Tutorial Tuesday - Perfect Pearls

Good Morning. Tutorials will now be posted on Tuesdays because I like the sound of "Tutorial Tuesday." Don't you? I will do my best to post tutorials on a weekly basis. If you have any suggestions as to what tutorial you would like me to post, please leave me a comment, or e-mail me, and I will do my best to accomodate your request.

This first photo is an example of how your card can look so different just by the colour you chose to use. Painting on black cardstock will give you different results than if you painted on white cardstock. In today's tutorial, I will be using black cardstock, and a stamp specific to this technique. Images do not have to be specific for this technique, as you see with the sunflower cards, but my tutorial is designed for the stamp mentioned above.


















If you want an exact colour on your card, you should do a colour chart like the one in this photo. As stated earlier, colour often goes on different than what appears in the jar, although it is hard to tell because of the flash of the camera. The one good example, I would like to point out, is the pink--left row, third down. Can you see that the colour appears pink in the jar, but when painted onto black cardstock, it turns out purple-blue.






SUPPLIES FOR PROJECT
Stamp with distinct lines separating different areas of image (see photo below)
Perfect Pearls and/or Pearl-Ex powders
Versa Mark
Embossing powder
Heat embosser
Fine paint brush/water
Paper cutter
Palatte & paper towel

Using black embossing powder, emboss your image onto black cardstock. As you can see, there are detailed lines separating the different areas in the image. This stamp is perfect for this technique.

Look at your stamp to determine what colour you would like to start with, and put that colour on your palatte. GENTLY dip your brush into the water and then your powder. Do not just slap your brush right into your colour; results will be disaterous. Gently place your brush on the outside parameter of your colour, making a pulling motion. A small amount of powder will then be made. Redip your brush into the water and lightly blot onto paper towel. Now you can generously place your brush in the area that was separated from the main "blob" of colour. Continue in this fashion until you have your first area covered.

First colour has been added to this image.

Second and third colours have been added to this image. You don't have to limit your colours to what you have on hand. Play. Experiment by mixing two colours to create a new colour, or a streaky look. To do this, take a little amount of one colour with your wet brush and lightly dip into another colour and blend, adding more water as desired. You can blend these right on your palatte, or a scrap of paper. Don't be afraid to experiment.

Continue as above, until all areas are filled in. Finish by spraying a fixative to prevent smudging (found at craft stores).

Finish off your card as desired. I tend to not add embellishments to this style of card because it looks like a piece of "art." If I do add embellishments, it is very minimal, as seen in the sunflower examples above.

Good luck with this tutorial. Please let me see your finished card using this technique.

Waterfall Tutorial

I love fun cards, and the waterfall card is just that--and more! Don't be fooled into thinking this card is too complicated. I believe that the numerous photos will aid you in completing a wonderful card. There are so many options with the Waterfall technique. I chose to use a children's theme, as there just isn't enough ideas for "kid" cards out in blogland. My background paper works well with these "hand drawn" stamps from Stamp'n Up because the circles are hand drawn and scribbled, as well. Please let me know what you think of this tutorial. Take a photo of your Waterfall card and e-mail me an attachment, or leave a comment with a link to your blog, and I will post your card to share with my readers. Now, go have fun!


For the best results, please use high quality cardstock . Cut out the following:









1- Standard card 5 ½” x 4 ¼” (from a 5 ½” x 8 ½” piece of white cardstock)
1- 1” x 4 ¼ “ Brad Strip (Red)
1- 5 ½” x 4 ¼” Layering Piece (Red)
1- 5 ¼” x 4” Layering Piece (Patterned Paper)
1- 1 ¾” x 8 ½” Waterfall Strip (Red)
3- 2¼” x 2 ¼” Squares (Red)
3- 2" x 2" Squares (White)
1- Tab (Red) (*not shown in photo)

Stamp images onto your white squares, and colour your images. In my example, I used watercolour pencil crayons and blended with brush & water

Layer your patterned paper on top of the red cardstock

Add the red strip, measuring in 1” from the right side of the card. Mount brads ½ inch from top and bottom of card

Mount the top layer of your matted patterned paper, to the top of your white card

Mount images onto red matting

Score the waterfall strip at 1 ¾, 2 ¾, and 3 ¾. There will be an area of 4 ¾ remaining

There is 4” of space for you to add a sentiment or a picture. Add the image of your choice, ensuring you only use 4” measured from the right

Flip your waterfall strip over so that the score lines are on the right hand side

Add your first image, on the first score line, as shown in the photo

Add your second image, on the second score line, as shown in the photo

Add your third image, on the third score line, as shown in the photo

Fold your waterfall strip in half and slip it under the verticle paper held with brads

Add a tab at pull end of waterfall strip

Waterfall at work

Waterfall at work

Front view of finished card

TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1. Use high quality cardstock to maintain the shape of your card.
2. Mount your images onto waterfall strip with sticky tabs, and once you are certain that your card placement is correct, take the images off and adhere more securely with a tough bondable adhesive such as glue dots or double sided tape.
3. If you don’t have a tab punch, add an eyelit to the end of your waterfall strip, and place ribbon or fibre through the eyelit which will allow you to pull out the waterfall strip.

Swing Card Tutorial

Today I would like to provide you with my first tutorial. This interesting card is called the "Swing" card. I encourage you to try your hand at this tutorial because it is so interesting, and isn't as hard as it may seem.

Supplies:

Paper cutter
Stamps
Ink pad and Versa Mark pad
Heat Embosser
Variety of Embossing Powders
Paper cutter with score blade

1 piece of 5 ½ x 6 ¾ cardstock (card base)
2 pieces of 2 ¾ x 3 ¾ cardstock (for centre piece)
2 pieces of 2 ½ x 3 ½ cardstock (for verse)
1 piece of 3 x 4 scrap of paper or cardstock

Place your large piece of cardstock in the paper cutter horizontally. Line up the blade at 2 ¾ inches and make a 1 ¼ inch score starting from the bottom. Repeat again at the top of your cardstock.

Take cardstock out of cutter and turn card around. Once again, line up your blade at the 2 3/4 inch mark, and make a 1 1/4 inch score starting from the bottom. Repeat again at the top of your cardstock.

Your card will now look like this photo.

Place your card into the paper cutter vertically and line it up at the 4 1/4 inch mark. Starting at the bottom score line, cut your cardstock 1 3/8 inches. Repeat on the top score.

Turn your card around and repeat cuts as above.

Place your cardstock back into the paper cutter horizontally, and cut 1 1/4 inches to 4 1/4 inches.

If your lines do not match up exactly to the measurements above, gently cut so that the edges all match up as in the photo.

Take a 3 x 4 scrap of paper or cardstock and cover the centre of the card.

Stamp images randomly over the front of the card, varying between regular ink and Versa mark.

Heat emboss your Versa marked images.

Turn your card over and repeat on the backside.

Adhere a 2 3/4 inch x 3 3/4 inch piece of paper to the centre of your card.

Turn card over and repeat.

Using a variety of coloured cardstock and embossing powders, emboss your images.

Adhere the 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 piece of cardstock on top of your mat cardstock.

Adhere your heat embossed, or stamped, images to your cardstock.

Bend your score lines, and magically the centre part of the card swings.