“Core’dinating” a Birthday Card

Core’dinations Paper Birthday Card

This brightly colored birthday card is made with Core’dinations ColorCore Cardstock.  Maybe you are not familiar with this product so I will explain.  This cardstock has a core color that “coredinates” with the surface color.  You can choose to keep the core hidden or add your own creative touch by sanding, tearing, or antiquing.

I ran three colors of the cardstock through my Texture Boutique Embossing Machine using the Cuttlebug Birds and Swirls embossing folder.  I also embossed a rectangle with the Happy Birthday mini embossing folder.  I used a Sand-It sanding block to lightly sand away the top layer of the cardstock to reveal the lighter color core of the paper.  After sanding I wiped each piece of cardstock with a Dust Buddy tacky cloth to remove any residual paper dust.

Then I cut them vertically into three equal panels and mixed and matched the panels so each card had one of each color.  I learned through trial and error to be careful how I placed the paper in the embossing folder so that the patterns would match up seamlessly.  I mounted the panels on piece of blue cardstock and tied three coordinating pieces of Baker’s twine across the card, and I mounted the Happy Birthday sentiment on yellow.  The assembled card front was placed on a piece of orange cardstock, and I used three paper flowers to add a little embellishment at the sentiment.

This technique was wonderfully messy with lots of paper dust, but I like getting my fingers dirty while crafting.  Somehow, it makes me feel more creative.