Trick OR Treat?

Greetings! I'm back to share another Mixed Media project created for Topflight Stamps since that's our focus this week! I've used stamps by Carabelle Studio with Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints by PaperArts, alcohol markers, modeling paste, a stencil, and die-cuts on this slightly deranged card.

Here it is!

Topflight Stamps Products Used:

Poe's Ravens Rubber Cling Stamp Set by Carabelle Studio

Witches' Kit Rubber Cling Stamp Set by Carabelle Studio
Twilight, Stone. Buff, Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints by PaperArtsy
Bricks Textures 6x6 Paper Pad by Craft Consortium Ltd.
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko
Nocturne VersaFine Clair Inks by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Essential Metalllic Colorista Markers by Spectrum Noir

Other Products Used:
Solar White Classic Crest Cardstock by Neenah Papers
140 lb. Mixed Media Paper by Strathmore

Vellum by Strathmore

Yellow and Black Cardstock by Bazzill Basics
Copic Markers: BV29, BV25, BV23, N7, N6, N5, N4, N3, N2, E04, R17, BG93, T7, T5, C4, C3, C1, R17, R05, R02, R01, R000, YG23,  YG01, FYG2, FV2

Black Multiliner Pen by Copic

White Gelly Roll Gel Pen by Sakura of America

Cool Grey 5, Cool Grey 3 Zig Clear Color Real Brush Pens by Kuretake

30% Cool Grey Prismacolor Colored Pencil

Media Modeling Paste by DecoArt

Door Die by Elizabeth Craft Designs

Floor Perspective Stencil by Miss Ink Stamps

Alphabet Dies by All Occasions Dies
Palette Knife

Low-tack Tape

Silver Metallic Half Globe Embellishments by Recollections

Stamping Platform

Instructions:

1. Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink to stamp both ravens from the Poe's Ravens Rubber Cling Stamp Set and the eyeball from the Witches' Kit Rubber Cling Stamp Set  onto white cardstock.  Carabelle went out of business last year, but some stamp sets are still available at Topflight Stamps!
2. Fussy-cut the ravens and the eyeball, color with Copic markers, and edge with a black marker. 
3. Use a gold marker from the Essential Metalllic Colorista Markers Set to outline the raven's monocle and highlight his chain. 
4. Use a white Gelly Roll Gel pen to add highlights to the ravens' eyes.
5. Set the colored ravens and the eyeball aside. The ravens will just have some fun playing with their monocle, mask, and the eyeball.
6. Use a door cutting die to cut mixed media cardstock. 
7. Use low-tack tape to cover the door frame. 
8. Paint the door with Twilight Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paint. Let dry.
9. Remove the tape and use colored pencils to add some shading to the door. 
10. Flip the door die-cut, place a piece of vellum over the windows, then adhere yellow cardstock over the vellum. Set the door aside. You can put the door over the ravens. Maybe it's time for them to nap.
11. Cut a piece of mixed media cardstock to 5.5" wide. 
12. Use Stone and Buff Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints to paint the cardstock.
13. Use low-tack tape to adhere the painted mixed media cardstock to the back of the Floor Perspectives stencil.
14. Add a dollop of modeling paste to a craft mat. 
15. Add a few drops of Stone Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paint to the modeling paste and mix well with a palette knife. 
16. Spread the paint-tinted modeling paste over the stencil onto the painted cardstock. 
17. Remove the stencil and the tape. Let air dry for a bit, then use a heat gun at a distance to heat set it. You can let the heat bubble the paste if you like, it'll just add additional texture.
18. Create a 5.5" x 8.5" card from white cardstock. 
19. Adhere the stenciled dimensional floor to the bottom of the card. 
20. Cut a piece of brick patterned paper from the Bricks Textures 6x6 Paper Pad to 5.5" and adhere to the card as shown. 
21. Trim whatever white space is left at the top of the card. 
22. Use Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink to edge the card. 
23. Adhere the ravens and the eyeball to the front of the card. 
24. Adhere a silver metallic flat backed half globe to the door to become a doorknob.
25. Use alphabet dies to cut black cardstock and adhere to spell out the sentiment.

Thanks for visiting today!

