A Birthday Greeting for Your Little Monsters

Not every card calls for flowers and ribbons, so it’s nice to mix things up every now and then, isn’t it?  I love that I can make all kinds of cards with my supply of papers and inks and that I can use rich, beautiful colors to make children’s cards that are goofy and whimsical.

Stampin’ Up!’s Make a Monster stamp set is showcased in the “Growing Up” section of the Catalog and Idea Book.  The set contains three alien-like monster shapes and a ton of monster “accessories” (eyeballs, horns, mouths and hair).  I don’t have children, so I admit that I don’t own many of the stamp sets in this section of the book.  When Pam asked if I wanted to borrow hers, I jumped at the thought.  I love the challenge of making something cool with something I’m not naturally drawn to.  Make sense?

I decided to keep it simple and made two 3″ x 3″ Happy Birthday cards:

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I used Lucky Limeade and Calypso Coral.  These otherwise rich and beautiful colors lend a wonderful creepiness to the monster cards.  I stamped the outline of the monsters in Basic Black and then added the fun accessories and the sentiment at the base of the card.  I also stamped a couple of additional eyeballs on a scrap of Whisper White to accent after I colored in the rest of the card.

Helpful hints:

  • Clear-mount blocks aren’t just for clear-mount stamping.  One of my favorite Stampin’ Up! sets from years ago is Little Shapes.  The set was made up of little, solid shapes that were perfect for stamping a background design.  While that’s not in the current catalog, I have a case full of clear-mount blocks that work just fine and clean up easily.  I dipped my block into the ink, stamped it off once and then stamped over the image of the monster. Before the ink had time to dry, I used a Blender Pen to spread the ink over the rest of the monster (and added some to the pen from the pad) so that the monster was completely shaded in.
  • Add dimension to your card. I think every card should have some sort of cool dimension to it – a raised image with a Stampin’ Dimensional, a textured paper using an embossing folder or some other sort of texture.  To make the monsters’ eyeballs pop, I dropped some Crystal Effects over the eyes I stamped on scrap paper and let that dry.  I then cut out the eyes and added them to the monsters on the card.  It’s shiny and adds a cool pop to the card:

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Stamp sets:  Make a Monster, Teeny Weeny Wishes  Paper:  Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade  Inks: Basic Black, Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral  Accessories:  Clear-mount block, Crystal Effects, Blender Pen

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

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15 Comments

  1. Love those colors! Great helpful hints (I actually thought those were “googly” eyes, at first)

  2. I am so happy to have stumbled upon your page surfing. I love your creative style. The ‘googlie’ eyes are fabulous!! Thanks for sharing!

  3. Such a cute card…I haven’t tried the ink to clear block technique yet but need too and maybe get this set too. Love your style.
    Happy Stampin’!
    Sharon

  4. Wow! I really like these. I never would have thought of using such fun colors with these stamps (which btw I now just HAVE to get). Great cards and ideas. Thank you.
    Sharon NJ

  5. Just in time! My granddaughter has decided she wants a Monster Birthday Party for her 3rd Birthday. Very cute cards and love the eyes! Thanks!

  6. Diana (Di) Jackins

    Some kiddo (s) is going to be happy to receive these. Very cute and clever, Brian. Thanks for all of the tips you share, Pal! 🙂

  7. This set looks more fun that I thought it would be – thanks for inspiring us!!!

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