Don’t Throw Away Those Cardstock Scraps!
The idea started with the large Thinking of You sentiment die. Rather than simply cutting the sentiment from cardstock and adding it to the card front, I wanted to find a way to bring a little colour into the design while still keeping the sentiment as the star.
For this card, I used only the Thinking of You Dies, some strips of cardstock left over from other projects and a single embellishment.
Creating a Window for the Colour
I started by cutting the shadow layer of the Thinking of You Dies from the front panel of the card. This creates a large window through which the colour underneath can be seen.
I then took a selection of leftover cardstock strips and adhered them across the card front, allowing the different colours to peek through the opening. I didn’t worry too much about the exact order or placement of the strips — this was a great opportunity to use up some scraps that were sitting on my desk.
Once the strips were adhered, I trimmed away any excess cardstock around the edges.
Layering the Thinking of You Sentiment
For the main sentiment, I die-cut Thinking of You from white cardstock and added foam adhesive to the back.
The raised sentiment sits over the colourful window, giving the card some dimension while still allowing all those little strips of colour to show through.
I also used the Thinking of You die-cut that came from the window and adhered it directly into the opening, creating another layer of the sentiment without adding any additional products.
The result is a simple card with quite a bit more going on than you might expect from such a small collection of supplies.
A Great Way to Use Cardstock Scraps
I particularly like this idea for using up those narrow strips of cardstock that accumulate after other projects.
They don’t have to be perfectly matched or even the same width. Once they’re tucked behind the die-cut window, the individual pieces become part of a colourful background.
For this card, I used scraps in shades of blue, purple and pink. Because these were pieces from my scrap box, I’m not completely certain of every colour name, but I believe they include Hydrangea Hill, Gorgeous Grape, Strawberry Slush and Fresh Freesia.
And that’s part of the fun of a card like this — you can simply use whatever scraps you have available.
Next time you have a large sentiment die on your desk, try looking at it in more than one way. Instead of simply cutting the sentiment and sticking it onto a card, think about the space around the sentiment too. Could the shadow become a window? Could scraps of cardstock, patterned paper or another colour peek through? Could you layer the sentiment back over the opening?
A simple die can give you lots of possibilities once you start playing with both the positive and negative shapes it creates.
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Til next time, see you soon & keep creating!
Maz
What do you think?