Flowerbug's Inkspot

Shaving Cream & Watercolor techniques with tips for success

This week I'm sharing the swap cards my Flowerbug's Team made for our March card swap. The theme was to use a technique featuring ink refills. 

Each one is fabulous!

This first card was created by Paula who used the shaving cream technique.  It looks a little bit like tie dye!  

Tips on the Shaving Cream technique.  It's fun but a bit messy. 

1. Fill a container with about an inch of shaving cream. Your container should be large enough to fit the card stock you're coloring. *tip; cheap shaving cream works just fine! 
2. Smooth out the cream.  Add drops of your ink colors onto the cream. Take a knife and swirl the ink into the cream. Don't do this too much or you'll make 'muddy' colors.  
3. Lay your card stock onto the swirled cream and press lightly. Use gloves if you don't want inky fingers.  
4. Remover your card stock and wipe off the excess cream. Set aside to dry.  
5. You can use regular card stock or glossy if you have it. 

She used Orchid Oasis, Parakeet Party & Tahitian Tide inks and regular Basic White card stock. 

She even die-cut a few corner elements for the inside of her card. These dies are from the Fabulous Frames dies seen here

Next is a pretty card made by Ginny using the Best Day stamp set seen here.  She cased a card from the Jan-June catalog.  Check out the sample on page 67.  This is a great reminder that there are wonderful ideas in our catalogs! 

She stamped the image on watercolor paper and colored it using our Water painters.  I believe her colors include Calypso Coral, Pool Party & Daffodil Delight.  

Here are a few helpful tips for successful water-coloring.

• Wet your paper before you add color. Watercolor paper is THE BEST for smooth blending. 
• First wet only the area you want colored; blue for example. Then dip your brush in ink you've added to a block or other slick surface.
• I either press my ink pad onto a clear block or add ink drops to the block or a paper plate. 
• Saturate your wet brush in the ink and paint color onto the previously wet area. 
• Let dry before adding another color that touches it or they'll bleed together.  

More techniques coming tomorrow!  Stop back in. 

~~~

March Specials:

See the new Online Exclusives here! 

*current host code: BFE4C2KM

Get a free class kit with online orders over $55 when using the host code above!

Earn free products with my loyalty rewards! 

Click here to download yours and earn a $50 shopping spree!

CUTE Easter Bunny projects by Sharon; our Artist of the Month

Easter is just 2 weeks away so I thought I'd share Sharon's projects featuring the Easter Bunny bundle. She chose it for her Artist of the Month theme and she knocked it out of the park!  

Unfortunately the bundle is not currently available as the Easter Bunny punch is out of stock.  It will be back on or before May 15th.  You can get the Easter Bunny stamp set now. 

I'll share a brief description of each: 

She stamped her bunnies on Vellum and colored in just the ears.  The vellum is die-cut with the Scalloped Contour dies. So many cute details here - note the bird, egg and carrot.... The grass in front and the white cloud pieces under the vellum set the scene!

Next is a few of her adorable  Easter treats:

ON the top left is one of our Scalloped Kraft Treat boxes seen here. She punched the bunny through the lid and added a piece of window sheet to hold in the yummy candy.  The blue 'pull-up' candy bar treat holds a massive kit kat candy bar!  I love the bunny punched through the front with a sweet basket. Just wrap the ribbon around the bar and tie at the top for a fun pull up treat.  *Tip; use the size of your candy bar to guide you on cutting/folding your card stock wrap.  

Here is a close-up of the bunny eggs.  She stamped the White strip and added it to a card stock wrap. The bunnies are stamped, colored and fussy cut then added to the band.  

Next is a fun fold with three bunnies on the diagonal.  

This card is a standard A2 card - 5 1/2" X 8 1/2" scored at 2 1/8" & 4 1/4". She added the front two squares on the front panel and here's how she added the center bunny to the inside edge.  The designer paper is the new Hello, Irresistible DSP. 

I love the additions she added to each one, flowers, a carrot and eggs; all from the Easter Bunny stamp set. 

Look closely at the ribbon and fancy edge element on this next card: 

She used two colors or our In Color ribbon and twisted them together.  Fun!  And for the DSP element here she die-cut multiple labels from the Fancy Flora DSP & Natural Prints dies to create this pretty layer.  Clever & creative!

This next card is a card with an additional 'gift'.  A bunny bookmark... 

See how the double bunny can be removed to use as a bookmark?  It's held onto her basket with magnets.  These magnets are adheres to each side of the bunnies. The card looks great without the magnet bookmark too.  Super clever!  

This next card is made from a window sheet.  Yes; the card base is a clear window sheet!  So cool.  

The die-cut wreath is from the Natural Prints dies using Fancy Flora DSP. 

Here's a view of the inside. She added the card stock to the inside front and the inside back of the folded Window Sheet card base.  

Lastly a set of sour cream treat containers: 

Have you ever made one of these?  It's been awhile for me but they are so fun to make.  Basically it a tube of paper that you secure one end well. Then fill with candy and secure the other end closed opposite from the other end.  Traditionally you use a crimper to crease the end, but you can use a scoring tool as well.  

She had fun adding multiple tags to each! 

Didn't she do an amazing job?!  So many wonderful and SUPER creative projects. Well done Sharon!!

~~~

March Specials:

See the new Online Exclusives here! 

*current host code: BFE4C2KM

Get a free class kit with online orders over $55 when using the host code above!

Earn free products with my loyalty rewards! 

Click here to download yours and earn a $50 shopping spree!

Decorative Borders Book Binding card with video tutorial

I shared this special card on a recent FB Live.  It features a few techniques and is a fun fold card too.  

It's made with the Decorative Borders stamp set seen here; a new favorite! 

When I saw this pretty leaves image I thought of creating a frame with it.  I show how on the video below.

This book binding fold is so easy; it's just one extra fold line! 

Measurements:

• Black card base 4 ¼” X 11” score at 4 ¼” & 5 ½”
• White 3 7/8” square, inside is 4" square
• Polished Pink 4”
• Parakeet Party 1” X 4

I used my Stamparatus to create the pretty border on the Parakeet Party strip and a Baby Wipe technique for the colorful flowers. The leaves are colored with Blends markers; note the pretty shading!  Parakeet Party & Granny Apple Green blends.

The greeting is from the Framed Florets set seen here.

There are so many ways you might use this set; I share a few more in the video below.  It would be perfect to decorate your envelopes too! 

Here's how I finished the inside of the card. 

Click here or on the photo below to watch the video. 

~~~

March Specials:

See the new Online Exclusives here! 

*current host code:  TMJXFR2T or BFE4C2KM

Get a free class kit with online orders over $55 when using the host code above!

Earn free products with my loyalty rewards! 

Click here to download yours and earn a $50 shopping spree!