Thankful by Michelle Bala

Happy Friday! Michelle here, sharing my version of watercoloring! I used a whole bunch of distress oxide inks and colored pencils. 

First I stamped the pumpkin onto Open Studio Watercolor Paper with waterproof black ink, like InkOn3 black out ink. After the ink sets, I use washi tape to secure it to a flat surface. Next, I brush some water all over the paper. Not too much. I do not saturate the paper. Now I grab my distress oxide inks and start watercoloring. I smoosh my ink pad onto a non porous surface like a piece of plastic. Than I add some drops of water and mix up the color. Using a small paint brush, apply your color. 

I used shades dried marigold, spiced marmalade, ripe persimmon, barn door, squeezed lemonade, crushed olive, mowed lawn, and vintage photo. This is a slow process. Add a color at a time, a layer at a time.  After the inks and paper dry I added some shading with colored pencils.  The next step is a little tricky. I placed the panel in my Mini Misti so I can get perfect placement for heat embossing. I used gold embossing powder. 

Next,, I trimmed the panel slightly smaller than my A2 card base. I added some gold paint splatters. I adhered the pumpkin panel onto a gray cardstock base with foam tape. 

Lastly, I embossed the sentiment with white embossing powder and added a few gems.

Thanks for taking a peek! Hope you give this watercoloring technique a try!

 

Supplies

 

CL5264 Halloween Pumpkin clear stamp set

CL5262-D Harvest Love and Kindness clear stamp and die set

WP101 Watercolor Paper

Emboss and Distress the Garden Party Floral Corner by Jean Okimoto

Blend the warm colors of a summer sunset onto Open Studio Watercolor Paper and add 3D embossing to create a floral card for any occasion.  Hello, Jean Okimoto here with another Garden Party Collection design before we introduce you to our 2020 Holiday Collection.

Cut the smoother side of Open Studio Watercolor Paper with the 4" Square Basics die.  Spritz it with a light mist of water and sponge it with overlapping layers of Distress Oxides.  I've used spun sugar, squeezed lemonade and dried marigold here - but any combination of your favorite soft pastels would work for this design.

Air-dry the inks.  Moisten the reverse side of the paper with another quick spritz of water to prep it for embossing.  Emboss it with the Floral Corner 3D Embossing Folder using the plate(s) required for your machine.  Here's what I used for my Platinum - thick base platform, folder with the watercolor paper (inked side up) and two layers of 80# cardstock.  No embossing mats or plates.

Place the embossed paper on a smooth, hard surface and distress it with sandpaper or a sanding block.  I used #180 sandpaper and short, light upward strokes. Remove the residue with a tissue.  Attach it to a side-folded 5-½" square white card.

Stamp the greeting - from the Peony Garden Corner Clear Stamp and Die Set - on white cardstock with Melon Fresh Ink.  Heat-emboss it with detail clear powder.  Cut the top and two sides with the 2-½" Square Basics die, then trim the bottom edge.  Attach it with foam tape.

Color the white glitter sheet from the Delicate Pastel Glitter Pad with a Copic, Sharpie or Zebra Mildliner pen.  Punch ¼" accent dots.

Our Design Team can't wait to start sharing our newest release and holiday designs with you...great dies, embossing folders, new glitter glues, artpapers and 6x6's.   There's something for everyone!

Thanks for visiting...see you on Thursday - 

 

Supplies

 

EF1007 Floral Corner

CL5255-D Peony Garden Corner clear stamp set

GP1001 Delicate Pastel Glitter Pad

30088 Square Basics Set

WP101 Watercolor Paper

Concentric-Cutting with Square Basics by Jean Okimoto

Multi-colored diecut frames are everywhere right now and the 16-piece Square Basics set is a great way to create that look.  View Jennifer McGuire's video for her great techniques and examples.  

You won't need a special set of dies to cut frames - thick or thin.  This link to our #300-series of dies displays our nesting sets of squares, rectangles, hexagons, ovals, octagons and circles that are perfect for frame-cutting. 

Hello, Jean Okimoto here with a design that began as a trial and became a card.  Tape the 2", 1-½", 1" and ½" dies together.  Brush the remaining exposed tape with the embossing powder tool to reduce the tackiness so the tape won't damage the diecuts.  

Instead of patiently piecing strips of the Delicate Pastel Glitter Pad and diecutting them into nesting frames I diecut the glossy cover of the 6x6 pad "for practice" and decided to use it for today's card.  

Remove the frames from the die and rotate them to arrange contrasting colors.  Cut the ½" square again from another section for better color contrast. Re-assemble the pieces and tape them together on the reverse side.  Pale peach sections keep the card from looking too sweet or like a pink and blue baby card.  

Cut the butterfly print - from the Springtime Bouquet 6x6 set - with the 3" square die.  Stamp the greeting - from the Cherry Blossom Wreath Clear Stamp and Die Set - with Lilac Posies Memento Luxe and emboss it with detail clear powder.  Cut it with the 1-½" square die.

Cut the 2 small Poppystamps Intricate Cut Butterflies from the pink Delicate Pastel 6x6 sheet.  It's a set of 4 detailed butterflies...beautiful details without the little pieces!  

Attach the diecuts to a side-folded 5-¼" square white card - use foam tape for the butterflies.  Square cards require extra postage.

Revisit your stash of prints, glitter and metallic cardstock and up-cycle them into great frames.  I'll  use the blue and green frame squares for a weekend project.

Thanks for visiting!

 

Supplies

 

30088 Square Basics Set

GP1001 Delicate Pastel Glitter Pad

PP1006 Springtime Bouquet 6x6 pack

CL5256-D Cherry Blossom Wreath clear stamp set

2367 Intricate Cut Butterflies

Gloriosa Butterflies, Geodesic Ovals and Glitter by Jean Okimoto

There are so many ways to combine the great dies, papers and stamps in our 2020 collections.  Take advantage of the coordinating colors and themes to create quick cards for any occasion.  

Hi, Jean Okimoto here with two cards using the same papers, dies, stamps and colors to streamline the process and save time.  The tools and supplies are ready - make some cards for your stash, or for gifts.  

 

Cut the Gloriosa Butterfly Duo Backgrounds from Juicy Pear cardstock.  Cut the Gloriosa Butterfly Duo Outlines  and center/antennae sections from the lime green glitter cardstock in the Twinkling Jewel 6x6 Glitter Pack.  Cut the tiny butterflies - from the Butterfly Meadow die set - from the green glittered cardstock too.

Cut the leafy green Garden Folly 6x6 print with the big little Geodesic Oval dies

Score, cut and fold an A6 (4-½" x 6-¼") card and a top-folded A2 card of Easter Grass cardstock.  

Stamp the greetings - from the Poppystamps Greeting Basics Clear Stamp Set - on light green cardstock with Shady Lane VersaFine Clair.  Quickly heat-emboss it with detail clear powder.  Trim the greetings with the Rectangle Basics dies.

Assemble the cards - use foam dots for the greetings and butterfly wings.

Take a few extra minutes to make duplicate or similar cards with the tools and supplies you're working with.  Save some time now, have handcrafted cards ready when you need them... and have a great weekend!

 

Thanks for visiting...

 

Supplies

 

94418 Geodesic Oval Trio

94387 Gloriosa Butterfly Duo Background

94383 Gloriosa Butterfly Duo Outlines

PP1005 Garden Folly 6x6 pack

30086 Rectangle Basics Set

CL490 Greeting Basics

94238 Butterfly Meadow

GP1003 Twinkling Jewel Glitter Pad

Diecut Wide Washi Tape Stickers by Jean Okimoto

Memory Box and Poppystamps dies create unique washi tape stickers for any project  Add them to cards, giftbags, tags, party favors or decor for color-coordinated accents with a very strong adhesive.

Hi, Jean Okimoto here with 2 easy summer cards.  I use a lot of labels, sticker sheets and laminates - I'll have a stash of of the liner sheets if I save them.

Attach Cornelia Aqua Wide Washi Tape to a recycled liner sheet from address labels.  Cut it with the Poppystamps Thank You Stitched Tag. Cut the Poppystamps Grosgrain Bow and the tag's "thank you"  from pale peach cardstock.  Attach everything to a side-folded blue 5 x 3 ½" notecard.  

Cut the middle-sized Geodesic Oval from the washi tape too.  Cut the Geodesic Oval again from natural white cardstock - we're using the frame. Place the smallest Poppystamps Flora Bloom in the 2 ¼" Flora Blooms Solids die.  Cut natural cardstock with the double-die. Color a light-colored Delicate Pastel glitter cardstock sheet with a marker.  Let the ink dry, then punch ¼" circles.  Cut a scrap of it to fit behind the circles in the diecut flower.

Stamp the greeting from the Peony Garden Corner Clear Stamps on natural cardstock with Morning Mist VersaFine Clair.  Attach the Geodesic Oval, Flora Blooms and greeting to a top-folded A2 card of Coral Cream cardstock.  Add the glitter dots.

Thanks for visiting!

