In today’s tutorial, I am sharing a graduation card. As a high school teacher, it is the time of year to stock up on them!
Skill: Intermediate Time: 1 hour
Directions:
Step 1: Press ink pads onto a piece of acetate packaging or other non-porous surface. Spray the ink with Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray and then quickly press the acetate onto a panel of watercolor paper multiple times to press the ink onto the watercolor panel. After the ink dries, repeat with different colors of ink sprayed with more of the Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray. Both panels feature Turquoise VersaColor ink, with Jumbo Java VersaMagic chalk ink and Golden Glitz Delicata ink layers, just in different intensities. (I only ended up using one panel, but will be using the other card for a project in the future.)
Step 2: Die cut the panel with a mid-sized panel die (there will be another panel that is slightly larger than this layer from the same nesting die set).
Step 3: Repeatedly stamp a graduation cap stamp onto the watercolor smooshed panel with more of the Turquoise VersaColor ink to create your own patterned paper. Then directly press the edges of the panel into the Turquoise VersaColor ink pad to create a border on the panel. Optional step: Heat emboss the stamped image and the border with clear embossing powder.
Step 4: Using a larger panel die, die cut a piece of kraft cardstock to create a matte layer.
Step 5: Using an ink dauber, ink blend Jumbo Java VersaMagic chalk ink along the edges of the panel. This ink blending can be very imperfect since most of it will be hidden.
Step 6: Stamp the sentiment on another piece of watercolor paper with Jumbo Java VersaMagic chalk ink. Trim the sentiment, with the left and right edge being trimmed on a diagonal if desired. Then press the VersaMagic chalk Ink pad onto the edges of the sentiment strip and ink blend the edges with more of the same Jumbo Java ink using an ink dauber.
Step 7: Attach all of the layers of the card together. Glue the stamped layer onto the larger (brown, matte) one. Then glue both layers onto an A2 sized kraft card base. Finally attach the sentiment strip onto the card with foam tape.
Step 8: Glue copper and blue sequins onto the card.
In today’s tutorial, I am sharing the card I made for my mom for Mother’s Day, using sprays and ink mixed with Sheer Shimmer spray to watercolor the images.
Skill: Intermediate Time: 1.5 hours
Directions:
Step 1: Use a die cut to create a watercolor paper panel and then stamp a large flower stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink. Heat emboss with clear embossing powder
Step 2: Spray Cantaloupe Fireworks! Spray onto a piece of scrap acetate packaging, and press the sprayed acetate onto the stamped panel, making sure to get spray on multiple parts of the stamped panel. Let dry.
Step 3: Press the Mango Madness VersaMagic Chalk Ink pad onto the acetate packaging. Then spray Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft spray onto the ink to give it a watery consistency. Then press this color of yellow ink onto the stamped panel to add interest and a variety of colors. Let dry.
Step 4: Repeat the process with pink inks. Spray Angel Pink Fireworks! Spray onto the acetate packaging and press the packaging onto the stamped panel. After the spray dried, press Pink Grapefruit VersaMagic Chalk Ink onto the acetate and spray it with more of the Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft spray and press that onto the stamped panel as well. Again, let dry.
Step 5: Press the Turquoise Gem VersaMagic Chalk Ink pad onto the acetate packaging and spray the ink with more of the Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray to create a watercolor consistency. Then use a thin paintbrush to paint the leaves and stems of the flowers turquoise. Let dry.
Step 6: Spray more of the Cantaloupe Fireworks! Spray onto the acetate packaging and use the spray to watercolor about half of the flowers yellow. Let dry.
Step 7: Spray more of the Angel Pink Fireworks! Spray onto the acetate packaging and then paint the rest of the flowers pink. Again let the spray dry.
Step 8: Spray Tangelo Fireworks! Spray onto the acetate packaging, and use it to paint the anthers and filaments (center parts) of the flowers. Let dry.
Step 9: Use an ink dauber to ink blend the edges of the panel with Pink Grapefruit VersaMagic Chalk Ink. (I ended up touching up the leaf on the bottom edge by painting a second layer of the Turquoise Gem VersaMagic Chalk Ink mixed with water to make sure the turquoise color wasn’t lost.)
Step 10: Press the Turquoise Gem VersaMagic Chalk Ink pad onto the acetate packaging and spray the ink with more of the Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray to create a watercolor consistency a second time. (In my case, I had leftover from step 5, so I used that.)
Hold a paintbrush saturated with the turquoise watercolor parallel to the panel and tap it against your finger. Repeat if needed and let dry.
Step 11: Stamp a sentiment onto a piece of watercolor paper with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink. Heat emboss with clear embossing powder and trim with scissors or a paper trimmer.
