Tropical Thank You Card

Hello, Crafty Friends!! I'm back again with Team Xyron today and we're teaming up with Derwent all week long!! 

\Summer is in full-blown HEATWAVE mode down here in Texas. With temps easily reaching well over a hundred! GAH!! I am melting and dreaming of the beach in a far away tropical location... home! This island girl wants to get back to her island! But that doesn't look like it's gonna happen anytime soon. **SIGH**

Oh well, I can dream.

At last those dreams do stir up my imagination and creativity... Like for this Tropical Thank You card, I created for today's project using Derwent's Watercolour Pencils, Paper, and Brushes!! Keep on reading to see how I made it!

Supplies Used

Derwent Academy Watercolour Pencils

Derwent Academy Textured Surface Watercolour Paper Pad

Derwent Academy Artist Brush Set

Xyron Creative Station Lite

Xyron Creative Station Lite 3" Permanent Refill Cartridge

Pam Bray Flamingo Row Red Rubber Stamps (Blank Page Muse)

Pam Bray Pineapple Red Rubber Stamp (Blank Page Muse)

VersaFine Onyx Black Ink (Imagine Crafts)

ColorBox Premium Dye Ink- Olive, Coral, Black Bean(Clearsnap)

Sizzix Big Shot

3D Textured Impressions Embossing Folder- Tropical Leaves (Sizzix)

Eileen Hull Leaves, Spring (Sizzix)

Eileen Hull Bookplate, Hinges,& Label (Sizzix)

Lynda Kanase Card Front Tropicool Leaves (Sizzix)

Tim Holtz Stitched Ovals (Sizzix)

Glossy Dots (Pink and Main)

White Cardstock (Recollection)

Chalkboard Cardstock (DCWV)

Tim Holtz Stamping Platform (Tonic)

PITT Artist Pen X (Faber-Castell)

3D Foam Dots

Glue

If you have never tried Derwent Academy Products before, you must give them a try!

The quality is absolutely amazing. I was super impressed with the thickness and quality of the paper. It holds up great to water and moisture with very minimal warping. So far I am loving it!! 

And these watercolour pencils are HEAVEN!! When water is added the pigment practically pours from off the tips!! So creamy, so rich, so yummy!! I know, it sounds a lot like I'm talking about food! I think once you try them you'll want to gobble them up too!

Ok, back to creating...

I started by using my stamps in a stamp platform. I inked up the flamingo from the Flamingo Row set with Onyx Black ink and stamped the same image a couple times for a deep and dark impression. I found when watercoloring outlines tend to fade. Stamping a couple of times helps preserve the dark outlines.

Then I used my Derwent Watercolour Pencils to color in the image. I applied water with a brush from the Artist Brush Set and blended the color out.

For deeper richer pigment, I dipped the tip of my watercolour pencil directly into the water. Then applied the dampened tip onto the areas that I wanted concentrated color... it spread like BUTTER!! OMG... I'm in love!!!

After my image was fully dried, I hand cut out my flamingos and set them aside to work on my card base and background.

I took out a fresh sheet of textured watercolor paper and scribbled light green color pencil over half the surface. Then with the other half, I scribbled dark green.

Then with a wide brush applied water over top to create a two-toned watercolor wash.

For my card base, I used 110 lb white cardstock to create a top folding A2 sized card. I inserted the front flap into my Tropical Leaves 3D Embossing Folder to emboss just the front. For 3D folders, it's important to only us one cutting plate when running it through. Otherwise, you could severely damage your machine.

I cut down my colorwash sheet down to 4"x 5.25" piece centering the gradient of color. Then also embossed it with the Tropical Leaves embossing folder.

I applied Olive dye ink and Coral dye ink over the embossed areas to really make all the details pop.

Then used my Tim Holtz Stitched Oval Dies to cut an opening to create a frame.

I removed the center oval. Then inked all the edges with Black Bean dye ink.

I stamped out these pretty flowers from the Flamingo Row Stamp set. I used the leftover watercolour paper from my flamingos so I wouldn't be wasteful of this fabulous paper. I've noticed when I find awesome products I tend to treat them like gold... and nothing goes to waste.

I wasn't' going to use the stems and leaves so it didn't need to be stamped perfectly. As long as I had a great impression from the flowers, that's all that mattered.

I also stamped out some pineapples on more remnant watercolour paper, then colored my flower and pineapple images with my pencils and blended them out with water.

Once my images dried, I hand cut them all out.

See, I told you I treat awesome products like gold... I used this big leftover piece from my color wash to die cut stemmed leaves.

Then added tiny details and outlined the leaves using an XS PITT Artist Pen.

I ran my embossed frame through my Xyron and attached the frame to the embossed card front.

I attached foam adhesive dots to the backs of my flamingos and attached them to the card, tucked their lags behind the frame, and had their bodies peeking out the center opening.

Then I adhered the leaves, flowers, and pineapples around the opening of the frame.

I die cut the word "thanks" from plain white cardstock using a die from Lynda Kanase's Tropicool Leaves Card set. Then attached it to a black label I created using a die from Eileen Hull's Bookplate, Hinges, and Label set from Chalkboard cardstock.

I adhered the word to the label. Then ran the label through my Xyron Creative Station. I switched out my 5" cartridge for a smaller 3" refill to cut down on waste...  this is another "GOLD" product... so I barely make waste. 

For a final touch, I added glossy dots to all of the centers of my flowers.

And here is my finished card...

