Written In Ink

Category: tips

  • A DIY card that says “I care” Easy techniques for stunning results

    A DIY card that says “I care” Easy techniques for stunning results

    Unexpected adhesive residue proves to be a bit of serendipity in the design!

    Would you like to experiment with a design like this? You’ll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencil I used from A Colorful Life Designs.  Follow the link and use discount code ChrisFan10 to save 10% on your entire order! (Master Creator Bundles are excluded as they already have a 20% discount built in.)

    Let’s get Started:

    Card Base: 5.5 x 8.5, scored and folded at 4.25

    Card Face:  5.5 x 4.25

    Card Face:

    • I began by spraying the back of the stencil with Pixie Spray.   This is a temporary adhesive which I use to prevent movement in stencils that are delicate, or that have longer, unattached “strands” in the design.
    • With that complete,  I laid the card face on my Grip Mat,  and then positioned the stencil.  I rolled a brayer across the entire surface to ensure good contact between the adhesive and the paper.
    • Next I selected light aqua and yellow inks and applied them diagonally over the stencil, using a soft hand throughout the process.
    • I removed the stencil and placed the card face into my stamp positioner before adding the floral image with Versamark embossing ink.
    • I added gold embossing powder over this stamped image, and this is where the serendipity comes in –
    • During this step I realized that the stencil had left residue behind from the Pixie Spray,  and bits of embossing powder had stuck to this.  I could have brushed this off of the background, but decided to roll with it and allow it to add an unexpected touch to the background.
    • I used an embossing pen to add a few random lines and dots to the background,  and then added gold embossing powder.
    • After heat setting this,  I decided that one more thing was needed to finish the look: a gold border.  I used an embossing pen again, going around the border of the card and creating an irregular line (I could have used a ruler,  if I’d wanted precision).  After heat setting the gold powder added to this I was satisfied with presence of gold on the card face.
    • I used a rectangular stitched die to cut the floral image from the card face.

    An adhesive eraser can be used to remove residue from Pixie Spray. Just rub it over the paper as if you’re trying to remove a pencil mark.

    Other:

    • I looked through my sentiments binder and found a foiled  XOXOXOXOXO sentiment.
    • I cut three separate XO sections out of this.

    Assembly

    • I glued the card face to the card base.
    • I added dimensional foam to the back of the die-cut focal image and then set it in place on the card face.
    • I positioned the three XO sections as shown.

    Final Thoughts:

    I love the serendipity that is evidenced in the bits of gold embossing .  They are very tiny and and add a lovely, delicate detail to the card face.

    Initially I didn’t have the three sentiment sections on the card face:  I was going to keep the imaging very clean and simple:  after living with it that way for a couple of days I decided that the additional detail was needed.

    Supplies: (and links where possible)

       I have listed which products I have used, and where they may be purchased. It’s a huge marketplace and in most instances, there are multiple sources and many alternatives to choose from.

    Stencil: Glittering Hearts, A Colorful Life Designs

    Waffle Flower Grip Mat, 8.5 x 6.5, Scrapbook.com

    Versamark Embossing Ink: Simon Says Stamp

    Embossing Pen:  Tim Holtz, A Colorful Life Designs

    Gold Embossing Powder: Ranger,  PCW

    Stamps:  Words in Bloom,  Unity Stamps

    Dies: Stitched Rectangles, Stampin’ Up! (retired)

    Pixie Spray:  Michaels

    Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

    Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

    Card Base & Card Face: Accent 100 lb., Amazon

    Do you have comments or thoughts to share on this design?  Drop me a line in the Comments Section below –  I’d love to hear from you!

    You can also use the Comments Section  to be added to the list, and notified when I release new work.

    Glittering Hearts from A Colorful Life Designs

  • New to Cardmaking?

    New to Cardmaking?

    One of the first things every new card maker discovers is that the marketplace is huge – so much bigger than you ever imagined.  And the second thing (if you’ve watched YouTube videos)  is that you want it all!   The content creators make everything seem irresistible,  and the results easy to achieve.

    For the sake of your bank account, hit pause,  and consider a few things.

    Style:  What do you like creating?  Do you love intricate die cuts? Colouring with alcohol markers? Clean and simple design?   Each of these would lead in a different direction for purchases.

    It’s easy to become enthused while watching the super-talented creators on the web,   but we don’t need every supply they use. For instance, I love to look at super intricate dies and the stunning results many achieve with them –  but I don’t actually enjoy creating cards with them.

    Price Point:  What will your budget allow you to spend?  For getting started,  as well as for ongoing purchases?

    Time:  How much practice will this product take to achieve the results that you want?  How much time are you able to devote to it?

     Supplies: There are countless wonderful options for card making,  with more being produced every year.  It’s so easy to become enthusiastic, and before you know it you’re overwhelmed with supplies and don’t know which way to turn in your space, or what to do next. For long-term enjoyment, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with a few basic tools before you dive any deeper into this art form.

    The basics would be:

    Ink: good quality inks are a game changer.  You may prefer dye, pigment, or distress –  but buy what you can afford in good quality.  It makes a huge difference.

    Stamps:  good quality rubber or photopolymer makes ALL the difference to your stamping.  The way to be certain that you are going to be happy with your results is to buy from an established, reputable company.  It is tempting to purchase from an online, overseas company that offers amazing prices,  but all too often the quality is poor and the designs are pirated.

    Paper:  I consider white and cream to be my two go-to colours.  All papers come in different weights:  you will find one that you like to use by experimenting with a few. You may discover that different brands and different weights take ink differently.

    Keep in mind that rarely do different brands of white cardstock match in colour, so if you decide to switch you will have white scraps in a different tonality than your new choice.  Experimenting with a few before investing in a large quantity is a good idea.

    Paper trimmer: These come in several styles and many, many brands.  I prefer a rotary trimmer for most of my work as there are no blades to replace.  I use a large guillotine paper trimmer to cut multiple pieces of paper at once into card bases.

    Score Board/Bone Folder: this will give you clean, crisp fold lines without cracks appearing in your paper. A real necessity for a polished finished product.

    Scissors: a good pair of snips (small, maneuverable and sharp right to the point) is necessary for cutting images out by hand (called “fussy cutting”).  

    Stamp Positioner/Acrylic Blocks:  unless you are using wood-mounted stamps, one of these will be necessary to hold your stamps to ink them up and get a solid image on the paper. I use both,  but of the two, a Stamp Positioner (although initially more expensive)  will provide far more value for your dollar in the long run.

    Die Cutting Machine:  my other favourite piece of equipment in my craft room.  I use this all.the.time.

    Dies & Embossing Folders:  both used with the die-cutting machine,  and both offer endless variety to your work.   

    Stencils:   one of my absolute favourite design tools because of the excellent price point and unlimited variety they offer.  Not a must-have for start up,  but these can be used to create fabulous backgrounds instead of buying patterned paper.

    Foils, pastes, powders, sprays and more … all wonderful, and fun to work with.  It may be a good idea to leave these purchases until you’ve explored some of the options provided by the supplies mentioned above.