Hello, crafty friends! Today, I'm excited to share a card that brings a little bit of the outdoors into your craft room—perfect for those of us who love the idea of a cozy campfire under the stars. I’ve created this camping scene card featuring the Happy Camper Stamps & Die Bundle from Pajama Crafter Stamps, and let me tell you, it was so much fun to make. If you’re into creating vibrant backgrounds and playful scenes, this card is right up your alley.
Let’s dive into how I brought this nighttime camping adventure to life!
Unleash the Night:
Building a Night Sky That Pops
When I think about camping, the first thing that comes to mind is the sky—those deep blues, purples, and hints of orange as the sun sets. To capture that feeling, I started by masking off a circle for the moon with 4" Mint Tape. This simple step really helps the moon stay bright while you blend the night around it.
For the inked background, I wanted a rich, layered sky, so I pulled out my Chipped Sapphire, Villainous Potion, Spiced Marmalade, Crackling Campfire, Forest Moss, and Rustic Wilderness Distress Inks. It may sound like a lot, but when you're blending, the more colors, the better! Each shade adds dimension to your scene.
Here’s a pro tip I love: if you’re blending with multiple colors like I did, try using the Dye Ink Blending Solution from Pajama Crafter Stamps. It helps smooth out any harsh lines and creates a soft transition between colors. Trust me, it makes a world of difference in achieving that beautiful gradient sky!
Once my background was blended to perfection, I added a touch of Black Soot Distress Ink around the edges for depth. It’s a simple trick that frames the scene and pulls your eye toward the center of the card.
Adding Texture and a Little Magic
One of the fun parts about working with Distress Inks is how they react with water. After blending, I flicked a few droplets of water onto the card to mimic stars in the sky. If you’ve never tried this before, it’s a game-changer! The water lifts the ink, creating a lovely speckled texture that really adds interest to the background.
To amp up the magic, I also spritzed the background with White Iridescent Shimmer Spray, Hocus Pocus Mica Spray, and Flickering Candle Mica Spray. These sprays add just the right amount of shimmer and glow—kind of like the twinkle of stars or the warm flicker of a campfire in the distance.
And speaking of shimmer, here’s another pro tip: if you want to avoid over-saturating your card front when using sprays, hold the bottle a little further away and mist lightly. You can always add more layers if you want more sparkle, but it’s harder to take it away once it’s down.
Bringing the Characters to Life
For this scene, I couldn’t resist using the adorable bears from the Happy Camper Stamp Set—one’s holding a bag of chips, and the other is roasting a marshmallow! These little characters really bring the card to life and make it feel like you’re right there with them, enjoying the campfire.
I stamped them, along with the tent, picnic basket, campfire, and trees, onto Hammermill Smooth Cardstock in Rich Cocoa Memento Ink. I find this ink is perfect for no-fuss coloring because it doesn’t smear with alcohol markers like my trusty OLO Markers.
Here’s a fun story: the last time I went camping, I had to fend off a man eating raccoon who was way too interested in my s'mores! Just kidding I've never been camping; because I've watched way to many horror movies. I couldn’t help but think of that while coloring these stamps, especially the bear with the marshmallow. These stamps really made me smile, and that’s what I love about creating cards like this—they’re personal and remind us of moments we cherish.
Assembling the Scene
Once everything was colored and die-cut (with a little fussy cutting for the tent, since there wasn’t a matching die), it was time to bring the scene together. I arranged the two bears around the fire—just like how you’d sit around the campfire telling stories. I placed the picnic basket and marshmallow bag nearby, and the trees in the background to complete the outdoorsy feel.
When creating a scene like this, it’s important to think about balance. I like to arrange the elements so the eye naturally moves across the card. In this case, the bears are the focal point, and the trees and fire draw your eye inward. Don’t be afraid to move things around until it feels just right—there’s no rush, and sometimes the perfect layout takes a little playing around!
Finishing Touches
Once everything was in place, I cut the card front down to 3 ¾” x 5” and matted it onto a 4” x 5 ¼” piece of Coal Cardstock for contrast. This really helped the colors in the background pop! I then layered the panel onto an A2 Neenah Desert Storm card base, which added a nice rustic feel to match the camping theme.
For the final touch, I added a few white gel pen highlights to the stamped images. This little step might seem minor, but it’s a great way to add dimension and make the characters look more polished. Highlights can help bring your stamped images to life, especially in a scene like this where lighting is important.
Wrapping It Up
Creating this nighttime camping card was such a joy—it’s the kind of project that transports you right into the scene. Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast or just love crafting unique, detailed cards, I hope this inspires you to try your own spin on a camping-themed design. The Happy Camper Stamps & Die Bundle from Pajama Crafter Stamps really brought this card together, and the blending techniques I used for the night sky are ones I come back to time and time again.
If you're looking for more tips or want to see the process in action, be sure to check out the video tutorial linked in the post. Happy crafting, and may your next project be just as magical as a night under the stars!
Video Tutorial:
If you have problems watching the video here on my blog you can always watch it on my YouTube Channel by Clicking here!
OLO Color Combinations:
Bears - OR3.4, OR4.4, O4.6
Trees - G1.4, G1.5, G1.7; YG1.2, YG1.4, YG1.6
Fire - O1.2, O1.3, O2.4, OR1.6
Marshmallow Bag Band - O1.3, O2.4, OR1.6
Marshmallows - CG0, CG1, CG3
Chip Bag - BG2.3, BG2.4, BG2.5
Picnic Basket - YO2.5, O2.7
Picnic Blanket in Basket - V2.3, V2.4, V2.6
(Wondering what I used in this video? Everything is linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post, or in the text below. Compensated affiliate links used when possible). As always I appreciate your support of my videos!
Materials Used:
Here you will find the list of supplies that I used to create today's card. All supplies are linked to supply sources below. Compensated affiliate links may be used at no cost to you.
Happy Stampin'
Rick Adkins
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