the CLASSroom

You Are Seriously Awesome by Heather Campbell

Hello!  Today I wanted to share a simple little trick for creating cards with a stamped inset surrounded by a nice thick border.  

Now, I could mask it with post it notes or masking paper but I always seem to get it just enough off so that my rectangle (or whatever my masked shape is) ends up wonky.  So, to get the same look, I simply trim a panel of cardstock to my desired share, stamp my pattern or design, and then adhere!  

First, I trimmed my cardstock panel.  For this card, I wanted a 1/2" border all around my inset section, so I trimmed a piece of cardstock to 3-1/4" x 4-1/2".

To begin stamping my inset section, I stamped a really cool distressed stripe from the new Avery Elle Brushed stamp set in Avery Elle Raspberry ink horizontally across my panel.  Seriously, the two stamp sets I worked with in today's card I absolutely adore!

Then I stamped the stripe, alternating the distress marks in Cherry and then Fizz.  Whenever I stamp in a rainbow pattern, I always like to break up the rainbow colors - so I never start at red.  In this case, I started with the red about 1/3 of the way down.

I continued stamping with Mimosa and Lemon Grass.  The stripes don't have to be perfect, I like that they overlap in a few places!

I keep stamping all the way to the bottom of the panel, the last color I used was Celery.

Then, I went to the top and stamped in the opposite direction using Sugar Plum and Aquamarine.  

With my panel complete, I can adhere it to the card. 

And then I stamped a sentiment from the new Avery Elle Write It stamp set.  I love this great calligraphy set!

Added the calligraphy pen stamped with Hero Arts Black dye ink. 

Since there is just a little difference between the two layers, I simply filled in the missing spots with a marker.  

I also added a few ink splots, which are also from the Avery Elle Brushed stamp set. 

Lastly I covered the sentiment in glitter using my clear Wink of Stella glitter marker.  

It adds the perfect sparkle! I am loving adding sparkle to my sentiments right now.  

Any easy way to get the look of masking without the fuss! 
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing a part of your day with me! 
 -Heather 

Avery Elle Clear Stamps, Write It	Avery Elle Clear Stamps, Brushed	Zig Wink of Stella Glitter Brush Tip Marker, Clear	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack
Avery Elle Ink Pad Set, Set of 15 Colors	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Aquamarine	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Celery	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Lemon Grass
Avery Elle Ink Pad, Mimosa	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Fizz	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Raspberry	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Cherry
Avery Elle Ink Pad, Sugar Plum	Hero Arts Dye Ink, Black	Tombow Adhesive Dot Stamp Runner, Permanent	Tonic Paper Trimmer Guillotine, 8.5"

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Hello, Monday 04.28.2014

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

 

If you give Julie a cough drop, she's gonna look at the wrapper.  When she looks at the wrapper, she's going to want to see what the whole package looks like. When she pulls the bag out of the cupboard, it will remind her of a patterned paper collection by Basic Grey called Herbs & Honey. She'll run to her studio and pull out that particular paper pad. As she flips through that paper pad, she'll think, "Hey, this would make a cute 'Get well" card!"...

And, so it goes... *chinkle*

Still on a mission to use up those wood veneers I keep hoarding collecting... It was beautiful, all nekked, in its natural wood glory, but it got lost in competition with the patterned paper, so I gave it some extra "POP" by coloring it and then giving it a high gloss finish.

That Taffy card base is one of my most favorite colors of Card Shoppe--I could seriously burn through reams of that stuff, I love it so...

Enjoy today's video here or over on our YouTube Channel! Thank you so much for watching and subscribing!

 

Hope your Mundane's a happy one! ;)

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SUPPLIES:

 

Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, Sophie's Sentiments	Memento Ink Pad, Rich Cocoa	COPIC Sketch Marker R05, Salmon Red	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Taffy, 10 pk
Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Taffy, 25 pk	Basic Grey Herbs and Honey, 6x6 Paper Pad	Basic Grey Herbs and Honey, Collection Pack	Lifestyle Crafts Dies, Nesting Squares
My Favorite Things Die-namics, STAX Square Set 1	My Favorite Things Die-namics, STAX Square Set 2	Sizzix Accessory, Magnetic Platform for Wafer-Thin Dies	Sizzix Cutting Pad, Standard
Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	Studio Calico Lemonlush Wood Veneer, Assorted Shapes	Studio Calico Classic Calico Vol. 2, Wood Veneer, Butterflies	Glue Dots Sheets, Mini
Glue Dots Sheets, Ultra Thin	Kool Tak White Foam Adhesive, 1/4" Squares (1/16 Thick)	3-D Foam Squares, Mixed	3-D Foam Squares, Mixed BlackManufacturer: Scrapbook AdhesivesSKU: SALLL1615
Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	Tonic Paper Trimmer Guillotine, 8.5"	Accents, Mini Glossy	Accents, Glossy

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In Detail: Product Reviews & News - Interactive Card Die Sets by Jean Manis

Welcome back to another installment of In Detail. This week I’m reviewing two die cut sets that create interactive cards aka flip-its, pop-ups, stand-ups – the Sizzix Stephanie Barnard Triple Circle Flip-Its Die Set and the Elizabeth Craft Designs Lucy Label Pop Up Die, designed by Karen Burniston. 

Let start with the Sizzix Stephanie Barnard Triple Circle Flip-Its Die Set.

The set comes in its own plastic storage pouch with all of the ten dies separate. There’s no need to cut anything apart. The instructions include a diagram showing the measurements of the individual pieces which include the card base, the card front pieces, a scallop border die, and six circles of various diameters and edge treatments. 

To begin, I cut the card base using the Sizzix Magnetic Platform and my Big Shot machine. (Interested in knowing more about the Magnetic Platform? – Check out my review of the platform in a previous In Detail post.) After cutting, I scored the card center (valley fold) and the card front flap (mountain/peak fold).

Next I cut the left-hand piece of the card front out of patterned paper.

I also cut the right-hand piece of the card front out of patterned paper.

The card design is such that there really isn’t a place for a traditional sentiment. I’ve seen examples with word sentiments in all three of the front circles. The circles are 1 3/8" diameter, but the set doesn’t include a circle die of that diameter. I’m guessing that if the circle sections were covered with circles of the exact diameter, there might be issues opening and closing the card, because the paper could somehow catch. The set does include a 1 ¼" diameter circle with a scalloped edge and two 1/8" circles, one with a pierced edge and the other plain.

The most difficult part in the creation of this card was making design decisions about what to use on the six circles (three front and three back) so that the pattern would be pleasing. I tend to be matchy-matchy at times in my thinking, so I wanted the paper patterns, colors and motifs to hang together.

I’ve seen examples of cards repeating the same element, a small stamped flower or flower die cut on all of the circles. I’ve also seen examples in which a die-cut element was used on the card front left-hand corner and/or one on the card front right-hand corner. I just didn’t find anything in my supplies that I thought would work well or look coordinated.

I decided to use a Lawn Fawn flair button in the center of the three front circles for my sentiment, even though by doing so, I’d be adding bulk for mailing the card. I attached the flair to a circle cut with scalloped edge 1 ¼" diameter circle front the set. After I searched through my stamp sets and came up short on any small stamps that I thought would work, I searched through my die cuts for small items. I cut pieces with the Lawn Fawn Lawn Cuts Hearts Dies and the Poppystamps Groovy Flower Set and attached them to plain-edge 1 1/8" circles cut from the die included in the Sizzix set. 

I attached a circle, cut with the set’s 2" scallop-edge circle die, for an area on which to include a short, personal note or signature.

The finished card, when folded, is 4 1/4" wide by 5 1/2" tall. Before adhering all of the pieces, I smoothed off the die cut burrs with a PolyShrink Sanding Block.

There are two other Sizzix Stephanie Barnard sets similar to the Triple Circle Flip-Its Die Set: the Triple Fancy Frame Flip-its Die Set and Triple Square Flip-Its Die Set. There are also different style flip-its and stand-ups in the Sizzix Stephanie Barnard line.

Let's take a look at the Elizabeth Craft Designs Lucy Label Pop Up Die. This set is the most generic of the Pop It Ups designed by Karen Burniston.

The set must be cut apart before use. (The Elizabeth Crafts Design Die Snips and File Set are suggested tools for this use.) The Pop Up set includes the main pop-up piece, three label dies of various sizes and designs, and two dies to create slots for decorative elements or creating a ribbon slide. I only used the main piece and one of the label dies for the card I created.

Unlike the Pop 'n Cuts products designed by Karen Burniston for Sizzix, the card interior and card base aka cover (which covers up the hole created by the pop-up) must be cut by the crafter. The card shape and orientation (square/circular/rectangular, vertical/horizontal) and size (as long as the width doesn’t exceed the width of the die cutting machine’s plate width) are left up to the crafter.

According to the package directions, the center of the pop-up die should be aligned over the center of the center fold of the cardstock. The photograph of the pop-up die piece is shown die side up.

I cut the interior piece cardstock and scored it at the center of its 11" length. I placed the pop-up piece on the scored line on the cutting plate and magnetic platform of my Big Shot machine. I found it difficult to see the placement of the die over the fold, so I marked the center with some pencil scribbling. The pencil was darker on the fold.

I also found it helpful to use the Tim Holtz ruler to determine the center from left to right. 

After cutting, I began by popping out the label and shelf, folding the shelf on the back wall as a valley fold and closing the card. Then I folded the stair-step platform above the top shelf. This stair-step platform could also be left lying flat.

My advice is to practice cutting the pop-up on scrap cardstock before commiting to your final paper. The scrap does not need to be a full-sized card strip, just large enough to cut the size of the die and a bit more.

With the cutting and folding of the pop-up interior, the difficult part of the card creation is done. Before I go to my final design, I want to discuss some options.

The card interior piece can be slightly smaller in width than the exterior/cover. This border provides a nice finished look.

I also crafted a card with a piece of scrapbook paper I had in my stash, which had a pattern front and back. I cut the scrapbook paper in half, using one half for the interior and the other for the exterior. For this example, I turned the die around. The top-half of the card interior has the label die and the bottom-half has the shelf. The stair-step pop-up is left flat. 

Another option is to use the Elizabeth Craft Designs Agatha Edges Die Set to cut a flourish edge on the card. The set work for any cards created with the Pop It Ups Collection by Karen Burniston.

I created a scene for my pop-up interior using pieces cut with the following die sets: Memory Box Garden Watering Can, Memory Box Marshmallow Clouds, Memory Box Puffy Clouds, Poppystamps Tulip Fanfare, and Elizabeth Craft Designs Bees Die. The watering can base is attached to the stair-step label piece.

I added a sentiment stamped from the Hero Arts Enjoy Today set, which I cut with the label shape included with the Lucy Label set. I also cut a label using a Lifestyle Crafts nesting set (the set is included in the purchase of the Genius platform, but not sold separately) to attach to the card interior bottom half for a hand-written note and/or signature.

I dry-embossed the card exterior (backing card) front with the Elizabeth Crafts Design Bees Embossing Folder.

The finished card, when folded, is 4 1/4" wide by 5 1/2" tall.

A couple of design considerations:

• Because I attached the watering can and flowers to the stair-step platform, when the card is closed, the can and flowers move up ½" (the height of the platform). For that reason, the design should not come within ½" of the top of the card; otherwise those pieces will be exposed when the card is closed.

• When the interior is attached to the exterior card cover, the interior piece extends a bit vertically, due to the fold of the card cover. I attached the interior, closed the card, and measured the amount I needed to trim the interior.

As I stated earlier, the Lucy Label Pop Up Die is the most generic of the Pop It Ups designed by Karen Burniston for Elizabeth Craft Designs. Be sure to check out the ever-growing collection of Pop It Ups including Lots of Pops and Garden Bench.

Did you know there’s an Interactive Card Design Class offered at Ellen Hutson?

Save $3 on the HOWnow Fold It, Pop It, Flip It, Zip It! Interactive Card Making Class with the coupon code FIPIFIZI3. Offer valid from April 26 to May 3, 2014.

