DIY Card Making:  How to Make a Valentine's Day Card

Need a Valentine's Day Card Idea?  If so, this one is for you.  This card is easier to make than it looks, I let the textures and dies do all the “work”.  Let me explain…

The first step was deciding who this card is for – once I knew that, it was much easier to start.  That led me to more of a bright and bold card.  No hint of vintage, not overly fussy, clean lines and lots of white space.

Then it was time to decide colors, and with it being a Valentine, the colors came simple to me, I went with Real Red and Blushing Bride.  It started with several different pinks that I tried out, but Blushing Bride won because I had the ribbon in that color.

Using the Banner Blast Stamp Set, (it's a Sale-a-Bration) stamp set, I stamped the banners is both the Blushing Bride and Real Red inks.  Then I punched them out using the Banner Punch, also a Sale-a-Bration item.   (And remember, free stamps stamp better!)

With wanting to leave a lot of white space, a tag as the focal point – or the anchor for the embellishments – was a great way to achieve that look.

The tag is from the Chalk Talk framelits set.  That was die cut using Crumb Cake card stock.  And then the heart was die cut using the Hearts a Flutter framelits, it was then dry embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.

The sentiment was stamped in Real Red ink onto white card stock, then I curled it to make it a wavy banner.

Then it was just time to start assembling – and that was when the card went wrong.  It just looked flat.  I had a cute heart, great sentiment, the banners in alternating colors, a perfect bow tied, but it wasn't hitting any high notes when I had it attached to the white card front.  It needed texture in a major way.

But here I have all these textures already – chevrons, stripes, polka dots, what could I use that wouldn't make it overloaded with texture – what could enhance the card without overwhelming the card.

And then it hit me – an embossing folder from Darice!  In January, I attended an awesome event at CHA and left the event with some amazing products.  And this embossing folder was one of them.  It is called Interlocking Circles and I love it!  It is a great “staple” embossing folder, like polka dots.  It works on so many projects as it isn't theme specific.

I zipped that white card stock through the embossing folder and bam!  I was thrilled with the results.

It made such a huge difference!  It was finished with three rhinestones adding just enough detail and sparkle to call this card front complete.

For the inside – I went simple.  I started with just a plain white piece of card stock and added a punched piece of Real Red – a small strip of white and a Blushing Bride heart on top.  So it tied in not only the colors from the front, but also the heart, the strip of white and a tag, just all on a smaller scale.

Supplies Used to Create this card:

Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes, Banner Blast

Ink:  Real Red, Blushing Bride

Card Stock:  Real Red, Blushing Bride, Whisper White, Crumb Cake

Accessories:  Big Shot, Chalk Talk Framelits, Hearts a Flutter Framelits, Hearts Framelits, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Interlocking Circles (Darice), Banner Punch, Artisan Label Punch, Blushing Bride Chevron Ribbon, Rhinestones

All supplies from Stampin' Up! unless indicated and can be ordered here.

Do you see what I mean about letting the textures and dies doing all the work for you?  As you look at the supply list, you can see that the accessories are where the bulk of the card comes from.

Is this a cheap card to make?  Nope!  It is heavy on accessories – and if that intimidates you, remember to look at what you already have in your paper crafting supplies.  You don't always have to have exactly what I use to recreate this card.  You can improvise many of these items.  Remember that tools save you time – but there are often others ways of creating similar effects.

I hope that this card inspires you to create today!  If you are a Stamping Family member, be sure to upload your creations to the gallery so that everyone in there can see what you are working on.   If you aren't a member, come and check it out – it is a fun group of stampers, lots of video tutorials with new ones being added all the time and more.  Click here to learn more about it.

And if you are looking for a Valentine's Day card, I hope that this DIY Card Making:  How to Make a Valentine's Day Card Idea helps you out!