In The Mood For Color

Today we are talking about color and the many moods and feelings that color can invoke. Welcome as we dive into color ideas and how to use them in your paper crafting. 

We are on my journey with the Altenew Educator Class a perfect opportunity for me to share with you some new ideas and techniques that hopefully will inspire you to use color in a whole new way.

Have you ever thought about color? We certainly think of certain colors associated with seasons and holidays. But how about the cards that we create? Do you consider the mood or feeling that you want to give the person receiving your card creation? Do you grab supplies, choose your own favorite colors or think about the person that you card is going to? 

We are showing you how you can change the mood of the card by simply changing the color. Color makes all the difference in the world when you are creating your designs. 

Color Guide

Choose a dominant color o evoke the emotion that you want your recipient to feel. Then choose two additional colors that match your dominant color. They could be in the same color families. Use black grey or white to bring harmony to your design.

Red-The color red is the color of love and passion. While we often think of using red at Christmas and Valentine's Day, it can c\also be a color of strength and warmth. You could use it on a card to give encouragement. Anniversaries are another great time to use a splash of red.  You could also use red when you have exciting news to share!

Orange is a color of happiness, energy, vitality, warmth, kindness, encouragement. and optimism. It is a wonderful color for cards like birthday cards. But it would also be good for encouragement cards and get-well cards too. Congrats cards are perfect for this hue. 
Yellow brings thoughts of cheerfulness, warmth.  joy, hope. Think about the baby cards in yellow, get-well cards, and birthday cards. Pick a bright shade of this color. Duller shades bring thoughts of sickness, so you may want to avoid them.
Green is the color of nature, soothing and calmness abundance, new beginnings, wealth Think of how often we use green leaves in our cards.
Blue denotes loyalty, honesty, reliability, wisdom, hope, peace, calmness. Incorporate blue into your cards but remember too much blue brings thoughts of coldness.
Purple reminds us of creativity, mystery, spirituality, noble. It is also the color of ambition and encouragement. So, use it to give someone the feeling that they can do anything they set their mind to.

Pink makes us think of femininity, romance, youthfulness, softness. compassion. It is used most often for cards that are for Mother's Day, birthdays and other cards where you need a touch of feminine softness,

Black: speaks of power, sophistication. Graduation cards often have some black in them to celebrate a special milestone. We also use black for sentiments that pop out of the design we create. 

White gives us the idea of simplicity, peace, modernity, innocence and honesty. We use a lot of white in our card bases. It is sometimes used as sentiments on a darker base. 

Gray shows sophistication. It adds some ambience to our designs.
Brown reminds is of strong, durable, honest, trustworthy. We often think if brown for masculine cards just for this reason.

Today we are featuring two cards that feature two of the colors. Our choice for coloring medium for these were colored pencils. Colored pencils are great to use with outline stamps. You can layer them easily. There is no fuss or mess. All you need in three colored pencils in the same color family, an eraser, and a pencil sharpener. 

Coloring Tips

1. Start by choosing three pencils in the same color family. You will want to have a light, medium and a dark.
2. Layer the lightest shade first. Then add your darkest tone where you want to see shadows. Finally go over each petal with the medium tone pencil.
3. Use the white pencil to add more light at the outermost portion of your image.
4. Keep adding layers of color until you are happy with the results.
5. You can always use a blending pencil or some gamsol to blend the color on your images.

Pink Thinking Of You Card

Altenew Peony Bouquet Stamp Set

Altenew Fancy Greetings Stamp Set

1 white colored pencil

Altenew Crisp Black Ink

Black marker

Fine Line Pen

White cardstock

Light pink cardstock

Medium pink cardstock

Double sided tape

PVA glue

Green gemstones

Misti stamping tool

Scoreboard

Paper Trimmer

Foam dots

1. Cut the card base to measure a base of 4 1/2 " by 51/2"
2. On white cardstock stamp 3 peonies with the outline stamp using the MISTI stamping tool with the black ink.
3. Stamp several different leaves with the black ink.
4. Stamp one bud with black ink
5. Color the peonies starting with your lightest colored pencil first.
6. Then use your darkest color to add shadows.
7. Use your medium pencil to blend them all in.
8. Now go over the layers until you are happy with the results.
9. Using the fine line pen, trace over the outline of your flowers
10. Fussy cut your flowers. .
11. Go over the edges of your flowers with a black marker.
12. Color the leaves using two shades of green colored pencils.
13. Fussy cut the leaves.
14. Glue the first flower to the base of the card.
15. Layer the other flowers with foam dots to create dimension.
16. Glue the leaves in place.
17. Stamp your sentiment with black ink.
18. Layer the pink papers with double sided tape and attach the sentiment to your card.
19. Attach the green gemstones to the card base.

Purple Encouragement Card

Altenew Peony Bouquet Stamp Set

Altenew Fancy Greetings Stamp

Altenew Crisp Black Ink

Altenew  Deep Iris Crisp Ink

3 purple-colored pencils

White colored pencil

2 green colored pencils

White cardstock

Light purple cardstock

Double sided tape

PVA glue

Clear white gemstones

Misti stamping tool

Scoreboard

Paper Trimmer

Foam dots

1. Cut the card base to measure 5" by 7"
2. On white cardstock stamp 3 peonies with the outline stamp using the MISTI stamping tool with the black ink.
3. Stamp several different leaves with the black ink.
4. Stamp one bud with black ink
5. Color the peonies starting with your lightest colored pencil first.
6. Then use your darkest color to add shadows.
7. Use your medium pencil to blend them all in.
8. Now go over the layers until you are happy with the results.
9. Using the fine line pen, trace over the outline of your flowers
10. Fussy cut your flowers. .
11. Go over the edges of your flowers with a black marker.
12. Color the leaves using two shades of green colored pencils.
13. Fussy cut the leaves.
14. Glue the first flower to the base of the card.
15. Layer the other flowers with foam dots to create dimension.
16. Glue the leaves in place.
17. Stamp your sentiment with black ink.
18. Layer the purple papers with double sided tape and attach the sentiment to your card.
19. Attach the clear gemstones to the card base.

We hope that you will take some time to consider color the next time you create a card design. Colored pencils are fun and easy to work with, so why not get yours out and create something special?

As always, thank you for following my journey and the tutorials created just for you. We always love hearing from you. So please leave a comment, a question or a thought. We appreciate everyone in our community!

Till next time, Happy Crafting!

Linda

Supplies Used

Do you need or want to find the products I used?  They are listed below (compensated affiliate links used at no cost to you). Thank you for your support.

 Impressive Layered Heat Embossing

Today we are talking about heat embossing but in a different way than you might think. Hello and welcome to my journey as I learn, grow and share new techniques and ideas from the Altenew Educator program. 

This technique would also be lovely to use on your scrapbook pages and journals.

Today instead of just standard heat embossing, we are talking about layered heat embossing. This technique while quite different is not difficult to master at all. The results can be very rewarding, and it gives you a new prospective on using your embossing powders and supplies. Let's get started. I am excited to share these projects with you today. 

The first thing that you need to consider is the stamp set and or die set that you may want to use. Any layered stamp set that you may have will work for this technique. For my project, I chose the Dahlia Blossom Stamp Set. I love the detail and the flowers in this set. It also comes with a sentiment that I find very useful. But feel free to mix your sentiments and stamp sets as inspiration guides you.

Blue Dahlia

Supplies

Altenew Dahlia Blossom Stamp Set

Rose gold ink

White cardstock

Blue cardstock

Green cardstock

Light blue embossing powder

Dark blue embossing powder

Gold embossing powder

Light green embossing powder

Dark green embossing powder

Versamark embossing ink

Embossing bag or cornstarch

Heat gun 

Altenew Gold Stripped Washi Tape

Misti Tool

Blue half beads

Double sided tape

Foam Dots

Bone folder

1.  Prepare a card base 5" by 7". Use a good cardstock at least 90-110 lb. Use a bone folder to make a crisp edge on your card.
2. Cut a piece of blue cardstock at 4 1/4" by 61/4" for your top layer.
3. Cut a piece of white cardstock at 4 1/2 " by 6 1/2" for your second layer.
4. Use a Stamping tool of your choice or acrylic blocks to stamp your layers to complete the flowers for your project. 
5. Use the stamp bag or use a paint brush to spread some powder before you stamp.
6. Stamp the bottom or base layer of your stamp set with the embossing ink.
7. Apply the lighter color of blue embossing powder to the flower.
8. Heat emboss the flower with the heat gun.
9. When the flower is cool and dry, use the bag and corn starch on the flower again.
10. Using the embossing ink, load the detail (second layer) stamp with ink.
11. Carefully lining up the stamp, stamp the second stamp layer over the first.
12. Apply the darker blue embossing powder and heat emboss the image.
13. Let that cool down and again apply the embossing bag or cornstarch to the project.
14. Use the outline stamp. Apply the embossing ink to it.
15. Stamp the project.
16. Apply the gold embossing powder to the flower and heat emboss it.
17. Continue to make as many flowers as you need. Three is usually a good number for any card.
18. Make the leaves using the same technique, The leaves have three layers also. So the technique is exactly the same.
19. Use the dies from the same design to die cut the flowers and the stamps. Or fussy cut them.
20. Use the gold lined washi tape to create the horizontal and vertical lines on the card.
21. Using double sided tape, apply the first flower flat at the left-hand corner where the washi tape bisects. just above it.
22. Using foam rectangles or dots, apply the other two flowers to create a bouquet.
23. Add the leaves flat and underneath the flowers. I added some other leaves that I had on hand to complete the look and add more dimension. I used PVA glue to adhere all the leaves.
24. Stamp the sentiment on white cardstock.
25. Layer two pieces of light and darker paper underneath with doubled sided tape.
26. Then add foam dots under the sentiment and apply it to the card.
27. Glue the half beads onto the card as shown.
28. Apply the layers to the card base with double sided tape.

