Category Archives: Friendship

So Grateful To Have A Friend Like You: Here’s to Friendships!

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Friendship is too often taken for granted. Now and then it’s nice to give to as well as receive a card from a friend.

This is a simple card that quietly celebrates friendship. The added touch of a strip of glitter paper on the side brings a bit of bling for impact.

Hope this card inspires you to make a card for a special friendship. Have a great day!

 

Supplies used to make this project:

Stamps: Gina K Designs: Hugs and Wildflowers (branch); Gina K Designs: A Happy Hello mini stamp set (sentiment).

Inks: Catherine Pooler Inks (from darkest to lightest): Flirty Fuchsia, Pixie Dust, and Sweet Sixteen; Versafine Pigment Ink in Onyx Black (sentiment).

Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 80# (cardfront); Simon Says Stamp: Glitter Cardstock in Plum (strip); Neenah Solar White 110# (card base).

Three Cards Using Same Floral Stamp Arrangement

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Altenew is a stamp company that appreciates their customers. I received a lovely stamp set from them as a gift. Thanks, so much Altenew! The gift set which is shown below is similar to Altenew’s Billowing Blossoms stamp set with just a few other images added.

I created a layout from one of the flowers and one of the leaf clusters from the set and used the same floral/leaf arrangement to create three different cards.

While the floral/leaf arrangement is the same in all three cards, I varied the ink colors, sentiments and backgrounds for each card for different looks.

No special techniques were used. I stamped the floral/leaf arrangement using my MISTI on A2-sized (4.25”x5.5”) white cardstock, stamped a sentiment, die-cut the focal image, and then mounted it onto a background. Each card front was then mounted onto an A2 card base.

Hope you like these projects. Have a great day! Thanks again Altenew for the lovely gift!

Supplies used in making these projects:

For the Hugs card:

  • Stamps: Altenew gift stamp (flower and leaf); Altenew: Floral Garden stamp set (word: ‘Hugs’). Note: The Floral Garden stamp set is retired (sorry about that).
  • Dies: LifeStyle Crafts: Nesting Hexagon dies (no longer available), but there are other nesting hexagon die sets you can use.
  • Inks: Altenew Crisp Die Inks: (from darkest to lightest shade) Ultraviolet, Hydrangea, and Wisteria used for the flowers, Limeade for the leaves; Versafine pigment ink: Onyx Black for the sentiment.
  • Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 110#; metallic cardstock in violet from my stash (hexagon mat for the focal image).
  • Other: We R Memory Keepers Next Level embossing folder: Waves (card background); Pretty Pink Posh sequins in Amethyst.

For the Hope Your Day is Wonderful card:

  • Stamps: Altenew gift stamp (flower and leaf); Altenew: Floral Garden stamp set (word: ‘Hugs’). Note: The Floral Garden stamp set is retired (sorry about that).
  • Dies: Hero Arts: Infinity Dies: Postage Stamp dies .
  • Inks: Altenew Crisp Die Inks: (from darkest to lightest shade) Magenta, Fuchsia, and Baby Pink used for the flowers, Lime for the leaves; Versafine pigment ink: Onyx Black for the sentiment.
  • Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 80# (focal image) and 110# (card base); plum cardstock from my stash (mat for the postage stamp piece).
  • Other: We R Memory Keepers Next Level embossing folder: Waves (card background); Pretty Pink Posh sequins in Amethyst.

For the Smile card:

  • Stamps: Altenew gift stamp (flower and leaf); Altenew: Geo Frames stamp set (word: ‘Smile’).
  • Dies: Lawn Fawn: Quilted Backdrop (cover die for card front background).
  • Inks: Altenew Crisp Die Inks: (from darkest to lightest shade) Marigold, Snapdragon, and Chamomile used for the flowers, Lime for the leaves; Versafine pigment ink: Onyx Black for the sentiment.
  • Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 80# (oval focal image) and Papertrey Ink: Summer Sunrise for quilted background and card base.

