Watercolor Splash Technique Tutorial

My friend, Cheryl, put together this card using the Watercolor Splash Technique. The roses turn out a little differently every time, but they're always beautiful.

Ok, here's my quick little tutorial of the Watercolor Splash Technique.

Step 1 - use white craft ink and clear embossing powder to emboss your image on shimmer white card stock

(the rose image from the Fifth Avenue Floral set works great - and it's on sale for only $19.96 until April 30th! Call me if you'd like to order the set or any of the supplies to make these spectacular roses).

Step 2 - Set image in plastic tray. Spritz with water until the water puddles.

Step 3 - Use classic ink refills in coordinating colors.

Step 4 - Dip Aquapainter into drops of ink; then just "touch" tip into each section of the rose.

Step 5 - Clean Aquapainter between colors (to clean squeeze water out onto a rag until it runs clear). Continue adding colors as desired. The colors will spread and blend. Tilt card stock to aid in blending colors.

Step 6 - Wipe tip of Aquapainter dry (on rag) and use it like a sponge to sop up extra pools of water & ink. It's ok if ink runs outside of the image.

Step 7 - Let image dry. Allow 20-30 minutes. Once it's almost dry, you can put it in the microwave to help it dry completely. Colors will lighten as they dry.

Step 8 - Cut out image

Step 5 - Adhere image to card or project (a different rose was used on this finished card).

See previous post for card supplies

Happy Stamping! Mary

Technique Class - Watercolor Splash & 3-D Roses

These are the projects we made in my Technique Class on Fri, April 23, 2010. Everyone seemed to have a good time. The Fifth Avenue Floral set is on sale for 20% off, along with some other sets. See my website (link at right sidebar; look under promotions).

The watercolor splash technique originated with Crystal French and was demonstrated at SU Regional. It's so cool to do and turns out differently every time. Using shimmery white card stock makes all the difference on these gorgeous roses. It just wasn't the same when I tried it on watercolor paper. Our roses are in full bloom right now and provided plenty of inspiration!

Check back tomorrow for a tutorial of the Watercolor Splash Technique.

I learned how to make the cute 3-D roses from a demonstrator, Lynda Lee, who lives in SF. She does amazing work and was inspired to make a 3-d rose out of a single scallop circle punch. Here's her post showing how to do them.

Supplies:
Coral Watercolor Splash Card
sets - fifth ave floral, upsy daisy
cs - shimmery white, cameo coral, whisper white, old olive
ink- white craft pad, old olive pad, ink refills: barely banana, cameo coral, regal rose, summer sun
access- heat tool & clear embossing powder, paper snips, dimensionals, aquapainter, eyelet border punch, old olive wide grosgrain ribbon

Purple Watercolor Splash Card
sets - fifth ave floral, baroque motifs
cs - shimmery white, elegant eggplant, whisper white, always artichoke
ink- white craft pad, always artichoke pad, pale plum pad and ink cartridge, ink refills: pale plum, elegant eggplant, pretty in pink, orchid opulence
access- heat tool & clear embossing powder, paper snips, dimensionals, aquapainter,5 petal flower punch, baroque border wheel, big shot, standard texturz SU backgrounds plates #1, sponge

Red Watercolor Splash Card
sets- fifth avenue floral, sincere salutations, heard from the heart
cs- shimmery white, whisper white, pretty in pink, rose red, garden green
ink-white craft pad, rose red pad, pretty in pink ink cartridge
access- heat tool & clear embossing powder, paper snips, dimensionals, aquapainter,5 petal flower punch, scallop edge punch, bella's border wheel, big shot, manhattan flower embossing folder, sponge, white organdy ribbon, frost white shimmer paint (spray)

3-D Roses Card
sets- kind and caring thoughts, well scripted
cs- apricot appeal, very vanilla, lovely lilac, pink passion, pixie pink
ink- basic gray pad, apricot appeal pad
access- scallop square & scallop circle punches, crop-a-dile, delphinium narrow grosgrain ribbon (retired), Tombow Multiuse glue, mini glue dots

Happy Stamping! Mary

HSC - Join the Fun!

