Category Archives: Anna Escalada York

 DIY Wall Decor with a Sassy Twist

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By Anna Escalada-York

As a mom of a teen and tween, I wanted to make a snarky piece of home decor that would make them smile. So I decided to make a pretty piece of art that I was going to put up in our dining room. 

Skill: Intermediate 
Time: 3 hours 

Directions: 

Step 1: 
Paint a thin layer of white gesso onto a 5” by 7” medium density fiberboard (MDF) panel. 

Step 2: 
Glue a ripped piece of text-based patterned paper onto the left side of the panel, making sure that the paper doesn’t go off the side of the fiberboard panel. Then paint over the whole panel again with more white gesso. 

Step 3: 
Stamp a long, floral image onto white watercolor paper with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink and then heat emboss it with clear embossing powder. Then color the main branch and ribs of the leaves with Northern Pine Memento Dual Marker and the flowers with Lady Bug Memento Dual Marker. 

Step 4: 
Die cut the long, floral image. Spray Cottage Ivy Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray onto a piece of scrap acetate packaging and watercolor paint the leaves and edges of the floral image green, making sure to blend the darker marker color with the lighter spray. Set aside to dry. 

Step 5: 
Add texture to the fireboard panel. Use some of the remaining Cottage Ivy Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray mixed with more white gesso to create a light green paint. Paint the center part of the fireboard panel with the light green paint. Then watercolor smoosh more of the Cottage Ivy Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray (without any gesso) onto the panel to add texture. After the spray and paint have dried, press Celestial Copper Delicata Ink through a circular stencil overlapping the patterned paper. Then press the Celestial Copper Delicata Ink pad around the edges of the panel. 

Step 6: 
Stamp a large butterfly on another piece of watercolor paper using Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink and heat emboss with more clear embossing powder. Then spray Lilac Posies Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray onto more scrap acetate packaging and watercolor spray the butterfly. Spray the whole thing with Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray, which forces the Lilac Posies spray to diffuse outside of the butterfly’s outline. After the spray dried, die cut the butterfly with the corresponding die. Finally, paint the butterfly a second time with more of the Lilac Posies Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray to deepen the color. Set aside to dry. 

Step 7: 
Return to the background panel. Attach two types of washi tape to the left side of the panel–small pieces of black and white dotted washi tape and a white piece of washi tape that comes die cut in a lacy geometric pattern. 

Then stamp a sentiment on the lower right part of the panel with more Nocturne VersaFine Clair in and heat emboss with more clear embossing powder. 

Step 8: 
Using a small musical note stamp, partially stamp the panel multiple times with Spuce VersaFine Clair ink. 

Step 9: 
Stamp the smaller butterfly twice with more Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink and heat emboss them with clear embossing powder. Then color them in with Lulu Lavender and Tangelo Memento Dual Markers (orange butterfly) and with Tangelo and Grape Jelly Memento Dual Markers (purple butterfly). Then spray both butterflies with Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray. Once the spray had dried, die cut the butterflies with their corresponding die. 

(In the final piece, only the orange butterfly colored with Tangelo and Lulu Lavender Memento Dual Markers was used.) 

Step 10: 
Stamp part of the mountain outline stamp on the lower right part of the panel with more Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink and heat emboss with clear embossing powder. Then stamp part of the sun stamp with Summertime VersaFine Clair Ink. 

Step 11: 
Spray around the sun with Cantaloupe Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray. Use a paintbrush or your finger to move dots of the Cantaloupe spray to make the spray less uniform and more organic. 

Step 12: 
Glue the flowers and small butterfly onto the panel. Attach the larger butterfly to the panel with foam tape. If desired, the outer tips of the top wings can be given additional dimension with two layers of foam tape, forcing them to curve. 

