Christmas In July- Another Tissue Watercolor Background

Hi Friends!!

Today I am sharing a Clean and Simple (CAS) Christmas card using the scrap leftover piece of a tissue paper technique background I had created for another CAS card (see previous post here).

Since I already had the background panel, I searched through my stash of "scraps" and found the snowflakes plus the sentiment already die cut/printed and ready to go making this card fairly quick and easy to assemble :-)  

I love participating in online challenges so I am linking this card to the CAS-ual Fridays #198 “Christmas in July”Challenge along with the More Mixed Media July “Anything Goes” Challenge and the Happy Little Stampers July Christmas "opt twist Die Cuts" Challenge.

If you have not already had a chance to visit the above challenge sites, I hope you will do so- so much inspiration from their Design Teams as well as in their galleries!

To create this card:

1). Using Tranquil Tide and Soft Sky Classic Ink, tap the pads onto a silicone craft mat, spritz with water, use a plastic spoon (or palette knife) to mix the ink a bit and lay a piece of tissue paper into the ink (smooshing very gently with your fingers to moisten all of the tissue).  Carefully lift up the tissue paper and set onto a paper towel to dry.  My first layer was a bit light so I added additional ink until I was satisfied with the color.

2). Using a craft glue, spread the glue over an entire piece of white cardstock, squishing the tissue a bit to create more ridges and allow the panel to dry (I did use a heat tool to speed up the process- I am so impatient!).  De-static the panel with an Embossing Buddy®, gently rub the Versamark™ ink pad over the ridges, apply Silver Embossing Powder and heat set with the Heat Tool.

3). Use the Big Shot™ with the MFT Stitched Rectangle STAX Dies to cut the panel, mount onto Basic Black cardstock and trim close to the die cut edge.

4). Print the sentiment from Merry & Type using My Digital Studio™ (retired Stampin’ Up!) onto Whisper White cardstock, die cut with the Big Shot™ with a smaller frame die from the MFT Rectangle STAX , mount onto black cardstock and trim close to the edge.   Adhere the sentiment panel to the tissue paper background panel.

5). Die cut the various snowflakes from Silver Foil, mount a few behind the tissue paper background and sentiment.  Trim another Whisper White panel and mount onto the Basic Black card base.  Add the layered snowflake background panel to the car front with dimensional foam.

6). Finish off the card by adding the large snowflake, rhinestones and a few accents with  Nuvo™ Silver Lining Crystal Drops.

Stamp Sets: Merry & Type (retired Stampin’ Up!- digital version)

Ink/Mediums: Printer Ink- Black, Versamark™, Classic SU! Ink- Tranquil Tide, Pool Party; Nuvo™ Silver Lining Crystal Drops

Paper: Whisper White, Extra Thick Whisper White, Basic Black; Silver Foil, Tissue Paper

Accessories/Tools:  Big Shot™, MFT Stitched Rectangle STAX Dies, Memory Box™ Lindeman Snowflake Die, Impression  Obsession™ Snowflake Die Set, Embossing Buddy®, Stampin’ Emboss® Silver Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Rhinestones

Thanks again for visiting- hugs and I hope all of you have a great week!

Dragonfly Dreams- Tissue Paper Watercolor

Hi Friends!!

Wow, this week has been so busy!  I have been wanting to try the Tissue Watercolor Technique for the CASMix-Up July Challenge and finally had a chance this evening!  

 I used Loll’s tips from her wonderful video (here) and decided to try her technique with the addition of heat embossing as well.

I also incorporated the CAS(E) This Sketch #231 Challenge, the Splitcoaststampers CC642 Color Challenge and the Addicted to Stamps and More #251 “Anything Goes” Challenge into the design.

If you have not already had a chance to visit the above challenge sites, I hope you will do so- so much inspiration from their Design Teams as well as in their galleries!

To create this card:

1). Using Tranquil Tide and Soft Sky Classic Ink, tap the pads onto a silicone craft mat, spritz with water, use a plastic spoon (or palette knife) to mix the ink a bit and lay a piece of tissue paper into the ink (smooshing very gently with your fingers to moisten all of the tissue).  Carefully lift up the tissue paper and set onto a paper towel to dry.  My first layer was a bit light so I added additional ink until I was satisfied with the color.

2). Using a craft glue, spread the glue over an entire piece of white cardstock, squishing the tissue a bit to create more ridges and allow the panel to dry (I did use a heat tool to speed up the process- I am so impatient!).  De-static the panel with an Embossing Buddy®, gently rub the Versamark™ ink pad over the ridges, apply Silver Embossing Powder and heat set with the Heat Tool.

3). De-static a piece of Whisper White cardstock with the Embossing Buddy®, ink the splatter image from Dragonfly Dreams and the sentiment from Rose Wonder with Versamark™ ink and stamp onto the panel.  Apply Silver Embossing Powder and heat set with the Heat Tool.  Trim the panel and mount onto the Extra Thick Whisper White card base.

4). Create the banner from Silver Foil using the Big Shot™ with the MFT Blueprints 16 Dies, cut in half and adhere to the card front.

5). Die cut the tissue panel with a medium frame from the retired MFT Fancy Ticket STAX dies and mount onto the card front with dimensional foam.

Close uo of the tissue background 

6). Stamp the dragonfly image from Dragonfly Dreams using archival black ink onto white cardstock, heat set the ink and watercolor with Tranquil Tide and Pool Party Classic Ink.  Die cut with the Detailed Dragonfly Thinlits™, mount onto the card front and use dimensional foam below the wings.

7). To finish off the card, apply shimmer to the wings using a Spectrum Noir™ Clear Glitter Pen and add a few drops around the sentiment and on the tissue panel with Nuvo™ Gray Mist Jewel Drops.

I wish the shimmer showed better in the photo- this card definitely shines IRL :-)

Also, I have to say that I absolutely love this tissue paper technique- thanks Loll for the fabulous instructions!   I am so thrilled that I decided to try this (I have a few scraps from this panel for another card) plus I am looking forward to playing around with different colors and inks in the future!  Loll, you have definitely converted me- lol!

Stamp Sets: Dragonfly Dreams, Rose Wonder (both current Stampin’ Up!)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black Ink, Versamark™ Ink, Classic SU! Ink- Tranquil Tide, Pool Party; Nuvo™ Grey Mist Jewel Drops, Spectrum Noir™ Clear Glitter Pen

Paper: Whisper White, Extra Thick Whisper White, Silver Foil, Tissue Paper

Accessories:  Big Shot™, Detailed Dragonfly Thinlits™, MFT Blueprints 16 Dies, retired MFT Fancy Ticket STAX Dies, Embossing Buddy®, Stampin’ Emboss® Silver Embossing Powder, Heat Tool

Thanks again for visiting- hugs and I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend!

TCC47 Warm Winter Roses

Hi Friends!!

It’s time for new The Card Concept #TCC47 "Floral Elegance" Challenge!  I just love this neutral color palette along with all of the different floral textures in this cake from our fabulous photo inspiration- don’t you? 

For my Mixed Media card, I combined the colors along with a fun textured background (a bit difficult to see the texture in the photo but IRL it almost feels like leather :-)).

Just a reminder that the Card Concept is a bi-weekly challenge that has an inspiration photo along with a number of design styles that you can choose from to create your card- Clean and Simple, Clean and Graphic, Clean and Layered, Shabby Chic, Freestyle Collage, Classy and Elegant and Mixed Media.  

I hope you have a chance to visit us at The Card Concept and check out the rest of our Design Team samples as well as the other challenge sites- fabulous inspiration from all!

I have also linked this card to the Artistic Outpost January 2016 “Show us Your AO Art Challenge"- wonderful designs in their gallery as well:-)

To create this card:

On a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock, apply Liquidtex® Matte Gel Medium and layer pieces of white tissue paper over the gel (allowing the paper to crinkle a bit).

Carefully use a Heat Tool to speed up the drying process and apply ProArt® Gesso® over the surface.

Once the Gesso® has dried, add color using Ranger® Tim Holtz® Old Paper, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo Distress Inks (layering, spritzing and drying with the Heat Tool between layers).

Once you are satisfied with the background, lay the Memory Box™ Winter Flurry Frame Stencil over the corners and remove the ink using a wet cloth (again, drying with the Heat Tool as you re-position the stencil and continue to remove the ink).

Ink the images from the Artistic Outpost (AO) Skating Emporium with Early Epresso Classic Ink (I used the snowflake and the Central Park Script stamps), repeatedly stamp onto the panel and cut out the panel with the Our Daily Bread Designs (ODBD) Double Stitched Rectangle Dies .

Mount the panel onto a piece of Smoky Slate cardstock, sponge Vintage Photo around the edges and mount onto a piece of Early Espresso cardstock.

Add the 1” Dark Brown Satin Ribbon Strip and mount onto the Smoky Slate card base.

Ink the Holly and the Ivy (A/O) image using Staz-On™ Jet Black Ink and stamp onto a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock.

Using Sponge Daubers, apply Ranger® Tim Holtz® Old Paper, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo Distress Inks around the panel to color the background of the image.

Use a paint brush with Titanium White Acrylic Paint (dilute with a small bit of water) to highlight the fur on her collar/arms, ribbon in her hat and the flower at the top right.

Use the Big Shot™ with the (ODBD) Double Stitched Rectangle Dies to cut out the image (I had to re-position the image back into the die after the first pass to reduce the size of the rectangle), mount onto a piece of Smoky Slate cardstock, sponge Ranger® Tim Holtz® Vintage Photo Distress Ink around the edges and mount onto a piece of Early Espresso cardstock. 

Add the Holly and the Ivy panel onto the card front using dimensional foam.

Create the flowers from Very Vanilla and Smoky Slate cardstock using the My Favorite Things™ (MFT) Mini Royal Rose and Royal Rose Dies-use the Crimper Tool to crimp the paper before rolling into the flower and sponge a bit of Ranger® Tim Holtz® Vintage Photo Distress Ink on the edges.

Use the Martha Stewart (MS) Leaf Punch to punch out the leaves from Early Espresso cardstock, crimp the leaves with the Crimper Tool and attach the leaves along with the flowers using Hot Glue to the card front to finish off the card.

I did not add a sentiment yet since I think this card could work for several occasions- Valentine’s Day, Birthday (Winter Months), Christmas or a “Thinking of You”...what do you think?

Stamp Sets: Holly and the Ivy, Skating Emporium (both Artistic Outpost)

Ink: Staz-On™ Jet Black, Ranger® Tim Holtz® Old Paper, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo Distress; Titanium White Acrylic Paint

Paper: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Smoky Slate, White Tissue Paper

Accessories: Gesso®, Matte Gel, Big Shot™,  ODBD Double Stitched Rectangle Dies, MFT Mini Royal Rose Die, MFT Royal Rose Die, MS Leaf Punch, Crimper Tool, Sponge Daubers, MB Winter Flurry Frame Stencil, 1” Dark Brown Satin Ribbon, Paint Brush

Thanks again for taking the time to visit- I hope you can gather your supplies and pick a style to create your own card for our gallery at The Card Concept!