 

 

Supplies

 

CL5255-D Peony Garden Corner clear stamp set

2333 Flora Blooms

2365 Thank You Stitched Tag

2358 Grosgrain Bow

2331 Flora Bloom Solids Set

94418 Geodesic Oval Trio

GP1001 Delicate Pastel Glitter Pad

WT509 Cornelia Aqua 1 inch Washi Tape

You’re the Best by Trina Pham

Happy Sunday.  And happy Father’s Day to all the fathers and father figures out there.  I have a clean and simple (CAS) card that I made for my dad to share today.  Unfortunately, he’s going to receive it late. 🙈  

Anywho, a very easy card today.  Started by ink blending Barn Door, Spiced Marmalade and Mustard Seed distress inks (di) with sponge daubers through a DIY circle stencil on a Bristol panel to create the sun.  Spritz with water and blot with a paper towel to give it texture.

The lighthouse, waves and letters were all die cut from Bristol paper three times and stacked for dimension.  Blended Black Soot di on the top letters for an ombré look.  White heat embossed the sentiment on black cardstock then trimmed into a strip.  Assembled the card and mounted the panel on two pieces of black cardstock to finish.

And that was all there was to it.  Thank you for stopping by.  Have a wonderful day.

 

 

Supplies

 

99736 Oceanside Lighthouse and Waves

94341 Vintage Varsity Alphabet

CL5255 Peony Garden Corner clear stamp and die set

Peony Garden Corner Greetings by Jean Okimoto

Framed blossoms from the Peony Garden Corner Clear Stamps and Dies say hello in  shades of green and chartreuse.  Add the Poppystamps Adriana Small Curve Border and Greeting Basics message - and sparkly glitter dots.

Hi, Jean Okimoto here with a mix of detailed Memory Box and Poppystamps designs and  and the bold new Poppystamps Circle Fold Frame.  The frame cuts the centered circle and scores the front panel.  It adds the impact of a square card to a basic A2 format. You won't need to measure, hand-score or center the cutout.  There's a bonus smaller circle die included in the set to add contrasting backgrounds too.

Stamp the large peony and buds from the Peony Garden Corner set on chartreuse cardstock with Onyx Black VersaFine.  Dry the ink, then diecut the flowers with the coordinating dies.

Stamp the greeting from the Poppystamps Greeting Basics Clear Stamps Set.  Dry the ink, then cut it with the 1-¼" Circle Basics die.

Briskly rub the Adriana Small Curve Border with scrunched waxed paper to prep the die and make it easy to remove the diecut.  Cut the border from light green cardstock.

Cut Poppystamps Circle Fold Frame from Easter Grass cardstock.  Fold it backwards along the scoreline and press it with a bonefolder.  Cut Easter Grass cardstock with the 4-¼" x 5-½" Rectangle Basics die.  Attach the folded frame  tab behind the rectangle.

Attach the diecuts to the card - use foam tape near the top and sides of the flowers.  Add ¼" punched dots of the green glitter cardstock from the 6x6 Twinkling Jewel Glitter Pad.

I love square cards, flowers and all shades of green.  This card has it all for me - hope you'll like it too.  Thanks for visiting...see you again next week!

Supplies

 

CL5255-D Peony Garden Corner clear stamp set

30086 Rectangle Basics Set

2348 Circle Fold Frame

GP1003 Twinkling Jewel Glitter Pad

30087 Circle Basics Set

CL490 Greeting Basics

2355 Adriana Small Curve Border

Rose Blossoms – Embossed, Layered and Glittered by Jean Okimoto

Create long-stemmed roses with the new Rose Blossom Die Set and Gilia Stems from a earlier release - then add them to a simple all-occasion card.  Just another way to mix, match and alter your Memory Box diecuts and discover new designs.  Hello and happy weekend - Jean Okimoto here with a bright summer card for you.

We're using another Leafy Jumble Stencil background from a variation of a Jennifer McGuire technique.  Details are on my previous post.  One sheet of ink-blended Open Studio Watercolor Paper and spritzed water produces two ink-lifted backgrounds and one heat-embossed background.

Sponge worn lipstick, carved pumpkin and squeezed lemonade Distress Oxides on smooth white cardstock for the blossoms.  Heat-set the inks.  Cut two each of the Rose Blossom and Background.  Pressure-emboss the backgrounds using the detailed die, rubber embossing mat and embossing plate(s) required for your machine.  

Spread a large drop of Goldfinch Open Studio Glitter Glue in the center of the pressure-embossed background - cover an area about ¾" in diameter.  Attach the detailed diecut. Pressure-embossing the background adds an extra layer of dimension.

Cut the stems of the Gilia Stems set.  Remove the small lower leaf of the longer stem - it'll be re-attached higher later.  

Trim the Leafy Jumble background with the 3-½" x 4-¾" Rectangle Basics die.  Cut accent strips from Sour Apple (1-⅜" x 4") and Juicy Pear (⅞" x 4-½") cardstock. Trim the stems to fit on the accent strip.  Attach everything to a side-folded A2 card of Sour Apple cardstock.  

