The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store - Happy Birthday Water Droplet Ombre Card with Distress Inks

Hello blogging friends!  

Today, is my day to post for The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store.   I have a beautiful ombre card using Tim Holtz Distress Ink and a sentiment from one of the  Stamp Simply Clear Stamps to share with you. 

Here is the card I designed.  I love the ombre look and believe it or not this card was pretty quick easy to create.

I started with a piece of heavy white cardstock.  Since I wasn't going to be applying a lot of water I didn't use any watercolor or specialty paper.  I created the ombre look using Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Twisted Citron, Cracked Pistachio, Broken China, Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon.   I used cotton balls to apply all of the ink.  I rubbed some ink on the cotton ball and then rubbed the cotton ball onto the craft mat.  Then I started applying ink to the paper going in a circular motion to get a nice soft and blended look.  I wanted the color to be more intense on the right side so that is where I started applying the ink.  As I was working my way over to the left side of the paper I used a softer touch and applied less ink.  

I used a paint brush and clear water to add water droplet to the paper.  I let the droplets sit for a few seconds and then I blotted them up with a paper towel.  I applied the water droplets a few times until I achieved the desired look.  I used a heat tool to dry the paper in between the layers of water droplets.

Here is a close up.  Once I was done with the water droplets and the paper was dry I stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment from the Stamp Simply Clear Stamps SS-Sent003 Birthday Blessings set.  I used all of the same colors of the Tim Holtz Distress Inks to stamp the sentiments along the left side of the card where the ink was lighter.  Then I added some May Arts 1/4'' White Silk Ribbon and created a bow.  To finish off the card I added some flowers from the Prima Laraine Blue Lagoon Flowers and Sequins - Crystal Iridescent - 5 mm.  I added some Therm-O-Web Foam Squares in between the card front and card base for some dimension.  The card is an A2 top folding card size.

Thank you so much for joining me today and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Please be sure to check out The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store for all of the fantastic paper crafting products and the Blog for inspiration from the Design Team.

Hugs & Smiles,

Heidi

Stamps:  Stamp Simply Clear Stamps SS-Sent003 Birthday Blessings

Paper:  Cardstock - White
Ink:  Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Twisted Citron, Cracked Pistachio, Broken China, Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon
Ribbon:  May Arts 1/4'' White Silk Ribbon
Accessories:  Sequins - Crystal Iridescent - 5 mm, Prima Laraine Blue Lagoon Flowers, Glossy Accents, Therm-O-Web Foam Squares, Scor-Tape, Water, Paintbrush, Paper Towel, Heat Tool

Distress Ink Watercolor with Poppy Field Embossing Folder--Take Another Look

Hello blogging friends!  Yesterday, I had a post for The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store showing how use embossing folders in a different way and using Distress Inks to watercolor.  If you missed the post and tutorial you can click HERE to check it out.

Here is a look at the card I posted yesterday.  

I love all of the sparkle and shimmer from the Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Pen.  But I have noticed over time the sparkle and shimmer from the pens can kind of fade or get kind of a dirty look to them which isn't very pretty.  So a lot of times if I used the Wink of Stella pens I go over the area and add Glossy Accents.  The glossy accents seals in the sparkle and shimmer from the pens and it adds another layer of beautiful dimension to the project.  So here is another look at the Poppy Field card with Glossy Accents.  :)

I think adding the Glossy Accents makes the colors pop even more.

Here is a close up.

So if you want to keep the sparkle and shimmer beautiful forever add a little Glossy Accents.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

I hope you have a wonderful and creative weekend!

Hugs & Smiles,

Heidi

The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store - Distress Ink Watercolor with Poppy Field Embossing Folder with a Tutorial

Hello blogging friends!  Today, is my day to post for The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store.   I have a beautiful card and tutorial to share with you. 

