Easter Cards Go Digital

Digi stamps are such a rave right now in the stamping world. Many folks are coming up with some awesome designs. I created these cards using digi images from Sketching Stamper. I just love flowers so I bought two of her sets and two individual images.


DAFFODIL EASTER


Card Size: 5 1/2 inch square

The first card is created with the Daffodils image (some inspiration came from sketching stamper's sample on her blog here). Of course, hers came out much more elegant than mine. These flowers just scream Spring to me. This was perfect for an Easter card. It's been a long winter for all us Minnesotans so I wish old man winte would take a break and send out the Spring Fairies (ok, I've watched the movie Tinkerbell way too much - LOL!). I was originally going to layer the flowers for a 3D effect, but I was getting frustrated with the coloring so I went with my all time fave technique, cracked glass. I added some bling with some mini clear decorative accents aka skittles aka dew drops and some glue glitter.

For the inside of the card, I added an Easter poem as well as the same image on cardstock but smaller in size which you can see in the third picture above. This card is going to my hubby's parents. Easter is such a big holiday in there house and we will be missing lots of good food and the traditional flying of the kite (weather permitting).


EASTER EGG WITH PRIMROSES


Card Size: 6 x 5 1/2 inch square

When I saw this other sample from sketching stamper's blog here, I really wanted to create a card with this particular image. Now, even with some patterned paper already chosen for the project, I had a hard time figuring out how I could paper piece or color or how to even make it into a card, but in the end, I divided and conquered! I really like how this one came out. I originally wanted to make an oval card, but wasn't working too well, but kept the size of the printed egg and this is how it turned out (thus the odd size of the card). I really love the bright colors of the flowers and love the complimentary purple cuttlebugged paper piece. I also layered the middle piece twice. For the first layer, I cut out the entire flower bouquet and for the second layer, I only cut out the middle attached flowers (you can see a close-up above). After finishing the card, then I was trying to figure out where to attach the sentiment (computer generated). I finally decided on a place. I added some glitter glue on some of the flowers and sentiment for the final touches.

For the inside the card, I computer generated the poem as in the first card and printed out a lillies as the focal point. I colored in the image, distressed the edges, and added more glitter glue (I love this stuff).

I know the recommended coloring medium for digi images are copics or prismacolor pencils, but since I don't have either of those, I colored with the images with an aquapainter. It works quite well. After printing, I heat set the ink with my embossing gun and after each color added, I heat set every time so that the ink doesn't smear too much. I found that as long as you don't have your brush too wet and don't brush over the lines too much that the ink barely smears (very minor). And if you are mixing colors together, you can't even tell. The more coloring area the image has the better if you are to use the watercoloring method. I think if you have an image with delicate details, you would have to emboss the image so that the ink doesn't run. Now, I jsut read on Pink Petticoat that there is a spray fixative you can buy to set the ink, but I wouldn't know where to buy one here in the US. I also read recently in Memory Makers magazine (May/June issue) that they carry this special product called Strap-N-Tap Perfect printing pouch in their store. It normally retails for $9.95, but currently on sale for $6.95. This is what is says in the description:

This ravioli-shaped pouch eliminates smearing and bleeding and stops ink from resisting on vellum, shiny papers, textured cardstock, and more. It contains an acid-free, talc-free powder that is applied to the paper surface before printing with your inkjet printer or using markers, gel pens and dye stamping inks.

This product might be a great find...will have to post on this at a later date.

I am going to try to work on more cards this week. It's such a good feeling when my son asks me to make him a card for Easter - this just means that how much he appreciates my work. How sweet! I will be working with digi stamps from Mel from stampztoomuch (she is offering some cute bunnies to play with). So stay tuned...

stamps: no stamps used - digi stamps from sketching stamper paper: white/yellow/purple cs ink: antique linen distress ink, garden green, old olive, pretty in pink, pink passion, yoyo yellow, only orange, taken with teal accessories: clear mini decorative accents, aquapainter, scotch foam mounting tape, ultra thick embossing enamel, sponge for distressing, sewing machine, heat gun, glitter glue, cuttlebug heart blocks and swiss dots embossing folders, yellow and purple wide grossgrain ribbon