How to add dimension to one layer cards

Hello, crafting friends!

Welcome to another Tuesday of fun challenge from CAS Colours and Sketches! As a new month starts we say hello to a new hostess *waves hello to Holly* and she has chosen a sunny, earthy palette for you to try this week.

I used a small flower image from a favourite floral set, Pretty Perennials by Stampin' Up, to create a one layer card which looks as if flower heads have been scattered over it.

I love one layer cards! They're practical to post and often quick to make. Some people think it's hard to create interest and dimension with them but I'm here to give you some handy tips! Instead of adding real layers, the answer is to create the illusion of layers. Stencilling is good for that and masking is useful for creating the illusion that something is in front of something else. Today's card doesn't use either of those techniques though...

A large sentiment stamped over lighter colour floral elements gives the impression that it has been attached in front of the flowers. This 'happy birthday' from Perfect Sentiments by Pinkfresh Studios has been heat embossed with clear embossing powder and the shininess adds to the dimensional effect.

Another way to add dimension to  stamped images is to add extra detail with another colouring media. Here I used coloured pencils in a slightly darker shade of the colours, blending them out from the centres, which really gives them depth. Another trick is to add a shadow to one side of the images - I used a soft grey here which is only visible when you look closely but which helps to make the flowers pop.

I hope you enjoyed these tips and found them useful :)

Right, so now it's your turn! It's not necessary to make one layer cards for our clean and simple challenge (unless you love them as much as I do!) but do keep layers to a minimum and include plenty of clear space. You'll find lots of inspiration from the team over at the CAS Colours and Sketches challenge blog and from this month's special guest Michal from Scrappy Hour. You'll also find the Linky Took so that you can share your own creation. Have fun!

CHALLENGES

I'm joining in with the Anything Goes option of the Seize the Birthday challenge; and also with Helen's All Things Feminine theme at Watercooler Wednesday.

AND IN OTHER NEWS

One of the things I love about Eva is that she comes to me for help. Every morning she comes up to say hello and lifts her face up for me to wipe the sleep out of her eyes with the corner of a tissue. If she has something in her paw, she will limp in an exaggerated way to ask me to sort it out; or if she has a snag in her fur - she'll try to bite it out and then look at me with  an agonised expression. Today she came up and sat in front of me, lifted her head as she does in the morning and opened her eyes wide. I could immediately see she had an eyelash on her eye. It takes a while to learn to communicate with  a dog but it is so rewarding when you do :)

Sending hugs,