Hippest Hippos Card Ideas – Design Technique

Do you struggle with coming up with card designs? Well, today I have a simple design technique to share that will help you turn one card idea into three! The cards feature the new Hippest Hippos stamp set which will launch this Friday as part of the Saleabration offering. Yes, the new Stampin’ Up! mini catalog and saleabration starts this week! Wahoo! Need a catalog? Request one HERE.

Hippest Hippo Card Design

Let’s start by talking about the basic card design which inspired all the card ideas I am sharing today. Start by choosing the patterned paper you want to use and then coordinate the cardstock colors with the patterned paper. For these cards, I am using Fresh Freesia, Gorgeous Grape and Granny Apple Green. These colors coordinate with the Hues of Happiness Designer Series Paper.

Next, cut a 2 x 4-1/2 inch piece of patterned paper, a 2 x 4 inch piece of vellum and a 2 x 3-1/4 inch piece of cardstock. Arrange all the pieces from left to right across the card front starting with the largest and ending with the smallest. It creates a fun layered look in the background. Now you are ready to add the focal point and embellishments. So adorable!

Alternate Card Designs

Now that we have the basic design, we can use the same paper measurements to create additional cards and each card will look different. Wondering how to do that? Well, it’s simple! First, you can simply rearrange the layers on the card! Each card features the same size layers but they are arranged or layered differently on the card front.

Notice how the last two cards also have the exact same layout but yet they look different. This happens when you change out the type of paper used with each measurement. The first alternate card design showcases a 2 x 4 inch piece of patterned paper and a 2 x 3-1/4 inch piece of vellum. The second alternate card design features a 2 x 4 inch piece of vellum and a 2 x 3-1/4 inch piece of patterned paper. Both cards have the same 2 x 4-1/2 inch piece of Gorgeous Grape cardstock in the background. The measurements of all the papers are exactly the same on each card. The only difference is that I switched around the type of paper I used with each measurement. This layering technique works fabulous when you want to use the same card layout over again.

Tutorial & Supplies

Now you have two different layering techniques you can use with some of your favorite card designs! Rearrange the layers or change out the papers! These are two great ways to change up the look of your card with very little effort. For a complete list of supplies and all the step-by-step instructions for creating these cards, feel free to download the printable tutorial.

I hope you are inspired to try these techniques with some of your favorite card designs. For more design ideas, check out my latest post featuring the step it up technique HERE. And be sure to watch the video to see the technique in action! Have a fun and creative day! ~ Lynn