Shark Cards by October Guest Designer Bobbi Lemanski

Hey there! It’s Bobbi Lemanski and I’m back with more cards this month as the October guest designer for Newton’s Nook. I may not be a card shark, but I am a lover of a good shark card. I’ve got two to share with you today. I hope they really grab and pull you in! Beware: These Newton’s Nook shark stamp sets are dangerously awesome! 

Shark Bite Tunnel Card

Being a mom of a teenage son, I’m always in need of a card that is not too cutesy. Sharks are great images to use for teenage boys. Who doesn’t love a scary shark? The first card features images from both stamp sets, Shark Frenzy and its complementary set, Shark Bites. I really love the strong contrast between the black mouths and the white teeth of the sharks on the Shark Frenzy image. I was drawn to this set immediately. I knew I had to sink my teeth into this one!  

Figure 1 Shark Frenzy adds drama to this card front!

To make my first card, I alternated between blues and grays for the sharks’ colors so that each shark really stood out. I colored and fussy cut the Shark Frenzy image for the card front and popped it up slightly using foam squares. This is a 5” X 7” card so Shark Frenzy really fills the space easily! If you like to make smaller cards, this design can be easily adapted to fit other sizes and the stamp image fits on an A2 card size (5-½” x 4-¼”), too.

I wanted one of the sharks to pop out of the shark frenzy, so I used one of the images from Shark Bites to pop up and out. I think he really makes a splash on the front! I hand drew and cut out a speech bubble and added a sentiment from the Shark Bites set for the focal image. For the blue background, I simply drew abstract waves using Copic blue markers and my Signo Uni-ball white gel pen. This is so easy to do and adds a little drama and movement to the front.

Figure 2 A close-up of the image from Shark Bites that splashes out of the shark frenzy!

For the inside, I wanted there to be an element of surprise for the recipient. I created a tunnel in the inside to mimic the mouth of a shark.  There are so many fun sayings in the Shark Bites set that I had to use four of them! The tunnel teeth were made by hand cutting a row of imperfect triangles like a banner out of white cardstock. If you try this, make sure to keep them attached together so you can easily glue them inside the circle cutout. It’s quicker and much easier to glue a row of them v. individual teeth. Plus, there’s less chance that a shark tooth will fall out!

Figure 3 A tunnel card is the perfect design to mimic an open and fierce shark mouth!

When a tunnel card is opened, the inside becomes dimensional offering the element of surprise to the recipient. When in the closed position, the tunnel collapses flat.

Figure 4 A tunnel card becomes dimensional when the card front is opened.

Figure 5 The tunnel card becomes flat when in the closed position and fits into a standard envelope.

I took two photos of my shark card from the top to show what it looks like when open and closed. Tunnel cards can be mailed using regular postage (unless you’ve added other dimension or weight to the card). There are so many possibilities with this design, I hope you give it a try if you have not already!

Beware: Shark Waters

My second card was inspired by a transparency I made with Ranger Alcohol Inks. These inks dry so vibrantly, giving the appearance of stained glass or glassy waters. I must admit, my photos just do not do this card’s amazing vibrancy justice!

Figure 6 Alcohol Inks on a transparency creates a fluid water scene.

 Figure 7 A close-up view of the alcohol inks on a transparency.

The blue and green alcohol ink combo transparency was the perfect background for these Shark Bites sharks. I cut a rounded corner rectangle out of the front of a white card base and one out of another piece of white cardstock, to match the front. I added the transparency sheet between the two perfectly matched cardstock pieces, keeping all my adhesive on the transparency edges hidden inside the sandwich of cardstock. I added the front-facing shark image to the transparency front and one on the top. If you notice, my transparency only covers about 75% of the opening, as if you are looking at a slice of the ocean from the water line to the bottom. This top opening was perfect for placement of the diving shark. There was also room for the inside sentiment, “Snappy Birthday” to show through to the front, too.

Figure 8 The inside of the card includes another shark, a school of fish and the sentiment that all show through to the front.

Inside, I stamped another shark image chasing a school of fish. They both show through to the front, under the transparency which adds some depth and dimension. I really enjoyed designing this one. The alcohol inks are fun to use to create awesome organic looks. I’ll be featuring another card using a slightly different use of alcohol inks in October with more Newton’s Nook stamp sets. Stay tuned for more ideas later this month! 

Have a great week-

Bobbi Lemanski