Hi everyone! I’m so glad you’ve stopped by today. In this month’s Newsletter, I wanted to take a look at one of my favorite coloring methods....coloring with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers. I'll also be using the new Mondo Sakura from the fabulous Essentials By Ellen May Release. So much good stuff!
The Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers are water based pigment markers with a genuine brush tip. They’re a great way to quickly color an image or create quick watercolor effects. The real brush tip also makes them great for brush lettering techniques. I think the best part of the markers themselves is their ease of use.
I’ve done a thorough in depth comparison on these markers versus the Zig Art And Graphic Twin Markers. To check out that post, click HERE. I think you’ll get some great information.
While they are easy to use and give great results, there are a few things to remember to get the best results.
Paper matters. While I love my Neenah Solar White for Copic coloring, it is not my card stock of choice for coloring with most water-based markers. I prefer either the Smooth Bristol or a watercolor card stock for coloring with these types of markers. These card stocks allow the marker to sit on top of the paper and blend easier.
Blend it beautiful. While another marker of a lighter shade or water are the most obvious choices for blending out these markers....they’re not the ONLY choice. Try other things that you might have in your stash to give different looks. My favorites are shimmer pens and the Art and Graphic Twin Blender Pen. You could even use a paint brush dipped in pearlized water to blend these out and give a fun pearlescent effect to your coloring.
Think about ink. A permanent ink is important for images that are going to be exposed to a wet medium like water based markers. Choose a black ink that won’t bleed when exposed to water. My favorites include the VersaFine Clair Pigment ink, the Catherine Pooler Midnight Ink and Hero Arts Intense Black Ink. All of these are permanent when dry. I like to hit them all with a heat tool for a few seconds if I’ll be coloring the images right away so I know that they’re set and I won’t have a bleeding image when I color.
Mixology means more. You may not have the perfect shade....but that's okay! You can create custom shades by mixing colors. Mix them on an acrylic block and pick them up with a paint brush, or blend them together right on your project. This means you can get the perfect shade every time!
For today's card, I colored the Mondo Sakura from the May Essentials By Ellen release on Bristol card stock using the Zig Real Brush Markers. If you haven't checked out the amazing new products released this month, you can click HERE to see all of them! You don't want to miss these!
To add a special touch, I used a fine tip glue pen to add some glue to the end parts of the stamen of the flowers. I allowed this glue to dry and then pressed some champagne foil over the top of the adhesive to add a touch of gold to this card project. I love the way the foil shines and catches the light.
Be sure to check out today's video tutorial. I'll be walking you through the creation of this card...and give you some tips and tricks along the way.
Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you've enjoyed this project and some tips for using the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers. And I hope you leave here inspired to create something beautiful of your own! Until next time, I hope you have a fabulous day.
XOXO
Watch The Video
You can watch this video in HD on our YouTube channel by clicking HERE. Don't forget to subscribe while you're there so you don't miss any of our video tutorials.
Hi everyone! Welcome back! I hope you're having a fabulous April!
In this month's edition of the Ellen Hutson In Touch Newsletter, we're talking windows. I'll be sharing a few window card ideas in today's video tutorial and give you a few tips for creating window cards of your own.
These projects feature the newest Leading Ladies from the Essentials By Ellen line, Hot Mess Lady and Everyday Hero Lady. They are so much fun. I'll also be using the Be Strong stamp set, which coordinates perfectly with these new ladies. I've done all of my coloring with Copic Markers.
Window cards are a fun change-up to a basic card project. They're not difficult to create by any means and they are an easy way to step up a card design.
Windows come in lots of shapes and sizes. You can use almost any die to create a window on your card project. Think outside the box and experiment with the dies you may already own. Today, I'm using the Silver Linings Die Set to create a rectangle window, I'm using the Brushstroke Love die to create a word window and finally a basic heart shaped die to create a fun heart shaped window.
In addition to different shapes and sizes, there are a lot of ways to use windows on your cards. Here are a few of my favorite.
