This is a Mother’s Day card that isn’t designed to be flowery or frilly. It’s more graphic in nature with contrasting, non-traditional colors. The beauty of this card is that it didn’t involve any complicated coloring or construction techniques. Die-cutting and spacing of the word “MOM” four times was the only difficult thing.

This card is for a mother who enjoys a bold, graphic style. The only stamping was the sentiment “LOVE YOU LOTS”.

How I made this project:

• Die cut of the word MOM four times from a piece of teal colored 4.25” x 5.6” (A2-sized) cardstock. The negative space was used for the card design and not the actual die cut words. Save the letters for another card. The centers of the “O” pieces were saved and used for this project.
• A piece of ombre patterned paper in a contrasting color was adhered behind the die-cut “MOM” piece.
• Position and adhere the saved teal-colored “O” centers onto the card after gluing the patterned paper on the back of the die-cut MOM card front.
• Stamp the “LOVE YOU LOTS’ sentiment on a strip of the same teal-colored cardstock and adhere the sentiment onto the card front as shown.
• Mount the finished card front onto an A2 card base.

Supplies used in making this project:

• Stamps: My Favorite Things: From the Heart stamp set (“Love You Lots” sentiment).
• Dies: My Favorite Things Die-namics: Mom die set.
• Inks: Tsukineko Versafine pigment ink in Onyx Black (sentiment).
• Cardstock: Teal colored cardstock from my stash; Patterned Paper from an old 6×6 paper pack by Kelly Purkey called “Second City”.

Hope you like this card. Have a great day and a great Mother’s Day!

This project is an instance in which I created a card to fit a sentiment that I liked.  The sentiment is from an Essentials by Ellen stamp set, Stay Salty.  All other images and dies used are also from Ellen Hutson and listed in the supply list below.

I posted the project on Instagram a while ago but didn’t get a chance to do so on my blog. So here it is in a blog post.

How I made this project:

• Using a square piece of Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper cut to 3.5”x3.5”, I blended 3 shades of blue Distress Oxide inks to create an ombré
• On a separate piece of Neenah Solar White #80 cardstock, I stamped the butterfly image in Copic-friendly Memento Tuxedo Black. I colored the butterfly using Copic markers and then die-cut the butterfly using its coordinating die.
• On a 4”x5.25” piece of Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock, I die cut a window using Ellen Hutson’s Strands die. This die cuts an opening around 3” square with thin, wavy, horizontal lines going across the window. I thought the die-cut lines complemented the lines in the butterfly’s wings and well as adding interest to the ombré
• I adhered the blue ombrébackground to the back of the die-cut piece.
• The sentiment was stamped below the die-cut window in Versafine Onyx Black ink.
• The entire card front was then mounted onto a landscape-oriented, top-folding A2 card base in black cardstock.

Supplies used in making this project:

• Stamps: Essentials by Ellen: Up the Happy (butterfly); Essentials by Ellen: Stay Salty (sentiment).
• Dies: Essentials by Ellen: Strands die (wavy lines/square opening); Essentials by Ellen: Up the Happy die set (coordinating die for butterfly image).
• Inks: Distress Oxide Inks in Blueprint Sketch, Salty Ocean, and Mermaid Lagoon; Memento: Tuxedo Black Ink; Versafine pigment ink in Onyx Black.
• Copic Markers: RV66, RV09 (for butterfly’s wings).
• Cardstock: Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper (ombre background); Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock (for card front); Papertrey Ink: True Black cardstock for card base.

Hope you like me project. Have a great day!

My project was inspired by the current Ellen Hutson Pin-Sights Challenge inspiration board below.

I love the vibrant colors in the inspiration images and used them in creating a vivid background for my project.

How I made this project:

Using an foam ink blending tool, I blended Catherine Pooler inks onto a piece of Bristol Smooth paper cut to 4.25″ x 5.5″. Bristol smooth paper is a great paper to use for ink blending. The inks just glide over the paper and any ink blotches that occur can be blended out. I used ink colors from Catherine Pooler’s Life of the Party collection.  The colors in this collection are bright and vivid, similar to the colors featured in the inspiration board.

The ‘fabulous’ sentiment was die-cut from black card three times and the three layers were adhered to each other to give the word dimension. The die-cut word had to be dimensional to stand out against the bright background and was glued to the card front with liquid glue. The words ‘you are’ were stamped above the focal sentiment and star clusters were stamped around the sentiment for additional visual interest. Black ink was used for this.

The card front was cut down to 4″ x 5.25″ and mounted with foam tape onto a black 4.25″ x 5.5″ card base.

As a final touch, a clear Wink of Stella pen was used to add shimmer to the star clusters and the focal sentiment.

Supplies used in making this project:

Stamps:  Essentials by Ellen: Wonky Backdrops stamp set (star clusters); My Favorite Things: From the Heart stamp set (phrase: ‘you are’).

Dies:  Essentials by Ellen Totally Fabulous designer die set (‘fabulous’).

Inks: Catherine Pooler Inks (Life of the Party collection): Flirty Fuschia, Tutti Frutti, Orange Twist, Tiki Torch, Tiara, Something Borrowed; Hero Arts mid-tone Shadow Ink in Stone Wash. Versafine ink in Onyx Black (words and star cluster)

Cardstock/Papers: Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper (100 lb/270 gms); black cardstock from my stash.

Hope you like the project and have a fabulous day!