Make It Monday

Shimmer Paste & The Poppies

Painted Poppies cards using Shimmer Embossing Paste

Painted Poppies Meet Shimmer Paste

You may not believe this, but when I opened my jar of Shimmer Embossing Paste, it was completely dried out. Yes, a very crumbly chunky powder greeted me when I lifted that secured lid.

Dried out embossing paste

Now, in my defense, I hadn’t used the Shimmer Paste in quite some time. Probably since my last play with it for my blog post on using stencils and paste.

I had kept the foam circular insert inside the jar lid. And the cap was screwed on tight. Still, I discovered that this paste was a desert inside. Not at all what I had in mind to showcase during my Make It Monday live card demo. I needed paste in a couple hours time…

Shimmer Paste Quick Fix

After a bit of online research, I determined I had 2 options for my dry Shimmer Paste. First: I could throw it away and order more. Or, Second: I could attempt a fix. At this point, I didn’t really have much to lose!

I took my jar of paste into the bathroom along with the largest palette knife. Using the knife, I scored thru the middle of the dry paste, sawing away til I reached the bottom of the jar. Next, I added a little water and started to work it in.

Adding water to embossing paste to make it useable again

Slowly, my paste started to come back to life. I found that the key was to continue to add small amounts of water and work it into the paste well before adding in more. When I had a good size of decent paste in the middle of my jar, I stopped.

Perfectly Pasted Painted Poppies

I had never used the Shimmer Paste as an overlay before. First, I stamped the poppy images from the Painted Poppies Stamp Set on Basic White Cardstock using Memento Black Ink. Next, I colored my flowers using Stampin’ Blends. Lastly, I used the Painted Labels Dies in the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine to die cut my flower images.

Coloring in the Painted Poppies stamped image uisng Stampin' Blends

Playing with the sparkly paste and the poppies was a lot of fun. The Shimmer Paste dried quickly, and although the paper bowed up for a short while, it relaxed flat for use. The effect is quite charming. In fact, I think this great technique could be used on any flowers that are stamped. And why stop at flowers? Let your imagination run wild.

Painted Poppies with Shimmer Paste Overlay

Poppies In Color

Did you know that the Painted Poppies Stamp Set has been around since January of 2020? If you have this stamp set and coordinating dies, try this new way to use them! One of my favorite things to do is create the same design, but switch up the colors.

Don’t have this amazing set yet? You will find it in my online stamping store. While you are there, check out the Matte Finish Embossing Paste and the Palette Knives. And if you don’t have a Silicone Craft Sheet, make sure to get one, it makes this messy technique manageable.

More Tips And Tricks…

Looking for more details on how I used the Shimmer Embossing Paste? Check out my card making video here, where I dish info as I go. And join my cardmaking community, Positive PaperCrafters, on FaceBook. My Tuesday Tool Tip showcased how I plan to keep my paste from drying out in the future. Hope to see you there!

Creating A Plaid Background With Ink

Plaid Background Technique with the Happy Hedgehogs Stamp Set

A Happy Hedgehogs Plaid Background

When I discovered a sample card in the Stampin’ Up! January-June 2022 Mini Catalog, I just had to recreate it. There it was, nestled on the page displaying the Happy Hedgehogs Stamp Set and Hedgehog Builder Punch. Such a sweet card, even though it was hedgehog free.

The plaid paper in the background was just beautiful. My first instinct was to search every pack of designer series paper to find that perfect plaid design. But I quickly discovered it wasn’t designer paper at all. In fact, it was a plaid design made from a technique!

Plaid Watercolor Background

More Water Color Plaid Backgrounds

Now that I knew what technique I was trying to learn how to do, I needed someone to show me how to do it. Of course, I turned to YouTube. And searched. And searched.

It turns out, not everything is on YouTube. I finally found the general idea and decided to just go for it. Paper and ink and inspiration…what more does a crafter really need?

Preparing A WaterColor Ink Wash

Perparing to water color with ink refills and water painters.

Every time I watercolor, I am reaching for a few basic things:

  1. Water Painters. Stampin’ Up! sells them in a 3 pack, with different size brush heads.
  2. An Acrylic Block. Useful for more than holding stamps for stamping.
  3. Ink refills. You can use an ink pad too, but the refill drops go farther for use.

Of course, you may have heard that to watercolor with such a wet technique, you need special paper. Like the Fluid Watercolor Paper or Shimmery White Cardstock. While these papers are great at absorbing all the extra liquid this technique brings, you can use regular white cardstock, like I did!

Simple Stamping, Simple Watercoloring

I was able to put these cards together very quickly. The flower tree stamp and sentiment are both from the Happy Hedgehogs Stamp Set. I used Memento Black Ink for each, with more watercoloring along the branch, leaves and flowers.

The beautiful part about the front focal piece is that it covers just enough of the plaid background’s potential imperfections. So don’t let your fears of wobbly crooked lines stop you from trying this! I share lots of pointers and tips you may find useful in my how to video.

