Tag Archives: clean and simple

A CASE of a VASE with a lot of variations

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I am certain I CASEd this card just about verbatim, but I can’t find the source. If this is your card, A) Please let me know and I’ll give you credit, and B) I hope you’re flattered, because I really love this design! I’ve searched high and low through my files and on Google, and if Google can’t find it, well, I give up.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Varied Vases Mango Medley

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Varied Vases Mango Medley

 

The original version used the Birthday Wishes sentiment from Varied Vases, but as I started to recreate this card, I got tired of masking off the sentiment to place it on either side of the vases.  You could still stamp Happy Birthday on the inside – Thankful for You is a great birthday sentiment!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Varied Vases Melon Mambo

I started playing with color combinations and got a teeny tiny bit carried away – this is Lovely Lipstick.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Varied Vases Grapefruit Grove

I did this version in Flirty Flamingo, which I really love paired with Basic Gray.

As a completely irrelevant but fascinating aside, apparently Granny Apple Green gets translated to Little Green Frog in the European market. SERIOUSLY. I would MUCH prefer to have Little Green Frog in my color palette!  Granny Apple Green is a mouthful (sorry for the terrible pun) but even worse, I find myself abbreviating it GAG.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Varied Vases Highland Heather

This version is done in Highland Heather, and I think would work well for an expression of sympathy.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Varied Vases Poppy Parade

Last but not least, I created a version in Poppy Parade. I am thrilled to have Poppy Parade back in our color palette and I think it’s a stunner with GAG.

Which one was your favorite combination? I’m asking for a friend <wink>

Ready to add Varied Vases, the Vases Builder punch, or the bundle to your crafting options? Shop HERE.

Blackberry Birthday

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The Everything stamp set that was included in the latest Paper Pumpkin really does cover, well, anything:

Maui Stamper Everything Paper Pumpkin April 2016

  • Stamps: Everything Paper Pumpkin bonus)
  • Color palette: Blackberry Bliss, Blushing Bride, Mossy Meadow, Hello Honey, Very Vanilla
  • Accessories: Gold thread, Timeless Elegance DSP

Maui Stamper Everything Paper Pumpkin April 2016

I’ve worked hard this year to use as much of my DSP stash as I can. I tend to hoard it – for what, I’m not sure. How about you?  What’s the oldest DSP in your stash?

Time is slipping away on the Retiring List. Last day to order is May 31st!

Hello, my friend

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I’m behaving now – this is a perfectly respectable hello.

Maui Stamper Apple of My Eye Hello

  • Stamps:  Apple of My Eye, Hello (2016 SAB), Timeless Textures
  • Color Palette:  Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Garden Green, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake
  • Accessories:  Paper Snips, 1 3/4″ Circle Punch

This is my kind of Clean and Simple – pretty clean and kinda simple.  I intended to put that lemon section on dimensionals, but I was distracted and stuck it right down onto the paper.  You could just as easily stamp it directly on the card front, but that’s not what I did.

Maui Stamper Apple of My Eye Hello

I like the subtle texture you get from the images being cut and attached.  If you look closely at the first photo, you’ll see there’s a Whisper White panel (4″ x 5 1/4″) attached to the Whisper White card front.  Again, it’s just a little thing but I like it.

I was at an event with Mr. Maui Stamper this weekend, and our table enjoyed an interesting conversation on the dual themes of “Happy Wife, Happy Life” and “If Mama Ain’t Happy, Ain’t Nobody Happy”.  So if I want to put a Whisper White panel on to the Whisper White card front, I’m gonna do it.  It makes me happy.

She sells sea shells…

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Well, she sells Sea Shell Stamps!!

Maui Stamper Dozen Thoughts By the Seashore I’m a little chagrined to admit that I bought this set just recently.  I’m not sure why I was reluctant to invest in it; maybe it just seemed too obvious.  I have my fingers (and toes!) crossed that it will NOT be on the Retiring Stamps list on Monday!

Maui Stamper Dozen Thoughts By the Seashore

  • Stamps:  By the Seashore, A Dozen Thoughts
  • Color Palette:  Very Vanilla, Poor Party, Soft Suede
  • Accessories:  Linen Thread

The simplicity of the repeated images and the sand-and-sea color combination of Pool Party and Soft Suede are soothing to me.  Masculine, feminine, birthday, thanks…this is a design that works for nearly every occasion.

Maui Stamper Dozen Thoughts By the Seashore There is PLENTY of Linen Thread on this card – I wrapped it around the panel 3 times – to create enough weight to balance the stamped images along the bottom of the card.  The shells are masked and stamped randomly to add depth to what amounts to a single layer card.

Maui Stamper Dozen Thoughts By the Seashore I love them all, but I think the Starfish are my favorites.

