Tuesday, March 13, 2012

3 Clean And Simple cards (with SRM stickers)


You guys may know that I was tragically born without the gene
that let's you achieve a Clean And Simple card. ;-)
Not sure why I find them so stinkin' difficult to do, but boy do I!

Do you find clean and simple
easy or tricky?




Since I love these stickers:


I didn't want to miss
this Clean & Simple challenge:


(CFC43 until Wed. 14th at 11:59 pm)

The first two cards may not
be truly clean and simple, but if the third one
isn't too clean, then I'll eat my stamps! :-D




A small & tall card
(6-1/4" tall x 3-3/8" wide)

1 hero arts large flower background

The flower image is my new number one stamp fave:
Hero Arts Large Flower Background cling stamp

Technique details:

1) Stamped on Kraft cardstock using Colorbox White pigment ink.
2) Heat embossed with white embossing powder.
3) Painted with Distress Inks (Broken China, Tumbled Glass, Victorian Velvet, Forest Moss, Pumice Stone)
4) Intensified the colours with Copic markers & then painted over with Perfect Pearls

Such a fun technique to do...
Hopefully you can see some of the shimmer in this photo:

1c White heat emboss Hero Arts large flower bkgrd stamp on kraft cs -Distress ink painting with perfect pearls

Do you like creating sayings for cards?

Sentiments are where I get lazy.
They make me cringe since I can never stamp
them perfectly. Let's just say Hooray for Stickers!

This sticker is just cut up & stuck on watercolour paper:

1b SRM thank you sticker cut from circle on watercolour paper and cardstock

(and it's on some blue cardstock too). Super fast!




A square & sloppy card:
(5 inches square)

2a SRM sticker coloured with copic markers - Hero Arts large flower background stamp in white

The background stamping is that Hero Arts Large Flower background again
(masked off & stamped messily in Colorbox white ink (with rough lines
drawn around it in black pen & splatters of watery white paint).

---

The "... I love you ..." sticker is stuck on a little bit of printed
(miniscule) text & I used Copic markers to colour on top of the sticker:

2b SRM sticker - Over printed text in tiny typewriter font then coloured with Copic markers

I just smudged the Copics while they were still wet, with a finger tip.
Then added a bit of black hand stitching on the tag.




An ultra-simple A2 card:
(5-1/2" tall x 4-1/4" wide)

3a super simple stitched SRM thanks sticker card

The white "thanks" sticker stuck on black cardstock &
pierced & stitched:

3b Stitched SRM sticker

I was surprised at how easy it was to stitch letters using the sticker since it makes
the paper stronger (and I found it made the stitched letters look so much tidier too!)
Plus, how cute is that font, hey?

The hearts are from a teeny punch that was $1.50 at Michael's:

3c detail SRM thanks sticker

I stuck a piece of Distress-inked paper under them (inks: mustard seed,
broken china, spiced marmalade).



Here are the stickers I used, in case you're curious
(they're highlighted in turquoise). I cut the brown "thank
you" out of the circle for the first card.

We've Got Your Sticker - Thanks:



Sticker Sentiments - Love:





Hope you are having the

most delightful of weeks!



P.S. full disclosure: I received the SRM stickers for free back in the day as part of design team work.

P.P.S. The coloured sticker on card number 2 was inspired by this amazing scrapbook page by Corrie Jones on the SRM blog.

22 comments:

Unknown said...

I always, always find it hard to make CAS cards. Hahaha! Maybe because I just want to have everything in! Haha! But, of course, that can't be the case all the time. Sometimes we just have to hold back to avoid over-decorating the card. Haha!

But, these are great! Nice work!

Kim Etherington said...

Very nice cards. I can not pull off nice simple cards. Your last card is definitely your most simple card ever produced by your hands. Though I see you still had to stitch. haha

Margie said...

I find the CAS cards hard to do too but love your examples. Really like the background technique on the first card so I'll have to give that a go. I haven't seen those stickers in the UK - will have to have a look out for them.

Barbara said...

I admire your patience doing all that stitching,it has paid of though because the cardsare lovely. Hugs Barbara.

Crafting Aberrigines said...

Gorgeous cards ..
definitely going to try it ..
the long black card is a fav now ...the colors are gorgeous and so is the overall look ..
Thank you for the stickers..its a great help for people who have limited stamping stock!

CinnamonSally said...

My goodness these cards are stunning, the top one is so beautiful, I love the effect you have created.

all that scrapbooking said...

Totally tove those! The third one is my best!

Esther Asbury said...

I enjoy doing something CAS once in a while too -- your cards turned out adorable! I think the 1st one is my favorite -- but I love the "square and sloppy" one too!

Cristina said...

Love all of them! Those little details you added make the cards.

Erum Tasneem said...

I love love LOVE the first one the MOST!!!! Love the shabbiness of the second one, and super great idea to add stitching on the third one!

Susan said...

Mel...love seeing using your SRM Stickers again. Love everything you do! Good luck on that CAS-ual Fridays challenge!

Michele Gross said...

Are you kidding me? Born without the CAS gene? LOL! All 3 of your cards are amazing! Love 'em!! Thank you for getting sentimental with us this week at CAS-ual Fridays!

Virginia L. said...

You rock with this stamp, Mel! All the details are amazing! Thanks so much for playing with us at CAS-ual Fridays!

Chris said...

Alas, I also have No C&S Gene.
The more stash you collect the harder it is to not want to use it all at once.
I love all 3 cards the 3rd is the Cleanest and most Simple, the first one is my favorite with the white embossing on Kraft and the subtle colouring, Beautiful!

Priscilla said...

Beautiful cards Mel. I can't do CAS either but no way have the intricacy gene you have! Love that 1st card, now I want that stamp!
Noticed the stitching after card #3...just had to get your fix? Thanks for todays inspiration!

judy said...

I love what you have done with the large flower stamp; it looks beautiful on kraft and your coloring is awesome!

alexandra s.m. said...

Oh Mel Your C&S cards are to die for!
Amazing work with the stamps and I really like the idea of using a sticker on black!

Thank You Mel!!
Brilliant work as always ;-)

Mari said...

Oh, that first one is my *favorite*! LOVE IT! (especially the colors - who doesn't love kraft, white, blue & shimmery??)

Miriam Prantner said...

LOVE these! I have got to try that first one, so GORGEOUS!

Leslie Hanna said...

Not. Even. Close. I was GOING to say Yee-Hah for that third one, but then you had to go and STITCH THE LETTERS! Sigh.

All three of these ROCK, even if they aren't CAS. :D

Deirdre said...

Stunning - love what you created.

Karen L K said...

That small and tall card is really great looking!