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 Ink Swatches for New VersaFine Clair Inks 

By Jessica Lin

Skill: Beginner 
Time: 30 minutes 

Hi everyone, it’s Jessica here. I am loving the new VersaFine Clair inks and I hope you are enjoying the creations from the Imagine team! Today I decided to create new ink swatches so I can have a quick on-hand reference for the colors. 

Step 1:
Print the labels onto your go-to white cardstock. For me, that is Neenah Solar White Cover in 80lbs. I used Word to create the labels template and it takes a bit of trial and error to align everything perfectly. I found that checking the “show grid lines” box was helpful during the process. 

Step 2:
Trim the labels to 2 x 2’’ squares. I used a standard 8.5 x 11’’ cardstock to print so each page equals to 20 labels at the end. 

Step 3:
Then stamp each label with the corresponding ink pad. I used a stamp positioning tool but it is completely optional. As for the stamp used for ink swatching, I would recommend an image that is solid so that there is enough area to truly showcase the ink color. I like to pick something that also has some fine lines; some inks have great coverage but are not the best at showing fine details. I recently bought a coffee-themed stamp set called Latte Love from Stampin’ Up!, and this coffee swirl stamp is perfect. 

Below are all the new VersaFine Clair colors. As you can see, they are great inks that offer great ink coverage and retain super-fine details of the stamps. I double stamped most of them as I 

typically double stamp my images when I am creating. I tried to minimize the amount of editing on these images so the colors are kept as true as possible. Hopefully they can provide a visual for you as well if you are interested in these inks. 

I hope today’s tutorial inspires you to create new ink swatches! They are handy tools and the ink swatching process is so cathartic. I can’t wait to create more projects with these inks! 

Imagine Supplies: 

● VersaFine Clair -Baby Pink, Hawthorn Rose, Lilac Bloom, Arctic, Bali Blue, Very Peri, Grass Green, Avocado, Spruce, Sand Dune, Portobello, Strawberry 
● StazOn Cleaner 
● Craft Mat 

Other Supplies: 

● Stampin’ Up! – Stamps – Latte Love 
● Paper Trimmer 
● Neenah Solar White Cardstock 

Let’s Make a Bokeh Birthday Card

By Helen Gullett

Hello crafty friends! Creating backgrounds is always fun, especially when you like something different for your cards. One of my favorite backgrounds is bokeh. There are a couple ways to create bokeh backgrounds but today we are going to do some stamping with any sizes of circle stamps you have in stash.

Let’s get crafting!

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 15-20 minutes

Direction:

Step 1
Cut out a piece of 8.5 inch x 11 inch white cardstock into 4 panels of 4.25 inch x 5.5 inch.

Add each color of VersaColor inks (Cardinal and Canary) to the cardstock with sponge daubers.

Blend in the colors as you add it to the cardstock to create the third shade.

Dry the inks with a craft heat gun.

Step 2
Stamp the circles starting with the largest size and then smaller size with a Memento Luxe Wedding Dress ink pad. Repeat the stamping until you like the look of your bokeh background. Make sure some circles overlap each other to create the shadow effect.

When stamping, you might notice the lines on the edges of circles, use a small blending brush or sponge dauber to blend in the white ink around to smoothen the lines.

Dry again the whole background panel with a craft heat gun.

Step 3
Cut the background panel with one of the rectangle dies.

Add the background panel to the card base (A2 size card) with On Point Glue. Add a couple of acrylic blocks on top of it to hold it down while the glue is drying.

Step 4
Cut out 2-3 white cardstocks with the sentiment panel.

Stack the cutouts together with On Point Glue to create a chipboard sentiment panel (thicker die cut).

Step 5
Dab the VersaMark ink all over the sentiment panel, make sure it covers the whole panel.

Add some of the MBoss Sparkle embossing powder (retired) on it and heat it up with a craft heat gun. You will have a sparkly sentiment chipboard!

Add the sentiment on the card with the On Point Glue. Add some acrylic blocks (or anything heavy) on the sentiment to hold it down while the glue is drying.

Isn’t it a fun card making technique to do? You can create with any color inks, or you can even do colorful bokeh and not only white. Give it a try and have fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by our blog today.

Craft Supplies

Imagine:

Others:

  • Rectangle Framelits Die (Dare 2B Artzy)
  • Slim Mini Birthday Die (Dare 2B Artzy)
  • Neenah Solar White Cardstock 80 lb
  • Mini blending brush
  • Acrylic stamping blocks
  • Paper trimmer
  • Bone Folder
  • Die Cutting Machine

 Let’s Make a Multimedia Thank You Card 

By Anna Escalada York

I used to be intimidated by the idea of multimedia cards, but all they are cards that have different types of products. This card features stamping, watercoloring with sprays and Amplify! Ink, and embossing.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 2 hours

Directions:

Step 1:
Die cut a piece of watercolor paper.

