Tropical Leaves Birthday Card Tutorial

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.  Read How to Make A Card Base for tips on how to make one.

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.  Get instructions on how to use it in How to Letterpresss with Betterpress.  Once you have them pressed, then die-cut the images using the coordinating dies.

4.  Create A Beautiful Sentiment

To finish the card, 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, read How To Heat Emboss.  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

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.