ThePowerOfACard: Start Simple, Then Step it Up!

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Start Simple, Then Step it Up!

I just got my notification from YouTube that I've been making videos for six years!!! It's hard to believe it's been that long, but I started during the pandemic and have made a video every two weeks (and some more in-between) all of that time. Wow! It's not always been easy and it's challenging to predict what gets views, but I have had some wonderful support from subscribers all over the world and that's been pretty cool!

I have been stamping a very long time and I often hear people who are new to stamping say that they could NEVER make cards like me. Well, that's just not true. Everyone starts out without all the stuff and not knowing techniques. So that's why I've made this video. I will make three cards with essentially the same layout. The first one will be simple, the next one will add some things to step it up and the last one will be have even more stuff (both techniques and embellishments). I'll have some tips along the way and my hope is that you will find success in starting out with simple cards and only step it up when and if you want to!

Gather your supplies for Card 1:

Cardstock: Thick Basic White 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" scored at 4-1/4"; Basic White 2-3/4" x 4", 3/4" x 2-1/2"; Strawberry Slush 3" x 4-1/4"
Stamps: Fragrant Layers, Reason to Celebrate
Ink: Memento Black
Adhesive and Tools

My goal for this card is to keep it simple with SIP - Stamps, Ink and Paper. I choose two stamp sets as great starter stamps because they are versatile. The flowers can be simple line images, or filled in with color and between the two sets, you have a good variety of sentiments.

When you start out, it is helpful to make yourself a set of card layers. The typical card front size is 4-1/4" x 5-1/2". I made a series of layers, most of them 1/4" smaller on both dimensions. If you make them in different colors, it's helpful to see how the layers will combine. After mounting the large cluster of flowers, I saw that it would fit very well on a 2-3/4" x 4" piece. Then the next size up becomes 3" x 4-1/4". While you may not always use these sized layers, understanding how to layer is foundational for card making.

This simple card will be black and white with a pop of color, one of my favorite combinations. Fold your card base and half - it's good if you have a bone folder to press the crease. Place your stamp on a block and ink. Because it's a large stamp, I like to turn the block upside down and hold the ink pad with my hand to apply ink. Your goal is to tap, tap, tap and only get ink on the stamp, not the block. That doesn't always happen, but if you do get ink on the block, the ink is likely to get in places you don't want! Stamp the image on the white rectangle, then glue this to the Strawberry Slush rectangle. You don't need a lot of glue - a thin line of it will suffice. You want to avoid having glue ooze out from the edges. I like using glue because it's economical and it allows you to move the pieces a bit before the glue sets. Glue our floral piece to the card front, centering it (but just eyeball it, don't measure).

On the small piece of white, stamp the sentiment. You could just glue this to the card front if you want, but I added a few Dimensionals (double sided foam adhesive hexagons) and positioned it near the bottom of the floral piece. For the inside, stamp Happy Birthday in black. I inked the large floral image again and stamped that in the corner of the envelope to finish the card.

Your goal at this stage of your stamping journey is to hone your stamping skills - no ink on the block, no smearing of the ink when you stamp, full ink coverage and no glue oozing from your layers. If you want, practice on scrap paper until you feel confident in the inking/stamping process. Make your own set of layering guides to assist you.

Gather your supplies for Card 2:

Cardstock: Thick Basic White 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" scored at 4-1/4"; Basic White 2-3/4" x 4", 3/4" x 2-1/2"; Basic Black 2-7/8" x 4-1/8", 7/8" x 2-5/8"; Strawberry Slush 3-1/8" x 4-3/8"
Stamps: Fragrant Layers, Reason to Celebrate
Inks: Memento Black, Strawberry Slush, Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight
Adhesive and Tools

We start out the same by folding the card base and stamping the large floral image on the white rectangle. Then use the stamps to fill in the flowers in Strawberry Slush, leaves in Granny Apple Green and flower centers with Daffodil Delight. These filler stamps provide a watercolor look to our focal point. Instead of one layer, this panel will have two. The first one is black, which is only 1/8" larger than the white. Glue these together, then add the Strawberry Slush layer. Before adding this to the card front, add Dimensionals so this entire element is popped up.

