Pineapples are a symbol of hospitality, which is why you find them so often on newel posts, door knockers, and other entryway accoutrements. Since it’s always good to show up with a gift for the host or hostess, why not have a little fun with the standby bottle of wine by dressing it up a bit! This wrap is easy to put together and equally easy for the recipient to remove when they’re ready to drink it. It could also be a fun way to dress up the décor at your next summer party with empty or full bottles.
Small stamps can have a big impact if used to their full potential. Take, for instance, the itsy bitsy stamps in Waffle Flower’s Currently Drinking set: delightful images of tea, coffee, soda, and cocktails that, when combined in a semi-random pattern, give you the opportunity to make custom patterned paper. I designed this card with a bachelorette or girl’s night out in mind, but the same process could be used with different colors and other stamps in the set to invite someone out for coffee.
Often if a holiday or event is coming up then there is plenty of inspiration for crafters to be busy! But as creative people, we have to create, craft and get our hands inky on a regular basis. Art Journals are a perfect way for artists and papercrafters to get their creative energy out when there is no specific project with a deadline. In today’s post, we have two art journal pages from Elina Stromberg and Jennifer Vanderbeek. Check it out!
The long wait is finally over: Summer is here! This blooming time of the year inspires me with its rich and vivid colors, and the lovely warm weather transfers on my projects in glowing hues of yellow and orange. With this art journal page, I express my love for this warm season.
When choosing the stamping ink for a coloring project the basic rule of thumb is: water-based ink for alcohol markers, and pigment ink for watercoloring. When this rule is followed, the stamped images stay crisp and don’t dissolve. But when you want to color with both alcohol markers and water-based colors (like Fireworks! inks) the answer is masking fluid. Stamp the image with water-based ink (Memento Tuxedo Black is always my no. 1 choice), cover the edges of the image with masking fluid, and paint the background with water-based color. Once dry, remove the masking fluid and color the image with alcohol markers. Works very well!
Example of how the masking fluid works to protect the areas you are not ready to color.
I’m a bit of a hoarder when it comes to potential craft supplies. Since pretty much anything goes in mixed media work, almost everything is a potential craft supply. Take, for instance, what would normally be trash: the wipes we use to clean our stamps, our craft tables, and our fingertips. Once dry they’re just fabric. That’s what comprises the majority of this art journal layout, along with a healthy dose of clear Creative Medium. It creates masses of texture and paints a beautiful background that only needed a few details added to complete the scene.
Nothing says summer to me like a tall, frosty glass of lemonade. Unless it’s a tall, frosty pitcher of lemonade as a die cut on a handmade card! The liquid effect inside the pitcher was inspired by toys we had as kids; namely the baby bottles that looked like the liquid was disappearing as the toy tipped over. By sandwiching the mixture of Memento Luxe and Ink Potion No. 9 between two pieces of clear plastic, the liquid is contained but still moveable—light finger pressure changes the position of any air bubbles, etc. making it perfect for liquid effect layers on active cards and an alternative motion element to shakers. To learn more about how I created this, hop over to Imagine’s Youtube Channel and watch the video tutorial!
Want to do something different today with cardmaking? Why not try texture? irRESISTibles texture spray is used in mixed media projects to create chaotic and awesome effects on paper. But to achieve more control, you can use irRESISTibles with a paint brush!
Coloring in stamps with irRESISTible Texture Spray is a great way to add dimension to a handmade card that will dry and retain its shiny effects. Nadine Carlier created a tutorial video showing how she crafted this floral themed card using Waffle Flower stamps, Delicata Metallic Inks, and irRESISTibles. Enjoy!
Today’s burst of tangerine is a refreshing view of orange that is showing itself in a natural flower form. Neva creates a beautiful handmade card with daisy aster flowers as the focal point and Jennifer created a delightful tutorial video with steps on how to create a mum flower theme card. We are always amazed with what our artists create with blank cardstock and ink!
There are so many wonderful tangerine colored flowers, the daisy asters being one example. I created this card with the hope of making these flowers burst forward and to isolate the sentiment and draw attention back to the card. Super fun to create!
I started by die cutting multiple layers to create very realistic flowers with a bit of shaping. Yes, these are actually die cut and not pre-made. I selected a matching stamp set from Heartfelt Creations to decorate the card layers to fashion a cohesive look with the coordinating dies. And just like a good crafter would, I finished by adding Gold Sheer Shimmer Spritz to the front panel along with the Tangerine All-Purpose Ink with the same Gold Shimmer to create a very striking look!
When it doubt, go back to basics. In this card, I managed to find my crafting nirvana with a single-layer card because I followed three basic design principles: Repetition, Rule of Three and Balance of Positive and Negative Space. Of course, basics don’t have to be static or boring. By switching up techniques and combinations of the three values of color, the image is interesting instead of static. By repeating the shape through a stencil with Creative Medium, there is the added element of texture. And by adding doodles and other handwritten embellishments, there is the added personality. If this is right up your alley then check out my quick tutorial video on how to do it.
