Tick -Tock & Polka Dots!

Tick-Tock! Tick-Tock!! Tick-Tock!! 

Do you ever have one of those days where you need to get something done and everyone, or everything, seems to be working against the clock?  That's when I turn to a card sketch and a coordinated paper pack to make things easier on myself. Pull out the trimmer and some punches and you are all set. Simple can be beautiful and a 'need it now' project can still have WOW impact with a few extra touches that take only seconds to achieve.  I considered adding texture to the solid base pieces with am embossing folder for a little extra oomph though I felt the patterns being used had a lot going on and it wasn't necessary. Sometimes, less is more, and more can be distracting.  Plus, the clock was working against me.

I started with this sketch by Julee Tilman for MOJO MONDAY For the sake of time, I went with the square option with a base being 5 1/2 inches on black. I love to build cards on black, it's forgiving and makes other colors pop! 

Using Art Glitter Glue meant I could move things around for a second, if needed, but had zero drying time delays. Grabbed the trimmer  for 4 quick cuts. 

1. I cut the solid pieces 3 x 5 1/4 and 2 3/4 x 5 1/4, glued to base overlapping in the center.  
2. I picked a striped paper with glitter accents and cut it to 5 1/2 long by the width of the glitter stripes I wanted to show. Cover the center seam.
3. I cut the black polka dot paper into a wide strip 1 3/4 x 5 1/2. The 2 strips extend to the edges of the black card base. *Extra steps ~ Inked the edges of the stripe and polka dots strips in Picked Raspberry so they wouldn't show white.  Gave the dots a quick coat of Wink Of Stella in Clear and hit with a heat gun.  
4. Laid the dots opposite the stripes to form a cross. 
5. Punched circles in 2 1/2, 1 1/2, 1 1/4 inches. *Extra steps ~ inked the edges in Picked Raspberry.  Layered the 2 1/2 inch circle on top of a 2nd circle in black for slight lift. 
6. Popped the medium up on foam tape, doubled the foam tape for the smallest circle for extra dimension. 
7. Arranged over the center of card to form a cluster, as shown in sketch, that showed off the decorative paper. 

I was able to showcase the glitter paper elements in such a way that I did not want to add anything else. Plus, I just love polka dots! I hope this post inspires you to try a card sketch to create something beautiful, even when time is short. 

Happy Crafting Y'all!