Frame it up. A framing window is used when your focal point is actually on the inside of your card. The window creates a frame around the focal image and allows the recipient to have a peek of the focal image. Once the card is opened, the entire image is revealed. In the card featuring my lovely super hero, I've used a rectangle to frame up my lady. Once the card is opened, the Everyday Hero Lady, in all her caped glory, is revealed. This window is rather large and gives a big sneak peek, but it would also be fun to create this with a smaller window, and allow the cape to be a big surprise when opened.
Suspend it. I love to use frames on my card as a means to suspend elements. In the heart window card, I've used the window as an opportunity to suspend my die cut greeting, making it appear as if it's floating. I added acetate to the back of the window so I could adhere the greeting in the center. If your suspended element is big enough, you can skip the acetate and allow it to stretch over the entire window and attach it on either side. This is a fun way to add something unexpected to your card project. You'll also notice that I've suspended some vellum clouds in the first window card. I love this effect.
Pattern play. In the final card project, I've used a word die to create a window. This peek-a-boo window allows the recipient to see the patterned paper showing through the window. At first glance, you may think it's just a little bit of patterned paper backing. When the card it opened, a whole new element (a die cut heart) is revealed. Allowing the pattern to peek-a-boo through the window adds color and pattern to the front of the card, as well as the inside of the card.
Shake shake shake, shake your card. I didn't create a shaker card today, but it is definitely another fun spin on a window card.
Go all the way. Try adding a window that goes through all the panels of the card, card front and card base....all the way through the back portion of the card base. This is always such a fun way to add another variation to your window cards. It's like a see through card!
As your experimenting with window cards, try something you've never tried before. Try an unexpected shape or use a sentiment die to create your window. Add patterned paper, dry embossing or some stamping on the inside of the card and allow it to peek through the window. Look beyond your normal and find some fun new ways to incorporate windows in to your next card project.
Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you've enjoyed this look at window cards and that you've been inspired in some new way! What's your favorite way to use windows? Let me know in the comments below! Maybe we can inspire each other!
Until next time, I hope you have a fabulous day!
XOXO
Copic Colors Used R 20, 22, 00, 11, 32 E 00, 21 YR 24, 27, 29 Y 19, 35 YG 01, 03 T 1 BG 11, 32, 13
Watch The Video
You can watch this video in HD on our YouTube channel by clicking HERE. Don't forget to subscribe while you're there!
Hey, y'all! Julie here, sharing a few products and techniques from the Frozen Product Bundle for adding snow and ice effects to your winter projects! I adore snow but we really don't get much, if any at all, on Whidbey Island, so I have to make my own winter wonderland on paper, LOL!
Make your own "disposable" stencil using a die--80# card stock is a great weight for this type of stencil and reduces clean up!
Zig Two Way Glue makes a great repositionable/removable adhesive--just allow it to dry thoroughly, until it is tacky to the touch.
#100/#110 weight card stock tends to perform better with pastes (less buckling from thicker wet type mediums such as pastes)
Moonstone Glimmer Paste is a clear color; ink colors beneath will show through, which can make for some wonderful effects!
Remove the stencil (carefully) while the paste is still wet so it does not become permanently glued down to your project.
Clean up palette knives/tools immediately or paste becomes extremely difficult to remove when dry.
Depending upon how thickly applied, paste can take 10-20 min to dry.
TIPS FOR MICRO BEADS:
Micro beads can also be applied to double sided sticky tape to make beaded borders.
Try covering a stamped image with the wider double-sided sticky tapes and then applying the micro beads for beautifully unique effect!
Made of glass, as opposed to plastic, these beads can also be used with Sticky Embossing Powder.
TIPS FOR PUFF EMBOSSING POWDER:
The grind of this embossing powder is a little more coarse; use a well-inked embossing pad.
It also has a textured, matte finish that cures to a hard finish; takes a little longer to heat emboss than regular grind powder. Take your time and make sure all areas get properly heated/embossed.
Best suited for bolder images, as opposed to finely detailed.
TIPS FOR LIQUID APPLIQUE:
May appear off-white, but whitens as it is heated
Wet, freshly applied Liquid Appliqué will puff up very fluffy and irregular when heat is applied; if left to dry completely overnight, it will puff up very smoothly when heat is applied. Experiment to see which result you like best for your project.
Whether wet or dried overnight, begin to heat with embossing gun about 6" away and gradually move in closer to the point where the Liquid Appliqué begins to puff up. Take care not to get so close you scorch it or the paper surface.
