I was in the construction industry for an eternity, and I remember going through the RFP process.
The only thing more tedious than submitting an RFP is watching Mark Zuckerberg explain Facebook to a group of people in Washington whose average age is 147.
However, when you are on the accepting bids end, you start to understand why RFPs are the way they are.
We are getting bids on a roof right now, and every single bid is as different in every possible way from every other bid.
Imagine that all my bids are cats. One is a tortie. One is a Siamese. One is missing an ear. One is all black with an orange infinity symbol on its belly. One is a mountain lion. One is a dog, so that's the only one that is easy to understand and eliminate.
Some break every single expense out. Some lump it all together. Some use completely weird and vague terms to refer to what should be common things used on every roof, like nails. So one bid might say "nails" while the other one says something like "numerous slender, galvanized, pointy uniting sticks."
If I had it to do all over again, I'd just give into the darkness that is the RFP and require everyone to fill out MY bid form in my format.
But by the time I can make that happen, our roof will be even older than it is now, and we can't have that.
So I avoided making a decision by setting aside this weekend to make cards with new stamps I haven't had a chance to use yet. So now I probably have enough cards for a month of blogging!
First up - this month's amazing Altenew goodness. When I saw this ginormous die & stamp combo, I squeaked a little.
I LOVE ginormous sentiments, and even more so if they are in die form.
For this first card with this beautiful Mega Hello Die, I first cut a negative space into a piece of white cardstock, saving all the little pieces. Then I die cut two more negatives, one from blue and one from green, and I glued them behind the white opening to create colorful drop shadows. Then I mounted this whole sandwich onto some black and white paper, and added a sentiment from this beautiful stamp set.
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That put me in sort of a modern art mood, so I made even a bolder one, but using the positive die cuts leftover from the card above.
On the white layer, I stamped the largest of the Halftone Circles all over it for a fun, pop art texture. Then I again glued the colored cuts behind the white one, and mounted all that on black cardstock.
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Since I had the Halftone Circles out, I used that as a backdrop for my funky, modern color combo on my layering flower from Strength Blooms. I wanted to see what it would look like if I layered a bright red ink on top of two blue layers - and it came out so fun! Since I had used two primaries, I added a third - which was just a scrap from a step-out for my Drunken Acrylic Reveal tutorial. (You can see that video here.)
I finished that off with more drop-shadow letters, this time with the Calligraphy Alpha dies, silver glimmer paper and black cardstock. I love the wine color that resulted from the bright red and blue inks layering.
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They will be giving away $50 gift certificates to SIX lucky winners who leave comments on the hop by the 21st, so be sure and enjoy all the goodness and stop by at the Altenew blog to find out if you're a winner! Winners will be announced on the 22nd.
By then, hopefully our bid process will be done with, and I can get back to thinking about crafts. Or really anything but roofing nails.
Loveyameanitbye.
Love your use of the 'Mega Hello Die Cuts' and the color scheme of your shared cards. Awesome!
ReplyDeletegreat cards. sorry you need a new roof!!
ReplyDeleteI love all your work, especially these. Good luck with the roofers. Hope we don't have too much wind or rain while you are waiting!
ReplyDeleteI love your cards!
ReplyDeleteI love these cards! I like big sentiments as well! We had to have our roof replaced (due to hail damage) twice in about 3 years. It was when my daughter was a toddler, so I was ready to scream during nap time. All that hammering. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI really like your creative use of the halftone circles on your diecut sentiment! I will have to try that!
ReplyDeleteLove these cards! Teenage boys would feel special getting this card and has a star masculine feel! God bless your repairs on the roof and keep crafting as the repairs take place.
ReplyDeleteAWESOME creations! I am totally loving the Mega words and the Happy Hearts set!
ReplyDeleteGreat job showcasing the large diecut sentiments. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your roof! love the cards.
ReplyDeleteYour cards are so cute! Love the mega words!
ReplyDeleteOMG totally amazing cards.
ReplyDeleteLove how you used the large diecut sentiments!
ReplyDeleteYour cards are unbelievably beautiful! I, too, am in love with ginormous sentiments, and you have done an incredible job with them!
ReplyDeleteHaving fun following the hop
ReplyDeleteGreat cards. I love that big Hello! Thank you for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThe Mega words are striking. The second Hello was exceptional.
ReplyDeleteLove this april release as always gret job ty.
ReplyDeleteI love the hello die!!
ReplyDeleteThe bright graphics are so eye catching!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cards!
ReplyDeleteLots of great inspiration here! I never would have thought to layer different colors together (like red and blue) for a layering set!
ReplyDeleteYour Hello Card is way cool and I really like your sense of humor on the bids!
ReplyDeleteLove these cards, they are so pretty! So sorry about your roof. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteGreat fun and loads of inspiration. tfs
ReplyDeleteOmg! What beautiful cards! TFS! Love Altenew and this new release!
