Bright & Beachy Underwater Card
Hello, friends! It’s Justin Adkins and today I’m sharing a card that’s bringing all the warm, sunny vibes. This time of year always gets me thinking about Spring Break and a little escape to somewhere tropical—so I decided to get inky and create a bright underwater scene!
Stitched Coral Dies
Snowy Hills Border Dies
Seashells Stamp Set & Coordinating Die Set
Crackle Background Stencil
To build that watery backdrop, I started with the Crackle Background Stencil and a mix of Distress Inks and Distress Oxide Inks. First, I ink blended a smooth background, then layered the stencil over top and blended again. For added depth, I rotated the stencil and repeated the process—this creates a really organic, underwater texture that feels like light moving through water.
The seashells were colored with Olo Markers in a bright, almost magical color palette. For a softer look, I stamped the images using an alcohol marker-friendly brown ink instead of black. Rather than using the coordinating dies, I fussy cut each shell right along the stamped line to remove the white border. A quick swipe of a brown Olo marker around the edges finishes them off and eliminates any visible white edges.
For the coral, I die cut the pieces using the Stitched Coral Dies and ink blended them with Distress Oxide Inks in Abandoned Coral, Ripe Persimmon, Lucky Clover, and Pine Needles. These bold colors really bring the scene to life.
To create the sandy ocean floor, I used the Snowy Hills Border Dies with a light brown cardstock. I added shading with Brushed Corduroy and Vintage Photo Distress Oxide Inks, then finished it off with splatters of Vintage Photo and Black Soot for extra texture and realism.
Finally, I added a die cut sentiment and a few iridescent embellishments to give the card a bit of sparkle and polish!
This card was such a fun way to bring a little sunshine and color into my craft space! Thank you so much for stopping by today. I’d love to see your vacation-inspired creations—especially if you’re using Pretty Pink Posh products—so be sure to share them!
Happy Crafting!
– Justin