Pop of Colour on a Monochromatic Background. Simple Tutorial.

Pop of Colour on a Monochromatic Background. Simple Tutorial. – Artisan Sketched Garden – Crafting with Ashee – Independent Stampin’ Up! Demo

Sometimes the simplest card designs can have the biggest impact. These cards are a perfect example of how you can take a beautiful patterned paper, keep the colour palette almost entirely monochromatic, and then add one bright pop of colour to make the design really stand out.

For these cards, I’ve used the Artisan Sketched Garden DSP as the starting point. The black and white patterns create a striking background, while the colourful flowers provide the focal point.

And the best part? There is no stamping!!

A Monochromatic Card Design

I absolutely love the look of a monochromatic background. Using black, white and grey gives a card a stylish and contemporary feel, and it also provides the perfect canvas for adding a splash of colour.

I chose two different patterns from the Artisan Sketched Garden DSP for these cards. One features a pretty dot pattern, while the other has bold black and white stripes.

Although the backgrounds are quite different, the overall design remains the same, which makes this a great example of how you can get completely different looks simply by changing your patterned paper.

Fussy Cutting the Flowers

The main focal point of these cards is the vase of flowers.

Rather than stamping and colouring an image, I decided to fussy cut the flowers in the vase directly from the DSP. This is such a useful way to get more from your patterned paper.

Once I had carefully cut around the vase and flowers, I used my Stampin’ Blends alcohol markers to add colour to the flowers and greenery.

I particularly like this technique because you can transform the appearance of a piece of DSP simply by adding colour. The original design provides all the detail, so there is no need to worry about stamping perfectly or colouring every tiny element from scratch.

Adding the Black Arch

To give the fussy-cut vase a strong focal point, I mounted it onto a piece of Basic Black cardstock cut using the Everyday Arches dies.

The black arch works beautifully with the monochromatic DSP and helps to frame the coloured flowers.

It also creates some much-needed separation between the vase and the busy patterned background. This is a simple design trick that can make a big difference when you’re working with patterned paper.

Adding a Simple Sentiment

For the sentiments, I used pieces from the Greetings for All mix-and-match ephemera pack.

I love using ephemera pieces when I want to make a card quickly. There is no stamping, inking or die cutting involved – you can simply choose a sentiment that works with your design and add it to the card.

For the card with the dotty background, I placed the hello sentiment towards the bottom of the card. On the striped version, I added the sentiment across the vase.

It’s interesting how changing the position of just one element can give the two cards a slightly different feel.

Measurements

• Basic Black cardstock – A6 card base – This is an A4 sheet cut in half and then folded in half.
• Basic White cardstock – 14.35cm X 10cm X 2 pieces
• Artisan Sketched Garden designer series paper (DSP) – 13.85cm X 9.5cm.

Why This Card Design Works

There are a few simple design principles at work here that make these cards so effective.

The black and white DSP creates contrast, while the coloured flowers immediately draw your eye towards the centre of the card.

The black arch provides a visual frame around the focal image, and the relatively simple sentiment doesn’t compete with the flowers.

This is also a great card design to remember when you’re working with patterned paper that feels a little too busy. Instead of trying to match lots of colours, try using the DSP with a simple monochromatic colour scheme and then introduce one strong pop of colour.

Try This Technique With Your Own DSP

If you have patterned paper featuring flowers, leaves, vases or other images that can be cut out, why not try this technique yourself?

Look for an image that you can fussy cut and then experiment with adding colour using your Stampin’ Blends.

You don’t necessarily need to colour the entire image. You could colour just the flowers, add colour to the leaves, or even highlight just one small part of the design.

For an even more dramatic effect, try combining your coloured image with a black and white patterned paper background.

It’s a quick and easy way to create a card that looks much more complicated than it actually is!

A Simple Card With Plenty of Impact

I really like how these cards combine simplicity with a little bit of drama. The monochromatic backgrounds give them a stylish look, while the bright flowers add just enough colour to make them cheerful and eye-catching.

And because the basic design is so simple, it’s easy to recreate with different patterned papers, colours and sentiments.

If you’re looking for a simple card-making idea using DSP, this is definitely one to try. Let your patterned paper do most of the work, add a little colouring, and you can create a beautiful handmade card without lots of complicated techniques.

Want to See How I Made These Cards?

If you’d like to see the cards being made step by step, don’t forget to check out the video tutorial. I’ll show you how I created the design, fussy cut the flowers and added the colour to create these striking cards.

Don’t forget to pin this project or save it for later if you’d like to try this technique yourself!

Thank You for Stopping By!

I hope you enjoyed this papercrafting project and found it inspiring! Below, you’ll find a supply list linked to my online shop and a video tutorial to guide you step by step. You can also check out my Basic Craft Products, which include the essential tools I use regularly.

Product List

Join the Crafting Fun!
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Online Card Club – Each month in my Facebook Group, we make three beautiful cards and a 3D project. It’s a fun and interactive way to craft together. Click here for all the details.

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Until next time, Enjoy Being Creative!
Ashee xx