Pretty Paper, Pretty Stamps: A Shabby Chic Card Duo

Hi friends! Today I'm popping in with a bit of inspiration featuring the Not 2 Shabby shop December stamp of the month, Always & Forever. It's no secret that I love the shabby/vintage style so these Sweet Valentine papers from the December paper pad club have had me taking a break from Christmas crafting to something on the sweeter side.

Whenever I get a holiday specific set, I always try to make a non-holiday card with it, so that was the inspiration for this first card.  The layout started how so many of my cards do.... arranging scraps of paper left over from my last crafty session!  I loved these three skinny strips together, so added a fishtail end to the bottoms, inked up the edges and then layered under another scrap of paper.

The flower image is from the beautiful Always & Forever set and I colored with Copic markers in a peachy pink combo.  I used the coordinating dies to cut both the floral image and the sentiment to complete the collage of elements.  To finish off, I ran the front of my card base through the die cut machine with a rose embossing folder for a subtle bit of texture.

For my second card, I fully embraced the Valentine's Day spirit, layering scraps of the Sweet Valentine paper in a pleasing layout and then backing with a panel of light pink cardstock embossed with a heart embossing folder. I colored up the flower in the same colors, then added a Happy Valentine's Day sentiment and some sparkly enamel dots to finish things off.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a fabulous start to your weekend. It's my 27th wedding anniversary today, so we're headed to one of my favorite local restaurants for dinner.

Click here for details about affiliate links