Welcome back to the craft room and today’s Elegant Black & Silver Embossed Card post. The other day I had a completely different card idea floating around in my head. To test it out, I headed straight for my cardstock scraps… and ended up pulling out a TON of black cardstock!
Seeing that pile made me change directions a bit. Instead of my original plan, I decided to challenge myself to turn some of those scraps into an elegant black and silver card.
Come along with me and let me know how I did. Sometimes the best cards come from completely unexpected ideas.
Starting with the Scrap Pile
Behold… only part of my black scraps! LOL This is actually kind of ridiculous when you think about it. There are some great-sized pieces in this pile that I should be pulling from before cutting into a full sheet of cardstock.
So why don’t I check this pile first?
That’s actually a great question that I don’t have an answer for. But really… I can’t be the only one who does this, right?
This scrap pile has many different sizes and weights of cardstock. Most of it is Recollections, but there are also a few pieces of my favorite linen-textured cardstock from my local print shop.
To create this card, I started with the 1¾-inch square die from The Stamps of Life Nested Square die set. For the main panels, I chose a piece of 110 lb Recollections cardstock, since these pieces would be going through a 3D embossing folder.
To add a bit of texture, I also pulled out a 2-inch wide piece of my favorite linen-textured cardstock.
After running the 110 lb cardstock and a square die through my Sizzix Big Shot, I used the mini Tim Holtz trimmer to cut the panels down to 2-inch squares.
Adding Texture with 3D Embossing
Going into this design, I knew I wanted to use my Altenew Garden Rose 3D embossing folder from the Craft Your Life Project Kit: Garden Rose. I also wanted to step up the design with the Brushed Pewter Distress Crayon from Tim Holtz.
It actually took longer than I expected to position the cardstock in the embossing folder. I wanted each square to have a nice mix of roses and leaves.
The embossed tiles looked beautiful on their own, as you can see in the image below. The problem was that at this smaller scale, the flower details didn’t stand out as much as I had hoped.
To fix that, I brought in the metallic crayon.
When I first tested the idea, my instinct was to rub the crayon directly over the embossed image and buff it out with my finger. As you can see in the image below, that didn’t quite work the way I planned. The harsh lines wouldn’t buff out.
It’s still pretty… just a little too “in your face” for my taste.
Instead, I grabbed one of my watercolor palettes, colored the crayon directly onto it, and picked up the color with my finger. This allowed me to slowly add the metallic color to the panel in thin layers.
Once the first layer was down, I could easily go back and add more where needed.
Not only did this highlight the raised embossing, but it also added a soft metallic tone to some of the recessed areas. Below is a before-and-after view. It’s amazing how much the image pops with that subtle layer of metallic crayon.
Choosing a Simple Sentiment
When searching for the perfect sentiment, I started with the coordinating Garden Rose stamp set. The simple “hello” ended up being the perfect choice.
I heat embossed it using Opaque Silver embossing powder from Stampendous.
After prepping another scrap of 110 lb Recollections cardstock with my anti-static pouch, I stamped the sentiment. It has gotten really staticky here in Colorado over the last month or so. Because of that, even with the anti-static powder, I still had to use a small paintbrush to remove a few stray embossing powder bits.
There are still a couple tiny specks left behind, but they’re not noticeable unless you look really closely.
Using the Mini Tim Holtz trimmer, I cut the sentiment strip down to just over ¼ inch tall by 1 inch wide.
To coordinate with the embossed panels, I added a mat from the linen-textured cardstock cut to ½ inch by 1¼ inches. The mat extends slightly beyond the sentiment strip, adding another small layer of texture to the overall design.
Assembling the Black & Silver Card
The card base is the only piece that isn’t made from scraps today. From a sheet of 110 lb Recollections cardstock, I created a standard A2 card base by scoring it at 4¼ inches.
I began attaching the embossed panels, leaving about ⅛ inch of space from the top and left edges of the card base. After placing the lower-left panel with the same spacing, I moved on to the sentiment strip.
I wanted it centered between the first two panels. It might be just a tiny bit off, but that’s A-OK with me.
The third embossed panel finishes off the design on the right side of the card front.
The Finished Embossed Card
I have to say, I absolutely love how this card turned out. The soft metallic silver lightly catches the raised roses from the 3D embossing. It adds just enough shine without overpowering the black cardstock. The result feels elegant with just a touch of drama.
And that simple “Hello” heat-embossed in silver? I think it’s the perfect finishing touch. It keeps the design clean and lets the texture and metallic detail take center stage.
I also really like the subtle difference between the smooth black cardstock and the linen-textured mat. It’s not something that jumps out immediately, but it adds another quiet layer of interest. I think those small details can make a big difference.
Thank you so much for joining me for today’s Elegant Black & Silver Embossed Card post. One of the best things about this card is that it all started with scraps! While my pile is still substantial, at least a few pieces have now been used. And it just goes to show that even a simple black and silver embossed card can start with nothing more than a handful of scraps.
So be honest… how big is your black cardstock scrap pile right now? And would you try silver, gold, or maybe even another metallic on these embossed panels? I’d really love to hear your ideas.
Until then, have a fantastic week, and I’ll see you back in the craft room again soon!
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