Ranger Tutorial: Americana

Hooray for the Red, White and Blue... all of which are well-represented in the new Make-It Americana Collectionm from Ranger. I'm up on the Ranger Project Tutorials Page today, with this fun and sparkly card; I'd love for you to hop over and take a look!

More Make-It Americana

Here's another card I made with Ranger's new Americana collection, part of their Make-It line of affordable, practical, absolutely fabulous stamps, stencils and accessories.

This card has a background made with Old Glory Blue Archival Ink and the Stars half of the Stars and Stripes Stencil. I diecut a heart on which there are multiple layers of the Fireworks Stencil: Old Glory Blue, Old Glory Red and Beachcruiser to be precise. 

I added dots of the appropriately named Firecracker, White Opal and Blue Velvet Liquid Pearls to the centers of the fireworks and adorned it with stamped balloons and sentiment from the Americana Stamp Set.

All of these new red, white and blue products are in the Ranger Store now, just waiting for you to try them out in your next papercrafting project!

Ranger Bold Birthday

Make-It's Bold Birthday Stamp Set and Bold Shapes Stencil definitely live up to their name. In fact, the only conceivable downside to these sets, imo, is that there are almost too many ways to use them. (For the record, this is my favorite kind of "problem"!) I'd love for you to hop over to the Ranger Project Tutorials Page and follow along as I add Bold Archival Ink Color to the mix; for a birthday card that I'm pretty sure will brighten anyone's day.

Carousel Mandala

This page in my Dina Wakley MEdia Watercolor Journal started out as a way to test my newest set of Posca Pens and also to try out some of the newer shades of Ranger's Liquid Pearls. Serendipitously, I discovered that if the mandala you started with literally NO plan in mind happens to have a lot of bright colors AND stacked sets of straight-ish, flaring petals, midway through, it is going to start looking like the top of an old-fashioned fair ground carousel. Who knew?!

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Chic Birthday Card Set

The exclusive new line of Make-It Clear Stamps and Stencils can ONLY be found in the Ranger Store. Today's post features a set of four minicards made with the Chic Birthday Stamp Set, Sprinkle Hearts Stencil and four of the brand new Archival Ink colors. If you'd like to see the full step-by-step photo tutorial, head on over to the Ranger Project Tutorials Page!

Forever and Always Card

What's better than using Ranger's awesome new line of Make-It Stamps and Stencils on your cards and projects? Combining them with six brand new Archival Ink colors and eight gorgeous new shimmery shades of Liquid Pearls. There's a step-by-step tutorial for this card on the Ranger Project Page, I'd love for you to hop over and check it out!

Use ALL the Colors

This *might* be the most colorful art journal page I've ever made... and thus it's currently my favorite! I used ALL of the new Ranger Archivals and all of the new Liquid Pearls; some of the Make-It Stamps and Stencils, plus lots of lovely Dina Wakley MEdia Collage Sparks.

There are eight brand new varieties of shimmery Liquid Pearls (Firecracker, Sweet Potato, Rubber Duck, Kiwi, Emerald, Blue Velvet, Royalty and Truffle) and the reason they've been applied quite randomly on a double page in my Dina Wakley Watercolor Journal, is that I'd been using them on other projects, and this is what I did with the extra Liquid Pearls I dispensed. I often use up extra paint, ink, paste or watercolor on a journal page rather than throw them out. Sometimes they add up to an interesting background... as I felt they did here; sometimes they just make mud and later I cover them up.

As for the six new shades of Archival Ink (Avocado Toast, Sweet Treat, Big Plans, Dark Roast, Best Dressed and Sandcastle); some was applied randomly when I cleaned off my Pegboard and Sprinkle Hearts Stencils; some got there quite deliberately when I stamped the numerals from the Make-It Chic Birthday Stamp Set and the big stars from the Charmed Set, to which I added some White Gesso. I also used an ink blending tool to splash a little extra color over any areas that were blank, so the entire page would be covered. 

At the very end, I felt like there needed to be some larger elements across the center of the spread, so I raided my collection of Dina's Collage Sparks and cut out lots of circles and hearts that had similar colors. PS: If you're thinking that I *should* have taken a photo before I embarked on the intentional portion of the pages, I agree!!! But alas, I forgot. Next time!

Swatching and Storing: New Archival Inks and Liquid Pearls

Yesterday I showed off the colorful new release from Ranger: six new shades of Archival Ink and eight brand new varieties of shimmery Liquid Pearls! The new Archivals are:  Avocado Toast, Sweet Treat, Big Plans, Dark Roast, Best Dressed and Sandcastle.

One of the best things I've ever made just for myself is my Ranger Archival Swatch Book. Not only does it satisfy that craving to USE brand new inks as soon as they arrive; it's also a very practical resource that I constantly refer to when picking and/or matching colors. The pages are 3" squares of sturdy watercolor paper and I stamp or stencil* each shade, then do some funky outlining and write the color name. I made simple chipboard covers and held the whole thing together with a single book ring, making it easy to add, subtract or re-arrange shades as needed. 

