Independence Day Celebration Card

By Ceal Pritchett

Hello crafty friends!
It’s Ceal, back to share another project with you.  We always have a cookout on the 4th of July and invite our family. I always make invitations to send out for it and I am sharing the one I made for this year.

Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Time: 45 minutes to an hour

Directions:

Gather your supplies. You will need an A2 card base, blue cardstock strips, a white panel, gold foil paper, star dies, a stencil that has July 4th elements on it, Ink, and paste of some sort.

Step 1:
Place the white panel in the Misti or other stamp positioner on a grip or sticky mat. Mask off portions of the panel that you do not want ink on. Using Red (VersaFine Clair Strawberry used here ) ink and a blending tool cover the celebrate with ink. Remove stencil and clean for next step.

Step 2:
Lay the firework part of the stencil over the part that you just inked up and mask off the portion of the card so the paste will not get on it.

Step 3:
Using a squeegee spread the paste (I used gold) over the firework part of the stencil. Be sure to clean the squeegee and the stencil promptly because the paste will harden.

Step 4:
Add the star to the center of the firework and the blue strips of cardstock to each end of the panel. Add panel to the card base

Art Supplies:

Imagine Products:
• VersaFine Clair – Strawberry
• Squeegee

Other Supplies:
• Misti Stamping Tool – My Sweet Petunia
• Grip Mat – Waffle Flower Crafts
• Celebrate Stencil – Pink & Main
• Star Dies – Pinkfresh Studio
• Gold Paste – Hero Arts

Make a Father’s Day Card for Your Home Improvement Hero

By Jessica Lin

Skill Level: Medium
Time: 30 min

Hi everyone! It’s Jessica here. Today I would like to share a Father’s Day card that showcases different tools to thank my dad for all the home improvement projects he has done in the past year. I also ink blended Memento inks on the die cut pieces to create more depth. If you’d like to learn some tips and tricks on ink blending small paper elements, just keep reading!

Step 1:
First, I die cut several tools from a silver cardstock. I’ve had this paper for a long time since my scrapbooking days, and I am glad to finally use it again. I also adhered Stick It sheets to the back of the silver cardstock before die cutting, so that all of the elements are adhesive backed. This will make adhering to the small tool pieces easier and mess-free.

Step 2:
Die cut again with colored cardstock to create the handles on the tools. I used So Saffron cardstock for the wrench and Cajun Craze cardstock for the hammer.

Step 3:
For the power drill, I used Misty Moonlight and Blueberry Bushel cardstock. I also die cut a bolt from the silver cardstock to decorate this power drill.

Step 4:
One of the things I love about this die set is that it includes this pegboard die. You can extend the size of this die by matching up the holes on the die with a row of die cut holes and die cut again. They will fit like a puzzle and it almost feels like it is “locked” once the fitting is matched up.

Step 5:
I decided to dress up the die cuts further by ink blending the edges with Memento Inks. Since the die cut pieces are small, I opted for the small sponge daubers instead of my regular blending brushes. These small daubers are great for precise ink blending. I also lay the die cuts on Altenew’s Grip Mat, which conveniently secures the paper pieces and ink pads so they don’t shift around when ink blending.

Step 6:
The Jumbo Dauber is also a great blending tool. I used Desert Sand Memento Ink to add some shadows to the bottom edges of the pegboard piece.

Step 7:
Finally, I adhered the pieces with Tear It Tape and stamped the sentiment from Stampin Up’s Heartfelt Hello set. This card was fun to put together and I hope you enjoyed it.

Craft Supplies

Imagine Supplies:

Other Supplies:

  • Stampin’ Up! – Stamps – Heartfelt Hellos
  • Stampin’ Up! – Dies – Trusty Tools
  • Foam Tape
  • Colored cardstock

3D Stenciling Technique | Whimsical Father’s Day Card

By Tracy Fear

Hello Friends! Tracy here and today I am excited to share this fun and quirky little Father’s Day card created with a family funny bone element!

In today’s video tutorial I am sharing how to get dimensional effects out of your lettering stencils and how to create background noise using our #8 Stippling Brush and our Brushstix along with some of our most popular inks!

