Posted in Animals, Aqua Painters, Horse, Inspiration, Stampin' Up! 2019-2020 Annual Catalog, Watercolor Techniques

Last Chance for Let It Ride! Fun with Water-coloring!

There are many Stampin’ Up! stamp sets that are retiring by June 2, 2020. I will miss several, including Let It Ride. I just love the horses! I used to go horseback riding as a kid in Albuquerque, New Mexico with my siblings. My Mom would drop us off at the stables near the base of the Sandia Mountains. After our horseback ride we would ride our bikes home. Fond memories!

This is a beautiful watercolor fun fold card. Don’t worry, it is pretty simple! It only looks complicated. I am not an artist. The stamp just lends itself to a nice watercolor.

The card opens this way and there is plenty of space to write a little note inside.

Measurements: Early Espresso Card stock (CS): 6 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches with a score at 2 inches and 6 1/2 x 4 inches with a score at 3 1/4 inches; Soft Suede CS: 5 1/4 x 4 inches; Very Vanilla CS: 3 3/4 x 3 inches and 4 x 2 inches; Crumb Cake CS: 5 1/4 x 1 3/4 inches; and Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper: 3 3/4 x 3 inches.

First I stamped the background with the Gallery Grunge stamp set using Soft Suede ink on the 5 1/4 x 4 inch Soft Suede CS. (I put a green scrap paper behind my card piece so I would not get ink on the table).

Next I used a different stamp from the Gallery Grunge stamp set to stamp in Crumb Cake ink onto the 5 1/4 x 1 3/4 inch Crumb Cake CS.

Using Memento ink, stamp the horse from the Let It Ride stamp set onto the Fliud 100 Watercolor Paper. You will need to be sure you have plenty of ink on the stamp and hold the stamp down for 10 seconds to get a dark enough image. The watercolor paper absorbs the ink differently than the cardstock does.

Stamp the sentiment “Go for it!” in Memento ink onto the 4 x 2 inch Very Vanilla CS. Leave room around the sentiment so you can use a Scalloped Circle Punch.

Now for some water-coloring fun! Turn the Balmy Blue ink pad upside down on the table. Push your thumbs down in the center, up and down, several times. Flip it over and open the ink pad. You should have an ink spot on the top of the inside cover.

I like to watercolor with the Aqua Painter. To prep the Aqua Painter you will need to squeeze the barrel that is filled with water and get a few drops of water to come out on a paper towel.

Put a few drops of water next to the ink spot (less is better). Use the Aqua Painter to mix a little ink into the drops of water. Start to apply the ink and water to the background in long strokes horizontally. Start light and gradually add color until it pleases you.

Continue to add a drop of water, then mix in the ink and apply to the background until you have the background covered. Wash off the Balmy Blue ink by squeezing the barrel of the Aqua Painter and brush it onto the paper towel until the water is clear.

Repeat the procedure with the Granny Apple Green ink. Apply to the grass. Be sure to clean the Aqua Painter before using the next color.

Using the Crumb Cake ink, apply a thin wash to the entire horse.

To get a darker ink with the Aqua Painter, do not squeeze out any water. Pick up ink from the middle of the ink spot on the very tip of the brush. Apply to areas that you want darker or shadowed. Again, I am not an artist, but I follow the artist’s lines and apply a darker layer of ink in that area. I also apply darker color to the legs that are on the opposite side of the horse. In my mind, these legs would be shadowed by the horses body.

I used the Basic Black Stampin’ Write marker on the hooves.

We are going to adhere the watercolor horse to the 6 1/2 x 4 inch scored at 3 1/4 inches Early Espresso CS. We will adhere it to the “front” of this little card with it turned backward. If you lay the card open to the table, you would adhere the horse to the left side.

The 3 3/4 x 3 inch Very Vanilla CS will go on the inside of our backward card. If you lay the card face up (the horse will be on the back of the right side), adhere the Very Vanilla CS to the left side.

The backward little card should end up looking like this.

Adhere the 5 1/4 x 4 inch stamped Soft Suede CS to the inside of the 6 1/4 x 5 /1/2 inch scored at 2 inches Early Espresso CS “card”. This is an odd looking “card” right now, but I assure you it will look great when we are done!

Adhere the 5 1/4 x 1 3/4 inch stamped Crumb Cake CS to the front of the odd Early Espresso card. Now we will put the backward and the odd cards together.

Adhere the back of the backward horse card to the center of the inside of the odd Early Espresso card. Now open the horse card and fold the front of the Early Espresso CS card under it.

Here is a “bird’s eye” view.

Use the 1 3/8 inch Scalloped Circle Punch to punch out the sentiment “Go for it!”.

To make the sentiment stand out more, I sponged some Soft Suede ink around the edge of the scalloped circle. (If you need help preparing the sponge, look at my blog about sponging here.)

