Happy Saturday! It's hard to believe that it's time to start thinking about Christmas cards but it will be here before we know it. Today I have a fun stamping technique using the Distress Oxide inks and one of the fabulous new stamps from the Holiday Collection.
I started by stamping my image using an ink that is water resistant on to Bristol paper. Just pick your favorite ink you like to use when watercoloring. Then once the image was dry, I covered my paper with Lucky Clover Distress Oxide ink.
Next, I took a paint brush dipped in water and I painted over the inside of the leaves and berries in the mistletoe. When it is still wet, take a paper towel to dab off the water and it will reveal the oxide magic!
To add some sparkle, I used my Clear Wink of Stella glitter pen to color in the berries. I stamped a sentiment and then once everything was dry I glued the card together.
Today I have a card using a resist technique that I'm sure most of you are familiar with. I stamped the leaf images several times on white cardstock using a Versa Mark Ink pad, and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.
I used blending brushes to apply Distress Ink across my cardstock, starting with my lightest color and working down to the darker colors.
Once I was done applying the ink to my paper I took a dry paper towel and rubbed across the cardstock to remove any ink that might of stuck to the embossed image. It's so much fun to see the white embossed stand out after you apply the colored ink.
Next I stamped and white embossed the sentiment on a strip of black cardstock and used foam tape to adhere it to my card front. I adhered my card front to a black cardstock mat and used foam tape to glue it to a white card base.
To finish the card, I added a button and twine. That's it for today!
Add spooky special effects to the new Winter Tree Frame to create the perfect setting for some Friendly Ghosts. It begins as a beautiful, delicate tree - and we're adding some Black Soot ink to highlight the frame and branches and make it a bit scary. Hello, Jean Okimoto here with a quick Halloween design for you.
Pressure-emboss Winter Tree Frame onto 140-lb Cold Press watercolor paper using the plates and embossing mat required for your machine. Ink the raised areas using a pod applicator and Black Soot Distress Oxides. These sturdy applicators look like freeze-dried marshmallows - and are great for inking the top layer of embossed designs. They don't squish down into the unembossed area. Dry the ink.
Place a sheet of printer paper - between the inked paper and the cutting plate - to prevent the transfer of ink. Cut it with the Winter Tree Frame.
Use the larger outer frame to cut a 3-¼" background square of black cardstock. Attach it behind the Winter Tree Frame.
Cut accents strips from green cardstock (¾" x 3-¼"), orange cardstock (¾" x 3-¾" and crushed copper paper (¾" x 5").
Attach everything to a side-folded black A-2 card. Add black sequins.
The beautiful Winter Tree Frame isn't just for winter or fall. It's perfect throughout the year. Begin with autumn leaves now, then drifting snowflakes for December, hearts in January, lovebirds in February, cherry blossoms in March - and on and on.
If you're in the Seattle area and need some Halloween and fall inspiration - join us for a class, and the Impress Halloween Event on Saturday September 21st. The HALLOWEEN STASH CARDS class starts at 10:30. We're making 5 cards and a treat wrapper - lots of techniques, diecuts and everyone gets a pack of 'extras' from my stash to make more class cards at home. Enjoy demos (10:00-Noon), great samples, special displays and the best selection of Halloween papercrafting products for all of your projects.
Happy Wednesday friends! Today I used one of the new stamp sets with some inks to create a blended and stamped card.
I started with three colors of the Distress Oxide inks in browns to create my ombre background. Starting with the lightest color first, I inked over the whole paper with a blending brush. Then I took the medium color and went a little more than half way down the paper. I finished with some of the darkest brown along the top third of the paper.
Then using the set of leaves from the Graceful Fern stamp set I stamped them three times using the darkest brown Oxide ink color. I added in my sentiment from the same stamp set to finish it off.
Ink blending is so fun and it works great with these stamps! Have a great day!
Hello there. Today I am sharing another simple Christmas card. It used a technique I was intimidated by, but I finally tried it at a retreat back in May thanks to Susan. The smell was what put me off, but then Susan recommended the splashless type. Problem solved! I barely even notice the smell.
Started by ink blending with blending brushes on hot press watercolor paper to create an ombré monochromatic background. Stamped the mistletoe from Merry and Bright Mistletoe with Archival black ink.
Next, applied bleach to the image with a small brush. The bleach will lift the color.
It’s a good idea to use a stamping tool, so the image can be re-stamped, if needed. The image can be left as is or colored in.
As you can see, I did both. Left the leaves and only colored the berries with a red water-based marker. For some shine and dimension, added Crystal Glaze to the berries. And lately, I love my splatters, so added some to the upper part using white gouache paint. The sentiment from Mistletoe Swag was white heat embossed on a black strip to finish.
You can save yourself a step by using color cardstock instead of coloring your own. Keep in mind, the bleaching will not be immediate and will be noticeable only after some drying time. And that does it for me. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful week.
