Trends in my own work

I made a few cards last night just for fun [actually I needed a stash of baby girl cards for new family additions and pregnant friends]. I had a plan for what kind of cards I would make, but I did not have a plan for what tools or products I would use. As I looked back at my blog posts today, and thought about those cards, I noticed that a few trends seem to be emerging in my work.

Exhibit A: The scallop edge punch
There is something about this punch. I want to use it on every project but I feel like it really only "goes" on a few. I have decided to start making those few projects so that I can use the punch more often!


Exhibit B: Inking the edges
I never never ever do this unless I am instructed to do so in a class. I can count on one hand the number of times I have inked the edges on a project.
1) Archiver's class - whoever designs the projects for these classes loves to ink the edges (another way to sell more product, duh!)
2) Ali Edwards' Week in the Life layout from her Yesterday and Today class - I didn't want to ink the edges, but I signed up for Ali's class to try new things, so I inked the edges.
3) This card that I made last night.

This is the noteworthy example, because I actually inked the edges out of my own free will. And I didn't even feel bad when the green showed up too much on the left side. Randomness and unpredictability are inevitable consequences of inking the edges. Hence, why I have avoided it in the past. And part of the reason I am trying to embrace it going forward. Randomness and unpredictability, here I come! [Inking the edges means taking an ink pad and rubbing it against the edge of your paper. You can do a little for just a faint instance of color, as evidenced in my Week in the Life layout on the green journaling card, or a lot like I did on my card above on both of the scalloped circles - the big one in pink and the small one in green.]

And for my astute blog readers, you should not draw the conclusion that pink and green are a new trend in my work. I am working on shower invitations for my cousin whose wedding colors are pink and green, so I have all the pink and green out to get inspired. There's really not much to choose from.

P.S. See here for an invitation to participate in this year's Week in the Life project with Ali Edwards!