After a LONG hiatus from cardmaking and an even longer break from this blog I am finally ready to get back to sharing! I'm starting with an older card design I've shared on Instagram but found myself making again today to get back into things. And given Valentine's is just around the corner, it's the perfect make for last minute gifting!
Sometimes I can find it intimidating when first getting back into a hobby that used to be a large part of my life. For me, the easiest way to rediscover an old love is to take a trip through memory lane and revisit designs I love. In this case, I made the exact same card, but other times pictures can spark new ideas with similar sets, invent creative twists on classic layouts and colors, or find new designs to add to an existing collection. For me this is a far less intimidating way to get back into the groove of creating. Cardmaking has always been an outlet to de-stress, but ironically I can ruin the fun by adding pressure to create something beautiful and unique every time!
For this card, I chose to keep it simple and use a single colour ink, a single die, and one stamped greeting. Unfortunately I think all of the products I used have been retired but they have some amazing alternatives to create a similar look! The closest product I found was the "Streaming Heart" wafer die, but the "Shimmer Heart" wafer die would also be a great alternative. For ink I had used "Teeny Bikini"; the closest available looks like it would be "Cheeky", although I think the benefit of such a simple design is you really could use anything! With SSS three ink collections, it would be perfect to do one heart in each color creating a gradient!.
I alternated the fade on the ink blending so the darkest edge was along the card corner/edge the heart bordered. I used a blender blush as I find that easiest when using hybrid inks or when I'm trying to achieve delicate fades. Any ink blending tool you have on hand would work! For the greeting, I first blended the same ink solidly on cardstock so it would match the hearts perfectly. I have personally never managed a smooth finish when rubbing the ink pad directly on paper so I avoid it even though it takes significantly longer to build enough ink up through blending. I also find with hybrid inks that I get a better result embossing after rather than inking over top, especially with light colors. Although it does resist the ink somewhat, it also can leave a residue on top that can only be removed by lightly rubbing a cloth dampened with stamp cleaner...which can eat away at the embossing powder if rubbed too many times, and can also make the ink beneath streaky if it makes too much direct contact. On clean and simple designs I feel like details become even more important, so crisp white embossing is a must!
I am a habitual foam tape user - you can see I used it to give a little lift to the sentiment as well as the diecut panel. For me, the dimension adds the perfect amount of shadow to really accentuate the detail in the diecut hearts. The slight shadow also elevates the sentiment to help draw your eye. To finish the card I used Studio Katia crystal clear gems, although a great substitute is available from Trinity Stamps. I like to use a variety of sizes and scatter them throughout the design to fill in white space and draw the different design elements together. Using odd numbers is another must for me, so for this design I used five sprinkled around the hearts and sentiment.
My favorite orientation for cards is top-folding A2. I always use 110lb cardstock for the base, but a lighter weight for the card panel to reduce bulk and make die cutting a bit easier. To contrast the geometric lines in the hearts and sentiment, I chose to round the corners of the card base and diecut panel. I love adding small details like this in my designs! I recommend punching corners before adhering to the base with foam tape for a clean cut! The top folded corners were a bit tough with my little punch, so I used it to score the radius so it was easy to follow with a scissor and match the top panel.
And that's all I have! Hopefully this inspires you to create with any supplies you have on hand, and even if you don't celebrate Valentine's Day the design principals spark inspiration with products you already have on hand. Thanks for stopping by, happy crafting.
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