Christmas Card Toppers: Mounting Makes a Difference

The decision how to mount up a topper can make a big difference to the look of the finished card.  From the size and layout of the card itself, to the colour used to mat and layer.  Here I have taken three toppers of the same size (3" x 5.5") and mounted them on three different sized cards (6" x 6", A6 and DL).  Each one works, but the effect is completely different each time.

Each topper was created on a piece of Clarity stencil card cut down to 3" x 5.5".  This left two pieces of 5.5" x 5.5" to create further toppers.
For the first topper, I stamped the We Three Kings music and wise men in Versamark ink and heat embossed them in detail white EP.  The Mountains & Hills mask was used with Artistry inks and Clarity stencil brushes to create the background.  Finally, the teeny weenie star from the Candle Outline stamp set was added in Onyx Black Versafine ink.

I decided to mat up the topper on black card rather than brown, leaving a narrow border.  This makes the star pop and frames the scene.

For this topper, I chose an A6 white card blank.  The music stave from the same stamp set was stamped four more times down the right hand side of the card blank, this time in Onyx Black Versafine ink.

Adding the topper along the left hand side leaving the same amount of border to the left, above and below, created a pleasing effect.

The second topper was created by stamping the Christmas Tree from Wee Folk 7 in Spanish Moss Versafine ink, masking off the pot and then adding it in Vintage Sepia. Two of the characters from Wee Folk 8 were also added in Vintage Sepia Versafine ink.  Merry Christmas from Word Chain 13 was added above in Crimson Red.  To finish, Evergreen Bough Distress ink was brushed through the Holly Wreath stencil.

This time I chose to mat the topper onto dark brown card.

For the second topper,  I worked with a linen finish, white DL card, adding the topper at the top with equal distance on three sides.

The 'A Happy New Year' from Jayne's Postcard Framer were stamped in Crimson Red onto an off cut of card and matted onto the same brown backing card leaving a border top and bottom.

This was added along the bottom of the DL card.

The third topper was created by stamping an older Clarity nativity stamp in Onyx Black,  adding the ground using a mask, stencil brushes and Scattered Straw / Tea Dye Distress inks.  The Christmas Stars Shape stencil was used with Mustard Seed Distress ink to add the background.  Finally the Peace on Earth stamps from Mini Word Chains 13&14 were added in Onyx Black.

Black was the obvious colour to use for matting and layering; see how the black stamping pops and the image is framed.

A 6" x 6" square card was trimmed slightly so that the matted topper would fill it from top to bottom.  The same process used to create the background on the topper was used directly onto the front of the card blank.

Laying the topper over the background, finished off the card.

It is worth experimenting with different sized card blanks and colours for matting and layering, as this can make a big difference to the finished card.