Tag Archives: DIY cards

Let’s Make a Beautiful Mixed Media Panel

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By Anna Escalada York

Last month, I made a jar for my younger kid and wanted to focus on my older kid in February. I made this piece for them while they were taking their ACT test! I decided to personalize the panel to feature some things they like–math and numbers, nature, space and mushrooms. This mixed media piece features sprays, ink, collage, stenciling, and cloth flowers. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon and I hope it inspires you to consider making something similar.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 3 hours (plus drying time)

Directions

Step 1:
Paint gesso onto a 6×6” canvas panel and let dry. Then mix a small amount of gesso with Tea Leaves VersaMagic chalk ink on a palette (or a piece of plastic packaging) to create a very light green tin. Repeat the process with more gesso and Bamboo Leaves Memento ink to create a slightly darker green tint of gesso. Using a wide paintbrush, brush both the lighter and the darker green gesso across the panel randomly. Allow to dry a second time. (Or if you are feeling impatient, dry with a heat tool.)

Step 2:
Using a smaller paintbrush, paint the entire surface of each paper flower’s petals with Cantaloupe Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray and then paint the edges with Tangelo Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray. Allow to dry.

Step 3:
Using a sponge dauber, blend Tea Leaves VersaMagic Chalk Ink through a stencil on the upper right and lower left corners of the panel. Allow to dry.

Step 4:
Stamp a mid-sized flower with Morning Mist VersaFine Clair ink. Heat emboss with clear embossing powder. Fussy cut the flower and then press the edges along the edges of the flower with more of the Morning Mist VersaFine Clair ink to disguise any imperfections left behind when fussy cutting and heat emboss a second time with clear embossing powder.

(When I took the picture I had intended to only include one stamped flower. Later, when assembling the panel, I realized I needed another flower and so repeated the process to make two flowers in total.)

Step 5:
Press the Campagne Delicata ink pad onto watercolor paper. When dry, die cut the watercolor paper with a large circle in a nesting circle die set. Then spray with Gold Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray and allow to dry.

While drying, die cut a piece of collage paper with the next sized down circular die (not pictured).

Step 6:
Return to the canvas panel. Cut out a vertical strip of collage paper and glue it to the left side of the panel. Paint over with leftover gesso on the paint brush (from steps 1 and 3). Add more stenciled texture by blending Bamboo Leaves Memento Ink through the same stencil on the lower left corner of the panel. Then add ink along the edges of the panel by running the Bamboo Leaves Memento Ink pad along the edge.

Step 7:
Partially stamp the center of a small stamp multiple times across the upper and mid right side of the panel with Morning Mist VersaFine Clair ink by adding ink to the central part of the stamp (the text) and wiping away the ink from the edges of the stamp and then pressing just the center of the stamp onto the panel. Repeat the process 3 times.

Then stamp a small mushroom stamp multiple times on the lower right side of the panel with more Morning Mist VersaFine Clair ink, sometimes moving the stamp higher and lower on the panel to change the heights of the mushrooms. Allow the ink to dry.

Step 8:
Start to assemble the panel. Glue the die cut watercolor paper circle (step 5) and the collage paper circle together and then glue onto the panel. Then glue the stamped flowers and the 3D paper flowers onto the lower left part of the card. Glue yellow and clear sequins around the flowers.

After I assembled the panel, I realized that it wasn’t done and needed something more.

Step 9:
Die cut a scrap of watercolor paper and use Cantaloupe Fireworks! Craft Spray to paint them yellow with a small paintbrush.

Step 10:
Press Bamboo Leaves Memento Ink onto another scrap of watercolor paper and then die cut the paper with a sentiment. Then use scrap cardstock to die cut two additional layers of the sentiment. Glue all three layers together for dimension.

Step 11:
Splatter the panel with Gold Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray, making sure that gold splatter landed on the petals of the 3D flowers. Glue the beautiful sentiment and the stars onto the panel to finish the card.

