Watercolor with Sheer Shimmer Spray to Create an Elegant Wedding Card

By Jessica Lin

Skill Level: Intermediate
Time: 1 hour

Hi everyone! It’s Jessica here. I am so excited to share a wedding card idea with you today. We will be creating a romantic wedding scene by watercoloring some images. If you like adding shimmer and sparkles to your card, be sure to keep reading to find out how you can watercolor with the Sheer Shimmer Sprays!

Step 1:
The focal point of today’s card is the bride and groom images from Stampin’ Up’s Here’s to Love set. I stamped the images on watercolor cardstock with VersaFine Clair Morning Mist ink. Most of the time the VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink is my go-to for stamping image outlines. However, I wanted to create a softer look today, and I thought this dark gray color is a great alternative to the usual crisp, black ink. I also did a little bit of masking on the bride’s right arm, so that the groom’s suit outline does not overlay on top.

Step 2:
Now it is time to add some color. I wanted to try watercoloring with the Sheer Shimmer Spray to add some additional sparkle, since the card layout is quite simple. There are several metallic options to choose from for the Sheer Shimmer Sprays. I chose the color Sparkle, which is clear with a golden shimmer. I painted the bride’s dress with 2-3 coats, letting each coat dry before applying the next layer. For the groom’s suit, I mixed the spray with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. (What a coincidence with the ink’s name, ha!)

Step 3:
Then I stamped the floral images from Stampin’ Up’s Happiness Abounds set using the same gray ink. I mixed Memento Summer Sky ink with Sheer Shimmer Spray to color the base layer of the flowers, and added shadows with Paris Dusk. This color combination is so lovely and the perfect dusky blue for a wedding palette. The Imagine Craft Mat is also a great tool for mixing colors. Since the Memento inks are water-based, I can apply the ink directly onto the craft mat and clean the surface with a quick water rinse at the end.

Step 4:
The leaves were colored with Memento New Sprout and Bamboo Leaves ink. I hope you can see the shimmer from the spray a little better in this picture. It is hard to capture the fine sparkle on camera, but the shimmering effect is truly mesmerizing in person.

Step 5:
I also splattered some white acrylic paint droplets to add additional textures to the colored images.

Step 6:
Now we are ready to die cut the images. The coordinating Blossoming Happiness dies are compatible with the Mini Stampin’ Cut and Emboss Machine.

Step 7:
Finally, I stamped the “congratulations” sentiment with Delicata Silvery Shimmer ink. It complements the gray image outlines nicely and also adds a subtle shine to the project.

You might have noticed that I paired my stamping tool with Altenew’s SlimGrip Sticky Mat now. This Sitcky Mat is a game changer and I love how easy it is to line up narrow sentiment strips.

Here is the final card once I assembled all of the elements. You can recreate this layout with any floral stamps that you may have. I hope you enjoyed today’s tutorial and the tips and tricks about watercoloring with Sheer Shimmer Sprays!

Imagine Supplies:

Other Supplies:

  • Stampin’ Up! – Stamps – Here’s to Love, Happiness Abounds
  • Stampin’ Up! – Dies – Blossoming Happiness
  • Stampin’ Up! – Tool – Mini Stampin Cut & Emboss Machine
  • Foam Tape
  • Watercolor cardstock

Create an Easter Card using VersaFine Clair Ink Pads

By Jessica Lin

Skill: Medium
Time: 30 minutes

Hi everyone! It’s Jessica here. Today I want to share an Easter card with a soft and romantic color palette. This color scheme turned out so well, and I think it would be perfect for a birthday or Valentine’s card! If you are interested in the colors I used, just keep reading!

Step 1:
Die cut the largest two shapes from Spellbinder’s Nestabilities Floral Oval die set. For the largest oval, I used Stampin’ Up!’s Bubble Bath cardstock. For the second largest oval, I used vellum.

Step 2:
For some added dimension, ink blend VersaFine Clair Baby Pink ink around the edges of the largest die cut. I recently bought the photopolymer sticky mat from Altenew and it’s a great tool for ink blending. It grips the die cut (or stencil) firmly so you don’t have to worry about anything shifting during ink blending.

Step 3:
Stamp the focal image with VersaFine Clair Baby Pink ink. This is an old wooden stamp from K-Kingdom that I got back in the days before I discovered photopolymer stamps. The dainty floral frame with the lacey details is what inspired the theme for this card. The VersaFine Clair ink is also great for showcasing the fine, wood-grain details on the rabbit.

The stamped image looks a bit dark when freshly stamped. It will turn into a softer, pastel pink that you see in the cover photo.

Step 4:
I decided to add some shadows behind the vellum die cut layer with VersaFine Clair Hawthorn Rose. Baby Pink and Hawthorn Rose compliment each other so well. I think they might be my favorite new color combo!

Step 5:
Apply a generous coat of Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray onto the ink blended die cut. I wish the camera could capture the shimmery effects of this spray; it is mesmerizing and the sparkle never dulls!

Step 6:
For the card base, I chose Stampin’ Up!’s Fresh Freesia cardstock and embossed it with Distressed Tile embossing folder. It adds the perfect touch to this shabby-chic look.

Step 7:
Finally, stamp the sentiment with VersaFine Clair Hawthorn Rose ink and fussy cut the sentiment. I fussy cut the rabbit image as well since there were no coordinating dies for wooden stamps.

Step 8:
After some quick assembling with Tear-It Tape and foam tape, the card is completed! I love how this card turned out, and I hope you enjoyed it, too. Thanks for stopping by!