Art Supplies 

Imagine 
Delicata Ink – Celestial Copper 
Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – Cantaloupe 
Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – Cottage Ivy 
Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – Lilac Posies 
Memento Dual Marker – Lady Bug 
Memento Dual Marker – Northern Pine 
Sheer Shimmer Shimmer Craft Spray – Sparkle 
VersaFine Clair ink – Nocturne 
VersaFine Clair ink – Summertime 
VersaFine Clair ink – Spruce 

Other 
Altenew – die set – All Things Orange 
Altenew – stamp set – All Things Orange 
Altenew – foam tape – Instant Dimension Foam Tape 
Altenew – washi tape – Many Dots 
Art Alternatives – MDF Panel (5” x 7”) 
Golden – Gesso Semi-Opaque Acrylic Primer 
Ink Road Stamps – stamp set – Roadies 8 (sentiment stamp) 
Visible Image – die set – Antisocial Butterfly 
Visible Image – stamp set – Antisocial Butterfly 
Circular stencil 
Die cut washi tape 
Watercolor paper 
Vellum 
Pencil 
Paintbrush 
Die cutting machine 
Paint brush 
Scissors 
Glue 
Text-based patterned paper 
Clear embossing powder 

 Let’s Make a Multimedia Thank You Card 

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By Anna Escalada York

I used to be intimidated by the idea of multimedia cards, but all they are cards that have different types of products. This card features stamping, watercoloring with sprays and Amplify! Ink, and embossing.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 2 hours

Directions:

Step 1:
Die cut a piece of watercolor paper.

Step 2:
Spray Dandelion Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray onto the center part of an embossing folder and Frost Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray around the edges. Place the die cut watercolor panel in the embossing folder. (The folder had some residual color from a previous project, but it will be covered up later.)

Step 3:
Rub a Sunflower Yellow Brilliance Ink pad over the edges of the embossed watercolor panel.

Step 4:
Stamp the main image onto another piece of watercolor paper with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink. Heat emboss with clear embossing powder.

Step 5:
Use a variety of sprays and other media to color in the image.

  • The leaves were watercolored with Cottage Ivy Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray.
  • The green stems were colored with Emerald Fabrico Dual Marker.
  • The small branches were colored in with Rich Cocoa Memento Dual Marker.
  • The flowers were watercolored with Angel Pink Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray on the petals. After the petals dried, the center of the flower and the center part of the petals were water colored with Cantaloupe Shimmery Craft Spray. Finally, the outside parts of the petals were colored with Lulu Lavender Memento Dual Marker.
  • Electric Orange Radiant Neon Amplify! pigment ink and Cantaloupe Shimmery Craft Spray were mixed on a piece of scrap acetate and was watercolored onto the tangerines.

Step 6:
Die cut the image with the corresponding die.

Step 7:
Press Angel Pink Memento Dye Ink onto a scrap of watercolor paper. After the ink dries, spray Angel Pink Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray onto the same scrap of watercolor paper and allow it to dry.

Step 8:
Die cut the pink watercolor paper with a thanks sentiment die and a piece of vellum with the sentiment’s shadow die.

Step 9:
Glue the tangerine image onto the embossed watercolor background panel. Then glue the sentiment die cut to the vellum shadow sentiment die cut. Glue the sentiment onto the panel as well.

Step 10:
Glue the panel onto a 6” by 6” square cardbase. Glue sequins on the lower left and upper right parts of the panel to finish the card.

Art Supplies

Imagine

• Amplify! Radiant Neon pigment ink – Electric Orange
• Brilliance Ink – Sunflower Yellow
• Fabrico Dual Marker – Emerald
• Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – Angel Pink, Cottage Ivy, Cantaloupe and Dandelion
• Memento Dual Marker – Lulu Lavender and Rich Cocoa
• Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray – Frost
• VersaFine Clair Ink – Nocturne

Other

AALL & Create – die set – Nature’s Doily
Alex Syberia Designs – die set – Large Thanks die Altenew- die set – Tangerine Grove
Altenew- stamp set – Tangerine Grove
Catherine Pooler – sequin mix – València Sequin Mix Pink & Main – Embossing Folder – Sun Ray
Clear Embossing Powder 6” by 6” cardbase Watercolor paper
Vellum
Die cutting machine Scissors
Glue

Let’s Make a Valentine’s Day Card

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By Anna Escalada York

I wanted to use some dies in my stash plus some warm colored inks to make a Valentine’s Day card for my husband.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1.5 hours

Directions:

Step 1:

Rub a piece of watercolor paper with a Love Letter Memento ink pad. Don’t worry too much about the consistent color across the watercolor paper.

