Technique: Spotlight with watercolouring

Have you tried this technique?
Stamp a card front or ATC (thats an Artist Trading Card) with monotone colours (I've used Sahara Sand and close to cocoa ink for the back ground stamping). You could use black or grey.
Then, stamp another of the same image on cardstock and punch it out.
Mount it on a coloured circle (a little larger than the image circle), and water colour in the details.

I have used Rich razzleberry ink to water colour my rose bud using an aquapainter pen. The more water you use the lighter the colour.
Doesn't it bring out this lovely "Embrace life" Rose bud beautifully?

I have made eight of these ATC samples to swap with.

 It was the June technique of the month.

With water colouring every one is definitely different.

Project Recipe:

Stampsets: Embrace Life, En Francais background stamp.

Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, Sahara Sand, Rich Razzleberry.

Ink: Close to Cocoa, Sahara Sand, Rich Razzleberry.

Ribbon: Kraft tafetta

Punches: Word window, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circles.

Embrace life watercolouring gift voucher card

This believe it or not is a tri-fold card ... it is designed as a gift voucher holder ... it could be holding a birthday gift of small chocolates or, a gift card tucked inside or, for that someone who is not sure what you want but they know you like stamping ... it could be a stampin' up gift voucher from Stamping Joy to you.
Give that special person in your life my phone or email address and I will make up a gift voucher for $25, $50, or whatever amount they choose. Ready to give to you for a birthday or Christmas present.After folding my card into 3 uneven folds, I stamped a flower outline from Embrace Life stampset in black stazon ink onto whisper white cardstock and watercoloured the flower in baja breeze and Certainly celery ink. Straight from the ink on the stamp pad box lid with a water colour brush.

I have added a chocolate chip flower brad to the centre and mounted it onto chocolate chip cardstock, certainly celery and whisper white cardstock.

The ribbon is certainly celery poly-twill and a thankyou tag from the upsy daisy stampset. I have punched a fancy edge with the eyelet border punch and used my white gel pen to bring out some detail in the stamens of the flower and leaves of the baja breeze stamped flowers at the bottom. Here it is opened out.

Card Recipe:

Stampsets: Embrace life ($45.95), Upsy daisy($33.95).

Cardstock: Baja breeze, chocolate chip, certainly celery, whisper white.

Inks: Baja breeze, certainly celery and black stazon.

Tools and accessories: Flower brad, white signo gel pen, word window punch, eyelet border punch, Certainly celery poly-twill ribbon, crochet thread.

Last two weeks to purchase in-colour ribbons and paper ...

Are any of these ribbons on your wish list?

Including that lovely pretty in pink gingham ribbon at the top!!! ($9.71 per roll).

These ribbons come on a roll of 13.7 metres, they are usually $16.95.

But for the last two weeks of March they are $12.70 per roll. That is only 92 cents per metre for double stitched quality ribbon (instead of the usual $1.30).

Don't need a whole roll? Contact me and I will arrange a half share for you!

These are the last two weeks to buy products from the 2008-09 Ideas book and catalogue.

If you have loved these ribbons and colours (or the river rock colour - not pictured) then get in quick before they are gone forever.

The card below has double sided paper available from the current mini catalogue, that will never be seen again (0r atleast not for the current price for papers). It's a fact of life that many products will be going up in price in the next catalogue -designer series papers especially!

Send me an email with your order request before 30th March if there is anything you need from the retired stamps and products list or from the Summer mini catalogue at nerida_carter@hotmail.com.

Embrace a Bali breeze Life ...

My stampin' up upline: Linda Higgins posed a challenge last week on her forum.

The challenge was to make a card inspired by a photo of a teenage bedroom with a close to cocoa wall, teal coloured bedspread with pink phone and throw cushion and a white bed head with lots of round circle patterns. I made this several days ago ... but with one thing and another didn't have a chance to photograph and upload it so, I am sharing with you now.

Materials:

Cardstock: Whisper white, Close to cocoa, Turquoise and Regal Rose. DS paper: Bali breeze, Scallop circle punch, scallop edge punch, circle punches, large oval. Ribbon: Regal rose wide grosgrain. Stampsets: Embrace life and Short and sweet. Ink: regal rose, Turquoise and close to cocoa. Other: Mat pack and scissors.

Simple Page keeper

Another bookmark? When your'e on a roll - just enjoy!

Child back at school, still feeling relaxed from those 8.30am sleep-ins ... but I just can't seem to fall asleep until after midnight ... when reading late at night, cardmaking and bookmarks come to mind.

This is a very quick little bookmark: It is made with surprisingly little cardstock and paper.

The piece of Double sided paper is "Berry Bliss" (I love pretty in pink with close to cocoa).

And the flower stamp is from Embrace life stamped in Close to cocoa and Pale plum using the markers to colour in the petals. Here's the other side. Cute huh? And it doesn't fall out of your book, even if you turn it upside down ... and shake it.

I might just make a few more since this one was so quick.