--Jean

 

Sizzix Accessory, Magnetic Platform for Wafer-Thin Dies	Sizzix Stephanie Barnard, Framelits Die Set, Card, Triple Circle Flip-Its	Elizabeth Craft Designs Die, Lucy Label Pop Up	Lawn Fawn Flair, Hello Sunshine
Lawn Cuts Dies, Hearts	Poppystamps Dies, Groovy Flower	Memory Box Dies, Garden Watering Can	Memory Box Dies, Marshmallow Clouds
Memory Box Dies, Puffy Clouds	Elizabeth Craft Designs Die, Bees	Elizabeth Craft Designs Embossing Folder, Bees	Hero Arts ClearDesign, Enjoy Today
PolyShrink, Sanding Blocks	Ruler, Tim Holtz Design

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Golden Mom Card by Julia Stainton

 With Mother's Day just around the corner, I thought it would be timely to create a Mother's Day card in an updated-shabby look. Today's card combines stamping, sequins, gold accents along with a little wood and paint to make a fun creation.

The beautiful wooden Prima ATC is the focal point of the design. These wood atc's are so beautiful and come in a package of 10, each one unique.

The wood is beautiful plain but I wanted to give the design a subtle touch of color so I brushed on some Shell Pink Paint. By lightly brushing the paint over the surface, I was able to add color and still preserve the beautiful the etching marks.

To age it a little and add another layer of interest to the ATC, it was then brushed with Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint. I love the subtle texture this achieves.

The background was created by stamping the Zig Zag background stamp with white pigment ink onto some cardstock. Next layer is the vellum mat.

Tip: Vellum makes a great mat layer as it is soft and subtle the adhesive is easily hid by the layer above.

These beautiful gold tile letters were used to create the sentiment. Often when personalizing a card, we don't have the stamp to say what we need to. Alphabet stickers are the perfect solution. These ones come in two big beautiful sheets.

Many of the embellishments on this design are pre-made but I wanted to add in a little vellum to tie in with the vellum mat layer. The leaves were die cut using the Sonora Rose Memory Box Die and are a beautiful classic. I love classic dies as they are a good investment and can be used for years.

Tip: Die cut two layers of leaves at once. 1. this gives you leaves on hand to use at a later date and 2. the extra thickness presses the vellum into the center leaf detail to subtly emboss them.

To finish up the design, I added in some sparkle with these beautiful gold sequins by Studio Calico. They are easy to adhere with Glossy Accents. To add a sequin accent to the pin detail, I slid on some sequins onto the pin and fixed them from slipping down by adding a drop of hot glue to the pin.

Tip: Alter the way you add the sequins onto the pin so that they don't all cup together.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom! Have a creative day!

 

Supplies:

A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 250 Sheet Ream	Bazzill 40 lb. Vellum, 25 pk	Wooden ATC Lovely Prints	Hero Arts Zig Zag STamp
Adirondack Pigment Ink Pad, Snow Cap	Gold Foil Tile Letter Thickers	laraine pearl white flowers	Studio Calico Gold Sequins
Cosmo Cricket Cabochons	Crystals Trinket Pins	Cream Pearl Ball Pins	Accents, Glossy
Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint	Studio Artist Brushes	Shell Pink Paint Dabber	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal
Sonora Rose Memory Box Die

InLinkz.com

Build A Home Sweet Home Scene

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom.  I have loved creating scenes since I began paper crafting years ago and dies have certainly taken the art of scenes to a whole new level.  I especially love creating house scenes and the Impression Obsession Brick House and Square House sets provide lots of wonderful elements to play with. I used a lovely piece of designer paper from the Webster’s Pages New Beginnings Collection for the scene background.

I didn’t take pictures of each and every step of the construction of the house and scene because the tutorial would have been very long but I have described all the steps and details.

Here are all the parts and pieces of the scene. 

To create the frame lay the cardstock on the magnetic platform, cover it with a piece of waxed paper to protect from marks left by the die, set the die in place and cut the frame.

Apply light brown ink to the tree with a mini applicator.

Cut the tops off of several of the leaves and form them with a stylus and molding pad.

Form the tiny flowers with a stylus and molding pad.

Attach the leaves and flowers on the branches of the tree with glossy accents.

To attach the roof and bracket cut a thin strip of cardstock, apply glossy accents and use to attach the pieces together.

Apply thin strips of mounting tape to the back of the roof and attach to the house. Assemble the door and window pieces and attach to the front of the house and attach the chimney to the back of the house with glossy accents. Apply ATG adhesive to the back of the house and attach to the card base. Cut three tiny leaves and three 1/8” punched circles, form with stylus and molding pad and attach to the front door with glossy accents.

Cut two grass borders to fit on both sides of the steps and attach to the base with glossy accents.

Attach the corner brackets inside the frame with thin strips of cardstock and glossy accents.

Cut the tree up the middle to fit inside the frame, attach a section of scrap cardstock to the bottom of the tree to extend the trunk and attach the tree to the back of the frame with glossy accents.

Apply thin strips of mounting tape to the back of the frame and attach it the card base. 

Cut the fence and small grass border to fit on both sides of the front steps and attach to the frame with ATG adhesive. 

Cut a few leafy branch sections apart and form the leaves with a stylus and molding pad.  Tuck the pieces in behind the fence to create shrubs on both sides of the house and attach with glossy accents.  Apply glossy accents to a few spots on the leaves and attach the tiny flowers.

Bend a few butterflies at the center and attach to the scene with dots of glossy accents.  Hold the butterfly in place for a second until it is dry enough to stay in place with the wings up.

I like how soft the cream elements of the scene look against the colorful trees in the background. 

Thank you for joining me in the CLASSroom today.  I hope my step by step tutorial has inspired you to try making a scene of your own.

Impression Obsession Dies, Brick House	Impression Obsession Dies, Square House	Impression Obsession Dies, Tree	Impression Obsession Dies, Fence Border
Impression Obsession Dies, Sm Grass Border	Impression Obsession Dies, Grass Border	Impression Obsession Dies, Leafy Branch	Impression Obsession Dies, Leaves & Stems
Impression Obsession Dies, Tiny Flowers	Impression Obsession Dies, Butterfly	Lifestyle Crafts Dies, Nesting Squares	Nesting Paper Punch, Circle 1/8"
Webster's Pages 6x6 Paper Pad, New Beginnings	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Easter Grass, 10 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Peanut Cluster, 25 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Butter Mints, 10 pk
Sizzix Accessory, Tool Kit inspired by Susan Tierney-Cockburn	Sizzix Accessory, Magnetic Platform for Wafer-Thin Dies	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	QuickStik
Accents, Glossy	Copic High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/2"	PanPastel Sofft Mini Applicators, 12 pk	Ranger Distress Ink Pad, Antique Linen

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Hello, Monday 04.21.2014

I love sequins! And, I love shaker cards! It therefore stands to reason that I would love sequin shaker cards, of course! :)

Pretty Pink Posh will be hosting a fantastic blog hop at 6 am PST on April 26th through 11:55 PST April 28th, featuring sequin shakers, so mark your calendar and be sure to check out all the fun and inspiring designs that will be appearing!

