SOS141: 3...2...1

nope, we're not counting down at shopping our stash this week, more like tallying up! this challenge is a liiiiiitle tricky; ok, not really, it just requires a pause to consider the ingredients you're going to use. because we want to see 3 of something + 2 of something else + 1 of another thing. does that make sense? here's an example based on my lovely fellow DT jessi's totally FAB card: she used 3 colorful brads + 2 adorable stamps + 1 patterned paper. i had to put on my thinking cap for this one. because, as you know, i'm not really a "less is more" kinda gal; but i LOVE a challenge! so here's my card, on which i've used 3 patterned papers + 2 rosette embellishment thingies + 1 cute vintage style flash card:

(patterned paper: american crafts, echo park, crate paper; rosette thingies: american crafts; vintage style birthday flash card: october afternoon; ink: colorbox; adhesives: staples brand gluetape runner, 3m foam tape, sewing machine)

does it seem like i cheated? because of the banners, i mean? i didn't, actually, and i'm sort of proud of my cleverness (or sneakiness?) on that point because i wanted a banner, but couldn't figure out how to make one that wasn't all ONE PATTERN (which, to a maximalist like myself would be far too dull, lol) ...until... i found this piece of patterned paper from echo park's sweet day line, with multicolored banners printed right on it! score!!! :)

i cut them very close indeed, tacked only the very very tops of the triangles with my gluetape runner, then stitched them onto my card so the little triangles would still have some dimension. i really like how they came out:

then i was a bit stymied as to how i could double-mat the (smallish) "c is for candles" card, since i only had two patterns left in play. ordinarily i wouldn't have thought to use the soft pink music paper twice, but i think it works. which illustrates what i love most about "tricky" challenges... they really make you STRETCH!

if you'd like to see more examples of how to make the 3-2-1 formula work, hop on over to SOS where, coincidentally, ALL of the dt cards are made to that specification, and WOW, they ♥ROCK♥!!!