Make a Fun, Quick and Easy Stenciled Retirement Card

By LeeAnn McKinney 

Greetings friends and fellow crafters, LeeAnn here with a fun to make, retirement card using both stencils and stamps. I am finding myself in love with stencils these days, and you will see more coming from me in the upcoming months. 

Skill: Beginner

Time: 20 min

Products Used

Imagine

• Memento: Dandelion, Bahama Blue, Summer Sky, Angel Pink, Lulu Lavender 

• VersaFine Clair Nocturne

• StazOn Stamp Cleaner 

• On Point Glue 

• Tear It! Tape

Other Supplies Used:

Gina K designs: Ocean Silhouettes Stamp Set 

Gina K designs: Sea, Sun and Sky Stencil

Gina K Designs: White Cardstock

Let’s Make a Flowers and Butterflies 3D Embossed Happy Birthday Card

By Martha Lucia Gomez –

Hello crafty friends! Today, I have a different way to use your VersaMagic Ink Pads. You only need a embossing folder and different colors of ink to create a colored background.  

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 60 minutes

Directions:

Select an embossing folder of your preference. If you use a 3D Embossing Folder, you will note a bigger difference in the background.

Step 1:

Select the colors of VersaMagic Ink that you want to use. In today’s card, I am using Purple Hydrangea, Red Magic, Mango, Ocean Depth and Turquoise Green.  Also select the embossing folder that you wanted to use.

Step 2:

Place the piece of cardstock behind your embossing folder before applying the ink to the embossing folder. With this you will see clearer how the colors will look on your background. Apply the ink directly with the ink pad over one of the sides of your folder. Remember that it has an embossing side and a debossing side. In my sample, I used the debossing side.

Insert the piece of cardstock inside of your embossing folder and pass it through the die cut machine before the ink dries.

Step 3:

To enhance the details that were not covered by the ink, you can use the Sheer Shimmer Stix Dauber. Just softly press the dauber directly over the details where you want to add the shimmer look. I used the Frost color to keep it neutral.

Step 4:

Now is the time to add the sentiment. I didn’t want to cover the colorful background, so I went for a large die cut sentiment. First, I inked a piece of white smooth cardstock with one of the colors used in the background. In my model it is the Turquoise Green. I applied it directly with the ink pad and let the paper dry naturally before the die cut the sentiment.

To add more contrast, I also die cut a tiny complement of the sentiment in a coordinated card stock. I pasted it directly over the large die cut sentiment using the OnPoint Glue.

Step 5:

Resize your layer and paste it directly over the card base using Tear it Tape. Paste the large sentiment over the colored background using crafty foam tape to add more dimension to the card.

Thanks for stopping by and remember, you don’t need to create complicated projects. Just use the best inks and let your creativity shine!

Art Supplies:

Imagine:

Other:

  • 3D Embossing Folder
  • Die Cut Machine
  • White and colored cardstick  
  • Crafty Foam Tape

Ink Embossing Folder Techniques

By Alison Heikkila 

Greetings! It’s Alison Heikkila. I recently watched a video from Jennifer McGuire that was all about inking embossing folders to create beautiful inky and dimensional cards easily. I wanted to give her techniques a try using inks from Imagine. I also decided that this would be a great opportunity to make a Christmas card. You can check out my YouTube video below.

Skill Level: Beginner
Time to Complete: 15 minutes

Art Supplies:
Imagine:
Delicata Ink in Golden Glitz
Memento Ink: Rhubarb Stalk
Other:
Sizzix: Kaleidoscope 3-D Texture Fades
Stampers Anonymous: Bold Tidings Mini
Ranger: Brayer
Black Grosgrain Ribbon, Black & White Cardstock

Jennifer McGuire’s Video

I hope you enjoyed this simple, yet impactful technique. Thanks so much for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Learn How to Create a Faux Wood Burning Stamping Technique

By Nancy May –

Pyrography is the art of wood burning and it has a very distinctive look. This stamping technique has a very similar look. Be sure to use watercolor card or this technique will likely not work. You will also need a stamping platform, water mister and a water reactive dye ink like VersaMagic, and a non-water reactive pigment ink, like VersaFine Clair.  Let’s get into it. 

~Nancy

Skill: Beginner, Intermediate

Time: undetermined

Art Supplies

Imagine:

● VersaMagic Dew Drop – Jumbo Java

● VersaMagic Dew Drop – Tea Leaves

● VersaFine Clair – Nocturne

Other:

● Stampendous – Snowy Birds Red Rubber Stamp

● Whimsy Stamps – You Are Loved Die set

● Dress My Craft – Rich Red 12×12 Cardstock

● PinkFresh – Slimline Lacy Edgers Dies

Let’s Make a Gel Print Cat Card

By Kathi F. Rerek 

Using a Gel Press with VersaFine Clair inks is a great way to create a quick background.

Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Time: 1 hour

Directions:

Step 1.

Use a 2” brayer to apply Paradise VersaFine Clair ink to the top part of a 4” round gel press. Clean the brayer, then use to apply Green Oasis VersaFine Clair Ink to the bottom  of the gel press.