A little Something in Old olive.

I keep coming back to this Embrace Life set and this time teamed it with the Yummy stampset - A little something, which just fits nicely on a vertical card front (or do you call that portrait card front?) I have been up late at night to stamp, as I just can't sleep in this heat and humidity ... so a few cards to show you over the next few days.
Materials:

Stampset: Yummy (Sale-a-bration set 2009), Embrace Life (Summer mini catalogue)

Cardstock: Old Olive, Whisper white

Paper: Ginger blossom double sided (river rock).

Ink: Old Olive.

Markers: Close to Cocoa, Old olive.

Ribbons: Taffeta (Cream and sage). Scallop-edge punch and corner rounder.

A Little Something for you ...

Just a quick photo of the card I made with the "Yummy" stampset from the Sale a bration catalogue. The card is made with confetti white cardstock from stampin' up and it is a little thicker and more substantial than the whisper white cardstock. It has little pieces of "confetti-like" paper pressed in it giving it a handmade feel. I have used the Ginger blossom DS Paper from the Summer mini catalogue (that I also used in a scrapbook project that I recently posted.
I wanted to add something, as it was missing that something ... so put the glittery centres of the flowers on with dazzling diamonds.

Materials:

Cardstock: confetti white, regal rose.

Ink: Rose red (for background swirls) Markers: rose red, perfect plum.

Stampset: Baroque motifs and Yummy (2009 Saleabration set).

Designer series paper: Ginger blossom.

Ribbon: Regal rose wide grosgrain.

Accessories: Dazzling Diamond powder adhered with 2-way adhesive pen.

Embrace Life ... En francais

Bon jour! I have finally bought that En francais background stamp from this year's catalogue ...

the ginger blossom paper perfectly matches the Embrace life stampset ... so naturally with help from a punch or two and tafetta ribbon this card came together very quickly and in record time for moi!

Materials:

Stampset: Embrace Life, En francais background

Cardstock: Whisper white

DS Paper: Ginger blossom

Ribbon: White tafetta

Ink: Close to cocoa, creamy caramel.

Punches: Scallop edge and Large oval.

Stamped gifts

I love candles. Scented candles.

Even when they're not lit they give off their scent into the room.

I think they make the lovliest gifts ... I am looking for a coffee scented one at the moment.

They're not that expensive either.

These three were made using bits of scrap papers with brads and ribbon to hold them on.

The front one is the Embrace Life flower in Pumpkin pie, watercoloured from that previous project. With a jumbo eyelet in the centre and a clear rhinestone from the pretties kit.

I did another in rose red using the french fleur de lys stamp from Carte postale and another in close to cocoa from the "Its all good" stampset - It says: Live, laugh and Love - thats a good approach to anything.

Ribbons are the double stitched wide grosgrain from the Summer mini catalogue

and I have used the square scallop punch a couple of times, too.

Stamp a ma jig tutorial - stamp positioner.

If you havent seen or heard of one of these before, or you have one but haven't used it ... or have lost the instructions, then this for you.

The first time I saw it used, I said " I need one of those!"

What do they do? Well, They help you line up your stamps straight- but Why?

It is a very handy tool to use for titles, headings, words on your cards and scrapbooking and when you want to over-stamp an image, or get it very close to, or just touching another stamped image ... that can be near impossible to do by eye alone.

It comes with a handle and an imaging sheet.

First, you put your imaging sheet into the corner of the stamp a ma jig (SAMJ).

2. Align your stamp in the corner and stamp it onto the imaging sheet.
3. Position your imaging sheet on the paper where you want to place the stamp. You can see exactly where it will go.

Line up the stamp-a-ma-jig with the imaging sheet.

4. Hold the Stamp-a-Ma-Jig in place, and carefully remove the imaging sheet.
Align the stamp into the corner of your Stamp-a-m-a-jig and stamp the word or image.
That's it! A straight, perfectly positioned stamp, just where you wanted it!



The instructions also add:

• Use the rough side for craft ink and the smooth side for classic ink pads.
• Achieve perfect stamp positioning every time
• Designed for left or right hand use
• Sturdy non slip surface
• Clean with a damp cloth or Stampin' mist spray.
  
  
  

Embrace Life and finally a project finished

OK, you were wondering what I was going to do with all those watercoloured flowers weren't you? I posted about these originally on 8th December.

I cut them out while watching the TV and created a gate-fold card (it opens in the middle).

The inside flap is scalloped with the scallop edge punch ... got one of these yet?

The Stamens are dotted with the white signo gel pen.

And I made that greeting straight by using my Stamp a ma jig. Never heard of one?

I will show you how it works when I upload the latest photos on my computer.

Cardstock: Pumpkin pie and watercolour paper.

Ink: Black stazon (for the outline), pumpkin pie (for the greeting and colouring)

Accessories: Scallop edge punch, bone folder, white gel pen.

Rose red and pumpkin pie on a Bali Breeze

I am not alone am I in loving these colours together?

