good morning! i'm on deck with simple to spectacular today, the latest and greatest papertrey ink blog feature! who doesn't love a simple, classic sugar cookie? but then you add icing and it's even sweeter and more decadent. and then you pop on some sprinkles and suddenly it's a party! i have always loved pedal pusher and couldn't wait to take it for spin this week! i love riding bikes at the beach. so, inspired by that along with my favorite color, and true to my typical clean and simple style, i have three takes for you today, each one a little more involved than the last. from simple to stepped up to spectacular, i used the same stamps, colors, and basic layout - and now I want to go ride a bike!
first up, the "simple" version. i love a one layer card and this was a fun one to figure out. without bells and whistles, layout really takes center stage. one thing i often do to add interest to a one layer card is to stamp the sentiment so that it partially overlaps the main image. in this case, the placement and font style give a feeling of forward motion to the bike. the offset placement of the scallop "clouds" from ombre builders also add to that motion. layout aside, this card is clean and simple, straightforward stamping - with the help of my misti to line things up perfectly, of course!
next, i "stepped it up" with die cuts and a bit of masking and selective stamping. after die cutting the bike, i stamped it in bright buttercup twice just as i had on the first. but this time, i masked off the edge of the handles and seat and stamped them again in honey nut - all without moving the die cut and stamp from the misti. perfect placement! don't you just love the extra detail this simple trick adds? since it's a die cut, the bike is now above the sentiment, rather than overlapping it and where it was stamped off the edge, i simply trimmed it to fit. the clouds and the sentiment placement still hint at forward motion and a die cut sun adds a new splash of yellow at the top of the card. the result is still clean and simple, with just a few more steps than the first.
which brings us to "spectacular" featuring some of the same details and a few more too. this time the bike is a double die cut to balance other new elements on the card. i stamped it the same way to get the detailed seat and handles, and then stamped the frame one more time in versamark and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. it's hard to see in the picture, but the embossed gloss really makes the frame stand out nicely. i also added a new layer of detail to the sky by stenciling the sunburst from the sun & surf stencil collection in spring rain and fussy cutting the cloud scallops. after adhering these on top of the stenciling, i popped the sun up on foam tape for added height. a scattering of clear sequins is the perfect finishing touch - a little bling is never a bad thing!
like last time, i love all three for different reasons. "simple" one layer cards are perfect and easy when i need something fast, and i really enjoy a good "spectacular" session when i have time to spare, while the "stepped up" version is probably my most typical stamping zone. what do you think - do you have a favorite? let me know in the comments! and if you haven't already, be sure to check out the original post on the papertrey ink blog - lizzie and melissa have projects too...
just keep on pedaling!
:) lexi
