Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Sketch Saturday #393,and an examination into a crafter's mentality...

(Regular card blog at bottom.  Crafter psyche rant commences... now:)

Dear Readers: I have found my self personifying a card-- calling a card or a project "he" or "she" in the past-- and as I opened this email to type, I could not spit out what I would normally say: "Here he is," or "Here she is." Whoa!  I noticed that I couldn't spit out the basic information in my characteristic casual language... it surprised me.  Like, I am always so "friendly" with my projects.  Even if I am not pleased with the way they turn out, I still give it the ol': "Well, it's not the prettiest little card, but, aww, the little scamp..." as if the card is some rescued mangy dog.  Not this card!  

So, in my weird way, I felt guilty that I had no attachment... until I started considering the facts: I had set out to make sympathy cards.  Okay, who actually likes to make sympathy cards??? OMG, no!  I can look back at cards from the past-- and I've done some decent sympathy cards, I guess-- and upon examining this'n, I can positively say that, without a doubt, sympathy cards are the most challenging and my least favorite flavor of card!  And for two separate reasons!: i.e. because it is challenging does not make me dislike it!  Right?  Do we all feel this way?  It has been an interesting discussion with myself!  

Further, might I add that I did not know the woman who died.  She was my Mother-In-Law's cousin's wife.  Yes, we exchanged xmas cards, but I'd never spoken to the woman.  So my personal attachment was not great.  But I still hated making these cards for her family!  Ahhh... I feel too much.  It surprises me. 

And to close on all of that, can I now wrap it up full-circle and say that I realize the root of my problem is "feeling too much," and yet I feel absolutely nothing for these cards?  The irony.

To the two people who read that, I owe you a bottle of something... :)

*   *   *

Here it is, my card for Sketch Saturday #393:




















Here is the very nice sketch:


Supplies and notes:
  • I ended up with bonus enveloped from my xmas cards... I don't think I had to tear any up as the result of writing mistakes!  Anyway, so I have a stash of nice 4x8" envelopes that I get to use now!  
  • I used an old Rubber Stampede stamp inked with Tim's Gathered Twigs and Frayed Burlap then spritzed and pressed in successive generations with slight re-inking and spritzing
  • I tore a piece of DCWV for the stripe, and I added a piece of scrap vellum
  • No sentiment... what the hell do you even say?  I guess "With Sympathy" works, but I always prefer sentimentless anyway... Rrrr.  Sympathy cards. 

4 comments:

  1. I read this - ya owe me! Ha! JK I do know what you mean. I too am a weird one and talk to my projects, gosh are we related?!?! Also, I am desperately needing an AMAZING sympathy card right now for a very dear and artistic friend who lost her husband and I don't know how on earth to even tackle such a project! So sad, so dreadful. I love your card though, the stamp is a favorite and the color selection is perfect! Hugs, Autumn

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  2. I totally get what you're saying. I do make sympathy cards when I have that kind of mojo (very rare) and I make sure I have some ready, impossible for me to make such a card on command.
    I think this card is really pretty, in fact it would work for other occasions as well. What I like is that it's perfectly balanced, and neither too cheerful or too depressive...

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  3. Hi Mimi- your wonderful, exponentially day-brightening comment on my blog brought me over to say thank you (THANK YOU!) and WOW! Talk about finding a hidden treasure! I've been wandering about, reading your posts (your writing is truly impressive...engaging, enlightening, entertaining...you must have a career that involves writing, right?), admiring your cards and overall delighting in your creative expression in various forms. Talent? I think you have it in abundance! I hear you about the sympathy cards, as when I've made them, I've experienced a rather 'curious' DEtachment, rather than attachment, comparable to what you've described. And that extends to those made for people I know who have lost someone cherished. "Feel too much"...I think that's the answer. I don't 'want' to feel too much sadness, so my coping...detach. Perhaps not the best mechanism but at least it 'sort of' explains why I dislike making sympathy cards. I suspect little of what I've expressed makes sense but...somehow, I think you'll 'get' what I'm trying (poorly...) to say. Your card is beautiful; a gentle, soft way of saying "I'm sorry for your loss' because "that" is what you do feel, even if you don't 'feel' for the card (makes sense in my head...). Anyway, adding YOU to my Feedly...looking forward to more visiting!
    ~c (carol)

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  4. Love your card Mimi. Thanks so much for playing along with us at Sketch Saturday. Gale DT

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