Thinking of You Peonies

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Peonies are one of my favorite flowers. Their blooms are so full and beautiful. This card is an homage to them.

All the coloring of the peonies and leaves was done using Copic Markers. The die cover plate used as a mat behind the peonies adds some additional texture and interest to the card. I’m happy with how the elements all came together. The card has a very feminine look to it and would make a perfect Mother’s Day card using a different sentiment.

Hope you like the project. Have a great day!

How I made this project:

  • Stamp all three peonies from the Altenew Beautiful Peony stamp set onto a piece of white Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock. Use a Copic-friendly black ink to stamp the flower images.
  • Stamp the leaves from the same stamp set onto Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock. Note: I stamped all the leaves and then determined which ones I wanted to use for my arrangement later.
  • Color and shade the peonies and the leaves using Copic makers (the color markers I used are listed in the supply list below).
  • Die-cut the flowers and leaves using the coordinating dies or fussy-cut them if you don’t have the dies.
  • Using the cover plate (listed below in the supplies), die cut the scalloped-patterned mat from a 4.25” by 5.5” piece of white cardstock and then trim it down to 4” by 5.25”.
  • Adhere a 3.75” by 5” piece of fun foam to the back of the scalloped-patterned mat. This will raise the card front against the card base.
  • Adhere the scalloped mat to an A2 card base in a color that coordinates with the color of the peonies. The card base will form a frame around the mat.
  • Arrange and adhere the three peonies and the leaves near the bottom of the card front.
  • For the sentiment: Stamp the sentiment onto a piece cardstock in the same color as the card base and cut it out in a rectangle or use a banner die to cut the sentiment piece. Adhere the sentiment.

Supplies used in making this project:

  • Stamps: Altenew: Beautiful Peony stamp set (flowers and leaves); Altenew: Floral Shadow stamp set (sentiment).
  • Dies: Altenew Beautiful Peony coordinating die set (flowers and leaves); Altenew: Dotted Scales cover plate.
  • Inks: Memento: Tuxedo Black (Copic-friendly ink for stamped flower and leaf images); Versafine Onyx Black (sentiment).
  • Copic Markers: For the flowers (from lightest to darkest): R01, R21, R22; For the leaves (lightest to darkest): YG11, YG25, YG13.
  • Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock; Papertrey Ink: Pale Peony (for card base and sentiment strip).

 

Hooray and Smile: A Cheerful Card

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I created a cheerful card to brighten someone’s day. The card is gender-neutral so it is appropriate for anyone. You can use different color palettes or combos depending on your own tastes or the tastes of the card recipient. I love cards that can be sent to anyone with just a few minor changes!

The stamps and dies I used are all by Altenew. Though Altenew’s specialty are gorgeous floral stamps, they have some great graphic stamp sets as well. I used two of them to make this card (the name of the sets is listed below in the supply list).

I used two colors in the same color family for this project. A light orange/coral to stamp the background and a darker orange/coral to stamp the small images over the dots of the background stamp.

Hope you like this project. Smile and stay happy. Have a great day!

How I made this project:

  • Stamp the Watercolor Dots background stamp onto a piece of 4-inch by 5.25-inch white cardstock. Make sure that the background stamp pattern is centered onto the piece white cardstock. This means that the dots on the background don’t hang over the edge of the cardstock. (Note: I used the MISTI stamp positioner to stamp the background to ensure even ink coverage.)
  • Stamp the small images include in the background stamp set over the background dots. You can stagger the pattern of the images, use only a few images in the set. I chose to use the asterisk, scattered dots and flower images and alternated them across the dots in the following order: asterisk, scattered dots, flower. I repeated this across each row of dots and then started with the next image of my pattern on the next row of dots (e.g. if the row ended with an asterisk image, I started the next row with the scattered dots image and then continued with the pattern.).
  • Stamp the speech bubble sentiments with the darker shade of orange/coral and die-cut them using the coordinating dies. If you don’t have the dies, then fussy-cut the speech bubbles.
  • Adhere the speech bubbles to the background dots card front.
  • Cut a 3.75-inch by 5-inch piece of fun foam to the back of the card front. This will give the card front added dimension.
  • Mount the background piece onto a mat in the same tone as the darker ink.
  • Adhere the entire card front to an A2 (4.25-inch by 5.5-inch) card base.

