Pretty Papers!

The last several posts have been about using up my ugly papers, and frankly I was tired of looking at them.  SO, I decided to make some cards using PRETTY paper and techniques learned while working with the ugly ones.  Today's cards are a result of that choice, and I LOVE them!

I chose 3 papers from a 6x6 pack from Stampin Up called Feels Like Frost:

These are double sided papers, so here's a picture of the other side:

I'm not at all sure that the front of the papers goes with the back, but the fronts certainly coordinate well as do the backs.  As it turned out, I didn't combine papers much unless I was using the silver foiled side - but that's getting ahead of myself.  I started by using a triple one sheet wonder pattern by StampHappyNZ (see video here) and chopping all three papers the same way:

I had expected to make the cards up the way she demonstrated in the video, but four things changed that. 1) I wanted to make 5 x 7 cards instead of A2 (I ended up with four 5x7 and 2 A2), 2) I wanted to decorate the insides of my cards - not just the outsides, 3) I didn't feel the backs of my papers coordinated well enough with the fronts, and 4) I couldn't BEAR to tear the larger pieces & layer two different ones the way she did - the papers were just too pretty as they were!

Below are the 6 cards that I made. The papers are so pretty that it's hard to choose a side and cover up the other!  I ended up using the silver side for half and the scenic side for half - though I hadn't planned it that way! 

Card #1:

I started by looking for some card stock that would blend nicely with the scenes.  I didn't find card stock, but did find this Glitzy paper that looks SO GOOD with it!  As you can see, I used the paper to narrowly mat the paper (and later, the stamped sentiment).  Not wanting to waste this gorgeous paper, I used a die to cut a large piece from the center that wouldn't be seen and used it elsewhere.  I found a ribbon that blended nicely, and wrapped it around patterned paper & mat before gluing to the card front.  Then I simply created a sentiment from white card stock and a stamped message (stamp from JustRite's Antique Christmas Tags One). After matting it, I added it in place above the ribbon using foam squares for dimension.

Inside:

Inside I simply used a couple of the other cut strips that used the same pattern, matted them, and used them to border my stamped sentiment (from large no-name Christmas stamp set).

Card #2:

This time, I decided to use the silver foiled side, but left the panel intact once again.  This time I matted it with a silver foiled poster board from my stash, then added it with foam tape to a larger embossed white panel (a 3D folder from Crafter's Companion called Sparkling Snowfall).  Next, I wrapped the ribbon around all 3 layers, tied a bow, matted all on another silver panel (actually, all silver mats have the centers cut out so as not to waste this special card stock), and glued the whole to the front of the card.  I then found a sentiment from a Hunkydory Little Book of Essential Christmas Sentiments and added it with foam tape to complete the card.

Inside:

I wanted to carry the foiled theme to the inside of the card, and remembered these lovely foiled inserts that I had gotten from Crafter's Companion.  I forgot to stamp a sentiment on it, but it really makes the inside look pretty.

Card #3:

Once again, I chose to use the last of the large cut panels on it's own.  This time I stamped directly onto the panel using one of my Mom's stamps.  I narrowly matted the panel with white card stock and then tied a ribbon around it with a bow.  After cutting a frame from the glitzy paper and gluing it to the front of the card to serve as a mat, I added the prepared panel using foam tape.

Inside:

I prepared a border using the glitzy paper, white card stock, and a little piece of the same paper I used on the card front - then glued it in place at the top of the card.  Next, I die cut the word wonder from the glitzy paper using a die fromTim Holtz word dies called Happy Holidays: Script and added it on top of the border.  The stamped message was created using one of my Mom's stamps.

Card #4:

This card is the last of my 5 x 7 cards in this set.  At this point, I'd used all the larger panels of patterned paper and some of the smaller strips.  I stared at them a bit to try to figure out what to do with them.  I realized that I could cut several of the strips into squares that were all the same size.  I proceeded to do that with the strips I had in front of me and ended up with 8 squares.  I had a piece of silver left from cutting out the insides of mats and I cut a white piece of card stock just a bit smaller than the silver and glued the squares (silver side up - alternating those that had more silver with those that had less) to that white card stock.  I had to put them pretty close together to get all 8 on the card stock, but was left with a fairly large strip of white between the columns of squares.  I wrapped silver ribbon around this & tied a bow at the top. Then I glued the panel to the silver & glued both to the front of the card.  I found another sentiment in the Hunkydory Essentials book and added it with foam tape.

Inside:

Using a couple more small strips of the patterned paper, I matted them on silver and added them top and bottom before stamping a greeting (from my large no-name set of Christmas sentiments).

Card #5:

By this time, I had only bits and pieces left, so decided to use them on an A2 card.  I found a die cut silver piece (Spellbinders Captivating Squares) in my stash & decided to make a little "stack of presents" on it using bits of paper & silver ribbon.  As you can see, I matted the presents with a narrow white mat.  After gluing them to the silver piece, I glued the whole to my card front.  I found a couple of sentiments in my Hunkydory sentiment book that I thought would work great to complete the card front.  After gluing those in place, I turned to work on the inside of the card.

Inside:

There were two small strips of patterned paper left that I could use as borders. When I started pulling scraps of the silver to mat them, I discovered a piece that had a pretty edge left over from die cutting a border.  I thought it made a perfect decorative mat for my paper strip borders.  The stamped sentiment was again from my no-name large Christmas sentiments.

Card #6:

You thought I had used up all my paper pieces on the last card??? Well, I did too!  However, as I was cleaning up, I found I had missed one strip of the patterned paper!  What to do?  It was bigger than I wanted to throw away, but was only a small piece!  As I pondered it, I suddenly imagined it as a small focal panel on an A2 card, and began to create this final card.  I found some scraps of a pretty light blue paper in my stash, that I thought would coordinate well.  I cut a panel from white & embossed it (Leafy Vine embossing folder from HOTP).  I was really pleased with it - it embossed a lovely deep impression!  I glued a strip of the scrap patterned paper down the left side of this panel, then added the matted small focal, and a strip greeting (from Mom's stamps & dies) using foam tape.  I matted the panel with a narrow piece of darker blue before gluing to the front of the card.  

Inside:

I added a strip of the matted scrap patterned paper & a stamped sentiment (CCC - Birthday Female) to complete the inside of the card.  This last card was an unexpected surprise made from just a tiny strip of the patterned paper - but it turned out to be my favorite of all of them!