A Snowy Christmas – Quick and Easy

From the looks of it, you enjoyed my “guess the stamp I’m using” game on Monday.  The response was so positive that I decided to play it again.  *Rooooaaaarrrr!!!!!*  I can hear your cheers from here.  Yay!  Ready?  Oh, don’t be nervous.  Even if you didn’t guess the one on Monday, you’ll definitely be able to guess this one.  OK, so here goes.  I’m not going to delay one more minute…because that would just be rude…making you wait and wait and read and read…OK!  OK!  Sorry!…Tell me what stamp I used to make this card:stampwithbrian.com - Snowy Christmas.jpg

If you guessed Papillon Potpourri, then you guessed wrong.  Then answer is Bold Snowflake.  I knew you’d get it!  I have never been so proud of another human being in all my life.  I was REALLY proud of Bandit when he learned to put away all his cat toys at the end of an exhausting day of play, but that’s a shadow of the pride I feel for you today.

Tips, Tricks and Reminders:

  • Simple is Soothing.  There’s something very relaxing about a simple color scheme.  In this card, I only used two colors:  Baja Breeze and Midnight Muse.  On a white background, the Baja Breeze settles in quietly, while the Midnight Muse pops with excitement. 
  • Take it Up a Notch.  There’s not a lot going on in the overall design of the card, but add a pearl and a dimensional, and the Midnight Muse snowflake really stands out in the crowd.  If I didn’t already have a hate-hate relationship with glitter, I would have added some to either the background snowflakes or to the punched snowflake.  I was too chicken, but I like the way it looks.
  • Keep it Balanced.  Balance is important with any card.  That doesn’t mean that everything has to be centered.  When you assess the weight of the images and the weight of the colors, all sides of the card should balance each other out.  In this card, the heavy snowflake is only slightly off from center of the card.  Do you see how the Midnight Muse sentiment in the bottom, right corner perfectly offsets the weight of the flakes?

Stamp Sets:  Bold Snowflake (single stamp), More Merry Messages  Paper:  Midnight Muse, Baja Breeze, Whisper White  Inks:  Baja Breeze, Midnight Muse  Accessories:  Blossom Punch, Basic Jewels Pearls, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

21 Comments

  1. I do not need this snowflake I do not need this snowflake I do not need this snowflake. Damn! I love this card! Ugh! Like I have enough stamps already! The bottoms of my drawer storage are falling out! Waaaa! Gloom, Despair, Agony on Me—Woah!

  2. Really, I too didn’t think I needed this snowflake stamp until I saw this…..WOW…it is so simple but stunning!

  3. This bold snow flake really makes a statement, you just need some imagination and the eye for design you have, Brian. The background snow flakes would have looked real pretty with some glitter on them but they still look great. Maybe a little bit of Dazzling Details?? Hmmmmm, I think I need this stamp!!!!!

  4. Suzanne Patt Cullen

    Perfect timing for your snowflake card, Brian … in a week, we’ll be back in MN (ugh! there could be the real stuff on the ground when we return!) and when our “dear” mailman brings our “held mail”, there will be my BOLD SNOWFLAKE stamp! I have other snowflake stamps, but I was drawn to this one because of its relationship with the Blossom Punch. Any time I can coordinate a punch with a stamp, I get so excited … now I don’t rush out and order, but it gets put on my Wish List and might even get moved farther up that list. 🙂 And then, most likely, I will cave and order it! The other thing I love about snowflake stamps is using soft blue inks. It’s such a nice change from the traditional Christmas colors.
    I would “pin” this one, too, Patti, if I were a “pin-er” (Is that even a word?) Instead I will “flag” this one in my email for sure. My personal organizational quirks/control don’t work well at all with Pinterest or Facebook :”>blushing
    Beautiful card as usual, Brian, and no glitter needed! 😉

  5. Okay Brian …. your quick and easy looks like my ‘takes an hour’ card! LOL I am with Patti on this one. I just ordered twelve stamp sets so I could try some of these amazing tips and tricks … but NOT the bold snowflake. I thought it was an unattractive stamp and nothing that I would use! Guess what is going on my next order!! Have a great day!

  6. Nice, very nice! Love the use of the snowflake which I do not have at this time and had no desire to put in my collection before you started showing it off. Now what is this about the weight of the snowflake? In MI ours are almost weightless.

  7. This snowflake is not one of my faves either….someone said the other day that it had a nordic look and it does…and even though I don`t think it`s “a gotta have” on my list I have also been tugged because you can punch this baby out …now you have made it into a STAR…kinda like one of those make over shows…and guess what ,Brian ? I guessed it !!! yes-yes-yes I did. and one other thing ….I keep seeing turkey tail feathers when I look at this stamp !!! Like this card very much with all the balance and other stuff you talked about …

  8. Ok, Brian and ladies! I see a turkey, too…LOL! All that aside, Brian, I got the punch and now I need the snowflake because of YOU, my dear! Your card totally ROCKS!! ;D

  9. Brian, Love this card!! Simple but beautiful, love the colors!!
    I’ve been without Internet for 12 days, because of the “Sandy” I missed everything!! Noticed you are doing another swap, hope I still have time to join in.

    • Hello Debbie: I’m glad you got your internet back and I hope your home didn’t get damaged by this horrible storm. I think Brian’s dead line for the Christmas card swap is November 26th. so you still have plenty of time. I can’t wait till my cards come in the mail, this is really super fun!

      • Oh, goodness!!!!! The dead line for the cards is by Thanksgiving because he has his break and he will ”gather them, sort them and then mail them out”. Sorry for the mixed dates.

  10. Hi Brian! Love the layout and colors of this card! I loved the stamp as soon as I saw it but I collect snowflakes since each one is different and reminds me how each person is different but beautiful in their own way. Didn’t hurt either that I already had the coordinating punch. 🙂

  11. Elegant design…a beautiful card, Brian. The repetition of the snowflake allows the eye to move about. Lovely, lovely. Lovely to receive in the post.

  12. Amazing how one stamp can look sooo differently from one type of use to another….you rocked this one as well!

  13. Hi Brian, I just discovered your blog this evening and have spent the last three hours reading it. Just have to say you are a brilliant blogger. I really enjoy “hearing” you talk. Plus your cards are great too! I can’t wait to try some of your tips and tricks. And you are definitely going on my “check this blog every day” list!

  14. Thanks so much for being such a good teacher. I don’t know anything about art, so when I see how you’ve explained about how to keep the card balanced (and other artsy tips in your blog), it really helps me know how to balance my own cards.

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