellow Ochre, Spellbinders Shapeabilities Fancy Framed Tags One, Cuttlebug Machine V2

CARD# HPJ-2014-42: Valentine's Day

The card measures 4.25" x 5.5".

For the third card, there was no required theme. I was to decide what to make and I came up with wood grain. I know I have two sheets of it on my Carta Bella Sew Lovely paper pad. Well, at first I thought what was needed was something 'really' masculine. Originally, there were just the die cut with the handwritten sentiment, the stitches, crystals and the rubber foam heart. Gah. I still had a hangover from my previous order. The customer preferred simple cuts rather than the ornate frame I first used. And so I thought it was the same with this one. There I was gravely mistaken. The customer herself asked to add flowers or ribbon or any other embellishments to add more color to the card. I was taken aback. I didn't quite expect this. But it was very welcome. It is great to communicate with the customer and learn what was wanted, what needs to be done, what needs to be adjusted and what not. This way, as the creator, I would be able to understand the need and make something that would more or less resemble it. I basically want people to be happy. If what I made brought even a little joy to them, I would feel ten times much more glad. I am learning a lot of things from my interactions with different people. I hope to receive more orders soon.

As I mentioned earlier, the original design was rather minimalist. I needed to throw in something else to add more color. At first, I played around with different paper flowers until I found what I was looking for. I thought that attaching a few pearls would make the new layout more lively. I also considered placing a small paper doily behind the label before taking a photo and showing it to the customer for 'evaluation'. She liked it so I proceeded in adhering them onto the card.

It didn't quite feel that it was complete until I tied a length of baker's twine on the label. And that was that.

MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED: White board paper, kraft paper, Carta Bella Sew Lovely Collection Woodgrain, paper doily, paper flowers, rubber foam, baker's twine, pearls, crystals, black pen, needle and thread, Cheery Lynn Designs Fanciful Flourish Small, Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Thirty-Five, Cuttlebug Machine V2

I wrapped the cards carefully with glassine paper, tied it with burlap twine and swathed it with several layers of bubble wrap for protection. I was afraid it wouldn't get picked up as I scheduled because of the rain, but fortunately it did get picked up--with the kuyas in their raincoats--and the package was received in good condition today, Tuesday, somewhere in Cebu City. Yay!