Save your precious crafting time by using a pre-cut center step card as a base for your fabulous scene cards!

I love making scene cards. Not the ones from the movies – the ones that when people open them their eyes get big and round as they take in all the details. And when a scene card is built on a pre-cut center step card base like the one I used today from The Paper Cut, it has even more depth, dimension and makes you want to get right into that scene and sit down to appreciate the beauty. 

I particularly love the variety of stair step card bases available – there are five total – that The Paper Cut offers because it saves me SO much time when I want to make one of these intricate cards. Let me share with you how I put this together so you can follow along and make one, too!

Prepare the Horizontal Pre-Cut Center Step Card Base

• Fold the sections of the green Horizontal Center Step card base at the score lines. 
• Go over each fold line using your bone folder to sharpen the scored crease.
• Use light blue cardstock to the layering sections for the card base.
  • Cut one 4.00″ x 2.75″ section for the center section.
  • Cut two 3.00″ x 1.00″ sections for the sides. 
• Attach the designer paper layers to the card base using ATG adhesive. Note: Carte Bella Spring Market paper pad is discontinued.

Fence and Grass

• Use cream cardstock to cut two Picket Fence sections, overlap one picket section over the end of the second of the second fence section and attach together using glossy accents. Trim the fence to fit across the 5.50″ card front.
• Cut a 5.50″ x .25″ strip of cream cardstock and attach it over the top of the fence crossbar using double stick tape.
• Apply double stick tape to the back of the fence bottom and attach it to the bottom of the card base.
• Use green cardstock to cut two Tabbed Grass sections and two partial sections to fit on the back step.
• Attach the small grass sections to the back step and one large grass section to the front step using double stick tape.
• Use a strip of mounting tape to attach the second grass section to the front step.

Tree, Leaves and Flowers

• Cut two Half Tree sections using Kraft cardstock.
• Apply brown ink to the tree sections using a wet baby wipe and dry with heat gun.

• Modify one tree to become a double sided tree.  Cut off the large double branch from one tree and attach it on the left side of the second tree using glossy accents. Trim branches to fit on the project.
• Use green cardstock to cut several sets of the Tiny Leaves #2 and form them using the leaf tool and molding pad.
• Attach the leaves to the branches using glossy accents.
• Use apricot cardstock to cut a couple sets of the Tiny Flower Bud set.
• Place the flowers face up on the molding pad and push down in the centers using a tiny tipped stylus.
• Attach the flowers to the leaves using glossy accents.  Pro Tip:  I use my reverse tweezers to pick up and place tiny die cuts like the flowers and leaves. Pick up the tiny flowers and leaves directly from the molding pad.  The pad helps hold thee pieces in place and not slide around.  
• Apply thin strips of mounting tape to the trunk of the tree and tiny pop dots to a few key leaves, tuck the tree in behind the fence and attach to the card base.

Flowers, Foliage and Chairs

• Use apricot, pink and and bright pink cardstock to cut the Small Flowers #3 and Tiny Flowers #2.
• Place the flowers face up on the molding pad and form them by pushing down in the center with a tiny tipped stylus.
• Cut the Branches and Leaves and Flower Stems using green cardstock.
• Attach the flowers to the foliage using glossy accents.
• Use cream cardstock to cut the Beach chairs, tuck them in behind the grass and attach them in place using glossy accents to the feet and a thin strip of mounting tape to the chair back.
• Tuck the flower stems and flower branches in behind the grass and attach them in place using glossy accents.
• Cut three cats using white cardstock.
• Color one cat using brown ink and a mini applicator, one using a brown marker and one using a black marker.
• Attach the cats to the tree, fence and grass using pieces of mounting tape.  Pro Tip:  In my humble opinion adding the image of a living thing like the cats, birds or butterflies breathes life and creates a more interesting project. 

This style of card allows for so many opportunities to create interesting dimensional cards. Check out this link if you would like to see more step cards for inspiration. And remember, when you start with one of these bases, you can save a ton of time on the construction and more time on the creative fun. Here’s what I used to make this card:

5403D Half Tree Die [ RBB ] Picket Fence Die Cut 5152-01D [ RBB ] 5159D beach chairs [ RBB ] 5334-02D Tiny Leaves #2 Die [ RBB ] Tiny Flower Buds Die Cut 5147-10D [ RBB ] 5422-03D Tinny Flowers #2 Die [ RBB ] Flower Stems Die 5147-05D [ RBB ] Tabed Grass Set Die Cut 5152-03D [ RBB ] 5404D Branches and Leaves Die [ RBB ] Cats Die Cut 5142-09D [ RBB ] Color Fuse Set #3 [ RBB ]

The Color Catalog by Sarah Renae Clark [ SRH ] The Paper Cut: A-2 Horizontal… [ THP ] COPIC Sketch Marker 100, Black [ ELH ] Mini Applicators, 12 pk, PanPastel Sofft [ ELH | BLIC ] Susan’s Garden Ultimate Tool Kit [ SPL ] Sizzix – Paper Sculpting Kit [ SBC | BLIC ] Scrapbook.com – Magic Mat – Standard… [ SBC ] Scrapbook.com – Magic Mat – Standard… [ SBC ] Crossover II Fabric & Paper Cutting… [ RBB ] Amazon.com : Dahle 550 Professional… [ AMZUS ] Scotch Advanced Tape Glider & Tape [ RBB ] Mini Glossy Accents, Ranger Accents [ ELH ] Amazon.com: 1000 Pieces Foam Sticky… [ AMZUS ] Amazon.com: Mini Foam Dots… [ AMZUS ] Amazon.com: Scotch 1/2-Inch by… [ AMZUS ] Teflon Bone Folder, Essentials by Ellen [ ELH ] Scor-Pal Measuring & Scoring Board 12×12 [ ELH ] Glue Dots, Mini (3/16″) [ ELH ] Amazon.com : Accent Opaque White 8.5”… [ AMZUS ]

Has making one of these fun 3-D cards been on your list? Have held back because you just didn’t want to deal with all the persnickity stuff? If that’s the case, then you really will want to get some of these  pre-cut center step card bases and get crafting right out of the package!