Hi Guys & Dolls!
Welcome to our first Cardmaking Sesh! We are only a few weeks into the new year and I am ready to keep this feeling of endless possibilities going! I know there are many of you that are pushing forward on some of your resolutions, while others have decided to focus on goals and intentions, but I believe that all your choices are leading you to a great place of discovery. Not just of yourself, but of the world around you.
I, for one, am focused on bringing some fun new ways to use all of the stamps I already have and limit what I purchase in the future. That way I value what is already in my life, ya know?
And with that in mind, let's get crafty!
I decided to start working on some of my Valentine's day ideas, starting with a clean and simple card that's full of love! Some of you may have seen this card when I posted my first go of it on Instagram (you can find it here) and I thought it would be such a fun quick card when you need to get one together quickly for someone special.
Quick Note: I am not sponsored or affiliated (yet!) by any of these companies and have purchased all the materials I use with my own money. If this changes in the future, I will be sure to post it here!
Ok, so first, I took a scrap piece of stencil sheet I had from trying to make some stencils in my Cricut a few months back and cut it to size for the Vented Heart Die from Simon Says Stamp.
I then ran it through my Gemini Junior twice to ensure it had cut thoroughly through the material and ended up with a fantastic reusable stencil!
I may do this with some more of my scrap stencil materials and dies for other projects, since it gives you so many more options with the dies you have.
Next, I scored my paper to create a 5x7 card. Normally, I use the 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 standard for my cards, but I wanted to have a bit more white space to draw the eye to the images.
Using some purple low-tack tape, I centered my image on the card and taped it down securely. Always start from the center so you are sure it is all evenly spaced on the front of the card.
I recommend using a t-ruler to get it perfect.
Now it's time to pick your colors!
I wanted to have a rainbow effect on the hearts, so I picked some colors close to each other on the color wheel. I prefer using Distress Oxide inks from Ranger since they move well over the paper blend like a dream!
Starting at the top of the heart, I used a pouncing motion to keep the ink from smearing. Notice that I have the cover pushed down a bit further on the bristles?
This is to pack them tightly together and create a more fluid bouncing motion a laying down of the ink. That is one of the beauties of this particular brush...you can change the flexibility of the brush for whatever you need!
Once you are happy with the top of the heart, change your color and work from the bottom of the heart up. That way the blend is cleaner and you have a strong sense of the bottom color.
Lift the stencil and VOILA! you have a heart!
Now I did get some of my ink on the paper and tried using water to clean it, but I discovered it will soften the paper too much and begin the dreaded pilling. So, I switched to a sand eraser and it worked like a dream!
Now line the stencil up to the side of the heart you've done, making sure to align the vents before taping it down. Go to you next colors and repeat until you have all the hearts you want!
NOTE: You'll want to wipe your stencil off between hearts so that none of the other colors interfere with the new color you're adding. A baby wipe or cloth works great! I use the unscented Up&Up baby wipes from Target...it comes in a big pack and is super inexpensive.
I really like the the Heart-filled Sentiments by Reverse Confetti and I thought the font was a bit more modern and fun. It has a bunch of great sentiments that I often use for background, so you should definitely check it out!
I used Versafine black ink to add the sentiment (my Misti and T-Ruler helped me get it right where I wanted it), heat embossed it with WOW clear embossing powder and I was done!
You can skip the sentiment if you just want to have a card ready for any occasion. I hope you enjoy making this card using your own materials and creativity to really make it special.
On our next Cardmaking Sesh, we will be creating a scenic card using some tiny shells I found while at the beach and some Gina K. Designs stamps...not to mention a really fast and easy way to create a beautifully realistic sky.
Until then, my darlings, Happy Crafting!
