Watts and Watts

After making that many layered card for Operation Write Home's midweek throw-down, I needed to make a simpler card today.

There are only two layers on this card, but it looks flat. Clean, simple, and easy. My favorite.

Simon Says Stamp - Watt’s Up, inks

Neenah - white card stock

Stampin’ Up - black card stock

Let’s Celebrate!

A friend asked if I’d make 30 invitations to a party for her mother’s 75th birthday. I’ve used this basic design before with poppies.

Impression Obsession - Leafy Branch die, Birch Trees die (cardinal)

Memory Box - Resting Birds die

Hero Arts - It’s Your Day (sentiment)

Silhouette - cut files for banner and circles

Clean & Simple 2, Day 10

It's the last day of this class, and I'm sad to see it end.

Paper Smooches - "Great Chemistry"

Hero Arts - white embossing powder

Ranger - stickles

Signo - white pen

Clean & Simple 2, Day 9 Revisited

A comment on yesterday's card planted a seed. Paula wrote, "I am immediately envisioning a "tuxedo" version of this for the guys. Very classy look." Thanks, Paula, for a terrific idea!

There's a die that will cut the pieces for a similar paper bow, but I used my Silhouette to cut this one.

I colored the "Candi" pieces with a black Sharpie to make the studs. These embellishments are like brads without the shanks. I used Glossy Accents to attach them.

Bazzill - black card stock

Neenah - white card stock

Craftwork Cards - Candi in Icing Sugar 

Clean & Simple 2, Day 9

Day nine of class was all about adding texture to cards. Julie Ebersole had a couple of cute cards with glitter. Since I live in a glitter-free zone, I passed on those ideas.  Lisa Spangler had a fun embossing technique I want to try soon. Jennifer McGuire showed us a pleat idea, and I decided to CASE her card. I like this technique.

The blue paper is a light weight card stock, easy to score and fold. I've had it in my stash for ages, and I have no idea what company makes it.

I used the Silhouette to cut the circles and banner.

Hero Arts - black pearls and "Find Joy"

Stampin' Up - patterned paper

Neenah - white card stock

Bazzill - black card stock

Martha Stewart - scoring board

Clean & Simple 2, Day 8

Laura Bassen was the guest designer in class today. She demonstrated how to make a plaid card with inks. I'd seen a similar technique a few weeks ago and had picked up a stamp set with this in mind. Laura warned us we would need to practice. She was right! This card is my 7th attempt, and it's no where near perfect, but it'll do.

Stampendous - Geo Shapes Set

Hero Arts - Everyday Sayings

Stampin' Up - Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, and Rich Razzleberry Inks

Neenah - white card stock

Clean & Simple 2, Day 7

Our homework assignment today? Make a single layer card. That's tough!

I masked the card before stamping and inking.

 Hero Arts - "Map of America" and "Live and Laugh"

Ranger - Archival Jet Black Ink and distress inks (Salty Ocean and Crushed Olive)

Inkadinkado - masking paper

Neenah - white card stock

Clean & Simple 2, Day 6

Day six of class we were invited to use one of the sketches. I needed a birthday card for a friend in Austria, and I thought a snowy card would be appropriate.

Provo Craft - snow embossing folder

Stampin' Up - Pear Pizzaz card stock

Neenah - white card stock

Little Yellow Bicycle - chipboard snowflake

EK Success - snowflake punch

Basic Grey - Aspen Frost 6x6 paper pad

Hero Arts - Classic messages, pearl

Clean & Simple 2, Bonus Day

We had a bonus class on Saturday, and our homework was to use a die cut.  I usually have sympathy cards on hand, but I used my last one a few days ago. I'll make multiples of these.

Memory Box - Lorelai Leaf Die

My Sentiments Exactly - Cathedral Sympathy

Stampin' Up - Old Olive card stock

Neenah - white card stock

Clean & Simple 2, Day 5

Day 5 of the Online Card Class was to use a stamp in a different way. This is very different for me because yellow and orange aren't my "go to" colors. I mixed up the colors so I could also check off another color combination in Operation Write Home Design Boot Camp: The ABCs of Color.

