Island Indigo

Rainy Sky or Under Water, Yes

~ moanaj ~ 1 Comment

This lovely water color started as a fun project with my daughter-in-love.  We sat down together with a bunch of blue ink and totally different ideas.  I can’t wait to see what her card ends up looking like.  I wanted to create dimension in a single layer water color.  I love how it turned out.

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I started with a wet brush and paper.  I put different colors in all four corners and the lightest blue in the center.  The wet ink blooms did a lot of blending, but I moved the paper around to control the rest.  My patience runs thin often, which ends up in me drying my projects along the way to speed them up.  This time was different.  I only dried the paper enough to apply some stamped images here and there.  Then, I spritzed the entire piece to soften the images and allow more blending to happen.

After a few hours I came back to see how it ended up.  Just like this.  I even controlled myself and didn’t add anything else.  No more color, or blending or water droplets.  It was accented with copper foil paper and copper metallic thread.  What a great all occasion card to have on hand.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Flourishing Phrases

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This particular project went through a few different phases.  This is how it started out, all about blue.  I had the ocean on my mind and gave it a try.  I had intended on using a new embossing folder after I water colored, but to be honest, I forgot once I got all this going.

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After I painted with all of the blue inks I have I did some detail work using my gold wink of stella.  I focused on some of the watermarks and edges of color.  The look it creates is really awesome.  It is tricky to know when to stop because it is so much fun.  Mission accomplished here for sure.

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The next step was to add a special tag.  This one got a bit out of control and went to a busy style that really isn’t my own.  However, I decided to leave it and see how it balanced out with the huge butterfly addition I had in mind.  I water colored large areas of paper to provide both my tag area as well as the butterflies.  It is much easier to paint whole sheets instead of small specific die cuts.

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When this butterfly combo came along I really began to wonder just what I was up to.  I think that is because I love decorative painted backgrounds so much I rarely cover them up. They are such great all occasion cards, but I pushed forward.  I did edge the butterflies with the wink of stella, which of course you cannot see in these photos.  It is there though, and it looks so pretty.  You can see it better in the lead featured image which is much more close up.  Basic pearls, gold metallic thread with a little more patience and this project was finally finished.  It measures 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 plus the butterfly hanging off the edge.  A custom envelope will definitely be in order here.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Farewell Swallowtail

~ moanaj ~ 4 Comments

I have loved this stamp for so long.  It is sad to say that it will retire at the end of this month.  However, there is a stash of stash of retired stamps that I cannot part with.  This is definitely going to join those.  Other retired ones I sell off, but ones that are just too wonderful get to stay out with the current product.  Kind of like a wise old tree.

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The butterfly was stamped on a piece of masked water color paper in black stazon.  The color pallet was different, but intentional.  I picked colors that would create interesting blends with the idea that none of the original painting would  stay to true color.  A lot of blending went on here.  I painted coordinating sections first without blending.  After I added crushed curry I kept with that color and used it to begin blending the edges the color sections.  I just did that until I was happy.

The background was painted in mint macaron, darker to one side trying to create a bit of a shadow.  Distressing had to happen here and boy did it.  I flicked water, dabbed it up, and repeated that process again until I was satisfied.  Then the gold wink of stella pen went to work in a few areas.  Again, hard to see, but it is there.  Use your imagination, where would you have painted light lines of gold glitter?

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Bohemian Work of Art

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Rich colors and exciting patterns, that is the theme for today.  In between wedding reception planning I have managed to create this lovely due.  Now I get to add this to the collection of card sets and greeting cards I am donating for a cub scout fundraising event tonight.  I get to share my work and clean out my stash at the same time!  I call that a win.

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The card began with the chevron stamp from the Work of Art set.  I didn’t really pay too close attention, just stamped it four times down a piece of water color paper.  The color pallet came from the bohemian designer series paper set, only leaving out the yellow tone. The focus was on bermuda bay and I started there.  Color was layered, sponged off, added, and distressed a ton until I was satisfied.  Then I did something that was new for me.  I hi-lighted some of the distress areas with my gold wink of stella brush pen.  That was super fun and I had a hard time stopping.

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The gift bag was made from a whole sheet of designer series paper.  I went for a wide stocky bag instead of my usual tall slender ones.  It is nice to change things up a little bit here and there, don’t you think?  The ribbon I had in rich razzleberry was just long enough to go around the bag top.  I do love using up product that is retiring before it actually retires.  I am not often that lucky.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

You Are My Everything

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There are days when I really don’t know what I want to make, but that isn’t today and it shows.  When I know who I am creating for it shines through.  The awesome extra free stamp set in this months paper pumpkin kit had the stamps I had to use.  How beautiful are they?  Well, I will be using them excessively I am sure.

