Spilled Paint Made Beautiful . Unity and Brutus Monroe Collaboration

Hello! Today I am participating in a hop as part of the Unity & Brutus Monroe blog hop There are four background stamps in the collaboration. They are all amazing!!! I am showcasing the spilled paint background.

I started by blending pink and red Brutus Monroe Aqua Pigments on a watercolor panel. Once it had dried completely I placed the background stamp into my Misti and added clear embossing ink. I couldn't decide if I wanted to emboss in Alabaster or Raven. I ultimately decided that Raven would make the gorgeous background pop.

Once I heat set the Raven embossing powder I added the panel to a piece of rouge cardstock. I LOVE the color of this cardstock. It reminds me of a subtle hot pink color. So beautiful!

I wanted to add some type of floral element to the card. To achieve this I stamped out the rose from Botanical Banners using raven detail ink and then watercolored  them aqua pigments. I used pink, for the roses, red for shading and green  for the leaves.

For the sentiment I used the new Brutus Monroe Thanks die cut from fallen snow glitterstock. I added stick it adhesive to the back of the glitterstock before die cutting  to make it easier to adhere to the panel. I used foam mounting squares to adhere the roses.Finally I adhered the entire panel to a piece of raven cardtock.

Check out all of the fabulous projects from both design teams. Jess is next. Check her out below!

Amanda
Angeline
Camille
Donna
Echo
Gaylynn
Heather
Karen
Lisa
Mandi
Maria
Noelle
Robyn
Sharon
Shemaine
Stephanie
Brutus Monroe
Berina
                             Heather <---- you are here
Jess
Lauren
Marie Nicole
Sharon
Waleska
Unity Stamp Co

Have a great day!

-Heather 

Note: I do use affiliated links. What this means to you is, at NO additional cost to you I receive a commission when you purchase a product through one of the product links. This allows me to continue to purchase new products and create additional inspiration. I list links for several companies so you are able to locate the best prices for the product. 

Creating a Halloween Scene using Simple Blend Circle Stencil

Hello! Today we are blog hopping to show the versatility of the Simple Blend Stencils. What I love about these stencils is that you get the masking part of the stencil as well. It is like getting two stencils in one! I used the Simple Blend Circle to create the large moon in a Halloween scene card. 

To create this card I started by blending a white panel using  Aubergine, Midnight, and Phonebook surface inks with a blending tool. Once the panel was blended to create a night sky I used purple tape to tape the stencil in place so I could begin to add Deco Foil Transfer Gel. This will allow me to foil the circle once the gel has dried clear. 

While I waited for the transfer gel to dry I stamped out a little girl witch, bat and spider from the All Hallows Eve stamp set on watercolor paper. Brutus Monroe has a new product called Aqua Pigments, which are liquid watercolors. The colors are so vivid and bright and so easy to work with. 

For the trees and hill in the scene I used Spooky Scene die from Hello Bluebird cut from Midnight cardstock.  I also used Midnight surface ink to add additional dimension to the die cuts. 

Once the transfer get had dried I added a Drybrush foil transfer sheet. I love how it has the colors of black, grey and gold in brushed lines. It reminded me of the moon with dark clouds in front of it. 

I assembled the card and added the sentiment Happy Halloween from the All Hallows Eve stamp set using grape fizz embossing powder and attached the panel to a card base. 

There are so many ways to use the Simple Blends. They come in multiple shapes as well.  Check out the awesome techniques the rest of our design team used below. 

MARIE NICOLE

BERINA

WALESKA

SHARON

JESS

-Heather

Note: I do use affiliated links. What this means to you is, at NO additional cost to you I receive a commission when you purchase a product through one of the product links. This allows me to continue to purchase new products and create additional inspiration. I list links for several companies so you are able to locate the best prices for the product.

Shimmer Glitterstock Fall Leaves

Hello!  Today we are bringing you a simple, yet beautiful card using die cuts, glitterstock and the gorgeous new Coffee embossing powder of the month. 

To create this simple card I began by die cutting the three leaves using Lawn Fawn small stitched leaves on Brown Butter cardstock down the left side in random directions. To add the glitter and shimmer I cut small pieces of scarlet, mocha and tangerine glitterstock. I also used Maple surface ink to give the edges of the panel and around the leaves a weathered look. 

For the sentiment I die cut the large leaf from Jack O Lantern cardstock and stamped the sentiment from Super Sentimental set. I love this set and find if meets my needs for many projects. The embossing powder of the month  Coffee Grounds is a gorgeous brown color that looks  just like coffee grounds. I knew it had to be added to the sentiment. 

Once I had embossed the sentiment I wrapped some twine around the card to give it added dimension and interest and attached the sentiment leave.  

Have you started on your fall cards yet? Don't forget to post them on the Brutus Monroe Facebook Fan Club Page and tag us on Instagram #brutusmonroe.

-Heather

Note: I do use affiliated links. What this means to you is, at NO additional cost to you I receive a commission when you purchase a product through one of the product links. This allows me to continue to purchase new products and create additional inspiration. I list links for several companies so you are able to locate the best prices for the product.

