Hello my crafty peeps!  Are you ready for this?  They don't call me Scrappy for nothin'!  This next project card for the Altenew AECP program is all about die cutting, wasting no cardstock, using up scraps of specialty cardstock and something you don't see much of nowadays in the paper crafting arena:  vellum.  I am really excited for this project.  It pushed my creative and technical boundaries. I don't even know exactly what my inspiration was, so I'll have to go with my usual inspiration:  color!!

This card is a standard A2 size card (4 1/4" x 5 1/2") cut from Altenew Classic Crest Solar White 80lb cardstock and is designed in a landscape format. I took another piece of the same cardstock and trimmed it fit the card base face with just barely a boarder around, so maybe 1/8" boarder showing from the card base.  With this face layer cut, I set aside the card base and hit my scrap bin.  I went for metallic cardstock in muted colors of the rainbow: dull red, bronze, gold, olive green and a patina blue. Next I went to my stash of vellum.  I found these sheets I had from at least 20 years ago!  It was actually a shopping bag made from all different colored squares of vellum.  Now comes the fun part!

I set the face layer on the magnetic cutting plate of my electronic die cutting machine.  I chose the Branches and Berries die set from Altenew and placed them around the edge of the cardstock in size from largest to smallest going around the edge of the cardstock.  I ran it through my machine and saved the negative pieces that were cut out. Next I laid the metallic cardstock scraps on the magnetic cutting plate and placed a branch die on each one.  I was careful to keep in mind the design I had cut in the face layer.  The largest of the branches was up one side and the die cuts worked their way around the edge of the face layer in order of size, from the largest to the smallest.  This pattern would also be the way I cut them in the metallic rainbow cardstock scraps.  Setting the cut metallic cardstock branches aside, I took the vellum squares and chose some muted colors:  gold, vanilla and muddy green.  I set these on the magnetic cutting mat and used the same branch dies to cut out branches from the vellum.  I set these aside and began to design the central focal point of the card. I really loved the colors of the vellum squares and the dusky tone the card was taking on, so I chose a steale grey blue to cut the sentiment from using the Altenew Script Words die set. I also cut the same sentiment from a scrap of the card base cardstock to adhere to the back of the vellum cut sentiment and give it some substance. Next I chose a label die from the Altenew Apothecary Labels die set that fit the open area in the middle of the cardstock and cut that from the same cardstock as the card base.  The label I embossed using the Altenew Angled Mosaic 3D embossing folder. For the final touch I cut a layered flower from deep violet and rose tones of the vellum using the Altenew Fantasy Floral 3D die set. Now to assemble all these fun pieces!!

I took the card face layer and flipped it over.  I cut strips of double sided tape and ran it all across the length of the back of the piece, making sure to cover all of the openings from the branches.  I then took the layer flipped it over and adhered it to the front of the card base, centering it to get that thin boarder. Now, going in the order of the design, I set the metallic colored die cut branches into the empty areas of the face layer and pressed them so they stuck onto the double sided tape. Next I used double sided adhesive foam to place the label in the middle of the card face.  Setting up my silicone craft matt, I squirted a little puddle of Tombow liquid glue onto it and, using the vellum cut branches and the negative branches cut from the face layer, I dipped their stems into the glue and slid them under the label, fanning them out. I added more branches to the top area of the card to balance out the rainbow inlaid branches that run along the bottom of the card.  The reason I only dipped the stems into the glue is because as it dries, it will naturally shrink up the fibers of  the cardstock and vellum so the ends that are sticking out will have a bit of a natural lift or curl to them.  The final step was to adhere the layers of the flower together which I did using vellum tape runner. Setting the card in the landscape position, I attached the flower to the side of the center label with the Tombow glue and cut bits of double sided foam adhesive to adhere the sentiment and raise it up from the surface of the label.  

I love this card!!  Where had inlaid die cutting been ALL MY CRAFTY LIFE!!  I hope you guys try this technique, and if you do, please let me know what you think!  I'd love to see your creations!  Well, that's it for now, but stay tuned, a final card project post is coming soon which will be my final project for Level 1 of the AECP program!!!