Scrapbookers are encouraged to do scraplifts for inspiration and to help develop their design aesthetic. The only rule is to give credit to the artist who inspired you.
Scraplifting helps to jump start layout ideas, color combinations, embellishment clustering, design flow and more. Unless you’re really trying, your result will only vaguely resemble the original.
I borrowed the scraplift concept to design two embossed Easter cards based on one that I found on Pinterest by Stampin’ Up’s Dawn Griffith. If you want to check out the original, I pinned it to The Artful Crafter Easter & Spring Crafts Board.
You’ll see that I used the same color palette, butterfly theme, embossed panels and blocky design; but otherwise my designs are quite different. One advantage to this approach is that none of us can possibly have all the exact supplies and tools the designer lists; and most of us can’t afford to go out and buy them all either!
So you learn to improvise, working with what you have on hand.
Unfortunately, the link to Dawn’s source page is dead, so the tutorial, component dimensions, supply list, etc. aren’t available. However, I did locate Dawn’s Stamping Thoughts Blog and have bookmarked it. I love her designs and she has great how-to videos on the site.
The butterfly is a symbol of new life and renewal, so it’s just as appropriate for a religious Easter card as for a spring card rejoicing in Nature’s annual awakening after the long hard winter.
Variation 1: “He is Risen!” Top Fold Square Card
Easter Card Materials
I’ve included the infographic above to help you sort out sizes of all the components and what goes where.
11 x 5 1/5-inch purple cardstock, scored and folded to a 5 1/2-inch square card
5 1/4-inch square white cardstock for the embossed card front panel
4 1/2 x 2 1/2 purple cardstock base to ground the word art
4 1/4 x 2-inch white cardstock for the word art
2-inch square yellow cardstock base for the butterfly
2 1/2 x 2 1/4-inch purple cardstock die cut and embossed butterfly
Cuttlebug Embossing Borders Polka Dot strip to edge the word art mat
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder Script for the front panel
Word art stamp and ink pad or design your own digitally and print – I used fonts Harabara Hand script and Arabic Typesetting print
Cuttlebug Cut & Emboss butterflies set – comes with four embossing design folders and one butterfly die cut, lovely and very versatile
Glue runner, glue stick – whatever your preference
6 4mm gold brads – I used nail art embellishments – sometimes the best value craft supplies aren’t in the crafting aisle
Scissors or paper cutter
Scoring tool
Directions
Cut card stock elements. Score, fold and burnish fold for the card base.
Follow your embossing tool’s directions to emboss the white front panel and the polka dot border of the word art mat.
Die cut the butterfly; then position it inside your choice of embossing folder and run through the machine.
Apply glue liberally to the back of the embossed front panel. Center it on the card front and smooth down.
Arrange the remaining elements to your liking and decide how you want your word art to lead the eye from the butterfly to the text. Create word art.
Glue down the rest of the flat elements.
Score the butterfly along both sides of the body and lift the wings up to look like she is just setting down. Run glue along the body and press butterfly into place.
Glue on brad accents.
Because of the dark color card stock, cut a 5 1/4-inch square of white paper to write or print the inside message. Run glue along the top edge, center on the bottom inside of the card and press down.
Embossed Easter Card Designs: Variation 2
Card Supplies
I’ve included the infographic above to help you sort out sizes of all the components and what goes where.
10 x 7-inch lavender card stock, scored and folded to a 5 x 7 portrait orientation card
4 3/4 x 6 3/4-inch white card stock for the embossed card front panel
2 x 3 1/2-inch lavender card stock base with floral embossed edge to ground the word art
2 3/4-inch square white card stock for the word art
3-inch square yellow card stock mat for the word art
2 1/2 x 2 1/4-inch lavender card stock die cut and embossed butterfly
Cuttlebug Embossing Borders horizontal flower strip to edge the word art mat
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder Birds and Swirls for the front panel
Word art stamp and ink pad or design your own digitally and print – I used fonts Peach Sundress script and Scrap Casual print
Cuttlebug Cut & Emboss butterflies set – comes with four embossing design folders and one butterfly die cut, lovely and very versatile
Glue runner, glue stick – whatever your preference
10 2mm rhinestones – I used nail art embellishments – sometimes the best value craft supplies aren’t in the crafting aisle
Scissors, paper cutter
Scoring tool
Directions
Cut card stock elements. Score, fold and burnish fold for the card base.
