Happy Monday!!!

I'm feeling really good today! Why? Heck, I don't know! Maybe it's because I'm not aching anywhere, the leaves are all raked, it's warm outside, and my house is QUIET without children and husband at home!

Plus, I made a really GOJUS card last night and can't wait to share it with you!

I'm sure most of you are more in tune with this smiley:

Well, you came to the right place if you want to enjoy my fab creativity and emerge re-energized and ready for what life has to throw at ya!

Yesterday as I was totally wasting my time on Facebook, I happened to notice a link for Religious Greeting cards off in the sidebar. So just for grins, I clicked on it and looked at some beautiful printed holiday cards. Most of them were what I call the "full frontal image" variety, with no layering or even faux layering to make them something I would want to CASE. There was ONE that caught my eye, h owever, and I printed off a picture and decided I would try to come close to it.

This is the card, which is on the Lang website. I can't link there, but I did want to let you know where it came from. For all I know, someone who reads this blog knows the artist who drew it...he or she is their third cousin twice removed and I would get a nasty comment. Don't want to go there:

 

Isn't it pretty? I love the colors and the layout, so I spent some time playing around to get something worth showing. Lookie:

Ingredients: Stamps - Friends 24/7, Always, Serene Snowflakes, All Holidays; Paper - Mellow Moss, Rose Red, Creamy Caramel, Whisper White; Ink - Basic Gray, Rose Red, Whisper White, Bordering Blue, So Saffron, Mellow Moss, Soft Suede; Markers - Going Grey, So Saffron, Rose Red, Mellow Moss; Other - Whisper White Organza Ribbon, White Signo gel pen, dimensionals, sponge wedges, aquapainter, Rich Regals Brads

GOJUS!!! (YILM!) I had a struggle with this bird, I tell ya!

I stamped it and it was just so dang DARK. I ended up painting gel pen over the top to lighten up, then adding some feathery texture with a marker. And then this bird is not that Christmassy looking, so I added some berries to the leaves.

Well, my Monday is racing onward and I still have a ton to do! Ta!

Comments

[Barbara Joyce]

What a gorgeous card! Jan, you are absolutely amazing. Your card starts with a beautiful inspiration and then becomes 10 times better! Thanks for sharing so much inspiration and humor with us!

[Rosemary Olson]

Thank you JanTink for this beautiful card! I love what you did way more than the original. It reminds me to get out of my own rut and look around my everyday life for inspiration (besides just looking at your blog!). Hope your week continues on such a high.

[Karen Barineau]

That is "GOJUS"!! I love the colors too.
Thanks for sharing all of your awesome talent with us!

[Barb Rose]

What a great CASE!! I like yours much better though :). Really, a gorgeous, gorgeous card!

[Wendy]

Niiiiiiiiiiiiccccceee!! This turned out faboo, my dear!!

[cassie]

this is so lovely. what an improvement over the inspiration piece!!

[sheila]

This is better then the original Jan! LOVE IT!!!

[Jane Harrah]

That is a very lovely card! I may be casing it.

[Darlene L]

Fabulous! Love the card. I was in a store today and took a look at some of the prepackaged cards--can't believe I used to send those. But you can find inspiration from them--just need to bump them up about a 1000 degrees!

[Jenni King]

Great card! Even if does have a bird... (sorry birds and I have issues) What a way to take the icky store bought cards and making it WAYWAYWAY better!!!!

Cheers!
Jenni King

[Karan Granda]

Fantabulous, Jan- as always. And like the others said, your card is better :-).

[Leslie Jones]

I LOVE this card! Your version is much better indeed! The bird is fantastic. How come I can never turn a mistake into a beauty like you did? Oh, yeah. I am but a lowly peasant in the kingdom of Stampin' Up!
Oh what it is like to view a card by the so amazing, awe inspiring Janine Tinklenberg... what a glorious example you set for us all. We bow to your feet and chant ALL HAIL THE QUEEN TINK (until we smell your feet and come up coughing and hacking).
That's ok. We forgive you. We won't bow to your feet anymore, but we will still worship the paper you stamp on!!!
ALL HAIL!
The laughs are free, save some for a rainy day!

[Tracey]

Very nice! I love how you get so much texture and depth in your cards. Thanks for sharing your genius! ~:-D

[caz]

beautiful cards and cute little blinky. Love that phrase!

Cazx

[Barbara Dykhouse]

Jan, your work is just beautiful, as usual! You are such an inspiration!

Blessings,
Barbara

[Maggie Herrington]

Wow! That's beautiful Jan! Me thinks you are the finest in all the land.

[Lisa T]

Very pretty! Great job on the CASE.

[MaryR]

this is really beautiful - i especially love how you finished the bird

[Llinda E]

Gorgeous card, Jan!

[Jan Hoyt]

AWESOME!!!! I'm glad to know that I'm not the only person who likes to keep an eye on "the competition"! I have been known to whip out my camera/phone and take a picture of cards when I see something cool that I want to case....of course, I NEVER seem to remember to look at the photos later but I bet they are all still in my camera, maybe I should go look one of these days?

But seriously, JanTink....your card is definitely far superior to the e-card which inspired it. In fact, I would say it is "go-ju-riffic" and hands down an awesome card! But in addition to the lovely manners of showing where you got the idea (which is probably clip art!) I have to say that I love seeing the "before/after" pics of the cards!

And now I am off humming "my early morning singing song....la, la, la!" Jan

[Elaine]

A really beautiful card, it is just like the before and after makeovers.

[Del]

This is a beautiful card...and better than the original. I also loved your snowflake card from yesterday...GOJUS!!!
Hugs!
Del
aka Auntie Del

[Jenn Brown]

Really a pretty card! Yours is definitely stepped up from the inspiration card! Thanks for sharing!

[Laurie in MN]

Improved version. Gojus.

[Jean Fitch]

GoJus is the word for it Jan! You GoJus lady you. And yes ILYT (I love you too!) Thanks for sharing this. For some unknown reason I've been making spring cards with this bird lately and now I see it's time to turn him Christmas/Winter. Love the way you used the Berry branch stamp for the layering background piece. CASEing this for sure if I can get my gel pen away from my cat! She just loves batting it all around the studio for some reason. Oh well it keeps the fluid well shook up :D!