Tracy

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1 hour

Directions:

Art Supplies

Imagine Products

Other Products Used

  • Chunky Alphabet Stencil by Vaessen Creative
  • Guinea Pig and Fly stamps by Vaessen Creative
  • Cricut Black Fine Line Pen
  • Sticky Paper
  • Accent Opaque 120lb Cardstock
  • Blue Card Base
  • Stencil Brush
  • Blending Brush
  • Sticky Pad
  • PVA Adhesive

ALTERNATIVE PRODUCTS THAT CAN BE USED TO RECREATE SOMETHING SIMILAR

  • Any Pigment Inks
  • Any Dye-based Inks

To learn how to make this silly Father’s Day Card, click here!

Let’s Make an Embossed Father’s Day Card

By Anna Escalada York

I wanted to make my Father-In-Law’s Father’s Day Card with a variety of browns and a pop of another color. So I picked Neptune VersaColor ink for a pop of color on the monochromatic background.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1.5 hours

Directions:

Step 1:
Die cut a piece of watercolor paper with the second-largest die in an A2-sized die set. Press a Sand Dune VersaFine Clair Ink onto the watercolor panel.

Step 2:
Spray Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray onto an embossing folder and then emboss the Sand Dune colored panel by running it through a die cutting machine between the two sides of the embossing folder. Allow the panel to dry.

Step 3:
Glide a Neptune VersaColor ink across the panel. The raised (embossed) parts of the panel will be colored with the Neptune ink, and the debossed parts of the panel will stay the Sand Dune color. Then run the Neptune VersaColor pad across the edges of the panel to color the border of the panel as well.

Step 4:
Stamp the card’s sentiments (both the larger “happy” and the “Father’s Day” subsentiment) on another piece of watercolor paper with Dark Brown Shimmer Delicata ink and then heat emboss both of them with clear embossing powder. Set this aside as well.

Step 5:
Press the Dark Brown Shimmer Delicata Ink Pad onto the edges of a watercolor panel until achieving a thick, dark brown border. This panel will become the matte layer of the card.

Step 6:
Using the largest die from the A2-sized die set, die cut the dark brown panel . Glue the two panels together and set aside.

Step 7:
Trim the sub-sentiment with a paper trimmer. Press the edges of the sentiment strip into the Sand Dune VersaFine Clair ink pad and set the sentiment strip aside to dry.

Steps 8 and 9:
Press the Dark Brown Shimmer Delicata ink pad onto another small piece of watercolor paper.

Not pictured: Die cut the larger “Happy” sentiment from step 4 with the corresponding die. Then die cut a piece of the Dark Brown Shimmer colored watercolor paper with the same die to create two layers of the die cut.

Step 10:
Glue the two die cut sentiment layers together, with the dark brown layer peeking out on the left side of the stamped (top) layer. Using some of the remaining dark brown watercolor paper from the last step, cut a thin strip to glue on the bottom of the sub sentiment. Glue the thin brown strip behind the sub sentiment as well as some scrap cardstock to make the sub sentiment three layers deep for strength and dimension. Set them both aside.

Step 11:
Press the Dark Brown Shimmer Delicata ink pad onto a piece of acetate packaging and mix with water. Splatter the panels and the sub sentiment with the dark brown splatter. Paint the large “happy” sentiment letters with some of the remaining brown-tinted water. Set it all aside to dry.

Step 12:
Press a Neptune VersaColor ink pad onto another small piece of watercolor paper. Set it asde for the ink to dry.

Step 13:
Die cut the Neptune-colored watercolor paper with a leaf die.

Step 14:
Assemble the card. If desired, add some twine and attach to the back of the card panels with washi tape and then add foam tape on the back so the card base will lay flat when attached to the kraft A2-sized card base. Then glue some brass-colored sequins near the sentiment to finish the card.

Art Supplies

Imagine
• Delicata Pigment Ink – Dark Brown Shimmer
• Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray – Sparkle VersaColor Ink – Neptune
• VersaFine Clair Ink – Sand Dune

Other
• Altenew – foam tape
• Altenew – embossing folder – Illusion Triangles Altenew – die set – Just Leaves
• Catherine Pooler – sequin mix – Bogotá Lawn Fawn – die set – Happy Happy Happy
• Lawn Fawn – stamp set – Happy Happy Happy Pink & Main – die set – Notched Corner
• A2-sized kraft card base Clear Embossing Powder Washi tape
• Watercolor paper Die cutting machine Twine
• Scissors Glue

Create an Easter Card using VersaFine Clair Ink Pads

By Jessica Lin

Skill: Medium
Time: 30 minutes

Hi everyone! It’s Jessica here. Today I want to share an Easter card with a soft and romantic color palette. This color scheme turned out so well, and I think it would be perfect for a birthday or Valentine’s card! If you are interested in the colors I used, just keep reading!

