3 Creative Card Ideas Using the Checkmate Collection | Chess & Checkers Cardmaking Tutorial

Hello, crafty friends! Marie here again from Marie Nicole Designs. If you are a chess or checkers player, or know someone who is, today’s post is for you! I know how to play both chess and checkers, but I always get beaten by my kids, so I do not claim to be very good at it.

Making cards featuring these strategy games is something I’m much better at.

So today I will share three cards I created using the Checkmate collection. This collection is so fun! There’s an embossing folder with a coordinating layered stencil set, dies for creating all the game pieces, and some fun sentiments to finish off your creations. Let’s take a look!

ALL LINED UP

For my first card, I decided to make it a landscape orientation so I could display all the game pieces in a line from the chess dies. Now, I know that chessboards can come in a variety of colors, but I traditionally think of them as black and white, so I kept mostly to that color scheme for my cards.

For these pieces, I cut them all out of white cardstock and then assembled them. I added just a bit of a shadow on one side of the white pieces using a light gray alcohol marker. I know it is hard to see in the photo, but in my hands, the shadow does add some dimension. Of course, you could also use a variety of colors for these pieces. You aren’t limited to black and white!

After my pieces were cut out and assembled, I created the black and white game board for them by embossing the checkered pattern first, and then using my stencils to layer over and add some white pigment ink. Now, the stencils come in multiple layers, so you can make a very multi-colored board. There is also a stencil that adds a slanted shadow to your pieces, if you want to add some dimension that way, as well.

On this card, with trying to fit ALL the pieces on it, I didn’t find there was much room left for a shadow. I did slant the pieces in the back upwards a little, though, to give some depth.

To finish this card, I stamped and heat-embossed the sentiment.

YOU SLAY

For my second card, I took inspiration from the sentiment. I love the phrase, “You slay, Queen”, so I decided to illustrate that on my card.

I cut out a king and a queen, both from opposite colors, and assembled them. Then, to build the background, I again took the stencil and added some diamonds in the back using red.

The stencils are for creating the squares of the chessboard, but you can turn them sideways and get a diamond shape, too! I used red for a pop of color, and I think it has a very “playing cards” kind of look. Or maybe even Alice. I won’t go off on a tangent here, but Lewis Carroll was a chess enthusiast, and his Alice book, Through the Looking Glass, was structured as moves in a chess game.

After I had my diamonds stenciled on, I added the chess pieces and then the sentiment with some foam adhesive. I finished this card by adding some clear sequins, moving from the bottom left to the upper right.

CHECKERS

My third and final card for this post features a checkers board. I remember playing checkers with my siblings as a kid, and it was the most fun when you got to “king” your piece when you reached the far end of the board. So I added a few “kinged” pieces to this scene.

I started by embossing and stenciling the background by using a few shades of red and then black. On some of the black spaces, I also brushed on some glitter.

I then added the checker pieces around on the background using foam adhesive for dimension, and I also stacked a few pieces for the kings. Then, I stamped, embossed, and cut out the sentiment to add on top.

These cards were so fun to make, and I’m sure there are a million different ways to use the Checkmate collection! I hope I’ve given you some ideas today.

Until next time, Marie Nicole

Spellbinders Supplies:

Other supplies

Ink, ink blending tool, foam adhesive, liquid adhesive, scissors, glitter brush, embossing ink, embossing powder, embossing heat tool, sequins, grey marker