Apply some Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals to the side and bottom as shown. This is because you want the card front to have a space to slide under the scalloped circle.

Place the 1 3/8 inch Scalloped Circle on the bottom left corner and be sure the front piece will slice under it before you adhere it to the card.

Viola! You have a watercolor masterpiece! Well, maybe not, but it is a very special card! Any horse-lover would appreciate receiving this card!

Thanks for joining me. I hope you try this out. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look great the first time! Just stamp several horses on a piece of watercolor and have fun! Experiment!

The 2019-2020 Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog will be good until June 2, 2020. If you would like to look at the “Last Chance Products” just go to my online store and click the tab in the left hand column. You can get to my store here.

If you need any assistance and/or want me to mail you a new 2020-2021 Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog, leave me a comment on this blog or email me at: theresastreasures.az@gmail.com.

To purchase any of the products I used today, click on the photo below.

Product List
Posted in beginner stamper, Horse, Occasions Catalog 2019

Relax and Let It Ride

Here is my little town of Bisbee Arizona in the early morning before the sunrise. I love to see each sunrise because they are all different. Today’s card looks more like a sunset, but the beauty is still the same.

I would love to be able to ride a horse out into the sunset, but I will have to make due with this card. This card was inspired by one from Jennifer Michael.

Measurements: Whisper White card base 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches scored and folded at 4 1/4 inches, Calypso Coral 5 1/4 x 4 inches, Basic Black 5 x 3 3/4 inches and So Saffron 4 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches.

You will use Stampin’ Up!’s Calypso Coral ink and Memento ink.

Put the So Saffron card piece on a scrap piece of paper. We are going to drag the ink pad across the paper. With mild pressure put the ink pad down on the scrap paper and drag it across the So Saffron several times.

Go across until you like the “sunset”. I was hoping mine would be a little more streaky, but I think the pad may have been too dry.

Keeping the card piece on the scrap paper, use the Memento ink to stamp the pair of horses slightly off to the right.

Add another horse slightly forward in relation to the first pair.

Stamp the third pair of horses to the left of the first pair and slightly forward.

Continue to stamp with the Memento ink and add some trees slightly off center to the right.

Add some more trees to the right and forward in relation to the first set of trees. Now add some on the left side. Isn’t it fun to build the scene!

Stamp the sentiment “Let It Ride” in the upper left hand corner.

Adhere the completed sunset scene to the Basic Black, then to the Calypso Coral.

Now adhere the entire piece to the Whisper White card base. This so beautiful!

Stampin’ Up!’s best sale of the year, Sale-a-bration, is only happening for a few more weeks! After March 31st you will no longer get an awesome free product with every $50 order. Many of the products in the 2019 Occasions Catalog, as well as several of the free products, have been sold out! So get your order in today so you can get everything you want before it sells out!

Stampin’ Up! products used include: Stamp set: Let It Ride #148765; Cardstock: Whisper White #100730, So Saffron #105118, Calypso Coral #122925 and Basic Black #100082; Ink: Calypso Coral #147101 and Memento #132708; and Multipurpose Liquid Glue #110755.

Posted in Aqua Painters, beginner stamper, Horse, Occasions Catalog 2019, Watercolor Techniques

Runaway Horse

This next card was inspired by one I found on Pinterest by Jane Allmark. Thank you Jane!

I just love this horse! He/She just looks like they are running away from it all, onto something new and better. Such a good feeling!

This card is also made from Stampin’ Up!’s Let It Ride stamp set.

Measurements: Whisper White 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inch card base folded at 4 1/4 inches, Wood Texture Designer Series Paper (DSP) 5 1/4 x 4 inches, Whisper White 4 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches, and Wood Textures DSP 2 1/4 x 1 inches.

Additional products needed include: Stampin’ Up! Crumb Cake ink, Memento ink, Stampin’ Blends alcohol marker in Light Old Olive and an Aqua Painter.

The first step is to apply ink to the horse stamp. For larger stamps, I find it easier to lay the stamp on the table and put the ink onto the stamp. Use Memento ink whenever you want to watercolor or use the alcohol markers.

The first stamp of the horse will be on the right side. Without inking the horse again we are going to stamp to the left.

With each successive stamp, the image will get lighter and lighter. This gives the illusion of movement.

Here is the final image.

Again using the Memento ink, stamp the sentiment “Live as if someone left the gate open” onto the small strip of Wood Textures DSP. I wanted this to look like a wooden sign.

This step is easier with the older Stampin’ Up! ink pads than it is with the new ink pads. Squeeze the ink pad so that ink gets on the inside cover. If you have a new ink pad that is too stiff, apply a drop of the Crumb Cake re-inker to the inside lid. Prime the Aqua Painter with a gentle squeeze to start the flow of water onto the brush tip.

