Crafty Cornerstones

Welcome back to Crafty Cornerstones for Day 2 of the Spellbinders Advent Calendar. Today’s surprise was an adorable mushroom stamp that immediately inspired a soft and simple Hello card perfect for any occasion. Whether you enjoy sending thinking of you, get well, or just because cards, this design works beautifully across the board.

If you missed yesterday’s project, it can be found here.

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A Sweet Hello Card Tutorial

Supplies Used

• Spellbinders Advent Calendar Day 2 stamp
• Infinity Punch and Piece plate
• Spellbinders Die of the Month Aug 2022 – Outlined Sentiments
• Spellbinders Oceanside Cardstock
• Olo alcohol markers
• Drawing gum
• Sili Micro Glue Brush
• White gel pen
• Blending brush
• Adhesive eraser
  

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Planning the Layout

Before stamping, I focused on the overall design. I chose the Infinity Punch and Piece Plate to create a framed look with an open oval center. This allowed me to place the mushroom image toward the bottom of the oval while having the Hello sentiment at the top for balance.

To keep the background seamless behind the piercing plate, I stamped on a full A2 panel rather than a die cut. This ensures no cut lines interfere with the final framed appearance.

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Stamping and Preparing the Image

I positioned the mushroom stamp in the lower section of the panel, aligning it carefully with where the oval opening would sit.

Before coloring, I wanted the mushrooms to have lighter spots, so I applied drawing gum using a silicone tool, tapping small circular shapes over the mushroom caps. While the drawing gum dried, I cut my oval frame and Hello sentiment from Oceanside Cardstock.

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Coloring the Image

Once the drawing gum was fully dry, I colored the mushrooms using Olo alcohol markers. Since alcohol ink spreads slightly into the paper fibers, the masked spots weren’t pure white, but they were noticeably lighter than the surrounding color and created a soft, natural look.

After coloring, I gently removed the drawing gum with an adhesive eraser, revealing the lighter spots. For the red mushroom, I wanted the spots brighter, so I added touches with a white gel pen.

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Blending the Background

To keep the background subtle and airy, I used a blending brush that still had leftover blue ink from a previous project. With very light pressure, I softly swept blue ink behind the image, being careful to avoid the coloring. This created a soft, diffused glow without overtaking the focal point.

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Assembly

With the image colored and the die cuts prepared, all that was left was assembling the card. The piercing plate adds texture, the oval frame draws the eye inward, and the Hello sentiment brings the entire design together.

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Spellbinders Advent Projects

Spellbinders Advent Day 1 

Pink and Main Advent Projects

Pink and Main Day 1

I hope you enjoyed this sweet and simple Day 2 project. I cannot wait to see what you create using today’s stamp. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

You can find more ideas here on Crafty Cornerstones.