Once yesterday’s card with the stenciled background was finished, there still was paint left over on the palette. Not one to let supplies go to waste, I proceeded to create a few more backgrounds. Besides another stenciled background, I also made two backgrounds very similar to Julie Fei-Fan Balzer’s dash background, and then smeared a book page with the last little bits of paint.

In Julie’s True Scrap class, she free hand painted quite a few circles. That reminded me of a circular frame stamp I got in a Studio Calico kit a couple years back, so I added that to this background. And then I went, “wait, I think that just made this ugly.” Rather than throwing it out, I just kept working it.

Since the blue dashes reminded me of water, I added a few shell stamps that were embossed, and then colored them with copic markers. If you’re looking for some ideas on how to use copics, check out Cara  Miller’s class on copics. Very useful if you don’t have access to anyone local who can give you hands on instruction.

It still seemed off a bit, but then my son suggested adding an “Aloha” to the card. Somehow, that one sentiment seems to make it all go together now. Maybe not. This may be a card only a mother could love.

Quick tip for today: Detail clear embossing powder is your friend. If you have clear embossing powder, you can create embossed images in any color pigment ink you have. These images were stamped with Versamagic gingerbread ink, and embossed with clear powder before coloring. You are also less likely to pull the color off your embossing onto your copic markers if you use a clear powder, rather than a colored powder.

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