Step 2:

Spray the same watercolor paper with Rose Gold Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray and allow to dry.

Step 3:

Die cut the colored and sprayed watercolor paper.

Step 4:

Use a background or texture stamp to to stamp the center of the die cut with ore Love Letter Memento ink. If desired, rub the small hearts around the edge with more Love Letter Memento ink as well.

Step 5:

Rub a piece of watercolor paper with Rhubarb Stalk Memento ink pad. Again, don’t worry too much about the consistent color across the watercolor paper.

Steps 6 and 7:

Die cut the Rhubarb Stalk colored watercolor paper and use a paintbrush to paint GooseBumps Shimmer Texture Spray on the die cut. Allow the GooseBumps Shimmer Texture Spray to dry (or if you are impatient like me use your heat tool to dry it quickly).

(Not pictured: Die cut two more layers of the sentiment die with scraps of cardstock and glue the three layers together for dimension. Then die cut the shadow of the sentiment with vellum and glue the sentiment onto the shadow.)

Step 8:

Spray enough Angel Pink Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray onto a piece of watercolor paper to totally color the paper and allow to dry.

Step 9:

Die cut the sprayed watercolor paper. Glue the two layers of die cut hearts together.

Step 10:

Tape an outer and inner frames together with tape and use them both together to die cut more watercolor paper.

Step 11:

Ink blend the die cut frame with Rhubarb Stalk Memento Ink using a sponge dauber.

Step 12:

Spray the internal part of the die cut with Rose Gold Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray and allow to dry.

Step 13:

Use Love Letter and Rhubarb Stalk Memento Ink to ink blend through a stencil. Then ink blend around the edges of the die cut with more Rhubarb Stalk Memento Ink.

Step 14 and 15:

Use the same texture stamp used to stamp the red heart, stamp the background (internal part) of the card base with more of the Love Letter Memento Ink multiple times to add some more interest to the background.

Step 16:

Arrange the card and glue it onto a 6” x 6” card base. Start out by gluing the sentiment onto the internal part of the cardpanel (over the die cut heart). Then glue the frame onto the card base and nestle the internal part of the card onto the card. Add sequins on the lower left and upper right parts of the card.

Art Supplies

Imagine

• Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – Angel Pink
• GooseBumps Texture Spray – Shimmer
• Memento Dual Marker – Rhubarb Stalk
• Memento Dye Ink – Love Letter, Rhubarb Stalk
• Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray – Rose Gold
• Sponge daubers

Other

• AALL & Create – die set – Nature’s Doily
• Brutus Monroe – die set – Heart Petals
• Scrappy Tails – rhinestones – white rhinestones
• Stampers Anonymous – woodblock stamp – U3-2603 (typewriter stamp)
• Stencil in my stash
• Watercolor paper
• Scrap cardstock
• Vellum
• Die cutting machine
• Paint brush
• Scissors

Glue

Blackout Poem with Stamped Woodland Animals

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By Anna Escalada York

When I’m not making cards, I am a high school teacher and graduate student. I made something way out of my comfort zone for the final project for my graduate school class, and wanted to share it here as well. I created a blackout poem from a copy of a text related to my project and then added some stamped images related to it over the poem. I had a lot of fun making it, so I may have to start making more blackout poems in the future….

Skill: Intermediate

Time: 3 hours

Directions:

Step 1:
Paint a thin layer of white gesso onto a 5” by 7” medium density fiberboard (MDF) panel.

Step 2:
Identify words that you want to keep by underlying them or drawing boxes around them in pencil (the other words will be crossed out).

Step 3:
Using a white marker, cross out the other words, leaving the underlined words as the only words that we can see on the page. Erase the pencil marks.

