Soar, Discover, Achieve

It's hard to tell how much of the shimmer the camera will pick up - even after I got the flash fixed . . .

 . . . but I'm hoping that the sparkle and glimmer on this grey, white and silver card will show up.  One simple way to add interest on a layered card is to take a glitter pen and run it around the edge of the layer.  The thickness of the cardstock keeps your pen right on track and the result is a quietly beautiful accent that doesn't compete with the rest of the layout.

Cardstock:   American Crafts Grey, Strathmore Bristol, Embossing Arts

                       Momi paper: Silver, Vellum   

Stamps:        Tim Holtz Halftone, Time to Stamp Grunge, Angel Co Curls

                        & Swirls, Starving Artistamps Positive Words

Inks:               Distress Iced Spruce, ColorBox Silver

Emb Powder:   WOW Silver Sparkle

Dies:              Memory Box Wrapped Stitch Rectangles, Paper Smooches

                       Butterfly Duet

Doo Dads:  Gelly Roll Clear Star

Journey

I love banners - how come I haven't used any lately?  Until now, that is . . .

Three different texture stamps seemed to work well together, and coloring the leaves green instead of red means I can use this poinsettia die at any time of the year.

Cardstock:   Bazzill Leapfrog, White, Strathmore Soft White,

                        Bazzill White

 Stamps:      Tim Holtz Pine, Impression Obsession Birch Bark, Love

                        You to Bits Dotted Mist, Unknown “Journey”

Inks:             Vivid Olive, VersaFine Onyx Black, ColorBox Black

Colorants:    Tombow #98 Avocado, #126 Light Olive, Marvy #15

                        Olive green

Emb Powder:   Distress Black Soot

Dies:            Mama Elephant Femme Frames, Bold Banner, Memory

                        Box Poinsettia Ribbon

Emb Folder: Quickutz Sketchbook

Doo Dads:    Inkssentials Enamel Accents Black , Wink of Stella Clear        

It's Your Day

There's just something extra special about green, white, and black that always 
draws me in . . .

Toss in an ombre-style color arrangement and I'm a happy stamper!

Cardstock:   Bazzill White, Bazzill White, Leapfrog     

Stamps:       Stampin' Up "It's Your Day!"

Inks:             ColorBox Black

Colorants:    Impress marker #72 Camel, Tombow #126 Light Olive,

                        #847 Crimson, #993 Chrome Orange, #55 Process Yellow

Emb Powder:   Judikins Detail Black

Dies:            White Lotus Metal frame, We-Buys Cute Chrysanthemum,

                        DieNamics Basic Stitch Lines 

Doo Dads:    Wink of Stella Clear

Enjoy Life's Moments

My love affair with Kraft cardstock will never end . . .

                         

But the fun thing on this card is the spattered background.  At the 5:53 mark in this  video by Kristina Werner, I learned of a great new spattering technique to use, and with a product I'd never bought before.  It's gouache, an artist's watercolor paint.  It contains pigment and is "designed to be used with opaque methods of painting", says Google.

As I'm always on the prowl for  a white medium that is truly opaque, I was delighted to find that gouache really works!  I need to practice my technique a little more in order to consistently achieve dots instead of streaks, but I quite liked the artless splatter I got with this first attempt.  Best of all, all of the dots and streaks are a truly opaque white and so firmly textural, they will not have any trouble in the mail.  I'm hooked!

Cardstock:   Marcos Jute, Strathmore Soft White         

Stamps:       Hero Moments

Inks:             Distress Brushed Corduroy, VersaCraft Peony Purple

Colorants:    Tombow marker 98 Avocado, 476 Cyan, 606 Violet,

                        993 Chrome Orange

Emb Powder:   Stamp a Mania Peony Purple

Dies:            Spellbinders Bella Clair Border, Floral Berry Accents,

                        Lil Inkers Stitched Mats: Rectangles           

Emb Folder: Stampin’ Up Fancy Fan

Doo Dads:    USArt Quest Effectz: Opal Essence, Winsor Newton 

                           Gouache White, Sparkles Buttercup           

Thank You

Today's post is a two-fer, so be sure to scroll down to the second card . . .

I decided to make this year's Christmas Thank You notes on the quietly subdued side with some classic shapes and colors . . .

The tag is from a cleverly designed die that cuts just part way down the sides.  This allows you to make a tag of any length that you want.  You can even score a few folds and turn this basic shape into a folded booklet.  Check out some of the ideas here . . .

Cardstock:   Bazzill Buckeye, Strathmore Bristol   

Stamps:       Judikins Esponge Background, PSX Stenciled Rosebuds Flourish

Inks:             Distress Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy

Emb Powder:   Ranger Gold, Distress Walnut Stain

Dies:            Elizabeth Craft Tags & More 3: Leaves, Savvy Thank You

                        Cursive, Memory Box Cascadia Butterfly                     

Here is another take on the same basic design . . . 

