Hi everyone, it’s Jessica here. Today I have a special Valentine’s card to share with you. If you are a dog person, the background stamp we are using today is for you. It’s really unique and you could highlight any of the dogs to create personalized cards for the recipient.
Step 1: Ink up Stampin’ Up!’s Doggone Friendly background stamp with Sand Dune VersaFine Clair ink, then stamp on a piece of watercolor cardstock. I recently got a photopolymer sticky mat from Altenew and have enjoyed using it so far. It ensures the cardstock stays in place when you are stamping, which is a handy feature when you are stamping large images like background stamps.
Step 2: I wanted to highlight the Shiba Inu in the middle by creating a spotlight effect around him. I laid down the Spotlight Heart stencil in the center and ink blended the edges lightly with Rhubarb Stalk Memento ink. Memento inks are perfect for ink blending and since they are dye inks, the blended areas will not cover up the background stamp details.
Step 3: This step is completely optional, but I decided to add some simple watercoloring. I chose Potter’s Clay for his face and used Rhubarb Stalk to color his tongue. For his scarf, I used Bamboo Leaves (not pictured here).
Step 4: Lastly, I stamped a “punny” sentiment using Bamboo Leaves Memento ink. I have used the Labeler Alphabet stamp set many times before to create custom sentiments. I thought this phrase compliments the blended heart shape nicely. Finally, I added some green enamel dots to decorate and the card is completed!
I wanted to use some dies in my stash plus some warm colored inks to make a Valentine’s Day card for my husband.
Skill: Intermediate Time: 1.5 hours
Directions:
Step 1:
Rub a piece of watercolor paper with a Love Letter Memento ink pad. Don’t worry too much about the consistent color across the watercolor paper.
Step 2:
Spray the same watercolor paper with Rose Gold Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray and allow to dry.
Step 3:
Die cut the colored and sprayed watercolor paper.
Step 4:
Use a background or texture stamp to to stamp the center of the die cut with ore Love Letter Memento ink. If desired, rub the small hearts around the edge with more Love Letter Memento ink as well.
Step 5:
Rub a piece of watercolor paper with Rhubarb Stalk Memento ink pad. Again, don’t worry too much about the consistent color across the watercolor paper.
Steps 6 and 7:
Die cut the Rhubarb Stalk colored watercolor paper and use a paintbrush to paint GooseBumps Shimmer Texture Spray on the die cut. Allow the GooseBumps Shimmer Texture Spray to dry (or if you are impatient like me use your heat tool to dry it quickly).
(Not pictured: Die cut two more layers of the sentiment die with scraps of cardstock and glue the three layers together for dimension. Then die cut the shadow of the sentiment with vellum and glue the sentiment onto the shadow.)
Step 8:
Spray enough Angel Pink Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray onto a piece of watercolor paper to totally color the paper and allow to dry.
Step 9:
Die cut the sprayed watercolor paper. Glue the two layers of die cut hearts together.
Step 10:
Tape an outer and inner frames together with tape and use them both together to die cut more watercolor paper.
Step 11:
Ink blend the die cut frame with Rhubarb Stalk Memento Ink using a sponge dauber.
Step 12:
Spray the internal part of the die cut with Rose Gold Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray and allow to dry.
Step 13:
Use Love Letter and Rhubarb Stalk Memento Ink to ink blend through a stencil. Then ink blend around the edges of the die cut with more Rhubarb Stalk Memento Ink.
Step 14 and 15:
Use the same texture stamp used to stamp the red heart, stamp the background (internal part) of the card base with more of the Love Letter Memento Ink multiple times to add some more interest to the background.
Step 16:
Arrange the card and glue it onto a 6” x 6” card base. Start out by gluing the sentiment onto the internal part of the cardpanel (over the die cut heart). Then glue the frame onto the card base and nestle the internal part of the card onto the card. Add sequins on the lower left and upper right parts of the card.
Here’s a punny Valentine’s Day card that showcases the blending of the new Baby Pink VersaFine Clair Ink with the Charming Pink VersaFine Clair Ink. I also used Purell to create a fun ghosting technique!
