Monday, May 17, 2010

CAS67 Shabby Chic

This is today's second post. Please scroll down to see the first post.

The Clean and Simple Weekly Challenge at SplitcoastStampers this week is Shabby Chic. Well, these three cards are about as shabby as I get these days. Shabby and I just don't see eye to eye because I'm AR/OCD and Shabby is, well, shabby. I want to clean her up, and she wants me to relax a bit. It's really quite annoying.

And by the way, just because I'm AR/OCD doesn't mean I expect anyone else to be. For those of you who love Shabby and invite her to your craft space regularly, all I can say is I admire you enormously. She is a great good friend to many a wonderful stamper. She just doesn't like me.

First up is my favorite. It's subtle, so it doesn't look nearly as pretty in the photo as it is in real life.


You'll notice the disconcerting absence of distressing. I just couldn't bring myself to ink any edges or run my scissors down the edges of this card either. Just. Couldn't. Do. It. Hopefully, it's enough shabby/chic with the pretty lace and DMC floss and sheer ribbon and a vintage script sentiment from SU's Letters from Friends set.

Then there's this next card, which actually DOES have some distressing. The flowers are made of SU bashful blue paper that I spritzed with water, crumpled repeatedly, and punched out. This technique gives the paper a rather leathery look. And I finally used some pearl brads that have been languishing in my stash for a year or longer. I'm not exactly wild about this one (where, oh where is my white space?!?!), but perhaps someone will like it. I hope. The sentiment is wonderful, don't you think?


Finally, I'm posting a card I made during Kraft Week with Mary Dawn but never got a chance to post. It conveniently works for today's challenge, I like it, and I hope you do, too.


And here's a piece of advice I learned from JulieHRR: never leave your buttons nekkid. This is very good advice for lots more than just buttons, I think.

So click on over to SCS and play along with the CAS67 challenge. If I can do it, so can you!

18 comments:

  1. Lovely cards, my favourite is the first , the colours are so delicate!

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  2. Yowzie Susan! Big girl! My fav card is the second one - love all three, though. You're right - I always put some clothing on my buttons.

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  3. Wherever there's shabby, I either have to clean it up or go some other place. Whether it's cards, clothes, jewelry, or a friend's house. It just makes my whole being fussed! But I used to be really fussed about mixing pink and orange, so maybe it's possible to "cure", or mature beyond, the anti-shabby gene? I know it's a gene because I have one shabby-loving-kid and two OCD kids.
    Because i don't have a blog, I assume I can't post a challenge card, right?

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  4. Bahb,

    You can, too, post a challenge card without a blog. All you need to do is join SplitcoastStampers (if you haven't already done so...it's free and a super stamping community!).

    The weekly CAS challenges at SCS are open-ended, meaning there is no deadline. You could even post your cards for my OLW challenges at SCS, and then link to them here, as many others have done. If you decide to do this and need help, email me privately and I'll do what I can to help.

    Susan

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  5. Whoa these shabby chic cards are awesome Susan! I love the first one the most but I love them all!

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  6. These are all just beautiful Susan! Jo x

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  7. I completely agree Susan. I can't bring myself to do distressing, and I do try Shabby Chic but always end up with my usual straight edges. In the hands of the right person it is a wonderful technique.

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  8. Oh it's so nice to find other people who can't bring themselves to mess up the beautiful straight edges too! I thought I was A freak! I have tried it for a couple of challenges but all it did was give me palpitations and a sense of loss for the beautiful paper i destroyed!

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  9. Totally agree on the naked button thing - drives me batty!

    Beautiful cards today - love the kraft one!

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  10. I think they are all absolutely lovely. But I think I love the first one best!

    I agree with you that CAS and Shabby Chic are a bit of an oxymoron, though!

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  11. Glad you were able to shabby up some cards here! Yes, and buttons should not go naked.....unless you are in a BIG hurry.

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  12. Very fun cards! I think you've hit the (rather surprising) combo of CAS and shabby right on the head! I made a couple cards for the challenge and struggled mightily -- I think I can do either style; it's the combo that gets me! Ah, well -- i'll post them tomorrow anyway!
    Oh, sorry to hijack, but thanks, Bahb, for your lovely comment on my blog! I don't know how to find you besides in the comments here. You made my day!

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  13. Shabby, chic, _and_ CAS! Lovely cards. I agree... buttons, if they are to be used, should not be nekkid.

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  14. I love them all! Wow, you did great even if you feel like shabby doesn't even like you!! I haven't had a chance to participate in your ribbon challenge ...frustrating cause that's an easy one but I'be veen so busy these days!!

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  15. Love the sentiment on the second card-where is it from?

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  16. Diane S.,

    It's an old stamp from Stampabilities, copyright 2002.

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  17. *Shabby* doesn't seem to like me, that's for sure! But as you say, in the right hands, it can be breathtaking!!

    All 3 are great but my fave is the last one ... it's CAS with just a touch of shabby :o)

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  18. Thank you so much for all of the inspiration you provide to so many! These cards are all GAWJUS!!

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment!