Fresh Prints Panel Thank You Card

Good evening lovely blog readers! Today I'm sharing a card (well, actually two!) that I made a little while ago but that I didn't share with you at the time. I made this card using an old Freshly Made Sketches layout - here is my card:

My card uses the Fresh Prints DSP stack - this paper stack is great value and perfect for cards and the pattern I've used on this card is one of my favourites: an Orla Kiely-inspired design I think and one that also appeared in last year's Sycamore Street Sale-A-Bration DSP pack, but this time updated with some fresh colours for the new season. I cut three panels, having centralised the pattern, and matted it on Real Red and a Pool Party base, with a Pool Party banner finished with two co-ordinating candy dots. The original sketch had only two dots and I wrestled with myself to not use three (I think things looks better in threes!) but I decided that the two dots balanced the sentiment on the top left-hand side of the card, so left alone! I stamped my sentiment in Versamark and heat-embossed with Whisper White embossing powder, because whilst I didn't want it to dominate my card, I didn't want it to get lost either. This was the card I was happy with, but I promised two cards today and thought I would show you the first one I made; it was slightly smaller in size but to the same layout, but instead of centralising the pattern on each individual strip, I simply cut a piece of paper equally into three. It gives quite a different effect - see what I mean:

This cut really didn't work for me, as I felt such a clean card need the symmetry in the pattern - hence the second version. Here are both cards in focus side by side - which one do you prefer?

Who would have thought that such a simple card took so much thought? But for me, that's the difference between a good card and a great card! Lesson over for today; I'm off to listen to the next instalment of Harry Potter, our current bedtime reading book.

Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Fresh Prints Designer Series Paper Stack	Pool Party A4 Card Stock	Real Red A4 Card Stock	Brights Candy Dots	Neutrals Candy Dots
Stamp-A-Ma-Jig	Express Yourself	Embossing Buddy	White Stampin' Emboss Powder	Versamark Pad
Heat Tool - Uk Plug