Glitter Wings and Golden Moments: A Dragonfly's Dazzling Tale

 

Glitter Wings and Golden Moments: 

A Dragonfly's Dazzling Tale

Good day, fellow crafters. It's Tamara once again, with a new post where I will be showcasing my latest card created using  Blank Page Muse products!

Dragonflies, those shimmering jewels of the insect world, have captivated our imaginations for millennia with their rainbow-hued wings and aerial acrobatics. These living time capsules, having graced our planet for over 300 million years, embody nature's enduring sense of wonder and magic. Picture yourself seeing the world through their compound eyes, with up to 30,000 lenses offering an almost 360-degree view, or imagine the freedom of moving in six directions at will. Such extraordinary abilities remind us to seek fresh perspectives in our own lives, to approach challenges from new angles. Despite their ancient lineage, adult dragonflies live but a few fleeting weeks - a poignant reminder to cherish every moment and find beauty in the everyday. As you watch a dragonfly dance over a sun-dappled pond, let it transport you back to the wide-eyed wonder of childhood. Allow its iridescent presence to rekindle your curiosity about the world, urging you to explore, to question, to marvel at the ordinary miracles that surround us daily. In our often-frantic pursuit of goals, the dragonfly's graceful flight is a gentle reminder that life's true richness lies not just in destinations reached, but in the wonder-filled journey along the way. So the next time you glimpse a dragonfly, pause for a moment. Let its ephemeral beauty inspire you to embrace each day with awe, for in maintaining our sense of wonder, we unlock the deepest joys of living.

To create this project, you will need the following:

• Sunflower & Dragonflies stencil from Blank Page Muse
• Light Blue cardstock 5" x 6" - This will be trimmed down
• White A2 Card base
• Boarder die (Taste and preferences should dictate selection, I used a stitched one)
• Liquid glue
• Iridescent Super Fine glitter - Blue 
• Paper Trimmer
• Die cutting machine
• Stamping platform (I use a Misiti)
• Gold embossing powder
• Heat tool
• Embossing ink (VersaMark or similar)
• ink blending brush 
• Sentiment of choice (I used LDRS Tutu's and Tiara's)
• Flat-back pearls
• Static powder 

Process

• Using your stamping tool (Misti) secure the light blue cardstock into position
• Using the dragonflies on the Sunflower & Dragonflies stencil, align the stencil where you want them on your blue cardstock making sure to position your sentiment in the location you want it to be so that everything fits the page.
• Secure the sentiment into place, apply static powder to cardstock, ink with watermark ink, and stamp the image
• Repeat if necessary for coverage
• Remove from the stamping platform, apply embossing powder and heat set with the heating tool.

• Secure the cardstock to your worksurface with the stencil in the location you wish apply a dragonfly.  I find that my magnetic board and my glass mat magnets work well for this step.
• Use the watermark ink and the inkbrush to apply the embossing ink to the cardstock through the stencil.
• Remove the stencil, and apply the glitter to the stenciled image
• Knock off the excess glitter, use the heat tool to assist in drying the ink.  This allows you to reposition the stencil without smearing your image.
• Repeat for as many of the dragonflies you wish to include on the card. I found four to work out perfectly.

• Use the border die of your choice to trim the panel to its final size.  I used a combination of the paper trimmer and the dies pictured to get the final size I was happy with for the final product. In this case the final size was 5.25" x 4"
• Using liquid glue, adhere the background panel to the white A2 card base.
• Add some flatback pearls for added dimension using liquid glue.

This project was super simple but makes a beautiful card. I hope you will give the techniques shown here a try.  Happy crafting.

The stamps I used can be found by following the links in the materials list, or you can find them with a quick search on www.blankpagemuse.com. Visit our social media sites for more stamping fun!

I Brake For Stamps -https://ibrakeforstamps.com/

The Blank Page Muse- https://blankpagemuse.com/

FB Fan Page- https://www.facebook.com/groups/blankpagemuse/

Instagram Shop- https://www.instagram.com/blankpagemuse/

Instagram Blog- https://www.instagram.com/blankpagemuseblog/

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Pinterest- https://www.pinterest.com/blankpagemuse/boards/

Joseph's Coat Technique Card

Hello, Blank Page Muse family! I'm Lori and I love stencils! They are so versatile! You can ink blend, use paste and gels, you can dry emboss with a die cutting machine. Also, you can do what I did today: I used clear embossing ink through my stencil to create a Joseph's Coat Technique. 

This technique involves trapping ink color under clear heat embossing then adding a dark ink all over. What your left with is a colorful design in high contrast to the background. Let me walk you through the process!

First, I took the new Fantasy Flourish stencil and placed it on top of a white piece of cardstock. You can tape everything down to your work surface to keep the stencil and cardstock in place. I used a grip mat.

I applied Distress Inks diagonally in a rainbow pattern. Then, I applied clear embossing ink on top of the Distress Ink.

This is the panel after I clear heat embossed. You could stop here, add a sentiment, attach to a card base and be done. But now, it's time for the magic!

Here is the panel after I applied dark navy ink to the entire panel. The embossed area resists the ink. Just wipe the ink off of your design and you have a dramatic panel, very different from the white background! Traditionally, you do this with black, but I chose dark navy. You can do this technique with any dark ink.

Finished card. I trimmed the panel down to 4 x 5 1/4", matted it with a yellow piece of cardstock, added a die-cut sentiment from my stash, and adhered it to a card base.

Monochromatic Mandala Pattern Panel

Hello! Today's project features repetitive stamping to create a full panel background. This project features stamps from the Blank Page Muse Petals & Flowers Rubber Stamp Sheet Set. I hope you like it. 

The two most important craft supplies to make repetitive stamping using rubber stamps a success are a stamp positioner tool and a transparent sheet. I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig image sheet on my project but you can use any transparent sheet for this project. I also used a wreath template for placement guide of the cardstock panel. It keeps the paper at the center of my stamp positioner which allowed me to stamp up to and beyond the edges of the cardstock panel.

I stamped the largest image of the set on the cardstock panel. I stamped the image using brown ink on brown cardstock paper to create monochromatic look. 

I positioned the transparent film on top of the cardstock panel and positioned the next stamp over the transparent film. I applied adhesive to the back of the rubber stamp using a washable glue stick.

I inked the image and stamped it on the transparent film. This gives me an idea where the image will be stamped on the cardstock panel. 

Once I am happy with the stamp image placement, I remove the transparent film, re-inked the stamp and stamped the image to the cardstock. If I am not happy with the placement, I wiped off the stamped image and did the process all over again. I know it sounds like a lot of work but once you get the rhythm, it becomes very easy. 

What I could have done to make it even easier is I should have cut the rubber stamps close to the image. I only realized this when I was further into making the project.

I continued stamping to create the background pattern. If you notice on the image above, one of the flowers is darker than the rest. That is how dye inks work. It looks dark at first but once the pigment gets absorbed by the paper, it fades out.

I was not happy with how the circle image turned out. I want it more centered. I must have not applied enough glue to the back of the rubber stamp that it might have shifted when I applied ink to it. I stamped the same image on another piece of cardstock since I am planning to cover it. I initially used a dye ink but later on changed this into an embossed image.

I started coloring the pattern with color pencils but the paper I used does not take the color of the pencils too well so I switched to alcohol markers. I also used different pens in coloring the pattern.

I used the small stamps in the set to fill in the open spaces. This is when I figured out that cutting the stamp close to the image is very helpful. It allowed me to estimate if the image will fit the space I want to stamp it on skipping the use of a stamp positioner on this step.

I usually clean the adhesive off the back of the rubber stamps by spritzing it with water then wiping it off with a rag. I did not do this with the small rubber stamps. I kept the adhesive so I can adhere these small stamps to the rubber sheet. Hopefully, I do not lose these small stamps by doing this. Eventually, I will need a better way to organize my rubber stamps. Do you have a crafter tip to share on how you organize your unmounted cut apart rubber stamps?

I used an embossing ink for the center stamp image and embossed this with gold embossing powder. I die cut this with a circle die and adhered it to the center of the large floral stamp covering the stamped image underneath it. 

