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May 13, 2018

Tips For Using Clean Color Real Brush Markers - In Touch Newsletter May 2018

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!

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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. 

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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. 

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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!

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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! 

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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.

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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.

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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.
 

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Posted at 12:00 AM in Essentials by Ellen, Foiling, Glitter, Markers - Dye Based, Tips and Techniques, Video, Watercoloring | | Comments (1)

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February 15, 2018

How To Make Alcohol Ink Backgrounds With Ranger Alcohol Inks And Copic Marker Refills

Hello everyone!  I'm glad you've stopped by today because I have some fun projects to share with you featuring alcohol inks.  I'll be using both traditional alcohol inks and Copic Various Ink Refills to create my backgrounds today.

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I'm using this month's color trend color palette for today's projects...and I've lovingly dubbed these the unicorn projects.  They just have all of those colors that remind me of a wild unicorn.  And I just love that!  The whole team has been creating projects featuring this color palette this week over on The CLASSroom blog...so be sure to check those out.

Pin-Sights Color Trend February Tech-nique

In the video tutorial below, I'll walk you through some techniques for using alcohol inks to create backgrounds.  As I mentioned before, I'll be using Ranger Alcohol Inks and Copic Refills.  I've found that they're pretty much interchangeable for the techniques I'm doing today.  I was able to achieve very similar results with both types of alcohol inks.

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I will be using specialty papers for these techniques.  Because the ink needs to sit on top of the paper in order to create cool textures and blending, your traditional white card stocks won't work for these.  We will also be adding quite a bit of ink and blending solution on top of the paper....a traditional card stock just won't due for this.  I'll be using the Yupo paper, a synthetic (almost plastic feeling) paper and the Ranger Alcohol Ink Card Stock (a glossy coated white card stock).  I also did a little experimenting on clear plastic sheets as well. 

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I'll walk you through all of this in the video tutorial below, so be sure to check that out.  

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Here's a few tips to keep in mind when working with alcohol inks.

  1. Protection is key.  Protect your work surface, your clothes and most of all, your manicure.  This stuff will stain.  It's easier to clean it off of non-porous surfaces like glass.  It can easily be wiped off of non-porous surfaces with rubbing alcohol.  But if you just had your nails done...you might want to wear some gloves.  
  2. I like to move it move it.  Your alcohol ink will move, even after it's dry, if you add more blending solution.  If at any point you don't like your results, you can lift color or move color using your blending solutions.  
  3. Metal mixatives for the win.  We all know how I like a little sparkle, a little shimmer and a little shine....on EVERYTHING...so adding a little of the metal mixatives gives me the shimmer and shine I crave. 
  4. Paper is everything.  As I mentioned before, these alcohol inks should be used with a specialty paper to achieve the results you want.  If you use regular card stock, it will just absorb in to the paper and it won't move like it does on the synthetic and coated card stocks I'm using today. 
  5. Bold or soft...the choice is yours.  Just like watercolors, you can either achieve bold or softer results depending on how much blending solution you use.  More blending solution and less ink will give you a softer look.  Less blending solution and more ink will give you a bold look.  You choose.
  6. If you ink it....there are a lot of mediums that are hard to ink because of their non-porous nature (things like metal, sequins, glass, pearls and plastic).  The beauty of alcohol inks is that they will bind to and dry on these types of non-porous surfaces!  So ink away baby!  You can customize those hard to ink items to make them your very own.

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Once I created several backgrounds, I knew I wanted to keep the rest of my cards simple.  I added some simple die cut greetings, and an embossed sub-sentiment to finish off my cards.  These bold backgrounds don't need much else.  

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As you can see from the photos, I was able to get a variety of different looks depending on how I applied the ink.  Which one is your favorite?

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Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you enjoyed this look at alcohol inks.  If you make something, be sure to tag EllenHutsonLLC on social so we can check it out!  We love seeing what you've made.

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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 and share while you're there!  

