The Earth Laughs Rose - Crackle Background

Hi There!!  It's Wanda here today!! 

I just love how the flower turned out on this card!!  Of course, it helps that Suzanne penned such a beautiful rose to begin with!!  A little color and you've got a beauty!!  The rose and the quote are the two stamps in The Earth Laughs Rose Set.  I've also used the new Crackle Background (yep, love this stamp also!!)

Let's get started -

• With a #8 Manila Tag oriented horizontal, 'ink' Crackle Background with Distress Paint (Picked Raspberry, Cracked Pistachio, Squeezed Lemonade) and stamp on right side of tag covering about 2/3 of the tag. Dry. 
• Rub Distress Stain (Twisted Citron) over entire tag, blot and dry.
• With a Blending Tool, add Distress Ink (Picked Raspberry, Cracked Pistachio, Squeezed Lemonade) randomly on tag.  Dry.
• Use a damp towel to remove excess ink from paint-stamped crackle. 
• Stamp quote with Archival Ink (Jet Black). 
• Stamp flower onto tag with Archival Ink (Leaf Green).  Left side of flower will run off tag.  Add color to stem with a marker.
• Stamp flower onto watercolor paper with Archival Ink (Jet Black).  Color flower using Distress Ink (Picked Raspberry, Squeezed Lemonade) and a Water Brush.  Cut out flower only (not the stem) and attach over flower on tag gluing just the bottom-center area of flower leaving the top and sides to slightly lift.  
• Stamp around edges of tag with Crackle Background using Distress Ink (Picked Raspberry). 
• Ink some areas of tag with Distress Ink (Mustard Seed) to brighten it up a bit and help some of the detail pop. 
• Mask off quote and splatter watery, white paint over tag.  Dry.  
• Layer tag to white cardstock, then pink dotted cardstock, and then to folded white card.  Finished size of card is approximately 4" x 7". 

I hope you've enjoyed today's card!!  I had a lot of fun making it!!!  

Butterfly Background Tutorial- Friendship card

Hello Crafty Friends!  Kathy Jo here sharing a bright and cheerful butterfly friendship card using Quietfire Design's butterflies from the Butterflies/Dragonflies stamp set:

and the beautiful Friendship Isn't a Big Thing stamped sentiment:

The card background is so much fun to make and too easy to do.  So grab a cup of tea and enjoy the background instructions!  Please note: all items (especially your lovely stamps) should be washed immediately after use to ensure the paint does not dry and ruin your stamps, brushes, etc.

Cut a piece of white card stock larger than your card base.  Place a small amount of Distress Paint (Scattered Straw and Antique Linen) on a craft mat.  Take a toothbrush (not one you or another family member are using- LOL) and press gently in the Scattered Straw paint.  Lightly swipe toothbrush up card stock.  Re-dip into paint and swipe down.  Continue until you are satisfied with the coverage.  Air or heat dry.  Repeat with Antique Linen.  Rinse toothbrush and set aside.

Place a small amount of white acrylic paint onto craft mat.  Take a very flexible paint brush and dip the tips of the fibers in the paint.  Point the paintbrush towards the paper and run a finger along the edges of the fibers.  The paint will randomly spray on the background.  Rinse brush and set aside.  Allow background to dry or dry using heat tool.  Below is a close-up of the paint flicks:

Next are the butterflies!

Place two small amounts of Distress Paint in Blueprint Sketch onto craft mat.  Add white paint to one of the Blueprint Sketch amounts and mix to create a light blue color.  Either dip or lightly paint the small butterfly stamp into the light blue.  Practice stamping butterfly on scrap paper.  After you are satisfied with your stamped image, stamp butterfly randomly on background.  Repeat using the larger butterfly stamp and the Blueprint Sketch paint.  Wash stamps thoroughly.  Do not clean up light blue or Blueprint Sketch paint...you will need both colors one more time.

Cut background to size and mount onto white paper and then a tent fold dark blue card base.  (My card base was 5.5" x 5.5", the white mat was 5.25" x 5.25" and the background was 5" x 5".)

