Category Archives: Anna Escalada York

Create a Spooktacular Halloween Card with VersaFine Clair’s Latest Colors!

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By Anna Escalada York

In today’s card, I used many of the new VersaFine Clair Ink colors to make another Halloween card.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1.5 hours

Directions:

Step 1:
Die cut leaves and stems out of watercolor paper. Ink blend the fern-y shaped leaf with Baby Pink VersaFine Clair ink and the individual leaves with Lilac Bloom VersaFine Clair ink. I pressed the stem die cut into the Sand Dune VersaFine Clair ink pad and the leaf cluster die cut into the Lilac Bloom VersaFine Clair ink pad. These were all set aside.

Step 2:
A sparkly piece of rose colored cardstock was die cut with a bow die cut.

Step 3:
Two bats and a crow were die cut out of watercolor paper. The crow die cut was pressed into the Portobello VersaFine Clair ink pad and the two bats were pressed into the Very Peri VersaFine Clair ink pad.

Step 4:
Press a die cut leaf cluster and boo sentiment die cuts into the Hawthorn Rose VersaFine Clair ink pad.

Not pictured: die cut a piece of sparkly white cardstock with the same boo sentiment. If desired, also die cut scrap cardstock twice with the same sentiment. Glue the sparkly white cardstock behind the boo sentiment so that the white sparkly cardstock peeks out on the side (like a shadow).

If adding the two layers of scrap cardstock layers behind the sentiment, trim the second o (the one on the right side) off both layers so that when it gets glued onto the wreath, it lays flat.

Step 5:
Die cut the wreath twice–once out of watercolor paper and once with more of the white sparkly cardstock. Spray the watercolor paper wreath with Angel Pink Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray and the white sparkly cardstock wreath with Rose Gold Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray. Set aside to dry.

Step 6:
Die cut another piece of watercolor paper with a smaller panel die cut. Roughly ink blend the panel with more of the Lilac Bloom VersaFine Clair ink. Then swipe the panel with the ink pad in a variety of directions and the edges of the panel. Add Clear Mboss embossing powder to the edges fo the panel and heat emboss.

Step 7:
Add a piece of patterned washi tape to a piece of scrap cardstock and die cut with a larger panel die cut. (If you don’t have washi tape, use patterned paper or a colored piece of cardstock.)

Step 8:
Run the smaller card panel through the die cutting machine with the plate die to add some additional texture.

Step 9:
Glue all of the die cut elements together. Start with the two wreaths, with the pink layer underneath the rose gold sparkly wreath on the top, making sure they are off set. Then glue the leaves, the crow and the bats along the wreath. The bow is glued down on the lower left part of the wreath. Glue the wreath onto the purple panel. The sentiment was glued down next. Gle the whole panel onto the larger, washi tape panel. Then splatter the whole thing with more of the Rose Gold Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray. Let dry.

Step 10:
Glue the frame gems on the lower left and upper right parts of the panel.

Step 11:
Glue the whole thing onto an A2-sized gray cardbase.

Art Supplies

Imagine

Other

  • Crafty Meraki – Embellishments – Meraki Sparkle Clear
  • Gina Marie Designs – Die set – Big and Little Chain Rectangle die set
  • Simon Says Stamp – Die – Detail Swirls Plate wafer die
  • Sizzix and Tim Holtz – Die set – Vault Foliage Wreath Thinlits dies
  • Sizzix and Tim Holtz – Die set – Vault Gothic Portraits Thinlits dies
  • Sizzix – cardstock – Rose Gold Opulent Cardstock
  • Watercolor paper
  • White glittery cardstock
  • Die cutting machine
  • Paper Trimmer
  • Scissors

Create a Death-Head Moth Halloween Card Using Ink Blending Techniques

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By Anna Escalada York

In today’s card, I used sprays and and ink-blending to make a Halloween card.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1.5 hours

Directions:

Step 1:
Stamp the Death’s-Head Moth stamp onto a piece of white watercolor paper with Nocturne
VersaFine Clair ink. Emboss with Clear Mboss powder.

Step 2:
Spray a pre-die cut panel of watercolor paper with Lilac Posies Fireworks! Shimmery Craft
Spray and Rose Gold Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray. Allow the panel to dry.