Press a 6” x 4.25” piece of mixed media paper onto the gel press and pull the print. I actually used a leftover panel from a previous gel print session that was not successful.

Step 2:

Mist the print with with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol.

Use Fantastix to apply Verdant VersaFine Clair Ink to even out the green area of the print and then apply Rain Forest VersaFine Clair Ink to add dimension.

Step 3:

Use paper towel to gently dab the sky and grassy areas of the print with Purell to further blend the ink.

Heat set.

Step 4:

Use magnets to secure the image panel to the base of a stamping platform.

Position the stretching cat stamp from the The Furieux/Caffeinated Cats Unmounted Stamp Set facedown so that its paws are on the grass.

Ink the stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if needed. Remove the stamp and heat set the panel.

Step 5:

The left paws were stamped slightly above the grass, so I used Fantastix and Green Oasis VersaFine Clair Ink to add a tuft of grass under his floating paws and to add detail to the lawn.

Step 6:

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Pearlescent Sky Blue Brilliance Ink around the image circle, leaving a bit of a halo effect around the circle.

Step 7:

Tape the image panel to the back of the Pawprint Stencil so that the smallest paw prints run horizontally across the top of the image panel.

Use Sponge Daubers to apply Pearlescent Sky Blue and Mediterranean Blue Brilliance Inks over the stencil onto the image panel.

Remove and clean the stencil, then repeat the steps above to stencil the small paw prints across the bottom of the image panel.

Lift the stencil and use the Sponge Dauber to edge the panel with Mediterranean Blue Brilliance Ink. Heat set the panel.

Step 8:

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Pearlescent Sky Blue Brilliance Ink to a strip of white cardstock. Heat set.

Secure the cardstock strip to the base of a stamping platform. Position the “You talking’ to me?” sentiment from the Whatchamacallit Unmounted Stamp Set facedown on the strip.

Ink the stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp. Heat set.

Use scissors or a die-cut to cut the sentiment and edge it with Mediterranean Blue Brilliance Ink. Heat set.

Step 9:

Cut a piece of white cardstock to 9” x 6.25”, score at 4.5”, and fold to form a 4.5” x 6.25” card.

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Mediterranean Blue Brilliance Ink around the the edges of the card. Heat Set.

Step 10:

Use Tear It! Tape to secure the image panel to the card front.

Step 11:

After looking at the finished card,I decided that the card needed a larger sentiment up at the top left.

Secure the entire card with magnets to the base of a stamping platform. Position the “Hello” stamp from the Holiday Quotes. Unmounted Stamp Set facedown on the upper left. Use Nocturne VersaMark Ink to stamp the sentiment. Heat set.

Supplies used:

Imagine:

Other Supplies:

  • 140 lb. Mixed Media Paper by Strathmore
  • Solar White Classic Crest Cardstock by Neenah Papers
  • The Furieux/Caffeinated Cats Unmounted Stamp Set 127 by Katzelkraft
  • Whatchamacallit Unmounted Stamp Set 276 by Katzelkraft
  • Holiday Quotes Unmounted Stamp Set 207 by Katzelkraft
  • 4” Circle Gel Press
  • Paw Prints 6×6 Stencil by KaiserCraft
  • Lemon Yellow Zig Clear Color Real Brush Marker by Kuretake
  • 91% Isopropyl Alcohol
  • Purell
  • Stamping Platform
  • Heat Gun by EK Success

Swipe Ink Technique Summer Card

By Martha Lucia Gomez 

Hello crafty friends! Today, I have a new tutorial to create backgrounds. On this opportunity I am using the Swipe Ink Technique. Basically, you swipe the ink pad over your cardstock but this time we are using Kaleidacolor Inks that has 5 different colors in one single ink pad or swipe.  

Skill: Intermedia
Time: 60 minutes

Directions:

Step 1:

Pick your favorite Kaleidacolor Ink Pad. To make my project, I selected the Bouquet and white smooth cardstock.

Step 2:

Active your swipe putting together all the colors of your ink pad. Place the cardstock over the mat and softly swipe the ink over the paper without up your hand.
If you want, you can go from up to down in a single swipe or in any direction. In my sample, I stopped in the middle and turn around the cardstock to repeat the process and have the center of the cardstock clean or without color.

Let the ink dry naturally before continuing with the next steps or repeat the process to create your own layout.

Step 3:

When the inked cardstock is totally dry, you can resize it or die cut It. Also, you can stamp over it, just like I made. I stamped a larger image over the center of the inked panel with VersaFine Clair Nocturne and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. Then, I resized the layer with Zig Zag Stitched Rectangles.

Step 4:

To add more interest to the card, I pasted the large frame with Tear It! Tape over the card base. Then, I pasted the small rectangle with crafty foam tape to have more dimension.

Thanks for stopping by and remember, you don’t need to create complicated projects. Just use the best inks and let your creativity shine!

Art Supplies:

Imagine:

Other:

  • Melon Mambo and White Smooth Cardstock
  • Die Cut Machine
  • Zig Zag Stitched Die Cut Frames
  • Crafty Foam Tape