Splitcoast Tutorial: Spanner Panel Card

This week's tutorial over on Splitcoast is a Spanner Panel Card! This is a very simple design, but the two vertical cuts create all kinds of design possibilities! Be sure to check the tutorial page for a sample using acetate for some floating elements.

There's still so much in this June MMH kit from Hero Arts to explore, so I used some of the dies with cold press paper to create the layers for my card. I watercolored all the pieces with QoR watercolors. Tip: I used a 3/4" flat brush to paint - that really helps me to keep my strokes loose. By the way, this kit is sold out, but the September kit was released yesterday and it's beautiful! Be sure to check it out if you love their layered scenes. 

I made the cuts in my card base first, then laid the mountain panel across and followed the same cuts so I would have mountains across the card visually, but also separated onto the front and center panels when the card opens. I positioned the sentiment with the center flap closed so that I could be sure it was centered below the flap and not visible until that flap was lifted. On the inside of the card, I used the off-cut from the mountains as a stencil for some loose mountains to carry the theme throughout the card. 

Lots of options for personalizing this one - hope you'll try it out! 

Splitcoast Tutorial: Smackdown Technique

This week's tutorial over on Splitcoast is the Smackdown Technique - this actually is a technique I've used almost as long as I've been stamping, but never knew it had a name! 

I love using this technique in scenic stamping, especially for grass, so I pulled out this add-on set from last month's kit from Hero Arts, supplementing with a few small stamps from the main kit set. I masked off a circle using a reverse mask cut from contact paper. I used the Smackdown technique in the water as well, brushing in the ink and then stamping over it repeatedly with the water texture stamp from the main kit. More details were added in with a Posca pen and a white pencil, and I added the debossed detail with a die from Maker's Movement.

Such a simple and fun technique! Have you tried it?

Splitcoast Tutorial: 3D Frame Display

This week's tutorial over on Splitcoast is a 3D Frame Display - be sure to check the gallery for lots of different ideas!

My mind went in  couple of different directions with this project, so I have 2 samples to share. I had seen the Paper Smooches challenge yesterday, so I made one frame with the die cut opening over to the side to match the April sketch. The cupcake die set I used can be found HERE, and the sentiment is from a discontinued Hero Arts set.

The card front is 2" wider than the base, and scored 1/2" in from each side to create a tab that folds around to the back. The extra inch creates a curve on the front, and it stands by itself. Fun design! I love the negative cut design on this one. These will need to be hand-delivered or mailed in a box, just so you know.

For my second card I pulled out the May 2018 Hero Arts kit - these monthly kits are packed fulllll of stamps and dies, and they're such a great value. I love that you can purchase any kit without subscribing - there have been a couple of times I couldn't help myself! I actually have an alarm set to check the kit each month on the release day (first Monday of the month), just in case. You can find the newest My Monthly Hero kit HERE.

The tree frame die is from the kit. I had the gel printed background in my file - the clouds are die cuts from Impression Obsession that I laid onto the press after covering it with paint. The figures inside are die cut, and the kite is stamped. The butterfly is another IO die, and the banner die is HERE.

These are fun and easy cards to make, and they can be made in any size - just determine your base size, and make the top piece 2" wider! 

Hope your week is going well!

Splitcoast Tutorial: Coffee Filter Prints

It's my turn to share a tutorial over on Splitcoast, and I'm sharing a fun technique for using coffee filters to print on photo paper. You can find the tutorial HERE! 

Spellbinders August Small Die of the Month
Impression Obsession CL577 Maya clear set

Photo paper has some really cool properties when paired up with dye inks, because the coating on the paper allows it to take an instant 'print' of the ink that doesn't fade when it dries - you can actually dry it right away without changing the look. When you're working with watercolor powders, you can create some really interesting effects directly on photo paper... here's a sample I made in the video to show what that can look like. 

Spellbinders Shapeabilities Crystal Peaks die
Impression Obsession B13280 Be Here Now

The results tend to be more spotty, since the effect of the water is instant, and you don't get the full bleed and blend that you can get on more absorbent papers since the powders don't reactivate. That may be an effect that you want, but maybe not - it's great to try different methods to see what works best for different effects.

Spellbinders August Small Die of the Month

Impression Obsession CL577 Maya clear set

Darice® 4.25 x 5.75 Embossing Folder: Wire Fence

The other cards in my post were created by transferring activated watercolor powders using a coffee filter.

Spellbinders August Small Die of the Month
Sentiment - The Cat's Pajamas (retired)

I'm working with some dies from Spellbinders too - these sweet little flourished frames and birds you see are from their August Small Die of the Month kit! You can find out about all of Spellbinders' kit clubs here - there are various levels, and you don't have to be a subscriber to purchase.

Spellbinders Shapeabilities Little Boys at Play
Impression Obsession C13433 Never Give Up

 You can even make prints from filters that have been used - in the video you can see how I made this background using a filter that was still damp, but had been used pretty heavily on another card. It's a completely different look, but so cool!

Hero Arts May 2018 My Monthly Hero kit

When you're all done, dry the filters out to use as card backgrounds! There's so little waste with this technique. Again, check the tutorial for great tips on attaching coffee filters to cardstock.

 Hope you'll try this one out - there are so many ways to play!

Splitcoast Tutorial: Contact Paper Masking

This week's tutorial over on Splitcoast is a fun return to the classic Reverse Masking technique, using contact paper! Turns out the repositionable version of everyone's favorite shelf liner makes a great material for masking - it's diecuttable and reusable!

I picked up these Hero Arts nesting teapot dies a few months ago - this is the largest one and it's amazing! I love card-sized dies. I started by die cutting the contact paper, and then laying it onto a plain sheet of paper and lifting one side to tuck my card panel in... it was much easier to handle that way.

I used a stencil brush and some hybrid inks that were on my desk to lay some color into the shape, then stamped some of my tea-related stamp images in with the same inks.

While the mask was still on, I used a pencil to shade around the edge of the teapot...

...and then brushed in some gesso highlights to add dimension. I masked in a table top and some light stenciled dots for the background. Super simple!

This sentiment is from my stamp line as well - it's here... and those other background stamps are here: Tea Tools, Steam Flourish, Teacup, Treat the World.

Hope you'll try this out!