Let’s Make Some Summer Color Cards

Posted on July 11, 2025 by Imagine

By Anna Escalada York

As I was making one card focusing on summer colors, I realized that I could easily make a second (bonus) card and wanted to share both with you.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 2 hours

Directions:

Step 1:
Stamp a large floral image on watercolor paper with Medieval Blue VersaFine Clair Ink and heat emboss with clear embossing powder.

Step 2:
After die cutting the floral image with the corresponding die, watercolor smoosh Angel Pink Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray, focusing on coloring the roses. Use a heat tool to dry the spray or set aside to dry.

Step 3:
Watercolor smoosh the floral image with Cantaloupe Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray, this time focusing on getting most of the color into the centers of the daisies. Use a heat tool to dry the spray or set aside to dry.

Step 4:
Use Lilac Posies Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray to add another layer of watercolor smooshing to the image, this time focusing the color onto the daisies’ petals. Then paint in more of the Cantaloupe Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray into the centers of the daisies (to cover up some of the Lilac Posies spray in daisies’ centers).

Step 5:
Watercolor smoosh the floral arrangement again–this time with New Sprout Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray, focusing on adding color to the leaves and other greenery.

Step 6:
Cut a piece of watercolor paper about 3 inches by 5.5 inches. Add texture to the panel by die cutting the panel. (Since the panel was smaller than the die, it didn’t actually cut anything out it just pierced the panel.) Then spray the panel with Rose Gold and Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray. Allow to dry.

Step 7:
Add irRESISTible Gold medium through a heart stencil onto the right side of the watercolor panel.

Step 8:
Add irRESISTible Gold onto some of the thinner ribs on the larger stamped leaves and onto some of the berries. After it dried, cut the floral cluster in half with a paper trimmer. Then glue half of the floral cluster onto the lefts side of the panel.

Add more of the irRESISTible Gold medium onto the piece of acetate and spray with water to dilute it. Watercolor smoosh it onto the floral cluster and the background panel. Then glue half of the floral cluster onto the left side of the panel. Then paint the edges of the panel with more of the irRESISTible Gold medium.

Finally glue everything onto a minislimline card base.

Step 9:
Stamp two sentiments on a scrap of watercolor paper with Medieval Blue VersaFine Clair ink and emboss them with clear embossing powder. They were die cut with corresponding dies.

Step 10:
Attach one of the sentiments onto the card with foam tape. To finish the card, glue white gem embellishments around the sentiment.

Step 11:
Then it was onto the bonus card made with the leftover part of the floral image. The same heart stencil was sprayed with Rose Gold Sheer Shimmer Spray and then was pressed onto another panel of watercolor paper trimmed to 3 inches by 5.5 inches. After the spray dried, more of the gold IrRESISTABLE medium was painted onto a small music stamp, which was then stamped multiple times onto the panel.

Step 12:
The remaining half of the floral cluster stamp was glued onto this pahel. The sentiment was attached with more foam tape. The edges were ink blended with Medieval Blue VersaFine Clair ink using a sponge dauber.

Step 13:
Finish the second card by gluing the panel onto another mini slimline cardbase and gluing more white gem embellishments around the sentiment.

Art Supplies

Imagine

• Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – Angel Pink
• Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – Cantaloupe
• Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – New Sprout
• Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – Lilac Posies
• Sheer Shimmer Shimmer Craft Spray – Rose Gold
• Sheer Shimmer Shimmer Craft Spray – Sparkle
• VersaFine Clair Ink – Medieval Blue
• IrRESISTable gold medium
• Sponge Dauber

Other

• Altenew – die Set – Blossoms of Encouragement
• Altenew – Stamp Set – Blossoms of Encouragement
• Altenew – Foam Tape – Instant Dimension Foam Tape
• Crafty Meraki – Die Set- Dance With Me Mini Slimline
• Meraki Para-Dies Scrappy Tails – Embellishments
• Heart Stencil
• Music Stamp
• Watercolor Paper
• Paintbrush
• Die-Cutting Machine
• Scissors
• Glue
• Clear Embossing Powder

Ink Blending With Kaleidacolor Inks

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Imagine

By Alison Heikkila

Hello! I’m Alison Heikkila. Kaleidacolor Inks come in beautiful color palettes and help you do some really fun techniques. I love to use my Kaleidacolor Inks with my Gel Press plates. In this case, we’re using one of the Petite Plates to get the look of a watercolored painting without actually watercoloring.

Skill Level: Beginner-Intermediate
Time to Complete: 20-30 Minutes

*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.

Supplies:
Imagine:
Kaleidacolor Ink in Creole Spice
VersaMark Ink
White Embossing Powder
Fireworks! Spray in Cantaloupe
Memento Ink in Elderberry

Other:
Gel Press: Petites Set A
Gel Press: Rubber Brayer
Stampers Anonymous: Halloween Sketchbook
The Rabbit Hole Designs: Cotton Tail Blending Brush
Accent Opaque 100lb. White Cardstock
Scrapbook.com: Artis Craft Glue
Watercolor Paper
Stamping Platform

Let’s Make A Crazy Cat Lady Card

Posted on February 29, 2024 by Imagine

By Kathi Rerek

I’m delighted to be returning to the Imagine Crafts AIR program again this year. Our first assignment was to create a project that reflected ourselves. I love creating scenic cards, magical creatures, and cats!

Skill Level: Intermediate
Time: 1.5 hour

Step 1:
Use magnets to secure a 4” x 5.25” piece of white cardstock onto the base of a stamping platform.
Use Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink to stamp the Puss in Boots image twice — once onto the image panel and once onto repositionable sticker paper.

Step 2:
Fussy-cut the sticker paper version and place it onto the image panel as a mask.

