Last week our family was a little under the weather, so creativity felt a bit harder to come by. At times like that, I find it helps to simply play without expectations, and that's exactly how these backgrounds began.
Would you believe that this background started as nothing more than a blank piece of Very Vanilla cardstock?
I really enjoy creating my own patterned paper. For this project, I was inspired by autumn tones, but wanted to give them a fresh twist by letting warm purples take centre stage, with rust and soft mint greens as the accents.
I enjoyed the first background so much that I couldn't resist creating a bonus variation, this time building it over a patterned paper scrap base. This retired Petals and Paisley's paper inspired my colour palette. It's always fun to see how a small change can create a completely different look.
These friendship cards were inspired by several current cardmaking challenges. The Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge encouraged me to incorporate text into my background, which is one of my favourite ways to add subtle layers of interest. The All About Craft Challenge is celebrating friendship, so I chose sentiments featuring the word "friend," while the Festive Friday National Friendship Day challenge inspired the finishing touches—a knotted gold bow, tone-on-tone stamped leaves, and delicate little floral details added to the background to bring everything together.
I'd love to know—which of the two cards is your favourite?
Craft Along With Me
If you'd like to make these cards along with me, I've filmed a bonus craft-along tutorial that will be shared as my August subscriber freebie.
If you'd like to join my crafty community and receive the tutorial, simply add your email address in the sign-up box in the sidebar. I'll send the August freebie directly to your inbox when it's released.
It's my little way of saying thank you for being part of my crafty community, and I hope it inspires you to create your own custom backgrounds in colours you love.
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Jenn x
Your cards are so beautiful, and your custom design paper undoubtedly takes center stage—and rightfully so. You did such a wonderful job. And this variation turned out enchanting, too. It’s not just the lovely message and the card that make you happy — it’s the whole thoughtful gesture. Thank you for sharing your cards in our Friendship Challenge. Sandra from All About
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks so much, Sandra. I'm really pleased with how the custom paper came together, and you're so right, there's something extra special about a handmade card knowing someone took the time to create it. 😊
DeleteI love how you've made purple the star of these autumn cards and the combo with rust and mint on your first card is an inspired choice. Wonderful background too! Thanks so much for joining our Friendship challenge and sharing it with us at All About Papercraft, we hope to see you back again.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Kerry. I was really happy with how the purple became the star while the rust, mint and cream still gave the cards those autumn vibes. Thanks for the lovely challenge inspiration! 😊
DeleteBoth your cards are gorgeous Jenn and I love how you made your own backgrounds! So pretty. Thanks so much for joining us at All About Papercraft this month xx
ReplyDeleteI love your background. So many layered stamps and textures that I think it is perfect! Thanks for joining us at Festive Friday!
ReplyDeleteI hope creating that stunning custom paper was therapeutic. Thank you for linking your projects to the Festive Friday Challenge.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful backgrounds, Jenn! Great takes on the mix of challenges. Thanks for playing along with the All About Papercrafts - All About Friendship Challenge. 💗 Cassandra
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