Showing posts with label ink blending. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ink blending. Show all posts

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Vintage Scene Panel


Hello! Welcome back to the BPM blog. I created a scene using BPM products. I added some ink blending to make the panel vintage looking. 


The Blank Page Muse products I used on this panel are:
I trimmed a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" white cardstock. I placed the cardstock on a sticky mat which is on top of a rotating platform. The sticky mat keeps the paper in place while I ink blend. The rotating mat gives me more freedom on blending since instead of lifting the paper off the sticky mat, I just rotate the platform. 


I positioned the stencil over the white cardstock. I covered the open areas of the stencil with Post-it paper so I do not apply ink where I don't want it. I started off with a small blending brush.


I later switched to a softer, larger brush. I used oxide ink for the cloud. It is recommended to use a different brush for oxide inks. I totally forgot about this. Plus, I don't have a lot of brushes to work with in my stash. I just go by colors and clean the brush in between use. 


I overlapped the clouds, applying ink heavily on the bottom part of the cloud.


I stamped the hot air balloon on a clear plastic which helped on the placement of the hot air balloon on the panel. I used a stamping positioner tool to stamp the hot air balloon on the panel.


I inked the hot air balloon with a black ink. 


I pressed the stamp to the paper. The great thing about using a stamp positioner is you can re-ink and re-stamp the image on the same spot.


I stamped the hot air balloon over the clouds.


I applied washable glue to the back of the wildflower stamp to temporarily adhere this to the stamping tool. This is how I also adhered the hot air balloon to the stamping tool.


Just like with the hot air balloon, I stamped the wildflower on the clear plastic to help me with placement of the widlflower on the scene. 


I slipped the panel underneath the plastic film and moved the paper until I found the place where I want the wildflower to be stamped on. I secured the paper with magnets.


I inked the stamp with a black ink.


I pressed the inked stamp to the paper.


I used a stamp press to add even pressure to the stamp. And since I used a stamping tool, I can re-stamp this image again if I need to. I set the panel aside while the ink dries. You can heat set this if you want to speed dry it.


To make the panel vintage looking, I blended brown ink on the edges of the panel.


To add color to the hot air balloon, I created a mask. I stamped the hot air balloon on a Post-it Note. 


Using a craft knife, I cut an x on the center of the hot air balloon.


I cut off the inside of hot air balloon to create the stencil. 


I adhered this DIY mask on the panel, lining up the opening with the hot air balloon. I blended a different blue ink on the hot air balloon.


I colored the basket with a gray color pencil to keep the monochromatic look of the panel.


I blended a darker brown ink on the edges for a more vintage look.

I hope you like today's project. This is another great way to stretch those silhouette stamps. 


Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.
of Maria Giselle's Creative Cuts 

It's back! Blank Page Muse is generously offering a 15% discount to their online store to YOU, my blog readers. Just use the code BPMMaria when you check out. Enjoy!






















Posted by on No comments:
Labels: , ,

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Steampunk Garden Card

Hi, friends!  It's Walter on the blog today with a card with a touch of whimsy.  This month's design team theme is steampunk, which is a category that I have only dabbled in a bit.  For my first design, I knew that I wanted to have a floral element with it and thought that a garden would be fun.  I then thought that a hummingbird is perfect to go with a garden . . . and it just so happens that Blank Page Muse has a steampunk hummingbird stamp!  I built my design around it . . . let's jump into my creative process!



Here's what I used to make it:

Here's how I made it:

I started by ink blending a light amount of Iceberg ink onto the white card panel to create a very light blue sky.  I knew it was safe to cover the panel with this color since it's a very light shade of blue and I would easily be able to cover it up when I colored my florals.  I then stamped the flower and leaf branch from the You Make me Happy Hummingbird stamp set in black ink.

I envisioned a whimsical sky for my steampunk world and thought it would be fun to have lightly stamped shapes and designs throughout it.  I chose some fun detail stamps from Art Doll stamps sets and randomly stamped them around the background using the Iceberg and Mist Gray inks.  I stamped the stamps using Iceberg twice to make a darker shade of it than was blended on the background.  Both of these combined create a very fantastical sky!




