Cardmaking in Black and White: Variations on a Theme

Well, it's been almost a week since I've blogged, and as usual, I've missed it!

However, I'm a bit short on time (and words) this week, so I've decided to do a brief blog post featuring my most recent card creations.

It seems that I've been on a "black and white" card kick lately! I do love black and white together, and whenever I go to my local crafts or scrapbook stores, I'm always on the lookout for new and beautiful patterned papers in shades of black and white.

What I'm going to be featuring in today's post are several cards that I've made over the past couple of weeks, using a wonderful floral patterned paper (by Basic Grey), in shades of black, gray and white with just a hint of cream and gold. I found this paper a number of months ago during one of my frequent (and therapeutic) shopping trips to my local Robert's Crafts store.

I've learned over my years of paper crafting, never to pass up a paper that I really like, because it may not be there the next time I look for it! I had no idea when I first found this paper, what exactly I would use it for, but I just loved the design, so I bought it.

And as luck would have it, I recently found the perfect use for this paper.

A few weeks ago, I received a request from a fellow Etsyan for a customized 40th Birthday Card. She left the card design up to me, but mentioned a few possibilities for preferred card colors. Since black was among the colors mentioned, I thought of this paper that I had stashed for just the right occasion!

So I pulled out the paper, studied the bold floral design, hoping for some inspiration, and came up with the idea for a hand-cut paper pieced flower, specifically created to coordinate with the underlying patterned paper. And voila, a new card design was born!

On graph paper, I first hand drew a couple of large flower petal patterns, based roughly on the floral design in the patterned paper. Then from these two petal patterns, I individually handcut eight petals (four of each design) from textured black Bazzill cardstock.



I wanted to make the card particularly elegant, since it was for a special friend and a special birthday. So I decided to add a touch of gold to the card design, pulling from the cream and gold accents in the patterned paper.











The background of the card design is textured white Bazzill, over which there's a layer of shiny goldtone cardstock, then a layer of the "inspiration" paper, around which the entire card design was created.

I've embellished each corner of the card with a metal goldtone brad. And I pen-outlined each paper pieced flower petal with metallic gold pigment ink.

The numbers in the center of the paper pieced flower are purchased self-adhesive 3-D goldtone metal pieces.

I'm happy to say that my custom card client was pleased with the outcome! Whew!

NOW that I'd completed my first card using this wonderful black and white floral paper, I was energized to create yet another new card design. After all, I still had some of the "inspiration paper" left, a new paper pieced flower design, and all my coordinating papers spread out on my dining room table (read: craft table)!

So, here's what followed . . . . . . . .






I used my new flower petal patterns to cut eight more petals from textured black Bazzill cardstock. But for these petals, I actually cut them once again, so that there is just an outline of the black petals, allowing the underlying patterned paper to show through.

This one-of-a-kind Any Occasion card is embellished with silvertone brads and white eyelash fiber.

For the next card, I used the smaller cut-out petals remaining from the outlined ones in the previous card (whoa . . .does that make any sense?)

So what we have here, is a smaller version of the same paper pieced flower design, without the "inspiration" paper, but simply using black and white textured Bazzill.


I've added one of my favorite quotes to this Any Occasion or Note Card, "The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart." ~ Helen Keller


And after these three cards, I was STILL inspired and had yet more of what had become my favorite-of-all-time black and white patterned paper, SO . . . . .


I created another one-of-a-kind Birthday Card design, this time without the paper-pieced flower, and with a slightly different variation of white and black textured Bazzill, silvertoned brads, and black eyelash fiber.

And here's my final card design making use of my "inspiration" paper.

This card embodies one of my favorite styles of card, which I term, "Simply Elegant."

Speaking from my own perspective, I'd say that this wonderfully designed black and white floral paper served me well, and gave me quite a run on "inspiration". What do you think?

Wow, guess I had more words in me than I thought!

Ciao!