Seahorse Card

• Michaela Butterworth
Hero image of the completed 5" x 7" card showing a central seahorse figure, surrounded by seaweed over a collaged background. The seahorse is done in browns, contrasting with the green weeds and blue water.
Seahorse Card 5″ x 7″ kraft cardstock

Do you have a desk full of random collage scraps? I sure do! Every once in a while I go on a great clean up binge to sort and organize them all (granted it’s not very often at all!). Recently, I spent a few hours doing just that and sorted all my scraps into color categories (it seems that’s how I work best). The blues and teals were sitting in their open container right in front of me, just begging to be used, so I grabbed them and started randomly creating a background which then grew into this lovely card you see here.

The Crafter’s Workshop provided me with some product to create this project. The opinions I share are solely my own.

This project is a simple step-by-step process that teaches you how to use some of those random scraps to create a simple background. I also show you how I love to create some of my under the sea creatures using some of my favorite textural techniques (I’ve just finished a series of them, check out my Instagram account to see them all!).

CHALLENGE: If you are an experienced mixed-media creator and really want to challenge yourself, then work on multiple backgrounds at once. It’s a fast way to create backgrounds for future use.

Follow along with these simple steps to create your own card:

Close up image showing the completed collage created using a mix of papers which I love to call my desk debris (leftovers from previous projects). This is a great stash buster for all those little bits left over that you just can't bear to throw out! :-)
‘Desk debris’ was used as collage to create the background under water.

Step One: As shown in the image above, I started my project using a 5″ x 7″ kraft card stock. Using my trusty silicone spatula, I collaged the random pieces of blue and teal ‘desk debris’ papers to the card. It’s my favorite and fastest way to add TCW9011matte gel medium and get the air bubbles out! I first apply the matte gel medium to the substrate, then put the pieces of collage down and scrape more medium over the top to seal it.

HOT TIP: I then either let it naturally dry or use my heat gun, heating from both sides to prevent the card from curling or warping as much.

Step Two: As shown in the two gallery images below, I mixed TCW9012 Shimmery Goodness with TCW9064 Turquoise Stencil butter to create a lighter shade of turquoise butter. I then used a cosmetic sponge to apply this mix through the TCW5019 Waves stencil.

Image showing the now stenciled background flat laid on my work table surface. The card is surrounded with the Turquoise stencil butter open jar, the Shimmery Goodness open jar, my plastic lid palette, with the mixed mixture, my silicone spatula, a cosmetic sponge, and the TCW5019 Waves stencil.
Close up of the background showing the word 'joy' which has been stenciled over using the mixed stencil butter.
I used a mix of TCW9012 Shimmery Goodness and TCW9064 Turquoise Stencil butter.
Composite image: The background image shows the stenciled deli paper. The central, front image shows the open jars of turquoise stencil butter and shimmery goodness laying adjacent to the stenciled deli paper on my worktable surface.
I used the leftover mix and TCW5019 Waves stencil to create some deli paper for future use.

Step Three: I applied Speckled Egg Distress Oxide ink using an ink applicator brush through the TCW5019 Waves stencil.

Close up flat lay image of the card sitting on my work table surface. A stamp pad of speckled egg Distress Oxide ink, an ink applicator brush, and the TCW5019 Waves stencil lay next to the card, above it.
Speckled egg Distress Oxide ink was applied through the TCW5019 Waves stencil.
Super close up image showing the speckled egg distress oxide ink applied to the card surface.
Close up image showing the ink application.

Step Four: As shown in the image below, I used washi tape (because it’s easy to remove when finished) to attach the TCW918 Seahorse stencil to the card on my work table surface. I then mixed TCW9060 Sepia ColorSparx powder with Izink texture paste to create a light brown shade for the seahorse focal image. I applied this mix through the stencil using my silicone spatula.

Close up image showing the TCW918 Seahorse stencil washi taped to the card on my work table surface. The packet of Izink crackled texture paste, the bottle of Sepia ColorSparx powder, my plastic lid palette, and my silicone spatula sit on my work surface just above the card and stencil.
Using TCW9060 Sepia ColorSparx powder I created the seahorse color mix.

Step Five: Using my fingers, I sprinkled pinches of Baked Texture embossing powder in Vintage Beeswax color directly onto the wet texture paste. I then used my heat gun to set the texture paste and embossing powder.

HOT TIP: Did you know that almost any medium can be used to replace heat embossing liquid? Pretty much any liquid substance that is sticky can be used to hold the embossing powder until it is heat set, including vaseline!

Close up image showing the now heat set seahorse figure with the glorious grungy and shiny finish.
Close up image of the heat embossed powder on the seahorse figure.

Step Six: As shown in the following image, I used Dr Ph. Martin’s liquid acrylic dark walnut ink to paint the seahorse figure with a small paint brush. I do this to create the full effect of the seahorse’s body shape, and fill in the open areas which were showing the background. I then used my heat gun to dry the ink.

Close up image showing the seahorse figure which has now been painted with the dark walnut ink, then dried.
Dark walnut ink was used to fill in the body shape of the seahorse.

Step Seven: As shown in the following image, I used finishing waxes to highlight the embossed surface of the seahorse. I used Vintage Gold and Firebird (brilliant copper) metallic waxes with a touch of Rusty Brown opaque matte wax to add color and knock a little of the metallic shine off.

Close up image showing the completed card and the wax containers sitting in a flat lay on my work table surface.
Finishing waxes were used to highlight the seahorse’s raised texture.

Step Eight: Now, it was time to add the sea weeds. I used a mix of TCW9061 Chartreuse and TCW9062 Lime Green stencil butters to add the sea weeds. I wiped the excess butter from the palette knife on to the background randomly for a little additional color.

Close up image showing the card laying on my work table surface. The jars of Chartreuse and Lime Green stencil butters sit above the card. The used palette knife and stencil lay to the right of the card.
The seaweeds were adding using TCW9061 Chartreuse and TCW9062 Lime Green stencil butters.

Step Nine: I used TCW9006 Gloss Gel Medium applied with a paint brush to adhere some glass beads to the seahorse’s body, and to attach the glass eye.

Close up image of the completed seahorse with wet gloss gel medium and glass beads laying on my work table surface.
TCW9006 Gloss Gel Medium was used to apply the glass embellishments to the seahorse.

Step Ten: Using Signo uni-ball acrylic paint pens (UM-153) in black and white, I outlined the seahorse and seaweeds, and I added a sentiment. Here is the completed card for you to enjoy!

Image of the jar of Gloss Gel Medium laying on my work table with the black and white Signo acrylic paint pens and the completed card.
The seahorse, seaweeds, and sentiment were outlined using acrylic paint pens.
Close up image of the almost completely dr seahorse showing the glass bead details over the glorious bubbled texture.
Close up image of the still wet seahorse, drying on my work table.
Image of the completed card shown in all it's glory, ha!
The completed 5″ x 7″ mixed media Seahorse card on kraft cardstock.

Want to see a brief step-by-step process video for this project? Hop on over to my YouTube Channel to view the video (38 sec). I really hope you found these step-by-step instructions and photos to be helpful and that you feel confident enough to try this on your own. If you have any questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to post them below.

I’d really love to hear which part of this process is your favorite and why, please leave me a comment, below! Have a great day and happy making, we *LOVE* to see your projects, so please be sure to tag us using our hash tag of #ilovestencils !

Michaela Butterworth
The Crafter’s Workshop Design Team Member

PS: I’m really trying to build my following. Will you please hop on over and follow me on my blog and social media accounts, and please ask your friends to follow me too? Thank you so much!
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