BBTB Wedding/Anniversary Challenge

Hi all!

We are all MELTING up here in Northern VA!  Today (Saturday) the heat index is 115 with 80% humidity *gag* - feeling pretty done with summer right now!

Our challenge this week on Bitten By the Bug is Wedding/Anniversary.  One day I might get my wedding pics in order and actually scrap them but that was not going to happen this week!  So instead - a Clean & Simple anniversary card in my wedding colors:

I was scrolling through images in the Cricut library and this one immediately drew me in and I envisioned the card right then so i went with it.  The heart image is from the Rustic Wedding cartridge.

I began with a piece of watercolor paper and some Twinkling H2O watercolors - these are luscious.  If you don't have any YOU NEED SOME.  Watercolor paint with tons of shimmer - not just thick heavy silver shimmer that blocks the color but shimmer that matches the paint.  I wish I could have captured the shimmer but the light wasn't quite right.  I added tiny silver glitter accents and that was it!

Head over to the BBTB Blog and see what the other designers have done and then add your won project to our linky!

Watercolor Mother's Day

Hi all!

Today's post will be a quick one as I need to make a Walmart run and clean my house before school is out!

I was not planning on being in the studio today but I saw the challenge up on SCS this morning and couldn't resist!  The challenge is watercolor backgrounds and I had one on my desk with focal pieces and everything just begging to be used.

Both the background and the main images are done with different Twinkling H20 techniques.

Just look at that shimmer!

Aren't they just gorgeous!  That my friends, is the magic of ColourArte Twinkling H20s!

The background for both was originally all one piece.  I began by giving my colors a good misting with water and letting them sit.  I used Apple Blossom, Lemon Drop, Sunflower, Ginger Peach.  Once they were good & goopey, the consistency of honey is a good image to keep in mind, then I made random puddles on my craft sheet.

Mist the whole thing well with water and lay your watercolor paper face down in the paint, smoosh it a little and lift it up.  I usually cut the piece to size beforehand.  Check out the front and if there are any white spaces just lay it back down in the puddles of paint, misting them again first if needed.  Mist the front of the painted paper and sprinkle salt onto it and then let it dry completely.  Do the process fairly quickly.  The salt will add a bit of additional texture and interest to the painted paper as it dries.  Once completely dry brush the excess salt off.  Some of it will stick to the paper.  Next I took a stencil and added some plain white Modeling Paste and let that dry.  Wince the paint is waterbased the color will seep into the modeling paste.  You could also use gel medium which will give a slightly different look to it.  modeling paste is more opaque.

This is a 2 step stamp that I stamped with Twinkling H20s.  Red rubber works much better than clear stamps.  Again you want the paint to be honey consistency.  Paint your colors on thinly with a small paintbrush.  Mist very lightly (from a distance of several inches) with water and then stamp down onto watercolor paper.  Some stamps work better than others and you may have to play around with whether you do the misting step or not - on these I decided to skip it to get a crisper image.

This is from a gorgeous set of stamps from Crafter's Companion.  I stamped with black Archival ink.  Next time I will emboss my image with embossing powder when I stamp it to make the lines stand out a little better.  I am just learning how to watercolor images and I was pretty happy how this one turned out.

When you tilt it in the light the shimmer and sparkle just burst from the image!  You can also see how some of my black lines are covered by paint - this is why I will heat emboss next time.  When the image was done I spattered the piece all over with Twinks by tapping my brush against my finger.

And those are my last 2 Mother's Day cards!  I am entering them in the following challenges:

• Retro Sketches - the first card
• Mixed Media World - Use bright Colors
• Add A Little Dazzle - Color Inspiration photo
• Simon Says Stamp - Spring Flowers
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes/Spring
• SCS - Watercolor Background

So do you have any Twinks in your stash?  If not you really should add some!  Have a great day!

Twinkling Daisies

Hi all!

I was browsing the challenges on Splitcoast Stampers and the Technique Challenge was intriguing so I thought I gave it a shot.

