Apocalypse Now - Plato Uses Pink

I hope all is well with your soul because between the lunar eclipse and this card, the end is nigh. One word: Pink.

More specifically: Stampin' Up! Cameo Coral, a color I tried to sell at the Crafters' Garage Sale because it still had the sticker on it.  These inks are FABULOUS with the Gina K Wreath Builder.  

I have some confessions, though.  I created my own 4.5 x 4.5 template for this one using my Silhouette and a transparency.  Gina K's currently only goes up to 4 x 4.  Also, I got more than a little inspiration from this crafter, Melanie Muenchinger:

Some light shading with a pink Prisma (I want to say Rose Pink) and Gamsol, and...voila!  Done.  Pfft.  I made a million mistakes at first trying it on my own, so I followed her pattern almost exactly.  That is a good way to get started with the Mandala Maker set.  It gets you comfortable with the different designs the stamps can form.

When Cardmaking is NOT Therapeutic

I wanted to scream in the process of making this card.  Full on, chest hurting, scream for the neighbors.  Here's my story.

This is the instigator.  Oh my, did I love this card.  I was going to try something a little different with the flowers since I did not feel like "experimenting" with my Silhouette and/or fussy cutting.  Things I learned:

• I have a crappy reserve of black cardstock.  Seriously.  It's the worst. And black cardstock is completely unforgiving when you are embossing (and yes, I brushed it down with the magical powder).
• I have two Versa Mark pads.  One is great and recently-purchased.  The other is currently in my trash can as I bought it ten years ago.  Guess which one I used first.
• Foiling on stamps is a hit or miss operation.  Tonight: miss.  Multiple times.
• If you stick an already-embossed stamped image through a laminator, you will ruin the image. 
• My Nuvo drops that I have not yet used have completely disappeared.  Poof! I bought them this summer.  I have a spot in the craft room where I put stuff like that.  Not there.  Not anywhere.  And that kind of crap makes me NUTS!

 I do love the card I finally made.  But for the love...what a ridiculous process when I just wanted to get my creative juices flowing.  The stamp set was one I fell in love with when I bought it.  I also used some glittery, tiny flipping stickers that covered for the absence of the Nuvo drops (Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony...).  Here's a closer view.  Yeah, it's sideways.  Because that is the perfect ending to this 2-hour ordeal of a card.