Happy New Year!

 Happy New Year to everyone! It's been another very hard year for many. We are still hanging in there and hope you are all well. Here's wishing a lovely and peaceful year in 2022, and an end to the pandemic.

For this card, the background was blended with Distress Oxide ink in Candy Apple, Mustard Seed and Twisted Citron in a 1.5" strip directly onto the cardstock. The image is a Magenta stamp of my design. I stamped it and the sentiment using Versamark ink and embossed with gold.

The panel was die cut with The Greetery Crimped Frame die and mounted on a mat of gold cardstock.

Magenta Products used:

44.017.L Zen Flower Burst

07.1016.E Happy New Year

Other Products used:

Distress Oxide ink: Candy Apple,

Mustard Seed, Twisted Citron

Versamark Ink

Ranger Gold Embossing Powder

The Greetery GD-M-016 Crimped Frame Die

Neenah Solar White cardstock 80# & 110#

Curious Metallics Super Gold cardstock

Honey Bee Gem Stickers

Super Saturday at Magenta: Christmas Tree and Homemade Watercolors

 Hi! I am over at the Magenta blog today with this post; you can see that here.

I have another Christmas card for you today and it's on a dark background again. I like how the white embossing pops on this background, and also the shimmer paints that my friend Pam Nelson and I made.

First I stamped the Magenta Decorated Christmas Tree using Versamark ink and embossed it in white. I also stamped and embossed the sentiment and embossed in white.

Even though I didn't use watercolor paper, the cardstock I used is fairly heavy duty and I knew that if I didn't use a lot of water I could add my new shimmery watercolors to the ornaments without the paper buckling.

My friend Pam Nelson and I made these paints ourselves, using powdered pigments with mica. The recipe we used for the binder is below

We used our supply of FX powders that we had from Dreamweaver Stencils, plus some that were sent to us (thank you Lynell Harlow) and we used some PearlEx powders as well. There are multiple YouTube videos showing how to make your own watercolors. Pam and I mixed and ground the liquid binder and pigment powders together, using palette knives on Tim Holtz glass mats until they were very smooth. You are sort of trying for the consistency and texture of honey. We tested them on watercolor paper and then loaded the finished paints into half pans to dry. It was a really fun project, and Pam and I did it together every step of the way. Since we used Clove essential oil as a preservative, our paints smell like cloves, which we like. There are other kinds of preservatives you can use too.

Pam made the background for the lids of our watercolor tins, using mineral paper and Nuance. The tins previously held mint candies, and they were collected to use for something like this. I Zentangled over the background design and we affixed the paint name that we decided on (from several contributed by a friend: Twinkle Tones. We printed the design on sticker paper.

It's very hard to get the shimmer in the watercolors to shop up in a photo. Do you see the ornament that I missed in this picture? I found it before it was finally finished, lol!

This Magenta Christmas Tree stamp was perfect for these paints. I hope you like it.

Magenta Products Used:

02.328.P Decorated Christmas Tree

07.798.G Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Other Products Used:

Twinkle Tones homemade watercolors

Versamark ink

Brutus Monroe Alabaster White embossing powder

PTI Dark Indigo cardstock

Curious Metallics Super Gold cardstock

Neenah Solar White 110# cardstock

Super Saturday at Magenta: Christmas Ornaments

I'm over at the Magenta blog today with this post, and you can see that here.

I love this new Christmas stamp from Magenta with the ornaments and my favorite Christmas flower, Poinsettia. I decided to try it on a darker background like I have been seeing on other blogs lately.

It was super hard to photograph this card and have all the colors true to life. The background cardstock is a dark navy blue. You can see the color better in the picture below.

I stamped it in white and colored it with Prismacolor pencils. I decided to emboss just the ornaments in gold and also stamped and embossed the sentiment - one of Sally Penley's beautiful calligraphy stamps - in gold also.

At the end I sprayed it with a sheer glitter spray. It's very sparkly in real life.

Magenta Products used:

02.329.P Ornaments and Flowers

07.990.G Peace Love Joy

Other Products used:

Prismacolor Pencils: PC923 Scarlet Lake,

PC998 Hot Pink, PC994 Process Red,

PC912 Apple Green, PC908 Dark Green,

PC938 White

White Gelly Roll 08

The Greetery Crimped Frame die

Ranger Gold Embossing powder

The Paper Cut Dark Blue cardstock

Curious Metallics Super Gold cardstock

Neenah Solar White 110# cardstock

Super Saturday at Magenta: Zig Watercolor Merry Christmas

Hi everyone! Still making Christmas cards - they are one of my favorite kinds of cards to make. Today I'm using another new stamp from Magenta called Christmas Foliage, along with an old favorite sentiment. My card is also on the Magenta blog and you can see that post here.

 I stamped this beautiful image onto Tim Holtz watercolor cardstock that I had die cut to size with The Greetery Nordic Frames die. By the way, I love this die for Christmas cards, it just seems festive.

I used Versamark ink to stamp, and embossed the image with gold embossing powder. I chose two colors of Zig Clean Color markers. I dotted the red into the berries, and used a water brush to pull out the green.

This is how I choose the colors I want to use. I ended up using that middle green (041 Light Green), and the red is 022 Carmine Red.

At the end I stamped the Merry Christmas sentiment in Versafine Clair Glamorous and scattered a few Pinkfresh pearls.

This card was super simple and fast, and it would be easy to make multiples.

Magenta Products used:

02.324.Q Christmas Foliage

07.462.I Merry Christmas

Other Products used:

Zig Clean Color Markers: 041 Light Green,

022 Carmine Red

Versafine Clair Glamorous

Versamark ink

Ranger gold embossing powder

The Greetery Nordic Frames die

PTI Poppy Red cardstock

Tim Holtz Watercolor cardstock

Neenah Solar White 110# Cardstock

Pinkfresh Studio Gold Pearls

Super Saturday at Magenta: New Christmas

 Hi everyone! I'm over at the Magenta blog today and you can see that post here.

I'm working on Christmas cards, and I really love this new Magenta Christmas stamp that Nathalie designed with poinsettias and ornaments.

First I stamped the images and embossed in gold and then watercolored with Distress ink. This was super easy and fast to do. You could use lots of different colors and mediums and it would look as lovely.

In the end I die cut the panel, matted it and mounted onto a base card. I'm thinking it will be easy to do multiples with this beautiful stamp.

Magenta Products Used:

07.995.E Joyeux Noël

Other Products Used:

Distress inks:

Fossilized Amber, Mermaid Lagoon

Picked Raspberry, Festive Berries,

Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn

The Greetery Crimped Edge die

Versamark ink

Ranger Gold Embossing Powder

Tim Holtz Watercolor Cardstock

PTI Pure Poppy Cardstock

Neenah Solar White 110# Cardstock

Super Saturday at Magenta: Distress Blending and Prismacolors

 Hi everyone, I am also posting this over on the Magenta blog, and you can see that post here.

I love the technique of stamping and embossing a background stamp, and then blending Distress ink over the embossing. Sometimes though, I feel that the image needs a little bit more to make it stand out.

I stamped the Magenta stamp Floral Background onto a panel of white cardstock using Versamark ink. I then embossed the image with White Diamond embossing powder. I blended three colors of Distress ink over the panel. To make the floral, leaf and berry images stand out more, I decided to color them with Prismacolor pencils.

I took this photo after I embossed the background and blended the Distress, and I was just starting to color in the flowers. It was fun and relaxing, and I like how all of the images were enhanced.

Here's a more up close shot of the process. The White Diamond embossing is really pretty in real life, and very sparkly, but that doesn't show up well in the photos.

To finish the card, I cut the panel down to 3.5" x 4.75" and adhered it to a piece of So Silk cardstock that was die cut using a new to me Greetery die called Postal Frames.

I stamped the Magenta sentiment onto another piece of So Silk cardstock and embossed it in white. The sentiment was die cut using a Poppy Stamps die called Colwell Label Set. I adhered the sentiment to the panel using foam tape, so that it was popped up a little. The entire panel was adhered to a white base card.

Magenta Products used:

14.660.R Floral Background

07.969.F Have a Beautiful day!

Other Products used:

Distress inks: Wilted Violet,

Twisted Citron, Blueprint Sketch

Prismacolor Pencils: PC105 Cobalt Turquoise,

PC992 Light Aqua, PC1008 Parma Violet,

PC912 Apple Green, PC908 Dark Green

JudiKins Diamond White embossing powder

Brutus Monroe Alabaster White embossing powder

The Greetery Postal Grames Die GD-M-038

Poppy Stamps Colwell Label die set 2325

Neenah Solar White 80# & 110# cardstock

So Silk Glamour Green cardstock

 

Layering Stencils - Happy Birthday

I have been playing a lot lately with layering stencils and they are pretty fun. A lot of companies have come out with different ones, and I have been mostly using Altenew and Pinkfresh ones so far.

Today I used a stencil from Altenew called Sweet Spring. I really like this one because it has both layers on the same stencil, and they are pretty easy to line up.

It all boils down to what colors you choose to use. I used regular Distress ink on all of these panels, and used small iCraft brushes to brush on the color. I did find that it enhanced them a little to do some finishing with colored pencils.

After finishing the color on this card, I added a happy birthday die-cut and sent it to one of my oldest friends.

Here are some photos I took of the other panels I made, so that you can see the colors I used

Products used for Birthday Card:

Altenew Sweet Spring Stencil

Distress inks: Wild Honey, Crackling Campfire

Mowed Lawn, Twisted Citron

Prismacolor Pencils: PC917 Sunburst Yellow,

Scolar318 Orange, PC912 Apple Green,

PC1004 Yellow Chartreuse

Simon Says Stamp Happy Birthday die czd82

The Greetery Crimped Frame die

Tim Holtz Matte Black Alcohol Ink cardstock

PTI True Black cardstock

Neenah Solar White 80# & 110# cardstock

Magenta Super Saturday: Happy Birthday Pam!

 It just happened that a good friend of mine and fellow Magenta DT member, Pam Nelson's birthday is today. Happy Birthday Pam! This is my card for her and you can also see it on the Magenta blog here.

I stamped the Magenta Flower stamp on watercolor paper three times, and stamped the Fall Ash Leaves twice, using Versamark ink. All were embossed with gold embossing powder. I then used Distress re-inkers to watercolor the flowers and leaves.

I fussy cut everything out, which really didn't take that long, since the shapes are pretty simple. I arranged all of the pieces onto my panel, which I had die cut with the Greetery Crimped Frame die. Once I had the pieces arranged the way I wanted, I covered them with Press 'n Seal to hold them all together (Thanks to Jennifer McGuire for that tip).

I turned it all over and applied glue, and then stuck it down to my panel.

The sentiment was stamped at the top of the panel and embossed with gold embossing powder. The panel was then matted with gold cardstock and mounted onto a base card.

Magenta Products Used:

40.183.K Flower

0799.L Fall Ash Leaves

07.305.G Happy Birthday

Other Products Used:

Distress Re-inkers: Mustard Seed,

Mowed Lawn, Twisted Citron,

Spiced Marmalade, Picked Raspberry

Versamark Ink

Ranger Gold Embossing Powder

The Greetery Crimped Frame Die

Tim Holtz Watercolor cardstock

Curious Metallics Super Gold cardstock

Neenah Solar White 80# & 110# cardstock

Super Saturday at Magenta: Distress Oxide Gelli Plate Background With Prismacolors

 Hi! I'm over at the Magenta blog today and you can see that post here.

