Let’s Make a Graduation-Themed Gift Card

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By Anna Escalada York

– As a high school teacher, it is time to get ready for graduation! I have lots of seniors and want to say goodbye with a handmade card. This card design allows for a discreet gift card to be tucked into the front and features our school’s colors–maroon and silver.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1.5 hours (including dry time)

Directions:

Step 1:
Die cut a gift card holder out of watercolor paper and spray with Silver Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray. Allow the spray to dry and then spray a second time to intensify the color. Allow the spray to dry a second time.

Step 2:
Trim another piece of watercolor paper into three strips approximately 1” high by 5.5” long and die cut each of the dies with the top part of the same die cut from step 1. Use a sponge dauber to ink blend one of the strips with London Fog Memento Ink and set aside.

Step 3:
Ink blend the two remaining die-cut watercolor strips with Rhubarb Stalk Memento ink with a second sponge dauber.

Step 4:
Spray all three die cut strips with more of the Silver Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray to add some sparkle. Set the strips aside do dry.

Step 5:
Spray the large die cut gift card holder with London Fog Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray and set aside to dry.

Step 6:
Stamp both the sentiment and a graduation cap stamp on watercolor paper with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink. Heat emboss both with clear embossing powder and then die cut them with their corresponding dies. While die cutting the sentiment, use the same die to die cut a piece of of black glitter cardstock.

Step 7:
Glue the three die cut strips and the gift card holder onto a white card panel (or in my case a watercolor smooshed panel made for another project that used some leftover London Fog Memento Ink mixed with some water), making sure that the top of the gift holder doesn’t get glued onto the card (so it can still be used to hold a gift card).

Then color the edges of the panel with a VersaMarker in order to heat emboss the outside edges with silver embossing powder. Then color some small star stamps on the lower left corner of the card and toward the middle of the card with the same VersaMarker to add more silver embossing powder.

Step 8:
Not pictured: Color the rays and stars stamp in the upper center part of the gift card holder with more of the Clear Embossing Powder and then heat emboss it with more silver embossing powder.

Next, attach the stamp die cut over the rays with foam tape. Then offset glue the stamped sentiment die cut so that the black glitter cardstock can be seen peeking out on the right side. Glue the whole thing on the lower right corner of the greeting card.

Step 9:
Die cut small stars out of black glitter cardstock and glue them around the stamped rays and the graduation cap. To finish the card, glue the whole card panel onto a white A2-sized card base.

Art Supplies

Imagine

• Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – London Fog
• Memento Ink – London Fog and Rhubarb Stalk
• Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray – Silver
• VersaFine Clair Ink – Nocturne
• VersaMarker – Clear
• Sponge Daubers

Other

• Altenew – foam tape – Instant Dimension Foam Tape
• Emily Moore Designs – die set – Horizontal Pocket Die
• Elle’s Studio – stamp and die set – Retired stamp set in my stash (used for the sentiment, stars and rays stamps)
• Sizzix – die cut – Christmas Cutouts (retired)
• Unity Stamp Co. – stamp and die set – Snarky Graduation Clear Embossing Powder
• Silver Embossing Powder
• Heat tool
• Glue
• Watercolor paper
• Black glitter cardstock

Creative Inking Birthday Card Using a 3D Embossing Folder

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By Ceal Pritchett

– Hello everyone!
It’s Ceal, here. Today I am sharing how to create this bold look using a creative inking technique with a 3D embossing folder. 

Skill: Beginner to Intermediate
Time: 30 mins

Directions:

Gather your supplies. You will need a 3D embossing folder, several colors of inks, either a sponge dauber or blending brush and a sentiment of choice.

Step 1:
Using a white A2 panel, run it through the die cutting machine using a #d embossing folder.
Tip: if you spritz it with water, it will be crisp.

Step 2:
On the debossed side of the panel, use a blending brush or sponge dauber ink blend green for the leaves. 

Step 3:
Using a blending brush or sponge dauber ink blend pink or color of choice in the flowers.
This looks like a hot mess right now but the next step will really define the image.

Step 4:
Using the ink pad and the direct to paper technique, run the ink pad over the debossed area that you colored and watch the image come to life and be defined. 

