Monthly Archives: July 2017

Make Waves!

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Make-Waves

 

I made another card using images and a sentiment from the latest Essentials by Ellen stamp set Mermaid Tail’s. The details of the mermaid tail are so beautiful, that gold embossing is perfect for it!

I wanted the gold embossed details of the mermaid tail to really show, so I used vellum instead of regular cardstock to give the image a transparent, light feel as if the image was floating on top of the water.

Hope you liked this project and the effect I was trying to achieve. Remember, be like a mermaid and make waves!

 

How I made this project:

  1. For the waves background:
    • Prep an A2-sized piece of white cardstock with anti-static powder.
    • Stamp the wave background onto the cardstock with Versamark ink
    • Apply white embossing powder to stamped background and heat with a heat tool until melted.
    • Let the embossed background cool.
    • Using the embossed-resist technique, use 3 shades of blue ink to create an ombre effect from top to bottom. Blend the background as much as you need for the desired effect.
  2. For the mermaid tail:
    • Prep a piece of vellum cardstock (40# is best) with anti-static powder.
    • Stamp the mermaid tail image onto the vellum using Versamark ink.
    • Apply gold embossing powder to the stamped image and heat with a heat tool until melted.
    • Let the embossed image cool before die-cutting (with coordinating die) or fussy-cutting it.
    • You may want to put the vellum under a heavy book or block to flatten it after it has been heat embossed.
  3. For the sentiment:
    • Prep another piece of vellum cardstock with anti-static powder.
    • Stamp the sentiment onto the vellum with Versamark ink.
    • Apply gold embossing powder to the stamped sentiment and heat with a heat tool until melted.
    • Using a small cloud image die, cut out the sentiment.
  4. For the assembly of the card:
    • Cut down the A2 wave background by an eighth of an inch on all sides. The final size of the wave background will be 4” x 5.25”.
    • Cut out an A2-sized piece of turquoise or blue cardstock that complements the blue colors used in the wave background. This is the mat for the wave background.
    • Adhere the wave background to the mat. (Note: For added dimension, you can adhere a piece of craft foam sheet cut slightly smaller than the wave background to the wave background and then adhere the card front to the mat).
    • Apply a runner adhesive (not a wet adhesive) to the mermaid tail and adhere it to the card front. Do the same for the sentiment. (Note: the background is busy enough that runner adhesive will not be noticeable underneath the vellum).
    • Adhere the entire card front to a top-folding A2 card base.
    • Apply sequins to the card front as desired.

 

Supplies used in making this project:

  1. Stamps:
    • Essentials by Ellen: Mermaid’s Tail stamp set (mermaid tail, sentiment)
    • Hero Arts: Wave Background stamp (background)
  2. Dies:
    • Essentials by Ellen: Mermaid Tail’s coordinated dies (tail)
    • Hero Arts Dies: Infinity Nesting Clouds (for die cutting the sentiment)
  3. Cardstock:
    • Neenah Solar White 80# for card front for wave background
    • Turquoise-colored cardstock (from my stash) for the mat
    • Bazzill Vellum 40# for mermaid tail and sentiment
    • Neenah Solar White 110# for the card base.
  4. Ink:
    • Tsukineko’s Versamark Ink
    • Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Inks in: Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers and Broken China)
  5. Other:
    • Heat tool
    • Wow Embossing Powder in Gold Rich Pale
    • Hero Arts White Embossing Powder
    • Hero Arts Ombre Sequins in Blue

 

Call Me On My Shell Phone!

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Mermaid_Tail

Mermaids and anything related to them are really big in the card making world right now.

For this project, I used the new Essentials by Ellen stamp set, Mermaid’s Tail. I love the detailed pattern on the mermaid tail and the clever sentiments and puns that come along with the set.

How I made this project:

I stamped the mermaid tail onto watercolor card stock with Versafine ink in Onyx Black. This ink is waterproof and therefore would work well with the watercolor pens I used to color the image.

I chose 3 shades of purple watercolor pens (Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens) to color the body of the mermaid tail. I blended the 3 purples to create an ombré look using a watercolor brush. I colored the fin in a yellow-toned color (actual color was called flesh) and blended that color out using the water color brush.

Once the watercolors dried, I applied a light gold watercolor wash from Gansai Tambi’s Starry Colors watercolor set. I painted the color wash between the scales of the tail and over the fin itself. The color I used from this set was #905-Light Gold. The photo of the project doesn’t pick up the slight gold shimmer, but when the card is held at an angle, you definitely see. This is an unexpected surprise that the receiver of the card will notice.

I die cut the tail after it was thoroughly air dried.

I wanted to create some additional dimension for the card front without it detracting from the color and details of the mermaid tail. To do this, I used a We R Memory Keepers Next Level embossing folder called Wave and embossed an A2-sized of white card stock. The embossing folder creates a softly raised wave background. This piece was cut down to 4″ x 5.25″ because I wanted to mat the finished card front onto a piece of black A2-sized cardstock. The card front was adhered to the black mat with Scor-Tape,

I die-cut a double-fishtail banner from white cardstock and stamped it with the sentiment using Versafine Onyx Black ink.

All the pieces (mermaid tail, sentiment banner) were mounted onto the card front as you see on the project. I added purple sequins and a small die-cut clam shell for more interest.

