3 Cards Full of Sunshine Glow | April My Monthly Hero

Today is all about adding a bit of sunshine glow to your cards. It is such a lovely touch for the delightful April My Monthly Hero Kit with its fresh garden feel for plant lovers. I’m sharing three cards that each use an ink blended glow in a slightly different way to spotlight the design, ground the layers, or add a glowing shape behind the focal point.

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Featured Supplies

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My Monthly Hero HA	Rectangle Infinity Dies HA | SBC	Essential Arches Dies SB | SBC	Stylish Ovals Dies SB | SBC	ColorWheel Cardstock 48 HA | SB | SBC
Intens-ified Black Ink Pad SB | SBC

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Stenciled Sunshine Spotlight

This first card starts out clean and simple. That soft arched glow feels like warm sunshine pouring in through a little window. The die cut kitty and tiny flowers sit right in that glow, which completes the sweet scene. I love the punny birthday sentiment and a few gold pearls finish it off with just enough sparkle.

Stenciled Ink Blend: This background uses a stencil to place the color exactly where you want it directly to the card base. I created my own stencil with a die, which is such a fun way to get a custom shape. Any favorite stencil can give you that same soft glow and sunny little spotlight behind your focal point. You can even switch it up and use a pattern instead.

Grounding Sunshine Layer

This one has such a cozy layered look with those torn edges and all the sweet sprouts tucked in between. Behind it all is a soft, grounded glow of sunshine, almost like a gentle horizon line. It gives the scene a place to land without taking over the whole background. Everything still feels open and airy, but nicely finished. And those gold pearl droplets are such a cute little touch.

Grounding Ink Blend: This style adds color directly to the card front in a soft horizontal area that helps ground the image and layers. The blend stays deeper at the bottom and fades as it moves upward, which gives you that soft settled glow behind the design without taking over all the white space. It is a great choice for scenes, layers, and any design that needs a little visual weight underneath.

Framed Floral Sunshine

I am really loving the vase in this kit and all the bouquet possibilities. I used a soft blue vase with vellum over top for a frosted, sea glass kind of look. It makes it feel kinda dreamy. The bouquet is full of the lovely die cut flowers, while the stamped sentiment and torn edge add a little contrast and keep it from feeling too polished. The background shape has crisp edges, but the blending still has that soft sunshine kind of glow in a framed shape.

Die Cut Ink Blend: This version starts with a die cut shape, then the ink is blended onto it so the color is richer at the bottom and softer as it moves up. The crisp edges make the glow feel a bit more defined and dimensional, while still keeping that soft ink blended glow that feels light and airy on the card. It also adds a little lift to the background without a lot of bulk.

These three cards are such a fun reminder that a background can do more than just sit there and look pretty. A soft sunshine glow can spotlight the design, ground the layers, or add extra shape and dimension.

Which one are you most excited to try first… the stenciled glow, the grounding blend, or the die cut version?

Thank you for joining me today. I sincerely hope that today’s project inspires you. If you create something, feel free to tag me, @dahlhousedesigns, on social media. I would be thrilled to see it and leave you some love.

Supplies

Some links include affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for the referral but at no cost to you. I greatly appreciate the support should you choose to shop via my links.
Please Note: Product names with ** are suggested supply substitutions if I use something discontinued or hard to find.

Colorwheel Cardstock Colors: Tuscan, Classic White, Raven, Rainforest, Fern, Waterfall, Blush, Tutu, Dahlia

My Monthly Hero HA	Rectangle Infinity Dies HA | SBC	Essential Arches Dies SB | SBC	Stylish Ovals Dies SB | SBC	ColorWheel Cardstock 48 HA | SB | SBC
Hammermill Cardstock AMZ	Intens-ified Black Ink Pad SB | SBC	Carnation Ink Set SBC | OTH	Jelly Bean, Ocean Mist SBC | OTH	Wild Dandelion SBC | OTH
Cream, Gold, Silver Pearls AMZ

Most Used Tools

1.5″ block SB | OTH	Big Shot SB	Black Stamping Tool SB	Blending Brushes AMZ	Blending Brushes Large AMZ
Blending Brushes Medium AMZ	Blending Brushes Mini AMZ	Blending Brushes Small AMZ	Connect Glue SB	Cutter Bee Scissors SB | SSS
Die Cut Envelope AMZ	Foam Roll – 2 Inch SB	Foam Roll Combo Pack SB	Grip Mat 4.75×6 AMZ	Grip Mat 6.5×8.5 AMZ
Grip Mat 6×6 AMZ	Media Mat Mini SB | SSS	Mini Blending Brushes AMZ	Mini Stencil Mat** SB	Mini Trimmer SB
MISTI – Mini SB | SSS	MISTI – Original SB | SSS	MISTI – Original – Black SB	MISTI Corners SB | AMZ	Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive SB
Post It Note Tape AMZ	Reverse Tweezers SB	Sticky Mat SB	Triangle Trays AMZ	White Gel Pens SB | AMZ
White Glass Mat SB | OTH | AMZ	Adhesive Roll SBC