Creating Bougie Cards with a Limited Color Palette

Hello, crafty friends! I’m Adrienne Boese, better known as Alice Scraps Wonderland online. Today I’m sharing three card ideas using the Bougie Birthday collection designed by Nina Boettcher.

Since this blog post is all about being a little bougie, I’ll be sharing how to create that glamorous look with a limited color palette. The color palette I’m using is brown, cream/white, peach and touches of sparkle. I’ll also be sharing these in three different card sizes: A2, A7 and a gift card holder, so no matter what size you love to create in, there will be an idea for you!

Bougie Cake with Macarons Card

This A7 card makes a big impact with a large die cut. The bougie details added here are all the small die-cut details of the dollops of icing, the drippy ganache, the macarons, the script lettering over the cake, and of course, the sequins and gems!

• Using a paper trimmer, cut a base of white cardstock to 5 inches by 7 inches.
• Using the Ganache Gateau die, cut the cake base from a medium brown and the ganache drip from a dark brown.
• Die cut the dollops of icing and the long icing border from a cream cardstock and the icing border layers from the same dark brown as the ganache drip.
• Die cut the macaron five times from two colors of peach cardstock and the cream cardstock.
• Die cut the two long sticks for the cake topper from the cream cardstock twice, for a total of four sticks.
• From the Classy Numbers die, die cut out the number of your choosing from the darker peach cardstock.
• From the Fabulous Birthday Die, die cut out the word bougie and the ampersand from the same darker peach cardstock.
• Use liquid glue to adhere all the die-cut layers together.
• Layer your die cuts onto your card base using liquid glue and foam adhesive.
• Add on the Latte Sequins and Smoky Topaz Gems for a bit of shine!

Tip: To get the placement of your die cuts just right on your card, start by gluing down only the bottom half of the cake die. Leaving the top half of the cake unglued at first will allow you to place the sticks with your custom sentiment in just the right place behind your cake. Then add a little liquid adhesive behind the top of the cake to glue in place when you are done.

Sassy & Classy Embossed Card

To let the texture of the Born to Sparkle 3D embossing folder shine, this card is decorated with layered text die cuts to keep the card balanced and from becoming too heavy with embellishments.

• Using a paper trimmer, cut a piece of white cardstock to 4.25 inches by 5.5 inches and another to 4 inches by 5.25 inches.
• Run the smaller of the two white card bases through your die-cut machine using the Born to Sparkle embossing folder.
• Using the coordinating Born to Sparkle Stencil, apply a bit of peach ink to the highlights of your embossing folder. I created an ombre effect by starting darker on the top and allowing the ink to fade as I moved down the stencil.
• Adhere the embossed layer to the card base using foam adhesive.
• Die cut the words Sassy and Classy, plus the ampersand, from the Fabulous Birthday die. Cut each twice from a medium brown and once each from a rose gold cardstock.
• Glue the two layers of brown cardstock together using liquid glue, then glue the rose gold layer on top, offsetting it slightly for a drop shadow look.
• Using the Rose Gold Glimmer Foil and the Bougie Birthday Sentiments BetterPress, foil the sentiments onto some light peach cardstock then die cut the sentiments out with the coordinating die.
• Adhere the words Sassy and Classy, plus a glimmered sentiment with foam adhesive to your card. Then add the ampersand using liquid glue.
• Add a ton of Smoky Topaz gems for sparkle!

Tip: Brush your cardstock that you heat foil with heat embossing static powder first. This will help minimize overfoiling. Plus, hang on to your unused sentiments for another project—we’ll be using two in the gift card next!

Sparkly Gift Card Shaker

This gift card holder can be placed inside of either of the other two previous cards or can be given on its own. It’s made using the Treat Yourself Gift Card Holder die but has a fun twist on the outside with a shaker element!

• Using the Treat Yourself Gift Card Holder die, die cut the base of the gift card holder from the darker peach cardstock and use a bone folder to create nice folds on the crease lines.
• Cut a piece of plastic page protector or plastic packaging to fit the outside front of the gift card holder and sew it to the gift card holder along three sides.
• Insert some of the Latte Sequins into the shaker element then sew along the last side of the gift card holder to close off the shaker element. Then also sew the pocket in place on the inside.
• If you don’t want to sew the pocket or the shaker, use double-sided tape adhesive and create a die-cut frame to cover the adhesive on the shaker element.
• Die cut the three curled ribbon dies in the Treat Yourself Gift Card Holder die set once each from the darker peach and a pearlescent rose gold/peach cardstock.
• Use liquid adhesive to glue the layers of the curled ribbon dies together, placing the peach layers on the pearlescent and the pearlescent on the peach so you get a total of six curled ribbon dies.
• Die cut the For You die from the set from rose gold mirror cardstock and the confetti die twice from the same rose gold mirror cardstock.
• Die cut the scalloped rectangle and the rectangle from the die set from the light peach cardstock.
• Use some of the leftover glimmer sentiments using the BetterPress press plate in this collection. (Or if you haven’t foiled yet, use the Bougie Birthday Sentiments press plate and the Rose Gold Foil to create Glimmer sentiments and die cut them with the coordinating die cut.)
• Decorate the front of the shaker with ribbon die cuts, confetti die cuts and a glimmer sentiment, using liquid adhesive.
• Glue the scalloped rectangle to the top of the inside of the gift card holder and decorate with ribbons, confetti and a glimmer sentiment.
• Glue the For You text and a ribbon and confetti to the rectangle and slip it into the pocket, along with a gift card.
• If you have any leftover confetti die cuts, add it to the outside of the pocket with some liquid adhesive.
• Add a few of the Smoky Topaz gems to the front of the shaker for a bit of extra shimmer.
• Tie a bit of ribbon or trim around your gift card holder for a bit of texture.

Tip: If you are sewing your shaker element on, die cut the top half of the gift card holder base one more time from the darker peach cardstock. You can use this layer to cover up the stitching on the inside of the gift card holder, especially if the scalloped rectangle doesn’t quite cover it all.

I hope that these fun card ideas illustrate how you can achieve that bougie, glamorous look without going overboard on embellishments and die cuts. With simple layering techniques, plus a few sparkly elements, you can create a birthday card worthy of the bougiest card recipient. Until next time, happy crafting!

Adrienne

Spellbinders Supplies:

Other Supplies

Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Saltwater Taffy, Scrapbook.com Flawless Ink Blending Brush, Scrapbook.com Artis Liquid Glue, Scrapbook.com Foam Adhesive (various sizes), scissors, plastic sheet protector, sewing machine, paper trimmer