Social-distanced crafting won't replace the great friendships and experiences shared in classes but it keeps us connected right now.  Thank you for purchasing my card kits through Impress Cards and Crafts here in Washington - and Stamps and Memories in Hawaii.  Thanks also for selecting and supporting these great independent retailers - and Memory Box, Poppystamps and Birch Press Designs - during these challenging times.

 

 

Supplies

 

WP101 Watercolor Paper

30086 Rectangle Basics Set

94417 Rose Blossom And Background

88613 Leafy Jumble Stencil

94432 Gilia Stems

40118 Goldfinch glitter glue

Lightly Layer the Peony Garden Corner by Jean Okimoto

Say thanks with a layered floral greeting from the Garden Party collection.  Stamp and diecut the corner image to create a crisp backdrop for the individual design elements  - then add glittery highlights.  The Peony Garden Corner Clear Stamps and Dies set includes the leaves, flowers and greetings.

Hi, Jean Okimoto here with a summer-ready design. I'll leave the detailed watercoloring to Dave and the other experts on our Design Team.  I painted the smoother side of

Open Studio Watercolor Paper with diluted inks from the Melon Melody Kaleidacolor inkpad.  Dry the inks - and you're ready to stamp and diecut.

Stamp the large corner image on smooth white cardstock with VersaFine Onyx Black and emboss it with clear powder.  Stamp the coordinating peony, buds and leaves on the painted watercolor paper with Onyx Black.  Emboss it with detail clear powder.  Cut the pieces with the coordinating dies from the set.

Stamp the greeting on white cardstock with Verdant VersaFine Clair.  Emboss it with detail clear powder.  Trim it with the smallest Wrapped Stitch Rectangle die.  It's great  having dies to trim the greetings to the perfect size!

Attach the diecuts to a white sidefolded 5-½" square card.  Add ¼" punched circles of that sparkly green glitter cardstock from the Twinkling Jewel 6x6x Glitter Pack.  

Dot the center of the flowers with Buttercup Glow Open Studio Glitter Glue.

Here's a tip...to prevent glitter glue splurts on an almost-done card, squeeze the glitter glue onto a scrap of cardtock and use a toothpick or skewer to transfer it to the diecut. Spread it around with the toothpick or skewer and set it aside to dry.

Thanks for visiting- hope you're enjoying the Garden Party cards our Design Team has created for you.  See you again next week!

Supplies

 

WP101 Watercolor Paper

CL5255-D Peony Garden Corner clear stamp set

40101 Buttercup Glow glitter glue

30094 Wrapped Stitch Rectangles

GP1003 Twinkling Jewel Glitter Pad

Because Kindness Means So Much by Jean Okimoto

Happy Saturday - here's a sharing-kindness card for weekend crafting. Combine the lacy new Clementine Border and bold Poppystamps Rounded Blooms Flowers for a fresh look.  Hello, Jean Okimoto here with a delayed post caused by a (senior moment) glitch today.

I've always loved tall, skinny cards - even before "slimline" became trendy. The tall/skinny idea is just wishful thinking!  They fit #9 or #10 business envelopes -   surprise someone with a boring business envelope that contains a special card you've created for them. 

Enjoy Michelle's pretty slimline card here.

Scrunch waxed paper and rub it briskly over the Clementine Border and Kindness Cursive Script dies to prep them for an easy release.  Cut 2 Clementines from white cardstock.  Cut kindness from Navaho cardstock.  (leave the little dot over the "i" in the die to attach later)

Cut Poppystamps Rounded Bloom Flowers from Patina and Coral Cream cardstock.  Cut 1" circles of the white glittered cardstock from the Delicate Pastels 6x6 glitter pack and color them with markers.  Attach them behind the flowers.

Stamp and trim the greeting - from the new Peony Garden Corner Clear Stamps and Die Set - with Melon Fresh Ink.  Heat emboss it with detail clear powder.  It's my first Fresh Ink card - I love their pretty colors!  It looks darker in the group photo above, but it's a soft summer-y coral that complements turquoise, gray, kraft, charcoal and lime.  And the container is pretty classy too!

Score and fold a 3 ½" x 8 ½" white card.  Make it easy on yourself...attach the flowers to the Clementine Border first, add adhesive behind the flowers and some of the ovals along the edges - then attach it to the card.  Attach the greetings - use foam dots for the stamped words.

Thanks for visiting - see you again next week!

Supplies

 

94426 Clementine Border

94391 Kindness Cursive Script

CL5255-D Peony Garden Corner clear stamp set

2337 Rounded Bloom Flowers

30087 Circle Basics Set

GP1001 Delicate Pastel Glitter Pad