September Technique: Seamless Tiers

For my Paper Wishes Message Board Technique Challenge this month I chose to share the seamless tiers technique. I saw this recently on Splitcoast Stampers as well as a couple of Stampin' Up! blogs. It's an easy technique that leaves people wondering how you did it and is good for any type of card - birthday, get well, even Christmas!

Cut three panels of white or light-colored cardstock:
5 1/4 x 4
4 1/4 x 3
3 1/4 x 2

And then 2 panels for your mattes and your base card from a colored cardstock that will coordinate with the inks you plan to use on the card:
5 1/2 x 8 1/2 (folded in half for A2 card)
4 1/2 x 3 1/4
3 1/2 x 2 1/4

Next, take your light colored panels and put a very small amount of repositionable adhesive on the back - just enough to hold them in place temporarily. Stack the three on top of each other, centered:



 

Now you will begin stamping. First place your sentiment where you would like it to be. The example I was following used the lower right corner of the top panel.  Then begin stamping other designs around your sentiment.  You can use one color or more than one as I did. I liked the idea of using a more subtle background color with one shape and then a more vibrant color with another shape.

 



Once you have everything stamped, you will separate your layers and matte them with your colored cardstock, placing the largest panel on the base card.

Then we will begin re-stacking the pile!

Put your smallest matted piece on top of the middle-sized matted piece:

 



If you want to place a ribbon around this section now is the time to do it before you add these panels to the base.

And here is the finished card!

Here are two more ideas to get your creative juices flowing.  Notice on the 3rd card, I changed the stacking - instead of centering the panels, I moved them to the upper right corner: