More Paper Bargello

After I posted the paper bargello card on Monday, I pulled out another sheet of striped DSP I had laying around (from retired Cutie Pie, if you're interested), and tried this technique again.

I think making bargello with paper works best if the stripe pattern is simple and repeats exactly. The one I used didn't do that, and it made things more challenging. The exercise in pattern matching was a stretch for my brain, though, so it's all good.

This card was patterned after someone's layout sketch I saw this week, and I liked that it was simple. I'm not one for a ton of layers. I wanted the bargello to shine, so I used a sentiment instead of an image so that the focus could remain on the pattern.

I pulled out the very old Art of Life set because I wanted to create a pattern on the strip of Wild Wasabi and because I love the sentiment included with the images. If you hadn't guessed already, I'm a words person, and this statement by Thoreau is fantastic.

I stamped it in all three colors that the DSP contained: Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi, and Bashful Blue, and finally chose BB because it didn't dominate everything else going on. The ribbon is some I've been hoarding since WW retired, so I'm thrilled that it's back in the core line of colors so I can put it to use and not worry about not being able to get more!

This card served as a belated birthday greeting for my friend Pam (please forgive the horrible photo--I need to go see her again so we can get a better one), who personifies Thoreau's words. She gives so much of herself to others through her hospitality, time, and listening ear, and I wanted the card to be an affirmation of this quality that I see in her.

Have you missed someone's birthday? Why not send them a card that encourages the qualities you see in her life that she may not see in herself? You never know what kind of effect on her day you might have. Happy Saturday!

Bargello with Paper

Have any striped Designer Series Paper laying (lying?) around that you don't know what to do with? Then try bargello, a needlepoint technique that uses thread to create patterns that we paper crafters have adapted for our own uses.

Dawn Olfchefske did a great tutorial on this, so I'm not going to reinvent the wheel here. The pattern I did she demonstrates near the end of the video, about 6:52 in. The skinny? Take 2-6"x6" squares of striped DSP. Line one up with the stripes running vertically and cut diagonally from the upper left corner to the lower right corner. Then cut .5" strips. Take the second piece of 6"x6" striped paper and place the stripes running horizontally. Cut again from the upper left corner to the lower right corner and then cut .5" strips.

This will allow you to create this wavy pattern! It's so cool to watch it come together as you mount it on a piece of card stock. I've had this sitting on my desk for several weeks, just waiting for enough time to finish it properly for the right occasion. Kelly is a partner at Starbucks who was only with us for a short time. She's leaving because her full-time job will take her out of town too many weekends for her to continue working at the store. This card is for all of us to sign to wish her farewell.

Want to know how I found matching thread for my buttons? It's not thread; it's PAPER! I learned this trick somewhere on the internet, but it's not really all that tricky. Just cut a thin thin thin strip of card stock and use it like thread on your button. Voila--matchy matchy!

I tried my hand at pleating some ribbon and this time I used double-sided Scotch tape, and it worked fairly well. I had to reinforce the pleats with some glue dots, due to the heft of this ribbon. Still, it adds some nice texture and visual interest to the card.

Figuring out how to put a sentiment on this card without detracting from the patterned paper was a challenge. I chose something small from Best Yet and punched it with the Modern Label Punch.

Give this a try and let me know what you think! I'd love to see yours--link me to a picture!