Happy Halloween - A Mixed Media MemoryDex Page

It's Tuesday so it's time to share a project created for Topflight Stamps. This week the team is focusing on Mixed Media. Since I'm still (always) in Halloween mode, I've made another page for my MemoryDex album using the Spring Sprouts Die Set 49 by AALL and Create, Dee of Darkness Clear Stamp Set 1198 by Janet Klein, Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints by PaperArtsy, and the Hot Picks Mini Stencil PM016 by PaperArtsy.

Here's the page!

Here's a close-up!

Topflight Stamps Products Used:

Dee of Darkness Clear Stamp Set 1198 by Janet Klein for AALL and Create

Spring Sprouts Die Set 49 by AALL and Create

Vintage Lace, Haze, and Stone  Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints by PaperArtsy

Hot Picks Mini Stencil PM016 by PaperArtsy.

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Strawberry, Fantasia, and Nocturne VersaFine Clair Inks by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Other Products Used:
Solar White Classic Crest Cardstock by Neenah Papers

140 lb. Mixed Media Paper by Strathmore

Copic Markers:

Miss Dee's Skin: BV000, BV0000, E50, E21, E11, E00, E00, R20 (cheeks)

Miss Dee's Hair: N7, N6, N5, N4

Miss Dee's Eyes: BG23, BG11

Miss Dee's Dress: BV17, FV2

Miss Dee's Mummy Wraps: T2, T1, T0, W3, W2, W1, W0, YR30, YR20

Miss Dee's Shoes: R39, R24

Miss Dee's Earrings: W00, E40, BG70

Black Multiliner Pen by Copic

Low-Tack Tape

Little Black Dress Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints by PaperArtsy

Inkssentials Cut 'N' Dry Foam Stamp Pad by Ranger Ink

Media Modeling Paste by DecoArt

Palette Knife

6x6 Distress Brick Stencil by Paper Rose

Black Chalk Pencil by General's

Anti-Static Pouch

Clear Detail Embossing Powder by Stampendous

Red Zig Clear Color Real Brush Pens by Kuretake

Clear Gelly Roll Glaze Dimensional Gloss Gel Pen by Sakura of America

Red Zig Clear Color Real Brush Pen by Kuretake

Halloween Remnant Rubs by Tim Holtz for Idea-ology/Advantus

STAY-tion by Wendy Vecchi for Ranger Ink

Stamping Platform

Instructions:

1. Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink to stamp Mummy Dee from the Dee of Darkness Clear Stamp Set 1198 onto white cardstock. 
2. Fussy-cut the image, color with Copic markers, and edge with a black multiliner pen. 
3. Use a white gel pen to add highlights to Mummy Dee of Darkness' eyes.
4. Use the Clear Gelly Roll Glaze pen to add a layer to Mummy Dee of Darkness's earrings. Let dry then add more layers of Glaze pen to build dimension and shine. Set Mummy Dee of Darkness aside.
5. Use the main MemoryDex die from the Spring Sprouts Die Set 49 to cut Mixed Media cardstock. 
6. Add drops of Vintage Lace, Haze, and Stone Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints to a small piece of Inkssentials foam, pounce the foam on a craft mat to mix the paint, then pounce the paint-laden foam onto the MemoryDex card. Let dry or heat set.
7. Place a brick stencil over the dried paint on the MemoryDex page and pounce the foam over the stencil to add a subtle tone on tone brick pattern to the MemoryDex page.
8. Position the Hot Picks Mini Stencil PM016 onto the center of the MemoryDex card. 
9. Use low-tack tape to cover the stone apertures and the bricks on either side of the the arch. 
10. Add a few drops of Little Black Dress Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paint to a small piece of foam, pounce it onto the craft mat, then paint the center of the arch stencil. Let dry. 
11. Remove the tape from the stones of the arch, but leave the tape on the outside of the arch covering the bricks. 
12. Use low-tack tape to cover the center piece of the arch, then place it in the center of the arch to mask the painted area.
13. Place a dollop of modeling paste onto a craft mat. 
14. Add a few drops of Haze and Stone Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints onto the modeling paste, mix well, and scrape the paste over the stencil. 
15. Remove the stencil, the tape covering it, and toss both parts of the stencil into a tub of water to facilitate cleaning.
16. Use a palette knife to add a tiny bit of texture to the stones on the arch. Let the modeling paste air dry, then heat set. 
17. Rub a black chalk pencil onto a piece of paper. Use a cotton swab to brush the arch stones with black chalk to age them.
18. Place the MemoryDex page onto the stamping platform and secure with magnet.
19. Position the web from the Dee of Darkness Clear Stamp Set facedown on the upper left of the MemoryDex page.
20. Press the platform's lid onto the back of the stamp and lift.
21. Use Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink to ink the stamp, then stamp the web onto the MemoryDex page.
22. Remove the stamp from the platform's lid. Clean and dry it.
23. Position the web on the upper right of the MemoryDex page.
24. Press the platform's lid onto the back of the stamp and lift.
25. Use Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink to ink the stamp, then stamp the web onto the MemoryDex page.
26. Remove the Memory Dex page from the platform and heat set.
27. Dust the MemoryDex page with an anti-static powder pouch.
28. Place the Memory Dex page back onto the platform and secure with magnets.
29. Position the small and large spiders from the Dee of Darkness Clear Stamp Set facedown on the webs as shown.
30. Press the platform's lid onto the back of the stampa and lift.
31. Use Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink to ink the stamp, then stamp the spiders onto the MemoryDex page.
32. Remove the stamps from the platform's lid. Clean and dry them.
33. Repeat Steps #28 through 31.
34. Remove the MemoryDex page from the platform.
35. Add clear detail embossing powder to the spiders and heat set. 
36. Use a red marker to add color to the spiders' eyes.
37. Edge the MemoryDex card withh Strawberry, Fantasia, and Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink. Heat set.
38. Adhere the fussy-cut Mummy Dee of Darkness to the MemoryDex page. 
39. Add a "Happy Halloween" rub-on sentiment to finish the piece.

Thanks for visiting today!

31 Days of Halloween Challenge: Day 11

Today I'm sharing another card created for the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity's 31 Days of Halloween Challenge.  This card was made with the White Cat Rubber Stamp by Carmen's Veranda and the Large Perspective Grid Background Rubber Stamp by Lost Coast Designs.

Products used:

White Cat Rubber Stamp by Carmen's Veranda

Large Perspective Grid Background Rubber Stamp by Lost Coast Designs

Solar White Classic Crest Cardstock by Neenah Papers

White Flecked Kraft Cardstock: Source Unknown

Cherry Cardstock by My Colors

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Copic Markers: 

Cat: BV25, BV23, BV20, N7, N6, N5, N4, R39, R27, R25, Y38, Y35

Trident: R39, R27, R25, Y28, Y26, Y23, Y21

Floor: B52, N6, N5

Sand Dune VersaFine Clair Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Ornate Stencil by Lavinia Stamps

Trident Die by QuicKutz

Halloween Letters Dies: Source Unknown

Halloween Remnant Rubs by Tim Holtz for Idea-ology/Advantus

Thought Bubble Die: Source Unknown

Beige-ish Cloudy Vellum

Low-tack Tape

2" Sookwang Tape

STAY-tion by Wendy Vecchi for Ranger Ink

Stamping Platform

Instructions:

