Happy New Year! Welcome to the first Stamptastic Friends Blog Hop of 2025 and we have a theme of New Beginnings. Lots of us start new things for the new year, whether we set them as resolutions or not. It’s a time off out with the old, or simply what we don’t want, and in with the new. New Beginnings of hobbies and habits that bring us joy or closer to that goal.
When I first read our New Beginnings theme, I automatically thought of babies, new life and starting over. I couldn’t decide on what I wanted to create, then I recalled a sentiment from the Something Fancy stamp set that read ‘Here’s To Beautiful Beginnings & Happily Ever After’. How gorgeous is that? Having made my mind up to use this sentiment I decided that I want that to be the focal point of my card and to create a simple but stunning background to mount it on. The coordinating Something Fancy dies contain several labels, perfect for allowing the sentiment to pop. .
Creating A Fun Background For New Beginnings
Cut a layer of Basic White cardstock, measuring 9cm x 11.5cm. Take an acrylic block, I used our E block, and colour over the top half with Dark Azure Afternoon Stampin’ Blend. Colour over the bottom half using Dark Summer Splash Stampin’ Blend.
Using a Stampin’ Sprizter filled with rubbing alcohol, spritz over the block. Once happy with the coverage, place your block onto your cardstock, colour side down. Allow the colours to soak into your cardstock and then remove your block. This will leave you with a beautiful background. Allow to dry, which will not take long.
Stamp your New Beginnings sentiment onto Basic White cardstock, using Basic Gray ink. I felt black was too harsh. Die-cut with your chosen label die and a detail die if you wish. This adds extra depth and interest. Adhere to your background panel using Stampin’ Dimensionals.
Using the Bright Skies stamp set and dies, stamp a flower in Petunia Pop and Summer Splash ink. Die-cut using coordinating dies and adhere to background panel. I used a Stampin’ Dimensional for the flower head.
Trim a piece of Summer Splash cardstock to 10cm x 14.4cm and wrap a length of Petunia Pop ribbon around the middle, adhereing in place on the back. Add you background panel over the ribbon and a small length of ribbon with a knot. Use a pokey tool or similar to fray the ends.
Create an A6 card base using Thick Basic White cardstock, measuring 10.5cm x 14.9cm. Adhere your Summer Splash layer to the front.
Finish your new beginnings card by adding Wink Of Stella to your flower and several 2024-2026 In Color Shimmer Gems.
You can watch a video of my Facebook Live where I create a variety of background using this technique.
I hope I have inspired you to try creating a background using alcohol. All the products used are listed below and available to purchase from my online store.
Please do continue to hop round for lots more creativity and inspiration for New Beginnings. I can’t wait to see what the other demonstrators have chosen to share with you.
Happy Crafting
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