Thanks Card step by step using Derwent Watercolour Pencils - Papermilldirect DT

Hello I have a step by step for this Thanks card to share with you today. I am also testing the Derwent Watercolour Pencils, this is the first project I’ve completed with them so I have kept it simple.  As I am using a bit of water for this technique I have chosen to work with the PMD Hemp card.

Step by Step:

I like the effect of white embossing and have chosen a large stamp with lots of open spaces for this.  I’m using one of the large Double Daisy stamps (all links at the end) and have stamped onto Papermilldirect White Hemp card using a Versamark inkpad, sprinkled with white embossing powder and heat embossed.

Start to add colour using the Derwent Watercolour Pencils, I used the pencils dry to start with and applied brown colours around the centre area, then went in with a water brush (or a paintbrush) to gently blend the colours together.  Working in further colours as desired such as oranges and reds, using the water brush to gently mingle the colours. It is easy to regulate, if you add too much water, just blot with tissue, or if you’ve added too much colour just blend away with the brush. 

When you’re happy with the flower add some background colours, I’m using greens and blues and just blending them outwards.  If you want a more intense colour, then go back in with your pencils and build up more colour, the watercolours stay workable. 

Allow your image to dry, I used a blast from my heat gun to speed it up but let it dry fully before stamping the sentiment.  Stamp ‘Thanks’ using black Archival ink at bottom right of daisy.  Don’t worry if the stamping is not solid, it will pick up the texture from the Hemp card which works well with the canvas effect.

Score & fold papermilldirect card and trim down to create a card blank approx. 5 ½” square.  When the ink is dry, trim the watercolour panel down to about 4 ½ x 4 ¼” and mount onto a slightly larger piece of Papermilldirect Smooth Black card.  Mount completed panel onto card front using 3D foam pads to give height.

Verdict: I haven't used watercolours often so I am quite impressed that these Derwent pencils allowed me to feel like an ‘artist’, the colours are well chosen within the 12 pack I’m using, and they are so easy to blend that creating your own shades is easy.  I found using the pencils dry and then water brushing to release and blend the colours was a simple way to achieve a good result.  For adding lighter colours or more precise application, I used the tip of my water brush directly onto the pencil tip to collect colour.  These pencils are very good value, you don’t need much to add good colour and so they will last a long time.

I do hope you’ll pop by to see the next project I will be posting soon with the watercolour pencils

Angela x

Materials Used:
Derwent Watercolour Pencils (12) - Papermilldirect
White Hemp Card 255gsm - Papermilldirect
Black Smooth Card 250gsm - Papermilldirect
Double Daisy Stamp Set – Oak House Studio
Versamark / Embossing ink pad
White embossing powder
Jet Black - Archival ink pad – Ranger
Thanks clear stamp – DCSTP077 – Dovecraft
Adhesives: D/S tape, 3D foam pads

Twist Turn Card - Step By Step Tutorial

Hello, I have a new Step By Step Tutorial to share with you.  This week the Papermilldirect Design Team are working on the theme of ‘Twist Turn’ cards, these are great little cards to make adding an extra fun element to your designs.  There is also a new Special Offer card:  Natural White Matt 260gsm which I am using to make my Twist Turn card this week:

Step By Step:

There are lots of videos and instructions online for Twist Turn cards, (this version is adapted from the June Issue of Quick Cards magazine) Trim an A4 sheet of PMD Natural White Matt (special offer card) to measure approx. 21.5cm x 14cm.  Daw a central line across the sheet, then mark a line down at 7cm and another at 10cm.  Draw the diagonal lines from 7cm to centre line at 10cm and do the same in reverse for the bottom diagonal.  Score and fold all lines: the 7cm line down will be a mountain fold, the 10cm line down will be a valley fold. The small diagonals will be mountain fold. And the centre score will be mountain fold to create the card base.  Crease folds firmly using a crease mouse or flat scoring tool.

Take a pieces of PMD Natural White Matt card and watercolour, I’m using Peacock Green Colour Chemistry inks and a water brush.  Add random spatters of Jubilee Blue and Vintage Sepia inks by flicking them from the end of a brush.  Blot with a paper towel, then leave to dry or use a heat gun for speed.