Skill Level: Beginner Time: 45 minutes
Instructions:
Steps 1A and B:
Use a make-up brush to apply Baby Pink VersaFine Clair Ink to a piece of white cardstock. Start at the top of the panel and work downwards. The make-up brush creates soft textured look on the cardstock. Continue to brush downwards until the brush doesn’t put ink onto the cardstock (1A)
Use the same make-up brush to apply Charming Pink VersaFine Clair Ink from the base of the cardstock panel, blending as you go. (1B)
Steps 2A and B:
Place the Staggered Hearts stencil over the inked panel. (2A)
Add Purell to a dry baby wipe until it’s saturated then use the wipe to apply the Purell over the stencil onto the cardstock. The Purell will lift the VersaFine Clair Ink, creating ghosted hearts on the background. Heat setting will accentuate the ghosted effect while setting the ink. (2B)
Step 3:
Place the inked cardstock panel onto a stamping platform. Use Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink to stamp the cat. Re-ink and stamp again if necessary for a crisp image. Remove the image panel and use a paint brush dipped and the ink pad to do any necessary touch ups to the image. Heat set.
Step 4:
Use Prismacolor markers to color the cat’s eyes, taking care to avoid the black ink and contaminate your markers. Use a white gel pen to add highlights to the cat’s eyes. No photos. Sorry.
Step 5:
Use alphabet dies and a speech bubble die to cut black cardstock. Use a flag and a heart die to to cut to cut extra inked cardstock from Step 1. Smoosh the heart die-cut onto the Charming Pink VersaFine Clair inkpad. Trim the ends off of the flag die-cut and edge with Charming Pink VersaFine Clair Ink. Adhere the letter die-cuts and the heart to the pink strip, then adhere to the black speech bubble die-cut.
Step 6:
Use Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink to stamp the cat onto the scrap of repositionable sticker paper. Fussy-cut the sticker paper along the bottom and place it over its counterpart as a mask. Place a strip of repositionable Scotch Tape across the image panel. Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Charming Pink VersaFine Clair Ink over the tape and the masked cat paws to the bottom of the image panel.
Remove the tape and the mask over the cat. Use Use a Sponge Dauber to edge the image panel with Charming Pink VersaFine Clair Ink.
Step 7:
Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Baby Pink VersaFine Clair Ink to the outside .5” perimeter of an A2 card. Heat set.
Step 8:
Cut a panel of black cardstock to 4” x 5.25”. Use Tear It! Tape to mat the image panel with the black cardstock, adhere the matted image panel to the card, and adhere the speech bubble die-cut as shown. Use the sentiment sticker to finish the card.
Hello crafty friends! It’s Ceal, here. Today I am sharing a Clean & Simple Valentines card.
Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate Time: 30 to 45 Minutes
Directions: Gather you supplies. You will need a stencil, valentines stamp, pink or any color ink, markers and black ink.
Step 1: Stamp your image with black ink ,I used Memento Tuxedo Black.
Step 2: Color the image with markers and then cut out with coordinating die.
Step 3: Place a white panel cut to 4.25 x 5.5 down on a grip mat or other sticky surface. Lay stencil over it and add color with a sponge or blending brush starting in the center and gradually getting lighter toward the edge.
Step 4: Add the panel to a card base and stamp the sentiment using VersaFine Clair Nocturne. Add foam tape to op up the image.
When I’m not making cards, I am a high school teacher and graduate student. I made something way out of my comfort zone for the final project for my graduate school class, and wanted to share it here as well. I created a blackout poem from a copy of a text related to my project and then added some stamped images related to it over the poem. I had a lot of fun making it, so I may have to start making more blackout poems in the future….
Skill: Intermediate
Time: 3 hours
Directions:
Step 1: Paint a thin layer of white gesso onto a 5” by 7” medium density fiberboard (MDF) panel.
Step 2: Identify words that you want to keep by underlying them or drawing boxes around them in pencil (the other words will be crossed out).
Step 3: Using a white marker, cross out the other words, leaving the underlined words as the only words that we can see on the page. Erase the pencil marks.
Step 4: Stamp two deer using Warm Breeze and Bali Blue VersaFine Clair Ink and then heat emboss both of them with clear Mboss powder. Die cut them with their corresponding dies. If desired, die cut the additional layers of scrap cardstock to fit behind the Warm Breeze buck (the deer that is standing rather than jumping) and glue them behind the stamped and embossed layer for dimension.
Step 5: If you are very quick and add embossing powder onto die ink immediately, you can emboss it! I decided to stamp and die cut one more deer for the panel and so repeated the process from step 4 with Teal Zeal Memento ink and more clear Mboss powder.
Step 6: Stamp butterflies onto another piece of watercolor paper with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink. Heat emboss again with more clear Mboss powder.
Step 7: Die cut the butterflies with their corresponding die. Not pictured: Color in the butterflies with New Sprout, Summer Sky and Danube Blue Memento Dual Markers and spray them with water to make the color blend into each other. After the water dried, color parts of the butterflies with a gold pen.
