The Flower Challenge #85

Hello, fellow crafting enthusiasts! Today, I’m thrilled to share with you a step-by-step journey through the creation of a delightful mini slimline card designed for The Flower Challenge, which is celebrating its 7th birthday. As someone who has had the privilege of being on the design team in the past (though not anymore), I can truly say that being a part of this creative community has been a joyous experience. It’s a tremendous honor for me to be a guest designer and celebrate this special milestone with all of you.

Crafting the Background

To begin, I selected a mini slimline card format, which provides a unique canvas for our floral masterpiece. The first step was crafting the background. I opted for the Studio Katia Slimline Stitch Cover die, which I used to cut a piece of white card-stock. However, here’s where the magic happened—I ripped the die-cut piece into random strips. To enhance the texture, I adhered these strips onto a beautiful patterned paper piece measuring 3.5 by 6 inches, using liquid glue.This unconventional technique added a captivating distressed look and texture to the background.

To frame this artistic backdrop, I matted it with a craft card-stock layer, leaving an eighth of an inch border around it. This subtle border gave a framing to the design.

The Shimmering Shaker Window

Now, let’s dive into the shaker element that adds an extra layer of intrigue to our card. Using a Fancy Circle Die, I cut out a circle frame and transformed it into a shaker window by affixing a piece of acetate to the back. To create the shaker aspect, I meticulously placed strips of foam tape along the border of the circle. With a touch of elegance, I poured in delicate gold sequins and sealed the deal with the framed acetate window, perfectly centered on the background.

The Floral Flourish

No card for The Flower Challenge be complete without the star of the show—flowers themselves! I crafted two-dimensional flowers using a flower die. To ensure harmony, I carefully selected colors for the flowers and leaves that matched the background pattern paper, creating a captivating color palette. After shaping them to perfection, I used glue gun to secure them in the bottom right corner of the circle window.

A Sentiment from the Heart

For the sentiment, I turned to the Poppystamps Birthday Wishes die. To make it stand out, I chose a white cardstock for the word itself and a craft cardstock for the shadow layer behind it. This thoughtful tough added a meaningful message on our card.

Gilded Finishing Touches

To complete this charming creation, I embellished it with the same gold sequins used in the shaker element, scattering them gracefully across the background. These shimmering accents added a touch of opulence and tied the entire design together.

A Card Worth Sharing

With the card now taking shape beautifully, I mounted the entire piece onto a 4 by 6.5 inches card base crafted from heavy-weight card-stock. This provided stability and the perfect backdrop for our floral masterpiece.

And there you have it—a mini slimline card that exudes creativity and floral elegance. I hope this step-by-step guide inspires you to join in the ‘Anything Goes’ Flower Challenge and create your own masterpiece. Remember, crafting is all about letting your imagination run wild, and this card is a testament to the boundless possibilities that await when you let your creativity blossom. So, let’s play along at the Flower Challenge and share our love for crafting with the world, especially as we celebrate its 7th birthday together!

Hugs,