Thursday, February 5, 2009

Plain & Simple

Many people complain that they just don't have the time to scrap or stamp, but what they don't realize is that plain & simple can be easy and just as nice. In this card example, I went to my scraps stash to see what I had to work with. I found this strip of Creamy Carmel cardstock wheeled with the So Swirly wheel in carmel ink, a piece of brown grosgrain ribbon and scraps of Ivory Naturals, Chocolate Chip and Pacific Point cardstock.

My quick solution was to go with a neutral Soft Vanilla background for the card and one color of ink: Chocolate chip. I used my scallop square and 3/4" punches to give this card some added interest. Notice that I mounted the punched out circle element from the b is for birthday stamp on the brown scalloped cardstock. By mounting the simple, 1 color stamped element onto a vibrant color that shows through the center of the b, it gives the card a focal element against the neutral tones used throughout. I used my glue glider pro with Perma Tac adhesive on the card and used some Crop n' Glue Ribbon Adhesive to mount the knotted ribbon. Duplicate this card idea in 5 minutes or less using the Party Hearty stamp set from Stampin'  Up!® along with your color choices.
Some other fun color combinations to try:
White, Black, Grey + Vibrant color
Or try some monochromatic colors: Pirouette Pink, Pretty in Pink, Riding Hood Red or Bravo Burgandy  Or mix in a patterned paper in place of the wheeled pattern or scallop punched CS.

Remember that when you get discouraged, head to your stash pile of pre-stamped items, paper scraps and extra embellishments to kick start the process. You will feel so satisfied when you get to "recycle" those into a fantastic card or project. Happy Creating!

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Birthday Card "Spot"light





Now is the time to earn a FREE Stampin’ Up!® Spring/Summer catalog & idea book, by placing an online order on my SU website. Hurry, this offer is good while supplies last! Also, it is Sale-A-Bration time, and you can choose a FREE S-A-B product with the purchase of $50 in merchandise. Or two FREE ITEMS with $100, etc. It is the best time to scrape together your scrap and stamp funds to take advantage of these bonus giveaways!

CS Colors used: Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango, Old Olive and Whisper White.