Step 2:
Spray Dandelion Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray onto the center part of an embossing folder and Frost Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray around the edges. Place the die cut watercolor panel in the embossing folder. (The folder had some residual color from a previous project, but it will be covered up later.)

Step 3:
Rub a Sunflower Yellow Brilliance Ink pad over the edges of the embossed watercolor panel.

Step 4:
Stamp the main image onto another piece of watercolor paper with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink. Heat emboss with clear embossing powder.

Step 5:
Use a variety of sprays and other media to color in the image.

  • The leaves were watercolored with Cottage Ivy Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray.
  • The green stems were colored with Emerald Fabrico Dual Marker.
  • The small branches were colored in with Rich Cocoa Memento Dual Marker.
  • The flowers were watercolored with Angel Pink Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray on the petals. After the petals dried, the center of the flower and the center part of the petals were water colored with Cantaloupe Shimmery Craft Spray. Finally, the outside parts of the petals were colored with Lulu Lavender Memento Dual Marker.
  • Electric Orange Radiant Neon Amplify! pigment ink and Cantaloupe Shimmery Craft Spray were mixed on a piece of scrap acetate and was watercolored onto the tangerines.

Step 6:
Die cut the image with the corresponding die.

Step 7:
Press Angel Pink Memento Dye Ink onto a scrap of watercolor paper. After the ink dries, spray Angel Pink Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray onto the same scrap of watercolor paper and allow it to dry.

Step 8:
Die cut the pink watercolor paper with a thanks sentiment die and a piece of vellum with the sentiment’s shadow die.

Step 9:
Glue the tangerine image onto the embossed watercolor background panel. Then glue the sentiment die cut to the vellum shadow sentiment die cut. Glue the sentiment onto the panel as well.

Step 10:
Glue the panel onto a 6” by 6” square cardbase. Glue sequins on the lower left and upper right parts of the panel to finish the card.

Art Supplies

Imagine

• Amplify! Radiant Neon pigment ink – Electric Orange
• Brilliance Ink – Sunflower Yellow
• Fabrico Dual Marker – Emerald
• Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – Angel Pink, Cottage Ivy, Cantaloupe and Dandelion
• Memento Dual Marker – Lulu Lavender and Rich Cocoa
• Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray – Frost
• VersaFine Clair Ink – Nocturne

Other

AALL & Create – die set – Nature’s Doily
Alex Syberia Designs – die set – Large Thanks die Altenew- die set – Tangerine Grove
Altenew- stamp set – Tangerine Grove
Catherine Pooler – sequin mix – València Sequin Mix Pink & Main – Embossing Folder – Sun Ray
Clear Embossing Powder 6” by 6” cardbase Watercolor paper
Vellum
Die cutting machine Scissors
Glue

Have an Unbelievable Big Foot Birthday Card

By Ceal Pritchett

Hello crafty friends!, It’s Ceal, here. Today I am going to show you how to create this “Unbelievable” Big Foot birthday card using some VersaFine Clair inks.

Skill Level: Intermediate
Time: 30 to 45 minutes

Directions:

Gather your supplies, you will need a masculine stamp set and several colors of blue inks along with a green, brown and black. You will also need a white gel pen.

Step 1:
Using a sponge dauber or ink blending tool, blend green ink across the bottom of a white panel cut 4 x 5.25. Next starting with the lightest blue blend a circle in the middle of the panel working your way out, then use the medium blue and the darkest blue last around the outside of the panel.

Step 2:
Stamp the tree tops in green, the trunk in brown and the sentiment in black on the panel.

Step 3:
Stamp the bigfoot (sasquatch) in black. I stamped the sentiment when I stamped the trees, but you could actually stamp both the sentiment and bigfoot here since they are both in black.

VersaFine Clair Nocturne is the absolute best back. The bigfoot was only stamped once, and he covers the background perfectly.

Step 5:
Use a white gel pen to add some stars to the night sky and then adhere this panel on the card base.

Supplies:

Imagine products:

• VersaFine Clair – Bali Blue, Blue Belle, Medieval Blue, Twilight, Pinecone, Spruce and Nocturne

Other products:

• Classic Crest Solar White card base – Neenah
• Unbelievably Bigfoot – This Calls for Confetti/Simon Says Stamp
• White gel pen – Gelly Roll

Let’s Make a Fairy Birthday Card

By Kathi Rerek

I recently saw a video where the owner of Lavinia Stamps created a card using Brilliance Moonlight White and a silhouette stamp to create a magical scene. I decided to bring it to the next level by creating a scene using Brilliance and VersaMagic inks.

Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Time: 1 hour 

Step 1:
Place a piece of repositionable label paper onto a craft mat. Use a craft knife and a curvy ruler to cut the piece of label paper. Both pieces will be used as masks.

Step 2:
Cut a piece of Black Mixed Media paper to 5.25” square. Adhere one of the two masks horizontally across the square.

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Hint of Pesto VersaMagic Ink below the mask. Remove the mask and retain. Heat set.

VersaMagic Inks are wonderful on dark backgrounds.

Step 3:
Adhere the second repositionable masks over the sponged green background. 

Use repositionable tape to secure the largest circle-in-a-square stencil from the Circle Mask and Stencil Set to the image panel.

Use a Sponge Dauber to generously apply Moonlight White Brilliance ink to the circular center of the stencil. 

Remove the stencil and heat set.

Step 4:
Keeping the repositonable mask in place, position the moon face stencil from the Moon Layering Mask Set.

Sponge Moonlight White Brilliance Ink over the stencil. Use a slight scrubbing motion to remove some of the ink from the moon craters.

Remove the stencil and the mask. Heat set.

Step 5:
Secure the image panel onto the stamping platform. Position the Fairy Dust fairy so that she’s sitting on the green area of the image panel. 

Ink the stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink and stamp. Re-ink the stamp and stamp until you have a good impression.

Remove the stamp. Heat set the image panel.

Step 6:
Use Fantastix to apply Pearlescent Orchid, Lavender, and Sky Blue Brilliance Inks to the fairy’s wings.
Heat set.
Trim image panel to 5” square.

Step 7: 
(Not Photographed)
Position the Birthday sentiment stamp facedown at the top left of the image panel. Position the Fairy Dust sentiment stamp facedown at the bottle right of the image panel. Ink both stamps with Frost Dazzle VersaMark ink. Sprinkle white detail embossing powder onto the sentiments then dump off the excess. Heat set.

Step 8:
Press two fingers onto the back of the polymer Stars stamp, ink the stamp with Moonlight White Brilliance Ink pad, and stamp. Randomly stamp the stars and the bursts around the moon.

Since the polymer stamp will stick to your fingers you will have more control of stamping. Your image might not be perfect, but that’s okay! 

Step 9:
Use chalk pencils to add grass and flower stems to the green area of the image panel.

Step 10:
Use Fantastix or pointy cosmetic swabs to apply dots of Mango Madness and Pink Grapefruit VersaMagic ink to some of the tufts of grass/flower stems. Heat set. 

Step 11
(not photograhed)
Apply tiny dots of On Point Glue over the “fairy dust” on the image. Shake some glitter onto the wet glue, Let sit then dump off the excess. Apologies for the lack of a photo.

Step 12:
Cut a piece of Raven cardstock to 5.5” x 11”, score at 5.5”, and fold to form a 5.5” square cad. 
Cut a piece of the blue glitter paper to 5.25” square. 

Use Tear-It Tape to adhere the glitter paper to the front of the card. The tape is perfect for this application as the back of the glitter paper is slick. Use Tear-It ! Tape to adhere the image panel to the blue glitter paper.

Art Supplies:

Imagine:

Other Supplies:

  • 140 lb. Black Mixed Media Cardstock by Strathmore
  • Raven Black Cardstock by Bazzill Basics
  • Circle Stencil and Mask Set by Lavinia Stamps
  • Fairy Dust Clear Polymer Stamp by Lavinia Stamps
  • Fairy Happy Birthday Clear Polymer Stamp by Lavinia Stamps
  • Fairy Dust Sentiment Clear Polymer Stamp by Lavinia Stamps
  • Mini Burst Clear Polymer Stamp Set by Lavinia Stamps
  • Mini Star Clear Polymer Stamp Set by Lavinia Stamps
  • Moon Layering Masks by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous
  • Blue Hawaii Ultra Fine Glitter by Art Institute
  • Grass Green and Green Bice Chalk Pencils by General’s
  • Pointy Tip Cosmetic Swabs
  • Repositionable Label Paper by Avery
  • Repositionable Scotch Tape by 3M
  • Curvy Metal Ruler by Fiskar’s
  • Craft Knife by Exacto
  • Tonic Stamping Platform
  • Heat Gun by EK Success