Step 8: Cut a piece of vellum with scissors to look like a mountain. Color the bottom of the vellum with Northern Pine Memento Dual Marker and then use your finger to smudge the marker color.
Step 9: Cut another smaller hill shape out of vellum and then smudge Avocado VersaFine Clair ink along the bottom and allow it to dry.
Steps 10-12: My decided not to save the pictures of steps 10-12. This picture was taken the next day after I realized that my camera betrayed me! Here are the steps that I took to get to finish the panel:
Step 10: Glue the blackout poem onto the backing panel. Then press the Night Sky VersaMagic ink pad onto the top and sides of the panel (to help cover up the fact that the blackout poem didn’t quite meet the edges of the panel) and heat emboss with clear Mboss powder. Repeat the process three times to help build up the amount of embossing powder on the side of the panel (and obscure the edges of the paper). Using a brush (or in my case my finger), smudge some Danube Blue Memento Dual Marker mixed with water on a piece of acetate around the top and
sides of the panel. Then press a Gold Sheer Shimmer Stix Dauber onto a piece of acetate packaging and add it to the sides and top edges of the panel as well. Allow to dry.
Step 11: Glue down the two vellum mountains on the bottom edge of the panel, making sure to have the glue hiding behind the deer and other elements on the panel as well as the butterflies. Add washi tape stickers across the bottom of the panel.
Step 12: Glue the deer onto the panel to finish the piece.
Other • Art Alternatives – MDF Panel (5” x 7”) • Catherine Pooler – die set – Peaceful Deer • Catherine Pooler – stamp set – Peaceful Deer • Golden – Gesso Semi-Opaque Acrylic Primer • Pinkfresh Studios – die set – Small Butterflies • Pinkfresh Studios – stamp set – Small Butterflies • The Washi Tape Shop – washi tape stickers – Green Oasis Gold pen • Copied book page (for the blackout poem) White marker • Watercolor paper Vellum • Pencil Paintbrush • Die cutting machine Paint brush • Paper trimmer Scissors • Glue
Hello crafty friends! Can you feel the love fill the air? With love in our hearts and minds today, we are going to have fun creating this Love Wins art journaling page together. Let’s get crafting!
Skill: Intermediate Time: 45-60 minutes
Direction:
Step 1 Cut out the Canson watercolor leftover or strips into squares and rectangles. Add the pieces to the journal page with On Point Glue. Let them dry well for a few minutes. This will create the tile background to give extra texture to the journal page. (Optional: you can skip this if you want to have smoother background to your page)
Step 2 Add some of the texture paste around the corners and edges of the journal page using a stencil and palette knife. Remove the stencil and wash it right away with warm water. Let the texture paste to dry. You can use a craft heater to speed up the drying time, but be very careful to not heat it up too much, move around your craft heat all over the page. Let the page cool down.
Step 3 This is a fun step! Start spraying your page with the Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray, one color at the time. You do not need to wait for each color to dry to spray the next one. It is fun to watch how each color blends together. Use a craft heater to dry the background. Optional: you can repeat spraying until you get the color blending you like to have.
Step 4 Add some of the Wedding Dress Memento Luxe ink to the page using your finger on the texture paste heart on the background. This will bring out the hearts and muted the bright colors a little bit. Dry the background with a craft heat gun.
Step 5 Building up the background texture on the journal page by randomly stamping each texture stamp one by one using the Memento Luxe ink pads (Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa, Espresso Truffle) and VersaFine Clair Charming Pink ink pad. Dry the ink after stamping each image on the journal page.
Step 6 Using sponge dauber, add some of the Memento Luxe Rick Cocoa ink around the corner of the page to create the shadow border. Dry the ink with a craft heat gun.
Step 7 On a piece of white cardstock, stamp the letters for the title or sentiment using VersaFine Clair Charming Pink inkpad. Dry the stamped letters with a craft heat gun. Cut out each letter with scissors. Add some of the VersaFine Clair Charming Pink ink around the edges of the letters using a sponge dauber to give some shadows effect to the letters.
Step 8 Add each letter to the journal page with On Point Glue.
Step 9 This is an optional step. I decided to muted down the Rick Cocoa border by adding some of the Memento Luxe Wedding Dress ink with a blending brush.
Step 10 Add some shimmer sparkle to the page by spraying some of the Sheer Shimmer Sparkle Spritzer. Dry the whole page once more time with a craft heat gun. It’s done.
Let unconditional love fill each of your hearts every day so we can show love to others. At the end… Love wins! Thank you for stopping by our blog today. Have a wonderful day.
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