Repurpose a Jar with a Grungy Steampunk Look

By Anna Escalada York

My teen is hard to please, but recently they expressed interest in having a small jar to use for candles. They really like a grungy steampunk vibe and their favorite color is green and so tried to personalize this for them.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1.5 hours (plus drying time)

Directions:

Step 1:

Add a dab of black Amplify! onto a brass metal gear and heat with a tool. Because I heated the Amplify!, it puffed out and made Amplify! gritty and puffy, which worked well for the jar’s gritty look.

Step 2:

Repeat step one with a second gear. Then press another gear into both a Potter’s Clay Memento ink pad as well as Perfect Plumeria VersaMagic ink pad to make the gear look like it had rusted over.

Step 3:

Die cut watercolor paper with gear dies. Then press each of the gears into Morning Mist VersaFine Clair ink. Heat emboss all three of them with silver embossing powder.

For the two top gears in the picture, press the gears back into the Morning Mist VersaFine Clair ink and then heat embossed them with clear embossing powder to create a darker or tarnished silver color on those two gears.

Step 4:

Paint a cleaned jar with gesso. Let it dry overnight. Then spray the jar with Bamboo Leaves Fireworks! Craft Spray and spin the jar to help move the spray around the jar. Repeat to color the whole bottom part of the jar and allow to dry.

Step 5:

Using a sponge dauber, add a thin layer of black Amplify! To the bottom part of the jar and then used the wet Amplify! to adhere silver embossing powder and then heated the powder to create a silver bottom to the jar.

Step 6:

Use a circular stencil and the same sponge dauber to add more black Amplify! to the center of the jar (on one side) and use a heat tool to dry.

Step 7:

Add rub on stickers next to the black circles. Glue the watercolor die cut gears over the stenciled black circles and then glue the two smaller metal gears over the top of them. Attach the largest gear by tying it onto the neck of the jar with silver thread. Splatter the jar with Northern Pine Memento Dual Tip Marker to finish the project.

Art Supplies

Imagine

• Amplify! – Black
• Fireworks! Craft Spray – Bamboo Leaves
• Memento ink – Potter’s Clay
• Memento marker – Northern Pine
• VersaFine Clair ink – Morning Mist
• VersaMagic ink – Perfect Plumeria

Other Products
• Golden – Gesso Semi-Opaque Acrylic Primer
• Tim Holtz and Idea-ology – Remnant Rubs
• Tim Holtz and Idea-ology – Sprocket Gears
• Sizzix – die set – Vault Industrial
• Circle stencil in my stash
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Silver Embossing Powder
• Silver thread
• Glue
• Watercolor paper

Easy Winter Scene for Any Occasion

By Katy Ingram

Hello Friends! Katy here with my latest video using a color palette of blue and gray VersaFine Clair inks to create a simple winter scene. This design is great for winter birthday cards or simple greetings. Video has all the details. Thanks for watching. 

Skill: Beginner
Time: 20 minutes

Directions:


Art Supplies

Imagine Products

Other Products Used

Strathmore 500 Series Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper
100 lb Cardstock
Penny Black Winter Tree Stamp
Penny Black Seasons Marvel Stamp Set
Hero Arts CM308 Stacking Snowflakes
Blending Brushes
Tim Holtz Moon Mask

Adorable Filmstrip Valentine’s Card

By Ceal Pritchett

Hello everyone!
Today I am sharing how I made this filmstrip valentines card using some Memento inks.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1 hour

Directions:

Gather your supplies. To make this card, you will need a valentines set (preferably with small images to fit in the film strip), a film/postage strip die, and sereral colors of ink.

I started with a white top folding A2 card base and a white panel for the images. I used a set from Lawn Fawn that has coordinating stamp, coloring stencils and dies.  I used Memento inks in several colors to color the images and a stamp/film strip die.

Step 1:
Stamp the images in VersaFine Nocturne ink on a panel of white cardstock.

