How To Sparkle With Shine Bright
November 5, 2024
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Propagation Garden Tropical Leaves Design
One of the things that is so striking about these plates is that their designs consist of fine-line detail. Specifically, there is a lot of black that is produced when you press them with black ink. As a result, I thought it would be fun to draw attention to that detail. Therefore, rather than coloring the images, we are pressing them onto Dune cardstock and using just the pressed images for all three of our projects.
Additionally, I want to demonstrate the versatility of these plates by showing you three very different cards. Yet, they all use Tropical Leaves on Dune cardstock.
Tropical Leaves Sympathy Card – Propagation Garden
My first card uses a single tropical leaf to create a clean and simple design. And, we create a tiny rectangular frame around it to help the eye look towards the focal point.
The combination of tan and black are always stunning together, and they create a perfect empathetic mood for the sympathy card.
Featured Products are:
- Tropical Leaves Press Plates & Die Set
- Snowflake Wishes
- Dune Cardstock
- Onyx Cardstock
- BetterPress System
- Platinum 6 Die-cutting Machine
Finish it off with a lovely gold heat embossed sentiment to create an elegant way to express how sorry you are.
How To Make The Tropical Leaves Sympathy Card
The Tropical Leaves Sympathy card is perfect for showing just how much you care. Learn how to make it right here. The card is quick and easy and produces an elegant card in no time.
Make The Card Base
To begin with, we’re going to create an A2 size (4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″) side-folding card base. For tips on how to make a card base, click HERE.
Next, while we have the trimmer out, go ahead and cut an A2 color panel from Onyx cardstock. As soon as that is complete, we’re going to attach the color panel to the card base.
HINT: If you have trouble getting yours straight like I do, read the hack on how to do it HERE.
And then, go ahead and press the Tropical Leaves Press Plates & Die Set on Dune Cardstock. If you’re new to using the BetterPress system. You can find instructions on how to use it HERE.
Die-cutting For The Tropical Leaves Sympathy Card
I like to use rectangle dies to make sure that they are cut square. Therefore that is what I’m doing with my card, but you can easily trim them with a paper trimmer. What we’ll need is a black rectangle that is 2″ x 3 1/2″. And a dune rectangle that is 2 1/8″ x 3 5/8″.
Now, we’ll also die-cut the pressed image of our tropical leaf with the die that coordinates with the plate that we used.
Sentiment and Assembly
Spellbinders Snowflake Wishes stamp set as “heartfelt sympathy” in the perfect size and font that we need for our card. To emphasize the sentiment, we’ll heat emboss it with gold embossing powder right at the bottom of the small black rectangle. Tips on how to get high-quality heat embossing results, click HERE.
Once the sentiment is finished, we can layer the two small rectangles together and fasten them centered on the card front, all done with a tape runner.
And the finishing touch is to attach the pretty tropical leaf on top using liquid glue.
Tropical Leaves Sympathy Card Supply List
Tropical Leaves Happy Birthday Card – Propagation Garden
Tropical Leaves Happy Birthday Card – Propagation Garden
I use an arrangement of three of the dune colored pressed tropical leaves on my second card. And I placed them on a white tropical dry-embossed background. As a result, the contrast really makes them pop.
The featured products for this card are:
- Tropical Leaves Press Plates & Die Set
- Propagation Garden Sentiments Stamp & Die Set
- Lahaina Embossing Folder (no longer available)
- Dune Cardstock
- BetterPress System
- Platinum 6 Die-cutting Machine
Not to mention, I use a heat embossed sentiment for this card too. But this one is black on white cardstock to wish the receiver stunning birthday wishes.
How To Make the Tropical Leaves Birthday Card
1. Create a Card Base For The Tropical Leaves Birthday Card
To begin the card, we’re going to create an A2 size (4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″) side-folding card base. For tips on how to make a card base, click HERE.
