My Daughter's Cards: The Difference in the Creative Process of Card Making

Hello!  I wanted to do a flower garden post today but I realized I deleted all my flower pictures from my computer.  So I went to Instagram, thinking I could copy and paste them to my blog, but  'NO' apparently there is no way you can retrieve your own photos once posted to Instagram,  because I tried and I tried and I can't get them back.  Does anyone know of a trick I'm not aware of?  In any case, if you are interested in what my garden looks like this year, you will have to check out Instagram because all the pictures are over there!

So in place of a garden post, I decided to showcase my daughter's cards and talk about the unique creative process we all possess.  My daughter was visiting us back in June, and we always love to have some Mother/Daughter time in my craft room when she is home.  While watching Ashley create, I noted how different her creative process was from my own.  When I make a card, I first start with the occasion.  What do I need the card for?  Is it for a birthday, holiday, etc.?   From there I usually go to my computer and search for either a sketch or a card to case from another designer.  Then I proceed to make the card, and through the creative process, it usually ends up looking NOTHING like the original sketch or card I started to case;  so, when I post it to my blog, I usually don't link it to the original artist for that reason.  My card usually changes or evolves from the original inspiration piece because I have different images that don't quite fit the same, or different papers and embellies that give it a completely different look.

My daughter on the hand, creates completely differently than myself.  She starts with an occasion, like I do, but rather than search for an inspiration piece or sketch, she begins by searching through my multitude of papers to find something she likes or that she knows is the recipient's style.

Because she loves to decoupage, she loves designer papers,  and uses the papers as the main focal point of the card rather than a stamped image like I do.

Here is a birthday card she made which uses only designer papers and a stamped sentiment.  She added a simple piece of ribbon for embellishment.

 She made this anniversary card for her husband.  The couple and sentiment are stamped, but everything else is just designer paper.  The moon was cut out from a separate piece of designer paper and the clouds were made with a Cuttlebug embossing folder, some sponging, and an MFT cloud die.

 Everything on this card is also just designer paper except the two words 'Happy' and 'Birthday'.

 The Paris background is designer paper from DCWV.  All Ashley did to create this beautiful card was add a die cut flourish from MFT and some flower die cuts.

Ashley's style is much more vintage, romantic, and layered than my own clean and simple style.  It's amazing how different we are as artists, yet, the same, because we are both creative in many different ways.

Now, as an example of my creative process, I needed to make a card for a young man.  First, I went to Pinterest and found this card:

I really liked this card, and I actually TRIED to make it exactly like I saw it.  But, as usual, it wasn't working.  Even though I thought the above card looked awesome, my version looked to 'blah'.  So this is what I came up with:


I kept the football helmet, but I got rid of the white space and added another layer of designer paper and a football.  All the papers are from a masculine paper pad by DCWV.  I cut the sentiment out of the same designer paper.

 The images are retired Stampin Up!.  I popped the helmet up on dimensionals.

It looks quite different than the original card doesn't it?  They almost always do.

So what about you?  What is your creative process in paper crafting or any other hobby you do?  Do you start with an inspiration piece like I do, or do you start with something you'd like to work with like my daughter does with designer paper?  I'd love to hear from you!  It might give me some new ideas!

Have a great day!  Amy