Appreciate What Is

Let's dive right in, shall we?

Get it? Dive right in? Sorry.

Today's card uses an old (discontinued) Hero Arts shadow stamp for the watery backdrop. If you don't have the shadow stamp, you could get a similar look by making a rectangle with post-it notes and sponging. I sponged Ancient Page inks in various shades of blue directly onto the stamp, starting with the lightest color, then the medium shade, then the darkest.

The plant is actually a Posh Impressions pussy willow but I think it looks nice as kelp. It is stamped in an even darker shade of blue (indigo), as is the sentiment (Hero Arts).

The whole card was intended to be a single layer of white cardstock, but I stamped the rectangle slightly crooked. The frame really does help the card, though, so it was a fortuitous mistake.

The sea horse was punched out of tempting turquoise that had been lightly sponged with Ancient Page ink. The gemstone eye was colored with a sharpie since I didn't have a small enough gem in turquoise.

Last week, I told you I reorganized my SU cardstock by rainbow colors rather than the old color families. One thing that showed me is that I have an obscene amount of colored cardstock. That realization, combined with the success of this card, convinced me to make a bunch of colored-base cards. I'm mainly doing this to thin out the stash, not as a major shift in my cardmaking philosophy.

Don't worry. I'm still loving white OLCs. They're my favorites, forever and always. One's coming up tomorrow. I promise.

Supplies
stamps: Posh Impressions, Hero Arts
ink: Ancient Page
paper: PTI white; SU tempting turquoise, night of navy
accessories: sponge, sea horse punch (Martha Stewart), dimensional, sharpie, gemstone

Colors I Will Miss, Part 1

While it's perfectly clear even to the casual reader of Simplicity that I will not miss Orchid Opulence, I haven't really moaned about the colors I most certainly WILL miss when StampinUp's new color program starts in July. I haven't yet decided if I'll stock up on some of these discontinued colors or not, but hope that writing about them here will bring some clarity.

Among the top colors I will miss are gable green and green galore. I know, I know. Plenty of people detest these two shades of green. But using the bold brights as I do (which is sparingly with lots of white), they're not nearly as offensive as you might think.

See what I mean?



Combining gable green and green galore with cool caribbean and tempting turquoise results in an oceanic/tropical color scheme that you'll be seeing repeated here for the next few days. For some reason, this palette called to me all last weekend. It's so fresh and fun and clean.

These flowers consist of four 3/4" squares of punched cardstock with two opposing corners rounded with scallop scissors. Yes, scallop scissors. You did not give those things away, did you? For shame if you did. They're right useful.

To get everything placed so perfectly, I lined the card up on my gridded cutting mat so the center of the card was obvious. Then, I placed the squares (unglued) where I wanted them. Once everything was where it belonged, I removed each square, one at a time, put a dab of glue on the back, and using tweezers, placed it where it belonged. It sounds much more tedious than it is.

Notice how the light and dark colors are arranged consistently in each flower? That was on purpose. All these different pieces parts could make the card busy, but by having the colors so regularly patterned, the eye isn't so confused.

At least, my eye isn't confused. I sure hope your eye is as happy as mine.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Supplies
stamps: PTI Birthday Basics
ink: Palette noir
paper: PTI white; SU gable green, green galore, cool caribbean, tempting turqoise
accessories: bling, scallop scissors, glue

Snowflake Peace

It's hard to think about snow when it's 70 degrees outside, but if I'm going to make over 200 Christmas cards this year, I've got to get cracking.

By the way, I make 100 Christmas cards for my own use (military families have long Christmas card lists!) and 100+ for the troops to send home to their families.

Today's cards started with a sketch in Papercrafts Go-To Sketches but then went wild enough that they share precious little with the original sketch. Cards like this seem so simple when they are done that I feel like an idiot for taking so long to make them. But I'm not an idiot...just slow. There's a difference, don't you think?



Which do you like best? The blue version above or the black/clear bling version below? The photo for the black/clear version doesn't do it justice. Sometimes editing these white-on-white photos is a pain in the tushy.


I hope you're enjoying a lovely spring. Unless of course you live in the southern hemisphere, in which case I hope you're enjoying a lovely fall. Y'all are closer to snow than the rest of us!

Supplies
stamps: Hero Arts
ink: bashful blue, palette noir
paper: PTI white
accessories: various snowflake punches, gemstones, glue pen

Coffee Cup Inspiration

I went to Barnes and Noble Friday (what a surprise...not). Anyway, while waiting for my dark cherry mocha, I saw this coffee cup. It called to me. It said, "Susan, you must buy me, take me home, and use me to make some cards."

Really. I tried desperately not to fall victim to its siren's song. You see, I've been ranting recently about how we have TOO MUCH STUFF in our house and need to get rid of stuff. We have lots of coffee cups. We don't need another. But this darn butterfly cup kept calling and calling and calling to me. It wouldn't shut up. For such a pretty thing, it sure is noisy.



The first card I made was dreadfully busy, just like the cup. And then, simplicity took over and I made this.


Be still, my heart! Amazing! I had to do it again, only experimenting a bit with different leaves.



This color combination is DA BOMB. I used Baby Blue VersaColor ink, Tea Leaves VersaMagic, and SU's rich razzleberry cardstock. The punch is Martha's large monarch double punch.

Martha doesn't know we're on a first-name basis.

But I do.

The sky isn't blue in my world. It's rich razzleberry.

Supplies
stamps: PTI Turning a New Leaf, Faux Ribbon
ink: Versacolor baby blue, Versamagic tea leaves
paper: SU rich razzleberry, PTI white
accessories: MS large double butterfly punch, glue pen

Bye-Bye, Fairy Vomit

This is my second post today. Please scroll down for the first post.

Sue Berker simply will not leave me alone. She's pestering me to use Orchid Opulence (or, as I like to call it, Fairy Vomit) on a card. She's even got a poll up on her blog regarding OO/FV. Please go vote your conscience on this one.

I'm going on record as saying that pretty much any color, even goose-poop green (see Brilliance pearlescent olive on this card), can be used effectively. Sue made an incredibly elegant card with OO/FV on this post, and I just received an adorable OO/FV card from Patti Moffett as well. (Thanks, Patti!) Neither of these cards, however, changes my mind.

Here's your card, Sue. Hope you like it because it's coming your way soon. And thanks for pestering me 'cause I sort of like it!



Fairy Vomit, may you rest in peace. Forever.

Supplies
stamps: Hero Arts
ink: SU orchid opulence, old olive, bashful blue
paper: PTI white
accessories: not a blessed one

Christmas Sketch Inspiration #2

Today's card, which is 4.25" square, is based on another sketch by Teri on page 9 of Papercrafts Go-To Sketches. I moved the sentiment up a bit, but otherwise it's pretty close to the sketch. It's nice to make a Christmas card that isn't red and green, LOL!

This Christmas tree stamp is from Hero Arts. All those swirls make me happy, and blinging them makes me even happier!

For those who asked, the Picasso quotation stamp Marty sent me is by Inkadinkado.



Update on Lincoln Hammett: Lincoln is home and happy and playing with his two big sisters. Unfortunately, he isn't healthy enough to have chemo, so the cancer cells are spreading unchecked. Please continue to pray for him and his family.


Supplies
stamps: Hero Arts, PTI
ink: Memories soft silver, Palette Noir
cardstock: PTI white, SU basic black
accessories: corner rounder, dimensionals, silver ribbon, clear bling

Get a Deal on Papercrafts Go-To Sketches

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