Imagine Supplies:

Other Supplies:

  • Spellbinders – Dies – Nestabilities Floral Oval
  • Stampin’ Up! – Cardstock – Bubble Bath, Fresh Freesia, Whisper White
  • Stampin’ Up! – Embossing Folder – Distressed Tile
  • K-Kingdom – Wooden Stamp – Woodgrain Rabbit
  • Stampin’ Up! – Sentiment Stamp – Fable Friends
  • Foam Tape

Presenting Imagine’s 2025 Design Team

We’re thrilled to introduce our 2025 Artist-in-Residence Design Team!
This exceptional group of designers is sure to inspire you with their remarkable creativity and talent.

Clockwise: LV Handcrafted, Anna Escalada York, Ceil Pritchett, Katy Ingram, Helen Gullett, Tracy Fear, Jessica Lin

LV Handcrafted

Hi! I’m Linh – or LV Handcrafted on social media. I live in Seattle, WA with my husband and our two dogs. I’ve been crafting since I was in high school but took a long break as I started my career. Now (many years later) I am my own boss working as a business consultant, so I can balance my time and do more of what I love – papercrafting! There’s always so much to learn in papercrafting, and I find great joy in adding my own twist and sharing what I’ve learned. I love Imagine products. There’s such a wide range of media supplies. It’s so fun to experiment, have a bit of a play and create something exciting.  I’m honored to be a part of this amazing team.

YouTube – https://youtube.com/@LVHandcrafted
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lvhandcrafted/
Facebook – https://facebook.com/lvhandcrafted 
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/lvhandcrafted/

Helen Gullett

Hi! I am Helen. I am a stay-at-home wife and a mom of 2 daughters. I grew up in Indonesia and now live in Ohio with my family. I am working at home part time as a translator. I love paper crafting, Bible Journaling, working on mixed media and DIY projects. I love coffee, tea, and dark chocolate.

Blog –  https://www.helengullett.com
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/helengdesigns
Facebook –  https://www.facebook.com/helengullett
Pinterest –  https://pinterest.com/helengdesigns213
You Tube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz-gVkOO8hxCzSNWOoa_q8A

Jessica Lin 

Hello crafty friends! My name is Jessica Lin. You may have recognized me or seen some of my previous projects, and I am so excited to be back on Imagine’s design team! I am a crafty gal in my late twenties, but my passion for cardmaking started a long time ago when I was 9. I was introduced to wooden stamps and I haven’t stopped stamping since. Some of my other hobbies include sewing, washi tape collaging, and I hope one day I’ll learn how to crochet, too. 

I grew up in Taiwan and speak Mandarin as my mother tongue, so my YouTube channel is mostly filmed in Chinese. This year, I decided to create a bilingual Instagram account. If you are inspired by bold, vibrant colors and enjoy detailed projects with lots of layers, come have a visit! I look forward to meeting and crafting with all of you! 

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jessicard2424/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJDX4PHaBRYKcnSO8kWCmXw
Facebook –  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553280188439

Ceal Pritchett

I am Ceal Pritchett and I reside in the mountains of western North Carolina with my husband and our little fur baby Shih Tzu. I have been a crafter in some form since childhood. I fell in love with cardmaking around 15 years ago. I am a clean and simple cardmaker who sometimes dabbles in other things like art journals, bible journaling, and painting. 

Blog – https://simplybeautifulcreations.blogspot.com/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/cealp/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100053614696193
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/cealp/

Anna Escalada York

Anna Escalada York grew up on a farm outside of Phoenix, Arizona and moved to Portland, Oregon to go to college, where she met her husband. They have two children (one in high school and the other in middle school), a cat and two guinea pigs. She is also a proud teacher at her local high school for almost 20 years in SE Portland, Oregon (go Lightning)! Her other hobbies are reading, riding her bike, nerding out to Star Wars, and reading. 

Anna has been crafting (almost exclusively card making) since 2004, but stepped away for a while when it was too hard to juggle the demands of being a mom of little children and working full time. She returned to her craft room in 2019 and started blogging consistently in 2020. One of her recent crafty achievements has been creating 700 cards in 2021. Her favorite craft supplies include heat embossing, using splatter, and coloring with markers. Her favorite style is sparkle!

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/sparklywallflower
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/sparklywallflower/
Blog – https://sparklywallflower.blogspot.com/

Tracy Fear

Hi! My name is Tracy Fear, known on social media as Not Afraid of Color, and my friends call me T! I am a Pacific Northwest native living in north Alabama for the past 15+ years.  I am retired and live with my retired husband, our 3 dogs, and 8 cats last I counted.

I am a lifelong crafter with skills with stained glass, sewing, quilting, crochet, sculpture, beaded jewelry, macrame, crochet, woodworking, and many others. Most recently I have honed my attentions to paper crafts, specifically making cards.

Blog –  https://nohippiesinalabama.blogspot.com/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/not_afraidofcolor/
You Tube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeWLK9xZgfcSw3kAcaf7Myg

Katy Ingram

Hello Crafty Friends! My name is Katy Ingram. I am a wife and mama to 1 son and 4 kitties. I live in southeastern North Carolina off the coast of Topsail Island and I LOVE making handmade cards. I started my card making journey back in 2016 and in 2019 I started my youtube channel and blog Eastwicks Paper and Ink. I wanted an outlet to share and hopefully inspire your creativity with my card making as well as some tips and tricks along the way. I am so excited to be joining the Imagine Crafts Guest Artist Team. I look forward to meeting and crafting with you!

You Tube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz-gVkOO8hxCzSNWOoa_q8A 
Blog –  https://www.eastwickspaperandink.com/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/eastwickspaperandink/
Facebook –  https://www.facebook.com/eastwickspaper
Pinterest –  https://www.pinterest.com/eastwickspaper/