Watercolored Panel

Hello! I am on the Blank Page Muse Blog with this watercolored panel. The BPM products I used are:

• Butterfly with Woman Mariposa Eyes rubber stamp
  
• Vintage Text with Bird & Flowers Background Rubber Stamp
  
• Butterfly Trails Circles patterns Mixed Media Stencil
  

I used the Misti Lite, which is a new tool for me. It is a stamping tool that helps with precise stamping especially when restamping is needed. A magnet is necessary to keep the tool in place. As for the paper, it needs to be secured with a less tacky tape or with another magnet which I did not do. I think if you use a larger paper, the tool might be able hold the paper in place. 

I used different mediums in coloring this panel. I used Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stains on the girl's hair. I used Gansai Tambi on most of the watercoloring except for the circle swirls on the background. I aslo used Tim Holtz Distress inks on this panel.

I switched brushes when I was watercoloring. I used different sized small round brushes on watercoloring the image and the area to ground the image. I used a flat brush on the background.

My initial plan was only to use the girl image on this project. Sometimes, ideas flow as I work on a project. I used the text background stamp to add details to the background. Even if the watercolor wash background has harsh lines, it was less noticeable once the text was stamped. I used a Tim Holtz Distress ink to stamp the text background.

Since I am not after a crisp impression, I used my hand to press the background stamp to transfer the inked impression to the paper. If you like it to be crisp, adhere the rubber stamp to an acrylic block. 

I used the stencil to add another layer of design to the panel. I added ink to the open circles of the stencil. I used Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain for this.

Some of the ink seeped under the stencil making it look like a blob instead of a circle. I am not too worried about this since I am going for a loose look. I picked up the excess ink with a dry paper towel.

I added details to the stamped image using a white gel pen for the eyes and a black enamel pen on the butterfly.

I hope you like today's project. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

Blank Page Muse is having a FLASH SALE! 10 HOT red rubber stamps are featured for sale with an amazing 50% discount. What a deal, right? 

But if there is nothing on the sale category that interests you, BPM is generously offering a 15% discount to their online store to YOU, my blog readers. Just use the code BPMMaria when you check out.

Only 1 code per transaction please. Enjoy!

I shared this project at

simonsayschallenge IG~Bright & Colorful

2-for-1 Graduation Cards

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. It is time for a new challenge at Stick It Down Scrapbook and Card Making Challenge on FB. It is very easy to join the challenge. There are three options to choose from. You can create a scrapbook layout, a double page scrapbook layout or a card. Choose one or choose all! 

I am commissioned by a college peer to create graduation cards that she will give away. Aside from the occasion, she specifically wants cards with gift card holder. I used this month's sketch to create two-for-one graduations cards since she ordered a dozen.

The first card I created was a shaker card. I trimmed a dotted Simple Stories patterned paper at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". I die cut the stars on this panel using a star die from Altenew. I adhered an acetate on the back of the window patterned paper. I adhered strips of foam adhesives around the stars over the acetate. I wanted to contain the confetti in each star that's why I surrounded each star with foam tape. You don't need to do this. You can just surround all of the stars with foam tape to create one well.

The messy part of this project is putting the confetti in the shaker well. I treated the acetate and the sides of the foam with an anti-static powder tool to lessen the cling of the confetti. Somehow, the confetti has a mind of its own, adhering to places where it should not. 

I applied liquid glue to the foam before covering the well with patterned paper. The liquid glue allows some wiggle time in positioning the patterned paper over the shaker well. The down side of this is sometimes the confetti gets attracted to the liquid glue. 

I die cut star frames on a dark gray metallic paper. I used the star die I used to die cut the star windows and the next smaller sized star from the same Altenew die set. I pieced this on the acetate star window, adhering it with glue. 

I die cut the sentiment on gold glitter cardstock. The sentiment die is from Paper Smooches. I performed a bit of surgery on the die cut sentiment. Instead of using the original die cut of "congratulations", I trimmed the sentiment down to "congrats". The exclamation point is from a Hero Arts die set.

I created a gift card pocket using a We R Memory Keepers Goodie Bag tool. I adhered this to the inside of the card and embellished it with a grad cap which I cut using the Cricut. I stamped the inside and the grad cap with sentiments from my stamp stash.

I was tempted to add some gold splatters on the front but I was afraid it is going to take the eye away from the shaker so I kept the background as is. 

For the second card, I used the negative cut stars from the first card. I scored the gray star die cuts from the points to the center to make it 3D. I added a foam square to the back on the center to keep it raised as I adhere this to the dotted patterned paper star die cut. For the points, I used Ranger Glossy Accents to adhere this to the dotted star and keep the score folds up.

For the background panel, I partially embossed a white pearl cardstock with an alphabet embossing folder. I adhered the stars to this panel.

For the sentiment, I stamped this on gold pearl cardstock with black pigment ink. I poured black glitter cardstock to the wet ink and heat embossed it. I die cut the sentiment into a strip using the coordinating die. The stamp and die are from Pinkfresh Studio.

I curled the sentiment banner. I added a foam adhesive on the center and curled the ends up adding a dot of glue close to the edge to keep it adhered to the panel. 

For the inside of the card, I adhered a scrap patterned paper to the bottom to act as gift card pocket. I stamped the sentiment with a dye ink. Dye inks are supposed to dry quickly. My stamped sentiment did not. I accidentally smeared a part of the sentiment. Uggh! I was tempted to pitch the note card. I even thought of restamping the sentiment on another paper then fussy cut it. Then I remembered my white gel pen. I wrote over the mess to cover it up. Now, the boo-boo is hardly noticeable.

I hope you like today's cards and that you join this month's challenge. We always love to see your projects.

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared these cards at

Simon Says: Anything Goes #59

Challenge 5~Anything Goes #119