Enhancing a Simple Heat Embossed Card

Hello Crafters!

It's been quite the busy holiday season and the move isn't helping any. Consequently, my mojo has fled the scene.
When this happens I go back to the basics if things I love and I'm starting with clean and simple. 

I adore this Christ is Born stamp set from Honey Bee stamps but I couldn't make anything I liked with it. Enter that love of clean and simple card design and BAM something I didn't just like but loved. 

I started by selecting a navy cardstock. This particular scene is a night scene so that made the most sense to me but the technique will work with any color cardstock, or any image honestly. 

I stamped and heat embossed my image with white embossing powder before adding some shading with my distress inks. Adding shading to the outside creates a halo around the image drawing your eye to the lightest portion of the card, our focal point. 

To create further separation from the background I used a white gel pen to add even more stars behin the skyline. This pushes the sky to the background and the manger with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus forward. 

The last little trick I used was to add shimmer to just my characters and the star. This again catches the recipient's eye drawing them in to the most important part of the card.  

You can see the entire process from start to finish in the video below. 

This is such a great way to make your clean and simple card shine and ultimately get more bang out of a simple embossed card. It's also a great way to mass produce if you tend to send bunches of Christmas cards! 

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Supplies:

Affiliate links are used

Honey Bee Stamps Christ is Born Shop at: HB	Sakura WHITE GELLY ROLL Medium Point Pens Set Shop at: SSS | HB	Neenah Classic Crest 80 LB SMOOTH SOLAR WHITE Shop at: SSS | SB | HB
Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Shop at: SSS | SB | HB	Ranger MINI ROUND INK BLENDING TOOLS Shop at: SSS | SB | HB	Ranger MINI ROUND FOAM REFILLS for Mini Round Ink Blending Tools Shop at: SSS | SB | HB
Simon Says Stamp LARGE GRID PAPER Pack Pad Shop at: SSS	Precision Heat Embossing Tool Gun Shop at: SSS | SB | HA | HB	Tsukineko Versamark EMBOSS INK PAD Shop at: SSS | SB | HB
Inkadinkado EMBOSSING MAGIC Powder Bag Shop at: SSS | SB | HB	Simon Says Stamp EMBOSSING POWDER WHITE Fine Detail Shop at: SSS	ZIG Wink of Stella GLITTER CLEAR Brush Tip Marker Shop at: SSS | SB | HB
MISTI PRECISION STAMPER Stamping Tool Kit Shop at: SSS | SB	MINI MISTI PRECISION STAMPER Stamping Tool Kit Shop at: SSS | SB	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad BLUEPRINT SKETCH Shop at: SSS | SB
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad CHIPPED SAPPHIRE Shop at: SSS	We R Memory Keepers TRIM AND SCORE Board Shop at: SSS | SB	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad BLACK SOOT Shop at: SSS
Simon Says Stamp Card Stock SOFT NAVY Shop at: SSS	WPlus9 Nautical Navy Cardstock Shop at: WP9	Nuvo Glitter Gloss Pen Shop at: SSS | SB | Tonic USA
Waffleflower Water Media Mat Shop at: SSS | SB | WF	Nuvo Clear Mark Embossing Pad Shop at: Tonic USA	Fiskars PREMIUM CUT LINE Paper Trimmer 12 Inches Shop at: SSS | SB