Spellbinders Cardmaking Star

I am entering the Spellbinders Cardmaking Star competition with this card using the Cosmos Backdrop press plate, that I've watercoloured using Distress Inks.

My image was pressed onto Canson XL Watercolor paper, using Betterpress Black Ink, and my Spellbinders Betterpress system.  I painted it in by smooshing my Tim Holtz Distress Ink cubes onto my palette, and picking up colour with a paintbrush to add to my image.

After using my powder tool, I used Versamark Watermark ink with the It's Your Day Sentiment Strips to impress some black cardstock with all the great sentiments that come on this plate!  I sprinkled the impressions with white embossing powder and heated them all with my heat gun, before using the coordinating die to cut them out.

I matted the image with black cardstock, and adhered it down to my periwinkle blue cardbase.  The sentiment is attached with 3D foam adhesive, and a few black gems were placed around it.

I'm really loving my Betterpress!

Snow Happy

I coloured these up a few weeks ago, thinking I'd use them for winter birthdays, but decided to make them into Christmas cards instead.  This is "Snow Happy" from the Colorado Craft Company - illustrated by the amazing Anita Jeram.

I pulled out some ancient CTMH paper, and used Spellbinders dies to cut out the pine sprigs and sparkly leaves.

The images are coloured with Copic markers, and die cut with the Stitched Rectangle dies from The Greetery.

So happy to have my first two Christmas cards ready for this year!

Throwback Tulips

Each month, Art Impressions features a throwback set - something from years ago that they re-release for just a few days.  This is 5868 - Daffodil & Tulip Set from January (there's a new one out this Tuesday... and it's rumoured to be more flowers!).  I loved painting this - and went for total spring vibes.  Same goes for the paper and ribbon choices when I was assembling my card.

Ombre Anniversary card

 I took this idea from one of the Spellbinders designers, this is the Floral plate that comes with the Betterpress kit, along with the You are Everything Sentiment plate.  I used Distress Oxide inks in Peacock Feathers and Blueprint sketch to ink blend on the cotton cardstock, and used Peacock Feathers again to impress the floral images onto the background.

The Hemstitch Rectangle die is also from Spellbinders and always seems to give the perfect extra detail to cards.  I adhered the panel to my white base with 3D foam adhesive, and did the same with the sentiment.  A few irridescent jewels adding a little sparkle.

All supplies were from the Papercrafter's Workshop.

Floral Square Frame

 I was thrilled to purchase this Betterpress Plate from the Papercrafter's Workshop this week... and got it pressed as soon as I could!  This is the Floral Square Frame from Pinkfresh Studio, pressed onto watercolour paper.

I used Picked Raspberry, Mowed Lawn and Peacock Feathers Distress inks, and painted them onto the image... thinking that I would make bolder colours.  But after my first pass of painting, the softer shades started to grow on me, so I made it into a card as is.  The sentiment is from the Sealed Cord & Faux Seal Sentiments from Spellbinders.  My finished card is 5 1/4" square.

I am playing along with the Feb challenge on the Pinkfresh Studio blog... using the colour inspiration!

My Favourite Birds

 This set was released on the Ai website today, a lovely set with all different kinds of birds - designed by Bonnie's daughter Kim.  This is not my favourite card - I'm not quite happy with my execution, the splatters aren't perfect, nor are the hand drawn hearts... but I really love the concept.  When I first saw the swans, I had a love/anniversary/valentine type of card in mind.  So while it's not my favourite, I wanted to share it in the hopes of inspiring someone else to create something similar.

Galentines cards

 I decided to make Galentines cards for a couple of girlfriends this year, and have been dying to use this little envelope die from Art Impressions.  It's part of 5543 - Journal Template Die Set (one of a ton of dies that come in the set!), and I pulled out two of the Ai Paperpacks, mostly 5741 - Valentines Paper Pack, with a few sheets from 5835 - Mini Journal Paper Pack.

