cardmaking · Mixed Media · papercrafting

Easy Gel Press Print Cards

Mixed Media card made with Gel Press Prints and floral die cuts: WPlus9 Doodle Buds.

Hello! I recently spent a most enjoyable afternoon making acrylic gel press prints and then I turned four panels into cards. For my first card, I used Altenew’s Bubble Wrap Stencil to add varation to my background. I die cut my background using The Greetery’s Crimped Frame die, and then die cut blooms using WPlus9 Doodle Buds stamp and die bundle. I drew in stems with paint pens and assembled my card with foam squares.

Mixed Media Acrylic Rainbow print turned into a card.

For my second card, I put 7 dots of acrylic paint on my gel press and brayered one direction horizontally so the ink would gently blend but would also maintain the bands of color. I brayered the excess ink onto a second page. I added a die cut bloom, stem and Hello sentiment.

Gel Press Printing using Altenew's Leaves and Berries Stencil.

The background on Card #3 used Altenew’s Leaves and Berries stencil. My bottom layer was orange, yellow and green. Next, I placed the stencil on the wet paint and blotted most of the orange that showed through onto a piece of copy paper. I let the paint dry a minute and then gently brayered on light blue acrylic paint, removed the stencil and pulled the print. I think the background is so beautiful for a floral card. The sentiment is from Altenew’s Birthday Greetings.

Mixed Media Card featuring Hero Arts I Am Puffer For You stamped fish.

The background on card #4 started with yellow and green paint on layer 1. I placed Simons Says Stamp’s Ring Cluster Stencil on the wet paint and then blotted most of the paint that showed through the stencil with a sheet of copy paper. I then brayered on light blue paint, removed the stencil and pulled the print. It was bright and fun and reminded me of the ocean so I went with an aquatic theme. The cute little puffer fish (Hero Arts I am Puffer For You) were stamped and fussy cut and a Hello sentiment was stamped on the background.,

Supplies:

Acrylic Paint Kit

Brayer Set

Gel Press Printing Plate

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

cardmaking · papercrafting

Spellbinders Die Cut Sunflower Card

A die cut card using Spellbinders Sunflower from Susan's Garden Favorites Collection.

Who is ready for spring? I’ve been working on some bright sunny birthday cards featuring Spellbinders Susan’s Garden Favorites Collection. Today I chose the beautiful Sunflower and Ladybug die set for my two cards.

My Process:

  • I started by making a bunch of yellow and green Gel Press prints for my flower and leaves. I’ve inlcuded a photo of some of my prints below.
  • I also wanted a bright fun background so I taped some watercolor paper to a hard board and brushed water over the surface. Then I mixed Salty Ocean and Mermaid Lagoon Distress Inks with Shimmer Spray (no water was added) and I painted it on the watercolor paper. I wanted an intense color so I applied three layers but I didn’t bother to let it dry in between. The background is so pretty in person but its hard to see the sparkle in the photos.
  • I die cut the bloom three times for each sunflower. Using a bone folder I shaped the blooms and leaves.
  • The flower center is die cut from and a brown gel press print and a specialty “football” paper that has the texture of a football
  • I wanted to anchor the background so I die cut a frame using Spellbinders Essential Rectangles from 80 lb. cardstock.
  • I assembled the card with liquid glue (frame) and foam tape for the leaves, blooms and sentiment.
Spellbinders die cut Sunflower + Essential Rectangles frame

I think the result is a bright happy card!

Spellbinders Susan's Garden Favorites Sunflower + Gel Press Prints.

I love these sunflowers so I made a second card with a few modifications:

  • I made an A2 card from yellow green cardstock.
  • The frame was die cut from brown cardstock.
Die Cut Sunflower Card

I am so pleased you stopped by! I always love to read your comments, so if you have a moment, let me know what you think.

Karen

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WWC287 – Helen\’s Challenge: Anything Goes With A Feminine Twist

Hello, hello and welcome!  I can\’t believe it is September already.  This week at Watercooler Wednesday we are creating feminine cards and Helen is our hostess.  