I then used another detail element of a long block pattern with Shadow Creek ink to stamp along the bottom edge of the panel to create a grass-like look.  I didn't want it to look like real grass since this is a steampunk card and thought that the blocks would be a nice substitute.  Next up was coloring the flower and leaf elements, which I did using various shades of red and green alcohol markers.  I added a little detail to the flower using a white gel pen.  Satisfied with the flowers, I then choose the words from the Art Dolls stamp sets that I wanted to use and stamped each in a different color ink.




The final step was to create my steampunk hummingbird, and it could not have been easier!  I stamped the image with copper metallic pigment ink to create a more industrial feel.  I finished it by coloring the cogs with silver and gold gel pens.  I was very happy with how it looked, so fussy cut it, put double sided foam tape behind it, and adhered it down to my card.




That's it - the card was complete!  I think it has a nice blend of whimsy, fantasy, and nature.  It's a perfect card to send to someone who needs a little inspiration or encouragement.

Thanks for spending some time with me here on the blog.  I'll see you again next week for more stamping fun.  Until then . . . be well!


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


Posted by on No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Location: California, USA

Friday, August 29, 2025

Summer Fun - Take My Hand

Hi, friends!  It's design team member Walter on the blog with you today.  The design team's theme for the month of August is Summer Fun.  What's more fun that time at the beach?  My card today celebrates the beauty of summer, the beauty of the beach, and the beauty of being with someone special.  Let's jump into the design process!


Here's what I used to make it:

Here's how I made it:

I started by spraying some of the Dusk and Ocean Waves inks onto my glass craft surface.  Using a baby wipe, I applied each color to the white card panel.  I applied the Dusk halfway down the panel, switched to the clean end of the baby wipe, and applied Ocean Waves down the remainder.  This technique is an easy way to apply inks when you're not looking for even coverage.  The sky and the coean have natural variations to them and the blotted effect looks great for each.


I could now begin to later in the rest of the background.  I created it using a layered stamping approach using different colors to build up the color.  I wanted this image to be more like a silhouette since the couple stamp for the scene is also a silhouette and this will give that effect.  I first stamped the beautiful Lighthouse and Ocean stamp using Altenew Silver Lake Crisp Dye Ink to create the base silhouette layer.  I then stamped it with Hazelnut ink to add some lighter brown into the beach area and then stamped just the lighthouse and terrain level with Milk Chocolate ink to darken the farther area on the horizon.



I cleaned the stamp, inked the cloud area of the stamp with Yeti white pigment ink and stamped it.  I repeated this a couple of times until I had white cloud formations in the sky.



I was so happy with the background came together!  I used a white gel pen to add some wave foam caps and a black fine tip marker to darken the seagulls in the sky.

It was now time to stamp the couple.  I carefully applied black pigment ink to the couple while trying to avoid the flowers on the stamp.  I was okay with getting the grass in the image since there is sea grass on many beaches.  I stamped them a couple of times to get a nice black impression.  Once stamped, I added additional sea grass with a fine tip black marker.  I then position my sentiment and stamped it with black ink.  The panel was now complete!  I set it aside and let it dry for a while to avoid smudging any ink as I applied the panel to the card base.

I'm truly happy with how this card turned out!  The landscape is beautiful, and couple looks very natural in it.  This is what I love about Blank Page Muse stamps . . . you can combine various stamps to create a beautiful scene!



Thanks for spending some time with me here on the blog.  I'll see you again next week for more stamping fun.  Until then . . . be well!


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


Posted by on No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Location: California, USA

Thursday, July 24, 2025

Christmas in July - Twas the Night before Christmas with Walter

Hi, friends!  It’s Walter on the blog with you today with my final project for Christmas in July. Christmas is such a magical time for all of us - young and old.  That magic is expressed in so many songs and stories of the season - but in none more than Clement C. Moore's classic poem, "Twas the Night before Christmas."  The idea of Santa Clause being seen by an adult and that adult telling others, young and old alike, about what he spied brings so much joy.  That joy is perfectly captured in the Twas the Night before Christmas Rubber Stamp.  Santa flies over the tops of the buildings guided by eight reindeer as the city below sleeps and waits for his arrival.

