Happy STAMPtember!

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Simon Says Stamp is celebrating STAMPtember! It is the biggest and most exciting stamping event of the year. Last month, SSS asked for mailing addresses from their followers. The first 100 will get a complimentary STAMPtember exclusive product. YAY! I am one of the lucky 100!

I used the SSS Best Witches Clear Stamp Set on my platform pop-up card. I stamped the images on watercolor paper. I colored the images with Kuretake Gansai Tambi, Coliro Mica and Karin markers. I fussy cut the images. The stamp set has a coordinating die available for puchase in case you are not into fussy cutting.

I think the most challenging part of this project is arranging all the elements on the platform. I did a lot of fiddling with the arrangement. I am so glad with all the re-arranging of the already glued elements, the platform survived. 

I stamped one of the sentiments on black cardstock, partially stamping a segment of the sentiment to create this into strips. In this way, the sentiment will fit on the back of the platform pop-up.

I added a glow-in-the-dark feature to the pop-up platform for an additional enchanting fun. These elements are also floating off the platform which was achieved with the use of acetate strips.

I hope you like today's project. Please join Simon Says Stamp in this month long celebration. Below is a link to this year's exclusive STAMPTember products. Also, from 9/4 through 9/29, everyday at noon 

ET, an exclusive limited edition collab. stamp set from will be released. Once these items sell out, it will not be restocked.

Thank you, SSS for allowing me to be a part of this celebration with this free stamp set.

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

STAMPtember 2025

I am sharing this project at

Stamp It In STAMPtember 

Cute Fall/Halloween Cards 4 Kids

Simon Says Stamp IG Challenge

Painting with Stencils

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Today's card was created as part of my AECP 3 journey. I am showcasing what I learned from All About Layering 7, Stencils Edition. I chose Bridget's class of using watercolor with layering stencils as my inspiration in creating this card. 

I am using a black watercolor paper for my card. I trimmed it to a size that will fit the Altenew Silk Art coordinating die. I die cut this die on the black watercolor paper. As Bridget mentioned on her video, die cutting the image helps in alignment of the the stencil. I inlaid the die cut to the negative space and secured it with tape on the back. 

The stencil has some dainty parts and mines choose not to lay flat on the paper. I sprayed Pixie Spray to the back of the stencil to temporarily stick it to the watercolor paper. It didn't work on all the dainty parts, so I did Bridget's trick wherein you press the stencil down with your finger while painting around it. 

I am using Coliro Mica watercolor for the paint. As Bridget recommended, I tried my best to do a dry technique of watercoloring. If I feel that too much water seeped underneath the stencil, I lift the stencil up and dry the area with a paper towel. I used two colors for the leaves layer (layer #1), and three colors for the floral layer (layer #2). Don't forget to dry the paint in between coloring the layers. You can set it aside to dry or speed dry it with a heat tool.

I lost the details of the stamen created by layer #1 when I painted with layer #3. I added dots of white mica paint to the dots of the stamen. Feel free to paint the details or do some touch ups of the floral bunch if you wish or if you think it is needed. You don't need the stencil to do this. Just free hand paint it.

Just like in Bridget's video, I painted more leaves to a black cardstock for a layered look. I trimmed the black cardstock large enough to fit the floral die cut. I created a mask by die cutting a Press 'N Seal. This just works like a masking paper but the down sides are it is more flimsy than a masking paper, and the front side tends to stick to the stencil. But it works. I ran out of masking paper that's why I used Press 'N Seal instead. 

Using the painted floral bunch as a guide, I chose which areas I want to paint additional leaves on. I am just using an 80 lb. cardstock so I really have to keep the paint on a drier side to prevent it from warping. 

I adhered the floral bunch to the black cardstock panel. I flicked some gold paint over it. 

The floral bunch is larger than an A2 card. The floral bunch with the painted background is too pretty to have some of it cut off just to fit an A2 card. So, I created an A7 card (5" x 7"), which I rarely do. I matted the black panel with a gold cardstock.

For the sentiment, I created my own sentiment using the Altenew Sentiment Strips die set. I used two dies from this set to create my customized sentiment using partial die cutting technique. Instead of layering this die cut sentiment on another cardstock, I inlaid the letters on the sentiment die cut. I painted a scrap piece of black cardstock with the same red mica paint I used for the flowers. I die cut the letters on this painted panel, then inlaid it to the sentiment strip die cut. The watercolor paper is thicker than the cardstock which gave it a dimensional look.

I trimmed a gold cardstock strip to matte this sentiment die cut. There was too much space on the sides of the strip. I wrapped a gold embroidery floss around this strip to fill in that space. I adhered the sentiment strip on it.

I encourage you to look through your stencils and give this technique a try. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day.

Maria Giselle B.

6/2024: Altenew decided to change its affiliate program starting this month. Below is my affiliate link to the website. I don't think I can directly link the products I used with this new program. Please feel free to do a product search. I will update as I figure this out. The good thing about this new affiliate program is that I get to earn on each Altenew product you purchase and not only on the product/s I used on this project. As before, there will be no additional cost to you if you make a purchase. It is just a way to help a fellow crafter sustain her love for crafting. While in the Altenew blog, don't forget to check out their new release for this month. Thank you for your support!

https://altenew.com/6358517

I am sharing this creation at

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog~Anything Goes

Coffee Mini-Card (New Craft Stash #14)

Hello! Welcome back to my New Craft Stash series. For this post, the new products I am featuring are the Trinity Stamps Crafty Post 3x4 Stamp & Postcard Die Bundle, and the Van Gogh Black Watercolor Cold Press 140 lb. paper pad. 

