Framing Leaves of Green ~

Good morning to you, iCopic fans!  Alyssa here to talk about a little stamping trend with you today.  I have noticed the trend in stamping lately with framing an image or sentiment but have yet to find the perfect set...you know, the set where the frame takes up the majority of an A2 size card (4 1/4 x 5 1/2). 

I love to make majorly embellished cards, but I dislike mailing them!  LOL  Mainly, this is because I'm lazy and fail to find the time to run into the post office to do it.  Having some CAS (Clean And Simple) cards on hand is just the ticket!  For me, a CAS card really pops if the focus is a fabulous sentiment and a gorgeously rich colored image.  My trick today is to show you how to merge the two.

After trying to measure a border at 0.5 inches inside the card base and failing miserably, a lightening bolt struck!  All I needed was a sturdy but thin template!  I chose a thinner cardstock (Georgia Pacific white) to create a template to give myself a 0.5 inch border on an A2 card.  I cut the template to size and labeled it so I can pull it out whenever I please. 

When I'm ready to make a framed card, I trace the template lightly onto the card base with a pencil.  Using the most wonderful creation known to stampers - the clear stamp - I can then either line up my sentiment or image to dissect the frame line.  The most fabulous thing about this technique is that you can have as many or as few points dissecting the frame as you like!   After all the stamping is completed, I use a ruler and 0.5mm Copic multiliner to trace over the pencil lines. 

Back to the pencil traced frame...simply line up your stamps.  Here I 've used a floral image to cross over the frame in numerous places.  I've had these beautiful morning glory images colored up and ready to place on a card for a while, so I pulled them out and placed them on the card front with the pencil drawn frame.  I was able to line the stamp up directly where I wanted, gently pull the colored image out of harm's way and stamp it just where I wanted it! 

This first card shows how you can use a colored base to make the image the center of attention without making it stark.  Since Copics bleed through all the paper I have to color on, I colored the flowers on another piece of white and carefully trimmed around the main image.  I left out the little tendrils and a leaf stem in the center of the flowers for fussy cutting purposes and patience!  lol  These flowers are colored with BV11, BV13, BV17 and a little Y11 in their centers.  The leaves are colored with YG11, YG13 and YG17.  The tendrils are quickly traced with the deepest color green.    The sentiment really pops because it is embossed.  It is stamped with Versafine Onyx Black ink and embossed with Filigree detail embossing powder.  This is a fun way to really make it stand out!  I have a hard time not embossing things these days!  :o)  *You're My Sunshine* is an adorable sentiment in such a sweet font from the SP & Company clear set, Rain Boots.

This next card shows how the image can really *pop* when showcased on that stark white base.  The flowers are colored with the same BV Copics; however, the leaves are colored with YG63 and YG67...I have the new Sketch YG61 on it's way and can't wait to have a shading trio!!  The sentiment is from the same Rain Boots set and is also embossed.

Hope you enjoyed my little mini tutorial on framing your images or sentiments!  Have a super weekend!  :o) lyss

Posted in: Alyssa , SP and Company