Here are a few tips that will help you create your inspiration for this technique:

• Make sure to heat up your heat gun before you start heat embossing to get better results.
• Keep a small soft paint brush handy to wipe away any stray pieces of embossing powder before you heat emboss.
• If your stamp is not sticking to your platform or acrylic block, take a moment to wash and dry it off. It may have gotten some embossing powder on it.
• Use various ink colors with clear embossing powder if you do not have needed embossing powder color.
• You can make the same type of flowers from vellum.
• Experiment with different embossing powders
• Use various ink colors with clear embossing powder if you do not have needed embossing powder color.
• You can just emboss one layer if you want rather than layering all layers.

Orange Blue Dahlia

We used two three colors in this card to make a colorful encouragement card. This is a great card for those who are facing challenges in their lives.

Supplies

Altenew Dahlia Blossom Stamp Set

Rose gold ink

White cardstock

Green cardstock

Orange textured cardstock

Light blue embossing powder

Dark blue embossing powder

Light pink embossing powder

Dark pink embossing powder

Gold embossing powder

Embossing bag or cornstarch

Heat gun 

Altenw gold dotted washi tape

Misti Tool

Blue half beads

Heart half beads

Double sided tape

Foam Dots

Bone folder

1. Prepare a card base 5" by 7". Use a good cardstock at least 90-110 lb. Use a bone folder to make a crisp edge on your card.
2. Cut a piece of orange textured cardstock at 4 1/4" by 61/4" for your top layer.
3. Cut a piece of white cardstock at 4 1/2 " by 6 1/2" for your second layer.
4. Use a Stamping tool of your choice or acrylic blocks to stamp your layers to complete the flowers for your project. 
5. Use the stamp bag or use a paint brush to spread some powder before you stamp.
6. Stamp the bottom or base layer of your stamp set with the embossing ink.
7. Apply the lighter color of blue embossing powder to the flower.
8. Heat emboss the flower with the heat gun.
9. When the flower is cool and dry, use the bag and corn starch on the flower again.
10. Using the embossing ink, load the detail (second layer) stamp with ink.
11. Carefully lining up the stamp, stamp the second stamp layer over the first.
12. Apply the darker blue embossing powder and heat emboss the image.
13. Let that cool down and again apply the embossing bag or cornstarch to the project.
14. Use the outline stamp. Apply the embossing ink to it.
15. Stamp the project.
16. Apply the gold embossing powder to the flower and heat emboss it.
17. Repeat the process using the ink embossing powder to create one flower.
18. Continue to make as many flowers as you need. Three is usually a good number for any card.
19. Make the leaves using the same technique, The leaves have three layers also. So the technique is exactly the same.
20. Use the dies from the same design to die cut the flowers and the stamps. Or fussy cut them.
21. Use the gold lined washi tape to create the horizontal and vertical lines on the card.
22. Using double sided tape, apply the first flower flat at the left-hand corner where the washi tape bisects. just above it.
23. Using foam rectangles or dots, apply the other two flowers to create a bouquet.
24. I cut the leaves on my Cricut machines. You could also use dies. Crinkle the leaves with your fingers to add some dimension.
25. Add the leaves flat and underneath the flowers. I added some other leaves that I had on hand to complete the look and add more dimension. I used PVA glue to adhere all the leaves.
26. Stamp the sentiment on white cardstock.
27. Layer two pieces of light and darker paper underneath with doubled sided tape.
28. Then add foam dots under the sentiment and apply it to the card.
29. Glue the half beads onto the card as shown.
30. Apply the layers to the card base with double sided tape.

Wow that was a lot of tutorials for sure. But once you get the idea in your mind the flowers and other stamped images that you heat emboss layers will come easy, I think the result speak for themselves!

Thank you for following my journey! You can't imagine how much I value your visit today. We always love hearing from you. Please leave a comment, suggestion or idea below. 

Want to find the products that I used for these cards? They are listed below. (compensated affiliate links used at no extra cost to you) Thank you for your support.

Till next time, Happy Crafting!

Linda

Project Supply List

 Art Journal Backgrounds

Let's explore ideas for creating art journal pages.

Art Journal Backgrounds

Every art journal page starts with a background. You can plan the colors and designs that you want to use or design as you go. There are so many mediums that you can use. 

• Acrylic paints
• Watercolors
• Distress inks
• Distress crayons
• Gelatos

Other Materials For Art Journal Backgrounds

There is an abundance of materials all around you to create backgrounds on your art journal pages

• Tissue paper
• Paper towels
• Lint softener sheets
• Pages from books
• Coffee filters
• Tea bag paper
• Paper scraps

Start With A Gesso Base

But before you start on your actual page design, you want to consider adding gesso to your pages. Think of gesso as a primer that also strengthens the pages in your journal. You can use a clear, black or white gesso to prime your pages. Using a foam brush will create an even base. You can also apply the gesso with a brayer. 

You can use any paintbrush that you may have. With a thicker gesso you can add texture. Use different tools like a comb, a knife, a anything that you can think of to create a bit of texture on your page.

Make sure to wash any tools that you use right away so that the gesso does not have a chance to dry. You can also keep a basin of warm water nearby to throw your tools into.

Let the gesso air dry whenever possible before you start adding any more to your page.

Make sure to use some newspaper, parchment paper, waxed paper, or a craft mat on your surface before starting your page.

Simple Way To Create An Art Journal Background

The simplest way to create an art journal background is to simply cover it with color. You can use one color; you can use two or three colors. If you are doing a two-page layout, you can do on a page in one color and the other page in a different color. Remember, it is your art, your way! So, feel free to experiment with color as your mood and spirit directs you. Make sure to use a gesso base when you are adding wet media. 

• Cover the page with any type of paint: acrylic paint, crayon, sprays, watercolors, colored pencils, inks or sprays.
• Create a mix of a few colors to cover the page: you can apply them in stripes, circles, blobs or any other combination.
• Use watercolors to create a background for your art journal. Do not water the color down too much. Mix colors or create abstract shapes. 

Add More Elements To Your Page

Spray Inks

Get out your spray inks and have fun mixing colors. Go with one color or go crazy with colors. Just have fun.

Spray Wash

• Spray a small amount of one or two inks onto a palette or plastic plate.
• Lightly mist a piece of watercolor paper with water.
• Use a flat, moistened brush to apply a thin layer (wash) of the first color onto the paper.
• Clean brush in fresh water and apply another thin layer of the second color, blending them where they meet.

Ink Splatters

• Spray a small amount of one or two inks onto a palette or plastic plate.
• Lightly mist a piece of watercolor paper with water.
• Use a flat, moistened brush to apply a thin layer (wash) of the first color onto the paper.
• Clean brush in fresh water and apply another thin layer of the second color, blending them where they meet.
• Blot the ink splatters with a paper towel and allow to dry.

 

Used Paper Towel Technique

If you keep paper towel in your craft space and use them to wipe up inks and pants. you can use them to create a background for your journal page. After you use the paper towel, just set them aside flat. Keep using them until you are satisfied that you have enough media on them. When you have enough. Cut them or rip them. Then use Mod Podge or decoupage medium to adhere them to your paper.

Coffee Filter Technique

Coffee filters come in different sizes and shapes. The best thing is that you can come by them so reasonably. Once you have them there are many supplies that you can use to color them and apply them to your pages. You need a good-sized area where the media that you use will not get all over the place. One idea is to use a cardboard box to spray and apply media. You can also work outdoors when there is no wind. Once you get them colored, you can collage them onto a page as a background.

1. Watercolors-You can use watercolors, but don't use too much water or the coffee filters will break down.
2. Alcohol Inks-You can use alcohol inks sprays and reinkers to add color to your coffee filters.
3. Distress Inks-Place some distress inks on a silicone mat or a glass mat. Spray with some water. Then press the coffee filters into the color.
4. Coffee Or Tea Wash-If you want an aged look make some strong coffee or tea and let the solution cool a bit, Dip the filters into the solution. The amount of color that you get will depend how long you leave the filters in the solution.

Acrylic Paint Ideas

Make sure to do a layer of gesso before starting with any acrylics.

1.Mixing Acrylic Paint With Baby Powder

As you work in your art journal you will want to use more creative approaches to your pages. Challenging yourself with new techniques is a great way to explore new options in your art.

Have you ever considered mixing other things with your acrylic paints to get a different effect?'

 Add a fair amount the acrylic paint with a bit of water in order to thicken up the paint.  