Ink blend around the edges of the stamped layer with more of the Canary VersaColor ink with an ink dauber.
Step 12: Use an ink dauber to ink blend the edges of the sentiment strip with Pink Grapefruit VersaMagic Chalk ink.
Step 13: Spray one part of the acetate packaging with Cantaloupe Fireworks! Spray and press Turquoise Gem VersaMagic onto another part of the acetate before spraying it with more Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft spray. Alternate pressing the sentiment strip into both colors of spray before splattering the strip with more of the turquoise ink. Let dry.
Step 14: Glue the panel onto an A2-sized white card base and attach the sentiment onto the card with some foam tape for dimension to finish the card.
Other • Altenew – Stamp – Extra Special stamp set • Altenew – Tape – Instant Dimension Foam Tape • Gina Marie Designs – Die – Pleated Lace Rectangles die set • The Ton Stamps – Stamp – Lily Fields • Clear embossing powder Scissors • Glue
– In today’s post, I will share a way to stretch your crafty supplies like using a die to stamp and to use ink to change the color of some patterned paper.
Skill Level: Intermediate Time: 1.5 hours
Directions:
Step 1: Use a die as a stamp by pressing a Turquoise VersaColor ink pad into the raised edges of a background butterfly die. Then press a piece of previously die cut piece of watercolor paper into the die and lift the panel. You will have the outlines of the butterflies stamped on your panel.
Step 2: Run the Turquoise VersaColor ink pad across some blue paper to enhance the blue color of the paper.
Step 3: Rub the Canary VersaColor ink pad across some yellow patterned paper to enhance the color of the patterned paper.
Steps 4 and 5: Die cut the yellow and blue patterned paper with the butterfly die. Glue some of the die cut butterfly pieces onto the stamped watercolor panel, making sure that the butterflies don’t line up totally with the stamped butterflies.
Step 6 and 7: Die cut another piece of blue patterned paper using another background die. Run the Turquoise VersaColor ink pad and the Golden Glitz Delicata ink pad over the blue patterned paper to add some more colorful interest onto the panel.
Step 8: Using a congrats die cut to die cut three layers– a scrap piece of cardstock as well as the yellow and blue patterned paper.
Step 9: Spray the blue patterned paper with Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray and let dry.
Step 10: Glue all three layers of the die cut sentiment together, with the blue layer on the top, and the yellow layer in the middle. Don’t line up the blue layer exactly on top of the yellow layer so that you can see both. Set aside.
Step 11: Ink blend around the edges of the stamped layer with more of the Canary VersaColor ink with an ink dauber. Not pictured: Spray the panel with more of the Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray. Mix some more of the Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray with more Turquoise VersaColor ink and spatter it across the panel.
Step 12: Press some of the remaining yellow and blue patterned paper die cut butterflies into the Golden Glitz Delicata ink pad. Glue those butterflies into the stamped panel.
Step 13: Glue the stamped panel onto the die cut background panel at an angle. Then Glue the sentiment parallel to the base of the die cut background panel.
Step 14: Glue blue, white and gold sequins onto the card panel. Glue the whole panel onto an A2-sized white card base.
Other • DCWV – Patterned Paper – Electric Jungle patterned paper • Hero Arts-Die-Butterfly Confetti fancy die • Honey Bee Stamps – Die – Congrats Honey Cuts die set • Honey Bee Stamps – Sequins – Aztec Empire mix (retired) • Kat Scrappiness – Die – Peacock Backdrop die • Yellow and blue cardstock in my stash • Scissors • Glue
In today’s blog post, I will show you how to incorporate sprays and markers to change or enhance the color of colored cardstock to help you stretch your supplies.
Skill: Advanced Time: 2 hours
Directions:
Step 1: Color a piece of teal or green patterned paper with green markers–College Ivy Memento marker and Emerald Fabrico marker.
Step 2: Die cut the colored patterned paper to form the leaves of the flower die cut. Optional step: Spray the colored patterned paper with Sparkle Shimmer Spray.
Step 3: Spray a die cut panel of watercolor paper with Angel Pink and Cantaloupe Fireworks! Sprays. After it dried, I sprayed both sprays again. This combination of the two colors almost achieved the peach fuzz color.
Step 4: Using a piece of peach cardstock, die cut the small flowers for the floral die cut three times.
Step 5: Stamp Pink Shimmer Delicata ink onto the flowers using a stamp. (On the card, you can see a little shine on the flowers, but it ins’t visible in pictures.)