If (wet) Liquid Appliqué "deflates" after heating, that means the outside surface is cured but it's still wet inside and needs to be heated for more time until it is fully dried.
Glitter can be sprinkled into wet Liquid Appliqué for a puffy glittered effect.
If the card is going to be mailed, cured Liquid Appliqué can often become flattened or crushed; to avoid this, you can apply clear embossing powder over the top of it while it is still wet and then heat emboss. The clear embossing powder will act as a hard, protective "shell".
WATCH THE VIDEO
Watch this video in HD on our YouTube channel by clicking HERE. Thank you for giving it a thumbs' up and for subscribing!
Hey everyone! I hope you're having a great July! In this month's Ellen Hutson Newsletter, we're going to be taking a look at an "oldie but a goodie" Perfect Pearls.
Perfect Pearls are a great way to add some pearlescent shimmer to your cards. It's a different look than you can achieve using other mediums. Depending on the colors and techniques that you use with the Perfect Pearls, you can get many looks. Instead of a bold, in your face shimmer and shine like glitter paste or embossing powders, this is a more subdued pearlescent finish.
In the video tutorial, I'll be showing you some different ways you can use them. Be sure to check that out for more tips and tricks.
Here are a few ways you can use Perfect Pearls
Shimmer Over Stamped Images - Stamp you image in Versamark ink and then cover with Perfect Pearls to give a pearlescent finish to your stamped images.
Stenciled Shimmer - Apply ink to your project through a stencil and then pounce on Perfect Pearls.
Stamped Off Shimmer - Apply ink all over a die cut piece and pounce on Perfect Pearls. Then use a stamped inked with Versamark to remove the Perfect Pearls in just the stamped areas.
Shimmer Spritz - You can mix Perfect Pearls in water to create a shimmery spritz. Or use this pearlized water to watercolor for a subtle pearlescent finish on your watercolored project.
Perfect Pearls come in a lot of different colors. Try different colors of Perfect Pearls on colored card stock. You'll be surprised at the beautiful results you can achieve. My favorite is the Perfect Pearls in Mint on Mulberry card stock. Beautiful!
Perfect Pearls has a built in fixative to keep it in place. You can lightly mist your project once the Perfect Pearls are in place to lock them in place.
All of my projects today feature the new Mermaid's Tail stamps and dies from the Essentials By Ellen line. This is definitely my new favorite stamp and die combo. I love the big bold mermaid tail. It's the perfect focal image for A2 sized cards. You don't need much else on your card when you have a big, beautiful, shimmery mermaid tail as your focal point.
I also love the sentiments included with the Mermaid's Tail stamp set. There is a great mix of snarky sentiments, as well as encouraging sentiments. I mean, who doesn't love a sentiment that says "Mermaids Don't Have Thigh Gaps"? I can't wait to use the one that says "I want to be where the people aren't". But if snark isn't your thing, you've got plenty of options, like "make waves" and "keep swimming".
I've used a variety of sentiments on my card projects today.
So there you have it. A quick look at Perfect Pearls...and three fabulous mermaid projects to go with it.
I hope you enjoyed today's projects. Thanks for stopping by. Until next time, I hope you have a fabulous day!
Watch The Video
You can watch this video in HD on our YouTube channel by clicking HERE. Don't forget to subscribe while you're there so you don't miss any of our video tutorials.
Hey everyone! Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you are having a fabulous day.
Color trends come and go. Staying up on the color trends in your card making and paper crafting can keep your cards feeling fresh and current. One of this year's top color trends is black and white. It's classic. It's graphic. It's bold. And when you combine it with a pop of orange, it's FABULOUS! This combo isn't just for Halloween folks.
Today, I wanted to share three ways to incorporate color trends in to your projects. Keep in mind, these aren't the ONLY ways to incorporate them. There's probably an endless number of ways to incorporate them. But these simple methods are sure to get your wheels turning.
All of today's cards will feature black and white along with some pop of orange. I hope you'll find inspiration to create your own projects featuring this fun on trend color combo.
