Monday, May 23, 2016

Pink Dogwood Shaker Cards

Made for the ECD Susan Tierney-Cockburn Design Team

Dogwoods are one of my favorite trees. Every Spring I look forward to them blooming in my yard. The flowers are so beautiful! In this tutorial, I'll show you how to make two shaker cards at the same time. I used ECD's Soft Finish Cardstock for all but the stand - it has a wonderful texture and the colors are really pigmented. So lovely! The stand was made from plain watercolor paper - I just wanted a simple holder so as not to take away from the cards.

Making the Cards

1. Cut two pieces of plastic packaging just under of 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 inches (maybe 1/16 smaller).

2. Using Curvy Squares, die cut Rosebud and Perfect Pink Soft Finish Cardstock. Be sure to keep all pieces. Adhere the two largest squares to front of plastic packaging such that one has Rosebud as the outside square with Perfect Pink inside and the opposite on the other. Glue all opposite color dots into the outside frames. See photo as a reference.


3. Using the Dogwood dies, cut the following from each cardstock as listed:
  • White - 18 sets of petals (with 4 in each set): 10 for flowers, the rest for shakers (I kept them sorted by kind)
  • Olive Twist - 10 sets of leaves/calyx and stamen, plus 10 extra small leaves (5 each) for shakers
  • Dark Chocolate - 2 branches
Be sure to keep the shaker pieces separate.


4. I recommend doing a quick Google search for pink dogwood blossoms (select the images tab).  Note the variations in the amount of pink in the blossoms - decide on how much color you would like and color accordingly. Color petals using Fuchsia watercolor pencil by drawing lines down each. Keep a white U around the middle of each tip. See photo. Add water with a small paint brush to activate the watercolor, again keeping the top middle part white. Lines should be somewhat visible. Do both sides. Tap Forest Moss Distress Ink onto craft mat or palette; add water with a small brush and paint a dab in the middle tip of each petal. Do both sides.


5. For the leaves, first apply Forest Moss Distress Ink with a foam blending tool along edges of each leaf then completely cover the backs (especially on the ones which will go in the shaker), cover all white areas of each stamen, plus the edges of each calix (the insides won't show). Use Light Olive watercolor pencil to draw vein lines.

6. Color branches with Oak watercolor pencil - I just traced the embossed lines and used a little water with a brush to go over them. Ink edges with Ground Espresso Distress Ink (hint: to apply hard-to-reach places, dab some on a craft mat and use a brush with water).

7. Shape everything as shown in the video below. Don't assemble just yet; wait until the shaker has been put together.


8. On the back of the card fronts, adhere dimensional tape around edges (backsides of frames) - leave backing on other side of tape for now. It should form a closed box in back so none of the shaker bits will fall out. Go around edges with powder to remove any stickiness. Fill each with petals, leaves, beads, sequins, etc. (be sure to set aside leaves/petals for 10 flowers first!). Cut Café au Lait cardstock to 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 inches. Peel off backing on dimensional tape and stick down such that color will show in front of card (the back will be white - this is where your message may go).

9. Adhere branches, one on each card, keeping in mind where you would like sentiment. Adhere flowers and leaves as shown in video. Note: I used White Opal Liquid Pearls on the stamen directly instead of using a Pearl Pen to make dots.

10. Die cut sentiments from White, Rosebud, and Perfect Pink cardstocks. Adhere offset with darkest on bottom as shown. Adhere to cards.


You may want to mail a stand along with the card. Check out the Card Stand/Easel by ECD - it's perfect for cards. You may optionally add this to a card base that opens in a more traditional manner by making the Café au Lait cardstock double the size in one dimension (fold in half so color is on outside).

Supplies

ECD Supplies
Other Supplies
  • Plastic Packaging (Recycle)
  • Distress Ink: Forest Moss, Ground Espresso, (Optional: Worn Lipstick)
  • Inktense Watercolor Pencils: Fuchsia, Light Olive, Oak
  • Dimensional Tape
  • Powder or Flour
  • Beads, Sequins, Mini Buttons, Chunky Glitter
  • Liquid Pearls: White Opal
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Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Paper Smooches Boom Bots Card


Paper Smooches has some of the cutest stamp sets! And many have dies to match. Love! I made this card with the Boom Bots stamp set and dies. I thought it would be fun to use paper that has typewritten "love" on it, in a font that you might find on a computer, as if their love is scrolling over them.

Making the Card

1. In black alcohol marker friendly ink (e.g. Memento Ink Tuxedo Black), stamp "female" robot on light "love" paper; stamp "male" robot on darker "love" paper. Die cut each. (If you can't find these papers, you could used a small stamp or printer to make a similar background on cream and light gray cardstock.)

2. Color with Copic markers (or other alcohol markers). See bottom of post for colors.

3. Cut Cryogen White cardstock to 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches; fold in half to form a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch card base. It doesn't show up in the photos but this cardstock has a beautiful subtle shimmer.

4. Mask areas shown (i.e. bottom area of front card, then open card and mask back). Use ink blending tool to blend Rhubarb Stalk Memento ink upwards in a circular motion starting from masked bottom.

5. Stamp sentiment in black ink (e.g. VersaFine Onyx Black).

6. Adhere robots using dimensional tape where shown. Adhere clay heart where shown. Note: see my post on how to make clay embellishments.


Supplies
  • Cardstock: Curious Metallics (Paperworks) Cover Weight - Cryogen White
  • Paper Smooches: Boom Bots Stamps, Boom Bots Icons
  • Love Paper (6x6 Pads): My Mind's Eye - Love Me (lighter version), Recollections - Valentine (darker version)
  • Robots: Memento Ink - Tuxedo Black
  • Sentiment: VersaFine - Onyx Black
  • Post-It Tape (or other masking material)
  • Background: Memento Ink - Rhubarb Stalk
  • Ink Blending Tool
  • Dimensional Tape
Copic Markers Used
  • Boy Robot: T0, T1, T2, T3, T4
  • Girl Robot: T0, T1, T2, T3, E93

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Delicata Multimedia Grunge Card


Use the new Black Shimmer and White Shimmer Delicata Inks to create this grunge multimedia look. This would make a great background for masculine cards (maybe with gears instead of butterflies, heh). Check out all the layers of color and texture.


Making the Card

1. Cut blue cardstock 7x10 inches; fold in half for a card base.

2. Cut red cardstock 2 x 3 7/8 inches (for stamped sentiment). Cut blue cardstock 1 3/4 x 3 3/8 inches (for background for frame and the word "FLY").

3. Watch the following video to create grunge papers:


The piece on the left of the red label (where most of the butterflies are located) is the center of the frame used around the word "FLY." All pieces were edged with the Black Shimmer Delicata Ink.

Hint: arrange items before gluing; draw pencil guide lines before stamping (erase lines after ink has dried - you may want to heat set).


Supplies

Imagine Crafts
Other Supplies
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Monday, May 16, 2016

Lily Accordion Oval Card

Made for the ECD Susan Tierney-Cockburn Design Team

The Garden Notes - Lily is probably my favorite flower to make - it's easy to do and it comes out so beautiful! When I saw the Gilded Lily Collection from Graphic 45, I thought it would make the perfect base for a lily card. I love the soft colors, and even though lilies aren't quite this color in nature, I think they turned out pretty well.

Making the Card

1.  Using Accordion Oval Card main die, follow directions on the back of the package: cut two base frames, one from Gilded Lily 8x8 (sheet with lilies all over the front), one from 6x6 (sheet with one side pink with pink writing, the other side pink with flowers). Cut off tabs, etc. as directed.

2. Die cut largest oval (Accordion Oval Card) from same 8x8 lilies sheet as above and another from 6x6 sheet with one side blue with blue writing, the other side blue with cream colored text. Adhere these as shown.

3. Using Oval Flourish Frame Edges, die cut one set from 6x6 blue (step 2), one set from 6x6 pink (step 1), and one set from Olive Twist Soft Finish Cardstock. Adhere to card panels as shown.


4. From Olive Twist Soft Finish Cardstock, die cut vines from Mini Botanicals - Clematis, Ivy. Ink with Forest Moss in a few places. Using the pointed tool, draw a line down the middle of each of the leaves to give them dimension. Cut apart and arrange, then glue around front of card.


5. Using Garden Notes - Lily, die cut 2 sets of petals and stamen from white cardstock and 2 sets of stems/leaves from green cardstock (not the Olive Twist - use a lighter green). Use a foam applicator to add some Antique Linen Distress Ink to all white pieces, both sides. Apply Tattered Rose Distress Ink to a craft mat or palette; use a small paintbrush and water to paint stripes down each petal (do both sides of the loose petals - the back side of the connected petals won't show).  Do the same with Walnut Stain Distress Ink but only apply color to what will be the bottom insides of the petals; also add dots (see images). Use a foam blending tool to apply Forest Moss Distress Ink to edges of leaves and stems. Add a very small amount to bottom half of each stamen (both sides).

6. Watch video for shaping and assembly. Note: I cut the leaf off one of the flowers then added it back elsewhere. Use Antique Linen Distress Embossing Powder for pollen.


Supplies

ECD Supplies
Other Supplies
  • Paper: Graphic 45 - Gilded Lily Collection, 8x8 and 6x6
  • Cardstock: Green, White
  • Distress Ink: Forest Moss, Antique Linen, Tattered Rose, Walnut Stain
  • Distress Embossing Powder: Antique Linen

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Monday, May 9, 2016

Grunge Look Coneflowers Card


This card uses some of the Through the Lens cardstock, as a base for the flowers as well as the card background. I love working with this cardstock! It gives a unique look to everything. I used Distress Inks to add a bit more color then grunged them all  up with white acrylic paint.

Making the Card

1. Cut teal cardstock 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches; fold in half to form a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch card base. Cut charcoal cardstock to 4 x 5 1/4 inches. Sand Edges randomly and rough them up to give them a worn look.

2. Find the paper featuring the grate with blue/blue-green and burgundy colors in the Metal Through the Lens pack. Cut it to 3 3/4 x 5 inches. Ink edges with Mermaid Lagoon Distress Ink. Tatter edges.

3. Using the Coneflower set, die cut 2 sets of flowers and leaves from Stone Through the Lens cardstock (the piece with brown cracks, which is mostly light gray and has the light blue cement texture). Hint: I lined up the cracks so they would go down the middle of the leaves to look like veins. To color the leaves, use Distress Inks in Cracked Pistachio (centers) and Pine Needles (edges). Working from center to petal tips, color one flower with Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feathers, and Mermaid Lagoon. Be sure to color the backs as well. Color the other flower with Abandoned Coral and Aged Mahogany (center to tips).


4. Die cut one center (stamen) each from light pink and white cardstock. Add Aged Mahogany to the tips of the light pink and Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feathers, and Mermaid Lagoon (bottom to top) to the white. (Optional: you could cut both from white cardstock then use Abandoned Coral on the bottom of the one with Aged Mahogany.) Note: I cut the bottom of the stamen roughly in half so the centers will be a bit lower in the flowers.

5. Add Distress Glaze to all pieces. This will help prevent ink from leeching through the white paint.

6. Shape petals and leaves using toolkit and mini molding pad; construct flowers as shown in the video below:


7. Stamp sentiment in black ink on pink cardstock. Die cut sentiment with Katie Label Pivot Card label, mid sized (it should fit perfectly around the words). Add a little Aged Mahogany ink, mostly on the edges. Optional: Add a small amount of Antique Linen in places to give it a more aged look.

8. Add white acrylic paint to edges of everything and randomly on flowers and leaves. Cut a piece of wall joint tape to about 2 x 3 inches.

9. Adhere Through the Lens grate cardstock to charcoal cardstock, then both of those to card front. Adhere joint tape, cheesecloth, label (use dimensional tape), flowers, leaves and enamel dots as shown.


Supplies

ECD Supplies
Other Supplies
  • Cardstock: Teal, Charcoal, Light Pink
  • Distress Inks: Mermaid Lagoon, Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio, Pine Needles, Aged Mahogany, Abandoned Coral, Antique Linen - Optional
  • Distress Glaze
  • Embossing Powders: Distress Aged Mahogany, Antiquities Cobalt (used for pollen)
  • Ink: Black (e.g. VersaFine Onyx Black)
  • Acrylic Paint: White
  • Cheesecloth
  • Wall Joint Tape: White
  • Enamel Dots: White
  • Dimensional Tape
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Saturday, May 7, 2016

Creating Water with Creative Medium


This is a cool way to create the look of water. I put in a bit more color than I would have liked but it still looks pretty good. The Shimmer Creative Medium looks really pretty in person - it gives it a subtle shimmer when you tilt the card.

Creating the Project

1. Cut light turquoise cardstock 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches; fold in half to form a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch card base.

2. Cut turquoise cardstock 4 x 5 1/4 inches. Cut fish patterned paper (Doodlebug Under the Sea) 3 7/8 x 5 1/8 inches. Adhere to turquoise then to card base. Stamp "you're fintastic" with Onyx Black VersaFine ink onto light turquoise cardstock, trim down. Cut turquoise cardstock to be 1/8 inch larger in each dimension (so 1/16 will show all around); adhere sentiment.

3. The flip side of the fish patterned paper is bubbles. Cut a strip from left over scrap and mat it with turquoise cardstock 1/8 inch larger in each dimension (so 1/16 will show around). Adhere together. Adhere to card where shown.

4. Die cut light turquoise cardstock with stitched rectangle die (2nd smallest in set). Cut turquoise cardstock 1/4 inch larger in each dimension (so about 1/8 will show all around). Adhere together.

5. Watch video below to create aquarium:


6. Adhere aquarium and sentiment using dimensional tape where shown. Add enamel dots to upper right corner to look like bubbles.


Supplies

Imagine Crafts Supplies
  • Creative Medium (Shimmer or Clear)
  • StazOn Ink: Jet Black
  • VersaFine Ink: Onyx Black
  • Palette Knife
  • Memento Markers: Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa, Toffee Crunch
Other Supplies
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