Tone on Tone Sunburst Background with a Paper Pieced Mermaid

After creating a bright and colourful sunburst card, I found myself wondering how the same technique might look with a softer colour palette, which led to today's tone on tone card featuring a playful paper pieced mermaid.

Bright Cardmaking Colour Palette

The jungle colour palette at As You See It Challenge features Coastal Cabana, a rich aqua blue. I decided to pair this bright tone with scraps of pool party to create a tone on tone sunburst. The result creates plenty of texture and visual interest while maintaining a calm, cohesive feel.

I love how a simple change in colour palette can completely transform a technique. The same sunburst background that felt bold and energetic in my previous project suddenly became elegant and serene. It's a wonderful reminder that colour choices play a huge role in shaping the mood of a handmade card.

Magical Day Mermaid

The layout for this project was inspired by a sketch challenge from Sunday Stamps. Once the background was complete, I began thinking about a focal image. The aqua and blue tones immediately reminded me of the ocean, which naturally led me to choose a mermaid image from my collection.

To colour the mermaid, I used a paper piecing technique, one of my favourite ways to use even the smallest paper scraps. 

Watch the Video

Coming soon to my YouTube channel.

Free Scrap Busting Cardmaking Printable (Subscriber Bonus)

If you enjoyed this project and the idea of turning paper scraps into something completely new, I’ve put together a free Cardmaking with Scraps printable as a welcome gift for email subscribers.

It’s a great next step if you’d like more inspiration for using up your stash in a fun, relaxed way.

👉 You can access the free printable (and the growing subscriber library) when you join my email list here:
https://preview.mailerlite.io/forms/2095513/189121847385654530/share

Happy crafting!