Incorporate Color Trends Using Patterned Paper
Just like color trends change, so does the world of paper crafting. And often times, we see the products evolving to match current trends. Patterned paper is a fun and easy way to incorporate color trends in to your projects. You can pick up an on trend 6x6 patterned paper pad and instantly have numerous options with fun patterns to boot. You can also make your own patterned paper with background stamps.
For my first card project today, I used patterned paper for my black and white element. I love the very bold graphic nature of this patterned paper. A little of it goes a long way. I also brought in some solid black card stock and white linen card stock to repeat the colors in the project. I added a pop of orange using some stamped images.
Incorporate Color Trends In Your Focal Image
As stampers and paper crafts with endless options for inks, a stamped focal image, incorporating a "hot right now" color is a quick and simple way to add that color trend to your project. A fresh ink color can open up a whole new world of inspiration. But lucky for us, most of us already own one or two....maybe 10....black ink pads.
For my second card, I used Versafine Onyx Black pigment ink to stamp the Mondo Peony stamp set on to some vellum and clear heat embossed over the top. Now vellum may not be your typical go to for incorporating white, but it's a fun alternative to white card stock. It changes the feel of a card completely. It's a versatile product that can easily be altered using standard dye ink pads.
I also added a quick watercolor backdrop for my peonies. This was a great way to add a pop of orange and keep the card feeling a little softer.
Incorporate Color Trends Using Embellishments
Embellishments just might be my favorite way to incorporate color and SHINE. Not all embellishments are shiny...but nevertheless, they are a great way to incorporate color. Enamel dots, twine, sequins, Nuvo Drops, ribbons, thread, glitter, washi tape, gems....the list goes on and on. You know you love them. Some of them (like gems and enamel dots) can even be altered to change the color. So while you may not have the perfect color on hand, maybe you can create it.
In the final card today, I used black and white embellishments to add dimension, shine and color to my card. I used a combination of Taylored Expressions Enamel Dots, Tonic Nuvo Crystal Drops and some black and white bakers twine. They are all the perfect finishing touches to my card.
For my pop of orange, a simple stamped Wonky Backdrop (one of my favorite sets), serves as the grounding place for my grouping. I muted the orange back with a layer of vellum over the top so that the other elements would really stand out.
So there you have it! Three easy ways to add color trends to your card making projects. And don't just stop at black and white. There is color inspiration everywhere.
In the video tutorial below, I"ll walk you through the creation of each of these cards. Be sure to check that out.
I hope you've found some inspiration for incorporating color trends in to your card making projects. What's your favorite way to add color? Let me know in the comments below.
Thanks for stopping by! It's your turn to get to crafting. So what are you waiting for? Ready. Set. GO!
Watch The Video
You can watch this video in HD on our YouTube channel by clicking HERE. Don't forget to subscribe while you're there so you won't miss any of our video tutorials.
Happy April everyone! Can you believe it? Spring (and pollen) is in the air and my craving for bright bold spring colors is at an all time high. So today, I'm taking one of my favorite brights, magenta, and creating a monochromatic card.
Today's card features some of the latest stamps and dies from Reverse Confetti. This is another line of stamps and dies that is fairly new to the Ellen Hutson shop. I've been a fan of Reverse Confetti for quite some time. I'm thrilled that it is now available in my favorite one stop crafty shop. You can check out some of Reverse Confetti's other products by clicking HERE. I think you're going to like what you see.
So let's talk monochrome for a second. What does that mean? Well....to be technical, I looked up the definition....and here's what the almighty internet had to say.
mon·o·chrome
NOUN
a photograph or picture developed or executed in black and white or in varying tones of only one color
So for our purposes, it's a card, using one color. But notice the varying tones. Varying the tones within a color is going to keep your card from falling flat. The Hero Arts ink cubes are perfect for this purpose. They come in a grouping of ink pads that are varying tones of the same color. Today, I'll be using the Floral Hues ink cubes for my color palate. This gives me a good variance of purples to work with. Yes, there's a pink in there, but I think you'll see as I add it that it really does mix and meld well to create a variance in my pretty purple palate. (Love me some alliteration.)
I'm going to show you exactly how this card came together in the video tutorial below. So be sure you check that out. I'll give you some tips and tricks and talk you through the entire creation of this card.
