Make a Sweet Birthday Card with VersaMagic Pastel Ink Pads

By Jessica Lin

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 30 minutes

Hi everyone! It’s Jessica here. Today I am sharing a birthday card using one of my favorite ink pads – VersaMagic. They have great pastel colors that are just perfect for sorbet and ice cream images.

Step 1:
The first color I chose is VersaMagic Pixie Dust – it reminds me of the classic strawberry ice cream. I used it to stamp the ice cream scoop image from Stampin’ Up’s Sweet Ice Cream set.

Step 2:
Then I used VersaMagic Sea Breeze to stamp my second scoop of ice cream. You will notice that the ice cream image is not entirely solid. I really like the “watercolor” look it gives off.

Step 3:
For my last scoop of ice cream, I used VersaMagic Thatched Straw. A soft yellow like this is hard to find in the ink pad world. I have yet to find a similar hue as soft as this color.

Step 4:
Once the stamped images are left to dry for 5-10 minutes, I punched them out with the coordinating Ice Cream Cone Builder punch.

Step 5:
For the ice cream cones, I used VersaMagic Gingerbread and Sahara Sand. The darker one on top is stamped with Gingerbread, and the two lighter ones on the bottom are stamped with Sahara Sand.

Step 6:
I decided to heat emboss the sentiment on vellum to match the soft, pastel palette of the card. I stamped the “Happy Birthday” stamp with VersaMark Dazzle Champagne and heat embossed with white Mboss powder.

Step 7:
To complete the card, I adhered all of the elements onto a card panel that I embossed with Stampin’ Up Painted Texture embossing folder. I hope you enjoyed today’s tutorial and have a sweet day!

Products Used:

Imagine Supplies:

Other Supplies:

  • Stampin’ Up! – Stamps – Sweet Ice Cream
  • Stampin’ Up! – Punch – Ice Cream Cone Builder
  • Stampin’ Up! – Embossing Folder – Painted Texture

Stamp a Gender-Neutral Birthday Card with VersaFine Clair Inks

By Jessica Lin

Skill: Beginner
Time: 20 minutes

Hi everyone! It’s Jessica here. I am always looking for ways to create gender-neutral birthday cards, and I am so excited to share a beginner-friendly version today. This plant stamp set has some punny sentiments for Valentine’s Day, too. Some of the phrases are perfect for all-occasions, which makes this set so versatile to pair up with the potted plants images.

Step 1:
Stamp the succulent plant with VersaFine Clair Grass Green ink pad. For the pot, use VersaFine Clair Sand Dune. Stamp another succulent image on a post-it note and fussy cut the image for masking in step 2. Tip: Stamp on the sticky edge of the post-it note so that the fussy cut image will turn into a temporary sticker

Step 2:
Mask the stamped succulent image with the fussy cut sticky note. Then stamp the second plant pot with VersaFine Clair Verdant and Acorn. Masking the succulent plant creates the illusion that it sits in front of the second plant pot. I did not overlap the two plants very much, but you could stamp the two closer together to emphasize the spatial arrangement.

Step 3:
For the third cactus plant, stamp with VersaFine Clair Green Oasis and Pinecone. I love the different shades of greens and browns in the VersaFine Clair line; they complement each other so well.

Step 4:
Lastly, stamp the outline images with VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink pad. The super cute pun sentiment was also stamped with the same ink.

Step 5:
Trim the stamped card panel to 3 ½’’ x 4 ¾’’. Adhere it to a 3 ¾’’ x 5’’ piece of green cardstock, then adhere both layers to a cardbase with foam tape.

Step 6:
For the final finishing touch, add a few enamel drops from Doodlebug Sprinkles Limeade.

Products Used:

Imagine Supplies:

Other Supplies:

  • iCrafter – Stamps – Positively Plants
  • Stampin’ Up! – Cardstock – Pear Pizzazz
  • Neenah – Cardstock – Desert Storm
  • Foam Tape
  • Doodlebug – Enamel Dots – Sprinkles Limeade

Make a One-of-a-Kind Stop-Motion Animation Card

By Jessica Lin

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 40 minutes

Hi everyone! It’s Jessica here. Interactive cards are so fun to make! Today, I am trying out a new kind of interactive mechanism that resembles stop-motion animation. I haven’t seen this type of papercraft before, and was surprised by the result. If you like interactive cards, be sure to check this out!

