The definition of “shabby chic” is to give something the appearance of being an antique with signs of wear and tear, while at the same time giving it a soft, opulent, yet cottage-style decor, often emphasized with a feminine feel. This shabby chic style is what I was going for with this card I made for Mother’s Day.
A personal preference for the shabby chic style of card making is to use layers…lotsa’ layers! This photo tutorial shows how a card using relatively simple “ingredients” goes from plain to vintage cozy and shabby chic.
Begin by using Distress Ink (Antique Linen and Tea Dye) applied with a sponge dauber along all edges of the card stock and patterned paper. I took a length of pale pink crepe paper and pleated it while running it through my sewing machine.
Next, I adhered the 4″ x 5.25″ piece of London Market patterned paper (from Paper Made Bakery’s May Fresh Baked Kit) to the card front. I stamped a butterfly image from the stamp set included in the kit in tan ink in the upper right corner.
The first layer to the card front is simply another piece of the patterned paper, but I cut out just a corner with the rose motif, added bits of foam tape to the back and then adhered it to the lower right corner of my card front.