Happy Anniversary Mark

This week, while we were away on holiday, Mark and I celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary. Naturally I always make him a card - but he doesn't like anything sloppy or romantic so it's something of a challenge to think what to make. However I know he's been interested in and impressed by some of the Clean and Simple cards I've made recently, so I decided to make a very simple but stylish Autumn themed card.

I masked off a white card to give me a strip about 4cm wide and sponged it with inks in yellow and brown shades, then stamped the whole strip in autumn colours using the Rubberstamp Tapestry "Queen Anne's Lace" set which  I've had for many, many years. Every time I use it, I think "Why don't I use it more often?" and maybe with Autumn settling over the country (It seems a lot earlier than usual this year, doesn't it?) I'll feel inspired to keep it to hand.

Rather than add a sentiment, I decided to pick up the colours from the stamping with a leaf die-cut from some metallic card that came in one of the very first TV shopping kits I ever bought - does anyone else remember the Elegant Vintage kit from QVC? It must be around 15 years since I bought it, and, like many other crafters, I thought it looked wonderful on TV and yet I really struggled to make anything I was happy with from it. (If you're interested in what I came up with from the kit, you can see a few of my efforts in my now-neglected Photobucket - but please remember I was VERY new to card making when I made them!) Anyway, good or bad, the kit did contain some gorgeous patterned metallic card that has been waiting all these years to see action - apart from this I still have three other sheets that have never been cut!

I'm playing along at

Cardz 4 Guyz - No Patterned Paper

Oldie But Goodie - Autumn