Today I want to show you how to create watercolour effects with rubber stamps. Plus once again I’ve got a die-punch combo to add something special to your designs.
With a card any fisher guy – or gal – will love, you’ll want to pick up the Best Catch bundle from the Occasions catalogue while you can still get it at 10% off!
I love the mix of colours on the jumping fish. And YOU’RE going to be happy it’s a technique you can do RIGHT NOW!
Isn’t it time we have a great bundle mainly with guys in mind? This one has fabulous stamps and dies with simple sentiments you will use again and again. I think the bulrushes are my fave!
Do you think you just don’t have that “artiste” gene?
That there’s no way you can be a watercolour artist?
Think again. Once you see how easy this technique is, your craft area is going to be littered with little pieces of watercolour art!
Let’s see how quickly you can become an “artiste”.
How to Create Watercolour Effects with Rubber Stamps
Colour directly onto your stamps with the brush tip of your marker TIP: use the SIDE of the brush to avoid damaging the tip
Hold stamp arm’s length away from you with the rubber/ photopolymer facing you and spritz with 3-5 sprays of good ‘ole H2O
Stamp onto watercolour paper TIP: hold your stamp in place before litfing it up a little longer than you might normally do just to transfer all the ink onto the watercolour paper
Let dry and crop as needed with open die (like for this fish)
OPTIONAL TIP: Re-spritz lightly again and stamp for a second, lighter impression
There now wasn’t that easy? Amazing what a little water can do for your rubber stamp crafting! With detail like you see on this fish, the two-tone stamping is FAB!
Another great thing? This card is made almost entirely of scrap papers you probably have lying around. Even your ribbon scraps you cut for something else that were just a wee bit short! Bonus!
Here’s a quick run down of the supplies and measurements for you.
See
how it’s created a focal point for our greeting on our card today but still
doesn’t take anything away from the overall design?
Show Me What You Create
Now I will just bet you have a stamp or two (🤣) that would be absolutely amazing with this technique. Share your designs so we can all see! You can always post a pic over on my Facebook group Design with Jo VIPeeps! We’re a growing community of crafters and it’d be wonderful to have you join us. Just a quick click here and you’ll be all set.
And if you have someone in mind who’d be taken in hook, line and sinker with
this Best Catch card, here’s my supply list to get you going.
How to Create Watercolour Effects with Rubber Stamps
I hope you got a hit of crafting inspiration today and you’re going to give this technique a try. Layer up some one-two die-punch combos with your Big Shot for cards sure to excite.
Add a fun element just like my fish. Or wouldn’t a pretty rose or a funky balloon be awesome on a card for a special friend? Now you know how to create watercolour effects with rubber stamps, let your inner “artiste” shine – and then bask in their praise!
Handmade birthday cards for friends are a favourite of almost everyone I know. It’s a little gift of yourself. And not only does your friend love that you took the time to make her something extra special, you had all kinds of fun being creative.
I’m doing something just a tad different for my Product of the Week. I’m featuring projects with the Big Shot and a die-punch combo I couldn’t live without.
By now you all know the Big Shot is retiring this June. EEEK! And it’s true we do not yet have a replacement. However if you have this fabulous tool, you WILL be able to continue to use it well into the future, perhaps with a few little adjustments with our new dies.
And you saw how much I love playing with my punches about two weeks ago. If you missed those posts, check them out quickly by viewing my Gallery of ideas.
Not only do I find punches the quickest tool to reach for when I’m crafting, they’re ideal for adding pop to your greetings and pair wonderfully with all kinds of dies. A simple frame like the Triple Banner makes a stand out statement in this handmade birthday card for friends.
Why do I reach for the Triple Banner punch a lot?
It’s
waaaay more than a “triple” size. Any size paper with a width up to 2 inches fits wonderfully.
always consistent so I know when I mat them together like this I’ll have a perfect fit.
one sided so I can choose to make a banner on the other end too – or not! And any length I want.
Fast! So it cuts down on fussy cutting time if I’m in a hurry.
A trendy shape that isn’t going away any time soon.
The Floral Romance vellum paper adds such a lovely background in its soft Petal Pink. For another idea I paired it here also with the Butterfly Beauty dies for this super easy stair stepper card.
These gorgeous dies have been selling like hotcakes (where DID that saying come from? ) In fact they’re currently on back order. But I’m excited they WILL be available in the new catalogue too so want to show you different ways I’m using mine over the next few weeks.
Like creating a focal point with the large die cut out of the group of five. Then placing it so it’s just fluttering into view. Who says you HAVE to see the entire butterfly? In fact a bit of mystery is part of the allure!
The bonus part of this birthday card? It can work equally well as a thinking of you card with the greeting from the Butterfly Beauty stamps. Here’s the inside.
