CASEing a Card (CASE = cardmaking term for CopyAndShareEverything)

Jo's original card

Jill's CASEd card

As a beginner card maker, I often  found myself wanting to copy cards we made in the classes I went to in EVERY detail – measurements and positions exact to the millimetre, colours matched perfectly, exact products and embellishments used.
I now try hard not to do this, but I recently needed a card in a hurry and had planned to CASE one of Jo’s cards. Things however did not go quite as planned.

I thought I would share my thought processes involved in the process, in the hope of encouraging people to change cards to suit the product they have at home.

1.       Spend an hour searching for the Couture Creations 6” x 6” paper pad that I knew I had ‘somewhere’. It is purple – I must have bought this one! Found it eventually, but it was NOT the one Jo used. Mine was pink  - pretty, but not what Jo had used. Oh no – what do I do now?

2.       Find an alternative paper pad (Kaisercraft, from years ago) with three sheets of coordinating paper and choose cardstock to match. Cut these to size (tempted, but no I did NOT measure Jo’s card), and cut matching backing layers from card.

3.       Choose Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink to sponge around the edges of the paper panels. Drat – I meant to choose Frayed Burlap ink – hope no one will notice the Corduroy beneath the Burlap.

4.       Discover that the die I thought was identical to Jo’s doily die is much bigger than Jo’s and not suitable. ‘Not Happy, Jan.’

5.       Choose another large die and fussy-cut around the central part of the die-cut to make a suitable doily. Did I mention that I needed this card in a hurry? And that of course I had to find my metal  shim to use with the die?

6.       Discover that my flower die is much smaller than Jo’s but by now I am getting comfortable with changing things. Make three flowers, sponging Abandoned Coral ink around the edges. Shape the flowers and glue the layers together. Yes, this step took forever. And I got ink all over my fingers. But I am in my element now and enjoying the process.

7.       Choose a matching grey card for the leaves, and use a coral coloured alcohol marker to colour silver rhinestones. I have accepted this card will take ages – we’ll probably have baked beans on toast for dinner.

8.       Stamp three different wordings using VersaFine Sepia Ink, before finding one that I am happy with. First one was too big, second stamp is what I want but it stamped unevenly. Of course.

9.       Play with the layout of doily, flowers and wording. Take a photo before lifting things off to put mounting foam behind them. Thank goodness for phones with cameras on them.

10.   Change the placement of the final bits of bling because there are butterflies on the vertical paper panel and the groups of 3 stones won’t work.

11.   Admire the card made in a ‘hurry’ – yes it took far far longer than planned. And no we did not have beans on toast for dinner.

12.   Thank you Jo for providing the inspiration for this ‘quick’ card. It was for a paid order … wonder if I can charge for time ... is $80 excessive??