Morning all!
This week, we're celebrating the arrival of a brand-new company to the store - if you've not seen the news, check out the blog posts from earlier this week.
I've been a big fan of A Pocketful of Happiness and Zsoka's amazing cardmaking designs for a while now, so it's great to finally have the opportunity to get her products here in the UK.
So much to choose from, and so many sets that are also sized for standard European cardmaking formats, including 5x7 cards like the Framed Flowers die set I'm using today.
And what's also great about this set in particular is that you can run all of the pieces through a smaller machine, like a Sidekick – so perfect for crafting on the go and for using up cardstock scraps!
The panels in the set measure 48 mm x 72 mm and can also be used individually on smaller card formats or indeed on slimline cards.
Today I wanted to play around with inlay techniques and using different cardstock colours to get the effect of colour variation and shading.
For example, the poppy panel uses the new Pimento cardstock from Concord & 9th alongside their Poppy cardstock.
The rose is especially good for colour families where you have three shades from dark to light (C9 Sorbet, Grapefruit, Nectar in this case).
And the bell-shaped flowers allow you to contrast the colours you use and swap the tone of the leafy elements, by focussing on light green on one and dark green on the other. It's a tiny detail, but it makes the colours you use stand out more.
To get some real depth and dimension, I cut each panel from white cardstock three times and once from blush cardstock.
To make assembly easier, I stuck a piece of paper behind the "bottom" white panel and pieced in all the coloured bits of cardstock. I set those aside and then assembled the three other cuts of the panel to then glue them onto the bottom layer in one go.
I also layered up the "Greetings" sentiment to add some dimension.
To create some contrast for the panels on my 5x7 kraft card base, I splattered some rustic cream cardstock with Champagne and Red Gold watercolour paint for a bit of sparkle in the light.
And, of course, there was also space to add some more sparkle with sequins!
Make sure you check out the rest of the blog posts this week showcasing more from this brand and a fun surprise on Friday!
Until next time, happy crafting!
