Creative Confetti: Keeping it Simple

Hello friends and happy Tuesday! I hope the week is off to a great start for everyone! Lisa here to bring you this weeks Creative Confetti and we're going to keep it simple!

Life is a bit crazy for me right now....I work for our local school district and our kids are headed back to school on the 19th so we're busy getting ready for them. Plus, after 11 years of working the night shift, I'm switching to days. So, I'm trying to balance work, family time and crafting time! I'm always about keeping things simple but I really need to simplify things as much as possible right now. Hence, this week's theme. Let's create cards with lots of white space and not much fuss. Let the image do all the talking!

HOW TO PLAY: Create a clean and simple card. This means plenty of white space and a nice streamlined card without a lot of elements to draw your eye away from the image.

On to my creation...

Power Poppy has such wonderful images with fabulous details that it's really easy to pick one for a CAS card. Since I have winter and Christmas on the brain  I decided to ink up the set Let Your Heart Be Light. I am drawn to images that have an old fashioned feel to them and this set definitely has that feel. My grandmother was a retired florist and she used to have the most beautiful Christmas centerpieces on the kitchen table and this set makes me think of those.

To start, I die cut my white base so I would have some pretty edging around my image. After getting the 2 pieces arranged to where I wanted them (the top and bottom image panels) I stamped them in black and then used my copic markers to color in the image. For a little extra pop, I used metallic gel pens on the leaves and berries. I then adhered the white image panel to a cherry-colored card base and voila, easy peasy clean and simple card! It took me less than 15 mins from start to finish!

Want to join me this week? Simply create, post and then link up using the linky over at the Power Poppy blog!! As we always say, if you get those fingers inky and play along, each and every link is an opportunity to win a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! 

Until next time!

Lisa 

Winter is Coming

This week at The Paper Players they have a Clean and Simple challenge with a theme of "snowy day". I am a winter girl through and through, the more snow I have and the colder it is  the happier I am so I definitely had to play along!

I knew right away that I wanted to use a digital stamp from Mo's Digital Pencil called Winter is Coming. This image cracks me up because its someone shoveling with just their hat and the shovel peeking up over the snow. I've had many a winter like that here in Alaska (although this winter we've barely had snow, boo!!) and shoveling snow is one of my very favorite things to do, I find it very peaceful and relaxing.

I used my cool gray copics to color along the snow line and added a pop of color to match the sentiment, with a bit of yellow added for the shovel. To finish it off I used a SU embossing folder to add some falling snow.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hoppy Birthday

For this card I combined 2 challenges, the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and the Power Poppy Creative Confetti challenge...baby New Year or Father Time.

As soon as I saw the sketch I knew I wanted to use the Hops and Barley set from Power Poppy. I was going to use the clear set O Hoppy Day but the sentiment seemed too small against the hops and barley in the corners. With the digital set I was able to enlarge the sentiment to fit properly against the images.

For the Power Poppy challenge I decided to go with Father Time and make a masculine creation. I don't believe in resolutions and just strive to be a better person each day that I'm lucky enough to wake up so Father Time was a much better fit for me! A nice clean and simple card with a Soft Suede card base seems like the perfect masculine card.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Hops and Barley Digital Stamp Set (Power Poppy)

Paper: Soft Suede (SU), Neenah Solar White

Ink: Memento Tuxedo White

Copics: Y21, YR21, YR23

YG25, G24, G28

YG21, YG23, YG25

Accessories: Avery Elle Wonky Stitches Die

Be Happy

As soon as I saw this sketch at Clean and Simple Stamping I knew it would be perfect for a Power Poppy image. I decided to use the Geraniums Take Two set and also played along with the current Hues to Use challenge, which is a bright pink, white and black (at least that's what it looks like to me!).

I colored the geraniums the pink and then brought in the dark color on the pots. I also used black for the card base and for the strip of DSP along the left side. I tried to keep my leaves on the flowers a darker green and more neutral instead of a bright green.

Thanks for stopping by!

In the Bubble for Friday Mashup

This week at The Friday Mashup Cindy has a super fun challenge....she wants us to create a project using black, white/ivory and one other color of your choice. To add to the fun throw some word bubbles in there too!

As soon as I saw the sketch at Clean and Simple Stamping I smiled and was like, yes!! It couldn't have come at a better time. I was trying to figure out what to do for my card and this sketch made it all so simple.

I used the Arrows TIEF to emboss a strip of Whisper White and then I die cut the word bubbles in Basic Black and used a white gel pen to create the border. I stamped one of the bubbles from Just Sayin' in Daffodil Delight and used the coordinting die to cut it out. Following the sketch I added the bubbles across the card, with the Daffodil Delight bubble popped up with dimensionals. I don't know what it is about this card but it just makes me smile!