Hostess Stamp Club, 2010-11

SU! Hostesses earn free exclusive stamps and merchandise when their party sales reach $150

Here’s how it works:

A “Hostess Stamp Club” (HSC) is comprised of 8 Club members who each agree to spend $20/month for 8 months. Each member will get a Free SU Catalog. Club members can attend a Free “Club” class each month and make two projects. These projects are designed and prepped by me. I will e-mail you the project sheet that tells what supplies we use. You will bring your own snail adhesive and I will provide everything else. You should also bring to class a few tools: paper cutter with scoring blade, scissors and a bone folder. Each member signs up to Hostess a Club class in her home 1 of the months and receives the Hostess Benefits that month. Club usually will be held 1:30 – 3:30 pm on the 1^st Sun. of the month. Non-Members can attend Club. Call me first to check if there’s space. Non-Members are required to submit a $25 order. Non-Members orders will count towards that month’s totals. Non-Members are not eligible for hostess benefits.

Q & A

What if I can’t attend one month?
Simply submit your order the week before Club.

Do I still get the class projects?
Ask a fellow Club member to make them for you.

What if I can’t submit an order one month?
You are responsible for getting a substitute to place a $20 order. She can come to the Free Club class and make the projects.

Club Benefits & Responsibilities:

· Free Class

· Free Catalog

· Project Sheet e-mailed to you

· Receive Hostess Benefits 1 out of 8 months

· Provide your own snail and tools

· Submit a $20 order or get a Substitute to place $20 order

Non Member Benefits and Responsibilities:

• Free class
• Submit $25 order
• Demonstrator provides snail and tools if you don't have them
• Project Sheet e-mailed to you
• No Hostess Obligations, but No Hostess Benefits

Sneak Peak at the Watercolor Splash Technique

I just want to give you a quick sneak peak at one of the cards we are making Friday using the watercolor splash technique. It's done on shimmery white card stock and so it really sparkles. I also added some shimmer paint spray to the pretty in pink card stock.

Happy Stamping! Mary

April Club Purse 3x3" Mini Tote with Cottage Wall Designer Paper

This is the Mini Tote and 4 cards we made in Club on Sunday. The Fifth Avenue Floral set (item #113734 regular price $24.95) is currently on sale for only $19.96! Contact me if you'd like to purchase this set or any thing else. This is a "Make it with Mary" original. Can you believe it? Usually I case everything, lol.


It's so simple to make. You start with a 4-1/4" x 10" piece of card stock ~

1. Score at 1" along the length of the card stock
2. Score at 1", 4-1/2", 5-1/2" & 9" across the width of the card stock
3. Crease all scored lines
   
4. Cut 1" along the lines you just scored (to where they intersect with the long 1" scored line). This creates tabs.
5. Cut out the 1 x 1" section on one end only
6. Put sticky strip on the two long tabs adjacent to the 1" square you cut out and on the two 1" square tabs
7. Use 1-1/4" circle punch to punch half a circle out of the two larger sections on the side opposite of the tabs
8. Add two 6" pieces of ribbon to the sides of the half circle cut outs to form handles
9. Decorate as desired
   
10. Assemble the tote
11. Fill with 3" x 3" mini cards and envelopes (or Ghiradelli chocolate squares!)
    

We used the bleach technique (fold up a paper towel and add bleach to create a stamp "pad") to stamp the flower image on the mini cards.

Supplies:
sets- fifth avenue floral, short and sweet
cs - orchid opulence, rich razzleberry, whisper white, cottage wall designer paper
ink- rich razzleberry pad
access- scallop trim border punch, wide oval punch, 1-1/4" circle punch, sticky strip, rich razzleberry polka dot grosgrain ribbon, bleach

Happy Stamping! Mary

p.s. Please leave me a comment if you like this project

Purse 3x3" Mini Card and Envelope Tote

Here's a Purse Tote for 3x3" Mini Cards and Envelopes that I designed (yes, me! I have to laugh because so often I case everything) and made with my Club a few years ago. It's a really fun tote because you can vary it so many ways. You can make totes of different themes and showcase different techniques. Three years ago I made them for all my hostesses. I used designer paper and stamp sets to reflect the current holiday or season. They are just so darn cute!

