Hi friends, today I have several examples of how you can combine die cutting with patterned papers.
For all these examples I used Simple Stories Happy Hearts 6 x 8 inch papers that came with Simon Says Stamp Feb 2022 card kit and dies from Spellbinders. I also used my Brother Scan and Cut for cutting out the shapes, but that is something that can be done by fussy cutting with a pair of good scissors :-) On all the cards today I used the tiny hearts as my embellishments. These were all die cut using one of the dies from My Favorite Things Tag Builder die set.
Card 1
Can I be honest? I wish I did one thing different with this card above. I wish I had made the card base white instead of off white. But, I decided to stay with it for just this once. Several tips from this design though
Use contrasting colors so that focal point is highlighted - like the deep blue below pink heart.
One way to tone down a background is to use vellum to cover it at least partially - like the Pink vellum heart layered over the larger heart.
To establish demarkation between a design and the background or cardbase a frame like the one here can be used.
For some extra interest on the cardbase / background we can use embossing folder and add some texture.
Card 2
Some fun techniques on this second one. In addition to cutting out several matching designs from patterned papers.
Adding a fun side border is a way to elevate normal looking card bases.
While adding multiple paper shapes it's a good idea to use some dimensional and some flat adhesive. This helps build interest.
One thing I did after taking pictures is to add some sparkle with Wink of Stella + glossy accents on the hearts to make them look more like stickers.
Card 3
Just because a die cuts some parts together, doesn't mean they have to used together, right? I used the inside part of the frame from Card 1 on this one. Since all these papers come from same paper pack they all naturally coordinate well.
Repetition of elements is a great design technique and it's not just embellishments or smaller designs that can be repeated. We can do it with sentiment dies too, just like I did with this card here.
I have a few more cards I created with these supplies. I will share those in a separate post. For now, I hope you give these ideas a try. Don't forget to tag me if you do #createwithvs and my social media / Instagram handle is @varadasharma.
SUPPLIES LIST
For your convenience, I am sharing links to the supplies I’ve used or the ones you can use for making similar cards – click on the picture or link to go directly to the product. Wherever available, I have used affiliate links, which means when you make a purchase, I receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) which I use to run this blog. I truly appreciate your support!
Hugs! ~Varada