Acrylic Painting on Coloured Cardstock

Hi everyone.  This month we are Acrylic Painting on Coloured Cardstock.

Videos:

How to Stamp on Paint with Perfect Results by Andy Skinner (9:37)

Supplies:

• Coloured Cardstock
• Stamps - Outline Images
• Archival ink (Ranger) - light gray, black
• Acrylic Paint (all brands work)
• Paint brushes
• Sentiment stamps

Technique Instructions:

• Start by stamping your image in light permanent ink (Ranger Archival works great).  Watering Can Gray used here.  Leave your image in your stamping platform!
• Decide which parts of the image you want to colour and use your acrylic paints and paint brushes to fill them in.  Make sure your painting is opaque and doesn't go over the lines of the image.
• Once your image is dry, stamp again using Black Archival ink.  Check image and stamp again if you need to make the image stronger in places.
• Let it dry before touching your image.

These instructions are listed on the sidebar by technique for easy reference.

Acrylic Painting on Coloured Cardstock Samples

Susan

Christine

Pat

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You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

We'll be back on the 28th of January with another

technique and sample cards.

See you then!

Textured Tissue Paper with Dry Embossing

Hi everyone.  Today we are combining four techniques (watercolouring, sponging, dry embossing, brayering) to create beautiful and unique cards.

It all starts by adding texture to our card fronts using thick or wet strength tissue paper.  Below is a video on how to watercolour tissue paper if you want to give it a try.  Only need to watch the first 3 1/2 minutes for how-to and tips.

Video:  Tissue Paper Watercolouring & Techniques by Loll Thompson (10:24) - watch first 3:30 mins. on how-to

If you do make cards, please join us by adding to the linky at the bottom of this post.  We'd love to see what you make!!

Supplies:

• White card stock
• White tissue paper (thick or wet strength tissue paper) ***
• Glue (Elmers or something similar)
• Sponge or sponge brush to spread glue
• Inks (2 or 3 colours work best)
• Sponges
• Detailed Embossing folder (3D are best, but regular efs work too!)
• Brayer
• Metallic acrylic paint (acrylic paint shows more contrast than alternatives)

*** Here is a link to craft tissue paper on Amazon (Canada); (US); (UK).  We have not tried this paper because we had thick tissue to use already in our supplies.  We believe this paper will work great for this technique.

Technique Instructions: (with Tips)

1.    Watercolour tissue paper (let dry); then glue onto white card front (let dry)

        - Tips:  

        - Use thick or wet stength tissue paper (available in some craft stores or through Amazon)

        - Use 2-3 colours of ink to watercolour tissue, follow video instructions

        - Takes approx. 20 minutes to dry watercolour tissue

        - Use everyday glue (ex. Elmers) to glue tissue to white card.

        - If you want more texture, scrunch the tissue paper then smooth out before gluing to white card ...

          or scrunch it as you glue it to your card front

2.    Sponge your tissue mounted card with same colours of inks used to watercolour.

        This adds layers of colour with increases the vibrancy to your colours.

       

3.    Dry emboss with 3D detail folder

        - Tip:  3D Embossing Folders work best - the more detailed, the better.  The less detailed the

            folder, the more risk of getting the brayered metallic paint (step below) on the background of

            your piece.

            ... but ... regular embossing folders will work for this (see Loll's blue and purple card below)

        - Tip:  Avoid the newer 3D embossing folders with layers within the design.  The brayer

            will only catch the design on top.

4.    Brayer LIGHTLY with metallic, acrylic paint to catch highlight of embossing

        - Tips:  Brayer LIGHTLY to minimize paint getting on background

        - Do several LIGHT coats from different angles

        - Use small paintbrush and more metallic paint to fill in raised areas missed by the brayer

Alternatives:

• If you don't have a brayer, try lightly tapping your ink pad directly onto your embossed image.  Tap very lightly and several times to build colour.  Ink will not create as much contrast as acrylic paint, but it will add to the card's design.

These instructions are listed on the sidebar by technique for easy reference.

Textured Tissue Paper with Dry Embossing Card Samples

Loll

Susan

 

Christine

Pat

We'll be back on the 28th of November

with another technique and sample cards.

See you then!

* * * * *

Sharing ...

  

Vicki                                                   Loll                                               Loll

  

Julie B                                    Robyn O                               JoAnn B.

Kaleidoscope

Hi everyone.  Today we are showing a technique that I first saw on a friend's blog.  Jenny stamped a large line image and heat embossed in gold (any embossing powder colour will work).  She then watercoloured the image LOOSELY, not staying within the lines, and making sure the background was watercoloured as well.  Once dry, the image was cut up into strips, lined back up in a random order and adhered together.  LOVE the artsy look of the finished card!

Jenny's inspirational card

In Jenny's post, she didn't mention if there was a name for this ... so I consulted our word affitionato, Darnell.  She came up with Kaleidoscope Technique ... isn't that perfect to describe this??!!

Kaleidoscope definition - Webster's Dictionary:

"a changing and enjoyable mixture or pattern"

Please share your cards using this technique in the linky below.

We'd love to see what you make!!

Supplies:

• Water-friendly card
• Large line image or collage of smaller line images
• Versamark or pigment ink
• Embossing Powder
• Heat tool
• Watercolour Paints or Inks
• Watercolour paint brushes
• Optional:  Stencil, inks, blending brushes or sponges
• Optional:  Permanent pen for outlining (metallic, black, white, etc.)