Supplies used in making this project:

  • Stamps: Altenew: Watercolor Dots background stamp set; Altenew: Speech Bubbles stamp set.
  • Dies: Altenew: Speech Bubbles coordinating die set.
  • Inks: Catherine Pooler Inks: Bellini (lighter orange/coral); Samba (darker orange/coral).
  • Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 110# (card front and card base); Papertrey Ink: Berry Sorbet cardstock (mat).

 

Gulls’ Night Out

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I often buy cute stamps sets and then struggle with using them in projects other than the one’s that are already  demonstrated. I think that is the challenge for every card maker. We don’t want to copy, we want to be inspired and then go from there.

Here is a project I thought of on my own.

The sentiment is created by me, though I’m sure someone else in the universe has thought of this punny (and funny) phrase at one time or another. I typed the sentiment on my laptop, printed it, and then die-cut it with a sentiment strip die. This sentiment strip was from a set of slanted sentiment strips that I received with my order from My Favorite Things. Thanks, MFT!

By the way, all the stamps (other than the sentiment) and dies used to make this project are from My Favorite Things! Unfortunately, two of the dies used to create this project are no longer available at MFTSTAMPS.com but you may be able to find them at other online stores via a GOOGLE search.

Hope you like my project. Have a punny day!

How I made this project:

  • Die-cut an A2-sized (4.25” x 5.5”) piece of navy cardstock using the stars die. This piece will serve as your card front.
  • Adhere a strip of gold glitter cardstock behind the die-cut star openings of the card front. This will create the twinkling stars in the sky.
  • Using a piece of black card stock, die-cut the city silhouette using the skyline die. (Note: you will have to use partial die-cutting technique for this.)
  • Trim the height of the skyline to 3.25”. The width of the skyline should be 5.5” (the width of the card front).
  • Adhere the skyline to the bottom of the navy card front.
  • Using white cardstock, stamp the seagulls in Copic-friendly ink and color them using Copics.
  • Die-cut or fussy cut them.
  • Draw tiny eyelashes to each of the gull’s eyes using a fine line black ink pen.
  • Die-cut the shadow oval on which the seagulls will stand. I used light gray cardstock, but white can be used.
  • Arrange and adhere the gulls to the shadow oval and add dimensional tape to the back of the piece.
  • Type up the sentiment on your computer and print on cardstock. Cut out the sentiment and adhere dimensional tape to the back.
  • Adhere the gulls/shadow oval and sentiment strip to the card front.
  • Adhere the card front to a horizontal card base.

 

Supplies used to make this project:

  • Stamps: My Favorite Things: Seaside Seagulls stamp set.
  • Dies:
    • MFT Die-namics: Seaside Seagulls coordinating dies.
    • MFT Dies-namics: Stars in the Sky (Horizontal) die.
    • MFT Die-namics: Skyline Border (no longer sold at MFT) but 2 possible dies could be used and are currently available through MFT. They are: New York Skyline and Our Town.
    • MFT Die-namics: Oval Shadows die set. Note: This die set is no longer available. However, you could use an oval punch or die to create the same effect.
  • Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 80#, black cardstock from my stash, navy cardstock from my stash, gold glitter cardstock from my stash.
  • Inks: Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black.
  • Copics: Seagull bodies: C0, C1, C3, BV11; Seagull beaks: Y17.

A Happy Hello: Tropical Flower

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Tropical temperatures and summer go hand in hand where I live. Currently, we are having a respite from the heat, but I’m sure the hot and humid weather will come back soon to Chicago.

This card is bright and cheery and is meant to perk up anyone who is dealing with hot temperatures wherever they may live.

How I made this project:

  • Stamp tropical flower and palm leaves images (twice for the large leaf image and once for the smaller leaf image for a total of 3 stamped leaf images) onto Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Ink or any Copic-friendly ink.
  • Color the images with Copic markers.
  • Die-cut the images using their coordinating dies, or fussy cut them.
  • Onto a 4” x 5.25” piece of Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper (140#), blend and fade yellow ink onto the lower left area of the paper and the upper right area. Use a foam blending tool for this.
  • Arrange the leaf images behind the flower image. Tape the leaf images together.
  • Adhere the flower image with foam tape onto the bed of leaves.
  • Adhere the entire flower/leaves images to the Bristol Smooth paper.
  • Stamp the sentiment in the upper-right area of the card front.
  • Mount the card front onto an A2-sized green-colored mat.
  • Mount the final card front onto an A2-sized card base.

 

Supplies used in making this project:

  • Stamps: WPlus9: Tropic Fever stamp set (tropical flower and large and smaller palm leaves); WPlus9: Hand-lettered Hello (sentiment).
  • Dies: WPlus9: Tropic Fever coordinating die set.
  • Inks: Memento: Tuxedo Black; Versafine Onyx Black pigment ink; Papertrey Ink: Harvest Gold (for blended/faded background)
  • Cardstock: Strathmore: Bristol Smooth paper (140#); Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock (stamped images); Papertrey Ink: New Leaf cardstock (mat); Neenah Solar White 110# cardstock for card base.
  • Copic Markers: Leaves: YG06, YG23; Flower: Y32, Y35, Y38.

 

Hope you like this project. Have a great and cool day!

 

You Really Are Extraordinary

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I love hydrangeas and have been waiting to do my take on a hydrangea plant. I was intimidated by the cluster of small perfect flowers and how to color and shade them for variation. So here is my result.

This project was also inspired by the current Ellen Hutson Pin-Sights Challenge.

I took my inspiration from the flowers and the color palette. I chose the light purples (lavenders), soft yellow, soft green and a light touch of pale lilac to color the hydrangeas. All coloring was done using Copic markers.  To make the flowers pop, I adhered them to a rich navy-colored piece of cardstock. I think the navy brought out the blues and made the pale color of the flowers pop.

How I made this project:

  • Stamped the hydrangea flowers and the cluster onto white cardstock using a Copic-friendly ink (Memento Tuxedo Black).
  • Colored the flowers using the selected Copic marker colors (listed below in the supplies). Blending was very important since I wanted a soft look for the flowers. I started with the lightest BV0000, coloring each petal with this color to wet the flower and then added the other darker shades of the BV family for shading. I also added a little V12 (Pale Lilac) for a pinker, yet subtle, more vibrant look. I used BV01 and BV0000 for blending the colors together as well.
  • Die-cut the colored flowers.
  • Arranged the die-cut flowers onto the A2 navy cardstock. Let flowers overhang the A2 navy card front and trim them later, once the flower placement is the way you want it. Make sure to leave adequate room for the placement of a sentiment.
  • Heat embossed the sentiment using gold embossing powder BEFORE you adhere the flowers to the card front.
  • Placedfoam squares on the back of the flowers and place them on the navy card front in the placement that you’ve determined.
  • Adhered the completed card front to a card base.

Supplies used in making this project:

  • Stamps: (all stamps by Ellen Hutson’s Essentials by Ellen stamp line): Mondo Hydrangea (flower images), Totally Random Sayings Vol. 2 (sentiment: ‘you really are’), Mondo Sakura (sentiment: ‘extraordinary’).
  • Dies: Essentials by Ellen coordinating die set to Mondo Hydrangea stamp set.
  • Inks: Versamark; Memento Tuxedo Black ink.
  • Copic Markers: BV0000 (Pale Thistle), BV01 (Viola); BV13 (Hydrangea Blue), V12 (Pale Lilac) for flower petals; Y02 (Canary Yellow) for flower centers; YG11 (Mignonette) for flower stems.
  • Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 80# (for stamping flower images); Papertrey Ink: Dark Indigo cardstock for card front mat; Neenah Solar White 110# for card base.
  • Other: Brutus Monroe Metallic Embossing Powder in Gilded.

