Three Easy Pattern Paper Cards: Afternoon in the Park Collection | Paper Rose Studio

You know that feeling when you open up a brand-new paper pack and instantly feel inspired by the colors, textures, and all the little details? That was me with the Afternoon in the Park 6 x 6 Basics Pattern Paper from Paper Rose Studio. From soft florals to warm plaids and vintage ephemera, this collection is packed with timeless charm—and it made creating today’s three cards an absolute joy.

If you’ve ever struggled with using your patterned paper stash or felt like you needed to do something “fancy” for a card to feel complete, this post is for you. I’m going to walk you through three easy card designs that are anything but boring—and spoiler alert: they’re all made using mostly patterned paper and a few simple embellishments.

Why I Love This Collection

Let’s talk about the Afternoon in the Park Collection for a second. It has this gentle, vintage-meets-modern style that works so well for everything from birthdays to thinking of you cards. It mixes cozy neutrals with floral prints and a hint of whimsy—basically, it’s right up my alley.

Here are the main supplies I reached for:

• Afternoon in the Park Basics 6 x 6 Pattern Paper

• Embossed Die Cuts

• Rub-on Transfers

• Typewriter Cardstock Stickers

• Rainbow Poppies Sentiments Sheets

• 6x8 Washi Paper Sticker Pack

I paired everything with Vanilla Malt Cardstock (from Lawn Fawn) and Crystal Clear Shaker Embellishments (from Paper Rose Studio), plus a few extra things like burlap twine and copper brads for texture.

Three Easy Pattern Paper Cards:

Card One: A Simple Fun Fold with a Floating Panel

This first card came together one afternoon after a walk through the park with my dog. The soft colors of the patterned papers reminded me of blooming dogwoods and spring skies. I wanted to reflect that open, breezy feeling with a card that had movement but was still easy to create. Enter: the fun fold with a floating panel.

The trick here is using strong pattern repetition (like the same plaid on the front and inside stopper panel) to help your design feel cohesive. The floating panel gives you the opportunity to layer focal elements—like the rose rub-on and butterfly die cut—without overwhelming the background.

Pro Tip: Rub-on transfers are magic. If you've never used them, they’re perfect for when you want detail without dimension. They adhere cleanly to smooth cardstock and patterned paper and give you that "printed on" look. Just be sure to burnish well, especially over textured paper.

The burlap twine bow added just the right touch of homespun charm, and finishing it off with a sentiment from the Rainbow Poppies Sentiments Sheet helped tie the whole thing together.

Card Two: Layered Pattern Paper with Vintage Tag Accents

This one was a nod to one of my favorite go-to techniques: layering pattern paper. I know, sometimes we hesitate to mix prints—but trust me, when they’re from the same collection, they’re meant to work together.

I selected three prints that shared a color palette but had different scales. That contrast helps each layer stand out. For a bit of dimension and interest, I added two cardstock sticker tags and embellished them with copper brads and twine. The looped twine and bow give movement and a little rustic flair.

Then, I distressed the edges of everything—and I mean everything. That little worn edge adds a subtle softness that feels handmade in the best way.

Pro Tip: If you want to coordinate embellishments like clear drops or sequins but don’t have the exact shade, use an alcohol marker to tint them. It’s a great way to get more mileage out of what you already own.

I finished this one off with a simple thank you sentiment sticker and a popped-up floral die cut. It’s one of those cards that feels detailed but came together really quickly.

Card Three: Embossed Texture and Washed Vintage Layers

This last card might be my favorite—it’s soft, vintage, and has that “collected” feel I love in a good handmade card.

I started with an embossed background using the Ben's Plaid 3D Embossing Folder. Once it was inked around the edges, it instantly had that worn, linen-like texture. Then, I layered three squares of pattern paper, distressed and inked the edges, and mounted them on Vanilla Malt mats. The layout reminded me of little framed prints you’d see in an old farmhouse kitchen—cozy and curated.

One of the highlights here was the washi paper sticker. These are so easy to work with and give you the look of washi with more structure. I popped mine up on a mat layer and added some edge distressing so it would blend seamlessly with the rest of the design.

The typewriter die cut was the perfect finishing piece—like a little love note tucked into a journal. And the tiny vanilla button threaded with twine brought everything full circle. I tucked in a simple “Thinking of You” sentiment to finish it off.

Final Thoughts

What I love most about these three cards is how approachable they are. No fancy coloring, no time-consuming techniques—just thoughtful layering, pretty papers, and a few well-placed embellishments.

So if you’ve been hoarding patterned paper or feel like you need to reinvent the wheel every time you sit down to craft, let these designs be your reminder: beautiful doesn’t have to be complicated.

Whether you're making cards for a birthday, a thank you, or just because, the Afternoon in the Park collection makes it easy to create something heartfelt and polished.

I hope you give one (or all) of these ideas a try—and if you do, I’d love to see what you create.

Thanks for dropping by today I hope that you found a little spark of creative inspiration with my project today. 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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