Garden Silhouettes

Today's card is based on the Clean and Simple Stamping Fall-To Layout 99 (FTL 99) and uses the Garden Silhouettes and Small Script stamp sets by Stampin' Up! In keeping with the clean and simple theme, I decided on a basic black and white color scheme. To add a little interest to the focal image piece of card stock, I scored along all four sides. I added a sentiment in pink to give a little splash of color, but chose not to layer the sentiment so that it wouldn't take away from the main stamped image. I have had the ribbon for a while and have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it; I thought it complemented the stamp image very well.

Thanks, as always, for stopping by and visiting today! Have a great weekend!

Celebration - FTL96

TGIF!!! I was pondering what to do for a card for today's post when the Clean & Simple Fall-To Layout (FTL96) appeared in my inbox. Saved!!! This layout is super quick, super easy, fun and fantastic. You can use background/scrapbook paper you have on hand (which is what I chose to do), or you can create a sheet of your own. Here is my card:

And here is the layout sketch:

I chose to use a background/scrapbook paper I had on hand called Celebration by American Crafts. I liked the colors and the fun dotted circles. For my sentiment, I wanted to keep with the fun theme of the paper, so I simply added Happy For You from the Happy Everything set by Stampin' Up! (a set I don't use often enough!). No fancy embellishments (though I toyed with adding some ribbon . . . or something) and the card was done in a matter of minutes! Almost too easy!! Thanks for stopping by and visiting today. Have a wonderful Friday!!

Thinking of You - FTL95

Today's project is based on a sketch from the Clean & Simple blog; this is the Fall-To Layout 95 (FTL95). I really liked the simplicity of this layout and if you look at the samples that have been uploaded, you will see just how creative you can be with this layout. Here is my card:

And here is the layout:

As you can see, I kept my card simple with just three colors . . . white, a bright yellow, and olive card stock. The sentiment that I stamped is from the Essence of Love stamp set by Stampin' Up! I decided to add a corsage pin with strung pearls and a clear faceted bead with a little twist of white taffeta ribbon, threaded through a plaid ribbon. The flower is a generic paper flower with a generic clear rhinestone brad.

A Note of Thanks - FTL 94

If you came here for the QKR Stampede June Blog Hop, please go here. If you've already completed the Blog Hop, I hope you really enjoyed all the fantastic projects. Just a reminder, there is a $25 shopping spree (free shipping) being offered to one lucky hopper. For full details and to start the Hop at the beginning, please go here.

Today's card is for the Clean & Simple Fall-To Layout 94. This is a great layout that lends itself to many possibilities.

Here is a copy of the sketch:

The stamps used for this card are from the Pocket Silhouettes and Thank You Kindly stamp sets by Stampin' Up! I think these sets pair together very nicely. The circle is from a 1-3/4" Fiskars punch and the scallop border was cut using my Nestabilities Scallop Circle die. The patterned paper I used is Demeure Stripes by Pixie Press (and was a bargain at only $0.10 per sheet!). I have been wanting to play with the ruffled ribbon technique and thought this was the perfect opportunity to soften the line between the patterned paper and the card stock base. The stamped image was then adhered using foam squares. Thanks for stopping by and visiting. Have a wonderful day!!

Kind Thanks - FTL 92

This weekend I am playing along with the May VSN (Virtual Stamp Night) at Splitcoaststampers. The theme of the projects is all about flowers. I will be sharing some of those projects with  you next week. Right now, though, I wanted to share another "Fall-To Layout" (FTL) featured at the Clean & Simple Stamping blog. I am really liking these layout challenges. Not only is the layout design work already done, but the layouts force me to try something new and different. The layout for today's project can be found here. And here is my card for the challenge:

This is the layout:

My card was created using stamps from the Touch of Nature and Thank You Kindly stamp sets by Stampin' Up! The images were colored using Prisma watercolor pencils and blended with a blender pen. I think this would be a perfect Thank You card for any man or nature lover in your life. Thanks for stopping by today and having a look! Have a wonderful day!!

Unique

My card today is based on the Card Patterns Sketch 65, which is another clean and simple card layout with a lot of possibilities. I chose the word "Unique" and stamped flowers since flowers are unique -- no two being exactly the same. Here is my card:

And here is the sketch:

The background paper I used is a retired Designer Series Paper by Stampin' Up! called Maine Blueberry. I also used the Define Your Life, Defining Alphabet, and Heartfelt Thanks stamp sets by Stampin' Up! The flower from the Heartfelt Thanks stamp set was colored with Old Olive and Bashful Blue markers, then Night of Navy was added to the flower using the marker tapping technique. The stamp was then spritzed with a fine mist sprayer, allowing the water droplets to fall onto the stamp, then stamped twice. Thanks for stopping by today! Have a GREAT day!!

My Friend - FTL 91

The next Clean and Simple Stamping Fall To Layout (FTL 91) was posted and I decided to play along again. I had fun with the last layout and this one seemed like it would be just as much fun. The layout required an object that "busts off the card"--something I have never done (how would I get it into an envelope???). Well, since something had to bust off the card and it wasn't going to go into an envelope anyway, I decided to take it one step further and do one of the 3-D flowers that are popping up all over the place on blogs, video tutorials, cards and projects. Here is my project for the challenge:

Here is a close-up of the flower:

The sentiment is from the Blossoms Abound stamp set by Stampin' Up! Here is the layout sketch:

That's my project for today -- clean and simple and busting off the card!! Thanks for stopping by to have a look! Have a wonderful day!

Roses for Mom

Here is another Mother's Day card idea that uses the Stampin' Up! two-step stamping technique. This card was made using the Wild Rose and All Year Cheer II stamp sets by Stampin' Up! This is a very simple, quick, and easy card to put together. You could also dress it up a bit by adding ribbon or other embellishments.

The "white space" of the card front was minimized by using a "scrungie-plungie" (that's really what it was called!) that was purchased years ago at my local stamp store. Basically, it is a piece of a plastic kitchen pot scrubber that was mounted onto a wood handle (at a quick glance it looks like a miniature plunger). You tap the plastic mesh end onto your ink pad, then transfer the ink to your card front by pouncing. This effect can also be accomplished by using an artist spritzing tool with markers. Thanks for stopping by today!  Have a GREAT day!!

On My Mind

Today's card is what I consider a clean and simple card that uses a slight variation of the "Rock-N-Roll" technique.

To make this card, I used Riding Hood Red card stock for the base. White card stock (generic ultra smooth white) was embossed with the Swiss Dots embossing folder and layered over the card base. I used the Top Note die by Sizzix (exclusive Stampin' Up! design) and cut out the image twice--once on white card stock, a second time on Riding Hood Red card stock. There is a dashed border, which I cut off the white piece, then layered the white piece onto the Riding Hood Red piece of card stock to create the look of a different colored border. A variation of the Rock-N-Roll technique was used on the floral stamp--the edges of the flower petals were tapped/colored with a marker. The stamps used for this card are from the Upsy Daisy stamp set by Stampin' Up! Thanks for stopping by today! Have a GREAT day!!