Spring Greens

As a Top 3 pick for Indigoblu's A Touch of Red challenge, they asked me to design an inspiration piece for their challenge blog this month, with the theme Spring Greens.

The tulip on the 'Nottingham Lace' set of stamps was perfect for the spring theme.

I used some heavy gauge corrugated card and cut an over sized tag.  After distressing the edges by peeling away some of the brown paper, I painted the tag with green and white acrylic paint.

A strip of white velum was stamped repeatedly with the lace image from 'Nottingham Lace' plate, in Brilliance Moonlight White and heat set.

On the reverse, diluted alcohol ink in Meadow was swiped over the vellum to lightly colour it green. The stamped and coloured vellum was glued to the tag off-centre using Invisidots.

The tulip image was stamped on white stamping card in Cottage Ivy Memento ink a number of times along with the word 'spring' from the alphabet.  These were all cut out ready for mounting on the tag.

The tulip base layer was glued to the tag with PVA and the decoupaged elements were layered with Pinflair glue.

Some crochet lace and torn white and kraft brown card were layered up and the letters spelling out 'spring' were glued on top.

The tag was finished off with some cream lace.

Inchie ATCs - March 2015 Swap

Some Inchie-ATC fusions, made up of simple stamping, each card in black and another colour.

The inch square border for each image is a stamp from Stampin' Up, some of the images were stamped inside the frame, some with the aid of a mask, others were stamped, cut out and glued inside the frame.  An element on each card was decoupaged and mounted with dimesional glue. The border around the card was drawn by hand.

A whole range of different stamp brands were used to create these cards, I'm not even sure where some came from anymore.  A few were free on magazines, some are, Artemio, Hero Arts, Martha Stewart, Muji, Inkadinkado, Woodware and Lakeland.

February Challenge - Stencilling

Another challenge for Craft Stamper Magazine's Take It Make It Challenge.  The theme for February is Stencilling.

I used a 'Hanging Chunky Board' from PaperArtsy and stencilled with Grunge Paste roughly through a diamond patterned stencil and set to one side to dry. 

Grunge Pasted Board

Once dry, the board had a couple of coats of white gesso, followed by various colours of acrylic paint randomly.  I made an effort to try and use colours I wouldn't normally, including mixing some very pale pinks.

Pastel Painted Board

Some white card was also painted with the same colours on both sides.

Painted Card

Once all the paint was dry, images were stamped in chalk ink randomly over the edges of the board and on the painted card.   Chalk ink works really well over acrylic paint, I like to heat set them once I've finished stamping.



Chalk Ink Colour Palette

Stamped Hanging Board

Finished Painted and Stamped Masterboard for Flowers

Shapes were cut from the masterboard to make flowers.  Some were made from spiral dies, others from forming with petals.

The mixture of flowers were mounted onto the board, along with some other painted flower embellishments made from paperclay, using a silicon mould.

Materials Used;
Stamps
Stampers Anonymous Mini Ornates CMS064
'Flourish'
'Flowery Swirl'
'Script'
Stampers Anonymous Floral Tattoo CMS059
'Flowers and Swirls'

Paint
Viva Decor - Honey
PaperArtsy Fresco Finish - Stone
PaperArtsy Fresco Finish - Dolly Mix
Daler Rowney Acrylic - White
Daler Rowney Acrylic - Coeruleum Hue
Daler Rowney Acrylic - Primary Red

Ink
VersaMagic - Thatched Straw
VersaMagic - Spring Pansy
VersaMagic - Cloud White
VersaMagic - Aegean Blue
VersaMagic - Wheat

Dies
Sizzix Stamping Up Spiral Flower
Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Tattered Florals
Spellbinders Shapeabilities Spiral Blossom One
Crop-A-Dile III Main Squeeze Flower Punch

Stencil
PaperArtsy - Mini Harlequin

Indigoblu Challenge: A Touch of Red

For this Indigoblu Challenge #24 A Touch of Red I made one of my favourite things to make; a giant tag.

 

 

I thought Indigoblu Elizabeth Bennet stamp might work well for this challenge.

 

The tag was prepared by pasting strips of book pages to it, followed by two thin coats of white gesso and some stone coloured acrylic paint, applied sparingly.  Once dry, a flourish stamp was randomly stamped around the tag in Walnut Stain Distress Ink. 

 

 

 

The same ink was brushed around the edges of the tag with foam.

 

Elizabeth Bennet was stamped in a sepia colour on white card and again on red card, some of the flowers were cut from the red card.  The image stamped on white card was trimmed and roughly cut around the detail.  Walnut Stain ink was brushed around the edges.

 

 

The stamp of Vintage definition was stamped in the same Versafine Vintage Sepia colour on white card, trimmed and coloured with brown ink around the edge.

 

 

 

The images were glued onto the tag with dimensional glue.

 

 

 

 

The tag was finished off with cream ribbon coloured with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

 

 

Indigoblu Stamps used;

Flourish from 'Music Hall' set
Vintage Definition from 'Sarah's Choice' set
Elizabeth Bennet

The Colour Blue

The ATC swap theme this month is 'The Colour Blue'.

I used Clarity Stamps for all the cards, along with a range of blue ink pads and colour.

The background of each card was prepared by applying diluted Distress Ink from a craft sheet, with a stencil brush and a foam applicator.  

A different stamp was used for the background of each card.

The main image was stamped in pigment ink and coloured with diluted Distress ink, blue pencils, felt pens and highlighted with a silver pen around the edge.  

The images were mounted onto each card using dimensional glue over a strip of silver card.

Stamps used (Claritystamp);

Cheese plant

Floribundance

Leafy swirl (large)

La Plume (small)

Sunburst

Palm Leaf (large and small)

Inkpads used;

Distress Ink Chipped Sapphire 

Distress Ink Faded Jeans 

Adirondack Denim

Versafine Majestic Blue 

Faux Ceramic Tiles Tutorial

This tutorial describes a technique known as 'triple embossing'.  Using clear embossing powder, pre-printed images and mountboard, you can create lightweight faux ceramic tiles, perfect for cards and other crafty projects.  Crafty Individuals glossy images are perfect for this, but any printed images work.

What you need
Printed Images
Mountboard (pre-cut squares or scraps)
PVA glue
Glue Spreaders
Seam Roller
Clear Embossing Powder
Versamark/Clear Embossing Ink Pad
Heat Tool
Scissors
Heavy Duty Scissors (mount board cutter or knife)
Emery Boards/Fine Sandpaper
Marker pens gold leafing pens
Scrap Paper

Choose an image to turn into a tile.

Roughly cut out an image.

Apply some PVA sparingly all over the back of the image.

Stick to a piece of mountboard, avoid any bubbles.

Place a folded up piece of scrap paper over the top and using the seam roller, make sure it is thoroughly stuck down. 

Trim the image and mountboard to the desired size using the heavy duty scissors - this can be done with a knife if you are confident, make sure you use a cutting mat.

At this point if you wish you can distress the edges with the sandpaper or an emery board.

Alternatively you could edge of the mount board tile with a marker pen or metallic leafing pen.

The next part can get hot - like molten jam, so cut yourself a long strip of mountboard with the heavy duty scissors to protect your fingers.

Press the embossing ink over the image until fully covered.

Sprinkle with clear embossing powder over some scrap paper and tip off any excess.

Place the tile on the strip of mountboard to protect your fingers and heat with the heat tool (a few inches away) until melted and transparent.

When cool enough to touch, repeat the embossing process twice more.

You will end up with shiny, lightweight tiles.