Posted by Charlene Madrid
on April 07, 2025
Hi crafty friends! Charlene here, and today I’m sharing a mixed media card that’s bursting with inky texture and delicate die cut details. The star of the show is the gorgeous Branches & Blossoms Die Set from the new Blossoms & Birdsong Collection. I also have a video tutorial to walk you through all the steps—be sure to check it out!
To kick things off, I created a vibrant ink-smooshed background using Splash, Blue Hawaii, and Pool Party Reactive Inks. I also added in a touch of Nautical Core Ink for that rich, dark pop of blue. I smooshed the inks onto a silicone work surface, gave them a light spritz of water, and dipped an A2-sized piece of Luxe White Watercolor Paper into the puddles. I dried the panel between each dip to help preserve the distinct layers of color and prevent them from blending too much.
Once my background was dry, I stamped over it with the Novel Prose Bold Prints Cling Stamp using Intens-ified Black Ink. I love how the varying pressure gives the text a distressed, vintage look that adds to the mixed media vibe.
Next, I die cut two Branches & Blossoms cover plate panels from Deluxe Smooth White Cardstock, glued them together for extra dimension, and layered them on top of my background. This gives a beautiful raised frame effect while letting the gorgeous background shine through!
For the focal point, I used the coordinating dies from the set to cut a bird, branch, and flower from white cardstock. I ink blended all three using the same mix of Pool Party, Splash, Blue Hawaii, and Nautical inks for a cohesive look. Then I glued the pieces together and popped them up with foam squares near the bottom third of the card to anchor the design.
To finish things off, I added a playful sentiment using the Art Journal Messages stamp set. I stamped “smile” and “today” in Intens-ified Black Ink, trimmed them out by hand, and adhered them at slight angles for some fun movement. A few Neutrals Hero Hues Enamel Dots bring in a little contrast and tie it all together.
This card was such a joy to create—I love combining texture, ink, and delicate die cuts to build a layered story on a card panel. I hope you’ll give some of these techniques a try!
Thanks so much for stopping by, and happy crafting!