 

A Fond Farewell to Green Galore

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Didn’t think I’d give Green Galore it’s own day, did you?  Not after yesterday’s bashing…that wasn’t very nice of me.  Poor Green Galore.  {snort}

Colour Q Challenge Green Galore Eastern Elegance

  • Wonderful Favorites, Eastern Blooms and Embrace Life Stamp sets
  • Whisper White card stock
  • Bravo Burgundy, Green Galore, YoYo Yellow and Tangerine Tango Classic ink pads
  • Aquapainter

I had to try that Colour Q challenge again…can’t really explain why.  That’s the mystery of playing challenges, I guess.  This time I chose to make the card a single layer to avoid the dilemma of balancing colors.  I did a fair amount of masking and used both solid and line art images to keep the sense of lightness that a white card provides.  As you can see, I couldn’t resist using the Aquapainter to blend some of the color.

There’s so much color and so many images that I’m not convinced this card is truly Clean and Simple, but with no layers OR embellishments I think it comes close.  The style is growing on me…one of these days I’m going to take it to another level.  Just not today.

Clean and Simple

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I’m not sure that I have an identifiable style, but whatever it is I do, it is generally NOT clean and simple.  Clean and simple (CAS) cards have few if any layers.  They use limited embellishment and generally have a lot of white space.

When Kellie came over last week, she brought a few photos she’d printed from various websites as inspiration.  Kellie really likes clean and simple cards, and  she showed me was THIS beautiful design from Ronda Camire.  It was such a pretty card that I had to give CAS a try.

Vintage Vogue Clean and Simple

  • Vintage Vogue Clear Mount Stamp set
  • Whisper White card stock
  • Pretty in Pink, Sage Shadow, and Chocolate Chip Classic Ink pads
  • Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals, and the Stamp-a-ma-jig
  • Fine Supernova Stampin’ Glitter in Chocolate Chip and Tombo Multipurpose Adhesive
  • Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint and rubbing alcohol – Shimmer Spray
  • Scoring tool

I know, I know, it’s kind of a long supply list for a CAS card – but there’s only ONE color of card stock!!  And yes, I know they are Clear Mount stamps and I shouldn’t need the Stamp-a-ma-jig, but I stamped the sentiment in Pretty in Pink and we agreed it was kind of wimpy, so I had to line up the sentiment in Chocolate Chip.

Do you know that the Shimmer Paints are still available from Stampin’ Up! ??  I was planning on buying a case of Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint (#116806, $5.95) and keeping it in my fridge so it wouldn’t dry out.  I’m really pleased it’s been extended beyond the Holiday Mini catalog.  I was going to have to label it “Champagne” to get away with keeping it in the fridge.

If you somehow missed making Shimmer Spray, it’s as easy as can be.  Put a few drops – literally – of Shimmer Paint into a fine mist spray bottle and add ordinary household rubbing alcohol – my bottle holds 3 oz.  Shake and spray onto your projects for a subtle shimmery sparkle that doesn’t come off on your clothes, furniture, pets, or other items that shouldn’t shimmer.  You can add more Shimmer Paint if you prefer, but you get plenty of sparkle from just a few drops.  Not that we have to hoard it anymore!

Sometimes simple is best

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I’m a huge fan of the Clean and Simple (CAS) look…I just can’t seem to pull it off myself.  I come from the “More is More” school of card design, finding it hard to hold back from adding just one more ribbon, brad, or texture.

Today’s card is more of a CAS style than anything I usually do, although it still has more layers than a purist would use.  It’s a pretty card, and an easy one to make in quantity.  (Did I mention I haven’t made my cards yet?  Are we wondering where all this recent discussion about “production” has originated?  No mystery there.)

Clean and Simple Petals a Plenty Tree

  • All Holidays stamp set
  • Shimmer White, Brushed Gold, Real Red and Always Artichoke card stock; Vellum
  • Real Red Classic Ink pad; Champagne Mist shimmer paint
  • Big Shot and Petals a Plenty embossing folder
  • Small star punch; 1/16″ hand held circle punch; gold brads; sponge dauber

You can stamp on vellum with Classic ink – just be sure to give it plenty of time so it doesn’t smear.  The Plenty Petals on the tree are brushed with my favorite Champagne Mist Shimmer paint and a sponge dauber.

To create the tree, cut your triangle piece first, then run it through the embossing folder.  You’ll get a cleaner edge than if you try to cut that heavily embossing paper with your paper trimmer.

And that Petals a Plenty folder is GOING AWAY, girls and boys!!!  That’s a mini-catalog item and if you want one, you’d better get yourself to my Online Store and click that Shop Now! button and order one!  Pronto!