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We get this question a lot - what makes a card CAS? Just stumbled across this video where Kelly does a great job discussing what makes a great CAS card - I could also watch her color all day.
Back in the day when the CAS challenge got rolling, and when we started the CAS favorites thread, we had a lot of discussion as to what defines "clean and simple". And we wanted a simple definition. Here's the result:
And what does it mean to be Clean and Simple?
It's all about the design.
* Uncluttered
* lots of white or open space
* one main focal point
Notice that this definition doesn't say anything about layers. Or embellishments of any type. Or the time it takes to make the card. ;)
I think it's also about scale and position of the focal point and elements, as that video above demonstrates. And that leads to graphic design principles that make the difference between "nice" and "wow" especially when the design is minimalistic. All of the best crafters online either have a background in graphic design or they have learned from the best, and it really shows in their card designs.
Diane, I think a lot of people mistakenly think a "clean" and "simple" card means a "quick" and "easy" card, where in most cases, to obtain a striking or effective CAS card, that's the furthest thing from the truth.
I learned from the master: Susan Raihala, the queen of CAS. And I keep one of her pearls of wisdom in my head while I'm creating a CAS card: What can I remove from my card and still effectively convey my message? Also, there's no room to camouflage a mistake on a CAS card.
I don't always make CAS cards, but when I try and when it's good, I feel like I've hit one out of the park!
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
What a great video! I'm one of those people who never fully understood CAS. Like Linda mentioned, I thought CAS was more akin to Quick & Easy but could never understand how such "simple" cards could look so elegant. So, this video was like an "ah ha!" moment.
I really love that she went into detail about what she was doing -- and WHY. It felt like I was sitting in on a class, rather than just watching someone create. Personally, I need to know the why behind the what for things to make sense. For me, art is abstract. Art is hard. My mind doesn't naturally go there so I need someone to hold my hand. LOL
I especially love that while she gave the rules and talked about breaking them, she stressed the following:
"Find something you love, whatever that is, and do that well."
"Plenty of times I've started a card as clean and simple and it didn't end up that way because it just needed something more."
"Don't worry about what other people think."
That was a really good explanation. I love how much depth she got with her beautiful coloring and the light blue shading around the image and the white gel pen outlining the sentiment.
I know people have sometime taken offense to having cards called "simple" as if that meant easy....anything but to get a card to look so complete with a CAS layout! So, I think this kind of explanation really hits the mark.
I liked the shading as well...especially that she sponged the inks! I always HATE trying to make those lovely, well blended, perfect blue outline shadows. Grrr. More stuff goes in the trash....
I think Clean and Simple is open to a lot of interpretation. What one person thinks of as "clean and simple" might not be so to another person. If it's for a challenge or a magazine submission, then a clear definition is helpful and probably necessary. But I think for anything else, it's whatever you interpret it to be.
I liked the shading as well...especially that she sponged the inks! I always HATE trying to make those lovely, well blended, perfect blue outline shadows. Grrr. More stuff goes in the trash....
Thank you Lydia for this. I struggle with it-not so much in when I am thinking of my design, but as when I am looking at cards here. People say it is CAS and I dont think so, so I am confused. But as was said, there is a range that people fall into and I guess I lean toward the minimalist side? Gee, I feel like people in a museum debating aspects of a painting.
I dont know that I am qualified to have an opinion on this as I struggle with design so much.
Simple is the problem in that MEME imho; I dont know how it got in there. As was said, "simple" reads to people as fast/easy (functional) vs the finished piece not being complex (design) when both words to me refer to the design/appearance.
I dont which came first-that MEME for us or the whole "simple" life thing going on...b/c for that, it is functionally based.
Clean is the real operating word for me. Clean lines, singular image, large open field. (I dont say white space) A sweet note of a 'bellie maybe or how she did a little BG, a thin BG layer... My eye goes RIGHT at the focus. Bang. No thought. It was the way I was taught.
