Hi there blog friends!
This week (on Wednesday to be exact) will mark one year of Damask Loving! I am so excited that I made it this long. When I started – I wasn’t sure if I could keep it up this long, but here I am – still crafting away.
I went back and forth about how to celebrate this fun occasion. I’ve decided that I want to use this week to reflect on the ups and downs of this whole crazy world of crafting. If you’re not so interested in the whole “reflecting” thing – I’ll also have a couple of giveaways and lots of projects too. I hope you’ll hang out with me and celebrate a year of the good, the bad and the ugly – and boy have their been some uglies – which brings me to today’s reflection.
Blogs are such a blessing and a curse. That may be a bit of an overstatement, but I’ll explain what I mean. I love being able to chronicle all the crafty things I’ve made. Especially since many of them are gifts for other people, it’s really nice to have photos to look back on and remember the fun things I’ve made. That’s the blessing.
Then there’s the curse. You see, last week, I did something that I haven’t done since I launched Damask Love…I went through my whole blog. All I have to say is YIKES! There are some doozies buried in there. As I looked through the projects of the past, I was a little embarrassed by some of the things I’ve posted. It’s nice to see how my style has changed and developed over time and how I’ve grown as a papercrafter. Even with that said – there are a few cards in the archives that need to be laid to rest.
It would be completely disingenuous for me to delete those projects and act as if they never happened. After all – I made them and liked them at one point. They are a part of the growing process, BUT – that doesn’t mean I can’t try to make things right – right?!
So – this week, in addition to sharing my thoughts, I’m also gonna call a do-over on a few projects from way back when…
and without further adieu – here’s the first do-over:
Now, this card isn’t terrible by any stretch. The borders are even. I love the stripes…but when I look at it today, I’m thoroughly unimpressed with myself. The overall feel of the card isn’t as sophisticated as I’d like and it’s not really my style. And if I’m gonna get nitpicky…I really don’t like how I stamped the sentiment on the middle stripe. Generally speaking, this card is not one of my faves.
Hopefully, I don’t sound like a complaining, pessimist. That is not my intent. Instead, I really wanted to take the opportunity to study my past cards and make them better, and truer to my current style.
For my do-over card, I used stripes and die cuts, just like in the original, but this time, I used a layout that is much more my style.
This card is certainly not rocket science but it’s right up my alley! I positioned the sentiment in the upper right of the card which is a little different from what I typically do. I also positioned it tightly within the stripes without any space above or below the letters. Compared to the first pink & white striped creation, this card speaks more to my preference for graphic and modern cards!
And with that card done – I’m signing off for today! Come back tomorrow for another “do-over” and a giveaway!!!
Supplies for “Hi” card:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (Sweet Blush, white craft)
Other: Alphablock Dies
I LOVE this idea, Amber! (I have been blogging for a little over a year, and I agree, there are some real doozies of mine on there!) How neat to be able to see how far we have come, though…it’s all on the learning curve! I love your work, both past and present…keep it up!
I’ve been blogging my projects for a little over a year (August) as well and I also have some posts I’d like to ‘shred electronically’. You should be so proud with how much you keep up with your blog! I haven’t posted anything since working on my many Christmas cards! Love your clean designs, keep ’em coming!
You crack me up, if you loved all of your cards then you probably hadn’t learned anything in the last year…
Congrats on the upcoming anniversary! It’s hard to believe how much you’ve achieved over a year of bloggin’!
Love your idea of visiting old projects and giving them even more Damask Lovin’ – your ‘hi’ card makes me squeal with delight 🙂
Hugs,
Aimes
x
congrats on your first year! Your cards are beautiful.
Congratulations on your blogaversary! I just started following you. Love your style. Used your awesome templates to make valentines gifts for my son’s teachers and posted to flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pcmjunk/6750205849/
Let me know if you need me to change something in the description where I give you the credit that you are due! 🙂
Congrats Amber!!! I love reading your blog and I love the do-over idea. When I look at my old “work” I sometimes can’t believe that I did that and made people watch it!!!!
This is a great idea! Who doesn’t love a do over! You should host a “do over” linky party! Happy bloggerversary!
Congrats, and what a fun way to celebrate by doing do overs! I love this, we all have those projects that we look back on and say “what was I thinking?!” can’t wait to see more!
Lisa
Happy Anniversary! Love both cards!
Happy blogoversary, Amber! Loving the “do-over” idea. I think we all have a few cringe-worthy projects buried in our blogs but we all had to start somewhere and I’m amazed and grateful at how much I’ve learned and improved over the last year.
Your hi card is adorable!
Congrats Amber! You are so good at posting often and with such glee. Your words… your projects…. they are all so great! I love this do-over idea. I am anxious for tomorrow.
Congrats on one year! I have been following you for just a few months, but i love your style. So crisp and clean and i really like your use of patterns and sets. Thank you for sharing all your talents.
Congratulations on the one year anniversary! I like both versions of your card. My daughter loves the first one you did. 🙂 We just painted her bedroom walls pink and white vertical stripes just like that. I think she’s thinking an ice-cream mural would go well too.
Wow, I can’t believe you have only been blogging for a year – your cards are so wonderful and I check your blog everyday for inspiration. Congrats Amber on a fantastic year of blogging and I hope there are many more 🙂
Congrats on your approaching blogiversary, It’s funny how our style changes over time. I looked at some of my old LO’s the other day and smile as they really are quite awful.
I love your blog and your style. Don’t beat yourself up over what’s been done in the past – everyone evolves over time (and tastes change too!) I know I laugh when I look back at some of my old cards, but hey, the main thing is to just keep stamping!
I am loving your idea of the do-overs! Your cards are some of my favs and this do-ever is awesome! Coming back to see the next one! Keep ’em coming, sweetie…great work! ;D
I totally understand what you mean, and while I really do like the first card and I think it’s a lot of fun, I can completely see how they’re two different styles. Always takes time to figure stuff like that out, I just started my blog in July, so we’ll see where I am a year from then, I’m sure it’ll be quite the journey. Congratulations!! Keep up the crafting!!
Then there’s the curse. You see, last week, I did something that I haven’t done since I launched Damask Love…I went through my whole blog. All I have to say is YIKES! There are some doozies buried in there. Visit this website: https://wikipediallc.com/