 Hero Arts - white embossing powder, "Paris" and "Newspaper Eiffel Tower"

Ranger - distress inks

Neenah - white card stock

Clean & Simple 2, Day 3 revisited

Everyone should have a friend who'll tell you how to improve a card, and I have one. Thanks, Wendy!

I reworked this card using her suggestions, and I like it much better.

 Neenah - white card stock

Hero Arts - Navy and Raspberry Jam mid-tone shadow inks, "Year Round Sentiments"

Impression Obsession - banner stamp

Lawn Fawn - "Interlocking Backdrops"

Clean & Simple 2, Day 4

One of the techniques in today's class was the the "Chalkboard Trend." Kristina's example was crisp and sharp in keeping with the theme of the Clean and Simple class.

Chalkboards bring a very different memory for this retired teacher. They were messy, very messy. Chalk gets everywhere! Just think, most students today have no idea what a chalkboard is.

Hero Arts - white embossing powder, "Greetings"

Stampin' Up - black card stock

Uni-ball Signo broad - white pen

Clean & Simple 2, Day 3

One of the techniques mentioned in class today was offset stamping.

Offset stamping is easy with clear stamps, but I had to rely on my Stamp-a-ma-jig for the banner as it's a cling stamp.

Lawn Fawn - Interlocking Backdrops

Hero Arts - Year Round Sentiments, Mid Tone inks

Impression Obsession - banner

Clean & Simple 2, Day 2, part2

Here's another one layer card for day two of class. I used a little masking for this one. I love masking…it's like magic.

Neenah card stock

Hero Arts Shadow Inks, "Everyday Sayings"

Hero Arts/Studio Calico "Please Note"

EDIT: I used Inkadinkado's stamping mask paper.

Clean & Simple 2, Day 2

Homework: Create a one layer card.

I tried a new to me technique, watercoloring with Inktense pencils. I need to get a smoother watercolor paper for this to look right, but I'm posting my card anyway. I'll keep this as my "what not to do" example.

Derwent Inktense  Watersoluble Ink Pencils

Hero Arts/Studio Calico - Calico Borders

Clean & Simple 2, Day 1

I'm taking another class from Online Card Classes, Clean and Simple 2. The first Clean and Simple class was my very favorite, and I'm sure this one will be a winner too.

La-La Land Crafts - "Book Stack"

Impression Obsession - banner

Hero Arts - "Everyday Sayings," Tide Pool ink, Pool layering paper

Neenah - Solar White card stock

Copics

CAS(E) this Sketch #11

Here's another sketch from the CAS(E) this Sketch blog. This one was a challenge for me because I like my sentiments to be straight. 

Here's my card for sketch #11. Yes, I put the sentiment horizontally. 

The "holey" paper was created with a Silhouette cut file I made a while back for THIS card. After a few adjustments, I layered two of them to give the card a bit more dimension and to add a little shadow.

 Sandylion Essentials - "Island Oasis" stickers

Neenah solar white card stock

Hero Arts - "Birthday Messages"

Silhouette Cameo

CAS(E) this Sketch Challenge

I recently found CAS(E) this Sketch, a clean and simple card challenge. It's challenge number 10 on their blog.

And here's my card. 

Thank goodness for the Stamp-a-ma-jig! It made weaving these colors together easy.

Impression Obsession banner stamp

Penny Black - Salutations

Hero Arts - Orange Soda, Tide Pool, and Butter Bar inks and Pool layering paper

Versafine Onyx Black pigment ink

Neenah solar white card stock

Holiday Card Workshop, Day 2

Goodness. So many great ideas in class today. I chose to use Lisa Spangler's idea for my card. I made a few adjustments to suit my clean and simple style.

I used a background stamp for the colored banners. I have lots of pieces left over for more cards. Love that!

Hero Arts - "Snowflakes and Edges" and "Sending Holiday Cheer"

Simon Says Stamp - Folded Banner" die

Ranger - Seasonal Distress Inks, Perfect Pearl Mist

Neenah solar white card stock

Polar Bear

Back in my OWH shipper days, someone sent a card with this image, and I loved it. A friend of mine ordered the stamp set and let me borrow it. So funny.

And another version.