Category Archives: Anna Escalada York

Let’s Make a Coffee Themed Card

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By Anna Escalada York

As a coffee addict, I love making coffee-themed cards. I had fun using Memento markers and Fireworks! Sprays to help color the coffee cups and the background. 

Skill: Intermediate 
Time: 2 hours (including dry time) 

Directions: 

Step 1: 
Stamp both coffee cups onto a piece of watercolor paper with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink. Heat emboss them with clear embossing powder. 

Step 2: 
Use Champagne Delicata Ink to add color to the project. 

First, use Champagne Delicata Ink to stamp a larger watercolor panel with a background stamp. Heat emboss the Champagne Delicata Ink with clear embossing powder. 

Then, press the Champagne Delicata Ink onto a piece of clear acetate and spray the acetate with water to liquify the ink. Use the shimmery watercolor to paint the lid of the taller (portable) cup as well as the cup and saucer of the smaller cup. 

Step 3: 
Color in the two stamped images with a variety of Memento and Fabrico Markers. 

● The orange flowers on the taller (portable) cup and mug: Color the outside petals with Tangelo Memento Dual Marker. Then scribble some Rose Bud Memento Dual Marker on acetate and spray with water. Use the pink watercolor to paint the whole flower (including the outer petals which were already colored). 

● The central pink flower on the mug: Color the outer petals with Rose Bud Memento Dual Marker. Then watercolor the center of the flower with more of the pink watercolor used to color the orange flowers (created by mixing water with Rose Bud Memento Dual Marker. 

● Leaves: Color the leaves on both images with Emerald Fabrico Dual Marker. 

● Portable (taller) cup and the mug’s rim: Scribble Lilac Posies Memento Dual Marker on acetate. Then press Champagne Delicata Pigment Ink onto the acetate next to the 

marker. Spray both with water and mix the three to create a shiny light purple color and paint the cup. Then paint the decorative rim of the mug. 

● Sleeve: Scribble Pistachio and Desert Sand Memento Dual Marker onto a different part of the acetate and spray with water. Mix the two colors together and mix with more of the Champagne Delicata Pigment Ink mixed with water. Watercolor the sleeve with the resulting mixture. 

● Coffee in the smaller mug: Scribble Potter’s Clay Memento Dual Marker on the same acetate and spray with water. Mix with more of the Champagne Delicata Ink and paint the coffee in the cup with the mixture. 

Once everything dried, die cut both images with their corresponding dies. 

Step 4: 
Spray the watercolor panel, starting with Potter’s Clay Fireworks! Craft Spray over the majority of the upper half of the panel. While the spray is still wet, lightly spray the panel with Rich Cocoa Fireworks! Craft Spray. Use a paper towel to dab off unwanted spray. Then spray Lilac Posies Fireworks! Craft Spray on isolated areas of the panel. Prop the panel vertically while it dries so some of the spray drips down the panel. Allow to dry. 

Step 5: 
Scribble Lilac Posies Memento Dual Marker on the acetate. Press Champagne Delicata Ink onto the acetate and spray with water again. Mix the two together and watercolor one more time 

on the space in between the body and the handle of the cup so that it more closely matches the background panel. Allow to dry. 

Step 6: 
Stamp the sentiment from the same sentiment as the cups with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink on watercolor paper. Heat emboss with clear embossing powder. Trim the sentiment strip in the paper trimmer. Then press the sentiment strip’s edges into the Champagne Delicata Ink and heat emboss again with clear embossing powder. 

Step 7: 
Die cut a piece of vellum with a mid-sized circle die. Then die cut a piece of black cardstock or black watercolor paper with a die just a little larger than the sprayed background panel. 

Press the edges of the stamped and sprayed background panel into the Champagne Delicata Ink pad and heat emboss with clear embossing powder. 

Assemble the card. Glue the larger (portable) cup onto the right side of the vellum circle. Glue one layer of scrap cardstock onto the right side of the smaller mug and add foam tape behind the left side of the smaller mug. Add glue to the right side of backside of the smaller mug. Then attach the mug to the vellum. The left side of the cup (with the foam tape) directly touches the vellum and the right side of the mug overlaps the taller mug. Add glue on the backside of the 

vellum, making sure to only add glue to the parts of the vellum that will be covered by the two cups. Then add the vellum and cups to the card. Scribble Tuxedo Black Memento Dual Marker onto acetate and spray with water. Cover the cup and vellum with a scrap piece of paper to protect them. Splatter the panel with the Tuxedo Black marker mixed with water and allow to dry. Adhere the sentiment to the panel with foam tape. Glue the whole thing onto the black matte panel. Then glue the whole thing onto an A2-sized card base. To finish the card, glue embellsihments around the coffee cups. 