The Ai papers are double sided - which worked perfectly for all the little envelopes, so I die cut a bunch with coordinating patterns, glued them down to my panel, and adhered it all to my base with 3D foam adhesive.

I love switching it up and making a slightly different version - these papers have such a lovely soft feel to them!

Happy Galentine's Day!

Whimsical Cards

I am on the Art Impressions blog today, for the Watercolour Weekend post.

Valentine season is almost upon us... and if you don't own any Valentine stamps, no problem!  Use what you have.  You can do a lot with the right sentiment, or just adding a heart to your card (or in my case, a heart shaped balloon!)

The 5785 - Gnomes Set has been so popular, so I decided to use the largest gnome - stamping him in Tombow #969/565 onto my Canson XL Watercolor Paper.  I didn't intend to make him a Valentine, but realized with his arm extended up, that I could easily attach a balloon, so I also stamped the heart shaped one from 5722 - Birthday Journal Set, then sketched in the string with a fine marker.  I pulled out the colour with a damp brush, then started adding #991/992 to his pants and mitts, and #526 to his jacket.  I used layers of #847 on his hat, adding layers of colour to the sides, and finally shading with a bit of #565.  N57 was painted in on his shoes, again layering to achieve my darker shades, and it was also used to paint around the edges of his beard, to give it some texture.  

I also used #847 on the balloon, using layers to create the shadows - focusing on the underside of the balloon to suggest the rounded shape.  A little #533 was washed around him, and #565 streaked at the base, to ground the image.  He was cut out with 5724 - Nested Rectangle Dies.  The sentiment is from 5734 - Friend Sentiments Set stamped in Versafine Onyx Black ink and adhered with 3D foam tape.  My background papers are from 5741 - Valentines Paper Pack.

I really love making wreaths with my Ai stamps, so created this little whimsical one with an assortment of stamp sets:

I started by planning my wreath out on scrap paper, stamping the images to see what worked, and how to place each image within my design.  Beginning with 5788 - Whimsical Mushroom Set, I stamped the house in #N57, masked it - and stamped the large and small mushrooms behind and beside it.  I kept the masks in place, and started to build my wreath outwards from there.  I added multiples of the following:

Fern from 5830 - WC Mini Wreath Set in #126

Small broadleaf fern from 5830 in #296

Leaves and strawberries from 5795 - Berries Set in #249/847

Round leaf stem from 5828 - WC Poinsettia Set in #346

Twig from 4964 - WC Branches Set in #969

Mini Foxglove from Flower Set - 4052 in #565

I touched everything with a damp brush, painting in more colour where needed.  I used shades of #847 on the strawberries and mushroom lids, using layers of colour to achieve darker tones.  #565 was painted on the door and the smaller mushrooms, and shades of #977/992 were painted on the mushroom stems.  I made sure to concentrate shadows under the mushroom lids where it would be the darkest, and added the grass directly to the paper with the 126 marker.  There was a lot of 'white' space in my wreath, so I pulled out colour from the leaves, and painted it in and around them, to fill gaps and keep the arched shape of my wreath.  A final touch was adding black dots sprinkled around the image.  I used my sewing machine to stitch the square down to a green mat, and adhered it all to my 5 1/2" base with 3D foam tape.

  

Fresh Picked Buttercups

 Happy Groundhog Day!  Not sure if Wiarton Willie has seen his shadow this morning, or not, as he lives a little ways away from us... but either way, I have a fresh new card to share today.

This is the Fresh Picked Buttercups die set from Spellbinders, that I just received, and have had SO much fun playing with.  I was worried that it would be difficult to adhere to the base, but once you have your layout set, it wasn't hard at all.

I used some Wild Honey and Dried Marigold distress inks to warm up the centers of my flowers.  The sentiment is a Betterpress plate "You Are Everything Sentiments" done on cream cardstock.

Stay tuned, I've got a bunch of these in the works!