Art Supplies

Imagine
• Delicata Ink – Champagne
• Fireworks! Craft Spray – Cantaloupe and Tangelo
• Memento ink – Bamboo Leaves
• Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray – Gold
• VersaFine Clair ink – Morning Mist
• VersaMagic ink – Tea Leaves
• Sponge Daubers

Other
• AALL & Create – stamp – Astroventurer (#912)–used for the sentiment in the background
• Alt Alternatives – 6×6” Economy Cotton Canvas Panel
• Catherine Pooler – sequin mix – Saint Lucia
• Concord & 9th – die set – Botanical die set (beautiful sentiment)
• 49th and Market – Salt (white colored) Paper Flower 8 pack
• Gina Marie Designs – die set – Mosaic Triangle Edge Circle
• Golden – Gesso Semi-Opaque Acrylic Primer
• Lavinia Stamps – stamp – Slender Mushrooms
• Simon Says Stamp – stamp set – Beautiful Flowers
• The Crafter’s Workshop (TCW) – stencil – Square Stones (TCW1087s)
• Tim Holtz and Idea-ology – collage paper – Archives (TH94366)
• Tim Holtz and Sizzix – die set – Creative Cutouts die set (for the stars)
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Heat tool Scissors
• Wide paint brush
• Small paint brush
• Glue
• Watercolor paper

Stamp a Gender-Neutral Birthday Card with VersaFine Clair Inks

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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

Floral Mixed Media Card

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By Helen Gullett

Hello crafty friends! Today we are going to make this floral mixed media card with some ink-smooshing, ink-swiping, ink-splattering, and embossing techniques.

Let’s get crafting!

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 15-30 minutes

Direction:

Step 1

Starting with creating the watercolored background panel by cutting a piece of 140 lb watercolor cardstock into 4 ¼ inch x 5 ½ inch. To pick out the color combo, make sure you pick the colors that won’t turn into a muddy color when they are mixed together.

Scribble some of the Tropical Lagoon Fabrico Marker on the craft mat and then spray it lightly with some water. Then, smoosh the watercolor cardstock to the watercolor ink on the mat. Pick it up and dry the watercolor ink on the panel with a craft heat gun. Repeat it until you like the result.

Clean the craft mat with the Staz-On All Purpose Stamp Cleaner and paper towel.

Step 2

Scribble some of the Peony Purple Fabrico Marker on the craft mat and then spray it lightly with some water.

Then, smoosh the watercolor cardstock to the watercolor ink on the mat. Pick it up and dry the watercolor ink on the panel with a craft heat gun. Repeat it until you like the result.

Clean the craft mat with the Staz-On All Purpose Stamp Cleaner and paper towel.

Step 3

Scribble some of the Tangerine Fabrico Marker on the craft mat and then spray it lightly with some water.

Then, smoosh the watercolor cardstock to the watercolor ink on the mat. Pick it up and dry the watercolor ink on the panel with a craft heat gun. Repeat it until you like the result.

Clean the craft mat with the Staz-On All Purpose Stamp Cleaner and paper towel.

Step 4

Scribble some of the Lemon Yellow Fabrico Marker on the craft mat and then spray it lightly with some water.

Then, smoosh the watercolor cardstock to the watercolor ink on the mat. Pick it up and dry the watercolor ink on the panel with a craft heat gun. Repeat it until you like the result.

Clean the craft mat with the Staz-On All Purpose Stamp Cleaner and paper towel.

Step 5

Once the watercolored panel dried well, put it inside the embossing folder, and then run it through the machine.

Step 6

Swipe the VersaFine Clair Warm Breeze ink directly on the embossed part of the panel.

Make sure you swipe the ink lightly and smoothly, do not press down the ink pad to the paper. The juicer (good amount of ink) ink pad, the better.

Dry the ink on the panel with a craft heat gun.

Step 7

To tone down the bright color, swipe some of the VersMagic Cloud White ink on the panel.

This is an optional step, if you prefer a more subtle color background instead of bright color.

Dry the ink on the panel with a craft heat gun.

Step 8

Shake the Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Sprays bottles before you use it to make sure the ink inside mixes well.

Open the top of the spray and use it (or small round brush) to add some splatters of the Summer Sky Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray on the panel.

Dry the splatters of ink on the panel with a craft heat gun.

Step 9

Next, open the top of the spray and use it (or small round brush) to add some splatters of the Lulu Lavender Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray on the panel.

Dry the splatters of ink on the panel with a craft heat gun.

Step 10

Stamp the flower and leaf images on a white cardstock using the VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink pad with a stamping tool (or acrylic stamping blocks).

Dry the stamped images with a craft heat gun.

Step 11

Cut all the stamped flowers and leaves with their matching die set, or you can fussy cut them using micro-tip scissors.

Step 12

Stamp the sentiment on a white card stock using the VersaFine Clair Warm Breeze ink pad with a stamping block.

