Feb 22 2008
Friendship With a Flourish
I have the most difficult time trying to pinpoint what my favorite card style is. It’s a good thing I’m not forced to choose because glaciers could melt while I make up my mind. I love the earthy, outdoors look we consider masculine, but on the other end of the spectrum I’m drawn to anything soft and utterly feminine. Then again, sometimes I’m in the mood for perky and whimsical, perhaps even retro. Oh, but what about vintage? I love vintage! Or shabby chic? Shabby anything. Or the drama of deep, rich colors playing Wagner on designer papers. Polka dots, swirls, florals, anything botanical…
Today, I’m in the mood for femininity. It’s the end of the work week. I’m tired. I need quiet, soft colors, grace and calm. It’s Friday night as I write this, by the way, and I’m plum tuckered out. Hmmmm…plum — Pale Plum and Perfect Plum — there’s an idea… I used those colors with my new Damask and Damask Reverse background stamps from Flourishes. Oh, my goodness, they’re so wonderful to work with! I’ve never made such quick and easy cards. I think it was a stroke of genius when Flourishes decided to produce both the positive and the negative. I hope they don’t mind if I tell you a little secret… shhhhh… don’t go spreading this around, now… The original concept was the Damask Positive, the design I used in Pale Plum on the upper panels of this card. Once it was cut and lifted away they did a double take at the negative image that was left behind. Well, thank goodness for us they realized it was too gorgeous in it’s own right to leave behind because the two stamps together sure do make a fabulous combination.
The sentiment and the little border flourish are both part of Many Sentiments, another new set from Flourishes. They were pretty much all I needed to finish off this card, save for the ribbon, clip and brads.
Do you have a favorite style? What type of cards are you most drawn to? Will glaciers melt while you make up your mind? I hope to see you again soon. I’m not sure what style I’ll be in the mood for next…tomorrow’s another day. Have a great weekend!
Stamps: Damask, Damask Reverse, Many Sentiments (all from Flourishes)
Paper: Mellow Moss, Pale Plum Textured, Whisper White (all from Stampin’ Up!)
Ink: Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Always Artichoke
Accessories: Ribbon, brads, swirl clip, small corner rounder punch, Scotch brand dimensional mounting tape
For being plum tuckered out (as I feel right now) you certainly made a stunning chic (not too shabby) card! (wink)! The soft colors are just what I need to send me off to my bubble bath and dream land! Have a wonderful restful weekend! Deb
What a wonderful, peaceful, beautiful card. I really do love everything about it. I guess I would have to say I love most all styles - sometimes (well maybe most times) it’s actually the artist’s use of a style that I love. For me, the style I find most challenging to do is a no-layer, simple card. I like STUFF on cards, tastefully placed. Julie Ebersole’s cards are beautifully executed - everything placed perfectly and blended together in such an appealing way. I just have to have ribbon and STUFF on mine. I wish I could do her style.
You are so right. The positive and negative images may a great pair. Love these colors with this design. gorgeous
Yes, for me glaciers would definitely melt! I love it all, and think each has it’s own time and place for me. And that’s a good thing…right?
This card is simply beautiful. Your colors are divine, and I do so love those stamps!
Oh, WOW — another breath-taking beauty!!! LOVE this!!! The “Our Friendship” has been high on my list to use, just didn’t quite get there yet — so nice to see it in use here!!! I love the size and font of it!!! Your colors are scrumptious, love the textured paper, the rounded corners and the distressing — this is FABULOUS!!!
Whatever you do, you always do it beautifully. I love your variety. This is no exception. Gorgeous! And I thought I didn’t really like purple cards.
You like eclectic ! LOL I always love what you do…lovely card with the lilacs and plums !
Just gorgeous! I love the textured cardstock!
How pretty! Where do you find the time to stamp all these lovelies?
That is what I love about your cardmaking you do any style very well, Love the softness of this one, very calming. I noticed I use alot of flowers, not good at the masculine cards.
Absolutely stunning!!! Love the colors and the layout is wonderful!!!
This is absolutely gorgeous………..this is one of my favorite styles of card. These two stamps are so gorgeous together! Love your colors and details.
Leslie…I love that you are so versatile and you do them all well. This is stunning….I have one in my mind that is similar—you are as always an inspiration!
Beautiful card Leslie! I was working with Pale Plum last night too! I love how you did the three vertical panels on top. It really adds a lot of interest to the overall design.
As far as style goes, I have no style. I LOVE IT ALL!
Linda
Absolutely breathtaking, Leslie! I love the trio of panels against the textured paper, wonderful distressing and sponging! Thank you so much for all of your gorgeous cards, that are such an inspiration to so many! I got my Damask flourishes last week and the Lace Heart and just love them! I think I like most everything, color or style, at any given time, depending on what mood I’m in. So glad to know I’m not the only one.
Wow! Is this card absolutely beautiful! I love the way you did those panels, it looks really pretty that way! As for style, well, let’s just say that I am still trying to find it - LOL! *STAMPIN HUGS* Alex
OK, so it’s all your fault, Leslie!! I just went and ordered these two b/g’s (along with the flourised words, of course!). I’ve been watching you use them and oogling them for far too long. See what you’ve done! Like I need more b/g stamps! Aaaacckkk!!! LOL! Your card is just glorious - don’t be suprised if you see a semi-CASE on my blog one of these days…
And oh yeah, I really don’t have a particular style (I don’t think). I just go with whatever comes out of me at the time and sometimes the finished product is sooooo not what I had in mind when I started.
My word! Perfect plum and pale plum never looked so stunning together for me and they were my favoroite colors. Love this and really had a chuckle with the line about the glacier melting. Thank you for yet another beautiful LM eye candy.
Oh Leslie, I love the touch of shabbiness to your very soft and feminine card. The colors, ribbon, Flourish BG stamps and clip are just wonderful. TFS
OOOOHHHH!! You make me so mad….that I didn’t come up with this wonderful design….This is just beautiful Leslie…as always you are one of my very favorites…
Beautifully gorgeous! I’m glad you have so many styles! Each one is a joy to see and variety is the spice of life, right? I love how you added the little flourish at the bottom of the card. I can’t peg my style either. Some days I feel like less is more, then other days I like to pile on the layers. But I do know that I like flowers and birds, so most of my cards turn out “prettified”.
Leslie! This is breath-taking. I know what you mean about not being able to pinpoint your favorite style. But I have decided one thing.. whatever you have done is my favorite style that day! lol This is ‘plum’ beautiful. Such an incredible layout. Love the torn bottom edge on the three panels. And all those gorgeous swirls. Loved your story, too, on how they came to be.
Hmmm, I think I have the same problem - can’t nail down my favorite style. I like many, especially if the card is “pretty.” I love how your inspiration came from being “plum tuckered out.” Nice way to make some lemonade. This is definitely a lovely and serene, calming card. I also like the softening effect from the rounded tops of the three panels. Great design to feature a sentiment. You have sold me on both of those backgrounds, although it didn’t take much. They really are gorgeous. Linda
This is so beautifully executed…and I love those new background stamps from Flourishes!! Those colors are so pretty together, and I love your sentiment with the clip and ribbon!!
I cannot make up my mind which style I prefer either, but I know that I LOVE yours!!
MY WORD!! This is stunning!! Absolutely gorgeous!!
Leslie, this is absolutely Gorgeous! Like you I never know what my favorite style is. I know I love to distress and get my fingers inky - that’s when I’m happiest stamping. At other times I just want to sit and color. I never know where I’m going to end up when I start something either — it all just happens.
Well you do beautifully with ANY style, Leslie. You’re so talented. And you make me want that damask set of stamps! AAACK!