Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers out there! Today I have a fun ombre effect card to share with you, along with some tips to jazz up your die cuts. So while this particular card sample may be a little too late for you to order all the supplies you would need to make it on time, you'll either be prepared early for next year <grin!> or you can always change up the sentiment strip and this card will be fantastic for any other summery need -- birthday, anniversary, get well, etc!
This card also uses a popular re-surfacing technique which I was doing about 6-1/2 years ago, inlaid die cuts. It's quite easy ...
1. I just die cut the My Favorite Things' Chevron Cover-Up Die-namics once out of a "base" Inkssentials Kraft Cardstock
2. Apply adhesive all over the area of the Bazzill Card Shoppe Butter Mints card base that I knew the chevrons would cover, and
3. Then adher the kraft chevrons to the card base (left in the photo below):
4. Next, to create the ombre effect I die cut the Chevron Cover-up out of four different colors of beautiful Bazzill Card Shoppe cardstock: (I added the lightest blue Icy Mint to represent the sky, not shown in the photographed above, but is shown below). Then shown in order below is Gumball (medium blue sky), then the deepest "ocean" color of Candy Necklace, then Robin's Egg for the lightest "surf".
Just add the colored chevron strips onto the card base, between the kraft chevrons and press firmly ... then you have an inlaid die cut card base that is nice and flat but has lots of interest and character!
5. (Above) - I added some shading to the Peanut Cluster die cut trunk with Copic E55.
6. (Below) - The palm leaves were cut from Gumdrop (darkest green) and Easter Grass (light), then Copic YG23 marker used to shade the lower halves of the largest leaves (there's already a nice embossed line down the center of the large leaf for you to follow!), then all the leaves were adhered together with foam tape:
7. The coconuts were also cut from the Peanut Cluster cardstock, the debossed holes colored with Copic E55 marker, then sponged with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink:
8. The palm tree was mounted with Copic Foam Tape to the card base.
9. The sentiment from Hero Arts ClearDesign-Celebrate Everyday stamp set was added with Memento Rich Cocoa ink to the MFT Washi Tape die cut from Butter Mints cardstock (and fit perfectly!) and also mounted to the card with foam tape.
I hope you will enjoy using some of these techniques to jazz up your die cuts!
~Sharon