1. Create an A6 card from white flecked Kraft cardstock. Set aside.
2. Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink to stamp the White Cat onto white cardstock. 
3. Fussy-cut the White Cat and color him with Copic markers to transform him from a disheveled sad-faced cat into a devilish black cat. 
4. Edge the fussy-cut White Cat with a black marker. 
5. Cut slits above and below his tail.
6. Use the pitchfork die to cut white cardstock three times. 
7. Use Copic markers to color the pitchforks.
8. Cut and layer the pitchfork die-cuts to extend it's length.
9. Slip the extended pitchform under the cat's tail and over his paws. 
10. Set the cat and his pitchform aside while you create a background for him.
11. Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink to stamp the Large Perspective Grid Background Rubber Stamp onto a white cardstock. 
12. Color the Large Perspective Grid with Copic markers to transform the grid into a floor. 
13. Trim the colored Large Perspective Grid panel and edge it with a black marker
14. Cut a panel of white cardstock to 4.25" x 6".
15. Ink the white cardstock with Sand Dune VersaFine Clair Ink and heat set. 
16. Use low-tack tape to adhere the inked cardstock to the back of the Ornate stencil, then use magnets to secure the cardstock/stencil combo to the STAY-tion.
17. Brush or sponge Sand Dune VersaFine Clair over over the Ornate stencil to create a subtle tone-on-tone wallpaper background.
18. Remove the stencil and heat set the background panel.
19. Adhere the trimmed Large Perspective Grid to the bottom of the stenciled background then edge it with with a red marker. 
20. Adhere the devilish White Cat as shown. 
21. Apply double-sided tape to a piece of vellum, remove the backing from the tape, then fold the vellum so that it's two layers thick.
22. Use a thought bubble die to cut the vellum.
23. Cut the sentiment "Something Wicked" from a sheet of Halloween Remnant Rubs.
24. Apply the sentiment to the vellum thought bubble then adhered the sentiment bubble to the background panel.
25. Use the Halloween letter dies to cut red cardstock.
26. Adhere the die-cut sentiment to the background panel as shown. 
27. Adhere the background panel to the reserved card.

I've been having such fun making Halloween cards for the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity's 31 Days of Halloween Challenge and hope to see you play along with us!

Happy Halloween Card

I might be an introvert, but I do love to make scenes — in card form. Here’s a Halloween card created with VersaMagic and VersaFine Clair inks, stamping, and some die-cuts.

Imagine Crafts Supplies:

Night Sky, Jumbo Java, Hint of Pesto, Spanish Olive VersaMagic Dew Drop Inks

Moonlight White Brilliance Ink Re-inker

Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink

Sponge Daubers

Fantastix

Tear It! Tape

Craft Mat

Other Supplies:

Bristol Paper by Strathmore

Carrot Textured Cardstock by Bazzill Basics

Raven Textured Cardstock by Bazzill Basics

Boneyard Edgers Dies by Frantic Stamper

Happy Halloween Dies by Top Dog Dies (defunct)

Zombie Party Clear Stamp Set by Whimsy Stamps

Bat Colony Clear Polymer Stamp by Lavinia Stamps

Low-Tack Tape

Misti  Stamping Platform by My Sweet Petunia

Instructions:

Step 1:

Cut a piece of Bristol paper to 4.75” x 6.75”. Use the Boneyard Edgers die to cut removable sticker paper and place along the bottom of the image panel. Place low tack tape below it.

Use the 1” circle punch to punch the sticker paper and adhere it to the upper left hand side..

Step 2:

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Night Sky VersaMagic Ink over the masked images onto the background. Heat set.

Step 3:

Spray a little water into a small container. Squeeze a few drops of Moonlight White VersaMagic Re-inker into the pot. Use a paint brush to mix the water and the ink. Tap the inky paintbrush over the night sky background to add splatter to look like stars.

Step 4:

Remove the sticker masks from the moon and from the cemetery. Smoosh the Jumbo Java VersaMagic Dewdrop Inkpad onto a piece of acetate. Lightly mist with water. Use a paintbrush to paint the tree in the graveyard. Heat set. Clean and dry the acetate.

Steps 5A and 5B:

Smoosh the Hint of Pesto VersaMagic Dewdrop Inkpad onto the cleaned piece of acetate. Lightly mist with water. Use a clean paintbrush to apply green ink at the top of the hill below the tombstones, crosses, gate, and tree (5A). Use a Fantastix to apply Spanish Olive VersaMagic Ink to blend this lighter ink below the ink applied in Step 5A. Continue apply the Spanish Olive Versa Magic Ink horizontally to fill in the base of the card and create the cemetery lawn. Heat set the image panel.

Step 6:

Place the image panel onto the base of a stamping platform secured with magnets and low-tack tape. 

Position the clear Zombie stamps from the Zombie Party Clear Stamp Set facedown as desired on the cemetery lawn. Position the Bat Colony Clear Stamp facedown over the moon and sky.

Press the platform’s base onto the back of the stamps. Lift. Ink the stamps with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp. Re-ink and stamp if necessary to attain solid black images. Heat set the panel.

Step 7:

Trim the image panel to 4.625” x 6.625”. Use Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink to edge the image panel. Cut a piece of orange cardstock to 4.75” x 6.75”. Sorry that there’s no photo.

Step 8:

Apply Tear It! Tape to cover the reverse of a piece of orange cardstock. Use the “Happy Halloween” sentiment dies to cut orange cardstock. Remove the tape’s backing and adhere the sentiment.

Step 9:

Use Tear It! Tape to adhere the layers of the card.

Thanks for visiting today!

Upcycled Cigar Box with PaperArtsy Products

Greetings! It's Tuesday so it's time to share a project created for Topflight Stamps. This week the team is focusing on paints! I decided to use Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints and Printed Tissue Paper by Tracy Scott to upcycle a treasured/hoarded wooden cigar box.

The Top of the Box

The Front of the Box

The Side of the Box

The Inside of the Top of the Box

The Inside of the Bottom of the Box

Topflight Stamps Products Used:

Printed Tissue Paper by Tracy Scott for PaperArtsy

TS054 Rubber Cling Mounted Stamp Set by Tracy Scott for PaperArtsy

Stencil PS322 by Tracy Scott for PaperArtsy

Haystack, Banana, Yellow Submarine, Peach Nectar, Tango, Tangerine Twist, Blood Orange, London Bus, Prawn, Vintage Lace, Haze, Snowflake, and China Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints

Nocturne, Bali Blue, and Monarch VersaFine Clair Inks by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Other

Cigar Box

Sand Paper

Inkssentials Cut 'N' Dry Foam Stamp Pad by Ranger Ink*

Rough Stippling Tool formerly known as the Pouncy Tool

Paint Brushes

Blush, French Roast, Chocolate Pudding, Caribbean Sea, and Purple Rain Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints

140 lb. Mixed Media Paper

Gold Metallic Cardstock by Recollections

Raven Texured Cardstock by Bazzill Basics

Media Matte Medium by DecoArt

Yellow, Bright Yellow, Butterscotch, Pumpkin. Orange, Persimmon, and Black Le Plume II Markers by Marvy Uchida

White Gelly Roll Gel Pen by Sakura of America

Flat Back Pearls from Ye Olde Stash

Precision Craft Glue by Bearly Art

Tiny Text Remnant Rubs by Tim Holtz for Idea-ology/Advantus

Specimen Thinlits Die Set by Tim Holtz for Sizzix

Low-tack Tape

STAY-tion by Wendy Vecchi for Ranger Ink

Stamping Platform

Instructions:

1. Sand the cigar box until it's relatively smooth.
2. Add two drops each of China and Caribbean Sea Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints to the foam side of a piece of Inkssentials Cut 'N' Dry Foam. 
3. Smoosh the inked side of the foam onto a craft mat to spread the paint drops.
4. Pounce the painty foam onto the top of the cigar box, turning the foam between pounces to vary the pattern.
5. Repeat Steps #2 through 4 until the top of the cigar box is painted. 
6. Repeat Steps #2 through 4 along the sides and back of the cigar box. 
7. Add a few drops of Purple Rain Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paint to the craft mat.
8. Pounce the Rough Stippling Tool into the paint, then pounce the tool onto the top and sides of the cigar box.
9. Use China Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paint to paint the sides of inside bottom and top of the box. 
10. Sand the paint off of the box's brass latch and hinges. 
11. Roughly cut out the areas of the Printed Tissue Paper 4 by Tracy Scott that you'd like to use. I cut the Calavera Catrina, a flower, a bee, and sugar skulls.
12. Place the cut Printed Tissue Paper onto a hard surface, dip a paint brush into water, then brush the water around part of the outside outline of the image.Use a stylus or other sharp utensil and pull the wet tissue paper away from the outline.
13. Continue Steps #10 and 11 until the desired Printed Tissue Paper images are done.
14. Flip the Sugar Skull Printed Tissue Paper image over to reveal the reverse. Note that you will still be able to see the outlines of printed image, but they're paler.
15. Add a few drops of Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paint to your craft mat.
16. Use paint brushes to paint small areas of the sugar skull on the back of the tissue paper, keeping only the face area and the whites of the eyes clear of paint! 
17. Use Snowflake Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paint to paint over the face of the Sugar Skull.
18. Flip the tissue paper Calavera Catrina, the bee, the flower, and the sugar skulls over and paint the reverse of the images.
19. Set all the tissue papers aside to dry.
20. Use Nocturne VersaFine Clair Inks to stamp the two smallest triangles from the TS054 Rubber Cling Mounted Stamp Set by Tracy Scott three times each onto mixed media cardstock so you have a total of six small triangles. Heat set.
21. Use Le Plume markers to color the triangles, fussy-cut them, then edge them with the black marker.
22. Cut Mixed Media paper to two 6.25" x 6" panels to fit the interior of the box.
23. Use Bali Blue VersaFine Clair Ink  to ink both pieces. Heat Set.
24. Use low-tack tape to secure one of the inked panels to the back of the Stencil PS322 by Tracy Scott.
25. Place the stencil and panel onto the STAY-tion and secure with magnets.
26. Sponge or Brush Monarch VersaFine Clair Ink over the stencil onto the panel.
27. Remove the stencil. 
28. Edge the panel with Monarch VersaFine Clair Ink and heat set the entire panel. Set aside.
29. Brush a layer of Matte Medium* onto the other Bali Blue inked panel. While the medium is wet, place the painted tissue paper flower on the top left as shown. Try to smooth out the flower as much as possible. I actually missed a corner. Oops.
30. Brush another layer of Matte Medium over the flower and the rest of the Bali Blue panel. Place the bee so that its front legs/antenna are overlapping the flower.
31. Smooth it out as much as possible.
32. Brush another layer of Matte Medium over the tissue paper images and the entire panel. Set aside to air dry.
33. When dry, use Monarch VersaFine Clair Ink to edge the panel.
34. Use glue to adhere the stenciled panel into the bottom of the box and the flower/bee panel to the inside of box top being sure to smooth out both panels as much as possible.
35. Close the box.
36. Brush a layer of Matte Medium to the top of the box. Smooth the painted tissue Calavera Catrina onto the wet Matte Medium to adhere it to the top of the box. Let air dry.
37. Brush a layer of Matte Medium over the painted tissue Calavera Catrina to seal it. * 
38. Let it air dry for a bit, then use a heat gun from a distance to hasten the drying process.
39. Brush Matte Medium over the bottom part of the front of the box. Smooth the five painted tiny sugar skulls onto the wet Matte Medium. Let air dry thoroughly before brushing the sealing layer of Matte Medium over the skulls.
40. Use Matte Medium to adhere three painted triangles per side as shown. Let dry.
41. Use the White Tiny Text Remnant Rubs to add sentiments to the front of the box as shown.
42. Use the nameplate dies from the Specimen Thinlits Die Set to cut black and gold cardstock.
43. Use the White Tiny Text Remnant Rubs to add "Memories" to the black die-cut.
44. Adhere the two parts of the nameplate together.
45. Use glue to adhere two black half pearls to cover the holes in the nameplate.
46. Use glue to adhere two different sizes of white, black, gold, and silver flat back pearls to the top of the box.

Notes:

• Whilst painting on the reverse of printed tissue paper, don't worry about staying in the lines! In fact, it's beneficial to go over the lines to avoid any white area peeking through to the other side!
• Feel free to use a paint brush to mix small drops of Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paint to create alternate colors. 
• Blush, French Roast, Chocolate Pudding, Caribbean Sea, and Purple Rain Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints are not available at Topflight Stamps. However, BoraBora or Beach Hut are a decent substitute for Caribbean Sea.  Eggplant is a good substitute for Purple Rain and Vintage Lace will work in place of Blush.
• Matte Medium: I got lucky that I had an unopened jar of this discontinued medium as I wanted a clear and matte medium to adhere the painted tissue paper images to all surfaces. Otherwise I would have been happy to use PaperArtsy's Mattints.
• I probably should have waited a bit after adhering the tissue paper images to the surfaces with Matte Medium to let them air dry fully before adding the sealing coats.
• My dad smoked cigars for years, preferring a brand called Te Amo that was packaged in wooden cigar boxes. When he was done smoking the cigars, he kept the boxes and put miscellaneous stuff in them. When he passed, I inherited his collection of cigar boxes.