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Posted at 12:00 AM in Copic Markers, Copic Various Inks, Tips and Techniques, Watercoloring | | Comments (2)

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January 15, 2018

Supplies and Techniques for adding Snow & Ice Effects

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(Click on the pics to enbiggan)

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!  

All three of these cards feature the Arctic Pals Stamp and Die set, along with the Strands Die.

Below the photos (scroll way down), I have a video that walks you through how to achieve each of these effects--all are easy and fun!

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(sentiment borrowed from Totally Random Sayings) 

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TIPS FOR GLIMMER PASTE:

  • 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.

 

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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.

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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.

 

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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!

 

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Posted at 12:00 AM in Copic Markers, Embossing, Tips and Techniques, Tools, Video, Watercoloring | | Comments (3)

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June 15, 2016

Product Overview: Gansai Tambi Starry Colors

GT starry grp WEB

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

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.

 

 

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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.


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The colors are stunning on either watercolor paper or black card stock and the opacity over black/dark card stock is rich and luminous!

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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!

 

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The effects are quite dazzling, whether painted alone on off-white watercolor paper or atop other colors to give them shimmery highlights. 

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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!


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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.

 

LINK: Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE and thanks for watching!

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!

Thanks for joining me!

1Julie

 

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Posted at 12:00 AM in Essentials by Ellen, Video, Watercoloring | | Comments (7)

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April 15, 2016

DANIEL SMITH Luminescent Watercolors with Sandy Allnock

 allpaint1

Ever since checking out the 238 dot chart from DANIEL SMITH watercolors, I was fascinated with the luminescents - the iridescents, interference, duochrome, and pearlescents. Those little dots got me curious! I purchased a few of each kind to play with - in the video you can see the shimmery samples, or scroll to see photos...but I warn you, it's hard to capture that on still photos! Watch the video below or click HERE to see it in HD on YouTube.

First I took a quarter-sheet of Arches Cold Press paper and diecut Lawn Fawn's flower border about 1/3 of the way from the bottom. And then read the instructions on the black watercolor ground. First: Excitement at the number of surfaces this can be used on! Second: Uh oh, 24hours dry time, minimum!  label

Hmmm. Miss Lack of Patience began plotting getting around that. :)

I covered the bottom panel of the watercolor paper with the ground, using a round blending tool. I had seen people on YouTube using foam brushes, and this seemed to work as well as a foam brush would have. The ground washed out of the foam easily! yay!

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While the black ground was air-drying, I worked on the sky portion. I taped it to a HardBord using Yellow Frog Tape and painted it with Iridescent Electric Blue, spraying it with a Distress Sprayer to move the color. The brush here is a #12 round. paintsky

I decided not to wait 24 hours. Within 15 minutes it was dry to the touch, so I proceeded! Daring, I know! I covered a piece of scratch paper with very sticky Be Creative Tape that was able to hold both pieces tightly and securely in place. I used a Fingertip Knife to nudge papers around - and add the little dots back into the flowers.

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Last but not least, I painted the flowers with the various paints. They're so shimmery! paints

I used the MISTI to stamp my sentiments from two different sets - Amazing Women and 12 Days Companion - and that MISTI makes me look like I can stamp straight! :)

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You really do want to see the video for the shimmer, but here are the colors in flower order:

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Posted at 12:00 AM in Tips and Techniques, Watercoloring | | Comments (6)

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February 15, 2016

How Daniel Smith Watercolors Are Made with Sandy Allnock

I'm Sandy, and I love helping all of us as papercrafters to understand that we are artists. And as such - we have more success (and less stress!) when we have good tools at our disposal. The watercolors from Daniel Smith are going to be a game-changer for some of us - including me! And I wanted to invite you to join me on a learning journey, if you're game.

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How Daniel Smith Watercolors are Made

With the help of my friend Nolen Lee, he's a local artist friend, we prepared a little video to showcase how the Daniel Smith Extra-Fine™ Watercolors are manufactured. We weren't able to photograph or videotape our tour of the production facility, but with Nolen present and sketching throughout the tour, we were able to document the entire process - in panda bears!

