Monogram

Less Is More Challenge #446 begins today. We are challenged to make a One Layer Card with a Monogram.

We have a fabulous Guest Designer joining us for this challenge, the immensely talented Joanne James of The Crafty Owl. Joanne was our overall April winner. Do yourself a favor and take a stroll through her blog. You are sure to be inspired.

This was a tough one, until I remembered my Just Rite Monogram stamper products that I bought a gazillion years ago. There are all kinds of frames, and individual alphabets in several fonts and sizes... I had a ball putting them together. I am not a fancy monogram person, but I did get a big kick out of making these cards. The "technology" is so old. I was not able to use my MISTI to make sure I got a good impression. I did have to try several times before I was happy with the impressions, but I am happy with the way they turned out in the end. Both of the monogrammed images on my cards are heat embossed - the first with Rose Gold EP, and the second with Queen's Gold. I framed out the first by embossing with MFT's square peek-a-boo die and the second with a Spellbinders Hemstitch Circle Die. I inked around the second with Speckled Egg Distress Oxide Ink.

Please head over to the Less Is More Blog and see what the Design Team has created for your inspiration. I hope you'll play along with us to share your creations. Remember to keep your design Clean And Simple. See challenge guidelines on the Less Is More Blog.

You're Invited

I needed to come up with an invitation for my twin sons' graduation party. I spent a rainy day on Saturday working on an idea, and this is the final product.  I used a combination of challenges for inspiration. The Dynamic Duos color choice for this week was perfect as their school colors are green and white.  I chose gold for the "other color" using metallic for the embossing and a mustardy gold for the base of the circle on the top. I also used the Paper Players Tic-Tac-Toe challenge elements of punch/die, patterned paper, and dots (I have no enamel so I substituted the self-adhesive half pearl on the cap).

 

Thanks so much for stopping in today. Spring is still struggling to spring here in the Northeast... Hope springs eternal.



C&S Valentine

This is my take on this week's Clean&Simple sketch challenge: FTL127.

The base of the card is Gina K Pure Luxury white.  The solid pink panel is SU Pink Pirouette that was run through the EF from the Cuttlebug A2 combo die & EF: Love Language.  The DP is from a K&Company Die-Cut Cardmaking pad.  I stamped the decorative border from Just Rite's Decorative Borders set in Rose Red, and the sentiment from Just Rite's Romantic Sentiments in VersaFine Onyx Black. I then mounted the image on Rose Red atop 2 decorative tags cut from Spellbinders Fancy Tag dies.  I am going to make some of these for my mother and sisters and stamp a Valentine greeting inside.  Gotta get busy.  Lots to make this weekend!

Happy Birthday Joe!

Today is my husband's birthday.  He is a beach lover and he loves lighthouses, so this lighthouse image from Just Rite's By the Sea was the perfect focal point for his card.  I stamped it with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Gina K's Pure Luxury white card stock and colored it with Copics. It is cut with oval nestabilities and framed with Blue Bayou and Real Red ovals.  The second layer is SU Retired Soft Sky topped with  SU Western Sky DSP (retired).  I used twill tape and SU Rope Twine for embellishment. The framed sentiment is from Just Rite's Happy Everything Mini Tag Kit stamped with VersaFine Black Onyx ink.  The red border on the top is cut from Real Red card stock with Papertrey Ink's Victorian Lace border die.  Joe really loved this card. Happy birthday sweetheart!

Beach Note

Sharon Johnson's Stamp Simply #154 is a color challenge. The colors are Turquoise and Orange, with White OR Ivory as your neutral and as always, adding Black for a little POP is totally OK, but not required.  These colors are great as we transition from summer to fall.  I just love this beach chair and umbrella image from Just Rite's By the Sea Set. I love the simplicity of this card and the whispers of summer that I can hear when I look at the image. I am definitely a summer girl... but I love the fall too. This card is a tribute to my dual seasonal personality!

Here are my ingredients:

Stamps: Just Rite~By the Sea, Verve~Accent Notes.

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaFine Onyx Black.

Paper:  White, Soft Sky, Not Quite Navy, Pumpkin Pie.

Accessories:  Spellbinders Impressibilities, Nestabilities, Pumpkin Pie 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Dimensionals, Copics, Spellbinders Fancy Tags,  Kaiser pearls, Cuttlebug.