Stitched Background

Inspiration
Here’s another summery card.  The idea for the background came from a Paper Crafts inspiration book called 40 Techniques for Card Making.  I changed the method for getting the nice straight stripes (explained below), as well as the image and the trim.

Ingredients

CARDSTOCK: Wild Wasabi (SU!), Whisper White(SU!)

STAMPS: Flower (Anita’s); Mini Messages (SU!)

INK: Only Orange (SU!), Pixie Pink (SU!), Basic Black (SU!)

ACCESSORIES: SU! Markers (Only Orange, Pixie Pink); Wild Wasabi striped ribbon (SU!); Sponge; Bow-Easy; Scor-Pal; Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch); Rotary trimmer with straight (Fiskars); Silhouette digital die cutter (QuicKutz); Sewing machine

Instructions

BASE CARD: Cut a green card measuring 4 1/4” x 11”, and score it in half at 5 1/2”.

BACKGROUND LAYER: Cut a rectangle of the white paper, measuring 4” x 5 1/4”.

The book suggests using strips of masking tape laid in a diagonal pattern on the white card to create the lattice work.   I had lots of trouble trying to get the lines straight, and the tape laid out evenly.  I kept thinking I needed a stencil, but I didn’t have anything on hand that would create such perfect lines.

Then it dawned on me that I had the perfect tool to create a stencil – the Silhouette!  I used a pattern of squares cut in a piece of cardstock to cut out the stencil for the background.  Then I laid the stencil over the white cardstock, and used a makeup sponge in a circular motion to apply the orange ink.

After getting the amount of orange I liked, I added flowers in Pixie Pink, using the small flower from the Mini Messages stamp set.

Afterwards, I used white thread and a fairly loose stitch to put the stitches down the center of each white stripe.

IMAGE: The image is simply the large flower stamped on white cardstock in black ink and colored with the markers.  The white square is a 1 1/2” square, mounted on a green square measuring 1 5/8" x 1 5/8”.

FINAL ASSEMBLY:  Add a piece of green striped ribbon to the lattice patterned piece, and tie a bow to be mounted on the left of the ribbon stripe.  Mount the patterned piece on the front of the green card.  Add the image to the right of the bow, and you’re all done!

Thanks for stopping by!