Use of Negative Space in Design When Making Cards

Did you know that the use of negative space in design when making cards can be an easy and fun way to add dimension and a hint of the unexpected on a project?  Let's take a look at an example:

I simply cut strips of card stock and Designer Series Paper about 3/4″ wide and used a pair of Paper Snips to form my chevron ends.  I then stacked the strips onto a piece of plain old white copy paper, trimming away any that showed past the banner ends.  I used that custom decorative paper and cut the tag shape out of the middle.  Now I have a nice large negative space through which I could stamp the greeting from Perfect Pennants.  I wanted to pull the colors from my “frame” and add some more dimension so I added a little banner in Bermuda Bay and bumped up the “a” in Watermelon Wonder using a Stampin' Dimensional.  Adhering my custom frame with Stampin' Dimensionals further emphasized the negative space window effect.

Here's what else I used to make this card:

Perfect Pennants Wood Stamp Set [133227] $30.00	Perfect Pennants Clear Stamp Set [133230] $22.00	Bermuda Bay Stampin' Write Marker [131899] $3.50	2015-2017 In Color Stampin' Write Markers [138333] $15.00	Cherry On Top Designer Series Paper Stack [138443] $8.00
Cucumber Crush 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [138335] $7.00	Watermelon Wonder 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [138334] $7.00	Whisper White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock [100730] $8.50	Bermuda Bay 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock [131197] $7.00	Builder Owl Punch [118074] $18.00
Big Shot [113439] $110.00	Tags & Labels Framelits Dies [138282] $27.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00	Fast Fuse Adhesive [129026] $10.00	Stampin' Trimmer [126889] $30.00

Here's a tip: Anytime you use a punch or your Big Shot to cut out a shape to use on a project, take a look at the piece of material from which you cut that shape. Think about how you can use THAT piece, too, on a project and how your use of negative space in design when making cards can open up new options for you when creating!