2. Dry-Emboss To Make A Tropical Background
Next, you need to trim a piece of white cardstock to A2 size. And then, place it inside of your embossing folder and run it through your die-cutting and embossing machine. I used the Lahaina Embossing folder from Spellbinders which is no longer available. However, you can use any embossing folder that has a tropical vibe. Now, trim down the embossed panel to 4″ x 5 1/4″.
3. Letterpress with BetterPress
The next step is to, go ahead and press the Tropical Leaves Press Plates & Die Set on Dune Cardstock. If you’re new to using the BetterPress system. You can find instructions on how to use it HERE. Once you have them pressed, then die-cut the images using the coordinating dies.
4. Create A Beautiful Sentiment
After that, you need to heat emboss the sentiment on white cardstock with black embossing powder.
The “Happy Birthday” stamp in the Propagation Garden Sentiments Stamp & Die Set is the perfect size for our sentiment. And, the font that they used for it is lovely. Tips on how to get high-quality heat embossing results, click HERE. The set also comes with a coordinating die for the sentiment, and we’ll use it to die-cut the sentiment out.
5. Assemble The Tropical Leaves Birthday Card
Finally, to finish the card we’ll give the embossed panel some dimension by popping it up with foam squares. Then, we’ll arrange the pressed images in the lower third of the card. And, we’ll pop them up too. Finally, we’ll also pop up the sentiment, making sure that it’s just a little bit taller than everything else to help to draw your eye to it.
And, that’s all there is to this lovely card that you can make in minutes.
Tropical Leaves Birthday Card Supply List
Tool List
Old Friend Card – Propagation Garden
My third card is yet another example that shows the versatility of this press plate and die set. For it, I use three of the letterpress images again. However, with I separate them to create a simple, horizontal card.
In addition to the Tropical Leaves Press Plates & Die Set, I’m using the patterned paper from the Rainbow Wood Collection by Paper Rose for the background. Meanwhile, I’m using another stamp from the Propagation Garden Sentiments Stamp & Die Set for another perfect sentiment.
1. Create a Card Base For The Old Friend Greeting Card
To begin the card, we’re going to create an A2 size (4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″) side-folding card base. For tips on how to make a card base, click HERE.
2. Use Patterned Paper For A Pretty Background
The patterned paper that we’re using, from the Rainbow Wood Collection, comes with a selection of several different coordinating patterns. So first you need to select the pattern that you want to use for your card. And then, you need to trim it down to 4″ x 5 1/4″.
3. Letterpress with BetterPress – Propagation Garden
The next step is to, go ahead and press the Tropical Leaves Press Plates & Die Set on Dune Cardstock. To demonstrate, if you’re new to using the BetterPress system. You can find instructions on how to use it HERE. Once you have them pressed, then die-cut the images using the coordinating dies.
4. Create A Beautiful Sentiment
To create the sentiment, you need to heat emboss the sentiment on white cardstock with black embossing powder.
The “It Takes A Long Time To Grow An Old Friend” stamp in the Propagation Garden Sentiments Stamp & Die Set is perfect for our card. Tips on how to get high-quality heat embossing results, click HERE. The set also comes with a coordinating die for the sentiment, and we’ll use it to die-cut the sentiment out. Additionally, we’ll use the die to cut one more from a scrap of white cardstock. As a result, we will use it to add a tiny bit of dimension to the sentiment. We do this by layering it behind the heat embossed sentiment with liquid glue.
5. Assemble The Old Friend Greeting Card
To finish the card, attach the patterned paper centered on the card panel using a tape runner. Then, fasten the three leaf images across the front of the card, slightly lower than the center. And to fasten them, we’ll use liquid glue. The same is true for adding the sentiment centered below the leaves.
And, that’s all there is to this lovely card that you can make in minutes.
Old Friend Supply List
Tool List
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ABOUT AUTHOR
Teri Duncan
Teri has over 30 years of experience as a cardmaker. Her work has appeared in Spellbinders Paper Arts’ blog as well as with some of their products and on Altenew’s blog. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, stained glass, and teaching. She and her husband live in Crystal River, Florida with their three dogs and a cat.
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