ReplyDeleteLove your technique on to add that bit of color with the Hello die cut....I can't wait to try this at home! Thank you for the inspiration!!
ReplyDeleteThe half tone circles on the Mega Hello gives such an amazing look!!! Love it!
ReplyDeleteYour cards are all so unique and pretty. I’d like to see how you glue the word layers together so perfectly!
ReplyDeleteYour Mega Hello cards are so eye-catching! What a great new release.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love the size of the mega hello! Such cool patterns! Fun and fresh!
ReplyDeleteFantastic cards! The mega hello cards are such wonderful designs!
ReplyDeleteNice cards, love the big sentiments, the hailtone circles. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful inspiration!
ReplyDeleteWow love the unique color choices for the flower on the last card. Great designs!!
ReplyDeleteI love the card with the negative shadows. I hope to give this a try.
ReplyDeletestunningly original cards - thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteYour cards are lovely and I am really in love with the big word dies! Thank you for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI almost spit my coffee when I read ...average age 147, no kidding! Half the time, 𝐼 don't understand what they are asking. I had a roof replaced a couple of years ago, I know what your going through. Fantastic cards, love the colored layers.
ReplyDeleteLove the black and white with pops of color!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful cards!!Love the stamping, so pretty and CAS. :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat cards !! they made me think of Andy Warhol :)) I love your creative and original style :)
ReplyDeleteLove this mega die and your cards are so gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteAwesome technique used for the Hello cards. Great all purpose designs that would work for just about any recipient!
ReplyDeleteLove the bold sentiment done in black and white pattern, and the turquoise and lime green drop shadows really pop it! Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteWow, these are all so creative and gorgeous!! I love the designs!! Thanks for the inspiration!!
ReplyDeleteAwesome card, love the colors, & the huge word dies. ;0)
ReplyDeleteAwesome cards. Love the mega word dies. Thanks for sharing...
ReplyDeleteJust lovely cards - the large dies this month are just fabulous ;)
ReplyDeleteLove your cards!
ReplyDeleteVery neat and fun cards! I like the boldness of them!
ReplyDeleteFantastic cards! Terrific to create drop shadows, perfect to highlight these amazing sentiment dies. Hope you don't mind but I totally plan to CASE this idea :)
ReplyDeleteOoh, I am sooooo excited! I will be owning every stamp you used here today as soon as my latest order arrives, and I can't WAIT to try out every one of your cool ideas! Love the layered look for the big sentiments----and the bold colors you used! Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteWonderful and slightly quirky cards - I adore your skewed perspective and how you get me out of the everyday rut. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGreat cards today! I love those big word stamps and dies! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAmazing inspiration and design, as usual. But really loved the laugh out loud story that kicked off the post and your burst of creativity. Average age of 147! Galvanized uniting sticks! Ha! Thanks, Lydia!
ReplyDeletelove all the ways you featured the large greetings. thanks as always for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI love these Mega sentiments also. Thanks for sharing your cards and designs!
ReplyDeleteVery unique cards. Love the large word die.
ReplyDeleteFun and fabulous! Love these cards ♥
ReplyDeleteLove these big hellos and the gorgeous patterns. Great job and these are definitely in my shopping cart!
ReplyDeleteI love your very interesting "hellos".
ReplyDeleteIngenious card designs! Love 'em!!
ReplyDeleteUgh, a new roof.. I can understand your pain. Glad you moved on to a happier subject, and by the output, you were happy! Love your ideas and inspiration! Love the release from Altenew, as always.
ReplyDeleteLove all the creative ways you used the mega sentiments. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSo I really love your cards. Guess what? I also got a big kick out of your roof story!
ReplyDeleteLove, love your first 2 cards! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI Really like the large Words!! Great job on both Cards!! TFS!!
ReplyDeleteSuch fabulous cards..I love the way you have used the large sentiment die and shown the possibilities with it.Love your inspiration❤
ReplyDeleteUnique cards!
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful cards. Thank you
ReplyDeleteGreat cards! Love the colored drop shadows behind the mega Hello die cuts. Striking color comb on the flower! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI love your artistic approach to card making. Thanks for sharing your terrific designs with us.
ReplyDeleteThat Mega hello sentiment die is nice on your black and white card!
ReplyDeletewonderful bright colors and graphic design - good luck with the roof bids!!
ReplyDeleteGreat cards for our guys!
ReplyDeleteVery nice cards using the mega dies. Thanks for sharing and the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteWhat great cards (and ideas) Lydia. These would all be great masculine cards, I love that as I struggle in that department!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with that roof!
Love the pop of color idea behind the large hello die. Great design.
ReplyDeleteI love all of the new ideas!
ReplyDeleteYour cards are wonderful and I love that Mega Hello die!
ReplyDeleteI had a dream that Lydia used Designer Series Paper in one of her projects. Dreams do come true! These are great, bold, graphic beauties. <3
ReplyDeleteSome of the congressional members would have "looked" more intelligent if they had let their younger interns prepare their questions. When working with a state board to prepare state laws for remote services, one older board member wanted to add language that each remote computer must have a physical combination lock to avoid anyone accessing the computer data.
