Leap and Soar
Good day, fellow crafters. It's Tamara once again, with a new post showcasing my latest card created using Blank Page Muse products! Today, I’m crafting a heartfelt tribute to those rare souls who lift us higher—a delicate bird poised on the brink of flight, its wings etched with the quiet wisdom of a muse who dared me to dream beyond the nest. As the first light of dawn kisses the horizon, that solitary silhouette unfurls against the vast, whispering sky, a fragile echo of the magic you sparked in me: not with spells or secrets, but with the steady hand of encouragement, murmuring, "Leap." You taught me to fly, turning blank pages into soaring symphonies of ink and possibility, where every tremor of doubt fuels the rush of feathers against the wind. Join me on this feather-light adventure as we explore how a simple stamp set and sentiment can capture the thrill of wings once clipped, now chasing the untamed currents of what’s possible.
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To create this project, you will need the following:
Stamps
- Flower & Bird Sketches Art Rubber Stamp
- Sentiment of your choice (I chose one from my stash)
Paper
- (1) Watercolor paper panel - 4.25" x 5.5"
- (3) White A2 Card base - 4.25" x 5.5"
- (1) White A2 card base
Watercolors
- Watercolor pigments (brand of your choice, mine is an older Altenew set)
Inks
- Black ink
- Blue ink
- Yellow ink
- Brown ink
- Watermark ink
Tools
- Sticky mat (optional but very useful to hold work in place without using tape)
- Scissors
- Liquid glue
- Paper Trimmer
- Border die(s) of choice
- Die-cut machine
- Stamping tool (I use a Misti)
- Anti-static bag
- White embossing powder
- Heat tool
- Flat-backed pearls
- Double-sided adhesive - Low tack
- Watercolor paint brushes
- Paper towels
- Cup of clean water
- Ink Blending brush(es) or applicator(s)
Process:
- Place the watercolor panel on the stamping platform and secure it with the stamping tool.
- Attach the bird stamp to the stamping platform, centered over the panel, using double-sided tape if needed.
- Dust the watercolor panel with an anti-static bag to prevent stray embossing powder.
- Ink the bird stamp with watermark ink and stamp the image onto the panel with even pressure, repeating 1–2 times for complete coverage.
- Remove the panel from the stamping platform, sprinkle white embossing powder over the stamped image, and use a heat tool to emboss, creating “wells” for pigment.
- Secure the panel to a work surface (e.g., an old wooden clipboard) for painting.
- Moisten watercolor pigments with a paintbrush and water to activate them.
- Use a clean paintbrush to apply the lightest watercolor pigment to the desired areas of the embossed image, starting with light colors, and let it dry completely.
- Using the sticky mat, secure one of the cardstock panels in place.
- Using the Yellow ink and light pressure, blend the paper to your desired hue—aim for a gentle sunrise glow.
- Repeat the previous step with a second piece of White cardstock, creating matching sunny frames.
- Using two of the border dies of differing sizes and the now Yellow cardstock, use your die-cutting machine to cut out the panels. These will form the window edges.
- In turn, secure each Yellow panel to the sticky mat and add the Brown accents, see photo for reference. A subtle flick of brown ink along the edges mimics weathered branches, grounding your bird's flight.
- Once completed, set aside to dry—patience here ensures crisp layers.
- Using the last of the White cardstock, secure it to the sticky mat and then use the Blue ink to make a sky-like effect. I used the borders to figure out the placement, blending from soft to a deeper cerulean for depth.
- Remove the panel from the sticky mat and place the panel into the stamping platform. Secure the stamp into position, ink it with black ink, and stamp, re-inking and re-stamping if necessary.
- Remove the panel from the stamping platform and trim it to the same size as the border dies—precision here makes assembly a breeze.
- Adhere the panels together, creating a window effect, see photo for reference. The nested borders reveal glimpses of the sky and sentiment, framing your focal point.
- Be sure to adhere the bird in between the window panels—it's the heart of the card.
- Adhere the composite panel to the White A2 card base with liquid glue, centering it for balanced elegance.
- For visual interest, add some flat-back pearls in an odd number and a triangular pattern to draw the eye of the viewer. Three pearls arching like a subtle constellation add that final sparkle, echoing the stars your muse helped you reach.
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
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