Give Thanks

VersaFine Clair Ink is wonderful for coloring die-cuts easily. The VersaFine Clair Inks blend beautifully so you can create new colors to extend their versatility. 

Here's a Thanksgiving card!

Imagine Crafts Supplies:

Sand Dune, Portabello, Acorn, Pinecone, Golden Meadow, Cheerful, Summertime, Verdant, Avocado, Grass Green, Strawberry, Tulip Red, Chianti, and Arctic Blue VersaFine Clair Inks *

Sponge Daubers

On Point Glue

Tear It! Tape

Craft Mat

Other Supplies:

White Cardstock by Bazzill Basics

Vault Foliage Wreath Thinlits Die Set by Tim Holtz for Sizzix

Small Talk: Occasions Idea-ology Stickers by Tim Holtz for Adventus

5” x 7” Gel Press

2” and 4” Brayers by Speedball *

Make-up Brushes

Please Note: VersaFine Clair Inks and brayers can be purchased at Topflight Stamps!

Instructions and Method:

The Method:

The method I used for all of the die-cuts was to place the die-cut(s) onto a Gel Press which will hold them in place while ink is being dabbed onto the die-cut(s) with Sponge Daubers.

I used a separate Sponge Dauber for each color to avoid contaminating the ink pads. I applied the lighter ink color onto the die-cut first and used a tissue to wipe excess ink off of the Gel Press. Darker ink was applied to the die-cut next and the same tissue was used to wipe up excess ink.  If more ink was required to color the die-cut or to improve blending, this process was repeated. Photos below will illustrate my method. 

Clean the Gel Press with hand sanitizer between colors and die-cuts.

Steps 1:

Use all the dies in the Vault Wreath set to cut all the dies from smooth white cardstock at least three times. 

Place the wreath die-cut onto the Gel Press, which will keep it in place. Use a Sponge Dauber to dab Acorn VersaFine Clair Ink onto the wreath (1A). Use another Sponge Dauber to dab PineCone VersaFine Clair Ink onto the wreath blending as you go (1B). Remove the first wreath, set it aside, and wipe the Gel Press clean. You can use hand sanitizer if you like.

Place the second wreath die-cut onto the Gel Press. Use Sponge Daubers to dab Sand Dune (1C) then Portobello (1D) VersaFine Clair Inks onto the die-cut. Remove the second wreath, set it aside, and wipe the Gel Press clean.

Place the third wreath die-cut onto the Gel Press. Use Sponge Daubers to dab Golden Meadow (1E) and Acorn (1F) VersaFine Clair Inks onto the die-cut. Remove the second wreath, set it aside, and wipe the Gel Press clean.

Steps 2:

Place the cone flower (bottom left of the Gel Press), cone part (top right of the Gel Press), the small round center of the sunflower (top left of the Gel Press), and the sunflower (bottom right of the Gel Press) die-cuts onto the Gel Press. 

Use Sponge Daubers to dab Golden Meadow (2A) and Cheerful (2B) to the Cone Flower die-cuts. Use Sponge Daubers to to apply Summertime (2C) and Chianti (2D) VersaFine Clair Inks to the bottom edges of the cone flowers.  Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Summertime (2F) VersaFine Clair Ink to the spiky flower.

Remove the flower die-cuts and leave the centers on the top of the Gel Press. Wipe the Gel Press clean.

Here are the color combinations for the rest of the die-cuts. Remember to firmly place the die-cuts onto the Gel Press, use Sponge Daubers to dab the ink onto the die-cuts, and to clean the Gel Press between sets of die-cuts.

• Top of the Cone Flowers:  Use Acorn VersaFine Clair Ink.
• Sunflower centers: Use Summer Meadow and Acorn VersaFine Clair Inks.
• Spiky Flowers:  Hawthorn Rose and Tulip Red VersaFine Clair Inks.
• Five petal leaves: Verdant VersaFine Clair Ink
• Ferns: Avocado and Arctic Blue VersaFine Clair Inks
• Pointed Oval Leaves:  Avocado VersaFine Clair Ink onto the die-cuts.
• Branches: Shady Lane VersaFine Clair Ink 
• Oak Leaves: Golden Meadow, Cheerful, Summertime, and Chianti VersaFine Clair Inks 
• Bottom of Acorn: Acorn and Pinecone VersaFine Clair Inks
• Top of Acorn: Portobello and Pinecone VersaFine Clair Ink 
• Bow: Summertime, Cheerful, Tulip Red, and Chianti VersaFine Clair Inks

Step 3:

Use On-Point Glue to adhere the wreaths atop one another.

Step 4:

Roll a 4” brayer over the Cheerful VersaFine Clair Ink. Roll the brayer onto scrap paper to reduce the amount of ink on it. Roll the brayer to the Gel Press. Place a piece of 5” x 7” white cardstock onto the Gel Press and pull the print that will become the background panel.

Steps 5: 

Use a make-up brush and tap lightly onto the Strawberry VersaFine Clair Inkpad. Brush off the excess onto the scrap paper. Brush the ink along the top of the Gel Press (5A). Place background panel on Gel Press and pull print. Take a second make-up brush and tap it lightly onto the Grass Green VersaFine Clair Inkpad. Brush off the excess onto the scrap paper. Brush the ink along the bottom of the background panel (5B).

Step 6:

Spray with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol to slightly blend and mottle inked background.

Step 7:

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Acorn VersaFine Clair ink around the outer perimeter of a white 5” x 7” card. Heat set.

Step 8:

Use Tear It! Tape to adhere the layers of the card.

Steps 9:

Use Sponge Daubers to color an Idea-ology Sticker (9A). Use a second Sponge Dauber to edge the sticker (9B). Adhere the sticker to finish the card.

Thank you for visiting today!