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What Happens When Fall Stamps Meet a Spooky Halloween Background?
One of my favorite parts of making seasonal cards is finding ways to use familiar images in a slightly unexpected way. For this Halloween card, I wanted to move beyond the traditional orange-and-black color combination and create something that felt spooky without being overly dark. The result combines fall imagery, a starry background, bold pattern paper, and a sweet little Halloween character for a card that has plenty of detail while still feeling clean and layered.

Rick Adkins
18 hours ago


Five Ways to Make Your Halloween Card Backgrounds Spooktacular
One of my favorite things about Halloween cardmaking is that the background can do so much of the storytelling. You do not always need a complicated scene, a huge collection of supplies, or hours of coloring to create a card that feels festive and fun. For this project, I challenged myself to create five different spooky Halloween backgrounds for handmade cards, each with its own personality. Some are bright and playful, some are dark and dramatic, and some are wonderfully me

Rick Adkins
Aug 29


Halloween Cardmaking Tutorial: Create a Sassy Handmade Card with Stamping and Stenciling
Halloween cards are one of my favorite places to let a little personality take over. For this project, I wanted to create a card that felt playful and sassy without relying on a complicated layout. The Mildred Moonspite Stamp Set from Unity Stamp Company immediately gave me the perfect focal point, and combining it with stenciling and alcohol marker coloring allowed me to build a colorful scene while keeping the overall card design clean and easy to follow. This project is a

Rick Adkins
Aug 27


No Sh*t Sherlock! Create a Fun Detective Themed Handmade Card
There is something about a good mystery that makes a cardmaking project more fun, and this detective-themed card definitely had me thinking about the story I wanted to tell before I started creating. I’m sharing a sneak peek of some new products from Miss Ink Stamps, including the Elementary Stamp Set and Bullet Hole Layering Stencil, along with Honolulu Alcohol Markers. But rather than simply showing you what I made, I want to focus on the design choices behind this card and

Rick Adkins
Aug 27


4 Color Blocking Techniques for Easy Fall Cardmaking
I love when a cardmaking idea looks completely different simply because I change the way I arrange my cardstock. That was the inspiration behind these four fall cards. For this project, I wanted to take a traditional autumn theme and give it a brighter, more playful feel, so I reached for a combination of Pop Tone cardstock colors from CutCardStock rather than sticking with the usual collection of deep oranges and browns. The result is four cards that use the same stamped ima

Rick Adkins
Aug 25


How to Create a Clean and Layered Halloween Card with Stamping
Halloween cards don’t always have to be packed with spooky patterns, lots of embellishments, and layers of cardstock to make an impact. For this card, I wanted to take a different approach and create something that felt clean and layered at the same time. I love that combination because it gives you the finished, polished look of a more involved card without making the design feel busy. The slightly mischievous couple from the Deadpan Devotion Stamp Set from Unity Stamp Compa

Rick Adkins
Aug 24


Create a Layered Handmade Christmas Card with Stamping and Alcohol Markers
Christmas cards don't always have to be elegant or traditional. Sometimes the ones that get the biggest laugh are the ones people remember long after the holiday season is over. That's exactly what inspired today's card featuring the Merry Crisis Stamp Set from Unity Stamp Company. The whimsical Santa, adorable reindeer, and humorous sentiment immediately caught my attention, and I knew they deserved a design that felt just as fun without becoming overly busy.

Rick Adkins
Jul 30


Exploring the Magic of Ink Sprays: Unleash Your Creativity with Vibrant Colors
In the world of crafting and mixed media art, ink sprays have become an essential tool for adding depth, texture, and vibrant colors to projects. From art journals to scrapbooking and card making, these versatile sprays offer a range of possibilities for creative expression. In this blog post, we will dive into the magic of ink sprays, exploring their characteristics, techniques, and the endless ways they can elevate your artistic endeavors.

Rick Adkins
May 31, 2023


Creating Backgrounds with a Gel Press
Creating unique backgrounds for your paper crafts is a fun and exciting way to add character and personality to your projects. One popular method for creating backgrounds is by using a gel press with dye inks (from Stampin' Up!) and Distress Oxide Inks. In this blog post, we will explore the process of creating backgrounds with a gel press and provide some tips for achieving stunning results. What is a Gel Press? by Gelli Arts A gel press is a printing plate made from a gel-l

Rick Adkins
May 19, 2023