Craft Supplies:

 Imagine Products

• VersaFine Clair: Shady Lane, Baby Pink, Charming Pink and Medieval Blue 
• On Point Glue
• Sponge Daubers

Other Products:
• Translucent Foliage 3D embossing folder- Altenew

Create A Colorful Embossed Wedding Card

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By Von Marie

Hello everyone.  Von Marie here with my latest video and I wanted to do something different and make a colorful embossed Wedding Card using New VersaFine Clair inks and I will give you a swatch of the inks of what they look like in a couple techniques. There will be more details in the video.

Skill Level: Intermediate
Time: 60 Mins.

Art Supplies:

• Mixed Media Paper
• Card Base 4 ¼ x 5 ½
• Glitter cardstock
• Word Sentiment
• Embossing Folder
• Glue
• Vellum Cardstock
• Foam tape
• Kraft Cardstock
• Rectangle die or Scissors
• Embellishments
• Oval or any shape
• Die-Cutting Machine

Imagine Craft Supplies

• VersaFine Clair inks
-Adriatic Sea
-Melon Soda
-Lemonade
-Wisteria Purple
-Dahlia Purple
-Carrot Orange

• On Point Glue
• Craft Mat

Other Products Used:
• Unity Stamp Co. Word Dies
• Spellbinders Floral Embossing Folder
• Spellbinders Elliptical Ovals Dies

This card can be for any time Occasion. you can change the sentiment. I hope you have fun creating this project. 

Embrace New Change Art Journal

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By Helen Gullett

– Hello crafty friends! The new season always brings something new that can surprise us. And new change brings hope, it can be beautiful. Let us embrace it with expectation. Today, we are going to make an art journal together.

Let’s get crafting!

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 30-45 Minutes

Direction:

Step 1
First step we are going to build the base watercolor background.
Spray randomly each color of the FireWorks! Shimmery Craft Spray.

Step 2
While the spray pains are still kinda wet, spray lightly some water using a sprayer bottle.

Let it sit for a few seconds and then dab off some of the water with a clean dry paper tower. This will create more texture to the background.

Dry the page with a craft heat gun. Make sure the surface is completely dry.

Step 3
Cover the page with some anti-static powder and brush it off the page.

Add the stencil on the page and secure it with a washi tape or low-tack tape.

Add the VersaMark Original ink to the page with finger sponge dauber and remove the stencil off the page.

Add some of the Gold Mboss Embossing Powder and heat set it with a craft heat gun.

Step 4
Randomly on the page, stamp the ledger pattern stamp with VersaFine Clair Morning Mist ink using second generation stamping technique.

And then using the stamping technique and ink, stamp the script pattern stamp on the page.

Dry the stamped images with a craft heat gun.

Step 5
Stamp the leaves branch on the page with VersaFine Clair Avocado ink.

Dry the stamped images with a craft heat gun.

Step 6
Put a piece of white cardstock on the stamping tool and stamp the butterfly stamp with VersaFine Clair Pinecone ink.

Do not remove the stamp and paper.

Clean the ink off the stamp with Staz-On All-Purpose Stamp Cleaner.

Step 7
Stamp the same butterfly stamp with VersaMark Original ink.

Add some of the Sparkle Mboss Embossing Powder to the stamped image and heat set it with a craft heat gun.

Step 8
On a piece of white cardstock, gently swipe the VersaFine Clair Pinecone across the cardstock.

Dry the ink with a craft heat gun.

Cut it with one of the Stitched Tag dies.

Step 9
Add the tag to the page with On Point Glue.

Put the butterfly slightly off the page, and then glue the center of the butterfly with some of the On Point Glue. Leave the wings loose.

Cut the extra wing off the page with micro-tips scissors.

Step 10
Stamp the words on a piece of ivory cardstock with VersaMark Original ink.

Add some of the Gold Mboss Ebossing Powder and then heat set it with a craft heat gun.

Cut them with micro-tip scissors.

Draw lines around the word with Memento Marker Rich Cocoa.

Step 11
Add some of the Tear It! Double Sided Tape to 3D fun foam to create your own 3D foam tape.

Add some of the foam tape to each word and add them to the page.

Add some of the foam tape under the wings also to give them a 3D effect.

