Acrylic Block Technique Cards, Part 7

I have another tree for you today... this time with our Serene Silhouettes stamp set.  This card features a special fold technique.  It's called a Z-fold card.  

I'm nursing a very bum shoulder today and counting days until I can get it looked at.  It's getting worse and worse, so pardon me if I don't write a lot in today's post.  I think the card speaks for itself.  By changing out the text inside, you could easily use it for a variety of other occasions.

Come back for more Acrylic Block Technique cards.  

- Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blogging world. 

- Click on the tab at the top of the page to see my class schedules and registration policies or look on the left for sneak peeks. 

- Come back soon and come back often for more creative inspiration.

Silhouette Style Stamps and A Sneak Peek

I love creating beautiful backgrounds.  Today, I have a new card for you, along with a couple of old favorites, to revisit some techniques.  The new card is one we'll be making at my Saturday card class on August 15.  The class is full of unique cards, each with something special about it!

After making this, I noticed that several other designers have made very similar cards.  Was I copying?  Not really.  It's just that this is a very good stamp to grab when you want a good silhouette stamp.

This card and the page from my technique book use the same technique but with only 2 colors.

For my new card, I wanted to try using 3 colors.  You color onto an acrylic block and then spritz the block before stamping.  It's a really quick and easy card to make and yet the end result is gorgeous.   I used Shimmery White CS because it's better at taking on a little water.  My marker colors are Pool Party, Marina Mist and Night of Navy.  I let it dry completely before stamping the silhouette stamp.

Here's one more old favorite with this same stamp.  For this one, I lightly watercolored in the background, using my Aqua Painter.

One thing I did on my new card was to use 2 separate layers for the focal piece, as well as attaching them with dimensionals.  This really steps up the card.

If you live in the area, I hope you can come and join us this coming Saturday.  It's going to be a super fun class.  At the end of each of my card classes, I always ask them to tell me their favorite.  This will certainly get some votes.  I love it.

Are you looking forward to our new Holiday Catalog?  It will be here soon and you're going to love it!

- Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blogging world. 

- Click on the tab at the top of the page to see my class schedules and registration policies or look on the left for sneak peeks. 

- Come back soon and come back often for more creative inspiration.

Serene Silhouettes

Today's card is created with our beautiful Coastal Cabana CS... retired, but not forgotten.  I actually made this card before the CS retired, but hadn't posted it yet.  I wanted to play around with ovals when I designed it.  

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out... especially after I added some of my famous Shimmer Spritz:)  In real life, it's amazingly sparkly.  Every time I have one on display in my studio, people ask what it is that gives it that beautiful shimmery sparkle.

This photo is to remind you to save the pieces after you've cut an oval and/or a frame for it.  You can use them in other projects.  Notice how the light here makes it look like I'd used Pool Party or Soft Sky?  So... if you like it, you now know a color to substitute if you no longer have any Coastal Cabana:)  Be sure to come back to see my next card with more use of Framelits and Thinlits dies.  

- Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blogging world. 

- Click on the tab at the top of the page to see my class schedules and registration policies or click on the left for sneak peeks. 

- Come back soon and come back often for more creative inspiration.

Sympathy Cards --- not fun, but necessary

Sympathy cards are never fun to send, but they are a necessary part of life.  I have gone through my stash, replenished it, gone through those, replenished those... and over and over again.

These are some of my last creations.  With a different sentiment and perhaps changing the colors a bit, they would be good masculine cards, too.

I used Just Believe, So Sorry and Serene Silhouettes stamp sets for these cards.  I chose the elegance of a black, white and gray combination.

Because the card bases are dark, I have a layer of white CS inside each card.  I have a stamped sentiment on each, with a little more stamping at the bottom and there is coordinated stamping on the envelopes, as well.

So, which design is your favorite?  Be sure to let me know.

I truly hope I don't ever need to send a card of this type to you but, if I do, I hope it will send a message of love and comfort and help you know that someone cares.

On a happier note...

I'm nearly finished with the last of the kits earned by those placing qualifying orders during our Free Shipping days.  No wonder I'm tired.  I actually would have been finished a couple of days ago I think, but we had a problem with a mystery leak during our last gushing rain storm.  Also, my legs were getting pretty tired because I mostly stamp standing up.  I started out that way and it just works better for me.  As for the mystery leak, it is going to involve tearing out the damaged ceiling (which would have had to be replaced anyway) and trying to find the leak.  I am super stressed about just how much tearing out is going to be involved.

There is really nothing I can do beyond worrying about it, so I will just stamp on and hope for the best.  It will involve an area in my studio.  I've moved everything in prep for them coming to do this, so I can at least go back to work for now... so..., before the dust settles in my studio, I'm off to finish the rest of the kits and then make some new goodies for my Prairie Treasures booth at the Root Cellar.  

- Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blogging world. 

- Click on the tab at the top of the page to see my class schedules and registration policies or click on the left for sneak peeks. 

- Come back soon and come back often for more creative inspiration.

A Cut Above: A Cutting Tutorial

I get a lot of questions about how to go about cutting into CS or DSP and not waste any of it.  I'm going to share a little tutorial with you to help you get the most out of your supplies.  Because of my Friday 3-4-5 Card Buffet Classes, our little note card sets are becoming very popular with my customers, so I'll start with those.

