Your Kindness Card Tutorial

The Your Kindness card uses cardmaking techniques such as stamping, blending with alcohol markers, and embossing with 3D embossing folders.  And, it features one of my favorite stamp and die sets from Altenew, Poppy Garden.

The first step is to make a white, 5 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ side-folding card base.  You can find instructions on how to make a card base at How to Make A Card Base.

Create the Woven Backgrounds

Next, we’ll place a half sheet of light blue cardstock inside the Basket Weave 3D embossing folder.  After that, we’ll run it through your die-cutting machine.

Embossing folders are fun because they leave beautiful detailed impressions on the paper.  I like to enhance the design with watercolor painting so that you can see it better.  To do this, smoosh some Dusk ink on a glass mat or work surface.  Then, wet your embossed panel with a 
Silver Brush Black Velvet Brush – Square Wash, Size 1/2′” paint brush.  Next, pick up some of the ink with your brush and brush it over the card panel with even strokes.  The trick is to use enough pigment to pool in the little crevices in the design.  Set the panel aside to dry while we go on to the next step.

Stamp and Color the Floral Images

Stamp at least three of the floral images and three to five leaves with black pigment ink on white blending cardstock.  Make sure the ink is dry before proceeding to the next step.  Use a heat tool if you have to.

Color the flowers and greenery as follows with Altenew alcohol markers:

• Flowers:  Sunkissed, Orange Cream, Autumn Blaze, Firebrick  – begin with the darkest orange where the petals meet the center and in deeply shaded areas.  Then, work your way to the edges where the will be lighter.  Alcohol markers blend especially well when you begin withe the darker tone of ink and then draw it out by blending with the lighter colors.
• Flower centers:  Sand Dunes, Rocky Shores, Mocha, Espresso – add the darkest color sparingly in places that should be th darkest.  Use the different colors to variate the colors.
• Greenery:  Bamboo, Parrot, Olive, Moss, Sand Dunes,Rocky Shores, Mocha, Espresso

Once the coloring is complete, you can use the coordinating dies to die-cut the images.  While you’re at it go ahead and die-cut a couple extras to use in the flower that will be closes to the receiver when they receive it.

Your Kindness Sentiment

Heat emboss the sentiment using black embossing powder on white cardstock.  Click How To Heat Emboss for tips on how to achieve high-quality heat embossing.

Your Kindness Card Assembly

Trim the embossed panel to 5″ x 5″ making sure that the design is even on all four side.  Afterward, fasten the panel centered on the card base using a piece of double-sided adhesive sheet trimmed to 4 7/8″ x 4 7/8″.

Move the floral and greenery images around on the card front until you’re happy with the design.  Layer the images with the extra die-cuts we cut out.  And then, fasten them down with liquid glue, and Instant Dimension foam tape.

Fussy-cut out the sentiment and pop it up on top with some more foam tape.

Supply List for the Your Kindess Card