With regard to storage: I keep my Liquid Pearls in a Ranger Alcohol Ink Storage Tin** (technically, now in TWO tins because my collection has expanded!) in more or less rainbow order. Until now I haven't officially made a swatch book (because the bottles are clear) but when I start a project using kraft or black cardstock, I usually take time to try out the various shades and see which ones I like best on a colored substrate, so at some point I might make a more permanent record. 

The new LP shades are: Firecracker, Sweet Potato, Rubber Duck, Kiwi, Emerald, Blue Velvet, Royalty and Truffle. Hop over to the Ranger Store to get your own gorgeous new rainbow of shades and check out the classics as well! ♥

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*When making swatch books, I highly recommend using a variety of different stamps and stencils; being uncritical if you don't get a perfect impression; and labeling them in your own handwriting. The simpler and more whimsical your design, the better the chances that you'll keep it as a long-term resource and update it as necessary. Plus, you'll never feel the need to re-do the entire thing because you no longer have the stamp you used when you started out!

**Storage PS: I also use the AI Tins for my Stickles and Reinkers... they all come in exactly the same sized bottles!

NEW Ranger Liquid Pearls and Archival Ink Shades

Ranger is warming up our winter with LOTS of bold color. There are six new shades of Archival Ink and eight brand new varieties of shimmery Liquid Pearls! The new LP shades are: Firecracker, Sweet Potato, Rubber Duck, Kiwi, Emerald, Blue Velvet, Royalty and Truffle; and I've used all but Truffle on this fun and funky rainbow card.  

The new Archival Inks are: Avocado Toast, Sweet Treat, Big Plans, Dark Roast, Best Dressed and Sandcastle. I only used the first three on this particular card, but I assure you they are all beautiful, useful shades that enhance the already fabulous line up.

To make this bold rainbow shaker card I painted all of the colorful Liquid Pearl shades in a swoosh across sturdy cardstock, allowing them to overlap at the edges. I left a space in the center of the card towards the top to cut a hole that I backed with clear acrylic and filled with shimmery dots made from the same colors; then topped it with the large heart and small flower from the new Ranger Make-It Wild Hearts Stamp Set. I colored the flower with Sweet Treat Archival and the leaves with Avocado Toast; and added skinny mats of Sweet Treat and Big Plans. 

Since I always find the making of Liquid Pearl dots quite soothing and hypnotic, I generally make waaayyyyy too many... and this session was no exception. Instead of saving the extras, though, I decided to add as many as possible to the rainbow swoosh. As it turned out, there was room for LOTS of dots, which I attached with clear-drying Dina Wakley MEdia Glue.

I'm sure you already know that the Ranger website has many excellent Tutorials and resources. I used the Stickles Confetti Tutorial (it works equally well with Liquid Pearls and also Enamel Accents!) and the Stickles and Liquid Pearls Template (I laminated mine because I use it quite a bit) to make the dots and let them dry overnight.

Hop over to the Ranger Store to get your own gorgeous new rainbow of shades and check out the classics as well. While you're there, take a look at the new Make-It line of clear stamps and stencils, I think you'll love them as much as I do!

Dylusions Reusable Nesting Gift Boxes

One of my favorite ways to stretch my supplies (and my budget!) is making my own "fancy" gift bags and boxes. It's a lot of fun, and let's face it, I already have ALL the ingredients, because papercrafting supplies are ideal for gift wrapping, too. Today I'm up on the Ranger Project Tutorials Page, using Archival Inks, Stickles and Liquid Pearls to adorn a set of three Dylusions Nesting Boxes. I'd love for you to check it out!

More Pink? (YES, Of Course!)

I try not to use pink for EVERY project, even in October, but the fact is that Wendy Vecchi's Archival Ink collection from Ranger sported two of the best pinks ever: Pink Peony and Rosy Posey so it's hard to resist. For this card I made quite a loose background by "watercoloring" with Archival Ink and rubbing alcohol. 

I added some really rough stenciled flowers (also Rosy Posey, but with a heavier hand) using the stencils from Wendy's Thank You Bouquet Bundle from Spellbinders. Then I placed the dry panel, slantwise, into the Polka Dot and Posy Duo Embossing Folder and topped the whole thing off with the individual flowers from the Thank You Bouquet's emboss and cut feature. I added a soft swipe of Peachy Keen Archival and finished off with small dots of Rosy Posey Liquid Pearls in the centers. 

See the entire Tabbed Classics Collection and lots more awesome Wendy Vecchi goodies at Spellbinders!

