A Grateful Gathering Card

When I was looking for inspiration for today’s card, I searched the Internet to see what might spark some creativity. I had the idea of making something with die cuts, layers, plaid, metallics, and a seasonal feel. Quite the tall order, right? But I think I pulled it off—with a fun layout that came together easily and quickly, too!

I haven’t worked with my two-tone cardstock in a while, so I grabbed Old Olive and ran it through my Cut & Emboss Machine with the Gathering Leaves Embossing Folder. Once embossed, I lightly sanded the raised design with a small sanding block, revealing the lighter tone beneath and giving the paper rich texture and dimension.

Next came some favorite papers: Gathering Together Specialty Designer Series Paper and Earthen Toned Metallic Specialty Paper. Using the larger sentiment die from Stylish Shapes, I cut three pieces—a plaid, a leafy design, and one from the metallic sheet. My card base is Basic Beige, and I adhered the embossed Old Olive panel to the front. Then I layered the die-cut pieces with dimensionals: plaid at the top, metallic in the middle, and leafy at the bottom, letting the beautiful embossed leaves peek out beneath.

For the sentiment, I stamped “I’m Grateful for You” from the Grateful Blessing stamp set in Old Olive ink onto a strip of Basic Beige, then layered it onto Old Olive cardstock to help set it off a bit. This was placed across the metallic die cut, drawing the eye right to the middle of the design. To finish the card front, I scattered five Cajun Craze & Gold Dots using my Take Your Pick Tool. And inside the card, a panel of Basic Beige layered onto Old Olive keeps the look cohesive and ready for a handwritten note of gratitude.

This card is pulling double—and even triple—duty. I’m entering it into three challenges: the Tic Tac Toe #280 for die cuts, plaid, and layers; Time Out #298 with its theme of “Pick 2,” where I chose metallic and seasonal; and Freshly Made Sketches #705, which provided the perfect layout.

I’ve also filmed a short video to show you exactly how this card came together—you can watch the process and see the embossed, sanded background really shine.

And if you’d like to recreate this design step-by-step, I’ve created a free downloadable PDF tutorial for you.

So, what do you think? Did I meet the challenge of combining plaid, metallics, texture, and layers into one fun seasonal card? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I hope this project inspires you to pull out your favorite papers and give this layout a try!

Supplies used (also listed in the tutorial):