Saturday, July 30, 2016

A Fond Farewell from Maureen Merritt

Hi All, it's Maureen. Today's card is for YOU, our blog readers, Dawn, the most talented person I know and the entire WPlus9 design team. YOU are simply amazing!

The past two plus years of designing on the WPlus9 team has been a dream come true. I remember clearly the day I received an email from Dawn asking me to be a part of her team. I happened to be sitting at my computer when the email came through and I responded in less than 30 seconds (Dawn can attest to this!). I was literally chair dancing and have been every single release since then. Sadly though, today is my last post as part of the WPlus9 team.

I thought it would be fun to take a look back at a few of my favorite cards over the past two years...

It sure has been fun!

A big THANK YOU, to all of you that have left comments for me throughout the years. Each and every one means the world to me. And a HUGE thank you to Dawn for believing in me. WPlus9 will always hold a special place in my heart. I will always be your biggest fan!

Farewell for now, my stamping friends!

Thursday, July 28, 2016

GUEST ARTIST FEATURE: Adding Texture & Dimension with Yana Smakula

Hello everyone! This is Yana Smakula adding a bit of texture and dimension to one layer cards.

I’ll be honest with you, I rarely make one layer cards as I often have the urge to add something, to add that one more layer, one more die cut, one more panel (plus I almost never make cards without the use of foam adhesive). I always feel like my one layer cards lack something.

By adding a bit of texture and dimension to plain white cardstock I am able to spice my cards up and add that special little finishing touch to them. If you struggle with creating one layer projects like I do, hopefully you’ll find my tips and video at the end of this post helpful.

To create these cards I first did my stamping and it is important to do stamping first. I used Fresh Cut Wreaths stamp set as well as a number of various colors of ink (all listed below in the suppy list) and stamped a floral wreath on each of my panels (when I am making one layer projects I prefer to work on a cardstock panel rather than on a cardbase directly) and also used Hand Lettered Hello stamp set to stamp the sentiments.

Before moving onto the next step I wanted to mention Fairy Dust dye ink. I used this color to replace green on one of my panels and I ended up with a stunning soft look. This is the perfect very light gray color and it complements any other color wonderfully.

To add texture and dimension to my stamped panels I went with embossing; and by embossing I mean dry embossing. You can use an embossing folder to emboss a design onto cardstock, but for one layer cards I feel embossing folders add just too much dimension. So to create the perfect amount of dimension and texture and also to make sure my embossed design would match my stamped piece I created my own embossing plate by using cardstock and a die.

Because my embossing is white on white it is very hard to capture, but you can still see the texture I was able to add to my panels with a simple die cutting trick.

Watch my video tutorial to learn how to create a cardstock embossing plate and how to emboss with it to add beautiful texture to your stamped panels.

Watch above or watch in HD at YouTube

To finish my cards I adhered my panels onto A2 top folding card bases and embellished each with clear sequins and beads. I also added a touch of glitter by using a glitter pen.

While it might look like creating cardstock embossing plate is a time consuming process (and the plate might not look durable) it is a great way to stretch the supplies you already have and add that wow touch to your cards. And believe me, if you are careful you can re-use your DIY embossing plate over and over again! Store it together with your stamps so that you don’t forget you have it!

Have fun with your one layer projects!

Featured Supplies

For your convenience, here is a list of the supplies (or equivalents) used on today's project(s), along with links to purchase. Please note: this list does contain some affiliate links.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

VIDEO: Vibrant Backgrounds using Distress Ink Refills with Kelly

Hello Crafters! So after last week's more subtle colors this week I was looking to go vibrant. And you know who wanted to play along with me?

The Garden Buddies!

I just think these little ones are the cutest. I can't get over those overalls. Although, I wish I could lose the pictures of me in high school wearing a very similar outfit. :/ You know what I'm saying?

I was able to get such a vibrant background really quickly by using Distress Ink Reinkers. You can watch me work in the video below.

Watch above or watch in HD at YouTube

Don't worry, that left over ink didn't go to waste. I was able to make two more watercolor backgrounds with what was left over after this card. They are super intense and I love them so.

Cuteness and color! My loves. Thanks so much for stopping in!

Featured Supplies

For your convenience, here is a list of the supplies (or equivalents) used on today's project(s), along with links to purchase. Please note: this list does contain some affiliate links.


Connect with us:

Follow Us on Pinterest