Hope you like this project. Have a great day!

Kindness Begins With Love

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The Simon Says Stamp Flickr Challenge #98 requires using any kind of embossing on your project.

I employed an emboss resist technique, with ink blending using Distress Oxide Inks. My aim was to create a bright, but soft look.

How I made this project:

  • Prep a piece of A2 Distress Watercolor Cardstock with anti-static powder (e.g. Embossing Buddy bag).
  • Stamp the floral images onto the watercolor card stock using Versamark ink.
  • Cover the stamped images with white embossing powder, tapping the paper to remove any excess, and heat emboss with a heat tool.
  • Blend Distress Oxide inks over the embossed images, making sure that there is a slight blending between the colors.
  • Use a sponge dauber to color and blend the center of the floral images with a slightly darker ink in the same color family as the colored flower.
  • Blend light ink in the middle of the cardstock where the sentiment will be stamped.
  • After blending the colors, sprinkle water drops onto the card front and blot excess water with a paper towel.
  • Dry the entire card front with a heat tool.
  • Trim the card front to 4” x 5.25”.
  • Stamp the sentiment onto the card front.
  • Adhere crystal heart drops to the card front.
  • Adhere a piece of fun foam to the back of the card front.
  • Mount card front onto an A2 portrait-oriented, top-folding, black card base.

Supplies used to make this project:

  • Stamps: Simon Says Stamp: Look for the Miracles stamp set (flowers; Simon Says Stamp: Kind Flowers stamp set (sentiment).
  • Distress Oxide Inks: Worn Lipstick, Abandoned Coral, Picked Raspberry, Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Broken China, and Mermaid Lagoon.
  • Other Inks: Versamark (for embossing); Versafine Pigment Ink in Onyx Black (sentiment).
  • Other Supplies: Studio Katia: Clear Hearts; Hero Arts White embossing powder.
  • Cardstock: Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock (card front); Papertrey Ink: True Black cardstock (card base).

For this project, I cut up a sentiment from the Kind Flowers stamp set so that the words ‘begins with love’ could be stamped alone.

Hope you like this project. Have a great day!

Have a Beautiful Day – Butterflies

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This card was made to offset the cold, rainy weather that doesn’t seem to want to go away. The calendar says late May, but where I live, the cooler weather seems to be hanging on forever!

How I made this project:

  • Tape down the leafy stencil over a 4” x 5.25” piece of Bristol smooth cardstock.
  • Using a stencil brush, blend green ink over the stencil, blending and softening as the ink is applied and the desired intensity is achieved.
  • Stamp butterfly images onto a piece of white cardstock using a Copic-friendly ink. The butterfly images will be colored with Copic markers.
  • Color butterfly images with Copic markers.
  • Die-cut (if you have coordinating dies) or hand fussy-cut the butterflies.
  • Stamp sentiment in the middle of the blended, stenciled background.
  • Arrange the butterflies around the sentiment, raising them with foam squares.
  • Adhere the card front onto a piece of green 4.25” x 5.5” (A2-sized) piece of cardstock.
  • Mount the entire card piece to a horizontal A2-sized card base.