Ellen Hutson, LLC is proud to be among the following sponsors:

 

And, we're sharing a sequin shaker today, along with a special one-time use discount code for all of you, in anticipation of the upcoming hop:

Save 15% on all in-stock items with code PPPBH15
(valid now through April 26, 2014)

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

I could have sealed all the edges with washi tape, but I actually broke out the sewing machine to create the pocket for this one! I usually hesitate to sew on paper as I'm afraid I'll jam the machine and end up with a hot mess, but my little machine just blazed right through it, no sweat! BOOYAAAAAHHH!!! *fist pump*

The Sparkling Clear Sequins are even more sparkly than I could capture on camera and I love how they really set off the neutral color scheme! Also loved how the Journaling Card I used (Project Life, Midnight Edition) had the perfect "built-in" space to accommodate and highlight Hero Arts the greeting I wanted to use. *bouncing on chair*

Enjoy today's video here or over on our YouTube channel and, as always, thanks for watching and subscribing! You can opt for 720p for best viewing quality during playback, too!

 

Happy Mundane, and see you at the Pretty Pink Posh Blog Hop on April 25th! :)

 

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SUPPLIES:

Hero Arts Wood Block Stamp, You're A Star	Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black	Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 4 mm Cupped, Sparkling Clear	Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 6 mm Cupped, Sparkling Clear
Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 6 mm Cupped, Sand	Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 6 mm Flat, Sand	Project Life Core Kit, Midnight Edition	Project Life 12x12 Designer Paper Collection Pack, Midnight Edition
Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Gold Coins, 10 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Gold Coins, 25 pk	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream
Crystal Clear Plastic, Medium Weight 8 1/2" x 11" (10 pk)	Hero Arts Folded Cards, Acetate	Stamp-a-ma-Jig	My Favorite Things Die-namics, Stacking Stars
Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac 58'	Glue Glider Pro

InLinkz.com

Backgrounds Two Ways by Sharon Harnist

Today I wanted to show you a few more background options for your greeting cards or scrapbook pages, using stencils and dies in ways other than their intended use.  I love products that have the versatility of being used in many different ways!  Your magic weapon for these projects is My Favorite Things’ Embossing Pad Combo:

Here are my cards:

Trying to get good photos of these subtle backgrounds was very difficult, so I have to apologize for the poor/darker photo quality! Hopefully you can see more detail by clicking on any of the photos for larger views.

Starting with the left, melon colored card:

Embossed Stencil: Besides using a stencil to create a background with either embossing paste, airbrushing, misting or inking through it, you can also dry emboss with it! Hopefully you can see that great diagonal/herringbone type of pattern created on the melon (Bazzill Card Shoppe Candy Hearts) cardstock with MFT's On The Diagonal stencil:

The sandwich stack to run through your Big Shot:

Embossed Stencil Stack (building up from Sizzix Multipurpose Platform -- All tabs closed, just like regular Framelit or wafer-thin die cutting):
1. Multipurpose Platform, using all tabs
2. Clear cutting plate
3. Stencil
4. Cardstock
5. Thin embossing pad
6. 2nd clear cutting plate

(You'll notice I used a different stencil in the photo above and we'll get to that in just a bit)!

Here's the close-up of my second card, which uses a die (MFT's Floral Fusion Cover-Up) to emboss the background:

(I've also linked the stencil version of this die in the supply list below, in case you'd rather use the embossed stencil for this card).

Embossed Die: Besides any die’s intended use of cutting paper, whether it be a small die or larger full background type die like the beautiful MFT Floral Fusion Cover-Up I’ve used, it can also be used to emboss cardstock:

The sandwich stack to run through your Big Shot:

Embossed Die Stack (building up from Sizzix Multipurpose Platform –- Tab 2 open, just like embossing a single sheet of cardstock with an embossing folder):
1. Multipurpose Platform, Tab 2 open
2. Clear cutting plate
3. Die with cutting surface up
4. Cardstock
5. Thick embossing pad
6. 2nd clear cutting plate

TIP: If your chosen cardstock is a little too thin, it may tend to tear in spots when trying to emboss with a highly detailed die. In which case, try a heavier weight cardstock. Case in point: My first attempt embossing the floral background with Neenah Solar White (80 lb.) had a few spots that were almost torn through the raised petals, but by switching to Bazzill’s 100 lb. Marshmallow cardstock, I didn’t have that problem.

For both (original) cards, I did some "watercoloring" with Copic Sketch markers on the backgrounds using this method: Scribble the marker onto an acrylic block, then use a waterbrush filled with Copic Colorless Blender Solution to pick up color from the block and color onto the embossed background. The first card I created with the embossed stencil background, I just COULD NOT get a good final photo, so that's how I ended up with the second melon colored version!

The first card used MFT's Scallops stencil (the one in the Big Shot photo above). Here, you can see how well the stencil embossed the cardstock:

For card 1, I mixed R43 and a little R46 to achieve the color to match with my Bazzill Card Shoppe Candy Hearts card base. Remember, when you are watering down the Copic marker color with Blender Solution, you may need to go a little darker with your initial color, to achieve the correct final color.  I picked up a lot of color, then tapped on the waterbrush so color would drop onto the background:

The corners of the background panel (in both versions!) were rounded with my favorite Corner Chomper and then die cut with the circle from MFT’s Blueprints 12 Die-namics set. I matted the background with a piece of Licorice Twist (black) cardstock that had a smaller Pierced Circle die cut from it. The panel was popped up with Copic Foam Tape over the Get Well Wishes sentiment that was stamped with Jet Black Archival ink onto the Candy Hearts card base. I used more elements of the Blueprints 12 die set (flower and banner) to accent the card. Wink of Stella Brush Tip Marker-Clear was brushed over the “SOON” sentiment and flower center -- I LOVE the subtle sparkle it creates!