The entire card front was mounted onto an A2 top-folding card base.

I like the details of this card and hope you do too.

Supplies used in making this project:

  • Stamps: Essentials by Ellen: Mermaid’s Tail
  • Dies: Mermaid Tail’s coordinating dies (tail and clam shell)
  • Embossing Folder: We R Memory Keepers Next Level embossing folder Wave
  • Inks: Versafine Ink in Onyx Black.
  • Markers: Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens (081-Light Violet; 082-Purple; 083-Lilac; 071-Flesh)
  • Watercolors: Gansai Tambi Starry Colors set (#905 Light Gold)
  • Cardstock:  TIm Holtz Distress Watercolor Card Stock; Neenah Solar White 80# (card front); Black card stock (from my stash); Neenah Solar White 110# (card base).
  • Other: Hero Arts Hombre Sequins in Purple.

Seas the Day!

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Seas-the-Day

Hello everyone,

I love puns and was able to incorporate a punny sentiment in my project for the latest Ellen Hutson Mix It Up Challenge. This particular challenge is all about pairing any Essentials by Ellen products with Lawn Fawn products. I was able to combine several stamp sets together to create a whimsical ocean scene. I thought the lines of the images and sentiments were all quite similar and went well together.

I took the sentiment from a stamp set from Ellen Hutson’s latest release named Mermaid’s Tail and some cute critter images and coordinating dies from Lawn Fawn to create this card. Other images from other Essentials by Ellen stamp sets were also added to complete the project.

I had fun constructing the layout and hope you find it fun as well. Seas the Day or should I say Carp-a-Diem? LOL!

How I made this project:

  • Using a 4”x 5.25” panel of watercolor cardstock, I blended 2 shades of blue Distress Oxide Inks to create the underwater background. I let the background dry. Once dry, I stamped the seaweed (using another shade of Distress Oxide Ink). I stamped the sentiment and the ocean waves in black ink.
  • Several critter images from Lawn Fawn’s Critters of the Sea stamp set were stamped onto some Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock. I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink to do this because the sea critters were going to be colored using Copic markers and Memento Ink does not bleed or smear when you use them with Copics.
  • After coloring the critters, I die-cut them using the coordinating dies for the stamp set. The sea creatures were mounted onto the card front using foam tape.
  • I add some splash drops around the dolphin to emphasize the dolphin jumping up out of the water. I used Distress Oxide Ink for this as well.
  • The finished card front was adhered to an A2-sized mat in turquoise colored cardstock from my stash and then mounted onto a top-folding A2 card base.

Supplies used in making this project:

Stamps and Dies:

  • Essentials by Ellen Mermaid’s Tail stamp set (sentiment)
  • Essentials by Ellen: Otter Ware stamp set (seaweed, waves, water splashes)
  • Lawn Fawn: Critters of the Sea stamp set and coordinating die set (sold separately).

Inks and Markers:

  • Distress Oxide Inks in: Salty Ocean, Broken China, Peeled Paint
  • Copic Makers: C1, C2, C3, R20, Y38
  • Versamark Ink in Onyx Black
  • Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black

Cardstock:

  • Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor cardstock
  • Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock (for sea critters)
  • Neenah Solar White 110# cardstock (card base)
  • Turquoise blue cardstock from my stash (mat for card front)

A Day Bursting with Joy

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Day-Bursting-With-Joy

Hello everyone,

The inspiration photos shown below for the June Ellen Hutson Pin-Sights Challenge is filled with bright summer floral colors.

My project incorporates these beautiful colors in the peonies. I’ve also added a touch of gold around the edges. For information on how I made this project and the supplies I used, read on below.

Pin-Sights-June-2017-Inspiration

How I made this project:

I blended three of the colors (Abandoned Coral, Spiced Marmalade, and Fossilized Amber) from the Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Inks line onto an A2-sized piece of hot press watercolor paper. A mini ink blending tool was used for this. The Distress Oxides blend so smoothly!

After getting the colors blended like I wanted, I stamped three peony flower images onto the blended background. I used a black archival ink that would not bleed if I decided to add water splatters to the background. Ultimately I didn’t use water splatters because I thought it might distract from the large blooms and the softly blended, bright background. I wanted the colors to pop so I decided to adhere the card front against an A2-sized black mat. To do this, I had to cut the card front down to 4″ x 5.25″.

The flowers against the black mat were striking, but to further emphasize this, I smudged Nuvo Embellishment Mousse in Indian Gold around the edges of the card front. This was done before I adhered the card front to the black mat. The entire front was adhered to an A2 card base.

I stamped the sentiment onto a black strip of cardstock using gold ink. The strip was mounted onto the card using foam tape.

Supplies used in making this project:

Stamps: Ellen Hutson Essentials by Ellen: Mondo Peony stamp set; Essentials by Ellen: Lovely stamps set (sentiment).

Inks:  Distress Oxide Inks: Abandoned Coral, Spiced Marmalade, and Fossilized Amber; Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black; Tsukineko Delicata Ink in Golden Glitz.

Cardstock: Hot press water color paper; Bazzill Cardstock: Licorice Twist.

Other: Nuvo Embellishment Mousse in Indian Gold; Misti Stamping Tool.