Today I’m sharing a card that gives the look of mixed media without all of the layers, paints, and messy supplies. If you’ve ever admired mixed media projects but felt intimidated by where to start, this is a fun way to achieve a similar look using mostly stamps, stencils, and ink.

I’m calling this faux mixed media because we’re really letting the stamps do all the work. While true mixed media combines two or more artistic mediums, this design creates that layered, artistic feel simply by stamping different textures and patterns in soft colors. The only extra touch I added was a few black and gold splatters to finish off the background.

VIDEO

You can watch the video down below or HERE on Youtube.

I list all of the supplies I’m using in the video description. I also provide a visual supply list at the end of this blog post but I will briefly go over some of the supplies used.

For the focal point, I used the Beautiful Flowers stamp set along with the coordinating stencils and dies. The extra floral images included in the set make it easy to layer blooms over the leaves, adding dimension.

The background is where the faux mixed media magic happens! I stamped images from the A Little Artsy stamp set using a very light ink. That’s the key—keeping the stamping subtle allows it to become part of the background instead of competing with the flowers. I then ink blended around the edges to soften the bright white cardstock and create a beautiful patina-inspired look using a combination of light brown and seafoam inks.

To finish the card, I added a few black and gold splatters for extra interest and completed the design with a sympathy sentiment from the Wild & Free Flowers stamp set. Of course, you could easily swap the greeting for birthday, thank you, or just about any sentiment to fit the occasion.

Be sure to watch the video for all of the tips, techniques, and little details that bring this card together.

You’ll also find links to every supply I used in the YouTube video description, along with a visual supply list below. I hope this inspires you to give faux mixed media a try—you might be surprised at how easy it is to create a layered, artistic background with just a few stamps and inks!

SUPPLIES