This month’s challenge for designers is to create a card that includes some kinds of office supply.  It could be a paperclip, staple, pen, eraser, envelope, notebook or printer paper, or any item that could be found in an office.

The item I chose is a paperclip.  I challenge you to find it!

Although relatively simple, this card was a bit fiddly.

To begin with, I stamped white cardstock with rubber bands that had been wrapped around an acrylic block and used like a stamp. (See image below)

All I’ve done for this is wrap a number of rubber bands around a clear acrylic block, then added distress inks, cleaning between each color.  The inks I used on the card are Tumbled Glass, Worn Lipstick, and Wild Honey. (The red cardstock under the block is only there to make it easier for you to see the bands.)

In this close-up you can see the detail more clearly, and hopefully you can see how I’ve criss-crossed the various colors to give a unique pattern. Every time you use this technique, you will have a totally unique background.  You can also mix up the width of the bands to give another look, or use just wide bands.  The variations are only limited by your imagination and available bands!

You can also see the netting more clearly. I’ve had this for over a year, and have a stash of various colors.  I don’t use it very often, but when I do, it provides extra texture, and makes the card more interesting.

The pattern on the focal image was made using “Pretty Patterns” from Gina K Designs (available in clear and rubber).  It was stamped with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink, tying it into the background. Using one of the other colors would give a totally different look.

I added a strip of lace across the focal image for more texture.  This again was from my stash, as was the pearls.  The piece of lace was one I had kept from ages ago, and was barely longer than needed. It was a nice save, rather than throwing it out and wasting it. (I rarely throw anything away from my craft room!)

The flower is store-bought – I usually make my own, but this was sitting in my craft cupboard, and fitted perfectly for the look I wanted to achieve.  I ‘dipped’ it into the Worn Lipstick ink, getting a reasonable coverage, then sprayed it generously with water, which allowed the color to bleed a little, making it more natural looking. I punched a tiny hole into the focal image sheet, allowing me to push the wire from the flower into the back and out of the way.

The greeting is also from Gina K Designs, and is from the True Love set.

Last but not least, the essential item for this challenge was an item from an office.  Have you guessed yet? It’s a paper clip bent into a heart-shape.

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