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I knew I wanted to make a card for my husband with the two stamps  that share the phrase ‘You Are My Everything’.  It couldn’t be more perfect.  Once I knew that I knew the color pallet I needed and the medium as well.  Blues and water coloring are the perfect combination for him.

The technique of water coloring really doesn’t have a lot of guidelines.  I do start with a wet masked surface.  Then I begin to add and take away color, dry and wet again sprinkle and dab, and color all over again.  It is more of keep going til you get the results you want than a step by step process.  So much fun, really.

Then I stamped the large flower in bermuda bay, once stamped off first, here and there.  I added a fern stamp a few times, full strength not stamped off.  Then finished with the two stamps that make the sentiment.  I did a little echo stamping to coordinate the inside with the card front.  To complete the project I layered the art onto another piece of bermuda bay card stock and wrapped it several times in silver metallic thread.  Then up on dimensionals for a little extra style and sit back to enjoy the view.  I do love this card.  I think it looks like a beautiful batik fabric I would love to own and sew with.

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Have a creative day.

Moana

Hello Bohemian DSP!

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Guilty as charged.  I have loved this pack of paper and haven’t cut into one single sheet.  For shame, I know.  However, I have sorted that out and made something I quite like.  So much so that I think it will make it into this Saturday’s workshop.  I have a few ladies in particular that enjoy this paper as much as I do.

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I haven’t done a ‘z’ fold card for some time.  I saw some projects done by a few people I follow and thought I would give it a go.  The card turned out pretty darn good if I do say so myself.  Also, I love how I have been able to showcase so much of this fantastic paper.  The ribbon on the back of the card is also something new, but thought it brought a nice balance the the closed project.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Birthday Hamburger Box

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This die cut hasn’t been out in a while and I miss it!  I have had so much fun making boxes of one kind or another and I just love the shape.  I am pretty darn good at making a box or bag for a custom gift, but boxes like this just need a die cut.

Birthday Hamburger Box

One of my TA’s has a birthday today and I thought he would get a kick out of this guy.  I think he is expecting something because he has mentioned his birthday several times in the previous weeks.  Well, of course I had to deliver.  I think I will pick up a wonderful pastry this morning to put inside.  Yummy.

Birthday Hamburger Box

One sheet of  island indigo went into the box.  I was left with scrap enough to make the matching gift card and leave a couple of good sized scraps behind.  That is great.  I did sponge all of the edges really well before I glued it together.  I also used tombo to put the edges together.  Much easier with a little bit of wiggle room while it bonds and then it is there to stay.  My kind of adhesive.  I ran my bomb stamp down one direction of the die cut and then flipped it around and went the other.  The pattern turned out random enough to look like patterned paper.  I love making my own background paper for projects.

Birthday Hamburger Box

Have a creative day!

Moana

Banner Blessings Gift Set – Friend

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The morning took off without me, and there was nothing I could do about it.  This has sat at my computer waiting for me to take a lunch.  Well, never happened.  How about a tiny break?  Works for me.

Banner Blessings Gift Set - Friend

This is the first card of a set of four with a coordinating gift box.  It was so fun to make.  I actually made it for a special someone and I can’t wait to deliver it.  Should be tomorrow!

Banner Blessings Gift Set - Friend

I attached the island indigo torn card stock to the thin whisper white before I ran it through the fluttering embossing folder.  Everything got done at once.  The sentiment was stamped in black stazon and sponged a bit with coordinating ink.  I love the cotton ribbon, it makes such cute bows.  The inside stamping is actually negative punching.  I punched a butterfly or two from the white insert and revealed the card base.  Simple and very effective!  So fun.  Those pretty pearl accents.  I could really get used to those.  I had it dot the “i”, even though it wasn’t needed, I wanted to use one and it fit the image.  A bit of dimensionals and this card was done!

Banner Blessings Gift Set - Friend

Have a creative day!

Moana

 

 

Big News with Perpetual Birthday Calendar

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I must be one of the few Stampin’Up! demonstrators not showing new product today.  It is the first day with the new annual catalog.  Well, I have a different perspective sometimes.  I get just as excited for the stamp sets I already have that carry over to the new catalog.  So, there you have it.

Big News with Perpetual Birthday Calendar

The first is Big News.  It has these fun sentiments designed around exciting news and events.  They are written like we talk in a quirky way.  It makes it kind of fun.  The second is Perpetual Birthday Calendar.  I sure have gotten a lot of use out of this set.  An easy background maker if you ask me.  It really gets a lot of use.

