Challenged by Liz Borer

Liz has joined the Paper Artsy blog for another week of inspiration. Among the fantastic and complex creations she shared with us, I picked several bits and combined them on a panel.

First there was this lettering technique with grunge paste. As she mentioned in her post that it was like applying glitter glue from a bottle, it gave me an idea... I had a set of small glitter glue bottles (freebie from a magazine) and emptied most of the glue into a spare container. This already had a remnant of a mix of South Pacific Fresco and white paint. I mixed the texture paste with water then sucked it into the glitter glue bottle, put back the nozzle tip and managed a more controlled application with it to write the word Blooming. Quite pleased with that one!

Second, Liz used stencils with paste to give some texture to this project, so I did the same using a Prima mask and a DIY mask. I applied Limelight and Claret paints using a water spray to move the paint around. When dry, I used Treasure Gold Aquamarine to highlight the textures.

Third Liz cut apart a laser cut frame to adorn her box (same post as above), I didn't have that same item but I thought I could make something similar with a punch. I used lightweight cardboard and, after punching, I painted it with the mixture of glitter glue and South Pacific, the by product of my first technique. This could have been a disaster but I would only know if I tried... so I did!
You won't see the glitter or the original colour of the piece since, when I stuck it to my finished board, I realised the colour clash was so awful I couldn't let it stand. I took oil pastels to it in an attempt to get a better colour match.

Finally I stamped the irises from Hot Pick 1204 with green and purple dye inks.

Thanks for coming by,

(Second) Favorite technique

Well this is what the Impression Obsession challenges us to do... but as I have already shown it here and here I decided to go for my second but newest favorite, namely gilding !

Shame the weather is so grey, I couldn't get a good photo of that shiny gold but trust me the flakes look gorgeous in real life!

I stamped the Bird Collage 1 (E13043) with glue and applied the gilding flakes, there is some loss of detail (the music score is nearly invisible) but not too much.
For the large background mat I decided to use ribbon, to try and make a dent in the stash, and weaved a lilac and a purple organza ribbons.
I added a die-cut heart from an old card kit, a button and a tag die-cut with IO Flags Die Set (DIE015-F) and stamped with the coordinating Tag Set (3119-SM).

I am also entering this card in the Craft Room, Stamping Sensations, Bunny Zoe's Crafts challenges.

Thanks for coming by,

Classic Christmas

On reflection, I need more Christmas cards so here goes...

The main tree image (magazine freebie) has been stamped on gold cardstock with Versamark and embossed in green. I added a flourish embossed in white and the sentiment in black.

I used a shaped card and backed the aperture with a letter pressed panel (Lifestyle Crafts) added some red vellum and cardstock behind the aperture.
On the front panel I stamped and embossed a swirl in gold (from the same set of freebie) and die cut a corner from gold mirri board with the corner from the Spellbinders Persian Accents die set.

I am entering the Lisa.B. Designs challenge:

Hope you will like this,

Challenged by Joanna Wardle

Joanna on the Paper Artsy blog this week has inspired me to make not one but two projects week... OK they're  Clean and simple so it didn't take to long!

My first one follows Joanna's card recipe here:

My second card is based on this idea :

 

Not so pleased with that one... I should have mixed a better colour for my texture paste flower or finally acquired that Treasure Gold! I used oil pastel here but it just doesn't work as well.

 

Thanks for coming by,

 

Stars, Stripes and die-cuts

I have a lot of freebie stamps from magazine and most of the time they get inked only once, if at all. But this star stamp, I have realised, has actually received more than its share of inking! I guess this is because it is the only stamp I can use for boys when they have outgrown teddy bears... I would never have bought it myself!

It's a CAS card, again it's for a boy so can't be too fussy, and I used similar ideas as previous cards I made with this stamp.
I stamped the star on white cardstock, embossed with a dark blue embossing powder and die-cut with a Spellbinders Nestabilitie.
I stuck 3 strips of double sided tape and embossed with WOW embossing powder in detail silver.
I stamped the sentiment (another freebie) and embossed in white.
A die-cut (Spellbinders) in the corner from silver card finishes the card.
I am entering the WOW Embossing powder and LadyBug Crafts challenges.

Do you have any freebie go-to-stamps that you would not bought for yourself ? Let me know your faves...

Halloween layout

Halloween is trending on all crafting blogs, so I feel duty bound to add my own Halloween post! As I am catching up with scrapbooking my photos, here's the layout I made:

All the stamps used are from Crafty Individuals, CI-319 for the image between the 2 photos, which I coloured with pencils and CI-209 for the embossed trees.

The idea, not entirely successful, was to emboss the trees with clear powder and use Versamark around the trees brushing mica powders (Imagination Crafts - