Friday, January 28, 2022

Birthday at the Circus

 Hey there! Hope y'all are all well and ready for a nice weekend. I have a little story to tell about a near-injury incurred while making this card. I'll explain towards the end, for now the card and its deets:
I made this card for a family member who loved going to the circus every year as a child and now takes his kids, even during the Pandemic finding virtual online venues. I know he will dig it. I also got a chance to use a Mirtillamente image, an Italian digital image company that is new to me, but I love how they are drawn and how unique they are. The only thing I'm not happy about is all the excitement caused by my near-injury caused me to have to delay posting this and I missed the deadline to the Mirtillamente Challenge, darnit! 😢
 
For my layout design, I chose this Splitcoaststampers sketch, resizing it to 6x6". You may remember I am and have been on a mission to use every one of their almost 900 sketches. LOL, Trying to, anyway. I've passed over this one more than once as I have considered it "difficult", but for a circus card it seemed do-able so I took it on.
I began with a card base cut from a sheet of red 12x12" Making Memories card stock. All of the papers are from Carta Bella's 6x6 Circus papers collection. The center focal image clown is a digital image by Mirtillamente and the Pirouette girl and boy at her sides are rubber stamps from Technique Junkies that I stamped with Onyx Versafine ink and fussy cut. All were colored with Promarkers after beginning with Distress Markers and giving up after realizing many of my markers are dried up. I also used star sequins at the card's bottom. 
I haven't finished the inside of the card. I tried doing a hand-stamped collage using my Artistic Outpost circus-themed stamps, but I didn't like how it was turning out. My recipient's birthday is a few months away so I have plenty of time. The back of the card features more of the Carta Bella papers and a Technique Tuesday stamped and circle punched siggie.
I wanted to show this close-up. I used my Gina Marie USA Alpha stamps to stamp CELEBRATE and I'm so happy with how it turned out. I stamped it with Versafine Clair Medieval Blue ink. After it dried, I used my white gel pen to fill in and accent the letters. I also stamped the other sentiment by Impression Obsession with the same ink.
Now for my story: SO, the very last thing I did on this card front was to adhere the star sequins. I used my tiny glue dots to adhere the big ones on the sides and it was pure heck getting them to stick (cold weather?). I finally got the big ones all adhered and decided to use my KI Gloo (like Glossy Accents but a bottle that never clogs) on the remaining 3 small ones. I carefully made 3 tiny dots on the card front exactly where I wanted the sequins. I held each sequin with the tweezers in my left hand (I'm left-handed). I love these tweezers, they are the kind you squeeze to open. I positioned the sequin over the glue, held the lower right edge of the star down with my right forefinger, squeezed the tweezers to let go and the star goes on right where I want. 
Well, I did that with the left and center star. But my coordination faltered on the third star. Instead of squeezing and pulling the tweezers away, I forgot to squeeze. Eventually the tweezers released the star but it caused such a force coming down that it splat the glue out the sides and some came up out of the center hole and went right into my right eye! I did not even really understand until I took the above close-up photo where you can see the glue splatter. And we are talking a teeny tiny dot of glue! Well, I screamed and Honey came running. I told him I think I got glue in my eye (I literally felt it hit my eyeball and it was stinging) and he grabbed me and got me to the sink lickety-split. We luckily have an eye wash kit and he knew how to use it, so a few minutes later my eye was washed out with the hottest water I could bear before I could really even process it all. Thank God for Honey! He always took the safety procedures seriously at work and learned them all. I know this was a freak accident but ya never know! And for a good chuckle, afterwards he said I now have K Eye Memories. 😁 
And a final view. Thanks for visiting me and until next time, stay crafty and stay well! xoxo

MY CHALLENGE PLAYLIST:
Pirouette clowns, Circus Performers

27 comments:

Carol said...

OH! Aimeslee. I had to rush to the end of your description first to find out what you had done. TG your eye is OK and TG for your Honey rescue.
I love the card by the way even though I am not so keen on the Mirtillamente ladies that I have seen on other challenge entries. Such a colourful card.
Hugs
Carol xx
CD Sunday Plus DT

Jocelyn said...

A really fun card. Honestly the things we do for our art! I'm so glad that your mishap with the glue had a happy ending and there was no permanent damage. Maybe get some safety goggles just in case for next time you are gluing sequins.
Thank you for sharing with us.
Jocelyn x
CD Sunday Plus DT

dj said...

P is for Pirouette clowns!! Creative!! I was looking for the "P" element!! But I got a bit side tracked with your eye/glue issue!! Glad your Honey was close by to save the day!! Thanks for playing along with with our "something that begins with P" challenge over at Cardz 4 Guyz!!

Rain said...

OMGosh Aimeslee! I would have freaked out!!! So happy that your honey was there to help you! The card is lovely btw!!!

