Today’s card is one of those designs that just makes my heart happy—clean, simple, and oh-so-elegant. I’ve always had a soft spot for Clean and Simple (CAS) cards. There’s something beautifully satisfying about a project that’s easy to reproduce but still carries a quiet kind of wow factor. With a strong focal point, lots of breathing room, and minimal embellishments, CAS cards give the eye a place to rest and the sentiment a place to shine.
As soon as I saw the sketch for Freshly Made Sketches #688, I knew I had found my inspiration. The clean lines were perfect for what I had in mind, and I loved that I could also enter this card into two more challenges—CAS on Friday #310 – with their current embossing theme – and Addicted to CAS #284 with a floral focus. All of those elements came together in a design that’s simple yet detailed, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the result. All the measurements for creating this card are listed below my signature in this post.
The card begins with two panels of Basic White, each embossed using the Pressed Flowers Embossing Folder. I offset them slightly for added interest and then layered them on Blackberry Bliss cardstock that’s just 1/8″ larger to create a slim, elegant mat. These pieces were adhered directly onto a Thick Basic White card base in a horizontal layout. That textured background really sets the stage for the focal point while keeping everything soft and clean.
The sentiment panel is where the magic happens. Using the Textured Notes stamp set, I stamped the graceful “thank you” in Blackberry Bliss ink on the lower right of a small Basic White panel. In the upper left, I added the delicate florals and leaves from the Gallery Blooms stamp set, also in Blackberry Bliss. The whole panel was matted on Blackberry Bliss for a lovely contrast and then popped up on the card front using dimensionals. Inside, the design is echoed with more Basic White framed in Blackberry Bliss, ready for a handwritten note.
I also filmed a quick video tutorial for this card to show how easy it is to create.
If you’ve ever wanted a go-to thank-you design that’s both refined and repeatable, this one is it. I’m thrilled with how it came together and can’t wait to pop it in the mail with a note of gratitude tucked inside.
Measurements (all in inches):
- Card Base (Thick Basic White) – 5-1/2 x 8-1/2, scored and folded at 4-1/4
- Embossed layers (Basic White) – 2 x 5 and 1-1/2 x 5
- Coordinating cardstock to mat embossed layers (Blackberry Bliss) – 2-1/8 x 5-1/8 and 1-5/8 x 5-1/8
- Art piece (Basic White) – 2-3/4 x 2-1/8
- Coordinating cardstock to mat art piece (Blackberry Bliss) – 2-7/8 x 2-1/4
- Inside card – Basic White 3-3/4 x 5, coordinating cardstock – Blackberry Bliss – 3-7/8 x 5-1/8
Supplies Used:
This is such a sweet card! I love that beautifully embossed background and those pretty flowers! Thanks for joining us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!
Thank you, Jen! I truly appreciate your kind comments. The design team always comes up with fun challenges at Freshly Made Sketches! Looking forward to playing along again soon.
Elegant for sure – love your B/W design~ Glad you joined us at FMS!
Thank you so much, Linda! I’m always glad to have joined in with the Freshly Made Sketches challenges!
Gorgeous!! Thanks for playing along with us at CAS on Friday…you rocked our embossing theme for this current challenge!! Deb Horst, DT #310
Thanks, Deborah! I hadn’t made the connection that you were on the design team for CAS on Friday as well! You must be very busy with all your stamping and creating! And you do it so well. At any rate, thanks so much for your kind comments. I love playing along with all these fabulous challenges.