Trapped Rainbow Stamping

By Alison Heikkila

Hello! I have a new tutorial for Imagine today and it uses some of my favorite types of inks: Kaleidacolor and VersaFine Clair. I’m going to show you how to use bold silhouette stamps, along with a detail stamp to get a unique “trapped rainbow” effect.

*Some affiliate links are used in this post. That means that if you shop through these links, I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you. For more information, please see my Affiliates page, where I also have some coupon codes.


Difficulty: Intermediate
Time to Complete: Approx. 45-60 Minutes

Step 1:

Apply Tahiti Kaleidacolor Ink to a 6×6 Gel Press Plate. Gently tap the color. You don’t need much.

Pro Tip: The Kaleidacolor Inks do not need to be clicked together. The pad does not reach across the entire surface, and the little area for your finger to click the colors together can get in the way of inking the Plate. I have mine hang over the edge, as seen above, then I flip the pad around to the other side of the Plate to finish inking it.

Your Gel Press Plate will look like this when you are done inking.

Step 2:

Spray the Plate lightly with water.

Step 3:

Lay a piece of cardstock on to the Plate. Gently rub your hand across the back of the cardstock. If you are worried about getting ink on your hands, cover the whole plate with a piece of copy paper and rub.

This is what the monoprint, or “pull” will look like. I love the bits of white showing…it makes it look grungy.

Step 4:

Let’s add some more interest by stamping a large text stamp on to our background. I inked this stamp up with Warm Breeze. Don’t worry about what the stamp says, you won’t be able to read much of it when we’re finished.

Step 5:

Dry the panel completely with a heat tool or embossing gun. VersaFine Clair ink stays wet for a long time, and we don’t want embossing powder to stick anywhere just yet.

Step 6:

Apply your silhouette stamp to an acrylic block. Stamp it all over the panel, without overlapping the images. It will be hard to see, so if you are having trouble, go back and forth between this step and the next.

Step 7:

Sprinkle Clear Embossing Powder on to the stamped images and heat set.

You can see some of the shine from the embossed florals above. Don’t worry, with the next step, they will be much easier to see.

Step 8:

Using a cosmetic sponge (which gives a nice heavy application), apply Twilight Ink across the entire panel. You will see that the areas that have been embossed will resist the ink.

Step 9:

When you are done inking the panel, buff off the excess with a dry cloth or paper towel. Trim the panel down to 4″ x 5 1/4.”

Step 10:

Apply New Sprout ink to your white card base, just around the perimeter.

Step 11:

Die cut your sentiment. To grunge it up a bit, lightly apply Cantaloupe Ink to the top layer, which will bring out the texture in the cardstock.

Step 12: Adhere all elements to the card base.


Supplies:
Imagine:
Kaleidacolor: Tahiti
Clear Embossing Powder
VersaFine Clair Ink in Warm Breeze
VersaFine Clair Ink in Twilight
VersaMark Ink
Memento Ink in New Sprout
Memento Ink in Cantaloupe


Other:
Gel Press: 6×6 Plate
Speedball: 6″ Brayer
Hero Arts: Floral Imprints
Trinity Stamps: Encouragement Text
Birch Press: Big Hugs Sugar Script Die
Other: White card base, light teal cardstock, pale orange cardstock, spray bottle of water, embossing gun, cosmetic sponge

You can of course change up the colors however you like! Kaleidacolor Inks come in a wide range of palettes. I hope you will try this technique for yourself. Thanks so much f stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Floral Birthday Card Using Fireworks!

By LV Handcrafted

Hello friends! This is Linh (or LV Handcrafted on all the socials). Today I’m playing with Fireworks! I start off by using what would normally be used to create a shaped 3D flower and I cut it out of a scrap piece of cardstock to use as a stencil.  I lined that over black cardstock and sprayed the Grape Jelly Fireworks! Then I rotated the flower stencil to offset the petals. I sprayed the Lulu Lavendar Fireworks! And without shifting the stencil, I sprayed a bit of the Lilac Posies.  What’s fabulous about these Fireworks! sprays is they are opaque and as you can see are gorgeous even on black cardstock. They have a beautiful shimmer and shine!

