Happiness Blooms From Within

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

  

Happiness blooms from within, much like a flower nurtured by the rich soil of self-awareness and personal growth. It isn't something that can be simply acquired or bestowed by external circumstances; rather, it flourishes from our inner resilience, positive mindset, and the choices we make every day. Just as a gardener tends to their plants with care and attention, we must cultivate our inner garden through practices such as gratitude, mindfulness, and self-compassion. 

In my card designs, I embrace this theme of inner happiness. Each handmade card is crafted to inspire joy, reflection, and connection, encouraging us to nurture and celebrate the happiness that comes from within. By sharing these cards, we spread the message that true joy is cultivated internally and blossoms outward, touching the lives of others. 

To create this project, you will need the following:

 

Stamps

·        Blank Page Muse Floral Spray Sunflowers Chrysanthemum Line Art – Pam Bray Designs

·        Blank Page Muse Happiness Blooms from Within words – ShalooWebster

Inks

·        Black ink pad

·        Watermark ink

Paper

·        Cardstock – black

·        Watercolor paper

·        A2 card base – white (4.25” x 5.5”)

Pigments

·        Watercolor pigment

Adhesive

·        Liquid glue

Tools

·        Paint brushes

·        Paper trimmer

·        Heat Tool

·        Stamping platform

·        Die-cutting machine

·        Tub large enough to fit watercolor paper

·        Anti-static powder pad

·        Label Die

Misc

·        Cherry Kool-Aid – sugar free

·        Water – amount per Kool-Aid directions

·        Cup of water for cleaning paint brushes

·        White Embossing powder

 

To craft your card, start by creating the background panel, as this is the most time-consuming portion. First, mix the Cherry Kool-Aid per the package instructions, minus the sugar, in a tub or tray. Once it's fully incorporated, place a sheet of watercolor paper into the prepared liquid. Allow the paper to set for a full 24 hours to absorb the color, then let it dry completely. You can use a heat gun to speed up the process, but the color doesn't look as nice in the final product.

 

Next, stamp your focal images. Using black ink and the Floral Spray Sunflowers Chrysanthemum Line Art stamp, ink and then stamp the image on the area of the watercolor paper where the color looks the most pleasing to your eye. Allow the ink to dry.

 

Now it's time to add color. For this project, watercolors are suggested, but you can also use quality-colored pencils or alcohol markers if you prefer. The best technique with watercolors is to wet small areas of the image at a time with water, then drop small amounts of watercolor pigments into the wet area. Slowly brush the pigment into the desired areas. If the color is too heavy, use a paper towel to dab up the excess. This technique allows you to slowly build up color and results in a better finish. Once you're done, let the paper dry completely.

 

Next, cut the background panel and the cover mat to size. Using a paper trimmer, first trim your water-colored background panel to its final dimensions. For this design, the dimensions are smaller than the A2 card base to provide some visual interest. Then, trim the black cardstock to 4.25” x 5.5” to cover the front of the card base. Set these aside.

 

Now it’s time to create the sentiment. Start with the black cardstock, using either any extra pieces that were trimmed off in the previous step or, as is often done in my studio, the center of the cover mat since it will be covered in the assembly stage. Place your black cardstock in your stamping platform of choice. Align the "Happiness Blooms from Within" words stamp over the area of the card you wish to stamp. Lightly dab the area with an anti-static powder pad where the stamp will land. Using a watermark ink pad, tap the ink pad onto the stamp to get an even coat. Once inked, stamp the image onto the cardstock. Repeat one or two times to ensure a proper image transfer. Cover the freshly stamped image with white embossing powder, then dump off the excess. Heat set this with a heat tool until melted. Lastly, using a label die that fits around the sentiment and a die-cutting machine, cut out the sentiment.

 

For the final step, assemble your card. Using liquid glue, adhere the black cardstock to the card base. Next, align and adhere the background panel with more glue. Lastly, position the sentiment in the desired location and adhere it to the background panel with liquid glue. As an optional idea, you can use pop-dots or foam tape for the sentiment. With that, your card is complete.

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!

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