Monthly Archives: July 2018

Happy, Happy Birthday: Unicorns and Birthday Cake!

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What could be any more wonderful than having a unicorn and pink cake for your birthday!

I got the inspiration for this whimsical card from several Essentials by Ellen stamps. I think the leaping unicorn is so cute and the fine lined images all coordinate well with each other even though they are from different stamp sets.

How I made this project:

  • Stamp the images onto Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink or any Copic-friendly black ink.
  • Color the images using Copic markers.
  • Die-cut the unicorn, cake, candles and stars from their respective stamp sets.
  • Onto an A2-sized piece of Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper, lightly blend a background using Distress Oxide ink and a foam ink blending tool.
  • Arrange the die-cut images on the card, but don’t adhere. This must be done to determine the placement of the birthday sentiment at the bottom of the card.
  • Once the sentiment location has been determined, stamp the sentiment in black ink.
  • Adhere all the image pieces using foam tape for dimension.

 

Supplies used to make this project:

  • Stamps: All stamps by Ellen Hutson’s Essentials by Ellen stamp line:
    • Unicorn and Rainbows stamp set (unicorn and stars)
    • Wish Big (birthday cake and candles)
    • Sock Monkey Surprise (sentiment)
  • Dies: All dies by Essentials by Ellen coordinating die sets:
    • Unicorn and Rainbows die set (unicorn and stars die)
    • Wish Big die set (birthday cake and candles)
  • Inks:
    • Distress Oxide Ink in Tumbled Glass (background)
    • Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Copic-friendly) for stamping images
    • Versafine Clare pigment ink in Nocturne (sentiment)
  • Copic Markers:
    • Unicorn – B02,BG07 and V17 (hair); C1 (body light shading); Y08 (horn and hooves)
    • Birthday cake: RV52, RV55
    • Birthday candles: Y08
  • Cardstock:
    • Neenah Solar White 80# for stamped images
    • Strathmore Bristol Smooth 100# paper for blended background
    • Neenah Solar White 110# for card base

Hope you like the project. Have a great day filled with unicorns, cake and stars. Unfortunately, I left out the sprinkles, but you can add them on your own!

A Cacti Hello!

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I just wanted to make a cute card from Newton’s Nook Cuppa Cactus stamp set. The shape of these cacti is just perfect for some Copic coloring and I like the fact that plants are sitting in patterned coffee mugs!

I decide to use a circle die with cross-stitching around the edge to complement and emphasize the cactus spines. The circle was die-cut from a piece of watercolor cardstock that I had washed with aqua-colored ink.

How I made this project:

  • Using a flat brush, color-wash a piece of watercolor paper with diluted aqua colored ink. Let the paper dry.
  • Die-cut a circle (about 3.25” in diameter) from the dried color-washed watercolor paper.
  • Stamp the cacti images onto some white cardstock using a Copic-friendly ink.
  • Color the cacti images.
  • Die-cut the cacti images from their coordinating dies or fussy-cut them using scissors.
  • Die-cut a small puffy cloud or cut a puffy cloud from white cardstock using scissors.
  • Cut an A2-sized mat from aqua-colored cardstock
  • Cut a 4-inch x 5.25-inch piece of white cardstock.
  • For card assembly:
    • Adhere the 4-inch x 5.25-inch piece of white cardstock to the A2 piece of aqua-colored cardstock to make the card front.
    • Adhere foam tape to the back of the color-washed circle.
    • Adhere the color-washed circle to the card front and mount the cacti and clouds (all flush) onto the circle.
    • Stamp the sentiment.
    • Mount the completed card front onto an A2 card base.

Supplies used in making this project:

  • Stamps: Newton’s Nook: Cuppa Cactus stamp set.
  • Dies: Newton’s Nook: Cuppa Cactus coordinating die set; My Favorite Things: Cross-Stitch Circle Stax dies (second larges die in the set); WPlus9: Hearts & Clouds die set (no longer available).
  • Inks: Papertrey Ink in Hawaiian Shores and Tropical Teal (blended for a light wash for the circle background); Versafine Pigment Ink in Onyx Black (sentiment).
  • Copic Markers: Cacti: G14, G16; Flowers: RV19 and RV17 for one flower, Y19 and YR15 for the other flower; Coffee Mugs: BG18,YR15, YR65 for one mug, BG18, YR14 over YR19 for the other mug.
  • Cardstock: Watercolor cardstock for circle background; Neenah Solar White 80# (for stamped cacti images and cloud); Papertrey Ink: Aqua Mist (for mat); Neenah Solar White 110# (for card base).

