How to Make an Obi Card

Inspiration can really come from anywhere! The inspiration for the card in the photo came while flipping through the latest Spiegel catalog. I noticed a lot of the belts were styled around the Japanese obi sashes worn around a kimono. This card combines the streamlined Asian aesthetic with a contemporary brown and pink palette to create a very peaceful card and envelope set that anyone would be pleased to see in their mailbox.

Things You'll Need

• #9 envelope
• Card stock (white, tan, brown, pink)
• Ruler
• Paper trimmer with cutting and scoring blades
• Stamps
• Ink pads (white, pink, brown)
• Stamp cleaner
• Adhesive
• Crinkled mulberry paper (pink)
• Ribbon (brown and pink stripe, brown solid)
• Scissors
• Brayer

Instructions

1. 

   Trim Your Papers and Ribbons
   
   
   
   To fit comfortably inside a #9 envelope this card will be 3.5 by 8.5 inches. Cut a 7-by-8.5 inch rectangle and score it down the center of the long side to make it easier to fold. Cut a 3.5-by-8.5 strip of tan card stock, a 1.5-by-8.5 strip of pink card stock and a 1.75-by-8.5 strip of the dark brown card stock. Cut 10 inches of each of the ribbons and the mulberry paper.

2. 

   Double-Stamp the Bamboo Stalk on the Tan Card Stock
   
   
   
   Stamp the image in white in the lower-left corner of the tan card stock, clean the stamp and then stamp the same image in brown just a hair to the right of the first image. The white image is meant to be subtle and helps the overstamped image pop out a bit more.
   
   
   
   (Bamboo stamp is from set S778, Oriental Foliage, Copyright CTMH Co.)

3. 

   Stamp the Three characters in Pink on the Pink Card Stock
   
   
   
   Make sure you keep your character stamps in the upper third of the right side of the pink strip to avoid the bottom one being cut off by the sash.
   
   
   
   (Asian character stamps from #29800 Asian, Copyright Stamp Craft)

4. 

   Assemble the Card Stock Layers
   
   
   
   Layer the pink card stock onto the brown, then the two onto the tan. Offset each layer about a millimeter from the right edge of the layer below to enhance the depth of the layers.

5. 

   Prepare the Obi
   
   
   
   Fold the mulberry paper in half lengthwise and layer the striped ribbon on top of this, gluing in place. Wrap this around the center of the card front and trim the ends so they meet up flush to one another. Anchor the center of the brown ribbon at the back of the card. Let this dry completely.

6. 

   Decorate the Envelope
   
   
   
   Ink a brayer unevenly with pink and run it diagonally across the corner of the envelope and then again in a perpendicular direction. Do this until the brayer runs out of ink, then overstamp in brown the bamboo and characters used on the card.

7. 

   Finish the Card
   
   
   
   Take the two ends of the brown ribbon and tie a small double knot on the front of the card and trim the ends close. Attach the card front to the scored white card stock.

Tips & Warnings

• Keeping elements in threes gives your design an automatic boost by creating balance. Three color choices give you light, medium and dark tones to work with, three stacked images are naturally pleasing to the eye, three layers create depth without bulk.

• Traditionally, obis are knotted in the center for women and off-center for men. You can tailor the placement of the knot to your recipient for an extra bit of personality.

Resources

• Close To My Heart Rubber Stamps