Welcome to Valley Oak Paper
I design handmade greeting cards.
![Tea-riffic Birthday](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63b735fd27e5ca7f0f089f7a/1719014538392-NJ4R5EARD9PNUIRX6BYR/sq_reindeer02.jpg)
Tea-riffic Birthday
This is the card I’m creating in today’s video. It has this fun, wobbling effect, created with an action wobbler. I’ll give you tips for helping your mug wobble better in this video. I’m also using Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Pencils to achieve a loose watercolor effect when coloring.
![Distress Watercolor Pencils 1](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63b735fd27e5ca7f0f089f7a/1718505588624-B26O7XVFI1J05G3OAZDZ/sq_tin06.jpg)
Distress Watercolor Pencils 1
When I got the new Distress Watercolor Pencils, I took them all out of their boxes and rearranged them according to the order on the Ranger web site. In this video I’m swatching the first box, from Spun Sugar to Fired Brick.
![Arctic Treat Box](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63b735fd27e5ca7f0f089f7a/1714107973812-S49012IN2JK14O8TJBHP/sq_wolf03.jpg)
Arctic Treat Box
For the box, I’m using a Sizzix die set called Seasonal House Gift Box. It creates a super cute mini milk carton.
![Waffle Flower Sneak Peak to April](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63b735fd27e5ca7f0f089f7a/1710209331985-XGDE56LS85DOOME5WE4Y/square_set.jpg)
Waffle Flower Sneak Peak to April
Become a member of the Sneak Peak Club to get early access to coming releases like this one.
![Shaped Shaker Card](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63b735fd27e5ca7f0f089f7a/1709782943612-0LN9T6OUQTZAKU9SWO3L/sq_gnome06.jpg)
Shaped Shaker Card
Today’s card is a shaped shaker card, so I’m starting with the card base.
![Swatching Distress Oxide Inks](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63b735fd27e5ca7f0f089f7a/1708109316431-HI9KKF5131VJNJZ35MOL/oxides02square.jpg)
Swatching Distress Oxide Inks
I just got the last two ink pads I was missing from the Distress Oxide palette: Rustic Wilderness and Crackling Campfire. Distress Oxides are easily the ink pads I reach for most of the time. So getting the complete 72-pad collection was really worth it for me.
![Crafty business update](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63b735fd27e5ca7f0f089f7a/1695750545485-48HF429KE90ZLQT8C8WU/catClipboard02.jpg)
Crafty business update
Silicon Valley in-person shopping
Unique Boutique is open 10.30 to 2.30 Monday through Friday at the Sunnyvale Senior Center
De Anza Flea Market: October 7th, next and probably final day.
Unique Boutique Craft Fair: November 3rd - 4th, Sunnyvale Senior Center
![Oak wreath tutorial](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63b735fd27e5ca7f0f089f7a/1693853151606-MJUE2SWUYGZTF0I7Y8BZ/pants05.jpg)
Oak wreath tutorial
The next day I created the texture with the Pinkfresh Studio’s Stitches Cover Plate. This had the added bonus of flattening the cardstock after its bath.
![Affiliate programs](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63b735fd27e5ca7f0f089f7a/a4e68aae-e1b7-432b-8419-1a524704af60/fairyStamps.jpg)
Affiliate programs
The way affiliate programs work is that if you as a shopper click on an affiliate link, your browser saves a cookie. If you buy anything from the affiliate site within the referral window, the affiliate (blogger) gets a percentage of the sale as commission. The length of the referral window differs from merchant to merchant, but 1-3 months is common.
![Emboss resist tutorial](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63b735fd27e5ca7f0f089f7a/1682526887458-EVBC6ZUS8AQQLXKISO4U/black10.jpg)
Emboss resist tutorial
To watercolor with the spray stains, I made sure I shook the bottles until there was no mica sludge left at the bottom. Then I unscrewed the spray mechanism and touched the stem where I wanted the color. I used brushes to push the paint where I wanted it. The first layer was very blotchy, so I followed up with a second layer.
![Mini slimline cards tutorial](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63b735fd27e5ca7f0f089f7a/1682366866775-FAYPUKJ7OFLM4P5WOXV4/hello04.jpg)
Mini slimline cards tutorial
If you’re not sure how to place flowers, there are two principles that can guide you. The first one is to place flowers around the focal point of the card. The second one is to place decorations in a diagonal. If you combine the two principles, you cluster decorations around the sentiment and let them trail off into opposite corners.
![Single layer spring card tutorial](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63b735fd27e5ca7f0f089f7a/8c32b9ab-924e-44f2-bf77-ab59a60fb619/hip01.jpg)
Single layer spring card tutorial
At this point I really wanted to add dimension to the card. But it was supposed to be a single layer card. So instead of adding dimension, I added texture.