Step 1:
Die cut the largest two shapes from Spellbinder’s Nestabilities Floral Oval die set. For the largest oval, I used Stampin’ Up!’s Bubble Bath cardstock. For the second largest oval, I used vellum.

Step 2:
For some added dimension, ink blend VersaFine Clair Baby Pink ink around the edges of the largest die cut. I recently bought the photopolymer sticky mat from Altenew and it’s a great tool for ink blending. It grips the die cut (or stencil) firmly so you don’t have to worry about anything shifting during ink blending.

Step 3:
Stamp the focal image with VersaFine Clair Baby Pink ink. This is an old wooden stamp from K-Kingdom that I got back in the days before I discovered photopolymer stamps. The dainty floral frame with the lacey details is what inspired the theme for this card. The VersaFine Clair ink is also great for showcasing the fine, wood-grain details on the rabbit.

The stamped image looks a bit dark when freshly stamped. It will turn into a softer, pastel pink that you see in the cover photo.

Step 4:
I decided to add some shadows behind the vellum die cut layer with VersaFine Clair Hawthorn Rose. Baby Pink and Hawthorn Rose compliment each other so well. I think they might be my favorite new color combo!

Step 5:
Apply a generous coat of Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray onto the ink blended die cut. I wish the camera could capture the shimmery effects of this spray; it is mesmerizing and the sparkle never dulls!

Step 6:
For the card base, I chose Stampin’ Up!’s Fresh Freesia cardstock and embossed it with Distressed Tile embossing folder. It adds the perfect touch to this shabby-chic look.

Step 7:
Finally, stamp the sentiment with VersaFine Clair Hawthorn Rose ink and fussy cut the sentiment. I fussy cut the rabbit image as well since there were no coordinating dies for wooden stamps.

Step 8:
After some quick assembling with Tear-It Tape and foam tape, the card is completed! I love how this card turned out, and I hope you enjoyed it, too. Thanks for stopping by!

Imagine Supplies:

Other Supplies:

  • Spellbinders – Dies – Nestabilities Floral Oval
  • Stampin’ Up! – Cardstock – Bubble Bath, Fresh Freesia, Whisper White
  • Stampin’ Up! – Embossing Folder – Distressed Tile
  • K-Kingdom – Wooden Stamp – Woodgrain Rabbit
  • Stampin’ Up! – Sentiment Stamp – Fable Friends
  • Foam Tape

Create a Charming Valentines Card

By Ceil Pritchett

Hello Everyone, it’s Ceal, here. Today I am sharing how to create a background using our Fireworks spray using a Gel Press plate.

Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
Time: 45 minutes to an hour

Directions:
Gather your supplies. You will need some Fireworks! sprays, some shimmer spray (I used gold), a stencil, a Gel Press plate, a rubber brayer, some copy paper or cardstock (I used copy paper) A word die or any other die ad some VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink.

Step 1:
Spray Fireworks! spray directly on the Gel Press plate.

Step 2:
Lay stencil over the Gel Press plate and roll the brayer over it to distribute and then spray again with Fireworks! spray.

Step 3:
Lay the copy paper (I used Hammermil 60lb) on top and rub your hand over the entire piece several times until you see the medium come through the paper.

Step 4:
Die cut several pieces of the word die. I cut three out of whit and one out of gold to tie in with the gold shimmer on the background. I glued the altogether offsetting the gold one on the bottom.

Step 5:
Glue the background on a card base and add the word die to the front. Stamp the coordinating message directly on the background.

Supplies:

Imagine Products:

• Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – Rose Bud and Dandelion
• Sheer Shimmer Spritz – Gold
• VersaFine Clair Nocturne

Other Supplies:

• Classic Crest Solar White card base -Neenah
• Gold Foil cardstock – Simon Says Stamp
• Gel plate – Gel Press
• Heart Stencil – A Colorful Life Designs
• Love die – Hero Arts
• Stamped sentiment – hero Arts