Supplies used in making this project:

  • Stamps: Simon Says Stamp: Beautiful Day stamp set (butterflies and sentiment).
  • Stencils: Simon Says Stamp: Leafy Frame stencil.
  • Inks: Simon Says Stamp: Jellybean ink (leafy frame background); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (outline of butterfly images); Versafine Onyx Black ink (sentiment).
  • Copic Markers: RV09, RV17, RV19, RV21, RV34, RV66.
  • Dies: Simon Says Stamp: Beautiful Day coordinating die set (butterflies).
  • Cardstock: Strathmore Bristol Smooth cardstock (card front); Neenah Solar White 80# (stamped butterflies); Papertrey Ink: New Leaf cardstock (mat); Neenah Solar White 110# (card base).
  • Other: Stencil brush.

Notes:

  • I prefer to use a stencil brush with a delicate stencil such as the Leafy Frame stencil because you have more control in blending and softening the color when creating a fade-out background. Also, the brush is easier to use on a delicate stencil. There is less chance of “bending” the cut-out areas on the stencil while blending the background.

Hope you like this project! Have a great day!

 

 

You Are Enough: Ellen Hutson Pin-Sights Challenge

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This month’s inspiration board for the Pin-Sights Challenge over at Ellen Hutson’s classroom features a lot of beautiful colors and images shown below.

I decided to go simple and used just three colors to create my focal image. The colors are teal, a dark blue, and a gray from Tsukineko’s Versafine Clair collection of ink pads. The colors stamped beautifully.

The focal image took inspiration from the arrangement of succulents in the inspiration board.

How I made this project:

  • On a 4.00”x5.25” piece of white cardstock, I stamped a flower several times to form a cluster.
  • Using another stamp from the same stamp set, I stamped the centers of the flowers in gray.
  • Using a darker blue color, I used a coordinating stamp for the flower to stamp the flower folds.
  • The leaves for the flower cluster were stamped around to cluster for balance. Note: I didn’t use masking when I stamped the leaves. I inked the leaves stamp in gray and then wiped ink away using my finger on the portion(s) of the leaves so that the leaves looked like they were coming from behind the flower(s).
  • The sentiment was stamped in the same gray ink as the leaves.
  • The card front was then matted against a gray, metallic shimmer card. The mat was 4.25”x5.5” so there was an eighth-inch border all around.
  • The card front with mat was mounted onto a 4.25”x5.5” card base.
  • Clear gemstones were added for some soft bling.

Supplies used in making this project:

  • Stamps: Essentials by Ellen: Courage Stamp Set (flowers and leaves); Essentials by Ellen: Lovely stamp set (sentiment).
  • Inks: Tsukineko’s VersaFine Clair inks: Warm Breeze (flower); Blue Belle (flower folds); Morning Mist (leaves and sentiment).
  • Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 80# (card front); Silver metallic cardstock in a gunmetal gray from my stash (mat); Neenah Solar White 110# for card base.
  • Other: Hero Arts Smooth Clear Gemstones.

The overall look of the card is clean and simple. The style of the card matches the sentiment in a way—just enough, not fussy.

Hope you like the card. Have a great day!

Hello–Thistle Flowers

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The inspiration for my card shown above, is the picture board for the January Ellen Huston Pin-Sights Challenge show below. I love the understated tones of blues, purples and a touch of green for a color palette. The field of flowers in those shades was another image from the inspiration board that I was attracted to as well. The scene is one of beauty and serenity. This was the feeling I wanted to capture.

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The supplies I used and how I created and assembled the card are listed as the bottom of the blog post.

Hope you like the card! Have a great day!

Supplies used in making this project:

  • Stamps
  1. Essentials by Ellen: Thistle stamp set (flowers & stems).
  2. Essentials by Ellen: Lovely stamp set (sentiment)
  • Dies
  1. Essentials by Ellen: Thistle dies (coordinates with the Thistle stamp set).
  • Inks
  1. Papertrey Ink: Winter Wisteria (flower) and Amethyst Allure (background)
  2. Catherine Pooler Inks: Royal Treatment (flower), Juniper Mist (flower), Green Tea (stems)
  • Cardstock
  1. Strathmore Bristol Vellum (front flower panel)
  2. Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock (flowers & stems)
  3. Papertrey Ink 110# cardstock in Royal Velvet (a deep purple) for the mat
  4. Neenah Solar White 110# cardstock (card base)
  • Other
  1. White Fun Foam
  2. Wink of Stella Glitter Brush Pen in clear

