Crafty Cardmakers 7th Challenge

Today there is a new challenge at Crafty Cardmakers and it is an introduction to stamping.

I am not the world's best rubber stamper, I love the designs and fact you can make some fabulous cards using them but would not describe myself as a 'stamper'.

I did used to have difficulty getting a clear image when I did my stamping but have recently unmounted all my wooden block ones. This has saved me a lot of space but also allowed me to stamp using the Crafters Companion Rocker Blocks and I haven't had a dodgy image since!

There are so many techniques you can use with your rubber stamps and there are so many extremely talented people who do so and could not even begin to put myself in the same category. One of my favourite ranges of rubber stamps is the Forever Friends Bears. I just love their cute little faces. The FF bears have always been popular in cards and I am just so pleased they have been licensed for crafting now.

I have made an easel card which I think could be my new favourite design. It looks really amazing but is so easy to do. In a row of cards on a shelf it would easily stand out from the others. You can see from the side view how the front of the card is propped up behind the heart so it 'displays' the card.

The size of this card is 5.5" square and it folds down to fit into a normal envelope.

To make one is very easy indeed. Just decide how big you want your finished card to be, for instance a 4" square, cut one piece of card this size for the front of the card and decorate as normal.

For the back of the card you need it to be the same width and twice as long (so 4" x 8" in this example)

Score lines at the quarterway point (2") and halfway (4") and valley fold towards you. The longest section is the base of the card and the 2 folds will come towards you.

Attach the front of the card to the 1st 2" section, you can then 'close' the card by laying it flat.

To create the easel all you need to to is attach a 3d element to the inside of the card to tuck the front behind. I used die cuts mounted on 3d foam, but it works just as well with a button or a brad.

The rubber stamp image has been coloured in using watercolour pencils with a small amount of metallic gold pen for accents on the image.

Materials used are Rubber stamp & heart brad - Papermania, Paper & White flower - HOTP, Red flower - Prima, Die cut hearts and glasses - Let's Make Cards, ribbon from my stash.

The sentiment was made on the computer using a freebie digital frame which I manipulated to fit around the text.

I have also been able to tick an older 365 Cards challenge off the list for day 88 which was to make an anniversary or engagement card