Last Week's Card & (Your) Cuppa - Parquet with Peony Garden DSP

For last week’s Card & (Your) Cuppa project it was time to play with the Peony Garden DSP.

I’d shown this design at a recent DSP class and was asked if we could have one for Card & (Your) Cuppa, so here it is.

I taught one of these a long time ago, so it was nice to do it again using this pretty Peony Garden DSP from the Annual Catalogue. As well as the DSP designs, I also taught the attendees how to create a flat bow, also known as a Dior bow.

For the parquet design, it is important to place your first two pieces and then keep building each layer in the same way. I find it easier to pop glue on my base card instead of the strips, paying particular attention to the edges. This is so I can move things around more easily and the offcuts aren’t sticky.

The design above is just one of the designs I made with the strips of DSP the attendees had to use. The picture below shows the three designs I made, all from 6 strips of 1.5cm by 12″ of the Peony Garden DSP. Each strip was cut in half to make 6″ strips, so there were 12 pieces in total.

It’s a really good way of using up those scraps of DSP, plus it goes a really long way. They are quick and easy to make too, so you can rustle up a batch in no time at all.

As I used the same dimensions for both of the angle projects, the offcuts from the parquet pattern had the correct diagonal angle for the next project, the strips.

Start with the centre stripe for this one if you want to create more uniform size pieces at the edges.

Finally, the remaining offcuts are used as strips for a banner-type project. Vary the direction of the angles to create a bit of extra interest. Again, a lot of the angles will already be done for you if you make this one at the end.

One extra tip I would give is to make sure you stamp your sentiment first for all of these projects. Alternatively, stamp it onto a separate sheet and then attach it. You don’t want to create a pretty pattern and then spoil it with a stamping accident.

My sentiment is from the Blossoms in Bloom Stamp Set stamped in Gray Granite Ink to co-ordinate with the DSP. I’ve also taken my Petal Pink base card colour from the DSP too. Using the colours in the DSP is a great way to know that what you are planning to use will work well. It also takes a lot of the hard work out of choosing.

A strip of the chic Gray Granite Ribbon is added across the ends of the strips before adding the flat bow with a glue dot.

These would make a perfect gift for someone. Make a few, package them up and send them off. Use that DSP.

These are just three designs using the strips, there are so many more to create. Don’t forget that you can create landscape designs, or cover the whole piece.

Which design is your favourite, parquet, straight or strips?