Cards in Envy - Through the Window

Hello!  Today marks the start of a new challenge at Cards in Envy.  This time we’re looking “through the window” …  making cards that have a window in the front so that something on the inside of the card shows through.  As usual, cards for the challenge need to be A2 sized and have no thick, lumpy, bumpy embellishments.

This card ended up being a good example of what happens when I create on the fly (so to speak) and not really have a plan in mind for it.  It started off with my wanting this little bunny image to be seen through the window.  This small, sort of fancy rectangular die was a great size to use for the window.  Then I got the idea to use the largest die from that set of Nestabilities to create the shape of the card, since it is very nearly A2 sized.  (It’s actually a bit smaller, about 5 3/8″ x 4″.  But it’ll still fit just fine in an A2 envelope!)  I cut the card base, putting the fold of the card just inside the die so the fold wouldn’t get cut.  Then I cut the designer paper so that the curve of the die shape would hide the fold of the card once the paper was attached to the base.  I stamped the bunny and colored him… and that’s when things started not going as well.  I added a little stippling around the bunny to help set him off from the card base, but when I’m doodling freeform like that, I’m never quite sure whether to follow the shape of the image or the shape of the image panel.   I wanted the end of the sentiment panel that’s against the window to follow the shape of the aperture, so I figured that out, but then I thought that a standard pointy banner shape for the other end wouldn’t look right, so I cut the opposite end to follow the shape, too.  The card still looked too plain, so after a search through my embellishments, I finally found a couple of Prima flowers that coordinated with the colors in the designer paper, and added them to the corner diagonally opposite the window to help balance the design.  Larger flowers would probably have looked better, but I didn’t have any in the right colors. I didn’t think about using a flower punch until literally just now, as I’m typing this post!

Trying to photograph the card so the window would show depth took a few tries, but this one turned out all right.

Whew.  There ya have it.  Even though I don’t think it’s one of my better cards, it’s still good enough to send to Operation Write Home.

Thanks for stopping by today!  Go see what the rest of the Cards in Envy design team are looking at through their windows.  Then create a card of your own and link it to the Cards in Envy site by 7:00 p.m. Eastern time Sunday, February 2.  We’d love to see what you make!

Supplies:
Stamps: Mini Critters, Cute Critters (Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps)
Cardstock: Pure Luxury Ivory (Gina K. Designs); Spice Cake designer paper (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: Labels Eight Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders); markers (Copic); paper flowers (Prima Marketing); mini brad (Recollections)