Sometimes, choosing how to use a piece of beautiful Designer Series Paper (DSP) can be a bit of a challenge. We all have those lovely patterned papers in our stash that are so pretty we don’t want to cut them or waste even a tiny piece. So today, I’m sharing a project that is the perfect way to use almost every single bit of a 6″ x 6″ piece of DSP, and it turns out to be a beautiful card!
For this project, I began by cutting the 6″ x 6″ Beautiful Gallery DSP (upcoming Stampin’ Up! item) into a 3-3/4 x 5-inch panel. A little tip: be sure to keep the small leftover pieces – they will be used on this project, too! I adhered the DSP to a coordinating piece of Lost Lagoon cardstock, which really makes the colors of the DSP pop. To add some texture and interest to the card, I placed a piece of ribbon toward the bottom of the panel. For a secure hold, I used some good old Scotch tape on the back of the art panel to adhere the ribbon. Next, I doubled up some linen thread and tied it into a bow to add a finishing touch to the ribbon.
Once the ribbon and bow were in place, I adhered the art panel to a Smoky Slate card base. The sentiment for this card, “Thinking of You,” from the (upcoming Stampin’ Up! item) Sentimental Framing stamp set was stamped in Lost Lagoon ink on a piece of Basic White cardstock that had been die-cut using the coordinating Sentimental Framing Dies. This die-cut sentiment piece was then popped up with dimensionals and adhered over the ribbon, creating a beautiful focal point on the card front.
The inside of the card continues the theme with a Basic White panel adhered to a piece of Lost Lagoon cardstock and the small strip of cut DSP to the bottom of the inside panel, which ties the whole design together. For the final touch, I decorated the card envelope flap by adhering the last piece of DSP, trimming it with Paper Snips to fit perfectly on the flap. There was practically nothing left of that 6 x 6 piece of DSP!
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But that’s not all! I also created two additional versions of this card, each using the same Beautiful Gallery DSP but with different color schemes and scenes. One version uses Mossy Meadow and Calypso Coral cardstocks, with a stunning mountain and river scene accented with Basic Beige ribbon. The sentiment “I am So Grateful” was stamped in Mossy Meadow ink.
The second version uses two of the upcoming 2025-2027 In Colors, Cloud Cover as the card base and Secret Sea to frame the DSP of a serene harbor scene and boats. For this card, I chose not to use ribbon but instead twisted the Linen Thread around the art panel four times before adhering the art panel to the card base. The sentiment was stamped directly on the scene in Memento Tuxedo Black ink to keep the beauty of the DSP front and center.
This card layout is such a fun and satisfying project to create, and I’m so happy with how it turned out. I even created a video showing how to make it, so you can follow along step by step and make your own version of this gorgeous card.
I hope you enjoy creating with your beautiful patterned papers/DSP as much as I do!
Measurements (all in inches):
- Card Base (Smoky Slate) – 5-1/2 x 8-1/2, scored and folded at 4-1/4
- Art piece (DSP) – 3-3/4 x 5
- Coordinating cardstock (Lost Lagoon) – 3-7/8 x 5-1/8
- scrap Basic White for sentiment
- Inside card – Basic White 3-3/4 x 5, coordinating cardstock (Lost Lagoon) – 3-7/8 x 5-1/8
Supplies used – be sure to use whatever patterned papers you have one hand. The Beautiful Gallery (165196), Sentimental Framing stamp set (165475), Sentiment Framing Dies (165476), as well as Cloud Cover and Secret Sea Cardstocks from the new 2025-2027 In Color Collection variety pack (165623) and Classic Basic Beige Ribbon (165216) are what I used. The other supplies are listed below: