Use this idea as a base for your handmade garden greeting cards!

I was working away on this project and stopped before I added all the details to show off how you can use this as a base for your handmade garden greeting cards. This pretty summery garden gazebo with it’s adorable fish scale roof creates a lovely foundation for all your summer themed cards. You can add more flowers, vines, a large greeting, any other summer themed die cut designs…..it’s truly a versatile look!  To make this card I used the Rubbernecker Gazebo, Spring Tree, Grass, Tiny Flower Buds, Small Ivy and Small Butterflies.

Card Base, Grass and Trees

• Use light blue cardstock to cut the A2 sized card base.
• Cut the grass sections and tree tops using green cardstock and the tree trunks using Kraft cardstock.
• Apply ATG adhesive to the back of one grass strip and attach it to the card base.
• Apply a thin strip of mounting tape to the back of the second grass strip and attach it to the card base.
• Use dark brown ink and a mini applicator to color the tree trunks.
• Place the tree top sections face down on the molding pad and gently push down and roll to create a slightly rounded form.
• Attach the tree trunks together using glossy accents.  Set them aside for later.

The Gazebo and Flowers

• Cut the gazebo sections using white and Kraft cardstock.
• Apply dark brown ink to the roof section using a mini applicator.  
• Attach the white gazebo sections together using glossy accents.
• Apply thin strips of mounting tape to the back of the gazebo sections, tuck it behind the front grass section and attach to the card base.
• Tuck two trees in behind the gazebo and attach using pieces of mounting tape.  Note:  I attached the trees behind the gazebo to create the appearance of looking straight through from the front of the gazebo and seeing the tree out in the back of the gazebo. 
• Tuck the the front left tree to the card base using a piece of mounting tape.
• Use green cardstock to cut several sections of small ivy and pink cardstock to cut the tiny flowers.
• Place the tiny flowers face up on the molding pad and form them using a small tipped stylus.
• Attach the flowers to the ivy sections using glossy accents.
• Tuck the ivy/flower sections in behind the grass and attach them using glossy accents.
• Cut the butterflies using pink cardstock and attach them to the card using glossy accents.

The first section of this tutorial was to show the basics of how easy it is to create a lovely garden card with the gazebo.  Since it was rather basic I decided to add the Half Tree covered with Small Ivy leaves and Flower Stems covered with Tiny Flower Buds to create a more detailed card.  

Additional Elements

• Cut the Half Tree using Kraft cardstock and apply light brown ink using a wet baby wipe.  
• Cut the branches off the tree trunk to modify so the tree can be placed on the right of the card.
• Use green cardstock to cut several of the tiny individual ivy leaves in the ivy set and attach them to the branches using glossy accents.  Note:  The Small Ivy die not only cuts the ivy branches but it cuts ten individual leaves.  I always save those when I’m using the ivy branches to use on other projects. 
• Cut length off the branches and attach them to the tree trunk using glossy accents.  Pro Tip:  It’s easy to modify die cuts to make them work better on your card.  The branches were too long to fit well over the roof of the gazebo.   
• Apply a thin strip of mounting tape to the back f the tree trunk and a few rolled up glue dots to a few key spots on the branches and attach to the card base and over the roof.
• Cut several Flower Stems using green cardstock and attach the tiny flowers using glossy accents.
• Attach the stems and flowers up the sides of the gazebo and around the tree trunk using glossy accents.
• Add a few additional flower stems behind the gazebo and along the flower bed and attach using glossy accents.

If you are like me and you use your handmade garden greeting cards for lots of summer occasions, grab this cute die and save this idea because you will return to it over and over when you are doing your summer stamping.  Check out my Garden Side Step Card to see another one of my garden cards.

5405D Gazebo Die [ RBB ] 5403D Half Tree Die [ RBB ] 5401-03D Spring Tree Die [ RBB ] 5162-03D Small Ivy [ RBB ] Flower Stems Die 5147-05D [ RBB ] Tabed Grass Set Die Cut 5152-03D [ RBB ] Tiny Flower Buds Die Cut 5147-10D [ RBB ] Small Butterflies Die 5147-08D [ RBB ] Color Fuse Set #3 [ RBB ] Paper Blossom Tool Kit 4/Pkg [ RBB ] Paper Blossoms Molding Mat [ RBB ] Glossy Accents .5oz [ RBB ] Scotch Advanced Tape Glider & Tape [ RBB ] Scor-Tape .125″X27yd [ RBB ] Crossover II Fabric & Paper Cutting… [ RBB ]