lazy cardmaking

So, I have happened upon the most delicious way to make cards without really having to think too much. It's the peak of summer and my brain might be a little fried...I need a way to make a few cards that don't require much creative energy.

The answer?

Simple Stories 6x6 paper pads--specifically the Summer Fresh one. See what the Simple Stories designers did with Summer Fresh on their blog. Awesome stuff and totally inspiring! I have noticed lately that many card-makers have embraced this fast-n-fabulous way to make cards and I wanted to try my hand at it too. The magic of the Simple Stories paper pad is two-fold. First of course, the patterns are coordinated, so I don't have to spend time hunting through the paper stash to find papers that go together. Second, there are are coordinating sheets of items intended to be cut apart and used as embellishments included in the pad.

Here are two:

Clearly, these could be used in a variety of ways, for both cards and scrapbook pages.

I started with four cards...I'm betting it would not be difficult at all to get 25 cards out of one pad of paper.

I think this one (above) may be my favorite. (I used a kraft base and added a little bit of ruffled ribbon.)

 

I have never done a card with a vertical sentiment before, but I enjoyed the twist of this, and it goes well with just a narrow micro-check ribbon.

 

 

 

No stamping today...just some layering and a few minor embellishment choices. How's that for easy?

Happy lazy cardmaking.
--Sarah

colorful inspiration

So not too long ago, I joined www.thestampnation.com -- the *only* website I have ever paid for content on (and probably the only one I ever will). Catherine Pooler is a super-fine Stampin' Up! demonstrator who produces a magnificent amount of crafty content every month and shares it on her website, The Stamp Nation. Her style is bold and I find her videos on par with Kristina Werner and Jennifer McGuire in terms of quality of instruction and professionalism. Speaking as one who *hates* the concept of paying for content, I do love that site. :)

Not too long ago Catherine offered up a fast and furious birthday card video that totally inspired me to go old school and stamp out a little ROYGBIV. (I can't link it up but I can tell you it was a clean and simple card with lots of wow!)

Nothing says happy like the colors of the rainbow, right. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. In Stampin' Up! inks, that translates to Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeaide, Pacific Point (sometimes second generation stamping), and Rich Razzleberry. (I also found that Summer Fun makes an awesome hit of yellow and is ever-so-slightly more appropriate for ROYGBIV.)

 

Second generation images used for the scoops on the ice cream cone...second gen is the second image that comes out lighter than the first.

 

The ice cream cone and scoops are from Sweet Scoops. I'm on a quest to see what else I can use that ice cream cone for...like perhaps a vase or bowl, a light or something else entirely...stay tuned.

 

So, it turns out that there wasn't room for the Rich Razzleberry image on this card base...on second thought, I will use this trick for a larger card next time. I do enjoy this style of stamps that is now retired from Stampin' Up! -- putting several images in a line and sizing them perfectly for use on a card front. The line of party hats came straight out of a now retired set called *Party Hearty*. (The small "Happy Birthday" brackets are part of Pretty Petites, which coordinate with the mini-curly lable punch.)

 

ROYGBIV...lovin' it. Stampin' it.

 

--Sarah

 

 

big red flowers

 

 

I'm quite enamored with the big flower from Impress right now...I quite often find it relaxing to cut out flowers while watching television in the late evenings. I stamp out 20 or so flowers in all different colors and then go to town witht the super-fine tip scissors...it makes a huge mess but it's very productive.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Stamping!

--Sarah