Welcome to InkPaperStamps and the Stampin’ Addicts My Digital Studio Blog Carnival. MDS is a great digital paper crafting tool, helping you create digital and hybrid cards, scrapbook pages, calendars and more. My favorite use for MDS, though, is as a design tool for traditional (stamps-ink-paper) cards.
This week, I needed a card for the wedding reception of a long-time family friend. My parents and David’s have been friends since before we born–and we’ve been out of college for (gulp) years.
David moved to Nanjing, China several years ago, and his bride is Chinese.
Keeping with Chinese customs, I chose red, gold and black for the color scheme. David was born in the Year of the Rooster; his bride Meijie has the character ‘plum tree’ in her name. Real Red and Brushed Gold, a rooster amidst plum blossoms. . . . ideas were coming together for this card.
The biggest challenge? Making the card with eight layers to represent abundance and prosperity–a blessing fit for any wedding couple. (A secondary challenge: do it without shredding my entire stack of Brushed Gold cardstock before I was finished with the card.)
The basic plan (or how I avoided cutting up all my Brushed Gold cardstock)
Enter MDS.
In about 20 minutes, I mocked up this basic design for David and Meijie’s card.
More Mustard stood in for Brushed Gold. . . . I expanded the scallop circle punch to represent the large diecut from the Sizzix Scallop Circles #2 die. . . . played around a bit to decide what color each layer should be. . . and came up with (back to front) RR-BG-BB-RR-BB-BG-RR-Shimmery White.
Yup, this gate fold card with a Chinese-style gate medallion would suit the occasion splendidly.
Armed with my mock up, I was ready to cut card stock, without fear I’d slice and dice up all of my Brushed Gold before the project was completed.
Some embossing here. . . a little aqua-painting there. . . a sprinkling of Stampin’ Dimensionals every few layers for heighth. . .
Et voila (click on photo to enlarge, if you’re ready to see one fine rooster up close and personal):
8-layer gatefold card: Rooster 'Neath Plum Blossoms
Some paper crafters juggle eight layers with aplomb before breakfast. Me, I’m a clean-and-simple girl. Left to my own devices, an eight-layer card could have been a train wreck.
Thanks to MDS, however, this card honors the groom and his bride in a manner reflecting the longstanding relationship between our families. And my stash of Brushed Gold? It stands ready for whatever the next celebration might be!
So, how do you like Rooster ‘Neath the Plum Blossoms? Wish you could see it shimmer in real life. . . .
Holly, that’s great! I love your colors and card layout, especially with the gold embossing. Great way to figure out your layout!!!
Oh, I think it’s beautiful! What a lovely tribute that you incorporated so much culture into the design of the card! I think they’ll love it, and love that you put so much thought into it, too!
That totally rocks!!! I hope all the love and thought that went into that little piece of art is appreciated.
How clever to use the MDS before hacking away at the cardstock! And the card is just amazing!
Wow! This card came out absolutely stunning! Hope you are having fun at the wedding!
Wow, that card is stunning!! I’m with you, I would have mis-cut every piece of card stock that I had, done things I didn’t like, had to re-do them, wasted tons of supplies to maybe come up with something I liked 3 days later. lol Thank you so much for going through your thought process, and showing the things you subbed for what you actually had like the big scallop circle die etc. Fabulous card and presentation of the versatility of this software!!
Very beautiful card. David and Meijie will love it.
I love the idea of using MDS to plan…less mess that way!
Gorgeous card Holly! I love that you put so much thought into it. It not only looks fabulous, but has so much meaning to it. Splendid!