I hope you all enjoyed today's tutorial!!

I really enjoyed using the Derwent products. The quality was just amazing!!

I hope you are inspired to give them a try!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

HAPPY CRAFTING!!

~Mitsyana

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Flamingos in the Tropics

Hey, Crafty Friends!! 

Boy, is it HOT! I don't know where Spring went but it's long gone and hiding!

My kids are already out for summer break and they are enjoying all the sunshine. swimming, running, lots of screaming laughter... that's what we're down for in these next couple of months. All of which reminds me of my of my childhood days growing up in Hawaii. Tropical weather and visits to the zoo where at the foot of the entrance gates flamingoes await visitors. Yup, those were the days. They were a bit stinky but those flamingos sure were pretty! Lots of these majestic birds standing on one leg or rubbing beaks, occasionally spreading their wings for a stretch. How I want to share memories like those with my children.

So, when Blank Page Muse released my good friend Pam Bray's newest stamp set, it brought back all kinds of feels! I immediately fell in love with these stamps!! And when Kim (owner of Blank Page Muse) and  Pam asked if I would like to create with these stamps, I literally squealed!! I've always loved Pam's designs and of course, I had to jump at the opportunity! What's even better is that all of these stamps are made of deeply etched red rubber! So I know the impression is gonna be amazingly crisp and clear! And boy, was I right! It makes a HUGE difference, especially with detailed stamps such as these!

And in the spirit of my childhood memories, I created this #10 sized Tropical Flamingo Card.

Supplies Used 

Pam Bray Flamingo Row (Blank Page Muse)

Tim Holtz Tropical Dies (Sizzix)
Tim Holtz Stitched Ovals (Sizzix)
Tim Holtz Labels (Sizzix)

Mixed Media Paper (Strathmore)

Sun Drenched (Paper House)

Chalkboard Stack (DCWV)

Cardstock- Light Green, Orange

Vellum

VersaFine (Tsukineko/ Imagine Crafts)

Tim Holtz Distress Markers- Worn Lipstick, Picked Raspberry, Hickory Smoke (Ranger)
Clean Color Real Brush Marker- No. 052 Bright Yellow, No. 023 Scarlet Rd (Zig/ Kuretake)

Eileen Hull Blends- Leaf, Frog, Melon (Clearsnap)

MISTI Stamping Tool (My Sweet Petunia)

Hemp Twine

Mixed Media Glue

Foam Adhesive
Aqua Brush (Pentel)
Stylus

I started by stamping my faves from the set... FLAMINGOS!! I stamped them onto mixed media paper using Versafine Onyx Black ink.  Then colored in m images using my Tim Holtz Distress Markers. First coloring most of the bird with Worn Lipstick. I blended out the color using a water brush then went back in to add a second layer using Picked Raspberry to add more depth. Then colored the beaks with Hickory Smoke.

Once I was satisfied with my coloring and the images were completely dried, I cut out both flamingos by hand with scissors.

I die cut monstera leaves out of light green cardstock using Tim Holtz's Tropical Dies by Sizzix. I cut 3 leaves altogether.

Then shaded around the edges using Eileen Hull's Blends inks in Leaf, then in Frog.

After the ink was completely dried, I used a ball stylus to add dimension and shape the leaves.

Using the leftover scraps from my flamingoes, I stamped these little stemmed flowers using more Versafine ink. I didn't need the stems so stamping the entire stamp perfectly wasn't necessary. As long as all the flowers were intact I was good to go!

I colored these dainty flowers using, my Zigs in Bright Yellow, blended out toward the center with a water brush, then added Scarlet Red in the centers and blended outward with the water brush.

Once the flowers were all dried, I fussy cut them out, then creased each petal down the center to give them more dimension.

For the hibiscuses... again used dies from the Tropical set, and die cut from orange cardstock. I shaded along the edges using the Melon Blends ink.

I separated each petal from the flower and creased and folded them, then re-attached them to the cut-out centers with glue.

Disassembling them then re-assembling them gave them a whole lot more dimension.

For the card base, I cut patterned paper from PaperHouse's Sundrenched collection
to measure 3-3/4" x 9".

I used my Xyron Mega Runner to mount it onto a 4-1/8" x 9- 1/4" card base made from 110 lb white cardstock.

I  wanted a center focal point that wouldn't block out all that gorgeous ocean scenery. So, I die cut an oval out of vellum using Tim Holtz's Stitched Ovals. I ran the oval through my Xyron Crative Station with a 5" permanent refill cartritdge. Then adhered it to the card front.

I anchored the oval with a palm tree cut from black chalkboard paper die using the palm tree die from the same Tropical die set.

I attached foam adhesive sheets to the back of the flamingos and attached them to the oval then arranged the flowers and leaves and tucked in loops made from hemp twine.

I thought the "I'll stand by you... Today, Tomorrow, Always" sentiment went perfectly with this pretty pink couple. So I stamped it onto more mixed media paper and die cut it out using a label from the Tim Holtz Labels die set and shaded the edges with Eileen Hull's Sunshine blends ink.

And at the very last minute, I decided to re-mount the card front with a black mat mad with more of that deep black chalkboard paper. It gives a nice balance of black throughout the card, don't you think?!

And here is my finished card...

CLOSE-UPS

I hope you enjoyed this card tutorial and definitely take a peek on over to Blank Page Muse!! Pam Bray has so many more amazing stamps sets you need to check out!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Until next time...

HAPPY CRAFTING!!

~Mitsyana