LINK:  Click HERE to watch the video in HD on our YouTube Channel and thanks for sharing your support with us!

If you're interested in purchasing a photo of the Punching Pandas Producing Paints - go to Nolen's website HERE.

What you need to get started

There are four basics you will need to get started in watercolor:

  1. Paint. The set of 6 Essentials from Daniel Smith is a great place to start. They're not expensive, and you get 6 colors that can make a CRAZY variety of colors. Like, all of them! From just 6 tubes of paint.
  2. Paper. I recommend a practice pad for beginners - but please don't feel like you're too new to try a pad of Arches as well. Cut it in 1/4 and you'll get 48 small paintings or card fronts from just one pad - so it's well worth it. Lots of folks have told me they wished they listened to me long ago, so do try out one of these:
    1. Arches Hot Press - a very smooth surface for detailed painting and stamping
    2. Arches Cold Press - a textured paper, 100% cotton. Cold Press is most common for watercolor.
    3. Arches Cold Press Rough - very textured paper, 100% cotton. For those crazy folks like me!
  3. Brushes. If you just want to get one brush, I recommend the Black Velvet Round #4.
  4. Practice. Honestly, without #4, the first three aren't going to do you much good!

In reality, you do need two other things you probably have around the house. You'll need 1) something to put water in (how about a mug?) and 2) something to mix your paint on (don't worry about a fancy palette if you're just getting started; just use a white plastic or ceramic plate for now).

The plan - let's learn together!

I'm learning right along with you - and have great plans to share what I'm discovering! This week on my blog, I'll be sharing a Paint-Along series - you can download a sketch, learn to transfer it to your own paper, and follow along as I mix paint and apply it in real-time, long-form videos. It's free and on YouTube! No need to sign up, just come join in the fun.

Sandy Allnock paintalong series

I'll also be sharing in the CLASSroom on a regular basis - starting on Sunday the 21st!! We'll learn terminology together, practice techniques, and complete a swatch book of all the techniques as we go. I'm so excited to keep growing as a papercrafter and artist along with you - and I hope you are too!

SandySig

Posted at 12:00 AM in Tips and Techniques, Watercoloring | | Comments (6)

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July 15, 2015

Three Be-YOU-tiful Looks For The Same Die

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(click on the pics to enbiggan)

If you're anything like me, you love having different looks for the same product! The Be-YOU-tiful die is a favorite of mine because I love that the letters are joined together to create one "unit", and the lettering style itself is thicker, providing some super fun options! Each of the ideas shown could be done with any die cut word of similar styling.

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I wanted to create a bold statement with this design, but also wanted the coloring work to be quick and easy.  A large image, like this Stampendous butterfly and Distress Stains made this one of the speediest watercolor projects I have ever done--like, EVER!!! I did pre-clean this stamp to "season" it; initially, it was repelling the water-based Distress Stains.  A quick scrub with some stamp cleaner and patting it dry had it primed and ready to go.  Another large scale butterfly that would be awesome with this watercolor method is one by Tim Holtz, HERE.

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The beauty of using the Distress Stains for this watercolor method, is that the scrubby top made it easy to apply the color to the stamp surface, and there is no need to worry about spritzing the stamp with water!  The Stains have just the perfect wetness and consistency to just apply color and stamp! BOOYAH!   *fist pump*

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Stacking multiple die cuts of black card stock into the negative space before gluing the watercolored die cut layer on top, pops it up just enough to define it and yet still retain that crazy cool almost "camouflaged" look--the one that makes the person you give it to wonder just how in the world you did that... But, of course, we know the easy-peasy secret! *wink*

TIPS:

  • Layer your paper and die on top of 4 thicknesses of unused dryer sheets (I typically fold two in half and then stack them together) before running through the Big Shot and you will be able to eject the die from the paper without a pokey tool, and all the bits and pieces will also stick to the dryer sheet without getting lost.  
  • The gold foil accent dots on the butterfly card were achieved using the same method described below on the next card (Hint:  This Two Way Glue Pen is your friend and one of my most favorite tools... Just sayin'...)

