See a Pattern, See a Cardinal Christmas Card
Sometimes all it takes is looking at designer paper a little differently.
When I was browsing through the beautiful patterns in the A Stitched Season Designer Paper, this one immediately caught my eye. The four birds reminded me of cardinals gathered around a Christmas tree. So instead of treating it as just another sheet of patterned paper I let it become the focal point of this cardinal Christmas card.
I trimmed the outer border down the middle to keep the decorative edge. This created a design where the four birds naturally face inward toward the sentiment. It almost looks as though the paper was designed specifically for this layout.
The greeting comes from the Stitched Stocking Bundle. I embossed it in white on Pecan Pie cardstock. Then I used the stocking topper die to cut out only the “Merry Christmas” portion of the sentiment. If you look closely you might notice a tiny bit of the rest of the stamped image near the bottom, but thankfully it's subtle enough that I think it disappears into the finished design.
I added an adorable Mini Christmas Buttons to the sentiment piece. A Linen Thread bow adds a little extra texture and charm. The sentiment is mounted on a section of a Foam Adhesive Sheet. That makes it easy to sit on the designer paper evenly without sagging in the center.
I layered the patterned paper on a Real Red mat before being attaching to a Pecan Pie card base. Those warm traditional Christmas colors pair beautifully with the quilt-inspired artwork and really let the birds take center stage.
Sometimes the Paper Does the Designing
Beautiful designer paper can inspire an entire card without requiring lots of stamping or complicated techniques. By simply changing how the paper is trimmed and framed, an ordinary pattern becomes the star of the project.
If you've looked at your designer paper and wondered what to make, try focusing on one interesting section instead of the entire sheet. You might discover your next favorite card is already hiding in the pattern. And this collection is definitely perfect for it!
I hope this cardinal Christmas card inspires you to take a fresh look at your own patterned papers. Sometimes the best designs are already there — you simply have to frame them.
These birds immediately reminded me of cardinals, which brought to mind another Christmas card I created featuring a cardinal. If you love this classic holiday bird as much as I do, be sure to check out this Christmas card design as well.dds