Step 1:
On a piece of 3 ¼’’ x 4 ⅝’’ white cardstock, stamp the larger butterfly image with VersaColor Pink ink pad. Try to stamp it straight with the help of a stamp positioning tool or a T-ruler.

Step 2:
Then, lining up the head and tail of the butterfly, stamp the smaller butterfly image with VersaColor Orange ink pad. The stamped image looks a little odd right now, but don’t fret, this was how the You Move Me stamp set from Stampin’ Up was designed.

Step 3:
On a piece of 3 ¾’’ x 5’’ yellow cardstock, die cut the window die from the coordinating die set. This window is going to be the key of the interactive mechanism. I die cut it towards the top of the card panel since I will be adding sentiment strips on the bottom.

Step 4:
Adhere thin foam strips around the sides and bottom of the die cut panel. Don’t forget to leave the top open! TIP: lay the stamped panel on top of the die cut panel, and adhere the foam strips as close to the die cut panel as possible. This would leave less wiggle room for the stamped panel to move around, creating a smoother fluttering effect. After that, adhere the die cut panel to an A2 white cardbase.

Step 5:
Punch a hole on the top of the stamped panel and add a small piece of ribbon on top.

Step 6:
Stamp additional floral elements with VersaColor Pink, Orange, Canary, and Green ink pads. Die cut each image with coordinating dies.

Step 7:
Stamp the sentiment with VersaColor Pink and Green ink pads. Adhere them to the front of the die cut panel, and this fun, interactive card is complete!

Craft Supplies

Imagine Supplies:

Other Supplies:

  • Stampin’ Up! – Stamps – You Move Me
  • Stampin’ Up! – Dies – Move Me
  • Stampin’ Up! – Tool – Cut & Emboss Machine
  • We R – Tool – Precision Press Stamp Positioning Tool
  • Adhesive Foam Strips
  • White and Yellow Cardstock

Create Monochromic Butterfly Card with Bright Blues

By Jessica Lin

Skill Level: Medium
Time: 45 min

Hi everyone! It’s Jessica here. Today I will be creating a butterfly card with bright blue colors. If you are looking for monochromic card ideas, just keep reading!

Step 1:
Stamp a bokeh background using Stampin’ Up’s Beauty Abounds stamp set. The stamp uses a unique technology to create light and dark shades even though I am only stamping with VersaFine Clair Blue Belle ink. I also tried to use splatter stamps to create a different background and that worked well, too.

Step 2:
Die cut the bottom butterfly layer with white cardstock and the top layer with light blue cardstock. Then adhere the top layer to the bottom layer. Since this is an intricate design with fine lines, I adhered Stick It adhesive to the blue cardstock before die cutting. This way, the blue top layer becomes a peel and stick. Alternatively, you could use glue with fine-tip nozzles, like the On Point Glue.

Step 3:
Then I spritzed a generous layer of Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray in Sparkle to create a subtle metallic shine on the butterfly die cut.

Step 4:
Stamp the sentiment with VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink pad. This stamp is from Stampin’ Up’s Rooted in Nature set. I decided to cut around each word to create the tape label look.

Step 5:
Apply On Point Glue to the butterfly die cut, avoiding the overhang areas, and adhere to the bokeh background. Then mount the bokeh background to the card base with foam tape. Finally, adhere the sentiment with Tear-It Tape and embellish with some rhinestones, and the card is complete!

Imagine Supplies:

Other Supplies:

  • Stampin’ Up! – Stamps – Beauty Abounds
  • Stampin’ Up! – Dies – Butterfly Beauty
  • Stampin’ Up! – Dies – Rooted in Nature (for the sentiment)
  • Foam Tape
  • Clear Rhinestones

 Create a Winter Card with Minimal Supplies 

By Jessica Lin 

Skill: Beginner 
Time: 15 minutes 

Hi everyone! It’s Jessica here. Today I have a beginner-friendly project to share with you. If you are just starting out and don’t have many ink pads, this tutorial is for you. I will be sharing some stamping techniques to help you create shades of color with just one ink pad. So let’s get started!