Step 3:
Color two corner filigree stamps–one at the top right corner and one at the lower left corner–with
the Sweet Plum Memento Marker directly and then stamp the sprayed panel. Flip the panel 180
degrees (so the top is now the bottom) and repeat the process to add a stamped image to each
corner.

Step 4:
Ink blend Perfect Plumeria VersaMagic Chalk Ink around the border of the card panel,
overlapping with the stamped decoration just added. Then ink blend the edge of the panel with
Midnight Black VersaMagic Chalk Ink.

Step 5:
Die cut a piece of black watercolor paper with a frame die. Then spray the die cut with Rose
Gold Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray and let dry. If desired, repeat this process to add more shine
and color.

Step 6:
Fussy cut the Death’s-Head Moth, then use a sponge dauber to ink blend the outer part of the
wings with Perfect Plumeria VersaMagic Chalk Ink.

Step 7:
Spray the moth with Angel Pink Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray and allow to dry.

Steps 8 and 9:
Stamp a border and a sentiment on a piece of watercolor paper with Nocturne VersaFine Clair
ink. Heat emboss with Clear Mboss embossing powder. Then fussy cut the border.
Then ink blend the edges of the sentiment with Perfect Plumeria VersaMagic Chalk ink with a
sponge dauber. Then lightly spray the sentiment with Rose Gold Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray.
Allow the spray to dry.

Step 10:
Glue the frame, Death’s-Head Moth and sentiment onto the background panel.

Step 11:
Die cut a piece of sparkly black cardstock with a larger panel die cut. Glue it behind the sprayed
panel as a matte layer.

Step 12:
Glue embellishments onto the panel and finish the card by gluing the whole thing onto an
A2-sized card base.

Art Supplies

Imagine

• Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – Angel Pink and Lilac Posies
• Mboss – Clear
• Memento Marker – Sweet Plum
• Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray – Rose Gold
• VersaFine Clair ink – Nocturne
• VersaMagic Chalk Ink – Midnight Black and Perfect Plumeria
• Sponge Daubers

Other
• Crafty Meraki – Embellishments – Meraki Sparkle Gold
• Erin Lee Creative – Paper – Las Vegas Sparkly Cardstock
• Gina Marie Designs – Die set – Big and Little Chain Rectangle die set
• Whimsy Stamps – Stamp Set – Exquisite Beauty stamp set
• Whimsy Stamps – Die Set – Forever Cameo Frames die set
• Watercolor paper
• Paper Trimmer
• Scissors
• Glue

Let’s Make an Eggcellent Card

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By Anna Escalada York

In today’s post, I made a card featuring earthy colors.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1.5 hours

Directions

Step 1:
Spray a piece of watercolor paper with Rich Cocoa and Potter’s Clay Fireworks! Spray.

Step 2:
Die cut the sprayed panel with a panel die.

Step 3:
Spray the same panel with Copper Shimmer Spritz spray.

Step 4:
Stamp another piece of watercolor paper with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink. I chose to heat
emboss the image with clear embossing powder.

Step 5:
Color the image. I used a variety of mediums mixed with water to color the image.
– I colored the rooster jar with Jumbo Java VersMagic Chalk Ink mixed with water.
– The salt and pepper shaker tops, the egg holder and spoon with Cloudy Sky StazOn
Studio Glaze mixed with water.
– The rooster’s comb and wattles plus the flowers and the pink parts of the napkin with
Pink VersaColor Pigment ink refill mixed with water.
– Potter’s Clay Fireworks! Spray mixed with water was used to paint the toast, the napkin,
the egg and the background.
– I used a yellow glitter brush marker to color the beak, butter, and the center of the
flowers.
– I painted some Copper Shimmer Spray over the rooster.
Finally, I added some sparkle with a sparkle pen on the salt and pepper shakers.

Step 6:
After the stamped image dried, die cut the stamped image with the corresponding die.
(Optional step: Die cut a scrap piece of cardstock and glue this scrap die cut behind the
stamped and colored layer for dimension and strength.)

Step 7:
I used my paper trimmer to trim the panel. I then ran my Jumbo Java VersaMagic Chalk Ink
around the edges of the panel to create a border.

Step 8:
Stamp a sentiment on a piece of watercolor paper. If desired, heat emboss with clear
embossing powder. Then trim the sentiment strip.