You could also do a similar technique by mixing it with a thicker matte medium or heavy matte medium.  It's a great way of thickening up your paint and really giving the page texture.

2. Acrylic Paint Blobs

Use your finger or a brush to create some random blobs. One the first color has dried, add more blobs in a second color.

3. Messy Brush Strokes

Just paint some messy brush strokes in different directions with two to three different colors. Let each color dry before adding another. You can use the same sized brush or mix up different sizes. 

4. Just Drip Some Acrylic Paint 

Drop some paint on your page and let it drip down the page. Do this over some newspaper or a waste basket to catch what drips off the page. Can be done with slightly watered-down paint too. 

Use one color or several. Great technique over a solid color background.

5. Splatter Some Paint

Splattering paint is lots of fun. I prefer to use darker colors on top of lighter colors and lighter on darker colors. White is very effective on really dark colors.

Use a paint brush or an old toothbrush. Load with paint and hit the brush with your hand over the page. The closer to the page you go the larger your splatter will be.

Use this technique before you add any magazine images or any stenciling unless you are ok with splatters on those too.

Watercolor Background Ideas

Watercolor Wash

Wet the page with plain water, then load your paintbrush with color and run it over the paper. You can use one color or make stripes any direction you choose.

Adding Salt To Watercolors

​​Take a small handful of ordinary salt and add it to the watercolor.  This will create texture to the page as it reacts in the water. It is a good idea at this point to either speed up the drying with a heat tool or hairdryer or wait an hour for it to dry.

Watercolor Blooms

Normally when we use watercolors, we try to avoid allowing the watercolors to mix into each other. Wee, in this technique, that is exactly what you want! 

You can do this with the same color families or contrasting colors. Go where your imagination takes you. One thing to remember the wetter the color, the more muted the tone will be. But also, the wetter the color the better the colors will run into each other. 

You can also paint in one color and let the page dry. Then drop water droplets on it and watch what happens.

Create A Background Page With Recycled Materials

It is easy to create background pages with materials that you use every day in your home. Be creative and save your craft budget by using what you have.

On this page, I started by mixing inks on the page after I had covered the page with a gesso base. Once the gesso had dried, I inked and blended some distress inks. Then I took some used drier softener sheets to add some layers to the pages.

I used Mod Podge to adhere the drier sheets to add some dimension. Then I added the same color inks on top of the drier sheets once they are dry. I had some bits and pieces from my junk journal stash that I wanted to use,

I am still thinking of adding a few more things, so the page may not be completely finished.

More Art Journal Background Ideas

25 Ideas For Art Journal Pages

How To Add Watercolors To An Art Journal Page

Have we inspired you to create more art journal pages?

 Creative Watercolor Media

Today's tutorial is all about being creative with media that you might not think about using to create colorful and exciting greeting cards. Once again, welcome to my journey as I move through the Altenew Educator classes. I love sharing my journey with you. That was the purpose of my going through this program. I wanted to be able to share new techniques and ideas with the community. 

The media that I am sharing today is the Altenew reinkers. Have you ever thought about using reinkers as a color medium? Any reinkers are good for this technique. But for me, I have found that the Altenew reinkers have the most vibrant color options. All you will need are some reinkers, some paint brushes and some watercolor paper. 

These cards use heat embossing to create a "cradle" or outline that allow you to use reinkers as watercolor mediums. You will want to use a good smooth watercolor paper to get the best results. 

You will want to have a "well" to color in, so each of these projects used stamps that were het embossed onto smooth watercolor paper. 

Let's get started with our first card as seen above. 