As soon as the 2019 Holiday images were released I knew that one of my first cards would incorporate the leaves and acorns from the GRATEFUL AUTUMN clear stamp set CL5243.
I began by stamping the large leaves on a piece of off-white cardstock using VersaMark ink, added gold tinsel embossing powder, and heat set it.
To color in the leaves I used a water brush and Distress Inks in Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge, Spiced Marmalade, Crushed Olive, and Gathered Twigs. Because this image is stamped on cardstock, the water brush works fine because it doesn't saturate the paper. I just picked up the color from the ink pad using the water brush and cleaned the brush between colors by scribbling the tip on scrap paper. When the leaves were dry I cut the panel to 4 X 5.25.
Next I stamped and embossed the two acorns, painted them using the water brush and the same colors as the leaves, and fussy cut them out. I used the water brush and more of the Gathered Twigs ink to color the cut edges. Then I stamped the sentiment "begin each day with a grateful heart" with more VersaMark ink and used the gold tinsel embossing powder. There are so many wonderful words in this stamp set that it was hard to choose which to use.
I used a round foam pad ink blending tool to add color to the edges of the leaf and sentiment panels. And then I went direct-to-paper with the ink pad to add a fine dark line on the edges.
To assemble everything, I used a tape runner to secure the leaf panel to a lightly-colored kraft notecard. I added the sentiment strip using foam tape for more dimension. I put foam dots behind the acorns to raise them to the height of the sentiment strip .
This is definitely a card for my September class this week at the local Senior Center. They will love this! I think you will love this stamp set, too!
Send a hug - and brighten someone's day - with a floral design from the Memory Box Stamptember Stamp Set for Simon Says Stamp. It's a limited edition set celebrating the 10th anniversary of Stamptember and it's available while supplies last.
Hi there, Jean Okimoto here with a simple design that's perfect when you need a quick card. If you're busy or coloring-challenged like I am - this is your card!
Stamp the bouquet on the smoother side of Coral Creme cardstock with Morning Mist VersaFine Clair. Dry the ink. Cut it with the large circle frame from the Stylish Frame Trio. Save the delicate double outer circles too.
Cut three accent strips of Rock Candy (¾" x 4"), Easter Grass (1"x 5") and Arroyo (¾"x 4-½") cardstock.
Use Worn Lipstick Distress Oxides to stamp "sending" from the Bold Friendly Greetings Clear Stamps near the bottom right corner of a 5-½" square white card. Stamp "hugs" from the limited edition Fresh Cut Bouquet stamp set.
Diecut a heart from Arroyo using the Heart Board die.
Assemble the card. Add peach gem stickers.
Hope you like this quick and easy design. Thanks for visiting...enjoy your summer weekend!
The Memory Box Exclusive Fresh Cut Bouquet Set for Simon Says Stamp is great for the ink-lifting technique. Pair it with warm Distress Oxide colors and crisp white diecuts from the Petite Leaf Frame Set. The 10th Anniversary Stamptember Limited Edition stamp set is only available while supplies last - order your set soon and enjoy it for late summer and fall projects.
Hi, Jean Okimoto here, using a popular technique that's been around for several years - but creates unique results each time. Sponge or brush the smoother side of watercolor paper with overlapping layers of Worn Lipstick and Picked Raspberry Distress Oxides. Set it aside to air-dry. Have a Kleenex tissue and another stamp block ready for the next step.
Spritz the clean Fresh Cut Bouquet stamp with water and press it firmly onto the inked watercolor paper for about a minute. Carefully remove the stamp and lay the tissue flat on the watercolor paper. Press it with the stamp block to absorb the excess water.
Dry the watercolor paper then trim it with the 3-½" x 4-¾" Rectangle Basics die.
Stamp the greeting - also from the set - on a scrap of watercolored paper with Morning Mist VersaFine Clair. Trim it with the smallest Rectangle Basics die.
Cut the leaves and pods from the Petite Leaf Frame set from white cardstock.
Attach everything to an A-6 card of textured white cardstock - use foam dots for the greeting. Add yellow gem stickers.
Hope you'll try this technique with different designs from our 2019 Holiday Collection. It would be great with the evergreens, leaves and wreaths.
Today's card uses an exclusive stamp set that is part of Simon Says Stamptember event. Please check out Laura's post yesterday for more information or hop over to Simon Says Stamp blog.
I used a spotlight stamping technique for this card.
On a white cardstock panel I stamped my image with Vintage Photo Distress ink. I stamped on another strip of white cardstock with black ink and colored that image with colored pencil.
I lightly sponged Antique Linen Distress ink on both panels and spattered them with black and brown inks. Once the ink was dry I used foam tape and adhered my colored strip on top of the stamped panel. I just matched up my image so it looks like one continuous pattern.
I die cut the word hello several times from black cardstock and glued them together. This gives the word a little more dimension.
To finish the card, I stamped my sentiment under the word hello and added some black epoxy dots to the card front.
I hope you stop by the Simon Says Stamp blog to get more inspiration!
Greetings friends. We are so excited to announce that we are participating in the Simon Says Stamp Stamptember event. We have partnered with Simon to release an exclusive stamp and die set that will be available while supplies last. Today we will be sharing some of our designer samples, but we also encourage you to visit the Simon Says Stamp blog to see lots of ideas for using the stamp set. Hopefully you will be as excited about the new set as we are!
By Donna Sledzik
Why not highlight part of the stamp for a dramatic effect?
by Donna Sledzik
Donna once again spotlighted one part of the stamped image but in a completely different way than the first design.
by Laura Fulcher
Fall is approaching, and the stamp set lends itself well for seasonal color palettes. You could do pastels for Spring, vivid colors for Summer or break out your autumnal colors.
by Laura Fulcher
Intimidated by coloring all the flowers? Why not color everything but the flowers?
by Anne Thompson
Pair your design with Fall patterned papers and embrace the season.
by Anne Thompson
Don't forget to pair your card with a coordinating envelope!
by Jean Okimoto
Make someone smile - trim Fresh Cut Bouquet with a circle from the new Stylish Frame Trio Set - and send some hugs!
I hope you found lots of new ideas for using this exclusive stamp and die set. If you want to see more ideas, visit Instagram and visit the #Stamptember hashtags to visit other designers.
Also, in addition to the stamp set collaboration with Simon, we are busy creating holiday projects using the latest collection! Check out our video this week featuring a fun technique (Die Cutting with Napkins!) using some of our favorite new holiday dies!
Give a classic Christmas design a unique autumn look with the new Holiday Greenery Clear Stamps. Invert the poinsettia and berries then watercolor them in warm colors on a caring card for someone special. Hi, Jean Okimoto here with a fall card - and an easy way to add controlled splatters to any design.
Color the smoother side of watercolor paper with a watery wash of Bundled Sage Distress Oxide. Dry it with a heat-tool - alternately heating the back and front of the paper to minimize curling.
Stamp it with Pinecone VersaFine Clair and emboss it with detail clear powder. Press the inks from Tomato Vine Kaleidacolor onto a large acrylic block. Use it as a palette to paint the design.
Stamp the greetings on scraps of the tinted watercolor paper with VersaMark. Emboss them with detail clear powder. When they're cooled, brush them with Shady Lane VersaFine Clair. Remove any residual ink on the embossing with a tissue.
Cut Speckled Background from stencil plastic - the 12" square sheets from The Crafters Workshop are great for this. Remove the diecut, rotate it 180 degrees and cut it again. This adds a second set of holes in different areas. The diecut stencil in the background was cut once. The stencil taped to the paper was cut, rotated and cut again.
Brush or sponge Spanish Moss VersaFine through the stencil onto the stamped paper. Move the stencil around to fill in any areas that need more spots.
Ink-splattering is cool - but my splats don't always land where I want them to. Stenciling lets you control the location and intensity of those little dots. You can even multi-color the dots with different sections of the stencil.
Trim the paper with the 3-¼" Square Basics die. Cut a 1-½" x 3-¾" strip of dark green cardstock. Cut a ¾" x 3-¾" strip of the new crushed copper paper from Shizen Design, sold at Impress.
Attach everything to an A-6 (4-½" x 6-¼") card of Candy Corn cardstock - use foam tape for the greetings. Punch and attach ¼" circles of the crushed copper paper.
Big thanks to everyone from last week's SIMPLY ASIAN and AWESOME BLOSSOM(s) classes at Impress! I appreciate your driving - and flying - to join us. Thanks Jenny - for those flowery bowls of great chocolates - all 6 varieties of them! And thanks to Erin and Lynne for answering all of our questions and finding everything we needed.
No classes this weekend - I'll see everyone again at the HALLOWEEN STASH CARDS class at the Impress Halloween Event on September 21st. We're using great dies, inks and stamps - and mystery items from my stash. Everyone gets some stash extras to make more cards at home. We'll make 5 cards and a treat wrapper.
Like everyone, I am always trying to think of new and different ways to stretch my supplies and I want to share with you a technique that is inexpensive and easy, and it is something that you will have so much fun doing!
Check out the video for how to cut paper napkins with your dies so that they are still sturdy enough to craft with. I did a little experimenting before I recorded the video to see what works!
What you will notice with this technique is the terrific texture that appears when you color the die cuts with watercolor! The die cuts puff up and wrinkle a little bit when you add liquid to them, changing the smooth die cut surface into a slightly puckered shape. The color spreads quickly - sort of a faux watercolor technique - and because of the layers of napkin, the color is rich and deep when the paint soaks in. I accented the watercolors with a gentle coating of metallic watercolor to give them a little sparkle. For the projects in the video, I used some Gansai Tambi Watercolors and Starry Color paints - but try this with any regular and metallic watercolor!
You can experiment with how many layers of paper napkin you use, colored napkins, - or maybe try tissue paper! The possibilities are endless!
