A Clean and Simple Layout

Q:  If April showers bring May flowers, then what do May flowers bring?

A:  Well, April showers don’t always bring May showers.  Sometimes April showers bring May showers, followed by June showers and July showers.

It seems that the rain won’t stop here in Atlanta.  I don’t mind overcast and stormy, but the city is starting to look like a lush rainforest.  The rain makes it more difficult for me to get to my Fungeon (for those who are new to my blog, this is the unofficially official name for my basement where I stamp and where all the fun happens).  These days, the Fungeon is more like a Sponge-eon.  Oh, ha! ha! ha!  I crack me up – BIG TIME.

Now that you’ve recuperated from your giggles and belly laughs…I’ve been spending more time than usual in the Fungeon (or Sponge-eon), preparing for Convention.  To accompany my presentation during convention, I’ve been asked to provide samples for a display board – 15 original pieces that haven’t been shared publicly before.  While I’ve got some beautiful projects to share with you over the next two weeks, I can’t share those until they make their World Debut at Convention – maybe I’m over-dramatizing that a bit.

Quick and Clean “Go To” Layout

Let me get to the point.  I’ve been busy.  You’ve been busy.  Sometimes we need a quick and clean “go-to” card layout so we can churn out a card in no time.  We want no frills and no complicated techniques – just results.  Well, I have the perfect layout for you.  I’ve included the dimensions so you can recreate this as a birthday card or a thank you card or an invitation in a snap!  Pick your paper, and pick your sentiment.  Done!  Here’s a card I created using my layout:Best of...Greetings, Modern Medley Designer Series Paper, Stampin' Up!, Brian King

  • The Basic Black card base is 5-1/2″ x 4-1/4″.
  • The Very Vanilla card base is 5-1/4″ x 4″.
  • Three pieces are cut to 1-1/2″ x 3″ : the two pieces of DSP and the base for the sentiment.
  • The Basic Black borders  around the DSP measure 1-3/4″ x 3-1/4″.
  • The Basic Black border around the Very Vanilla sentiment measures 1-5/8″ x 3-1/8″ 

After the Very Vanilla card base was glued to the Basic Black card base and after the DSP and sentiment were glued to the black borders, I lined up the DSP pieces with the respective corners of the card front.  I then added the sentiment, trying my best to center it on the card.  I affixed the sentiment with Stampin’ Dimensionals to give it a little something extra. 

Scratching your head and wondering why the border around the sentiment is smaller than the borders around the DSP pieces?  I wanted to use a uniform color scheme but decided to differentiate the sentiment in a small way.  I like how this looks.  I think it helps to draw the eye in a bit.

If you are attending Convention, you might receive one of these cards from me as a general swap – different DSPs call for different colors and different sentiments.  Gotta get back to work – I have a lot to finish in the next two weeks.  Yippee!

Stamp Sets:  Best of…Greetings  Inks:  StazOn Jet Black  Papers:  Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Modern Medley Designer Series Paper  Accessories:  Stampin’ Dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

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Want some Designer Series Paper so you can make a whole mess of cards like this?  Now’s the time!  When you buy three packs of Designer Series Paper, you get an additional pack FOR FREE:

26 Comments

  1. Laurie Burns Gachewicz

    Gorgeous!! I wish I was going to Convention!! 🙂 Clean and classy with that DSP!!

  2. Ah! To die for! Love Black & White! So Jackie O

  3. GORGEOUS, Brian!!!

  4. Classy – Simple, yet elegant. Versatile for many occasions.

  5. LOVE IT! SO much I sat and made one for a Birthday. Took minutes to make.
    Thanks for sharing it. I will share it with my stampin’ group this week.

  6. Great card and so so versatile This is the type of card that you can just have on hand for whatever pops up . And don`t you just love this Modern Medley DSP ? I like your variation on the width of layers . Usually when that happens on a card I make it isn`t intentional ….tee hee .. Happy Saturday !!

