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Friday, April 17, 2020

3 ideas for happy mail to send right now

Sending happy mail to our friends and family is always a good idea but I might even upgrade it to a necessity during this strange & stressful time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A recent (and very informal poll) of my friends and family reveals that they feel like they don't have enough cards ready to mail so today I have 3 really simple card design ideas to share with you. 

Hopefully these easy peasy ideas will help you create a stockpile of cards so you can send more happy mail!

For those of you joining us from the #spreadjoynotgerms blog hop, welcome! You should be arriving from Teri Wilson's wonderful blog. You can also find the complete hop list and all the joyous details HERE.


You will see that for many of the cards I made today, I started with this super simple printable card. I’ve made it a PDF you can download & print HERE.

I think the "hello friend" card is perfect for mailing as is but I've got 3 simple ways to dress it up...

#1. add simple black stamping
Black & white cards are classic! I recommend choosing stamps with beautiful details so they don't even need coloring!

#2. add simple stripes
Color blended or adhered stripes are a super simple way to dress up a basic card. 

#3. add simple two-color stamping
It's easy to add a little extra detail by stamping a solid image with multiple colors. See more about this technique and all the cards in this quick video...







Before you go, let's talk about the awesome sponsors and prizes!!! There are 31 amazing companies giving prizes so please make sure to comment on each hop stop you visit for a chance to win. Comment before April 24th for a chance to win. 

Your next hop stop is Jen Carter's beautiful blog.



Thanks so much for stopping by and hopping with us! Hope you are safe & well!

Hugs!
Carly


supplies:

164 comments:

Jody V said...

Love your cards. Thanks for sharing.

Barb said...

I love these cards--it does put a smile on my face! Thanks for participating!

Debbie M said...

These are awesome! Thanks for the tutorial!

Lane said...

SWEET! Clean and simple is my kinda style! You always pack a lot of great tips and techniques into your videos Carly and I love the length of them! 💖🇨🇦

Kelly Lloyd said...

Love these simple but stylish designs
Happy hopping

Justin Averill said...

Oh my goodness, I love how bold, yet simple, these projects are!!

Nicole said...

LOVE the black and white with just one color. Beautiful work. Love your style!

Gail said...

These are amazing CAS cards love black and white and also with a pop of color tfs and being part of the hop blessings

Kathy said...

Thanks for the download. I love the ways you changed up the si<ple card. Thanks.

Priya said...

Simple and elegant card.

Sheila R said...

Cute, thanks for thinking of us and sharing.

D's Designs said...

I love the simplicity of the color! Great card!

Mary Ellen Lounsbery said...

Lovely CAS cards!

Isabel Z said...

Such few colors but the effect is stunning!!!

Joy Wilson said...

Such beautiful cards! I love the simple elegance!
Hugs, Joy
Joyfully Stamps

Dani said...

These are so greta - simple, but packing a punch! Thanks for sharing these great idees!!

Karen Letchworth said...

LOVING your sweet color palette. Thanks for sharing your wonderful inspiration in this special hop. The stamps are darling, and you've made such an amazing assortment of art to inspire us all. Stay safe and healthy, and God bless.

I'm not on the blog hop list, but I am participating as part of the Paper Sweeties DT if you'd like to stop by and see my project. Hope you're staying safe and health.
Blessings,
Karen Letchworth
www.karen-mycuprunnethover.blogspot.com

*Vicki* said...

These are really adorable creations and such a quick and fun way to spread some joy! The splash of color really adds some nice attention to the images! TFS

Ruth Anne M said...

So many great ideas and so simple

Sandy said...

Your "simple" cards have a beautiful impact. So pretty, I love them all!
Stay healthy

deb c said...

Great cards, so simple yet loaded with smiles!!

Kerys said...

Just beautiful! I love the black and white with a pop of color x

Mcscrap said...

Nice, clean, and simple. Just my style!! Thanks for sharing

Maria said...

Cute fun cards!! Take care and stay safe!!

Nicole Pigg said...

Such fun cards!!!

Vera Yates (Ling) said...

Carly, I love, love, love the modern look on your card. Totally caught my attention right away. LOVE them.

Christine said...

Your cards are very striking in their simplicity. Such an inspiring post...thanks for spreading joy!

Leen said...

Beautiful clean and simple cards!!

Jenny McGee said...

Thank you for the inspiration, especially during this difficult time. A nice pick me up.

Lisa said...

Thank you for the fantastic ideas! B&W cards can be so effective! Add a pop of color for a bit more and get it in mail! Thank you!

berucrafts said...

OMG... so much cards... you are very busy... I love the simply in detail... Thanks for sharing your inspiration.

Hugs
Ute
DT Whimsy Stamps

Amanda Wilcox said...

