Super Saturday at Magenta: Watercoloring Embossed Leaves

Hi everyone! I'm on the Magenta blog today, and you can go to that post here.

One of my favorite collections from Magenta is the last Fall and Winter series. Many of the images in that collection can be used all year long. I chose the Leaf Branch Trio as a lovely image for a sympathy card. Sympathy cards are one of the hardest cards for me to make. I prefer to make some up in advance, and I like them to be simple and classic.

For this card I used Strathmore Tone Blue Mixed Media paper. This is a  nice heavy cardstock, and it comes in a variety of colors or tones. I stamped the leaf image in Versamark ink, and embossed it with JudiKins Silver Detail embossing powder.

To add some color, I used a Zig Clean Color Real Brush Marker in 038 Peacock Blue, and added color to the open areas of the leaves. I used a water brush to spread out the color in the leaves. The embossing resisted the color and added a nice contrast.

By the way, to find the right color, I swatched all of the darker blues that I had, and determined that the Peacock Blue would be the best color for my project. Here are the swatches, along with others that I have swatched in the past. The Peacock Blue surprised me, because I thought it would be more green, but holding it up to my paper, it was the clear winner. 030 Blue would have been the second choice. I'm really going to have to take the time to swatch all of these great markers at some point!

I cut the image out using Hero Arts Infinity Circle dies, and cut a piece of dark blue cardstock with the next larger size circle to mat it. I cut a rectangular piece of the Blue Tone paper using the Die-namics MFT-463 Blueprints 13 die set, and stamped and embossed the sentiment in the lower right corner. I mounted the panel it to a dark blue cardstock that was cut to 5.5" x 4.25". The entire panel was then mounted to a base card.

This was a very easy card to make, and could be accomplished with most any color of cardstock you may have, using this versatile stamp.

Magenta Products used:

0793.O Leaf Branch Trio

07.984.E With Sympathy

Other Products used:

Versafine ink

JudiKins Detail Silver embossing powder

Zig Clean Color Real Brush Marker:

038 Peacock Blue

Strathmore Toned Blue Mixed Media paper

PaperTrey Ink Dark Indigo cardstock

Die-namics MFT-463 Blueprints 13 die set

Hero Arts DI199 Infinity Circles die set

Magenta Super Saturday - Brushed Distress Oxide Backgrounds

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

For some time I have been wanting to play with the cool deckle edged rectangle and square stencils designed by Nathalie Métivier. I liked this one so much I intend to use more of them in the near future.

I taped my panel (cut to 3.75" x 5" using Lawn Fawn LF768 die) to the Magenta stencil TM276, positioning it so that I would use only 2 of the 3 rectangles on the stencil. I masked the edges off with post-it tape.  I used a makeup brush to add Tea Dye Distress Oxide, brushing from the sides toward the center of each rectangle.

I stamped the dotted texture stamp inside the shaded area, and then inked the Clover Silhouette stamp (designed by Magenta DT member Ellie Knol) up with Mowed Lawn Distress Oxide and stamped it. Since I was using a MISTI stamp platform, I was able to add some Dried Marigold Distress Oxide ink in a few places on the stamp and stamp it again.

I added the Sympathy sentiment last. This is one of Sally Penley's beautiful calligraphy stamps, and I stamped it with Versafine Onyx Black ink.

These are the brushes I used, and I really like them. I know that Picket Fence sells a set like this but I got mine on Amazon. They're really soft, and I didn't think that the color would be that intense, but it surprised me. I felt like I barely brushed it on, and the shading has such a smooth appearance. For this card I did shading, but I also plan to use them to do some blending inside of some of Nathalie's square and rectangular stencils and I'll share those in the future.

Magenta Products Used:

TM276 Three Rectangle Silhouettes

H.0259 Dotted Texture

48.011.L Clover Silhouette

07.984.E With Sympathy

Other Products Used:

Distress Oxide inks: Tea Dye, Mowed Lawn,

Dried Marigold

Versafine Onyx Black ink

Makeup Brushes

Lawn Fawn LF768 Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables dies

Post-It Tape

Stardream Flame cardstock

Neenah Solar White cardstock 80# & 110#

Coloring to Podcasts

I have said before that I really enjoy coloring and listening to podcasts. You can find numerous streaming podcasts online on most any subject. My first and all time favorite is "This American Life".  You can find 23 years of archived podcasts at their site here, and they are all good. I am also a Science Fiction fan, and have been really enjoying "Lightspeed Magazine." You can find it here, and they have 37 pages of archived podcasts. I am working my way backwards through all of them. Another good Sci Fi one is "Clarke's World" that you can find here. I love when the host says "Sit back and let me tell you a story." Audiobooks are also fun, and some of these can be found at the Public Library. Even before I was retired, I enjoyed podcasts, and coloring while listening really helps me wind down in the evenings.

I stamped the sentiment on this one twice to give it a drop shadow

My favorite technique that I use to produce lots of panels to color is the one I have shown you before here and here, where I prepare several panels to stamp on. My favorite cardstocks to use are Neenah Solar White 80#, Kraft, Dark Blue, Black, and a newish favorite - Strathmore Gray Tone in Mixed Media.

I cut these out using the stitched rectangle die in the MFT Blueprints 13 die set, which cuts out a 4" x 5.25" stitched rectangle. I put a stamp (usually floral) into a stamp positioner and stamp with a light ink on each panel, and flip the panel around and stamp again, with the stamp in the same place in the positioner. With these cards, my placement gives me stamping in the top right and bottom left of the panel. After stamping, I choose colored pencil combinations and then spend blissful hours coloring away. You don't have to use colored pencils, of course. If you prefer to color with markers, then this technique still works very well.

After coloring, I stamp again with Versamark (after using a powder tool - this is an important step since the powder does like to cling to the color penciling) I emboss each one with whatever embossing powder I think will go well with the color combination.

I end up with lots of colored panels that I can turn into cards then, very easily. These cards can be for almost anything. Even though they are usually floral, I think they can still be a nice guy card, depending on the colors used.

Now that I have Sally Penley's beautiful calligraphy stamps, I have enjoyed using them to make these panels into cards.

But you could certainly easily add a die cut sentiment instead

Here's the first card before I embossed it with white. I also used white Pico Embellisher on the stamens in the center, and it brightened the whole thing up a lot.

I used gold embossing on this one, and when I added the sentiment, I matched the embossing powder. I used white pico embellisher on the stamens.

Here are some of them getting put together. choosing a good color of cardstock to mat them with is also important.

I hope you'll take the time to try this. I absolutely love this Magenta stamp for this technique. It's called Apple Blossom Bouquet (by Nathalie). It's not in the newest release with these sentiments, but it's available at Magenta, and it's one I will continue to use again and again. It's so beautiful and fun to color.

All Cards:

Magenta Products used:

14.655.P Apple Blossom Bouquet

Card #1: Sending you warm thoughts

Additional Magenta Products used

07.973.G Warm Thoughts - Speedy Recovery

Other Products used:

Prismacolor Pencils: PC 906 Copenhagen Blue,

PC 903 True Blue, PC 919 Non-Photo Blue, 

PC1004 Yellow Chartreuse, PC1005 Limepeel,

PC 911 Olive Green

Versamark ink

Versafine Deep Lagoon ink

JudiKins Detail Silver embossing powder

Imagine Crafts Wedding Dress Pico Embellisher

Die-namics MFT-463 Blueprints 13 die set

Strathmore Gray Tone Mixed Media cardstock

So Silk Fair Blue cardstock

Neenah Solar White 110# cardstock

Card #2: Happy Birthday

Additional Magenta Products used

07.975.I Happy Birthday Large

Other Products used:

Prismacolor pencils: PC 926 Carmine Red,

PC 929 Pink, PC 927 Light Peach, 

PC1004 Yellow Chartreuse, PC1005 Limepeel,

PC 911 Olive Green

Versamark ink

JudiKins Detail Gold embossing powder

Imagine Crafts Wedding Dress Pico Embellisher

Die-namics MFT-463 Blueprints 13 die set

Papertrey Ink True Black cardstock

Curious Metallics Super Gold cardstock

Neenah Solar White 110# cardstock

Card #3: With Sympathy

Additional Magenta Products used

07.984.E With Sympathy

Other Products used:

Prismacolor pencils: PC 992 Light Aqua,

PC 905 Aquamarine, PC 103 Cobalt Turquoise

PC1004 Yellow Chartreuse, PC1005 Limepeel,

PC 911 Olive Green

Versamark ink

JudiKins White Opaque embossing powder

Imagine Crafts Wedding Dress Pico Embellisher

Die-namics MFT-463 Blueprints 13 die set

Deep Blue cardstock from The Paper Cut

Light blue cardstock from Impress

Neenah Solar White 110# cardstock

Card #4: Thank You

Additional Magenta Products used

07.979.G Thank You Medium

Other Products used:

Prismacolor pencils: PC 1003 Spanish Orange,

PC 1002 yellowed Orange, PC1032 Pumpkin Orange,

PC 922 Poppy Red, PC1004 Yellow Chartreuse,

PC1005 Limepeel, PC 911 Olive Green

Versamark ink

JudiKins Detail Gold embossing powder

Die-namics MFT-463 Blueprints 13 die set

Paper Accents Natural Kraft Cardstock

Stampin Up Cajun cardstock

Neenah Solar White 110# cardstock

Card #5: Thinking of You

Other Products used:

Prismacolor pencils: PC 932 Violet,

PC1008 Parma Violet, PC 956 Lilac,

PC 1026 Greyed Lavender, PC1004 Yellow Chartreuse,

PC1005 Limepeel, PC 911 Olive Green

JudiKins Detail Gold embossing powder

Die-namics MFT-463 Blueprints 13 die set

Papertrey PTD 1068 Big Basics: Thinking of You die

Neenah Solar White 80# & 110# cardstock

So Silk Passion Purple cardstock