Blossom

Over at the Sugar Nellie blog there is a thread about clean and simple cards ...

I am still learning things in the world of forums, and over at SCS there was a thread about clean and simple, CAS, cards with the minimum on them, sometimes only a stamped image, no colouring, nothing.I like it.For some time now I have been thinking that a lot of the Sugar Nellie cards we have featured are advanced, these are beautiful cards but very scary if you are just into stamping. With my teachers hat on I would like to request a little homework from all you sugar babes, CAS cards, I feel that we all started somewhere and I often say in class, "keep it simple but do it well". I would love to see your CAS cards, post a link if you are happy for me to copy & paste, I believe that these can be as stunning as the very layered cards and a lot less expensive to make.

I have to agree with some of what is being said - whilst I love all the really layered, decorative cards, they really aren't me or the people I make cards for. But sometimes you feel pressured to make this style of card as everyone else seems to be doing them! I like to make a wide variety of cards, not all of which get on here.

As I have been commissioned this morning to make a card for someone I thought I would do a comparison of the 2 styles using the same stamp, colours and where possible the same papers. The only remit for the card is no paper flowers (gasps in horror!!) and little if no tatt, oh and has to be a C6 card ...

So this is what I have come up with ...

Clean and simple ... cream card blank and cream to matt. Dusky pink Coredinations that has been embossed. Blossom is stamped in Versafine Sepia and coloured in Antique Linen and Tatter Rose distress inks. The sentiment is Penny Black and again stamped in Versafine Sepia. A bit of organza ribbon just to balance the corners.

As some of my friends would say ... the more fussy option (but not as fussy as it could be!!) Same image used and stamped and coloured exactly the same. I distressed this one in the Antique Linen and Tattered Rose inks, and ran a darker pink round the edges. I matted the sentiment rather than stamping straight onto the card. I had to add extra papers, and distressed the embossed panel. Goldy brown organza and a bow finishes it off.

I know which one will sell and which I will be keeping to send to a friend!! Do you??

This card that I made for Friday Sketchers is far too fussy for most of the people I make and send cards to ... I love it as I love distressing papers. But it is certainly not clean and simple! (Nor was I clean by the time I had finished that distressing!!)

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sugar Nellie Blossom, Penny Black Transparent Sentiments
Colouring Media: Distress inks, Versafine Sepia, Color box Dusky plum
Papers: Coredinations, Papermania Nostalgic Warm
Embellishments: Ribbon from stash