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Ombré + glitter is a marvelous combo!  Here it is highlighted by a gold foil background that was created by swiping a Two Way Glue Pen, allowing the glue to dry; it will become tacky to the touch when dry and allows you to press transfer foil sheets to it--a super fun and super easy way to quickly add foil accents to your projects!  Gotta love that! 

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Be-YOU-tiful was die cut from iCraft double-sided adhesive foam; with the sticky on both sides you can mount it, and then remove the liner from the front side to add glitter or anything else that will stick!  Be sure to watch the video to see how I mounted the die cut foam piece to the card without distorting its shape--it's a lot easier to see how it's done than try to understand a written description. :)

TIPS:  

  • To apply glitter in an ombré fashion, choose 2-3 colors that blend well from one to the next, and keep your project tilted so glitter lands as much as possible on one area at a time.
  • I like to use disposable cereal bowls lined with coffee filters, one per glitter color.  It allows me to keep the glitters from cross-contaminating, and it's easy to then funnel the glitter back into the jar when I'm finished.  It also helps keep the mess at bay. Ask me how I know... *wink* 

Debossed beYOUtiful web1

This final design is an example of "repeat impressions".  The die was "debossed" using the Silicone Rubber Sheet with the Big Shot multiple times across the surface of Letterpress Paper.  (Debossed = pressed down into the surface; embossed = the pattern is "reliefed" or raised from the surface)

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I made a thick, chipboard like embellishment by die cutting the shape 3x from Neenah Solar White 110# card stock and a pretty floral patterned paper, layering and gluing them all together.  It was then mounted over one of the debossed images.

TIPS:

  • I adore the debossed look on Letterpress Paper in particular, but you can also try watercolor paper or heavy weight card stocks; be aware that too much pressure can cause the paper surface to crack sometimes, so you will have to play with the amount of pressure/shims necessary with the type of paper you are using.
  • I did not have the Impressions pad handy, only the Silicone Rubber Sheet.  So, I had to modify my sandwich as follows for the above results:
    1. Multipurpose Platform Open to Tab 1
    2. Cutting Pad
    3. Silicone pad
    4. Paper
    5. Die
    6. Cutting Pad

You can enjoy the video in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE, and thank you for taking a moment to give it a thumbs up! 

I hope you enjoy experimenting with these different looks with your dies!

Thanks for joining me again this month! 

1Julie

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Posted at 03:00 AM in Adhesives, Dies - Cutting and Embossing, Essentials by Ellen, Glitter, Ranger Techniques, Tips and Techniques, Video, Watercoloring | | Comments (2)

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June 15, 2015

Masculine Cards by Carissa Wiley

Hi everyone!  It’s Carissa Wiley here and I’m so happy to be here with you to share some ideas for creating masculine projects.  These tend to be the hardest types for all of us to create, and I am no exception.  With Father’s Day just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to break ourselves out of our box and challenge ourselves to create the perfect card for the men we love!    

Fathers Day Project Photos (1 of 1)
I found as I was coming up with my ideas that I was really struggling.  And as I thought about the reason, I realized it was because I was trying to make a project that wasn’t necessarily true to me.  It dawned on me that sometimes you’ve got to just go with what you know. 

Don’t get me wrong!  I am all for experimenting and trying new things!  But if you find yourself struggling with something…you may also find that it’s because you’re trying to create something that isn’t true to who you are as a crafter.  It was at that point I decided that nothing was off limits for my “man cards”.  I was going to use things that I love (even if they’re considered girly), but I wanted to use them in a masculine way!  This opened up a whole new world for me and freed me in my creative process.

