Papertrey Ink Blog Hop

The theme for this month’s Papertrey Ink Blog Hop is backgrounds. PTI has some fabulous sets for building beautiful backgrounds. I have a few of these sets in my collection and there are a few more I want to get my hands on—LOL!

I started out with the plan to use the very versatile Guide Lines set to make a background for my card. I always forget how easy it is to use this set until I pull it out and get started on a project with it.

I was able to create this panel for my cardfront in no time at all. I was going for a masculine look, so I started with a Ripe Avocado cardstock panel and stamped the guide lines on the panel tone on tone in matching Ripe Avocado ink. I tried out a few different image patterns and color combinations before settling on this one, which uses the same pattern in each block and alternates between PTI's Vintage Cream and Ripe Avocado inks.

Once it was finished, I decided that the panel was too nice-looking to cover up and use as a background. Instead, I stamped the guide lines image in Dark Chocolate ink across the entire front of the Dark Chocolate card base, creating a grid patterned background for the card.

Then, I cut down the Ripe Avocado stamped panel a little and used it as the focal image on my card. I placed a strip of Dark Chocolate cardstock across the bottom of the panel, then added a knotted strip of Ripe Avocado stitched grosgrain over the panel. The brown keeps the ribbon from being “lost” against the patterned background.

I layered it on an Ocean Tides panel with distressed edges, then on a kraft panel. The card base is Dark Chocolate, matching the strip across the cardfront. I added a simple sentiment from the new Mega Mixed Messages set. I liked the original version of this set with its wide range of sentiments and fonts, but I think this larger version might be even better!

Materials Used:
Guide Lines and Mega Mixed Messages stamp sets, Ripe Avocado, Ocean Tides, Dark Chocolate, and Vintage Cream Palette inks, Ripe Avocado, Ocean Tides, Dark Chocolate, Kraft, and Vintage Cream cardstock, Ripe Avocado stitched grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink); 1 ¼” and 1 3/8” circle punches, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); copper brads (Making Memories)