Gingham and Toile

Hey there! It’s been a while since I posted a card just because I was inspired to create. That’s not to say that I’m not inspired with my other cards, but the card that I made for today is very good testament to who I am and to my favorite style.

Before I share my card, I’d like to share some inspiration photos that I found while Pinteresting:

Gideon Mendelson Design via Design Chic

Credit

Ginger Barber via Cote de Texas

As I have mentioned before, my first love is interior design. One of these days I hope to spend my time designing beautiful spaces as well as cards! I’m pretty patient, and I am sure God has a greater plan than I can even imagine.

A few months ago, I ordered a Papertrey Ink set that I had wish-listed, Button Boutique, and I was finally able to put it to use.  I combined it with Background Basics: Gingham, and some toile Paper Studio paper from Hobby Lobby to design this shabby card:

So, I have to confess that I have a total love affair with felt. It’s not the most luxurious of fabrics, but I love that it adds a bit of a soft texture to my projects. I will say that the non-synthetic variety is better for die cutting, but for uses like my button card, my craft felt worked fine. By the way, I used the Scalloped Circle die from My Creative Time to make my flower. The buttons are from Papertrey Ink.

I will say that I deviated from my normal process when I made this card. Since my flower was made previously, I started by stamping the gingham pattern onto a strip of Lemon Tart. Yellow is one of my most favorite colors – especially soft yellow. When it is the right shade, it can be incredibly neutral.

Next, I trimmed my toile paper. The sizing came to be about 4” x 2.5” – my focus was on the imagery within the pattern. I knew I wanted that particular vignette. Then I cut a strip of Aqua Mist – actually, it might have been a scrap, but I embossed it with the Perfectly Paisley Cuttlebug folder. Starting with my patterned paper, I adhered them all directly to a Spring Moss card base. I stitched the seam between the papers with red Coats & Clark thread. I then went back and stitched around the border with my normal cream thread (also Coats & Clark – I will only use that or Güttermann).

To soften the edges and give the card a bit of a weathered look, I took a foam brush and swiped on some vanilla paint from Jo-Ann. I then cut a Wilton doily in half and adhered it over the embossed portion. After that I ruffled some Antique White Offray grosgrain ribbon over were it met the gingham portion and went back it with my sewing machine to add a zigzag detail.

My button card was stamped with Early Espresso ink from Stampin’ Up! I don’t have the coordinating die at the moment, so I used my trimmer to trim it, and I then adhered it to a piece of Aqua Mist. And I then adhered that with a little Beacon’s 3-in-1 to my felt. Back to the sewing machine with red thread for a little stitching! More vanilla paint, some brown baker’s twine from Liz’s Paperloft Boutique, and my flower completed it!

I really love how it came together! Thanks for stopping by. Have a blessed day!