Step 4:
Stamp two deer using Warm Breeze and Bali Blue VersaFine Clair Ink and then heat emboss both of them with clear Mboss powder. Die cut them with their corresponding dies. If desired, die cut the additional layers of scrap cardstock to fit behind the Warm Breeze buck (the deer that is standing rather than jumping) and glue them behind the stamped and embossed layer for dimension.

Step 5:
If you are very quick and add embossing powder onto die ink immediately, you can emboss it! I decided to stamp and die cut one more deer for the panel and so repeated the process from step 4 with Teal Zeal Memento ink and more clear Mboss powder.

Step 6:
Stamp butterflies onto another piece of watercolor paper with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink. Heat emboss again with more clear Mboss powder.

Step 7:
Die cut the butterflies with their corresponding die.
Not pictured: Color in the butterflies with New Sprout, Summer Sky and Danube Blue Memento Dual Markers and spray them with water to make the color blend into each other. After the water dried, color parts of the butterflies with a gold pen.

Step 8:
Cut a piece of vellum with scissors to look like a mountain. Color the bottom of the vellum with Northern Pine Memento Dual Marker and then use your finger to smudge the marker color.

Step 9:
Cut another smaller hill shape out of vellum and then smudge Avocado VersaFine Clair ink along the bottom and allow it to dry.

Steps 10-12:
My decided not to save the pictures of steps 10-12. This picture was taken the next day after I realized that my camera betrayed me! Here are the steps that I took to get to finish the panel:

Step 10:
Glue the blackout poem onto the backing panel. Then press the Night Sky VersaMagic ink pad onto the top and sides of the panel (to help cover up the fact that the blackout poem didn’t quite meet the edges of the panel) and heat emboss with clear Mboss powder. Repeat the process three times to help build up the amount of embossing powder on the side of the panel (and obscure the edges of the paper). Using a brush (or in my case my finger), smudge some Danube Blue Memento Dual Marker mixed with water on a piece of acetate around the top and

sides of the panel. Then press a Gold Sheer Shimmer Stix Dauber onto a piece of acetate packaging and add it to the sides and top edges of the panel as well. Allow to dry.

Step 11:
Glue down the two vellum mountains on the bottom edge of the panel, making sure to have the glue hiding behind the deer and other elements on the panel as well as the butterflies. Add washi tape stickers across the bottom of the panel.

Step 12:
Glue the deer onto the panel to finish the piece.

Art Supplies
Imagine
• Mboss – Clear
• Memento Dual Marker – Danube Blue, New Sprout, Summer Sky and Teal Zeal
• Sheer Shimmer Shimmer Sticks Dauber – Gold VersaFine Clair ink – Avocado
• VersaFine Clair ink – Bali Blue , Nocturne, Warm Breeze and Night Sky

Other
• Art Alternatives – MDF Panel (5” x 7”)
• Catherine Pooler – die set – Peaceful Deer
• Catherine Pooler – stamp set – Peaceful Deer
• Golden – Gesso Semi-Opaque Acrylic Primer
• Pinkfresh Studios – die set – Small Butterflies
• Pinkfresh Studios – stamp set – Small Butterflies
• The Washi Tape Shop – washi tape stickers – Green Oasis Gold pen
• Copied book page (for the blackout poem) White marker
• Watercolor paper Vellum
• Pencil Paintbrush
• Die cutting machine Paint brush
• Paper trimmer Scissors
• Glue

Let’s Make a New Years Card

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By Anna Escalada York

Today I wanted to share a card with you featuring

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1.5 hours

Directions:

Step 1:
Spray Frost Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray onto a piece of white watercolor paper and set aside to dry.

Step 2:
Trim a piece of gray watercolor paper to 4” by 5.25” with a paper trimmer. Then spray the panel and the inside of an embossing folder with more of the Frost Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray, place the gray watercolor panel inside of the embossing folder and then run the embossing folder through a die cutting machine. Allow the panel to dry.

Step 3:
Gently run a Teal Zeal Memento Ink pad across both of the embossed stars and around the edges of the panel. Using a small sponge dauber (or your finger), spread some shiny GlazOn onto both of the embossed stars to “lock in” the teal color.

Step 4:
Using a sponge dauber, ink blend Paris Dusk Memento ink around the panel (not on the stars).

