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/
