How to Make a Stunning Debossed Card

Let’s get Started:

Card Base: 5.5  x 8.5, scored and folded at 425

Border Layer: 5.5 x 4

Card Face:  5.5 x 4 (before tearing)

I had a card face which had been started but put aside:  I had originally swiped black ink onto the surface and then I had put it into a striped embossing folder and run it through the Big Shot… and then put it aside.  I picked this up one day, and thought “what would happen if I used the back of this as a base for an image?  The stripes are debossed that way …  it might be interesting.”   And so it began.

Card Face:

• I stamped the flower onto the card face,  followed by the long sentiment using black Memento ink for both.  I overlapped the two deliberately.
• I coloured the flower using alcohol markers.  While colouring the blossom, I accidentally filled in one of the debossed channels:  there was nothing to do but continue doing that as I continued colouring the image.
• I wanted more colour,  so I added the Simplify in red ink, to match the flower.
• I tore both sides off close to the image, distressing the edges quite a bit.

Other:

• I used a wide flat brush with gold watercolour paint and created a gold strip down both sides of the border piece:  I deliberately created a jagged, irregular line as I went.  Once this was dry, I placed it in an embossing folder and ran it through the Big Shot.   
• I added spatter to the card face using both silver and gold watercolour paint.
• I stamped the “happy life”  sentiment onto a narrow strip of scrap paper and then used my snips to create the flag on the right.

Assembly

• I glued the border layer to the card base, centering vertically.
• I put dimensional foam on the back of the card face and added this to the border layer, again centering vertically.
• I glued the sentiment onto the card face as shown.
• I added bling randomly to the card face.

Final Thoughts:

I’m really happy with this card:  I like the look of the image stamped onto the debossed card face,  and the tiny sentiment on the stem.

If I were to do this again,  I would lightly touch a few of the torn edges of the card face with the same gold ink used elsewhere. This would have tied that element in quite nicely.

Supplies: (and links where possible)

   I have listed which products I have used, and where they may be purchased. It’s a huge marketplace; in most instances, there are multiple sources and many alternatives.

Stamps: Bloom and Simplify, Unity Stamps (retired)

Metallic Watercolour Paint:  Amazon

Ink: Stampin’ Up!

Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

Versafine Onyx, Simon Says Stamp

Memento Ink: Stampin’ Up!

Alcohol Markers:

     Stampin’ Blends: Stampin’ Up!

     Copics:  Wallacks

Bling: A Colorful Life Designs

Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

Card Base & Card Face: Accent 100 lb., Amazon

Do you have comments or thoughts to share on this design?  Drop me a line –  I’d love to hear from you!