MTME Pretty Patterns sketch #21

My goodness, we're at sketch #21 already?  My how the time flies when you're having fun!  ... and I really am having fun being on this design team. 

This week we're doing something new.  Since My Time Made Easy has a HUGE variety of images that you can use to make your own backgrounds and some fabby quotes!  Sooooooo, this week we want you to make your own background paper and use a quote as your focal image!  Feel free to use our sketch on any project you want, we encourage you to get creative!  And of course you can combine challenges.  While participation with products from My Time Made Easy ™ LLC is appreciated, it is not required to participate. You can use products from ANY company.  Sketch Keyword will be MTMEPPS21. 



Here is my card for this week.  I was so nervous to try to make my own background paper but I did it!  
(as always, click on images to enlarge)  

The butterflies that are on the background paper are from the Be Dazzled digi stamp set.  They started out black.  I then used my software to colorize the different parts and placed them onto a blank document where I wanted them.  I use Photoshop Elements 5.0 but there is a FREE program called GIMP.  Either click onto the link to go to their website to download or there's another place you can download here.  Both links are to the same free program.  There's tutorials and other information.  Using these programs is easier than one would think!  I should know because I'm not the techie geek I wish I were!  

Here is what the background looked like before I turned it into a card.  I printed onto light purple cardstock otherwise my background would be white.  I didn't see the point in using ink to colorize the background when I can just put the color of cardstock I want into my printer.  The color of the paper will effect the color of your image(s) so what I did was print two butterflies onto a piece of light purple cardstock and when I didn't love it I moved the images down, tweeked the colors and reprinted onto the same piece of paper.  Having the butterflies print right under the previous ones helped me to see what the difference was.  I was able to get them to print exactly like I wanted them to.  While in my Photoshop program I added more butterflies, placed them where I wanted them and when I was ready to print, I  turned the paper I had been using over and printed the whole page.  Printer ink doesn't bleed through the back of cardstock (at least mine doesn't) so I just used the same paper and didn't waste it.  Checking the colors of my butterflies just two at a time also saved on ink instead of printing the whole page of them not knowing if I would like it.  (ok, ok... you caught me.  I actually had a completely different background and printed it onto a whole paper... I didn't love it so I decided to try again and only print 2 butterflies at a time.  LOL  Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes!)

The sentiment is from the digi stamp set My little friends.  Oh boy... guess what I just noticed?  I totally forgot to color in the hearts on the word FRIEND.  LOL  Just imagine that the hearts are pink, ok?  I'm going to color them in pink when I get to it.  LOL

Rose, swirls and "greenery".  lol  I punched the foliage in coordinating colors to the paper, not what nature usually provides.

Here is this week's sketch.  Remember to stamp your own background paper using either digital or traditional stamps and use a sentiment as the focal point.  Be sure and link up to the blog right here: 

My Time Made Easy blog

Thank you for your visit and comments.  I truly appreciate each one!

Ingredients:

stamps: MTME digi stamps: Be Dazzled , My little friends

dies: Spellbinders Parisian Motifs and Parisian Accents, MFT small curled rose, Magnolia Doohickies Vintage flowers and leaves & Doohickies leaf and swirl die.  Martha Stewart punch (one of the leaves... can't seem to find the name of it - sorry).  

embellishments: purple rhinestones from Michael's and ribbon from my stash.