Step 3:
Use low-tack tape to secure the rolling hills mask from the Acetate Hills Mask set to the image panel as shown.

Use a sponge dauber to apply Dandelion Memento ink over the mask and masked image onto the image panel. (3A). Use another dauber to apply Angel Pink Memento ink onto the image panel so the pink ink is slightly overlapping and blending with the yellow ink (3B). Repeat this step with Summer Sky Memento ink (3C), then Danube Blue Memento ink (3D).

Step 4:
Spray the image panel with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol to slightly blend the colors and to add some white speckles and splatter.

Step 5:
Trace the rolling hills mask from the Acetate Hills Mask set onto white cardstock, fussy-cut along the trace lines. Label the top and bottom of the mask so you know which is which.
Place the top homemade mask over the sky area of the image panel and secure with low-tack tape.
Use a Fantastix to apply Cottage Ivy Memento ink over the mask onto the image panel (5A).
Place the acetate rolling hills mask below the hilly horizon. Use a Fantastix to apply Cottage Ivy Memento ink over the mask onto the image panel (5B). Continue this process to add additional grassy hills.

Step 6:
Use a sponge dauber and Bamboo Leaves Memento ink to fill in the grassy hills.
Colors the white area of the tail and the wings with Copic markers. Set the image panel aside.

Step 7:
Place a piece of 4.75” x 6.75” Mixed Media cardstock into a box. Spray the panel with Danube Blue Firewords Spray to create a shimmery blue background panel. Heat set.

Step 8:
Use magnets to secure the background panel to the base of a stamping platform so that panel is sideways. Position the long leafy border stamp from Puss in Boots Clear Stamp Set facedown along the edge of the background panel. Press the platform’s lid onto the back of the stamp, lift the lid, ink the stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair, and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if necessary to attain a good impression. Heat set.

Keeping the stamp on the platform’s lid, flip the background panel, secure it with magnets, and stamp the border on the other side of the background panel. Heat set.

Step 9:
Reposition the background panel as shown and secure with magnets. Place the small flourish stamp facedown horizontally on the top left of the background panel. Press the platform’s lid onto the back of the stamp, lift the lid, ink the stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair, and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if necessary to attain a good impression. Heat set.

Clean and dry the stamp. Reposition it so that it’s facedown on the top left of the panel. Press the platform’s lid onto the back of the stamp, lift the lid, ink the stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair, and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if necessary to attain a good impression. Heat set.

Remove the flourish stamp. Place the paw print stamp so that it’s centered and facedown on top of the background panel. Press the platform’s lid onto the back of the stamp, lift the lid, ink the stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair, and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if necessary to attain a good impression. Heat set.

Step 10:
Place the “Crazy Cat Lady” stamp facedown so that it’s centered at the bottom of the image panel. Press the platform’s lid onto the back of the stamp, lift the lid, ink the stamp with Frost VersaMark ink, and stamp. Repeat.

Step 11:
Sprinkle on Black MBoss Powder, slide the the excess powder back into the bag, and heat set the sentiment.

Step 12:
Use a Sponge Dauber to edge the background panel with Black Shimmer Delicata ink (12A). Heat set.
Trim the image panel to 4.25” x 5.25” and edge with Black Shimmer Delicata ink (12B). Heat set.

Step 13:
Use Tear It! Tape to adhere the image panel to the background panel and the background panel to a 5” x 7” black card.

Crafts Supplies

Imagine:

Other Supplies:

Solar White Classic Crest Cardstock by Neenah Papers
140 lb. Mixed Media Paper by Strathmore
Puss in Boots Clear Photopolymer Stamp Set by Pink Ink Designs
Acetate Hills Mask by Lavinia Stamps
Copic Markers: Y000, Y02, Y21, YR00, R000, R00, RV10, V20, V22, C00, C0, C1, C3, FV2. R93.UR19 B20. YG45
Repositionable Sticker Paper by Avery
Fiskars Curved Craft Scissors
Low-tack Tape
Stamping Platform

Stamping with Fireworks! Shimmery Sprays

Posted on August 23, 2023 by Imagine

By Nancy May

Have you ever stamped with your Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Sprays?

This was totally new to me and I loved it! I ended up creating several cards, including a full panel shaker with recycled packaging. Oh! And I used Creative Medium to add transfer foil to a project. Let’s jump into it for loads of fun!

~Nancy

Skill: Beginner, Intermediate

Time: undetermined

Art Supplies

Imagine:

● Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Sprays

– Potter’s Clay

– Desert Sand

– Bamboo Leaves

– Tuxedo Black

– London fog

● Craft Mat

● Palette Knives

● Creative Medium – Clear

● On Point Glue

● Tear It! Tape

Other:

● Picket Fence Studio – Barberton Daisy Stamp

● Whimsy Stamps – Mixed Media Bits Stamps

● Whimsy Stamps – Thank You Word Die

● Whimsy Stamps – Big Hugs Word Dies

● A Colorful Life Designs – Messy Harlequin Stencil

● This Calls For Confetti – Victorian Halloween mix

● This Calls For Confetti – Midnight Dahlia

Create A “Thinking of You” Shimmery Sunset Card Using Fireworks! Sprays

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Imagine

By Katy Ingram

Hello Friends! Katy here and today I am using my Fireworks! Sprays to create a blended sunset or sunrise background for my palm tree die cut.

In todays video tutorial I am use Fireworks! Sprays in Dandelion, Lady Bug and Rose Bud with my 1 inch wide watercolor brush to create a blended sunset. The golden shimmer from the Fireworks! Sprays is just beautiful and compliments this color blend perfectly. I kept the sentiment simple with thinking of you, but ANY sentiment will go with this design. The video below has all the details, check it out below.

Katy

Skill: Advanced

Time: 15 minutes