Spring Lilacs and Birthday Sentiments by Jean Okimoto

Celebrate a birthday with the new Spring Lilacs Clear Stamps Set and Spring Lilacs Die Set - it's sure to be a special day! Add a trellis-y background with a die from the Distressed Baptisia Collage Set and a classic greeting from the new Birthday Sentiments Clear Stamp Set.

Hi, Jean Okimoto here, with an easy way to eliminate some of the stress of watercoloring. It's a challenge to stay inside the lines - literally and figuratively - when I'm coloring. The watercolors just have a way of escaping out onto the background, especially a white background. Eliminate that issue by tinting the background with a light wash of your dominant color and air-dry it. I've used a tiny, very diluted amount of the Pansy Dye Ink Refill for Kaleidacolors. Iron it with a dry iron on the cotton setting to smooth the paper out again. Stamp the lilacs with Imagine Crafts Espresso Truffle Memento Luxe and emboss it with detail clear powder.

Watercolor the image with diluted Pansy, Spring Green and Spruce refill inks. Let it dry. Cut it with the coordinating Spring Lilacs die. Diecutting the lilacs is quick and easy if you align the die with the stem and lower edges of the leaves first - then with the blossom at the top. A bit of painter's tape at those 4 spots will secure the die and produce great results!

Stamp and emboss the greeting from the new Open Studio Birthday Sentiments Clear Stamp Set on white cardstock. Cut it with the 3-1/4" x 4-1/2" Rectangle Basics Die.

Cut white cardstock with the grid pattern from the Distressed Baptisia Collage set. Trim it with the 2" x 3-1/4" Rectangle Basics Die. It's a must-have set of 16 dies perfectly proportioned cutting layers for A-2 cards - and it's great for A-6 and A-7 cards too. I can't design a rectangle card without it!

Attach everything to a top-folded A-2 card of textured white cardstock - use foam dots behind the lilacs at the top. Add pale violet gem stickers.

Big thanks to everyone from last weekend's SUMMER HEARTS class at Impress! We discovered a few new ways to use our favorite heart dies, stamps and papers. They're classic, versatile and perfect for summer celebrations and events - or just to say "I'm thinking of you." Thanks too - Becca and Erin - for helping us find everything we needed for our summer cards!

There's a second SUMMER HEARTS class on May 29th. It's Memorial Day, and classes on a holiday seem to be more relaxing - and it's always a great time to meet new friends and catch up with those you haven't seen in a while.

Thanks for stopping by - hope you enjoyed last week's May Release Blog Blitz. I appreciate all of your thoughtful comments!

Comments

Beautiful card!!

Posted by: Maureen Reiss | 05/18/2017 at 09:40 AM

Pretty card! LOVE how you used one of the Distressed Baptisia Collage dies as a backdrop. Lots of layers, lots of fun!!!

Posted by: Lynn Gauthier | 05/18/2017 at 09:42 AM

Jean, this card is just gorgeous!
I am really just a beginner (in every sense of the word) of watercolouring and I DO find it a challenge! And yes, I loved the Blitz, it was so much fun seeing the new goodies and how all of you used them!

Posted by: Teresa Doyle | 05/18/2017 at 07:26 PM

Thanks Maureen - try it in your favorite colors too!

Posted by: Jean Okimoto | 05/18/2017 at 11:34 PM

Thanks Lynn - the Distressed Baptisia and Distressed Windham Collage sets are great for diecutting, dry-embossing and cutting stencils too!

Posted by: Jean Okimoto | 05/18/2017 at 11:36 PM

Thanks Teresa - paint a stash of watercolor paper with your favorite colors and have them ready for your next moment of inspiration!

Posted by: Jean Okimoto | 05/18/2017 at 11:37 PM

Fab card and a great hint for eliminating the obvious mishaps of going outside the lines and another lovely catd too,thank you.

Posted by: julye | 05/19/2017 at 12:14 AM

Beautiful card! xxx

Posted by: Christine Smith | 05/19/2017 at 02:17 AM

Thanks julye - the tinted background is very forgiving!