Rainbow Scrap Backgrounds
Hi! As cardmakers, we end up with a collection of colorful scraps. Well today’s technique puts them to good use! And I have many card examples to share…
[All supplies are linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post. Compensated affiliate links used at no cost to you. To watch the video in HD on YouTube, click HERE.]
I have always enjoyed cutting my scraps into strips to make striped backgrounds. (You can see videos show this HERE and HERE.) Well, a few weeks ago I got an email from a kind lady named Carol Duncan. She suggested using a paper shredder! And boy did this save time. Try any paper shredder you have – it may work. (Thanks to Carol for letting me share.)
After creating lots of strips from cardstock scraps with my paper shredder and trimmer, I created many rainbow backgrounds by adhering strips to white cardstock. In the video I share LOTS of examples using these rainbow backgrounds. Here they are…
HEAT EMBOSSING ON STRIPS
My first card is super simple – I just white heat embossed the “His love never fails” sentiment from the Mama Elephant His Love Stamp Set onto a rainbow background. Such a stunning sentiment! I also added simple Your Next Stamp Crystal Clear Sparkle Gumdrop embellishments.
STAMPING ON STRIPS
You can create your own “patterned paper” by stamping small sentiments with VersaMark Ink along the strips. Such a happy look!
I am really liking the style and sizing of the Honey Bee Hooray Day Dies. It has word and word shadow dies! For these examples, I cut the word “celebrate” from black cardstock and the shadow from vellum.
VELLUM OVER STRIPS
If you want to put something with lots of detail over a bold, colorful background like this, it is helpful to “mute” the background with vellum. For the large butterfly card, I white heat embossed the “you got this” from the Simon Says Stamp Handlettered Encouragement Stamp Set on vellum and wrapped it around a rainbow strip. I then added a white-cardstock-and-vellum-layered Birch Press Design Paradiso Layered Butterfly. The detail in that butterfly is gorgeous!
I created the second card the same way, but used the smaller Birch Press Design Genevieve Layered Butterflies.
DIE CUT WINDOW OVER STRIPS
Dies are great for cutting “windows” to put on cards. Here, I used the Memory Box Butterfly Swell Die to create a window that allows the rainbow background to show through. I added some shimmer to the rainbow paper with my Clear Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen and it really makes it shine! That lovely sentiment is one I reach for often – from the Gina K Sending Love Stamp Set.
LAYERED DIE CUTS OVER STRIPS
For these next examples, I “stepped it up a bit” and used the new Birch Press Design Flutter Plate Layer Die Set. I am a huge fan of layering dies and am always looking for new looks with them due to the higher price point. (Be sure to check out THIS video where I share many unique ways to use layered background dies.)
I cut the two top layers from white cardstock and the bottom from vellum. After layering them on rainbow backgrounds, I used the Papertrey Ink Prayer and Faith Dies along with the Papertrey Ink Prayer and Faith Mini Stamp Sets.
FAux die cut inlay with strips
I really like the look of die cut inlay, but sometimes a die has way too much detail to use the technique! Here, I got a faux die cut inlay look with the Impression Obsession You Are Word Block Die. After adhering the die cut over a rainbow background, I put it in a folded of typing paper and ran it through my die cut machine. This squishes it and gives a smooth look.
WEAVING with strips
Another way to use cardstock strips is for simple weaving. I just added a sentiment from the Mama Elephant His Love Stamp Set and a Birch Press Design Paradiso Layered Butterfly.
I hope you give this a try!
SUPPLIES
Want to find the products I used? To make them easy for you to find, I have listed them below. (Compensated affiliate links used at no cost to you. Thank you! Affiliate and product disclosure can be found here. All products were personally purchased except those with an asterisk. As always, this post was NOT asked for, paid, or sponsored.) Click on the letters below each picture to go to a favorite store: Simon Says Stamp (SSS), Ellen Hutson (EH), etc.