Follow your embossing tool’s directions to emboss the white front panel and the floral border of the word art base.
Die cut the butterfly; then position it inside your choice of embossing folder and run through the machine.
Apply glue liberally to the back of the embossed front panel. Center it on the card front and smooth down.
Arrange the remaining elements to your liking and decide how you want your word art to direct the eye to the butterfly taking flight. Create word art.
Glue down the rest of the flat elements.
Score the butterfly along both sides of the body and lift the wings up to look like she is just lifting off. Run glue along the body and press butterfly into place.
Glue on rhinestone accents: 5 in center of flowers of the floral border; 1 in the curlicue of the “r” in “Easter” and 2 inside the bowls of the “p’s” in “happy”; and 2 for the butterfly’s eyes.
Optional: To provide contrast for text against the darker color card stock, cut a 4 3/4 x 6 3/4-inch piece of white paper to write or print the inside message. Run glue along the left edge, center on the card and press down.
Variation 3: “God So Loved the World” Horizontal Fold Card
Patterned Paper Card Materials
I’ve included the infographic above to help you sort out sizes of all the components and what goes where.
10 x 7-inch patterned card stock, scored and folded to a 5 x 7 landscape orientation card – mine is from Sonburn Designs Two Cool 300-pack of Double-Sided Cardstock
4 3/4 x 6 3/4-inch cream card stock for the embossed card front panel
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder Script
3 1/2 x 4 1/4-inch color-coordinated panel for the word art – this is side two of the 12 x 12 double-sided cardstock sheet I chose
7 1/4 1/2-inch wide maroon upholstery cord
6 1/2 x 3/4-inch strip of patterned paper for upholstery cord base
4 1/4 x 1 7/8-inch brown paper base for palm frond cross
Palm frond cross embellishment: 2 strips of dried palm frond cut on an angle (3 inches and 2 1/8 inches long), maroon ribbon slightly wider and longer for the outline, scrap of coordinating metallic gauze ribbon
Word art stamp and ink pad or design your own word art digitally and print – I used fonts Riva LET script and Rockwell print *
Glue runner, glue stick – whatever your preference
Scissors, paper cutter
Scoring tool
Recollections 1/2-inch Foam Adhesive Squares
No More Nails or other heavy consistency glue
* The quote is from John 3:16, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whomsoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
Directions
Cut card stock elements. Score, fold and burnish fold for the card base.
Follow your embossing tool’s directions to emboss the cream front panel.
Use heavy glue to glue palm fronds to strips of maroon ribbon and to glue the cross bars together. Clip cross together firmly until glue sets. Tie the cross piece with metallic gauze ribbon. Use heavy glue to attach assembled cross to the brown base. Note that the three upper points hang over the edge of the base.
Design and print or stamp your word art panel.
Arrange the assembled cross embellishment, word art patterned paper strip, and upholstery cord on the embossed panel. Glue in place. Overlap the ends of the upholstery cord to the back of the embossed panel and use heavy glue to press in place. Clip cross embellishment and upholstery cord firmly until glue sets.
The thickness of the upholstery cord (on the back of the panel) requires that the panel be lifted a bit higher than usual.
Note how the larger foam adhesive squares accomplish that. Note also that I recycle. Shhh! The embossed panel is made from a previous card design which went to the scrap heap.
Center the embossed front panel on the card front and press in place.
Optional Finishing Touch: This is difficult to capture on camera, so I hope you can see the added gleam on the cross embellishment panel. I brushed a bit of Pearl Ex Sparkle Gold Pigment Powder on the brown paper to coordinate better with the metallic gauze ribbon.
Here are more Easter Craft Articles.
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