Step 5:
Die cut letters to form the sentiment out of the the sprayed white cardstock from step 1.

Step 6:
Spray the panel with more of the Frost Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray and allow it to dry. Then glue the letters from the sentiment onto the lower right corner of the panel.

Step 7:
Glue the panel onto an A2-sized white card base.

Art Supplies

Imagine

GlazOn – clear
Memento ink – Paris Dusk, Teal Zeal
Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray – Frost
Sponge Dauber

Other

Altenew – embossing folder – Stellar Cascade
Sizzix – die set – Letterboard (666859)
White watercolor paper
Gray watercolor paper
Die cutting machine
Paper trimmer
Scissors
Glue

Hanukkah Card with Vibrant Blues

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By Anna Escalada York

Since we are deep in holiday card making seasons, I am sharing a Hanukkah card featuring a lot of different blues.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 2 hours

Directions:

Step 1:
Watercolor smoosh Danube Blue and Grape Jelly Memento Dual Markers as well as Turquoise Gem VersaMagic Chalk Ink mixed with water on a piece of scrap acetate packaging onto a watercolor panel. Allow the panel to dry.

Step 2:
Arrange a variety of six-sided stars onto one side of the watercolor panel in a stamp positioner. Stamp the stars onto the panel with Bali Blue VersaFine Clair Pigment Ink and then heat emboss with clear Mboss powder. Flip the panel and repeat the process. Move any of the stars around on the stamp positioner to fill in any holes on the panel.

Step 3:
Watercolor smoosh the panel again, this time with Teal Zeal Memento Dye ink mixed with Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray on the acetate packaging.

Step 4:
Color in the six-sided stars with Summer Sky and Lulu Lavender Memento Dual Markers.

Step 5:
Ink blend the edges of the panel Neptune VersaColor ink with a sponge dauber. Run the edges of the panel through the Neptune VersaColor ink pad and then heat emboss with more clear Mboss powder.

Step 6:
Stamp the menorah and sentiment on watercolor paper with Medieval Blue VersaFine Clair ink. Heat emboss with more clear Mboss powder. Then die cut with the corresponding dies from the matching die set.

If desired, die cut some scraps of cardstock with the two dies two more times (to create two layers to glue behind the menorah and two layers to glue behind the sentiment) for strength and dimension.

Step 7:
Watercolor the flames with Cantaloupe Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray. Then use some of the remaining Teal Zeal Memento dye ink mixed with Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray (from step 3) to watercolor the tops of each candle. Add some of the Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray (by itself) to the bottom of each candle.

If desired, watercolor the base of the menorah with more of the same Tael Zeal Memento dye ink mixed with Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray.

Set the die cut aside to dry.

Steps 8 and 9:
Add Neptune VersaColor ink directly to another panel of watercolor paper that is slightly larger than the first panel. You may need to do this a few times to get the coverage you want. Allow the panel to dry.

(And this is where my camera crashed after taking pictures so I can’t share the next few steps.) Die cut the panel with a die slightly larger than the stamped panel.

Then glue the two panels together, glue the menorah onto the center of the top panel and the sentiment a little lower and right of the sentiment. Then glue blue gems around the menorah.

Steps 10:
Glue the panel onto an A2-sized white card base.

Art Supplies

Imagine

• Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – Cantaloupe
• Mboss – Clear
• Memento Dye Ink – Teal Zeal
• Memento Dual Marker – Danube Blue, Grape Jelly, Lulu Lavender, Summer Sky
• Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray – Sparkle
• VersaColor Ink – Neptune
• VersaFine Clair ink – Bali Blue, Medieval Blue
• VersaMagic Chalk Ink – Turquoise Gem
• Sponge Dauber

Other
• Crafty Meraki – embellishments – Meraki Sparkle Prismatic Blue
• Pink & Main – die set – Notched Corners
• Simon Says Stamp – die set – Light the Menorah
• Simon Says Stamp – stamp set – Light the Menorah
• Watercolor paper
• Die cutting machine
• Paint brush
• Paper trimmer
• Scissors
• Glue