In searching for ideas for my Use Your Stash – Paper Scraps Challenge, I went back to an old cardmaking tutorial that focused on working with patterned paper. The featured project used a beautiful multi-coloured paper that moved through a range of warm and cool tones. I realised I didn’t have anything quite like it in my stash, so I decided to see if I could create my own version using scraps.
I’ll confess, I’m often a little intimidated by colour — especially brighter tones. But this paper gradually moves from bright pink through soft peaches with a hint of yellow, then into neutrals — light browns, whites and greys — before shifting back into cooler blues and finishing with navy.
It’s not a colour combination I would normally reach for… but I absolutely love how it turned out.
Inspired by a few current cardmaking challenges, I reached for my rectangle dies and created three panels from the sheet with just two cuts. It turned out to be a happy accident that each section of the paper contained a different mix of colours, which meant every card ended up with its own personality.
Card One - Freshly Made Sketches
The first card was inspired by this week’s sketch from Freshly Made Sketches, and it worked perfectly with the large outer frame piece from my patterned panel.
This section of the paper was the brightest of the three, as it was the only piece that captured the full sweep of colours, including the bold Melon Mambo pink along the top. When I saw the arch element in the sketch, I immediately thought of a rainbow.
Using the Brilliant Rainbow dies, I created a rainbow in tones pulled from the papers used in the frame. A piece of Bermuda Bay ombré patterned paper in the centre became the backdrop for the rainbow — patterned, but subtle enough that it didn’t compete with the busy, multicoloured frame.
Card Two - TGIF Challenges
I struggled a bit to choose a focal element, but inspired by the die-cut rainbow from Card One, I decided to skip stamping altogether and build the floral focal image using the Flourish Thinlits. I leaned into Melon Mambo and Calypso Coral for the flowers. At first, I worried it might be too loud, but in the end, I think the bold, bright blooms complement the colourful background beautifully.
Card Three - Sunday Stamps
The final rectangle panel had the gentlest tones and felt the most in my comfort zone. I was inspired by the “Spring” colour challenge from Sunday Stamps, which featured peach, Crumb Cake, soft and deep blues — and a gorgeous flower.
For this card, I used a stamp this time, choosing my new Gallery Blooms floral, stamped simply in Blush on white and layered over the rectangle panel. I added touches of Pool Party die-cut leaves in the background to tie the colours together. I even found a small offcut of Blush ribbon to layer under the sentiment, which worked perfectly with the romantic, soft, feminine vibe of the card.
Each of these three cards grew from the same piece of patterned paper, yet they each ended up with their own personality — bold and bright, layered and playful, or soft and romantic. It’s a reminder of how a single creative experiment can inspire multiple designs, and how working with what you already have can lead to unexpected results.
I’ll be sharing the full process for creating this scrap patterned paper and turning it into all three cards in a video tutorial in the coming weeks. If you’d like to see step-by-step how the paper was built, cut, and turned into these cards, keep an eye on my YouTube channel — I can’t wait to show you the whole process!
Inspired by These Challenges
Freshly Made Sketches #727 – Card One
TGIF Challenges #568 – Card Two
Sunday Stamps “Whispers of Spring” Colour Challenge – Card Three
Be sure to check them out for more design inspiration!
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