Hello fellow 49 & Market Friends!
It’s Nikki Sher back to share some fun cards I made using the new Vintage Orchard Collection. I have to admit – fall is my favorite season! So playing with this collection was a no brainer for me – the colors, the foliage, the harvest fruit and imagery – so perfect!
I always start making my cards the same way – I first separate all the ephemera pieces I want to use into sections. For this card set, I chose to use the Laser Cut Elements, Wildflower Laser Cuts and the Acetate Assortment. I separated all of these from their packaging and then divided them into like items in various trays. For example, all fruits together, all words together, all harvest imagery together, etc. This way when I go to look for something in the ephemera it’s arranged in an order I can pick through easily.
Next, I go through the patterned paper. The 6×8 Collection Pack is great for card making! The images from the 12×12 paper are scaled down nicely for a smaller size and there is a nice assortment of solids and repeating patterns included in the pack. Since two pieces of paper come in the pack, I usually turn one over so that when I fan through the pack of 24 papers, I can see all the patterns available at once.
For these card designs, I wanted to really showcase the patterned paper and the ephemera. For this first group of cards, I chose an embellishment to showcase first, then cluster my other ephemera and paper around it. For example, in the “Right Here, Right Now” card, I first chose the scarecrow image then decided what patterned paper would look good as a background but still show off the image nicely. Once I had that, I was able to cluster my other images around the scarecrow easily to complete the card. It was the same process for the shaker card, “Over the River, Thru the Woods.” I love the way this card came out because I used one of the Acetate Assortment images as the front of my shaker. It looks so good in person!
For the next set of cards, I chose a different way to showcase the patterned paper and ephemera. I would call this “framing” my design, sometimes by using actual frames or by using a patterned paper to frame the image. For example, in the “Gathered Together” card, I used one of the film strip ephemera pieces to actually place my core images in. In the “Harvest Fields, Apple Picking” card, I chose to center the images within the top half of the card where there is a framed patterned paper. Sometimes matting your patterned paper in a solid color really helps the paper and images pop off the page.
Another great technique is to use a split design where you’re actually splitting your card design in half, drawing the viewer’s eye to one side more than the other. I would also say this is a great way to use negative space to bring the viewers eye to a single focal point. Remember – not all negative space has to be empty. Sometimes filling it with a patterned paper is what you need to draw the viewer’s eye to the cluster. A perfect example of this is with the “Gather Here” card. All of the ephemera is on the top third of the card and the negative space is below. Look at how the bird’s beak points to where you want the viewer to look. That’s a great way to use your negative space to again point the viewer to the images you want them to focus on.
49 and Market products:
- Vintage Orchard 6×8 Paper Collection Pack – 49 and Market
- Vintage Orchard 12×12 Solid Collection Pack – 49 and Market
- Vintage Orchard Solids Paper 2 – 49 and Market
- Vintage Orchard Solids Paper 3 – 49 and Market
- Vintage Orchard Solids Paper 4 – 49 and Market
- Vintage Orchard Solids Paper 5 – 49 and Market
- Vintage Orchard Laser Cut Elements – 49 and Market
- Vintage Orchard Wildflower Laser Cuts – 49 and Market
- Vintage Orchard Acetate Assortment Set – 49 and Market
Overall, designing these cards was so much fun to make and
I hope I’ve given you a few techniques to try when making your next card or layout!
What do you plan to make with the new Vintage Orchard Collection?
I hope I’ve inspired you to create! And as always, please stay happy, healthy and crafty!
Best,
Nikki Sher
