First I have to apologize for the blurriness of the diecut in the picture of my card. I could have taken it again to try to get the usual crisp image that I get with my phone, but I was lazy. The spotlight background and the embossed layers are in focus so I decided to declare that good enough.

This card was one of the projects that I created during the Fall online stamping event that I attended. I’ve shared almost all of them with you over the last few months and I think there’s only one more from that set of classes. Which is good because I just attended the Winter event, and I have a new batch of stuff to share. I’m consistently amazed at the variety of ideas that the leaders share, and this last session didn’t disappoint. I do think that this particular card from the fall event is one of my favorites from all of the projects that we’ve created. I love learning and using techniques, and I’m sure that’s why this one was right up my alley. If you want to create this look, here’s what you need to do:

  • Cut a piece of masking paper the same size as the top, focal layer
    • You can use copy paper for this with an extra step or 2
  • Choose a die for the spotlight that will be colored; I used Stylish Shapes
    • It doesn’t have to be a circle, it could be an oval, a square, any shape will do
  • Diecut the masking paper with the die and set aside the cut out – you will be using the negative
    • Make sure to line up the die where you want the spotlight to appear on the focal layer
  • Attach the masking paper to the focal layer so that the opening is positioned where you want the spotlight to appear
    • If you are using copy paper, use temporary adhesive around the spotlight opening so that the paper will mask properly and not let the ink to bleed under the mask you’ve created
  • Choose 3 inks that you want to use for the blending
    • You can refer to the color wheel in the Stampin’ Up!™ catalog and select a triadic combination, or create an ombre look with similar colors
  • Use Blending Brushes to apply the ink; I started with the center color first and then added the top color and the bottom one blending and overlapping a little with each color so that it is a smooth transition between each color
  • Emboss the focal layer with an embossing folder to add some texture
  • Layer up on a card and add a diecut greeting

The inside of the card has a stamped greeting and I used the Score Board to create raised lines around the edge. A simple touch like adding the scored lines makes it a bit more interesting. It’s simple to do and I encourage you to give it a try!

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