  7. Beautiful and Simple!!! Love it!!

  8. Janie Owens (Rabun Gap, GA)

    Beautiful!! This will definitely be a “go to” card! Love it.

  9. Katherine Anderson

    April, May, June and July showers bring excessively high mold counts along with lots of mushrooms, toadstools, and moss in the yard. Dang rain! Mind you if it weren’t for the rain, we would be griping about how dry it is and trying not to set fires with stray sparks on the highways (true story – it happened last year). Lovely card – I must say, some of your cards seem very simple, until you have to make two dozen of them – then they are surprising complex…..

  10. Cindie McDuffee

    Simple and beautiful. Thanks for a great idea!

  11. Love your card!! So elegant!!

  12. Gorgeous card Brian, it will work for any kind of occasions, in this instance it’s beautifully serene for a Sympathy card. Have a great weekend.

  13. Cannot wait to meet you at convention!

  14. A black tie affair……..this card goes off the Richter scale…..totally in love with it! I will be attending a wedding in August and I can see this being transformed into a very lovely card for the occasion. Thanks Brian for all the dimensions. Don’t forget to come up for some air while crafting away for convention. Oh how I wish I was going too! Your presentation will be awesome, I know it. Just like your daily dose of Brian everyday.

  15. Love it….and doubly love it since you gave the dimensions….working on whipping one out now…..super elegant!

  16. Awesome card, Brian! I’m so disappointed that I can’t attend Convention – especially after learning you’ll be doing a presentation! (Enter very sad face here) Well at least my friend, Jayne, will be there so she can tell me all about it. TFS and good luck with your presentation – like you need it!

  17. WOWZER! I am IN LOVE with the new Modern Medley Paper! Vanilla and Black…stunning card Brian! I will see you in Salt Lake! Can’t wait to meet you in person! And, now that I know you are a presenter, it will be DOUBLE the fun! 🙂

  18. This is a “stunning” card. I plan on getting that B&W DSP and this is just what the doctor ordered!
    Love it…very classic! BRAVO BRIAN!

  19. ery elegant card. As usual your work stunns me, Now the rain…. I live in NW subarbs of Chicago, honestly I have never seen such a wet 6 months in my life, and if your getting my weather its not going to end soon. Honestly, usually my flowers die because I forget to water, they are rotting away from too much water. I have ponds in my flower pots

  20. Love this elegant but clean and simple card, Brian. The design could be used for many occasions. Thanks for the measurements. You’re so kind to include them.
    Diane Gil

  21. Another great card. Love that DSP. Can be subtle or wild depending on how you pair it.

  22. Hi Brian, such a petty card love the black and vanilla. I also want to thank you for the measurements, will try this layout soon. I do have a question though, I usually read on my iPod the mobile site, it came up with no card info, just replies, do you know what to do to fix this? Ended up going to full site to see your card, bummer, as the mobile site is what loads first. Just one more step to see your wonderful work of art.

  23. Fabulous card, Brian!! Love this DSP and your layout…and no head. Scratching at all, mainly cuz I did not check it that closely, was just smiling at the total symmetry, simple beauty and just a great looking card! Looking forward to seeing you at convention, and your board…and hope I can get a chance to say hello…if I can get through the mobs of your followers! Have fun creating!

  24. Great card and thanks for the dimensions. I made this yesterday and it was easy and beautiful. It will become a go to layout for me. I posted a sample with dimensions on my bulletin board in my craft room for inspiration. Thanks so much.

  25. Kelly DeTommaso

    Brian, when is your presentation at Convention? I don’t want to miss it! You inspire me so much. I consider you a mentor and we’ve only met face-to-face once (at leadership this year). We sat in a business class together and made jokes at one of the back tables 🙂 It was there that I learned of your blog and your DSP samplers and product shares… I’m so glad you earned the cruise! I aspire to be like you and hope you don’t mind me stalking you! 😉

  26. Just discovered this on Pinterest. I made 4 cards with two pieces of 12×12 card stock ( base and borders) and one 6×6 DSP. PERFECT! no waste. Thanks so much for the recipe.

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