Now you're going to notice that my card isn't ALL magenta. Adding a little variance, and some neutrals, which for me means white and gold, keeps the card true to my style and keeps the color from being overwhelming.
I chose to use inked vellum for my backdrop, which lends a softness and texture to the card which wouldn't be possible with a solid colored card stock.
I finished the card off with some sparkly Hero Arts ombre sequins. These were the perfect finishing touch to my monochromatic card and give just the right amount of sparkle. No card is complete without a little bit of sparkle, right?
I hope you've enjoyed this project and that I've inspired you to try something new on your next card creation.
Thanks for stopping by today. Until next time, I hope you have a fabulous day!
Watch The Video
You can watch this video in HD on our YouTube channel by clicking HERE. Don't forget to subscribe while you're there so you don't miss any of our card making and paper crafting tutorials.
Welcome back everyone! It’s Carissa here with you today. For the Ellen Hutson LLC October newsletter, I really wanted to give you a good look at my favorite adhesives. I’m going to walk you through how I use these adhesives and my favorite applications for each one.
When I talk about adhesives, I generally talk about to categories, wet adhesives and dry adhesives. Dry adhesives give an instant bond and include things like tape runners, specialty tapes, foam adhesives and Stick It. Wet adhesives usually have a little open time, meaning they don’t bond instantaneously, and include things like glue, glue pens, Matte Medium and Glossy Accents.
I’m going to walk you through all of my favorites in the video below, but I wanted to include a few quick notes about each of these adhesives here.
Scotch ATG- This tape runner adhesive is one of my favorites. It gives an instant bond. It’s best for things like paper to paper applications. The instant bond is firm and permanent from the get go, so it’s not very forgiving if you have to reposition things. The refills are huge, (36 yards to be exact) so you can craft your little heart way without having to stop to refill. These large refills are also very economical, about 3 cents per foot. The general purpose refills are not acid free, so you scrappers out there may want to keep that in mind. It can also be a little bulky and heavy, so it’s not ideal for travel.
Tombow Stamp Runner- I go back and forth between the Tombow Stamp Runner and the ATG. I like both of them. The compact size of the Stamp Runner makes it a great option for an on the go crafter. The adhesive comes out in a dot pattern on your paper. This adhesive, also great for paper to paper applications, gives and instant bond. Because the bond on this isn’t super strong from the get go, it’s a little more forgiving if you have to reposition your pieces on your project. However, as the adhesive sits on your project, the bond strengthens and become permanent. This adhesive is acid free. The refills are about 40 feet long and average about 10 cents per foot.
Be Creative Tape – If the Scotch ATG is considered a firm bond, then the Be Creative Tape would be considered a very firm, very permanent bond. This bond is strong and secure from the start. The Be Creative Tape comes in a variety of widths, so you can choose the width that best suits your project. This adhesive is also available in sheets for die cutting. I use this adhesive for boxes, bags and envelopes. This very firm, permanent bond is also great for glitter, microbeads, flocking and even foiling. My favorite feature of this adhesive is that you can tear it. No scissors needed to get the size you need. Just lay it down and tear it to the length you need.
Stick It Adhesive – This is by FAR my favorite adhesive for die cutting. The backer paper is super thin, making it excellent for die cutting. I often apply large portions of this adhesive to card stock and then die cut it with intricate dies. This means my die cuts already have adhesive on the back. It’s perfect for those intricate word die cuts and other fine line die cuts. I also use this adhesive to adhere vellum. When used to adhere vellum to white card stock, you can’t see this stuff at all. It is a little more visible when attaching vellum to colored card stock, so keep that in mind. I’ll show you this in the video below. Another nice feature about this adhesive is that the bond is not permanent until you’ve really pressed it on to your project, allowing you to reposition something until it’s just right.
Scotch Foam Tape – I love my giant roll of foam tape. This adhesive can be torn to whatever size you need. Or you can use scissors to cut it down the middle to make narrow strips of foam adhesive. Just like other dry adhesives, the bond is instant. This adhesive adds dimension to your project, making it really pop. It’s a great thickness, but can be stacked up to add even more dimension. This is a must have in any crafters stash. Since there’s so much on a roll, you’ll get a lot of use out of it before it has to be replaced.
