A Touch of Elegance ~ With a Flourish!

It seems that most of the cards that I've created recently have been "cutesy". I'm not sure why, but apparently I'm especially drawn to all those lighthearted *cute* rubber stamps. Well, I'm here to tell you that one of my New Year's resolutions will be to venture out of my comfort zone and expand my creative horizons! :) LoL

Soooo, with that said...take a look at this *elegant* card I created today. First of all, I must say a heartfelt THANK YOU to my friend (and not-so-secret sister) Donna in Oregon who sent me this awesome Hero Arts set ~ Solid Flowers Flourish. I love it and the options are endless with what I'll be able to do with it!


I'll admit that it took me most of the morning to finish this card. :) Seriously, it didn't come easy! I started by selecting the stamp, then the patterned paper and cardstock. I used my new rectangle Nestibilities dies to cut out and emboss the cardstock before I stamped the image. For the image, I used the "direct to paper" technique and my Stampin Up markers - certainly celery, old olive, regal rose, rose red, bravo burgandy. After it was stamped, I embossed with a detail clear embossing powder to give it some sheen and depth.

The top edges were paper pierced and all edges were sponged with SU true thyme. One other extra touch was to distress the natural creme cardstock with a ball of saran wrap and Tim Holtz Distress Ink pad - old paper. It's very subtle and doesn't distract from the image itself. For the tag, I stamped "friend" on the natural cardstock and layered it on the true thyme, cutting the corners to create the tag. The finished size of this card is 5 x 7, larger than I usually make, but I love this paper and wanted plenty of it to show around the image.

What do you think? Did I pull off creating "a touch of elegance"? :) Hmmm, what should I try next? Any suggestions??? Happy Stamping & Smiles 2 U All, Pam :)

Supplies ~
Stamps: Hero Arts - Solid Flowers Flourish, Stampin Up - Noteworthy
Paper: Melissa Frances - Gilbert Item #PA088 & Sandra Item #PA083, Stampin Up true thyme, purely pomegranate, natural
Ink: Stampin Up true thyme, purely pomegranate, Tim Holtz Distress Ink - old paper, clear embossing powder
Other: Stampin Up old olive organdy ribbon, antique bronze brad, Spellbinders rectangle Nestibilities, zig-zag stitching with Janome Sew Mini.

Quote for Today ~
Elegance is something more than ease; it is more than a freedom from awkwardness or restraint. It implies, I conceive, a precision, a polish, a sparkling, spirited yet delicate. ~William Hazlitt