Big News with Perpetual Birthday Calendar

I am also happy that the cotton ribbon, which was new last catalog, stayed with us.  It really makes such a pretty accent.  I must say, this bow is nearly perfect.  I kept this card pretty simple, but sometimes that is all I want.

Big News with Perpetual Birthday Calendar

I did a small pre-order earlier in the month to get the new colors that I have already shared with you.  I also got a couple of host sets, and they will be so fun.  Now I will let myself get into the new catalog and get a few stamp sets.  Isn’t that fun?  I thought so.  You should check it out.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Birthday Bundle Paper Pumpkin

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I normally keep my Paper Pumpkin to myself and just have my own party.  But oh my goodness, this set was so huge and just had to share!

Birthday Bundle Paper Pumpkin

Imagine this set, but multiplied.  The kit comes with enough supplies to make six cards, with envelopes, and four of these huge bags.  Wowsers.  The bags are huge and super sturdy.  These kits just keep getting better and better.

Birthday Bundle Paper Pumpkin

I just got mine yesterday.  I normally wait til the weekend to play, but I thought I would share instead of making something else new.  I put these two together so quickly my husband was surprised.  “You are done already?”  He is such the patient husband of a craft blogger.

Birthday Bundle Paper Pumpkin

Well, there you go.  I used two little strips of adhesive from my fast fuse, the rest of everything came in the kit.  I love this stuff.  I should mention, just because it is nice to share, that if you sign up by June 10th you get your first two months half price.  Nice.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Flowering Flourishes with French?

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Saturday is usually my day to go all out with some totally extravagant project.  But today is workshop, so making sure I have everything just right takes priority.  I couldn’t not do something though.

Flowering Flourishes with French

Clean and simple cards may not be my strength, but I totally nailed this one!  I started out with the idea of stamping my background paper.  After the first two stamps up one side I fell in love.  I added one little flower in the top corner and stopped.  Such an interesting feeling.

Flowering Flourishes with French

I knew I needed a tiny sentiment, so I went on the prowl.  I came across a retired hostess set called Good Greetings.  I had earned a couple of free sets and put the wrong code in for one of them.  That was the french set.  But I couldn’t bring myself to exchange it.  And doesn’t it fit perfectly?  You know it does.

Flowering Flourishes with French

How did I choose these colors?  Well, I recently made an order to take advantage of that no shipping sale and stocked up on paper.  The heavy stuff for sure.  I added a few spools of cotton ribbon.  You guessed it.  Whisper white, blushing bride and island indigo.  There they sat it the box just telling me to do it.  Done.

Have a creative day!

Moana

All Abloom Gift Set

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Sometimes we go back to our beginnings when we aren’t even thinking about it.  Years ago when I first started paper crafting it was all about the paper and utilizing great tools.  I was pretty tired and just started without thinking.  Half way through I recognized where I was and just went with it.

All Abloom Gift Set

After I picked this patterned paper from the All Abloom dsp stack I literally had to scrounge for some coordinating pistachio pudding paper.  I try really hard to get through my in color stash before they retire.  I will be so sad to see this one go.

All Abloom Gift Set

Using the faintest of stamping, just color on color for the pistachio pudding strip, I enjoyed a little ribbon sewing.  So simple, yet it gives a lot of texture and interest.

All Abloom Gift Set

I used a couple of sheets to make the cute little matching bag.  Any more I give a card with a tiny gift or treat, it is almost compulsory.  I just love giving.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Throwback Birthday!

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How about another Throw Back Thursday?  You got it!  The designer paper I used was from last years Spring Occasions catalog and it was my favorite.  I used it like crazy, but kept one pack whole just so I could love it some more.  So pretty.

Throwback Birthday

It was the watercolor wonder set.  If you didn’t get any, you should be crying about it.  Really, you should try to find some on ebay or something.  Why am I going on about it now?  Well, every catalog has paper that is specific to it and then it goes away when the catalog is done.  If you find a paper you love, stock up before it’s gone!

Throwback Birthday

I paired this awesome paper with two current sets.  The Age Awareness photopolymer set and Work of Art.  Both are absolutely fantastic sets that are loaded in fun!  I even dipped into some really old sweater trim.  Remember that stuff?  I have loads of it.  I stocked up when it hit the clearance rack.  I love a good sale.

Throwback Birthday

Can you see just how big this bag is?  I scored a whole sheet in portrait mode and created this monster.  If you want to know how the handle worked out, you will have to send me a comment.  It was an accident, and I love how it worked out.  Might be a new regular for my bags.

Have a super awesome creative day!

Moana