Ranger Multi Medium Matte – This wet adhesive is great for securing embellishments to your projects. This is my favorite adhesive for adhering sequins to my projects. Since this adhesive dries matte, if a little squeezes out the side of your embellishment, you won’t even notice it. If you put this adhesive on pretty thick, the open time is pretty long. You won’t get a super fast dry time with this adhesive, but you can be sure your precious embellies will be stuck for good with this one. The only thing I really wouldn’t use this for is felt. For whatever reason, it just doesn’t seem to work well with felt.
Glossy Accents – This is an adhesive and a an embellishment all in one. The high shine and loft of Glossy Accents makes it perfect for adding shine to die cut shapes, words or stamped images. It dries to a high gloss finish and adds dimension to your project. It’s also a great, strong hold adhesive, perfect for embellishments. However, be careful that you don’t add so much that it oozes out the side of your embellishments. You won’t be happy with those results because it will be really noticeable on your finished project.
For both my Ranger Multi Medium Matte and Glossy Accents, I like to add the Quilled Creations Precision Tip to my bottles. This allows me to put down tiny drops of adhesive. I highly recommend this extra little addition.
Tombow Mono Multi Glue - This glue is another great option for adding embellishments. This glue, along with the Zig Two Way Glue pen, sets up a bit faster than the Multi Medium, while still giving you enough open time to make adjustments. If allowed to dry completely on a surface, it will dry tacky and repositionable. You can make your own pick up stick with this by adding a bit of this adhesive to a pencil eraser and allowing it to dry. I recommend this glue for wood veneers, paper to paper applications and felt. It gives a nice firm bond when used with any of these materials. It's my favorite for adhering felt die cuts to projects. The nozzle on this bottle can be a little wide for some applications, and can make it hard to add tiny amounts. If you need a precision application of this glue, try squirting some out on to a craft mat and adding it to your project with a toothpick or a scrap of card stock.
Zig Two Way Glue Pen - Just like the Tombow Mono Multi Glue, the Zig Two Way Glue Pen dries tacky and repositionable. This glue goes on blue and dries clear. The consistency of this glue is a little thinner than the Mono Multi Glue. This makes it my favorite glue for adding foil accents to projects. It's also a great adhesive for paper to paper applications. The fine roller ball tip allows you to easily add this adhesive to the back of intricate die cuts. It sets up really quickly, but still gives you a bit of time to scoot your piece over if needed. While I love this for foiling and for paper to paper applications, it's not my adhesive of choice for embellishments. This glue pen comes with three different tip choices, a roller ball, a chisel nib and a bullet nib. You can choose which one works best for your needs...or keep all three on hand like me!
Finally, we can't talk about adhesives without talking about the Therm O Web Adhesive Eraser. This little tool is great for erasing adhesive mistakes. It will pull tape runner up off of your project. It even works on some dried liquid adhesives. It's great to have on hand.
So there you have it! A look at my favorite adhesives and what I like to use them for. I hope you found this video helpful for you in choosing your next adhesive.
Don't forget to watch the video below, where I'll show you all of these in action!
Until next time, I hope you have a fabulous day!
Watch The Video
You can watch this video in HD on our YouTube channel by clicking HERE.
Adding beautiful shimmery golden accents to your card designs doesn't get much easier than this! I recently got my hands on a set of Gansai Tambi Starry Colors and instantly fell in love. This collection of water-based pigments are super-infused with mica, come in generously sized traditional solid Japanese watercolor pans and are available at an amazing price!
The hues will stop you in your tracks! The color names listed on my box referenced Blue Gold, Red Gold, Yellow Gold, Champagne Gold, Light Gold and White Gold. But, I think the packaging on my box came from their earliest production, because I see they have renamed them Gemini Yellow Gold, Cazimi Gold, Lyra Gold, Star Dust Gold, Aether Pearl and Luna Silver.
They can be used on their own for Sumi-e brush painting, dipped pen calligraphy, brush lettering and watercolor work. The shimmery colors can be mixed in with other Gansai Tambi watercolors to create custom hues or you can paint right over previously watercolored work with as much opacity or translucency you like--it's all about the amount of water you use.
