Thursday, October 25, 2012

Nature Walk

Making clean-and-simple cards with graphic-style stamps (think of Papertrey's Modern Basics, for example) is relatively easy. Getting clean-and-simple cards from sets like StampinUp's Nature Walk or Lovely as a Tree is a lot more challenging. The artistic, natural style of the stamps lends itself more readily to shabby chic, collage, and vintage...basically, layered and embellished styles.

But there are some very simple ways of allowing these natural images to take center stage in CAS designs, and I just love playing around with them.

Many, many thanks to Reader Bev, who sent me SU's set Nature Walk. I sat down and played with it first chance I had, and here are the first two cards I made.







The crisp layout of mosaic rectangles inside a tidy rectangle arranged on a rectangular card lends itself to CAS. The trick to making these mosaic layouts work is even spaces between the pieces, and tweezers can help so much with placing the pieces.

By the way, I really loved the look of rounded corners of the blue card and wanted to do the same on the green card, but after I stamped the sentiment, I realized that rounding the bottom right corner would cramp the sentiment. The miss you sentiment was chosen because the troops need lots of cards with it, and this card is destined for Operation Write Home. As there is nothing soft about missing loved ones, the sharp, pointy corners feel appropriate to the situation, don't you think?

For tips and tricks on making these rectangular mosaics, you can see my tutorial HERE.


Supplies
stamps: SU Nature Walk, Papertrey Simple Little Things (sentiment on green card)
ink: Versacolor
paper: PTI white, light blue; SU certainly celery
accessories: dimensionals, corner rounder, tweezers

12 comments:

  1. What a beautiful way to use colored cardstock! With plenty of clean space. These are lovely, Susan. I do like the rounded corners on the first. Thanks for refreshing your tutorial, too, and for the two lovely examples in it.

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  2. WOW! I've seen this stamp set used in so many ways, but none more elegant than these two cards. Beyond beautiful. Simply amazing. Bev

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  3. gorgeous! You just gave me inspiration for a sympathy card I need! Thanks!

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  4. I really like these. C&S is not easy as I originally assumed. But I do prefer it. When I look at the excess on so many cards today, instead of beauty I see $$ signs. Your cards are so inspiring.

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  5. Susan, you are the master of Clean and Simple cards, I love these!

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  6. I like these two mosaic cards, particularly the green one! THANK YOU for sharing this design concept which will help me better utilize some of the stamp sets I have. :)

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  7. Love how you used this stamp set!! Turned out lovely!

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  8. I have this set but have never thought to use it like this - your cards are so lovely. As for the rounded corners, I actually prefer the sharp corners of the second card. My eye likes the inner image corners matching up with the external card corners.

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  9. Great cards as always. Thanks for the link back to your tutorial - very educational.

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  10. I really like these mosaics, and the sharp corners on the "Miss You" card was a smart choice. Both cards are lovely. I must give this design idea a try!

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  11. So delightful, Susan - off to check out your tutorial :)

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment!