This is not a card I am particularly happy with, but I decided to post it anyway.  I wanted to do a snowy scene with Lovely As A Tree and also work with brayering white.  This is a good example of when a simple idea starts getting complicated and instead of just keeping the overhanging branches simple, I felt “compelled” to make red berries on the tree and it went downhill from there. The problem with that idea was that it took so much time and work to brayer in the snow along the borders and use the gel pen to ink in the snow on the trees that messing up the berries on the branches really took a great idea and just went too far thus ruining the card somewhat.  So, I warn you all!  Just keep it simple.  Put in the element and just count to 10 while staring at your card before you go any further!  Learn from my mistakes!  I am out of time tonight, but I will go back and re-do this card and make it simpler.  I will show you what that looks like in a post next week.  Until then, keep it simple!

A few things I am happy with: A gel ink pen is my favorite tool for coloring in snow. White from a gel pen really pops on the page in a way you cannot do with dye ink.  Also, I loved the ribbon, but I did not like the way the white stripe looked on this card, so I colored those in with crumb cake using a sponge dauber.  I don’t know if it was really necessary, but it made me feel better! I put a thin strip of red foil paper at the top and bottom of the stamped card stock. It looks great in person. It didn’t quite photograph as well as I wanted.   I love the design and the concept, so we will see what the “redux” looks like when I return to this design and just “keep it simple!”

I am definitely one of those people who gets too complicated in my card making at times.  The theme of my blog is “simply” and I am trying to live up to that.  I think doing things simply can me as difficult as really artsy cards. You have to be careful with solar selection, balance and the arrangement of elements when you are trying to be simple.  There are some real masters of the art of simple card making out there.  And I watch what they so with admiration.  It take a great eye to do simply well.  Today’s card may be a little too simple, but I am happy that I started with the goal of using certain papers, stamps and accessories and managed to see something that was simple yet colorful.

This simple card “happened” when I was trying to do a few things. First I wanted to use this ribbon. I love it and I haven’t done enough with it. The next thing I wanted to do was use some of the Merry Moments DSP I hadn’t used at all. The thought occurred that this design DSP would make a great wrapping paper and then I thought, “why not a wrapped card?” So, This just became a simple, quick and easy card you could make with any DSP you liked and really any ribbon. And the final touch was the tag. I wanted to use the Your Presents stamp set and this was a perfect card for the large sentiment “Joy” in that set.

Recipe

Papers: Merry Moments DSP, Old Oive, Whisper White, Real Red
Stamps: Your Presents
Ink: Real Red
Embellishments: Gold Cording, I/8 Striped Ribbon