Happy Owl

Hello!  I want to welcome my new followers: welcome, please have a look around, and I hope you find something pretty and inspiring {smile}.  And I hope I am inspiring my seasoned followers.  {smile}.  My style has changed over these last few years.  I have really embraced the shabby-chic, country-glamour 'look' of paper crafting.  I just love machine stitching, seam binding, buttons, bows, and polka dots!  But, in my craft endeavors I have learned that sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone, and spread your wings.  {smile}

Teresa Collins creates some very glamorous pattern paper lines.  And I have to say, that I was really drawn to the Stationary Noted pattern paper collection.  This line is crisp and simple.  Blues, grays, with bits of red, library pockets, simple sayings, and elementary designs.  I'm not knocking this line, but rather elevating the simple beauty of it.

I used a sketch from the wonderful sketch challenge site, Cardabilities.  Typically the sketch designs are beautifully simple.  So you can either embellish your heart out, or keep it minimalist.  And then everywhere in-between.  How wonderful is that?  Here is the current sketch challenge:

I used my Stationary Noted pattern paper, and made a more modern, clean lines card.  There isn't any machine stitching.  No seam binding.  No buttons.  But, I am really happy with how it turned out. {smile}

Recipe:  the card base is made with Bordering Blue card stock.  Retired from Stampin' Up!.  The blue is kinda dusty, soft, mute color.

The blue and white flourish pattern paper is the type writer paper reverse side.  I matted the typewriter paper onto true black by paper trey ink.  It has a clean black color.  

The ledger-owl piece is actually a cut out from another pattern paper from this collection.  I matted this piece onto a scrap piece of bordering blue card stock, just to tie everything together.  The red houndstooth paper was added to help highlight the red label piece.  This red houndstooth pattern paper has rulers on the reverse size, and is also from Teresa Collins, but another collection.  

I added a coordinating brad, and a chipboard sentiment.  I love the bike and sentiment.  It reminds me of a wedding, or anniversary.  

I added my own black bakers twine.  I tied a bow first, and then looped the long tails through the brad's legs.

I love the open label piece on the pocket card piece.  You could stamp a date, or a word, or small sentiment inside.  Or simply leave it blank.  It doesn't look like it's floating, or that its incomplete. 

I hope I have inspired you to craft something using the sketch from Cardabilities.  And use a style of pattern paper that is different from what you typically use, and spread your creative wings {smile}!