Friday, June 27, 2014

My Swap Card (June FRS Meeting)

 
This was my swap card for the June 2014 Front Range Stampers meeting.  I had so much fun making it!  Below are the materials lists and instructions.  Contact me for additional information.

Materials:

Stamp Sets:
* Ray of Sunshine
* Happy Hour

Paper:
* Basic Gray card stock (8-1/2" x 5-1/2")
* Lost Lagoon card stock (5-3/8" x 3-7/8")
* Watercolor Paper (5-1/8" x 3-5/8")
* Daffodil Delight card stock (small amount for die)

Ink:
* VersaMark Ink Pad
* Smokey Slate Stampin' Pad
* Lost Lagoon Refill Ink
* Wisteria Wonder Refill Ink
* Basic Gray Refill Ink
* Daffodil Delight Refill Ink
* Pumpkin Pie Refill Ink
* Wild Wasabi Refill Ink

Accessories and Tools:
* Big Shot Die Cutting Machine
* Window Frames Collection Framelits Dies
* Large Scallop Edgelits Die
* Stampin' Distress Tool
* Blendabilities:  Daffodil Delight Assortment (available July 1, 2014)
* Black Embossing Powder and Heat Tool
* Aqua Painter (filled with water)
* Adhesives: Glue Dot, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals

Miscellaneous Items:
* Blue Painter's Tape (approximately 2" wide)
* Small Paint Tray or non-porous dish to hold drops of Refill Ink
* Paper Towels

Instructions:
(Note:  SNAIL Adhesive used to assemble card unless otherwise indicated)

1. Score Basic Gray 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" card stock at 4-1/4"; fold away from score line to create card.  Adhere Lost Lagoon card stock to front of card.

2. Place one drop of each Refill Ink in a separate compartment of the Paint Tray (if using a non-porous dish, be sure to place each drop far enough apart so they don't run together).  Spread out paper towels (I usually lay down 2 or three layers) and place Watercolor Paper on towels.  Place Painter's Tape over area under umbrella that will later be painted with yellow shades.  Paint paper as follows:
* With plenty of water in brush, pick up small dot of Lost Lagoon Refill Ink and smeer it randomly on the card using broad, vertical strokes.  When the ink runs out, pick up another dab of the same color and continue until you have the amount and intensity of ink that pleases you.  VERY IMPORTANT:  Allow to dry thoroughly before moving on to the next color (you may use the heat tool to speed up the drying process).
* Follow same instructions as above, this time using Wisteria Wonder Refill Ink.
* Pick up a small amount of Basic Gray Refill Ink and, using the tip of the Aqua Painter, draw a few random thin, "squiggly" vertical lines; allow to dry.  Then follow same instructions as with the Lost Lagoon and Wisteria Wonder Refill Ink to add in more Basic Gray shading, until you have a dark, stormy background.

3.  When background is thoroughly dry, remove the Painter's Tape from the Watercolor Paper and, following the same process, paint Daffodil Delight in the clean area.  Follow with a little Pumpkin Pie, and then a few touches of Wild Wasabi, making sure to allow the area to dry thoroughly between each color.

TWO IMPORTANT TIPS:
* First, be sure you're using enough water so the ink spreads out and you don't end up with dark, dry lines instead of the cloudy, stormy look you want.
* Second, the paper will curl as it gets wet.  If the water starts to pool toward the edges of the paper, you can kind of tip it up onto the paper towel to sop up some of the excess water.  As the paper dries, it will flatten back out.

4. When Watercolor Paper is completely dry, use the Stampin' Distress Tool to rough up the edges.  Adhere to front of card over Lost Lagoon card stock.

5. To make umbrella, first cut a Window Frame shape from Daffodil Delight card stock (I used the third-from-smallest shape).  Turn the shape 45 degrees (one-quarter) so you're looking at a diamond shape.  Cut the Large Scallop Edgelits Die slightly above the center of the shape with the points pointing down and the scallops pointing toward the top of the diamond shape.  This is your umbrella shape!  (You can get two umbrellas out of each Window Frame.)

6. Using the Daffodil Delight Blendabilities, use the darkest shade to draw rounded lines from the points of the umbrella to the top center.  Then, starting with the darkest shade, color the area closest to the outside edge of the shape; moving toward the center of the shape, color an area close to each of the lines.  Move to the medium shade and start coloring in another small area overlapping the darkest color to blend the colors together.  Then pick up the lightest color and continue moving toward the center of the umbrella, coloring and overlapping to blend the colors together.  Finally, use the Color Lifter to blend the lightest shade into the uncolored area close to the outsides of the lines and in the center of the umbrella.

IMPORTANT TIPS:
* Using small circular strokes to color in the areas makes the colors blend together a little better.
* There are lots of tutorials on You Tube if you search for "alcohol marker tutorials" that will illustrate a little better what I've tried to put into words here.

7. Place (but do not adhere) the umbrella where you want it on the card.  This will help you to figure out where you want to stamp your images on the front of the card.  Once you've positioned it where you want it, stamp the sentiment with VersaMark Ink and emboss with Black Embossing Powder.

8. Use Smokey Slate Stampin' Pad to stamp the umbrella handle (a/k/a drinking straw turned upside down) in the center of the yellow area so it overlaps the sentiment as shown (it will appear to be behind the words).

9. Using a Glue Dot for the top center and Stampin' Dimensionals for the bottom edge, adhere the umbrella to the front of your card.

That's it!  You're done!  Whew!!!

Yes, it's a lot of steps . . . but so totally worth the effort!!!!  Hope you enjoy this new adventure!

Cath  ;D

Front Range Stampers Swap Cards (June 2014)

Howdy, folks!  I have some more card ideas to share with you.  There was really no theme for the  swap at our June meeting, other than using current Stampin' Up! products.  I hope you are able to get some inspiration from these photos!  (Click on any photo for a closer look.)

The cards at the bottom are the make and takes for this meeting prepared by Ann Lohmeyer and Chris Pereira -- fun stuff!!!

Swap Cards



Angie Zaba (closed)
Angie Zaba (first flap open)
Angie Zaba (both flaps open)
Ann Lohmeyer
Cathe Valdez
Chris Pereira
Herma Hughes
Joyce Coffey
Joyce Munro
Julie Blanchet
Linda Anderson
Marla Hoffman
Sharon Winter
Suzanne Mousel


Make and Takes


Ann Lohmeyer (closed)


Ann Lohmeyer (open)
 
Chris Pereira (option 1)


Chris Pereira (option 2)
 
Hope you enjoyed these cards!

Monday, June 2, 2014

Front Range Stamper Swap Cards - May 2014

These are the sweet and fun cards my demo friends came up with in May -- the theme for this swap was anything having to do with animals.  Fun stuff, huh?!  (Click on any image for a closer look.)


Cathy Hansen

Ann Lohmeyer

Batina Bek

Cathe Valdez

Jayne Fuller (closed)

Jayne Fuller (open)

Julie Blanchet

Linda Anderson

Tammy Cooper
Make and Take
Barbara Anderson
Make and Take

Dottie Petty