Yellow Thank You Card

Beautiful Day Stamp Set

Honey Drizzle Reinker

Snapdragon Reinker

Frayed Leaf Reinker

Forest Glade Reinker

Plastic Paint Palette

Two Container filled with water

Versamark Ink Pad

Gold Stickles

White or Clear Embossing Powder

Embossing Bag

Smooth Watercolor Paper

Embossing Folder

Colored Cardstock

White Cardstock

Scoreboard

Bone Folder

Sequins

Heat Gun

Thick PVA Glue

Double sided Tape

1. Cut the white cardstock into the size of the card base that you would like to create. This card used a piece of white cardstock (110lb) that was 6" by 9".
2. Score the cardstock at the half mark on the scoreboard with the bone folder. Fold the card and set aside.
3. Cut the watercolor panel into the size that you need. 3 3/4 " by 5 inches.
4. Use the embossing bag or cornstarch over the watercolor paper to make sure that no stray pieces of embossing powder get on the design.
5. Stamp the design using the Versamark ink. You can use an acrylic block or a stamping tool, like the MISTI. 
6. Cover with embossing powder. Tap the powder off. Check for any loose pieces of embossing powder. Remove any stray embossing powder with a soft, clean paint brush.
7. Heat the heat gun before using for a minute or two. Then heat the design until all of the embossing powder is melted. Let the design cool for a minute.
8. Tape the watercolor design with low tack tape. That way there will be no warping of the paper,
9. Drop a single drop of reinker into the well of the plastic palette.
10. Take one petal of the flower and wet it with clean water using a paint brush. You need to just wet the petal, but not saturate it. 
11. Touch the brush to the ink and allow the ink to flow into the water.
12. Do petals some distance from each other so that the ink and water does not flow into other sections of the design.
13. Once all the petals are colored and dried, to the shadow areas either with a darker color in the same color family or a darker color.
14. Add color to any leaves in your design. 
15. Use the embossing folder and your embossing machine to create an embossed layer. The layer for this card was 4 1/2" by 6". 
16. The second layer was 4" by 5 1/4".
17. Create a sentiment with a stamp.
18. Layer the sentiment with the same color as your card.
19. Assemble the card. Take your design layer and adhere that to the colored cardstock layer with double sided tape. Take the layer you created and adhere that to the embossed layer. Then adhere the three layers to the card base using foam tape.
20. Finally, adhere the sentiment to the colored cardstock. Adhere that to the center of the card using foam tape, Glue sequins on and you are done.

Simple Yellow Birthday Card

                                                                                         

t

Beautiful Day Stamp Set

Honey Drizzle Reinker

Snapdragon Reinker

Frayed Leaf Reinker

Forest Glade Reinker

Plastic Paint Palette

Two Container filled with water

Versamark Ink Pad

Gold Stickles

White or Clear Embossing Powder

Embossing Bag

Smooth Watercolor Paper

Embossing Folder

Colored Cardstock

White Cardstock

Scoreboard

Bone Folder

Sequins

Heat Gun

Thick PVA Glue

Double sided Tape

This card features the same design as the card above. Instead of multiple stamping, it features a single flower and a few stamped leaves. 

1. Cut the white cardstock into the size of the card base that you would like to create. This card used a piece of white cardstock (110lb) that was 5 1/2" by 9"
2. Score the cardstock at the half mark on the scoreboard with the bone folder. Fold the card and set aside.
3. Cut the watercolor panel into the size that you need 3 3/4" by 4"
4. Use the embossing bag or cornstarch over the watercolor paper to make sure that no stray pieces of embossing powder get on the design.
5. Stamp the design using the Versamark ink. You can use an acrylic block or a stamping tool, like the MISTI. 
6. Cover with embossing powder. Tap the powder off. Check for any loose pieces of embossing powder. Remove any stray embossing powder with a soft, clean paint brush.
7. Heat the heat gun before using for a minute or two. Then heat the design until all of the embossing powder is melted. Let the design cool for a minute.
8. Tape the watercolor design with low tack tape. That way there will be no warping of the paper,
9. Drop a single drop of reinker into the well of the plastic palette.
10. Take one petal of the flower and wet it with clean water using a paint brush. You need to just wet the petal, but not saturate it. 
11. Touch the brush to the ink and allow the ink to flow into the water.
12. Do petals some distance from each other so that the ink and water does not flow into other sections of the design.
13. Once all the petals are colored and dried, to the shadow areas either with a darker color in the same color family or a darker color.
14. Add color to any leaves in your design. 
15. Use the embossing folder and your embossing machine to create an embossed layer. The layer for this card was 3 3/4" by 4 7/16"
16. The second layer was 4 1/4" by 5 1/4"
17. Create a sentiment with a stamp.
18. Layer the sentiment with the same color as your card.
19. Assemble the card. Take your design layer and adhere that to the embossed layer with double sided tape. Adhere the two layers to the cardstock base and adhere them to the plain cardstock base. Then adhere all the layers to the base with foam tape. 
20. Finally, adhere the sentiment to the colored cardstock. Adhere that to the bottom right of the card using foam tape, Glue sequins on and you are done.

Project Tips

• Do not over water your projects. It only takes a little water to get the required results.
• Use only a drop of reinker or less. It just takes a little bit on the tip of your brush to get the color to spread on the design.
• Let the different areas dry so that you do not get bleeding.
• Add shading on your design to create more dimension

You can use this technique with any stamp set that you may have. Layered stamp sets work best because they have very detailed outline stamps. But I encourage you to try any outline stamp you have. Enjoy the process and experiment with different types of outline stamps.

Want to find the products that I used? They are listed below for your convenience. (Compensated affiliate links at no extra cost to you). Thank you for your support!

I hope that you will give this technique a try. It is so much fun, and the results are really amazing! You can combine all kinds of different colors and designs to create you unique and wonderful project.

