Good morning! There is never a dull moment in crafting when using products from Imagine Crafts featuring Tsukineko. Never!

I was inspired to make a card by a lonely piece of washi paper that I had been 'hoarding'.  I don't know where I purchased the paper but I think it was one of my finds when I was in Tokyo with Helene and Susie a couple of years ago. There is a fabulous store, Aitoya, that has floors and floors of the most beautiful papers, inks, colored pencils, and other paper crafting supplies. Susie and I drool just thinking about returning some day.

I started with a stamp from Hampton Art in the Bird Song collection from Graphic 45. I stamped the image with VersaMark on white glossy Kromekote card stock, and used white embossing powder from Stampendous.

After embossing, I taped the card stock onto wax sandwich paper aligning the two top edges so everything was squared for eye measurements. To the side of the wax paper, I made marks with a black pen to give me an idea of where I wanted the colors to end and begin. Using scraps, I found two strips that I could use to mask below and above where I was applying color from the Memento markers.

Using Memento markers, I used the brush end and colored each section and smoothed out with a paper towel immediately after. I chose the Memento markers because their colors are so vibrant and the colors stay vibrant on the paper. They also encourage me to use bright colors instead of the more muted tones that I'm naturally drawn to.

Using the Spellbinders' scalloped-edge oval die, I cut an opening in the washi paper that had been cut to 4.0" wide and 6.25" long.

Using the same die, I die-cut another piece to use it as a guide to cut the stamped image so it would fit under the washi paper.

I mounted this onto the basic card that is 4.25" wide and 6.5" long from 140-lb. cold press watercolor paper (8.5" wide and 6.5" long, scored in half vertically and folded in half). For the finishing touches, I used corner peel-offs from Magenta and ribbon from May Arts.

by Debbie Gaetz for Imagine Crafts featuring Tsukineko

Supplies used:

• Stamp from Hampton Art -- Graphic 45 Bird Song IC0201
• Tsukineko's VersaMark ink
• Stampendous! White Embossing Powder EP100
• Tsukineko's Memento Markers:  Morocco PM 201; Danube Blue PM 600; Love Letter PM 302; Bamboo Leaves PM 707
• Spellbinders' Nestabilities Die -- Classic Scalloped Ovals SM S4-113
• Strathmore 140-lb. cold press watercolor paper
• Kromekote Glossy Paper
• Big Shot by Sizzix Die Cut Machine
• Magenta Style Peel Off 0840
• Therm O Web Zots (small)
• May Arts Ribbon

I'm off to find another source for inspiration . . . perhaps the colors at Nordstrom?