Simple Things

Every once in awhile, I feel inclined to try and make art that is simpler and cleaner.  Most times  I can't resist adding a bit more.  I envy people who can be minimalist in their designs.  Guess it's just the collage in me trying to get out!

These new stamps from Michelle's store made me want to try again to dial things back.

Aren't these stems great?  The flowers and leaves are different stamps so you can combine them however you like. 

The giant rick rack is hand-dyed.  I picked it up at a craft show last month and really love how the color is very subtly varied.

 I used the same colors on the next card.  The turquoise and brown look so nice.  It's one of my favorite combinations.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set, the image is StampinUp! dry embossing, and the trim I got from SCRAP.

This is about as minimalist as I'm comfortable with :)  I tried not putting the trim on, really I did!

Oh well, what girl can resist a little sparkle, right?

Hope you all have a "simply" wonderful evening.

Photo Challenge

Melissa Phillips has come up with another great photo challeng to play along with.  She's taken another simply beautiful picture from A Creative Mint as our inspiration.

These colors are just so cool and relaxing to me.  Makes me think of peonies.

I have two friends who are on my mind this week for various reasons, so I decided to use this to inspire cards for them.

The flowers are K&Co die cuts and they came in such bright pinks that I had to use them for this.

The stamps are all from Unity - Regal Greetings, thanks Michelle!

Enjoy the sunshine and all of the flowers that are sprouting around us right now.

Oh, and don't forget the allergy pills!

Have a great evening.

Lokta Paper Flowers

I finally got to sit down last night and play with my new paper.  I got several great colors of handmade lokta paper.  It's heavy in weight, but very soft.  The colors are vibrant and the texture is just wonderful. 

I made some small flowers that will be part of my cigar box project, which you'll see in a few days.  I tried making the flowers in a larger size.  The small ones look sweeter, but I think the large ones would be nice in a bouquet.