Art Supplies 

Imagine 

• Delicata Pigment Ink – Champagne 
• Fabrico Dual Marker – Emerald 
• Fireworks! Craft Spray – Lilac Posies, Potter’s Clay, Rich Cocoa, Desert Sand 
• Memento Dual Marker – Lilac Posies, Pistachio, Potter’s Clay, Rose Bud, Tangelo and Tuxedo Black 
• VersaFine Clair Ink – Nocturne 

Other 

• Altenew – foam tape – Instant Dimension Foam Tape 
• Hero Arts – die set – Nesting Circle Infinity Dies 
• Pink & Main – stamp set – Java Nice Day 
• Pink & Main – die set – Java Nice Day 
• Simon Says Stamp – background stamp – Circle Pattern 
• Studio Katia – embellishments – Icy Sparkle Crystals 
• Waffle Flower – die set – A2 Layers 
• Clear Embossing Powder 
• Heat tool 
• Glue 
• Watercolor paper 
• Black watercolor paper 
• Vellum 
• Water 

Let’s Make Some Bright Summer Art Using the New VersaFine Clair Colors 

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By Anna Escalada York

–The new VersaFine Clair ink colors are so bright and fun. I decided to use a few of them to make a piece of art to put up in our home. 

Skill: Intermediate 
Time: 2 hours 

Directions: 

Step 1: 
Press the bottom layer of a layering die cut of watercolor paper into the Spruce VersaFine Clair ink pad and set aside to dry. 

Step 2: 
Press the top layer of die cut watercolor into the Melon Soda VersaFine Clair ink pad. Then heat emboss with clear embossing powder. Glue both layers together and set aside. 

Step 3: 
Run the Lemonade VersaFine Clair ink pad across a watercolor panel horizontally multiple times to give the panel a woodgrain-ish look. Die cut the panel with a burlap-design die. 

Step 4: 
Paint a coat of gesso onto a cotton canvas panel with a large paintbrush and allow it to dry. 

Create layered background texture by stamping the panel with a striped background stamp with Adriatic Sea VersaFine Clair ink and heat embossing with clear embossing powder, then adding another coat of gesso. Repeat with a dot background stamp and a strip of collage paper adhered along the left side. Cover everything with another thin coat of gesso, allowing hints of the stripes, dots, embossing, and collage paper to remain visible. Spray New Sprout Fireworks! Shimmer Spray onto the panel and allow it to dry. Add a large strip of washi tape along the left side. 

Step 5: 
Stamp the sentiment on the lower right corner of the panel with Adriatic Sea VersaFine Clair. Heat emboss with more embossing powder. 

Step 6: 
Glue the yellow burlap design die cut on the middle of the panel, and then glue the botanical die cut onto the panel. Glue yellow sequins on the lower left and upper right corners of the panel to finish the piece. 

Art Supplies 

Imagine 
Fireworks! Craft Spray – New Sprout 
VersaFine Clair Ink
– Adriatic Sea 
– Lemonade 
– Melon Soda 
– Spruce 

Other 
Altenew – die set – Polka Dot Leaves 
Altenew – washi tape – Many Dots washi tape (retired) 
Altenew – stamp – Woven Stripes (for texture in the background) 
Art Alternatives – Panel – 6” x 8” Economy Cotton Canvas Panel 
Dylusions – stamp set – Basic Background (for texture in the background) 
Honey Bee Stamps – die set – Burlap Background 
Idea-ology – collage paper – Archives 
Simon Says Stamp – sequins – Duckling Embellishment Mix 
Stampers Anonymous – stamp set – Flower Garden (retired) 
Golden – Gesso Semi-Opaque Acrylic Primer 
Clear Embossing Powder 
Heat tool 
Glue 
Watercolor paper 

 Let’s Make a Bright Floral Summer Card 

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By Anna Escalada York

Summer in the Pacific Northwest is filled with beautiful flowers and the bluest sky. I know I appreciate them so much more since most of the year is so soggy. To celebrate the season, I made a colorful card filled with flowers.

Skill: Intermediate 
Time: 2 hours 

Directions: 

Step 1: 
Stamp the large floral image onto watercolor paper with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink and heat emboss with clear embossing powder. 

Then die cut the flower with the corresponding die. Also die cut a piece of vellum with the same die cut. 

