Easy Embossed Backgrounds with Floral Elements: Paper Rose Studio

Rick Adkins
May 15
5 min read

Every now and then, I get completely swept up in the joy of creating backgrounds—and when I say swept up, I mean the desk disappears under layers of inky panels, die cuts, and glittery bits before I even realize it. This week, I reached for some of my favorite Paper Rose Studio products to create a trio of cards that combine rich texture, elegant shimmer, and soft floral elements. If you love playing with alcohol inks, embossing folders, and a little fussy cutting, this one’s for you!

Floral cards on a table with embossed designs. Pink and white flowers dominate. Text reads "Easy Embossed Backgrounds With Floral Elements: Paper Rose Studio."

Easy Embossed Backgrounds with Floral Elements: Paper Rose Studio:

Let’s Talk Backgrounds

The heart of today’s cards is built around embossed backgrounds, and if you've ever wondered how to give them more life, here’s a trick I love: combine alcohol ink with deep embossing and pigment ink highlights. It brings out every little detail and gives your backgrounds that “how did you do that?!” kind of wow factor.

I started by pulling out my alcohol inks (I always have a stash of inked-up panels drying somewhere). Once dry, I ran them through my die cutting machine using the Leafy Garden 3D Embossing Folder from Paper Rose Studio. This folder is full of lush, organic detail, and the alcohol ink backgrounds really enhanced every raised leaf.

Sympathy card with pink flowers, a yellow dragonfly, and "With Sympathy" text. Set on grass, with white roses in the background.

For two of the backgrounds, I gently brushed over the embossing with white and black pigment ink. It catches just the raised areas and gives that beautiful distressed elegance. The third panel was my favorite: I used the blackout technique, where you apply a dark ink (like black) over a colorful background, letting the embossed details peek through the shadows. It feels bold and dramatic without being fussy.

Pro Tip: If you want the pigment ink to sit just on the raised areas, use a dry sponge or a blending brush and work slowly. You can always add more, but you can’t take it off once it’s there!

Greeting card with pink flowers, yellow dragonfly, and "WITH SYMPATHY" text. Green and black background with floral patterns.

The Blossom Bouquet Focal Point

There’s something really timeless about florals. They work for just about every occasion, and the Blossom Bouquet Clear Stamp Set from Paper Rose Studio was the perfect choice here. I stamped several of the images onto X-Press It Blending Card and colored them with my OLO markers—those blends come out so smooth.

Now, I’m not always in the mood for fussy cutting, but I’ll admit: this set is totally worth the time. I fussy cut each one by hand, and for one of the cards, I also stamped the bouquet directly onto Basic White Smooth A4 Cardstock to keep the design soft and simple.

Greeting card with floral design and "FEEL BETTER SOON" text. Background includes white roses, grass, candles, and colorful beads. Mood: cheerful.

Layering and Embellishing

Once the florals and backgrounds were ready, I started to build out each card with layers and die cuts.

Card One: I matted the background with Golden Dream Shimmer Cardstock (yes, it's as dreamy as it sounds), then added three embossed sentiment strips from the Bright Days Ahead Embossed Cut-Apart Sheets right across the center. I layered a Blossom Bouquet in the middle and tucked in a sweet little Dragonfly Die Cut from the Dragonfly Small Metal Die set. Finished it off with a With Sympathy sentiment and a few gems from the Clear Crystal Mix.
Card Two: For a more graphic look, I trimmed down the card front and added it to a mat layer of Charcoal Black Smooth Cardstock. Then I cut several shapes using the Arch Oval Frames Die Set from Basic White Cardstock and stacked them along the edges—three on each side. It’s subtle, but the shape adds great movement. I added a stamped (but not colored) bouquet and a Feel Better Soon sentiment strip for a gentle, supportive card.

Greeting card with outlined flowers on a floral background, text "FEEL BETTER SOON." Soft colors, ornate details. Mood: comforting.

Card Three: This was my favorite to build. I used two of the colored Blossom Bouquets—one at the top and one at the bottom. To soften the layout, I tucked in a few vellum butterflies using the Fancy Butterflies and Butterfly Trio Solid Dies. That layered effect creates a sense of motion that makes the whole card feel alive. I popped on a Happy Birthday sentiment and a few more Clear Crystals, then mounted everything on one of the Top Fold White A2 Card Bases.

Birthday card with purple flowers and "Happy birthday" text. Set on grass with candles, colorful beads, and white roses in the background.

Why I Love This Technique

Embossing over alcohol ink and pairing it with florals allows you to explore contrast—hard and soft, bold and delicate. It also makes each card feel dimensional and high-end, even though it’s built with pretty accessible tools.

Plus, these kinds of backgrounds are super forgiving. If you’re ever in a creative slump or just want to try something fresh, grab a few alcohol ink panels, your favorite embossing folders, and see where it takes you. I always end up with something I want to use—even if it’s just a piece of it.

Purple flowers and leaves surround a "Happy Birthday" text on a colorful card. A butterfly embellishment adds elegance. Roses in the background.

A Few Final Thoughts

One of my favorite things about card making is that no two projects ever feel the same. Even when I use similar supplies or layouts, small choices—like a vellum butterfly here, a sentiment strip there—make all the difference. And when you’re using high-quality, thoughtfully designed products like these from Paper Rose Studio, the process is just so satisfying.

Floral greeting cards with pink, purple, and black designs, labeled "Happy Birthday," "With Sympathy," and "Feel Better Soon." Roses nearby.

I hope this inspires you to give embossed backgrounds a try, especially with alcohol ink and florals. Whether you’re making sympathy cards, birthday cards, or just-because cards, this combo is versatile, elegant, and surprisingly easy to pull together.

Happy crafting!

Wondering what I used in this project? Everything is linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails in the Materials Used section, or in the text below. Compensated affiliate links used when possible.

Materials Used:

Here you will find the list of supplies that I used to create today's card. All supplies are linked to supply sources below. Compensated affiliate links may be used at no cost to you.

Happy Stampin'

Rick Adkins

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