Softened Stripes

In my little house we don't know who Gareth is. We don't even really follow fashion, right now if it is warm we wear it. Case in point, when asked about what they say in the Runway Inspired Challenge picture, featuring a dress by Gareth Pugh, my boys (all three!) offered these suggestions: Who's Gareth, I don't have any friends named Gareth. I see a girl wearing an ugly dress and ugly shoes. I see a big belt and and itty bitty waist. Too much black and white! Too much stripes! Wow, that dress is really, really big...and ugly. What did I see? A soft face trying to look all tough and hard core. A bit of blush peeking through all the harsh lines and overflowing movement of the dress.

However unconventional this entry might be, I used the compilation of my family's thoughts when  composing the card. I found a big sentiment and paired it with a dainty leaf stamp, both stamped in bold black ink. The base is soft stone, almost white but not quite, and is embossed with woodgrain to mimic all the stripes. I added a touch of gray and blush coloring too, all to soften up the design. As usual, I kept the design very minimalistic too, or should I say clean and simple. Young Crafter's Unite is after my own heart with their current Clean and Simple Challenge.

Why do models have to look so fierce when they are so naturally beautiful?