Card 2 was watercolored with these Copics: R43, R46, BG11, Y13. I tried to keep the colors pretty “watered” down with Blender Solution, so the coloring would be very soft. 

The MFT Chalkboard Greetings sentiment was inked with Worn Lipstick, Tumbled Glass, Mustard Seed Distress Markers and stamped onto Marshmallow cardstock die cut with a tag die from MFT’s Blueprints 6. 

The edges were sponged with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink and accented with a glittery gold enamel dot. The left edge of the Robin’s Egg card base was accented with Gold Shape ‘N Tape.  The background panel and tag were both popped up with Copic Foam Tape.

Thanks for joining me today -- I hope you enjoy trying these techniques!

Happy Easter!  ~Sharon

MFT Die-namics Embossing Pad Combo	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Marshmallow, 25 pk	MFT Stencil, On The Diagonal
MFT Stencil, Scallops	MFT Die-namics, Floral Fusion Cover-Up	MFT Stencil, Funky Florals	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Candy Hearts 25 pk
Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Robin's Egg, 10 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Juicy Pear, 10 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Licorice Twist, 25 pk	Tim Holtz Water Brush, Detailer Brush Nib
COPIC Colorless Blender Solution 200cc Bottle	Copic High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/2"	Copic Sketch Markers	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool
Zig Wink of Stella Glitter Brush Tip Marker, Clear	MFT Die-namics, STAX Pierced Circle	MFT Die-namics, Blueprints 6	MFT Die-namics, Blueprints 12
Ink Blending Tool, 1 Round	Tumbled Glass Distress Ink Pad	MFT Clear Stamp Set, Get Well Wishes	My Favorite Things Clear Stamp Set: Chalkboard Greetings
Archival Ink Pad, Jet Black	Shape 'N Tape, Gold	Tim Holtz Distress Markers

InLinkz.com

Make a Wish by Heather Campbell

Hello, Hello!  I am so excited to be here today, I have been bursting at the seams for weeks to share share today's project with you!  (So much so that I even created a video for you too - so be sure to scroll down to find it!)  Here's today's project.  Eek!

A few weeks ago I got my hands on the new Avery Elle Storybook stamp set and coordinating dies.  Now I realize I might be a bit biased but the new Avery Elle Storybook set is completely full of possibilities!  The sweet animals are all looking up at the sky and the set is full of stamps for them to be looking up at - stars, birds, bubbles, balloons, butterflies and bugs!  

I couldn't wait to watercolor these animals, especially the deer!  I used my favorite Tim Holtz Watercolor Distress cardstock and I talk at length in the video about that smooth side.  I can stamp on it and intermix it with my regular white cardstock and there's barely any difference!  It's the little things, right?!  I used my Distress Markers mixed with water to create the perfect shades of watercolors. 

To create my scene, I used my Hero Arts Design Block Woodgrain stamp set and stamped my own woodgrain background.  Then I used the new Wplus9 Spring Wreath and cut it out of vellum to pair with the sweet softness of the deer.  The banner is from Avery Elle's Build a Banner.  

I am so glad I was able to capture the glitteryness of this card and the softness of the watercolored animals.  

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing a part of your day with me!

-Heather

Avery Elle Clear Stamps, Storybook	Avery ELLE-ments Dies, Storybook	Avery Elle Clear Stamps, Build A Banner	Avery ELLE-ments Dies, Build a Banner
WPlus9 Design Studio Dies, Spring Wreath	Hero Arts Dye Ink, Black	Hero Arts Shadow Ink, Soft: Sand	Hero Arts Designer Woodgrain
Distress Marker, Gathered Twigs	Distress Marker, Antique Linen	Distress Marker, Frayed Burlap	Distress Marker, Worn Lipstick
Distress Marker, Picked Raspberry	Waterbrush, Small	Zig Wink of Stella Glitter Brush Tip Marker, Clear	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack
Lawn Fawn Hemp Cord, Hot Cocoa Single Cord	Honey Bee Non-Stick Scissors	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 250 Sheet Ream
Bazzill 40 lb. Vellum, 25 pk	Memory Box Cardstock, Meadow	Hero Arts Layering Paper, Mixed Blush	Hero Arts Layering Paper, Carnation
Glue Dots, Micro (1/8")	Kool Tak White Foam Adhesive, 1/4 Squares (1/16 Thick)	Tombow Adhesive Dot Stamp Runner, Permanent

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Hello, Monday 04.14.2014

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

 

You'll see two versions of the above card in today's webisode... I'm one of those unfortunate souls who sometimes makes something and when she gets to the finish, for some reason, no likey. Even after walking away and letting it sit.

So while the video shows the process, the card pictured is what I made after some internal artistic wrestling. Yes, this sort of stuff keeps me awake at night. Why, I know not. Because ultimately, the original was just fine as it was. Truly. *gob smacks self*

Anyway, today I'm using a technique for watercoloring on kraft card stock, and it works pretty slick! Laying down a "primer" of white pigment reinker (or gesso), and allowing it to dry thoroughly will enable you to watercolor over the top!

Enjoy the video here, or over on our YouTube Channel! Thanks for watching & subscribing and be sure to switch to 720p to watch in HD.

 

 

Have a sweet Mundane! ;)

•••••••••••••••••••••

SUPPLIES:

Impression Obsession Clear Stamp Set: Sweet Treats	Impression Obsession Cling Stamp Set: Sweet Treats	Hero Arts Pigment Reinker, Unicorn White	Waterbrush, Small
Tim Holtz Water Brush, Broad Brush Nib	Tim Holtz Water Brush, Detailer Brush Nib	COPIC Sketch Marker R21, Sardonyx	Faber-Castell Designing With Gelatos Kit
Gelatos Double Scoop, Guava	Gelatos Double Scoop, Red Cherry	Non-Stick Craft Sheet	Hero Arts Embossing Powder, White
VersaMark Ink Pad	Hero Arts Embossing Gun	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 25 pk	Cosmo Cricket Self-Adhesive Glitter Sheets, Tinseltown
Studio Calico Mister Huey's Color Mist, Mary Mary, Story Time	Stickles, Fruit Punch	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool, Angle & Photo Corner	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool
Impression Obsession Dies, Cake

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In Detail: Product Reviews & News - Make-Your-Own Mists by Jean Manis

Welcome back to another installment of In Detail. In this post, I’m continuing my exploration of mists with a review of “make your own” mists and the Distress Marker Spritzer Tool. The previous In Detail posts on Spray Mists and Stencils may be of interest.

Let’s begin with a misting option that's simple to create, especially if you already own reinkers. I put a dropper and a half of Tumbled Glass Distress Reinker into a Mini Mister spray bottle and filled the remainder of the bottle with water. (The Mini Misters are also sold in packages of three.)

I sprayed the reinker mixture through the Tim Holtz Latticework stencil. I wanted to compare this mixture with Distress Stain, so I filled a Mini Mister with Tumbled Glass Distress Stain, without adding any water, and sprayed it through the same stencil.

Both the reinker mixture and the Distress Stain mixture sprayed evenly, providing good coverage. However, the mist created with the reinker is more watery. The color is also slightly lighter, although I suspect that could be corrected by adding more ink to the mixture. Conversely, you can make your color lighter by adding more water. To the touch, the tag sprayed with the reinker is slightly raised from the water.

Neither of the tags curled much in comparison to the curling that occurs with pre-made sprays. I wanted to compare the Distress Stain spray to Adirondack Color Wash, so I filled a Mini Mister with Faded Jeans Distress Stain and sprayed a tag with the Tim Holtz Clockworks stencil. I sprayed the same stencil with the Tim Holtz Adirondack Denim Color Wash.

Although the colors aren’t quite the same, the coverage achieved with the Distress Stain is comparable to the coverage from the Adirondack spray. Furthermore, the Distress Stain had fewer droplets. That being said, the Adirondack spray provides characteristics that sprayed Distress Stain does not. The Adirondack spray is permanent and can be used on fabric. But if coverage is all you’re after, then spraying Distress Stains offers an alternative, especially if you’ve already invested in the Distress Stains.

After playing with the Dylusions Ink Spray White Linen for the previous post on Spray Mists, I had a bottle that was less than a quarter full. White Linen is an opaque mist that comes in a spray bottle, which includes a metal ball to help with mixing the product before spraying.

With a Studio Calico eye dropper I added a dropper full of the Dylusions Calypso Teal Ink Spray to the White Linen bottle to make a light teal spray. If I’d wanted more color, I would have added more, one dropper at a time. Alternatively, I could have mixed several droppersfuls of the White Linen with one of the Teal in a 2 oz Inkssentials Mister, but I wanted the mixture in a bottle with a metal ball for mixing.

I sprayed the mixture through the Dylusions Floral Medley stencil yielding a subtly colored, but vibrant, opaque image. The mist sits on the surface because of the White Linen spray formula.

Next, I used the Gelatos Mist Maker Tool Kit to create a mist with a gelato. The set includes a palette knife, a dropper, two misting bottles and a metallic melon gelato stick. I followed the instructions for creating a mist from the package.

I cut a section of the Gelato off into a bowl and mixed with two full droppers of warm water.

I blended the Gelato my pressing on it with the palette knife until dissolved, and then added another two dropperfuls of warm water and dissolved it again.

I filled the misting bottle with the mixture using the dropper.

I created mists with the Metallic Melon color included in the set, as well as with a Cotton Candy one (included in the set of four Blue Gelatos). 

If you’ve already got a lot of Gelatos in your supplies, then making mists with them is a logical step. It’s relatively easy to make the mist and you’ve got as many colors available as you have Gelato colors. The method described above did not make a lot of product. After applying the spray to a couple of tags, the mister was empty. Therefore, I can't comment about the shelf life of the Gelatos mist. If you wanted to make a larger amount of mist to begin with, you’d simply start with more of the Gelato and more water.

I sprayed the Metallic Melon Gelato Mist through the Dylusions Floral Medley stencil.

The Gelato mist created a light coverage with a fair number of bigger drops. The metallic Gelato gave a pearly sheen when dry.

I also sprayed the Cotton Candy Gelato Mist through the same stencil to compare its coverage and appearance with that of the Dylusions mixture and the Tumbled Glass reinker spray.

To continue my exploration of the mists, I painted an image stamped from the Dylusions How Does Your Garden Grow stamp set. 

Let’s compare the Reinker mixture to that of the Distress Stain to color the image. Predictably, the Distress Stain provided more solid coverage. As discussed above, the reinker mixture could be made darker with a change to the ratio of reinker to water. Better yet, the Reinkers could be used without any dilution to color the image. Reinkers and Distress Stains work wonderfully for coloring images.

When comparing the Adirondack Color Wash to the Distress Stain to color, the Distress Stain gave more even, less blotchy coverage. The Color Wash product is permanent, whereas the Distress Stain is not. 

The Gelato and Dylusions White Linen formulas can’t really be compared to one another. The Metallic Melon Gelato mixture gives a waxy finish when painted. The Dylusions White Linen mixture colors the image evenly.

For coloring, the Distress Stain and Dylusions White Linen mixtures were my preferences. Of course, the Gelatos could be used more easily for coloring by simply appllying the product to a craft sheet and picking it up with water. As already discussed, the Reinkers can be used for coloring without dilution.

I also splattered the sprays by flicking a small paint brush that had been dipped in each at full strength onto white cardstock.

For this application, my preferences in order: the splatters produced by the Dylusions White Linen mixture, the Gelato, the Distress Stain, and finally the Reinker.

Lastly, I wanted to try the new Distress Marker Spritzer Tool. This hand-operated product provides an airbrush effect.

I placed the Distress Marker into the tool, tightened the screw and spritzed a tag through the Crafter's Workshop Wildflowers stencil by squeezing the bulb pointing the end of the tool towards the tag, not the end of the marker. You can control the amount of marker ink that is applied by how hard you squeeze the bulb.

