White Wash Technique with Secret Garden

I was recently reminded of a cool technique called whitewashing -- which, not surprisingly, involves watercoloring with reinker over an image that has been "whitewashed" with white craft/pigment ink. If you'd like to see a video of this technique, Lisa Curcio has one posted here. This is just one in a series of videos she's making to showcase various techniques -- all well worth watching.

I used the same stamp set Lisa used, Secret Garden by Stampin' Up!  Three of the flower images in this beautiful set are open lined and thus lend themselves to this technique quite easily.  Another set that I think would work quite well is SU!'s retired Fifth Avenue Floral which has a rose, a lily, and at least one other open-lined flower in it.

I made four cards all pretty much the same except for the colors.  I did my embossing and whitewashing on Crumb Cake cardstock, and then worked with Bermuda Bay, Elegant Eggplant, Night of Navy, and (my favorite In Color) Strawberry Slush.  Here they are:

(If you'd like to see a larger view of the cards, just click on the pictures.)

The background was done with the new Mosaic embossing folder, and I used the new Ovals framelits to cut out the Crumb Cake and Whisper White layers. I did the paper piercing with a template from the Occasions Paper Piercing Pack.  The butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch that I just couldn't resist adding, although I could have used either of Stampin' Up!'s butterfly punches or a butterfly from the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die as well.  (I just love having choices!)  I can't remember offhand which set the sentiment is from, but I'll be happy to look it up if you leave me a comment requesting that info.  I used twelve Stampin' Dimensionals on each card, but I think it's worth it -- more so when you see the cards in real life.  I'm pretty tickled with how these cards turned out!

Now to see what I can get into next...

Smiles,

Joyce Spear (a.k.a. StamperJoyce)

    

June My Paper Pumpkin Project

Amazingly, I sat down with my monthly Paper Pumpkin project yesterday-- on the same day it arrived!  I really liked making this month's cards!

I'm hoping to roll up my sleeves today and get some serious stamping done! (fingers crossed)  I have a couple of techniques that I really want to try.

Smiles,
Joyce Spear (a.k.a. StamperJoyce)
 

More Faux Silk Cards

These photos have been sitting in my camera since the end of last month -- I totally forgot to upload and blog them!  I just happened to find them as I was taking other pictures today.  Good thing, too, since it made me realize that I haven't done any stamping for a couple weeks.  My excuse?  Besides having a crazy personal life, I've been doing some regrouping and rearranging as the result of Stampin' Up!'s "color refresh" that went into effect with the new catalog release on May 31.  Ten core colors retired and ten new ones were added, plus we have a new group of In Colors that are fabulous.  I'm chomping at the bit to start working with them, but I still have some clean-up to do before I can roll up my sleeves and get busy.

Anyway, here are the remaining Faux Silk cards I made with some tissue paper that came with a recent gift.

Any questions about these cards?  Just leave me a note in the comments section or email me for more details.

Meanwhile, brace yourself for some fresh new designs featuring the new colors and new products.  It feels like I'll be able to indulge myself in a major burst of creativity really soon!

Can't wait!

Smiles,

Joyce Spear (a.k.a. StamperJoyce)