Monthly Archives: March 2008

I have so many stamps that have not seen ink yet.  This wheat stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms is one of them.  Here is their wonderful website:  https://www.cornishheritagefarms.com/intro.php?osCsid=dtmnia8l444rr6anm95hm03995  check it out.

Let’s get started.

Supplies:

On Whisper White card stock, stamped first row of wheat, loading my stamp first with Versamark and then with River Rock ink.  Heat embossed the images with Clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

I wanted the wheat to stay light in color so I went over just the heads of the wheat with a Versamark Marker and then heat embossed them again with clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Stamped second row of wheat the same as the first, by loading my stamp with Versamark then with River Rock ink and heat embossing with clear embossing powder.  Then going over the wheat with a Versamark marker and heat embossing again with clear embossing powder.

Punched a circle out of the sticky part of a Post It Note and used it as a mask for the sun.

Brayered More Mustard ink over the entire piece of card stock.

Brayered Pumpkin ink over top 1/3 of card stock.  Then brayered Really Rust ink over top 1/2 of card stock.

Brayered Cranberry Crisp ink over top 1/4 of card stock and a little at the bottom.  We now have a graduation of color going on.

Removed Post It Note mask and brayered on Apricot Appeal to tone down the starkness of the sun.

Stamped more wheat with Basic Black ink.

Sponged Basic Black ink at the bottom and top of the card stock.  Used a clean part of the sponge to wipe the black ink off of the embossed images.

Assembled card.

Assembled card.

Glad you were able to join me for this tutorial.

Have a beautiful day!

Well we have already been to the beach in a tutorial, so let’s go to the lake. 🙂

Supplies:

On a piece of Whisper White card stock I stamped the flower stems using my Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement by first loading the stamp with Versamark and then loading it with Black ink.  You can use Versamark and black embossing powder for this step too if you wish.

I heat embossed each image as I stamped it using clear embossing powder and a heat gun. 

Note:  I keep my clear embossing powder in a sandwich sized plastic container so I don’t have to try to put it back into the small container it came in.  I only own clear embossing powder.  That is why I load my stamp first with Versamark and then the colored ink in projects.  This method allows me to embossing in any color!

Colored bottom of the flowers with a Blush Blossom marker.  I left a lot of White showing on the flowers.

Colored over the flowers with a Versamark marker and then heat embossed the flowers with clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Brayered on Aqua ink over 2/3rds of the card stock.

Brayered on Stonewashed ink over 1/2 of the card stock and not completely covering the Aqua ink brayered on in the last step.  Working on a gradution in color here.

Brayered Lake Mist ink on top 1/4 of card stock.

Wiped ink from embossed flowers using a paper towel.  Stamped water lines stamp with Lake Mist ink on top 1/3rd of card stock. 

Note:  This water lines stamp was purchased at a garage sale a long time ago for $1.  All it says on the stamp is “A Stamp in the Hand, 1982-1995.  I’m not sure if it is still obtainable or not.  There is not item number and I don’t know what the real name of the stamp is.

Stamped Waterlines stamp in the middle area of card stock with Aqua ink.

 Stamped water lines stamp on bottom 1/3 of card stock with Stonewashed ink.

Stamped weeds at bottom of card stock using Pesto ink.

Colored weed leaves with a Mellow Moss marker.

Colored bottom of the weed leaves with an Always Artichoke marker.

Stamped weeds again with Lake Mist ink, but stamped them just to the right of the previously stamped weeds.  I’m trying to create a shadow of the leaves on the water here.

Colored the shadow weeds with a Bordering Blue marker.

Put White Gel Pen on just the tips of green weed leaves for highlights.

Sponged on Going Gray at the top of card stock.

Sponged on Bordering Blue ink at the bottom of card stock.

Stamped more water lines, at the top with Going Gray and at the bottom with Bordering blue.

Assembled card front and added brads and stamped the sentiment using my Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement and black ink.

Finished card!  This card measures 9.25″ x 4″.  It will fit in a #10 sized envelope.

Thanks for following along with this tutorial.  I hope it has inspired you in some way.

Have a safe and happy Easter. 

Until tomorrow. . . . . .

I came home from work last night to find a wonderful package filled with new stamps sets waiting for me at the door.  Thought I would try one out.  This set is from See D’s at www.InqueBoutique.com  named “Nightingale.”  I love those flourishes!

These are my first sets from See D’s and they are probably named that due to the fact they are unmounted and have the picture of the stamp on the back side so when you put it on your clear mount so you can see the image and exactly were you are going to stamp it on your paper.  Nice huh?

Let’s get started with the tutorial.

Supplies:

I started out with Whisper White card stock.  Loaded the stamp with Versamark and then Black ink and stamped the bird.

Heat embossed the bird with clear embossing powder and heat gun.

Stamped the flourish by loading the stamp first with Versamark and then loading it with Ginger ink.

Heat embossed the flourish with clear embossing powder and heat gun.

Watercolored the bird using Cool Carribean ink and an Aqua brush.  With my ink pad closed I squeezed it so the pad would press against the lid and create a pudding of ink.  I used the puddle to paint with.

Shadowed the belly and wings with Aqua Brush and Stream ink.

Colored over the entire bird with Versamark marker and heat embossed using clear embossing powder and a heat gun.  Notice the black embossing did smear some when I used the Versamark marker.  That is the yellow/brownish color you see.

