Sunday, December 23, 2018

Holiday Wishes Copic Colored Winter Card


This sweet image by Dreamerland Crafts reminds me of clear winter nights, looking up at the stars. This could be a holiday card or a simple winter greeting card just by changing the sentiment. I haven't done much Copic coloring on kraft colored cardstock; this Neenah Desert Storm version is lighter than most kraft cardstocks. I think it turned out pretty well. I used 100 lb for the card base but 80 lb for the image. I buy the 250 packs since they are a much better deal than the smaller packs. You have to adjust the colors a bit, compared to working on white, specially the skin colors. Keep a scrap piece handy to test colors.

This card looks even better in person - the glitter really adds some sparkle magic. I was tempted to add glitter to the stars but thought they might look too much like snowflakes.

Disclaimer: Please help support my work in this small way - just use my links if you plan to purchase anything - there's no extra cost to you. Here's the official jargon: links, affiliate links, and cookies may be used in this post and on this site. Using this site implies your consent. I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Share a Sale, and other affiliate programs; these affiliate advertising programs provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and/or other affiliated sites. This helps offset a small portion of my crafting addiction... uh, hobby. I am truly thankful for your kind support! I also receive free products from my design team companies, possibly monetary compensation, and sometimes free products for review. Regardless, all opinions are my own. Google and Blogger use cookies to provide and improve their services. See Notice at bottom of blog for a longer description and/or see the full Privacy Policy for even more details.

Making the Card

1. Cut Neenah Desert Storm 80 lb cardstock to about 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches (I had this piece on hand) - I like to have extra room around the image for die cutting. Using a Stamp Platform, stamp Holiday Wishes (Dreamerland Crafts) with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. Use a .3 black Copic Multiliner SP to create hills around the subjects.

2. Color image with Copic markers (see Supply list for colors I used). Use white Gelly Roll pens to add stars to the sky.


3. Die cut image with largest Small Dotted Circle Stackables die. Die cut white glittered cardstock (Recollections) with largest Large Dotted Circle Stackables die. Adhere image to glittered circle using dimensional tape. Set aside until step 5.

4. Cut Neenah Desert Storm 100 lb 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.

5. Cut shown background sheet from Checking it Twice (Teresa Collins) to 4 x 4 3/4 inches. This sheet has beautiful red glitter decorating the top (there's also a strip at the bottom of the 12x12 sheet). Adhere to card base. Using VersaMark ink and a Stamp Platform, stamp "Happy Holidays" sentiment (Dreamerland Crafts, Holiday Wishes) on piece of Neenah Desert Storm 80 lb cardstock. Emboss with Red Tinsel Embossing Powder. Trim to a strip; adhere where shown. Adhere image circle where shown.


Supplies
Follow my blog with Bloglovin so you won't miss any of the holiday coloring fun!

Friday, December 21, 2018

Doodlebug Design Here Comes Santa Claus Christmas Card


If you find Doodlebug Design papers super cute and quite irresistible (like me), then you will love these matching SVG cut files from Lori Whitlock and Doodlebug Design. You can buy them individually or get the whole set (again like me). Xyron adhesives make everything stick together easily. Follow along for some tips and tricks for putting together cut files.

Disclaimer: Please help support my work in this small way - just use my links if you plan to purchase anything - there's no extra cost to you. Here's the official jargon: links, affiliate links, and cookies may be used in this post and on this site. Using this site implies your consent. I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Share a Sale, and other affiliate programs; these affiliate advertising programs provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and/or other affiliated sites. This helps offset a small portion of my crafting addiction... uh, hobby. I am truly thankful for your kind support! I also receive free products from my design team companies, possibly monetary compensation, and sometimes free products for review. Regardless, all opinions are my own. Google and Blogger use cookies to provide and improve their services. See Notice at bottom of blog for a longer description and/or see the full Privacy Policy for even more details.

Making the Card

1. Download the Doodlebug Design Here Comes Santa Claus set SVG cut files from Lori Whitlock's site (you may also buy the individual files if you prefer).

2. Load Santa Standing and Reindeer Papa files into Silhouette Studio (cut/copy them to the same mat if necessary). Resize to fit on a 5x7 card (I think I used heights of about 4.5 inches for Santa and about 3.3 inches for the reindeer). Ungroup each and separate the layers according to color. See photo below. I put the layers to be cut in white in the upper right corner - I use my Copic markers to color smaller areas to save time (e.g. having to cut pink or yellow cardstock). The black deer silhouette layer actually only shows under the eye, mouth, and nose areas so I only have to color those spots; the rest I'll leave white (see next step for coloring). I put all the browns together and will again use my markers to color the darker shades - choose the lightest brown shade for cutting. Save the file if desired. Cut appropriate pieces of cardstock to put in the corresponding areas of the mat. Hint: turn on the grid for this and note the sizes - add a bit to each dimension for wiggle room. Load mat and send file to Silhouette Cameo for cutting. Note: you can see the pieces in the photo after step 3. Hint: if you have varying thicknesses of cardstock, you can still put them all on the same mat. Cut all pieces at the thinnest cardstock setting first, then without unloading the mat, delete the thin pieces from the Silhouette Studio mat and send again - this will double cut the thicker pieces that are left.


3. Carefully pull up the brown deer from the mat and line it up with the white version. Use a pencil to mark eye, mouth, collar, and hoof locations. Use Copic markers color nose, eyes, hoofs, and collar/bell where marked. Outline the white deer silhouette in a similar brown color used for the deer, except in the nose and collar areas. Outline antlers in a darker brown shade. Color Santa's nose, deer antlers, and inside deer ear (medium brown shade). A list of the marker colors I used can be found in Supplies at the bottom of this post.


4. Carefully pull up pieces from mat (I remove the outside scraps first). Hint: once off the mat, put small pieces in a dish so they don't get lost; I use a porcelain petal watercolor palette (photo of dish two below) because it is convenient (since I use it often for watercolor) and has 7 areas, but any small dish will do.


5. Cut red cardstock 7x10 inches; fold in half to form a 5x7 inch card base. Cut Here Comes Santa Claus (5383) from 12x12 inch paper pack to 4 3/4 x 6 3/4 inches. Using largest die from Nested Circle Small Stitch Die pack, die cut green cardstock. Using the second largest stitched circle, die cut multi-colored hearts sheet from Here Comes Santa Claus 6x6 paper pad. In the same pad, find the label sheet with Santa and "Merry Christmas" sentiment; cut out. Cut a piece of green cardstock about 1/16 bigger around (I just put the label in the corner with the spacing I want and lightly mark where I want to cut the other two sides in pencil).


6. Run larger items through 9" Creative Station with permanent adhesive. Run the smaller items through 1.5" Sticker Maker (for the very smallest, just use liquid glue). See photo above.


7. Rub all around cellophane before removing; hint: I use a die pick to go around edges after rubbing with my fingers. Before removing the backing paper from the background patterned paper, after removing cellophane, flip over and peel backing away from paper - this helps keep the paper flat. Adhere to card base. Adhere heart circle to green circle then adhere to card base where shown. Adhere Santa with sentiment to green rectangle; stick inside card, bottom left corner (see above photo). Hint: if any adhesive is around edges, use Adhesive Remover.

8. Assemble Santa and reindeer (use images as guidelines). Adhere to card where shown. Optional: adhere red enamel dot where shown.


Supplies
Follow my blog with Bloglovin so you won't miss any of the Santa and Reindeer fun!

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Wild Whisper Fancy Label Accordion Card


This project is a collaboration between Xyron and Wild Whisper. Wild Whisper sent the Xyron Design Team members each a pack of 12x12 paper. I chose the Forever & Always pack. This pack includes pretty watercolored flowers and sketch doodles. The flowers were so pretty, I decided to feature them in this card. I fussy cut a couple pieces to give the front flower dimension.

Disclaimer: Please help support my work in this small way - just use my links if you plan to purchase anything - there's no extra cost to you. Here's the official jargon: links, affiliate links, and cookies may be used in this post and on this site. Using this site implies your consent. I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Share a Sale, and other affiliate programs; these affiliate advertising programs provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and/or other affiliated sites. This helps offset a small portion of my crafting addiction... uh, hobby. I am truly thankful for your kind support! I also receive free products from my design team companies, possibly monetary compensation, and sometimes free products for review. Regardless, all opinions are my own. Google and Blogger use cookies to provide and improve their services. See Notice at bottom of blog for a longer description and/or see the full Privacy Policy for even more details.

Making the Card

1. Watch the following video so you will know how to assemble the card but don't do it just yet.


2. Die cut pink wavy paper twice with main Fancy Label Accordion die - cut one on each side of the paper. Line them up so the left is the gray flowered side and the right is the pink side - flaps to the right. Train folds and trim flap and tabs on the pink as shown in the video. Use liquid glue (I recommend using Fine Tip Applicator) to glue gray flap to back left side of pink frame.


3. Cut both watercolor flower squares from page of labels then use main Fancy Label Accordion die to cut out flower with gray background (see photo above). Use detail scissors to cut away just the fancy label, then along where folds would be - it should fit flush on gray flowered side of frame. Use the largest (separate) fancy label die to cut out watercolor flower with pink background (see photo at top of post, right side). Cut a square of craft foam a little larger than it.

4. Cut a piece of turquoise cardstock big enough to cut both Fancy Flourish Frames twice (but do not die cut yet). Put turquoise cardstock, craft foam square, and framed flower with grey background through Xyron 9" Creative Station with Permanent Adhesive. Die cut each Fancy Flourish Frames twice from the now adhesive-backed turquoise cardstock (peel cellophane off first). Note: you may need to run them through the die cutting machine a couple times - they do not need to cut through the backing paper but they do need to be cut completely through cardstock.


5. Peel backing off die cut Fancy Flourish Frames and adhere to card front and left inside as shown. Hint: use a Teflon bone folder to rub tops to be sure they really stick. Adhere gray background flower to gray flowered side, lining it up perfectly. Keep backing paper. Use detail scissors to fussy cut one of the matching flowers from flowered paper, as well as a center from another similar flower. Use a ball stylus to rub backs of petals of flower then flip and rub in center. Rub back of separately cut center. Use liquid glue to glue flower to gray background flower, offset. Glue center on top. See photo below.


6. In pencil, trace pink background flower label on adhesive backed craft foam (pull cellophane off first); cut inside of traced line. Use Tape Runner to put adhesive on other side of craft foam, stick to back of pink background flower. Adhere to pink (right) side as shown in above photo. Cut out "LIVE FOR THE" and "moments" (fussy cut around moments). Put words face down on saved backing sheet then use Tape Runner to put adhesive on them. Adhere where shown making sure the card will swing over "moments" without catching. Clean up any stray adhesive with Adhesive Remover. Optional: Add Nuvo Aqua Shimmer to flowers and Glossy Accents to flower centers. Once dry, attach tabs as shown in video using liquid blue.


Supplies
Follow my blog with Bloglovin so you won't miss any of the wild flower fun!

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Acrylic Winter Sky Christmas Holiday Cards


This is a collaboration post between Xyron and Derwent Academy. Derwent Academy sent the Xyron Design Team members a wonderful acrylic paint package, including brushes, pack of 24 tubes of acrylic paint, canvas pack of two, heavyweight acrylic paper, and a metal mixing palette. I knew I
wanted to make Christmas/holiday cards, which got me thinking of winter scenes, particularly landscapes. I had some Penny Black stamps that would be perfect with a painted wintery background.

This is a super easy project - the key is to do it in layers, mixing a little water along the way to get the paint to flow across the textured paper. Normally you do not want to add water to acrylics (or very little) when painting on non-porous surfaces, but because the paper soaks up the paint, there is no problem with the binder being spread too thin (i.e. the paint won't flake off over time as it might on a canvas if too much water is added).


Disclaimer: Please help support my work in this small way - just use my links if you plan to purchase anything - there's no extra cost to you. Here's the official jargon: links, affiliate links, and cookies may be used in this post and on this site. Using this site implies your consent. I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Share a Sale, and other affiliate programs; these affiliate advertising programs provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and/or other affiliated sites. This helps offset a small portion of my crafting addiction... uh, hobby. I am truly thankful for your kind support! I also receive free products from my design team companies, possibly monetary compensation, and sometimes free products for review. Regardless, all opinions are my own. Google and Blogger use cookies to provide and improve their services. See Notice at bottom of blog for a longer description and/or see the full Privacy Policy for even more details.

Making the Card

1. Remove one sheet of Derwent Academy Heavyweight Acrylic Paper from the pad. In the paint palette, squeeze acrylic paints into wells, blues and purples plus a couple white (one for mixing with blues/purples and one to stay white).


2. Going from bottom to top in horizontal strokes with a flat brush, paint pale blue (mix blue with white), light blue, blue, blue-purple, and purple but also mix the colors a bit as you go. Add a bit of water to the brush as needed to keep the paint flowing smoothly across the page. Cover enough of the page to make two cards. See photo.


3. While still wet, add white in areas leaving streaks. While still wet, use a fan brush to pick up white paint and add thin vertical streaks and dry brush strokes as the paint runs out of the brush. Repeat across the painting. Let dry. Add a little water to the white so it is slightly thinner. Either dip Splatter Brush into the white or paint white onto the bristle ends then use your finger to spatter white all over the page (you could also use an old toothbrush for this). Let dry completely.


4. Using Stamp Platform and StazOn Jet Black ink, stamp Wintery Trail on one side of the painted image. Due to the heavy texture in the paper, you will likely need to press hard and stamp 2 or 3 times. You may also want to re-ink your pad if it is getting dry. Don't worry if there are a few dots in the solid area - you can fill them in with black paint using a small brush if necessary (note: if you used paint and the shine is noticeably different when dry, try coating entire surface with Mod Podge). Repeat with Hidden Lane on the other side. I flipped my image to stamp the other side, but you could just cut the paper before stamping. StazOn ink can be challenging to remove. I recommend using StazOn All Purpose Cleaner with a stamp scrubber to clean off the big stuff, then follow up with a Stamp Shammy and water to remove any residue. Once dry, trim images to edges of stamped area.


5. Cut 2 sheets light blue cardstock 7x10 inches; fold in half to form two side-folding 5x7 inch card bases. Note: I made my cards look slightly different from each other - the following are the dimensions I used for my mats. Cut dark blue cardstock 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches. Cut dark purple cardstock just slightly larger than the Hidden Lane painted/stamped image - I used a pencil and eyeballed it but you could measure the image then add 1/4 inch to each dimension (for 1/8 inch border around). Cut blue cardstock 4 3/4 x 6 3/4 inches. Cut light purple cardstock just slightly larger than the Wintery Trail painted/stamped image. Stamp two "Peace • Joy" messages on light blue cardstock strips with VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink (I recommend using a powder tool first). Quickly sprinkle with black embossing powder and heat. Trim to sizes shown, adding tails with detail scissors to left side of one.


6. Put images and mat pieces from step 5 through 9" Creative Station with Permanent Adhesive. See photo above. Having the adhesive uniformly over the back will allow the images to stick even if they curled slightly while painting. Rub with your fingers all around edges on cellophane before removing cellophane. Important: use a bone folder or something hard and flat (e.g. spoon edge) to rub the backing sheet behind the images so the adhesive will stick to the textured areas. To help keep items flat, pull backing sheets off away from back sides. Adhere images to their respective mats then adhere to larger mats, then finally to card fronts - see photos for placement. Use Tape Runner to add adhesive to backs of sentiments and adhere where shown.

7. Adhere flat back crystals where shown (I use Swarovski crystals - they are gorgeous). I recommend using a Crystal Katana or Tanto for easy placement (dip toothpick in glue and put dots where desired, as you hold up rhinestones).


Supplies
Follow my blog with Bloglovin so you won't miss any of the acrylic painting fun!

Saturday, December 1, 2018

A Boy, a Bear, and a Train Christmas Card


I love this sweet scene of a boy playing with his train along side his bear buddy. I can just imagine him receiving the train set as a Christmas gift - playing with it all morning, as his parents get ready for visitors.

I colored the image using Derwent Coloursoft Pencils and blending with Lavender Spike Oil and blending stumps. The lavender spike oil is very strong smelling so if you don't like strong smells, I don't recommend using it. However, it does not have toxic fumes like many other solvents. It is also clear so I am hoping it does not turn yellow over time (I had this issue with Linseed Oil on my Dragon Get Well Card - sadly it turned yellow after only a few months).

Disclaimer: Please help support my work in this small way - just use my links if you plan to purchase anything - there's no extra cost to you. Here's the official jargon: links, affiliate links, and cookies may be used in this post and on this site. Using this site implies your consent. I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Share a Sale, and other affiliate programs; these affiliate advertising programs provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and/or other affiliated sites. This helps offset a small portion of my crafting addiction... uh, hobby. I am truly thankful for your kind support! I also receive free products from my design team companies, possibly monetary compensation, and sometimes free products for review. Regardless, all opinions are my own. Google and Blogger use cookies to provide and improve their services. See Notice at bottom of blog for a longer description and/or see the full Privacy Policy for even more details.

Making the Card

1. Cut blue 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 white cardstock 3 3/4 x 5 inches. Cut blue stripe paper (Dot-Stripe) 3 5/8 x 4 7/8 inches; adhere to white cardstock, then adhere to card base as shown.

2. Cut a piece of Strathmore 500 Bristol Plate about 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches. Use a Stamp Platform and Memento Tuxedo Black Ink to stamp The Most Wonderful Gift of All (Dreamerland Crafts), leaving room to die cut image later (I actually wish I had stamped mine a bit higher). Use a Copic Multiliner SP .3 to draw a line across background. Optional: you may also draw tongues for the boy and the bear and fill in above each as shown below.


3. Color image using Derwent Coloursoft Pencils and blending stumps dipped in Lavender Spike Oil. You may want to practice blending on a scrap of the same paper before coloring image. The Spike Oil really blends the pencils well - so much so that you have to use a light hand if you want dark areas. I also recommend going over areas again in pencil, not blending with oil, to get a darker color.


4. Use Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables and Large Stitched Rectangle Stackables to die cut image and blue cardstock as shown. Adhere image to blue, then adhere to card base.

5. Use Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxide Ink to stamp "Happy Holidays" sentiment (Miscellaneous 02, Dreamerland Crafts) on strip of blue stripe paper (it may be short but tag should cover this). Trim and adhere to card as shown. Also use Blueprint Sketch to dye a length of White Seam Binding, spraying with water as you do to get ombre effects along ribbon. Set aside to dry.


6. Use 1" circle punch to punch snowflake paper (Polar Pals) then put one side in a 1" Tag Press ring so design is facing front (smooth side), push it the rest of the way in. Use Tag Press to close back. Use Crop-a-Dile (or other small hole punch) to punch a hole in top of tag. Tie bow in seam binding you dyed in step 5. Add tag to loop pin with Snowflake Adornment; pin to back of bow. Use Pop-up Glue Dot under tag and Mini Glue Dot under bow to adhere to card where shown (note if sentiment strip is short, this should cover it).

7. Use snowflake punch (All Over the Page3 Snowflake Punch) to punch some snowflakes from white cardstock; adhere where shown.

Supplies
Follow my blog with Bloglovin so you won't miss any of the toy town fun!