I have put some cards in the CAS favs because either they self IDed as one or multiple posters IDed that way. I was thinking I am too narrow in my definition compared to much more experienced people here. Then I decided it's better to put a possible CAS in the reg favs than a non-CAS in the CAS group.
I am happy she used the word tight. I have wanted to but no one else does and I didnt know if it would sound right here. I get bad looks in the museum if I use it. I have used crisp and clean as substitutes. Really what I am saying is cohesive for a complex design, but that sounds teacher-ish and uptight. I just mean my eye moves smoothly around the card, it all supports/blends/flows together well. I may use clean on a non CAS card as I would pretty.
Lydia, thanks for posting that video - it was great.
I've yet to consistently master CAS and the reason is that I truly only like the CAS styles that take my breath away. Too often, IMHO, CAS cards can be boring and that makes me add more but it also drives me nuts when a card has so much that I can't find the focal point. Also, Kelly' discussion was great about the scrapbook pages.
I've been subscribing to Less is More to get ideas and learn what makes a CAS card great.
This discussion inspired me to work on some CAS Christmas cards. :p
Thank you so much for posting this video about CAS cards - it was really helpful. I used to always assume that a Clean and Simple card should take me a much shorter amount of time than my usual coloured-up & layered cards - and I actually used to be really hard on myself because I couldn't figure out why CAS cards took me longer - it made no sense! I didn't realise that simple (for me at least) referred to the actual design & not the speed of the project - and it doesn't actually matter how long it takes me: it's all about that wonderful sense of achievement that I feel when I am happy with a CAS card. Nowadays, if I want to make a CAS card (which really is a challenge for me), I can spend quite a bit of time sketching out ideas before I even start making the card. And sometimes, things don't work out - so I shelve the card and move onto something else. Other times, the card sits on my desk for a few days as I try & figure out whether I should add something else or leave it as is. I really enjoy the whole design process - gives me quite a buzz. I may not churn out cards at a great rate of knots but that doesn't worry me anymore.
I hear you Jocelyn. CAS is hard for me too. It always feels incomplete. I dont know why. I like it when other do it, but if I try a single image and simple sentiment and stop...looks nekkid!
I make CAS because it just seems to be my style. I understand that some find this style difficult to do, and just keep adding on. I think your eye tells you when to stop,and you don't have to fill up the whole page. That white space does give your eye place to rest. It's like having some green lawn in your garden or plain foliage in your container plantings, otherwise its like a kaleidoscope lol.....which is beautiful for what it is.
Just my opinion but some of my most elegant cards are CAS...the image says it all. I would love to do "shabby chic"..... Love the look but my brain does not compute...like a crazy quilt to me.
As one of the people responsible for the CAS Favorites thread, I think there is a grey area between CAS and non-CAS. It's easy to look at a multi-layered, much embellished card and say it's non-CAS, and easy to look at a very clean card with lots of white space and say it's CAS, but in between those two are a whole bunch of cards that could fall either way. I know some challenge blogs like Less is More have very strict guidelines, but I'm glad that here at SCS we are a bit more flexible!
__________________ Susan
My SCS gallery is here should you care to look! Or please visit my blog, Cardmaker's Garret.
I make CAS because it just seems to be my style. I understand that some find this style difficult to do, and just keep adding on. I think your eye tells you when to stop,and you don't have to fill up the whole page. That white space does give your eye place to rest. It's like having some green lawn in your garden or plain foliage in your container plantings, otherwise its like a kaleidoscope lol.....which is beautiful for what it is.
Just my opinion but some of my most elegant cards are CAS...the image says it all. I would love to do "shabby chic"..... Love the look but my brain does not compute...like a crazy quilt to me.
Same here - some of my favorite cards in the gallery are shabby chic (like va.sunshine ) or flat out gorgeous vintage like Michele Kovack - but I couldn't recreate it to save my life.
Great video, great thread - thank you! Lots to digest, lots to play around with, a new blog to visit - all good things! Now if I could only find a snippet of time...
Great chat on CAS design
