Kim Hughes
I’m so happy that you’ve joined me for the third and final installment of my “Back to School” blog series. As I continue to share with you ideas on how to use each Paper Crafts magazine, I’d like to touch base on style. I think we all have one, but some are not as easy to recognize as others, as many cross over.
There’s graphic, shabby chic (or vintage), fun and cute and so many more. You might find that you are drawn to the same style that you, yourself create. I think most of us can appreciate a beautiful card in any style.
I pulled out my September/October 2009 issue to find some “style” samples that caught my eye.
Here's Teri Anderson's clean and graphic Happy Haunting Card.
I think the pumpkin card created by Teri Anderson is absolutely adorable. It’s clean, graphic and oh SO cute! But let’s see how this card would look if it were made with a shabby chic style in mind, which mostly consists of patterns, distressing, some playful buttons and jute or twine.
And here's my shabby chic Welcome Home card.
I kept Teri’s outstanding color combination and design, but instead of solid cardstock, I replaced those papers with patterned papers. I stamped a pattern onto the base kraft cardstock. You can alter solid papers with stamps, rub-ons or doodles to create your own patterned papers. Make sure that there is a white core if you choose to sand the edges. I changed the topic completely and went with a “welcome home” theme (the possibilities are endless). I find that small, subtle patterns typically work best.
Now let’s change it around and see what a shabby chic card looks like in a graphic style.
Here's Beatriz Jennings' shabby chic Happy Halloween Card.
“Happy Halloween” created by Beatriz Jennings nailed the shabby chic look. Going graphic means solid, clean lines. Usually some bold black and minimal, simplistic embellishments.
Like Teri’s card, I kept the same design and color combination as Beatriz did on her sweet card. I pulled out my cardstock colors and got to work. (I couldn’t resist using a polka dot cardstock though). I punched holes in the cream cardstock to let the black show through. Circles and dots are very graphic. I substituted the polka dot ribbon for a bold striped one and used bold black letters for the sentiment. I decided to add touches of orange and yellow to draw in my colors.
And here's my clean and graphic Hi Card.
If the clean and graphic style appeals to you, why not make a card and enter it in Paper Crafts’ September Gallery Challenge? If you need some inspiration, check out the “Graphically Speaking” feature in the September/October issue. You’ve got until Monday, Sept. 28 to upload your project image HERE.
I hope that I have given you something new to think about. Please take a closer look at each Paper Crafts magazine because they truly offer a fountain of creative inspiration. I appreciate you sharing some of your time with me today.
Kim Hughes,
Paper Crafts Go-to Gal
P.S. I’d love to hear what card-making style you naturally gravitate towards. Leave a comment and I’ll pick three winners to receive a copy of our September/October issue. All comments must be received by midnight (MST) on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
P.P.S. It’s time to announce the winner from Kelly’s Freebie Friday – Giving Back post!
Kim M (Sept. 19, 8:03 a.m.)
Congrats, Kim! You’ve won a layout kit designed by Wendy Sue Anderson! Kelly will be contacting you shortly to get your mailing address. Thanks to all who left comments!
I generally lean to the clean and graphic style, but given enough time I will dabble in any style.
I absolutely love shabby chic and love to add distressing, inking, lace and the general array of shabby goodness to my work. I also love the classic style of cards too, that will never date with their clean lines and classic shapes and patterns that do not show their age. Thanks for showing how one style can be adapted into another Kim. Cheers!
Clean And Graghic is my style.
Love love love shabby chic! Can`t get enough of it, sometimes shabbier, sometimes chicer….
it’s funny, but I tend to flip flop from shabby chic to clean and simple. I love both styles. I’m not sure which one is more “me”.
I love the shabby chic look.
thanks, kim, for illustrating the easy changes one can make in styles! i’ve heard about it–i’ve read about it–but i’ve never SEEN it done before! now i’ll just HAVE to try it! i agree with you about PC being chock full of wonderful inspiration–shouldn’t be hard to choose a project to re-do!
even though i appreciate some element in all the styles, my favorite to work with is clean and graphic–there’s something about its minimalist style that i can’t seem to conquer in my home! thanks again! ~k
I love distressed or shabby chic or a Prim style.
But I never really know how things will turn out until they are done!
For me it took me a while to figure out what I like to do but the more I look at my cards I seem to see something in common w/most of them.. I love to distress and have that vintage shabby look…:)
I love the shabby chic look, I am always distressing or “aging” the look of a card.
