December Guest Designer: Carissa Wiley

Hi everyone!  Carissa here, thanks for stopping by again.  I’m excited to be here on the Neat & Tangled blog one more time.  I have a couple of fun projects to share with you featuring the Sparkle And Shine stamp set and some fun water coloring with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers.  Get your sunglasses!  There’s some megawatt sparkle on these cards.

For the first card, I used the gemstones from the Sparkle And Shine stamp set.  I decided it would be fun to watercolor these images in bright colors.  But I knew I wanted to add a little sparkle as well.  I decided an emboss resist technique would be perfect.  Instead of using regular white or clear embossing powder, I used some sparkle embossing powder.  This adds just a hint of shimmer to the outline.

I love using the embossing resist technique.  The embossing helps keep the water coloring inside the image lines.  It almost creates little wells for the water and color to settle in.  After I embossed the images, I added some scribbles of the ZIg Clean Color markers to the embossed images.  You can definitely color the image with these markers.  But to give it the water color effect, I added water using a water color brush.  This helps the color to move around and gives beautiful (and easy) water color results.  These gems are beautiful with their brightly colored water colors and hint of sparkle.

I created a window on a white linen cardstock panel to frame the gemstones.  I decided to add a sparkly frame around the window using some gold glitter paper (because we all know that gold glitter paper makes everything better).  I cut the frame by nestling two nesting dies inside of each other on top of the gold glitter paper and then running it through my die cut machine.  By cutting both circles at the same time, I’m left with the perfect frame.  The smaller of the two circle dies is the same die I used to cut the window on the card front, which means the frame fits perfectly around the window.  I love the way the frame really draws attention to the window and adds a bit more sparkle.

 

I decided to heat emboss the sentiment on vellum.  Since the sparkle embossing powder is a clear base, I knew the words wouldn’t show up if I used Versamark ink.  Instead, I used a white pigment ink to stamp the sentiment and then added a layer of the sparkle embossing powder.  This ties the sentiment in to the gems that are heat embossed.

 

I added a layer of fun foam behind the card front.  This adds dimension and also draws even more attention to the window element.  

I finished the card off with a few more stamped gems and some sequins.  I added the fussy cut gems on to the card front using foam adhesive.  Clear sparkly sequins were the perfect finishing touch.

 

For the second card, I decided to use the light bulb image.  I knew I wanted to black heat emboss this image.  I stamped it in Versafine Onyx Black pigment ink and then added a layer of clear embossing powder over it.  This is my favorite way to black heat emboss images.  It keeps the card really clean looking because there aren’t extra black flecks on the card front.

I water colored this image using Zig Clean Color markers in a couple of different tones of yellow.  I applied the color to the image and then used my Zig Wink Of Stella to “watercolor” and move the color.  Using the Zig Wink of Stella adds some super shimmer to the image but lets it maintain the watercolor feel.  This is a fun way to use your Zig Clean Colors (or other ink mediums that you can watercolor with, like Distress Markers or reinkers).  Adding a couple of tones of the yellow added some depth and dimension to the image.

I decided I wanted to combine a couple of the sentiments from the stamp set.  I love the look of mixed font sentiments.  By cutting apart the sparkle & shine sentiment from the first card, and the shine bright sentiment I was able to achieve the mixed font look.  This also gives me more ways to use my stamps.  I can easily mount the stamps as they were originally designed, or I can use the elements of these sentiments on their own.  Sometimes cutting apart your sentiments allows you to create the perfect sentiment that you may not already own.  Just be sure not to cut through the lines of the image.  Cut between the words in the “blank space” of the stamp.

Once the image was water colored and the sentiment was stamped, I decided I wanted to add some Glossy Accents.  The Glossy Accents adds a glass like effect to the light bulb.  It also intensifies the shine of the Wink Of Stella.  Since the Zigs are waterbased, there is a possibility that the color can move when the glossy accents is applied.  Be aware of that.  You may want to do a test on your image prior to adding the Glossy Accents.  In the end, the color didn’t move and the effect was worth the risk.

I added a stitched line to the edge of the card using a stitched border die.  Since this card is very simple, I thought the stitched border added some interest to the card front.  I used my grid mat to line up the border die along the card front.  That way I was sure I would get a perfectly straight cut. I finished the card off with just a bit of patterned paper to tie in the yellow and black color wave on the card.  The patterned papers also add an interesting element to a very simple card.  I also added dimension by adding a layer of fun foam behind the card front.

 

I have created a video tutorial walking you through the creation of both of these cards over on my blog   Be sure to head over there to check it out!  Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube while you’re there so you don’t miss any of my cardmaking and papercrafting videos.

 

Thanks for stopping by today.  I really hope you enjoyed these projects featuring the Sparkle And Shine stamp set.  I hope to see you again soon!  Thank you Danielle for allowing me to take over the Neat & Tangled Blog this month!  I had a great time!  Until next time, I hope you have a fabulous day!