Bella's Birthday Card by Wild Rose Studio

I have several Wild Rose Studio stamps but haven't really made much with them yet. This one is an image of Bella, a sweet little elephant. The company also makes matching papers. I used one of the patterned sheets for this card but they have a couple sheets featuring Bella as well (I can easily see myself hoarding these). I am also trying out my QOR watercolors for the first time (other than just making swatches). The colors are very intense. They tended to stain the paper (Arches Hot Press) so lifting was difficult - not sure if this was due to the watercolor, the paper itself, or the combo. I'll be doing some more testing!

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Making the Card

1. Cut pink cardstock to 7 x 10 inches; fold in half to form a 5 x 7 card base.

2. Cut watercolor paper to about 4 1/2 inch square. Stamp Bella's Birthday in the center with VersaFine Onyx Black ink. Let dry completely and/or heat set. Watercolor image. I used QOR watercolors.

3. Die cut watercolored image using largest MFT Inside/Out Stitched Square (or other stitched square die... be sure to measure it for mat). Cut blue cardstock mats: 4 3/4 x 6 1/8 inches and 4 x 4 inches (i.e. 1/8 inch larger than your stitched die). Cut Bella's Birthday patterned paper with dotted circles 4 5/8 x 6 inches. Adhere patterned paper to 4 3/4 x 6 1/8 inch blue cardstock. Adhere watercolored image to other (be sure to use strong tape, especially if the image warped). Hint: if the paper warped a lot, you may lightly mist on the back, place face down on a craft mat, and place weights on the back (I used my acrylic block and a book on top of that). Cover balloon in Glossy Accents. Add Wink of Stella to butterfly wings.

4. Punch butterfly from white cardstock. Watercolor in same colors as butterfly in watercolored image. Use a black marker (e.g. Memento Tuxedo Black) to add details as shown. Be sure to go around the edges from the back side with the brush tip. Color wing areas with Wink of Stella.

5. From pink cardstock, die cut two copies of "happy birthday" using Sizzix Celebration Words: Script dies. You may cut more if you would like a thicker stack. Line up and glue the like words together in a stack. Ink the bottoms using Memento Rose Bud ink and an ink blending tool. Follow up with VersaColor Baby Blue at the bottoms of the letters.  Cover with Wink of Stella. Coat with Glossy Accents.

6. Adhere red satin ribbon around matted patterned paper where shown. Adhere to card base. Adhere matted watercolored image to card base, using dimensional tape, as shown. Glue letters to ribbon as shown. Carefully bend each side butterfly wing slightly up (try to leave the body flat). Glue butterfly where shown.

Supplies

• Cardstock: Blue, Pink, White
• Patterned Paper: Bella's Birthday 6x6 Paper Pack (Wild Rose Studio PP035)
• Stamp: Bella's Birthday
• Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black, Memento Rose Bud, VersaColor Baby Blue
• Ink Blending Tool
• Marker: Memento Tuxedo Black
• Watercolors: QOR (Phthalo Blue - Green Shade, Ultramarine Blue, Dioxazine Purple, Quincridone Magenta, Permanent Alizarin Crimson, Purrole Red Light, Transparent Pyrrole Orange, Indigo, Paynes Gray), Winsor & Newton Gouache Ivory Black
• Brushes: 2 (Travel), 4, 8 Black Velvet by Silver Brush Ltd.
• Watercolor Paper: Arches Hot Press
• Dies: Die-Namics Inside/Out Stitched Squares (My Favorite Things MFT-850) or other stitched square dies, Sizzix Celebration Words: Script (660223)
• Punch: Martha Stewart 3-in-1 Butterfly
• Glossy Accents
• Wink of Stella
• Red Satin Ribbon
• Dimensional Tape

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Dreamerland Crafts Embrace Your Dream Adventure Awaits Card

This is my first post for the Dreamerland Crafts design team! I absolutely love their adorable stamps! This image of a sweet little boy playing with his toy plane and dreaming of adventures is so precious. I wanted it to have a soft look to it so I decided to color the image with colored pencils (Faber-Castell Polychromos) and blend the pencil using stumps and Sansodor (odorless mineral spirits). Just be sure to use this in a well ventilated room (see package warnings). Even though the Sansodor is fairly odorless, it still produces toxic fumes. I keep mine in a small glass jar with a screw lid; I just open it to dip the stump in when I need it then I immediately replace the lid (sometimes I leave it loose if I'm using it a lot).

Making the Card

1. Cut sky blue cardstock to 7 x 10 inches. Fold in half to create a 5 x 7 inch card base.

2. Stamp Embrace Your Dreams using Memento Desert Sand (or other light colored ink). Use the packaging as a guideline. Trace over the eyes, nose, mouth, and part of the patch (looking back, I think I would have preferred to trace the patch in dark brown). Color image with colored pencils, going from light to dark. Use stumps and mineral spirits (in a well ventilated area) to blend areas as you go. Layer colors by staring with a light touch, blend, then layer more in darker areas for shading.

3. Die cut image using 2nd largest stitched circle die (or whatever stitched circle die fits best).

4. Find the following papers in the listed 6x6 pads:

My Mind's Eye Come Away With Me (#6x6203) - Tickets and Adventure Awaits Banner
Teresa Collins Far and Away (FA1010) - Map of North America
Authentique Durrable (#DUR020) - Fuel Gage

5. Cut map paper to 4 3/4 x 6 inches (long side going horizontally, see photo). Adhere map paper to card base where shown. Cut tickets as shown and glue to card base. From the fuel gage paper, die cut using largest stitched circle die (one size larger than the one you used for the image). Adhere where shown. Adhere image in center using dimensional tape. Cut around Adventure Awaits banner; adhere where shown using dimensional tape.

