Category: Spring

Just Cut Tulips

I’ve been watercoloring with Distress Inks a lot lately – stamped images, die cuts, whatever I can find that will take the ink.

IOTulips

You have to give a little visual leeway with this card in terms of whether the tulips are really in the watering can (that right-hand tulip leaf is sticking out!). I got to this design the long way round. At first, I planned to put the watering can, which is cut from Strathmore 140 lb cold-press watercolor paper and colored with Broken China and Vintage Photo, directly on top of the stamped and colored tulips. But when I watercolored the cast shadow, it was a mess. (I’ve subsequently practiced painting cast shadow bases!)

The dry-embossed card base, with the circle cutout, is my design fix for the poorly painted cast shadow. By the way, the Bazzill 100 lb. cardstock is becoming my go-to supply – even dry-embossed and holding the watercolor panels, it’s standing strong.

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Paper Smooches: Welcome Spring

Today, I’m sharing a card based on a photo I recently took of the view outside. It was a beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest – the birds were chirping, the sun was out, and the trees were  in bloom (they still are although this tree’s blooms were battered down by some recent rain).

PaperSmoochesSpring

Although I’ve recently been doing a lot of watercoloring, for this card, I stamped and heat embossed patterned paper to capture the spring colors. I stamped the tree pieces and butterflies on a variety of papers until deciding on these colors and patterns.

I dry-embossed the hill, which was cut with the Border die out of Easter Grass cardstock, using the Sizzix Plaid embossing folder to introduce some texture. The Blueprints set has a stitched die with which I cut the blue paper and the green hill at the same time to give a clean finish to the edge.

I’m linking this card up to the current Paper Smooches SPARKS Challenge – “Anything Goes.”

Penny Black: Live for Today

It’s a beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest, and I’m sharing a spring-themed card created with Penny Black supplies.

Penny Black: Live for Today

To begin, I cut a watercolor paper panel and applied Distress Inks to it and then sprayed it with water. After drying it, I added some more ink from my craft sheet. It took several applications of ink and water, followed by drying, to get the panel to my liking. After the panel was dry, I stamped it with the Penny Black Star Ivy [#40-310] background stamp from the brand-new Bloom release and heat-embossed it with white powder.

I stamped and heat embossed one of the sentiments from Penny Black’s Life’s Messages [#40-237] set. I’m particularly fond of the messages on this image.

I cut the bird and branch out of watercolor paper with the Perched [#51-031] die cut. In the same manner as I did for the panel, I applied Distress Inks, sprayed it with water and dried it. I finished everything off with a piece of May Arts twine.

Poppystamps Happy Easter

Today, I’m sharing an Easter-themed project combining several Poppystamps dies.

HappyEaster

I die cut the Fluffy Bunny from white cardstock. Using an embossing folder, I added some texture to the bunny. I die cut the Fresh Cut Grass, a die from the new release, from two shades of green cardstock. I cut the Brighton Flower Border, also from the new release, in green, as well as in several colorful hues. I adhered the flowers, which I cut off of the stems, to the green cardstock Flower Border. Next, I cut the border into several pieces, placing them within the grass borders. The sentiment, on a white cardstock frame, was created on my computer.

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Poppystamps Blog Blitz: Spring Delight

Welcome back to the Poppystamps Blog Blitz celebrating the new Spring Release. I’m sharing a card featuring several of the new Poppystamps dies.

SpringTulips

We’re previewing all the new Poppystamps dies on the blog from March 14 to March 28. With each post, there will be a prize offered. Head on over to the blog for details on this card and to be entered to win the Samirah Butterfly die.

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