Hello crafty friends, Rick here! Today I’m excited to share this Clean and Simple Floral Hugs Card, featuring bright layered florals, soft ink blending, and beautiful cardstock from CutCardStock Yellow Jacket DCS Discount Card Stock, Hydrangea Purple DCS Discount Card Stock, and Cougar White Smooth CardStock 110 lbs. If you love cards with bold color but still want a clean and elegant design, this project is for you. The combination of vivid yellow blooms and soft purple accents creates a cheerful floral arrangement, while the dimensional die cuts add depth without making the design feel overwhelming. This is a beginner-friendly project that still offers plenty of creative value for more experienced cardmakers.
Why These Cardstocks Work So Well
For this card, I chose Cougar White Smooth CardStock 110 lbs for the card base and sentiment shadow because it creates a sturdy foundation and has a smooth finish that is perfect for crisp die cuts.
The Yellow Jacket DCS Discount Card Stock adds a warm, sunny tone for the flowers and butterflies. It blends beautifully with ink, making it easy to create soft shading and dimension.
The Hydrangea Purple DCS Discount Card Stock provides contrast and richness for the layered floral elements and sentiment. The smooth surface makes the ink blending seamless, especially around the petal edges.
Step 1: Die Cut and Ink Blend the Floral Pieces
Begin by die cutting the floral elements from the Golden Poppies Die Set using Yellow Jacket DCS Discount Card Stock and Hydrangea Purple DCS Discount Card Stock.
Use Sunkissed Ink to softly blend color onto the yellow flowers and butterflies. Then use Lavender Ink to add shading around the edges of the purple flowers and butterflies. For the leaves and stems, apply Olive Ink over the yellow cardstock to create natural greenery.
This simple ink blending technique adds depth and brings the die cuts to life while keeping the color palette clean and cohesive.
Step 2: Build the Floral Arrangement
Assemble the layered floral pieces with liquid glue.
Cut a 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ top-folding A2 card base from Cougar White Smooth CardStock 110 lbs. Arrange the flowers in the center of the card front, mixing heights by attaching some pieces with liquid glue and others with foam squares.
This layering trick adds beautiful dimension while maintaining the clean and simple style.
Step 3: Create the Sentiment
Die cut the shadow layer from Cougar White Smooth CardStock 110 lbs using the Hugs Edger Die Set.
Next, die cut the word layer from Hydrangea Purple DCS Discount Card Stock. Adhere the purple sentiment to the white shadow layer with liquid glue, then attach it to the bottom of the card front using foam adhesive.
The layered sentiment helps anchor the floral arrangement and adds a soft elegant touch.
Step 4: Add the Finishing Details
Use a black gel pen to color the butterfly bodies before adhering them around the floral arrangement. Attach some butterflies flat with liquid glue and others with foam adhesive for extra movement.
For sparkle, brush clear shimmer pen onto the flowers and butterfly wings. Finish the design by adding a few Glasier Jewels around the card front and in the centers of some flowers.
These final details make the card shine while enhancing the soft, dimensional look.
Final Thoughts
I wanted this card to feel bright, cheerful, and full of floral charm while keeping the design simple enough for any crafter to recreate. Limiting the palette to yellow, purple, and green helps the arrangement stay balanced, while the layered die cuts add texture and depth.
A helpful tip when working with layered florals is to vary the adhesive height. Using both liquid glue and foam squares creates natural depth and keeps the arrangement from looking flat.
I hope this Floral Hugs Card inspires you to create something bright and beautiful with your favorite CutCardStock papers! If you give this project a try, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. What color combination would you use for your floral bouquet?