Finally, a layout...

A layout for no reason other than I felt like making one. It's so easy to start making cards and not stop. You get used to working on a smaller canvas with smaller pieces of material. Less embellishment, more stamping (at least for the way I work..) Less time. There is definitely a different set of skills for cardmaking. Granted, some cross over, but the perspective is so different. Ok, enough on the philosophy - it really shouldn't be so complicated...here's my page:

materials: cardstock: Bazzill; patterned papers: Studio Calico, Anna Griffin, Echo Park; chipboard: Crate; flag: Pebbles; letter stickers: October Afternoon; stamp: Studio Calico; embossing powder: American Crafts; pen: Uniball; ink: Versamark; string: Divine Twine

I took my color inspiration from the stripes in the sand chair behind my daughter. I love that summery color combo (I wish that was my chair!) and thought it would make a cool vertical element. I collected papers from a variety of manufacturers to get it right, cut them into strips of varying width and stuck them down to a panel of white cardstock. I was lucky in that the orange strip (a piece of Echo Park) says "fun in the sun" on it. I love that little bit of extra type. Here's a close up:  

I stamped and embossed that pinked circle onto the background. I stitched the inner circle then traced the jagged edges with a white pen.

This is my favorite part of the layout:

...a little detail area (that strip of 'fun in the sun' type) that made it possible to do something I haven't done since Thickers arrived on the scene: skip the big title.

So, I've got another layout on my desk but I'm letting that one sit overnight. It needs something else, I'm just not sure what. Stay tuned this week for more layouts (I'm on a mission!) a very cool Ella Publishing giveaway!