March is here, and with it comes the anticipation of spring, fresh greenery, and of course, a little St. Patrick’s Day spirit! I’ve created a card that captures the essence of the season with vibrant greens, shimmering gold, and a heartfelt sentiment. Whether you’re sending a cheerful greeting to a friend or just celebrating the changing season, this card is a perfect way to do it.
The base of the card starts with the lively Granny Apple Green, setting a bright and playful tone. Layered on top is a gorgeous piece of gold DSP from the Nature’s Sweetness collection, adding just the right amount of shimmer. To build dimension and interest, die-cut circles from the Spotlight on Nature and Stylish Shapes dies were used, featuring Granny Apple Green glimmer paper from the Festive 12 x 12 Glimmer Paper pack and DSP from the Bright & Beautiful collection. These circles were arranged to overhang a Basic White panel, one near the top and the other in the bottom right corner, then trimmed to fit seamlessly within the design. The Basic White panel was then adhered to the gold DSP layer, creating a stunning contrast between the shimmering background and the crisp white foreground.
A die-cut circle of Lemon Lime Twist was blended along the edges with Old Olive ink using a Blending Brush, creating a gorgeous gradient effect. This piece was placed slightly overlapping the top circle, extending beyond the white and gold layers on the left-hand side for added visual interest. The sentiment, “Hello, Friend,” was stamped in Old Olive on a die-cut Basic White banner from the Stylish Shapes dies and adhered with dimensionals, slightly overlapping the glimmer and gradient circles to bring everything together.
To finish off the front of the card, a few Regal Foiled Adhesive-Backed Dots in the coordinating green shade were added for a touch of elegance and sparkle. Inside, a panel of Basic White was placed for a clean writing space, accented with a strip of the same gold DSP from the front, tying the design elements together beautifully.
I’m also excited to share that I’m entering this card into four challenges: The Freshly Made Sketches #676, TicTacToe #265 with Metallic, Green, and Die Cuts, Color Hues #105 with the colors of Green & White (neutrals are allowed), and Colorful Options March challenge with shades of green. It’s always fun to challenge myself and see how different inspirations come together in one design!
To give you a closer look at the creative process, I’ve put together a short video walking through each step of making this card. If you’d like to see how it all came together, be sure to check it out!
This card is a beautiful nod to the promise of spring and the joy of friendship. With its layers of texture, shimmer, and fresh greens, it’s a wonderful way to bring a little seasonal cheer to someone’s mailbox.
I love sharing color inspiration, sketch fun and articles related to stamping in my bi-weekly newsletter. You can sign up to get it right here – hope you join me for lots of creative fun!
I hope this inspires you to get creative and embrace the beauty of March in your own crafting!
Measurements (in inches):
- Card base (Granny Apple Green) – 11 x 4-1/4, scored at 5-1/2
- 1st Layer (DSP) – 5-1/4 x 4
- 2nd Layer (Basic White) – 3-5/8 x 4-7/8
- scraps for die cut circles and Basic White for sentiment die cut
- Inside – Basic White 5-1/8 x 3-7/8, DSP 1/2 x 4
💚💚💚 Beautiful card! Love all the varying textures you used. The colors you chose create a lively and cheerful feel. Thank you for playing with us at the Colorful Options Challenge.🌈🎨✨ Hope you have a crafty weekend! ☺️ Cheers, Makira
Thank you so much, Makira! I love playing along with the Colorful Options Challenges. Your kind comments are very appreciated.
I love green, and I think your tones are so perfect together. I think the gold background with just enough pattern added some great interest without being overdone. Thanks for playing at Color Hues.
Wow, Nancy! I love your insightful comments. Thank you! I truly enjoyed playing at Color Hues. It was a great challenge for me and stretched me creatively. Thanks so much for all you do with challenges. It’s very appreciated.
Green is my favorite color.. I love all of the elements you used to create your design and the pattern pulls it all together nicely. Great take on the board elements. Thank you so much for playing along with us this week at TTTC.
How awesome that green is your fave color! Thanks for your very kind comments. I truly enjoy playing along with the Tic Tac Toe Challenge and will be joining again soon, I’m sure!
I love your green and gold combination with some of it being sparkly!! Such a rich card and such a cheerful hello. Thank you for playing along with us at Freshly Made Sketches.
Thank you, Kim! I couldn’t resist adding some sparkle—it’s always fun to make a card shine a little! ✨ I really enjoyed playing along with Freshly Made Sketches. Thanks for the wonderful sketch and for stopping by with such a kind comment!
Your green and gold combination, paired with the cheerful sentiment, make for a wonderful card. A lucky person will be smiling when they receive this. Thank you for joining us at Colour Hues.
~carol
Thank you so much, Carol! I had so much fun playing along with the Colour Hues challenge, and I’m so glad you liked the green and gold combo. I agree—sending smiles through handmade cards is the best! 😊 Thanks for stopping by and leaving such a kind comment!
I love all of your greens! Perfect to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day next week! Thanks for joining us at Freshly Made Sketches this week!
I’m so glad you enjoyed all the greens in this card, Amy! I wanted something that was St. Patrick’s Day-esque, yet not screaming St. Patrick’s Day. The Freshly Made Sketches sketch was so great this week, and I truly enjoyed playing along with the challenge.
I love that you totally embraced the green hues! The gold makes it absolutely perfect. Thanks so much for playing with us at Color Hues!
I’m so thankful for your positive comments, Julie! Thank you so much, and I look forward to the next challenge with Color Hues