Happy Thanksgiving to those of us in the US! The current challenge at A Blog Named Hero is muted colors. I’ve recently enjoyed using kraft cardstock for one layer cards and I like how it turns a brighter color into a more muted one.
Some links below are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
I began by stamping the solid tree layer from the Color Layering Nordic Tree stamp set with Ombré Tide Pool to Navy ink pad mostly randomly around the 4 1/4 x 5 1/2″ piece of kraft cardstock. Before stamping I used 1/2″ purple tape to mark off an area to add the sentiment. It’s not entirely necessary since I used another piece of cardstock for it in the end. I made sure to rotate the ink pad to have the light and dark in different parts of the tree. I also found with this image it looked more balanced when I had one image sort of centered on the panel. I next used navy ink to stamp the detail layer. Then I added the stars with the same navy ink wherever there was an open area between trees.
To add dimension to the trees I added a shadow with neutral gray copic markers. Typically I will add the darkest color first where I want the shadows. For this card that is the left and bottom. I try to keep the darkest line thin. Then I add the middle gray marker slightly overlapping the darkest to blend them a bit. Third, I add the lightest color. I overlap it with the middle gray. Sometimes I use the colorless blender to smooth out the lines.
I was coloring up against dye ink that is not Copic safe so I tested it out on another piece of cardstock to see how bad it would bleed. The ink had been dry for days and I did not get any bleeding. This isn’t always the case so I usually try not to overlap the Copic with the dye ink.
I next stamped with Embossing and Watermark Ink, sprinkled on White detail embossing powder and heat set the sentiment on navy cardstock. Lastly, I added white gel pen dots to the small circles on the trees and all through the open areas of the card. I then attached it to an A2 card base.
I hope you enjoyed this card and tutorial. Remember to visit and like the A Blog Named Hero Facebook Page for more inspiration and submit your creations at A Blog Named Hero.
Supplies:
Color Layering Nordic Tree stamp set
Ombré Tide Pool to Navy ink pad
Hero Hues Cardstock in Sand and Nautical
White gel pen
Copic markers: N0, N2, N4