Project Swap: Let Your Dreams Fly Greeting Card

Welcome back for another Artist Project Swap with Martha and Steph. For the Month of May, we challenged our artists to exchange tutorials and create each other’s designs in order to see how each of our artists interprets style and choices. The receiving artist did not know who designed the project, nor did they receive any images! In today’s post, Martha writes the directions and recommended supplies list and Steph created the project.

Let Your Dreams Fly by Steph Ackerman

This month we were given another team member’s project to re-create. What a great way to see how someone else approaches cardmaking! I love creating backgrounds using stamps and inks, but don’t generally have a lot of “white space” on my cards. I’ve always felt the need to cover white spaces. This project challenge taught me that you can use white spaces to create amazing projects. See how I did it!

Skill: Beginner
Time: 30 minutes

Directions


Step 1

Ink background stamps with VersaMagic in Cloud White on white paper and let dry.


Step 2

Using daubers, ink panel with Memento in Morocco, Rhubarb Stalk and Peanut Brittle which should create a warm hue.


Step 3

Cut the panel to fit the card. Save the scraps. Die cut a circle from the center of the panel and set it aside to use for a second card design later.


Step 4

Ink a paisley stamp with VersaMagic in Cloud White. Stamp it several times in the circle. Re-ink paisley stamp with Memento ink in Rhubarb Stalk and Morocco. Stamp each color several times around the circle, stamping off the circle. Stamp phrase in center of the circle with VersaMark and emboss with White Embossing Powder.


Step 5

Add the circle to a card placing it slightly off the card. Cut off the excess. Using the scraps, cut two different sized strips. Ink the edges of the scrap pieces with Memento Rhubarb Ink and add to the card. Add drops of IrRESISTible in Wedding Dress around the card.


Step 6

Using the punched panel create a second card. Ink the die cut panel with Memento in Rhubarb. Add the panel to a white card base. Stamp the Mary Elizabeth Frye paragraph from Whimsy Stamps with Memento in Rhubarb on a smaller die cut circle. Mat with medium sized kraft die cut. Add to center of the card. The two additional dies can be size from the Spellbinders stackable sets. Stamp “With Sympathy” in Rhubarb Ink on a leftover scrap and mount with foam adhesives, slightly overlapping the circles.

These two card designs come together quickly if you plan to coordinate the original circle punch.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • JustForFun – Rubber Stamp background
  • Joy Clair Stamps – “With Sympathy” sentiment stamp
  • Whimsy Stamps – Mary Elizabeth Frye paragraph stamp
  • Spellbinders – Circle stackable dies
  • Die cut machine
  • Cardstock – white, kraft

Original Design by Martha

What did you think of Steph’s interpretation of Martha’s instructions?

Comment below!

See How to Make this Cute Fox Theme Birthday Card

by Elina Stromberg

See How to Make this Cute Fox Theme Birthday Card

Acrylic paints are perfect for creating patterned backgrounds for cards or art journal pages. However, simple stamping inks and pattern stamps work just as well! When your plan is to create layers of patterns and you don’t have the time nor the patience to wait for the paint layers to dry, just take out your stamping inks and start playing. You will be able to make gorgeous backgrounds in no time at all!

For creating eye-catching backgrounds you don’t necessarily need to use many colors of stamping inks. One or two may be enough; especially for creating a contrast between a colorful main image and a monochromatic background. Furthermore, one stamp color is enough for creating layers of various tones and shades; when stamping with the same color on an already stamped surface the shade will get darker by each layer.

Skill: Beginner
Time: 1 hour

Directions


Step 1

Stamp the fox and birthday present images with Memento ‘Tuxedo Black’ ink on white cardstock. Color with alcohol markers, and cut out.


Step 2

Using grey ‘London Fog’ Memento ink, stamp patterns on the background. Layer different stamp patterns on top of each other. Do not cover the entire background, but leave some areas blank. Stamp the last patterns with ‘Tuxedo Black’ ink.


Step 3

Layer the presents and hand-torn paper on the card front. Glue with collage glue.


Step 4

Trim card to the desired size. Mat the card front on a dark green solid color cardstock. Attach to card base.

Supplies

Imagine
  • Memento – London Fog, Tuxedo Black
Other
  • Stamps: AALL Create. Fox design by Olga Heldwein
  • Promarkers for coloring
  • Scissors
  • Adhesive
  • White card base
  • Pieces of green and dark grey paper

Project Swap: Create a You Are My Hero Card

Project Swap: Create a You Are My Hero Card

Welcome to another set for our Artist Project Swap with Kassy and Melissa. For the Month of May, we challenged our artists to exchange tutorials and create each other’s designs in order to see how each of our artists interprets style and choices. The receiving artist did not know who designed the project, nor did they receive any images! In today’s post, Kassy gives the directions and recommended supplies list and Melissa created the project.

Create a You Are My Hero Card by Melissa Andrew

Today, I create a fun card using a number of techniques that were designed and instructed by design team member Kassy Tousignant. This was a challenge created by Imagine to help show customers how diverse Imagine and Tsukineko products really are. If you don’t have something a designer uses, you can improvise!

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Whimsy Stamps –  Lattice Stencil, sentiment stamp
  • SugarPea Designs Stamp – Peony stamp, Postage Stamp die
  • Paper Trimmer
  • Scissors – fine and regular
  • Foam Dots
  • Heat Tool
  • Watercolor Palette
  • Cardbase

Original Design by Kassy

What do you think of Melissa’s interpretation of Kassy’s tutorial?

Comment below!

