Author: Karen

I am a very blessed wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. I firmly believe in the quote by Dieter F. Uchtdorf which states "The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human heart." Every day I try to create something that lifts the heart for myself and others.

Flashy Florals Birthday Card II

This is the second card I made with My Favorite Things Flashy Florals.  I used less flowers for this card, since the focal image was die cut with a smaller rectangle from My Favorite Things Wonky Rectangles.  All of the flowers were adhered directly to the focal image rectangle with Ranger Multi Medium Matte.  The sentiment is from a retired set called Amy R Great Birthday Greetings.  For added interest to the smaller flowers I used some Queen & Co. Red Jellies and scatter a few yellow and red around the sentiment.

When you have a clean and simple card design I often like to add dimension by using and embossing folder on the card front.  A side folding A2 cardbase was made from Gina K. Designs 120# White Cardstock and then run through the Big Shot with the Darice Basket Weave Embossing Folder.

Darice Sticky Back Foam was cut 1/8” inch smaller than the focal image and then adhered to the card front with Tombo Mono Multi Glue.

PRODUCTS USED:

  • My Favorite Things Flashy Florals
  • Amy R Great Birthday Greetings
  • Hero Hues India Ink Black
  • Gina K. Designs Ink: Red Hot, Red Velvet, Wild Dandelion, Prickly Pear, Jelly Bean Green, Fresh Asparagus
  • VersaMark Ink
  • Ranger Fine Detail Gold Embossing Powder
  • My Favorite Things Wonky Rectangles
  • Darice Sticky Back Foam Sheet
  • Gina K. Designs 120# White Cardstock
  • Neena Solar White 80# White Cardstock
  • Tombo Mono Multi Glue
  • Queen & Co. Jellies Red and Yellow
  • Darice Basket Weave Embossing Folder

Flashy Florals Birthday Card I

I hadn’t used the My Favorite Things Flashy Florals in quite a while and so one day I pulled them out and started stamping them in multiple colors.  I decided to add some gold embossing powder for the flower centers on some of them, and for others I used the gold embossing powder for the second layer of the images as well.  It’s fun to create a lot of flowers at one time and then make as many cards as you can from what you have available.  I got four different cards from the images stamped.

The colors of Gina K. Designs Ink used for this card are listed below.  A rectangle of Gina K. Designs 80# White Cardstock with the My Favorite Things Wonky Rectangle.  I placed the flowers in the floral arrangement I liked.  Then used Glad Press and Seal to keep it all together and you can lift them off and stamp the greeting.  I used one from Amy R Great Birthday Greetings, which was stamped using the MISTI and Hero Hues India Ink Black.

Now it is time to put some Tombo Mono Multi Glue to the back of the floral arrangement you have on the Press and Seal.  It is easy to hold onto the edges of the excess Press and Seal to place the arrangement where you want it.  Add a little weight to keep things in place until the glue dries and you have a quick and easy card.  The only thing that doesn’t stick is the floral images not exposed to the back.  I popped these up with a little 3M ½” Foam Tape to add some dimension.

Darice Sticky Back Foam was cut 1/8” smaller than the rectangle and adhered to the back of the focal image, which was then adhered to a top folding A2 cardbase made from Gina K. Designs 120# White Cardstock with Tombo Mono Multi Glue and the card was done.

Rose Bouquet Happy Birthday to You

I love pretty rose stamps and this new one from Clearly Besotted entitle Thanks A Bunch is one of my favorites.

I stamped it on Canson XL Cold Press 140# Watercolor Paper with VersaMark Onyx Black Ink and then heat embossed it with the Marvy Embossing Heat Tool and Hero Arts Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder.  For this card I used ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Markers 022 Carmine Red, 024 Wine Red, 026 Light Pink, 043 Light Olive, and 036 Light Blue to color the image.

The watercolored panel was then die cut using a Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle.  A slightly larger rectangle was cut with a guillotine paper cutter out of Gina K. Designs 120# Black Cardstock 1/8” larger than the focal image and adhered to the back of the watercolored panel with Sookwang Be Creative Tape.  Darice Sticky Back Foam was cut with the same Stitched Rectangle die and adhered to the back of the black cardstock.

The sentiment is from Gina K. Designs Grand Greetings and was stamped with VersaMark Onyx Black Ink and heat embossed with the Hero Arts Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder.

A top folding A2 cardbase was made from Gina K. Designs 120# White Cardstock and the focal image panel was adhered to the front with Tombo Mono Multi Glue.  As a final embellishment Pretty Pink Posh Watermelon and Doodlebug Designs Cupcake Sequins were adhered around the image using Ranger Multi Medium Matte.

PRODUCTS USED:

  • Clearly Besotted Thanks a Bunch
  • Gina K. Designs Grand Greetings
  • Canson XL Cold Press 140# Watercolor Paper
  • Gina K. Designs 120# White and Black Cardstock
  • VersaMark Onyx Black Ink
  • Hero Arts Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder
  • Marvy Embossing Heat Tool
  • Darice Sticky Back Foam Sheet
  • Pretty Pink Posh Watermelon and Doodlebug Designs Cupcake Sequins
  • Tombo Mono Multi Glue
  • Ranger Multi Medium Matte
  • Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle
  • ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Markers: 022 Carmine Red, 024 Wine Red, 026 Light Pink, 043 Light Olive, and 036 Light Blue

Make a Wish Flowers Bring on the Happy Card

This is another flower image recently release from Clearly Besotted entitled Make a Wish.  I wish when they provide details about the stamps that they would tell you what kind of flower it is.  To be it looks like a cherry, apricot, or other type of fruit blossom.  I stamped it on Canson XL Cold Press 140# Watercolor Paper with VersaMark Onyx Black Ink and then heat embossed it with the Marvy Embossing Heat Tool and Hero Arts Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder.  This is my favorite way to watercolor.  The embossed edges help control the watercolor and keep the image crisp and detailed.

I used Winsor & Newton Artist Grade Watercolor Pans in Permanent Rose, Chinese White, and Olive Green.  I added the white to the rose color so that it would be a pastel pink.  After the image was completely dry Derwent Inktense Pencils 0520 Carmine Pink and 1560 Fern Green were used to add shadows to the center of the petals and blended out with a Dove Blending Pen.

The watercolored panel was then die cut using a Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle.  A slightly larger rectangle was cut with a guillotine paper cutter out of Gina K. Designs 120# Black Cardstock and adhered to the back of the watercolored panel with Sookwang Be Creative Tape.

A top folding A2 cardbase was made from Gina K. Designs 120# White Cardstock and the focal image panel was adhered to the front with Tombo Mono Multi Glue.  As a final embellishment Neat and Tangled Pink Lemonade, Doodlebug Cupcake, and Pretty Pink Post Sugar Plum Mix Sequins were adhered around the image using Ranger Multi Medium Matte.

PRODUCTS USED:

  • Clearly Besotted Make a Wish Stamp
  • Penny Black Sprinkles and Smiles Stamp
  • Canson XL Cold Press 140# Watercolor Paper
  • Gina K. Designs 120# White and Black Cardstock
  • VersaMark Onyx Black Ink
  • Hero Arts Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder
  • Marvy Embossing Heat Tool
  • Neat and Tangled Pink Lemonade, Doodlebug Cupcake, and Pretty Pink Post Sugar Plum Mix Sequins
  • Tombo Mono Multi Glue
  • Ranger Multi Medium Matte
  • Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle
  • Winsor & Newton Artist Grade Watercolors: Permanent Rose, Chinese White, Olive Green
  • Derwent Inktense Pencils: 0520 Carmine Pink and 1560 Fern
  • Dove Blending Pen

Peony Wishes Birthday Card

I recently saw the Gina K. Designs Peony Wishes stamp set and immediately went and purchased it.  It recently arrived and I decided to watercolor the image on Canson XL Cold Press 140# Watercolor Paper.  It was stamped with VersaMark Onyx Black In, and heat embossed with Hero Arts Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder using the Marvy Embossing Heat Tool.

Winsor & Newton Artist Grade Watercolor Pans in Chinese White, Permanent Rose, Alizarin Crimson, Winsor Red, Winsor Violet, and Winsor Orange were used to color the image.  Once it was dry Derwent Inktense Pencils 500 Chili Red, 520 Carmine Pink, 740 Mauve, 1510 Beech Green were used to add shadows to the image and blended out with a Dove Blending Pen.

The watercolored panel was then die cut using the largest Lawn Fawn Small Stitched Stackable Rectangle.  A slightly larger rectangle was cut with a guillotine paper cutter out of Gina K. Designs 120# Black Cardstock and adhered to the back of the watercolored panel with Sookwang Be Creative Tape.

The sentiment is from Hero Arts Birthday Messages and was stamped with VersaMark Ink on a scrap of black cardstock and heat embossed with Gina K. Designs Detail White Embossing Powder.  It was adhered to the bottom of the focal image using 3M ½” Foam Tape.

A top folding A2 cardbase was made from Gina K. Designs 120# White Cardstock and the focal image panel was adhered to the front with Tombo Mono Multi Glue.  As a final embellishment Pretty Pink Posh Sugar Plum Mix and Sweetheart Mix, and Neat & Tangled Pink Lemonade were adhered with Ranger Multi Medium Matte.

PRODUCTS USED:

  • Gina K. Designs Peony Wishes
  • Hero Arts Birthday Messages
  • Canson XL Cold Press 140# Watercolor Paper
  • Gina K. Designs 120# White and Black Cardstock
  • VersaMark Onyx Black Ink
  • Hero Arts Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder
  • Marvy Embossing Heat Tool
  • Pretty Pink Posh Sugar Plum Mix and Sweetheart Mix, and Neat & Tangled Pink Lemonade
  • Tombo Mono Multi Glue
  • Ranger Multi Medium Matte
  • Lawn Fawn Small Stitched Stackable Rectangle
  • Winsor & Newton Artist Grade Watercolors: Chinese White, Permanent Rose, Alizarin Crimson, Winsor Red, Winsor Violet, and Winsor Orange
  • Derwent Inktense Pencils: 500 Chili Red, 520 Carmine Pink, 740 Mauve, 1510 Beech Green
  • Dove Blending Pen

Blooming Bouquet Bring on the Happy

really like the image from Altenew’s Blooming Bouquet and decided to watercolor it on Canson XL Cold Press 140# Watercolor Paper.  It was stamped with VersaMark Onyx Black In, and heat embossed with Hero Arts Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder using the Marvy Embossing Heat Tool.

Winsor & Newton Artist Grade Watercolor Winsor Yellow, Aureolin, Permanent Rose, Chinese White, Winsor Violet, Olive Green, Permanent Sap Green, Viridian, Cerulean Blue, Turquoise Light were used to color the image.  Once it was completely dry Derwent Inktense Pencils 210 Cadmium Yellow, 510 Cherry, 520 Carmine Pink, 760 Deep Violet, 1330 Vivid Green, 1560 Fern using a Dove Blending Pen.

The watercolored panel was then die cut using a Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle.  A slightly larger rectangle was cut with a guillotine paper cutter out of Gina K. Designs 120# Black Cardstock and adhered to the back of the watercolored panel with Sookwang Be Creative Tape.

A top folding A2 cardbase was made from Gina K. Designs 120# White Cardstock and the focal image panel was adhered to the front with Tombo Mono Multi Glue.  As a final embellishment Pretty Pink Posh Sugar Plum Mix Sequins were adhered with Ranger Multi Medium Matte.

PRODUCTS USED:

  • Altenew Blooming Bouquet
  • Penny Black Sprinkles and Smiles
  • Canson XL Cold Press 140# Watercolor Paper
  • Gina K. Designs 120# White and Black Cardstock
  • VersaMark Onyx Black Ink
  • Hero Arts Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder
  • Marvy Embossing Heat Tool
  • Tombo Mono Multi Glue
  • Ranger Multi Medium Matte
  • Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle
  • Winsor & Newton Artist Grade Watercolors: Winsor Yellow, Aureolin, Permanent Rose, Chinese White, Winsor Violet, Olive Green, Permanent Sap Green, Viridian, Cerulean Blue, Turquoise Light
  • Derwent Inktense Pencils: 210 Cadmium Yellow, 510 Cherry, 520 Carmine Pink, 760 Deep Violet, 1330 Vivid Green, 1560 Fern
  • Dove Blending Pen

Clearly Besotted On Your Day Happy Birthday

This is another new flower stamp from Clearly Besotted entitled On Your Day.  I stamped it on Canson XL Cold Press 140# Watercolor Paper with VersaMark Onyx Black Ink and heat embossed it with Hero Arts Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder.  The sentiment is from Hero Arts Birthday Messages and was stamped and embossed in the same manner.

Winsor & Newton Artist Grade Watercolor pans were used to color the image.  Colors used were: Winsor Violet, Sap Green, Olive Green, Cerulean Blue, Turquoise Light.  I let everything thoroughly dry and then added some shadows with a fine detail watercolor brush.

The watercolored panel was then die cut using the largest Lawn Fawn Small Stitched Stackable Rectangle.  A slightly larger rectangle was cut with a guillotine paper cutter out of Gina K. Designs 120# Black Cardstock and adhered to the back of the watercolored panel with Sookwang Be Creative Tape.

A top folding A2 cardbase was made from Gina K. Designs 120# White Cardstock and the focal image panel was adhered to the front with Tombo Mono Multi Glue.  As a final embellishment Pretty Pink Posh Sugar Plum Mix Sequins were adhered with Ranger Multi Medium Matte.

PRODUCTS USED:

  • Clearly Besotted On Your Day
  • Hero Arts Birthday Messages
  • Canson XL Cold Press 140# Watercolor Paper
  • Gina K. Designs 120# White and Black Cardstock
  • VersaMark Onyx Black Ink
  • Hero Arts Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder
  • Marvy Embossing Heat Tool
  • Pretty Pink Posh Sugar Plum Mix
  • Tombo Mono Multi Glue
  • Ranger Multi Medium Matte
  • Lawn Fawn Small Stitched Stackable Rectangle
  • Winsor & Newton Artist Grade Watercolors: Winsor Violet, Sap Green, Olive Green, Cerulean Blue, Turquoise Light

Bouquet of Thanks Celebration Card

I recently purchased Simon Says Stamp Bouquet of Thanks and decided to watercolor the image.  I stamped it on Canson XL Cold Press 140# Watercolor Paper with VersaMark Onyx Black Ink and heat embossed it with Hero Arts Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder.  The sentiment is from Penny Black’s Sprinkles and Smiles and was stamped and embossed in the same manner.

Winsor & Newton Artist Grade Watercolor pans were used to color the image.  Colors used were: 0210 Cadmium Yellow, 0250 Cadmium Orange, 0320 Scarlet Pink, 1560 Hooker’s Green, Cerulean Blue, Turquoise Light.  I let everything thoroughly dry and then added some shadows with a fine detail watercolor brush.

The watercolored panel was then die cut using a Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle.  A slightly larger rectangle was cut with a guillotine paper cutter out of Gina K. Designs 120# Black Cardstock and adhered to the back of the watercolored panel with Sookwang Be Creative Tape.

A top folding A2 cardbase was made from Gina K. Designs 120# White Cardstock and the focal image panel was adhered to the front with Tombo Mono Multi Glue.  As a final embellishment Pretty Pink Posh Sugar Plum Mix Sequins were adhered with Ranger Multi Medium Matte.

PRODUCTS USED:

  • Simon Says Stamp Bouquet of Thanks
  • Penny Black Sprinkles and Smiles
  • Canson XL Cold Press 140# Watercolor Paper
  • Gina K. Designs 120# White and Black Cardstock
  • VersaMark Onyx Black Ink
  • Hero Arts Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder
  • Marvy Embossing Heat Tool
  • Pretty Pink Posh Sugar Plum Mix
  • Tombo Mono Multi Glue
  • Sookwang Be Creative Tape.
  • Ranger Multi Medium Matte
  • Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle
  • Winsor & Newton Artist Grade Watercolors: Winsor Violet, Sap Green, Olive Green, Cerulean Blue, Turquoise Light

Flower Bouquet It’s Your Birthday: Treat Yourself

I love stamp sets that have a cluster of three flowers and leaves.  When I saw the new Clearly Besotted Happily Ever After stamp set I knew it would make beautiful cards.