The tool is well suited for applying ink through stencils for an air-brushed effect, especially where you want to apply several different colors into relatively small openings, without a lot of overlap. However, it takes a fair amount of work to continuously squeeze the tool. Additionally, it’s not clear how much of the marker is being drained by using it to mist. The Distress Markers aren’t refillable, although they are fairly inexpensive. If you're already invested in Distress Markers and you're interested in an airbrush tool for occasional use, the spritzer is worth its affordable price. It's also much less messy to use than other spray mists!

--Jean

 

Distress Reinker, Tumbled Glass	Distress Stain, Tumbled Glass	Distress Stain, Faded Jeans	Tim Holtz Adirondack Color Wash, Denim
Dylusions Ink Spray, Calypso Teal	Dylusions Ink Spray, White Linen	Gelatos Mist Maker Tool Kit	Gelatos, Set of 4, Blue
Mini Mister, Individual	Distress Marker Spritzer Tool	Tim Holtz Distress Markers	Tim Holtz Stencils, Latticework
Tim Holtz Stencils, Clockworks	Dylusions Stencil, Floral Medley 5x8	Crafter's Workshop Templates, 6x6 Wildflowers by Ronda Palazarri	Dylusions Cling Stamp Set, How Does Your Garden Grow
Studio Artist Brushes	Studio Calico Mister Huey's Droppers	Archival Ink Pad, Jet Black	Inkssentials Surfaces, Manila Tag #8
A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack

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Color Wash Flowers with Belleek Inspired Embossing by Kittie Caracciolo

Welcome to the CLASSroom. I have been a member of the Splitcoaststampers  online paper crafting community for about ten years.  I love playing in the daily challenges and feel I have learned most everything I know from trying new techniques and pushing myself out of my comfort zone.  My project today was made using the Belleek Inspired Technique and was introduced in the Technique Lovers Challenge a couple years ago.  The goal for this technique is to create embossed backgrounds using light shades of color that mimic the beautiful Belleek Pottery. 

I love the soft colors on the embossed backgrounds and think they are such a gorgeous backdrop for flower projects. I want the flowers to be as soft in color to match the background so I played around with water and ink to create what I refer to as color washed flowers. I like to create small frames to add dimension and help accentuate the design but not detract from the beautiful background.

Apply a heavy wash of water to the die cut flower. This will help the ink flow when applied.

Put a drop of straight reinker in the lid of your ink pad, dip your brush in the ink and apply directly to the center of the flower.

Lightly brush the ink outwards to the petals and dry with the heat gun.

Turn the flower face down on the molding pad and push down on the petal tips using the ball stylus.  

Turn the flower face up on the molding pad and push down in the center using the small stylus.  You can see that the two step forming process creates a natural looking flower.

Turn the foliage face down on the molding pad and push down using the stylus to form and add dimension to the leaves.

Place the front of the embossing folder face down and apply light colored ink with a brayer.

Place paper in the folder, place front of the folder face down on your die cutting machine and run through to emboss.

Place the cardstock for your frame and waxed paper on the magnetic platform, set both dies in place to create the frame and run through the machine.

Note: Sharon mentioned in her post recently that she uses waxed paper to help when cutting intricate dies.  I also use waxed paper to keep the paper clean from the dies leaving those ugly dirty marks around the edges.

Apply strips of mounting tape to the back of the frame and attach to the card base.

Attach the foliage to the card base with glossy accents.

Apply glossy accents to the back of each flower and set in place and hold with a stylus to set.

Apply pearls to the center of each flower for an additional elegant element. Hint:  for insurance I always add a small dot of glossy accents to the center of the flower before I place the pearl.

I love the soft embossed background paired with the beautiful floral design.  This might have to be the card we send to my mother-in-law for Mother’s Day.

The Belleek Inspired technique has become one of my all-time favorites and my go to when I need a feminine elegant card.

How long has it been since you dug out your brayer?  I hope my tutorial today will inspire you to get it out along with your favorite embossing folder and create your own Belleek Inspired project.

Sizzix, Textured Impressions Embossing Folders, Starry Night Set, 2 pk	Impression Obsession Dies, Bunch of Blossoms	Lifestyle Crafts Dies, Nesting Rectangles	My Favorite Things Die-namics, Leafy Flourish
Speedball, 4 Soft Rubber Pop-In Brayer	Distress Ink Pad, Spun Sugar	Distress Reinker, Spun Sugar	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Marshmallow, 25 pk
Sizzix Accessory, Tool Kit inspired by Susan Tierney-Cockburn	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	Accents, Glossy	Copic High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/2"
Teflon Bone Folder	Waterbrush, Small

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Hello, Monday 04.07.2014

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

Stamping is *so* engrained in my crafting habits, that it's unusual--and usually difficult!--for me to make a card without doing some stamping, even if it's just the greeting! I think I got lucky on this one, LOL!

The DIY Chalkboard Speech Bubble Stickers are so stinkin' CUTE and I have lots of different shapes and sizes of speech bubble dies (I have a thing for speech bubbles. Can't explain it. They rank up there with woodgrain, sequins, washi tape, yadda yadda, for me!), so it was super easy to pull this together and I love that you can write any message you like in the bubble with the awesome American Crafts Chalk Markers--the white looks fab on these black stickers!

Enjoy the video here, or watch it on our YouTube Channel! Thanks for watching & subscribing! Be sure to switch to 720p for HD quality playback!

Have a most awesome Mundane! ;)

••••••••••••••••••••

SUPPLIES:

American Crafts DIY Chalkbord Speech Bubbles	American Crafts DIY Chalk Marker 5 pc Set	My Favorite Things Die-namics, Say What?	My Favorite Things Die-namics, Chat Bubbles
Basic Grey Highline, 6x6 Paper Pad	Basic Grey Highline, Collection Pack	Bazzill 40 lb. Vellum, 25 pk	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack
A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream	Basic Grey Basics, Candy Buttons - Metallics	Glue Dots Sheets, Mini	Glue Dots Sheets, Ultra Thin
Kool Tak White Foam Adhesive, 1/4 Squares (1/16 Thick)	3-D Foam Squares, Mixed	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	Tonic Paper Trimmer Guillotine, 8.5"
Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini

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Easy Copic Spring Background by Sharon Harnist

Hello and welcome to the CLASSroom weekend edition! Today I wanted to share a quick and easy background you can create with your Copic markers. While this technique could also be achieved with Copic's Airbrush System, I wanted to keep things simple in case the ABS is still on your wish list or you happen to be away from home with only markers in your crafting arsenal.