Let me give you my top tips for this simple card.
Design with Jo Design Tips
Attach your Floral Romance vellum to your cardstock with a SLIGHTLY watered down application of liquid glue. See exactly how to do this in this video.
Liquid glue is your best bet to affix the butterfly to the bottom of your card making sure you extend it over the edge.
Turn your paper over to snip off the butterfly’s extending pieces with a sharp pair of small scissors like Paper Snips.
If your Smoky Slate strip is not the exact same length as your larger Whisper White don’t worry about it. Just overlap them the way you like and glue together.
I thought about adding a ribbon (you know I luv the stuff! 😋) but thought simpler was better with this card. Three of the faceted dots in Petal Pink complete it perfectly.
Over to You
Ok grab your Triple Banner punch and crop a large focal point die like Butterfly Beauty with your Big Shot. Then create a simple card just like this. Here are my supplies.
A word of advice. The Floral Romance DSP and Faceted Dots are both retiring so you’ll want to pick yours up pretty soon!
You are going to LOVE my simple DIY gift for coffee lovers today! And even better, you can check out my Facebook Live Replay video to see all the steps to make them at home yourself.
Look how sweet these little guys are!
OK, I just gotta say this is one of my most favouritist projects of all time! They’re just so CUTE! The bright and bold colours, the petite size, the polka dots, the gingham ribbon, the coffee theme. What is NOT TO LOVE about ’em?
Plus they make a super quick gift you made yourself! That’s totally practical! Wanna see how easy they are?
Let’s See This Simple DIY Gift for Coffee Lovers in Action!
I tied a bit of Navy gingham ribbon to the clasp after we were all done that I forgot to do when we were live. I thought it sweetened it up even more! What do you think?
Cuttin’ It Up!
Look at only the small amount of stuff you need to make this cutie (the one we made together in the video):
Real Red – 1 piece about 4 1/4 x 6
scraps of cardstock – Night of Navy, Early Espresso, Whisper White
small scrap of Regals 6×6 DSP in Real Red (small dots)
inexpensive memo pad
round stationery binding ring (the kind that snaps closed)
Now It’s Up To You!
I’d love for you to make some of these and share them over on my Facebook group page, Design with Jo VIPeeps! Here’s everything you need to whip some up at home (oh, and don’t forget your Cropadile😉).
I have been going a little bit crazy making these adorable pint sized memo pads. (I’ve got more done besides these! 🙃) . But look how fun they are!
Many Thanks
I am so grateful when you stop and take a peek at what I’m doing. I know you’ve got lots of things to do and places to be. And I hope you found a bit of inspiration to motivate you to get into your craft space. Let me know how it goes!
Before you go, here are a couple other close ups.
This was the other one we made together. A bit simpler but cool with the greeting on the textured coffee sleeve and the beans in behind.
I added one of the small True Gentleman buttons with some Linen Thread knotted through it to this one. Plus I placed the shadowed tiny cup in behind the sentiment coffee sleeve. That red really makes it POP!
And this fella has the spiral from the memo pad for a top so it sits together just a little more solidly. I explained in the video how to do this so if you didn’t get a chance to watch it, now’s your chance!
Oh, and if you want to make that Stair Stepper card I showed you in the video, simply click here for my video.
Whichever cute coffee cup design you decide to make, maybe this simple DIY gift for coffee lovers just might be your favourtist project ever too!
Let me show you how to make stair stepper cards the easy way.
You know, I always have a ball when you tell me what to do! And that’s exactly what happened with today’s Facebook Live! Different layouts, different colours and different embellishments for interactive card making when we get together.
You can find me every second Tuesday at 6:30 MST over on my Facebook Business page. Set a reminder and come join in the fun!
We’re playing with my Product of the Week, one of my favourite tools Stampin’ Up! carries.
And I’ll be sharing all week how great it is and how I use it for my crafting.
And you definitely agree with me. Here’s some of your comments when I asked if you had a Stampin’ Trimmer…
Last week’s blog was all about vellum and I told you I had one more project up my sleeve. This is it. Vellum so pretty it’s showing up on this card in two different spots. Do you know where?
If you guessed the flower embellishments and the pretty Petal Pink back panel, you’d better go grab yourself a lottery ticket! Let’s see how I made it.
Stair Stepper Cards the Easy Way
Let me give you those measurements so you can get busy at home too.
Cuttin’ It Up!