Step 1:
The ink pad I will be using today is VersaFine Clair Spruce. It is perfect for stamping the pine tree images from Stampin’ Up’s Winter Woods set. I stamped the image in the center on a piece of 3 ½’’ x 4 ¾’’ Soft Seafoam cardstock. 

Step 2:
Then I stamped a different pine tree image on the left and right at various heights. You might notice that some of the pine trees appear darker; that is because I stamped the image twice. By using a stamp positioning tool, you can restamp an image at the same spot. In this case, it creates a darker shade of color even though you are using the same color ink pad. On the very left, there is a pine tree that looks lighter in color. To achieve this effect, you can stamp lightly on a piece of scrap paper first. Then, using the leftover ink, stamp on the cardstock to create a lighter shade. 

Step 3:
I then sprinkled some diluted white acrylic paint for a snowing effect. Once the acrylic paint is dried, you can stamp the sentiment. I decided to use Stampin’ Up’s Merry Christmas to All stamp set and stamped it with Brilliance Galaxy Gold ink pad. 

Step 4:
For an even more dramatic snow effect, you could add white Neon Amplify to the bottom edge of the cardstock. I drew a wavy pattern that mimics the looks of piles of snow. You don’t have to wait for the puff paint to dry, you can heat set it with a heat gun immediately and the paint will puff up! 

Step 5:
Then I adhered the stamped panel to a piece of Shaded Spruce cardstock that measures 3 ¾’’ x 5’’. After that, mount the cardfront to an A2 Mint Macaron cardbase. For some finishing touches, I adhered some white and gold sequins with On-Point Glue, and this holiday card is complete! 

Imagine Supplies: 

● VersaFine Clair – Spruce 
● Brilliance – Galaxy Gold 
● Neon Amplify – White 
● On-Point Glue 
● StazOn Cleaner 
● Tear It! Tape 
● Craft Mat 

Other Supplies: 

● Stampin’ Up! – Stamps – Winter Woods 
● Stampin’ Up! – Stamps – Merry Christmas to All 
● Stampin’ Up! – Cardstock – Soft Seafoam, Shaded Spruce, Mint Macaron 
● Heat gun 
● Gold and white sequins 

Create a Monochromic Winter Wedding Card

By Jessica Lin

Skill: Advanced
Time: 30 minutes

Hi everyone! It’s Jessica here. I am excited to share a wedding card idea today. This elegant layout is also perfect for wedding invitations. I love how this turned out and I’ll definitely be making more color variations in the future!

Step 1:
On a piece of 4 ¼’’ x 5 ½’’ cardstock, score at 3 ⅜’’ and 8 ⅞’’. Then adhere Stick-It adhesive to the inner left and right flaps of the card. The Stick-It adhesive is great for sticking down large pieces of intricate die cut. If you don’t have the Stick-It adhesive, a great alternative would be liquid glue with fine-tip nozzles, such as the On-Point Glue.

Step 2:
Die cut the left and right flaps with Stampin’ Up’s Detailed Floral dies. This would create beautiful card openings with delicate floral designs.

Step 3:
Peel off the Stick-It adhesive backing and adhere it to a piece of navy cardstock. Burnish the die cut area with a bone folder to ensure the two pieces of cardstock are fully stuck together.

Step 4:
Trim the excess navy cardstock along the top and bottom edges with a pair of scissors. Then die cut the floral border again with the Detailed Floral die. I chose to die cut right up against the edge of the first die cut layer. Alternatively, you could leave a border along the die cut piece if you place the die further away from the edge.

Step 5:
I stamped the coordinating floral stamp from Stampin’ Up’s Floral Phrases stamp set. I inked the stamp lightly with Brilliance Mediterranean Blue ink pad so that the shading details of the stamp could be captured.

Step 6:
This stamp set also includes some beautiful sentiment stamps that are perfect for wedding cards. I decided to use VersaFine Clair Medieval Blue ink pad to stamp the sentiment since this ink is known for giving crisp, clean lines. It is my favorite type of ink pad for sentiment stamping.

Step 7:
Since this card has asymmetrical folds, I added a ribbon belly band so that the card flaps would be kept in place. Then I cut a short piece of ribbon and tied it around the belly bend to create the bow.

Imagine Supplies:

Other Supplies:

  • Stampin’ Up! – Stamps – Floral Phrases
  • Stampin’ Up! – Dies – Detailed Floral
  • Navy and white cardstock