We have started a new challenge over at the Alphabet challenge blog. It's B for "blooms", so make sure to show us a floral theme on your creations in order to qualify for the link-up.
As for myself, I managed to get a bit of my household chores done the other day to distract myself from my thoughts, but the news just keeps coming: new war crimes, new pleas for help, new red lines crossed, new threaths and aggressions as if this horrible spiral of violence has no end. I like to hope for an outcome that will end the suffering of the Ukrainian people asap, especially since the alternative would mean that the atrocities continue day by day, for who knows how long. And since the people who fled the war with whatever fits in a backpack can't live on hopes & prayers alone, I started to prepare a couple of care packages. I still have to get some things on the recommended list of hygiene products, but since the list says you may add "a personal welcome gift, maybe even a note", I decided to work on that one, too.
I started off with a leftover strip of blue paper from another crafting project, trying to figure out how to use it. It was a bit narrow, but long enough to fit on a slimline card so I thought I'd just work around that with whatever comes to mind. What came to mind eventually was that the subtle gradient of the paper looks like the sky, and being inspired by the Ukrainian flag I remembered those sunflower stickers in my stash. I've had them for ages but never really embeded them in my crafting except for another sunflower-themed project ages ago, so I was excited to use them again. 
To prevent an awkward white gap between the blue background and the white card base, I searched my stash for an additional layer of background paper. I found it in form of a dark brown sheet that has a bit of a pattern in it. It's visible enough to make the brown layer interesting without taking too much attention away from the main motif.
Once that was placed on the card, I started adding sunflowers. I thought I'd use half of what I had, but I actually managed to squeeze them all on my card in what looks like a field full of sunflowers.
Above the blooms, I placed a sentiment saying "Welcome" in Ukrainian. I copied and printed it from the translate page and framed it with a piece of dark brown paper that goes with the background. I added one last blooming sunflower next to the sentiment. 
I then added a strip of green paper at the bottom which covered up the stems that came out of nowhere and brought the lower part of the card together perfectly. But I couldn't help feeling like the card was still missing something. 
Looking for a solution, I grabbed my sticker stash to add a couple of golden stars on the top part of the blue background paper. That way, the scenery looks like sky above a sunflower field, not missing anything anymore. Also, I think those stars have such a calming effect - as if the night was slowly setting on a war-torn land to gently cover those who barely made it through the day. 
And in the end, there's hoping, wishing, and praying. For wisdom, strength, and a better tomorrow. For peace. For Ukraine.
challenges:
- 613 avenue create: ATG
- a place to start: ATG
- a place to start: ATG
- as you like it: floral or cute (I really like both, but looking at my projects I'll mostly incorporate florals into my creations - be it in form of the main motif, a floral paper, or floral embellishments. I think the reason is that while people have different opinions on what "cute" is, flowers are perceived in a positive way by everyone, everywhere. Making cards for a certain recipient, I might be able to include their sense of cute and work along with it, but making cards for fun, I'll most likely pick florals as it gives me more artistic freedom.)
- classicdesignchallenge: ATG DT
- crafty catz: ATG
- creative moments: ATG
- intaas: landscapes
- morgans artworld: ATG
- pennys papertake: ATG
- pennys papertake: ATG
- through the craftroom door: ATG
- wortartwednesday: ATG
- worldwide open design team challenge: ATG
- worldwide open design team challenge: ATG