I must be very conservative with my colours but I never think of putting Teal, turquoise, orange and red together with Olive green .... Thank you for a beautifully refreshing new paper pack in the Designer series for opening up my colour palette!!!

Here is another matchbox-fold card in rose red cardstock, this time. Using my favourite scallop edge punch and the large oval punch.

I've mixed my stampsets using the Embrace Life flower and the Live your dream "Thanks".

Mixed my ribbons too: Rose red double stitched ribbon, underneath the regal rose wide grosgrain ribbon.

And the centre of the pumpkin pie flower is a sparkly clear Rhinestone brad from the pretties kit.

Please leave me a comment, don't be shy ... this is a dialogue, e-correspondence, you can remain anonymous ... share your thoughts - tell me what you like so I can give you more of it.

Embrace Life and pumpkin pie

How did I spend my Sunday morning? Practicing my watercolouring technique ...

Here I have stamped a page of watercolour paper with images in stazon black ink. You can use the stampin' up basic black ink pad aswell because it is waterproof (ie. it won't wash away with water or other inks). You can see why Embrace Life is my favourite stampset at present. There is this lovely sprig of blossoms and also the open petal flower. I can't quite figure out what flower it actually is ... I thought perhaps it is a Hibiscus, but they have only one stamen ... any horticulturalists out there who know?

I took my inkpad and squeezed the plastic lid down onto the ink pad. (While it is closed) The plastic is quite springy to do this, so that there is a small amount of ink on the lid.

Then using my aqua painter I picked up some ink and coloured in one end of the petal.

At first the colour is quite solid and dark ... As you draw it from one end of the petal to the other you can gradually lighten the colour by allowing more water to fill the brush. If its too dry very gently squeeze the water chamber of the aquapainter. Not too much or you will have a flood. But that can look OK. You can come back and add deeper colour later.

Depending on the look, you may wish the colour to be deepest in the centre of the flower or towards the edge.

Dont worry if you cant keep between the lines you can cut the flower out neatly later.

Keep experimenting, most people find it is quite a tranquil act as you eventually come into the "zone". Time slips by, you relax a bit and either get quicker and more in the flow or slower and neater ... more particular.

I have taken a few photos because not being on video link yet, it is hard to hold the camera and painter at the same time.

Practice is the key with anything. Try different colours together.

Another way is to use your markers direct to the paper in lines across the petals or image and simply use the aqua painter to wet and blend the inks on the paper.

Here's a photo of the whole stampset, it is kind of like a opened rose, ... a rose, a blossom and a branch of bamboo? better pull out my rose red and regal rose to see if that works too. I will come back with the finished project later.

Summer mini Launch Party!

...weeks of preparation, a flurry of activity leading up to the night: cutting cardstock paper and scoring all the projects, measuring lengths of ribbon, pondering colour combinations, experimenting, last minute printing and packing and so much anticipation ...

Last Friday night was my first Mini Catalogue launch party!

I had a very exciting time and the three hours of paper crafting flew by, it seemed everyone had a fun night and I deem it to be a success because all of my gorgous ladies at my table completed the three projects before 10pm and went home happy with what they made...

Here is a photo of the wonderful women on my table ...

And here is a glimpse of the three projects that we made(and name cards you can see on the table above - we used the "in the stars" stampset and "Lovely Letters "alphabet for our initial).

The first one is a matchbox-fold card using Pumpkin pie textured cardstock and bali breeze DS paper, Rose red stitched ribbon, the large oval punch, scallop-edge punch and scallop-square punch.

We used the single markers to colour (direct to rubber) the bird and flower branch of the "Live your Dreams"and the ribbon is folded in a tailored bow style, to sit flat and neat.

The Second project was a Lolly hand-bag made from the Afternoon Tea DS papers in the new summer mini.

And our third project was a matchbox-slide box:

We made them using the Bali breeze papers (from the Summer mini catalogue) for the sliding cover and the Prints DS paper (from the Certainly celery and Rose red paper packs on page 136 IBC) for the little box.

"Embrace Life" - love this stampset, especially for watercolouring which many of you had a go at colouring on Friday night.

Most of us are not frequently called on to watercolour and it takes some practice to get it right so I am planning a little tutorial on my blog in the next week to show you how I am endeavouring to improve my skills.

Here is another version of the box in the Bali breeze DS paper and the Stitched ribbon in Rose red.

We used the styled silver hodgepodge from (you guessed it) the Summer mini catalogue.

It comes with 100 pieces of hardware! Ten 0f each piece (including large chunky brads with flowers, stars and words embossed onto them) and over 100 small silver brads.

So, thank you to everyone who made the night a success for me, I hope that you will encourage me to do the next Catalogue launch in April 2009.

Can't wait that long ... I can do a mini launch at yours or a friends place ... and wait until you see the great little stampsets that are being offered FREE in the Jan-Feb SaleAbration!!!

I am off to practice my watercolouring ...