Fathers Day Project Photos (16 of 23)

In today’s masculine cards, you’ll find gold, vellum, watercolor and even sequins!  Hold on to your britches!  These twists on masculine projects may be hard to wrap your head around at first!  But I think as I walk you through the projects in the video below, you’ll find that these elements work together and still manage to create a masculine feeling card.

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Today’s first card features some real birch wood paper.  I love this product for creating faux wood veneer.  I mean there’s nothing more manly than real wood on a card, right?  This real wood paper is easy to die cut.  You can use it with any dies that you may already own.  And if you wanna give it an extra special finishing touch, try adding a layer of glossy accents over the top to add even more dimension and shine.

Fathers Day Project Photos (1 of 6)

For the second card I decided to add a watercolor background.  Watercolor is often thought of as a soft and feminine technique.  But when you watercolor using bold colors, you can use it for your “man cards” too!  I used the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers in Scarlet Red and Orange to create a bold orange background.  (Let’s Go Giants!) By adding several layers of color and minimizing the amount of water I used, I was able to create a watercolor background that isn’t too soft for a man card.

Tips For Creating Masculine Cards

  1. Stay true to you!  Don’t try to make something that’s not true to who you are as a crafter.  If you’re a clean and simple person, keep it clean and simple.  If you like aged and distressed, use it!  You don’t have to go outside of who you are to create something that you don’t normally create.
  2. Nothing’s off limits.  If you have particular products that you like…I say use them.  Challenge yourself to find a way to use something that you may normally consider feminine in a masculine way.  For instance, I used vellum on both cards.  I chose a die that was more masculine feeling (the speech bubble) to balance it out and keep it from feeling ultra soft and feminine.
  3. Play ball!  Choose a color palate from his favorite sports team.  I’ve shown you two projects here that feature color palettes from the Seattle Mariners and the San Francisco Giants.  No over thinking needed.  These pre-coordinated color palettes made it quick and easy to pull these cards together.
  4. Finish it off.  Just because it’s a masculine card doesn’t mean you can’t embellish!  Use glossy accents to add shine and dimension.  Add enamel dots or even sequins (GASP!) in dark colors to add the perfect finishing touch!

Fathers Day Project Photos (3 of 6)

In the video tutorial below, I’ll walk you through the entire creation of these two cards and offer you some tips and tricks along the way.  I’ve also included links to all the products used in these projects below.

Don’t forget, you can watch the video in HD by visiting our YouTube channel HERE.  And while you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss any of our video tutorials!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little lesson in manly card making!  And I hope you’re inspired to create some masculine cards for the men you love!   

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Posted at 07:00 AM in Dies - Cutting and Embossing, Watercoloring | | Comments (5)

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October 16, 2014

On the 1st Day of Christmas...

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(click on the pics to enbiggan)

Advents or countdowns are such a fun way to make things extra special at the holidays, wouldn't you agree? There a bajillion different ways to do them and I must confess to being enamored--so much that I am constantly on the look-out for all sorts of variations and ideas!

While I love the more elaborate countdowns I've seen, I always have to remind myself that things get so crazy busy during the season, and the only way I'll make this kind of project is if I keep it simple!

The Twelve Days stamp set is a fun spin on the tradition of the song that counts down the days, beginning with Christmas Day and extending through the eve of Epiphany.

What you tuck inside the little pouches can reflect the lyrics of the song or slip yummy edible treats inside--personally, I don't think you can go wrong with chocolates! *chuckle*   But, you can also create notes that feature a fun activity, in lieu of tangible objects.

Whatever you do, I hope you enjoy this charming holiday craft!

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If the chalkboard trend is over, I'm the last to know, but I honestly never tire of it and think it has universal appeal for all ages and genders! It's a great way to keep things simple but retain personality and an element of fun!

I also hope you'll take a closer look at Twelve Days, and see all the potential it has for use beyond the holidays, too... :)

 

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I'm not gonna lie, the very first time I cut apart my stamps years ago I really struggled. But, I got over it quick when I realized how much it increased the versatility of the images I wanted to use in different ways...

