Beyond the Border

                                                  

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

Today’s project is intended to show you another way to use border stamps other than for just borders or textures.  This is a really simple card to make but the end result still speaks volumes.

To create this project, you will need the following: 

• Blank Page Muse Beyond the Border Mixed Media Set 2 – Pam Bray

• Blank Page Muse You Make Me Happy

• Black embossing powder

• White embossing powder

• Pink ink pad – hue of your choice

• Purple ink pad – hue of your choice

• Watermark ink pad

• Cardstock – black

• Cardstock - White

• Liquid glue

• Paper trimmer

• A2 card base – Lavender (4.25” x 5.5”)

• Iridescent flat-back pearls

• Heat tool

• Stamping platform – Misti or equivalent

• Ink-blending brushes

• Microfiber towel

To craft your card, you will need to begin with a piece of white cardstock, the Beyond the Border stamp set, a stamping platform, and a watermark ink pad.  Using the stamping platform, secure the cardstock into place so it does not move.  Then you need to align the border stamp across the cardstock horizontally before adhering it to the stamping platform.  Using the watermark ink pad, liberally apply the ink to the stamp and then stamp the image onto the cardstock being sure to use an even pressure across the entirety of the stamp.  My personal preference is to repeat this step a couple of times to ensure I thoroughly transferred the image.  Next reposition the stamp horizontally again and repeat the entire process as many times as you like for your card.  I chose five because it is an odd number (visual interest) and the human eye picks up on that distinction much better than when it is an even number (symmetry). If you are worried that your ink may dry to quickly you can move to the next step or as mentioned stamp the rest of the images first.

The next stage is the addition of the white embossing powder to the newly watermarked images.  While placing your stamped cardstock over a plate or another piece of cardstock, thoroughly coat the stamped images in embossing powder and then dump off the excess.  Be sure to give the cardstock a good flick to remove any excess powder.  Once satisfied use the heat tool to set the embossing powder.  Once that is done for all of the border stamps, use the same method as described above but with the You Make Me Happy sentiment stamp and black embossing powder.

Following the stamping and embossing of the images comes the addition of the color to the background panel.  For this project I used the left-over colors that were still on my ink blending brushes, something I do often to maximize my supplies, however the basic hues to use are pink and purple.  Using your ink blending brushes, blend small amounts of each color onto the panel, working from the outside in until satisfied with the final hue.  Take your time with this step so that you can blend the colors together and not have streaks or uneven coverage.  Once the ink is dry use a microfiber towel to wipe the excess ink from the embossed images.

Beginning with a matching dimension to the A2 card in mind, it is time to trim down the mats and the background panel to their final dimensions.  As this look is subjective to the one creating it, the actual dimension could vary wildly.  As a rule of thumb, removing 1/8” from all sides is a good look for layered mats.  To replicate this look, you would need to remove 1/8” on the bottom (White) mat from all sides, then 1/4" from all sides for the next (Black) mat and then finally 1/8” on all sides for the background panel which comes to 3.25” wide x 5” long in the end. Once trimmed down to final size adhere each layer together with liquid glue ensuring the spacing is correct and everything is straight.  To finalize the card, adhere an odd number of the iridescent flat black pearls to random locations on the background panel to add dimension.

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/

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Stitching on Stamped Images

Hello! Welcome back to the Blank Page Muse blog. Today's project features two crafting techniques that I love, which is to stamp and to stitch. 

I created a flower using a leaf stamp from the Blank Page Muse Scribble & Scratch Mixed Media Set 2 rubber stamps. There are several tools available to create this wreath. I used a stencil. If you don't have any of these helpful tools, just lightly draw a line on the cardstock panel to guide you where to stamp as you create your wreath. 

I blended inks over the images by creating my own stencil. I stamped the leaf on a Post-It Note. I cut off the leaf, leaving me with a window. I simply line up this opening to the stamped image and blend the ink over it.

Once all the blending is done, I used a poking tool to add stitching holes to the flower. 

I used six strands of embroidery floss to give the flower some depth. I added layers of sequins for the center of the flower.

I wish I have a wreath stencil that can create a larger flower. My stencil only creates a full wreath on a 4" square paper. I would have loved to stitched the flower center, too, if I have a larger flower.

I hope you like today's project and give it a try. You can also visit my blog, Maria Giselle's Creative Cuts, if you have any questions about this project.

Find more inspiration by visiting the following blogs:

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!

Journey, Create, Dream

 Hi everyone, Steph Ackerman here today.

Today I am using some amazing products from  I Brake for Stamps.

I Brake for Stamps:  Phrases Sheet #048, Large Words Background

Using whatever I had on my desk today.  It's fun to mix and match to see what you can create.  A large word background stamp stands out against a green card.

Details can be found on my blog.

Thanks for stopping by.

Steph

Looking for more Inspiration? Click the links below!

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Save 15% of your Blank Page Muse orders with discount code:  BPMSteph

A Sequined Background

 Hi, friends!

I hope that everyone is having a great summer!  Mine has been great so far.  I've been able to enjoy some time off while also keeping up with my crafting time.  Speaking of summer, today's card is a celebration of it featuring another one of the Rick St. Dennis bear stamps.  Who doesn't love spending some time at the beach?  A little fun in the sun is good for the soul - even if you're a bear!  My inspiration for the card was a picture of the bear on the beach being given to say hello to a friend.  What sets this card apart from others is that the card panel background is completely made up of sequins.  It was the first time that I've tried this and I am really happy with the results.  What do you think?