Make sure you head over to The Friday Mashup to see what the rest of the DT came up with, and also swing by Clean and Simple Stamping and give the sketch a try, its a fun one!

Create a project using the colors" Black , White/Ivory and one other color of your choice".

Create a project using a "Word Bubble".

or Mash it Up! and create a "Black & White project with a Word Bubble on it".

Supplies used(all supplies SU unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Just Sayin'

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black

Ink: Daffodil Delight

Accessories: Big Shot, Word Bubbles Framelits, Arrows TIEF, White Gel Pen

Liberty and Love

A friend of my daughters left for boot camp shortly after they graduated from high school in May and today she received a letter from him. We were going to send him a big package of goodies but apparently he isn't allowed to receive packages, boo! I wonder if that's a change of policy due to 9/11....I went through boot camp in 1992 and we were allowed to get packages(or maybe it's an Army thing? I was Navy). I loved the treats from home, they helped boost morale, that's for sure. Anyway, since we cant do a package I made this card for her to send instead, to let him know we're thinking of him and proud of him for stepping up to serve this country!

I used the sketch over at Clean & Simple for inspiration! For a little more visual punch I added some paper piercing and faux stitching around the edges of the card.

Supplies used(all supplies SU unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Independence Day (retired), The Free and the Brave (retired)

Paper: Marina Mist, Naturals White, Polka Dot Parade

Ink: Real Red, Daffodil Delight

Accessories: Paper Piercer, White Gel Pen

Clean and Simple Christmas

And trust me, when I say clean and simple this weeks sketch is VERY clean and simple, and I like that!

I had a bit of a rustic, snowy day on my mind so I grabbed Crumb Cake cardstock and used some Sapphire embossing powder I've had for yrs on snowflakes from the Bright Hopes set. I love these snowflakes and I really like them embossed like this. For the sentiment I used Night of Navy and to keep the focus on the snowflakes I didnt emboss the Merry Christmas.

To give it just a bit of an extra touch I added the rhinestones between the snowflakes. I dont like the way it photographed...here in southcentral Alaska we're having a very windy and gray day and no matter where I took the photo it turned out a bit dark, ugh!

 Supplies used(all supplies SU unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Bright Hopes
Paper: Crumb Cake
Ink: Night of Navy, Versamark
Accessories: Sapphire embossing powder, round corner punch, rhinestones

Clean and Simple Thankful

I love this sketch over at Clean and  Simple Stamping. Wonderful crisp lines and open space, but nothing too overwhelming!

I have completely fallen in love with the Spice Cake DSP, which is really weird for me. Normally I'm all about the Christmas paper but I am totally going to have to stock up on Spice Cake before the holiday mini ends Dec.31.

Supplies used(all supplies SU unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Always Thankful

Paper: Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Spice Cake DSP

Ink: Black StazOn, Early Espresso, Soft Suede, More Mustard, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green

Accessories: Brads, Blender Pen

Thinking of You

I am in desperate need of stamping time, lol. I just received my order where I bought just about everything in the holiday mini and I just want to sit and play all day, but life isnt allowing it. I did make time in my afternoon though to play along with this weeks Freshly Made Sketches challenge. I just love the clean and simple sketches they are posting!

I whipped out the new Spice Cake DSP for this card. I love this DSP! Usually I'm all about the Christmas DSP but the Spice Cake paper is totally worth stocking up on...such pretty colors and designs! Because I picked out some of the papers with a busy design I wanted to keep my main image pretty simple. I love the Leaves Of a Tree stamp and originally started with that but it didnt look right with this paper, so I ended up using the very versatile tree from the Thoughts and Prayers set. I got this set a few months ago and it quickly became one of my favorites, as you can use it for so many things. The sentiment is also from the Thoughts and Prayers set and again, I kept it nice and simple.

Supplies used(all supplies SU unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Thoughts and Prayers

Paper: Pool Party, More Mustard, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Spice Cake DSP

Ink: Soft Suede, More Mustard

Accessories: More Mustard Ribbon, Decorative Label Punch, Scallop Edge Border Punch, sponge, dimensionals

Christmas Circles

I thought this weeks layout over at Clean and Simple was intriguing so I inked up my Jolly Bingo Bits set to make a Christmas card. That set was one of the ones I just had to have, and yet this is the first time I've used it!

The card size is the standard 4.25x5.5 and I used the 1 1/4" circle punch for my circles. I did try backing them with some Riding Hood Red cardstock but didnt like it. I like the circles just as a single layer much better.