Step 6: Add Pink Shimmer and Gold Glitz Delicata Ink onto parts of a large background stamp. Make sure to leave parts of the stamp uninked (such as the lower left corner of the stamp). Optional step: Add holographic embossing powder onto the stamped image.
Step 7: Use Tangelo and Morocco Memento markers to color a smaller stamp and repeatedly stamp card base to add texture.
Step 8: Die cut the main sentiment out of more of the peach colored cardstock and the shadow die out of some peach patterned paper. Spray the sentiment with Sparkle Sheer Shimmer spray and the shadow paper with Cantaloupe and Angel Pink Fireworks! sprays. After the sprays dry, glue the two layers together.
Step 9: Glue the floral die cut pieces together.
Step 10: Create the matte layer of the card by die cutting a piece of orange patterned paper and then spraying it with more of the Cantaloupe and Angel Pink Fireworks! Sprays and Sparkle Sheer Shimmer spray to mute the bold orange color.
Step 11: Glue the floral die cut and the sentiment onto the upper card base. Trim off the right edge of the sentiment so that it doesn’t overhang the upper card panel. Then glue the matte (orange) panel behind the upper panel.
Step 12: Stamp the sub sentiments with by coloring them again with more Morocco Memento marker. (The sub sentiments came in 3 parts “I am,” “you are” and “going through this.” Since the last sentiment wouldn’t fit on the card without a little help, I performed “stamp surgery” where the stamp was cut before stamping to create two smaller stamps. If you are uncomfortable with this, you can mask part of the stamp and stamp the sentiment a couple of times if you are trying to create something similar.)
Step 13: Glue the card panel onto an A2-sized white card base and then glue a few rhinestones around the flowers and the sentiment.
In today’s blog post, I will show you how to add some patterned paper to a card to spotlight a part of the image.
Skill: Intermediate Time: 1.5 hours
Directions:
Step 1: Using a stamping platform, stamp the floral image with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink onto a piece of watercolor paper. (I used a pre-die cut panel.) Optional step: Heat emboss with a clear embossing powder. I did this because I didn’t want to wait for the VersaFine Clair ink to dry, as well as add some subtle shine.
Step 2: Mix some Pink Grapefruit VersaMagic Chalk Ink with a Morocco Memento marker by pressing the ink pad and coloring a piece of scrap acetate and spraying both with water before mixing the colors to create a coral watercolor. Watercolor the petals of the floral image. Using the remainder of the watercolor to splatter the watercolor panel and smoosh the panel as well to add color around the panel. It was set aside to dry.
Step 3: Stamp the bottom part of the stamp onto a piece of dusty pink patterned paper with more Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink. Optional step: Heat emboss the image with more clear embossing powder.
Step 4: Cut the patterned paper image along the circular edge.
Step 5: Create green watercolor by pressing Tea Leaves VersaMagic Chalk Ink onto a piece of acetate Create green watercolor by pressing Tea Leaves VersaMagic Chalk Ink onto a piece of acetate as well as scribbling the acetate with both Cottage Ivy and Bamboo Leaves Memento marker and spraying all of the areas of color with water before mixing them together. Watercolor the edges of the leaves with the watercolor. (You won’t need to color the central parts of the leaves as they will be covered soon.) Again, splatter the card and watercolor smoosh the panel with the acetate to add green blobs around the watercolor panel. Again, set aside to dry.
Step 6: Watercolor the leaves on the patterned paper with the same mix of greens created using the Tea Leaves VersaMagic Chalk ink as well as Collage Ivy and Bamboo Leaves Memento marker mixed with water. Set this aside to dry.
Step 7: I decided to add a little more intensity to the coral colors on the petals and on the watercolor panel by adding more Pink Grapefruit VersaMagic Chalk ink and Morocco Memento marker added to the scrap of acetate and again mixed with water before painting the petals. The remaining coral-colored watercolor was again smooshed onto the watercolor panel. Set the panel aside to dry again.
Step 8: Distress the edges of the patterned paper circle by rubbing the sharp part of a pair of scissors’ blade around the circle. Then rub the distressed edge of the circle with Golden Glitz Delicata.
Step 9: Using a sponge dauber, ink blend Pink Shimmer Delicata ink through a heart stencil in my stash on random parts of the watercolor paper. Not pictured: Ink blend the edges of the panel with more of the Pink Shimmer Delicata ink.
Step 10: Glue the patterned paper circle onto the stamped image, making sure that the patterned paper circle lines up with the rest of the stamped image.
Step 11: Stamp the sentiment on the lower right corner of the watercolor panel with more Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink. Optional step: Heat emboss the image with more clear embossing powder.