Now for the scary part.  Heavily Brayered Chocolate chip ink over entire piece of card stock.  The embossed images will resist the brayered ink.

Let the ink dry for a few moments and then wipe the ink off of the embossed images with a paper towel.

Stamped Antique Background stamp over the entire piece of card stock with Chocolate Chip ink.  Note I lay my background stamp wood side down and press my ink pad on top of it to ink it.  I then lay the card stock face down on the background stamp and put a piece of scrap paper over it and lightly rub over it to transfer image.

Wait a few moments to let the ink dry and then use a paper towel to wipe the ink off of the embossed images.

Put a shadow on the undersides of the flourish using a Chocolate Chip Marker.  (Note:  this would look more dramatic if I would have used a black marker).

Used a white gel pen to put in highlights on the top sides of the flourish, bird’s tail and the top of the bird.  This step really adds dimension.

Put a shadow under the birds belly with a Chocolate Chip marker.

Started assembling the card layers and used a photo corner punch with black card stock for photo corners.

Added copper brads to the photo corners and used my piercing tools along top and left sides of card front.

Here we have another finished creation.

Thanks for coming along on my trial run of these new stamps.

Hope your day is filled with the soothing sounds of birds singing.  It is Spring after all!

I used this technique in yesterday’s tutorial and I found it to be fairly quick and easy, but still has a great wow factor.  Here is another tutorial on alcohol inks and transparency film.

Supplies:

Started out with a 5″x 5″ piece of transparency film and Basic Gray Designer paper.

Stamped Butterfly and flowers using Stazon Black ink.   Keep in mind that your finished image will be reversed in this technique.

Let the ink dry and then I flipped the transparency over, ink side down onto the Design paper.

Put about an inch of Alcohol Blending Solution in an Aqua brush.

Put a few drops of Lettuce Alcohol Ink on a Styrofoam plate and picked the color up with the Aqua brush and painted the leaves very loosely.  I’m painting on the side that does not have the Black Stazon on it.

Painted the inside of the flower petals loosely with Caramel Alcohol ink.

Painted the outside of the flower petals and buds loosely with Latte Alcohol ink. 

Painted the inside of the butterfly wings with Butterscotch Alcohol ink.

Painted the outsides of the butterfly wings with Stream Alcohol ink. 

Note:  if you get a bit of ink some where that you don’t want it.   Clean your brush and just use the alcohol filled aqua brush to whisk it away. 🙂

The butterfly was too bright for my liking so I tone it down with Caramel Alcohol ink.

Assembled card using brads to hold the transparency film in place on the card front.

Finished card!

Hey, if you like this tutorial and I haven’t bored you half to death, give me a shout out in the comments section below.  🙂  I love to hear from you.

Hope your day is filled with butterflies and flowers!

This card is an experiment with Alcohol inks and transparency Film.  I found this great on line tutorial (here is the link:  https://ironorchiddesigns.typepad.com/iod/2008/03/clear-paintable.html)  and decided to play around with the technique.

Supplies: 

On a 5″x5″ piece of Basic Grey Two Scoops Design Paper, painted Distress Crackle Paint – Peeled Paint color on lower left hand corner.  This is my first time using this Crackle paint.  It has a handy little built in brush.  The thicker you apply it the more cracks that appear in the paint.    Let dry throughly.

I’m using the Basic Grey Two Scoops Flower Swash Set.  I don’t have a clear mount big enough for the large flower in this set so I improvised by sticking it on the wood of one of my background stamps.  I’m so cheap, no wait, thrifty someone once told me, lol.

I stamped the stamp on a Transparency Film with Stazon Black Ink.  Beware this will stain your stamp.  I was not able to get all of the ink off of it.  I’m not one to freak out about stains on my stamps, but some of you don’t like it, I know.

When the paint dried on the design paper I flipped the transparency film over so the ink side is facing down and put it over the design paper. 

I put some of the Alcohol Blending Solution in an Aqua Brush.

I put a couple of drops of Lettuce Alcohol Ink on a Styrofoam plate.  Picked up some of the color on the Aqua brush and loosely painted over the leaves and stem of the image on the transparency.  This ink drys super fast and flows like butter with the Alcohol filled aqua brush.

I started painting in my flower with Cranberry.  You will want to clean your brush in between the Lettuce and Cranberry ink by wiping it on your scrap paper a few times.

Outlined the flower loosely with Currant Alcohol ink.

Although you can’t see it in the pictures, I put a little Gold Mixative on the larger leaves. 

Removed Transparency film from Design Paper and outlined the paper with a Sharpie Gold Paint Pen.  This creates a layered look without the bulk, plus gives it a little bling. 🙂

It’s simple to do, just rest your marker on the side of the cardstock and run it along the edge.  One swipe usually does it.  It will put half of the color on the card stock and half on your scrap paper with an even line.

Put a little Walnut Stain ink on the crackle paint to highlight cracks.

Stamped sentiment with Stazon Black ink.

Glued card stock layers together and a fixed the transparency to the top with brads.  I use my piercing tool to make the holes for the brads.

Finished card!

I really like painting with these Alcohol inks on the transparency.   It goes on very smooth and dries quickly.  I’ll have to play some more with this technique. 

Give it a try!

Have a bloom’n wonderful day!