I used the  Darice Embossing Folder - Poppy Field and Tim Holtz Distress Inks to create a beautiful watercolor card.  I will be honest and tell you that I wasn't sure if this card was going to turn out like I had envisioned it in my head.  At times during the process it didn't look very pretty but once I finished it I was happy with the results and the end result is all that matters.  :) 

To start I embossed a piece of Ranger Watercolor paper using the Darice Embossing Folder - Poppy Field.

I started by adding color to the poppies and for the most part I tried to keep the color inside of the embossed lines.  I used three different colors of Tim Holtz Distress Inks for the flowers.  I started with the lightest color Abandoned Coral.  Before I added the color I applied clear water to the embossed images of the poppies.  Doing this helps the color to flow and blend.

Next I added Festive Berries.  I wanted some of the lighter color at the top of the flower petals so I didn't pull the darker color all the way to the top.  In between all of the layers I used a heat tool to dry the paper and speed up the process.

I added a second layers of the Festive Berries but I used less water.

 Then for the darker red tone I used Aged Mahogany.  For this layer of color I tried to keep most of it towards the bottom of the petals.

In this picture here you can see that I painted the background first using Tumbled Glass and Broken China.  I figured it would be a lot easier to color the background first and then go over the buds, stems, and leaves.  For the first layer of color on the leaves I used Shabby Shutters.

For the second layer of color on the buds, stems and leaves I used Peeled Paint.

Here is a look at the piece after all of the watercolor was done.  I added some Gathered Twigs brown ink to the buds, stems, and leaves and then I added Black Soot to the center of the flowers.  I used a heat tool to dry the paper and then I came in and added clear water to the poppies and some of the back ground to let the colors blend and flow outside of the embossed lines.  I heat set the paper one last time and then for some added sparkle I went over all of the embossed areas with the Zig Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush Pen.  I love all of the shimmer and sparkle it adds to the flowers.

Here is the finished card and you can see more of the sparkle from the Zig Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush Pen.  I used Therm-O-Web Foam Squares to add some dimension between the layers.  Then I added a bow using some of the May Arts 1/4" Silk Ribbon Black Silk and I added a rhinestone to the center of the bow from the Prima Say It In Crystals Combo Pack - A Victorian Christmas Adhesive Rhinestone.

Here is a close up of the shimmer and sparkle.

To finish off the card I added a layer of black cardstock and then the card base is a deep red. I hope you enjoyed this technique and tutorial and will give it a try.  It's a little bit of a different spin on on watercolor and using an embossing folder but I love how it turned out.

Thank you so much for joining me today and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Please be sure to check out The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store for all of the fantastic paper crafting products and the Blog for inspiration from the Design Team.

Hugs & Smiles,

Heidi

Supplies
Paper:  Ranger Watercolor, Cardstock - Black, Red
Ink:  Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Abandoned Coral, Festive Berries, Aged Mahogany, Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Gathered Twigs, Black Soot
Ribbon:  May Arts 1/8" Silk Ribbon Black Silk
Accessories:  Darice Embossing Folder - Poppy Field, Prima Say It In Crystals Combo Pack - A Victorian Christmas Adhesive Rhinestone, Zig Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush Pen, Therm-O-Web Foam Squares, Scor-Tape

Dreamy Faux Watercolor - Different Product to Achieve the Same Look

Hello everyone!  Yesterday, I shared a blog post for The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store and a technique I am calling Dreamy Faux Watercolor.

Here is a second look at the card I posted.  I also included a tutorial on how to achieve this look.  If you missed the post and tutorial you can click HERE to check it out.

In the tutorial I showed how to do this technique using Tim Holtz Distress Inks.  But I know not everyone has distress inks so I took some other products (inks, markers, paint) that I had in my stash to show you how you can achieve the same look using different products.  I also want to say this is not a technique that I came up with people have been doing this for years in traditional watercolor and I first learned to do this technique several years ago when I was taking some watercolor classes.  But watercolor has become so popular in paper crafting over the last year or two so I wanted to share how this technique could be done using other products.  As far as the name of the technique--something I just came up with.  The finished piece looks kind of dreamy to me with the water droplets and the faux watercolor part--well that's just because it's not true watercolor lol.

Sorry I know this picture isn't very big in the post but you can click on the image to enlarge it and see more details.  This is a BEFORE picture to show you how all of the flowers looked once the color was added.  The first picture is Distress Inks (the same inks I used in the tutorial).  For the second flower I used Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens.  On the third flower I applied Memento Dye Inks.  For the forth flower I used Spectrum Aqua Markers and for the fifth and final flower I used Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor.

The Distress Inks and the Memento Dye Inks were both applied the same way layering three different colors of ink and I used a cotton ball to apply the ink.

For the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens and the Spectrum Aqua Markers you have two different options for applying the color.  You can apply the color to the paper directly from the pen/marker or you could scribble the color on to a craft mat or acrylic block and add the color with a brush--just like if you were going to watercolor it.  For both of the examples I colored directly on to the paper with the pens/markers and I used three different colors for each.  If you choose to paint the color on then you would take out the faux part of the technique--but it's really up to you and how you want to do this technique.  :)

For the last flower I did used the Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor and these are traditional watercolor so there is no faux part here I had to watercolor to add the color to the image but I thought people might like to see the comparison to the other products.

Once again don't forget you can click on the image to enlarge it.  :)  As you can see from the picture I added the different color mediums to the top part of the paper to do the water droplets.   I thought this would also be a good comparison.  So this is the AFTER picture--once the clear water was added and blotted off.  I wanted to show you that this technique can be achieved with different products.  I also want to encourage you to use what you have in your own stash.  Yes, some of the colors look a little different and with some of the products you will be able to blot off more of the color for a softer look and some of the colors will be more vibrant.

But the main thing is to have fun!  Experiment with what you have and don't be afraid to try new things.  Oh and one more thing I just wanted to add--I get asked by a lot of people what kind of paper I used for watercolor techniques.  I have several brands of paper but for paper crafting and especially if I am going to be stamping on the paper my all time favorite is Strathmore Mixed Media Paper from the 400 Series.  It is heavy weight and ultra smooth so it is perfect for stamping on.  Most of the big box stores carry it and I know several online places sell it too and you can buy the pads in a few different sizes.  I usually wait until it goes on sale and then I buy the 11 x 14 pad and cut the paper down to whatever size I need.

I hope you enjoyed this comparison with the different products and I hope you will give this technique a try.  Don't forget if you missed the tutorial on the Dreamy Faux Watercolor you can click HERE for all of the details.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Let me know in the comments if you give this technique a try and leave me a link to your project--I would love to see it!  I hope you have a fantastic weekend and have fun creating!

Hugs & Smiles,

Heidi

The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store - Dreamy Faux Watercolor

Hello blogging friends!  Today, is my day to post for The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store.   I have a beautiful card and tutorial to share with you.

Here is the card that I designed.  I am calling the technique dreamy faux watercolor.  The light colors and the marks from the tiny water droplets give it the dreamy watercolor look but in reality there is no watercolor with this technique.  Instead I used water to pull away or remove the color.  This isn't a new technique--people have been doing it for years with watercolor but it has a bit of a different spin on it using Tim Holtz Distress Inks.

To start I used the smooth side of the Ranger Watercolor Paper.  I stamped the image from the JustRite Papercraft CR-02198 Peonies Clear Stamps and the sentiment from the Stamp Simply Clear Stamps SS-Sent005 He Has Risen with VersaMark Ink,  Next I applied Stampendous Super Fine Embossing Powder - Detail White and used a heat tool to melt and heat set the powder.

I started adding color to the flowers going from the lightest to darkest color.  In the picture above you can see I first applied Spun Sugar to all of the flowers (shown in 1st flower).  Then I applied a second layer of ink using Worn Lipstick (shown in 2nd flower).  For the second layers on ink I came in more towards the center of the flower so the edges of the petals would still have the light color for the Spun Sugar.  For the final layer of ink I used Picked Raspberry (shown in the 3rd flower) and I came in even closer to the center with the 3rd ink color.  So once all the flowers are done they would have three layers of ink and all look like the last flower in the picture.  With the photo I wanted to show you how the look of the ink would change with each layer.  When I apply the Tim Holtz Distress Inks I used a cotton ball for each color.  I ink up the cotton ball just like a sponge and start off of the paper and work in a circular motion.  I like using the cotton balls because I can achieve a very smooth blend and when I am done I can just toss them.

The next section I colored was the leaves and stems.  I did the exact same technique as above going from the lightest to darkest ink.  I used Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, and Mowed Lawn for the leaves.

Then I applied the blue inks with the same technique.  I started all the way over on the right with the lightest color Tumbled Glass and worked my way to the middle and created a nice soft blend between the blue and green.  Then I applied Broken China and Peacock Feather ink coming out towards the edge of the paper.  Now all of the inking is done. :)

This is where the magic and the faux watercolor come into play.  I used a round paint brush and just applied clear water over each of the flowers and then I used a paper towel to blot off the ink.  After doing this the colors are pretty, soft, and light.  Then I moved on to the leaves and stems and did the same technique of applying clear water and blotting it off with a paper towel.

Here is a look at the flowers once some of the color was removed.

To create the water droplet I just used the paint brush with clean water and tapped on it.  I let the water sit on top of the paper for a few seconds and then I blotted it with a paper towel.  I think the water droplets give it the dreamy look.

Here you can see the finished piece.  The water droplets give it the dreamy look and by using the water to remove some of the color it gives the piece a water color look.

Here is a close up.

To finish off the card I added some Therm-O-Web Foam Squares to an A2 top folding white card base.  I hope you enjoyed this technique and tutorial and will give it a try.

Stop back tomorrow and I will show you the results of using different inks, markers and paint you might have in your stash to play with and achieve this same look.

Thank you so much for joining me today and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Please be sure to check out The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store for all of the fantastic paper crafting products and the Blog for inspiration from the Design Team.

Hugs & Smiles,

Heidi

Supplies
Stamps:  Stamp Simply Clear Stamps SS-Sent005 He Has Risen, JustRite Papercraft CR-02198 Peonies Clear Stamps
Paper:  Ranger Watercolor Paper
Ink:  Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Picked Raspberry, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Peacock Feather, VersaMark Ink
Accessories:  Stampendous Super Fine Embossing Powder - Detail White, Therm-O-Web Foam Squares, Scor-Tape, Heat Tool, Paint Brush, Paper Towel 

Toby's Flower Window Sill Card - Tonic Studios

Hello everyone!  Today, I have a card to share with you using some of the dies from the New Pampered Pets collection from Tonic Studios.  I also used one of the Entwining Trellis dies and crepe paper so create some pretty flowers to cascade around the window sill.

Here is the card I designed.  To start I used white and kraft cardstock along with 1197E Toby's Sill Die Set and 1198E Harvey's Ledge Die Set (flowers) to die cut the window sill, curtains, vase of flowers and the kitty cat.  I used 419E Craft Tacky Glue 120 ml to adhere the white decorative part of the window sill and the kraft piece together.  Then I added Foam Squares to the window sill pieces to add some dimension.  I also added vintage lace behind the die cut curtains.

Here is a picture to show you how I lined up the dies on the paper.  I put each of the smaller dies in the corners and used a piece of painters tape to hold the dies in place.  By doing this it will create equal space for the die cut lines in the window sill.  Then I used the Tangerine Die Cutting Machine to die cut the images.

To finish off the window sill I die cut the curtain a second time.  In this picture you can see the equal space for the lines in the window sill as I mentioned earlier.

Here is a close up of the curtains where I added the vintage lace.  For the background rectangle die cut piece I used some paper from Graphic 45 Mon Amour 6 x 6 Paper Pad.

I used Copic markers to color the kitty cat and the flowers in the vase.  I added some adhesive from the 204 NUVO Glue Pen Large to the vase and let it sit for a couple of minutes.  Then I applied 850N Gilding Flakes - Radiant Gold to the vase.  I used 419E Craft Tacky Glue 120 ml to adhere the vase and kitty cat inside the window sill.

For the foliage I used the 1187E Rococo Love Cats Die along with green cardstock to create the leaves.  I die cut the image a couple of times and then just sniped off the leaves I needed to create the cascade along the side of the window.  To create the flowers I used pink crepe paper and 769E Entwining Trellis Plush Peony Die Set.  To lightly color the tips of the flowers I used a makeup brush and Distress Ink Picked Raspberry.  Then I squeezed out some of the 758N US Glitter Drops - White Blizzard and used the makeup brush to lightly apply the glitter drops to the flowers for a bit of sparkle.  I also scattered a few white 4mm flat back pearls in with the cascade of flowers.

I adhered all of the die cut pieces to a light blue A2 top folding card base.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I hope you have a beautiful and creative day!

Tonic Studios Supplies
Dies:  1197E Toby's Sill Die Set, 1198E Harvey's Ledge Die Set (flowers), 1187E Rococo Love Cats Dies (leaves), 769E Entwining Trellis Plush Peony Die Set
Accessories:  NUVO - 850N Gilding Flakes - Radiant Gold, 758N US Glitter Drops - White Blizzard
Adhesive:  NUVO - 204 NUVO Glue Pen Large, 419E Craft Tacky Glue 120 ml
Tools:  Tangerine Die Cutting Machine, 604E  153 US Super Trimmer, 550E 114E US Kushgrip Decoupage Scissors,

Other Supplies Used
Paper:  Graphic 45 Mon Amour 6 x 6 Paper Pad, Cardstock - White, Kraft, Green, Blue, Crepe Paper - Light Pink
Inks/Markers:  Distress Ink Picked Raspberry, Copic Markers - R83, R85, G21, G24, E15, G29
Ribbon/Trims:  Vintage Ivory Lace
Accessories:  White 4mm Flat Back Pearls, Brushes, Foam Squares

The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store - I am So Lucky Kaisercraft CAS Card

Hello blogging friends!  Today, is my day to post for The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store.   The card that I have to share with you is all about the gorgeous papers from Kaisercraft Provincial 6.5x6.5 paper collection and it's a CAS (Clean And Simple) card.

One of the wonderful things about using beautiful papers--the paper does all the work for you.  I layered two of the background papers from the Kaisercraft Provincial 6.5x6.5 paper collection and then sentiment is also a die cut from the paper pad.  I layered the pattern papers and the sentiment on to black cardstock and then I added some May Arts Moss Silk Ribbon to create a bow and some of the  May Arts 5/8" Adhesive Rosettes - Black across the center of the card,  I used Therm-O-Web Foam Squares and Scor-Tape to add some dimension to the card and assemble the pieces.  Then I added a lime green rose from the Prima Laraine - Blue Lagoon Flowers collection to bring out some of the line green color in some of the leaves on the pattern paper.

Here is a close up of the sentiment, ribbon, rosette trim and flower.  

To finish off the card I added all of the layers to a green card base that is an A2 size and top folding card.

Thank you so much for joining me today and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Please be sure to check out The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store for all of the fantastic paper crafting products and the Blog for inspiration from the Design Team.

Hugs & Smiles,

Heidi

Supplies
Paper:  Kaisercraft Provincial 6.5x6.5, Cardstock - Green, Black
Ribbon:  May Arts Moss Silk Ribbon, May Arts 5/8" Adhesive Rosettes - Black
Accessories:  Prima Laraine - Blue Lagoon Flowers, Therm-O-Web Foam Squares, Scor-Tape