Zoechaos said...

Your circus loving friend will be delighted with this card! Thank you for sharing with us at River of Creativity.

mixamatoasties said...

Great card.

Thank-you for joining us for the January challenge at Crafts Galore Encore Challenge.

Chris said...

A fabulous circus-themed card- bold, bright beautiful colours, great images and design. Phew, that was a narrow escape with your eye, thank heavens for quick-thinking Honey.
Thank you for joining us at Crafty Calendar this month.
Chris
x

Barbara Bruder said...

Oh my!! What a great card. Love how you colored the clown and the background is so perfect for this clown image. So glad your glue in the eye turned out to be not so serious (thanks to Honey). Thanks for sharing with us over here at World Wide Open Design Team Challenge and best of luck with your entry. Barbara DT member for { World Wide Open Design Team Challenge}

craftytrog said...

Such a beautiful bright card! I love it!
Hugs,
Alison

Pamela said...

A great, fun card that will be treasured by the recipient I'm sure. Thank goodness your eye was able to be washed out so quickly.
Pamela
CD Sunday Plus DT.

Melanie Hungerford said...

That's a great card, I think that sketch was just perfect for a circus scene. (and happy to hear your eye is ok!) Thanks for joining us at Cardz 4 Guys!

Seafield Jo said...

This is so bright and colourful and a great take on the sketch. Good luck getting through the rest.

Ouch! Eye injuries make me very squeamish. Thank goodness Honey reacted quickly and all was ok. Makes me glad I wear glasses!!

Thanks for joining us.

Jo
CD Sunday Plus DT

Bethie said...

I read this blog post while at work and meant to comment when I was on my large computer. Good thing I noticed because I wanted to tell you what a fabulous job you did with this sketch. I, too, would steer away from it as it looks tricky, but you certainly did well with what you were given. The clowns are so night and bright. I love clowns on a card and can't understand how people can be so afraid of them.

I'm really sorry to hear about your eye. What a freak accident. Who could imagine this story to be true, eh?! Do you have a good Worker's Comp policy? Stamping is your employment, is it not--LOL Seriously. Get professional help if you need to.

Suze said...

Great circus card Aimeslee. I like the vibrancy of your card. I'm pleased that someone was on hand to help rinse your eye out so that you don't have lasting issues. Thank you for entering the Anything Goes Challenge at Lil Patch of Crafty Friends.

cass said...

Great circus card. Thanks for joining us at A Place to Start this month for our "Anything Goes" challenge

Margarets designer cards said...

Lovely fun colourful card, I am sure they will love it,
Sorry about your eye thank goodness you managed to get help so quick.
Thank you for joining us
Margaret
CD Sunday plus DT

Twórcze pasje Danki said...

Very cute card, I love your colors. Thank you for participating in Through the Purple Haze Challenges

Danka
Twórcze pasje Danki{My Blog}

Vesna M. said...

Fantastic fold card, love the colors, it's so bright and funny. Thanks for joining us at A Place To Start. DT Vesna

Vesna M. said...

Hi again, love your card, background is fantastic and clown just pop up.
Thanks for sharing with us at 613 Avenue Create. DT Vesna

Doris Klein said...

What a fun work! Nice make!

Thanks for playing along with our Challenge at Critter Crazy and good luck!

Hugs and please come back soon!
Doris
Kleido’s BastelStüble
*Owner* Do-Al(l) Kreatives
*Owner*Critter Crazy Challenges
*List Manager* Challenges for Days
*DT* Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2
*GDT* Penny’s Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog

Vivi Casale said...

such a beautiful card!
Thanks for playing with us at 613 Avenue Create!
xx
Vivi

Chana Malkah said...

I love all the wonderful details on this project! The coloring is excellent and the papers are spot on! Thanks for sharing this with us at A Place to Start!
Hugz,
Chana Malkah, Owner

ahlers5 said...

I love this card. So colorful and wonderful! I read above that your eye is better. Thank goodness. I don't have an eyewash kit. That's probably something I should look into getting.

Chana Malkah said...

Thanks for stopping by our house at 613 Avenue Create !
Hugz,
Chana Malkah, Owner
Redora Lee Designs . My Blog
A Place to Start , Challenge Blog
613 Avenue Create , Challenge Blog

Chana Malkah said...

Congratulations! You were selected as a TOP ROCKER for the week of January 23-31,2022 at
613 Avenue Create ! Please stop by our blog and grab your badge
The Design Team

Franic said...

Bella tarjeta!

Annettes Hobby Rosettes said...

Bright colourful and lovely. Thank you for sharing with us over here at World Wide Open Design Team Challenge and best of luck with your entry.

Annette DT / Admin / Registered Owner for https://worldwideopendesignteamchallenge.blogspot.com/