I’m a bit late to the party, I’ve been wanting to join in another one of the WPlus9 Anniversary challenges but kept running out of time. Especially that the current one is about adding dimension. Get out! Dimension and texture is what Chupa likes best. Since I knew I would indulge in layers, I took some step-by-step photos so that you guys can enjoy another Anatomy of Layers tutorial. Here’s the card, hope you’ll enjoy!

I began by covering the front of PTI Aqua Mist card, in the scallop paper from the Basic Grey Fresh Cut 6×6 pad. I also cut a panel (1 cm smaller from each side) from the aqua watercolour design.

I cut the wreath and banner with WPlus9 Valentine Wishes dies, from white cardstock. Notice how I used the smaller wreath die to cut a hole inside the bigger wreath. It’s going beyond the intended purpose for that die but it totally works if you want some space cleared there

I stamped inside the die cuts, using the coordinating Valentine Wishes stamp set. I added a few more flowers in places.

I flicked some Mantis Chalkboard mist, over the panel I preciously cut.

Stamped the sentiment…

…and mounted the wreath + banner on the panel. I also machine stitched on both sides.

Next I added two mulberry flowers to the inside of the wreath. Those flowers come with a wire ‘stalk’ and instead of removing them, I always thread them through the paper, cut to desired length and secure of the other side with a piece of double-sided tape.

Once I was happy with the arrangement, I die cut two clusters of leaves with WPlus9 Folk Art Florals dies, and secured them at the back so that they’re peeking out from beneath the panel.

Finally, I adhered the panel to the card front and added finishing touches: a length of washi tape and gold sequins.

Here it is again

In other news:

A new challenge is up at StampNation and in honour of Valentine’s it’s all about RED! The Design Team’s takes are scrumptious.

We’ve got a sponsor this week (CTMH) and while the players have two weeks to enter if they want to win, our challenges never close!
Here’s a better close-up of my card:

Don’t want to miss any of it? SING UP HERE!

As per hinting on Instagram, I’m sharing today a step-by-step tutorial for a new Anatomy of Layers! You can access the previous posts in this brand new feature HERE, and its predecessor HERE. I love my ‘scrappy’ (a.k.a. freestyle collage) cards and I hope that this series will give you an insight on what goes into them and how

Today’s card is a happy celebration of my new ‘toys’… Basic Grey‘s Fresh Cut paper pad with unique designs I adore (especially the paper i used for the background here) and the Hero Arts cutie of a stamp aptly called Bird.

ETA: I forgot to add that I followed the January Poppy Sketch at Laura’s blog! Ooops!

I started by covering the card base (PTI Aqua Mist) with aforementioned patterned paper. These colourful raindrops are SQUEAL - worthy.

Then I adhered a length of dark teal twill ribbon.

Cut a tag shape (PTI Tag Sale #4 die) from a different paper design…

…prepared the sentiment (taken from the Teresa Collins die cut sheet) and punched a scalloped border matching in length, from PTI Smokey Shadow CS.

I put all of those elements together on the card.

I stamped the bird with Memento Tuxedo Black, on another paper from the pad. Fussy cut it and added colour with R43 Copic marker.

I fussy cut two flower bouquets from the floral paper, then tucked them under the tag and added the bird.

I die cut and trimmed to desirable shape, a Penny Black Nature’s Song branch. I added it to the tag and next to the bird.

And finally I finished with a green twine bow.

That’s it! I hope you enjoyed

Hi-ya, friends! I asked you a couple of weeks ago, what you would like to see from me this year and a great deal of suggestions regarded the way I combine seemingly unrelated products to create a coherent collage - style card. I gave it a good thought and decided that the best way to explain the process will be a series of step-by-step photo tutorials, like the one I created HERE and which was met with quite an enthusiasm.

Frankly, I was battling with the idea of giving it a go at all, since the choices that determine the final look of my freestyle collage cards, are pretty chaotic & unpredictable. I go through a lot of stuff before I settle on the elements, fumble in my die cut, off-cut and whatnot baskets, but I never over-think the process. My work is largely based on intuition. Does it look fine? Yep, slap it on!
That being said, I hope that seeing how I build up my layers will help you open up more to possibilities yourselves. Here’s the card I’m sharing today!

I based it on the following challenges.
(click on the graphics for the hyperlink)

I almost always base my cards on a piece of inspiration, be it a current or past challenge or a Pinterest find. Sketches are my staple since they take the burden of figuring out the initial layout off me and help me visualize the general direction I want to go in. I love inspiration challenges like the WPlus9 Mood Board above as well, since they not only give me an option of colours but patterns, textures and/or style as well.

I decided to have a kraft card base with a layer of PTI Rustic White CS covering the front. I cut it smaller than the card and slightly narrower still, to account for extra bits which I wanted to tuck underneath the panel. I started by sponging Memento Luxe in Dandelion and Peanut Brittle through the Heidi Swapp Polka Dot stencil.

I flicked over some Marigold Glimmer Mist, to break up the regularity of the pattern.

Then I die cut the WPlus9 label (Label Layers 1 die) and gold embossed it using the corresponding stamp set (Filigreed Frames).

I stamped the sentiment from Neat & Tangled Dreams, in Memento Luxe Espresso Truffle. I stamped the banner separately, cut it out and mounted on dimensionals under the sentiment to match the stamp.

On a separate piece of CS, I stamped some leaves from WPlus9 Woodgrain Silhouettes Additions, in Provincial Gray Fresh Ink.

…fussy cut all of them, and added shading with Copic markers (C5 & C3).

I mounted the label on the panel and arranged the leaves around it, tucking the stalks underneath. I mounted all pieces on foam tape.

At this stage I decided to add further interest and an extra colour to the background, and stamped some stars from Simon Says Stamp Merry Trees set in a few places, with PTI Ocean Tides ink.

I took a scrap of stripe paper (Basic Grey Fact pad) and adhered it under the bottom left edge of the panel, leaving only a little bit of it to peek out.

For the finishing touches, I added a dot of glitter glue to the centers of the stars, a punched butterfly (Martha Stewart Classic Butterfly) topped with a pearlescent sequin, a May Arts Ivory twine and a light wash of E41 Copic to the banner.

Voila! Here’s the card again, I hope you enjoyed