Layering up and thinking outside the box

First off, happy weekend everyone!

For today's Banana Frog inspiration I have some card ideas to share.

We're going to be looking at thinking outside the box for your card shapes and using your stash of dies to quickly create cute little card blanks for cards and notelets.

Also we're creating some layers with a whole host of new Banana Frog stamps.

 

The sets I've used in these projects are:

• Totally Tropical
• Tropical Taste (Tadpole Set)
• Sentimental Style
• Budmo Jiggler (Tadpole Set)
• Hiya Chick!

So for the first card, I cut the background of my card using the largest Scallop circle in my Nestabilities collection and chose my background paper and stamps:

Next up I needed to cut a strip of the background paper to stamp my background, I usually just use the corresponding die as a guide when cutting things on my trimmer to make sure there's enough leeway for stamping, but also I'm a bit of a miser when it comes to wasting stash!

Then I inked up the main stamp in the Totally Tropical set using a hot pink ink:

Once that was done I used a darker shade of red to ink up the stand-alone hibiscus flower in the same set and stamped over the flower to create a bolder design:

I added a few more over-stamped accents and once I was happy with my background, I positioned the large circle die over my background in my Cuttlebug to ensure everything fit nicely:

Once that was cut out I was ready to add my greeting. I used the frame from the coordinating Tropical Taste tadpole set:

Again I layered up the flower accent in another bolder colour. I then worked out how best to use the inside of the frame for a greeting from the Sentimental Style set, and decided it needed to be on two lines here. To get the positioning right I inked up half of the greeting, then once stamped cleaned it thoroughly (and stamped on some scrap paper to make sure it was dry) before inking the rest of the greeting:

After mounting the background on the scalloped blank I added some more layers to the card. I stamped more flowers from the two sets in bold red on some of the left-over background paper, cut the flowers out and curled the petals a little around a pen, then mounted them with 3D foam:

If you're wondering how my cards stand up, I make a little foldy bit from left-over cardstock and attach it to the back:

And the finished result:

Some bling, Liquid Pearls and Stickles (Fruit Punch) totally finished it off:

The next card is seriously simple and quick.

It uses the Top Note die for the card blank and background.

I really wanted a bold greeting here, and the Budmo Jiggler tadpole set was the perfect fit. Plus it can be seriously glammed up!

All it takes is some teeny dots of Stickles in the dotty bits of the letters and you have some real sparkle:

Budmo Jiggler is just perfect for bold and striking colour schemes and designs. All the more so when you accent some of the letters in a different colour.

And finally for that special someone, a card literally from the heart. I used the Nestabilities heart and heart scallop set to make this card. But this time the layering is created with lots of 3D foam!

The whole background is mounted on 3D foam dots, then the greeting from Sentimental Style and little birdhouse from Hiya Chick! are on even more 3D foam dots, so it really pops!

And of course there had to be more Stickles!

It's a very simple card, but sure to be noticed on the mantelpiece. :o)

I'll be back tomorrow with another project using the new range of Banana Frog stamps, but if you fancy winning a set of the Tropical Taste tadpole stamps just comment here on this blog post, and to have your name thrown into the hat twice, go comment over at my blog too!

Happy creating!

Comments

[Natz]

How gorgeous are these? Debating even more at getting a similar design tattooed on my foot now!!

[Carin]

What beautiful cards, I especially love the heart one! :)

[Helen]

totally gorgeous!! I love the first one most.wish you all a great weekend!

[dogmatix]

Love the cards. They are simple yet so effective. In particular like the first one....I am obssessed with scallops at the moment :)

[Melinda Wilson]

Love these great cards!

[Julie]

these are fab and what a great idea to make shaped cards they are gorgeous. xx

[Joni Kix]

I just discovered Banana Frog! What a wonderful blog! I LOVE all the great project tutorials! I'm definitely bookmarking this as one of my FAVORITES!

[Jennifer]

What cute cards! love the unusual shapes..

[Olivia]

Love all these cards but especially the stamping on the first one :)

[Andrea - Wales, UK]

Love these cards especially the first one and what a great way to make them stand up.

xx

[Bev]

Gorgeous cards Nat, I love how you get so much texture in them. What is the die you use in the second card?

[Diane]

Really love the shaped cards so pretty, and what a great way to use up all your pieces.

[Katy]

These are really lovely cards, great way to use Nesties :).

[Katie]

One day... ONE DAY... my cards will be as creative and beautiful as yours =) xx

[mabell]

Love all the fun shapes for the cards! Love how the stamping really pops and the iclies so fun!