Thank you for stopping by. Please leave a comment. We always love hearing from you!

Till next time, Happy Crafting!

Linda

t.

 Color Your Day

Today we are all about color! There are so many ways for you to add color to your greeting cards (and all of your other paper crafts too.)  Between inks, watercolors, colored pencils and markers. The choices are endless.

Welcome to my journey in the Altenew Educator Class. I am so glad that you stopped by today. We are focusing on using watercolors to add color to some embossed flowers to add that custom bit of color to your cards. We will focus on a technique that I used with different colors that you can apply to so many of your own projects. Then we will give you some ideas on how you can apply them to different designs. I used a watercolor pan set, but you could apply the same ideas for any watercolors, watercolor markers or even watercolor pencils.

Basic Watercolor Technique

Let's get started with the basic technique. There are only a few basic supplies that you probably have in your stash.

Supplies

• Thank You 2022 stamp set (was a gift-not available)
• Fancy Greetings stamp set
• Geometric Elements stamp set
• Acrylic blocks or a stamp positioner
• Watercolor paper
• Cardstock 
• Pan watercolors or any watercolors that you have
• Plastic watercolor palette
• Small detail watercolor brushes
• Water
• Versamark embossing ink
• Embossing bag
• White embossing powder
• Heat gun
• Altenew permanent crisp black ink
• Gold metallic marker
• Gold Stickles 
• Double sided tape
• Foam tape
• Foam Dots
• Washi tape
• Gems

1. Cut pieces of watercolor paper in a size appropriate for your card and the stamp set that you plan to use. 
2. Go over the watercolor paper with the embossing bag.
3. Stamp the stamp aet with the Versamark ink on the watercolor paper.
4. Cover with the white embossing powder.
5. Tap the excess embossing powder off.
6. Heat the embossing powder with the heat gun till all the powder has been completely heated.
7. Let it cool.
8. Choose two or three watercolors for your flowers.
9. Place some watercolor in the palette.
10. Color the flower with a base color.
11. Add some darker color to shadow your flowers.
12. Set flowers aside to dry.
13. You can cut the flowers apart or use the background behind the flowers.
14. You can add a wash to the background. 
15. Add some splatters if desired. 
16. Cut the card base.
17. Cut any layers if you want extra dimension.
18. Add some washi tape before the final layer is on.
19. Use double sided tape to adhere the layers.
20. Use foam tape where you want to add additional dimension.
21. Stamp your sentiment in permanent black ink.
22. Layer cardstock on the sentiment following the same color pattern.
23. Add the sentiment to the card with double sided tape or foam dots.
24. Add any sequins or gems to the card.

Blue And Orange Floral

Top Layer-4 2/8" x 6" 

Second Layer-4.5 " x 6 2/8"

Card Base-4 6/8"x 6 3/4 " base

Blue, orange and green watercolors used.

Navy and light blue cardstock

"Sending Hugs" from Fancy Greetings stamp set.

Gold Metallic Marker on stems

Gold Stickles on tups of stems

Green greenery used behind the flowers.

Light green gems used.

Tips: 

Layer the flowers to create bouquet.

Use blue washi tape around the two top layers.

Use foam dots to layer sentiment.

Purple And Blue Thank You Card

Top Layer-4" x 4.5"

Second Layer-4.5" x 5"

Third Layer-5"x 5 4/8"

Fourth Layer-5 2/4" x5 7/8"

Base-5 5/8" x 6"

Purple colors on the flowers used.

Blue used for wash background.

Light blue and white cardstock used.

Gold metallic markers used for the stems.

Gold Stickles used for the stem tips.

" Thank You" sentiment from Geometric Elements 

Tips

Blue wash used behind flowers.

More Colorful Tips

• Only use a few colors at a time. 
• Use a color wheel to discover coordinating and contrasting colors.
• When stamping on colored cardstock test your colors on a scrap piece first as the ink color may be affected by the cardstock.
• Play with color by using your ink pads to find out what you like.

Want to find the products that I used? They are listed below (compensated affiliate links used at no cost to you). Thank you for your support.

I hope that these projects have inspired you to get out your watercolors or other color media to create some colorful projects. As always, we appreciate your comments, thoughts and ideas. Please take a moment to share your thoughts.

Thank you for your visit today. We hope to see you again soon. Please take a moment to follow us so that you do not miss a thing!

Best Regards, Happy Crafting!

Linda

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 Beyond Basic Backgrounds

Today we are exploring back grounds for greeting cards using stamps and coordinating dies with embossing powders to create a totally different look. Welcome to another community tutorial as I take my journey through the Altenew Educator Class. I have to say that I love the soft look of these greeting cards. 

