Easy Nautical Cards

It’s no secret that I love the beach and the ocean, there is just something mysterious and magical about it.  Its beauty and its power are so inspiring to me.  Perhaps that is why I make so many beach scene and nautical cards.  I think they are perfect for just about every person and every occasion.

If you follow me on Pinterest, you also know that I love Crafter’s Companion products, so when they released a nautical collection earlier this year I jumped at the chance to buy it.  The collection has everything from dies to stamps to coordinating paper and much more!  Below are some of the cards that I have created using primarily elements from the Sara's Signature Nautical Collection by Crafter's Companion. 

I call this card Seahorse Through the Porthole.  Wouldn’t it be fun to be on a ship and look out your porthole and see this little guy floating by?  Oh my!  

To make this card I used a 5.5" square card base and one of the included embossing folders.  I inked up and embossed the folder in letterpress fashion then layered and matted it onto navy cardstock.  On top of the embossed panel I cut one of the layers of the porthole dies and cut the seahorse.  I foam mounted the porthole onto the background layer and cut the sea horse’s tail off to have him popping up into view.  I foam mounted his head but glued his lower half flat giving him a little movement.  To finish off the card I die cut one of the included seashells, two of the coral pieces and layered them beside the porthole.  For added movement I had some waste strips of cardstock from another project that needed to be trimmed down a hair and because the trim was so thin, the cardstock curled on its own from the friction of the paper trimmer and I felt the spiral curl was perfect to add texture to this card.  Something fun to think about before you throw away those scraps.  Finally, to finish this card I added some little bubble elements I found at a local store and a die cut sentiment.  I just love this card! 

This is another card that I made from the collection.  It came together quickly using some of the designer papers and a few of the stamps that are included in the collection.  I began with a 5"x7” card base in white and adhered a piece of the designer paper to cover the card front.  Then I cut two more pieces of the designer paper one at 3 3/4” square and the other at 3 1/2" and mounted them offset with the larger layer set on an angle.  I stamped the lighthouse, the tall ship and a couple of the sea gulls in flight and colored those with markers then fussy cut them.  I also stamped one of the sentiments in the bundle and added a die cut anchor, a piece of twine and this card was done.  I have had several comments from people who think this card looks like a store-bought card.  I take that as a compliment, but the collection should really get the credit.

Finally, I want to share this card with you

This card is made on a kraft card base that is 5"x7" layered with a background die cut of wood slats from another piece of kraft cardstock.  I inked both the die cut and the card base with a dark brown ink to enhance the distressing and to add interest.  Behind the wood slats I layered a piece of the designer paper in blue to bring a water vibe to the card.  On top of that layer is the porthole.  I cut two of the outer rings of the porthole set of dies and the inner window from gold cardstock alternating shiny and matte finishes.  Then I foam mounted the two inner levels of the porthole to a printed sunset image that I found on the Internet.  The image is free and has a public domain license.  Finally, I added the wood post, the seagull,  the sentiment, a few starfish embellishments and a couple more flying seagulls to complete the card.  I think this would be a great masculine card.

Thank you again for stopping by and spending some time with me today.

Dawn

Disclosure:

     All products used in my blog posts and videos are my own and purchased by me.  My blog posts, videos and opinions are not sponsored, and I am not paid by the product companies to create these posts and videos. The information provided in this video is my own personal endorsement and choice.

Creating Surf on Your Cards

I love creating beach scene cards likes these

Have you seen cards like these and wished that you could make one?  There are stamps that you can buy to create the surf and though they are wonderful, there is just something extra special about making the surf from scratch.  A sense of wonder, a feeling of pride, I’m not sure what it is but I’m going to walk you through it so you can give it a try for yourself and see what I mean.  Best of all, it’s super easy to do so let’s get started.  (Click on the video below for step-by-step instructions on how to create scenes like this.)

So, what did you think of this process?  Did I walk you through it well enough?  Will you try this technique?  If you create a beach scene of your own, please share it with me on my Facebook Page. 

Here is an image of my final card once I had gone back and added a few springs of plant or seaweed and another small seagull cruising along the top of the water.

Don’t forget to finish the inside of your card by bringing one of the elements from the front to the inside.  Perhaps a starfish and a swash of blue ink behind the sentiment that you put inside.  I chose an anchor to represent my sentiment.

I hope you enjoyed the video and this post.  Thank you for stopping by and spending some inky time with me today.

Dawn

Disclosure:

     All products used in my blog posts and videos are my own and purchased by me.  My blog posts, videos and opinions are not sponsored, and I am not paid by the product companies to create these posts and videos. The information provided in this video is my own personal endorsement and choice.