I began by stamping the image on Canson XL 140# Cold Press Watercolor Paper with VersaMark Onyx Black Ink and then heat embossed it with the Marvy Embossing Heat Tool and Hero Arts Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder.  This makes watercoloring so easy since it creates little wells that will keep the watercolor contained into one area as you work.

To color the image I used Winsor & Newton Artist Grade Watercolors in Winsor Yellow, Winsor Orange, Winsor Red, Olive Green, and Permanent Sap Green, applied with a watercolor pen.  Once the watercoloring was dry I added shadows to the petals and leaves with Derwent Inktense Pencils 0210 Cadmium Yellow, 0250 Cadmium Orange, 0320 Scarlet Pink, 1560 Hooker’s Green, Cerulean Blue, Turquoise Light and blended them out with a Dove Blending Pen.

Using the MISTI I stamped the sentiment from Hero Arts Birthday Messages with VersaMark Onyx Black Ink and heat set it with the Hero Arts Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder.  The focal image was then run through the Big Shot with the largest Lawn Fawn Small Stitched Stackable Rectangle.  Gina K. Designs 120# Black Cardstock was cut 1/8” larger and adhered to the back using Tombo Mono Multi Glue and then to the card front with the same glue.

PRODUCTS USED:

  • Clearly Besotted Happily Ever After
  • Hero Arts Birthday Messages
  • Canson XL Cold Press 140# Watercolor Paper
  • Gina K. Designs 120# White and Black Cardstock
  • VersaMark Onyx Black Ink
  • Hero Arts Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder
  • Marvy Embossing Heat Tool
  • Tombo Mono Multi Glue
  • Ranger Multi Medium Matte
  • Lawn Fawn Small Stitched Stackable Rectangle
  • Winsor & Newton Artist Grade Watercolors: Winsor Yellow, Winsor Orange, Winsor Red, Olive Green, and Permanent Sap Green
  • Derwent Inktense Pencils: 0210 Cadmium Yellow, 0250 Cadmium Orange, 0320 Scarlet Pink, 1560 Hooker’s Green, Cerulean Blue, Turquoise Light
  • Dove Blending Pen

Happy Birthday to You

For this card a panel of Neena Solar White 80# Cardstock was ink blended using Distress Oxide Inks Fossilized Amber, Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean, and Peacock Feathers.  I used a Marvy Embossing Heat Tool to help the ink completely dry before attempting to add the white embossing powder.

I started by stamping the angled hash striped border to the bottom third of the card from Mama Elephant’s Basic Borders Stamp with Versa Mark Ink.  I then stamped the sentiment from Gina K. Designs Grand Greetings with VersaMark Ink and then heat set it with Gina K. Designs Detailed White Embossing Powder. I felt like there was too much space between the striped border and the sentiment, so I pulled out Simon Says Stamp’s Jumbo Stripes stamp set and used the three lines border stamp, stamping it with Versa Mark Ink just below the sentiment and again below the striped border with Versa Mark Ink and heat set it with the white embossing powder. I like this much better, but I felt there was too much empty space at the top of the card, so I pulled out the balloon from the Clearly Besotted It’s Your Birthday stamp set and stamped it three times in the upper right of the card with VersaMark Ink and heat set it with the white embossing powder and felt like it finished the card.

I really like how the white embossing stands out on the ink blended background.  I die cut the ink blended panel using a Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle.  Darice Sticky Back Foam was cut 1/8” smaller and adhered to the back.  A top folding A2 cardbase was made from Gina K. Designs 120# White Cardstock and the focal image panel was adhered to the front using Tombo Mono Multi Glue and the card was done.

PRODUCTS USED:

  • Distress Oxide: Fossilized Amber, Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers
  • Gina K. Designs Grand Greetings Stamp
  • Clearly Besotted It’s Your Birthday Stamp (Balloons)
  • Simon Says Stamp Jumbo Stripes Stamp
  • Mama Elephant Basic Borders Stamp
  • Gina K. Designs Detail White Embossing Powder
  • Neena Solar White 80# Cardstock
  • Gina K. Designs 120# White Cardstock
  • Darice Sticky Back Foam Sheet
  • Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles
  • Tombo Mono Multi Glue