Sugar Plum ACK - Part 5

Today I have 5 more cards made from the Sugar Plum ACK, bringing my total so far from this kit to 15 cards.  This time, in addition to the bare facts about what I used to create these cards, I’ve decided to talk a bit about my thought process as I created these cards.

Card #1 (above):

Card number one started with the smaller green die cut that is a part of the focal.  It came with the kit and I was struggling to figure out what to do with it.  Looking around at the remaining pits and pieces of the kit that were sitting on my table, I spotted a frame that was left over after I had removed the inside of it for a different card.  I realized the green die cut could layer over the top of this frame and bring a touch of color that I liked.  To this, I added a scrap of tan patterned paper (from the kit) after I had rounded the corners and inked the edges.  On top of this, I added a cutout sentiment from the kit.  I wanted the focal to be larger, so looked through my cutting dies to find a shape I liked that could serve as a mat for the focal.  I used a couple of dies from the Twisted Metal Tags and Accents die set from Spellbinders to cut a mat from the green patterned paper.  After inking the edges (using a black Sharpie for small spots I couldn’t really reach with the ink applicator), I added the layered focal I had created.  I finished it off with silver heart die cuts from the kit.

For the background, I fussy-cut borders from striped paper that was a part of the kit, and layered them on a strip of dotted tan paper (also from the kit).  The strip of paper I had available wasn’t quite as wide as I really wanted it, so I added border scraps of the green patterned paper top and bottom to decrease the amount of craft card stock showing from the card base.  It gives the effect of an interesting frame around the focal, and the multiple layers of the focal add extra interest.

Inside:

The inside, uses similar elements to what is on the front of the card – including the look of a frame for the focal.  This time, rather than a small strip of green paper top and bottom, I used a larger piece of the green as the background.  I didn’t have enough of the dotted tan paper, so I used cream colored card stock from my stash & added more fussy cut borders from the striped paper.  The sentiment is a cut out from the kit – and I added a silver heart die cut (this one was from my stash).  This sentiment feels “anchored” because it is inside the frame & has the heart “tack” visually holding it in place.

 

Card #2:

For this second card, I used most of the remaining die cuts I had from the kit, arranging them on a background of purple patterned paper (from the kit).  I created a border of dotted cream paper (from the kit), sheer purple ribbon, and a narrow piece strip of patterned paper cut from the striped paper (from the kit.  I also added a very narrow border (from the dotted paper) at the top of the card.  Next, I added the Christmas tree die cuts on top of the wide border, added a ribbon bow, and a star die cut from the kit at the top of the largest tree.  I layered several die cuts to create the element at the top left hand corner of the card – including small pieces that had been cut from a die cut used on a previous card.  To form my 3rd point of a visual triangle, I added a little sentiment tag (with hand drawn sentiment using a Sharpie pen).  Creating a visual triangle is a common way to create interest, drawing the eye around the card front.  Also, we find odd numbered elements more interesting – another reason to have 3 points of visual interest.  Note that each piece – the embellishment in the upper left corner, the grouping of trees in the lower right, and the greeting in the lower left are all “anchored” to a border in some way.

 

Inside:

The background and borders for the inside of the card were created with similar pieces of paper as were used on the card front.  I added a die cut greeting on the border, a cut-out sentiment to the center (stamped with a JustRite stamp from Christmas Gifts Vintage Labels Two) and added a silver heart from my stash and a purple card stock corner with more of the small die cut pieces used on the card front.  Though the triangle formed is a very short one, there are once again 3 clear points of visual interest on the inside of the card.  You’ll note the greeting in the center isn’t “anchored” as well as it could be – though the heart die cut gives the illusion of a tack holding it in place.  A narrow border across the top might have been a nice addition.

