I Brake For Bistros

Hi everybody!

It's so cold, rainy, windy, etc., that when I ran across the stamp I am using here, it made me think of warm, beautiful days ahead, relaxing at a bistro table with a glass of wine.  This stamp is from I Brake For Stamps called Bistro Table.  

Use Coupon Code SAVE10REGINA and receive 10% off your order. 

I wanted this to be colored with subtle, soft colors to make it look relaxing and inviting.  I almost sponged a background and decided I liked how it looked without one.  It reminds me of those little matted pictures you can buy at the store, simple yet cute.

I used Copics to color, added some Sakura Silver Star glitter pen to the pole of the umbrella and fringe to add some sparkle and of course, have to have sequins. 


Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!


Regina - Design Team Member

I Brake for Black Magic Peacocks

Hi everybody!

I did some Copic coloring on this week's card and it was so easy!  You can't mess up and it looks like you drew and colored the image by hand.  This technique is called Black Magic.  I used a stamp from I Brake For Stamps called Large and Beautiful Peacock for this technique.  I have used peacock feathers before on cards but I have never colored an entire peacock.  It was a lot of fun!

Use Coupon Code SAVE10REGINA and receive 10% off of your order.

All you do is stamp the peacock with embossing ink such as Versamark on black card stock and emboss with white powder. Then color over the white lines.  You may have to go over some colors a couple of times.  How easy is that!  Another alternative is that you can stamp the image with white pigment ink and heat set. Then color in the image with colored pencils. 

I then used a Sharpie white paint pen to draw lines around the edge to break up the black some and added a few sequins. I also added a sheer black ribbon for some interest.

Did I inspire you to try the Black Magic technique?  Try it using this Peacock stamp.  This will make a beautiful birthday card for the person I'm sending it to.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!


Regina - Design Team Member

I Brake For Beautiful Hair!

Hi everybody!

I've been feeling a little stressed so I decided I needed to color something.  That always relaxes me.  I have to say that I really enjoyed coloring this one.  If you like coloring hair, you will love it.  

It is from I Brake For Stamps.  She comes in stamp or digital form.  Her name is Trieste.  

I love this stamp because you can color her hair a normal color like I did in browns or can use reds or greens.  Some people like non-traditional colors for Christmas so why not color her hair pink or turquoise?  :)

If you use COUPON CODE SAVE10REGINA, you will receive 10% off your order. 

 

For the inside, I used Tim Holtz dies from the set, Holiday Words Script.  I cut them out using some glitter paper in a pretty white, glitter color.

I colored her with Copic Markers and added Glossy Accents to her lips, Wink of Stella glitter pen on the star and used a Sakura Clear Star glitter pen over the jingle bell on her necklace and accented the ornaments in her hair.  

I used Red Hot and Black Onyx card stock from Gina K Designs and the patterned paper is Echo Park, Christmas Cheer by Lori Whitlock.

Did I inspire you to get out your Copics?  Again, Trieste comes in a rubber stamp and a digi.  I really enjoyed coloring her and I know you will too!  

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!


Regina - Design Team Member

I Brake For Bister and Barns

Hi everybody,

I finally got a chance to play with Bister.  I felt like a little kid!  Bister is watercolor powder.  Do you like making your own backgrounds?  Then you really need to experiment with these.  I'm going to give you a link to Bister at I Brake For Stamps.  The powder is in small containers and cost about $1.65, so affordable for everyone to try.  You can use coupon code SAVE10REGINA and receive 10% off your order.  You can't beat that!  Here's a link to Bister and here's a link to the online store, I Brake For Stamps.  I used two I Brake For Stamps stamps on this card.  One is called Rustic Barn and the other is Fall Leaf Background.  

First, I embossed the Fall Leaf Background stamp with clear embossing powder.  I decided to use Bister in red, yellow and a little bit of green.  You can choose how much color you want and can even add more if you want more of a certain color in a certain place on your card stock.  I used watercolor paper.  I use 140# cold press Strathmore.  I would recommend taping the watercolor paper down with washi tape or some kind of easy release tape.  The main reason for this is so that the paper doesn't buckle.  The first couple of times I tried this I didn't tape down and I had watercolor dripping down the buckled paper.  This makes it much neater I promise.  You need a fine paint brush, just an old one but not those super stiff bristle ones. This powder will last forever because you need to use so little.  I compare it to Bare Minerals makeup.  If you wear this brand, you know exactly what I mean.  That stuff lasts forever because you barely need to use any.  Same here, a little bit will go a long way after it is activated by the water.

 

Lightly dip your paint brush in the powder getting a little on the brush and tap the paint brush lightly.  This is what it will look like.

This is what it looked like after I used all 3 colors.

After you have all your colors down, lightly spritz with water.  The more you spritz, the more the colors will move around the paper,  Here's what it looks like after a few spritzes.

Then I decided I wanted a little more red in that bare area so you can go back and add more and put it where you want it.  I love that!  See where I added some red powder.

Then continue to spritz with water. The next 3 pictures will show you the progression and the final result.  You can see the embossing. 

Isn't this cool looking?  

 

I blot the little puddles with a paper towel and then use a heat gun to dry.  Look at the awesome results for such an easy technique. 

I colored this beautiful Rustic Barn with Copics listed below.  I used a little Copic blending solution on a cloth and dabbed it lightly on the grass and drive part to give it that textured look.  For some reason, whenever I see an old barn in the middle of a field, it reminds me of Fall.  I remember growing up everybody had one of those 1,000 piece puzzles that ended up being a barn in a field in the Fall.  This is a fantastic stamp to use for those masculine cards that are so hard to create.  This stamp is appropriate for any male I think and of course, females as well. 

For this card I used Gina K Designs heavy base weight Ivory card stock as well as Tomato Soup and Chocolate Brown.  I wanted to try Neenah card stock with my Copics because I keep hearing people say they like it, well, I thought I ordered the wrong kind because it was flimsy then I remembered Xpress blending cards are flimsy too.  I bought Neenah 110# Smooth White Exact Index and I love it.  I can blend very well on this paper.  It is reasonably priced too at Amazon, ream of 250 sheets around $15.00.  I used Spellbinders Labels 8 dies and then used it as a template for the layering one.  I sponged Tim Holtz Gathered Twigs distress ink around the edge of the cut out stamp and the edge of the leaves background.  That's all I used on this card.  I wanted the stars to be the background and this beautiful scenery stamp.

Copics Used:
Barn:  E11, E15, E19
Fence and Roof::  W2, W5 and tip to tip also
Stone on barn:  E42, E44
Pumpkins:  YR04, YR07
Cart:  E23, E25
Driveway:  E31, E33
Pines:  YG63, YG67
Shadow in Doorways:  C9
Tree:  G40, G43, Y35, YR21, YR24, YR27, YR18
Grass:  YG91, YG93

Next Wednesday I will post a Halloween card using Black Bister powder in the background.   Ooooh spooky!  lol 

I hope I have inspired you to want to try Bister watercolor powders.  Have fun making your Fall cards!
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Regina - I Brake For Stamps Design Team Member