Memories of Fall

Today we are all about Fall at Brutus Monroe. There is nothing like cool crisp air, the beautiful colors of the leaves that have changed on the trees and the joy of a warm beverage. For today's card I went back to life before I moved to Texas where Fall is very different than the West Virginia Mountains that I grew up in. 

I wanted this card to embody the view of the colors that covered the Mountains on a beautiful fall day. The colors aren't separate, but rather overlapping and bunched together in a beautiful kaleidoscope of browns, oranges, yellows and small amounts of Maroon. To achieve this look I used a small blending tool to combine Phonebook, Jack O Lantern, Marsala, Suede, Zest, Maple, and Macchiato Surface Inks on a panel of Not Your Mama's Cardstock. 

Once I had the panel blended I used a leave stamp from Unity Stamp Company called Falling Heart for the focal point. I heat embossed the stamp using Gilded embossing powder.  I also stamped an "Autumn Blessing" sentiment from an old Simon Says Stamp set in Raven Black Detail Ink.

To finish off the card I cut the panel down and added it to an A2 size panel of Jack O Lantern cardstock using Brutus Monroe Craft Glue.  

Thank you for joining us. I hope this card takes you to a time of beautiful colors and warm sweaters. Check out the Fall inspiration from the rest of our design team below. 

BERINA

 HEATHER B   (You are here)

MARIE

SHARON

JESSICA

Note: I do use affiliated links. What this means to you is, at NO additional cost to you I receive a commission when you purchase a product through one of the product links. This allows me to continue to purchase new products and create additional inspiration. I list links for several companies so you are able to locate the best prices for the product. 

We Can Do It TOGETHER...

Hello!

Happy September! This month is National Suicide Prevention Month. Suicide prevention is very important to myself and our family due to losing my husband to suicide in 2008 at the age of thirty. He suffered from bipolar and struggled to reach out for help due to fear of the stigma that can be associated with someone who has a mental illness. 

This month is about erasing that stigma and embracing and reaching out to those how need help.  One of my favorite things about the crafting community is the love and support that they offer to each other. It is so great to see many crafters bringing awareness to this cause. 

I began this card by ink blending with Oz surface ink.  The colors for Suicide Prevention are teal and purple. I knew the Oz surface ink would be perfect. Once I had that panel covered I used a Copic marker BG11 to add a texture look to the background. 

The tree image and sentiment is from the Unity Stamp Company's set Pain and Strength. The tree is heat embossed with Grape Fizz embossing powder.  I love this embossing powder because not only is it purple, but it also has small amounts of shimmer in it that really made the tree sparkle and stand out.  The sentiment is heat embossed with Alabaster embossing powder.  The sentiment, fit perfect for this card. 

The ribbon on the side is from a pervious Inspiration Box. The final step was adhering the panel to a piece of Lilac glitterstock with Brutus Monroe craft glue. 

I love the way this card turned out and I love the message that it sends. Reach out if you or someone you know needs help. 1-800-273-82155 We are in this TOGETHER!

Have a great day!

-Heather

Note: I do use affiliated links. What this means to you is, at NO additional cost to you I receive a commission when you purchase a product through one of the product links. This allows me to continue to purchase new products and create additional inspiration. I list links for several companies so you are able to locate the best prices for the product. 

Brutus Monroe Glitterstock + Foiling with Fairies

Hello!  Welcome to this weeks Wednesday blog with a fun, whimsical card using Brutus Monroe Lilac Glitterstock and foiling.  I love the look of glitter paper, but dislike the mess of creating my own. The glitterstock from Brutus Monroe solves my problem and there is a great variety of colors.

First, I cut a large tag using the Foundation Stitched Die Set out of Lilac Glitterstock.  I decided to foil the Flying Fairy stencil  with Tidepool Foil. I taped the stencil and tag onto the large media mat using Thermoweb Purple tape.  Once the stencil was secure I spread Deco Foil Transfer Gel over the fairies using a palette knife. 

While the tag was drying I created the watercolor background using three colors of surface inks Speckled Egg, Rock Candy and Sea.  First I smooshed the three colors in a row on the large media mat then sprayed the ink with water. I used a lot of water so the ink would move around when I swiped and pounced the paper over the ink. This is a simple way to create beautiful backgrounds using the surface inks of your choice. 

Next, I set the background aside to dry and foiled the fairy tag. Once the tag was foiled with Tidepool Foil I added fun foam to the back to give it dimension and added a purple ribbon from a previous inspiration kit. 

For the sentiment I used the Miss you stamp from Sharon's Script.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to stamp it with Raven detail black ink or heat emboss the sentiment. I ultimately decided to heat emboss using Grape Fizz embossing powder, the July Embossing Power of the Month powder. 

I felt that the card needed an additional layer to make it "pop" so I added a piece of Lilac Glitterstock under the watercolor panel. I then adhered the panel to an A2 size card base cut from Not Your Mama's Card Stock using Brutus Monroe craft glue. 

I love the way this card turned out. It has a great whimsical feel to it. It was so much fun to use the gorgeous Lilac Glitterstock with foiling. 


Don't forget to check out the other fabulous projects from our Inspiration Team linked below

Berina
Marie
Sharon

Have a great day!!

-Heather

Note: I do use affiliated links. What this means to you is, at NO additional cost to you I receive a commission when you purchase a product through one of the product links. This allows me to continue to purchase new products and create additional inspiration. 

5 cards 1 Inspiration Box- Brutus Monroe August Box

Hello!

I am having so much fun with the whimsical Fairy Garden Inspiration Box. The kits are jammed packed with so much product that I can't create just one card...so I have 5 for you today!

Card 1-

For this card I wanted to use the adorable Fairy Garden wooden mushroom buttons that were included in the kit. I created the background by inking up a piece of kraft cardstock included in the kit that was printed with white flowers. I used Rock Candy, Rouge, and Aubergine  and Jack O Lantern Surface Inks.

                               

To give the background texture I covered the entire stamped background with embossing ink using a direct pad to paper technique. Next, I covered the entire panel with the new Fairy Dust embossing powder.  This embossing powder creates a beautiful glitter like sheen to the panel. 

I attached the Fairy Garden wooden mushroom buttons with small colored brads from the Doodlebug Mini Brad Multi-Pack. They were the perfect size to fit in the holes on the mushrooms. To finish off the card I added Fairy Garden green organza ribbon to the left side of the panel and heat embossed Hello sentiment from the Sharon's Script stamp set using Alabaster embossing powder on black cardstock. To complete the card I added Multi Color Gems that were in the kit.

Card 2-

I used the Fairy Garden stamp set and masked off a scene using Brutus Monroe masking paper along with Raven Detail Ink. in my Misti Stamping tool.  The stamp set has TONS of small stamps to create an adorable fairy garden scene. Once the scene was created I used copic markers to color. The colors are listed in the video if you are interested. My favorite part of the scene is the clouds. The clouds are drawn in a unique way that makes them stand out. I decided not to add a sentiment to the front of the card, but rather keep the fairy garden as the full focal point. 

The final step was to adhere the panel to the card base. I wanted the panel to have a boarder, to achieve this look I added a piece of Saphire glitterstock with Brutus Monroe craft glue. I love the glitterstock so much I think I could find a way to use it in every card! 

Card 3-

The monthly inspiration boxes always come jam packed with amazing products, but they also offer several additional add ons every month. For card number three I used the  Fairy Garden paper pack along with the two mushroom dies that were included in the kit. The dies were two sizes. I used the larger of the two as my focal point and the smaller mushroom I cut out multiple times to place scattered around the rest of the panel. I used two different designs of paper from the Fairy Garden paper pack to cut the mushrooms. 

Next, I arranged the dies cuts where I wanted them on a piece of green cardstock included in the kit and  glued them down with craft glue. For the sentiment I cut a piece of Midnight cardstock into a strip and heat embossed "Just a note..."from Sharon's Script stamp set using the embossing powder of the month August embossing power Emerald City. When it reflects light you get a gold tone to it over the green. Holy Cow is this gorgeous!!!

For the final step because I can't stop using it, I added a piece of Lilac glitterstock as the boarder for my panel and adhered it to my card base. That completes card number three!

Card 4-

One of the things I love the most about the inspiration boxes is the artwork that is included on the cover and on the inserts for the stamps and add ons such as stencils. This month was beautiful flowers in bright bold colors and I knew I HAD to use that as a background! 

I had not created a shaker card in awhile so I decided this background would be part of a shaker card. To start I used the Brutus Monroe Foundation die set: Stitched Hexagon. I used the largest die to cut the hexagon in the center of the card. I saved the cut out piece because I wanted to place it back in as my background.  

Once I had the panel cut I used Hot off the Press Heat Resistant Acetate cut to a size slightly larger than the hexagon opening. I used this type of acetate to heat emboss the sentiment "Hello Beautiful" from Super Sentimental set with Alabaster embossing powder. This is definitely my go to embossing powder for white. It is so bright and vivid which I needed for the busy colorful background.

For the shaker bits I added Natural Sea Glass decorative details along with Cotton Candy bottle cap sequence. Both have are a beautiful blue color that would bring out the blue in the background panel. 

Finally, I used adhered my white card panel with the hexagon cut out to the front panel and attached it to my card base. I encourage you to look at all of the pieces of your kit, including the packaging to find inspiration! 

Card 5-

Mystery Card......

Card 5 was by far my favorite and will remain a mystery until Wednesday's blog hop! There will be step by step directions along with a video tutorial included. 

I hope I was able to inspire you to get out your inspiration kit and create. The Fairy Garden Inspiration box is sold out, however you can always get most of the contents individually on the website. I have attached the links below. Have fun and create your own ending! 

Have a great day!!

-Heather 

Note: I do use affiliated links. What this means to you is, at NO additional cost to you I receive a commission when you purchase a product through one of the product links. This allows me to continue to purchase new products and create additional inspiration. I list links for several companies so you are able to locate the best prices for the product. All products used are purchased by me and not received from any company.