Two Cards Inspired by Online Card Classes

I'm one of the many students taking the "Stretch Your Stamps 2" class at Online Card Classes. Class started August 4, but I haven't been able to participate a whole lot so far. But the other day I finally got 2 cards done and photographed!

My first card was inspired by a lesson by the ever-funny & talented Julie Ebersole. She made what she calls a "word search card." Basically, you stamp your message in the middle using alphabet stamps, and then surround that with other random letters from the same stamp set. Believe me though, it is not as easy as it looks, since you have to make sure not to spell out inappropriate words with your random letters! A stamp press definitely helps with a card like this.

I started by cutting a piece of Strathmore Mixed Media paper to 3x4". Mixed Media paper is something I learned about through May Flaum during this year's Camp Scrap. It is basically like very thick (140 lb.) cardstock with a smooth surface, and takes wet mediums really well. This was important, because my next step was to create a color gradient using watercolors in red, orange, & yellow. I had to go over the paper two or 3 times to get the intensity of color and smooth blending I wanted, which would have ruined a thinner cardstock. I set that aside to dry while I worked on my greeting & random letters.

I spelled out my greeting on my Fiskars stamp press using Lawn Fawn's "Milo's ABCs" stamp set. When my watercolored panel had dried, I stamped the greeting approximately centered using Versafine Onyx Black ink, then heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. I stamped my random letters in Iced Spruce Distress ink. I finished that panel by sponging around the edges slightly with Wild Honey Distress ink, just to mask the white core of the paper.

I used a standard A2 white card base I'd previously cut & scored. I felt it looked a little bland, so I took a black glitter gel pen and did faux stitching lines around the edges. It still looked too stark, so I flicked Squeezed Orange and Black Marble Dylusions spray inks over the front. Finally, I mounted my focal panel with foam adhesive.

Kristina Werner inspired my second card, with her lesson in Day One of class. I used Stampabilities "Wrought Iron Background" to stamp with Versamark ink on watercolor paper. I then white heat embossed this panel, and colored it with watercolors in rainbow order. When the watercolor dried, I die cut it using Simon Says Stamp's "Big Hello" die. I also cut a 1/4" wide strip from this panel to put across the bottom of the card.

I glued the die cut to a piece of white cardstock, and stamped the "you" from this set below it, using Versafine Onyx Black ink. Then I glued down the narrow strip. I felt the "hello" & strip looked a little washed-out on the white background, so I went around them with a black glitter gel pen. This also tied those in with the black "you." (I also punched a star from the same watercolor panel and glued it above the "hello," mostly to cover up a spot where the black gel ink had smeared!) I matted that panel with purple glitter cardstock, and adhered that to a card base.

I will be sending these 2 cards to Send a Smile 4 Kids. This charity collects cards for children who are hospitalized. Either the kids can use them to give to their parents (e.g. for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas, etc.), or adults in the hospital like nurses can write messages in them to give to the young patients. I just recently discovered this organization, and will be making more cards to send in the future.

I'm entering my "Hello You" card in Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday "Make It Sparkle" challenge (used glitter gel pen & glitter cardstock).