Like this:

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This little character just cracks me! I mixed it up a bit by using Milo's ABC's to fill up the speech bubble with some conversation... The inside of the card? It reads, "Thanks for listening". :) 

Seriously, now. That birdie is just too much fun to reserve only for Christmas, doncha think? ;)

1Julie

 

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Posted at 04:59 PM in Christmas, Dies - Cutting and Embossing, Essentials by Ellen, Lifestyle Crafts, Tips and Techniques, Video, Watercoloring | | Comments (1)

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September 15, 2014

Smoky Faux Watercolor Effects

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(click on the pics to enbiggan)

My comfort zone tends to be water-based mediums, but when I saw what Wendy Vecchi does with her Archival Inks (set 2 here) I was totally fascinated--the end result was a "smoky" watercolored effect that just looked so stunning, I had to try it myself! Even though I knew my fingers would get "inky"... *gasp*

Actually, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be as far as the finger-staining went. ;)

I started with 3 colors of Archival Reinkers that I knew would work well for creating some fairly neutral backdrops I could get a lot of mileage out of:

Other helpful tools & supplies I had handy:

I also had a shoebox lid lined with aluminum foil (this was so I could heat my little pieces and tilt the paper without burning my fingers, and the foil would prevent ink from getting all over inside the shoebox, which I also frequently use for heat-embossing).

The process (I have a video of the process towards the bottom of this post):

  1. Apply a drop or two of Archival reinker to the non-stick craft sheet
  2. Add droplets of rubbing alcohol with the dropper tool
  3. Swirl the color around just a little with a palette knife (do not over mix to avoid muddying)
  4. Place or swipe the stamping specialy paper into the mixture and lift out
  5. Tilt and heat with embossing gun to push/move and swirl color across the surface
  6. Add more droplets of rubbing alcohol to the paper surface to reactivate the ink to create more interesting patterns; continue to tilt and heat as desired

I was extremely pleased with the end results, and wishing I had MORE colors of the Archival reinkers! Out of curiosity, I grabbed some Copic reinkers and played around with combining those to the Archival colors, to see what would happen... WOW! It worked!!! Here are the end results:

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Top row: All Archival
Bottom row: Archival + Copic

 

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Left: Copic + Archival, Right: Archival only

 

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One thing I did note, which was difficult to capture on film, is that the Archival reinkers would smooth out, resulting in a completely smooth paper surface, whereas the Copic reinkers would pool and build up in some areas, resulting in a very shiny and raised/textural finish. The results with the Copics were also not quite as "smoky" looking.

Initially I didn't want to do anything with these beautiful pieces--in fact, now that I know what I'm doing and how easy it is, I'd like to do a whole series of these and just frame them for art on the wall!!!

But, I also thought they'd make stunning backgrounds for cards:

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Hero Arts Hello Sunshine Daisies (thanks a bunch!); Savvy Garden Flower Die; Woodgrain Embossed Card Stock, Taffy Card Stock, Versamark Ink, Gold Embossing Powder

Simply cut apart... So hard to cover up any of that gorgeous-ness!

 

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Stamped over the top with a gorgeous Hero Arts Painted Maple leaf using a Glue Pad and then applying Gilding Flakes, Card Shoppe Gold Coins --ULTRA-SOPHISTICATED EFFECT!!!

 

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Hero Arts Holly Jolly; Gold Foil Paper; Hero Arts Gold Shimmer Spray

Stamped over top with Archival Black Ink.  

NOTE: The surface is actually slick when finished so the inked stamp can really slide around on you! Take care to stamp straight down, then lift the stamp straight up.

 

The process is every bit as easy as I described, but for those of you that appreciate a visual, I have done a video. Thanks for watching and please give it a thumbs up on YouTube! :)

 

1Julie

 

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Posted at 12:00 AM in Copic Various Inks, Ranger Techniques, Tips and Techniques, Watercoloring | | Comments (4)

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