December Basic Training-Framed Stamping

Where has this year gone??!  Can you believe it is time for our last Basic Training of 2014?   Since Christmas is right around the corner I am going to share a new technique I learned on a Christmas card.  Over at Viva Las VegaStamps! DT member Hermine is one of my stamping idols and she shared a technique with overlapped circles framing some awesome stamping....here is my take on it that technique.

You will need a piece of cardstock with 2 different size circles (different but close), ink, stamp, pen, stencil and a bit of washi tape.

I started with the larger circle.

Traced the circle.

Then used the smaller circle, offsetting and traced.  I did this a couple of times.

Then I aligned my circle to use as a mask.

Taped it with the washi and stamped the image in the circle.  I used a Viva Las VegaStamps! Santa Smoking.

I used black ink because i planned on watercoloring the image.

I used my favorite Um Wow Studio mask, star confetti, and stenciled some of the tiny stars where the lines overlapped.

I absolutely love this technique!!!  There are just so many possibilities...

All Authentique paper, Bo Bunny doily, May Arts silk ribbon, Distress Markers, Um Wow Studio star confetti and flair from the Be Merry set.

Thank you SO much for sharing a part of your day with us at this busy time of year!  I hope you are inspired to try this fun technique AND have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hump Day September 17th

Are you getting back into the swing of things???  Starting your holiday crafting yet??  I am thinking about it but not quite ready yet...
Happy hump day everyone!!  Michele here sharing with you what I created with the background pieces that were made during Basic Training.  I made a set of three thank you cards.  I can ALWAYS use thank you cards!!

Perfect with just a bit of coordinating color.

Don't you just love how the color looks on those perfect little squares!

Moving that color around is so fun!!

The thank you sentiment is a VLVS! stamp inked up with archival ink and fit perfectly on these cards.

Thanks for stopping by and if you are so inspired make sure to link up to our drills this month.
See you Saturday for drill #40.

September Basic Training-Easy Watercolor Backgrounds

September...oh my goodness where has the time gone??
Michele here today to share a super quick and easy technique for an awesome background!  I have been playing with watercolors a bunch lately and find that you can do SO much with them.

Here, I'll show you...
You'll need watercolor paper, watercolor paint, water and a brush.

 
I cut the watercolor paper to card size.  I ALWAYS need cards!!

 I wanted a bit of texture also so I also used a stencil (UmWow Studio checkerboard) and gel medium.

  I randomly put some of the gel on the paper through the mask.

 I LOVE the texture you get!!

 I dried with my heat gun...

Once the gel is dry you can add the paint.

Make sure you use a good amount of water!

That way you can get your color to roll around.

I added other colors but the most important thing to remember it to dry in between each color so you don't end up with a blob of mud...  I really like how the texture of the gel stands out with the color on it!!

I did all three of these background is 30 minutes, quick right??!!

Make sure you stop back Wednesday for Hump Day to see the finished product.
Until then get out your watercolors and get messy!!

Oh, and don't forget to enter our current drill for a chance to win a fabulous prize!!