Stamp text onto 1 piece of the water coloured card using Triple Blue Skies inkpad to give an ombre effect.  I am using the OHS ‘English Garden Words stamp’ as it is a nice size to fit the card panels.  Leave to dry or speed up using a heat gun.

Using versamark ink, stamp a medium sunflower image onto scrap PMD Natural White Matt card and sprinkle with gold detail embossing powder.

Tip off excess embossing powder and pour back into pot for next time.  Use a heat gun to heat emboss the image until all the powder has melted and it has turned a lovely gold colour.  Colour the sunflower with shades of yellow and orange, I’m using the Triple Sunshine Yellows inkpad, along with Citrus Yellow, and Juicy Orange inks.

Continue adding as much detail to the sunflower as you wish with the inks, I have used a reddish brown colour ink to make the centre darker and add more shading to the petals.  Add a colour wash around the outside edges and when dry cut around the sunflower using scissors or craft knife.

Ink around the card base edges and outer folds using orange inks to add definition.  Trim the text stamped panel to approx. 10.5cm x 6.5cm and adhere to card front, add a matching panel (without text) to the back, adhere using d/s tape and /or glue.  Add 6.5cm squares of water-coloured card to the 2 square panels and small triangles to the LH inner folds if desired.

Diecut a ‘Thanks’ sentiment from PMD Black Card and add to text panel using glue to adhere.  Add 3D foam pads to back of sunflower and add to the front square of the twist turn card.

I was really impressed with how the Papermilldirect Natural White Matt card takes the watercolour inks and the heat embossing with no pilling or warping,  it scores and folds beautifully and is a perfect weight for these card styles, so it’s a versatile all round card to have in your stash.

Have you made any Twist Turn cards using papermilldirect cardstocks?, don’t forget to post your makes over on the PMD facebook page, so we can take a peek, Angela x

Materials Used:

Natural White Matt Finish Card - Papermilldirect

Smooth Black Card - Papermilldirect

English Garden Words Stamp - Oak House Studio

Medium Sunflower Stamp - Oakhouse Studio

Triple Pigment Ink Pads, Pure Colour / Colour Chemistry Inks - Oak House Studio

Gold Detail Embossing Powder - Oak House Studio

Thanks Word Die - Clearly Besotted

Plus: Versmark Inkpad (or embossing inkpad), D/S Tape, Glue, 3D foam pads

Simple Makes - Kids Thank You Card with Papermill Direct

Hello, this week I'm sharing a simple thank you card that children can make by themselves using simple everyday materials.
This is the resist technique at it’s most basic. I think every child will have access to Wax Crayons and some type of watercolour paints or even water with a little food colouring would work.  

But first I have news of this week's Special Offer from +papermilldirect which is a 300gsm card in a really rich Violet colour, this gorgeous card can be yours in an A4 box for just £5-28 a saving of 40%!!  - Link Here

Back to the thank you card, which children can create by simply writing with a white or pale coloured wax crayon and washing over with watercolours to reveal the sentiment or picture they have drawn. For very young children you could assemble the greeting onto a card base for them. Older children can have fun adding twine and buttons to their design, perhaps adding drawings as well as a sentiment.

To create this simple but bright card I wrote the word ‘Thanks’ onto Papermilldirect Plain White card using a white wax crayon. As I already had some water based Aqua Markers I used those to add strokes of colour across the wording and then washed over with a water-brush. The same effect can be made by using any water based colours and a paintbrush to reveal the sentiment. I then trimmed the design to measure 4” wide x 3 ¾ “and matted this onto PMD Apple Green card to leave a small border using double sided tape. Twine was wrapped around the completed panel and secured on the reverse. 

The card base was created by simple folding and scoring PMD Plain White Card and trimming down to measure 5” x 4 ½ “ which accommodates the design and is a child friendly size. The completed panel was attached to the card base using 3D foam pads to give height and extra interest, it is also easier for your child too, and if a little wonky will only add to the beauty of a card a child has made themselves. A bright pink coloured button threaded with twine and tied in a bow was added to finish the design.