Back to School Dylusions Agenda

Let's be honest, one of the best things about "Back to School" season is treating ourselves to a few new supplies, am I right? There are Dylusions Dyalog Insert Books for every taste and usage, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be wanting a bunch more of them, but for starters, I'm on the Ranger Project Tutorials Page adding my own "punny" style to my Dylusions Agenda Insert, because to me, nothing says, "Back to SCHOOL" as well as lots of colorful, whimsical fishes; so as soon as I saw Simon Hurley's super-fun Under the Sea Photopolymer Stamp Set, I was HOOKED. You should swim on over and SEA the full tutorial, which also features Dylusions Stencils, Ranger Archivals and shimmering oceany shades of Liquid Pearls! Find the whole story HERE!

Liquid Pearls Mother's Day Card

Ranger's Liquid Pearls come in thirty-six beautiful shimmery shades, coordinate well with the Archival Ink range, and can be used to paint with, to "resist" other media, and to create dimensional effects. Having recently discovered that dried Liquid Pearls act as a fabulous "resist" for painting with diluted Liquid Pearls, I wondered if stenciling with White Opal Liquid Pearls on white cardstock would create an interesting and shimmery effect as well as highlighting the "negative" space of the stencil. Spoiler Alert: It totally does!!! Check out the full tutorial for this soft and shimmery Mother's Day Card on the Ranger Project Tutorials Page!

Liquid Pearls Winter Bluebird Card

Did you know that dry Liquid Pearls will act as a resist for diluted colors? It's a similar technique to using a heat embossed design as a resist for watercolor, and is currently one of my very favorite things to do with my growing collection of shimmery colors. Head over to the Ranger Project Tutorials Page to see, step-by-step, how I created this shimmery winter bluebird card, featuring Dina Wakley's adorable Scribbly Birdie Stamps and Simon Hurley's beautiful Stained Glass Stencil.

Plaid(ish) Stripes

Stretching the concept of Mandala Monday pretty far with a (sort of) plaid design made by masking off a few horizontal and vertical stripes with tape, watercoloring over the masked bits with analogous colors of Liquid Pearls, letting them dry, peeling the tape, and doodling mandala(ish) shapes with my Letter It Fineliners inside the unpainted bits. 

There's a bit more detail about watercoloring with Liquid Pearls on this Thank You Card post and this Birthday Card post both on the Ranger Project Tutorials Page, which is absolutely loaded with awesome ideas from a variety of papercrafting artists. Plus you can filter or search by occasion, product or project type which is handy! ♥

Halloween Treat Bags

Halloween is just around the corner and what could be more seasonally appropriate than some "boo-tiful" little treat bags. There's a complete step by step tutorial showing how I made some on the Ranger Project Page, using Ranger Archival Inks, Transparent Gloss Texture Paste and Liquid Pearls; I'd love for you to pop over and take a look!

Customized Notebook

I'm happy to be up on the Ranger Project Page with a very fun and funky composition book I altered using some of my favorite products: Ranger Archival Inks, Liquid Pearls, Stickles and more! I'd love for you to CLICK THIS LINK and visit the step-by-step tutorial! ♥

It's a Manhole Cover Mandala Monday?

Yes! Well, sort of. Today's pair of mandala cards were built around a piece of carstock I had used to blot off one of the fun geometric Dina Wakley Coaster Stencils I used for my Ranger Liquid Pearls Tutorial last month, and though the shimmery, glittery pattern was not perfect, it was too pretty to throw away, so I decided to draw on top of it with my Letter It Fineliners. Then I smooshed some Archival Ink on top (Aubergine and Beach Cruiser, diluted with a spritz of rubbing alcohol) and finally I double matted both cards and sewed around the edges.

Liquid Pearls + Archival Inks + Stencils = Colorful Joy

Ranger's Liquid Pearls are super-versatile and add extra shimmer and dimension to any project and (as my title implies) they work really well in conjunction with stencils... a bunch of which I've used to make a trio of colorful encouragement cards. Follow along, via my step-by-step tutorial, on the Ranger Project Page.

JB2411: Tic-Tac-Toe

This fortnight at Jingle Belles, we're playing a game of Tree Skirt Tic-Tac-Toe, which is kind of like "Beach Blanket Bingo" but... you know... more Christmassy; and with LOTS more embellishments! We'd love for you to join the fun, all you have to do is pick a row (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) and a create a lovely new holiday card featuring all three elements in that row. There are loads of possibilities, so let's get started.

Here's what I made:

I chose the center column and thus had Embossing + Red or Green + Diecuts to work with. I broke out the Big Box of Bits and Bobs and lucked into the grocer's kraft panel (Simon Hurley Evergreens embossed in a combination of Ranger's Lime Tinsel and matte Green Embossing Powders, with a couple of Raspberry Liquid Pearl hearts on top); the glossy mat with the green stamped foliage from Wendy Vecchi's Doodle Holiday set, and all of those diecut Penny Black Layered Poinsettias to which I've added green Eyelet Outlet Snowflake Bling. 

JB2411: Tree Skirt Tic-Tac-Toe runs until Wednesday evening, June 5th; so head over to Jingle Belles now and see Stephanie's gorgeous card and start planning what you'll link up with us!