Step 2: 
Watercolor the floral image. The larger two flowers were watercolored with Angel Pink Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray, the center of the largest flower with Dandelion Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray, and the leaves with Cottage Ivy Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray. The smallest flower was watercolored with a mix of Rose Bud Memento Dual Marker mixed with more Angel Pink Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray. After everything dried, the smallest flower’s color was made darker by adding a second layer of the combination of Rose Bud Memento Dual Marker mixed with Angel Pink Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray. 

To cover up a few small blemishes, lightly splatter Cottage Ivy Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray over the flowers. Set aside to dry. 

Step 3: 
Spray Lilac Posies Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray through a stencil on a watercolor panel. 

After the spray dried, die cut the panel with a mid-sized die from an A2-sized nesting die set. While at the die cutting machine, die cut a piece of glossy white cardstock with the next largest die from the A2-sized nesting die set. 

Step 4: 
Ink blend Lilac Posies Memento Ink through selected parts of a second stencil. Then mix Gold irRESISTible Pico Embellisher with a little water to dilute it and use a small paintbrush to paint other parts of the stencil with the Gold irRESISTible onto the panel. Allow to dry. 

Then press the Lilac Posies Memento Ink pad along the edge of the panel to add color to the edges of the panel. 

Step 5: 
Press the Lilac Posies Memento Ink pad onto a small scrap of watercolor paper and allow to dry. Then die cut the colored scrap of watercolor paper with the sentiment die. 

Also die cut a piece of vellum with the shadow layer of the sentiment as well as a couple of scraps of cardstock with the sentiment die. 

Assemble the sentiment by gluing the three die cuts together. Then glue them onto the shadow layer of vellum and set the whole thing aside. 

Step 6: 
Assemble the card. Glue the vellum floral die cut onto the stenciled panel. Use foam tape to adhere the stamped floral image at an angle, allowing the vellum layer to peek out from underneath for extra dimension. Glue the sentiment on the lower left corner of the panel. Add purple and hot pink sequins around the floral image with more glue. Then attach the panel to the glossy cardstock matte layer. To finish the card, glue the whole card panel onto an A2-sized white cardbase. 

Art Supplies 

Imagine 

• Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray
– Angel Pink 
– Cottage Ivy 
– Dandelion 
– Lilac Posies 
• irRESISTible – Gold Pico Embellisher 
• Memento Dual Marker – Rose Bud 
• Memento Ink – Lilac Posies 
• VersaFine Clair Ink – Nocturne 

Other Products:

• Altenew – foam tape 
• Catherine Pooler Designs – sequin mix – Miami 
• Echo Park – stencil – My Valentine: XO 
• Emily Moore Designs – die set – “Hi, hey, hello” (small style) 
• The Crafter’s Workshop – stencil – Chunky Chevron 
• Unity Stamp Company – die set – Birthday Blooms 
• Unity Stamp Company – stamp set – Birthday Blooms 
• Waffle Flower – die set – A2 Layers 
• Clear Embossing Powder 
• Heat tool 
• Glue 
• Watercolor paper 
• Glossy white cardstock 
• Vellum 

Let’s Make a Cool 4th of July Celebration Card

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By Anna Escalada York

– Summertime means wearing sunglasses here in the Pacific Northwest and getting ready to spend time out of doors! I wanted to celebrate the return of the warm sun and the 4th of July with this red, white and blue card that could be used anytime during the summer. 

Skill: Intermediate 
Time: 1.5 hours 

Directions: 

Step 1: 
After die cutting the three pairs of sunglasses as well as their lenses (which are separate in the die set), color part of the lenses’ elements with Danube Blue Memento Dual Marker. 

Step 1.5: 
Remember that you need to color all of the parts of the lenses that you intended to color with the Danube Blue Memento Dual Marker. (Whoops!) 

Step 2: 
Press other parts of the die cut lenses into the Arctic VersaFine Clair ink pad. Heat emboss the larger die cuts with clear embossing powder if desired. (I chose not to heat emboss the letters since they were so small.) Then assemble all of the lenses using washi tape on the back of each lens to hold the pieces together. 

Step 3: 
Press the three die cut sunglass frames into the London Fog Memento ink pad. 

Step 4: 
After die cutting the striped background panel, color the stripes with Poppy Red Fabrico Dual Marker 

Step 5: 
Spray all of the components of the card–the sunglass frames, the lenses and the striped background panel–with Frost Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray and allow to dry. 

