Snailed It for neutral, all-occasion cards

I decided to mix in some non-holiday cards today for a little variety. This batch of cards was one I made a couple of months ago for a color challenge on the Ellen Hutson blog. I ended up being too late to enter the challenge, but I was really pleased with the way the cards turned out.

I used the Snailed It stamp and die sets (Essentials by Ellen) to create these cards. I started by choosing five colors that fit the color challenge. (Unfortunately I didn't write down which colors I used, and it's been so long now that I don't remember the specifics.) Then I stamped a variety of images using those colors and cut them out with the coordinating dies. Finally I mixed and matched the pieces to create five different card layouts.

I love that these colors and images work for masculine or feminine cards as well as a variety of occasions. I made a birthday card, thinking of you, thanks, and two hello cards. I also really like that they are bold, solid stamps -- I don't always feel like coloring stamped images.

For some of the cards I used clusters of a few die-cut pieces, and for others I arranged the pieces to fill up most or all of the card front. I added simple, neutral embellishments to the cards as well as a bit of texture with scored or doodled borders, die-cut frames, or embossing folders.

For this card I glued the pieces all over the card front. Then I embossed the card using an embossing folder with a small, all-over pattern. I haven't used this technique in quite a while, but it's a neat effect as it presses the die cuts into the card stock. Just be sure that all the edges of the die cuts are glued down; if not, the little ends might stick up a bit after the card is embossed.

Thanks for stopping by!