Thanks for sharing!
I don’t think I have a style, I just like making cards, other than not stamping a lot, I pretty much like doing everything.
I really lean toward clean and graphic when it comes to cards. Love your work, Kim!
I think that my style gravitates towards clean and graphic, but I vear every once in a while.
i really do love all styles but find that i gravitate toward making more clean and graphic cards without all the fluff.
I think I may be more of a distressed, shabby chic style….but as long as I’m making a card or scrapbooking I’m happy with any style. Thanks for the chance to win this giveaway.
My style tends to be clean, crisp and layered. Is that a style? LOL
I like lots of layers and I tend to have cutesy images.
clean and simple, cute style, i guess. thanks for the chance!
I love the clean and graphic/clean and simple style. I do find myself drawn towards that most of the time. But….I love a nice card in any style!
I think it depends on my mood, but clean and graphic is what I think I enjoy the most!
I just started card making & tend to lean towards monochromatic or clean & simple.
I love whimsical cards. Fun stamped images and bright colors will always make me smile! These are wonderful!
I tend to go for the clean & simple look in my cards, although I alter my style to suit the recipient too.
Shabby Chic it is! I love all the techniques but have to say that I have a little big of Shabby Chic in every thing that I do. Absolutely love it!!!
I like the shabby chic style
I tend to gravitate toward something simple and easy. Most of my card-making time is when my husband is getting our son ready for bed – and his turn is every other night. So, if I can take that 20 minutes and make a quick card, then I am happy!
I am more into clean and graphic style. I would also used sometimes monochromatic colors especially with all the scraps I have so as not to put them onto waste.
I tend to go clean and graphic without too many layers. What a great article Kim about taking one style and switching it into another. I’m going to review all those cards for the upteenth time!
Feminine and dainty is what I gravitate too. I love using other persons sketches to create with as well.
Have a great week.
I love shaby but don’t craft in that much. I am very clean and simple in my designs. I don’t like my master piece to be to crowded.
I definitely lean towards the clean and graphic style.
I like the clean and graphic..or that seems to be the way..I’d love to win the mag!
Mine is always clean and QUICK because I am needing it right away!
My style is much more simple than cluttered.,
I do enjoy the shabby chic style. I admire what one can come up with that does this style. I myself can not do it. I am good at clean with lots of layers and bling or other do dads!
I’m the fun and cute gal! lol I just wish life imitated art!
My card styles vary…I go from very simple to alot going on! I think it depends on my “frame of mind” when I sit down to put one together!
Thanks!
Lori
I LOVE shabby, but cannot seem to prosduce it – so clean and simple is my style.
I LOVE shabby, but I just cannot seem to produce it – so clean and simple is my style.
I like seeing how the cards look in different styles. I would say I’m more clean and simple.
While I appreciate all the different styles, especially the ones I cannot do very well (shabby chic), I think I work in a clean and simple style most of the time!
I love this interpreting idea Kim–in fact, I suggested it–and I hope to see a regular column in this vein in the magazine. I would also bring up a Gallery issue at the main magazine website – can it not be separated into a “cards” and a “layouts” gallery? Having 5000+ pages of mixed fare makes it more time consuming to search for inspiration in just one category. Please forward this suggestion along the right path for some action. Thank you – and great cards!
I like how you showed us how to make a shabby chic graphic and vice versa. It shows how you can be inspired by cards or scrapbook pages, etc…even if they’re not your style.
Honestly I’m a bit all over the place- LOL! I love the look of clean and graphic but find it hard to do myself. I think mostly I end up doing a sort of distress-whimsical hybrid!
I tend to really like image-driven cards with papers/bellies that compliment it. A lot of my cards don’t even have embellishments other than the papers!
I guess my style would be simple with a homespun feel since I tend to sew on my cards to give it that homemade crafty touch!
I love Beatriz Jennings vintage Halloween card. I have many different styles but I love clean and simply.
Although it’s the fun and cute cards that really catch my eye, the cards I make myself tend to be more distressed. So a combo of shabby chic/fun and cute? (Sometimes I gotta just step away from the inkpad!
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Great examples, Kim – thanks for sharing your cards w/ us.
cute stuff!
I’m a clean and simple girl too. I’m no good with multiple patterns and layers!