This week’s June Sketch Challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown provided the perfect opportunity to tackle a technique that had been on my “must try” list for a while — a floating strips card.
I always enjoy finding creative ways to use up scraps, and this design is ideal for that. A handful of leftover pieces of designer paper, a scrap of acetate and a cute focal image were all that was needed to bring this card together.
Here’s how I made it.
What You’ll Need
- White card base
- Scraps of designer series paper in shades of blue and grey
- Acetate sheet
- Foam adhesive
- White cardstock
- Stars embossing folder
- Penguin digi stamp
- Watercolour supplies and coordinating inks
- Sentiment stamp
- Black ink
Step 1: Create the Floating Strips Background
I started by sorting through my scrap box and pulling out several pieces of Stampin’ Up designer series paper in coordinating shades of grey and blue.
The strips were trimmed to follow the sketch and adhered to a piece of acetate, leaving small gaps between each strip. This creates the illusion that the patterned papers are floating on the card front, which works beautifully with the layout of this week’s sketch.
Once all the strips were in place, I turned the acetate over and added foam adhesive behind the paper strips so the adhesive wouldn’t be visible from the front.
The completed panel was then adhered to a white card base.
Step 2: Create the Focal Element
For the focal panel, I embossed a piece of white cardstock using a stars embossing folder. The texture adds interest while keeping the design light and wintery.
I mounted this embossed panel over the floating strips using foam adhesive, following the placement shown in the sketch.
Step 3: Add the Penguin
The adorable penguin digi stamp was printed onto watercolour paper and coloured using watercolour paints in soft shades to coordinate with the designer paper.
Once dry, I fussy cut the image and adhered it to the embossed panel using foam adhesive. I love how the soft colouring contrasts with the crisp white background and textured stars.
Step 4: Add the Sentiment
To finish the card, I stamped a festive sentiment onto a narrow strip of white cardstock and adhered it below the penguin using foam adhesive.
The raised layers help draw the eye to the centre of the design and add plenty of dimension.
Final Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed making this card. The floating strips technique is a fantastic way to use up those precious scraps of patterned paper that are too pretty to throw away, and the acetate gives the finished card a lovely modern feel.
Combined with the sweet penguin image and embossed focal panel, it creates a festive design with lots of texture and interest while still feeling clean and uncluttered.
If you haven’t tried a floating strips card before, I’d definitely recommend giving it a go. Why not use this week’s sketch at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown as your starting point?
Happy crafting!
Lily-by-Gilly 