Monday’s Are Hard, Stamping Shouldn’t Be
Monday’s are hard, but in this cardmaking series, I will show you that stamping shouldn’t be. In fact, it’s quite easy. And with minimal supplies and minimal efforts, you can get fabulous results! To see last week’s Monday card, click here.
Today’s Monday Card features the stamp set, Rooted In Nature. This expansive tree themed stamp set from Stampin’ Up! replaced the very popular and long lived Lovely As A Tree Stamp Set.
You can purchase the coordinating dies, Nature’s Roots, item #146341. This duo is not available as a bundle with the usual 10% savings, as it was released in June of 2018. Bundles are only available during the release catalog period, which is a great reason to pay attention to bundles, purchasing to save while able to do so.
However, since we are using minimal supplies, this Monday Card only uses the stamp set. That’s right, one stamp set, Rooted In Nature, two ink pads, Early Espresso and Mossy Meadow, and two colors of cardstock, Early Espresso and Sahara Sand. Please follow along!
A Monday Card
The Card Recipe
Early Espresso CS: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2″, score at 4 1/4″ for card base.
Early Espresso CS: 1 1/2 x 5 1/2″ and 1/2 x 3″
Sahara Sand CS: 4 x 5 1/4″ for inside, scraps for sentiment and leaf
Sahara Sand CS: 2 x 5 1/2″, 1 1/4 x 5 1/2″, and 3 x 4″
Stamp And Assemble
This Monday’s Are Hard, Stamping Shouldn’t Be Card starts out with the typical “fold in half” and score with your bonefolder to get a great crisp card base. Let’s not break tradition.
However, my TIP to you is to score once, invert the fold and score again. Your inner crease is now as crisp as the outer one. This makes for a professional looking card base!
Create Your Own Designer Background
With the minimal supplies used in this card, we are not adding designer series paper to it. We are making our own background pattern! This method can be used with any stamp sets you own and makes your card unique.
I suggest stamping on scrap paper, as this technique has you stamping off the edge of your cardstock. Starting at the top, stamp your large tree stump from the Rooted In Nature Stamp Set in Early Espresso Ink on the outer edges of the card base. Overlap, stamping along the top, open (right facing) edge and bottom. I stamped my image a total of 6 times, 2 each per side.
Add A Tree
When I stamped the large, deciduous tree from the Rooted In Nature Stamp Set using Early Espresso Ink on the 3 x 4″ Sahara Sand Cardstock, I kept the image to the left, with the tree falling off the side of the paper, starting at a third of the way down from the top. I wanted to make sure I had enough room above and below my tree to add my sentiment and accent piece.
Tear It Up
For the layering images on the side of my card, I did some “torn edging”. Starting from the top of both the 2 x 5 1/2″ Sahara Sand and the 1 1/2 x 5 1/2″ Early Espresso, I tore a small amount away form the right edge of each. Pulling downward in a slow easy manner is best, and there is no right or wrong way to make this creative effect.
I stamped the smallest layering Sahara Sand Cardstock, 1 1/4 x 5 1/2″ with Mossy Meadow Ink and the leafy branch stamp from the Rooted In Nature Stamp Set. Each image was stamped from the edges of the paper inward, in a random pattern. When I was done stamping, I also tore the edge of this piece in the same manner as before. As a last step, I used my ink pad to apply Mossy Meadow to the ripped edges of both Sahara Sand pieces.
Some Assembly Required
With the bones of our card stamped and prepped, we can start adding layers to our card front. First, I placed the tree image onto the base, adding it to the far right. Next, I added the 1/2 x 3″ Early Espresso strip to the Sahara Sand Cardstock, beneath the tree with enough room to place part of the sentiment.
The three torn edge cardstock pieces were adhered together before I placed them on the card front. When I put them in order, with the largest piece on the bottom and working upward in size, I made sure to leave a straight edge showing, stair step style. This assembly goes to the left of the card, and overlays the tree stamped image.
Be Strong, Be Happy, Be You
The sentiment for this card is a single stamp, with three sayings stacked one on top of the other. When it is stamped, the words remain “un-inked”, and are the color of the paper you are stamping on. A rectangular “box” around each saying becomes the color of ink you use when stamping.
I stamped the sentiment in Early Espresso Ink on a scrap of Sahara Sand Cardstock. Because I wanted to use them individually on my card, I used my Paper Snips to fussy cut each one out. This was really easy for two reasons! First, they are rectangular in shape, no odd parts to trim around. Second, the color of the paper this was stamped on is the same color that it is adhered too, allowing perfect blending of un-perfect cutting.
Once the sayings were fussy cut, I added them to my card front, placing two above the tree and one below it. I chose to keep the sentiment words in the same order that it is listed on the stamp, but you could choose to easily change this up if you wanted to!
Leaf Out
On the remainder of the scrap of my Sahara Sand Cardstock, I stamped the grouping-of-three leaves stamp from the Rooted In Nature Stamp Set using Mossy Meadow Ink. If you had the coordinating dies, you could die cut this image. Because we are working with minimal supplies, I fussy cut mine using Paper Snips.
Afterward, I tipped the outer edges of each leaf onto the Mossy Meadow Ink Pad to darken them. If you have a Stampin’ Sponge, you could create the same effect as well. The cut out leaves were then placed on the card front.
The Insider Job
Your card is beautiful on the outside, now lets make it pretty inside too! I like to mimic some of the outer stamping into a corner of the inside card. This way the card has continuity and there is still lots of room to add your own sentiment or written thoughts.
Here, I used the same large tree stump stamp from the front and Early Espresso Ink to add that inside interest to my Sahara Sand Cardstock. Don’t forget to jazz up that envelope with some stamping too!
Step It Up!
When you have more, you can add more. Simple elements don’t make this Monday card any harder than it has to be!
This card has a little extra detail in the form of Linen Thread, item #104199, tied in a bow and attached to the leaves with a glue dot, as well as Designer Elements, item #149586, that are adhesive backed for instant application.
The next card also is accessorized, this time with Burlap Ribbon, item #141487, tied with a piece on Linen Thread and attached with Tear And Tape Adhesive, item #138995. It also has gold Metallic Pearls, item #146282, also adhesive backed to make life easier.
Notice I added another set of fussy cut leaves for a fuller look. In hindsight, I would have been happier with the burlap ribbon just a bit higher up. There is always next time…
Easy Monday Cards
I hope you enjoyed making this easy card on a hard Monday with me. My video tutorial can be found on my FaceBook page, as well as my YouTube channel. If you need any supplies for this card, please feel free to visit my online store, https://juliemakson.stampinup.net, at any time. See you next Monday for another installment of:
Monday’s Are Hard, Stamping Shouldn’t Be!