Layering Leaves Once More

If you saw my blog post yesterday you’ll know we have our eldest granddaughter staying with us for a few weeks. We have lots of special treats and visits planned, interspersed with some quieter days. The weather forecast for the next couple of days has a risk of thunderstorms which is a great excuse for staying in and crafting. So while I go and dig out a bunch of Paper Pumpkin kits for us to work on together, here’s a simple gender-neutral card created using the Layering Leaves Stamp Set.

Create this simple 'celebrate you' card using the Layering Leaves Stamp Set and Earthen Elegance paper from Stampin' Up! #papercraftwithme

RICH PATTERNED PAPER

One of my favourite colours in the Stampin’ Up! range is Pretty Peacock. This rich green-blue is perfect for gender-neutral celebratory cards and that’s where I began. In the Earthen Elegance 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper (DSP) pack I found a sheet with a simple mottled design in Pretty Peacock. There’s no directionality to the pattern which makes it perfect for one of my 6″ x 6″ DSP designs.

I started by cutting a 6″ x 6″ piece of the DSP, and from that I cut a 2-1/4″ x 6″ strip. Using Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow) I glued the paper to the flap of a Very Vanilla Medium Envelope. Then I trimmed off the excess with my Paper Snips, using the edge of the flap as a guide.

Next I cut a 3/4″ x 5-1/4″ strip of the DSP along with a 4″ x 5-1/4″ piece of Very Vanilla Card. Using liquid glue once more, I fixed the DSP strip down the right-hand edge of the Very Vanilla layer and set it aside.

From what was left of my initial 6″ x 6″ piece I cut one final strip of paper, this time at 2-1/4″ x 5-1/2″. I set aside the remaining part of the sheet to use another day.

For my A2 card base I used my Paper Trimmer to cut a 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ piece of Thick Very Vanilla Card. Then, with the long side at the top I used the scoring blade to scored the card at 4-1/4″. With that done I folded the card along the scored line and sharpened the crease with a Bone Folder.

LAYERING PROVIDES INTEREST

Now I had the card base I turned my attention back to the Very Vanilla Layer. While I liked the narrow strip of paper I decided that it needed a little contrasting edge. So I cut a 1/8″ wide strip from some Distressed Gold 12″ x 12″ Specialty Paper.

Don't forget to decorate the inside of your cards to coordinate with the outside. #papercraftwithme

Using a little liquid glue I fixed the 1/8″ strip of gold along the left edge of the DSP on the Very Vanilla layer. Then I trimmed it to the right length with my Paper Snips, using the edge of the card layer as my guide. From there I glued the assembled layer inside the card base.

Now I needed to complete the card front, starting with the 2-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ piece of the Pretty Peacock DSP. Using liquid glue I attached the DSP to the card front, tight up against the fold. Then I glued the 1/8″ strip of Distressed Gold Specialty Paper on top of the DSP down the right-hand edge. Once in place, I used my Paper Snips to trim the Distressed Gold paper to the correct length.

For the sentiment I chose “So happy to celebrate you” from the Layering Leaves Stamp Set. Using Pretty Peacock ink I stamped it in the centre of a 2-3/8″ x 3-1/8″ piece of Very Vanilla Card. Then I mounted it onto a 2-1/2″ x 3-1/4″ layer of Soft Sea Foam Card with liquid glue.

Before adding it to the card front I took three Pretty Peacock embellishments from the Loose Frosted Dots pack. As the name suggests, these embellishments are loose so I used a little liquid glue to attach a column of three different sized dots in the top right corner.

Once the glue had dried I attached the sentiment to the centre of the card front, and with that my project was complete.

I definitely recommend adding the Distressed Gold Specialty Paper to your craft supplies. It really adds a special touch and as you can see, a little goes a long way.