Step 12: Using a slightly larger die than the watercolor panel, die cut a piece of rose gold cardstock. Glue the two panels together, and glue both onto an A2-sized white card base.
Step 13: Add green gem stickers around the circle of patterned paper to finish the card.
Other AALL & Create – stamp set – Flower Journey Gina K Designs – dies- Master Layout 2 die set Honey Bee Stamps – gem stickers Memory Box – stamp set – Big and Little Words Sizzix- cardstock – Rose Gold Opulent cardstock Heart stencil in my stash Clear embossing powder in my stash Watercolor paper Scissors Small paint brush Stamp positioner Glue
– In today’s tutorial, I will show you how to use Brilliance Pigment Ink and VersaMagic Chalk Ink to watercolor an image. This is a wonderful way to stretch your supplies and possibly try a new technique. In addition, I will share some mistakes I made along the way while making this card.
Skill: Intermediate Time: 1.5 hours
Directions:
Step 1: Using a stamping platform, stamp the floral image with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink. Optional step: Heat emboss with a clear or holographic embossing powder. I did this because I didn’t want to wait for the VersaFine Clair ink to dry.
Step 2: Die cut the floral image with the corresponding die. I was “off” in the die cutting and so some of the stamped image was cut off. You can mostly see this on the singular bud on the left side of the image. Not shown: Using the same die to die cut a piece of pink glitter cardstock.
Step 3: Press the Pearlescent Orchid Brilliance Dew Drop pad onto a piece of acetate packaging and spray with Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Spray. On another part of the same acetate packaging (or possibly a palette or other non-porous surface, press the Pearlescent Purple Brilliance Dew Drop pad onto the surface and spray with more of the Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Spray. You should have two areas of color that you can mix with the spray to use as a watercolor.
Paint each flower or bud with a single layer of Pearlescent Orchid Brilliance Ink mixed with the Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Spray. Let the watercolor dry. Add some Pearlescent Purple Brilliance Ink mixed with the Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Spray to the edges of the petals to add some dimension and interest.
Repeated the process for the stems. Press the Tea Leaves VersaMagic Chalk Ink pad onto a piece of acetate and Spray the ink with more of the Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Spray. Use a paintbrush to paint the stem green. Let dry. If desired, repeat the process to amplify the intensity of the green watercolor. Let dry.
Not pictured: Gluing the pink glitter cardstock die cut behind the flower so that it can be seen on the left side of the floral image.
Step 4: Place a piece of wide washi tape over a piece of cardstock for the background panel before die cutting that cardstock. (I used a leftover piece of cardstock that had some leftover pink gel press printing on it so that you can see a little of the pink through the washi tape). Don’t have washi tape? Use a piece of patterned paper.
Step 5: The die cut set that was used to make the panel allows for two layers if desired. To make the matte layer, use a slightly larger die to die cut a piece of pink glitter cardstock and then glue the two panels together. Set them aside to dry.
Step 6: Press more of the Pearlescent Orchid Brilliance Ink Dew Drop onto the acetate packaging and spray more of the Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Spray onto the ink to create more watercolor and splatter both the floral image and the background with the orchid colored watercolor. To splatter, extend your finger parallel to the paper and tap a brush that has the Orchid watercolor on it multiple times. To create a more uniform splatter, move the paint brush or the paper around so that the splatter is added to a variety of places.
Spray more of the Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Spray (or water) into the gold watercolor pan and then tap the paintbrush across the floral image and panel a second time. Let dry.
As you can see in the picture, between step 3 and now, the singular bud on the left was trimmed from both the stamped layer and the pink glitter cardstock so the die cutting mistake was eliminated.
Step 7: Stamp the sentiment with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink. Optional step: Heat emboss the ink with holographic embossing powder to eliminate drying time. (I originally was going to use this die cut sentiment, but later realized that it wouldn’t fit. I also forgot to take pictures of the sentiment I trimmed with my paper cutter and ended up adding to the card. So please use your imagination.)
Step 8: On the sentiment that you see on the finished card, I trimmed the sentiment with my paper trimmer. The one picture above was die cut with a hexagon die. Regardless of how you end up shaping your sentiment (using a trimmer or a die), press the edges of the sentiment into the Pearlescent Orchid Brilliance Dew Drop pad to add color to the edges. Set aside to dry.
Steps 9 and 10: Time to glue! Glue the flower on the left third of the background panel. Then glue the panel onto an A2-sized white card base.
For step 10, attach foam tape behind the sentiment except on the upper left corner (since that will be overlapping with the floral image. Attach the sentiment to the lower right corner of the panel.
Step 11: Add pink and green sequins onto the card–on the lower left corner, close to the sentiment, and on the upper right corner of the card panel.
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