Hey everybody! It’s Ceal, here. Today I am sharing a card using a technique that I am calling “faux watercolor” because the end result look like it was water colored to me.
Skill: Beginner Time: 30 minutes
Directions:
Start by gathering your supplies. You will need a A2 card base, a white panel, a panel of tidepool cardstock, several colors of VersaMagic ink, VersaFine Clair Pinecone ink, Memento Tangelo ink, sponge daubers and an embossing folder.
Step 1: Make a dry run of the embossing folder through the die cutting machine.
Step 2: This looks like a hot mess, but I promise it gets better. Using a sponge dauber, color the leaves as desired using VersaMagic inks.
Step 3: Lock the embossed panel back into the folder and generously ink up the debossed side with a dark brown ink. Close the folder and run it through the die cutting machine.
Step 4: Glue the panel down on the card base and add a sentiment. I used a happy birthday die cut.
In today’s post, I am sharing a card that features a summer scene.
Skill: Intermediate Time: 1 hour
Directions:
Step 1: Use Memento Markers–Dandelion, Cantaloupe, Morocco and Lady Bug to color the sun and sun rays through a stencil onto watercolor paper. Blend some of the colors together by coloring a lighter color over a darker one to create even more color variety. Use some ink blenders to ink blend the sky with Pearlescent Sky Blue Brilliance (closer to the sun) and Ocean Depth VersaMagic Chalk Ink (farther away from the sun. Use a sparkly clear gel pen to add sparkle to the clouds. (This ended up being mostly die cut out.)
Step 2: Slowly and gently press on the cap of the Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray bottle, making sure to only press about half way so that a small amount of splatters go onto the watercolor panel. Allow to dry.
Step 3: Die cut the panel with a mid-sized arch die.
Step 4: Using daubers, ink blend Red Magic VersaMagic Chalk Ink along the bottom and right side of the die cut (where the orange and red rays touch the edges) and more of the Ocean Depth VersaMagic Chalk Ink along the left edge through the upper third part of the right edge (where the blue sky touch the edges). Don’t ink blend the bottom right corner of the panel (with the sun and cloud).
Step 5: Using die two die cuts, die cut some blue and green patterned paper and blue mirror cardstock to look like waves. (I used leftover die cuts from a previous project.) Glue the blue and green cardstock wave first, and then glue the blue mirror cardstock on top of it. Make sure the left side and bottom of both die cuts align with the edges of the arch. Trim the right side of the die cut waves so that they stop along the edge of the arch.
Step 6: Use the largest arch die in the set to die cut a piece of sparkly black cardstock for the matte layer.
Step 7: Press the Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink onto a small scrap of watercolor paper to create black cardstock. Die cut two small bird silhouettes out of the black paper.
Step 8: Use two die cuts to create two layers of a cloud, both out of watercolor paper. Use an ink dauber to very lightly ink blend Pink Grapefruit VersaMagic Chalk Ink onto the base (larger) layer. Ink blend the upper player with the same Pink Grapefruit VersaMagic Chalk Ink with a heavier hand so the layer is a darker pink. Then spray both layers of the cloud with more Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray. After both layers of the cloud are dry, glue them together. Then glue the cloud onto the right side of the card panel. I positioned my cloud to cover a small imperfection from the stenciling.
Step 9: Glue the birds onto the card base. (Optional step: Add glitter to the birds by coloring on them with a sparkly clear gel pen. Then glue the main scene onto the black matte layer.
Step 10: Die cut the sentiment out of the same black sparkly cardstock and attach to the bottom corner of the upper (stenciled) layer. If desired, die cut a second piece of scrap cardstock with the same die to add dimension underneath the stencil or to help make the tittle (the dot on the i) pop up as it doesn’t have layers of die cuts behind it like the rest of the sentiment does.
Step 11: Glue sequins onto the bottom left corner and upper right part of the card.
Step 12: Glue the whole card onto an A2-sized white card base.
Hello! I’m Alison Heikkila and today I have a fun card with a foliage theme today that you can use for pretty much anyone, and almost any occasion. We’re going to use a variety of greens and a couple of fun tricks.
*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.
Skill Level: Beginner Time to Complete: 20 minutes
I love how this came out, and it was so fast to make. Wouldn’t it be fun to try it with different colors….even like pinks and purples? That’s it for me today. Thanks so much for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!
In today’s post, I am sharing a fun, summer card that features some bold colors!
Skill: Intermediate Time: 1 hour
Directions:
Step 1 Color a piece of acetate packaging with both Cottage Ivy Memento marker and Emerald Fabrico marker and then spraying the acetate with water. Press the acetate onto a piece of watercolor paper multiple times, moving the acetate around so add green color around the watercolor paper. Allow the water to dry.
Step 2 Die cut the watercolor smooshed paper with a circular die cut. Add a small dot of Pink Ultimate Pigment Pigment Refill into the raised areas of an embossing powder, and then spray the embossing folder with Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray to both help the watercolor paper stay moist (so it won’t tear) while embossing, and to help dilute the condensed pink refill ink. Then sandwich the watercolor paper into the embossing powder and run it through a die cutting machine. After the watercolor paper has dried, ink blend the edge of the circular die cut with Pink VersaColor pigment ink.
Step 3 Die cut another piece of watercolor paper with a slightly larger circular die. Directly press the Pink VersaColor Pigment ink pad onto the watercolor paper. Optional step: Heat emboss the ink with clear embossing powder.
