Why so Blue?
Five Card Variations Using a Simple but Clever Crafting Technique
Good day, fellow crafters. Welcome to my latest crafting challenge where I'm pushing my creativity to the limits! For this challenge, I've decided to create a set of cards within one color family, using only a limited amount of supplies. To make things even more challenging, I'm using the same cutting die, heat set foil brand, glitter brand and family of colors, cardstock brand, and card base for each card. The only variation will be in the sentiments I use, ensuring a range of categories for the finished cards. So join me as I explore the possibilities.
To make these cards, I first selected a theme and color scheme. I chose blue as my color palette because I wanted to participate in the May Colorful Options challenge, which requires cards with blue as the main color. Additionally, I wanted to create cards with a masculine touch to submit to the Cards 4 Guys blog challenge. By focusing on a blue color palette, I could still create cards that met the requirements for both challenges. To learn more about these challenges, you can click on the logos at the top of this page.
To create the background I used what I feel is a clever trick. First, you take a piece of cardstock, in this case, I am using a Light Blue that as you can see in the photo is the same one I used for the mat as this makes the end result appear to be seamless, and you run it through your die machine with your chosen die. For these cards, I am using an old die that I have in my collection from Kokorosa, that I have not had the opportunity to use yet. Then take a piece of clear adhesive paper, I got mine from scrapbook.com, and peel off the top layer. Next you take the cut out and put it onto the adhesive paper being careful as to not wrinkle the cardstock .
Pro-Tip: Use the sheet that covered the adhesive between you and the adhesive and your fingers won’t stick. It also helps with the next step.
Speaking of the next step, here comes the color!!! Again the theme color is Blue so I dived headfirst into my glitter stash and pulled out loads of shades of Blue, so many in fact that I will have to take time to more thoroughly organize them for future use. I finally settled on glitter that I had purchased from Hobby Lobby, specifically Royal Blue, Blue Jeans, and Light Blue, in the extra fine grade. I didn’t want big chunks of glitter flaking off or not sticking properly so this was the best choice.
Starting from the bottom up I added the glitter in a hombre to get a transition gradient look. I feel like this makes it more appealing and aids in drawing the eye along the card. As I mentioned as my pro tip, be sure to use the adhesive paper backing between you and the glitter and the adhesive paper. It will allow you to move the glitter around and ensure the paper is covered without getting your hands covered in glitter or adhesive.
The next step in the process was to cut the background, the mat, and the card base all to the final size and shape. To do this I used the Hero Arts Rounded Rectangular Infinity Die set (D1465). I then adhered the background to the mat and the mat to the pre-cut A2 White card base and set it aside.
Finally, it came down to the sentiment. I chose to use the Hello Dear Friend Glimmer plate set from Spellbinders which also includes in the set a coordinating Hello etched die. I set up my Glimmer Foil machine and followed the steps, using my Colbat Blue Heat Set foil (GLF-020) and the corresponding Hello die to complete my sentiment. To give it some dimension I mounted it on pop dots before adhering it to the background.
This was a really fun card to create and very easy to do. I really enjoyed the hombre effect the shades of Blue I used worked out so much that I wrote it in my design journal to use again. Below you will find the other four cards that I promised in the title. All of these were made using the exact same technique which shows the variety you can have with the same materials.
