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Shaving Cream & Watercolor techniques with tips for success

This week I'm sharing the swap cards my Flowerbug's Team made for our March card swap. The theme was to use a technique featuring ink refills. 

Each one is fabulous!

March team swaps all Save

This first card was created by Paula who used the shaving cream technique.  It looks a little bit like tie dye!  

March Paula shaving cream Save

Tips on the Shaving Cream technique.  It's fun but a bit messy. 

  1. Fill a container with about an inch of shaving cream. Your container should be large enough to fit the card stock you're coloring. *tip; cheap shaving cream works just fine! 
  2. Smooth out the cream.  Add drops of your ink colors onto the cream. Take a knife and swirl the ink into the cream. Don't do this too much or you'll make 'muddy' colors.  
  3. Lay your card stock onto the swirled cream and press lightly. Use gloves if you don't want inky fingers.  
  4. Remover your card stock and wipe off the excess cream. Set aside to dry.  
  5. You can use regular card stock or glossy if you have it. 

She used Orchid Oasis, Parakeet Party & Tahitian Tide inks and regular Basic White card stock. 

She even die-cut a few corner elements for the inside of her card. These dies are from the Fabulous Frames dies seen here

March Paula shaving cream Save

Next is a pretty card made by Ginny using the Best Day stamp set seen here.  She cased a card from the Jan-June catalog.  Check out the sample on page 67.  This is a great reminder that there are wonderful ideas in our catalogs! 

March Paula shaving cream Save

She stamped the image on watercolor paper and colored it using our Water painters.  I believe her colors include Calypso Coral, Pool Party & Daffodil Delight.  

Here are a few helpful tips for successful water-coloring.

  • Wet your paper before you add color. Watercolor paper is THE BEST for smooth blending. 
  • First wet only the area you want colored; blue for example. Then dip your brush in ink you've added to a block or other slick surface.
  • I either press my ink pad onto a clear block or add ink drops to the block or a paper plate. 
  • Saturate your wet brush in the ink and paint color onto the previously wet area. 
  • Let dry before adding another color that touches it or they'll bleed together.  

