Dark Doilies

Black just seems to "pop" on kraft cardstock. Using the Black Soot Distress ink on to distress the edges of the card front also adds to the drama. Adhering the bow to the left of the centre of the card balanced the card design.

Natalie

Card Recipe

Stamps: image (Magenta), sentiment (Stampin' Up)

Paper: kraft cardstock (Bazzill), black cardstock (stash), patterned paper (7Gypsies)

Ink: Distress Black Soot

Accessories: patterned scissors (Fiskars), flower punch?, ribbon (Fabricland), button (stash)

F is for Focus

Though individual letters are often used for monograms, here I have used an "F" to bring attention to the sentiment on the card. It was necessary to make sure that the frame of the letter was larger than the flower to the right so that these two elements worked together, rather than against each other.

Natalie

Card Recipe

Stamps: large doily (Magenta), small doily (Stampin' Up), sentiment (Stampin' Up)

Papers: patterned (K & Co.), kraft cardstock (Bazzill)

Inks: Staz On Timber, Distress Vintage Photo

Accessories: Spellbinder (Circles, Scalloped Circles, Blossom), Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Tattered Leather Glimmer Mist, Kaiser pearl brad, ribbon (stash)

Dressing Doilies

I found that layering on a stamped doily image was a fast and easy way to make a simply elegant card. Keep in mind the colours that will work well with kraft cardstock, particularly when choosing a colour to stamp your sentiment, so it is easily read.

Natalie

Card Recipe

Stamps: image (Magenta), sentiment (Stampin' Up)

Paper: kraft cardstock (Bazzill)

Inks: white (Colorbox Frost), black (Versafine Black Onyx)

Accessories: flowers (Petaloo), button (Doodlebug), embroidery thread (stash)

Cameos

A very popular icon at this time is the cameo. Though this is an older stamp from PSX, CTMH has a new stamp set out, while you will find this image in patterned paper of other companies. Here the Spellbinder Classic Scalloped Ovals Large and the Classic Ovals Small perfectly frame the image. To make the seam binding and paper flower match, I tinted them with Frost Glimmer Mist. I found that as the paper flower and "ribbon" dried, the colour faded--less is more.

Natalie

Card Recipe

Stamps: image (PSX), sentiment (PTI)

Papers: brown cardstock (CTMH), blue cardstock (Bazzill), patterned (Linda G.)

Ink: Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate

Accessories: Spellbinder Ovals & Nested Frames, paper flower (Kaiser), Glimmer Mist

Extreme Coordinating Patterned Papers

What I mean by "extreme" is that this line of paper had one which was relatively light and one which was relatively dark. This allowed me to cut a border out of the darker paper which would stand apart from the card front base. Keep this in mind when choosing coordinating papers.

Natalie

Card Recipe

Stamp: PTI?

Papers: cardstocks (Bazzill), patterned (from Linda G.)

Ink: Distress Walnut

Accessories: Spellbinder Circles & Lacey Circles, Fiskars Scalloped Scissors, velvet ribbon (stash), blue gros grain ribbon (SU), buttons (stash)

Back on Track

I've finally been able to get back in production! This card is my first using pleated paper. I found that trying to create my own pleated ribbon was just too frustrating. By scoring a strip of paper, I had control over the width of the pleats. Note that the CTMH border was already adhesive, making it a treat to incorporate into the design.

I apologize for the blurriness of the scan and realize that a photograph of the card would be much better, but due to the volume of cards I post, I'm afraid that isn't feasible.

Natalie

Card Recipe

Stamp: Gina K.

Papers: cardstock (Bazzill Berrilicious), patterned (Basic Grey Stella Ruby)

Inks: Versafine Black, Distress Antique Linen

Accessories: paper flower (Kaiser), paper border (CTMH), ribbon (Fabricland), paper doily (stash)