Simple elegance

I love Myrna's choice for the colour challenge this month at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown - black and white.

I had lots of plans for stamps etc I could play with, and different designs and layouts, but ended up with a very simple card. But as it's been a long, tiring week that has nevertheless flown by, simple is good.

I tore copier paper, using the edge of the Clarity blending mat to get a good deckle edge. I used this to create a panel on my card and stamped with a Wow background stamp, using black versafine ink. I stamped it twice to extend the length - annoyingly, once I'd cut down the card finally, one impression would have been wide enough. 

It's not a great impression but I like the grungy effect (or I'm too busy/lazy to redo it!) A different ink may have been better.

I then tried stamping ornate letters, "Noel" from a Clarity set and "Joy" from a La Blanche alphabet set.

I love these, and I'm sure I'll use them at some point! But as I was laying things out, I decided that I preferred an old favourite, a Tattered Lace "Merry Christmas" die. I cut a layer of black to go behind the panel card, then cut the Merry Christmas from the centre - I never usually remember to do that! I cut it in white as well, to give a drop shadow - or I guess it's a drop highlight. As I put it a bit above, it looks a little like snow.

And then it all went together onto a 6x6 card blank.

Simple and elegant! I usually avoid much black on Christmas cards, but used in patterns like this I'm quite taken with it.






If you want to play along, visit the 52CCT blog. You have until Friday 20th September to join in. I think our gallery is going to look very stylish this week!