I did a bit of loosed watercoloring with Nuvo Shimmer Powders.  I very loosely painted the wreath and then made a coordinating background by sopping up the leftover pigment with watercolor paper. The secret to the background is to layer the color, dry and repeat.  It is hard to tell in the photograph, but there is a beautiful shimmer to the card.  I had enough pigment left that I made a second background to use on a future card.

Supplies:
Tonic Nuvo Shimmer Powder (hydrated into a watercolor)
The Greetery Crimped Frame die

We would love to see your creation in our gallery.

Karen
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WWC275 – Karen\’s Challenge: All About Occasions

Hello!  I am so pleased you stopped by.  Today we are showcasing \”Occasion\” cards at The Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I am this week\’s hostess.

Offset Ink blended background:  squeezed lemonade, mustard seed, twisted citron, cracked pistachio, salty ocean and blueprint sketch
I recently won several stamps from Crackerbox and Suzy and this is my first card with my new haul.  I think the tree is just gorgeous.  I have been doing a lot of ink blending lately and knew this tree would be perfect for this technique.  I started by masking off a 1 1/2\” border on the left of the card and then started ink blending from the bottom right to the top left.  I was very heavy handed and put down a lot of ink.  I added a navy mat as I didn\’t want the clean white swath to fade into the card base.
Supplies Used:
Crackerbox and Suzy Tree Whimsey stamp
The Greetery Crimped Frame die
Distress Inks:  Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Twisted Citron, Cracked Pistachio, Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch
Neenah cardstock
Navy Mat
Versafine Onyx Black Pigment Ink
Clear Embossing Powder
SSS Birthday Mix 1 sentiment stamp and die
Masking tape

NBUS Challenge – This is my first time to use Crackerbox and Suzy\’s beautiful Tree Whimsy stamp.

I am so pleased that you stopped by!
Karen 

Uncategorized

WWC273 – Marsha\’s Challenge: All About Occasions

  Hello and welcome!  Today we are making Occasion cards at The Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and Marsha is our hostess.
I wanted to create a 3D village scene by incorporating a fussy cut \”peek-a-boo\”window on my card.  I started by stamping two card panels:

  • In the center, a bit toward the top of one panel I stamped the longer street scene (inside the window pane).
  • On a second panel I stamped the \”Open\” shop on the far left and the cafe on the far right.
  • Next, I Copic colored the scene.  Then I die cut a small circle on the second panel and then used that opening to fussy cut the peek-a-boo window so panel #1 could \”peek\” through panel #2.
  • I assembled the card using foam tape so the scene would have dimension.
This card is for my sister. Linda loves to travel to Europe so I used their charming villages for my color inspiration.  

Supplies:
Art Impressions:  Shoppes stamp
Neenah cardstock
Copic Markers
The Greetery Crimped Frame Die
foam Tape
Heat Embossed Birthday sentiment

I am also playing along at:

Art Impressions \”All Layered Up\” Challenge. I used layers to simulate a 3D village scene.

 Inspired By\”Sitting Pretty Challenge\” I was inspired by those gorgeous colors that remind me of the beautiful European villages.

I am so pleased that you stopped by!
Karen

Uncategorized

WWC271 – Kath\’s Challenge: All About Occasions

Hello and welcome!  This week we are making occasion cards at Watercooler Wednesday and Kath is our hostess.  My mother-in-law has been in \”lock down\” at her senior living facility and we have been unable to visit her.  I made this card to try and brighten her day.  
I\’ve always loved cacti and thought this was a cheery little stamp set.  This is my first time to use it.  I also used a new sentiment that I think will be very versatile in the future.  I stamped and Copic colored this foursome.
Supplies:
Fiskars \”Stuck on Each Other\” stamps
Copic Markers
The Greetery Crimped Frame Die
Waffle Flower \”Here For You\” sentiment


I am so pleased that you stopped by!
Karen