Step 12
Dab some of the Memento Luxe Wedding Dress ink on the craft mat and spray it with some water.

Pick up the ink with a small round brush, and add some splatters to the page.

Dry the whole page one more time with a craft heat gun.

This mini mixed media art journal page is done. It has a combination of the shimmery background, sparkly butterfly, and shiny gold metallic embossed texture and sentiment.

I hope you like the page and give this tutorial a try. Thanks so much for stopping by our blog today.

Have a wonderful day!

Craft Supplies

Imagine Crafts:

Others:

Let’s Make a Blackout Technique Card

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By Anna Escalada York

– For teachers, April and May are PACKED!! At this time of the year, it is hard for me to find the time to make elaborate cards, but I want to still be able to sit down and make a card in one sitting. So I turn to techniques that allow me to create something that are quick and easy but also are something to be proud of. This card features one of my go-tos for a quick but pretty card: the blackout technique. 

Skill: Intermediate 
Time: less than 1 hour 

Directions: 

Step 1: 
Use a paper trimmer to cut a piece of watercolor paper to be 5.5” x 4.25” (the size of an A2-sized card). Then spray one side a floral embossing folder with Rose Gold Shimmer Craft Spray and run the watercolor panel through the die cutting machine sandwiched between the two sides of the embossing folder. You will be using the debossed (indented) side of the embossed panel. Allow to dry. 

Step 2: 
Color the flowers with Tangelo Memento Dual Marker. Color the edges of the leaves and the stems with Teal Zeal Memento Dual Marker. Then watercolor over all parts of the leaves and the stems with Teal Zeal Memento Dual Marker mixed with water. Allow the water to dry and repeat the process a few times to help add depth to the centers of the leaves. 

Step 3: 
Gently run the Rose Bud Memento ink pad across the card. Because the flowers are indented, they will mostly not be colored with the ink, but the flat parts of the card will be. I liked that some of the areas were not colored with the ink but additional passes of the ink pad can give consistent, universal coverage. 

Spray Copper Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray onto a piece of acetate and watercolor smoosh the panel to add a little more sparkle. Lightly brush more of the copper spray on the leaves and allow the whole thing to dry. 

Step 4: 
Stamp the sentiment with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink and heat emboss with clear embossing powder. Then die cut the sentiment with the corresponding die. Use the die cut to die cut two additional layers of scrap cardstock and glue them behind the sentiment die cut for dimension. 

Glue the sentiment onto the embossed card panel. 

Trim the edges of the embossed card panel and distress the edges with a pair of scissors. Trim a piece of black cardstock a little bit bigger than the pink embossed panel and glue the two layers together. Glue pink and orange sequins on the upper right and lower left corners of the card panel. To finish the card, glue the whole card panel onto a white A2-sized card base. 

Art Supplies 

Imagine 

Memento Dual Markers – Tangelo and Teal Zeal 
Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray – Copper and Rose Gold 
VersaFine Clair Ink – Nocturne 

Other 

Altenew – die set – Magnificent Magnolias 
Altenew – stamp set – Magnificent Magnolias 
Catherine Pooler – sequin mix – Miami 
Simon Says Stamp – embossing folder – Magnificent Mums 
Clear Embossing Powder 
Heat tool 
Glue 
Watercolor paper 
Black watercolor paper 

Happy Birthday Card with a Fresh Inking Technique

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By Katy Ingram

Hello Friends! Katy here with my latest video sharing a great way to use VersaFine Clair re-inkers on watercolor paper with felt pads and Isopropyl Alcohol, but I also share using an ink pad if you don’t have a re-inker. Video has all the details. Thanks for watching. 

Skill: intermediate, advanced
Time: 15 minutes

Art Supplies

Imagine Products

• VersaFine Clair – baby pink, cheerful, summertime
• Sheer Shimmer Spray – Sparkle

Other Products Used

• Watercolor Paper
• Tim Holtz Butterfly Dies
• Spellbinders Flowers & Foliage 3D folder
• The Greetery Arch Sentiments Stamp and Die Set
• 100 lb Accent Opaque Cardstock
• Spellbinders Oceanside cardstock
• Simon Says Stamp Sea Glass Cardstock
• Oplymio 167gsm Vellum
• Felt Pads
• Isopropyl Alcohol