While I was playing with them, I tried both mixing and painting over the top and found that mixing with color, produced a more delicate, overall translucent shimmer. I noticed I also had to swirl my paintbrush around to remix the color + gold just prior to actually painting because they do separate and the heavier mica particles settle at the bottom of the palette wells. Just something to be aware of if you are trying to custom mix your own shimmery colors this way. Painting straight Starry Colors over the top of previously laid down (and dried) color enabled me to vary the intensity of the shimmer in specific areas with greater control.
The colors are stunning on either watercolor paper or black card stock and the opacity over black/dark card stock is rich and luminous!
I wanted to compare the Starry Colors with the metallics in the 36 pc. set of Gansai Tambi watercolors, (to the left and right). The Starry Colors are decidedly more shimmery whereas the Metallic Gansai Tambi have a more matte, altho still somewhat shimmery metallic finish. The hues and shimmer are significantly different and not duplicates of the other.
Another fun thing to note is that if you wanted to swap any or all of them into the 36 pc. box, the pans are the same size as the others and will fit without any problem! Cool!
The effects are quite dazzling, whether painted alone on off-white watercolor paper or atop other colors to give them shimmery highlights.
Over black card stock, they show up easily and with stunning opacity--I don't normally make single-layer black cards, but these paints make it hard to stop wanting to make a mile high stack of 'em!
As with any water-soluble painting medium, you will want to stamp your images with bleed-proof inks or heat emboss, to avoid any bleeding or muddying.
I hope you enjoyed taking a closer look at the Gansai Tambi Starry Colors--they are positively DREAMY, and once you try them, I think you'll become as obsessed as I am with them!
This month we're sharing an in depth overview of WOW! Embossing Powders. In the above photo, you can see they have quite a wide variety of of embossing products and they each have different features and, in some cases, multiple uses. They have their own line of Fab Foils, that work in conjunction with their Bonding Powder!
If you enjoy making your own custom mixes of embossing powders, I must also mention how cool their EMPTY Anti-static jars also are! They come labels that have enough space for you to write down the details of your custom mix so you can whip up a new batch whenever you run out! I actually plan to transfer some other embossing powders I already own into these jars because I love the anti-static feature.
Each of these powders are a fine grind. They melted smoothly with a nice shiny finish. In each instance, the Ultra-Slow-drying Pad performed equal to the Versamark pad. It is a clear ink and just like the Versamark, and I had to tilt the card stock to see where I had stamped.
The same powders were then embossed on black card stock; except for the Gold Rich, which is nicely opaque and a bright gold finish, the others were transparent, their hues barely showing against the black card stock. This is something to be aware of, as the jar labels themselves do not indicate whether or not they are opaque or transparent. They did, however, melt and smoothly and shiny on the black paper as they did on white.
In the above photo, the top two examples are glittery embossing powders:
Both had a nice ratio of embossing powder mixed with glitter to emboss easily and with good coverage; Under the Sea seems to have a brighter sparkle probably due to some clear iridescent glitter in the mix whereas the Royal Crush seems a darker sparkle. After examining it closer, I believe that is because it is a transparent purple embossing powder with a deep turquoise blue glitter in the mix. The glitter grind in both seems to be Ultra-fine, yielding a finish that is not overly "chunky".
White Puff has a slightly coarser grind, and when melted created a fun, uneven raised effect that looks just like its name: Puffy. I thought the finish would feel soft/cushy to the touch, but it actually feels firm, albeit textured. I think this powder would be awesome for embossing white furry critters and clouds, etc.
Glow in the Dark is a finer grind that, after embossing, appears with a pale, almost fluorescent yellow color on both white and black card stocks, and more of a matte, as opposed to shiny, finish.
I tested how well it glowed in the dark by "charging" it up in a well lit area, and then ducking into a darkened room (OK, the bathroom, LOL!) that had no light at all. I was tickled to see how well it glowed in the dark and could see all the details of the butterfly quite nicely! This will be great on Halloween cards, or on cards that feature fairies or insects, etc. You could even selectively emboss by using the WOW! Embossing Pen to apply the powder just to very specific areas of your image! Such a fun, interactive touch on a card any time of year! I wish I could have gotten a photo of it, but take my word for it: It glows. :)
Next I tried the Bonding Powder, which is designed to fuse heat-activated transfer foils to paper surfaces. Emboss like you normally would, apply a piece of foil, colored side up, sandwich in a piece of typing paper and send it through a laminating machine or the Minc. You can also use a household iron, altho the aforementioned machines are a lot easier to use.
