Easy Card Making: Encouragement Cards in Minutes: Yippee for Yana
Hi friend! Please join me in welcoming back the oh-so-talented and amazing Yana Smakula! (Please note: our dear friend Yana is Ukrainian. To show support to our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, please see Yana’s post HERE.)
Hi everyone! Welcome back for another Yippee for Yana episode. Creating clean and simple cards is one of my favorite ways to let bold sentiments shine, and today’s project is exactly that – bright, encouraging, and surprisingly easy to recreate.
I’m using a mix of ink blending, stamping, and a touch of heat embossing to create motivational cards featuring some beautiful Simon Says Stamp products.
I started with the Simon Says Stamp 9×12 Pawsitively Perfect Craft Tacky Mat. This mat is fantastic for holding both cardstock and stencils in place while blending. I trimmed Hammermill cardstock to 4 ¼” x 5 ½” and placed it onto the mat, knowing I would cut it down later.
For the background, I wanted something abstract, colorful, and soft enough to support a bold sentiment without overpowering it. The Simon Says Stamp Impressionistic Flower Stencil Set was perfect for this. This is a layered stencil set, and instead of using all four layers, I chose just three to create a lighter, more airy look.
I positioned the stencil slightly off to the side and at an angle to give the design a more dynamic feel. For ink blending, I used Simon Says Stamp inks in Cantaloupe, Seafoam, and Sherbet. I applied the color using Simon Says Stamp Blending Brushes, keeping the application soft and even rather than focusing on heavy shading or gradients.
One tip I always follow is to protect my work surface and surrounding areas. I used scrap paper and acetate pieces to block off sections of the panel and keep unwanted ink off both the cardstock and my mat. It also helps the blending feel smoother.
Once the first layer was complete, I aligned the next stencil layer using corner guides and continued blending with the next color. Repeating this process with the third layer created a soft, layered floral background that feels vibrant but still subtle.
I created a second panel using a slightly different color combination, including Melon and Surf inks, for a bit more contrast.
With the backgrounds done, I moved on to the sentiments. I used the Simon Says Stamp Stay True Stamp Set, which features large, bold, and very impactful messages. I stamped the sentiments onto the same Hammermill cardstock using VersaFine Clair Nocturne Ink to get a rich black impression.
Because these sentiments have a lot of solid surface area, I stamped them multiple times using my MISTI to build up a deep, even coverage. To prevent any smearing during die cutting, I added a layer of clear embossing powder and heat-set it. This step is optional, but it gives a beautiful glossy finish and locks the ink in place.
Next, I used the coordinating Stay True Dies to cut out the sentiments. I also die cut an extra layer from plain cardstock to back each sentiment, adding stability and a bit of dimension.
For additional detail, I stamped smaller sub-sentiments directly onto the backgrounds using the same black ink. Phrases like “hold fast to what you believe,” “I believe in you,” and “stay true to who you are” add a meaningful secondary message to each card.
Instead of traditional splatter, I used a splatter stamp from the Simon Says Stamp Watercolor Bouquet Stamp Set. This gave me a controlled splatter effect, allowing me to place the detail exactly where I wanted it without the unpredictability of liquid splatter.
To assemble the cards, I trimmed the panels down to 3 ¾” x 5” and adhered them to A2 top-folding card bases using white fun foam for a smooth, even layer of dimension. I added adhesive to the foam using double-sided tape and then mounted the panels.
Finally, I foam-mounted the die-cut sentiments using foam adhesive squares to give them extra lift and presence.
These cards are simple in design but very impactful. The soft ink blended backgrounds, bold black sentiments, and subtle splatter details all work together to create cards that feel both modern and meaningful.
And honestly, these are the kinds of cards I reach for most often – quick to make, easy to customize with color, and perfect for sending a little encouragement when someone needs it.
Thanks so much for spending some time with me today. I’ll see you again soon.
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Ways to support Ukraine:
If you are looking for ways to support Ukraine, we encourage you to visit this page on Yana’s blog:
A big thank you to YOU, our reader — and to Yana for being our guest!
Fuzzy Felt Ducky Birthday Card
Hi friends! Heather Hoffman here today with a soft and fuzzy card! I’ve recently discovered how fun it is to die cut felt for cards, and it makes the cutest, most textured cards ever! I mean, how cute is this little ducky?!?
I used the adorable Cute Duckling die, and felt from Benzie designs – all together for this card I used the Lupin Fields, Boho Garden, and Be Mine collections. Aside from the white cardbase, the sentiment strip, and the black cardstock for the ducky’s eye, this entire card is cut and created from felt!
I used Simon Says Stamp liquid glue to adhere everything together. If you look closely, you might see that I double layered the yellow felt for the main body of the duck. I did this so that I could tuck a tiny piece of foam adhesive under the wing, so it popped out and felt more dimensional.
I used Scalloped Arches dies to cut a background from blue felt, and then cut a portion of that with green felt, adding a grassy border using Grassy Edges die. Then I cut a piece of cream felt to just a bit smaller than my cardbase to leave a small border around. One fun bonus? The felt all sticks together very well, so you can plan your arrangement, then just peel off each piece to adhere together. So satisfying!!!
The sentiment is from Birthday EZ Strips sentiment strips, die cut with EZ Strips Banners die, and adhered with foam strips for dimension, but also liquid glue to make sure it stayed in place on the felt. Finished off with a tiny bow from Lawn Fawn white twine, and a few Polkadoodles enamel dots glued on to make sure they would stay in place!
Have you ever used felt to die cut for cards? I think felt would be perfect for an ADORABLE baby card as well!
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Thanks so much for stopping by!
5 Ways in 5 Days Crafty Series DAY BONUS DAY 2: Emboss it Twice for Extra Texture
Hello friends, please join me in welcoming special guest Heather Hoffman for BONUS Day 2 (of 2) of our 5 Ways in 5 Days series! We are delighted to bring this series to you that includes a list of incredible designers including: Laura Bassen, Cathy Zielske, Shari Carroll, Nina-Marie Trapani, Yana Smakula, Nichol Spohr, and Heather Hoffman!
Throughout this series spanning March 30th – April 5th, you’ll be learning 5 unique ways each day to use our fan-favorite Simon Says Stamp 3D Embossing Folders. (Plus! Spoiler alert, you’ll actually have 7 DAYS of education with 2 bonus posts over the weekend! That’s a total of 35 crafty ideas that will be provided for you for FREE to keep your creative juices flowing!!) Today we’re going to focus on FIVE WAYS to emboss it twice for extra texture!
The 5 Ways Showcasing Embossing it Twice for Extra Texture are:
- Apply clear embossing ink directly to the debossed side of the embossing folder. Prep your paper with an antistatic tool, run it through your machine, then sprinkle on embossing powder and heat set.
- Add interest to the background or flat areas of the folder by swiping ink over the surface and heat embossing.
- Apply clear embossing ink to the embossed side of your cardstock image, then add clear embossing powder and heat set for a subtle tone-on-tone effect. Clear embossing is more forgiving. For a different look, try the same technique on the debossed side—it uses more powder and creates a bolder result.
- Create your own glossy dimensional embossed ephemera; die cut first and then emboss
- Play with the placement of where you put the embossed ephemera on top of the embossed panel
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