For this technique you will need a stamp set with the coordinating dies. You will actually create a stencil using the dies for the image that you are using on your background. To create this stencil, you will want to use a heavy white cardstock, at least 90 Lbs. or more. That way, you will be able to use the stencil again. You also will want to make the stencil a bit larger than the actual card base. Overlapping will give you the best results.

Creating The Stencil

Supplies

• White cardstock at least 90 lbs. in weight
• Coordinating die for the stamp you are using
• Low tack tape
• Die cutting machine and plates

1. Cut the piece of cardstock slightly bigger than the card base you will be using
2. Use the die on the paper and make multiple cuts to create a pattern non your stencil
3. Make sure to overlap some die cuts off the edge on your pattern

Pink Flower Card

I really like the softness of this card. It could be used in so many ways. It could be a Mother's Day card, a wedding card or even a baby card. It also works as a birthday card. All you have to do is change the

sentiment. You could use a single color for your images or use more than one color to add more dimension and interest.

Supplies

• White Card Base
• Frosty Pink Crisp Dye Ink
• Pink Pearl Crisp Dye Ink
• Firefly Crisp Dye Ink
• Altenew Fancy Greeting Stamp Set
• Altenew Painted Flower Stamp Set
• Altenew Painted Flower Die Set
• White Embossing Powder
• Versamark Ink
• Heat gun
• Embossing Bag
• Acrylic Block
• Small Blending Brushes

1. Cut the card base to the size needed for your card.
2. Use a score board and a bone folder to create the crease
3. Fold and then go over the crease with the bone folder
4. Use the embossing bag over the entire card front
5. Place the stencil over the card front and secure with low tack tape. Make sure to tape down all the edges including those that have gone over the side of the stencil. 
6. Use the blending brushes to add color to the die cuts on your stencils. If you are using multiple colors, stay in the same color family for the best results. Apply the lightest color first. , then the darker color. Then reapply the lightest color to get the best blend. 
7. Remove the stencil and set it aside. Let the ink dry
8. Place a piece of scrap paper larger than your card front behind it to prevent any embossing powder getting on the inside of your card.
9. Place your coordinating stamp on the acrylic block. Using a block with guidelines makes the process easier
10. Use the embossing bag over the entire card to p[revent any stray flakes of embossing powder to spoil your design.
11. Ink up your stamp with the Versa mark ink Make sure that you get enough ink on the stamp
12. Stamp two of the images with the ink
13. Apply the white embossing powder and heat it with your heat gun
14. Keep embossing two images at a time till all of the images are embossed
15. Set aside to dry for a few minutes
16. Create your sentiment. For this card I created a sentiment that was embossed to continue the design.

Blue Thank You Card

Flowers can be used for masculine and feminine cards as well. I would have no problem sending this card to a guy. I love this color. It is one of the new colors in the Altenew It is called Alpine Aster Fresh Dye Ink. In this case, I followed the same process. The only difference is that I used a single-color ink. 

Supplies

White Card Base

Blue Cardstock

Blue Metallic Paper

Alpine Aster Fresh Die Ink

Altenew Painted Flower Stamp Set

Altenew Painted Flower Die Set

Sentiment From Geometric Stamp Set

White Embossing Powder

Embossing Bag

                                                                           Heat Gun

                                                                           Fabric Washi Tape

                                                                           Double Sided Tape/Foam Tape

1. Cut the card base to the size needed. This base was 4.5 inches by 5.5 inches
2. The darker blue piece was cut 1/4 inch less than the base
3. The metallic sheet was cut at 4 1/4 by 4 11/12inches
4. The design piece was cut at 
5. 3 3/4 and 4 1/4 inches
6. Follow the same procedure as above in the pink card to emboss the deign piece
7. Apply the fabric washi tape the deign piece. Wrap it around the back and make sure that it is secure.
8. Stamp the sentiment. For this card, I used the same ink as my design. Add the sentiment to the card
9. Using double sided tape, tape the dark blue piece and the metallic piece to the card
10. Using foam tape apply the design piece to the top of the base
11. Apply gems to the card

So, there are two ways to use this lovely embossing technique on your next project. Think about using this technique to create a tag, a belly band or on a scrapbook page too. 

 Thank you for stopping by! We appreciate you and thank you for your time.

We hope that you have been inspired to give it a go. We would love to hear your thoughts, ideas and comments as always. 

Till next time. Happy Crafting!

Linda

Want to find the products that I used? They are listed below (Compensated affiliate links used at no cost to you). Thank you for your support. I was not paid to do this post. All products were purchased by me. These are the products I use and enjoy. Click on the icons to view them.