Technique Instructions:

• Stamp line image using Versamark or other ink onto water-friendly card
• Sprinkle with embossing powder; heat set
• Loosely watercolour image using watercolour paints, inks, or other colouring products
• Cut image into 1/2" strips
• Re-align strips in a random order and adhere to card front; trim off excess card (you can create two cards since you don't need to use all the strips you will have)

Alternate:

• Use a Stencil:
• Make sure to colour the background before stenciling - you don't want a lot of white space for this technique.
• Sponge through stencil instead of stamping.
• Sponge around outside of images to blur lines (Stencil Sponging Bleed technique)
• Optional:  Outline images from stenciling using permanent ink pen
• Cut image into 1/2" strips before randoming re-aligning and adhering to card front
• Use Patterned Paper (repeat steps above)
• Try it with dry embossed, coloured images
• Start with a piece of coloured card stock and add stamping, embossing, stenciling, or sponging
• Try this technique, cutting the strips into random widths for a different look

These instructions are listed on the sidebar by technique for easy reference.

Kaleidoscope Technique Card Samples

Jenny (My Paper Epiphany)

(Guest Designer)

Loll

 
 

Susan

Christine

 

Julia

Darnell

Bonnie

 

Brenda

 

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Sharing ...

                              Michele                                             Donna W.                                            Donna W.

 

                                 Robyn O.                                            Loll                                           Linda W.

                               Linda W.                                         Linda W.                                    Linda W.

                                                                                        Robyn O.

Elegant Writer

Hi everyone.

Today we are focussing on a product that's been around for a long time, but many of us have never heard or tried it.  It's called Elegant Writer (by Speedball) and it is available at some art stores and through on-line shopping at Amazon and other places.

It is a marker that comes in a silver case.  There are other Elegant Writer pens (black case) that are permanent black markers.  These do not have the same qualities as the silver cased pens we are showcasing today.

Run the marker over a line stamp before stamping, or trace over a line image (either stamped or hand-drawn).  It looks like black ink.  But once you add water with a paint brush, the magic happens.  The ink is water soluable, and adding water makes it run.  Blot with a paper towel and you will see shades of pink, blue, purple, gray and green inks.  It's a lot of fun to play with and makes very unique cards.  We hope you'll give it a try.

If you do make cards, please join us by adding to the linky at the bottom of this post.  We'd love to see what you make!!

Videos:  

How to Use the Elegant Writer Pen by Karlyn Holman (23:24) - worth watching the whole video for lots of tips!  Karlyn mentions in another video that the black of the elegant writer comes from combining green and red inks.  This is why you will see both those colours when you add water with lighter versions if you blot with paper towel (turquoise and pink).

Vintage Watercolor Cake by Understand Blue (5:09)

Supplies:

• Watercolour Paper
• Speedball Elegant Writer Pen (extra fine tip - 1.3mm recommended) - make sure you get ones with a silver/gray casing on the pen.  The black casing pens aren't water soluable.
• Amazon Canada
• Amazon USA
• Amazon UK
• Watercolour Paint brushes
• Water Mister
• Tissue or paper towel
• Optional:  Watercolour Paints or Inks for adding colour

Technique Instructions:

Following the video above ...

• Stamp an outline image lightly onto watercolour paper ... or draw your own image in pencil.
• Go over the outline using your extra fine tip Black Elegant Writer (you can use the side of the tip to get finer lines).  A little goes a long way.
• Activate the watercolour lines using a watercolour brush and plain water.  You can either watercolour the background with the Elegant Writer, or you can watercolour the inside of the image.  
• Add some splatters of water if you wish.
• You do not have to activate all the lines of your drawing.
• Blot with a tissue or paper towel to remove excess water or to show more pink, blue, and purple inks.
• Once you have finished, lightly mist with water from high above your drawing.  This will ensure that all the lines have be touched by water, but the light mist will not make the lines run.  Let dry.  It is now permanent.
• You can leave it as is or you can add some splashes of colour using watercolour paints or watersoluble inks.

Tips from Group of Seven:

• If you want to add just a little bit of colour from the elegant writer instead of outlining the image, use a damp brush to pick up colour directly from the Elegant Writer pen.
• Scribble elegant writer ink onto an acrylic block or acetate sheet and pick up the colour with a brush.
• Use the Elegant Writer to go over a line image stamp and then stamp directly onto your water-friendly paper.  If the image is large, use the Elegant Writer on a section at a time so that the ink stays wet enough to stamp.
• Stamp your image using water soluable coloured ink.  Add lines of Elegant Writer.  The colour of the outline will mix with the colours from the EW pen and give you a different look (see Susan's cards as an example)
• There are also coloured Elegant Writer pens that are water soluable ink.  You can see cards made using these pens below (see Darnell's cards as an example)

These instructions are listed on the sidebar by technique for easy access.

Elegant Writer Card Samples

Julia

Susan

 

  

Loll

Christine

Bonnie

 

 

Darnell

Brenda

 

* * * * *

Sharing ...

Susan B                                           Darnell                                        Hilary

                       Pat                                                    Pat

We'll be back on the 28th of May

with another technique and sample cards.

See you then!