Beautiful CAS card set! I love them all!

Connie Lutz said...

Big fan of the black and white! These would make a nice gift set.

Linda said...

The black and white concept is so perfect for right now. Thanks for the brilliant inspiration!!

Cindi said...

Beautiful cards! I love the pops of color against the black and white. Great and easy idea for mass producing thank you.

Cheryl said...

Gorgeous, CAS cards.

Cheryl
http://shestamps.blogspot.com/

Lisa xx said...

Carly, your cards are absolutely delightful the black, white and splash of colour looks wonderful

Lynn McAuley said...

I love the simplicity of these awesome designs!!! Fabulous work!!

LoraLea1 said...

Carly Tee, I really love your use of the stripes of color with the black and white. Thanks

Krystin said...

These clean and crisp cards are incredibly classy. Love them! ✨

Kim B said...

Love the clean and simple cards!

MadeByMeghanK said...

I love these CAS designs and great sentiment! Perfect!

Gina K said...

Wonderful ideas and thank you for the freebie!

Joyce Stuart said...

Great graphic with a pinch of color can't go wrong. It's a Girl and Coral Cabana.

Virginia said...

Beautiful! Thank you for sharing!

mamawcindy said...

Love how you added color to the black and white cards. I'm going to have to try this. Thanks for sharing.

Linda Callahan said...

Smart and stylish!

Phyllis said...

Love the different looks you have with the same sentiment.

Carol Wortman said...

What an awesome idea!! Never thought of starting with a printed cover. Brilliant. Love these so much! Thanks and please stay well!

Jean said...

Darling cards! perfect for this hop! Thank you to all who have come together!

Debi Lowery said...

Love all the "lady" stamps. TFS

Angel said...

Love the simple cards, they look great!

Jennifer said...

Crazy about these cards! Love your designs and the simple quickness

Marie Bingaman said...

Great idea about these quick and easy cards! :)

stampcz said...

Three great ideas!

Marylin S said...

Thank you for joining in on the blog hop, and for sharing the joy with all of us!

Jennifer L. said...

Thanks for the video. You always make simple beautiful cards look sooo easy!

abhoneyab said...

Great ideas! This is so wonderful to do! Thank you!

Mirella said...

These are all wonderful, I love them!

Andrea Shell said...

Your cards are so classy and modern! Love the pops of pink!

Kelly said...

love the modern look of these and your color choices. such a great set!

Cardogram said...

I love the contemporary cards that you've crafted and the CP inks are bright and fantastic.. The florals are so simple and yet to impressive ❤️❤️❤️

Robyn said...

Love the cards. Thanks for sharing.

Jane Harrah said...

Bautiful. I love this blog hop~

Karyn said...

Beautiful cards. Minimalistic and beautiful. Thanks for spreading your joy!!! Cards are my favorite way to do that

Wendy said...

Beautiful cards.. .....Thanks for sharing x

nonnacindy said...

This is perfect. I plan on doing some for my granddaughters thank you.

Kristina "Tina" said...

Yes, for sure never have enough on hand. Taking this down time to do that. Always love your fresh ideas. Thanks for sharing

Eve N said...

These cards are wonderful! Thank you for so generously providing the cardfront.

Laurie K. said...

Love your coordinated cards. People will be delighted to receive these.

Anonymous said...

love how fun your cards are and how quick they can be made - thanks for the ideas

sharon g said...

The simple flowers are very cute. I like the black and white...

Zina said...

Great cards with such a nice color shade combo and thanks for the FREEBIE too

Michelle said...

Beautiful! I loved the simplicity of these cards, yet they still made a statement. Thank you for posting and for the video.

Debbie said...

Love the black & white palette with pops of PINK!!

Laurie said...

I love the beautiful simplicity of the cards you shared. Thank you for providing the PDF to make it even easier to re-create easy to get out the door cards - much appreciated. Thanks so much for sharing!

Lisa Byers said...

Love these CAS cards. Delightful, easy, and friendly!!

Sugar Land Scrapper said...

Love the clean and simple of these cards. Thanks for sharing!

Chrystyna said...

Love your cards! Great inspiration for all of us! Thanks for sharing and participating in this fun blog hop!

MariLynn said...

Great CAS cards. Love the colors you choose to minimally use. Thanks for sharing joy with your project for the Spread Joy Not Germs Bloghop. Blessings.

ksplumlee said...

Your cards are amazing. I love the plain and simple black and white. I printed the PDF before I left this comment. Thank you for sharing. Stay safe.

Roberta Stevenson said...

Love your CAS cards! They all look amazing! Thanks for spreading some joy today and being part of this amazing hop!

Lisa said...

LOVING your cards Carly! The CAS cards are just so cute and the pops of pink are so classy! Thank you so much for sharing the PDF as well!

Debbie Bonner said...

Wonderful easy cards, thanks so much for the great ideas.

Crafty Amy said...

What a great collection of CAS cards! Thank you for inspiring me :D

Huge hugs

Amy xx

Natalie said...

Black and white , such a neat technique, thanks for sharing

Susan T said...

Ha Ha...Ive been in a black and white mode lately. Thanks for sharing your take and the free PDF which I will download after I post this comment. I love your work. It inspires me and always puts a smile on my face. THANK-YOU!1

Kristie Goulet said...

SO awesome! I love these! Thank you for helping to spread joy!

Karen B. said...

I have been a fan of yours for years, YEARS! and you never cease to amaze me. These cards are stunning, thank you for sharing your process.

gail said...

thank you for the download!

paperplay said...

I really love your cards and the idea of making simple yet striking cards to spread joy. So nice of you to share your PDF also. I sent quite a few "friend" cards last week but this will make it so easy to make a bunch more.

Amber Fite said...

Cute

Annamarie's Blog said...

Your monochrome cards with big letters are so modern and classy. The ones with the single colours are so beautiful. Really love these cards. xx

Patty said...

Wow...what a great idea for creating multiple cards and I LOVE clean and simple!!

Nandini said...

Thanks for the amazing inspiration! These cards are really beautiful!

CJordan7496 said...

Gosh I like your cards!! Thank you for the download!! That was very kind of you!! Thanks for sharing the cards as well!!

ksdavis1947 said...

I LOVE your cards, Carly. Your designs are so interesting.Love the simplicity of the design and color. Great inspiration. TFS

Aimee's Stamping Adventures said...

I absolutely love all of your cards you created for this Spreadjonotgerms blog hop.
Every card you created is awesome. I can see these being fun to mass produce.
I think its awesome that you used the same color palette for them.

Heather said...

Wow!! These ARE really simple, and they are also really stunning!! Who knew leaving images black and white could look so amazing!!??

Robin M said...

Love the clean and simple designs!

creativetimewithme said...

Love the CAS designs of your cards!!! Stay safe! Stay healthy! Stay crafty!

Kristina H said...

Thank you for the free download and all of the awesome ideas for quick and easy cards!

Denise Bryant said...

Love the colors and designs of your cheery cards! Thanks for the download and for spreading the joy!

Amy Martin said...

Beautiful and nice simple cards. Thank for the ideas.

Wendy Nicola Jackson said...

What fun and fabulous cards! Love your simple black and white theme with the pops of pink, so so gorgeous! Love that fab bold sentiment. Wonderful creations all of them. Hugs, Wends xoxo

Sidelle Menon said...

love love your bold cards! They're so simple yet elegant!

Mendy said...

Love the simple card yet so beautiful at the same time. I was loving that Hello Friend and then you shared it. Thank you so much!

Jane said...

wonderful, simple is beautiful when you do it

Elizabeth Roberts said...

Very nice clean and simple cards! I love black and white with a splash of color.

Lagene said...

Gorgeous creations! Awesome event to spread Joy during these uncertain times! Thanks for the chance to win!

Dana W said...

Sweet cards!! And so CAS!! Love them!!

Reneeleeak said...

I really like the idea you gave us for these cards. They are so sleek looking. Very nice & thanks for sharing!

Cyndi said...

Beautiful, fun, clean cards. Love them!

Tami said...

Love these cards! Liked them in black and white and you really stepped them up by adding the pops or color. Great way to make easy, simple and classic cards that would certainly bring a smile to someone's face. Thanks for the ideas!

cebelica said...

CAS at it's finest. These turned out perfectly!!! xx

Karthikha said...

Beautiful set of CAS cards! Awesome work! Thank you for the tips :)

Monika/Buzsy said...

Sweet cards Carly. Love how you added the pop of color to the flowers and with the strips. Great way to cheer someone up! Thanks for the inspiration. God bless!

Jessie said...

Love your cards

Lauryne Cunningham said...

I love these CAS ideas and tips! Your cards are so pretty! Love all the stamps you used, too!

Jean R-T said...

Just the inspiration I was looking for to make a bunch of cards to send out during this tough time!

Mary-Anne V said...

I love the clean look you created on these cards.

Sammy said...

As someone who is useless at CAS cards, this is *exactly* the kind of thing I wish I could make. LOVE them!

SandyK said...

These cards are great- now I need to make some!

Mary Holshouser said...

Wonderful cards. Love the uncolored
look - so much easier than trying to
do shading and they look great.
Adding the stripes is a good idea.
thanks for sharing
txmlhl(at)yahoo(dot)com

Bonnie Peffer said...