Here's a card for my next Friday 3-4-5, using 2 layers on the top.

The note card itself is white and comes cut and pre-scored, with its own envelope.  I like to stamp something on the front corner and the back flap of the envelope, to coordinate with the card.

My card is made with 2 layers over it --- a black layer and then a white layer on top, where you stamp your images.

I started with sheets of 8 1/2 X 11" CS.
Change your colors however you'd like to have them.
Here's how my CS looks after cutting pieces for both layers.

As you can see, there will be no wasted pieces.  The smaller pieces I have left over, after cutting the layers for the top of the card, will go into my scrap drawer and be saved for a time when I need a smaller piece for a project.

STOP HERE!!!  
IF YOU PLAN TO TRY THIS, I'D SUGGEST YOU PLACE YOUR CUTTER AND LAPTOP SIDE BY SIDE AND DO IT STEP BY STEP WITH ME OR PRINT OUT MY POST AND THEN TRY IT.

Let's take a minute to think about measuring.

• The note card front measures 5 X 3 1/2" so, to add layers, you subtract 1/4" for each layer.
• Thus, the black layer for the card measures 4 3/4 X 3 1/4."
• This makes the top white layer measurement come to 4 1/2 X 3."

Now, let's get started with the larger pieces (my black CS):

• With the 8 1/2" end at the top, cut at 8" and 3 1/4"  (1st arrow and 2nd arrow in photo below).

• Turn, placing the 11" side at the top. 
• Cut at 9 1/2" and 4 3/4" (creates the 2 layers + 1 scrap shown on the left in the photo below).
• Cut the remaining piece at 9 3/4" and 6 1/2" and 3 1/4" (creates 3 card layers + scrap shown between the two arrows in the photo below).

Total:
You now have 5 black layers for your card front + 2 scraps for your scrap drawer.


Let's go to the smaller layer (my white layer):

• With the 8 1/2" end at the top, cut at 7 1/2" and 3" (1st arrow and 2nd arrow in photo below).

• Turn, placing the 11" side at the top.
• Cut at 9" and 4 1/2" (creates the 2 layers + 1 scrap shown on the left in the photo below).
• Cut remaining piece at 9" and 6" and 3" (creates 3 card layers + scrap shown between the two arrows in the photo below).

Total:You now have 5 white pieces to stamp on and layer over your black pieces + 3 scraps for your scrap drawer.

Where do you go from here?
Well, you can now make 5 note cards!
But wait, they come 20 in a package... so... I suggest that you repeat the process using 3 different colors in place of the black CS, keeping white for the top layer.
Now you have 20 note cards, 5 each of 4 colors.  Wow, did you ever bump up your stash!!!

Suggestion ---
Try substituting one of the CS layers with DSP.  Now, you've changed the entire feel of your card.  Your creative direction will be guided by the colors and patterns in your DSP.

What other color combos should I try next?  What would you like to see?

So, that's my tutorial for cutting pieces for note cards.  This tutorial took a long time to make (partly because I kept making so many silly mistakes doing it) and I would really love some feedback from you.  Please tell me what you think, tell me if you tried it and tell me how it worked for you.

Come back soon for more tips on cutting and getting the most from your CS and from your DSP.

I'm going to rest now, after all this cutting and typing ... and then ... I'll get back to more stamping!   It's a good life!

Watercolor On Canvas Tutorial

When planning my last workshop, I decided to use a product that is not new but often gets neglected.  I paired it with a new product that has mostly been overlooked in our Spring Catalog.  What did I use?  I dusted off my Watercolor Wonder Crayons and paired them with our new canvas sheets.  I loved the results.  This project is easy and fun and makes you really feel your artistic energies coming into play.

I also decided to use a color combo that I hadn't used for a long, long time --- Wild Wasabi and Marina Mist.  I really like how it all turned out.

 

I cut the oval canvas before I started coloring.  You could do it after, just as well.  I colored with Marina Mist, then Baja Breeze, then Wild Wasabi Watercolor Wonder Crayons. 

Using an Aqua Painter, I added quite a bit of water onto the canvas --- just brushing it on as with any water coloring project.  This blends your colors for your background beautifully.

As you can see, the canvas will curl when it's wet.  Don't worry about it.  Set it aside to dry or, if you're in a hurry, you can heat set it.  As with all water coloring, it will dry lighter.  If it's really wet, you can blot a bit with a paper towel.  If you blot, just be aware that it will dry even lighter because you're blotting away some of the color. 

When the canvas is completely dry, stamp your image using StazOn Ink.  I think the project works best with more of an outline stamp.  You can try different images and see what you think.

Now, why haven't I used these fabulous crayons for so long?  I have no answer other than it must be because we have so many fabulous products that I forget to play with some of them.  Do you have a product that you haven't used for a while?  Get it out, dust it off, and get busy!

I have more tutorials coming up, so be sure to check back to see what else I'll have to share with you.   

- Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blogging world. 

- Click on the tab at the top of the page to see my class schedules and registration policies or click on the left for sneak peeks. 

- Come back soon and come back often for more creative inspiration.