Hammie the Hamster

Hi everyone!

Milene here - I'm back for my second post as a guest designer. Today I'm sharing a set of four cards created using the Hammie Coffee and Tea stamp set from Your Next Stamp.

When I first saw this stamp set, I immediately thought of a cozy and lazy day, with movies and coffee. I wanted to incorporate those feelings on my cards, so I created a patchwork background for my little hamsters. There's nothing cozier than a patchwork blanket!

To achieve the look I was going for, I did some ink blending and some die cutting. I started out by ink blending three A2 size pieces of Bristol Smooth cardstock. I used the following Distress Oxides: Antique Linen, Iced Spruce and Tattered Rose. I also ink blended an additional piece of Bristol cardstock with Iced Spruce, to be used for my sentiments.

After ink blending, I used a cover plate die to add stitching details to my pieces. I ran all three ink blended panels through my die cutting machine, as well as a blank piece of Bristol. I wanted to incorporate white into my patchwork design.

I used a cover plate die that I already had in my stash. However, if you're looking to create this sort of design, I would recommend the following products:

Lawn Fawn - Quilted Backdrop

Sunny Studio - Ric Rac Border Die

Neat and Tangled - Tiny Cuts

I then moved on to mix and matching my different ink blended panels. I used my paper trimmer to create several stripes and pieces. I took my time to create a sketch on a piece of printing paper prior to trimming my finished pieces, to be sure I wouldn't mess it up. When the trimming was done, I ran my panels once again through my die cutting machine, using a stitched rectangle die. Creating the design and glueing it all together took some time, but I thought it was worth it!

Once my backgrounds were done, I moved on to coloring my images. I used the same Antique Linen Distress Oxide to stamp and clear heat emboss the four hamsters. I used a combination of Tombow markers and the Oxides previously used to watercolor my images. These little guys are so super cute! I love them!

I chose four different sentiments to go with each Hammie. The sentiments were white heat embossed on the ink blended piece I had already created. I had quite a few blank spots between my trimmed pieces, so I decided to add sequins to cover them up. The sequins I chose were very subtle and soft.

And that was all! These cards definitely took over a day's worth of crafting, but I got four cards done at once. Creating multiples has been my goal!

I hope my cards have inspired you to create your own patchwork design.

See you soon for another tutorial!