I have no plans for this panel at the moment but this can be adhered to a notecard to create a card or it can be used as an embellishment for a layout. You can also create a larger background panel using this design. I hope you give repetitive stamping a try.

Visit our social media sites for more stamping fun!

I Brake For Stamps -https://ibrakeforstamps.com/ 

The Blank Page Muse- https://blankpagemuse.com/

FB Fan Page-  https://www.facebook.com/groups/blankpagemuse/

Instagram Shop-  https://www.instagram.com/blankpagemuse/

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Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

of Maria Giselle's Creative Cuts 

 

Be Brave ~ Beauty in Botanicals

Hi, friends!  It's design team member Walter here on the blog with you.  Today I'm sharing my third card for the theme of Beauty in Botanicals.  For me, there is something so beautiful about a monochromatic card with just a pop of color.  I find them to be dramatic with a certain feeling of softness to them.  I thought it would be a great way to illustrate this month's theme.  This card tells a story of being brave enough to embrace change, finding growth, and moving on.  It may be moving on from a situation, a feeling, or whatever the case may be.  It's a great card to share with someone who needs to hear those words and begin that process.

Here's what I used to make it:

• Intersection Criss Crossed Lines Reusable Art Projects Stencil
  
• Flower shape Fairy Butterfly Music Art Rubber Stamp
  
• Altenew Crisp Dye Inks: Silver Lake and Cloudy Knight
• Brutus Monroe Pearl Shimmer Mist
• Alcohol markers
• Gray and white ribbon
• Nuvo Shimmer Mist Pen
• Black A2 card base
• Gray 4"x5.25" card panel
• Double sided foam tape strips
• Clear acrylic bubbles 

Here's how I made it:

I started with stenciling the background first.  I thought that the Intersection stencil would provide a nice background of crisscrossed lines to provide both some color and some non-floral design.  I wanted the background to contribute to the design but not take away from the flower.  I aligned my stencil and ink blended with Cloudy Night Ink.  I then went over it with Silver Lake ink to add a little variation to it.

I then misted the stenciled card panel with some Brutus Monroe Pearl Shimmer Mist Spray.  This gave it a little bit of pearlescent shine so that it didn't look too flat.

I cut two pieces of a gray & white ribbon and decided to place them at an angle in the top left and bottom right corners.  I did this to break up the pattern a bit and provide separate places to put each word of the sentiment.  Double sided tape was used to adhere the card panel to the card base.

Next up was stamping and coloring the image.  I stamped it with black ink and started by coloring the shades of gray first.  I worked my way around the stamped image and filled in the objects other than the flowers with neutral gray tones.  I used the darkest gray around the edges of the flower to add some shadow, and the lightest one of the fairy's wings.  Once done, I used a Nuvo Shimmer Pen to add some sparkle to the fairy's wings . . . a little touch of magic!  I used three shades of red to color the flowers: starting with a darker one in the center and shadow areas, blending it with a medium shade, and then blending the entire image with a lighter shade.  I used a yellow in the center, and two shades of green on the leaves.  Once happy with the image, I put double sided foam tape on the back of the image and adhered it to the base.  Three clear acrylic bubbles were added and the card was complete!

I think this card is a fun way to use flowers as a pop of color and beauty as a sign of change and happiness on the horizon.  What do you think?  Do you like this type of design?  I'd love to know!

Thanks for spending some time with me here on the blog.  I'll see you again next month for a new theme.  Until then . . . be well!

Where Flowers Speak, Friendship Grows

 

 Where Flowers Speak, Friendship Grows

Good day, fellow crafters. It's Tamara once again, with a new post where I will be showcasing my latest card created using  Blank Page Muse products!

This handmade card evokes a gentle sense of connection and warmth through its delicate design and thoughtful message. The trio of purple flowers symbolizes admiration, grace, and lasting friendship—qualities often associated with the color purple in floral language. The soft lavender tones and lace-edged borders suggest care and intentionality, while the “Hello Friend” sentiment offers a simple yet heartfelt gesture of reaching out. Altogether, the image communicates a quiet beauty and sincerity, perfectly representing how small, handmade details can carry meaningful emotion.

To create this project, you will need the following:

• Large Violet Stem stamp from Blank Page Muse
• Water-based ink pens (For this project, I used Altenew Artistry markers)
• Watercolor paper (I prefer Canson)
• Ink-blending brush
• Blue, Water Reactive ink (I used Distress Oxide)
• Paint Brushes
• Pattern paper (Your taste and preferences should dictate selection)
• White A2 Card base
• Boarder die  (Your taste and preferences should dictate selection)
• Liquid glue
• Low-tack Tape
• Paper Trimmer
• Die cutting machine
• Stamping platform (I use a Misiti)
• Black embossing powder
• Heat tool
• Embossing ink 
• Sentiment of choice
• Flat-back pearls

Process

• Using the watercolor paper and a paper trimmer, cut the paper to approximately 4.25" x 5.5".
• Place the cardstock into your stamping platform and secure it into place.
• Align the Large Violet Stem stamp into its final position
• Secure the stamp to the stamping platform using some low-tack tape.
• Close the lid and press firmly to ensure the stamp adheres to the lid.
• Double-check that it is secure because the technique to create the card requires a lot of repeated stamping.

• Choose a section of the stamp that feels comfortable to work with and use the Altenew Artistry marker to color only that portion of the stamp.
• Work with light, even strokes, making sure to only get the pigment on the raised section of the stamp.
• Make sure that there is good coverage.
• Stamp the image onto the cardstock.
• Use even pressure, making sure that the applied pressure is downward only to prevent potential stamp movement
• Clean any residual ink from the stamp with a paper towel.

• Using a damp, fine-tip brush and a light touch, pull the pigment from the edges of the stamped image towards the center of the image.
• Be sure to keep inside the lines of the image as you work.
• Take adequate time with this step to prevent smearing or bleeding.
• Allow to dry completely.
• Repeat the steps for other areas of the stamp. 
• Save the fine detail or outlines for the final stamping.

• Using a die of your choice, cut out the boarders and align as shown to frame your focal image.
• Adhere into place with liquid glue
• Allow to dry

Assembly

• Secure the completed panel onto the stamping platform.
• Align chosen sentiment.
• Ink the sentiment with embossing ink and stamp the image, repeat if necessary for complete coverage
• Remove the panel from the stamping platform and apply the black embossing powder.
• Recover the excess powder.
• Heat-set the powder with a heat tool.
• Adhere the completed panel to the A2 card base with liquid glue.

The stamps I used can be found by following the links in the materials list, or you can find them with a quick search on www.blankpagemuse.com. Visit our social media sites for more stamping fun!

I Brake For Stamps -https://ibrakeforstamps.com/

The Blank Page Muse- https://blankpagemuse.com/

FB Fan Page- https://www.facebook.com/groups/blankpagemuse/

Instagram Shop- https://www.instagram.com/blankpagemuse/

Instagram Blog- https://www.instagram.com/blankpagemuseblog/

Twitter- https://twitter.com/BlankPageMuse

Pinterest- https://www.pinterest.com/blankpagemuse/boards/

Easter Pop Up Card

Hi everyone, Steph Ackerman here sending Happy Easter greetings using an assortment of stamps from Blank Page Muse. I Brake for Stamps and all brands found there are now available at blankpagemuse.com

Blank Page Muse Stamps:  Easter Full Sheet

Start by creating a top fold card base using kraft cardstock.

Decorate the cover with cardstock and pattern papers.

Ink a wood word to complete the card.

Use Copic markers to color the Angel Egg, then fussy cut.

To create the inside of the card, use a set of pop up dies on the cardstock.

Stamp and emboss the large Easter Eggs using assorted colors of ink.

Fussy cut and adhere them to the pop up elements.

Add the Angel Egg to the front pop up element.

The card folds flat for mailing, then "pops up" once removed from it's envelope.

Thanks for stopping by.

Steph

Looking for more Inspiration? Click the links below!

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Taking Flight Card~Beauty in Botanicals

 Hello, Blank Page Muse Family! This month, our theme is Beauty in Botanicals. With spring in full swing, I thought I'd create a card that has a beautiful flower. The hummingbird thinks it's beautiful, too! I started by using the Leaves Collage Stencil and a very light green ink. I applied the ink lightly with a large blending brush onto a piece of white cardstock. I then added a hint of blue ink around the edges of the panel. 

I stamped clouds, a hummingbird, a flower, and a sprig from You Make Me Happy Hummingbird Clouds Flower Stamp Set in an alcohol marker friendly black ink. I colored the sprig, hummingbird, and flower with Alcohol markers. I lined the clouds in a very light blue alcohol marker. I stamped the sentiment, then trimmed down the panel to 4 x 5 1/4 ", mounted it onto an A2 piece of black cardstock. I adhered the entire panel to an A2 card base. 

 

Products used:

Leaves Collage Stencil

You Make Me Happy Hummingbird Clouds Flower Stamp Set

White cardstock

Black cardstock

Alcohol markers

Black ink pad

Green ink pad

Blue ink pad

Colorful Blooms Grow Here ~ Beauty in Botanicals

Hi, friends!  It's design team Walter here on the blog with you today with my second card for the Beauty in Botanicals theme.  Botanicals, blooms, and nature itself are all filled with lots of amazing color as well as rich, deep tones.  I wanted to craft a project that celebrated both the rich deepness of the earth and bold color of blooms to illustrate that juxtaposition of the soil that breathes life and florals that give their thanks by beautifully blooming.  I think that I was able to achieve that.  What do you think?

Here's what I used to create it:

• Flower & Bird Sketches Art Rubber Stamp Sheet Set
  
• Leaves Collage reusable plastic Stencil
  
• Perfect Paints Clover Honey Polishing Plaster
• Concord & 9th Inks: Wildberry, Watermelon, and Creamsicle
• Versafine Clair Fallen Leaves Pigment Ink
• Distress Antique Linen Ink
• Brutus Monroe Apricot Tea Stain Spray
• Clear Acylic Bubbles
• Strip of Burlap
• Strip of Lace
• Double sided foam tape strips
• A2 card base
• A2 Cream card panel

Here's how I made it:

I started by stenciling the leaves onto the cream card panel with the Polishing Plaster.  Polishing Paster is a wonderful medium full of color and sparkle.  You may substitute grit paste for it if you don't have Polishing Plaster; however, it won't have the same sparkle.  I aligned the stencil and used a palette knife to spread the Polishing Plaster over it.

I used a heat tool to speed up the drying process.  Once dry, I spritzed the card panel with some Apricot Tea Stain Spray to age it a bit and then ran Antique Linen Distress Ink around the edges.  I then applied craft glue to the back of the burlap strip, wrapped it around the card panel and secured the end pieces of the strip on the back of the card panel.

Double sided foam tape strips were placed on the back of the card panel and the panel was adhered to the card base.

It was now time to stamp the flowers and sentiment.  I stamped them with the Fallen Leaves ink.  I cut the sentiment strip and blended Antique Linen Distress ink over the front of it.  I colored the florals by ink blending Wildberry ink at the top, moved into Watermelon ink, and then blended it all together with some Creamsicle ink.  I fussy cut the florals and used craft glue to adhere them in place on the burlap.  I glued the strip of lace over the florals and onto the burlap with craft glue and then used double sided foam tape strips to put the sentiment in place.  Three clear acrylic bubbles were added and the card was done!

Bright flowers bloom up from the earth (burlap) and provide the color to the rich earth tones that provide life.  The lace adds a light touch of beauty to it.

I hope that you enjoyed reading about my design, the symbolism of it, and how it came to life.  I'll see you here again soon.  Until then . . . be well!

Be sure to visit our social media sites for more stamping fun!

 

The Blank Page Muse- https://blankpagemuse.com/

FB Fan Page-  https://www.facebook.com/groups/blankpagemuse/

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Walter Zemrock Social Channels - https://linktr.ee/zemstones.by.walter

Embossing Paste and Glitter Glue on Stencil ~ Beauty in Botanicals

Hello! Today's project is about adding texture to your projects using embossing paste and glitter glue on stencil. There are a lot of mediums available and it can be pretty overwhelming. In this post, I will be discussing how to customize the embossing paste and glitter glue to fit your project.

