Clean and Simple - that's an order!

Welcome to the first 2010 challenge from Our Creative Corner! We have a new challenge hostess for the month, Joycelyn Turner. Today Joycelyn is challenging us to make a clean and simple card. Aw, shucks, if I must!

I had such a great time making this card. I got to play with some new goodies out of the Occasions Mini, which goes into effect next week! You are going to love this catalog if you haven't seen it yet. Oh, so fabulous. This card uses the flower image from Messages for Mom, which I purchased in the clear-mount option. In case I haven't said this yet, these stamps are really wonderful. They feel just like the wood-mount stamps when you use them, but you can see where you're stamping and the flat storage is really great. The SU clear blocks themselves are also great - I love how they feel in your hand. You will definitely want to attend one of my stamping events to try these stamps out for yourself!

OK, on to the card. I started this card out with the Fine Flourish image, which is one of the new A La Carte background stamps. These stamps are smaller than traditional background stamps but big enough to make a statement all on their own, as I've done here. I stamped it a couple times (with help from the Stamp-a-ma-Jig for alignment) in rich razzleberry on whisper white. Everything on the card is in these two colors - I love the monochromatic look for clean and simple cards. I scored the card base on my Scor-Pal before I adhered the flourish panel. For a little more pizzazz I added razzleberry ribbon over that panel. I used Nestabilities to cut out the flowers, and then it looked like it just needed something in that open space under the bouquet, so I used one of the flowers from the Blossom Party die. The white button, which I threaded with razzleberry cardstock, is a random button from my stash. Finally I added the sentiment, from Kind & Caring Thoughts, which I punched out with the modern label and then layered with help of the Movers & Shapers die.

Be sure you go visit the OCC blog to see the rest of the team's creations. They are always fabulous! Thanks for stopping by my blog today. Happy New Year to everyone!