Topical Tuesday #49 - Stepping Up your card!

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Hello Everybody,

Today's Topical Tuesday is brought to you by Gayatri Murali! Hehe! Thats me:)
I don't have a video tutorial or photo tutorial today. I am going to give your tips and tricks to step up your card from clean and simple to jazzing it up.

I have used "Hold a Candle" Stamp set from AnnaBelle stamps today for my cards.
Let us start!
 The first card below is a clean and simple one layer card.

 Tips and Tricks:

1. Large white space draws your eyes toward the image and sentiment 

2. Make the focal point pop out of your card by colouring or by stamping a bold or large image.

3. Use colour inks to stamp the focal point if they are solid images.

4. Use stamping techniques like masking and sponging, layering stamped images, spatter of inks, colouring to add interest and technique to your one layer card.

I have stamped my image right in the center of the card and coloured the candle & the flame. I have also used three different colours here so the card is cheery and colourful. The sentiment is bold.

Now to the next step. From one layer card, we move to adding layers. I still want it to be clean and simple.

Tips and Tricks:

1. Layer a panel to the card front using foam adhesives.

2. Frame the focal point either by masking and sponging or by stamping on a diecut or by using diecut negative and creating a window.

3. Add senitment on a banner and adhere using foam adhesive.

4. Use simple embellishments like sparkles, enamel dots, rhinestones, brads, buttons. Not a awful lot but just a few.

I have framed my focal point by adding ink to the edges of my acrylic block and stamping it on the card panel. I then stamped and coloured my image as my previous card. Added silver sparkles from AnnaBelle Stamps around the flame. The sentiment is stamped on a strip of banner and adhered using foam adhesives.

You can now see the same stamps but jazzing up a little by adding layers and a few embellishments, you are taking it to the next level.

 

The final step here is to jazz it up a bit more using patterns, textures and colours.

Tips and Tricks:

1. Use pattern paper on the background. You can use one single paper for the entire background or divide the background as you like and add pattern papers. 

2. How to choose pattern papers? Pick a colour from your stamped image and then choose that colour pattern paper. You can also pick two colours from your image say red and blue from the candle and divide the background in half. Use red for the top half and blue on the bottom half.

3. Reduce you stamped panel size and mount it using foam adhesive to make your focal image pop and stay in focus.

4. Add other embellishments like ribbon, twine, readymade flowers or die cuts. This adds layers and texture to your card.

So here is my final card where I have used Chilli polka dot digital pattern paper from AnnaBelle Stamps on the background. I have trimmed my focal image panel to a smaller size but kept the frame, embellishments same as the previous card.  I have used the beautiful blue satin ribbon to make a bow. And finally the senitment on the banner strip. You can see the focus is still on the candle and the sentiment against the red polka dot background!

So here are some tips and tricks to make a card and jazz it up as you like. Always make sure you focal image is still your focus and the embellishements are to enhance or highlight  the focal image. Embellishments are accessories unless an embellishment is used as a focal point.

Hope you like my tutorial and my tips as well. If you decide to make a project using the tutorial, Make sure you upload your projects on to the ABS gallery HERE
If you have questions or comments or suggesstions, shoot me an email: scrapawayg3@gmail.com

Thanks for visiting!

Hugs

Gayatri