Hello Crafters!
I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend. Recently I’ve been struggling a little to create with all that’s been going on. My wonderful fiance suggested I try maker cards for the helpers out there. Honestly, that’s helped a lot and if you’re struggling I thought I might help you too.

I knew I wanted to make several of the same design as it’s the fastest way to get multiples made BUT I also get bored making the same design so it’s kind of a catch 22 for me haha. Using different colors is an easy way to help break it up for me.

I started by looking for a stamp set that would convey the message I wanted to send. Anchors the soul was perfect for it. It’s an encouraging gender neutral set which is perfect for all essential workers. I did use a stamp positioner to get it done quickly but you can definitely stamp them on a block.

I treated the paper with my anti-static bag and then stamped in Versamark ink. Versamark is a clear sticky ink that your embossing powder sticks too. I tap off the extra and if necessary clean up an extra powder with a dry paintbrush. I used white but you can use any color or colors you like. Heat set the embossing powder until it’s completely melted. It should have a smooth shiny appearance.

In order to make my white embossing stand out even more I added two colors of distress ink on top. I did this for all except the gray just to show you that it’s not a necessary step. I like the added bit of contrast but the card looks great without it too.

I wanted to add some sparkle and a little more drama to the simple design so I grabbed the Radiant Background Stencil and got to work. I used Moonstone Glimmer Paste which is pretty neutral. It basically just picks up whatever color is underneath it. Because of that I could go right over the anchor and sentiment and everything is still legible. If you want to use a color I would recommend die cutting your anchor out and only putting glimmer paste on the background. Then you can insert your anchor back into the card without covering it up.

You can see the entire process for all the cards in the video below.
Thank you guys so much for joining me. I hope this gives you some ideas for cards you can make and send to all the helpers out there making it so we can get through this difficult time.
