top of page

Layered Summer Boy Card Project



Hi everyone, today I would like to show you a fun boy card project for which I combined several layers to reach the end result I was going for.


Step 1:

I started my project by printing the digital image from Mo’s Digital Pencil called “Summer Boy” onto alcohol marker friendly paper. The image is relatively small so it will fit one of the tags on my card. Because the image is fairly small it is fabulous to colour with the Spectrum Noir Triblend Alcohol Markers. Each marker contains three alcohol ink colours from the same colour family.

I started with the skin: which I coloured pretty dark because this boy looks like he is enjoying the summer sun a lot: for this I choose the Spectrum Noir Triblend marker in “Tan Blend”, and as always I pretend that my light source is in the top left hand corner.


Step 2:

For the hair I next used a combination of the darker colour in the Triblend marker “Earth Brown Shades” and the darkest colour in the “Gold Brown Blend” marker.


Step 3:

For the sand I used the “Gold Yellow Blend” Triblend Marker and for the green parts a mix of the “Alpine Green Blend” Triblend Marker.


Step 4:

For the area’s that haven’t got any colour yet I used the “Dark Red Blend” Triblend Marker and the “Pink Violet Blend” Triblend Marker. Each element contains multiple layers to create the depth and dimension that I like. To give the area around the boy some colour I choose the “Aqua Blue Blend” Triblend Marker.


Step 5:

Next I added some finishing touches with a white gel pen and my focal image is done and dusted!

You can find all the Spectrum Noir Tribland Markers HERE!





Step 6:

There will be two tags on my card, one with the boy image and one smaller one, with a lighthouse. But I only have one tag die! I will use this die to also create the second smaller tag: this is a way you can do this:

As you know your die cutting machine will ONLY cut what is between your plates: I now place the paper and the die in the machine but the top part will hang outside the plates so it will not get cut.

After running the die through the machine I reposition the die, placing it back in the already cut groves of the paper, but the way I repositioned the die it will die cut a shorter tag!

This same way I die cut the inner part for my tag as well. Because it has a stippled edge you can see that but nobody will notice that in my finished project.

The tag is from the Studio Light die set called “STENCILSL277”.



Step 7:

From a Viva Decor stamp set called “At the Seaside” I now stamp the lighthouse and the birds onto the smaller tag using Spectrum Noir Finesse Alcohol-Proof Ink in “Noir Black”. I also colour the image with the same Triblend Alcohol Marker colours that I used before.

This is what my two tags (cut from design paper from my stash) with the two coloured images look like now! On the boy tag I stamped a sentiment from my of my stamp sets, it’s from my local craft store, you can use any sentiment stamp that you like!



Step 8:

For creating my base card I than traced the largest design from the Dutch Doobadoo Shape Art stencil with the number 470.713.142 onto white linen textured card stock using a graphite pencil and cut out the shape using my scissors. This I repeated with brown card stock and design paper, each shape smaller than the previous one.

On the design paper I also stamped a knotted robe from the same Viva Decor stamp set that I used before.


Step 9:

Each of these layers I than edged with one of the following ink colours and a Spectrum Noir “Blending Tool”. I used the colours: Harmony Water-Reactive Ink in “Pine Tree” and “Parakeet” as well as the Finesse Alcohol-Proof ink in “Pebble”.



Step 10:

I also edged the tags in the same ink colours as the background papers, and I die cut reinforcements for the labels, each in the opposite design paper colour as the tag itself is in.

Time to start putting things together: I adhered the reinforcements and the different parts of the tags together using liquid glue.


Step 11:

I did the same with the three background layers. And to create a bit more interest in the background I also created splatters using a Spectrum Noir Sparkle Ink in the colour “Amethyst” (from the Glitz and Glamour set) in combination with a brush and let that dry.


Step 12:

Next I added some jute cord to both tags and adhered them on top of the combined background panels using one millimetre thick foam tape. And to finish my project I added some staples.

Detail picture:


And that is it for today’s fun and summery boy card project! I wish you a creative day!

bottom of page