Supplies used(all supplies SU unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Jolly Bingo Bits, Bright Christmas
Paper: Naturals White
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist, Soft Suede, Elegant Eggplant, Always Artichoke
Accessories: Riding Hood Red ribbon, 1 1/4" circle punch, dimensionals

Clean and Simple Joins with Jingle Belles

Today was a perfect day to work on a Christmas card. Its been raining here in southcentral Alaska and I feel like the most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner! Autumn arrives quickly in Alaska and winter isnt far behind...I've already got leaves falling from the trees and the Talkeetna and Chugach Mtns that surround us have already had some snow. I cant wait until we get our first snowfall here in the Valley!

This week Jingle Belles is joining up with the Clean and Simple Stamping blog for the challenge, which is a sketch. I love CAS cards but I have to admit when I saw the circles on the sketch I groaned. Just not my style! I sat and thought about it for a bit and decided to use my Polar Party set(LOVE the images!) and some of my favorite DSP(which I also noticed a designer for FTL used...oops. Great minds think alike eh?). The DSP background makes the card seem a little busier than it really is but overall I think I did pretty good with the CAS part. I have to say I really like this card and how it came out...I might make a few more of it!

Supplies used(all supplies SU unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Polar Party
Paper: Taken With Teal, Ruby Red, Whisper White, Holiday Lounge DSP
Ink: Black StazOn, Taken With Teal, Ruby Red, Sahara Sand, Pear Pizzazz, Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake
Accessories: 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Round Corner Punch, Coluzzle, Scallop Edge Border Punch, sponge, dimensionals

Thanks For Caring

When I lost my father to cancer last October I had so many friends step up and comfort me in whatever ways I needed, and even now, 8 months after losing him, there are still so many dear friends that help me deal with the emotions I face daily of not having my dad around. I made this card with all of them in mind.

I love the clean and simple look, and the Clean and Simple blog is one of my favs. I used this weeks sketch to make the card.

 Supplies used(all supplies SU unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Nature Walk, sentiment from Thanks For Caring
Paper: Marina Mist, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla, Botanical Gazette DSP
Ink: Early Espresso, Not Quite Navy, Versamark
Accessories: Sponge, Scallop Border Punch, Very Vanilla Ribbon, dimensionals

Strength and Hope

I finally got a chance today to ink up one of the new sets I got recently, Strength and Hope! I love love love this set. Like many others my life has been touched by cancer, especially in the last few yrs. My stepmom is a breast cancer survivor(she recently hit her 5 yr clear mark, woohooo!), 3 yrs ago my best friend since I was 15 lost her mom to breast cancer(passing away only 3 months after she was diagnosed), and I lost my beloved father to squamous cell cancer on Oct.2,2010.

I've seen the Strength and Hope of cancer survivors and their loved ones up close and personal and this set just really speaks to me. Plus any money that goes towards breast cancer research is a wonderful thing! So I got inking today and made a card that incorporated 2 challenges, this weeks colors from The Color Throwdown, and this weeks sketch from Clean and Simple.

Supplies used(all supplies SU unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Strength and Hope

Paper: So Saffron, Rose Red, Whisper White, Springtime Vintage DSP

Ink: Rose Red, Taken With Teal

Accessories: Round Corner Punch, Rose Red Brads, Whisper White Ribbon, CB Swiss Dots folder, sponge, dimensionals

Patriotic and Little Girls

This week The Color Throwdown gave us these colors: Navy, White and another color of your choosing. I loved this challenge so much I ended up making 2 cards for it!

My first card used Night of Navy, Whisper White, and Cherry Cobbler. I used the CB folder Distressed Stripes and some Riding Hood Red ribbon to bring it all together. I love this stamp from SU. I'm a Navy vet, my husband is retired Navy, and I love anything patriotic!

Supplies used(all supplies SU unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Land of the Free

Paper: Night of Navy, Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler

Ink: Night of Navy, Cherry Cobbler

Accessories: Riding Hood Red ribbon, CB Distressed Stripes folder, sponge, dimensionals

My 2nd card incorporates this weeks Clean and Simple challenge from Splitcoast, along with The Color Throwdown. This time I used Night of Navy, Whisper White and Daffodil Delight. How sweet is this image of 2 little girls? Its funny that I like it so much because I am SOOO not a girly-girl, LOL.

Supplies used(all supplies SU unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: The Nicest Things

Paper: Night of Navy, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Night of Navy DSP

Ink: Black StazOn, Night of Navy, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizazz, Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Night of Navy ribbon, Scallop Trim Border Punch, dimensionals