Step 2:
Using stencil No. 1, color the images in the desired colors. I used Morocco for the fox and Desert Sand for the deer.

Step 3:
Using stencil No. 2, color the remaining images in the desired color. I used Desert Sand for the bear and Gray Flannel for the seal and Bunny just heavier handed on the seal.  I used Angel Pink for the ears.

Step 4:
Using the coordinating dies and a die cutting machine, cut out the images.

Step 5:
Cut out the postage/film strip and then color with coordinating stencil. I used Summer Sky.

Step 6:
Cut out a background using a heart cover plate.

Step 7:
Stamp the greeting and then cut down at an angle. Put all the elements together on the card base.

The postage/film strip will hang over a little and will need to be trimmed. You can prevent this by madding a horizontal card rather than a vertical one.

Craft Supplies:

Imagine Products:

• Memento Inks in the following colors
Desert Sand, Summer Sky, Gray Flannel, Love Letter, Lulu Lavender, Angel Pink and Rose Bud

Other Products

Critter Conversation Hearts by Lawn fawn
Stamp Set
Coordinating Coloring Stencils
Coordinating Dies
Postage/Film strip die by Gina K Designs

Strawberry-licious Handmade Greeting Card

By Tracy Fear

Berries Galore!
Join Me Creating a a fun and whimsical card featuring delicious strawberries!

Tracy

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 60 Minutes

Art Supplies
100lb white paper
A2 Card Base
Stamp Platform
Colored Texture Paste
Stencils
Ribbon
Blending Brushes

Imagine Products
VersaFine Clair in Baby Pink, Strawberry, Grass Green, and Nocturne

Other Products Used
Simon Hurley 
Very Berry Stencil Set
Berry Best Stamp and Coordinating Dies
Stellar paste in Black Widow
Lunar Paste in Later Gator
PVA Adhesive 
Ink blending brushes

Watercolored Lunar New Year’s Card

By Helen Gullett

Hello crafty friends… Helen is here today. Today, I would like to share an idea to make a Lunar New Year card. Lunar New Year marks the new month for the new year in oriental calendar and it is also the beginning of Spring. Today we are going to do some watercoloring with Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Sprays and layer stamping technique.

Skill: Beginner
Time: 15 minutes

Direction:

Step 1

First, cut out a piece of watercolor paper (I used 140 lb watercolor paper) into 4.25 inch x 5.5 inch.

Spray the Fireworks! Summer Sky and Bahama Blue on the craft mat, and lightly spray with water to create the watercolor ink blends on the craft mat.

Smoosh the watercolor paper to the ink and repeat it until the watercolor inks cover the paper. You can dry the ink in between smooshing for extra texture and more layers of colors. Dry the whole panel with a craft heat gun.

Step 2

Put the watercolored background panel on the stamping tool.

Stamp the fish images on it with the VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink pad. Repeat it if needed.

Dry the stamped images well with a craft heat gun and put it back on the stamping tool.

Step 3

Stamp the bottom layer of the lily pad leaf with the VersaFine Clair Grass Green ink pad.

Move the position of the stamp to a different spot and stamp again.

Repeat it until you like the pond scene on the card.

Dry the stamped images well with a craft heat gun and put it back on the stamping tool.

Step 4

Next is to stamp the second layer of the lily pad leaf. Position the stamp on top of the first stamped image and then stamp it with the VersaFine Clair Green Oasis ink pad.

Repeat it until you stamp on all the first layer stamped images.

Dry the stamped images well with a craft heat gun and put it back on the stamping tool.

Step 5

Next is to stamp the third layer of the lily pad leaf which means it is the top layer of the layer stamps. Usually it would be the darkest color of the color combo.

Position the stamp on top of the previous stamped image and then stamp it with the VersaFine Clair Rain Forest ink pad.

Repeat it until you stamp on all the stamped images.

Dry the stamped images well with a craft heat gun.

Step 6

This is the fun part: watercoloring with the Fireworks! Shimmer Craft Spray.

