5 Minute Monday ~ Creating Beautiful Backgrounds ~ June 13

Today's 5 Minute Monday is all about Creating a beautiful background in less than 5 minutes.

The card below is just one of the many examples of using masks or stencils to create a background filled with interest and appeal.

You can find several masks in my online store ( even some that are reduced right now ), I'll link those below. However for this card I used a technique that requires no mask or stencil... well, it doesn't require you to buy one anyway. You can make it yourself and it's quick & easy.

I used my everyday "go to" circle dies. You can use whatever circles you have, circle punches, or even just cut circles.

There is a set of circles in my online shop that you can purchase, they are never a waste, they get used all the time when creating cards. It's one of those things I think should be in every paper crafters' tool box.

Stylish Shapes Dies will provide a nice selection of circles, squares, and banner tags. It would definitely be a well used set to consider for purchase.

Once you choose your option to cut circles, you will need some sticky notes ( 3M full sticky notes work the best ). I just die cut the sizes of circles that I would like to use into the sticky notes.

Like this: you can tell this one has been well used.

Cut a few more circles in different sizes ( 3 is usually good ).

Choose an ink pad color.

You will need a blending brush, or I used to use finger dabbers.

Cut a piece of Basic White Cardstock at 4 x 5 1/4 or larger and then you could trim it down to the size desired.

Place a piece of scrap paper on your work surface and adhere the section of white cardstock ( using only a small tidbit of tape seal on the back ) evenly on the top of the scrap paper.

Lay the sticky note with the circles cut on the top at the Basic White cardstock positioning it where you would like to start your first circle. I usually choose one corner to start in.

Tap, tap, tap the blending brush on the ink pad to get a little ink on it, and slowly without a lot of pressure blend the color into the circle cut out.

I chose Parakeet Party for the Ink Color.

Continue blending ink in this section until you have the desired color level.

Turns out awesome, doesn't it?

Next, lay the sticky note in the next section that you would like to blend a circle in.

See, really easy!

I overlapped some of the circles as you can see, that just adds a little interest. ** Try this with different colors!!

This background looks great to go ahead and finish off a card.

I die cut a scalloped rectangle using the Scalloped Contour Dies to cut a rectangle on vellum cardstock.

Stamped a few musical notes in the desired position using Staz On Black Ink ( it dries fast on vellum paper ).

I stamped a branch from the Sweet Songbirds stamp set and just fussy cut around it.

Stamp & punch a bird using the Sweet Songbirds bundle. I used Orchid Oasis Ink.

Stamp a greeting, and back it with a scrap of Parakeet Party cardstock. I chose to banner the end of the greeting with my paper snips.

Add all of the above items to the front of the vellum layer. I used dimensionals on the bird and the greeting and just a little glue for the branch.

Tie a small bow with Baker's Twine and just attach that using a glue dot to the branch.

Add a few Fun Flower Resin Shapes to add a little fun to the card.

Place dimensionals on the back of the vellum in the same places where the greeting, branch, and bird are so that they won't show through the vellum, and attach it to the card front.

This bird was not stamped, but only punched using the Songbird Builder punch included in the Sweet Songbirds Bundle. It was stamped using Sweet Sorbet Ink.

And you have an adorable card! That was pretty easy, and barely took more than 5 Minutes.

Now you can use this technique with many die cut shapes, masks or stencils.