Dry the stamped sentiment word with a craft heat gun and then fussy cut it with a micro-tip scissors.

Step 13

Trim the background panel into 4 inch x 5 ¼ inch using a paper trimmer.

Add the background panel to an A2 card base with the On Point Glue.

Step 14

Cut a piece of white paper (copy paper works great) with the Delicate Doily die to create your own doily paper mat.

Add the doily paper to the card with the On Point Glue.

Step 15

Add the flowers and leaves to the card with On Point Glue.

Then, add some of a thin foam to the sentiment with On Point Glue and add it to the card with the same glue.

Step 16

Add more shimmer to the card by spraying and splatting some of the Sheer Shimmer Spark Spray.

The ink-smooshing, embossing, ink-swiping, and ink-splattering techniques give an amazing texture look to the background of this card.

And those layers of doily, flowers, leaves, and sentiment add more dimension to this mixed media card.

I hope you will give this tutorial a try and play around with different colors to see the surprise you will get for your cards. Thanks so much for stopping by our blog today.

Craft Supplies

Imagine Crafts:

Others:

  • Bold Blooms stamp & die bundle set (Creative Worship Stamps)
  • Delicate Doily die set (Creative Worship Stamps)
  • Scallop Embossing Folder (Close To MY Heart, discontinued)
  • Watercolor cardstock 140 lb.
  • White cardstock
  • White copy paper
  • Acrylic stamping blocks / Tool
  • Micro-tip scissors
  • Paper trimmer
  • Twizzers
  • Bone Folder
  • Bottle Sprayer / Mister Bottle
  • Paper Towel

Let Your Light Shine: Lighthouse Card Tutorial

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By Ceal Pritchett

Hello everyone!

It’s Ceal, here. Today I am sharing how to make this beautiful light house card using supplies by Pinkfresh studio and Memento Inks.

Skill: Intermediate to Advanced
Time: one hour

Directions:

Gather your supplies.  You will need a lighthouse or similar stamp set with coordinating stencils and dies. To make this card I started with a white top folding A2 card base and a white panel.

Step 1:
Stamp the image with VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink on a white panel.

Step 2:
Using the first stencil color the portion of the lighthouse and bush. I used Love Letter and Pear tart Memento ink.


Step 3:
Color the open portions of the second stencil. I used Gray Flannel, Love Letter, Cantaloupe, and Bamboo Leaves


Step 4:
Color the open portions of the third stencil. I used Cantaloupe, Love Letter, Teal Zeal, Pear Tart and Gray Flannel. This will complete the coloring of the image.

Step 5:
Cut the image out with the cording die using a die cutting machine.

Step 6:
Color the open portion of the fourth stencil creating the sand. I used Desert Sand. For the walkway/path I used Gray Flannel.

Step 7:
Color the open portion of the stencil creating the water. I used a mixture of Summer Sky and Teal Zeal.

Step 8:
Create clouds in the background by using a cloud stencil. The ink I used is Teal Zeal.

Step 9:
Add a sentiment to the panel and adhere the finished panel to the card base popping up the lighthouse.

Products Used:

Imagine Products:
Memento Inks in the following colors
Teal Zeal
Summer Sky
Pear tart
Bamboo Leaves
Love Letter
Cantaloupe
Desert Sand
Gray Flannel

Other Supplies:

Guiding Light by Pinkfresh Studio
Stamp set
Coordinating Coloring Stencils
Coordinating Dies

Creating a Colorful Seahorse | Step-by-Step Art Process

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By Tracy Fear

Join Me Creating a Colorful Seahorse | Step-by-Step Art Process
Tracy

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 60 Minutes

Art Supplies
100lb white paper
A2 Card Base
Stamp Platform
Silver Pen
White Gel Pen
Glue

Imagine Products
VersaFine Clair in Warm Breeze, Lilac Bloom, Charming Pink, Monarch, and Twilight

VersaMagic Ink in Mango Madness, Sea Breeze, Ocean Depth, Purple Hydrangea, Pink Grapefruit, and Turquoise

Memento ink in Tuxedo Black

Other Products Used
Lavinia Stamps from my stash.
PVA Adhesive
Deckle Trimmer
Ink blending brushes
Ink Blending domed foam pads and handles

ALTERNATIVE PRODUCTS THAT CAN BE USED TO RECREATE SOMETHING SIMILAR
Any Inks and stamps

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

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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