What do you think of when you think of love or Valentine’s Day? I suspect hearts are the first things to spring to mind, and most likely a red and white colour scheme. Last weekend when I was racing through my 24 cards in 24 hours for World Card Making Day I did something a little different. I made a Valentine’s card in a blue and brown colour scheme, and not a heart in sight.

BACKGROUND LAYERS
My project started out with the Come Sail Away 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper (DSP) pack. I chose the brown ‘newspaper’ design and the bold blue compass design. Next, using Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow) I mounted the two pieces of DSP onto pieces of Soft Suede Card. Then with more liquid glue I fixed the blue mounted layer onto the brown one.
I decided to use the blue compass DSP as my coordinating feature so cut a 1″ strip and glued it along the bottom of a layer of Very Vanilla Card. This would go on the inside of my card base.
With more liquid glue I attached another piece of the compass DSP to the flap on a Very Vanilla Medium Envelope. Then I cut the DSP to shape with Paper Snips, using the edge of the flap as a guide.
Next I created a card base from Thick Very Vanilla Card. Then I glued the Very Vanilla layer on the inside. On the front of the card I attached the layered background piece with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
TRUE NORTH
The “you are my true north” sentiment comes from the Sailing Home Stamp Set and I stamped it onto a strip of Very Vanilla Card using Soft Suede ink. Then I used liquid glue to fix the sentiment onto a strip of Soft Suede card and set it aside.

All I needed now was a couple of decorative elements to finish everything off, and I found exactly what I wanted in the Smooth Sailing Dies.
First, from Copper Foil Sheet I cut the ship’s wheel. I love how the die also embosses the shape really adding to the effect. Then using the label die in the set I cut out a piece of Vellum Cardstock. This die doesn’t emboss but does add a line of tiny holes around the edge of the die-cut piece.
So with the accent pieces cut I fixed them to the background layer using liquid glue. Then to complete the project I simply added the sentiment with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
COLOUR SCHEME
I loved how this project turned out and of course it was the Come Sail Away DSP that inspired my colour scheme. At the start I said this was a Valentine’s Day card but I suppose it could be an anniversary card too. Or one to send ‘just because’. What do you think?

PRODUCT LIST
BUNDLE BONUS – I bought the Sailing Home Stamp Set and coordinating Smooth Sailing Dies using a single ‘bundle’ item number. This meant I saved 10% off the cost of buying the two items separately. I’ve included both option in my product list so you can explore this further if you wish.
This is really beautiful Tracy, and I love everything about it … first being the colour scheme, then that wonderful DSP and then your over all layout and not necessarily in that order either, but it’s very striking and very masculine. Beautifully rendered, and under such a time pressure too! Wow! TFS
Thank you Geraldine. Sometimes working against the clock means I have to go with gut instinct rather than fuss about and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.