I wanted the background for this Easter (or Spring) card to mimick a dip-dyed Easter egg and was pleased with the results! You can easily adjust the colors for whatever season or holiday cardmaking time you need. Here are the easy steps:

1. Choose five Copic Sketch colors within two or three color families of each other (the first Copic number) and keep the value/brightness (the second Copic number) relatively close together. Here I used YR31, YG23, BG23, BG45 and B23, so my color family numbers range from 2 to 4 and the brightness numbers I chose are in the upper half (1 to 5) of the brightness scale. This way, you are assured good results!

2. Next, just color on Copic X-Press It Blending Card! I stayed in ROY G BIV color sequence, starting with yellow and just eye-balled about 1/5 of the top of the white cardfront (cut to approximately 5.25" x 4") to start coloring (click on photos for a larger view):

In the last step above on the right, I used Copic Colorless Blender Solution in a Waterbrush to help blend together the transition "seams" between the colors. If you choose to do this, too, I would just caution you to test out the wetness of your waterbrush first. I didn't do that and you can see the splotch of green towards the top of the card where it meets yellow. In hindsight, it would probably would have been better to just use the lighter (yellow) marker to help blend the transition into the green (and subsequently on down between each of the other colors -- using the lighter color before the next darker one). Or you could also use the 0-Colorless Blender Marker.

3. Next, die cut the Sizzix Moroccan Card Front by Rachael Bright from Neenah Solar White cardstock, using the Big Shot:

Tip: With a very intricate die with thin details such as this, place a piece of wax paper between the die and cardstock to make removing the cut cardstock WAY easier!

4. Use Copic's X-Press It Glue Marker to adhere the die cut to the colored background:

5. Trim the overhanging Moroccan white pieces and adhere the front panel with Copic Foam Tape to the white card base. 

6. Stamp Hero Arts Clear Celebrate Everyday Happy Easter sentiment with Memento Pear Tart ink and the bird from the same stamp set with Summer Sky ink onto Neenah Solar White cardstock. Die cut sentiment and Memory Box Sweet Corn Notecard with Sizzix Framelits Funky Labels (I like how they mimick the Moroccan background die!). Adhere sentiment and yellow mat layer to card front with more Copic Foam Tape.

7. Finish card by scattering different colors of Ellen's Sequins around the card front -- I used Daffodil, Grass and Iris Blue, held in place with Mini Glue Dots.

Many thanks for stopping by today!  ~ Sharon

Blending Card by X-Press It, 25 Pack	Copic Sketch Markers	COPIC Colorless Blender Solution 200cc Bottle	Waterbrush, Small
COPIC Sketch Marker, 0 Colorless Blender	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	Sizzix Rachael Bright Thinlits Die, Moroccan Card Front
Celebrate Everyday STamp Set by Hero Art	Memento Ink Pad, Pear Tart	Memento Ink Pad, Summer Sky	Memory Box Notecards & Envelopes, Sweet Corn
Sizzix Karen Burniston Framelits Die Set, Funky Labels	Essentials by Ellen: Sequins, Iridescent Daffodil	Essentials by Ellen: Sequins, Iridescent Sky	Copic X-Press It Glue Marker
Glue Dots, Mini (3/16")	Copic High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/2"	Non-Stick Craft Sheet

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Watercolor Stripes by Heather Campbell

I've really been on a roll experimenting with watercolors and I have a fun one to share with you today!  I used the new Avery Elle pigment inks to create this card. 

Yep, neat huh!  I love being able to stretch my supplies - so getting my inks to act like watercolors makes me happy!

First, I arranged my inks into a rainbow assortment and figured out how I wanted to arrange that rainbow onto my card.  I generally don't like to start at red - for some reason it feels too predictable.  

This was my first attempt, and so I don't have a picture of how I did it, since I didn't know if it would actually work.  So, instead - I have step-by-step pictures of how I did it with the next color.

First, I took the ink pad directly to an acrylic block.

Then I added just a tiny bit of water to my ink using my paint brush.  The Avery Elle pigment ink pads are very juicy and thick - so it worked well!

I ran both traditional paint brushes and waterbrushes across my paper, both worked great!  I used very little water because I wanted to be able to use my Neenah Solar White cardstock. 

Then I just did the same technique with all the colors that I had prearranged from the first photo.

Continuing on... I simply used my grid background to keep my lines almost straight. :)

 With my watercolor panel done, I added a sentiment from Avery Elle Circle It. 

Then I stamped the two individual dots in a few colors around the sentiment.

I die cut the stars from Lawn Fawn's Stitched Journaling Card from Gold Leaf cardstock.  I LOVE THIS GOLD.  It's not too bright and just a little sparkly!  (You'll notice I also adhered a strip of it to the card front too, but don't pay any attention to it - because I ended up cutting it off.)

To make these gold stars even more sparkly, I added Glossy Accents to them.

On top of the stamped dots and sentiment, I added some glitter using my Wink of Stella Clear glitter pen.

Here's how sparkly it looks up close!

 I loved the gold so I decided to just mount it onto the top of a gold card base using the same gold cardstock that I die cut the stars from.   To tie in the black, I added a scrap of washi tape to the bottom of my card that I had left over.  (I've linked something very similar up below!)

Note: A ton of great washi tape just came into the store.  Check out THESE by Little B!

Here's the end result.  With a great ink, it's easy to make these cool custom watercolor stripes.  Thanks for sharing part of your day with me.
-Heather

Avery Elle Clear Stamps, Circle It	Avery Elle Ink Pad Set, Set of 15 Colors	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Lemon Grass	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Celery
Avery Elle Ink Pad, Sea Glass	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Aquamarine	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Sapphire	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Mimosa
Avery Elle Ink Pad, Fizz	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Raspberry	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Sugar Plum	Studio Artist Brushes
Waterbrush, Small	Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	Curious Metallic, Gold Leaf Cardstock	Lawn Cuts Dies, Stitched Journaling Card
Shape 'N Tape, Black	Zig Wink of Stella Glitter Brush Tip Marker, Clear	Accents, Mini Glossy	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal
Tombow Adhesive Dot Stamp Runner, Permanent

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