Watercolor Roses

This coming Saturday is the Open House that I am going to be helping with for the StampinStones demonstrator group. I first mentioned it way back in August in this post. My job in the Open House is to demo the Watercolor Rose Technique (also known as reinker watercoloring). While I really like the effect of this technique and think it is awesome to demonstrate...I am not a big fan of the Fifth Avenue Floral set! haha Coming up with samples for my table was rough! Here are two that I have done. I still have a few more flowers made up and will hopefully have another one or two samples made before then. If you haven't seen this technique, take a peek at Patty Bennett's tutorial (complete with video!). It's really easy and definitely is a WOW technique...it works great with this set, I'm just not a rosey-rose type of girl!

I used Brocade Blue and Ballet Blue reinkers for this card

And Summer Sun, Pretty in Pink, and Regal Rose reinkers for this card

It's hard to capture the shimmer of the flowers on camera, but they are beautiful in real life!

Bundle of Joy

This picture does not do this card justice! (I know I say that alot). But I need to figure out a way to photograph so that you can see the texture added with the Big Shot. Anyway, I'm really pleased with this card because I always want to use buttons and library clips, but never can find a good way to use them. I think they really add something special to this card. I just recently got a big order for various cards spaced out over the next two months and this is the first one she needed. Usually when I have a baby card need, I immediately go to the onsie cards that I love to make, but this time I decided to do something different and use a brand new stamp set that I just got this week, Teddy and Train. What's funny is that the idea I had in my head involved a vertical card with a scalloped bottom, but couldn't find a layout that I liked. As I was sliding things around and pulling out various embellishments, the card base got turned horizontal and that was all it took! That's how it usually happens for me...by accident! My favorite part of this card is how the rattle is wrapped around the bear's hand.

Stamps: Teddy and Train

Paper: Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Watercolor Paper

Ink: Basic Black

Accessories: Big Shot, Texture Plates, Scalloped Edge Punch, Oval and Scalloped Oval Punch, SU Markers, Blender Pen, Chocolate Chip Ribbon, Button Latte Button, Library Clip, Twine, Dimentionals

1. Score a 4 1/4 x 11 piece of Chocolate Chip at 5 1/2 and fold on score line.

2. Scallop punch the short end of the cardstock (both the front and inside). Repeat on two pieces of 4 x 5 1/4 pieces of Pretty in Pink cardstock.

3. Set one piece of Pretty in Pink to the side. On the other, distress the scalloped end and run through Big Shot using polka dot texture plate. Add faux stitching with Chocolate Chip marker and adhere to card front.

4. Stamp bear image on 3x3 piece of Watercolor paper and watercolor using blender pens and SU Markers. Stamp another bear and a rattle on a scrap piece of Watercolor paper. Color and cut out both the bear and rattle.

5. Add faux stitching to 3x3 image.

6. Wrap Chocolate Chip ribbon around square and tie off with twine. String twine up through the button and tie once, clipping off the excess. Secure button with a mini glue dot.

7. Adhere image to a 3 1/4 square of Chocolate Chip cardstock. Adhere second bear on top of 3x3 image using dimentionals. Cut a slit in the bottom of the rattle and adhere around bear's hand. Stack two dimentionals on top of each other and place under the circular part of the rattle.

8. Stamp the sentiment on Watercolor paper scrap and punch out using Large Oval Punch. Add faux stitching. Adhere to punched scalloped oval in Chocolate Chip.

9. Dry fit image and sentiment and then adhere image with dimentionals and sentiment directly to the card base.

10. Finally, clip Chocolate Chip library clip onto the image.

11. For the inside, take the other scalloped edged Pretty in Pink piece and stamp rattle image in bottom right corner. Adhere to the inside.

Froggy Bookmark

I am a big reader and love to read (when I'm not stamping or working out that is! hehe). I recently picked up a book at the library and decided I wanted to make a cute bookmark for my new book. This bookmark template was the "Sample This" project in my up-upline Kathy's newsletter, so it couldn't have been more perfect timing!

Here is what the bookmark looks like marking my favorite page in the Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalog...the Halloween page!! My new goodies just arrived today with almost 90% Halloween stuff, so I can't wait to rip that box open!

Stamps: A Flower for All Seasons

Paper: Watercolor Paper, Chocolate Chip, and Parisian Breeze DSP

Ink: Basic Black

Accessories: SU Markers, 1 1/2 Circle and Scalloped Circle Punches, Scalloped Edge Punch, Blender Pens, White Gel Pen, Chocolate Chip Ribbon

1. Cut piece of Chocolate Chip to 3 7/8 x 4 and scallop one of the short sides. This will be the bottom.

2. Mark top center point as well as 2 inches down on each side. Score between these marks and fold on score line. Adhere ends together in back.

3. Adhere 3 1/4 x 3 7/8 piece of Parisian Breeze DSP to the Chocolate Chip cardstock and fold the corners around the back. These corners will wrap around the pages.

4. Stamp the image from Flower for All Seasons on Watercolor paper with Basic Black ink.

5. Use blender pen and SU markers to color image.

6. Punch out with 1 1/2 Circle Punch and adhere to punched Scalloped Circle.

7. Tie Chocolate Chip ribbon around entire bookmark where DSP meets the Chocolate Chip.

8. Adhere scalloped image to DSP so that it lays slightly underneath the bow of the ribbon.

9. Use white gel pen to add dots to scallops along the bottom.

Mother's Day Favors

Sunday I'm going to my aunt's house for a Mother's Day brunch and these are the little favors that I'm going to give to my aunts and my grandma. I also made another one for my mom that wouldn't fit in the picture. I will be giving her hers tonight since my sister has to work on Sunday. These were super easy to make and I used my watercolor paper again along with my new set "A Flower for All Seasons". The frog one is my favorite! :) You can find the template for these here (scroll down to the May 1 post). 

These measure 3 x 3, so for my flowers I cut the little plastic container in half leaving me with two sections, each with a flower in them (that way each "pot" would have two flowers). 

Stamps: A Flower for All Seasons

Paper: Cameo Coral, Chocolate Chip Cardstock, Watercolor Paper,Sweet Always Designer Series Paper

Ink: Basic Black

Accessories: SU Markers, Blender Pen, 1 3/8 inch, 1/2 inch and Scalloped Circle Punches,Hole Punch, Chocolate Chip Ribbon

Watercolored Rose

Well my boyfriend in brown (as I call the UPS guy) brought me another box of goodies today! I was very excited about this shipment because I bought the entire set of markers, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on them! I also got some watercolor paper, a paper piercing mat pack, some adhesive, ribbon, and then earned this Hostess Level 1 set "Dear Friend".

I have only ever attempted watercoloring on Whisper White using the Stampin' Pastels and blender pen, and while it looked okay, I couldn't wait to try it on the watercolor paper! Let's just say it's AMAZING! It made me look like a pro watercolorer (if that's a word haha). I also used my new mat pack for the paper piercing. I had done my own version before where I just used a ruler on top of a magazine, but of course this was way easier...and much straighter! I don't particularly care for this card...it's just really not me...but oh well, I was just excited to use my new paper!

Stamps: Dear Friend, To Have and to Hold

Paper: Sage Shadow, Pink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa, Natural Ivory Cardstock and Watercolor paper

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Chocolate Chip Ribbon, SU Markers, Blender Pen, Paper Piercer

1. Score 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 piece of Sage Shadow at 4 1/4 and fold on score line. Cut Pink Pirouette to 5 1/4 x 4 and Close to Cocoa to 5 x 3 3/4.

2. Stamp rose image from Dear Friend onto Close to Cocoa using Chocolate Chip ink (stamp off before stamping onto cardstock)

3. Stamp rose onto watercolor paper using Chocolate Chip ink. Watercolor using SU markers and blender pens.

4. Cut to 2 1/2 x 2. Place image on paper piercing mat and pierce a line across the top and bottom. Distress the ends by folding corners and running fingernail down all sides.

5. Take a scrap piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock and crumple it up into a ball. Flatten out and tear to desired size. Adhere watercolored image to Chocolate Chip. 

6. Adhere Close to Cocoa piece to Pink Pirouette piece. 

7. Stamp the outline design from To Have and to Hold and then the greeting from Dear Friend inside. Cut out and punch a hole in each side. Thread Chocolate Chip ribbon through. Wrap around Close to Cocoa and Pink Pirouette. 

8. Adhere image to Close to Cocoa and then adhere everything to the Sage Shadow card base.