First up, I stamped Hero Arts Three Ferns in Hero Arts lime green on the left edge of a card and nestled a sentiment from Gina K's Hello Sunshine in Memento Cocoa. It looked a little plain, so I added three yellow half-pearls. Note how each fern points in a different direction, for a bit of natural randomness. The result is crisp, clean, unisex.
Next, I pulled out the Hero Arts Konnichiwa Lanterns set and a spectrum of yellow-orange-rust inks (also Hero Arts), and cascaded the lanterns down the left side of the card. The sentiment (Gina K again) was added in Memento cocoa. Note that the lanterns aren't exactly perfectly lined up...but they are very tidy-looking nevertheless.
Here in the third card, the hearts and rhinestone stars are placed completely randomly in a two-color scheme for lots of contrast. The shapes are scattered, with the straight-line stripes, angles, and curves all mixed together. Note how the largest heart is beside the sentiment and draws attention to it. I used Hero Arts Year Round Sentiments for the whole card, and Hero Arts inks as well (denim and the dark red whose name escapes me). The effect is fun, patriotic, and perfect for OWH.
Finally, I went all AR-OC and lined up the stylized feathers from Waltzingmouse's Funky Feathers set, paired with a sentiment from their Fine Feathers set. Shades of blue Hero Arts ink unify the design. I really like how different this one looks and feels from the others, although from a design standpoint, I think the looser ones actually work better.
Here's a shot of all four lined up so you can see the variations clearly!
Which is YOUR favorite and why?
I love the red, white, and blue one...because it is red, white, and blue! (My favorite colors.) All of them are beautiful in their own way though...great example of using one sketch several different ways!
ReplyDeleteI like them all, Susan. But my favorite is the first. The ferns are just gorgeous. I love the color and the way they cascade down the side of the card. The pearls add just the perfect element of dimension. This card has a beautiful organic feel.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is the lanterns. I like the different patterns on the lanterns and I'm more of a stamp-ink-paper/no-bling kinda gal.
ReplyDeleteI have ALWAYS and still love that fern! In fact, I am trying to get the die they have of it -- I love this stamp~
ReplyDeleteI love the ferns and the feathers ones - my favorite two colors. I like the stamping down the left side too; it's unusual and special. tfs
ReplyDeleteAll of these are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWow! Susan, your posts are a truly delightful and there's always something to learn from them. All your cards are amazing, but my favorite is the one with the ferns, because the green-yellow colours give a fresh feel to it.
ReplyDeleteI love the feathers! I really love blue and white and the straight line speaks to the mathematician in me.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the creative inspiration to think outside the box with a simple layout! So many different effects, beautifully stamped. I think that the quality of your cards makes this style really effective. I need more practice and perhaps more inks...(stamps too?).. The fern is beautiful in the way it flows and the little pearls finish it off perfectly. It is Spring time here and the ferns appeal especially because of this. In the same way the hearts flow beautifully too, a lovely movement being created with your different sizes and use of colour, so very clever! I love oriental so I am biased with that. The feathers don't do much for me, too uniform but they will appeal to some of my friends and we stamp with a friend in mind don't we? Cards are blessings to others, not ourselves! I love the way you have got such perfect colour and uniformity with the feathers, so difficult to do...well for me anyway. So technically the feathers card is brilliant as for my favourite it's a choice between the ferns and hearts....and lanterns....oh dear.....
ReplyDeleteI love all of them! Is the sketch just a strip down the left side? I think the first one is my fave!
ReplyDeleteLove all of these fabulous cards. You are the Queen of CAS design work.
ReplyDeleteWow, great cards! I like the fern card, the best though, because I want that stamp, LOL. No really, I just like the fern card and everything about it. Placement, stamping, color and embellishments!
ReplyDeleteGREAT CARDS! I think the last 2 are my favorites because of the colors.
ReplyDeleteI love the red, white and blue theme of the heart card but they are all beautiful and unique. I always find inspiration on your blog. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMy favourite is the one with hearts - because of the colours and because the placement of the hearts really appeals to me (not sure why but it is more pleasing to my eye than the straight line-up of the feathers or leaves - I like the placement of the lanterns but I'm not a fan of orange).
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is the lanterns. I'm really attracted to the floaty feel of it and the warmer colors. Not a fan of feathers at all - I prefer feathers to be on birds. I think the red and blue one is nice and you're right about it being perfect for OWH.
ReplyDeleteLike them all but prefer the lanterns. I'm a fan of CA, but I have issues with white space. The lantern card has just the right balance for me between color/images/sentiment and white space.
ReplyDeleteThe looser ones do work so well, Susan ... but I still love the blue feathers most ... the colours, the order, the balance! Anita :)
ReplyDeleteThe fern is my favorite....so pleasing to the eye.
ReplyDeleteI love the Hero Arts Year Round Sentiments stamp set, and how they support OWH. So, I'm biased toward the red, white, & blue one. I think it's also the set I used on my first (before I even heard the term) CAS card.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the inspiration! Love the lanterns, both for the color, as well as I just love lanterns!!
ReplyDeleteI love the fern one.. It looks as if those fern-fingers are guiding you to the sentiment, very elegantly too..
ReplyDeleteYou use AR-OC a lot in your posts. What does it mean?
ReplyDelete