Kim Hughes
I was downright giddy when asked to create four cards in four different styles for the Focus on Style section of Card Style. I knew that it would be a challenge, but I so enjoyed the process!
I started with a color combination that I could see used in each style. Then I pulled out all of my products that contained those colors. I chose specific colors so that I wasn’t overwhelmed with my choices. Among those products, I made a pile for each style.
- Fun & Cute: polka dots, gingham, buttons and scallops
- Clean & Graphic: papers with small patterns, black paint
- Classy & Elegant: silk ribbon, pretty flowers and bling
- Shabby & Vintage: lace, my paper distresser, white paint, pearls and pins
I kept each style in mind when I chose my fonts as well. Once I decided on a card design, it was time to put all of the pieces together that made each style unique. What a blast!
Are you drawn to fun & cute cards that just make you smile? Do you prefer the clean & graphic style that looks so easy to reproduce? I adore both of these styles, and they are the two that I tend to gravitate towards when I sit down to create.
When I brainstormed the fun & cute card (p. 143), clouds and sunshine came to mind because they just make me smile. So, I chose playful patterns and added dimension to the sun with fun buttons. I chose a font that I felt fit the style perfectly.
The clean & graphic card (also p. 143) was a bit of a challenge because I had to keep myself from adding more embellishments. But I kept in mind that it needed to be a simple card that still had an element of style.
Thank you for joining me today! Leave a comment telling me what card style is the most challenging for you. I’ll pick three random winners to take home a copy of Card Style! All comments must be received by midnight (MDT) on Thursday, July 15.
Kim Hughes,
Paper Crafts Go-to Gal
P.S. Today on my personal blog, I’ll be sharing two new cards designed with the classy & elegant and shabby & vintage styles in mind. PLUS, I have two more copies of Card Style to give away!
P.P.S. It’s time to announce the winners from Jennifer’s Find YOUR Style post!
1. JenMarie (July 12, 7:09 a.m.)
2. Sandra (July 12, 10:07 p.m.)
3. Erin (July 12, 3:34 p.m.)
4. Jenny McGee (July 12, 6:13 a.m.)
5. Jenn Post (July 12, 3:00 p.m.)
Congrats, winners! You’ve each won a copy of Card Style! Kelly will be contacting you shortly to get your mailing addresses. Thanks to all who left comments!
Love your sunshine card! I have the hardest time with classy and elegant. It’s just not a style that I choose to make very often. Maybe I should challenge myself!!
I love both cards but your fun and cute (sunshine card) is my favorite. My style is generally more toward the elegant and sophisticated. These are more challenging, but do take much longer to make.
That sunshine card is adorable!! The other one is pretty too but I really love the sunshine!
Love your cards Kim!
my style seems to be closer to the classy elegant
pearls are my favorite deco!
Thanks Kim
Shabby/vintage is downright impossible for me. I’m a clean and simple kind of artist. Fun to see your takes on two different styles!
The shabby/vintage style is one I don’t do – I admire folkes who can, but I lean more these days toward the clean and simple style. Thanx for the inspiration and blog candy opp!
I would have the most trouble with ‘clean and graphic’…I’d want to add a little more ‘cute’!
Oh yay, thank you!!
These are great cards! I have the most trouble with clean and graphic..I keep wanting to add more layers and more embellishments..It’s hard for me to say ‘enough’ that’s good!
Clean&Graphic is too hard b/c it demands too few elements for me. I need prints and bling and dimension and more!
I tend to be more minimalistic – more clean and graphic, I guess. I sometimes find it more difficult to dress it up a bit – and part with those cute embellishments!
oh this one’s easy…. Shabby Chic and Vintage!!! I love the style, but am not good at creating it.
My weak area is Shabby and Vintage. No matter what I seem to try, it turns to disaster…..
I would say the vintage/shabby style is the hardest for me as I tend to be more clean and simple. Love you cards!
