Ladies' Diary Stepper Card 2

Another in the Ladies' Diary Collection stepper card series today. All these cards use sentiments heat-embossed onto foamboard diecuts. I've discovered that you can cut the foamboard with Spellbinders label dies and Sizzix framelits if you put it through 3 or 4 times - it wouldn't work on anything intricate, but the plain outlines cut well enough to pop out simple shapes.

"Thank You Ladies"

I love this flowery background paper and thought it would make a nice setting for a garden, so we have our ladies walking around taking the air :-)

"Morning Ladies!"

The sepia coloured figures are placed towards the back of the scene with the foreground ladies seeming closer to us by being so brightly coloured.

"Oh I say!"

One of the secrets to getting cutouts to look more realistic is not to leave any white edges. The double-sided papers are great so they don't look too silly from the back, but I also colour any edges with distress ink on cut n dry foam or with marker pens. A neutral colour like brushed corduroy works well.

"Sentiment"

The edge on this foamboard diecut was coloured with a gold aquamarker to match the sentiment. The simple flowers were made by punching small 6-petal flower shapes, making a small slit to the centre, and sticking one edge petal on top of the other to make a more 3d shape. Tiny pink gems are added to the flower centres, and also to the centres of some of the flowers on the patterned paper.

"Mind the gap"

Mind the gap. Sorry, those closing doors just reminded me of the tube train announcements for a moment :-) One of the good things about stepper cards is that if you are careful with your embellishments, they fold completely flat and can be sent in a normal envelope. I love this Heartfelt Creations gate die with the folding doors and have decorated the doors with matching papers. The matching stamps are great for scenes, but you could hide a secret message in behind there if you wanted.

Ingredients

Graphic45 8" x 8" paper pad: Ladies' Diary Collection

Justrite stamp set Thank You Labels Twenty

Heartfelt Creations Chateau Gate die set

Heartfelt Creations stamp set: Scenic Vista

Sizzix Framelits Circles

Marianne fence die

Versamark clear ink pad

distress inks

gold embossing powder

foamboard

cardstock: brown, 300gsm

adhesives: PVA, Pinflair, glossy accents

Entered for the following challenge:
Craft a Scene - In the Garden
Samuel Taylor - diecuts