 

How I made this card:

  • Starting with a 4.25” x 5.5” piece of Strathmore Bristol Vellum paper, I ink-blended a pale amethyst background using a foam ink blending tool. I applied the color starting from the lower left-hand corner and worked upward and out. I gradually lightened the color as I moved outward for a soft fade. I then added a few water droplets to the blended background and blotted them off with a paper towel. I did this to add more texture to the background
  • I stamped and die-cut three flowers in different colors, using the colors from the inspiration board. I also stamped and die-cut three of the flower stems in the same green-tea shade and from the same flower stamp set. All flowers and stems were stamped onto Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock
  • I mounted the flowers and stems onto fun foam (I die cut the fun foam pieces using the same dies from the die set and the arranged them on the front of the blended background.
  • When I arranged the assembled flowers, I noticed that for better placement, the flowers had to run off the edge on the left side.
  • Since they ran of the side, I trimmed down the Bristol panel on the right and top sides so that the total panel was 4” x 5.25”.
  • The flower panel was mounted onto a full-sized A2 (4.25” x 5.5”) deep purple mat. Note: I mounted the panel so that it was flush to the mat on the bottom right corner.
  • A simple, small “Hello” was stamped onto the card front so it wouldn’t distract from the flowers.
  • A little shimmer was added to the flowers with a clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen.
  • The entire card front was adhered to an A2 top-folding card base.

 

 

Hello Friend – A Graphic-Styled Card

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Hello-Friend

I am SO behind in posting the cards that I have made.  I made this card in early September, when I purchased the new Ellen Hutson’s Essentials by Ellen Paper Pack, Modern Graphics.

I’m a sucker for anything that is graphic in design. This is partly because, I envy those craft product designers who can come up with the most eye-catching designs in patterned paper and stamps. Their patterns and designs always leave me awestruck. I’m always amazed at how different elements that don’t look coordinated can look so interesting and cohesive together.

This is my attempt to imitate those wonderful graphic designers.

This project is a combination of stamping, die-cutting and layering cardstock.

·        I cut the animal-dotted patterned paper from the patterned paper pack down to an A2-sized mat piece.

·        Next, I die-cut a piece of white cardstock using Papertrey Ink’s Brushed Off Rectangle die. I love this die because of the unusual brushed-cut edges. Love the textured edges!

·        I then stamped a graphic leaf image from the Essentials by Ellen Rustic Botanicals stamp set. I chose an olive colored ink from Papertrey Ink and my favorite black ink from Tsukineko. The leaf was stamped several times and I alternated the stamping as well as the two different colored ink.

·        I cut a black piece of cardstock slightly larger than the Brushed Off rectangle to frame the stamped center rectangle, so that it’s edges didn’t get lost against the dotted pattern mat background.

·        I added a small sentiment that was heat embossed with white embossing powder onto black cardstock. The sentiment was raised using foam tape.

·        The entire card front was mounted onto an A2 card base.

Hope you like the look! Have a great day!

 

Supplies used in making this card:

·        Stamps:

o   Essentials by Ellen Rustic Botanicals stamp set.

o   My Favorite Things: Simply Said stamp set (sadly no longer available—set has tiny sentiments in a simple font)

·        Inks:

o   Papertrey Dye Ink in Ripe Avocado

o   Tsukineko Versafine Ink in Onyx Black

·        Cardstock:

o   Neenah Solar White 80# for the center focal panel

o   Bazzill Cardstock in Licorice Twist

o   Essentials by Ellen Modern Graphics cardstock (4 different patterns, this one is the animal dots pattern).

o   Neenah Solar White 110# for the card base

·        Other:

o   Hero Arts White Embossing Powder