A Beautiful Thanks Card with Perennial Lavender

Even though it’s been around for a bit, I hadn’t gotten the Perennial Lavender Designer Series Paper (DSP) from Stampin’ Up!, so I finally decided to make the leap and get it. Boy – am I ever glad I did! I decided right away to create a card that lets this gorgeous paper take center stage. It’s such a versatile pack, and I wanted to showcase it with a bit of texture and dimension.

The card begins with a Misty Moonlight base, which sets the tone with its calm, soft blue shade. I stamped the sentiment of “Thanks” from the upcoming Impressions Abloom stamp set in Misty Moonlight ink on a panel of Basic White. The sentiment’s elegant cursive font adds a touch of sophistication, and I made sure to stamp it toward the inside area of the panel because I’m going to use this on the card to frame another panel of cardstock. After stamping, I used the smallest rectangle die from the Nested Essentials die set to cut out the sentiment, which I absolutely adore for the stitched edging it creates. That tiny detail always adds such a beautiful finishing touch.

The Basic White piece that had the sentiment die cut from it was adhered to the card base, but here’s a little secret — that hole in the Basic White panel from the die cut? It’s going to be our secret that it’s there! No one else will ever know because it’s going to be covered with another panel of cardstock!

On a slightly smaller Basic White panel, strips of the Perennial Lavender DSP and a couple of strips of Lost Lagoon cardstock (embossed with the Mini Corrugated 3D Embossing Folder) were added in varying directions. Some strips went diagonally across the panel, while others were placed in opposite directions along the sides. I simply laid the strips where they felt right, which was such a relaxing and creative process. The DSP-covered panel was carefully trimmed along the edges with the Paper Snips, then adhered it to the card front using dimensionals for that extra lift and dimension.

To top off the card, I added a loopy bow made from dark blue Baker’s Twine behind the sentiment piece. This gave the sentiment a soft, whimsical touch, and it was attached it to the card front with dimensionals for a little more height and shadow. On the inside of the card, a Basic White panel with a strip of the Perennial Lavender DSP along the right side was added. It was a simple yet effective way to continue the DSP theme without overwhelming the inside of the card. As a final touch, a few Neutrals Adhesive-Backed Sequins in white were set around the sentiment using the Take Your Pick tool. These little accents bring just the right amount of sparkle and finished off the card beautifully.

This card was so much fun to create, and it’s now ready to be sent off in the mail. I’m excited to share it in The Paper Players #731 Tic Tac Toe Challenge where I’ve gone with the left-down row: Flowers, Diecut, and Lavender. I’m also entering it into the Can You Handle The Pressure challenge, where you have to use an embossing folder along with a favorite color – and one of mine is Lost Lagoon.

If you’d like to see how this card came together, I’ve created a short video showing every step of the process.

I hope this card inspires you to get creative with your DSP and texture, and maybe even enter a challenge of your own!

Measurements (in inches):

• Card base (Misty Moonlight) – 5-1/2 x 8-1/2, scored and folded at 4-1/4
• 1st layer (that was used to die cut the sentiment – Basic White) – 3-7/8 x 5-1/8
• 2nd layer (Basic White) used to cover with strips of DSP and embossed cardstock – 3-3/4 x 5
• 10 strips of DSP 3/4 x 6
• 2 strips of cardstock (Lost Lagoon, embossed) – 3/4 x 6
• Inside card – Basic White 3-7-8 x 5-1/8, DSP 1/2 x 3-7/8

Supplies used: