Thursday, July 10, 2025

Christmas in July - Victorian Skaters with Walter

Hi, friends!  It’s Walter on the blog with you today and the team is celebrating Christmas in July this month.  It’s hard to believe that we’re halfway through the year already.  Keep in mind though that it’s never too early to start making your Christmas cards!  Today I’m featuring what may be my most favorite stamp from Blank Page Muse: Victorian Skaters Art Rubber Stamp.  There is something so magical and nostalgic about this stamp.  It reminds me of a scene from A Christmas Carol or the great musical film, By the Light of the Silvery Moon.  Two people skate along on a pond on a cold winter’s night and enjoying the magic of the season.  It’s a scene that anyone would love to receive on a card!


I used the following items to create it:


Here’s how I made it:

I began by stamping the snowflake border onto the card base with clear emhossing ink.  I repeated it several times across the panel, applied the Alabaster Sparkle embossing powder, and heat set it.  Alabster Sparkle is a white embossing powder that has fine glitter mixed in with it to add some shimmer to each snowflake.  You may always substitute regular white embossing powder or a color of your choice.  Light blue would also look nice set against the dark blue cardstock!




The next step was to stamp the image of the Vitorian skaters.  I decided to heat emboss them with black embossing powder to really make them stand out and add some dimension.  Once again, I stamped with clear embossing ink, applied the Raven embossing powder, and heat set it.

I colored the image with alcohol markers to ensure rich color and shading.


Once colored, I went over the ice with a light cool gray alcohol marker to further blend it and add additional shading.




I dried the panel with my heat tool on low to make sure all of the ink was dry and set, and then used a small paint brush to apply a coat of Brutus Monroe Fall Snow Glitter glaze to everything but the skaters.  I did this to make the sky, snow, and ice sparkle.  It helps add further dimension to your card by making the background stand out from the skaters.


Once dry, I used a Nuvo Shimmer pen to add some shimmer to the skaters.  This makes them have a slight shimmer that is different than sparkle on the background.  This again makes them stand out against the background and adds more dimension.


I used a larger oval in my stacking ovals die set, centered it on the scene, and cut it out with my die cut machine.  I choose to do this to make it look more like a framed image set against the snowflake embossed background.  I ran a silver metallic marker around the edge of the oval panel, applied double sided foam tape to the back, and adhered it to the card base.  I stamped the sentiment, cut the strip to size, and applied it to the card.


I truly love this card!  I love the image, the story it tells, and how much dimension was achieved with the coloring and glazes.  It actually looks like the skaters are coming off of the card when the light hits it a certain way.

Thanks for spending some time with me today.  I’ll see you again next week with another Christmas in July project.  Until then . . . be well!

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


Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Winged Smile

Hello, friends! This is Lori from Coast 2 Coast Cards with a fun  and quick card today. Have you played with alcohol inks? I wanted to show how easily you can pull a card together with an alcohol inked background.

This is my final panel from blending with alcohol inks. I started with Yupo paper. This is a special paper, with a plastic coating, used for alcohol ink, watercolor, and other wet media. I added some rubbing alcohol onto the paper, dropped a few drops of alcohol ink, then blended with an air blower. That is a tube with a bulb at the base that you squeeze to release air at the other end.

I took a piece of teal cardstock and dry embossed it with the Fantasy Flourish Stencil. To do so, I lightly spritz the cardstock with water, then emboss using my die cutting machine and the sandwich for embossing with a die. This sandwich includes using a flexible mat. Spritzing with water keeps the paper from tearing and increases the design impression. 

I stamped the Smile Winged Muse with Copic-friendly black ink. I colored with butterfly wings in shades of blue and purple with alcohol markers from my stash.

I used a stamp die to cut out the image. I wanted a postage stamp look and didn't have a die large enough to cut out the entire image, so I offset the picture to add interest.

Final card. I popped up all layers with foam tape to add dimension. I added a simple sentiment from my stash. This card came together quick and was so fun to make! If you haven't tried alchol inks, I highly recommend it. Not only are they fun and easy to work with but, like watercolor, you never get the same background twice.





Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Double Page Art Journal Spread


Hello! Welcome back to the BPM blog. I have another art journal page created for you. This time, I created a double page spread. I hope you like it.

The BPM products I used on this spread are:
I first looked for a quote related to leaves. I planned how I would want to illustrate this quote using the stencils. 



I started with the ink blending of the leaves which is the focal point of the double page spread. To make the leaves centered, I counted the number of letters of the word that I want to highlight, in this case, it is 'nature.' I positioned the stencil with a leaf close to the center spine. 


I masked the open areas around this leaf to prevent inking these surrounding areas.


I wanted the leaf stem to be brown in color. I used a smaller blending brush to apply the brown color. I masked the inked leaf which I skipped doing with the rest of the leaves. Using a smaller blending brush gives more control in adding a different color to this part of the leaf.


I used different shades of green inks for my leaves. I started blending with a light hand adding more pressure towards the part of the leaf connected to the stem. Another way to achieve this is to use different shades of green inks on a leaf. 


I continued blending ink until I have enough leaves for each letter of 'nature.' 


For the letters, I used an acrylic marker. I should have conditioned my marker before using it. And, I should have allowed the ink to dry before proceeding to the next letter. You will see below how I sort of messed up the letter e. This will be covered by the marks later on.



I blended a light and dark green acrylic marker on each letter. The acrylic marker is opaque that the pigment stood out over the blended ink on the leaf. 


I used a black marker to outline the letters to make the letters pop-out.


I added marks to each leaf using a black gel pen. 


For the rest of the letters, I used the same small blending brush to apply the ink. Just like with the leaf, I started inking the letter which is in the middle of the phrase moving sideways to complete the sentiment.


Initially, I was using a mask to prevent inking on the next letter but later on stopped doing this. Using a small brush makes it unnecessary to mask. 



I used a pastel green gel pen to add shadows to the ink blended letters for additional details.


I hope you give this art a try. 

Visit our social media sites for more stamping fun!
I Brake For Stamps -https://ibrakeforstamps.com/ 

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.






 

Monday, July 7, 2025

Poppies in Bloom: Crafting a Vibrant Stained Glass Greeting Card

 

Poppies in Bloom:

Crafting a Vibrant Stained Glass Greeting Card

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

Stained glass, a timeless art form, transforms light into vibrant displays of color and pattern, historically adorning sacred spaces and grand architecture with its luminous beauty. Artists craft intricate designs by cutting colored glass and joining pieces with lead or copper, creating glowing mosaics that capture both light and imagination. Florals, like poppies, are a popular motif in stained glass due to their vivid hues and symbolic resonance, representing life, remembrance, or renewal. The organic curves and bold colors of flowers allow artists to showcase the medium’s ability to blend delicate detail with radiant impact, making floral designs ideal for evoking emotion and enhancing the interplay of light in creations like greeting cards or decorative panels.




To create this project, you will need the following:
  • Stained Glass Poppies stamp from Blank Page Muse
  • White cardstock panel - 4.25" x 5.5"
  • Black cardstock panel 4.25" x 5.5"
  • White A2 Card base
  • Nuvo Jewels
  • Clear block for mounting stamp or stamping platform
  • Low-tack adhesive  
  • Embossing folder(I chose one from my stash)
  • Scissors
  • Liquid glue
  • Paper Trimmer
  • Sentiment of choice
  • Die-cut machine
  • Heat Tool 
  • Silver embossing powder (to mimic the lead in traditional stained glass but gold or bronze work well)
  • Anti-static powder 
  • Watermark ink 

Process:

The star of this show is the Stained Glass Poppies stamp, so let's keep it simple.

  • Use the anti-static powder on the side of the white cardstock to be stamped.
  • Position and secure white cardstock in a stamping platform
  • Position the stamp, face down, on the cardstock, and then apply low-tack adhesive to the back so it adheres securely to the stamping platform.
  • Ink the stamp with watermark ink and then, with even pressure, stamp the image onto the white cardstock.  Repeat a couple of times to ensure even coverage.
  • Remove the stamped cardstock from the stamping platform. 
  • Coat the stamped image with silver embossing powder, remove excess, and then heat-set the powder with a heat tool.  The intention of the silver is to mimic the traditional look of lead.
  • With Nuvo Jewels liquids, carefully color in the "wells" of the image made by the embossing powder.  You may need to either lightly shake the panel side to side or employ a needle to ensure no bubbles are left before allowing the panel to dry fully.
  • Once dry, use scissors or a paper trimmer to trim the focal image along the edge of the stamp and set aside.
  • Use the black cardstock, a die-cutting machine, and an embossing folder to create the background panel.
  • Adhere the focal image panel onto the background panel with liquid glue, then set aside to dry.
  • Adhere the completed panel onto a White A2 card base.
  • Create the sentiment in black and white, as shown above, to make the image pop. Secure it to the card with liquid glue and allow it to dry fully.

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!

Sunday, July 6, 2025

Christmas in July

 Hi everyone, Steph Ackerman here today using some amazing stamps from Blank Page Muse.


Distress Oxide Inks:  Saltwater TaffySqueezed Lemonade, Dried Marigold


Stamp and emboss the Christmas Village as well as Santa on the Sleigh.
Using assorted Distress Oxide Inks, add color above the village.
Add additional color using Copic Markers.


Using a red card, cut pattern paper to fit the interior.
Stamp the sleigh with tree on white cardstock.
Cut to fit, inking the edges with Saltwater Taffy before matting with black cardstock.
Add some color with Copic Makers and adhere to the card base.


Mat the village with black cardstock and adhere to the card front.
Die cut Santa and sleigh and mat with cardstock.
Add to the card with foam adhesives for dimension.

Thanks for stopping by.

Steph

Looking for more Inspiration? Click the links below!
The Blank Page Muse Shop https://blankpagemuse.com/

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Gnome for the Holidays: Christmas in July

Gnome for the Holidays: Christmas in July

Good day, fellow crafters. It's Tamara once again, with a new post showcasing my latest card created using  Blank Page Muse products!  I was having so much fun with their great flower-themed products that I decided to create with them again for this post.

A Gnome's tale: Deep in the enchanted groves where gnomes dwell, the tradition of Christmas—whether in snowy December or their quirky "Christmas in July"—holds a special place in their tiny, bearded hearts. According to gnome lore, their festive customs began when an ancient gnome tinker, Mr. Gribble Twinklegreen, stumbled upon a human Christmas celebration and returned with tales of twinkling lights and gift-giving. Since then, gnomes have woven these traditions into their own, crafting intricate ornaments from pinecones and river pebbles, and exchanging gifts like enchanted seeds or polished quartz under miniature fir trees. Their Christmas feasts feature foraged delicacies—think roasted chestnuts and elderberry tarts—served in communal burrows aglow with firefly lanterns. Every year, gnomes honor the season by singing carols in their high-pitched harmonies, a tradition said to summon good fortune, ensuring their forest homes brim with joy, whether blanketed in snow or bathed in summer’s warmth.




To create this project, you will need the following:
  • Expert Keeper of Magic Mr. Twinklegreen Winter Gnome CLEAR stamp from Blank Page Muse
  • White cardstock panel - 4.25" x 5.5"
  • Black cardstock panel 4.25" x 5.5"
  • Red cardstock panel4.25" x 5.5" 
  • Red A2 Card base
  • Alcohol Markers (I used Copic brand)
  • Clear block for mounting stamp or stamping platform
  • Black ink 
  • Low-tack adhesive  
  • Frame die (I chose scalloped one from my stash)
  • Scissors
  • Liquid glue
  • Paper Trimmer
  • Sentiment of choice
  • Die-cut machine 

Process:

I wanted this card to feature Mr. Twinklegreen front and center, as I am a big fan of gnomes, so I am keeping this one simple.

  • Position and secure white cardstock in a stamping platform
  • Position the stamp, face down, on the cardstock, and then apply low-tack adhesive to the back so it adheres securely to the stamping platform.
  • Ink the stamp with black ink and then, with even pressure, stamp the image onto the white cardstock.  Repeat a couple of times to ensure even coverage.
  • Remove the stamped cardstock from the stamping platform but leave the stamp in place for a later step.
  • Use alcohol markers, colors of personal preference, to fill in the gnome image. I chose the traditional colors red and green, along with gray for the beard, black for the boots, and skin tone for the nose.
  • Re-position the panel into the stamping platform, re-ink, and then re-stamp once more to crisp up the lines of the image. 
  • Position and adhere the sentiment in the stamping platform, ink, and stamp. Repeat as required.
  • Remove the panel from the stamping platform.
  • Using a scalloped die, a die machine, and the Black cardstock, cut the mat.
  • Using a paper trimmer, cut the focal image to the final dimension.
  • Adhere the focal image panel on the mat, and then the composite onto the Red cardstock panel using liquid glue.
  • Adhere the completed panel onto a White A2 card base.


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!

 

Saturday, June 28, 2025

Something Remarkable

Hello, it's Lori from Coast 2 Coast cards,  sharing a clean and simple card today for Blank Page Muse. This card uses on of my favorite techniques; masking is fun and leaves the effect of dimension and layering.

I started this card by stamping the Etched Stone Flower onto a piece of white cardstock, with Copic-friendly black ink.

I covered the flower with masking paper. The paper was first stamped with the same image, then fussy cut. When you mask an image and stamp over it, it looks like the second image is behind the first.

I used the Fern Rubber Stamp twice in green ink over the masking paper. This is the result after removing the masking paper.

I added the Sentiment Word Stamps Create Something in a black pigment ink to achieve a dark, crisp image.

I colored the flower with three different pink Copic markers. Using different shades of the same color adds dimension. I used a stitched rectangle die from my stash to triim down the panel.

I added three pink gems and framed the panel with a hunter green piece of cardstock. 

Final card! I really like clean and simple cards, but I don't make them often. The pink gems match the flower and the green ties into the leaves. This card came together quickly. I hope you like it!







Wednesday, June 25, 2025

CAS Rainbow Color Block ~Team Stamp Play


Hello! Welcome back to the BPM Blog! I am so glad you are here. We are close to wrapping up this month's theme in which the BPM DT members created projects using stamps from a stamp bundle. Are you enjoying each DT member's interpretation? 

The Blank Page Muse stamps I used for my card panel are:

I temporarily adhered the Texture Wet Cement rubber stamp to my stamping platform. I used an Elmer's Washable Glue for this purpose. The glue gives the right amount of tacky to adhere the stamp to the stamping platform or acrylic block. Since it is washable, it is easy to wipe off the glue residue with a wet rag. You can also wipe off the glue from the back of the rubber stamp but I found out that in not doing so, the tackiness remains making it easy to use this stamp again.

Since I was going for a striped design, I inked portions of the rubber stamp with two inks at a time. 


I pressed the inked rubber stamp to a white cardstock cut at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".


I inked the rubber stamp again using two different colored inks. No rhyme or reason in applying the inks. I just want a nicely distribution of the four colors with some overlapping.


Before proceeding to the next stamp, I dried the stamped impression using a heat gun so the surface will be dry for the next stamping.


I temporarily adhered the flower stamp to the stamp positioner. There was still some temporary glue left behind by the previous stamp on the stamping platform. This was enough to hold the flower stamp in place.

I inked the flower stamp with a black pigment ink.


I pressed the flower rubber stamp to the inked panel. I used a stamp press tool which helps in transferring the inked impression to the paper especially on those detailed areas.


My first stamped impression was not dark enough. I repeated the process of stamping. This is when a stamping tool is very helpful. I stamped the flower three times total for a crisp, black impression.


I positioned the fern stamp on the inked panel then picked this up with the stamping tool using the residual adhesive on the tool. I inked the fern stamp with the same black ink I used on the flower.


I pressed the stamp on the panel and used the press tool again. 


I inked and stamped the fern two more times for a darker impression.


I repositioned the fern stamp to the other side of the flower. I just eyeballed this using the end of the stem of the fern as a guide where to position the stamp. I repeated the same process of stamping.


I could have placed something in between the fern leaves like a brad or a button but I will keep it simple on this one. 

I hope you like today's card and give this design a try. So much possibilities with this design. You can change up the colors or apply the inks in scattered parts of the stamp. You can also heat emboss the flower and leaves. The possibilities are endless.  

Visit our social media sites for more stamping fun!
I Brake For Stamps -https://ibrakeforstamps.com/ 

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.



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