Here's what I used to create it:

• Beach Costume Bear by Rick St Dennis Line Art Rubber Stamp
• Special Day CLEAR Sentiments Flowers Stamp Set designed by Pam Bray 

 Here's how I made it:

• Adhered turquoise card panel to card base with double sided tape and stamped the sentiment at the top.
• Stamped the bear onto the smaller white card panel and colored it with alcohol markers, pastel gel pens, and glitter gels pens.
• Starting at the bottom of the card, glued sequins down to the card base and worked my way up to the top: used cream, brown, and gold sequins for the sand and rocks; turquoise sequins for the ocean; light blue sequins for the sky; silver sequins for a couple of clouds; and yellow sequins for the sun.
• Adhered the smaller panel to the card; angled the smaller panel to give it a more relaxed, whimsical feel.

I love how the sequined backgrounds almost mimics a mosaic type of look!  It's also nice that some of them are a little more flat and others are a little more shiny to break it up.  I am definitely going to try this technique again!

You may read more about my creative process on my blog.

Thank you for spending some time here with me today.  See you again soon!

Be sure to 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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Fun Faux layers with a twist

 Fun Faux layers with a twist

Sue here today to show an old technique with a twist.  I call this Faux layers which I have been doing off, and on for years.

Here's a closer look at the faux layer.  The twist is using a stencil to add fun, and dimension to the technique.  With some simple masking, color blending, and a adding stencil to get this unique effect on your card.

See more at my blog.

stamps/products used:

Blank Page Muse Special day Birthday by Pam Bray

Blank Page Muse Kindness changes everything by Shaloo Webster

I Brake for Stamps Harvest Love stamp sheet

Slimline stars stencil

Block pattern stencil

Butterflies and Flowers stencil

Thank you for stopping by.  Come back soon.

Color me Perfect Gift Bag

Lyneen here with a DIY gift bag idea.  I rarely buy beautiful gift bags.  Instead, I pick up bags at the dollar store and decorate them with papers, tags and ribbons.  

Today I have a bag using the Color Me Perfect Art Doll stamp collection and Bedazzled Diamonds Stencil, both created by Pam Bray. 

Visit my Blog HERE for a detailed tutorial!

Pease 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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A Bearable Birthday!

 

Hello, friends!

Welcome back to Paper Play.  Do you ever find yourself needing a quick birthday card and not having the right one in your stash?  It's nice to be able to fall back on something to help save you time when that happens - and that's the focus of today's post.  Blank Page Muse has a great digital download kit, It's Your Party, that will all will you to create a really nice handmade card.  It has a variety of papers, ephemera, greetings, and more.  I chose a paper that I really liked and paired it with one of Rick St. Dennis' adorable bear stamps.  The result is a card that is certain to make someone smile!

 

Here's what I used to create it:

• It's Your Party Birthday Printable Papers, Bookmarks Ephemera for Junk Journals Cardmaking and more designed by Pam Bray Designs
• Birthday Bear with Cupcake Hat Line Art Rubber Stamp by Rick St Dennis 
• Special Day CLEAR Sentiments Flowers Stamp Set designed by Pam Bray

 Here's how I made it:

• Used the printer app for my printer to reduce the size of the digital background paper for the card (3.75" x 5") and printed it.
• Adhered printed panel to card base with double sided tape, stamped the sentiment, and applied Glossy Accents to the balloons on the panel to give them texture and make them shine.  TIP: use a heat tool on low or a hair dryer to speed up the drying time of the glossy accents!
  

• Stamped the bear onto white card stock; colored the image with a mix of alcohol markers, pastel gel pens, and glitter gel pens; fussy cut the image.
• Adhered the bear to the card with a Wobbler Action Spring, which gives the bear some motion when tapped.
• Placed two rows of rainbow gems under the sentiment.

Such a quick way to make a colorful and fun birthday card!

I hope you enjoyed this post and my tips for making a beautiful card in no time at all.  Let me know what you think!

You may read more about my creative process on my blog.

Thank you for spending some time here with me today.  See you again soon!

Be sure to 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/

Almost A One Layer Card

Today's project features a silhouette stamp from I Brake for Stamps. I hope you like it. 

The products I used on this card are:

• IBFS Seibold Succulent Solid Set
• BPM Blocks Pattern Stencil
  

I used a heavy weight white A2 sized note card. I temporarily adhered the stencil to the card front. I covered the rest of the card with Post-It notes to prevent putting ink on these areas. I blended inks that are from the same color family with gradating shades. I lightly blended one color of ink over the stencil. After which, I cleaned the stencil and placed the stencil back over the card front off setting it toward the bottom right. I repeated the process until the whole panel is covered with ink blended blocks.

I bravely stamped the silhouette stamp on the bottom right of the card front. I did not get a good impression on my first try. On my second attempt, I must have moved my stamp positioner because the image was double stamped. Not to give up on this project, I stamped the image on a white cardstock. (Check my blog to know how many times it took me to get to this point.) I fussy cut the succulent and adhered it directly on top of the distorted succulent. 

Just by looking at it, you would think that this is a one layer card until you have a feel of the stamped image. And since I failed making this into a one layer card, I went ahead and adhered a sentiment strip.

Please visit my blog, Maria Giselle's Creative Cuts, for more details.

Find more inspiration by visiting the following blogs:

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!

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!

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/