The technique is a basic masking technique.  I began by finding a die to cut a "window" in my paper mask - just plain copy paper, it needs to be thin.  I dug the 2 daisy stamps out of my stash.  Since we have been featuring Twinkling H20s on the ColourArte I had my Twinks out and ready.  I thought the daisies would work well with the Twinks because they are solid and red rubber (it doesn't work well with clear stamps.)

I put temporary adhesive on the corners of the back of my mask to hold it in place.  Then I misted the open area lightly with Seafoam Radiant Rain.  To stamp with Twinks you need to mist them with water and let them sit until the paint is thick and gooey.  Then paint a thin coat of Twinks onto the stamp and stamp it onto your paper.  Repeat across the opening until you are happy with the effect.  I edged around the opening in a couple spots to accentuate the shape before removing the mask.

Look how pretty that shimmer is!  Both the stamped daisies AND the background thanks to Radiant Rain.  I cut the sentiment on my Cricut Explore and use the current Lunch Time Sketch from my old friend Mary Jo/TechnoStamper.

I used to play with her sketch EVERY week when I had my store.

A Little Birthday Sparkle

Hi all!

Baby Brennen was 1 month old yesterday!  Pezza is QUITE pleased with being an Auntie of course!

How fun is it to dress babies in ridiculous outfits?!??!  Little monster behbeh!!!  Auntie Pez also babysits:

And then there is this face - HOW much trouble are those parents in with this kid...???

Ok enough with the baby shenanigans - ON with the crafting!

A good friend of mine had a birthday yesterday.  A group of us got together and took her out to lunch.  I love making cards but decided some time ago I would only make cards I will USE so none of the crazy embellished shenanigans I used to make!  Birthday cards & tags are tops on my list and this seemed like just the right moment for something quick & easy but with lots of glamour - Twinks to the rescue!  Not familiar with Twinks?  Twinks refers to Twinkling H2Os - little pots of hard-cake watercolor paint that packs loads of color (pigment) and tons of shimmer & sparkle (mica.)

I was pressed for time so I wanted to do something clean & simple (CAS) - I love the way watercolor washes look on cards, particularly the shimmer of Twinkling H2O watercolors.  I grabbed 2 of them and added a bit of water and let it sit while I made some coffee and threw in some laundry.  It takes a bit of time for the water to "soak into" the hard cakes and turn them into a painty consistency.  I like to use them when the wet paint is about the consistency of honey.

I cut a piece of watercolor paper to fit the front of my card.  If you use regular cardstock it is likely to warp a bit which does not look as good.  I chose this cute solid candle stamp and used a pencil to very lightly marked off a rectangle area that would fit the stamp.

I began by wetting my brush and making some swashes of water where I would be putting my color.  then I added the Twinks.  The thicker the paint the more color AND sparkle it will have.  Once it was completely dry I stamped my image on top.  The Twinks can be somewhat slick so be sure to let the ink dry for a few minutes.  A simple sentiment at the top diagonally balances it out just right.  I edged it with Tsukineko Brilliance ink.

I was inspired by the following challenges:

• Splitcoast Stampers - Color Challenge & CAS challenge
• Card Mania - Make It Sparkle

And now I am outta here - we have another snow day today and that means I have a super whiny child who doesn't understand why she can't spend 14 hours playing video games.  So I need to come up with ways to keep her busy.  We may start with packing up all her toys she is refusing to play with and see if that straightens her out a little! LOL!

Flaky Cards!

Hi all!

It's Christmas crunch time!  I have reached the point where things I wanted to do for Christmas start falling off my list as I realize I do NOT have enough time to do it all if I also want to sleep between now and Christmas day!  We did manage to get the tree up but only 1 big tree and Pezza's little mini tree "forest".  Less to take down and put away later right?  With hubby being in fire school 2 nights a week plus Saturdays AND duty crew AND working the fire dept.'s Christmas tree lot plus a Trevor and Jess's baby on the way, Hollyn's gymnastics and girl scouts, my PTO and other school related duties and my constant state of exhaustion for no reason whatsoever some things had to give.  However, I HAVE enjoyed making some Christmas cards though and have another set for y'all today.

