this was the card that almost was the card that was

for the chocolate challenge, i mean. (sorry...was that unclear in some way??!) :)

sometimes i very excitedly make an early card for a caardvarks' assignment...and then later i decide either that i don't like it very much...or i just come up with what i think is a better take on the theme. in this case, the cupcake card was both (imo) a better card generally, as well as just being waaaaaaaay more chocolatey.

but i figure i might as well show you my first effort anyway:

(patterned paper: basic grey; heart diecut: fancy pants; chipboard birds & tree trunk: maya road; other: colorbox inks, sharpie & uniball pens, foam tape; ek success heart punches & heidi swapp chipboard hearts used as templates)

these basic grey "blush" papers remind me of fancy old-fashioned boxes of valentine chocolates with their rich brown tones & faintly distressed look (which i enhanced with several shades of colorbox brown ink). i made this immediately after the g thanks card from the monogram challenge (in which various sizes of punched circles served as the foliage of a funky tree) when it occurred to me that you could make trees out of other shapes, as well. i still think the idea of hearts is a good one...but i might use a fewer of them...and possibly cluster them more closely together. it's not that i *dislike* this card-- (and in fact lovely husband jeff chose this one from a selection of several possible anniversary cards for his sister and her husband) --but i cannot help thinking it could've been a bit better...i just don't really know HOW!

but...as you have heard me say over and over again...a handcrafted card that is made and sent with love cannot help but be, by its very nature, a good thing!

speaking of caardvarks, did you notice that we have a new crew member? that's right, the lovely & amazing heidi van laar (who, amongst other things, is a new 2S4Y design team member, also!) is an excellent addition to our group and we welcome her enthusiastically! (be sure to check out the many delightful cards on her blog!)

an fyi blogger note: 'member yesterday when i "unposted" this (to get my xmas card up before deadline) and lost the two comments which had already been made?? well, it turns out they CAME BACK when i reposted!!!