Clean and Simple Stamping

After spending so much time being messy on my last project, it was very breath of fresh air to create this Clean and Simple ATC for the latest Fun With ATCs challenge.

I used Rangers' Specialty Stamping Paper for my surface and chose a stamp for my focal image from one of Tim Holtz's Visual Artistry Collections.  To give the piece some depth, I used another one of Tim's stamps, a lovely swirl, for a background image.  I stamped the swirl using Clearly Better Ink in Aqua once on a piece of scrap specialty stamping paper and then the background images as a second stamping on the ATC.  I then stamped my focal image in the middle of the card using Versa Fine Ink in Onyx Black.  I framed the card using a 7 Gypsies stamp at the top and black band at the bottom made with an alcohol ink marker.  Finally, I stamped my sentiment (also a stamp from one of Tim Holtz's Visual Artistry Collections), one of my favorites, at the bottom of the card.

Clean and Simple may be a bit of a misnomer.  It wasn't so simple to do.  I went through several  cards because I kept smudging ink somewhere!  Maybe that's why most of my projects are messy:)   I really love the use of the vintage-look stamps.  You still get the "imperfections" like the double characters on the sentiment and the slight rough edges on the swirls, but the overall look is clean and simple.

I really love this ATC, but it really isn't that fabulous when you look at the other talented entries at the Fun with ATC Clean and Simple Challenge.  Check them out!  Really fabulous images and colors.  Time to go.  Enjoy a very blessed and restful Sunday.  -- Mary Elizabeth