Very Vanilla cardstock – 1 piece 4 1/4″ x 12″, scored at 1 1/2″, 3″, 5″, 7″, 9 1/2″, 1 piece 3 1/4″ x 4 1/4″ and 1 piece 4″ x 5 1/4″
Petal Pink cardstock – 1 1/4″ x 4″, scraps
Soft Seafoam cardstock – scraps
Floral Romance DSP – 1 piece 3 7/8″ x 8 1/8″ and 1 piece 3 1/8″ x 4 1/8″, scraps of vellum leaf print
How about a close-up of the greeting punch with embellishments?
Which One Would You Pick?
It’s vote time! I’d love it if you would leave me a comment with which one appeals to you the most.
The card you helped me to design?
Or the one I had made first in the soft subtles?
All Up To You Now!
I’ll bet you’ve got some DSP aging gracefully that would be ideal for this card. In fact, it could even be this so pretty Floral Romance. Here’s everything you’re going to need.
Here’s a final glance so you can see how it will fold flat for a regular A2 envelope.
Many Thanks
Thanks for stopping by and checking out my video today. Be sure to join in my Facebook Lives when I’ll be back April 9th. It’s your chance to tell me EXACTLY what to do!
And I hope you’re full of inspiration to craft up some stair stepper cards the easy way too!
Keepin’ with my series this week, today’s Keep It Simple Sunday project is a dry embossing vellum birthday card. Or maybe it’s a congrats card. Or quite possibly a friend card.
What do YOU think it is?
I LOVE how the vellum cardstock takes on a white cast around the embossed leaf image. Not only is the image fully raised, it has a frosty shadow to catch the eye even more.
I’ve had this Climbing Vine embossing folder for awhile but it got a bit lost in my supplies with all the other fabulous items. (I don’t expect that EVER happens to you right? 😙) . So I thought I would pull it out and use it to complement the Incredible Like You stamp set.
Did you notice this set in the Occasions catalogue? It’s in with the kits on page 21. So if you tend to skim right over them, you may have missed it.
I’m a two step stamping afficionado from waaaay back so it was on my list pretty early on. And even though I’ve used it in a couple classes, you haven’t seen it here yet!
So here ya go! Look how fabulous that flower is with the top detail overlaid. And because it’s a photopolymer set, I could see right through it so didn’t need my Stamparatus to get this perfectly aligned.
Now it’s time for all the measurements and steps so you can recreate this at home.
Cuttin’ It Up!
Old Olive cardstock – 4 1/4″ x 11″, scored at 5 1/2″
Vellum cardstock – 4″ x 5 1/4″
Pear Pizzazz cardstock – 4″ x 5 1/4″
Calypso Coral cardstock – 2 7/8″ x 2 7/8″
Petal Pink cardstock – 2 5/8″ x 2 5/8″
Whisper White cardstock – 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″
Let’s Make It
Run vellum through Climbing Vines embossing folder with Big Shot. TIP: you will hear some cracking sounds as you are doing this because the paper has a plastic finish. BIG TIPPER TIP: Be careful handling the edges of the vellum as it could tear on the raised images.
Adhere vellum to piece of Pear Pizzazz cardstock using liquid glue and sponge technique outlined in this video. Glue to front of folded card. BIG TIPPER TIP: If you do have any tears in your embossed piece, this type of adhering works great to repair it!
Stamp solid flower image in Petal Pink on bottom left of Whisper White square. TIP: stamp off once onto scrap paper if you have a really juice stamp pad like me!
Stamp 2nd flower image directly on top with Calypso Coral ink. Stamp three leaves along bottom to fill in a portion of the corner. TIP: Stamp one leaf with full strength ink then a second one, THEN re-ink for the 3rd one.
Ink words in Pear Pizzazz ink and stamp towards top centre.
Adhere all three pieces together, centring each one on top of the other. Glue to front centre of card with dimensionals.
Add three rhinestones on right side of card.
Let’s See Yours!
This is a quick card with stunning results on the embossed vellum. Which folders do you have at home that look just as FAB? Post your pics over on my group DesignwithJo VIPeeps Facebook page so we can all see!
What a classic card design. Here are the simple elements.
a framed focal piece,
ideally coordinated colours,
fabulous understated background and,
a few simple embellisments.
To order any of these supplies simply click on any image below.
I really enjoy Keep It Simple Sundays. In the midst of all the gorgeous, detailed projects you could make, sometimes quick and easy is all you have time for. That’s why I started this feature two years ago. And that’s why I’ll keep ’em coming your way.
So if you want some simple spring ideas, here’s a couple from this time last year.
I hope you like my Keep It Simple Sunday series too. If you do, please leave me a comment and let me know. And if they’re not really your thing, feel free to let me know that too! I love to hear from you so I can offer projects YOU want to recreate.
Working with vellum this week has been fun. And guess what? I’m not done quite yet. I’ve got one more to share coming up this week. So then you’ll be able to add yet one more technique to your dry embossing with vellum toolkit!
