Thursday, August 27, 2009

Fall Elegance Meets Clean and Simple

I ordered PTI's Fall Elegance early last week, and Monday I started making cards with it. After just a few hours, I realized I had used every single image in the set...with little effort on any of the cards except one of them. OH. MY. GOSH. I am totally in love. Here are the one-layer cards that came from my initial flurry of activity. This set is going to get LOTS of use!


The first card I made was the first idea that popped into my head. The colors are split pea and burgundy (VersaColor). I cut out and popped the leaf. Happy sigh.


Our next card looks deceptively simple, but it's not at all what I wanted. Placement of the leaves is critical, and I dorked it up. The burgundy leaf on the far right is a smidge too close to the sentiment. I had intended to put rhinestones between the leaves, but if I had, the smidge would have looked really bad. So I left the card totally plain, and the difference isn't nearly so obvious.


The lattice stamp in this set had me baffled at first, so I stamped it out repeatedly vertically and horizontally on scrap paper. It looks fabulous either way. For this card, I cut out all the leaves and simply glued them down after experimenting with placement for a bit. Thought about popping them, which would look great, I think, but finally decided to go for flat and easy to mail.


The border on this card was created using posti-its to mask, stippling Memories wheat ink, then stamping the leaves in various Versacolor inks. My original plan was to draw lines with a gold pen down the edges of the border, but I decided against it. Not sure why, but the simpler approach just made me happy. I used my scallop scissors (how wrongly maligned those things are!) and snipped the corners off the word pieces to give an overall softer, more finished effect.


Finally, my favorite of the lot. This card took three tries to get right, mainly because I stamped the "a season of" crooked (the very last thing I did!) on the first card, and then botched the masking of the tall pumpkin on the second. Arrgghhhh. Third time turned out just like I wanted. I popped the short pumpkin, masked the tall one to stamp the vine coming from behind it, and used my gridded acrylic block to finally get the sentiment right. (I did stamp that FIRST on this card; I try to learn from my mistakes....)

Hope you enjoyed these CAS and OLC cards! I have a few more cards from this flurry of Fall Elegance to post later. They aren't OLC's, but they are very simple, nevertheless.

Supplies
stamps: Fall Elegance
cardstock: PTI vintage cream
inks: various VersaColor and Colorbox pigment inks
accessories: dimensionals

17 comments:

  1. gorgeous cards, as usual--i may need this stamp set too, thanks to youcla

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  2. Oh no! I feel my credit card coming out of my wallet. These are all amazing. AMAZING!

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  3. This whole set is beautiful! Great work!

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  4. Wowie Zowie. This set has really inspired you. the last card is really nice, but I am partial to the first one. I love that leaf popped over the flourish.

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  5. I'm so glad you have this set. Now I know I can find extra inspiration for it here! I like all of these, but the second one with just the leaves and the sentiment....I love it! I think I'll probably be case-ing every single one of these!

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  6. These are all beautiful! I've been trying to resist this set, but you might have done me in. I love the wide scroll border on the Happy Harvest one, with the falling leaves. I love the bottom one too, with the pumpkins. But really, I love them all. You are so talented!

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  7. I love all of these. I just saw one almost the same as your first one at Chapters, our big bookstore here in Canada, and it was over $6!! (See it does save money to buy all these supplies and make your own!) I think my favourite is the one with the various maple leaves. You've made me see this set in a whole new light!

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  8. I am adding your blog to my Google Reader ASAP!! I am so glad to see that you blog, and to have found your blog via your link over at SCS. I just love your CAS style and your eye for color and balance. TFS your talent with us!!!

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  9. WOW Susan, these are totally awesome and gorgeous!! I just got my set and can't wait to use it.

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  10. love all your cards. love the popped leaf on the first card, love the sentiment within the line up of leaves on the second card, the stippling on the 4th card is fantastic (gonna have to do that !!), and the last card is just simply perfect!!!

    this set is definately on my very long wish list :D

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  11. Susan, you blow me away with your talent. These are all brilliant!!!!

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  12. Just scrape me up off the floor! These cards are stunning. I can't believe you used all the stamps in the set - that must be a record. I think they're all fantastic and wish you wouldn't be so hard on yourself!

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  13. I just LOVE the pumpkin card--you styled it just right!

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  14. What a lovely collection of fall cards. They all look fresh, crisp and pretty. I think the second one is my favourite.

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  15. Susan!
    You have been a busy girl! I LOVE all of these! My favorites are the first one and the last one! I am a sucker for popped up images on OLC! CUTE!!!!

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  16. Wow!!! These are amazingly beautiful!!! I just might have to get this set after seeing your creations! I love every card!

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment!