Hey there, friends! Today the project I’ve got for you was one that put me in my happy place because it combined many things I love when it comes to cardmaking:
- Abstract solid stamps
- A fun color palette
- A touch of shine (via hot foiling)
Whenever I’m not feeling super creative, I always find myself going back to some of my favorite, most hard-working stamp sets to create new designs with them in whatever color palettes I feel inspired by. Not only do I find this relaxing and cathartic during times of stress, but it tend to give me new ideas for other designs while I create. Do you have any go-to cardmaking techniques or supplies that make you feel the same?
To get started on this one, I used a Spellbinders Hot Foil plate set that I haven’t touched in quite some time – Special Sentiments – which includes a big hand-written ‘birthday’, as well as a simple and clean ‘wishes’ to pair with it. I foiled both on a white A2 panel trimmed to 3.5 x 4.75″, then added a few splatter dots with the splatter hot foil plates in the same set. You could certainly make a background first and foil on top, but I wanted the control of being able to place my stamping strategically (but still in a seemingly-random way) around the sentiment. I also didn’t want to run the risk of my ink being not quite dry, and encountering foiling mishaps. (I’m not the most patient crafter!)
Color-wise, I wanted something kind of feminine but not super girly, and ended up choosing the following inks:
- Concord & 9th Ballet Slipper
- Catherine Pooler Sparkling Berry
- Catherine Pooler Juniper Mist
- Catherine Pooler Cove Blue
- Catherine Pooler Tranquil
When I need to fill large areas of a card panel, my favorite stamp set for the job is the Catherine Pooler Bold Bits and Patterns, which I often combine with Abstract Nature, Organic Elements, and Abstract Paint Strokes from the Essentials by Ellen line. This time though, I kept it simple with just a few overlapping blobs.
The sentiment was already working as my focal point but the card needed a little something else. I decided to stamp a quick floral cluster using the Essentials by Ellen Painted Florals stamp set, using Tranquil on the flower, Cove Blue on the leaves, and Juniper Mist for the highlights on both. I tucked that into the bottom corner, then backed the entire panel with foam tape and mounted it on an A2 card base.
Tell me: What are your favorite cardmaking techniques or products to use when you’re not feeling overly creative and need to be reinspired? I’d love to hear!
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