Time for Some Fall Cards

A few weeks ago I discovered the beautiful Vintage Artistry Wedgewood collection by 49 and Market. Even though I loved the entire collection, I purchased only a single sheet to make it easier (for me) to immediately use it, and to save some money at the same time.

Now the challenge I gave myself was to create more than one project that all featured this paper. I came up with three cards and they all turned out lovely. Gosh that paper is so stunning.

Detailed walkthrough in the video!

Two kinds of embossing + stencilling and Distress embossing glaze.
Showcasing the paper, stamping…
…and a box pocket (with some tea!)
Using even the last bit of paper, stencilling, embossing, colorizing leaves and turning them grungy

1-sheet Summer Breeze Step Card – No Cardstock!

Double-sided design paper sheets are the perfect material to create a quick step card. The one I used is from the Summer Breeze collection by Studiolight.

You can either find a template online and print/draw, fold and cut it yourself, or you can use a step card die. With the card’s basic shape taken care of, the only thing left is to decorate!

For instance: cut an ATC card and stamp a sentiment. I also added some heat embossing to the sentiment, for some extra interest. Then apply some kind of glitter glue all along the edges and adhere as a center piece.

Use some hot glue or other heavy adhesive medium to adhere larger decorations, like these bulky roses.

Don’t forget the backside of the card! I know it’s just the back, but you can still add some nice little detail to surprise the careful examiner 😊

For instance, add some transparent texture paste through a stencil on part of the back!💡

Add some final diecuts and smaller decorative elements, and you’re done – quick & easy!

Mixed Media Tag with Embossed Gloss Accent

Did you know that you can use Tim Holtz’s Distress Paint as a resist? To create a mixed media tag, I used this specific technique. I also used clear embossing powder to add a glossy accent – and here are all of the steps to do it!

Step by step

1. STAMP with Distress Paint and/or use a stencil, to add an image or some random patterns. I did both. Use a light color of paint, like white, cream or a very soft pink. Let the paint dry.

Btw, be careful and immediately clean your stamp, for this paint dries quickly and once it dries you won’t be able to get it off your stamp anymore…

2. Color your tag (or any other piece of mixed media cardstock) by blending with different colors of ink. I used both Distress Inks (translucent) and Distress Oxides (opaque). Simply blend right over your patterns – for the paint will act as a resist!

3. Optional: add some extra, subtle background effects by blending through a different stencil.

4. Spray some kind of metal spray to add some sparkle. I used Distress Mica Spray in the color Tarnished Brass.

5. Once everything has properly dried, add a different layer: time for some stamping. Choose one or more images and/or patterns and stamp on top of all the previous layers. First I used a background color of Distress Oxide to add still more interest to the background, this was a script stamp. You can see it on the right side of the tag, on the upper half.

I then stamped the main image in black Archival Ink. This is an oil-based ink, which therefore does not react with or bleed into all of the water-based inks underneath.

6. Pick one or more pieces of your main image that you want to highlight. Cover those fragments with embossing ink – ideally, if you can, use an embossing pen, which gives you maximum control of where you place the embossing ink.

Then take a clear embossing powder and emboss your accent of choice.

Glossy highlight

7. Take some chipboard sentiment pieces and use the same inks to colorize them. Then stick them to your tag.

8. Die-cut a decorative element from metallic paper and add it to the tag. I used Metallic Confections paper by Tim Holtz, but any metallic (or holographic!) paper would do.

Done! Now all that’s left is to tie a piece of string to your tag 🙂

Hope this little step-by-step was helpful! Now go, experiment to your heart’s desire and play with all of the stuff in your stash 🙂 Let me know in the comments if you’re going to try some of the techniques I used here!

If you want still more inspiration, here’s an earlier post where I also used Distress Paint as a resist.

Beyond Backgrounds: Large 3D Butterfly

In my previous video I shared a card with a very large handmade 3D butterfly on the front.
Today I’m sharing the steps to create such a decorative element.

First, create a background with any color mediums you like. I used Distress Stains and a Distress Spray Stain by Tim Holtz, in three colors.

Next, enhance the background with some stencil art. I used a Distress Oxide in the same color as one of my sprayed inks, through a mini stencil by Tim Holtz.

Stamp your image onto the background (after it has completely dried) with Archival Ink.

Fussy cut the stamped image.

Don’t forget to color the (still white) back of your butterfly, since we will be folding its wings up! I simply inked it with one color and stencilled over it with another, again using the Distress line.

To add some extra interest I also sprayed the back of the butterfly with some silver, using Distress Mica Spray in Brushed Pewter.

Now your image is ready to be used as a great eyecatcher on your card or art project!

Hope this was useful to you, if so, let me know in the comments!

Monoprinting on black cardstock

Continuing with my experiment of spraying Color Bloom mica sprays on black, I took a different stencil, cut a large tag in half and sprayed with three colors on the first half.

This left a lot of ink on the stencil of course, so I turned the stencil upside down and laid it onto the other (clean) half of my tag. Then pressed firmly with a piece of paper towel to immediately catch all of the ink leaking through, and lifted the stencil.

Top: monoprinting; Bottom: regular stencilling

The effects were different when I tried a different stencil! With the first, the stencilled half was clear, and the monoprinted half more murky. With the second, it was the other way around! I think the type of pattern had something to do with it; the second was more intricate than the first.

Top: monoprinting; Bottom: regular stencilling

These are still only backgrounds of course, we’ll find out what use I’ll find for them in some future moment. 🙂