I tried it twice on my Minc; the initial trial on the right was done with a heat setting of 3. It seemed to cause the image to muddy so I tried a second time (left) by dropping the heat on the Minc to Level 1. I think this preserved the butterfly's details more with the foil so in the future, I will pre-heat the laminator to the lower temperature when using the Bonding Powder.
The Bonding Powder will not yield a perfectly "flat" smooth foiled effect, as can be achieved with laser printing, but if you are trying to foil a stamped image or don't have a laser printer, this method produced a fair finish.
The above is an example of what you can achieve with the Melt-It Powder!
I wanted to try creating my own clear epoxy type embellishments, so I heated the Melt-It powder in one of the small Melt-It Containers by pouring several spoonfuls into it and heating with my embossing gun from underneath. It's important to heat from underneath so that you don't blow the powder around and make a mess, before it actually becomes molten. You can also form a pouring spout prior to heating by pinching an area of the tin.
SAFETY:Hold the tin container with a pair of pliers while heating; it will get extremely hot and you do not want to burn yourself. The embossing powder will also be molten and hot; take care not to spill it onto yourself during this process.
If I had an old electric skillet, I would set the container inside it and melt the powder that way because it does take some time to fully melt the powder.
After the Melt-it Powder was hot and molten, I poured small puddles of it onto a non-stick craft sheet and allowed it to cool. I also added some Bluetiful powder to color it and make a "sea glass" look, which I absolutely loved. Since I had made quite a bit of this, I also tried pouring it into a button mould and allowed that to cool.
When the puddles were cool I could pop them right off the non-stick craft sheet and buttons popped right out of the mold, altho I need to practice how high to fill them; I overfilled them the first try. You can actually toss the "rejects" back into the tin and re-melt them down and try again, if you like. I did. :)
With a little practice, I think I'll get better at making the puddles more round for use as faux epoxy dots.
Last, but not least, I wanted to try deep impression embossing with the Rich Gold Ultra High powder; this powder is not intended for use as normal embossing powder. It is a coarse grind, melts quite thickly and can be layered several times. While still molten, a stamp image that has been prepped with Versamark or the Ultra Slow-drying Ink can be impressed into it and allowed to cool. The Slow-drying Ink acts as a release agent so you can easily remove the stamp when the powder has cooled and the image is debossed into the embossing powder.
I swiped the Ultra Slow-drying Pad against the paper surface, and then sprinkled the Ultra-high powder over the top, heated, allowed to cool, and repeated the process. Then, while the embossing powder was still molten, I set the stamp down into it. You can also experiment by melting the powder in a tin and pouring a puddle of it onto a non-stick craft sheet and then setting the stamp into it; it can resemble sealing wax.
I hope this has given you some insights into WOW! Embossing Powder products and how they can be used to create great effects on your cards and paper craft projects!
One of the things I love to do, is mix and match my stamps. For example, Advent and Totally Awesome. When you begin to combine these two stamp sets, you'll find a whole new set of options for their use!
Both stamp sets can stand-alone--Advent is actually a holiday themed set, while Totally Awesome was created to celebrate various occasions or accomplishments! But, you may not be aware that we even designed the latter set with words sized to specifically fit within the 1x2" Scratch-off Stickers!
The same sentiments used for a sweet wedding card...
Can be used to create a fun, interactive birthday card--just switch out the word "LIFE" for "BIRTHDAY" and cover those words with Scratch-off Stickers! Because the height of the words allowed for it, I cut my 1 x 2" stickers in half, which enabled me to really stretch this supply!
Here the numbers from the Advent set are used for both a subtle background and then also die cut for a focal on this masculine birthday design; note that we included ordinals in the Totally Awesome set--Yup! They work with the Advent numbers! And, yup, we did that on purpose. :)
Do you know someone graduating from high school or college this year? Or next? It doesn't take much to customize the year! I used yellow and gold watercolors to create a pretty wash of color as a backdrop to the numbers, but you could use the student's school colors to further customize the design.