 

Card #3:

Having used up the die cuts from the kit, I dug through my stash looking for something to serve as a focal.  I decided this punch out greeting was just the thing for this paper.  The large expanse of white in it and the gold old-fashioned font helped to transform a busy pattern into a royal look.  In keeping with the royal look, I added a gold ribbon with black edging and red glitter ribbon.  I matted the background paper on a white paper with narrow border before adding to the kraft card base.  This helped tie in the white background of the focal.  I cut a circle from another patterned paper and matted it on a red glimmer paper piece cut with a die from Spellbinders Botanical Swirls & Accents.  As I look at it now, I realize that an additional mat adding a narrow border of white between the medallion & red glimmer paper die cut would have been a good addition – tying the white in more.  At any rate, adding this medallion piece on the border, visually touching the greeting helped to anchor the greeting.  A few red Jewel Dazzles (HOTP) finished the look (not as visible in the picture as in real life!), and draw the eye from the medallion, to the greeting, to the bottom right corner & back again.

 

Inside:

Inside is a piece of creamy white paper with cut borders (from the striped paper) that calls to mind the pattern on the front of the card.  I added the last die cut from the set – with a cut out sentiment and some red Dazzles to finish the inside.  Note that it is “anchored” to the border.

Card #4:

This fourth card was made using background paper frim the kit, and a piece of a Christmas card I received some time ago.  I used a couple of dies (Heirloom Legacy from Spellbinders) and red glimmer paper from my stash to create a frame & cut the card piece to fit in the center.  The plain background of the focal, coupled with the plain color frame, helps to tone down the background and helps the focal stand out from it.  A cut out sentiment from the set completes the card front.  It serves to visually anchor the focal while the frame anchors the sentiment.

Inside:

For the inside, I added strips of the patterned paper & the plain red glimmer paper to form borders top and bottom – then added the cut out sentiment (from the set).  As you can see I glued it to the darker strip of the top border to help visually anchor it.

Card #5:

For this card, the green background paper is the only thing that comes from the ACK.  I have a stash of pieces I’ve saved from cards received that I thought could be up-cycled, and I went through that looking for something that could serve as a focal and would go with the patterned paper.  As I went through that stash, I found this snowman tag and decided it would do.  Next, I looked through my stash for things that would coordinate with the paper & tag.  I found a strip of dark red glimmer paper in my stash.  I wanted a wide ribbon to go with it, and the only thing I found was black with gold edges.  That seemed to be too much black, but I had a piece of sheer red ribbon that was the wrong color by itself, but was great over top of the black part of the wide ribbon.  I liked the look, but the gold seemed to stand out a bit much so I looked for ways to tie it in better, so I decided to cut a gold mat for the patterned paper and add a piece of gold ribbon to the top of the tag.  However, with all the black ribbon covered with the red, I found I still wanted a bit of black in the border to help tie in the black on the snowman (hat & buttons), so found a piece of narrow black ribbon which I added beneath the wider ribbons.  I added a sentiment from a Hunkydory book of greetings, then decided to add several gold Jewel Dazzles in the bottom right corner.  This last addition did two things: 1) helped tie the gold in more solidly, 2) created a virtual triangle (focal snowman, greeting, Jewel Dazzles) creating movement and interest by drawing the eye around the “triangle”.

 

Inside:

On the inside, I used a scrap of the patterned paper – once again matted with the gold used on the front.  I added a couple of ribbons to create a border that’s reminiscent of what was on the card front.  I didn’t add red, figuring the greeting was enough red (stamped with a stamp from Christmas Cheer from HOTP).  The little snowman – once again a reminder of what was on the card front – was created using a stamp & die from HOTP’s Snowglobe sets (colored with fine-line red and green markers).  The final touch was a grouping of three small gold Jewel Dazzles added to the left side of the black ribbon – once again creating a virtual triangle for the eye.  Note that I used three of the Jewel Dazzles because I wanted to use an odd number as this more pleasing to the eye.

 

Here’s a quick summary of some of the things I thought about when making these cards:

1. Don’t have things just floating in mid-air, find a way to “anchor” them. 
2. Create visual triangles to encourage the eye to move around the page.
3. Create groupings of an odd number of things. 
4. Find a way to bring the outside of the card to the inside – same papers, same colors, similar focal/embellishment, related sayings, etc.
5. Tone down a busy background by adding “white space” – plain paper mats, plain borders/ribbons, etc.