Hello Summer!

Hello Everyone!

I hope you've all had a wonderful week!  Lots of shimmer in today's tutorial...but actually not as much as I had expected...let me show you...

Products I used:

• A2 size card base
• Panel of Bristol board - mine was bigger than the card base so I could cut it down
• Dream Weaver Embossing paste - just the standard paste (it's white)
• Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist: Moss, Emerald Green, Lobster, Dijon, It's Yellow
• Palette knife or squeegee or credit card
• Painters Tape
• Background stencil - Newton's Nook Tropical Leaves
• Flower Stencil - Love From Lizi - Tropical Stencils
• Panel Die - Wonky Stitch Die
• Scissors for fussy cutting the flower
• Sentiment die and coordinating card stock - I used Mirriboard
• Sequins for embellishments
• Foam Tape/squares
• Glue/tape runner
• Wink of Stella or other clear shimmer pen

First I taped my stencil down over my Bristolboard panel with the painters tape.  Then, I smeared some of the embossing paste onto my craft mat and added some of the green ...notice I had 2 greens and 2 yellows.  I started with the Moss and smeared some onto the stencil.  Next I kept adding a smear of the paste and adding the different colors.   I wanted a variegated effect.

It was fairly messy, but I applied a thicker coat than I normally would and just tried to make sure it was relatively smooth before I removed the stencil. When I did remove the stencil, this is what I got:

I was able to get the look I wanted.  I only used the one color - Lobster - for the flower.  I let these dry for a few hours.  So, working with this embossing paste is a bit different than working with glitter paste.  When glitter paste dries (...and we all know how fast that happens!!!) it is extremely hard and brittle.  This did not dry nearly as fast (great for cleaning up the stencil and work surface) and it remains playable when it's dry.  So that resulted in 2 things: 1) it allowed me to die cut the panel with absolutely no problem at all and 2) the glitter from the glimmer mist completely disappeared!!!!!!!  Not sure why that happened, but there was not even a glint!  What that allowed me to do was use a clear glitter pen - like a Wink of Stella - over some of the leaves and the flower so they would shimmer.  I was really pleased with the result.

After diecutting the panel with the wonky stitch die I die cut the sentiment out of mirriboard and adhered it to the panel and fussy cut the flower and adhered that.  I glued the panel onto the card base, added some sequins to the flower and it was done!

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial and will give it a try!  Dream Weaver also makes a translucent embossing paste that I'd like to try...I think some really cool effects could be done with that along with the glimmer mists!

Talk to you all next week!

Happy paper crafting and remember...it's only paper!

Betsy

Love From Lizi June 2018 Card Challenge

Hello Everyone!

This is my entry for the Love From Lizi June 2018 Challenge - Show us your stripes!

This is always such a fun challenge!

#LFLMC

Rainbow Daisies!

Hello Everyone!

I hope you are having a lovely weekend!  This week's card is a very colorful one!  I'll be using digital stamps from CharliesStamps -  CharliesStamps (click here and it will pop up the link to the shop on Etsy!) These are great images to color and craft with.

The supplies for this card:

• Daisy Digital Stamps from CharliesStamps
• Rainbow paper from Lawn Fawn Really Rainbow
• A2 size card base
• Alpha Die ) I used Echo Park Lindsay Lower Case Alphabet/white card stock for cutting
• Leaf Dies
• Green Cardstock
• Colored Pencils
• Nuvo Glitter Drops in White Blizzard
• Colored Pencils
• Glue
• Foam Tape
• Scissors
• Straight Edge

I started with my daisies that I printed out on white card stock and then cut out using my Brother Scan 'n Cut, or you can cut them by hand.  I colored them using colored pencils keeping the darker tones toward the centers and the lightest tones on the tips of the daisies.  I used a combination of Primacolor and Faber-Castel for pencils.  All of the centers were colored the same green-yellow blend.

I then die cut my leaves using an Elizabeth Designs die set and all of my letters using Elcho Park Lindsay Lower Case Alphabet using white card stock.  I then cut my Lawn Fawn Really Rainbow panel to size - 4" x 5.25" and glued it to the white A2 size card base.  I spent some time laying out my elements.  When I decided on the composition I began by gluing on the letters.  To help me do this, I used my straight edge placed along the side of the card as a guide as I was gluing down the letters.

