Twofer Try

Just a quick try for the current twofercardchallenge before the link-up runs out. 

I didn't plan to do last-minute entry this time, but I've only received my digis from All dressed up a couple of days ago. But how could I not do a last-minute project then? 

I've wanted to try this "twofer" thing for a while now and admire the DT works every month, however, I never really took my time to create two very different things using the same digi. It does take a bit of a twist I guess, two different moods, colour pallets and what not, and I just never felt like I could complete the task as the themes went by.

Recently, though, I found myself as one of the winners over at the All dressed up challenge blog. As I was browsing through their shop to select my prize package, I couldn't help but fall in love with this adorable sleeping bunny. Call me weird, but my immediate thought was something along the lines of "This would look so delicate on a baby's sympathy card". 

While I've been waiting for the digis to arrive, I began to make arrangements in my head as to how it should look like. Once the digis arrived, I went to work. At first, I printed the digis and sentiments, then, I picked a stack of patterned papers that could match my idea. I've also completed my twofer idea in my head: for one project, I kept the idea of a sympathy card, while the other would be a classical thing of "Welcome baby".

I decided to do the happy occasion first, by colouring the bunny in soft brown shades. I picked a pink polka dot paper for the background and added an additional layer of baby-themed embossed paper. In the dend, I placed the bunny on a sheet of pink cardboard and placed a simple "Welcome" sentiment in the lower part of the card. I wanted to add a couple of flowers, too, but I thought shipping will be easier if I keep the card flat.

It is your typical sweet pink baby card even though I lalety realized I'm not a fan of gendering baby items according to stereotypical girls' and boys' colours. I shall do better in future and try to broaden my mindset when it comes to crafting, I promise. 

For the second card, I planned a very CAS design. I opted for a background paper with hearts even though not many of them are visible. I wanted to colour the bunny in a light brown shade at first, but thought that maybe a really light grey is more appropriate for the occasion. I tried to colour the motif by barely touching the paper with my pencils to make sure the colours will be really soft and calm. In the end, I placed a simple line of sympathy in the top right corner of the card.

I'm not sure whether I managed to create something appropriate here, so I'd really like to hear your thoughts. I know that many crafters aren't comfortable with sympathy/condolence cards in general, while I like to create one every now and then. They do have something of a meditation to me, a task that lies not in the card itself, but in the message it brings. 

However, I've never really seen anything suitable for a child, let alone a baby. I can't even imagine how the loss of an infant affects ones life, and I guess with many people feeling this way it leaves the affected families even more alone in their grief. Maybe, if we could just keep our prejudice under control here, the wall of silence wouldn't be so scary for those who'd like to open up about their loss? 

I believe that most of the not-talking comes from a well-intended "not knowing what to say" or "not wanting to say something wrong", but ignoring the topic won't make it disappear, and most importantly won't diminish somebody's agony. 

challenges: 
- krafty chicks: CAS

- 613 avenue create: ATG
- a bit more time to craft: ATG
- gem of a challenge: ATG

- all dressed up: cute critters

- always fun challenges: welcome baby

- as you like it: favourite way to cut your image (I'll usually go with a square cut that I create with an olfa knife and a ruler, which makes it possible for me to adjust the height and width of the image. I like the idea of controling how much background paper I want to show resp. hide, without spending too much time on fussy cutting with my small scissors or spending money for expensive cutting devices)

- crafty catz: ATG
- crafty sentiments: ATG
- craftyhazelnutspatternedpaper

- creative moments: ATG

- love to craft: ATG 

- make my monday: CAS

- morgans artworld: ATG
- pennys papertake: ATG

- sparklesmonthlychallenges: baby
- through the craftroom door: ATG
- twofercardchallenge: your choice

- wortartwednesday: ATG

- worldwide open design team challenge: ATG