Sending Colorful Hugs

To watch a video of this card, please click HERE

• Supplies:
  • Stamp Sets
    • Altenew Fancy Greetings
    • Altenew Painted Poppy
    • Altenew Painted Butterflies
  • Ink:
    • Altenew Crisp Dye Ink Aqualicious
    • Altenew Crisp Dye Ink Dew Drops
    • Altenew Crisp Dye Ink Galactic Stream
    • All Purpose Ink for fantast/x – Champagne Mist
    • Versamark Watermark Stamp Ink
  • Card Stock:
    • Neenah White card stock
    • Gold Foil card stock
    • Minc Rose Gold Reactive Foil
    • Velum card stock
  • Other:
    • Heat gun
    • 70% Isopropyl Alcohol
    • Heat and Stick Powder

The challenge for this card was to use color to help express the emotions of the card. Generally when I create a card I intuitively choose colors that match the purpose or emotion of the card. Examples are using red for a birthday or anniversary card for my spouse, or using yellow, blue, or neutral colors for a sympathy card. The challenge is to turn that thinking around, considering the color and mood/emotion of the card before creating. Rather than choosing a color as an intuitive action, making it a deliberate action. With this in mind, I created today’s card. I wanted a card that was cheerful and bright yet supportive for someone going through a tough time. For me, blues and greens are supportive and soothing. The glitter and gold keeps it up-beat. The Sweet Dreams Altenew color family is fantastic and are used on this card.

I seem to be on a butterfly trend these days…maybe it’s the onset of summer. I love summer. I love butterflies. The Altenew Painted Butterflies stamp set and matching dies are fantastic. The Altenew Painted Poppy stamp set matches the mood of the Painted Butterfly stamp set as well. I stamped each image with Altenew Crisp Dye Ink Galactic Stream. The flower is then stamped with Altenew Crisp Dye Ink Dew Drops. The butterfly body is stamped with Altenew Crisp Dye Ink Aqualicious. Both of these stamp images have 3 stamps for the layering. The third layer is created with Minc Rose Gold Reactive Foil. Typically we use this foil in a heating machine such as the Minc. For this card, I stamped the third layer in Versamark ink and covered it with heat and stick powder. I ran my heat gun to heat it up before melting the heat and stick powder then immediately put the foil over the image. This works if the foil is applied while the heat and stick powder is still hot. Use caution to not burn yourself. If needed, you can heat the image again and re-apply the foil.

For the wonderfully shimmery background I mixed 3-4 drops of Champagne Mist All Purpose Ink for fantast/x in a small spritzer with the spritzer about half filled with 70% Isopropyl Alcohol. Spritz on a scrap paper first, then spritz the whole card panel. The card panel will curl up but if left to set for 3-4 minutes it will flatten again once the alcohol dries. I then wet a paint brush with 70% Isopropyl Alcohol and mixed it with 3-4 drops of the Champagne Mist ink and spattered it on the card. This takes several hours to dry. Generally I let it set overnight. I have never tried to dry it with a heat gun – this could be something to try on scrap paper.

Once the panel is dry, glue it to a piece of Gold Foil card stock then attach the panel to a card base with foam tape. The final step for the card is stamping the sentiment on velum with Versamark and heat setting in black embossing powder. Use foam tape only behind the wording and attach it to the card.

I hope you enjoy the card. Thanks for visiting today. I hope this encourages you to use your colors to help communicate the mood of the card.

Aimee Pankau