6. Cut three different washi tapes to fit approximately in the bottom left area. Cut tails into each; adhere where shown. Double up a length of twine, thread charm and tie bow. Adhere using strong adhesive (e.g. Glue Dots).

Supplies

• Cardstock: Sky Blue, White
• Dreamerland Crafts Stamp: Embrace Your Dream (D17012)
• Ink: Memento Desert Sand
• Fine Tipped Black Pen (e.g. .05 Copic Multiliner)
• Colored Pencils: Faber-Castell Polychromos 120 Set
• Mineral Spirits (e.g. Sansodor) - Read Package Warnings
• Blending Stumps (Small)
• Patterned Cardstock 6x6 Pads: My Mind's Eye Come Away With Me (#6x6203), Teresa Collins Far and Away (FA1010), Authentique Durrable (#DUR020)
• Dies: My Favorite Things Die-Namics STAX Dies Inside & Out Stitched Circle
• Washi Tape: Travel/Postal Themed (I used three different ones)
• Twine: Red/White/Blue
• Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Adornment Souvenir (Compass Rose)
• Dimensional Tape
• Glue Dots

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Chester Whipper Snapper Greeting/Easter Card

This card can be given as a simple greeting card or as a cute Easter card. Chester the bunny is adorably curious as to what's going on with the ladybug (or maybe he's just smelling the daisy).

I used my new Peerless watercolors to paint the image. This was the first time using Peerless. The colors came out nice and vibrant but they have a lot of staining power, even on professional watercolor paper (I used Arches Hot Press) so don't make a mistake! More than likely, it won't lift out.

Making the Card

1. Cut light turquoise 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. Cut dark turquoise cardstock to 4 x 5 1/4 inches. Adhere to card base. Cut plaid patterned cardstock to 3 7/8 x 5 1/8 inches. Adhere to card base.

2. Stamp Chester on watercolor paper with VersaFine Onyx Black ink (or other waterproof ink). Be sure it is completely dry before applying watercolor (you may want to heat set it). Watercolor image - for this one I used Peerless Watercolors.

3. Die cut image with stitched circle (bit less than 3 3/8 inches). Die cut dark turquoise cardstock with next sized up stitched circle. Adhere dark turquoise circle where shown. Adhere image using dimensional tape in center of dark turquoise circle.

4. Die cut 4 or 5 copies of "hello" from dark turquoise cardstock and one from light turquoise cardstock. Glue together in a stack, with the light copy on top, to form a thick word. Adhere to card as shown.

Supplies

• Cardstock: Light and Dark Turquoise
• Patterned Cardstock: Doodlebug Design Spring Garden (5136)
• Watercolor Paper
• Watercolors (e.g. Peerless)
• Whipper Snapper Designs, Inc Stamp: Chester (MY824)
• Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black
• Die-namics Dies: Inside/Out Stitched Circle (MFT-849)
• Lawn Fawn Die: Scripty Hello
• Dimensional Tape

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Art Impressions Picture Perfect Greeting Card

Art Impressions makes whimsical stamps that are so much fun to color. For this card I used Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens for the first time. The colors are nice and vibrant - perfect for this design.

Making the Card

1. Cut light blue cardstock 7x10 inches; fold in half to form a 5x7 inch card base. Cut chevron paper to 4 1/2 x 6 inches; adhere to front of card as shown. Cut pink flower paper to 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches. Use the largest square STAX die (about 4 inches) to cut center, creating a frame (keep inside piece for another project). Keep the scraps from these sheets! One chevron piece should be 1 1/4 x 4 1/2 inches; use the back side (white dots on black) for under the sentiment. The pink flower leftover piece will be used for the sentiment itself.

2. On a piece of watercolor paper a bit larger than 4 1/2 inches square, stamp Art Impressions Picture Perfect in black waterproof ink (e.g. VersaFine Onyx Black). Watercolor image (I used Zig Clean Color Real Brush, although any watercolor will do). Die cut with largest STAX die.

3. Adhere pink flower frame to card as shown. Adhere watercolor image inside frame. Stamp sentiment in black ink on leftover piece of pink flower paper - trim to a strip then add tails to right side. Adhere white/black polka dot paper where shown. Adhere sentiment using dimensional tape in center.

4. Adhere clay heart as shown. Watch video below to see how to create this embellishment.

5. Die cut small and medium hearts from rose paper. Cover with Glossy Accents, let dry. Rip off a couple pieces of washi tape and adhere as shown. Adhere hearts.

Supplies

• Cardstock: Light Blue
• Paper Pad: Doodlebug Design Inc. 6x6 Kraft in Color (4205)
• Stamp: Art Impressions Picture Perfect
• Stamped Sentiment: Art Impressions Beach Babes
• VersaFine: Onyx Black
• Watercolor Paper
• Zig Clean Color Real Brush
• Die-Namics STAX Dies MFT-850 Inside & Out Stitched Squares
• Washi Tape: Pink, Black with White Polka Dots
• Heart Dies: Paper Smooches Paw Print A2D255, Tiny Hearts DED184
• Glossy Accents
• Makin's Clay: Black
• Creative Medium: Iridescent-Pink
• Stencil: Dots

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