Hope you like the project. Have a great day!

Seas the Day Seahorses

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I love seahorses. There is something about them that is graceful, calm, and quiet.

This card was made using a technique demonstrated by Betsy Veldman on the Papertrey Ink blog’s Make It Monday feature. Her technique enables you to make quick and easy water-colored backgrounds.

I adapted her technique by dragging the water color all the way down to the opposite edge of the watercolor cardstock using a wet flat brush. Her technique drags the wet brush about two-thirds of the way down the paper and then ends. I wanted to create an entire front panel of color which is lighter on the top, just like the light in the ocean as you get nearer to the surface of the water. I used Betsy’s technique as I mentioned above and then flipped the card front 180° so the lighter end was on top. I also worked the ink a little more than she suggested.

Nevertheless, her technique produces beautiful results! I love Betsy Veldman’s demonstrations of techniques. She is such an artist. Thanks Betsy for the inspiration!

 

How I made this project:

View Betsy Veldman’s technique here: Papertrey’s Make it Monday #327 – Ombre Watercolor Backgrounds for the technique I used (modified a bit) to make the card front.

 

Supplies used in making this project:

  • Stamps: Papertrey Ink: Salt Air: Flora stamp set; Papertrey Ink: Salt Air: Fauna stamp set; Papertrey Ink: Salt Air sentiments.
  • Inks: Papertrey Inks (darkest to lightest): Tropical Teal, Hawaiian Shores; Aqua Mist; Versamark ink for stamping the sentiment (later heat embossed).
  • Cardstock: Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor cardstock (for card front); Neenah Solar White 110# (for card base).
  • Other: Hero Arts: white embossing powder, foam ink blending tool.

Hope you like this project and seas the day!

 

A Happy Hello: Tropical Flower

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Tropical temperatures and summer go hand in hand where I live. Currently, we are having a respite from the heat, but I’m sure the hot and humid weather will come back soon to Chicago.

This card is bright and cheery and is meant to perk up anyone who is dealing with hot temperatures wherever they may live.

How I made this project:

  • Stamp tropical flower and palm leaves images (twice for the large leaf image and once for the smaller leaf image for a total of 3 stamped leaf images) onto Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Ink or any Copic-friendly ink.
  • Color the images with Copic markers.
  • Die-cut the images using their coordinating dies, or fussy cut them.
  • Onto a 4” x 5.25” piece of Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper (140#), blend and fade yellow ink onto the lower left area of the paper and the upper right area. Use a foam blending tool for this.
  • Arrange the leaf images behind the flower image. Tape the leaf images together.
  • Adhere the flower image with foam tape onto the bed of leaves.
  • Adhere the entire flower/leaves images to the Bristol Smooth paper.
  • Stamp the sentiment in the upper-right area of the card front.
  • Mount the card front onto an A2-sized green-colored mat.
  • Mount the final card front onto an A2-sized card base.

 

Supplies used in making this project:

  • Stamps: WPlus9: Tropic Fever stamp set (tropical flower and large and smaller palm leaves); WPlus9: Hand-lettered Hello (sentiment).
  • Dies: WPlus9: Tropic Fever coordinating die set.
  • Inks: Memento: Tuxedo Black; Versafine Onyx Black pigment ink; Papertrey Ink: Harvest Gold (for blended/faded background)
  • Cardstock: Strathmore: Bristol Smooth paper (140#); Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock (stamped images); Papertrey Ink: New Leaf cardstock (mat); Neenah Solar White 110# cardstock for card base.
  • Copic Markers: Leaves: YG06, YG23; Flower: Y32, Y35, Y38.

 

Hope you like this project. Have a great and cool day!