I really enjoy making Gelli plate backgrounds using Distress Oxide ink. I made this one using a brayer to apply Wilted Violet, Peacock Feathers, and Blueprint Sketch inks onto the Gelli plate. I picked up the colors with Neenah Solar White cardstock.

I also flicked some of the Oxide inks over the panel for additional texture.

I die cut the panel using The Greetery Crimped Frame die, and then stamped it with the beautiful Magenta Blossom Crescent stamp in Wilted Violet.

I pulled out some purple Prismacolor pencils (see below for which colors I used) and colored the flower petals. I used my favorite greens for the leaves and branches. I loved how the Prismacolors were not completely opaque, but let some of the spots on the background show through.

When I stamped the flower image, I used a stamp platform and left the stamp in. After coloring the image, I put the panel back in the platform and stamped again using Versamark ink. I embossed it with silver to bring out the detail in the flowers.

In the photograph at the top of the page, the embossing looks a bit white. The silver is hard to capture. Maybe it shows up here a bit better?

At the end, I stamped the sentiment with Versafine Clair Blue Belle ink., and matted the panel with PTI Enchanted Evening ink.

Magenta Products Used:

09.256.P Bloom Crescent

07.305.G Happy Birthday

Other Products Used:

Prismacolor Pencils: PC1026 Greyed Lavender,

PC956 Lilac, PC1008 Parma Violet,

Scholar 331 Purple,

PC1004 Yellow Chartreuse, PC1005 Limepeel,

PC912 Apple Green, PC908 Dark Green

Distress Oxide: Wilted Violet,

Peacock Feathers, Blueprint Sketch

Gelli Plate

The Greetery Crimped Frame Die

Versafine Clair Blue Belle ink

Versamark ink

JudiKins Detail Silver embossing powder

PTI Enchanted Evening cardstock

Neenah Solar White 80# & 110# cardstock

Super Saturday at Magenta: Prismacolor Thinking of You

 Hi everyone! I'm over at the Magenta blog today and you can visit the Magenta blog here.

Sorry it's been so long. It seems like it's been so busy around here! We are doing Spring cleaning and painting the Back Porch, and all sorts of things like that, you know? It seems like after re-doing my craft room and work space, we all just got the fever to clean things out. It almost seems like we are emerging from our cocoons. We are so hoping that soon things will seem a lot more normal around here.

I have a dear friend who died last August, and his husband's first birthday since his death is coming up this month. I thought a nice Thinking of you card would be more appropriate than commanding him to have a Happy Birthday, so this is the result.

I stamped the Magenta Mallow Flowers stamp onto a panel of Strathmore Tone Blue cardstock in white pigment ink, and started coloring using my favorite colors of Prismacolor pencils. This takes some time to do, but I enjoy it and find it relaxing, which I can really use these days!

The cardstock looks kind of gray in this photo, but the Blue Tone cardstock is a very pretty blue.

After coloring, I smudged a bit of the blue around the flower for some texture. I stamped the lovely Sally Penley calligraphy stamp Thinking of you at the bottom using Versafine Clair Paradise ink, and added a few gems.

I tried out a Caran d'Ache blender pencil this time and I think I like it. I need to use it more to be sure.

I thought about my friend who died the whole time I was making this card and I poured some of my love and grief into it. I do hope his husband will like it.

Magenta Products used:

14.635.P Mallow Flowers

07.982.E Thinking of you SM

Other Products used:

Hero Arts Unicorn White ink

Caran d'Ache blender pencil

Prismacolor Pencils: PC938 White,

PC992 Light Aqua, PC905 Aquamarine,

PC105 Cobalt Turquoise, PC901 Indigo Blue,

PC1004 Yellow Chartreuse, PC1005 Limepeel,

PC912 Apple Green, PC911 Olive Green

Strathmore Toned Blue Mixed Media Cardstock

Versafine Clair Paradise ink

So Silk Glamour Green cardstock