Spray a little bit of each color of the Lady Bug, Dandelion, and Tangelo directly on the craft mat. I only sprayed it once and no water was added.

Pick up the ink color and start watercoloring the koi fishes. Each color will blend well.

For a lighter pigment color, you spray a little bit of water and mix it together.

Step 7

DO NOT WIPE OFF the left over of the Fireworks! Shimmer Craft Sprays on the mat.

Spray more water on it and smoosh a piece of watercolor paper on it to get another watercolored background panel.

Dry it well with a craft heat gun and set side so you can use for your next project.

Step 8

Stamp the water ripple stamps all over the panel with a stamping block using the VersaMagic Cloud White Dew Drop ink.

This will give the water ripple effect that those koi fishes swimming under the water.

One more time dry the whole panel with a craft heat gun to make sure all the inks are set well on the watercolor paper.

Step 9

Cut a piece of heavyweight heat-resistant vellum paper into 1 inch x 4.75 inch.

Put it on the stamping tool and secure it with the magnets.

Stamp the sentiment in the middle of the vellum paper with Brilliance Galaxy Gold Dew Drop ink.

Carefully remove it from the stamping tool and dry the ink with a craft heat gun.

Step 10

Add the sentiment vellum strip on the background panel and fold the extra flap to the behind of the panel and secure it with some of the On Point Glue.

Add the whole finished panel to the card base with On Point Glue. Hold it down for a couple minutes until the glue dries well.

The card is done.

This watercolored Lunar New Year card is flat enough to send it in regular mail for sure. I hope you will give this tutorial a try to create your own flat card yet has some layers effect on it.

Thank you so much for stopping by our blog today. Have a wonderful day!

Craft Supplies

Imagine Crafts:

Others:

  • Koi Pond stamp set (Ink On 3)
  • Bunting stamp set (Avery Elle)
  • Watercolor paper (heavyweight, about 140 lbs / 300 gr)
  • Vellum paper (heavyweight and heat-resistant)
  • White Cardstocks
  • Stamping Tool
  • Acrylic stamping block
  • Waterbrush
  • Bonefolder
  • Paper trimmer
  • Craft heat gun

Make a Lavender Birthday Card

By Jessica Lin

Skill: Beginner
Time: 20 minutes

Hi everyone! It’s Jessica here. Today I have a beginner friendly birthday card to share with you. Most of my creations involve die cutting or dry embossing using a die cutting machine. So today, I decided to go back to the basics and create a card that focuses on stamping.

Step 1:
I will be using VersaFine Clair ink pads to stamp all of the images today. For the outline, I used Nocturne. This is my favorite black ink pad because the stamped images are always crisp and dark.

Step 2:
Then I stamped the lavender overlay image with VersaFine Clair Lilac Bloom. The stamp set I am using today is called Lots of Lavender from Stampin’ Up. It’s a simple layering stamp set that is very forgiving for beginners; the overlay stamps have loose, watercolor-like shapes so you don’t have to line up to the outline image exactly.

Step 3:
I decided to add a different purple tone to the lavender layer. I inked up the same stamp using VersaFine Clair Very Peri, only this time, I inked up only the edges of the stamp. This way, you can create an image that has duo-tone effects. I think these two purple shades complement each other so perfectly.

Step 4:
I used the same duo-tone technique and stamped the leaves and stems with VersaFine Clair Verdant first, then with VersaFine Clair Avocado. For the bow, I stamped with VersaFine Clair Sand Dune.

Step 5:
Finally, I stamped the “happy birthday” sentiment with VersaFine Clair Nocturne, added a few enamel dots, and the card is complete!

Supplies Used:

Imagine Supplies:

Other Supplies:

  • Stampin’ Up! – Stamps – Lots of Lavender
  • Stampin’ Up! – Stamps – Happiness Abounds (for the sentiment stamp)
  • Doodlebug Sprinkles Enamel Dots