TOMNI design n two green pears: Cuttlebug pear core'dinations card and card making hints

I made this card some time ago and from all the cards I've made over the years, this is my favourite! It's a simple, elegant card that could be used for any occasion... however I like it so much that I haven't been able to part with it!

There were a few steps involved in making this card and I'll do my best to describe them, along with some handy hints :)

Here are the supplies I used. You can find many of them in our online craft store :

- Core'dinations whitewash paper - Pistachio

- two complementing green core'dinations cardstocks (from memory the darker one was called Parsley)

- Celery coloured ribbon

- 7 Gypsies Dax paper

- Gold and yellow ink

- Divine Swirl embossing folder

- Tim Holtz' Scallops die

- I had the rub on quote in my personal stash

- Blank Card (about 12.5 x12.5 cm so that it would fit into our 13x13cm envelopes )

- Pear die cut (could use other fruit or diecut shape. Mine came from a Francheville pack I picked up on special at the local craft store)

- double sized tape and foam squares

- sanding block

Here's what I did:

1. Cut out my green whitewash paper to the size of the card and adhered it to the front of the card.

HINT: I attach all of my papers/cardstocks using 6mm double sided tape . I find that this way I don't get any messy glue around my working space or any paper warping.. It's also cheaper than using an adhesive roller...

2. Cut the parsley core'dinations cardstock to just over 3 1/4" (8.5cm) x 5" (12.5cm). Punched out the scallop pattern on one of the shorter sides using the Tim Holtz Scallop die. Trimmed the top of the piece so the height measured about 4 1/2" (11cm) and cut the width so that it had 6 full scallops.

HINT: When planning on having a punched edge on a card centre piece, always cut your cardstock a little bigger than the finished size you are after. That way you can cut between the pattern repetitions and have a beautiful finished looking edge..

3. Cut the patterned paper to around 2 1/2" x 3 1/4". Cut the light green cardstock to size, making it 1/8" wider and taller on all sides of the patterned paper.

4. Sanded the edges of all cardstock pieces. I added some detail to the whitewash card background using yellow ink, after sanding it. This made the edges more interesting and a bit brighter.

HINT: If you don't have a sanding block, you can easily use an emery board to add a distressed look to the cardstock edges...

5. I layered and adhered my pieces: patterned paper on top of light green, then both on top of the dark green scalloped piece.

6. I put a piece of 6mm double sided tape across the lower edge patterned paper (from one edge to the other) and adhered the ribbon to the card, tying a little knot.

7. I put this centre piece towards the left of the card, then I put my rub on quote on the right side of the card.

8. Now to the pear! I embossed it in my Cuttlebug machine using the Divine Swirl embossing folder. I inked the edges using the gold ink (a small cube one I had in my stash) and gently rubbed the ink over the raised pattern.

HINT: If inking the raised pattern using this method, go over the pattern a few times pressing very gently. If you press too hard you will end up inking the de-raised parts as well..

9. When the ink dried I mounted the pear to the centre of my patterned paper using foam squares.

HINT: if you're working on a budget, instead of purchasing foam squares, you can use the foam tape that comes on a roll and just cut it yourself..