Did y'all see the tutorial on stamping with Twinks & Silks HERE?  It's a great way to create stunning pieces quickly and easily.

I used the same stamps & techniques for these 2 sets of cards as I did for the tags in the tutorial.

Here are some close ups.

The subtle shimmer is gorgeous

Pairing Twinks & Silks with your red rubber stamps is a perfect match!  I will have another tutorial up for you tomorrow for more gift tags.  This one will feature my most favorite of the shimmery ColourArte products - Primary Elements Artist pigments.

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I am entering the following challenges:

• Chocolate Coffee & Cards - Christmas
• Craft for the Craic - Favorite Christmas Colors
• Crafts 4 Eternity - Christmas
• Crafty Catz - Last minute Christmas
• Addicted to Stamps - Snowflakes
• Pile It On - Anything Goes Christmas

Tutorial Time! Shimmering Snowflake Tags

Hi all!

Pezza is in gymnastics twice a week, there is a small waiting area lined with chairs for parents & siblings.  I am sitting there and there is another mom whose daughter is in Pezza's class who sits down with her older son.  She proceeds to have him take off his shoes and socks and begins checking him while telling him she is checking him for hand foot & mouth disease because his cousins have it and she is sure he does too. WTF!!!???!!  So as soon as class is over and we are in the car I tell Pez she needs to take a shower immediately.  She wants to know how the disease could be spread and I explain it is transmitted through body fluid so if the girl laughed and got spit on the mat and Pez put her hand in it and touched her eye it could be transmitted.  She was quiet for a few minutes and then I hear eveil laughter and she says Well!  One good thing that would come of getting the disease.  I could just walk up and cough on my enemies and BOOM they're out of school!  UMMMMM....seriously?  We went straight to bio-terrorism?  At the age of 8?  Scary girl this one.....

Anyway, I am back with another tutorial for you today!  They were inspired by the following challenges:

• Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Christmas
• Craft for the Craic - Favorite Christmas Colors
• Crafts 4 Eternity - Christmas
• Fussy & Fancy - Snowflakes & Ribbon

Aren't these tags pretty?  Well they're quick & easy too!

You just need a few items - your tags, 2 stamps (need to be red rubber - clear won't work), Twinkling H2Os, Silks Acrylic Glaze, paint brush and die cuts.  It is helpful to pick out the Twink color first and add a bit of clean water to begin softening the paint.

We are going to begin by stamping with the larger stamp using the Twinks.  Notice how thick the paint is in the picture above.  You want it nice and thick BUT don't load that much paint on the brush when you paint it onto the stamp.  You want to brush the Twinks onto the stamp thinly - try to avoid pooling the paint.  You almost won't be able to see the paint.  Work quickly but you don't need to feel panicky!  After you brush on the Twinks hold the stamp at a distance and mist lightly, then stamp onto your paper.

This technique can be tricky - some stamps work better than others.  I suggest testing it out on a scrap paper first.  Also you can "ghost stamp - if you mist the stamp again you can stamp it again and get a slightly different effect.

Next we are going to use the second stamp with the Silks.  Stamping with Silks is a bit different.

 Spread a small amount of Silks onto a non-stick surface in a thin layer.  Dab your stamp into the paint a few times and stamp onto your paper.

Add a few die cuts or embellishments to finish off the piece.  I love the way the 2 different paints shimmer in different ways - this adds interest to the overall piece.

Grab a set of each and start playing!  The best part?  You can stock up on Twinks RIGHT NOW for 25% off in this weekends flash sale!  This means the Twinks are only $3.23 each!!!  Grab a bunch on ColourArte while you can - the flash sale ends tomorrow!

