Chinese New Year, the year of the Tiger

February 1st marks the first day of the Chinese New Year, the year of the Tiger. Celebrations last for 16 days. When I heard it was going to be the Year of the Tiger, my first thought went to the In the Wild Suite of products. I only have the paper from this suite, but that was enough to create a few different Tiger New Year cards. Even if you don’t celebrate Chinese New Year, the In the Wild suite makes great cards & projects. To me, the suite has a masculine feel, but you can certainly change the masculine tone by switching out the colors. It’s sometimes hard to come up with masculine cards & projects, so that is just one reason why this suite is so grrrrrreat!

My sister-in-law is an ESL teacher in an elementary school and posted a link to a helpful website on all things Chinese New Year.

3 Versions of the Year of the Tiger New Years cards

The following cards all focus on the In the Wild Designer Series Paper, 155817.

Card base – So Saffron
Hammered 3D Embossing Folder on Cajun Craze card stock
Thin layer – Soft Succulent
Stamp Set – Flowering Tulips, 157672, stamped with Cajun Craze ink on Basic White
Evening Evergreen Scalloped Circle
Layering Circles dies

Card Base – Thick Very Vanilla
Hammered 3D Embossing Folder on Cajun Craze card stock
Solid layer – Evening Evergreen
Stamp Set – Celebrate Sunflowers, 152517
Stampin’ Write Marker Colors – Cajun Craze & Evening Evergreen
Classic Matte Dots
Tasteful Labels Dies, Crushed Curry banner divided *see below

Card Base – Thick Very Vanilla
Hammered 3D Embossing Folder on Cajun Craze card stock
Solid layer – Evening Evergreen
Smaller layer – Soft Succulent
Stamp Set – A Wish for Everything, 149320
Evening Evergreen Ink
Stitched Rectangle Dies

Tips

I find that you need to use a strong adhesive when adhering a heavily embossed layer to card stock. There are so many bumps & groves with the Hammered 3D Embossing folder that you need it to stick well. The Multipurpose Liquid Glue holds beautifully. A deal at only $4! Item #110755.

The stamp said “let’s celebrate you” but I only wanted the “let’s celebrate”. Using your Stampin’ Write Markers as ink pads work great for this situation (plus you can get multiple colors on one stamp). Color over the words you want with the Stampin’ Write Markers and then huff/blow on the stamp (it will re-moisten the ink in case it dried) and stamp. It’s a great technique!

Don’t be afraid to divide your shapes. I cut the banner shape in half to spread it out behind the stamped image. A great “hack”.

When the In the Wild Designer Series paper came out last Spring, I made this birthday card. This card inspired all of the above cards. Keep that in mind, use your cards to inspire future cards.