         

 Cardstock:   Bazzill Buckeye, Strathmore Bristol   

Stamps:       Judikins Esponge Background, PSX Stenciled Rosebud

                        Flourish

Inks:             Distress Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy

Emb Powder:   Ranger Gold, Distress Walnut Stain

Dies:            Elizabeth Craft Tags & More 3: Leaves, Savvy Thank

                        You Cursive, Memory Box Butterflies: Cascadia, Pippi,

                        Isabella                       

Sending You the Happiest

My love affair with stripes will likely never end . . .

 . . . I think they go with just about everything!  In this case, a lacy-edged overlay and some perky fruit and flowers ought to brighten up anyone's day, don't you think?

Cardstock:   Strathmore Ultimate White

Stamps:       My Favorite Things Diagonal Stripes, The Stamp Doctor

                        Basket, Simon Says Stamp Sketchy Banner Greetings

                        “Sending you the happiest”

Inks:             VersaFine Onyx Black, ColorBox Black

Colorants:    Tombow markers #476 Cyan, #993 Chrome Orange,

                        #847 Crimson, #636 Imperial Purple, #Avocado, Zig

                        marker Pure Black

Emb Powder:   Distress Black Soot

Dies:            Heartfelt Creations Regal Borders and Pockets, The

                        Stamp Doctor Basket, Spellbinders Floral Berry Accents,

                        Simon Says Stamp Sketchy Banner Greetings 

Doo Dads:    Ranger Enamel Accents Black

Happiness

Some ongoing fun with water-based markers and my water brush . . .

One of my new favorite tools to use is a texturizing tool known by a variety of names, one of them being "skwuncher".  Googling this will avail you nothing, so don't even try.  This tool is a really coarse plastic sponge that is more air than sponge.  You can buy them as is or mounted on a piece of doweling.  The handle makes it very handy and easy to use.

I keep it on my desk and like to use it when an inked area looks a little flat and in need of some added interest - such as the flower heads in this case.  I dab the skwuncher directly onto an ink pad and tap it onto the image. On this card, I used the darker of the two ink colors that were used to color the flower heads.  The results are very subtle, but I think they add just that little something that can make the difference.

Cardstock:   Neenah Desert Storm        

Stamps:       Carabelle Edges In My Journal, Stampin’ Up “Happiness”

Inks:             Distress Brushed Corduroy

Colorants:    Tombow #98 Avocado, #847 Crimson, #993 Chrome Orange

Dies:            AliExpress Border Leaves, Memory Box Butterflies:  Pippi,

                        Isabella, Prim Poppy, Cheery Lynn Expandable Quilling

                        Strip, Stampin’ Up Victorian Tags 

Doo Dads:    USArt Quest Crystal Effectz Opal Essence, Maya Arts jute         

With Sympathy

For the time being, I am enjoying a very simple water coloring technique, using water-based markers and my water brush . . .

While my troublesome camera may not show it, the color is softly blended with no harsh lines - something I usually have difficulty in pulling off.  Working one leaf at a time, I laid down one line of color next to the bottom edge of the leaf, and then I simply added water with my water brush to the whole leaf as per Jennifer McGuire's video in my post of last week.  The color moves wonderfully well and blending/shading almost take care of themselves!  It's so simple to do that calling it a technique is almost pretentious.

While watercolor paper is your safest bet, other cardstocks can be used as long as you don't work the area too much and cause pilling.  As always, experiment!

Cardstock:   The Paper Cut Eames White, Bazzill Raven, Beckett

                        Moonlight       

Stamps:       Stacy Fern, Stampin’ Up Itty Bitty Backgrounds, All Night

                        Media “With Sympathy”

Inks:             ColorBox Black, Hero Black

Colorants:    Tombow #98 Avocado

Emb Powder:   WOW Black Puff

Dies:            Gina Marie Stitched Rounded Squares, DieNamics

                        Horizontal Stitched Strips                   

Doo Dads:    Offray 1/8” satin ribbon Cream     

Hello

Recently, Jennifer McGuire posted a wonderfully easy way to get a terrific watercolor look in just two steps.  Check out the video here and give it a try . . .

On watercolor paper, stamp an image having enclosed spaces within, such as with mosaic or stained glass patterns.  In my sample, I used segmented leaf images.  Heat emboss to create "walls" that will help enclose the generous amount of water you'll be using. I found that UTEE gave me the most reliable results as it made the walls higher than regular EP would.  With any water-based marker (brands differ:  test first to make sure the color moves easily), pick a section and draw a line alongside one of the embossed lines.  Use your water brush to flood the section.  Let the water do the work!  No blending is necessary and you'll get almost an ombre look with no effort at all.

This has instantly become my all-time favorite watercoloring technique!  LOTS more to come, for sure . . .

Cardstock:   Bazzill Kachina, The Paper Cut Watercolor paper,

                        Designer paper  

Stamps:       Judikins Four Leaves, Stampin’ Up Itty Bitty

                        Backgrounds

Inks:             VersaMark, Brilliance Gamma Green

Watercolors:   Zig Clean Color Green, Light Green, Yellow Green

Emb Powder:  UTEE White

Dies:            Spellbinders Long Classic Scalloped Rectangles Large,

                        DieNamics Basic Stitch Lines, Savvy Hello

Doo Dads:    Wink of Stella Clear