Posted on Monday, February 20, 2017

Wild and Free: Watercolored Night Sky Tutorial

Hello everyone… My favorite coloring mediums lately are watercolor paint, watercolor pencils, watercolor markers, and watercolor powder 🙂 Can you see the theme here??? LOL! I love watercoloring!

Today, I am sharing a watercoloring tutorial at Joy Clair blog using one of their new stamp set, Wild and Free. There are so many cute images and encouraging quotes in this stamp set. Hope you can visit me there too 🙂

I decided to create a mixed media and CAS card with this Wild and Free stamp set. There are many ways you can create galaxy or night sky scene. I have been watching some YouTube videos on this night scene. People use from acrylic paints, watercolor paint, brush pens, distress inks, and many more!

And today, I want to share with you simple steps how to create a night sky with some texture on it using watercolor paint and sea salt.

First, tape down a piece of watercolor paper on your craft table with painter tape. It is better to have the paper is bigger that what you want to use for the card. I had mine cut out into 4.5″ x 6″

Next is adding some water on the paper with big flat brush. Cover all the paper. Then with wet round brush, add the blue shades of colors. You can start with the light blue then add some dark blue. The water will blend them together as you add more color. You can dry in between adding colors. I did it with my craft heater.

Then add some purples randomly. Blend with water. And then when you are happy with the mix of blues and purples, you can dry them with craft heater. Then add some black watercolor paint. And while the black pain still wet, sprinkle some sea salt. If you do not have sea salt, regular salt will works too. Different is only the texture will be in smaller size 🙂

Let the salt on the paper until it dry completely. This step is better let it air dry. And while it is drying, you can work on the next step.

Next is to create the mountain border. Grab a strip of watercolor paper that wide enough to stamp the mountain image. Add some green watercolor paint on it and create an ombre look wash on it. First, if you have 3 shades of green, you can do this step: add lightest shade of green on all the paper, then added the medium green paint next, then the darkest green.

But if you only have 1 shade of green, it will still work too! Add first layer of green, dry it, then add another layer on top of it from half down. Dry it again. Then add the green pain again at the bottom areas to create the darker green.

Dry well the green paper strip. Then stamp the mountain image with archival ink. I stamped it 3 times to create layer of mountains as in the picture. Then fussy cut it with scissors.

When you are done creating the mountains, check on the night sky panel. Brush off the salt grain of it see the texture left by the salt on the paper. Super cool 🙂 Dry the panel really well with heat gun.

Next step is heat-embossing the sentiment. You cannot forget to use the embossing buddy or anti static powder on the panel. I learned it in a hard way only because I forgot! Heat-embossed the image as usual.

It is time to put the card together. First added the watercolor panel on the card base. Make sure to use a strong adhesive to hold it on the card. Then next is adding the mountain border. I used 3d foam adhesive to create an extra dimension to the card. But you can just use regular adhesive if you want your card to be a flat card.

That’s it. This is my card for today and I hope you can follow the steps. If you have any questions, feel free to ask it in the comment section below. I will try to answer it the best I can 🙂

Here’s the preview of the new stamp I use today, Wild and Free:

Come visit us again every day to see more inspirations from the Design Team using the New Release stamps this month! And also, you can get update news on Joy Clair by following them at:

Facebook | Color By Faith FB Group

Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | YouTube

THANK YOU for stopping by. Have a fabulous and blessed day!

Posted on Friday, February 17, 2017

Step Out In Faith

Hello everyone! It is Friday already… YAY! We are ready for a long weekend for sure 🙂

Today, I have two blog posts today. First, you can go here to read all about the card and gift box I created for someone special in our family. And now… it is a card I created for the STAMPlorations February Theme & Sketch Challenge reminder.

My vintage / retro card today is inspired by both the theme and sketch. I totally love the sentiment, very encouraging to me right now. It is a reminder that I need to step out in faith to be able to see the work of God in our life while waiting for answer to our prayers. I hope this also can be an encouragement to you all today.

First I created the background using canson watercolor cold water paper 140 lbs with monoprinting with Peony Number One ARTplorations Stencil, Fuchsia and Lime Green Color Bursts powder, and Perfect Pearl mixture spray. Then using make sponge, I added some Vintage Photo Distress Ink on it to give the vintage and retro look on the panel.

Then I die cut it with Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies CUTplorations to create the nesting frames. I added them on a black card base with adhesive liquid glue on the first and second frames, and using 3D foam tape for the last panel on the top for extra dimension.

I stamped the sentiment from Faith Expressions stamp set on a white cardstock strip and cut out the banner tails with micro-tip scissors. I added it on the card with some 3D foam tape also. And I finished the card with some pearl gems.

Visit STAMPlorations blog here to see more inspirations from the Design Team. You have until February 28, 11:55 p.m. Pacific time to play along with this challenge.

THANK YOU for visiting me again today! Have a fabulous blessed weekend!

I also play along at:

February CAS Card Challenge

Never-Ending Anything Goes Challenge

Simon Says: Fantastic Florals

Challenge Weeks #270-271 – Anything Goes

Posted on Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Joy Clair Mardi Gras Show

Hello Everyone… I hope you all had a lovely day celebrating Valentine’s Day yesterday with your loved ones. There is always a special way to show love to others, at any time we can, for love is what you do, not only what you say.

Today… I am joining the Joy Clair Design Team for the Mardi Gras Event. This is a fun event showcasing the Mardi Gras stamp set. Check out all the inspirations from the team at Joy Clair Blog today!

If you are like me, came from a country where do not have Mardi Gras celebration, I found this event is very interesting… Here’s what I found from Wikipedia about Mardi Gras:

Mardi Gras (/ˈmɑːrdiɡrɑː/), also called Shrove Tuesday,^[1] or Fat Tuesday,^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] in English, refers to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday”, reflecting the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season.

This event is celebrated in several countries, including United States. So, for this event, I created 2 cards with Mardi Gras stamp set:

First card is a shaker card. I die cut 2 sizes of rectangle dies to create the shaker window. I added the acetate plastic that I recycled from plastic packaging. You can use any acetate plastic you have 🙂

For the background, I did a heat-embossing resist technique with color burst powder. First, on a piece watercolor paper I heat embossed the fancy mask with gold embossing powder, then add some of the color burst powder on wet surface. I sprayed more to blend the colors. And I dabbed some of the extra pool water off with paper towel.

I used mixed color sequins from my stash for the shaker card.

And the second card has the same watercolored panel I created on the first one, only I did not stamp or embossed on it. I sprinkle some water with watercolor brush, and dabbed it off the panel with paper towel to add extra texture on it. Then I die cut it with scallop stitched rectangle die.

I stamped the masks on white cardstock with black archival ink and sprinkled some of the black glitter embossing powder on it. And heat-set them with my craft heater. I just fussy cut them out. But when you buy stamp sets from Joy Clair, you will receive SVG cutting files for the stamp that you can use with any electronic die cutting machine. I added the masks on the card with 3D foam tape.

Then I hand-wrote the sentiment using black Tombow Dual Brush Pen. And I finished the card with some gold stars sequins.

Here’s the preview of the Mardi Gras stamp set:

THANK YOU so much for visiting me today! I hope you all are inspired by these cards to create your own to celebrate the fun Mardi Gras event.

Posted on Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Love TAGPlorations Blog Hop Day 7

Hello everyone… Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!!! May you have a love-filled day.

Today is the Day 7 of the Love TAGplorations Blog Hop. It is the last day of the blog hop and also link up. There are many gorgeous inspirations from the STAMPlorations Girls on the blog today. I hope you all will come blog-hopping with us! Do not forget to leave comment along the way for chances to enter the giveaway (info at the bottom of this post).

And for this last day of blog hop, I created this card mixed media card:

Directly on the card base, I added some texture paste and fine glitter using the Zen Hearts ARTplorations Stencil. Set aside to dry, or you can dry it with heat gun but need to be careful not get too hot, becuase it will cause some bubbles on the texture paste.

While waiting for the embossed background to dry, I colored one of the page from Color Blooms Coloring Book using Spectrum Noir Colorsista Pencils Set 4.

Then using 2 sizes of Luggage Tags Nesting Dies CUTplorations, I die cut a black cardstock that I already added some of the gold paint from Finetect Mica Watercolor Paint, Metallic Gold.

I added the colored page on the back of the window tag with some non-wrinkle glue and cut out the extra with scissors. Then I added some of the gold sequing ribbon on it with mini stapler.

The sentiment is from Smile stamp set that I simply stamped it on a white cardstock with black archival ink and cut out.

Final step is adding the tag on the card after I made sure the embossing paste dried well. I use 3D foam tape to add the tag and sentiment on it.

And check out the glittery embossed background and shiny gold metallic watercolor paint on the tag:

That is my mixed media card today. Now it is your turn to get crafty and share with us! Below is the information how you play along and enter the giveaway:

Link Up Party:

Create a new Valentine’s day project (any kind!) with a tag in it.
Post it on your blog (or Flickr, Instagram, SCS gallery, etc.) and then link up here.
Display the TAGplorations event graphic in your post and link back to this post to qualify for the prizes.
You may enter as many projects as you want, but each project must be in its own post (1 project = 1 blog post = 1 entry)
Use whatever product(s) you have; STAMPlorations products are not required.
Link up here by Tuesday, February 14, 11:55 p.m. Pacific (GMT-8).

GIVEAWAY:

To be eligible to win, you need to leave comment on each STAMPlorations Girls’ blogs from today until Tuesday, February 14, 11:55 p.m. Pacific. The winners will be announced on March 10 in the February Challenges & Hops winners post at STAMPlorations Blog. So be sure to follow the blog if you aren’t already.

The Prizes are:

THREE (3) randomly drawn winners from all comments left on this post and participating designers blog will each receive a $10 gift certificate to the store
ONE (1) randomly drawn participant to the Love TAGplorations linky party will receive her choice of stamp set (Pocket Blooms, A Full Heart, or Two of Us)*
ONE (1) randomly drawn participant to the Love TAGplorations linky party will receive her choice of any 2 of the new love-themed dies (Love, Always, XOXO, Forever, You & Me, Clustered Hearts)*
ONE (1) randomly drawn participant in the Love TAGplorations linky party will receive her choice of tag dies set: Luggage Tags or ATC/Tag Builder

Get 20% off on all regular and sale-priced items STAMPlorations stamps, stencils, and dies by using this code: STAMPGIRLHELEN when you check out (please copy and paste the code). Code can not be combined your code with any other discount codes.

When you create with STAMPlorations products, you can link up also at the Never-Ending Anything Goes Challenge!

I also playing along at February CAS Card Challenge:

THANKS A BUNCH for stopping by my blog today! And I hope you all have a fabulous day!

Posted on Monday, February 13, 2017

Love TAGPlorations Blog Hop Day 6

Hello everyone… Today is the Day 6 of the Love TAGplorations Blog Hop. There are many gorgeous inspirations from the STAMPlorations Girls on the blog today.

Come and blog-hopping with us! Do not forget to leave comment along the way for chances to enter the giveaway (info at the bottom of this post) 🙂

On my card today, I created the background with the new You & Me Phrase Die – CUTplorations. Simply die cut the words and add them on a cardstock panel that fit to your card base.

For the tag, I added some gold paint from Finatec Mica Gold Metallic Palette Watercolor set on the black cardstock and die cut it with one of the tag from Luggage Tags Nesting Dies – CUTplorations.

Then I cut out a white cardstock and red cardtock to created a heart inlaid die cutting using the Cluster Hearts Die – CUTplorations. And the sentiment is from the Pocket Blooms with CUTplorations Pocket Die.

I added the background panel on the card base with adhesive runner, slightly angle. Then I added the tag on it with adhesive runner, and the cluster heart with double sided tape becuase I need to make sure the inlaid die cuts in place, then last is the sentiment banner I added it with 3D foam tape.

That is my card today… and next is your turn to create your tag projects and share with us! Here’s the info how you can play along and have chances to win one of the prizes!

Link Up Party:

Create a new Valentine’s day project (any kind!) with a tag in it.
Post it on your blog (or Flickr, Instagram, SCS gallery, etc.) and then link up here.
Display the TAGplorations event graphic in your post and link back to this post to qualify for the prizes.
You may enter as many projects as you want, but each project must be in its own post (1 project = 1 blog post = 1 entry)
Use whatever product(s) you have; STAMPlorations products are not required.
Link up here by Tuesday, February 14, 11:55 p.m. Pacific (GMT-8).

GIVEAWAY:

The Prizes are:

THREE (3) randomly drawn winners from all comments left on this post and participating designers blog will each receive a $10 gift certificate to the store
ONE (1) randomly drawn participant to the Love TAGplorations linky party will receive her choice of stamp set (Pocket Blooms, A Full Heart, or Two of Us)*
ONE (1) randomly drawn participant to the Love TAGplorations linky party will receive her choice of any 2 of the new love-themed dies (Love, Always, XOXO, Forever, You & Me, Clustered Hearts)*
ONE (1) randomly drawn participant in the Love TAGplorations linky party will receive her choice of tag dies set: Luggage Tags or ATC/Tag Builder

When you create with STAMPlorations products, you can link up also at the Never-Ending Anything Goes Challenge!

THANKS A BUNCH for stopping by my blog today! And I hope you all have a fabulous day!