Twinkling Cards

Hi all!

Today I have a set of cards for you.  Did you see my tutorial on Twinkling H2O washes yesterday?  Check it out - Twinks.

I was inspired by the following challenges:

• Splitcoast Stampers - Sketch
• House Of Cards - Photo Inspiration
• Milk Coffee - Christmas with Nontraditional Colors

I love this technique.  It looks awesome and is so quick, easy and foolproof.

The die cuts were done on my Cricut.

This color Twink is called Beachhouse Blue and you can get it in the Nantucket Mist 6 piece mini collection on Amazon!

Look at that shimmer!  Have you used Twinks lately?  Leave me a link to your last Twinks project so I can check it out!

Twinkling Tag Tutorial

Hi all!

We are currently hiding from the flu over here.  Kevin has been down for 3 days now and sick as a dog!  He has been banned from the rest of the house and is stuck upstairs in our bedroom and his office.  Jessica is due to have her baby Christmas Eve so she could have it any day now and I really don't want her to have flu too!  NOT good for the baby.  So when he goes in the bedroom I Lysol the hell out of the office and when he is in the office I Lysol the bedroom.  He started Tamiflu yesterday so hopefully the rest of us will escape unscathed....

Despite the constant Lysoling I HAVE had some time to play my studio and I have a little tutorial for you using Twinkling H2Os!  It WAS going to be a video tutorial but I lost the cord that connects to my laptop so that was out!

These tags are also for the following challenges:

• ABC Challenge - Y is for Yuletide
• All Crafts Challenge - Anything Goes - no cards
• Craftin' Desert Divas - Christmas
• Fantabulous Cricut Challenge - Anything But A Card
• A Crafty Mess - Traditional Christmas Colors
• Pile It On - Anything Goes Christmas

Now let me show you how easy it is to add some sparkle to your projects!

You'll need to gather a few things - this technique is done using gorgeous shimmering Twinkling H2Os - ever heard of them?  Gorgeous pots of hard cake watercolor paint with LOADS of shimmer and beautiful color.  Start by adding some water to the Twinks you will be using - I use a syringe or dropper and just make a bit of a puddle and then let it sit while you gather other things.

This will work best on watercolor paper - mine is cold press so it has some texture which I like.  Cut it to the final size you want to use on your tag or card.  You will also need a focal piece - die cuts work nicely, 1-2 background stamps and a soft neutral color like the Sahara Sand VersaMagic Dew Drop from Tsukineko I used here.  You will also need a paintbrush and fresh clear water.

We are going to begin our background with the Twinks.  The puddle of water should have softened the paint into a nice goopey puddle sort of the consistency of honey or slightly thinner.  If it is super thick add a bit more water.  Before you add paint to your paper use your brush and wet the paper with clear water.  Then add Twinks, a little at a time, in a loose stroke-y fashion where you wet the paper beforehand.  Some areas will be darker with more paint and others will be lighter and more watery.  Play with the amount of paint and water until you are happy with the look.  Use both paint and water sparingly, if you get too much blot with a paper towel.  At this point you can also mist the paper with water and the Twinks will fade even more around the edges for a watery loose look.  The shimmer will be more noticeable where the paint is thicker.  Let dry or use a heat gun.

Now take the ink pad (this is why I really LOVE dew drops) ink up your background stamp (the music in my example) in spots, not completely and stamp it on to your DRY paper.  If you have a second stamp (the pine tree flourish) ink it up and stamp it too.

 And that's all there is to it!  Simply add your focal piece/embellishment/die cut and you're done!  Below is another one I made using ornaments and one in blue using snowflakes.

The camera doesn't quite catch the immense sparkle but you can catch it a little bit.

I love my Twinks!  Do you have some you need to pull back out and put to use?  If not then I highly recommend them!  You can get them on Amazon!  If you try this technique out do come let me know - I would love to visit your blog and see it.  Tune in tomorrow - I will be posting some cards using this same technique!