Did You Miss The Date? Make a Belated Birthday Card

by Martha Lucia Gomez

Did You Miss The Date? Make a Belated Birthday Card

Have you ever missed someone’s birthday by mistake? Today’s project has a theme that will help with this little problem just in case you get in a jam with a missed date. This project also uses fun techniques with a button quilted looking background on kraft cardstock. Take a look to see how to made this card!

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1 hour

Directions


Step 1

Cut a piece of crumb cake (kraft) cardstock of 4.25″ x 5.5″. Take the large “Tufted Button” background stamp from Joy Clair and stamp it using VersaMagic in Cloud White. If you do not have this stamp then select one with a lot of free space inside or any good image for coloring and cover the stamped image with white embossing powder. Melt the powder with the heat tool.


Step 2

Dab VersaMagic Cloud White Ink on your craft mat and spray it with water. “Paint” your stamped image with the mix created using a paintbrush or aqua painter. Let the paper dry well.


Step 3

Dab VersaFine Ink Clair in Warm Breeze on the mat and paint one side of the borders of the stamped background following the pattern. This will create a shadow effect on the background.


Step 4

Dab Memento Ink in Tangelo on the mat. Repeat the painting process with Tangelo over the whole background using an aqua painter or paint brush. Let the paper dry. Layering the different colors is a beautiful effect on this kraft cardstock. Resize the stamped layer and paste it over a white card base using double sided foam tape or dimensionals.


Step 5

Die cut a leaf or floral element and heat emboss with Sparkle Embossing Powder. Add the “belated birthday wishes” sentiment stamped with VersaFine Clair in Warm Breeze over a piece of white cardstock. Paste the stamped image with a mat created with vellum with the die cut fitting in between.

This design is super fun to make and can be reworked or imagined with any number of themes, background stamps or sentiments. Enjoy and have a nice day!

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Cardstock – Whisper White, Crumb Cake
  • Vellum
  • Joy Clair – Tufted Button Background, Everyday Sentiments
  • Circle Punch
  • MISTI or Stamparatus
  • Heat Tool
  • Aquapainter or paintbrush
  • Double sided foam tape or Dimensionals

Create a Sunny “Hello” Card for a Good Friend

by Elina Stromberg

Create a Sunny "Hello" Card for a Good Friend with Memento DewDrops

Our wonderful color of the month is ‘Mango’. That rich and warm yellow color took my mind right in the middle of sunny summer days, and that feeling inspired me to create a summer-themed flower card. Matter of fact—I made two card fronts on one go, but instead of creating two identical greeting cards I trimmed the other one into an ATC card. Love them both!

Skill: Beginner
Time: 45 minutes

Directions


Step 1

Stamp image on white paper with VersaMark. Heat emboss with Imagine’s Embossing Powder in Black.


Step 2

Apply the two shades of yellow inks in Memento on the background using a brayer. Start with the lighter color and add the darker yellow on top. Do not cover the entire background but ink the center of the card only.


Step 3

Using the Craft Mat as a palette, press ink on the craft mat. Pick up colors with a water brush, and paint the image.


Step 4

Cut stamped card front to size and mat on a white card base. Die-cut the “hello” sentiment twice, glue together with On Point Glue and attach to the card front.

Above is ATC version of this card in a vertical format and without the “hello” sentiment.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Brayer
  • Stampendous – Cling Daisy Cluster Stamp
  • Sizzix – ‘Hello’ die
  • Cardstock – white, yellow, black
  • Water brush
  • Heat gun
  • Cardbase
  • Glue
  • Scissors

 

 

Easy Watercoloring with Chalk Inks Makes Beautiful Results

by Martha Lucia Gomez

Watercoloring is always a unique technique that you can use to produce colorful and unusual results. Most people think of Memento dye inks with watercoloring because they are the most obvious water-based crafting ink, but have you tried chalk inks like VersaMagic? Today’s cardmaking project, I will show you how easy and wonderful your projects can look with these inks. And yes VersaMagic is water-based so they work wonderfully with this technique. See for yourself!

Directions


Step 1

I started using a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock, you can also use watercolor paper but I preferred to use regular cardstock because the final texture of the chalk inks is very soft. Over your craft mat apply some spots of ink directly from the inkpad. I used three different colors of VersaMagic: Mango, Red Magic and Purple Hydrangea. Spray the ink with Ink Potion No. 9 and mix if you want or keep the colors separated. Place the cardstock over the sprayed area, press easily, remove and let the paper dry. If you want to speed up the process you can use the heat tool.


Step 2

When the paper is totally dry, stamp the image background using VersaFine Clair Summertime with a Misti or Stamparatus tool. Cover the entire layer with clear embossing powder and activate the powder with the heat tool.


Step 3

If you consider necessary, you can enhance some details of your stamped image with a Memento Marker. I used the Dandelion Marker to enhance some details of the Ornate Background. Also using VersaFine Clair Norturne, stamp a sentiment in a separate piece of Very Vanilla cardstock. If you want you can emboss this message with clear embossing or leave it in its original state.


Step 4

Resize your stamped layer and paste directly over the Tangerine Tango card base using Tear It Tape. Paste the stamped sentiment using dimensionals or double-sided foam tape and finalize decorating with some drops create with irRESISTible Pico Embellisher in Dandelion Color. Easy and fun!

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Cardstock – Very Vanilla, Tangerine Tango
  • Simon Says Stamp – Ornate Background
  • MISTI or Stamparatus Stamping Tool
  • Double sided foam tape or Dimensionals
  • Heat tool