For the sentiments, both on the front and inside, stamp in Strawberry Slush. Mat the outside sentiment with the black and pop it up by adding one Dimensional in the lower right corner and glue where it overlaps the flower piece. For the envelope, stamp the flowers in Strawberry Slush.

This stepped up approach uses more ink colors, layers and dimension. You can introduce Designer Series Paper (DSP) instead of cardstock. Patterned paper is lots of fun and adds a lot more interest. A good way to expand your ink colors is by getting a collection of Stampin' Spots which are mini ink pads. They come in several sets, but are also part of Paper Pumpkin and other Kits. I like building in color families (Brights, Subtles, Regals, Neutrals or In Colors) - you can get an assortment of cardstock in each of the families, and all of colors are coordinated across the product lines.

Gather your supplies for Card 3:

Cardstock: Strawberry Slush 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" scored at 4-1/4"; Basic White 2-3/4" x 4", 3/4" x 2-1/2", 4" x 5-1/4"; Daffodil Delight 2-7/8" x 4-1/8"; Basic Black 3-1/8" x 4-3/8", 7/8" x 2-5/8"
Stamps: Fragrant Layers, Reason to Celebrate
Ink: Memento Black, Strawberry Slush, Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight
Ribbon: Strawberry Slush Faux Linen
Embellishment: 2025-2027 In Color Flat Pearls
Adhesive and Tools

For our last card, we are using several techniques to step it up. The first is to use a colored cardstock for our card base and to stamp the large floral image in the upper left and lower right corners with Strawberry Slush ink, adding interest and subtle texture. For the floral element, stamp and color the flowers as we did in card 2, then mat with Daffodil Delight. Before adding the last mat (black), distress the edges as shown in the video with scissors.

Wink of Stella is a glittery pen with a paintbrush tip. It will add just a gentle sparkle to the flower petals (I almost forgot to add it in the video, but it's best to do it at this point in the process). If you have to squeeze the pen to get more glitter into the nib, be careful as it is easy to get a big drip! Before adding the floral element to the card, tie a knot of Strawberry Slush ribbon near the bottom, then add to the card front at an angle with Dimensionals. Add some Strawberry Slush flat pearls around the flowers. I prefer to add gems in odd numbers as this is more pleasing to the eye.

Stamp the sentiment for the card front in Granny Apple Green, mat with the black and add to the front like we did in Card 2. Because our card base is not white, stamp the Happy Birthday onto a panel of Basic White. Ink the Birthday in Strawberry Slush by using the edge of the ink pad to only ink part of our sentiment. Stamp on the white panel, then clean the stamp well before the next step. Ink Happy in Black and stamp above Birthday. Glue this panel to the inside of the card. Stamp the flowers on the envelope corner as we did before.

Obviously, we have done more techniques with this card (Wink of Stella, distressing paper edges, tone on tone stamping, and stamping a sentiment in multiple colors) and have added embellishments (ribbon and pearls). Changing the positioning of the focal point is another way we have stepped up this card. Even with all of those things, we still haven't branched out into other tools or techniques that require more equipment. If you want to do dry embossing or die cutting, you will need a Stampin' Cut & Emboss machine. Once you get that, your possibilities for stepping up your card design really kick it up a notch. You can also invest in other coloring techniques (Stampin' Blends, Watercolor Pencils, or Ink Refills to do watercoloring). And then there is heat embossing, which is magical!

The possibilities are nearly endless and oh, so much fun! I hope this basic tutorial has helped you in your stamping efforts, or given you some tools to help introduce stamping to a family member or friend. I'm here to help you along the journey, whether you prefer simple stamping, or want to step up your skills!

Karen

ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

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