Skill: Intermediate

Time: 25 minutes

Supplies Used

Imagine:

• Fireworks! Juicy Purples

• On Point Glue

Other Products Used:

• Spellbinders Glimmer Sentiment

• Spellbinders Gerber Daisy Die

• Nuvo Drops – Silver

• Astrobright 80lb Black Cardstock

• Hammermill 100lb white card stock (card base)

Get Messy With Embossing – St. Patty’s Day Card

By LV Handcrafted –

Hello friends! This is Linh (or LV Handcrafted on all the socials). I’ve made this St. Patrick’s Day card featuring some messy embossing techniques. Embossing powders aren’t just for stamped images. They are fun for creating a distressed, mixed media effect as well! 

Here I’ve swiped clear VersaMark ink on the border of black cardstock and embossed with gold. In my video, you’ll also see me use gum arabic and water to create a splatter effect and emboss with gold as well. (There’s some beautiful gold splatter beneath the leprechaun).

Skill: Advance

Time: 45 minutes

Supplies Used:

Imagine:

• VersaColor Green Tea

• VersaMark

• StazOn

• Mboss Gold Powder

Other Products Used

• Creative Crafts Double Gatefold Die Set

• Creative Crafts Nested Oval Dies

• Tonic Studios Handmade Cotton Paper

• Astrobright 80lb Black Cardstock

• Artful Angel Leaping Leprechaun Stamp Set

• Hammermill 100lb white card stock (card base)

• Ohuhu Alcohol Markers

Let’s Make an Inspirational Quote Wall Hanging

By Kathi Rerek –

Greetings! It’s Kathi here today to share with you a tutorial about how to create an inspirational wall hanging using a favorite quote and your craft supplies. I used Golden Glitz Delicata, Nocturne, VersaFine Clair, and VersaMagic Chalk inks.

Skill: Intermediate

Time: 2 hours

Directions:

Step 1:

Use a Stitched Slimline Die and a Big Tags cutting dies to cut black cardstock for the panels.

Step 2:

Position the moon and sun from the Alchemy Mixed Media Stencil on the top of the large rectangular die-cut. Use removable Scotch Tape to secure the stencil to the back of stencil. Cover the openings around the sun and moon with Post-It Notes. Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Golden Glitz Delicata Ink over the stencil onto the die-cut. Heat set.

Step 3:

Use a magnet to secure the image panel horizontally along the base of a stamping platform. Position the clock from the ATC Coins Clear Stamp Set 6 facedown on the the panel, so that 12:00 is centered and facing the top of the panel.

Step 4:

Ink the clock with Golden Glitz Delicata ink and stamp the clock along the bottom of the tag. Heat set to bring out the lustre.

Step 5: 

Position the compass from the Small Elements Stamp Set 2 facedown inside the circular opening of the clock with the “N” of North at 12:00.

Step 6:

Use Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink to stamp the small compass into the center of the clock image. Cover the stamped image with Clear MBoss Clear and melt the powder with a heat tool.

Step 7:

Use Turquoise Gem VersaMagic ink to stamp the swirls and stars from the Harvest Moon Clear Stamp Set and the stars from the Mini Stars Clear Stamp Set around the perimeter of the die-cut. Repeat using Sea Breeze VersaMagic ink. Heat set.

Step 8:

Edge the panel with Golden Glitz Delicata ink. I slide each edge of the piece along the side of the ink pad to create a strong golden edge. Heat set.

Step 9:

Use repositionable adhesive to secure the black tag die-cut to a piece of scrap paper, then use magnets to secure them to the base of the stamping platform.

Position the Celestial Navigation Clear Stamp 398 and stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair.

Step 10:

Cover the stamped image with MBoss. Melt the powder with the heat tool. (MBoss image application not shown)

Step 11:

Use Golden Glitz Delicata Ink to edge the tag.

Step 12:

Using an Ink Sweeper, apply Sea Breeze VersaMagic to a piece of mixed media paper.

Step 13:

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Turquoise Gem VersaMagic around the edges of the paper, then blend using the Ink Sweeper and Sea Breeze VersaMagic. Heat set.

Step 14:

Secure the inked panel to the base of the stamping platform. Position the Ink and the Dog Mini Cling Stamp 109 stamp and stamp with with Nocturne VersaFine Clair. Heat set.

Step 15:

Use the shaped die from the Small Stitched Envelope die set to cut the sentiment panel.

Step 16:

Cut a piece of black chipboard to 3.5″ x 9″. Punch holes in the top, insert eyelets, and thread ribbon.

Step 17:

Use Tear It! Tape to adhere the rectangular panel to the chipboard.

Step 18:

Then tape the stamped and embossed tag.

Step 19:

Lastly, adhere the quote die-cut.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope this project will inspire you as much as it inspired me!

Art Supplies:

Imagine:

• VersaFine Clair – Nocturne

• VersaMagic – Sea Breeze

• VersaMagic – Turquoise Gem

• Delicata – Golden Glitz

• MBoss – Clear

• Sponge Dauber

• Craft Mat

• Tear It! Tape

Other:

• Crea-Lies: Bigz Tagz Crea-NestLies XXL #6

• Creekbank Creations: Stitched Slimline Dies

• Lawn Fawn: Small Stitched Envelope Lawn Cuts Die Set

• PaperArtsy: Ink and the Dog Mini Cling Rubber Stamp 109

• Lavinia Stamps: Mini Stars Clear Stamps

• AALL and Create: Celestial Navigation Clear Stamp Set 398

• Pink Ink: Harvest Moon Clear Stamp Set

• That’s Crafty: Small Elements Stamp Set 2

• That’s Crafty: ATC Coins Clear Stamp Set 6

• Stamperia: Alchemy Mixed Media Stencil

• Martha Stewart Crafts: Embossing Gun

• Tonic: Tim Holtz Stamping Platform

• Sizzix: Big Shot

Learn How VersaFine Clair Performs on a Gel Plate

By Nancy May –

Hey y’all. Today I am using VersaFine Clair inks in the colors Verdant and Pinecone, to see what kind of results I’ll get on a gel plate. Later I create a set of 5×7 cards using my take on a Spring color palette. I’ll do this by incorporating the color Charming Pink VersaFine Clair ink to several of the gel plate prints.

~Nancy May

Skill: Beginner, Intermediate

Time: 90 minutes

Products used: 

Imagine 

• VersaFine Clair Ink Pad – Verdant

• VersaFine Clair Ink Pad – Pinecone

• VersaFine Clair Ink Pad – Charming Pink

• Sponge Dauber

• Sheer Shimmer Spray – Sparkle

• Delicata Ink Refill – Pink Shimmer

Other 

• Studio Light/Art By Marlene – Stencil – Artsy Arabia MASKBM11

• Sweet N Sassy – Stencil – Script

• Simon Says Stamp (SSS) – Die – Etched Tall Leaf Spray

• Simon Says Stamp – Die – Dahlia Stem 

• Penny Black – Die – Berry Flourish

• Penny Black – Die – Cherry Blossom

• Paper Roses – Die – Little Foliage 1

• Paper Roses – Die – Little Foliage 2

• The Stamp Market – Stamps and Dies – Gorgeous Greetings

• Gel Press – Gel plate – 5×7

• Speed Ball – Brayer – 6”

Make Your Mboss’ing up a Notch with Double Embossing!

By LV Handcrafted

Hello friends! This is Linh (or LV Handcrafted on all the socials). Why buy colored cardstock or specialty card when you can make your own! 

Skill: Intermediate

Time: 20 minutes

To make solid color cardstock, 

Step 1.

Swipe a panel of white card stock with VersaMark watermark ink. It might be hard to tell if you have good coverage, if you tilt your card panel, you should be able to see a shiny surface where you have inked. 

Step 2.

Before the ink dries, pour any colored Mboss powder.  Knock off any excess into the original zip-sealed bag. 

Step 3.

Then using a heat gun, melt the embossing powder on your panel. And there you have it! Your very own shiny solid color cardstock.  

Repeat Steps 1-3 If you missed some spots or if you want some areas to be a little darker. Be careful not to overheat your card.

To take your new cardstock to the next level…

Step 1.

Swipe your embossed panel with VersaMark watermark ink again.

Step 2.

Before the ink dries, pour either Mboss Sparkle Powder or Mboss Iridescent Powder over your panel. Knock off any excess into the original zip-sealed bag. 

Step 3.

Then using a heat gun, melt the embossing powder on your panel.  Be careful not to overheat your card. Now you’ve taken a plain Mboss powder and given it some extra shine! 

Supplies Used

Other Products Used

  • My Favorite Things Big Birthday Die
  • CC Designs Kawaii Force Stamp
  • Hammermill 100lb white card stock