Beautiful crisp and clean cards. The colors are gorgeous and really pop off the cards. Great tip for the xyron too! TFS!

Teresa Godines #6857 said...

Awesome CAS design. Love how quick and easy, this would allow many cards to be made. Thanks for inspiring me

Ms. Tamp said...

Great video for quick and simple cards.

KimC said...

Carly your cards always make me smile. You are so creative and talented, I look forward to seeing what you will create next. Thanks for sharing.

JJ Barrett said...

Love this! Thank you for sharing! XO :)

Susanne Wichert said...

What a cool idea with that simple style :)

Denise Petro said...

So fun and easy to make!

Lynn Hill said...

I love your simple, but beautiful, cards. I am a big fan of Essentials by Ellen and have some of the stamps you used so I am going to have to make a bundle of these ready-when-you-aren't cards! Thanks for your inspiration.

Jen said...

So simple; yet so cute. Having fun on this hop.

Laurie2cats said...

Wonderful clean and simple cards, thanks for sharing the printable base!

Holly Mahoney said...

These are so beautiful but simple. I am going to try this. Less is more definitely sums up these cards.

Janet a.k.a. swanlady21 said...

Simply wonderful set of cards!

Kathy Dippner said...

Fantastic cards! Thank you so much for sharing your ideas. I get stuck trying to create CAS and I love the idea of the black outlines without coloring.

Vivian C. said...

Clean and simple and classy. Great tips.

Lisa said...

Absolutely love these... the simple and beautiful design makes me happy and so easy to mail! Thanks for the inspiration!

TracyM #6773 said...

GORGEOUS cards!
LOVE your elegant designs, the POP of pink is so BOLD, BEAUTIFUL and CHEERY against the white & black :)
Thank You for sharing and INSPIRING!

JMN said...

Clean, simple and classy....love these cards. Thank you for the PFD and for participating this the wonderful blog hop.

Karen Hoskins said...

Very cute cards. Thank you for sharing. Please stay safe.

The Craft Princess said...

I love the beautiful simplicity of these cards! I'm glad I stopped by to see them :) Hugs....Janie

Valerija said...

Super cute cards and great design.

PinkLadyCarol said...

I love the clean, simplicity of your cards. Catherine Pooler inks add that POP to your black & white cards. TFS and thank you for the download!

Jennifer C. said...

What a truly helpful and beautiful post, especially the free printable! Thank you for participating in this excellent way to encourage stay-at-home!

Paper Hugs by April said...

Love this clean and simple design.

Wendi J said...

Like your CAS cards.

jordanbev5@yahoo.com said...

Thank you for the free printable that made these amazing adorable Friend cards! Loved the Watching lady and the pink flowers ones especially!! #spreadjoynotgerms Am sending cards out every week to those less fortunate that are elderly, sick or lonely or just friends! So special to be able to bring a smile when we can't see each other!

Sandee Lunneborg said...

What great clean and simple cards!! They turned out awesome!! Thanks for the inspiration!

Dana M said...

Fantastic cards! I love your clean designs. Super cool printables and you embellished them so beautifully.

Groovy Deborah said...

I think you raise a great point in that if images are great in black in that on your card it doesn’t have to have color added. Of course it looks great both ways, so I’m liking both ways. TFS your work!!!

JulesP- Aus said...

Beautiful, simple and sophisticated cards. Love them. Thanks for sharing!

Mona Sen said...

These cards are fantastic - thank you for the fabulous ideas!

Katie Ann Brooks said...

Hello Beautiful Carly! Love these!

Connie said...

Hi Carly :) Love these B&W cards with the pop of color....sooooooo modern and elegant!!! Thanks for inspiring me :)

DorothyA said...

Such warm friendly cards! Thank you for the inspiring ideas on making great cards, but fast and simple! Makes me realize I can do this! I get too caught up in trying to make a complex work of art, which is fun at times, but that takes me all day! The point is to send a message on a cute card!

DJ said...

Thank you for sharing your free sentiments I would definitely use them and the hints on how to make them even more special

Sue D said...

Thanks for sharing these wonderful card designs.

Larissa Heskett said...

SWOON!! I LOVE ALL of the Cards that you shared!! My FAVORITE is the the Last Card!! THANKS SO MUCH for sharing and have a FABULOUS WEEKEND!!

Tammy B said...

Oh my gosh Carly! These cards are so great. Thanks for the printable. I think that I’ll make a bunch to send to my mom so that she can send them to her friends.

Jessi Brown said...

Love these cards! Thanks for the inspiration.

Kim Klinkovsky.My Kraft Kloset said...

Great ideas. Great cards, lovely soft springy colors and designs. Thanks for a wonderful hop and the inspiration!

Jan in Tucson said...

Clean and simple...at it’s BEST!