Create Some Plaid Backgrounds For Your Cards!

As you can see, the possibilities are endless when making plaid backgrounds with a watercolor wash. Because this technique is so unique, it is impossible for 2 cards to look the same. And as crafters of homemade cards, isn’t that what we are looking for…our personal spin on something everyone can do?

If you are missing out on the Happy Hedgehogs, don’t despair. Those adorable critters do have a scene in my video. And I am sure I will be playing with them again soon.

The Happy Hedgehogs Bundle

The Happy Hedgehogs Bundle includes both the stamp set and punch. By purchasing the bundle, you save 10% automatically until June 30, 2022. After that, the stamp set and punch will be sold separately, without the discount.

Looking for this or any of the other products I used for my project? Shop my online store anytime! I appreciate your business very much. Happy crafting!

Honeybee Home

Honeybee Home card in Bumblebee, stamp set and ink colors used to create it.

Honeybee Home Bundle

It may be mid-January, but perhaps you have honeybees and springtime on your mind. I was so excited to use the Honeybee Home Bundle in my Make It Monday demonstration. If you would like to watch the step-by-step making-of video for this sweet-as-honey card, here is the link.

The Honeybee Home Bundle is new to the January-June 2022 Mini Catalog by Stampin’ Up!. When you purchase the bundle, you automatically save 10%. But if you prefer, you can order the stamp set or dies as separate items. Let’s take a look at them!

Honeybee Home Stamp Set

Honeybee Home Stamp Set

The Honeybee Home Stamp Set is a red rubber cling variety. There are 12 stamps, with 3 of the images as uniquely styled honeybees. This set also has 3 different styles of flowers for our lucky bees to visit. And the 6 sentiments have sweet scripty font and lovely things to say. Can you imagine the variety of colors you would use to make beautiful flowers using this stamp set?

Honeybee Blooms Dies

Honeybee Blooms Dies
The Honeybee Blooms Dies coordinate perfectly with the Honeybee Home Stamp Set. You will be able to die cut each unique stamped honeybee with your die cutting machine. And of course, there is a die for each flower stamp image. In addition, you will receive 3 dies that cut silhouette flowers and greens (these dies do not coordinate with stamps). This die set boasts 9 total dies.

Decorative Masks As Embossing Folders

Basic Pattern Decorative Masks

When I CASE’d (copy and share everything) this Honeybee Home card from the January-June 2022 Mini Catalog, I discovered that decorative masks can be used just like an embossing folder. Here is the exact sandwich order I used in my Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine:

  1. Base Plate
  2. Clear acrylic plate
  3. Thick impression mat
  4. Cardstock
  5. Decorative mask
  6. Clear acrylic plate
Basic Patten Decorative Mask and embossed cardstock

The embossed effect is subtle. If you add some ink with a sponge or Blending Brush, you will highlight the raised portions of paper. For the cards I completed using this technique, I used the Basic Patterns Decorative Masks, but any mask will work. To see additional ways to use decorative masks, click here.

Coloring With Blender Pens

Coloring the stamped flowers with a blender pen and ink pad

Another technique used on this card was the one I colored my stamped flowers and honeybee with: Blender Pens. After stamping my images using Memento Black Ink, I added color to the images using my ink pads with blender pens. Now, I didn’t just grab ink from the foam pad itself…that would be a very dark ink application of color.

Re-inking an ink pad to help with blender pen coloring

Instead, I squeezed my ink pad while it was in the closed position to get some ink to transfer from the foam side to the plastic cover opposite it. This is harder than it seems, but very necessary to get a good ink coloring application.

If you are having trouble getting the ink to transfer from one side to the next, try re-inking your ink pad. A juicy pad will share ink more readily. After successfully transferring ink, use the back of a plastic spoon to push the excess refill into the foam pad.

Bumblebee or Fresh Freesia?

Honeybee Home card made in Bumblebee and Fresh Freesia

One thing that I love to do is make an exact copy of my card in another color scheme. The original design called for Bumblebee Cardstock. But to mix it up, I pulled out some Fresh Freesia Cardstock and started over once filming was complete. Did you miss the cardmaking video how-to link? Click here to watch.

Notice that I used different masks on each card! A new color always brings fresh perspective…and in this case it brought Fresh Freesia as well. Which color scheme do you prefer? For more card ideas using Fresh Freesia, click here.

Honeybee Home card in Fresh Freesia, with stamp set and ink colors used to create it.

Your Honeybee Home Bundle

If you love these cards and need the supplies to create them, now is a great time to check out my online store. Sale-A-Bration is happening! With a qualifying order of the Honeybee Home Bundle (and an add-on item like the Playing With Patterns Resin Dots used on these cards), your order will qualify you for a FREE Sale-A-Bration selection. That’s right… a stamp set, some paper…you decide what your freebie will be.

But hurry, Sale-A-Bration ends on February 28, 2022. Don’t miss out on this honey of a sweet offer. You will soon be creating bee-utiful cards of your own!