Fun Card Backgrounds using Mixed Media Stamps

Hi! It’s Laura on the blog today and I have a card making tutorial showing you how you can use the Mixed Media Marks 1 and Mix It Up 1 stamp sets to create a great base for your focal images when making cards.

First, let’s create that background! I used water reactive dye ink pads (Gina K Designs in Turquoise Sea and Passionate Pink) but you could use distress inks for this too! I added both colours to my glass mat, spritzed with water and then dipped the card into it to create a watery background. Next, I added some stamping using the same colours of ink. I used the Mixed Media Marks 1 stamp set to stamp the numbers and hearts in the background. I then used the faux stitch stamp from the same stamp set and stamped it in VersaFine Clair Nocturne Ink.

I also added some subtle stenciling with the Mini Ink Dots stencil and the Criss Cross Stencil (now sold out but the Cross It Stencil would work perfectly here too)!

Next I created my focal images. First I used the Sketchy Leaves 3 Stencil with some Nuvo Shimmer powders. I placed the stencil over water colour card stock and spritzed it with water until it was fairly wet. I then sprinkled the powders through the stencil, quickly removed the stencil and then set it aside to dry. Once dry I was able to fussy cut the image out.

For my other focal elements I stamped and water coloured a bird from Sketchy Birds 2, the ticket from the Mixed Media Marks 1 Stamp set which I gave a light water colour wash using the same Turquoise Sea Ink Pad and then I stamped the Postage Mark from the Mix It Up 1 stamp set in the Distress Oxide colour Dusty Concord and fussy cut that out too.

Now it was time to arrange my composition! My background panel was 5.5 inches square so I created a mat black layer of card which was 5.75 inches square and glued them together.

Next I glued down the stenciled image and tucked the ticket and the post mark in too. I didn’t add glue all over the stenciled image because I wanted to be able to tuck the elements in too and I wanted it to have an organic look.

I added some black thread behind the bird and then popped the bird on some foam tape and added a sentiment and mounted it onto a 6 x 6 inch white card blank.

I really hope you like my finished project and I hope it inspires you to mix and match your stamps and stencils together to create fun mixed media cards.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy crafting!

Laura x