/


Latest Post

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!

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

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

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! 

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!

Earn free products with my loyalty rewards! 

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

All Posts

  • Gorgeous Rocker cards with a video tutorial & free project sheet!


    Here's another special card I shared on last week's Live video. It's called a 'rocker card'. 

    The pretty roses are from the Softly Stippled designer series paper – seen here in our Sale-a-Bration catalog. I fussy cut the roses on the upper circles and colored them with Pool Party ink and a Wink of Stella. I love coloring with my Wink of Stella as it adds a beautiful shimmer. Watch the video below to see how. 

    It's made with our Deckled Circle dies seen here. There are a ton of them in the set – 14 sizes! They carried over from our Holiday catalog and can be seen online. 

    For the card base I used the second from the largest die; it's almost 5 1/2" wide. Once you cut it, score it in half at 2 3/4". 

    Of course you'll use the next size down for the front half layer and the inside. 

    Click on this link to download the free project sheet. Download Softly Stippled Rocker cards

    I post at least two of these free tutorials each week!  I hope you'll subscribe to my blog. Go to the right side and click on 'get email updates'.  Then you won't miss a thing! 

    The second sample was made with Calypso Coral & Pebbled Path. It seems like Pebbled Path is a perfectly beautiful color to pair most of our soft colors with. 

    My greetings are from the Softly Sophisticated bundle seen here. It's paired with a beautiful embossing folder and is free with any $100 purchase from Stampin' Up!. 

     

    Click here or on the photo below to watch my video tutorial on this card and TWO more pretty cards featuring this beautiful designer paper and stamp & embossing folder bundle.  These cards are the second cards shown.  

    ~~~

    January Specials: 

    Earn FREE products with your Stampin' Up! purchase during

    Sale-a-Bration! *click here

    ~~~

    Get a free embellishment from the 2024 Spring catalog

    with an online order over $55


    *current host codes QS26PCUJ

    ~~~

    I have several pre-cut card & scrapbook kits to go; ready to mail out!

    Click here to see them all.

    Leave a Reply

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

  • Wow – Texturing Vellum is a fabulous effect! Check out this pretty Softly Sophisticated card


    I couldn't stop playing with the Softly Stippled designer paper and the Softly Sophisticated bundle!  This card came together by using a sketch layout I saw online. 

    There are so many neat details on this card; I'll list a few of them.  

    • Check out the textured vellum!  It's done with the Softly Sophisticated folder (sale-a-Bration choice). Our vellum cardstock doesn't crack!
    • The pretty Softly Stippled designer paper seen here in the background adds even more texture. 
    • The dotted rectangle die-cut is from the Everyday Details dies seen here. 
    • Check out the ribbon treatment. I tied a bow around the Pool Party ribbon (Sale-a-Bration choice) with the Pebbled Path jute twine – separated into one strand. 
    • The stamps are from the Softly Sophisticated bundle seen here – gorgeous greetings and 2-step florals. 

    I've mentioned it before but I'm finding our new Pebbled Path to be a wonderful neutral color with our soft subtle colors. It's brown but with a slight gray tone to it.  Lovely!

    Here's the free project sheet you can download:  Download Softly Sophisticated card with Vellum

    What's your favorite color to combine with Pebbled Path? 

    ~~~

    January Specials: 

    Earn FREE products with your Stampin' Up! purchase during

    Sale-a-Bration! *click here

    ~~~

    Get a free embellishment from the 2024 Spring catalog

    with an online order over $55


    *current host code link:  QS26PCUJ

    ~~~

    I have several pre-cut card & scrapbook kits to go; ready to mail out!

    Click here to see them all.

    Leave a Reply

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

  • Fabulous & SO Easy ‘Quilted Star’ card with a cool punch trick, a free project sheet & video


    One of my team members shared a card like this in our Flowerbug's group and claimed it was so easy she's making lots of these cards.  I loved it so much I had to find out how she made it! 

    I learned how by watching the creators video; her name is Julie Heitz and she goes by the Chirpy Cardmaker. I shared how to make it during last week's Live video.  

    The products used include the pretty Softly Stippled designer paper from our Sale-a-Bration catalog.  It's free with any $50 Stampin' Up! order.  See it here.  

    Colors are Pool Party, White & Pebbled Path.  Aren't they beautiful together? Pebbled Path is like a cross between brown & gray; it's a wonderful neutral!  

    Here's another color combo I tried using the same Softly Stippled designer paper – Calypso Coral with Wild Wheat. 

    You can see the 'quilting' better on this photo. That is the Softly Sophisticated embossing folder – it's also a free choice in out SAB catalog but is paired with a stamp set (greeting used here) – both are free with a $100 order. See them here.  

    Creating this quilted star block with paper is super easy. However watching the video helps a lot!

    1. Start by drawing a line from corner to corner on your 3" white card stock square.
    2. Choose 4 strips of designer paper 1/2" X 6". Add two strips to one corner and the other two strips to the corner next to it. 
    3. Weave the strips as shown. Then adhere down the opposite ends of each strip to the White square.  
    4. Trim off excess. 

    You might think it would be hard to get those perfect points on your star, right?  That was my first thought when I saw this card layout; I'd never get them perfect.  Well there's a super easy trick to it! 

        5. After you add your strips to the white square, trimming off the excess, you'll add four white 3/4" squares to each corner.  It creates the points for you!  Genius! 

        6. Run the block through an embossing folder. It helps to 'deboss' it so any stitching is pressed in.  When using the Softly Sophisticated folder you'll have the wrong side up on the Stampin' Up! label.  

    You might notice the unique banner for my greeting.  It's created with the Inked & Tiled punch like this:  

    I start out with a 5/8" white strip and insert the punch in the back of the punch; not the usual place. Wiggle it into the slot and adjust it until it's even and punch.  Now you'll start looking at your punches in a new way and likely find some great options for banners!  The nice thing is that it doesn't have to be a certain width to work.  

    Click on this link to download the free project sheet:  Download Quilted Star Block cards

    Remember there is a free project sheet for most of my video projects; see them all here. 

    Click here or on the photo below to watch my video tutorial on this card and TWO more pretty cards featuring this beautiful designer paper and stamp & embossing folder bundle.  The Quilted Star cards are the first cards shown.  They loved these project ideas!  

    ~~~

    January Specials: 

    Earn FREE products with your Stampin' Up! purchase during

    Sale-a-Bration! *click here

    ~~~

    Get a free embellishment from the 2024 Spring catalog

    with an online order over $55


    *current host codes: TU26GCPZ or QS26PCUJ

    ~~~

    Reserve your Spring & Sale-a-Bration designer paper share

    $18 for 78 sheets! (plus $7 shipping). Email me here

    ~~~

    I have several pre-cut card & scrapbook kits to go; ready to mail out!

    Click here to see them all.

    Leave a Reply

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



Notice: LeeAnn Greff, Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator, Manager. The content of this website is my sole responsibility as an independent Stampin’ Up! demonstrator and the use of, and content of, the classes, services, or products offered on this website is not endorsed by Stampin’ Up! Copyright 2025