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CAS Holiday Cards

I love CAS style designs.  CAS stands for clean and simple and involves one focal image or sentiment and minimal embellishments.  Some people struggle with creating a CAS design, often adding too many extras. Today’s tutorial shows two holiday examples of CAS style card designs.

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I started by coloring my focal images with TriBlend markers.  For the flamingo (from Avery Elle), I used Pale Pink, Dark Red, Brown Grey, and Ice Grey blends.  For that silly turkey (from Art Impressions), I used Tan, Earth Brown, Gold Brown, Brown Grey, Orange, and Dark Red blends.

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For the flamingo card, I wanted to use the scene image from the set very lightly in the background.  To accomplish this, I used second generation stamping. Second generation stamping is a technique that uses the ink that remains after first stamping it off once onto a scrap of paper.  This second stamping produces a much softer, less intense stamping. I used Finesse Alcohol-Proof Dye Ink in Flagstone.

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Here you can see the first stamping on scrap paper (to the right) and the second generation stamping on the card base, still in my mini MISTI.

#thefrolickingfairy #spectrumnoir #spectrumnoirmarkers #tutorial #cas #cleanandsimple #holiday #averyelle #artimpressions #turkey #flamingo #triblends #alcoholmarkers #stencil #holidaywishes #thanksgiving #handmade #handmadeholidays #papercraft #cardmaking #cardmaker

I decided to add a smaller flamingo in the background, using second generation stamping, then added the sentiment with the same ink without stamping off.  

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I die cut the flamingo from scrap cardstock twice and glued to the back of the colored image.  I glued him to the card base and was done. The light background adds enough interest without distracting the eye away from the focal image.

#thefrolickingfairy #spectrumnoir #spectrumnoirmarkers #tutorial #cas #cleanandsimple #holiday #averyelle #artimpressions #turkey #flamingo #triblends #alcoholmarkers #stencil #holidaywishes #thanksgiving #handmade #handmadeholidays #papercraft #cardmaking #cardmaker

For the turkey, I used a leaves stencil from Echo Park and Nuvo embellishment mousse.  I seriously used my finger tip to apply lightly apply the mousse through the stencil. You could also lightly ink blend through a stencil (or without) to add a touch of interest.

#thefrolickingfairy #spectrumnoir #spectrumnoirmarkers #tutorial #cas #cleanandsimple #holiday #averyelle #artimpressions #turkey #flamingo #triblends #alcoholmarkers #stencil #holidaywishes #thanksgiving #handmade #handmadeholidays #papercraft #cardmaking #cardmaker

I stamped the sentiment using the same Flagstone ink and added the disguised turkey.  I hope you found some inspiration in a few CAS techniques. It doesn’t have to be daunting.. And less sometimes is more.  :) Until next time, loves.. Xo

#thefrolickingfairy #spectrumnoir #spectrumnoirmarkers #tutorial #cas #cleanandsimple #holiday #averyelle #artimpressions #turkey #flamingo #triblends #alcoholmarkers #stencil #holidaywishes #thanksgiving #handmade #handmadeholidays #papercraft #cardmaking #cardmaker

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#thefrolickingfairy #spectrumnoir #spectrumnoirmarkers #tutorial #cas #cleanandsimple #holiday #averyelle #artimpressions #turkey #flamingo #triblends #alcoholmarkers #stencil #holidaywishes #thanksgiving #handmade #handmadeholidays #papercraft #cardmaking #cardmaker


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