Reject Blog Hop

How can you resist a blog hop organized for sad, rejected cards? Rejected for publication, that is. Amber at Damask Love decided to organize a blog hop to show off cards that were submitted for, and rejected by, Paper Crafts magazine for their recent Go-To Sketches publication call. This was my first time ever submitting anything for publication, so my expectations weren't very high.(Especially considering there were close to 3000 submissions for fewer than 300 spots!) And now that I've read Latisha's post (thanks for that, too, Amber!) I have all the excuses some ideas why these cards didn't make the grade and what I might do differently next time.

My first card uses Go-To Sketch #49:

This card uses Bunny Blocks digital stamps from Bugaboo Stamps. There are seven in the set, so I flipped two of them to make a 3x3 grid. (Yes, the sketch has 16 images; I interpreted. ☺) This is a perfectly fine card, but there's nothing particularly WOW about it, and I'm not displaying any great technique, new product, or the like. I'm still happy with this Easter reject, which I think will make a good kid card. Canadians in the crowd will notice the classic bilingual pun on "bonne idée" for the sentiment. :P
My second attempt uses sketch #59:

Here I've used a far from new-and-trendy Stampin' Up image in a classic way -- inked it in blue for a Wedgwood/Delft look. Many stampers have been there, done that. But that's okay, because it's always handy to have a simple, classy sympathy card in the stash.

Check out the reject blog hop... think of all the inspiration you'll get without the magazine purchase!

Supplies: (Easter card) white & yellow cardstock, Bugaboo Stamps Bunny Blocks digital images, Prismacolor pencils, dimensionals; (sympathy card) white & navy cardstock, Stampin' Up Elements of Style (image), Unity Bevy of Butterflies (sentiment), faded jeans Distress ink