Ink & Paper Pieces Part 2 - May 2026 Class #2

Today I have several cards made using items from the Waterside Retreat collection which includes the Waterside Retreat papers and the Relaxing Waterside stamp & die bundle.  This class was inspired by a challenge to "use the last stamp or die set that you purchased" - which for me was this Relaxing Waterside stamps and dies.  

So, I used those to support my main objective, which for this class, was that I wanted to demonstrate some additional techniques for creating backgrounds for cards.   

Here's a video that demonstrates some of these techniques and shows how I made the first 3 cards that are posted here: 

 

First up are two options for coloring a background with ink. Students will make one or the other.  Their 2nd card will be what's listed here as card #3, and then they will be given patterned paper and cardstock to make their own design for a 3rd card.  My card #4 is an example of one way they could do this.  And finally, I have a 5th card that was made for a message board challenge and will not be a part of the class.

Card #1 - Stampin' Blends Background:

This first technique is not my personal favorite, which is probably why I'm not as good at it, but it can create an interesting background and is the style my husband prefers.  I DO like the way the "clouded sky" portion turned out for this one.  This background is created using Stampin' Blends Alcohol Markers and a Stampin' Blends Color Lifter.  I used the following colors: Crumb Cake, Gray Granite, Balmy Blue, and Cloud Cover.  It involves adding color in either a linear or circular motion - depending on the texture you want - and working in small sections adding color lifter in the same way, after the color itself, to create a bit of texture.  

To this background, I added some die cut or stamped and die cut objects - cattails, chair, book, and coffee - using the Relaxing Waterside stamp & die bundle.  The stamped ones were stamped with Black Hybrid ink and colored with various Stampin' Blends, while the rest were die cut from scraps of various colored cardstock pieces.  These were shaded with ink colors that matched the cardstock.  The sentiment was also stamped with a stamp from the same Relaxing Waterside stamps, though it was put on a stamped and die cut banner made using the Mixed Labels bundle.

Card #2 - Ink Blended Background: 

 

 

This style is what I personally prefer for a colored background.  It is made using classic ink pads and either blending brushes (or small blending brushes), foam ink blenders, or sponge daubers.  Once again it can be created using either a circular or linear motion, depending on the look you wish to create.  I used Gray Granite for the "sand", Lost Lagoon for the "water", and a combination of Crumb Cake and Balmy Blue for the "sky".

 

I added a bit of Crumb Cake baker's twine at the horizon line, and again added die cut and stamped and die cut images made from the Relaxing Waterside stamp & die bundle - again shading them with a touch of ink.  I also added a bit of color to the bird with a Gray Granite Stampin' Blends marker.

 

The sentiment was again stamped using a stamp from the Relaxing Waterside stamp set, this time using Gray Granite ink.  I die cut it using a die from Stylish Shapes dies, and matted it on a piece of Gray Granite cardstock, fussy cutting a forked tail at one end to copy the shape. 

 

Card #3 - Stamped Background:    

 

As you can see, this card base is made as a Center Step card from Misty Moonlight cardstock with 3/4" sides and bottom ledge.  Once the score lines and cut lines were made, I embossed the front portion using the Soft Waves 3D embossing folder, before folding as expected.  I discovered that the embossing made the sides less sturdy, so I added the 1/2" strips of Gray Granite cardstock (cut from the inside of the focal mat).   

The main part of the background was created using Cloud Cover cardstock stamped with a bird stamp from the Relaxing Waterside stamps and Misty Moonlight ink.  Much of the rest was cut from pieces of patterned paper from one of the Waterside Retreat papers, but I DID stamp a standing sea gull on white cardstock using Misty Moonlight ink and cut it using the matching die.  After combining the wood grain paper piece and the stamped sky background, I matted the whole on a piece of Gray Granite cardstock (first gutted it to get the strips on either side of the focal and the bit of circle under the sentiment).

The sentiment is stamped using a stamp from the same Relaxing Waterside stamps and Misty Moonlight ink on white cardstock. I fussy cut this out, glued it to a scrap of the Misty Moonlight cardstock, fussy cut that, then glued it to circles of Gray Granite and Basic White cardstocks - again cut with dies from the Stylish Shapes dies.

Card #4 - Another Stamped Background:

This card is what I made using the paper piece that my students will be given for their own design.  Here I created another stamped background - similar to the previous one - except that I used Azure Afternoon ink and Balmy Blue cardstock.  Again I used a piece of paper from the Waterside Retreat papers - this time the wavy pattern you see here.  After tearing the patterned paper, I glued the two together and then inked around the edges before adding to the white card base. BUT, I wish I had cut slits in the water along the waves using a craft knife so I could have placed the fish behind the waves, sort of like I did for the fish at the top (which was really just a partial fish).  The fish were fussy cut from the other side of the patterned paper.  

I added a narrow strip of Azure Afternoon cardstock to create a border towards the top of the card and added the sentiment.  The sentiment was stamped using a stamp from the older Beside Me stamp set, and die cut from the older Mixed Labels die set.  I used the same die with Azure Afternoon cardstock, then cut it in half and slid each half to create a bit of a shadow top and bottom.   

This card would have looked much better if I had put the fish behind the waves! 

Card #5 - Paper Background:

One of the papers in the paper pack has a page with several small backgrounds - one of which I've used here.  This time I used Gray Granite cardstock for the card base.  After I inked the edges of the background with Gray Granite ink, I matted the paper on Basic White cardstock.  

This time, all of the additional pieces were stamped and die cut using the Relaxing Waterside stamp & die bundle, and colored with Stampin' Blends Alcohol Markers. The sentiment was stamped using the same stamp set - again using Gray Granite ink.