I trimmed the black watercolor paper into 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". I stamped the coffee cup image from Simon Says Stamp Simply Brewing using Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Antique Linen. I painted the coffee cup with Coliro Pearl Watercolor Deep Space. The rim of the coffee cup was colored with Karin DecoBrush Blue Metallic marker. I colored the coffee with Karin Decobrush Red Gold and Copper Metallic markers. 

I stamped the trim on the base of the coffee cup. The stamp is from the same SSS stamp set. I applied Finetec light gold pear watercolor directly to the stamp. Using the Misti, I stamped the image to the coffee cup to create an impression. It does not really look good compared to stamping using a stamp pad. But this impression will guide me where to paint. I added dots to the coffee cup using the same light gold paint.

I stamped the speech bubble from the same stamp set on the panel using the same technique of applying watercolor directly to the stamp. I am using Finetec pearl white gold watercolor. My chosen sentiment, which is from Paper Smooches,  is longer than the speech bubble. I simply extended the length of the speech bubble to accommodate the length of the sentiment. 

I heat embossed the sentiment using Versafine Onxy Black ink and black embossing powder. 

I die cut this panel using the postage die from Trinity Stamps. This die creates a frame with a postage edge. I die cut a light brown cardstock to create the frame. 

Using the 3 x 4 rectangular die from the Trinity set, I partially die cut a Hero Arts black notecard. I adhered the frame and the panel. I added a Nuvo heart gemstone on the middle of the coffee cup. 

I am so excited to finally have a black watercolor paper. The watercolor paper is 140 lb. so it withstood my frequent application of watercolor paint to make the pearlized colors vibrant. 

Although I did not use the stamps of the Trinity product, I like the size of the frame and panel dies. I can use these to create ATC with a postage frame element.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this creation at

Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog

Watercolored Star Die Cut Christmas Card

Hello! I created this card to join in this month's Altenew's Inspiration Challenge. I am using the following Altenew products:

• Halftone Stars Nesting Die Set
• Happy Birthday To You Stamp Set
• Happy Halftone Stamp Set
• String Art Rectangles Die Set

I die cut the stars on Strathmore watercolor paper. I used Tim Holtz Distress Oxide in Lucky Clover and Candied Apple to add color to the die cut stars. To do this, I pounced the ink pad on a craft sheet, spritz it with pearlized water, then pressed the die cut to the pool of water. I heat set the stars and picked up more of the ink on the craft sheet for a bit of textured look. 

I added pierced holes to the stars for stitching. To add the pierced holes, I ran one of the String Art Rectangle dies through my die cut machine on a scrap strip of cardstock. I lined this pierced strip of cardstock to the stars then poked the holes through it with the use of a craft pick to create the stitching holes on the stars. I am using a DMC Diamant Metallic Thread in Red Ruby and Emerald Green. I adhered the outline stars on top of each other.

For the background panel, I added a heavy coat of Gansai Tambi Watercolor Prussian Blue. I added several coats, drying it with a heat tool in between coats. For the final coat, I added Coliro Pearl Deep Space Watercolor. I splattered Finetec Sterling Silver Watercolor to the panel then set this aside to dry. I trimmed this to a 5 1/4" x 4" panel. I adhered this to a top folding horizontal white note card.

For the sentiment, I heat embossed this with Wow! Pearl Gold embossing powder on white cardstock. I adhered this to the panel. I then adhered the stars.

For the center of the stars, I die cut a gold vellum. I pinched the stars on the points to make it look dimensional. I pieced this into the open center of the stars, adhering it with foam adhesive and adding a tiny dot of liquid adhesive to the points of the stars. As last step, I added dots of Nuvo Crystal Drops Metallic Bright Gold to the background panel. 

Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this creation at

Altenew Challenge Blog

Metallic Watercolored Card

Hello! I created this for my husband who is celebrating his birthday next week. I also created this card so I can join the Hero Arts' Blog Challenge with the theme on Watercolors.

I used Finetec, Coliro and Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors for this card. For the background, I taped a 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" Strathmore watercolor paper on a board. I sprayed iCraft Removable Pixie Spray onto the Hero Arts Zig Zag Pattern stencil and positioned this on top of the watercolor paper. I was going to paint the panel with Coliro Pearl Deep Space watercolor only but I want the color to be more vibrant. I mixed a dark blue Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolor to the Coliro watercolor on a palette. I painted the watercolor panel with this paint mix, leaving some open areas to apply gold paint instead for some interest.

For the letters, I painted a scrap watercolor paper with Finetec watercolor. I heat set this to dry. I die cut the HA Fancy Dies Alpha Uppercase to spell out Happy Birthday. I also die cut these letters on black cardstock so I can adhere this to the back of the gold letter die cuts for extra dimension for the letters. 

I heat embossed the heart from HA Written in the Stars stamp set on a black cardstock using HA Unicorn White pigment ink. I embossed this with a Wow! Pearl White embossing powder. I painted the heart with Finetec watercolor. I fussy cut the heart leaving a small border around it. 

I adhered the heart to center of the lay-out. I adhered the letters after, following the zig zag pattern of the stencil. I added black pearls. I trimmed a sliver off the edges. I adhered this panel to a black cardstock. See how shimmery this card is?

Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day. Stay safe always.

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this creation at

Hero Arts Challenge Blog~May Challenge