Step 4 (and 4.5) Stamp an image onto watercolor paper with a nature scene with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink. Heat emboss with clear embossing powder. Using a variety of media to watercolor the image: Celestial Copper Delicata Ink pad mixed with water to color the rocks, Emerald Fabrico marker mixed with water to color the frog and leaves, Bahama Blue Fireworks! Spray to color the sky and water, and Pink Ultimate Pigment Ink Refill to color the flower petals. Finally, color the centers of the flowers with a Dandelion Memento marker.
Step 5 Watercolor smoosh some of the leftover inks from the last step to watercolor smoosh a piece of watercolor paper and then spray the whole thing with Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray. Use some additional color to stamp a text stamp in my stash to add a little interest onto the panel by pressing the stamp into the acetate instead of an ink pad. Repeat the process a few times until you like the amount of extra interest that is added. After everything dried, die cut the watercolor panel.
Step 6 Glue the two circular die cuts (the embossed panel and the larger pink die cut circle) and then glue it onto the watercolor background panel. After the glue dried, the whole thing was die cut again to trim the circular die cuts. The edges were ink blended with more Pink VersaColor Pigment ink. Splatters of the remaining Bahama Blue Fireworks! Spray from the acetate packaging were added to the panel as well.
Step 7 Stamp a sentiment with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink.
Optional step: Heat emboss with clear embossing powder.
Step 8: Die cut sparkly white paper with a slightly larger rectangular die. Glue the main (frog) stamped and die cut image onto the top panel, glue the matte (sparkly larger panel) behind the top panel and then glue everything onto an A2-sized white card base. Glue sequins to the card base.
It’s summer, which makes me want to go to the beach to cool off in the ocean and pretend I’m a mermaid. Let’s make a card that fulfills those dreams using inks, stencils, and stamps!
Skill Level: Intermediate Time: 1.5 hours
Instructions:
Step 1: Use a craft knife to cut a piece of Low-tack tape in a curved pattern. Place the tape at the bottom of a 5.5” x 8.5” piece of white cardstock (no photo).
Lightly apply Bahama Blue Memento Ink to the white area of the cardstock.
Steps 2A & B: Place a magnetic page onto the craft mat. Use low-tack tape to secure the cardstock panel to the magnetic page. Use magnets and low-tack tape to secure the Currents Stencil to the cardstock panel. Use a Sponge Dauber to apply the lightest blue ink from the Kaleidacolor Blue Breeze Ink pad over the stencil onto the cardstock panel (2A). Randomly apply Teal Zeal Memento Ink over the stencil onto the cardstock to deepen the colors.
Step 3: Remove the stencil, then spritz the panel with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol to blend the inks and add white splatters and splotches.
Step 4: Remove the low-tack tape and replace with the negative part of the tape cut in Step 1. Sponge Desert Sand Memento Ink over the tape onto the image panel to create the sea floor. Remove the tape.
Step 5: Place the panel onto the base of a stamping platform and secure with magnets. Position the mermaid stamp from the Guinevere Clear Polymer Stamp Set so that it’s face down along the lower right side of the image panel. Press the platform’s lid onto the back of the stamp, lift, and ink the stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink. Stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if necessary to attain a good impression.
Remove the panel and thoroughly heat set the ink.
Step 6: Use Copic markers to color the mermaid’s rocky throne. Usually I don’t use Copic markers with any ink other than Memento, but since I had duplicate markers, I gave it a shot and it worked! Sorry! No photos!
Step 7: Use Triplus pens to color the mermaid’s hair. Use Marine and Black Stardust Glitter Gel Pens to add detail the mermaid’s scales. The ink of both pens work well with most inks. Sorry! No photos again!
Steps 8A & B: Place the image panel back onto the base of the stamping platform and secure with magnets. Use low-tack tape to cover the top of the ocean floor to the left of the mermaid.
Position the mid-sized Skeleton Tree stamp from the Skeleton Tree Clear Stamp Set facedown on the top left. Press the lid of the platform onto the back of the stamp and lift. Ink the stamp with Summertime VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp (8A). Remove the tape.
Remove, clean and dry the stamp. Reposition the mid-sized Skeleton Tree stamp so that it’s facedown on the bottom left of the image panel. Position the smallest Skeleton Tree Stamp from the facedown on the bottom right of the image panel
Press the lid into the back of the stamps and lift. Ink both stamps with Summertime VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp (8B). Remove the stamps from the platform.
Step 9: Position the bubbles stamp from the Faerie Clear Polymer Stamp Set facedown on the image panel slightly above the mermaid’s outstretched hand. Press the lid into the back of the stamps and lift. Ink the stamp with Morning Mist VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp. Remove the panel from the platform. Heat set the panel.
Step 10: Place the image panel back onto the magnetic page. Use magnets and low-tack tape to secure the Sunshine Small Stencil over the image panel as shown. Sponge White Shimmer Delicata Ink over the stencil onto the image panel. Remove the panel and heat set.
Step 11: Use Tear-It! Tape to adhere the image panel to a black A2 card.
Welcome back to the Imagine blog. Today, I will show you how to use your VersaColor ink cubes to make a fun and creative background to celebrate America’s birthday.
Skill Level: Beginner Time: 30 Minutes Approx.
Directions:
Step 1 Take a sheet of white cardstock cut it to 4×5 (set aside)
Step 2a Take your VersaColor ink cube in Neptune and blot the color onto the stamp. I applied the blue to the kids, grass border and bit of the flag.
Step 2b Next, I blotted on some Memento Luxe in Love Letter on the flag. This will give you the two-tone color stamping.
Step 3 Stamp your image on the white cardstock
Step 4 Next, create a mat for the piece of white cardstock by taking a piece of navy cardstock and cutting it to 4.25 x 5.25 inches. This will leave a 0.25-inch navy border around the white cardstock.
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