resist stamping with watercolor...

You know me, I love my watercolors! I'm actually taking a watercolor class right now at Craftsy. Love learning more about this technique!

For today's blog post at Elle's Studio, I've done some stamping with the January stamps (hearts in background) with VersaMark ink, then heat embossed them with white embossing powder. I painted over the top with my watercolor paints starting at the top with a darker, more saturated color, then adding more water to get a lighter color as I painted down the card for an ombre effect!

You can always add more color if it's not dark enough at first! Watercolor paper is an easy medium to work with for blending color.

After dry, I added some Elle's Studio die cuts and wood veneer that I've painted red. Visit the Elle's Studio blog for a complete supply list for these two cards and see a super cute Valentine card by Lisa Dickinson and one by Waleska Neris!

It's been so nice here, almost 70 degrees, so we have been enjoying the sunny, warm break from winter here in Colorado! Hope all is well with you. Happy crafting!

Tulle-Wrapped Kisses...

Valentine's Day will be here before you know it! I'm usually a procrastinator with most things, but I thought I'd get a head start on my Valentine's projects for today's Design Team Tips  at Papertrey Ink. I love "love". I love giving. LOVE this time of year! These would be great little gifts for neighbors, friends or your children's Valentine parties.

And the hard part about these? Not eating all of the caramel kisses before you are done creating! (The pink ones are chocolate with caramel in the middle...YUM!) Here's how to make them:

Step 1: Cut 2 pieces of tulle that are 12-14" long. (The tulle I found at the craft store came in a roll about 9" wide.) Lay them on the table so that they are perpendicular to each other (like a cross). Fill the center with Hershey Kisses. Grab all four ends of the tulle, bring to the center, and gather at the top. Tie a bow around it with seam binding or twine.

Step 2: Stamp several of the frames with the Four Square stamp set and cut them out. You can use a variety of colors. This way, if you are making 25 of these for your child's classmates, you won't get bored with just one color! Plus they look so cute when they are all together and so colorful. Stamp the centers of the frame with a sentiment from Heart Squared (or another "love" themed sentiment set.)

Step 3: Die cut a few arrows with the Cupid's Arrow die and kraft paper. Cut some little hearts out with the Cover Plate: Hearts die. One cut will give you a bunch of hearts! Stamp them with the Happy Hearts stamps. Wrap twine around the arrow, adhere a stamped heart and an enamel dot to each arrow, then adhere one arrow to each frame.

Step 4: Attach a frame to each tulle bag with a glue dot. (To get the crinkly look to the seam binding, just wet it slightly and squish it up. Or you can leave it smooth like the pink one shown below. You can also spray the seam binding with mists to change the color of the ribbon before you tie it on if you wish. Let dry before attaching.)

You are finished! Kick back and enjoy the "ooh's and aah's" you will get when these are handed out to friends and family!

Tulle Wrapped Kisses:

(All supplies by Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.)

STAMPS: Heart Squared, Four Square, Happy Hearts
INK: Hawaiian Shores, Raspberry Fizz, Summer Sunrise, True Black, 

and Harvest Gold by PTI, Soft Granite by Hero Arts

PAPER: white and Classic Kraft cardstock
DIES: Cover Plate: Hearts die, Cupid's Arrow die
OTHER: Hershey Kisses candy, tulle from craft supply, seam binding from Zipperstop, 

twine by Papertrey Ink, enamel dots by My Mind's Eye.

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4pm EST: "Custom accents from the oven"

Let me show you how to make customized rings for any occasion or holiday with shrink plastic and your stamps from your stash! It literally only takes about 5 minutes to make one once you've gathered all of your supplies. You can make about 16 rings from one 8.5" x 11" sheet of shrink plastic.

Supplies:
An oven and baking sheet, one piece of vellum, brown craft paper to fit on your baking sheet, shrink plastic, stamps of your choice, scissors, permanent inks, sandpaper, round handle like a makeup brush for forming the rings.

Instructions:
1. Trim a strip of shrink plastic approximately 4.5" or 5" x 3/4" for each ring. (Play around and practice making these to find the exact length you need to fit on your finger.)
2. Choose a stamp(s) to decorate your ring with. Stamp a design onto the strip with permanent inks. I would recommend only doing one or two in the oven at a time. (See video.) They cool off and harden too quickly to do more than two at a time.
3. Cover the strips with a large piece of vellum. The vellum will hold the shrink plastic down a bit to prevent the strips from curling too much and getting stuck together. Put stamped strips into the oven at 350 degrees for 3 minutes.
4. Take out immediately. You'll need to work fast. Remove vellum. Wrap each strip of shrink plastic around a handle of some sort, such as a makeup brush, to form the ring shape. Be careful, as it is hot! Wear a plastic glove if you can to protect your fingers.
5. Sand all edges of ring to make it smooth and more round.

I've made a video to show you the process.


Hope you've enjoyed this technique, they are so easy and fun to make. I'm imagining these in cute little glassine bags all prettied up for the holidays. OR as little birthday treats for party goers to take home with them. Have fun and please leave me a note if you give this a try. I'd love to hear from you. Happy stamping!

Shrink Plastic Rings:
STAMPS: Peace Be Still, Tag Its #4
INK: Permanent StazOn ink in Metallic Silver and Blazing Red
PAPER: none
DIES: none
OTHER: Shrink plastic, vellum, brown craft paper or parchment paper, baking sheet and oven, sandpaper, round handle such as a makeup brush.