Stamp the Friendship sentiment onto white card stock using Blueprint Sketch paint.  Wash stamp immediately.  Air or heat dry completely.  Die cut and emboss using Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Squares.  Using toothbrush, apply light blue paint along edges.

Dye ribbon- Two methods can be used to dye the ribbon: Using a craft pad, "stamp" Distress Inks in Scattered Straw and Antique Linen on a couple of spots near each other. Spritz with water. Crinkle up the ribbon and place in watered ink.  

Or- dab Distress Stains in Scattered Straw and Antique Linen onto craft mat.  Crinkle ribbon and place in stains.  Air or gently heat dry.  

Below are the results for each dyeing method.  I used the Distress Stain method for a lighter colored ribbon.

Cut dry die cut sentiment as shown.  Use foam dots or foam tape to elevate.  Create crinkle bow and tie with twine.  Adhere as shown.  Optional: add pearls.

Isn't the sentiment just gorgeous?  And the butterfly background is too happy.  This could be a bright card for a dear friend.  :)

Thank you so much for stopping by!  I do hope you enjoyed the tutorial!

Have a happy crafty day!

Big Hugs,

Kathy Jo

Valentine's Day/Love, Calligraphic Love Bits

Hi!!!  It's Wanda here today to share a Valentine's Day card.  I'm using stamps from two different sets, Valentine's Day/Love Set of 8 Stamps and Calligraphic Love Bits Set of 6 Stamps. 

On a piece of white cardstock (2 3/4" x 5 1/2"), spread a thin layer of white embossing paste.  Spray water on the small heart stamp and press it into the paste.  Repeat spraying with water and stamping into the paste until you've stamped enough hearts.  If some paste sticks to the stamp, clean it off before respraying with water and stamping.  Once finished, clean the stamp well as you don't want any paste to dry on the stamp.  While the paste is still wet, set panel on craft sheet and spray with Distress Spray Stains Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry, Candied Apple, and Brushed Pewter.  Take a damp towel and lightly blot areas between the hearts to remove some color and add texture to the top of the paste.  Set panel aside to dry.  You'll have ink left on your craft sheet.  Spray with some water and drag a manila tag through it.  This tag can be saved for a future project.  The pasted panel can be gently dried with a heat tool.  If you get the paste too hot it will puff and distort. 

Stamp the two larger hearts onto a scrap of white cardstock and emboss with Silver Embossing Powder.  Add color to the hearts with Distress Inks and a water brush.  Dry hearts and cut out leaving a small border.

Stamp Happy Valentine's Day on a strip (7/8" wide) of white cardstock and trim ends.

Cut white cardstock (4 1/8" x 5 3/8"), emboss with the Tim Holtz Dot Matrix Folder, rub Distress Stain Brushed Pewter over the texture and around the edges.  

Attach the pasted panel to the embossed panel.  Cut two pieces of Idea-ology Linen Ribbon long enough to wrap to the back of the pasted panel.  Lightly rub Distress Stain Brushed Pewter over one side of the ribbon, dry and attach (with Brushed Pewter side up) as shown taping the ends to the back.  Edge the Happy Valentine's Day piece with the Brushed Pewter.  

Attach main panel to folded white card.  Attach hearts and sentiment with Foam Mounting Tape.

I hope you've enjoyed today's card and Happy Valentine's Day on Sunday!!!

~Wanda

Look for the dream Card

Hi Y'all, Monica here today.  Here's a quick and easy card. 

Apply Distress Stain, Picket Fence to middle of cardstock to act as a resist.  Use  Ink Blending Tool and Distress Inks (Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Shaded Lilac, Dusty Concord) to create a Spritz & Flick background.  Emboss with Crafts-Too Embossing Folder, Swirl Frame.  While the cardstock is still in the embossing folder, use blending tool to highlight the swirls.  Stamp Look For The Dream with Archival Ink Pad, Jet Black.  Use Tim Holtz Paper Distresser and rub edges with Distress Ink, Dusty Concord.  Add tiny rhinestones to the stars for a bit of sparkle.  Attach to base card with Be Creative Sookwang double-sided tape. 

Thanks for looking.  Wishing all a good day. 
Hugs,
Monica