This one uses the highly sophisticated (wink wink) "T.P." method: Take a piece of tissue, fold or squash it up, pounce it on an ink pad, then pounce/twist it on your card stock. It gives an interesting texture to your project. I'm sorry, but I can't remember from whom I learned that method to give her proper credit.

Check back in a couple days to see the ones we made at Club on Sunday.

Supplies:
sets- summer by the sea, three for you
cs- not quite navy, creamy caramel, whisper white
ink- basic black pad, watercolor pencils, turquoise jumbo ink cartridge
access- blender pens, sticky strip, mini glue dots, taupe grosgrain ribbon, spot on jumbo wheel

Happy Stamping! Mary

Color Renovations

Dear Stamping Friends,

Stampin' Up! announced this week that they are renovating their color collection. This is good news and bad. The bad news is they are retiring 30 colors! Ouch! I will miss many of the colors they are doing away with. For a complete list of retiring colors click here.

The good news is that they are adding 5 brand new colors to their regular collection. They are also regrouping their colors to include the neutrals. Instead of "Color Families", there will be 4 "Color Collections" with 10 colors in each collection. Click here to see the new color collections.

The other good news is that they are bringing back some of the old favorite 'in colors' that we've missed so much like Wild Wasabi, Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette and Riding Hood Red. These will now be part of the regular color collections available all the time.

There will no longer be 6 'In Colors' each year. There will now be 5 new 'In Colors' this year and these will stay for TWO years. Next year, they will add 5 more. The following year they will drop the first 5, keep the 2nd 5 and add five more. This way the 'In Colors' will stay for two years rather than one.

All of these changes will take place when their new catalog comes out on July 1st. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Also if you'd like to order any of your favorites that are retiring, I'd be glad to handle that as well.

Card by Peggy

Peggy made this great card for her nephew's birthday and shared it with me at my Spring Fling Stamp Camp. Isn't it just darling? What a great layout. You could change the colors and images and have a completely different look. I really like Peggy's clean style.

Easter Cards from Friends

I received these hand stamped Easter cards from Kathy, Pat and Shelagh. Thanks Ladies!

Happy Easter!

I saw this card by Dawn O and just had to c.a.s.e. it. It reminds me of a big buckle card.

May your Easter be full of Christ's love and mercy. Now, go hunt for those jelly beans!

Supplies:
sets- well scripted, chocolate bunny
cs- chocolate chip, close to cocoa, very vanilla, pretty in pink, sweet pea dp,
ink- chocolate chip classic & craft pads
access- scallop trim border punch, scallop oval punch, wide oval punch, dimensionals, heat tool and clear ep

Happy Stamping! Mary

Cheryl Cards

sets- a good egg, inspired by nature, well scripted
access- wide oval punch




I went to my friend Cheryl's house on Friday. We didn't get to stamp, but I did take a few photos of cards she's made recently. I love her Easter card. The way she punched decorative paper with the wide oval punch and stuck them out of slits to hide in the grass is just great!

Bitten Bunny for My Weekly Mail!

I saw Susan Peter's card and thought it was too cute! I just had to case it. I made a bunch of them to mail to my brothers (not in pink!) for Easter, thinking they would get a kick out of them.

Beautiful Cards for a Great Cause

These beautiful cards were made by Shelagh, Susie, and Caralee to raise money for ENN (Exceptional Needs Network). My friend, Cheryl, is selling cards to raise money for this worthy cause. Her son has autism and attended a wonderful summer camp they had last summer. With all the budget cuts, the program has lost a lot of funding and scholarship money. Some of my other customers accompanied me on St. Patrick's Day to Cheryl's house in Livermore to create cards. So far she has sold over 250 cards!