My biggest paper crafting addiction of late has to be the 6x6 paper pad. I love all those lovely scaled down prints in a single easy to use pad. They are perfect for cards and other small projects and I love how well all the papers work together.
Recently I've bought an entire stack of 6x6 paper pads. Today I'm going to focus on one single pad. While I've never actually sat down and figured out just how many cards you can make from one of these little pads, the other day I made a start with six different cards. I love how you can get so many looks from one purchase.
So here's a peek at a few of the cards and below is the paper pad they came from. I love this "Honey" 6x6 paper pad from the sweetest thing line by My Mind's Eye. Such a beautiful mix of prints.
You'll find that most of the prints in a collection work really well together. That measn you can mix and match to your hearts content with one small paper purchase. Don't be afraid to mix prints. Just vary the scale and balance the colors and they will look beautiful. Your eye will tell you what works. If you are still a little hesitant, here's a link to a tutorial I wrote on the In Touch Blog about Mixing patterns. It's been almost 3 years since I wrote it but it's still very relavent and a great place to start.
I started creating where it's always a great place to start...with the papers that inspire you the most. I was just itching to use these ones and paired them up in a simple timeless design.
I love putting together embellishments to add a focal point to my designs. Choosing embellishments in your favorite colors or in neutrals is a great and cost-effective way to design. That way you always have what you need on hand.
My next card is a classic square design. I loved matching up the pink and red patterns for a sweet love themed congrats card. To embellish the card I've used some torn washi tape overlaid with some die cut hearts.
Next was on to the most elegant design from this paper pad. Pairing up monochromatic colors is always beautifully elegant and nothing says class like black, grey and white. In this design, a circle punch adds some movement to the design.
You may have noticed but most of these cards do not have a sentiment. When sitting down and creating a stack, leaving some cards without sentiments allows you to have a card that is perfect for any occasion at a moment's notice.
The beautiful soft pink and grey prints just had to go together for the next card. So soft and sweet, I wanted to make a very girlie design. This card just uses two prints for subtle look. When you use two prints, make sure one is the predominent one and the other is just an accent. Balance is the key.
From soft and sweet, I just had to go to something a little more bright and fun next. This paper pad had a great collaged print in it. It just begged me to cut it apart and make some accents with the paper. After cutting them out, I've collaged them together again. This time they are overlapped and layered for some extra dimension.
Finally, we have one last square card and what has to be one of my favorite classic layouts. The nine-patch layout is an old favorite quilting block design and always looks great with a mix of prints. I've cut some scraps into 1.5" squares and put this together in a jiff.
If you want to make some fun fast cards, a 6x6 paper pad is a great place to start. I hope you have some fun mixing and matching and these few ideas kick start some fun paper crafting.
Have a wonderful weekend!
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