Balanced Thank You Card with Naturally Beautiful Cosmos | Perfect Pairings with Jaycee

Did you know Cosmos flowers have an interesting and symbolic meaning that's perfect for card making? They naturally symbolize balance, peace, and tranquility, making them an incredibly versatile choice for any occasion, but especially for crafting a heartfelt thank you card.

Hey there, everyone! Welcome back to another Perfect Pairing with Jaycee! Today, we'll be creating with the new Craft-A-Flower: Garden Cosmos.

1. Bold, Textured Background

• Cardstock: Start with an A2 panel of deep Sapphire Crafty Necessities cardstock for a saturated background.
• Embossing: Add a rich texture by running the panel through your die-cut machine using the Cozy Sweater 3D Embossing Folder. This adds subtle dimension to your backdrop.

2. Dimensional Sentiment

• Gratitude: Use the "grateful" sentiment from the One Go: Sweet Pumpkins set. White heat emboss the word onto the sapphire cardstock.
• Layering: For maximum impact, stack the sentiment by gluing it onto four die-cut offsets.
• Sub-Sentiment: Create a small banner for the coordinating phrase, "for your kindness."

3. Inking for Texture (The Perfect Pairing)

The Cosmos petals are cut from white cardstock to allow the ink blending to create rich texture.

• Organization: Use a sticky mat grid to hold your die-cut petals in numerical order.
• Base Color: Apply Rouge Fresh Dye Ink in directional, feathered strokes from the petal tips toward the center, leaving a large white space in the middle. This mimics the natural movement of the flower.
• Depth: Use a smaller detail brush to apply Grapevine Fresh Dye Ink to the very tips and gently outline the edges of the petals, following the etched lines for detail and shadow.
• Foliage: Stack and assemble the Moss cardstock foliage and buds, adding some subtle depth with Sugar Kelp Fresh Dye Ink.
  

4. Symmetrical Arrangement for Balance

To achieve the Cosmos' natural symmetry, use a grid or the Stampwheel 2.0 radial grid flip plate as a guide.

• Centering: Adhere your stacked "grateful for your kindness" sentiment in the center of the card using dimensional foam tape.
• Clustering: Group your assembled Cosmos flowers (two open blooms and one bud) into two identical clusters. Adhere 1/16 inch thick instant dimension foam tape to the back of each cluster.
• Placement: Place one cluster on the top-right and the second cluster in the perfectly symmetrical position on the bottom-left of the sentiment.
• Tucking: Use liquid glue to tuck the inked foliage around the sentiment and behind the flowers, filling the space and ensuring the background texture still peeks through.
• Embellishing: Finish the card by adding scattered white ink splatter (to contrast the orderly arrangement) and a few Dazzling Diamond Stellar Sequins for shine.

The finished card is a balanced, textural piece—a beautiful way to show someone how grateful you are for their kindness.

What other types of flowers are you looking to incorporate into a card design next?

If you'd like to take your ink blending up a notch, you might like this ongoing promo that Altenew has for a limited time. For every purchase worth $59 and above, you can get a Middle Angled Brush (worth $6.99) completely for FREE!

This offer starts today and is available from October 11, 2025 at 12:01 AM EST until October 13, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST. Shop HERE!