**There is also exciting Design Team news as we welcome Nessa to the team, welcome aboard Nessa!! (you can find her blog link below)**


Materials Used:
Papermilldirect Plain White Card
Papermilldirect Apple Green Card
White Wax Crayon
Letraset Aqua Markers in Rose Carmine, Flame Red, Straw Yellow, & Celery
Water and brush
Natural Button Twine, Bright Pink Button,
Adhesives: Double Sided Tape, 3D Foam Pads



Papermill Design Team:
if you have a moment, please do pop over and check out the other papermill teamies blogs and see what they got up to this week: 

• Barbara 
• Lisa 
• Ruth 
• Sylvia 
• Sandie
• Craig 
• Nessa
• Papermilldirect Inspire Blog 

Making Gift Boxes with Papermill Direct

Waving hello and welcome to another week, another month in fact  and another blog post from me.  This time the +papermilldirect DT theme is Gift Boxes and I have created two different styles which will work for all sorts of occasions.

But first, of course, I have Special Offer News, this week is it a rather sumptuous 270gsm Emerald card stock, such a beautiful green colour I expect this one will sell out quickly especially at just £3-96 for a small A4 box size.  Link Here:   

Thanks Gift Box
This little pear shaped gift box is easy to fill and secure using the two little holes at the top to thread ribbon through. The cutting file is found within the subscription images available within Design Space (or if you have the cartridge and / or a different Cricut machine, the cartridge is called ‘Fancy Boxes’). I chose Papermill’s Raspberry Pink card to create a bright gift box and the letters cut out to spell Thanks show the contrasting panel. I chose to cut the inner panel in a pearlescent white paper and then ran it through my Big Shot using a Dots embossing folder to add some texture to the words. The box is easy to put together and features a choice of two cutting files, one is a single piece to fit a 12x12 card and the other is in 2 pieces so it can easily be used with A4 card. I chose to use A4 and only needed to add a strip of double sided tape to one panel to assemble. To finish I added one large clear adhesive gem at the top and 3 smaller clear gems along the flourish just under the Thanks wording. The top of the box was thread with sheer white organza ribbon and tied in a bow.

Candy Box Gift Box
The sweetie shaped Candy Box has been cut on the Cricut Explore using a cutting file purchased from MyScrapChick, (files are on special offer at the moment for just $1). I chose Papermill’s Pale Turquoise card for the main body of the gift box. The software cuts the score lines for you, or you can do as I did and change the cut score lines to basic score lines that use the Cricut Scoring Tool, I prefer the look of the score line. The Candy Box file comes with a straight edged wrap but I wanted to add a more decorative effect, so I searched the Subscription Images and found a lace border which I then resized to fit the box. The lace border did have extra eyelet holes in the centre but I decided I would prefer it plain, so I easily removed them by simply selecting some basic circle shapes to fit over the eyelet holes, when all were covered I selected ‘weld’ and the circles disappeared leaving me with the plain inner to the lace that I required. I cut the lace wrap from papermill's pretty pearlised paper.

Once cut I went over the score lines with a bone folder to crease a bit more firmly and then assembled the box using a little cosmic shimmer glue. Using distress ink in ‘Broken China’ I inked around the blue card to emphasise the shape a little. The lace border was attached around the centre using double sided tape and a strip of patterned paper cut from 'Bright Spark' collection was added on top. To finish pink & white twine was doubled up and tied in a bow at each end.

Materials Used:
PMD Raspberry Pink Card - Papermilldirect

PMD Pale Turquoise Card - Papermilldirect

PMD Pearlised Paper - Papermilldirect
Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder
Clear sparkly adhesive Gems
White organza ribbon, Pink & White Twine 

Double Sided Tape, Cosmic Shimmer GlueDovecraft Bright Spark patterned paper
Broken China Distress Ink

Cricut Explore
(Pear shaped Thanks Box file from Subscription Images)

(Candy Boxes cutting file from MyScrapChick) 

(Lace doily wrap created in Design Space from subscription Image)

Papermill Design Team:
if you have a moment, please do pop over and check out the other papermill teamies blogs and see what they got up to this week: 

• Barbara 
• Lisa 
• Ruth 
• Sylvia 
• Sandie
• Craig 
• Papermilldirect Inspire Blog