Do you ever have an idea in mind, and when you actually try it...it works!?! :) I love it when that happens. That's what happened with the backgrounds on these cards. When I found this die online, I knew I wanted to try cutting it out of multiple colors and then piecing it back together. So I was pleased when I tried it and it worked.
What I didn't think through was how labor-intensive it would be. You see, I had to run the die through the machine 8 times. 3 times to get 3 white borders, and 5 times (one for each color) to get the all the little pieces. Then I had to glue each piece back in place by hand, but found out that most of the holes are slightly different sizes from each other so you had to find the right piece to put back in the right slot. Needless to say, I'm pleased with the look, but will definitely be saving this technique for the occasions where I have more time. There were actually enough pieces leftover to make a few more, but I ran out of patience for now.
If you're a Stampin' Up! fanatic like me, you might be thinking you don't recognize that chevron background die from our line-up. And you'd be right! I usually purchase Stampin' Up! products...after all, they are they are high quality, beautiful and I get a discount. What's not to love, right? But every once in a while, something comes along that I just have to have, and we don't offer anything comparable. That's what happened with this Chevron Pattern Full Card Craft Die from Simon Says Stamp...I just had to have it.
My process in designing these cards was simple. First, I wanted a color combination that would work well for several cards because I knew I could be assembling up to five of them to use up all the pieces. I decided on the 2014-2016 In Colors because they look beautiful together. What surprised me, though, was how different each card ended up looking depending on which base color I chose and how much of each color I added to the chevrons. The purple-based one seemed contemporary and festive, while the orange-based one reminded me of Indian corn, and the yellow-based one reminded me the long, hot dog-days of summer. That's how I ended up with different "themes" for the focal piece of each card.
Scroll down to see close-ups of each card, and list of supplies you'll need to create your own.
This bird card could really be used for a lot of occasions. I'm making some cards for a friend to use, so I chose a simple "thinking of you stamp" for the inside of the card, and left the outside free of sentiments. Supplies: In Color Card Stock, Whisper White Cardstock, Bird Builder Punch, Rhinestones, Dimensionals, Tag Topper Punch, Button (this one is retired, but we have plenty to choose from here), In Color Ribbon (retired), White Baker's Twine, Corner Rounder Punch
I loved the funkiness of this card and thought it would make a great birthday card. Supplies: In Color Card Stock, Whisper White Cardstock, Rhinestone, White Baker's Twine, Flower Punch, Sprinkles of Life Stamp Set, Paper Piercer, Paper Piercing Guide, Paper Piercing Mat, In Color Ribbon (retired), Tree Builder Punch, Dimensionals.
And finally, a simple fall-themed card. I chose to use a "Happy Thanksgiving" stamp inside, but any fall, Thanksgiving or Halloween-themed sentiment would do, or you could even leave it blank. The pumpkin was made of punched-out pieces of cardstock...three ovals of the same size, the leaves from the bird punch, and the stem is the branch from the Tree Builder Punch. Supplies: In Color Cardstock, Whisper White Cardstock, In Color Ribbon (retired), Oval Punch, Tree Builder Punch, Bird Builder Punch, Dimensionals
If you'd like to purchase the pumpkin card, you are more than welcome to swing by my Etsy shop!
I hope this was a fun post for you and got your mind racing with options! Thanks for checking in on me today! Happy stamping!