Step 6: 
Assemble the card. Adhere the striped panel to an A2 white card base, then inlay the red die-cut stripes. Then glue the three frames onto the panel and inlay the frames into the frames. Glue clear rhinestones on the lower left and upper right part of the card to finish the card. 

Art Supplies 

Imagine 
Fabrico Dual Marker – Poppy Red 
Memento Dual Marker – Danube Blue 
Memento Ink – London Fog 
Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray – Frost 
VersaFine Clair Ink – Arctic 

Other 
Concord & 9th – die set – Spectacular Shades 
Crafty Meraki – rhinestones – Meraki Sparkle Magical Iris 
Honey Bee Stamps – die set – Watercolor Lines Coverplate 
Clear Embossing Powder 
Heat tool 
Glue 

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 

Floral Mother’s Day Card

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By Anna Escalada York

– I wanted to make a card that represents both my mom and myself. My mom’s favorite color is yellow, and I am all about the grunge and sparkle! Now I just need to be out of my craft room long enough for my kids to have to sneak in and make me a card….

Skill: Intermediate 
Time: 1.5 hours 

Directions: 

Step 1: 
Place a small piece of watercolor paper on some acetate and then spray both with Cottage Ivy Fireworks! Spray. Use a heat tool to dry the spray on the watercolor paper and then flip it over to watercolor smoosh the remaining Cottage Ivy Fireworks! Spray on the acetate and then dry the spray on the watercolor paper again. Repeat the watercolor smooshing once more and dry. Then die cut the watercolor paper with the stem die cut and set aside (not pictured). 

Step 2: 
Stamp the flower’s petals, leaves and center stamps with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink and heat emboss with clear embossing powder. While only one set of petals is pictured here, 12 petals (3 sets of all 4 petals) and both of the leaves and the center were all stamped in the same way 

Step 3: 
Mix Electric Yellow Amplify! with a small amount of water to dilute the Amplify! Ink. Then use to paint the petals. Use a heat tool to dry and add texture. Die cut all of the petals. 

Step 4: 
Stamp the faux stitching texture stamp onto the stem die cut with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink. 

Step 5: 
Watercolor smoosh the stamped center of the flower with the leftover mix of water and Electric Yellow Amplify! Ink. Dry with a heat tool. Then spray the center with Rose Gold Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray and set aside to dry. Then die cut the center with the corresponding die. 

Step 6: 
Glue collage paper onto a panel of kraft cardstock. After the glue dried, press the Champagne Delicata ink pad onto the collage paper to add sparkle and obscure some of the collage paper’s print. 

Step 7: 
After die cutting the collaged panel, spray part of the panel with Cottage Ivy Fireworks! spray. Set aside to dry. 

Off camera, die cut a piece of gold metallic cardstock with the next size up panel die. 

Step 8: 
Spray some more of the Cottage Ivy Fireworks! spray onto another piece of acetate and then watercolor the leaves with the green color. After the spray dried, die cut with the corresponding dies from the die set. 

Step 9: 
Stamp the sentiment on a scrap of watercolor paper with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink. Then heat emboss with embossing powder. 

Step 10: 
Assemble the card. Glue the stem onto the collage panel. Glue the leaves onto the panel. Glue the petals behind the center of the flower. (If desired, use some scraps or other small pieces of cardstock to glue behind the petals to help them stay together.) Then glue the flower petals and the center of the card onto the collaged panel. Then paint the edges of the panel with more of the Cottage Ivy Fireworks! spray. Then glue the sentiment on the lower left part of the panel. Add clear gems onto the panel. 

After all of the glue has dried, glue the panel onto the gold metallic panel to add a matte layer. To finish the card, the whole thing was glued onto an A2-sized white card base. 

Art Supplies 

Imagine 
• Amplify! Pigment Ink – Electric Yellow 
• Delicata Ink – Champagne 
• Fireworks! Spray – Cottage Ivy 
• Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray – Rose Gold 
• VersaFine Clair Ink – Nocturne 

Other 
• Idea-ology and Tim Holtz – collage paper – Archives 
• Scrappy Crafts – embellishment mix – Amethyst 
• Simon Says Stamp – die set – Love You Mama 
• Simon Says Stamp – die set – Squovals 
• Simon Says Stamp – stamp set – Love You Mama 
• Spellbinders – stamp and die cutting set – Sculpted Scripted Floral 
• Clear Embossing Powder 
• Gold metallic cardstock 
• Kraft cardstock 
• Heat tool 
• Glue 
• Watercolor paper