Adding Dimension to Cards with the Photosynthesis Collection with Joan Bardee

Hello crafters! Joan Bardee here and I’m delighted to share 3 cards chock full of color and dimension using the beautiful Photosynthesis Collection by Simon Hurley. If you love floral cards, you will love this collection. And adding dimension to these cards literally takes them to the next level!

Rather than detail all the steps I took for each of these cards, I’m sharing several tips for adding dimension to cards.

Sending Hugs

This colorful bouquet of flowers uses Ceramic Vases, Floral Stems, and Must Have Sentiments, all part of the Photosynthesis Collection. I added dimension and heft to this card in 4 ways:

1. Stacked die cuts – adhering multiple die cuts on top of each other. For this card, each layer of the flower has 2 layers and everything else, including the sentiment, has 2 layers.
2. Foam tape under the vase, and sentiment.
3. Dimensional embellishments.
4. Stacked cardstock under the white panel.

All that dimension makes such a difference. If you aren’t convinced, make the same card twice – one with, and one without, dimension and see which one makes you happy.

Tip: I usually die-cut all the layers of one item, such as a leaf, with the same color cardstock. I think it looks more professional because when you see the side of the leaf, it looks the same as the top. You could also use white cardstock for the extra layers, particularly if you are adhering the die cuts to white cardstock. Or you could purposely adhere different colors under each die cut and make that part of your design. If you do the latter, think it out ahead. You don’t want a jumble of clashing colors. Tip: There is no foam tape under the white panel in this card. Rather, I hand-cut 4 pieces of scrap white cardstock in rectangles a little smaller than the white panel and adhered each of them under the white panel. These panels of white cardstock added dimension to the card without using foam. I saw Yana Smakula do something similar, and honestly, if Yana does it, I pretty much try and do it!

Modern Stripes Florals

This symmetrical card uses another beautiful flower from Floral Stems and another sentiment from the Must Have Sentiments Glimmer plate and die. (Layout inspired by Laura Bassen). I added a foiled striped accent from Modern Stripes Hot Foil plates. Modern Stripes consists of 3 hot foil plates, each will foil different-sized stripes. It’s a versatile set that I know I will use over and over. Love how it adds a subtle accent. I used the same techniques for adding dimension to this card that I used for my Sending Hugs card. Here’s a look at the dimension.

Tip: Die cuts should adhere over one another perfectly. Otherwise, they look messy. I use Bearly Arts liquid glue for stacking die cuts (and for almost everything else). Apply liberally to your die cuts – the wet glue will allow you to move the layers until they line up. This only works for me if I use more glue than seems necessary. Stay away from the edges and the glue won’t seep out. Tip: While it’s ok to see the foam tape if you look under the card or from the side, you should not see any foam tape when looking directly at the card. Spellbinders sells Pop-Up Die Cutting Foam Sheets. While I did not use them with these cards (confession: they were buried under a pile!), this is a fantastic way to add dimension without cutting slivers of foam tape, particularly for thin sentiments.

Color Blocked Daffodil Frame

This mini slimline card has white foliage on a colorful background. I find that white flowers look best if they have lots of detail, and the Daffodil Frame is full of little layers and impressed lines. It’s gorgeous. And even more gorgeous with some dimension. Stacked 2 layers of the Daffodil Frame and border and 2 layers of the separate flowers and leaves. Added a few opal gems in the center of the flowers. I wanted this card to have minimal embellishments and a modern style sentiment (it’s from Birthday Unboxing Sentiments).

Tip: I placed foam tape between the top and bottom layers of the daffodils. It’s a unique look and I love it. See what I mean in this picture.

Can we go overboard on dimension? Yes. I’ve made a few cards with so many layers that eventually the card looked silly. Using dimension is trendy but you can take a trend too far. And I mail most of my cards, so they need to fit into an envelope and not fall apart in transport. I use lightweight cardboard mailers I bought in bulk to mail cards with dimension. Thanks so much for checking out this post and thank you to Spellbinders! I would love to see anything you make with this collection, so feel free to tag me on my Instagram account. I’m Dear Paperlicious if you are looking for me.

Other supplies

Paper trimmer, white gel pen, cardstock, Versafine Onyx black ink.