Please Stamp a Simple Card

When I design cards for my own use, or to share with all of you, I tend to make simple, clean designs, but with some kind of twist or “uplift”. You know, a little sparkle or a piece of ribbon. I try to keep it simple, but not boring,

But every so often I receive a request to please stamp a simple card. Occasionally I hear this from a newer stamper. Maybe she doesn’t have a lot of confidence. Or maybe she doesn’t have a lot of supplies. But most often, I hear this from an experienced stamper who simply doesn’t have enough time. (Raise your hand if you fall into this category. I would love to be your friend, so that I can borrow a little of your spare time…)

So, the simple stamped card is most desirable.

It’s also important at holiday time. Maybe you’re willing to make a few highly embellished cards for special folks. But you want something much simpler for the bulk of the recipients.

So, here a couple of variations of a card that is extremely quick to make.

This was my first design.

I know that many people like simple designs to be symmetrical. But having images a little off center can add a lot of interest to a design.

To keep it fast, I only colored in the berries on the poinsettias.

Here is my next design.

When I looked at the first card, I felt it had too much white space. White space is good. It allows other parts of the card to grab your attention. It also gives your eyes a place to rest. Because Stampin’ Up! makes such interesting designs, our eyes continually dart all over the card front. It’s a lot of fun, but it can be tiring, too.

You may not have noticed, but there’s a bell stamped in the upper right and lower left corners of the Poppy Parade cardstock. I really like the bess, so I stamped it on the inside of the card, too. This card lets you have a little peek!

This time, I didn’t color in any of the leaves or berries. I left it all alone.

If you want to step it up a little, you can always color the leaves and berries.

I used the Blended Seasons stamp set. This is the limited edition stamp set that you buy only this month. Check it out at my online store. It also comes bundled with a set of Framelits and a set of new watercolor pencils.

I also played a little with color. Many people stick with the primary colors. I chose Poppy Parade and Granny Apple Green for these cards. That do you think?

So, that’s my simple card for today.

Do you prefer simple cards or do you like to step it up a bit? Please leave a comment and let us know!