I just finished a week off from work, and creating this card was my last hurrah on Sunday afternoon. I wanted to create a card capturing the summer feel. We don’t have palm trees here in VT, but the images definitely evoke summer. And there is something wonderful about getting out and enjoying a nice sunny day – which is a wonderful “little thing”.

I’m still very much in love with the Forever Greenery Suite of products, and I was happy to pair the center DSP from that pack with a piece of Soft Sea Foam from the Subtles DSP pack. For the ribbon element, I cut up the center of a piece of the loose weave Forever Greenery Trim; the ribbon is too wide for what I wanted, so cutting it made sense. Also, with the little threads that shed from the cut area adds a bit of rustic effect to the card. This morning I added some of the Flowers for Every Season gems to add a finishing touch. I can’t get enough of these gems!!!

When you lift the flap on the front you discover a panel inside so you can write your message. I included some stamped palm trees to add a bit of pop to the inside. I considered adding another sentiment, but decided that having more space for the message was a better choice. I purchased the Friend Like You stamp set in May to take advantage of bundle pricing, and this card is the first time that I’ve inked up any images. I admit that I struggled a little trying to figure out the cattails, and decided to shift gears and use the palm trees. I hope to be back again soon with something featuring the cattails, but I need to practice more.

I created this card to participate in the latest challenge from The Paper Players. I recently created a center step card for another fun fold challenge, and I was excited to create another one for this challenge. Fun Folds are one of my favorite things to do in papercrafting. These are the cards that really show the recipients that you took the time to make a handmade card for them. This card is called Front Flap card, and I found a tutorial on SplitcoastStampers.com. It is really very easy to cut and put together, so I encourage you to try it out.