After I glued them all in place, I then glued on the flowers.  I glued the 2 outer daisies flat and popped up the middle one on foam tape.  I trimmed up the leaf die cuts as they were a little too full and added a few of the ones I cut off as accents.  When everything was glued down, I added Nuvo Glitter Drops in White Blizzard on the centers of the daisies and the dot of the "i" in smile.  I was pleased that the color of the center of the flowers was visible through the Glitter drops.  And that completed my card!

I feel I'm still new to the digital stamp world, but it's so easy!  You can use them again and again and print them out whatever size you need.  CharliesStamps has a wonderful variety of digistamps with new designs being added often!  Her prices are so reasonable!  Really, it's a no-brainer!!!!!

I hope you all have a good week coming up and remember to check out CharliesStamps on Etsy!  She's also on Instagram @charliesstamps.

Happy Papercrafting and remember....it's only paper!

Betsy

AWESOME GIVEAWAY IN PROGRESS!!!!!

You don't want to miss out on this giveaway from Art-Without-Anxiety!  Fab prizes and it runs until June 30th!!!!!!!

Shimmering Itoh Peony

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone is having a great kick-off to summer.  It was graduation weekend here in Maine and it has been a simply gorgeous day!

Today I'm going to show you how I made these stunning Itoh Peony cards with tons of shimmer!  My supply list included the following:

• Itoh Peony Stamp from Technique Junkies
• Tattered Angels Glimmer mist in: Precious Metal, Lobster and It's Orange  (you could use another brand of mica spray or make your own by mixing Perfect Pearls with water in a mini mister).
• Watercolor paper trimmed to 6 x 6
• Emblossing ink
• White Embossing Powder
• Antistatic Powder Tool
• Heat Tool
• Layering papers for backing
• A2 size card base
• Embellishments such as sequins and/or pearls
• Either a stamp for a sentiment or a die/foam tape for mounting

I have had these glimmer mists for quite some time and I admit, I really didn't know how to use them.  The color is very intense (the labels are actual samples) and it's quite watery.  But, first things first.  I prepped my watercolor panel with my antistatic powder tool and stamped my image with clear embossing ink.  This is a big stamp, but I did use my stamp positioner so I could stamp it more than once if need be.  I used super detail white embossing powder from Hero Arts (my fav) and melted it with my heat tool.  At this point you can tape down the panel to a board or just set it on paper towels which is what I did.  I used the darkest color first which is the Lobster.  This is REALLY RED!

  I tried not to cover the entire image with just one color.  I had an idea in my mind of where I wanted the darkest tones and where I wanted the lightest.  Immediately after spritzing on, I dabbed it a clean paper towel.  I didn't wipe it, I just dabbed up the excess.  After I was done with the Lobster, I added the It's Orange which definitely had lots of yellow in it!

As I worked along adding color, I mopped up the excess with the paper towel.  I spritzed with my right hand and mopped with my left!  When I had these 2 colors to the point where I was satisfied, I went in with the Precious Metal.  This is an odd color, it's very light and not quite pink and not quite flesh tone, but it had a toning effect on the Lobster and It's Orange.  By working on the 6 x 6 paper I had a place to hold on to and it gave me a nice border to use for my sentiment.

I was pleasantly surprised at how nice this looks and the shimmer is incredible.  I trimmed the panel to 4 x 5.25 and retained the left side for mounting my sentiment.  I used a Lawn Fawn die and plain white card stock and popped it up on foam tape.  I backed the panels with a piece of silver linen paper from My Paper Wishes and mounted it on a white card base.  I added a few Simon Says Stamp Moonshine sequins and some Nuvo Jewel drops to the centers of the peonies.

I had made another panel and actually watercolored it...this is the pink one in the opening photo.  I took a chance and sprayed it with the Precious Metal mist using the exact same technique of spritzing with my right hand and mopping up with my left hand.  I really didn't know if this was going to reactivate the watercolor and totally ruin the card or not, but it did not effect the watercolor at all.  It just gave a wonderful shimmer to the whole panel.  I had heat embossing this panel using Silver Pearl embossing powder from WOW.  So I backed the panel onto some pearl cardstock and covered my card base with a pink specialty paper which I also used for my sentiment which I heat embossed white.  I used Pearls for  embellishments and Limoncello Nuvo Jewel drops for the centers of the peonies.  The soft shimmer of this card is really pretty!

