design team

Imagine That: A Tale of Two Backgrounds

In The Studio

Y’all know I’m always up for happy accidents and long ago gave up the idea that things must turn out like I pictured in order to be acceptable. My next project for Imagine falls squarely in that category.

I started out with the idea of doing a marbled background and, well, maybe one of them is pretty close, but the other turned out more like a camo pattern and, hey, I don’t hate it.

In fact, it was a really cool example (I think) of not just happy accidents but how you can do the same things with the same materials and end up with two totally different results.

And I used both backgrounds to make very different cards–one with a more feminine slant and the other more masculine. And I love when I come across techniques that are this versatile.

So head over to the Imagine blog and check out how I came up with these two backgrounds at once and see if it doesn’t spark some happy accidents of your own!

Imagine That: “Painting with VersaFine Clair”

In The Studio

My love affair with VersaFine Clair continues!

This time I decided to see what the ink could do outside of (or in addition to, I should say) your basic stamping.

I’d had some experience using it with Fantastix while at Creativation and I loved the dry-brush effect it gave. But what about making it more fluid?

Since VersaFine Clair is an oil-based ink, diluting with water wasn’t going to yield the results I was looking for. To see exactly how I solved this dilemma and created the scene above, check out the video over on the Imagine Blog!

Imagine That: Coffee Filter Wedding Flowers

In The Studio

This month Imagine is highlighting weddings on their blog and, hey, if there’s one thing I know about weddings it’s all the different ways you can hand craft them.

I keep my DIY bouquet on display in my office and it still makes me smile to look at it!

Long-time readers know that I spent the two years leading up to my wedding with Todd making all the decorations for the ceremony and reception plus the invitations, favors, etc.

While my own bouquet was a mixture of papers, wood, knitting, and beading, I stuck to one main medium for this project: coffee filters.

They are both versatile and malleable (and let’s not forget inexpensive!) and there are a number of ways to make them into wonderful floral stand-ins with a bit of Fireworks! Spray, floral tape, and wire.

Make sure to check out the post for information on making four different types of flowers, plus greenery, and even a quick take on turning them into a small bouquet and boutonniere!

Imagine That: Who Can Resist VersaFine Clair? Delicata Can!

In The Studio

When I was first playing with the new VersaFine Clair inks I made the accidental discovery that they interacted with Delicata inks in a very interesting way!

When the Delicata is stamped first and the VersaFine Clair is stamped on top, the Delicata acts as a natural resist! Yes, I’m using exclamation points because this was really cool to see happen and it was something I had a blast showing off at Creativation last month!

What can you do with this technique? I think it’s a great way to add an all-over pattern to your project without having to resort to complex stamping. When you use a faint shade of Delicata (Champagne is my favorite) the patterns showing through the overlaid image are little surprises which I think are really cool.

You can see exactly how this works over on the Imagine Blog!

Imagine That: More Than Meets the Eye

In The Studio

One of the many things I love about the new VersaFine Clair is how resilient the color is. I can get multiple impressions from a single inking–with a variety of color of course.

I took full advantage of the great second and third generation stamping abilities to make today’s simple and sweet card.

The great thing about multiple-generation stamping is how it extends your range of stamp pads. With judicious use, you can expand your color palette even if you only have a few stamp pads to work with to start (trust me when I say you’re going to want to get all the colors after you’ve tried a few!).

You can see exactly how this card came together over on the Imagine Blog!