Step 9:
Run the Jumbo Java VersaMagic Chalk Ink around the edges of the sentiment to create a
border.

Step 10:
Die cut a piece of white glitter cardstock. Glue the white die cut glitter cardstock onto the
background panel. Glue the breakfast scene (the main stamped image) over the white glitter
cardstock. Then glue the sentiment onto the lower corner of the panel. Let the glue dry.

Step 11:
Glue the whole panel onto an A2-sized white card base.

Step 12:
Glue sequins around the main stamped image to finish the card.

Products Used:
Imagine:
Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – Potter’s Clay Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – Rich Cocoa Sheer Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray – Copper
StazOn Studio Glaze – Cloudy Sky VersaColor Reinker – Pink
VersaFine Clair ink – Nocturne VersaMagic Chalk Ink – Jumbo Java

Other:
Catherine Pooler Designs – Sequins – Mazatlán
Erin Lee Creative – Glitter Cardstock – Cotton Cardstock (retired) Hero Arts – Stamps – Eggcellent
Hero Arts – Dies – Eggcellent
Hero Arts – Dies – Nesting Circle Infinity dies Reverse Confetti – Die – Deco Cover Panel (retired) Sakura – Glitter Gel Pen – Gelly Roll Stardust pen
Scrapbook.com – Glitter Brush Marker – Sunshine Yellow Clear embossing powder
Watercolor paper Paper Trimmer Scissors
Glue

Life Begins After Coffee Card

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By Anna Escalada York

In today’s post, I made a card featuring earthy colors.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1.5 hours

Directions:

Step 1:
Stamp the top part of the main stamped image onto a piece of masking paper with Nocturne
VersaFine Clair ink. (If you don’t have masking paper, you can use a sticky note.)
Cut out the coffee (or the inside part of the coffee cup) of the masking paper and place it onto a
piece of watercolor paper over the corresponding part of the waterpaper.

Step 2:
Stamp the coffee cup image onto the watercolor paper with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink,
making sure that the masking paper covered up the coffee in the cup.
(Optional step: Heat emboss with clear embossing powder.)

Step 3:
Remove the masking paper. Stamp the coffee in the cup with Acorn VersaFine Clair ink. (I
chose to mask the cup with the remaining masked paper before stamping.)
(Optional step: Heat emboss the coffee with more clear embossing powder.)

Step 4:
Spray Lilac Posies Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray onto a piece of acetate packaging and use
the spray to watercolor the stamped flowers surrounding the coffee cup. Repeat the process
with New Sprout Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray to paint the leaves.
Repeat the process one more time with Rose Gold Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray to paint the cup
and saucer.

Step 4.5:
Die cut the coffee cup with the corresponding die.
(Sorry that the pictures got messed up and you couldn’t see the pink shimmer paint from the
Rose Gold Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray or die cutting the cup. My camera was glitchy. You will
see the rosy pink shimmer in the next few steps.)

Step 5:
Die cut a piece of black watercolor paper (or black cardstock) for the matte layer of the card.

Step 6:
Spray Lilac Posies Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray and Rose Gold Sheer Shimmer Craft
Spray into an embossing folder and emboss a previously die cut watercolor panel. After
removing the watercolor panel, spray more Rose Gold Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray around the
panel and then allow the panel to dry.

Step 7:
Using a sponge dauber, ink blend the edges of the sprayed and embossed panel with Morning
Mist VersaFine Clair ink.

Step 8:
Stamp a sentiment on a piece of watercolor paper with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink. Trim the
edges with your paper trimmer.
(Optional step: Heat emboss with clear Mboss embossing powder.)
Then press the edges of the sentiment into the Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink to create a border.

Step 9:
I decided that I wanted to change the color of the border, so pressed the edges of the sentiment
into the Morning Mist VersaFine Clair ink pad.
(Optional step: Heat emboss with more clear embossing powder.)

Step 10:
Glue the two panels together. Glue the coffee cup onto the pink watercolor panel. Attach a piece
of black and white washi tape just a little bit smaller than the sentiment strip and then glue down
the sentiment strip.

Step 11:
Glue sequins on the lower left and upper right corners of the card.

Step 12:
Finish the care by gluing the matte layer to an A2-sized white card base.