My most challenging area is shabby/vintage style. I like to see the work of those who can do shabby/vintage, but I am a more clean and graphic style.
I think my most challenging is clean and simple. I always want to add more!
vintage is challenging for me, but Im getting there!
Shabby & vintage is the toughest for me! And there are so many designers that make their beautiful cards seem so effertless.
Love both cards, especially the Sunshine card!!! Have never done vintage…
I always struggle with masculine cards and I have 4 nephews!
I would say the shabby vintage is definitely a tough one for me…not sure I ever quite get there!
Really love your cards. The hardest cards for me to do are Vintage.
The most challenging card style for me is Shabby & Vintage, Betsy Veldman makes it look so easy! Thanks for the chance to win!
Since I just made my first card last week, every style is challenging for me. Hopefully it will get easier & less stressing.
Most challenging is shabby vintage.
Shabby and vintage is the one style I can never do; I just don’t have the confidence to try it as much as the others I guess.
Great cards–I have the hardest time making shabby and vintage cards.
I have trouble with clean and graphic, I mostly use it on masculine or teen cards–I just want to add some sort of bling or ribbon to the cards!
Shabby and vintage is definitely the most challenging for me.
Love these cards, Kim!
Shabby vintage is most challenging for me. I always have a picture of an idea in my head, but when I put it to paper, it just doesn’t look the same. Because I do love the style, I’m going to keep trying. Going to go collect my lace, buttons, and pearls right now!
Love the sunshine card Kim! So cute!
My mort challenging style would be shabby & vintage altho i love the look of it – hard for me to pull it off. i dont have alot of swirly bling- but i wish i did.
I hve problems with Classy and Elegant! I feel a bit intimidated with the idea of putting those elements together without adding Shabby and Vintage into my designs. I love your cards today..and the colors made me smile!!
Shabby & vintage is my biggest challenge. I keep trying though! Thanks for a chance to win!!
your cards are great. i have trouble with all the ways to make the flowers elevated. shabby, classic and any else that are not flat stamped.
The style that gives me the most challenge is the shabby, vintage one.
The sunshine card is so cheerful. Clean and graphic is the most challenging to me. Like you, I want to keep adding embellishments.
My tough spot is Shabby vintage.. .i just can’t seem to put them together!
My biggest challenge is to be exact – I don’t like measuring so if I have to follow instructions when making a card I tend to tense up.
Luv Sandie
Kim, love your clean and graphic style card; but then I tend to gravitate in that direction myself.
Hmm, I think it’s shabby & vintage.
Vintage cards are most challenging for me as I don’t really gravitate towardst the vintage supplies – Iwouldn’t know where to start on a vintage card!
I probably have most difficulty with the shabby & vintage.
Vintage and shabby chic cards are most challenging to me. I love clean & simple so layering gives me a lot of hard time!
I found this very interesting. If I had to pick my style, the first word that comes to mind is simple. Though I love shabby and most of my work has a distressed shabby feel, I do not like loading it up with “stuff”… I guess that makes my style simply distressed!! From the school of less is more!! Thanks for the chance to win a copy of Just Cards!!!
Shabby and vintage would have to be the most difficult for me. I love the look , but I have a tough time pulling it off myself.
I think I struggle with Shabby and Vintage though I enjoy seeing other’s efforts there. I don’t know when to stop I guess and move into the — ‘embellishment jar exploded on this card’ mode.
The most challenging style for me is shabby chic. I could never pull that look off because when I do it it just like a big mess.
The most challenging style for me is the shabby chic/ vintage. I can never seem to quite get all the layering and the “vintage” part. But I’m always willing to keep trying, and that’s what this week is about, right?
One of the things I know about my card making is that, while I admire shabby chic/vintage style cards, they are tough for me to make. When I try to add all the neat stuff, it ends up looking cluttered.
Loved the sunshine one…but loved the other one too!
I like the use of the plaids and stripes and polka dots! Cool!