I hope you enjoyed today's card tutorial and that you'll give it try when you are in the mood from some shimmer!

Just for a teaser...I'm close to 1500 on Instagram....and yes, there will be a giveaway!!!!!  Stay tuned!

Happy Paper crafting and remember...it's just paper!

Betsy

One Piece of Product - 3 Distinct Cards!

Hello Everyone!

I hope you've all had a relaxing weekend!  Seems like the weather is finally nice and there are lots of things to do!

Today I will be sharing how I made these 3 unique cards using one piece of product!  That's right...one 6 x 6 piece of Foil Transfer from Crafter's Companion!  I've used a sheet from the Floral Tea collection.  This set contains twelve 6 x 6 sheets of foil transfer.  And there is a wide variety in just this one pack!  I used this Argyle sheet for these projects.  Here is my supply list:

• One sheet of Foil Transfer from Crafters Companion
• Background papers
• Embellishments
• Die Cut Sentiments
• Black cardstock
• Clear embossing powder
• Heat tool
• Antistatic powder tool
• Ranger Perfect Pearls
• Paintbrush

The first card was made using the Foil Transfers as they were intended.  Take a panel of background paper and lay down the Foil Transfer sheet after removing the release acetate on the back.  I found there is no repositioning this, so aim well!  There is adhesive on this and it needs to be transferred to your paper.  I laid the release paper over the Foil Transfer (I did this to retain the screen printed design on the acetate sheet)  and burnished it quite vigorously.  You need to get all of the adhesive transferred onto your paper.  It should look like this:

Now the paper is ready for the foil.  Lay your foil piece - pretty side up - on top of your panel with the adhesive.  Again, this needs to be burnished.  There is a burnishing tool included with the kit.  It's important to apply pressure all over the foil.  You want to make sure all of the adhesive gets covered with foil.  It should look like this when you are done:

Note what the foil sheet looks like on the right.  Don't throw it away - that becomes card #2!  I cut down this first panel and mounted it on foam and adhered it to my covered card base.  I added flower embellishments and a die cut sentiment and heart.  I also die cut the sentiment and the heart out of foam so it would have some dimension.

Card #2 starts with the piece of foil that is left over.  I laid this foil piece onto a piece of toner paper and put it through my Minc machine.  It came out looking like this:

I die cut a 4.25 x 5.5 inch panel from this and used it as the front of the card.  For embellishments, I heat embossed with clear embossing powder 2 butterflies.  After they were cooled I painted them using Ranger Perfect Pearls mixed with water to a creamy consistency.  This was a really intricate butterfly stamp so I used quite a few colors.  After they were dry I fussy cut them and mounted them onto my panel.  I glued the body flush and I popped up the wings with foam tape and adhered gems to the wings.  I die cut a sentiment out of mirriboard and added a few additional sequins!

For card #3 I used the the piece of acetate that the adhesive design was mounted on!  It's essentially a piece of screen printed acetate!  Perfect!  I cut it down smaller than my card base.  This is fairly dark because the design is small and dense.  So, I mounted it on a piece of iridescent paper...just to give a bit of sparkle without overpowering everything.  For glue I used Designer Adhesive from Art Glitter. I bought this on Amazon, but they have a website as well.  It's the best liquid glue I've ever used and it's very permanent once dry.  It dries clear - which is a plus.  I put tiny dots of it (I also purchase the needle nose tip) on the back of the design...in the corners and in some random other places, but enough to hold it down.  The places where the glue showed wet and white, dried clear.  I added flower embellishments to this and a die cut sentiment that I stacked 4 times.

That finishes my 3 cards from on 6 x 6 sheet of product!  Not all of the 12 sheets in this collection are background designs.  Some have lots of sentiments, some have borders or corner treatment and some have themes with lots of images.  All in all, this one sheet certainly goes a long way!

I think you'll enjoy these Foil Transfers from Crafters Companion.  I purchased mine through Paper Wishes, but I'm sure there are various places you can find these!

Have a great week everyone and I hope you have wonderful paper crafting adventures!

Betsy