Happy Birthday Zack! Love You a Cha-Million!

Our oldest grandson Zack is 21 years old today! How in the world did that happen? The world rolls by so fast these days. Nevertheless, we are so proud of Zack - he is a senior honors student at his university, and works in the biology lab there where a very cute chameleon has imprinted on him!

I stamped and colored this panel 5 times. This was mostly because I am so out of practice using my Copics. I had forgotten that the best ink to stamp an image that will be colored with alcohol ink markers is Memento. I actually tried a couple of others first, but they ran when I colored over them. Then my Memento Tuxedo pad is apparently old and tiny pieces of the pad were sticking to the stamp and making ink clumps on the image. Do you ever have days like that? I finally found a mini Memento pad that worked fine. These are the Copic colors I used.

I used an embossing folder from Simon Says Stamp, and to prevent embossing the main image, I used an embossing diffuser. I had an old one from Cropstop that has a rectangle opening. 

I checked and it is still available. There are also embossing diffusers available from Tim Holtz by Sizzix. The way you use them is to use the diffuser in place of a cutting plate when you run it through your die cutter. Place the opening of the diffuser over the part of your panel that you do not want embossed. Otherwise the sandwich should be the same as when you are dry embossing normally.

Here is our handsome grandson and his adorable Chameleon buddy. Happy Birthday Zack!

Products used:

Darcie's Heart & Home POL520 One in a Cha-Million

CropStop Embossing Diffuser

SSS SF220 Leaf Bundle Embossing Folder

The Greetery Crimped Frame Dies

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Copic Markers: RV55 Hollyhock,

RV52 Cotton Candy, R20 Blush,

YG21 Anise, YG23 New Leaf,

YG61 Pale Moss, YG63 Pea Green,

BG11 Moon White, E71 Champagne,

E23 Hazelnut

Neenah Solar White 80# & 110# cardstock

Stardream Fuse Fairway cardstock

Technique of the Week: Split Cards

This post is in conjunction with the Art 'n Soul newsletter article for Technique of the Week. I adapted this card from a post on Jennifer McGuire's blog. I love the idea of being able to make two cards at almost the same time.

To do this technique, you need to be able to stamp your image in the same spot on two different pieces of cardstock. The easiest way to do this is to use a MISTI stamping tool, or similar product.

I used my new stamp from Magenta, 44.024.Q, Zen Bouquet, and arranged it in the MISTI toward the bottom of a piece of pink cardstock cut to 4.25" x 5.5". I stamped with Versamark ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder.

I then put a piece of Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock cut to the same size into the MISTI, and stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, which is a Copic friendly ink. 

It's been a while since I busted out my Copic markers, but it was really fun to get them out and use them again. I chose Copic colors RV32, RV34, and V06 for the pinks; YR12, YR16, and YR18 for the oranges, and YG93, YG95, and YG97 for the leaves.

I am by no means an expert Copic user, but the way I learned to color with them is to use 2 or 3 colors in the same general hue, and use the lightest color first to color all over. Then add the medium color in areas you want darker. Go back to the lightest and color all over; then add the darkest in areas you want dark. Then blend with the medium. Don't color too large an area with one color because if it dries it's harder to blend. If you just use 2 colors, that's perfectly ok too.

I was very much enjoying coloring the blossoms and started with the pinks; then moved on to the oranges.

It was after this that things went horribly wrong. I was thinking of adding some purples and I tested some colors on a scrap piece of cardstock, completely unaware that my scrap was resting OVER my card panel. If you know anything about Copics, you know that one drawback of them is that they do bleed through your paper.

I tried everything I could think of to fix the problem, including a sand eraser and a Copic 0 blender. Everything I tried just made things worse. I mean, there was going to be no covering this with a sequin! I literally did not have time to start over, and still make my blog post deadline.

I ended up cutting my cardstock straight in from the edges on either side until I reached the top of the large blossom, and then fussy cut along the top of the blossom. This got rid of the offending stain. I added pink cardstock at the top and stamped my sentiment there.

Before I fixed the top of the white card, I put both cards together and cut them in two about halfway through the stamped images. The cut was in the same place on both cards. This gave me 4 pieces to mix and match up onto 2 cards - two colored pieces, and two plain, embossed pieces.

To complete the cards, I stamped a sentiment that I designed for Magenta for the new Spring collection, 07.968.H "You are Amazing just the way you are" in Versafine Onyx Black ink. I added a few sequins and some dots with the Pico Embellisher. I added a gold peel off strip between the top pink panel and the bottom colored panel on one card, and added a bit more of the pink cardstock at the top to compensate for the part I had to cut away.

I really like how these fraternal twins turned out, and I love this sentiment that I think really goes with the overall theme of the cards. Whether you are brightly colored or more plain, you are Amazing just the way you are!

I hope you will give this technique a try. The hardest thing about it was cutting into my coloring. You do not have to use Copics to color. You can use other markers, or color pencils. You can also use watercolors if you use watercolor cardstock.

Magenta Products Used:

(If you are local, please look for products at Art 'n Soul. If you are not local and wish to find Magenta products, you can click on the link in the stamp or product name below each image, or you can visit the Magenta online store here).

44.024.Q Zen Bouquet

07.971.F Sending hugs

Other Products Used:

Copic Markers:

RV32, RV34, V06,

YR12, YR16, YR18,

YG93, YG95, YG97

Versamark ink

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Versafine Onyx Black ink

Clear embossing powder

Pico Embellisher, Wedding Dress

Tickles and various sequins