Minimalist Wishes

This birthday card just came to me the other day. Creativity sometimes works that way. It comes...just pops right up and says howdy.

Best not to question it too closely. You might spook it.

Also, my SIL is the best ever...sent me a gift certificate for Papertrey for my birthday! Love her! Can't wait to spend the gift on photopolymer goodness.


Supplies
stamps: StampinUp
ink: Memento Luxe
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: heart rhinestone

It's Glittery to Be Square

A simple, no-sentiment Christmas card for a simple Monday morning...

Size: 4.25" square

The central embellishment is a half-sphere covered in gold glitter...which is very festive and goes nicely with the Delicata gold ink. Found it at Hobby Lobby years ago and decided to--GASP!--actually use one of them.

So yay, me!

And now let's go off topic to another absorbing obsession hobby of mine. A friend from church invited me to be part of a book club over two years ago, and we've now got the best book club ever. November is my month to host, so I chose one of my favorite epistolary novels: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It's utterly charming, has a cast of fascinating and quirky characters, and describes a part of World War II history about which I was completely ignorant...the Nazi occupation of Guernsey. I can't wait for Thursday when we our club will discuss it.

If you like reading novels and haven't read this one yet, I highly recommend it.

And that's all I have to say about that. For now.

Happy Monday!

Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Silent Night
ink: Delicata gold
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: gold glitter half-bead

When Mass Makes Beautiful Sense

How many times have I told you that I don't like mass production? Lots, for sure. Anyway, when the cards are simple enough, it's tolerable to make 4 or 8 of them. Today's card was easy enough for 8.

Card Size 4 7/8" x 3 3/8"

This bit of monochromatic simplicity employs Memento Luxe teal zeal (sentiment) and Brilliance pearlescent ice blue (star) and a single small bling for maximum impact! These will be perfect for the people in the Bible study I attend.

Eight down. One hundred more to go.

Not really.

Just feels like it.

Barnes and Noble has some nice boxed cards....


Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Silent Night
ink: Memento Luxe, Brilliance
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: rhinestones

Red, Pink, and Light Pink...Perfect for Christmas!

Reader Natalie shared last week that she'd made a Christmas card a few years ago that she loved. It was pink, red, and white. I'd just made this card and love the colors, too. Great minds think alike!

I'd reorganized my inks (because, you know, all the pretty colors!!!) and noticed that Memento Luxe rhubarb stalk, VersaMagic pink petunia, and Avery Elle pixie formed a lovely spectrum. Papertrey's Fair Isle Motifs set was out on my desk, so I started experimenting and came up with this cozy card, with just a hint of green for contrast.

Breaking down all kinds of color barriers with this one! Certainly many of you will find it un-Christmas-y, but I really love the softness and feminine feel to this card.

Design note: This card is completely, utterly flat, yet it doesn't need anything else. Partly, this is because of the color gradation combined with the tiny spots of contrasting green...adding a complementary color to a monochromatic scheme will add energy even in a static design like this and even in very small doses. Partly, it's because the Fair Isle Motifs stamps are made to look like stitching on a sweater...the texture is implied, even if it's not real. So it works without layers or bling or anything else.

Which is kinda cool, don't you think?


Supplies
stamps: Papertrey, A Muse
ink: various pigment inks
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: none

You'd Never Guess This Started with a Simple Mistake

Have you ever tried inking up an acrylic block, spritzing it with Glimmer Mist or water, and stamping the block onto paper? It's a fun and easy way to create a background, but sometimes results are not what you expect.

For instance, ink colors can turn out MUCH lighter than intended. That happened to me the other day. I wanted a nice, medium green and ended up with a pale, blah shade that wasn't going to work for my original idea at all.

Hmm. What can I do with this?

Hmm.

Errr.

Ghaaahhhh!

Oh.

Gee.

That might work.

The holly punch?

YES!!!!

My first stab at this used berries punched from paper stamped in the same fashion only with red ink. They looked anemic. The bright red, shiny rhinestones work much better because of the strong contrast with the soft, water-color effect of the punched holly sprigs. They add drama...the good kind of drama, not the bad kind generated by people who make you wonder what sort of diagnosis they might have.

Bad drama makes me sad, but blingy drama makes me happy!

The punched holly is glued straight onto the card base...it's just too delicate to pop up. My first thought was to stamp the sentiment in dark gray or espresso truffle, but then, I thought, a darkish olive would be more festive...and it is.

Another holiday thank-you card made! And it's pretty! So YAY all over the place!

Supplies
stamps: Hero Arts 
ink: various
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: Glimmer Mist, acrylic block, rhinestones, glue pen, tweezers (for placing the holly)

Nailed It!

Nailheads are a fabulous embellishment...when I can find them. They don't seem to be quite as available as bling, but they do add a little shiny something without adding as much thickness as a rhinestone.

These metallic red nailheads are perfect little ornaments for a Christmas tree, and as as you can see in the close-up, they aren't thick enough to interfere with postal equipment.

Pretty and practical!

Supplies
stamps: Clearly Besotted Tiny Trees, Papertrey Keep It Simple Christmas
ink: Impress Ink mojito, Memento Luxe love letter
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: nailheads, corner rounder

Another OLS#22 Challenge Card

I had so much fun making this card!!!!

Things that make me happy about this card:

1. Can you say, "White space"? Knew you could.

2. The colors sing to me of holidays: Hero Arts pine tree green, field greens, and red royal.

3. Silver metallic pen. On a curve.

4. I free-handed that curve with a craft knife. Oh, yeah.

5. The inside is straight and true.

6. The interaction between the SUPER simple front and the busy border on the inside.

I hope you'll join us at the One-Layer Simplicity Challenge #22: A Multitude of Gratitude, for November, 2015!


Supplies
stamps: Hero Arts, Clearly Besotted
ink: Hero Arts
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: silver metallic marker, ruler, craft knife