Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Carols of Christmas in Blues

Hi, Stampers!

I've not really used Island Indigo very much on card projects until recently.  Now I can't get enough of it!  Today I'm sharing a Christmas card I created with it.


I really like this color combination of Island Indigo, Smoky Slate and Whisper White.  The trees and snowbank are cut from Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper.  The snow bank was die-cut using the Swirly Scribbles Thinlits and the square focal point was cut with the Stitched Shapes Framelits. Everything else on this card is part of the Carols of Christmas bundle.



I added five Rhinestone Basic Jewels to look like twinkling stars in the sky and die-cut the moon from Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper.

Product List

Ordering is available from the 2017 Holiday Catalog beginning TOMORROW!!  Woohoo!  If you've placed an order with me this year, you hopefully have yours in hand by now.  If not, shoot me an email and I'll get one out to you!

Happy stamping,
Pat


Monday, August 28, 2017

Swirly Bird with Watercoloring


Hi Stampers,

Last week I showed you a technique using ink and an acrylic block to make beautiful watercolor backgrounds.  Today I have another quick share of a card that uses the same technique with just 2 colors, Pool Party & Island Indigo.



The sailboat was stamped with the Swirly Bird stamp set in Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight & Calypso Coral.  The clouds were made with Embossing Paste and the Pattern Party Masks!


I brushed the "water" with Clear Wink of Stella for sparkle.


This is a good illustration of how different your backgrounds can look by varying the amount of water you spritz on the acrylic block.  I used the one in the center for this card.


Here's the inside of the card.  I used the cloud masks again with white craft ink and a sponge dauber.  The "waves" are sponged on using one of the dies in the Swirly Scribbles Thinlits as a stencil.


Thanks for stopping by today!  To read more about this watercolor background technique, visit my August 22 blog post.


Product List

Don't forget about the fabulous offer for new Paper Pumpkin subscribers - get your first month for $9.98 when you subscribe before September 10!  Use Promo Code HALFOFF0917.


Happy stamping,
Pat

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Watercolor Technique with Oh So Eclectic

Hi Stampers,

I love the way watercoloring softens and blends colors together.  Try as I might, I've never been able to achieve that look with a paintbrush.  But there's a stamping technique that is easy and fun, and the results are oh, so satisfying!


I just love the color combination here - Calypso Coral, Peekaboo Peach & Rich Razzleberry.  They remind me of a beautiful sunset...

To make this watercolor background, here's what you'll need:

Watercolor paper, 4" x 5-1/4"
an Acrylic Block, size E (3-7/16" x 4-7/16")
a Stampin' Spritzer
and...



Calypso Coral, Peekaboo Peach & Powder Pink Stampin' Pads











Starting with the lightest color (Powder Pink), tap ink onto the block directly from the ink pad.  Add Peekaboo Peach and finish with Calypso Coral.  Each color should cover about 1/3 of the block.

Next, use your Stampin' Spritzer to add a fine mist of water to the block.  This is the tricky part...too little water and the colors will not blend...too much can get drippy...be sure to protect your work surface.  I found about 5-6 spritzes is just about right.

Place the block ink side down onto the watercolor paper and watch the magic...no need to press but you can gently tap it if you see a spot where the paper is not absorbing color.



Ta-Da!!  Watercolor without the work!


Of course, you never know what you'll get...but they're all lovely and interesting!


The die-cuts and stamped images on my card (except for the greeting) are all from Oh So Eclectic.  Some of the images in this set have a watercolor look to them, which makes it perfect to use with this watercolor background.  


For these leaves, I inked the stamp with Lemon Lime Twist then added Old Olive directly to the stamp using a Sponge Dauber.  You can see how much more depth the image gets by adding more of the Old Olive before stamping it.


I stamped 2 flower images directly onto the watercolor background in Calypso Coral.  The other images were stamped on Whisper White & die-cut.  The card base is Crumb Cake.  The mat is Calypso Coral cardstock cut at 4" x 5-1/4".  I trimmed the watercolor paper slightly (about 1/8" off each edge) before adhering it to the mat.  "Happy Birthday" is from the Special Celebrations stamp set.  This set has a lovely matching greeting for the inside of the card, too.  I stamped both in Basic Black.  All of the die-cuts are adhered with Liquid Multipurpose Glue except for the large flower in the lower right corner, which is raised up with Stampin' Dimensionals.  The 3 sequins came from the new Iridescent Sequin Assortment.

I hope you've enjoyed this little tutorial.  If you would like to purchase any of the supplies used on this card, please click the product list photo to go directly to the item.


Product List
Don't forget about...

Bonus Days - redeem your coupons earned in July by the end of August!


Carols of Christmas Early Release - purchase the bundle, or just the stamp set or matching die-cuts now!



Paper Pumpkin offer for new subscribers - get the gorgeous September kit for $9.98 - that's 50% off the regular price!  No long-term commitment - cancel at any time.  But you won't want to! :)


To learn more about Paper Pumpkin, click HERE


Ordering from the NEW Holiday Catalog begins September 1.  If you are in need of a demonstrator and would like a copy, please email me

Creatively,
Pat