Poinsettia Embossing Folder

Hi everyone.  I just HAD to buy this amazing 3-D embossing folder (Poinsettia - Tim Holtz) after my friend Christine sent me a link to it.  It's gorgeous and I had fun making three versions, all watercoloured.  The card above is my favourite of the three.

I started with a smooshed background from my stash of light pink and green.  I embossed the poinsettia and then watercoloured over top using distress inks (worn lipstick, shabby shutters, peeled paint).  I added a bit of shading to the leaves, but not the poinsettias.  I just left them the one colour.  You'll see dots of red ink that was leftovers in the folder from my other cards.  Should have washed it, but it all worked out as I love the little bits of contrast.

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I didn't add a sentiment, which I think was the right decision for this card.

On to the second card using the same embossing folder.  This started out as a fail.  I inked the inside of the folder with distress inks (fired brick, peeled paint, mustard seed), spritzed with water and ran it through my embossing machine.  The deep 3-D embossing is amazing, but my ink only left an outline of the images.  I set it aside for a while.  I had a thought to watercolour freehand over top of the embossing ... so that's how this design came about.  You can see bits of the outlining as well as my watercolouring of the images.  Happy with how it turned out ... although there are a couple of boo-boos.  :)  This was the first card I made with this embossing folder.

Stamped a simple sentiment (Big Scripty Greetings Holiday - Simon Says Stamp) using the same green on my leaves and stems, but stamped several times to get a clean image, which made it darker.  Also found it hard to figure out where to put the sentiment, so it ended up on the bottom.  I'm OK with it! :)

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Last card ... this time watercoloured with zigs which are bright and clean.  Totally different look than the distress inks used above.

Once I finished watercolouring the main panel, I cut it down to create an "off-the-edge" design for something different.  Stamped and heat embossed in white Christmas Sentiments (Penny Black) to finish the card.

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I hope you've enjoyed my three ways of watercolouring this amazing embossing folder.

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Jessie's latest toy - 3 Squirrels in a tree trunk

 

  

Stamps:  2)Big Scripty Holiday Greetings (Simon Says Stamp); 3) Christmas Sentiments (Penny Black)
Paper:  Mixed Media Paper (Strathmore 140 lb.); Real Red card stock (Stampin' Up!) 
Ink:   Distress Inks:  1)  Worn Lipstick, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint; 2)  Fired Brick, Aged Mahogany, Peeled Paint; 3) zigs
Accessories:   Poinsettia 3D embossing folder (Sizzix for Tim Holtz), water brush, white embossing powder, heat tool

And now for something completely different ...

Hi everyone.  Today I'm playing with some watercolour paints that I bought quite a while ago.  They are made in Japan and are called "Shadow Black inks".  There are six colours and they are all mixed with black so the colours have (in my opinion), a "mixed media" look.

I started by stamping my flower (Radiant - Penny Black) in Versamark ink and heat embossing with Liquid Platinum embossing powder.

The center of the flower is watercoloured with Yellowish Black and leaf with Greenish Black.  Then watercoloured the flower petals in Purplish Black.  I thought it looked a bit dull, so added a layer of Reddish Black ink on top of the petals.  Much happier with the colour.  I used the same two colours of the petals (Purplish Black and Reddish Black) to smoosh my background.

I love the smoky look of these colours.  I wanted to keep a monochromatic look so tested out my gray distress inks to find the colour that worked best.  Pumice Stone was very close to Liquid Platinum embossing powder, so used it to stamp the background (Script - Penny Black) on my smooshed card stock.  Used the matching flower die to cut out my flower (Radiant cut out - Penny Black) and popped it up on top, adding foam for dimension.

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Since this is my first try with Shadow Inks, I'm adding my card to the NBUS #19 Challenge.

Stamps:  Radiant (Penny Black); Script (Penny Black)
Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Versamark; Shadow Inks (boku-undo.co); Pumice Stone Distress Ink (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Liquid Platinum embossing poweder (Ranger); Water mister, Water brush, Radiant Cut-Out (Penny Black)

Challenges:

NBUS #19 Challenge

Another Zoom Session with another Zoom Group

Hi everyone.  I'm playing along with another group of crafting friends, meeting up once a month.  We had our first session on Sept. 30th and it was all about using embossing folders.  I have lots, but rarely remember to pull them out.

It was a lot of fun and we all got some samples done and have made some into cards.  We are all sharing our finished cards today, so check below for links to the other girl's blogs.  I hope you'll take a look.  I know you'll be inspired! 

For the card above, the technique was double embossing.  I had never done this before.  It's so easy and the results are awesome!  First I dry embossed white card stock with the Pinewood Planks embossing folder.  I then took the dry embossed card stock and placed it into a second embossing folder, Layered Leaves (both are 3D folders from Stampin' Up!).  I love the design I got with the woodgrain planks in the background and the leaves in the foreground.  So cool!  The card front was sponged with Antique Linen distress ink to highlight the embossed design.

I cut a flower die that was a gift from a sweet friend.  I watercoloured the leaves in shades of brown; the flower petals in red with brown in the center and sponged brown on the outer edges.  I used the same brown marker to add details to the center of the two flowers and finished with a brown half pearl.  The sentiment is stamped in the same brown and then restamped in red.  The colour works perfectly with the flower!

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The next card is a bit of a surprise.  At least I was surprised making it.  The dry embossed panel is made from toilet paper!  Four layers held together with a light spritz of water and then embossed with a leaves folder (Spring Leaves - retired - Elizabeth Craft Designs).  I love how it looks like handmade paper.  

I tore the edges to create a square, adding a die-cut leaf sprig (Little Leaves die - retired - Sizzix for SU!) on top that is watercoloured with bright green ink and coated with glass bead gel.  It's backed with black card stock to add some contrast with a white heat embossed sentiment.

For my last card, I dry embossed a piece of silver foil card stock and then added drips of three colours of alcohol inks.  I used blending solution to thin out the inks so they would flow down the card.  I always use a piece of aluminum foil to protect my work surface and catch any extra ink.  I also wear vinyl gloves, and used my fingers to pick up some extra ink off the foil and press it onto my card stock.  Worked great ... and then I'll use the aluminum foil to make a card as well! :)

I used my favourite combination of alcohol inks for this (all Ranger); Wild Plum, Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow.  I added a black die-cut of Flower Flourish (from Penny Black) and stamped my sentiment (Noveau Flowers - retired- Clearly Besotted at the bottom.  The panel is popped up on foam to add a bit of dimension.

Hope you enjoyed my embossing folder cards.  It was fun to learn new ways to use my EFs.

Check out the wonderful cards from the other members of the group:

Colleen

Julia

Linda

Marcia

Nancy

Thanks for stopping by!

Card #1 - Double Embossing

Stamps:  Scripty Sentiments (AliExpress)
Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Antique Linen, Fired Brick, Gathered Twigs (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Pinewood Planks embossing folder (SU!); Layered Leaves embossing folder (SU!), sponge, water brush, brown marker, brown pearls

Card #2 - Handmade Paper

Stamps:  Essential Messages (Maker's Movement)
Paper:   Toilet paper, White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:   Bright Green; Versamark
Accessories:   Little Leaves die (Sizzix), Glass Bead Gel (Golden), white embossing powder, heat tool

Card #3 - Foil and Alcohol Inks

Stamps:  Noveau Flowers - sentiment only (Clearly Besotted)
Paper:   Silver Foil card stock (SU!); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:   Alcohol Inks:  Wild Plum, Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow (Ranger); Black (Memento)
Accessories:   Courrier embossing folder (Carabelle Studios), blending solution, Flower Flourish die (Penny Black)

A day making Christmas cards

Hi everyone.  Sharing three cards that I made a while back while having a day of play in my studio. :)

I do love to make Christmas cards and I made some that were fairly quick and easy.  For the above card, I die-cut the snowflakes (sensational snowflake collage die - Simon Says Stamp) and then trimmed off the excess to create framed snowflakes.  I backed it with a panel of smooshed inks that was in my stash.  I coated the frame and snowflakes with crystal glaze to add some shine.  The sentiment is from a fun stamp set from Lawn Fawn called Merry Messages.

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Next up is another pretty Christmas die and background from my stash ...

I started with a panel of stencil monoprint (Snowflake Stencil - Paper Artsy) done with blue and purple inks) that I had in my stash.  I die-cut the trees (In the Winter die - Penny Black) from white card stock and sprayed with shimmer spray.  I wanted more sparkle to sprinkled glitter over top while still wet.  The glitter didn't stick all over the die-cut, so I coated it with crystal glaze to seal.  The sentiment (Christmas sentiments - Penny Black) was stamped in matching ink.

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Changing it up completely with a masculine Christmas card for my last make of the day.. 

This is a very easy and quick card to make.  I had this wonderful patterned paper (ho ho ho Christmas - Polkadoddles) and used a piece of the beautiful plaid just big enough to fit my silhouette stenciled reindeer (Christmas Reindeer stencil - STAMPlorations), done in black ink.  I popped up the panel over top of a red card base and stamped the sentiment (Snow globe sentiments retired - My Favorite Things) to finish.

Close-up ...

Card #1: Sending Joy

Stamps:  Merry Messages (Lawn Fawn)
Paper:   White card base (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Distress inks:  Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio, Broken China (TimHoltz)
Accessories:     Sensational Snowflake die (Simon Says Stamp); Crystal Glaze (Nuvo)

Card #2: Peace, Love and Joy
Stamps:  Christmas sentiments (Penny Black)
Paper:   White card base (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Distress inks:  Broken China, Wilted Violet (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Snowflake stencil (Paper Artsy), In the Winter die (Penny Black), Shimmer spray, Glitter (SU!), Crystal Glaze (Nuvo)

Card #3: Christmas Reindeer

Stamps:  Snow globe sentiments (My Favorite Things)
Paper:   Real Red (Stampin' Up!); ho ho ho Christmas (Polkadoodles)
Ink:   Black (Memento)
Accessories:   Christmas Reindeer stencil (STAMPlorations)