 


Here's what I used to make it:

  •  Twas the Night before Christmas Rubber Stamp
  • A2 white card base
  • A2 piece of Christmas patterned paper
  • 4"x5.25" piece of gold glitter cardstock
  • 3.75"x5" white card panel 
  • Alcohol markers
  •  Gel pens
  • Nesting rectangle dies
  • Antique Linen and Tea Dye Distressed Inks
  • Salvaged Patina Oxide Ink

Here's how I made it:

I began by adhering the piece of patterned Christmas paper onto the card base.  I created a frame from the gold glitter cardstock using two nesting rectangle dies.  I used one that was approximately 4"x5.25" and one two sizes smaller than it.  I ran this combination through my die cut machine to cut out the center.  Vintage Patina Distress Oxide ink was gently applied around parts of the frame to add some age to it.



I stamped the image onto the white card panel and began to color.  I colored the image using a combination of alcohol markers and gel pens.  The gels pens were mostly used for details (rooftop snow, house lights) and small areas (Santa's sleigh) and the alcohol markers for the rest.  Once finished, I applied Antique Linen and Tea Dye Distress inks to add some vintage grunge.




The final steps were to adhere the stamped image to the card and then the frame over it using double sided foam tape strips.

This is such a fun card that would be wonderful to send to a family with children.  I can only imagine the "ooh's and ahh's" as the gaze upon it! 

Thanks for spending some time with me today.  I’ll see you again next month with more posts.  Until then . . . be well!

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

 

Posted by on No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Location: California, USA

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Christmas in July - Sleigh it! with Walter

Hi, friends!  It’s Walter on the blog with you today with another Christmas in July.  I've always loved the art of Currier and Ives.  It's so nostalgic, folksy, and pretty.  Each piece is so full of detail that it's so easy to tell a story with it.  It seems like there is a book in every print!  That was my inspiration for this week's card - a similar type of of look and feel and one that tells a story.  I want to jump right in and live here!

 


 Items used to create it:

Here's how I made it:

I began by adding Lost Shadow splatter to the Navy card panel.  To do this, I smooshed the ink pad onto my glass crafting surface, spritzed with water, mixed it with a paint brush, and then flicked that mixture onto the card panel.  Once dry, I adhered the panel to the card base.

I created a frame from the cardboard using two nesting rectangle dies.  I used one that was approximately 4"x5.25" and one two sizes smaller than it.  I ran this combination through my die cut machine to cut out the center.  I then rubbed the frame with Sizzix Silver Luster Wax to give it a nice silver metallic look.  An alternative is to use Brushed Silver cardstock for the frame; however, I think that the Luster Wax gives it more of a vintage look.  I then spread some Brutus Monroe Coastal Mint Cosmo Glaze across certain portions of the frame to give it the look of a patina being formed on the frame.  This is to age it and make it look more vintage.  You may achieve a similar look using Vintage Patina Distress Oxide ink.  The difference is that the Cosmo Glaze has little bits of glitter in it that give the patina a bit of sparkle.



I put the frame aside to dry and stamped the Sleigh Ride image onto the 3.75"x5" white card panel.  I decided to color the panel using a combination of alcohol markers and gel markers due to all of the detail in the image.  Alcohol markers and gel pens give you more control over the coloring then watercolor, which is another fine method for coloring it.  You may use whatever colors set the scene you want to see.  For example, I knew that I wanted the scene to be at night rather than during the day and that impacted my decision to color the sky a darker blue.  As you color, don't forget to add in details like snow on the tress (accomplished with a white gel pen), lights in the windows (a yellow gel pen), and varying colors on the stone wall and chimney.



Once happy with the coloring, I wanted to add a border around the outside of the ink to make it look like the print was painted without clear borders and a jagged edge.  I created this effect by using a small blending brush and adding Lost Shadow Distress Oxide ink around the edges to blur them.  I then added varying degrees of vintage grunge to the image using Antique Linen. Tea Dye, and Vintage Photo Distress Inks.



To finish the card, I adhered the stamped panel to the card base and then adhered the frame around it.



This was such a fun card to create and I am very happy with how it turned out.  All of the detail and aging really helps make it stand out vs. a more simple stamp and color process.  As a bonus, the recipient may choose to frame it and use it as a Christmas decoration.  It's exactly what I would do if I received it!

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


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



 

Posted by on No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Location: California, USA

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!


Posted by on No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Location: California, USA
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Copyright Text

Blank Page Muse 2018 Sin City Stamps 2013