Aqua Winking...and Birthday Blooms

Remember this card... well seeing as it was SO popular both here in the flesh and on Pinterest... I decided to re-make all the cards in the set for my class using the Aqua-painter and the Gold Wink of Stella....

And as I demonstrated the technique at class...a  new expression came to mind...  aqua-winking... lot easier to say than the following....

1. Scribble your Gold Wink of Stella on a clear block (or piece of plastic or ceramic plate or something smooth and slippy...)

2. Pick up your Gold from the block using your Aqua Painter and aqua-wink (watercolour) as required ... note just add a drop of water if you want the colour to be even more subtle!!

3. Go over with your Clear Wink of Stella if you want even more shine...

4. Use Staz On cleaner to clean your clear block when you have finished (as the gold stains!!)

Don't forget to paper tole the flowers too... makes a huge difference to these cards... though unfortunately somewhat too subtle to see on the photos!! So you will have to trust me...

SU! Supplies
Stamps - Birthday Blooms
Inks - Gold Wink of Stella, Always Artichoke, Mint Macaron, Pool Party, Archival/Staz On Black, Versamark & White embossing powder, Gold embossing powder
Tools - Aquapainters, Curvy Corner Trio Punch, Heat Gun
Papers - Birthday Blooms
Embellishments - Gold Bow Clips, Striped Mossy Meadow Cotton Ribbon
Card - Always Artichoke, Pool Party, Hello Honey, Shimmery White, Watercolor Paper, Thin Whisper White

Go here for the lowdown on which white card was used on which card... I am definitely still loving the Shimmery White card best for watercolouring and aqua-winking...

Rose Red Birthday Blooms

Here is another card based upon our last Quarterly Training projects. This in turn was CASED from the Spring Summer catalogue...

The flower is coloured in using Blushing Bride with Rose Red highlights...gorgeous in the flesh!

I then finished off the colouring with my white Signo gel pen on those seed heads...

And  - as the pale gold sample shared yesterday - the finishing touch being the Paper Toled flower

Oh... plus an extra greeting punched out with the Washi Label punch.... 

And a story about this punch... I use it all the time as the size and shape is just right for so many projects... but I did not get it initially...no, not at all!! It was a big NO NO.... Not so now... Proving yet again that things are often worth a second look! Or even a third....

Gold Birthday Blooms.... and new Weekly Deals...

Whilst I was finishing off my cards from last Quarterly Training... I stamped a couple more...and had a bit of a play....

And this one I love.... though the photos really don't do it justice...

The flowers are coloured using the Gold Wink of Stella pen... I scribbled the gold Wink of Stella on a clear block and just added a bit of water to it ... and used the Aqua Painter to colour in my flowers... The seed heads were then coloured in using the Gold Wink of Stella pen direct.... It is very subtle ...but stunning! 

Especially when I winked over the top with my clear Wink of Stella pen! Subtle pale gold shine became VERY sparkly.... a complete WOW in the flesh!

And then I didn't stop there.... I paper-toled the flowers (again no craft knife being involved...)... so it has texture as well as shine... complete feel-ability on a card! Double WOW... 

Though you may have to try one of your own to see how good this combination is!!!

Oh and before I go.... check out this week's Weekly Deals.... some items on quite a few Wish List's on there....

Clean & Simple Indescribable Gift for Easter

No guesses for which beautiful stamp set I have now got out in the craft room!
I was not going to buy this set – as I am a long-term collector/keeper of blossoms images – and I really thought that it was time to stop…!
But I had a few free £ to spend on an order – that is the bit I love about being a demonstrator! – free money to spend… so well… I just had to order it after all… shame!

So my first share… is well… as clean and simple as you can go… but there is something special about it in the flesh!
I really don’t think it comes over in the photos… but you can feel those flowers and leaves… as I used part of the Paper Tole technique. Have to admit that as soon as Splitcoast Stampers posted this Weekly Tutorial – I immediately pulled out this stamp set… it just cries out to be used with this technique!
I didn’t do any cutting…as I am not really safe to be let loose with a craft knife!
So I just used the thin ball end of my embossing stylus on the front/stamped face to go around the edges of the flowers and leaves. That creates the shape of the images onto the back of the panel. Then I turned the panel over and – with the thick Stampin Pierce foam mat placed underneath – I  used the thick ball end to shape within those image areas…

Result popped up images without any fuss! Adds such great texture to such a simple card… Great technique, must be tried!
SU! Products Used
Stamps – Indescribable Gift
Inks – Memento Black, Rose Red & Aquapainter, Soft Sky & Aquapainter
Markers – Pink Pirouette, Crumb Cake, Pistachio Pudding
Cardstock – Pink Pirouette, Rose Red, Whisper White