Art Supplies

Imagine
Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – Lilac Posies, New Sprout
Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray – Rose Gold
VersaFine Clair ink – Acorn, Morning Mist, Nocturne
Sponge Daubers

For Optional Embossing:
VersaMark
Mboss – Clear

Other
Altenew – Masking Paper – Masking Paper
Erin Lee Creative – Stamp set – Coffee or Die
Erin Lee Creative – Stamp and die set – Stayin’ Alive
Gina Marie Designs – Die set – Big and Little Chain Rectangle die set
Legion – Paper – Stonehenge Black Aqua cold press watercolor paper
Sizzix – Embossing Folder – Mini Kaleidoscope by Tim Holtz
Trinity Stamps – Embellishments – Champagne Twinkle Stardust Rhinestones
Black and white washi tape
Watercolor paper
Paper Trimmer
Scissors
Glue

Let’s Make Waves! Summer Card

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By Anna Escalada York

In today’s post, I am sharing a card that features a summer scene.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1 hour

Directions:

Step 1:
Use Memento Markers–Dandelion, Cantaloupe, Morocco and Lady Bug to color the sun and
sun rays through a stencil onto watercolor paper. Blend some of the colors together by coloring
a lighter color over a darker one to create even more color variety. Use some ink blenders to ink
blend the sky with Pearlescent Sky Blue Brilliance (closer to the sun) and Ocean Depth
VersaMagic Chalk Ink (farther away from the sun.
Use a sparkly clear gel pen to add sparkle to the clouds. (This ended up being mostly die cut
out.)

Step 2:
Slowly and gently press on the cap of the Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray bottle, making
sure to only press about half way so that a small amount of splatters go onto the watercolor
panel. Allow to dry.

Step 3:
Die cut the panel with a mid-sized arch die.

Step 4:
Using daubers, ink blend Red Magic VersaMagic Chalk Ink along the bottom and right side of
the die cut (where the orange and red rays touch the edges) and more of the Ocean Depth
VersaMagic Chalk Ink along the left edge through the upper third part of the right edge (where
the blue sky touch the edges). Don’t ink blend the bottom right corner of the panel (with the sun
and cloud).

Step 5:
Using die two die cuts, die cut some blue and green patterned paper and blue mirror cardstock
to look like waves. (I used leftover die cuts from a previous project.) Glue the blue and green
cardstock wave first, and then glue the blue mirror cardstock on top of it. Make sure the left side
and bottom of both die cuts align with the edges of the arch. Trim the right side of the die cut
waves so that they stop along the edge of the arch.

Step 6:
Use the largest arch die in the set to die cut a piece of sparkly black cardstock for the matte
layer.

Step 7:
Press the Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink onto a small scrap of watercolor paper to create black
cardstock. Die cut two small bird silhouettes out of the black paper.

Step 8:
Use two die cuts to create two layers of a cloud, both out of watercolor paper. Use an ink dauber
to very lightly ink blend Pink Grapefruit VersaMagic Chalk Ink onto the base (larger) layer. Ink
blend the upper player with the same Pink Grapefruit VersaMagic Chalk Ink with a heavier hand
so the layer is a darker pink. Then spray both layers of the cloud with more Sparkle Sheer
Shimmer Craft Spray. After both layers of the cloud are dry, glue them together.
Then glue the cloud onto the right side of the card panel. I positioned my cloud to cover a small
imperfection from the stenciling.

Step 9:
Glue the birds onto the card base. (Optional step: Add glitter to the birds by coloring on them
with a sparkly clear gel pen.
Then glue the main scene onto the black matte layer.

Step 10:
Die cut the sentiment out of the same black sparkly cardstock and attach to the bottom corner of
the upper (stenciled) layer. If desired, die cut a second piece of scrap cardstock with the same
die to add dimension underneath the stencil or to help make the tittle (the dot on the i) pop up as
it doesn’t have layers of die cuts behind it like the rest of the sentiment does.

Step 11:
Glue sequins onto the bottom left corner and upper right part of the card.

Step 12:
Glue the whole card onto an A2-sized white card base.

