Banana Leaves
Good day, fellow crafters. I am back today with a brand-new masterpiece that I am sure will bring a fresh, tropical twist to your card-giving game. Drumroll, please... introducing our captivating Banana Leaves Greeting Card! I got such a good reception with the Monstera leaves that I decided to create another one but with a different flowering plant.
Now, let's leaf, pun intended, through some fun facts about these leaves that inspired our latest creation. Did you know that banana leaves have been used for centuries not just to wrap food, but also as impromptu plates? Yep, it's like Mother Nature's version of takeout containers! And if you're ever caught in the rain without an umbrella, just find a banana tree – their large leaves are perfect for keeping you dry! Talk about multitasking foliage. So, whether you're a seasoned horticulturist or simply a lover of all things green and gorgeous, this card is a must-have addition to your collection. I hope you enjoy.
As I mentioned earlier, I really enjoyed creating the Monstera Leaves card so decided to try it again with another of my large leaf embossing folders. The difference this time is I really wanted to experiment with creating the background shades. All in all I think it turned out really well and I would totally incorporate the lessons learned from these two cards in the future.
As I did with the Monstera Leaves card I wanted that really dark background. So to begin I used white card stock and inked it black with some Jet Black StazOn ink. As evident in the completed card above, this design decision significantly enhances the viewer's focus on the central elements. The effect of the black background creates an astonishing sense of depth that captivates the eye.
To begin the background panel, I first took my inked cardstock and misted the back of the cardstock with some water. The reason to do this is so that the fibers making up the card stock will bend rather than break if there is a little moisture in them. I next placed the cardstock into the Banana Leaves 3D Embossing folder from Altenew, featured left. I then ran the embossing folder through my die-cutting machine a couple of times and my edges came out nice and crisp. Per usual with this method, I ended up with no tear outs. I set the panel aside and allowed it to dry thoroughly before moving on to the coloring.
When the time came to color the background I once again took out the product that turned out to be the star of the show and utilized it once again for this card. Using an applicator I applied Ranger’s Lunar Paste, in the aptly named color of Fake Plant to all of the Monstera Leaves. This gave the embossing a simply gorgeous look to them. However, they were still “Fake Plant” looking. To counter that and give them a bit more realism I turned to Ranger’s Solar Paste in the color Crocodile Tears. With the lightest of application of the Solar Paste the leaves took on a life of their own and are simply gorgeous to behold. I set the panel aside and allowed it to dry thoroughly.
The next step in the process was to trim the background to its final size and to mat it with a complementing matte finish gold cardstock. So as to not waste material I cut my sentiment from the center of the mat since it will be hidden anyway. I next adhered the two pieces together and then adhered the composite onto a pre-cut white card base.
To complete the card, I chose the Feel Better word die that I picked up from Scrapbooking.com, shown on the right. My aim was to keep the card sleek, which is, again, why I cut it from the mat frame using only the text die. The gold color adds a touch of elegance and a subtle shine that complements the main design without overpowering it – it truly highlights the central focal point.