More techniques coming tomorrow!  Stop back in. 

~~~

March Specials:

See the new Online Exclusives here! 

*current host code: BFE4C2KM

Get a free class kit with online orders over $55 when using the host code above!

Pomegranate kit Save

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  • The Sending Smiles bundle is so versatile! Check out these two projects.

    Last week I shared three projects with the Sending Smiles bundle seen here.  I think it's one of the best choices in the new Annual Catalog by Stampin' Up!  

    I also wanted to use the Pretty Prints designer paper and chose the Bermuda Bay sheet in the package.  I also wanted to use one of the new In Colors and settled on Sweet Sorbet. 

    Sending Smiles diagonal sketch Save

    Next I had to choose a coordinating color to soften these two vibrant colors and settled on Blushing Bride.  I was so surprised how well these colors combined!  

    The next thing that inspired this layout was a card sketch we have been working on in my Flowerbug's Team group.  As you can see I changed the main image to be on the angle.  

    Sketch 35 Save

    Sketches are one of my favorite ways to get inspiration on card layouts. 

    Measurements:

    • Card base 5 1/2" X 8 1/2" scored at 4 1/4"
    • DSP 4" square
    • White 2 3/4" square
    • Sweet Sorbet 2 7/8" square
    • Glimmer paper strip 3/8" X 4 1/4"  

    Can you see that the flowers are darker in the center and lighter on the outer petals?  I inked the flowers in Sweet Sorbet ink and stamped off once.  Then I used a sponge dauber to add more Sweet Sorbet ink to just the center.  You can see this technique in the video here.  

    Sending Smiles diagonal sketch Save

    This next card was a make & take at my New Catalog Launch party a few weeks ago.  I wanted to have a cute but easy card they could make featuring our new In Colors.  

    Sending Smiles diagonal sketch Save

    They were able to stamp the flowers easily and perfectly with the Stamparatus. You can see how it's done in the video below.  

    SENDING SMILES BUNDLE (ENGLISH) Save

    One of my favorite thing about this bundle is how versatile the greetings are; so many possibilites! 

    Measurements:

    • Card base 5 1/2" X 8 1/2" scored at 2 1/8" & 4 1/4" 
    • White layers are 3 3/4" X 5"
    • Starry Sky is 3 7/8" X 5 1/8" 

    And here's the video; click on the photo below to watch these two cards and one other too. 

    ~~~

    Get a bunch of NEW In Color products FREE in your Starter Kit! 

    It's $99 for $213 in products!!!  And Free Shipping! Click here. 

    2022-24 join promotion Save

    Host codes: HUNR9DB6

     *click here to order 

    If your order is over $50 you'll receive a set of NEW embellishments from me.

    FUN FLOWERS RESIN SHAPES Save

    Don't forget about my loyalty rewards! 

    Click here to download yours and earn a $50 shopping spree!  

    Designer Paper Share May 22 Save

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    It's $26 plus shipping

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  • Clean & Simple Blog Hop; Pretty Pop-Up dies

    Welcome to the Control Freak's May blog hop!  The theme is Clean & Simple projects. 

    Control freak welcome Save

    You may have just arrived or hopped over from Wendy's blog.  I'm sure you loved her unique projects. 

    For some reason when I think of clean & simple I lean towards mostly white projects.  I've been wanting to play with my new Pretty Pop-Up dies so here is what I came up with for my first project: 

    Pretty pop up card Save

    It's almost all white; just a few accents of Balmy Blue & Petal Pink.  These Pretty Pop-Up dies do not cut all of the way through; they provide detailed texture and a 'peak' behind the die-cuts.  

    I added a bit of color to some of the flowers and butterflies with Balmy Blue & Petal Pink light blends markers.  To get them to pop up a bit I pushed each die-cut outward with my Take Your Pick tool.  I adhered this 4" X 5 1/4" piece to a smaller piece of Balmy Blue card stock using mini dimensionals.  

    Pretty pop up card Save

    The greeting is from the Nature's Thoughts stamp set and on a die-cut from the Natural Prints dies.  I added a 1/4" strip behind this to bring in a bit of Balmy Blue. This card might not be considered true clean & simple but it does only have a few layers!  Ha!

    I stuck with the Balmy Blue & White them for my second card but added a bit of Gray Granite with the Abigail Rose designer paper. 

    I used the smaller oval die for this card and used one of the single dies for the White butterfly.  

    Pretty pop up card Save

    The greeting is stamped on a circle die from the Picture This dies and is from the Nature's Thoughts stamp set as well. There is a piece of Vellum card stock behind the Balmy Blue layer. 

    You can see some of the dies I used in the photo below: 

    Pretty Pop up cards. Save

    Thank you so much for stopping in today; I hope you enjoyed seeing these Pretty Pop-Up die projects!  

    I hope you'll stick with the 'hop' to see all of the projects!  Click here to see Melissa's projects or on the icon below.  

    Control freak click Save

    ~~~

    Get a bunch of NEW In Color products FREE in your Starter Kit! 

    It's $99 for $213 in products!!!  And Free Shipping! Click here. 

    May-LG Free-Starter-Kit-Products Save

    Host codes: HUNR9DB6

     *click here to order 

    If your order is over $50 you'll receive a set of NEW embellishments from me.

    FUN FLOWERS RESIN SHAPES Save

    Don't forget about my loyalty rewards! 

    Click here to download yours and earn a $50 shopping spree!  

    Designer Paper Share May 22 Save

    Opt in for my New Catalog Designer Paper Share

    It's $26 plus shipping

     

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  • Sending Smiles card; a fabulous & versatile bundle with video

    I made a bunch of these cards for a swap in April and also demonstrated it on FB Live last Tuesday here.  

    I LOVE the colors of Parakeet Party & Orchid Oasis together.  This new lime color of Parakeet Party brightens up our color line and it works with blues & purples beautifully! 

    Sending Smiles FB Live & swap Save

    The Sending Smiles bundle seen here is wonderful and was #1 on my list of 'must have's'.

    I made three projects on last week's Facebook Live using this fabulous bundle.  See it here. 

    SENDING SMILES BUNDLE (ENGLISH) Save

    I love the fact that they provided two sizes of the die-cut 'Sending'.  The larger one fits under the finer die-cut like seen on the card below.  But it also fits the stamped greeting image too.  So smart!  

    You can create a variety of flowers with this bundle as you can see.  This flower can be falling like wisteria or growing up like these here; they remind me of grape hyacinth.  

    Sending Smiles FB Live & swap Save

    Click here or on the photo below to watch the video for this card and TWO MORE as well. 

    ~~~

    Get a bunch of NEW In Color products FREE in your Starter Kit! 

    It's $99 for $213 in products!!!  And Free Shipping! Click here. 

    2022-24 join promotion Save

    Host codes: HUNR9DB6

     *click here to order 

    If your order is over $50 you'll receive a set of NEW embellishments from me.

    FUN FLOWERS RESIN SHAPES Save

    Don't forget about my loyalty rewards! 

    Click here to download yours and earn a $50 shopping spree!  

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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