ReplyDeleteJust go with a metal roof...Problem solved.
ReplyDeleteDo you have 30K laying around? :D If so, please send it my way!
DeleteLove your cards! They are awesome!
ReplyDeleteThe Mega Hello Die is an awesome focal point of your pretty cards.
ReplyDeleteFantastic cards!
ReplyDeleteI like your use of black and white with just a wee bit of color on those big, big sentiments.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely gorgeous trio of cards! The one I have fallen ass over teakettle for is the second one! WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW and W O W ! , ! Mind blowing awesomeness! TFS!
ReplyDeleteOmg! Those first two are so cool looking with the mega dies! I have that halftone circle set and would never have thought of using it that way! Thanks for the awesome inspiration!
ReplyDeleteLove those mega greetings.
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful cards. Love the unusual color combos.
ReplyDeleteLove the bright colors on your cards! These mega greetings make card making easy!
ReplyDeleteFabulous and unique use of the new MEGA GREETINGS. Thanks for sharing your creative ideas!
ReplyDeleteEW, Ew, ew, I love the way you used the large "hello" die. So different and terrific :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, unique cards, I love the big script Hello.
ReplyDeleteYour hello cards are stunning!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful unique cards. Love the black and white.
ReplyDeleteSharp cards using the Mega greeting set!! Thanks for sharing the idea of adding to them!
ReplyDeleteI love all of your cards, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSuch gorgeous cards Lydia! I love how you highlighted the sentiment die on the first card especially!
ReplyDeletegreat cards. sorry you need a new roof!!
ReplyDeleteThis release ROCKS! You are a hoot! And those cards POP!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful unique cards
ReplyDeleteLove the black/white hellos. Very cool
ReplyDeleteWOW! Your Hello cards really pop with the colored CS behind the B&W Hello die. Very modern look. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLoving the bold look of the cards!
ReplyDeleteWow! Really modern and striking looking cards. Love them!
ReplyDeleteLove your cards. Especially the one with the half tone circles and shadowed dies. Striking!
ReplyDeleteLove your designs and color concepts! So beautiful, can't wait to get them so I can utilize the inspiration you're work encourages!!
ReplyDeleteThe drop shadow queeeeee !!!!
ReplyDeleteYour cards are so fun!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh I'm sorry to hear about how frustrating it is to get a new roof! That is a big expense and must be stressful. These cards you made are beautiful though! Nothing like some crafty therapy to escape reality sometimes :) thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI have gone absolutely bonkers for that mega hello die!!! Your cards are fabulous!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat cards - love the big, bold sentiments.
ReplyDeleteVibrant and beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteI love the graphic look of your first two cards, so bold and striking. As for your roof, the bid process sucks! It is necessary but definitely sucks. When we had to replace our roof, we were fortunate that my hubby, along with some wonderful friends, were able to do the work themselves so it was just materials costs. Good luck in your bids!
ReplyDeleteI love the designs of these cards. So modern and vibrant.
ReplyDeleteI love what you did here!! These are such beautiful designs!! Thank You so much for the inspiration 😍🤩😁!!
ReplyDeleteGreat cards, so bold and beautiful!
ReplyDeleteCards are excellent!!! Good luck with the roof... and lol about Zuckerberg explaining Facebook to the dinosaur Congress!!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cards! Thank you for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteSuper fun projects. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThe bonus of getting two modern and very smart looking cards from Altenew's mega Hello dies is delightful. Plus, leftovers for a third card?... I appreciate the layering techniques you shared and cannot wait to try them. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSuch cool looking cards--I love their boldness!
ReplyDeleteTotally smitten with those first two cards! So graphic and bold!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful inspiration! This is another wonderful release with some lovely sentiment dies and more beautiful layering flowers. Love it!
ReplyDeleteLovely creations 💕. Thanks for the inspiration.😊
ReplyDeleteLove all of your cards--great use of the die and love the patterned paper, really makes the designs pop!
ReplyDeletevery cool cards with the drop shadows.
ReplyDeleteslrdowney at hotmail dot com
Such fun! Love the halftone stamps. So contemporary. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYour work is always compelling. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cards! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I just want to say that I love your blog. It is always good for a chuckle, usually several, and good book recommendations. I always look forward to new posts. Your cards always have a unique view. I don't know if you meant it this way or not, but your first card here reminds me of a piece of film strip and your second card practically jumps off the page. Fantastic! Thanks for sharing your ideas.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cards and lovely release. Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteAwesome cards! I am in love with the Mega Hello die! Fabulous ideas to show it off on your cards!
ReplyDeleteLove the lovely look of this cad. So new.
ReplyDeleteI love how bold and modern these cards are.. Thank you for the inspiration!
ReplyDelete