Hi everyone! Happy Valentine’s Day! While Al and I don’t usually celebrate the day, I couldn’t miss the chance to make a card. Mind you, I say every year we don’t celebrate, yet every year I make a card for him. Haha! This year, I had no idea where to start. I must have flipped through my stamps a dozen times before the cute elephant in the Elphie Selfie stamp set from Lawn Fawn caught my eye. I decided then that this set would be the perfect choice for my card.
Creating the Card Base and Background
The card base was made from Neenah Solar White 110lb cardstock. I love the weight of this cardstock! Next, I layered a piece of patterned paper from the now-retired Hello, Love paper pack from Crate Paper. I love this paper! I’m so glad I rediscovered this paper in my stash—it’s so lovely!
Then, I die-cut a panel of paper using the Scalloped Contours die set from Stampin’ Up!®. This is definitely one of those die sets I will keep forever. You may have noticed I use this die ALL the time! I masked off the scalloped edges with Post-it notes. using a Blending Bush, I sponged on some Spun Sugar Distress Ink and Mowed Lawn Distress Ink. I tried to keep it super light for a subtle effect because I didn’t want it to overpower the rest of the design. I finished by sprinkling some water on top to create a little more interest.
Stamping, Colouring and Cutting the Elements
Next, I moved on to stamping all the elements. Can you believe I ended up using FOUR different stamp sets? Elphie Selfie, Plane and Simple, and Happy Couples from Lawn Fawn, and Love For You from Stampin’ Up!®. I love it when different stamp sets work together—it’s such a great way to get more use out of your collection!
The images were all coloured with Copic Markers (aside from the clouds) and then fussy cut or die cut. I’m definitely going to always buy the coordinating dies moving forward. While I don’t mind fussy cutting, dies make it SO much easier!
Mirror Image / Reverse Stamping Technique
The only problem with the Elphie Selfie stamp set is that there was only one elephant. I wanted to create two elephants looking at each other. To create the second elephant, I used the Mirror Image (or Reverse Stamping) technique. The best way I’ve found to do this is to ink up your stamp and then stamp it onto a silicone mat. Place cardstock over the top and press firmly down. Just be careful not to smudge the ink or distort the silicone. I’ve never been able to get a super dark impression, but it’s generally good enough for my projects.
For my card, I wanted to differentiate the elephants, so I added a bow, some eyelashes, and a pink cheek to one to make it a little more girly.
Assembling the Card
Once I had everything coloured and cut out, the next step was to pull it all together. Some elements were popped up with Stampin’ Dimensionals, and others were adhered directly to the focal panel. For the sentiment, I simply stamped it in Versamark and heat embossed it with white powder for a clean, bold look. I love how crisp the white looks on black cardstock—so striking!
Here’s the card…
Despite getting a little lost at times during the creation of this card, I’m overall happy with how it turned out. It’s quite pretty! I think if I were to make it again, I’d make a few changes, but since Al won’t care, I won’t worry too much about it.
Did you make a Valentine’s Day card for your significant other today? Or for your children or friends? Tell me more in the comments below!
Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a great day!
Supplies
(DISCLAIMER: I am a member of various affiliate programs. However, I purchased all the items used in my projects myself. I only link to products I personally use, love, and recommend (though I may link to different sizes). If you click on my link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
