Simple Thanks

*Proud to be a Top Pick for the Stampin' Royalty challenge this week!*
*Proud to be a Top Pick for Make My Monday this week!*

It's a wonderful feeling to be thankful.  Just as wonderful is the feeling one gets when one receives thanks---for a job well done, for a gift, or simply for being there.  Thank you cards are a big deal.

I like to keep things simple most of the time.  I like having one definite focal point and not overcrowd things.  Oh, I have my occasional fancy day, but overall my creativity leans towards the simple.  That's not to say it's simple to make my card since I am the uncrowned Queen of Fussy-cutting, but the final look is usually simple.

Todlay's "thank you" card certainly looks simple.  I like that about it.  My base cardstock is Crumb Cake and then I've added a layer of Very Vanilla.  I kept that simple and unadorned except for the sentiment and a few hand-drawn lines.

Part of my focal point is another piece of Very Vanilla which I've first stamped with the foliage and berries from the An Open Heart stamp set and coloured using my Blendabilities.  After that I embossed it using my Woodgrain embossing folder and then sponged the perimeter with Crumb Cake ink.  After attaching it to my card, I added a touch of Crystal Effects to each berry.

The "star" of my focal point is the bird from the An Open Heart stamp set which I've stamped onto a piece of Very Vanilla, cut out meticulously (including those tiny claws) and then coloured using my Stampin' Markers.  After colouring it, I attached it to the foliage using tiny cut pieces of Dimensionals and then added a touch of Crystal Effects to the eye.

And that is my card.  I hope its simplicity pleases the recipient as much as it pleases me.

For more cards that follow this sketch, check out Addicted to CAS.

For more cards that feature berries and foliage, check out Make My Monday.

For more cards that feature being thankful, check out the Stampin' Royalty Challenge.