I used the new Blank Page Muse Sunflower and Dragonflies Stencil on this project.

I created a background panel first. On a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" white cardstock, I applied ink using a brayer. I picked the ink with the brayer then transferred the ink to the paper. If you don't have a brayer, an alternative is to apply the ink directly from the ink pad to the paper.

I suggest moving the brayer to one direction, either forward or backward instead of going back and forth. This is just a personal preference. Feel free to do otherwise.

I layered two shades of brown ink on the panel using the brayer. 

Since I used a water reactive ink, I set the panel aside to dry. You can also heat set it to speed dry it.

I adhered some non-tacky tapes on the back of the panel with the sticky side up. I positioned the stencil over the panel and pressed the stencil to the tape. This kept the stencil in place when I applied the medium. I used a white embossing paste which I customized by mixing it with brown ink to fill in the center of the sunflower. I used a brown colored reinker for this. You can also use an ink pad or a marker to color the white paste. Just dab the ink pad or scribble the marker onto your work surface and mix this with the white paste.

You can definitely mask the areas of the flower to prevent contamination of colors. I did not. I just made sure to be careful in applying my colored medium. 

I was also dabbing the medium on the openings to make sure that the hole is covered with medium. I did not smoothen this out since I am working with different colors and different mediums. 

I sprinkled black glitter to the embossing paste while it was wet. I end up modifying this later. 

When working with different colors of embossing paste or glitter glue, you have stop and pause in between colors to allow the medium to dry. It is also very important to clean the stencil and the applicator in between colors. I sprayed my supplies with water before wiping off the excess glue with a paper towel or rag. We don't want that washed out and clogging our drain. 

If the medium still won't come off, just soak the stencil and the applicator on warm soapy water. Use your fingers to loosen the glue. I do not recommend using a brush since this can damage the stencil especially if the stencil has some dainty parts.

Before I worked on adding medium to the petals, I added tape to the front of the stencil to guide the alignment of the paper panel. For each medium application, I simply align the panel to these guides.

For the petals, I used a gold glitter paste. To mute the gold color, I mixed a drop of a dark yellow reinker to the glitter glue and mixed it before applying it to the flower petals. 

I worked on the leaves after the petals. I also mixed a green ink from a reinker to the green glitter glue.

I applied brown medium to the stem which I modified later on.

I applied another layer of brown colored medium to the floral center so I can add more black glitter powder to it.

I poured black glitter to the medium while it is wet. I set this aside to dry. Unfortunately, not all of the glitter stayed adhered to the medium. I should have patted the glitter to the medium to make the glitter stick to the medium.

I did not like the look of the brown stem with the green leaf. 

I mixed up another green medium and applied this over the dried brown medium to cover it up. This is what I call a make or brake step since this is when it can either go right or go wrong.

The embossing paste did look green until it dried.

I die cut a postage frame on a black cardstock. I die cut the floral panel using a rectangle die slightly larger than the inner postage frame. I think the embossing paste has not dried yet that's why it got squished when I ran it through my die cut machine. I should have used a craft knife instead but too late for that. We learn from our boo-boos anyway.

I ripped a pre-printed vellum for the sentiment. The ripped edge added texture to the panel. I ran the vellum through a sticker maker to add adhesive to the back. I adhered this to the panel. 

I hope you like today's project. I encouraged you to use those lovely colored mediums on your stencils.

Visit our social media sites for more stamping fun!

I Brake For Stamps -https://ibrakeforstamps.com/ 

The Blank Page Muse- https://blankpagemuse.com/

FB Fan Page-  https://www.facebook.com/groups/blankpagemuse/

Instagram Shop-  https://www.instagram.com/blankpagemuse/

Instagram Blog-  https://www.instagram.com/blankpagemuseblog/

Twitter-  https://twitter.com/BlankPageMuse

Pinterest- https://www.pinterest.com/blankpagemuse/boards/

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

of Maria Giselle's Creative Cuts