Ride the Waves: A Clean and Simple Mermaid Card with High Tide!

Hello, crafty friends! Today, I’m diving deep into a whimsical ocean adventure with the High Tide Stamp Set and coordinating High Tide Outline Dies from The Rabbit Hole Designs LLC. I’ve always loved mermaids, and this card really let me play with color and texture while keeping things clean and simple.

I wanted to create a card that was vibrant but not too busy—something that lets the mermaid shine as the star of the show. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t need a little mermaid magic in their life?

Ride the Waves: A Clean and Simple Mermaid Card with High Tide!

Bringing the Mermaid to Life

For my mermaid, I reached for my trusty Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and stamped her onto Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80 lbs Cardstock. I wanted her to have that extra special pop, so I used my Ohuhu Brush Markers to give her rainbow-colored hair. I know—rainbow hair on a mermaid might sound wild, but I absolutely love how playful and dreamy it looks!

I added a stippling technique to her tail to give it a bit of texture. If you’ve never tried stippling before, it’s just tiny little dots layered over your coloring. It’s a fun way to add dimension without getting fussy. And let me tell you, it really makes the tail shimmer and shine in the light!

For the shell and the pearls she’s perched on, I kept the coloring very light—just enough to add a touch of shadow but let them read as white. This soft look keeps the overall design clean and simple.

Setting the Scene

I didn’t stop with the mermaid, though! I also stamped the rocks and the lighthouse from the same set. I colored the rocks to anchor my scene but decided to leave the lighthouse uncolored. This might sound counterintuitive, but leaving it black and white helps keep the focus on the mermaid and adds an interesting bit of contrast to the card.

I cut all my images out using the High Tide Outline Dies. Let’s be real—having matching dies makes everything faster and cleaner. If you’ve ever fussy cut around mermaid hair, you know what I mean!

Adding Texture for Dimension

To add some texture without overwhelming the card, I reached for an older rocks embossing folder from my stash. I used it to emboss a panel of Neenah Ultra Thick Cardstock, which gave it a nice, sturdy feel. If you don’t have this exact folder, don’t worry—I linked to a similar one in the supply list so you can get the same effect.

Here’s a pro tip: if you’re working with embossing folders and your cardstock tends to crack, try lightly misting the paper with water before embossing. It helps the fibers bend instead of break!

Putting It All Together

I attached the embossed panel to a top-folding A2 card base made from more of that Neenah Ultra Thick Cardstock. Next, I layered in the lighthouse and the rocks, then added the mermaid on top with foam adhesive to really make her stand out.

A few finishing touches made all the difference. I grabbed my white gel pen to add some highlights on the rocks and the mermaid. A little shimmer never hurt anyone, so I added some Stardust Stickles onto her hair, tail, and the pearls to give everything a magical glow.

The Perfect Sentiment

For the sentiment, I used the phrase “A smooth sea never made a skilled mermaid,” stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink. It felt like the perfect reminder for us crafters—and life in general! I trimmed it down and popped it up in the top right corner of the card.

Here’s a little habit I’ve gotten into that I think you might love too: I keep a small jar of pre-cut white sentiment strips on my desk. Whenever I need to add a greeting, I just grab one—it saves me so much time and keeps my desk a bit tidier.

Making It Work for You

One of the things I love about this card is how it solves a problem I think we’ve all run into: how to add enough color and texture to a clean and simple design without losing that crisp, uncluttered look. By focusing the color on just the mermaid and leaving everything else soft and neutral, I got the pop of color I wanted without making the card feel busy.

If you’re ever stuck in the “is this too much?” phase of your project, try this approach—make one element the star and keep everything else in the background. It’s a great way to let your focal image shine!

That’s it for today’s mermaid adventure. I’d love to see how you bring your mermaid dreams to life—feel free to share your creations with me. Until next time, happy crafting and keep riding those creative waves!

Thanks for dropping by today I hope that you found a little spark of creative inspiration with my project today. Wondering what I used in this project? Everything is linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails in the Materials Used section, or in the text below. Compensated affiliate links used when possible.

Materials Used:

Here you will find the list of supplies that I used to create today's card. All supplies are linked to supply sources below. Compensated affiliate links may be used at no cost to you.

Happy Stampin'

Rick Adkins

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