Simply Elegant Paper Makes It Easy

Whenever I consider buying new packs of patterned paper I always look for versatility. Does this paper only work with one or two occasions, or does it have a wider appeal? The Simply Elegant 12″ x 12″ Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP) ticks all the boxes for me. It has designs with shiny foil elements, and it has designs without foil. There’s flowers which will appeal to some, and other patterns that are more masculine or gender-neutral. So for today’s project I wanted to focus on the non-shiny patterns to create this elegant birthday card.

Masculine birthday card created using the Timeless Tropical Stamp Set and Simply Elegant paper from Stampin' Up! #papercraftwithme #simplestamping

ELEGANT IN MONOCHROME

One of the patterns that stood out for me in the Simply Elegant DSP was the Basic Gray and Very Vanilla leaves on a Basic Black background. I found myself constantly going back to this pattern and decided I wouldn’t be satisfied until I’d made something with it. I didn’t have much time, but that wasn’t going to stop me.

So I began by cutting a 2-7/8″ x 4-5/8″ piece of the leafy pattern. Then I mounted it onto a 3″ x 4-3/4″ piece of Basic Black Card using Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow).

Next I went looking for a complimentary pattern and settled on a grid of Basic Black dots on a Basic Gray background. I thought that the reversal of the background colour would add interest to my simple card layout.

I began by cutting a 3/4″ x 5-1/4″ strip of the second pattern and glued it down the right-hand edge of a 4″ x 5-1/4″ Very Vanilla Card layer. Then I added a 1/8″ x 5-1/4″ strip of Basic Black Card up against the edge of the DSP.

I cut a second piece of the grid design DSP at 2-1/4″ x 2-1/4″ and mounted that onto a 2-3/8″ x 2-3/8″ piece of Basic Black Card.

Finally I cut a piece of the DSP 2-1/4″ x 6″ and glued that to the flap of a Very Vanilla Medium Envelope. Then I trimmed off the excess with Paper Snips, using the edge of the flap as a guide.

Things were coming together nicely but I still needed a card base. For this I chose Thick Very Vanilla Card cut and scored using my Paper Trimmer. Then I folded the card along the scored line and sharpened the crease with a Bone Folder. On the inside I used liquid glue to add the Very Vanilla layer with the narrow strip of DSP.

MEMORABLE BIRTHDAY

Now it was time to find a suitable sentiment. I wanted this to be a birthday card but the sentiment needed to be fairly large and over several lines. In the end I settled on “May your birthday be memorable” from the Timeless Tropical Stamp Set.

Using Tuxedo Black ink I stamped the sentiment onto a 1-3/8″ x 2-3/8″ piece of Very Vanilla Card. Then with liquid glue I mounted it onto a 1-1/2″ x 2-1/2″ piece of Basic Black Card.

Finally with all the pieces cut and mounted I had everything I needed to put the card together.

I started with the large leafy panel and fixed that to the card base with liquid glue. The square DSP panel came next, attached using Stampin’ Dimensionals. That just left the sentiment, attached with more Stampin’ Dimensionals (stacked two high under the top and left edges).

To add a last bit of detail and interest I added a trio of Matte Black Dots below the bottom of the sentiment. With that my elegant birthday card was complete.

I love how quickly and easily this project came together. The leafy pattern really stands out, with the colour palette on the other parts of the card bringing it all together. What do you think?

For some more projects featuring the Simply Elegant Specialty DSP see these earlier blog posts:

GET READY FOR AUTUMN

Paper Pumpkin revealed some information about the September Paper Pumpkin kit yesterday and I simply had to share!

The kit is called Haunts & Harvest and is designed for those of you who love fall and/or Halloween. The kit will include everything you need to create 12 treat boxes, and the pieces are reversible. This means if you don’t ‘do’ Halloween you can still use the kit to make autumn-themed treat boxes. I can already imagine them gracing a Thanksgiving table. What’s even better is the the box the kit arrives in has been printed on the inside. Cut out the various pieces and the box turns into a cute wheelbarrow to make displaying the treat boxes a cinch.

I have a feeling that this kit is likely to be very popular and may sell out before the end of the subscription period. So if you’re not yet a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, make sure you sign up today. Your credit card will not be charged until September 11th, and the kit will ship a day or two later.