Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Monogram Card #3, My Favorite



YES! This card makes me so, so happy on every level and in every way!!! It's simple and flat and very clean, and it allowed me to use some of the many alphabet stamp sets I hoard. It's modern and fun and simple.

Did I already say simple? Sorry, but simple is important on a blog called Simplicity.

The idea for this card came to me in a flash of inspiration. I was thinking about Ali Edwards, and how she uses her initials graphically on her scrapbook pages and blog. I thought about her love of type, of my printer's type tray that's leaning on my craft room wall awaiting some inspiration for altering because Ali did one, and all the little slots in it for holding different sized letters. Then I thought of how many stamp alphabets I have (around 40...it's an obsession) and how rarely I have used them since I've made a grand total of 4 scrapbook pages in the last year.

And suddenly, I saw this card in my head. It turned out exactly like I wanted. Happy sigh.

Design-wise, there is a lot I like in this. Clean white space (that happens to be green but whatever) balances the busy letters confined to a tidy matted strip. The repeated curvy S shapes contrast nicely with the straight lines of the stamped panel, matte, and card. Curves love angles.

I don't know why. They just do.

The biggest S is brown, like the matte, and all the others are shades of green that give an illusion of dimension to a really flat card. Since they are all the same letter, it's not visually chaotic. Your eye quickly "gets" that they are all the same and just enjoys the movement.

Well, I hope your eye enjoys it. Mine sure does.

I'm still ruminating on Monogram Card #2. Has anyone else played with that idea? I'm thinking the monograms need to be bigger (not a problem for Alpha Stamp Girl!) or maybe even chipboard for dimension. That card looks a bit flat to me (and to some of you). We'll come back to that one for sure.

8 comments:

  1. LOVE IT! And in these colours, it would make a great set for a teenage boy (who sometimes needs reminders to write thank you cards!), just like yesterday's set for girls. (Of course both could be adapted for the other!) Way to shake up the monogram! (I also have a TON of alphas - most of which have NEVER seen ink!)

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  2. The green and brown are fabulous. And I like the clean white/green space, too. I love your style!

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  3. Oh, I love this. I have lots of alpha sets, so going to have to try this. And I agree monogram card #2 needs dimension to get the letters to stand out a bit more.

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  4. This is beautiful! And look! It's another colored card base, only 4 days after the last one!

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  5. I like that the largest 's' has an upward slope to it, that also really helps to draw your eye. As soon as this image came up on my screen I gasped a little bit.

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  6. I love this design too! I have been thinking about momogram #2 and am about to execute my thoughts. It takes me a while to make a card - even a simple one!

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  7. Yes... you're right... this one speaks to me as well!! I love the freshness of this. My neice recently got married and her accent color was this shade of green. Wouldn't these make a nice present for her, using her new last initial!! I'm going to have to give it a try, although my inventory of alphabets isn't as extensive as some :->

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment!