Saturday, February 19, 2011

Less is More...Spring!

This wee for the Less is More challenge, we have a Theme challenge... the theme is SPRING.  There are no other restrictions apart from the those in the guidelines for a C&S card.  Well, of course, spring means beautiful flowers, green grass, sunshine...all those things that make each day brighter!  I decided do make a card using faux postage stamps.  Not only did I make A card...I made THREE cards for this weeks challenge!  Why?  Because this challenge wasn't as difficult for me as most challenges are! LOL! 
 My cards this week are hybrid cards.  I printed the faux stamp outline using Word. All you have to do is make a table in Word.  This table has four columns and three rows.  Then set the line type to a dotted line and turn off the border on the outside edges....super simple!  Then I added 44 in the corner.  And...I just noticed that I have the postage amount in opposite corners! Drat!  Oh, well... The image is a Flourishes stamp - Cherry Blossoms.  I stamped the image in Mementos black and colored it with Copic markers.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Asian Fusion stamp set.
I made a text box twice on one piece of paper (landscape) so that I could print one 8.5 x 11 piece of cardstock and then cut it in half for the two cards.  For this second card, I used Flourishes Gerber Daisies collection and colored it with Copic markers.  The sentiment is from the same Papertrey Ink -  Asian Fusion collection.

The third card was printed the same way and once again I used the Cherry Blossoms stamp from Flourishes, but the sentiment is from a Hero Arts sentiment set.

Since I finished another layout last night, I thought I'd share that with you too.  This is a photo of me and my son on Easter morning 1982. 


The papers are called Quick Quotes Paper - Ode to Joy. I used a template to cut the shaped piece, then cut the center out to use the shape as a frame for the layout. I added a little white faux stitching around the edges. The center strip is from the same collection and I used some punched edges on either side of it as well as a thin rust strip. I used a MS lacy edge punch and an EK Success punch on the borders. The buttons were clear buttons that I backed with the soft peachy color that I used to punched the lacy edge. I covered chipboard letters with the same paper as the shaped border, then added some glossy accents for shine. The "sweet" part of the title is handwritten and cut in squares. The flowers are some old DaisyD flowers from my stash. I added a large pearl and some stickles to the center of each flower. The swirls I made using 3 dimensional paint on transparencies, then cut them out and adhered with glue dots. I added some teal 3D dots across the lacy strip, and three small pearls to the top right corner of the photo. Journaling was printed on the soft peach paper, cut into strips and adhered to the layout. Journaling reads:

It was Easter Sunday, 1982, and you were a little over three years old. This was your first Easter wearing long pants to church. I usually made your Easter outfit, but you told me you didn't want to wear short pants anymore, so we bought your Easter clothes. ~sigh~ My little boy was growing up! I'm so glad I have this picture of us taken that day. It helps me remember the how sweet you've always been and how you've always given the sweetest hugs to your Mama! I love you, Matthew.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I appreciate the time you take to visit my blog and all your wonderful comments! Until next time....

Hugs!!


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50 comments:

Bonnie said...

What lovely cards, all three of them! Thanks for the directions of how to do that on MS Word. I'll have to try it. Again, I love that sweet page.

TAM said...

Fabulous cards - will give that faux stamp technique a go - thanks for the tutorial

themessycraftroom said...

Great cards . I will have to try using word. Really love all your cards. Thank you for visiting my blog. My scrapling card is 3" x 5" and thank you for your lovely comments. Hugs x ChrisB

Loli said...

Hello Susan, thank you very very much, i'm so happy for your comment, i love chocolate and roses too, i love the old boxes vintage style with flowers...
Beautiful yours cards, remember me the almond tree in blossom to the fiels of my island, Mallorca, i'm so happy with your card too.
A hug from Palma de Mallorca Spain.
Sorry for my english, i learn alone

Canonbury creations said...

Lovely cards and great tutorial Susan. Brilliant way to create a set of cards x

Chrissie said...

Hi Susan,
Another great set of work, I love the stamps idea and the images are lovely.
Thanks for joining us again... as you saw I did make a big plea for turning off Word Verification and it has been heed by quite a few, but sadly not all entrants. Maybe one day....
Chrissie
"Less is More"

Deborah Frings said...

Susan - I love this set of cards - the flowers are so gorgeous. I think the stamps are super - thanks for the tutorial (I may CASE this idea).

Your LO is also fab!!

jimlynn said...

Lovely cards! So unique and just wonderful. Also like your scrapbook page - so many wonderful memories I'm sure.
Lynn

snapdragon said...

You have MAD Word skills! I never would have thought of using Word to make such beautiful cards. Thanks for the instruction and inspiration! Have a great weekend!

Aileen said...

What a great idea using the stamp layout. Another idea to try! Your scrapbook page is fab too. x

S Jane said...

Thanks so much for explaining how you used Word to create your 'stamp' layout........I have to try that!
All your cards are beautiful and I'm sure we wouldn't have noticed the 44 in dif.corners had you not mentioned it!

Rosemary said...

what a gorgeous set of cards, susan! i especially love the cherry blossoms... so pretty!

Brenda R said...

It was interesting to read how you used Word in your stamping. I also enjoyed the picture of you and your son from 1982.

Mandi said...

Super set of cards, very stylish!
Thanks for supporting our challenge blog again, much appreciated
Hope to see you week after week

Super scrap page!

mandi
"Less is More"

Pauline said...

Fabulous cards and layout, I love the stamp effect you have made.

Stamps and Paper said...

Lovely cards very spring like.

Anne

Jane said...

Lovely cards and thanks for telling us how you did it. Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving me such a lovely comment. xx

Anonymous said...

Fabulous creations and perfect for spring. your layout is super too. thanks for sharing...

Ali x

Sue said...

Hi Susan, 3 fabulous cards and all beautiful, especially love the cherry blossom,very pretty indeedy:)

love the LO page too:)

sue
xx

Faith A at Daffodil Cards said...

What a pretty set of cards, so clever too

Seafield Jo said...

These cards are really beautiful. And very effective, lovely.

cnelson said...

Gorgeous cards!! That layout is just the sweetest!! LOVE it!

Canonbury creations said...

Hi Susan please check my blog there is something there for you! x

Lynne said...

Gorgeous cards. I adore Flourishes stamp, just haven`t got enough of them lol.
Lynne xxx

ikki said...

well done, love the layout and the images you have used. ikki

Sally H said...

Beautiful cards. I love all three. Your colouring is beautiful

Anonymous said...

Beautiful cards Susan, love the "stamp" outline! Gosh I'm learning so much from people with this challenge, I use the computer quite a lot too but never thought to extend the use of it!

Hugs
Brenda

Shobana said...

Tks so much for visiting my blog and leaving such a kind comment for me! Appreciate it! :)As a newcomer to this, really feels great to get appreciation from someone like you who has been doing this for so long now! :)

LOVE the postage cards! Awesome application of word!! Who would have thought!! And your other cards with coloring is simply beautiful! Tks for the inspiration! :)

Kim S said...

Wonderful cards and thank you for the "how-to" - I just set it up on my computer so I am ready to do some postage cards!

Since this is my first time to your blog, I then spent some fun time browsing back through your wonderful cards. Your cards are stunning. I love your CAS style as you do keep them clean and they appear fairly simple, yet they are SO creative and unique! I'll be back often!

Pauline said...

Thanks for your lovely comment on my card, I meant to say before I love your blog header, it's fab! xx

Sarn said...

Lovely, lovely cards! Will be back for more! (And thanks for dropping by my blog!)
Hugs, Sandra

Suze Bain said...

I love what you've done, and thanks for explaing how you did it! The blossom is my favourite.

Meggymay said...

Love your cards,the postage style looks just right for the beautiful images.

Pauline said...

Susan,I loved all three of you cards. Also thank you for the tip on making faux postage.I did appreciate you commenting on my OLW card.

Kathleen said...

Love your cards, love the postage style and images. Learn something new about PC unfortunely my pc won't take thick card.

Kathleen x

Gina said...

Great cards and what a brilliant idea for faux stamps - I'll have to try that one.
Gina x

Angelnorth said...

Lovely cards, the faux postage frames look great and that cherry blossom image is just beautiful!

A Consuming Passion said...

Wow Susan these are fabulous cards.......what a great idea to add the 'stamp' lines! Thanks so much for your helpful comment on my blog too......I love when people offer great advise, it's more sharing, which to me is what this blogging is about!

Wanda Cullen said...

Love your faux stamps you created! Hope I have the smarts on my computer to try that technique sometime! Your scrapbook page with your son on Easter is fabulous! What great papers and layout...makes for preservation of special memories! My kids always fuss when I'm taking pictures, but when my oldest son got married and wanted to create a Powerpoint presentation using pics as he grew up...where did he turn? To the scrapbooks I created to journal his life! They can just continue to call me Flash Gordon if they like! :-)

Shaz said...

Gorgeous set of cards. x

Janie Printz said...

Beautiful cards & a thanks for sharing how to use the Word program to make them ...
Hugs, Janie

Linby said...

Great idea - I have a rubber stampthat gives this effect but smaller so not found the right image to use it with yet. Must try this technique to give me more scope. I like the sunflowers one the best.
Love those colours on the scrap page.
Linbyx

Keep It Sweet and Simple said...

I just love your CAS cards - really stunning. And, great minds think alike, I went with a postage stamp idea too. :o)
Caroline xxx

Karin said...

Fanstastic cards!

Babs said...

Such a lovely show of cards, the images are fab.
Babs x

Sandra said...

Beautiful cards...love the postage stamp look...lovely work!

Take care
San x

kingstonmama said...

What a clever idea for the faux stamps! Your cards are so pretty. I love the flowered branch.

Maureen said...

Three lovely cards for the challenge. I love all of them and like the idea of the postage stamps.
Maureen........x

Linda said...

Fabulous cards!! Wish my mojo worked as quick as yours does!! xx

Diane said...

3 cards!! FAB!! It's a lovely layout I will definitely give it a go so big thank you for all the info.
Diane x

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