Squeeze a little bit of water next the ink and use the brush to add a little ink. You want it to be very light for the last horse. Apply the ink and water to the horse but do not rub it too much or the paper will “pill”.

When you are finished with the last horse, add some more ink to make it a shade darker for the next horse.

Continue to add a shade more ink to the water with each horse until you have a pretty dark color for the first horse.

Continue to apply the darker color until the horse looks the way you like it. Clean the Aqua Painter by squeezing out some water onto a clean cloth.

Use the Light Old Olive Stampin’ Blend alcohol marker for the grass.

Adhere the completed stamped horse card piece to the Wood Textures DSP. Now adhere that piece to the Whisper White card base.

Use the Stampin’ Dimensionals on the back of the sentiment and adhere to the lower left hand corner of the card front.

And now you can run away with this great card!

Stampin’ Up!’s Sale-a-bration is continuing until March 31, 2019. During this time you can select a free product from the Sale-a-bration brochure for every $50 you purchase out of either the Stampin’ Up! Annual or 2019 Occasions catalog.

Stampin’ Up! products used include: Stamp set: Let It Ride #148765; Cardstock: Whisper White #100730; Designer Series Paper: Wood Textures #144177; Ink: Memento #132708; Stampin’ Blends alcohol markers: Light Old Olive #144574; Aqua Painter #103954; Stampin’ Dimensionals #104430 and Multipurpose Liquid Glue #110755.

Posted in beginner stamper, Designer Series Paper, encouragement, Horse, Occasions Catalog 2019, Sponging technique

Running Free

Ever felt like just running away from it all? This horse looks like he is running free, which I know we all dream of occasionally. Stamping offers me a chance to escape and relax. In addition, “taking life by the reins” is also invigorating advice. This next series of 3 cards are going to be with an artfully beautiful stamp set. There will also be several different water coloring techniques demonstrated.

This card was inspired by one I saw on Pinterest, but there was not any name associated with it. I like to look on Pinterest to get new ideas from time to time, especially if I feel a little creative block coming on.

Here is the beautiful and artistic, as well as graceful, stamp set called Let It Ride by Stampin’ Up!. The images and the sentiments go so well together.

The other awesome product I want to bring to your attention is this Gingham Gala Designer Series Paper stack. The 5 colors are just right for Spring and each comes in a large and small gingham pattern.

Measurements: Whisper White card base 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches folded at 4 1/4 inches, Balmy Blue 5 1/4 x 4 inches, Gingham Gala in Balmy Blue 5 x 3 3/4 inches, and Whisper White 4 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches.

You will also need Stampin’ Up! ink in Pear Pizzazz and Balmy Blue, Memento ink, and Stampin’ Blend alcohol markers in Light Basic Black, Light Crumb Cake and Dark Crumb Cake.

The following is a short video demonstrating how I use the Sponging Technique to create the background for this card. Enjoy watching!

I hope that video was helpful.

For a larger stamp, I like to ink it upside down. Using the Memento ink, apply the ink to the stamp while the stamp is laying on the table.

Take care to put the stamp straight down and lift straight up. Keep the stamp on the cardstock for a few seconds to allow time for the ink to transfer. That way you get a nice crisp image.

Use the Pear Pizzazz to stamp some trees on the horizon.

Continue to add trees until you like the horizon.

Now I am sure you noticed that we have a “horse of a different color”! We are going to change that with the Stampin’ Blend alcohol markers in Light and Dark Crumb Cake.

We will start with the Light Crumb Cake. Color the entire horse using the brush tip.

I used the Dark Crumb Cake to trace the hair of the mane and tail with the brush tip.

Continuing with the Dark Crumb Cake brush tip, shade in some areas to add dimension.

Use the Light Crumb Cake to blend in the darker areas with the lighter areas.

Use the light Basic Black Stampin’ Blend alcohol marker for the hooves.

Adhere the Balmy Blue Gingham Gala Designer Series paper to the Balmy Blue card piece.

Next, adhere the stamped horse card piece.

Adhere the entire piece to the Whisper White card base.

Viola! You have a great card to send to someone to encourage them and help them keep moving forward!

You will find this wonderful stamp set in the Stampin’ Up! 2109 Occasions Catalog which you can view by selecting the shop button above. During Sale-a-bration you may choose a free product from the Sale-a-bration Brochure for every $50 you order. What a great deal! But don’t delay because some of the free products have already sold out!

Stampin’ Up! products used include: Stamp set: Let It Ride #148765; Cardstock: Whisper White #100730 and Balmy Blue #146982; Designer Series Paper: Gingham Gala #148554; Ink: Memento #132708, Balmy Blue #147105 and Pear Pizzazz #147104; Stampin’ Blends alcohol markers: Light and Dark Crumb Cake combo #144601 and Light Basic Black #147940; Stamping Sponges #141337 and Multipurpose Liquid Glue #110755.