ahhh, simplicity

hello there!  today i'm excited to share this card set with you.  it's all packaged up neatly in a muslin bag and i'll tell you about that, too.  i used the Fourteen collection by Crate Paper and a couple of other common products to give this set a cohesive look.  sometimes, simplicity reigns supreme.  in this case, instead of going with a complicated design and many different elements, i focused on layering and color to give the cards a punch.  

i started with a kraft card stock base and added a white doily.  then i made tags out of different patterned papers from Fourteen.  i chose papers and embellishments that showcased red and yellow, another new favorite combo of mine.  it's a bit of a twist on the traditional Valentine's Day color scheme but i've been drawn to it for the last year or two.  and these cards, while made from a Valentine's Day paper line, aren't necessarily for Valentine's Day.  they can be given for any occasion.

a mini clothespin, round metal rim tag, and small strung white tag are common elements.  i added a sentiment along with a few stickers, punches or die cuts to dress up each tag.  on this card it's a heart punched from the yellow paper (the reverse side of the tag cuts) and a red label sticker.    

the last touch was a little bow of red baker's twine.  don't you love it when projects come together quickly?  

here's a yellow tag with some pink and teal but it still has a pop of red from the twine.  

i distressed the edges of each tag for some texture and stapled the string of the small white tag.  never underestimate the power of a well-placed office supply!  they're inexpensive but add a surprising amount of interest to a project.  the metal rim and white tags also came from the office supply store.    

this last card might be my favorite of the trio.  it's mostly all red and yellow and i love the contrast between those two colors.  the red hearts of the "Sweetheart" paper are incredibly vibrant and, when paired with the trimmed yellow die cut tag, i think they make a bold and beautiful pair!

i wanted to give this card set special packaging and from the start, i had these muslin bags in mind.  (you'll probably be seeing me using them quite a bit from now on.)  you can see they are stitched with red thread and have a yellow yarn drawstring so it really is the perfect thing for these cards.  i made another little tag from the yellow paper--also stitched with red thread--and added a pink chipboard heart and typed "dear friend" sentiment.  



i stamped the scalloped frame onto the bag and then spelled out my sister's name (she's my dearest friend, after all!) with "Fantastic" Glitter Thickers.  {tip:  although the thickers are adhesive-backed, i used Fabri-tac to secure them to the bag, just to make sure they stayed put.}  this set will make a sweet gift and the best part is that it didn't take me hours to put it all together.

thanks for stopping by today; i'll chat with you again soon!