Art Supplies

Imagine
• Brilliance Pigment Ink – Pearlescent Sky Blue
• Memento Marker – Cantaloupe, Dandelion, Lady Bug, Morocco
• Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray – Sparkle
• VersaFine Clair ink – Nocturne
• VersaMagic Chalk Ink – Ocean Depth, Pink Grapefruit, Red Magic
• Sponge Daubers

Other
• Altenew – Dies – Bold Greetings die set
• Crafty Meraki – Meraki Sparkle Gold (embellishment mix)
• Erin Lee Creative – Cardstock – Viva Las Vegas Cardstock
• Picket Fence Studios – Stencil – Glass Window Sunshine
• Pink and Main – Dies – Stitched Arches Dies
• Sakura – Gel Pen – Stardust Clear Gelly Roll pen
• Stampin’ Up – Dies – Waves (retired)
• Watercolor paper
• Clear embossing powder
• Scissors
• Glue

“Wishing You A Happy Birthday” Card

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By Anna Escalada York

In today’s post, I am sharing a fun, summer card that features some bold colors!

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1 hour

Directions:

Step 1
Color a piece of acetate packaging with both Cottage Ivy Memento marker and Emerald Fabrico
marker and then spraying the acetate with water. Press the acetate onto a piece of watercolor
paper multiple times, moving the acetate around so add green color around the watercolor
paper. Allow the water to dry.

Step 2
Die cut the watercolor smooshed paper with a circular die cut. Add a small dot of Pink Ultimate
Pigment Pigment Refill into the raised areas of an embossing powder, and then spray the
embossing folder with Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray to both help the watercolor paper
stay moist (so it won’t tear) while embossing, and to help dilute the condensed pink refill ink.
Then sandwich the watercolor paper into the embossing powder and run it through a die cutting
machine.
After the watercolor paper has dried, ink blend the edge of the circular die cut with Pink
VersaColor pigment ink.

Step 3
Die cut another piece of watercolor paper with a slightly larger circular die. Directly press the
Pink VersaColor Pigment ink pad onto the watercolor paper.
Optional step: Heat emboss the ink with clear embossing powder.

Step 4 (and 4.5)
Stamp an image onto watercolor paper with a nature scene with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink.
Heat emboss with clear embossing powder.
Using a variety of media to watercolor the image: Celestial Copper Delicata Ink pad mixed with
water to color the rocks, Emerald Fabrico marker mixed with water to color the frog and leaves,
Bahama Blue Fireworks! Spray to color the sky and water, and Pink Ultimate Pigment Ink Refill
to color the flower petals. Finally, color the centers of the flowers with a Dandelion Memento
marker.

Step 5
Watercolor smoosh some of the leftover inks from the last step to watercolor smoosh a piece of
watercolor paper and then spray the whole thing with Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray. Use
some additional color to stamp a text stamp in my stash to add a little interest onto the panel by
pressing the stamp into the acetate instead of an ink pad. Repeat the process a few times until
you like the amount of extra interest that is added. After everything dried, die cut the watercolor
panel.

Step 6
Glue the two circular die cuts (the embossed panel and the larger pink die cut circle)
and then glue it onto the watercolor background panel. After the glue dried, the whole thing was
die cut again to trim the circular die cuts. The edges were ink blended with more Pink
VersaColor Pigment ink. Splatters of the remaining Bahama Blue Fireworks! Spray from the
acetate packaging were added to the panel as well.

Step 7
Stamp a sentiment with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink.

Optional step: Heat emboss with clear embossing powder.

Step 8:
Die cut sparkly white paper with a slightly larger rectangular die. Glue the main (frog)
stamped and die cut image onto the top panel, glue the matte (sparkly larger panel) behind the
top panel and then glue everything onto an A2-sized white card base. Glue sequins to the card
base.

Art Supplies

Imagine

• Delicata Ink – Celestial Copper
• Fabrico Marker – Emerald
• Fireworks! Spray – Bahama Blue
• Memento Marker – Dandelion
• Memento Marker – Cottage Ivy
• Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray – Sparkle
• Ultimate Pigment Ink Refill – Pink
• VersaColor Pigment ink – Pink
• VersaFine Clair ink – Nocturne
• VersaMark Dazzle – Frost

Other
• Catherine Pooler Designs – Sequins – Milwaukee
• Gina K Designs – Dies – Master Layout 2 die set
• Hero Arts – Dies – Nesting Circles Infinity die set
• Penny Black – Stamp – Thanks, Thanks stamp (retired)
• Vicki Boutin – Embossing Folder – Let’s Wander (retired)
• Watercolor paper
• Clear embossing powder
• Scissors
• Glue