Creating and Connecting

I am super happy to be back again to be a guest designer at the  Just Us Girls Challenge where the Trend Week theme is "stripes". I thought it was a good time to do a little watercoloring with some florals from Altenew's Golden Garden stamp set to add to my stripes. Oh wait, any time is a good time to watercolor florals!  I used Crafter's Companion Torn Panel background die for my stripes. Tips on how I achieved this look in watercoloring: 1. My basic method usually is that I work in two layers. In the first layer I add color with some depth. In the second layer I add more color and depth, and texture. 2. Use the right amount of water in your little "well" made with the embossing. Make sure it is lightly pigmented.  Then you add darker pigment into the light. You know you are at least close to the right amount if, when you add the darker pigment it spreads fairly slowly and doesn't take over the whole area.  If the pi...

I love to color! Today I am using the beautiful Essentials by Ellen Mondo Amaryllis stamp set along with the Essentials by Ellen Mondo Holly stamp set for the sentiment. I have a couple of tips on how I achieve greater depth and texture in my coloring. Here is a short video on how I made and colored this card. Tips: 1. Use both warm and cool colors in your image. Here my warm, or more orangey red is Copic Marker R29 and my cool, or more blue reds are Copic Marker R89  and Copic Marker R39. 2. Use a muted medium shade of blue such as Copic Marker B34  to deepen the color of the shadows. 3. For more realism add texture once you are finished with your Copic Markers using Prismacolor Pencils. I used PC 1029 and PC1067. 4. And most important, just color and have fun!   I am joining 3 challenges with this card. Emerald Creek Dares Challenge: Christmas/Winter   with Emerald Creek Craft Supplies Time Out Challenges: Merry and Cheerful If ...

When I saw the super adorable Essentials by Ellen Dinomite Christmas stamps and Essentials by Ellen Dinomite Halloween stamps by the amazingly talented Brandi Kinkaid I knew exactly what I wanted to do...a dinosaur Christmas tree!!!  I know a little boy who will looove these cards! (...and a big boy too; DJ keeps trying to claim cards. LOL! I keep telling him we need to share them!) And I love how it turned out! A little Moonstone Nuvo Glimmer Paste  was the finishing touch. I hope you enjoy my short video on how I made this and 2 extra cards with the "leftovers"! Tips: 1. Stamp and color 2 of each of the dinosaurs and some of the accent images in copic friendly ink and die cut them using the Essentials by Ellen Dinomite Christmas dies  and Essentials by Ellen Dinomite Halloween dies .  This gives enough images to make the Christmas tree, with a few left over. 2. When coloring use dull copic YGs, like YG93, in the ...

DJ, my husband, has a drone and video business and he recently uploaded an amazing wedding video and separate outtakes on his website DJ's In the House Drone and Video Photography  that he did this summer. What a privilege it was for him to capture the day filled with love for such sweet, wonderful people. Ashley + Austin's Wedding (click on Ashley + Austin once into his website) Ashley + Austin Outtakes (click on Outtakes once into his website)   We would love it if you would share DJ's website and videos with your friends and family.  And if you are planning a wedding we hope that you will contact DJ and allow him the privilege of capturing your special day!   Betty and DJ    

Watercoloring Colorado Craft Company's Bethlehem's Light stamp using Inkon3 Fadeout No Line Coloring Detail Ink  is fun and easy! This is Day 3 of Kathy Racoosin's 30 Day Coloring Challenge. In this challenge she encourages us to do what we love and color every day for 30 days. Here is a link to her blog if you want to know more about her challenge: The Daily Marker 30 Day Coloring Challenge . So that is what I have done, I have watercolored for the last 3 days.  This card took 50 minutes, but the video is not nearly that long:) I hope you enjoy a short video to show how easy it is to make this card. Tips: 1. Inkon3 Fadeout No Line Coloring Detail Ink  is a must! I love it. It takes on the pigment of whatever paint color you apply to it. 2. Start with a light wash of paint, leaving some gaps where you want highlights. 3. Add more layers, using darker paint on each layer where the shadows would occur including along some of the detail lines of the stamp.  Co...

Today I am excited to share how I make and use reusable masks with Essentials by Ellen Art Magnetic Masking Material  and the  Essentials by Ellen Craft Assistant . No more taping stencils or masks down! The magnetic system holds masks and stencils really well, is easy to use and is really inexpensive.  And you can make masks out of dies you already own!  I love it! I hope you enjoy the short video I made to explain all of this in a bit more detail. Tips: 1.  Choose the dies of the shapes you mask most often with and die cut them out of the Essentials by Ellen Art Magnetic Masking Material . 2. Die cut one size of that shape die or multiple sizes on the same mask if you would like.  See the video for details on this. 3. You need a metal base such as the Essentials by Ellen Craft Assistant  to use these magnetic masks with. 4. I hold the magnetic mask very lightly.  They hold very well if you make your magnetic masks with a 3/4 to ...

Watercolor galaxy backgrounds have never been so fun, and pairing them with the Space Out by Brandi Kinkaid Essentials by Ellen  stamp set is the best! I know, I will probably be saying this quite often for a while, but thank you Ellen for this fun set!  When she came to visit she brought me so many things to play with. Thank you! Here is a video of how I made this card. Tips: 1.  Use whatever watercolor powder you have. I have Brusho, but I have seen Color Burst with Ken Oliver and if I had them I am sure I would have a lot of fun with them as well. Shimmerz is also on my wish list to try using this technique. 2. I find that the key to the outcome is using a fine mist spray bottle that doesn't put out too much water at once.  I use the Stampin' Spritzer.   I have found I douse my page with too much water using my Ranger Distress Sprayer. 3. Tape your watercolor paper to a firm surface on all sides because it will be bulging, because you...