Tag Archives: Zig Clean Color Markers

My First Attempt at Creating with Colorado Craft Company Stamps

Posted in Cards by

I was so incredibly lucky to win the beautiful Blissful Butterflies stamp set from Colorado Craft Company. Debby Hughes was having a giveaway on her blog, and I was one of the commenters gifted. If you don’t follow Debby, you really should. Her card artistry is absolutely amazing! Her blog is called Lime Doodle Design.

This is my first stamp set from Colorado Craft Company, and I just have to say, the quality and creativity of their stamps sets is top notch. The images are large and very beautifully designed.

I started by stamping the two butterfly images and one of the leaf images onto a 4 x 5 1/4″ piece of Bristol card stock with Versafine Onyx Black ink. I started coloring the butterflies using my Zig Clean Color Markers (052, 032) and my waterbrush. To add a bit more dimension to the butterflies, I pulled out my Cretacolor pencils (orange 11, prussian blue 61). Finally, to help define the butterflies, I used my N0 and N3 Copic markers (outlining around each butterfly and coloring the bodies).

I stepped away for a bit, and came back to see how I felt about the white space that was left. It just seemed a bit too noticeable to me, so I found a small dot stamp from the Simon Says Stamp Spring Flower Burst stamp set and used that to fill in some of that open white space. I also filled in the dots with a black Sharpie marker.

For the sentiment, I used Reverse Confetti’s Lots to Say stamp set. I heat embossed it onto a scrap piece of vellum using Recollections Ebony embossing powder.

To coordinate with the black stamped images, I decided that the white card front needed a black mat. I still wanted the Simon Says Stamp Fog card base to be visible, so I made my mat just slightly larger than the stamped image. To attach the sentiment, I wrapped it around the black matted card front and adhered it on the back (vellum is so hard to attach without the glue showing 🙂 All that was left was to attach the card front to the card base.

I hope you like it!

Advertisement

I Love Altenew’s Cherished Memories Stamp Set

Posted in Cards by

It’s been a pretty long time since I’ve made anything.  Being safe at home has given me the opportunity to appreciate time spent with family, be it in person or through video.  Card making has taken a back seat for too long, so I decided to pull out a new-to-me stamp set and get to work.

I started off by stamping a few of the flower and leaf images onto Bristol paper using Versafine Onyx Black ink and heat embossing with Recollections Ebony embossing powder. I hadn’t used my Zig Clean Color markers in a while, so I chose a few purple and green shades to use (082 and 080 for flowers and 053 and 044 for leaves) along with my waterbrush. Once the images were dry, I cut them out using the matching dies.

Now for card design…I’m never very good at following a plan. I usually just start putting things down and seeing what looks best to me. I’m also not very good at feeling comfortable with a lot of white space (something that I need to work on). I decided on using piece of Simon Says Stamp fog card stock for a foundation for my flower/leaves piece. To give it a bit of dimension, I dry embossed it using the Cuttlebug Checkered embossing folder. The sentiment I chose was from the Taylored Expessions Simple Strips set cut out using the matching die (if you haven’t seen these sets yet, you really need to check them out…brilliant design). I backed the strip with a piece of My Favorite Things Black & White Stripes paper.

I adhered the flower using foam tape, and thought I was done at that point. After finishing a card, I always walk away for a while. Usually, I come back and still like what I created. This time, it still looked a bit unbalanced. That’s when I added the small black strips on the diagonal corners. As soon as I placed them, I knew it was done.

Thanks for stopping by!

A Very Simple Get Well Card Using Impression Obsession’s Tulip Stamp

Posted in Cards by

I haven’t posted in a while because I just seemed to have lost my creative mojo again.  I decided to make a simple card hoping that would inspire me to create some more.

My Empty Nest Creations simple Get Well Card using Impression Obsession's Tulip stamp

I have always loved cards with bases made from kraft card stock, so I started there.  I just eyeballed where I wanted the simple greeting (Hero Arts Classic Messages stamp set…I use this one all the time 🙂

Using Bristol paper, I stamped the image with Versafine Onyx Black ink because I knew that I was going to use my Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers.  After “painting” the image, I added a few simple additions with a white gel pen after it had dried.

This image is a piece of cake to fussy cut 🙂    I adhered it to the card base with some foam tape and called it done.  Like always, I walked away and came back to it a few hours later.  I decided it just needed a bit more, so I added the black dots above and below the flowers.

See, I told you it was a simple card.  The design is pretty generic, too, so it would be great for many types of cards.

Thanks for stopping by!

Computer Signature

A Note of Thanks Using the Mondo Hydrangea set from Ellen Hutson

Posted in Cards by

I have had this stamp set on my craft desk for quite a while now.  I bought it because I absolutely loved every single card that I saw on Instagram that used this stamp image.  I figured it was about time I gave it a go.

My Empty Nest Creations Thank You Card Using the Mondo Hydrangea Stamp Set

I started by black heat embossing the flower stamp onto a 4×5 1/4″ piece of Bristol paper (I used Bristol because I knew that I was going to be coloring with my Zig Clean Color markers).  I then cut a mask out of masking paper to cover the bloom so that I could black heat emboss a few leaves.  I really love heat embossing any image that I’m going to water color because the embossing keeps bleeding to a minimum.

I pulled out one blue, one yellow, two green Zig markers and my water brush and started coloring.  That’s another thing that I love about Zig markers…you only need a few to get different shading and dimension.  Once the flower and leaves were dry, I stamped the greeting from W Plus 9 Basic Banners stamp set with Faded Jeans Distress Oxide ink that matched the blue from the flower perfectly.  I found a scrap piece of blue Bazzill card stock and mounted the flower piece on top and then attached it to an A2 card base made from Neenah Solar White 110# card stock.  After stepping away for a bit, I decided that something just wasn’t quite right, so I pulled out a fine tip black marker and drew in the frame.  That was exactly what it needed.

Thanks for stopping by!

Computer Signature

Love These Stamp Images by Stacey Yacula for My Favorite Things

Posted in Cards by

I just had to buy the Warm & Feathered Hugs stamp set and dies from My Favorite Things.  The images are simply adorable.  This set has 3 owls that are dressed for winter, so I thought I’d better make some cards before the winter season is over.

My Empty Nest Creations Card using MFT Warm & Feathered Hugs stamp set

I started by stamping the darling owl images onto Bristol paper using Versafine Onyx Black ink.  My Zig brush markers hadn’t been used in a while, so I pulled those out to color the owls.  After they dried, I die cut the owls using the matching dies.

The background was created by masking off the bottom left corner for my snow hill and ink blending the rest using Broken China, Salty Ocean and Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxides.  Using a black fine tip marker, I drew the hill edge and, once again, pulled out my Zig markers to give the snow a bit of definition with the light blue marker.  I made a slight shadow for the owl/sled using some cool gray Copic markers.  I heat embossed the sentiment from Hero Arts Made with Love stamp set.  Before placing the owl on the card front with foam tape, I added some falling snow using a white gel pen.  I die cut the card front with the Avery Elle Wonky Stitches die and attached it to a Neenah Solar White 110# A2 card base.

Glad you stopped by!

Computer Signature

Concord & 9th’s Hello Lovely…again!

Posted in Cards by

I just love this stamp set, and I seem to use it on every other card that I make.  It is just that beautiful.  I paired this stamp with some pretty bright Zig Clean Color markers.  I usually am drawn to more pastel or muted colors, but I wanted to venture a little beyond my normal comfort zone.

My Empty Nest Creations Concord & 9th's Hello Lovely Just For You card

I started by white heat embossing the floral image onto Bristol paper.  I especially like doing this because it makes using a water brush much easier.  I used several Zig Clean Color markers to paint the flowers and leaves.  To highlight the floral image, I lightly water colored a gray background using marker 091.

Using Waffle Flower’s Lacy Layers, I die cut the floral piece (what an adorable scalloped edge 🙂 and attached it to a piece of yellow card stock that matched the yellow flowers perfectly.  To give the card a little dimension, I used foam tape to adhere it to the purple polka dot card base.  This card base comes from a Pebbles Cardmaking pad that is loaded with adorable bright colored card bases.  All that was left, was the sentiment.  I white heat embossed a sentiment from Altenew’s Penned Rose stamp set onto a scrap piece of black card stock.

I hope you like it!

Computer Signature

The Joy of Finding an Old Stamp Set

Posted in Cards by

I have been collecting stamp sets for quite a while now, so there are always older sets that just get lost in the back of a pile.  Since I have a limited budget to spend on the latest and greatest stamping/diecutting supplies, I have to rediscover stamp sets that I’ve had in my stash for a few years and never used.

The Hello Mason Jar set from Stampendous is one such set.  It has a beautiful array of flowers and a wonderful mason jar.  There are a few sentiments that are small and perfect to fit in a small space on any busy card.

My Empty Nest Creations using Stampendous Hello Mason Jar set and Zig markersFor this card, I just used the flower grouping that I colored with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers and a waterbrush.  I die cut it with the matching die.  All that was left was to figure out the right background.

I seem to be obsessed with ink blended backgrounds lately.  I think it’s because they are so easy to make, and you end up with the perfect custom background for your card.  I blended Salty Ocean and Peeled Paint Distress Oxides for this background.  Once that was done, I thought that the card still needed a little something else to help frame the flower image.  Again I reached for something that I rarely use, my Spellbinders diamond dies, to create the frame.  After popping the floral image up with foam tape, I die cut happy birthday from purple card stock using the Simon Says Stamp Happy Birthday Script die.

Thanks for visiting!

Computer Signature

Concord & 9th’s Hello Lovely is Truly Lovely

Posted in Cards by

I have been ogling over this stamp set since it was released (which was quite a while ago).  For whatever reason, it usually takes me a couple of months after a stamp release to order/receive it.  This one will always be one of my favorites.  I love the floral arrangement, but I also really like the greetings.

My Empty Nest Creations Card using Concord & 9th's Hello Lovely Stamp Set

I started off by gold heat embossing the floral stamp onto watercolor paper.  (Because of the texture of the paper, I had to stamp a couple of times with Versamark ink in order to get good coverage.  The MISTI makes this process so incredibly easy!)  Next, I chose a couple of Zig Clean Color Markers for my coloring.  I really like the watercolor look, so I just added ink directly to the paper and used my waterbrush to spread the ink.  To highlight the floral image a bit, I used a light blue Zig marker and my waterbrush to softly outline the image.  I gold heat embossed the HELLO greeting from the same stamp set.  I knew that I needed to add something to the top to balance the card a bit.  To go with the soft watercolor feel, I just added a few stripes of color using my Zigs and waterbrush.  A few Nuvo drops in gold, pink and purple (I know you can’t really see the colors in the photo) gave me the finishing touch.

Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Reverse Confetti’s Bear Hugs Stamp Set

Posted in Cards by

I just recently purchased this set with the matching dies during the recent Reverse Confetti sale, and I’m so glad that I did.  Koalas have always been one of my favorite animals ever since my husband and I held one during our honeymoon in Australia.  They are just so adorable!

My Empty Nest Creations Card using Reverse Confetti's Bear Hugs Stamp Set

I started by painting some rainbow stripes on watercolor paper using my Gansai Tambi watercolors.  While that was drying, I stamped those adorable koalas onto Bristol paper using my Versamark black ink pad.  I heat embossed those images with clear embossing powder.  (I love the way that gives me boundaries for my coloring.)  Using my Zig Clean Brush markers and a waterbrush, I watercolored the bear images and cut them out with the matching dies.

I used my My Favorite Things Blueprints 13 large pennant die to cut the watercolor piece.  For a little bit of dimension, I adhered the bear with the flower with fun foam and glued the other bear die cut with liquid glue.

For the background, I clear embossed a piece of Bristol paper with the Hero Arts Designer Woodgrain wood stamp and ink blended over it with Weathered Wood Distress Ink.  I don’t think that I’ve ever used that color before.  I love the blue/gray color!  I balanced it out with a strip of black striped paper (I used my MFT striped background stamp and black heat embossed a large piece of paper to use for a bunch of cards.)

The sentiment is from the Avery Elle Simply Said: You stamp set and is white heat embossed on a stripe of black card stock.  I added a few black Nuvo drops to finish it off.

Thanks for stopping by 🙂

 

Using Altenew’s Bamboo Rose Stamp Set

Posted in Cards by

I have had this stamp set for quite a while now and have hardly used it.  Not that I have a ton of stamp sets, but many of them end up in a pile and get forgotten.  I came across this set while cleaning a bit, so I decided to put it to some use.

My Empty Nest Creations card using Altenew's Bamboo Rose Stamp Set

I started by cutting a panel from purple card stock (I know it looks a little blue in the photo, but trust me, it’s purple).  I then stamped multiple images with Versamark ink and heat embossed them with clear embossing powder.  I die cut the panel using the largest stitched rectangle from Memory Box and put the panel aside.

I clear heat embossed a few of the images onto Bristol paper and colored them with some Zig Clean Color Brush Markers.  I’m still getting the hang of these markers.  I need to practice some more.  Since I don’t have the matching dies for this Altenew set, I fussy cut them out.  Because the images aren’t that detailed, it was fairly easy.  I embossed a strip of velum using a Cuttlebug checked embossing folder.

Then, it was just a matter of putting it all together.  Since the purple panel was significantly smaller than the white card base, I mounted it with a piece of Bazzill Alpaca card stock.  I decided where I was placing the flowers in order to find the right spot for the velum.  I adhered the velum with some glue behind where the flowers were going to go.  I glued the flowers in place using some fun foam behind a few to give it dimension.  I chose Avery Elle’s Simply Said: You set for the sentiment and silver heat embossed it onto a strip of black card stock. For some additional dimension, I glued the entire panel onto the white card base using fun foam.

That’s it.  Thanks for stopping by.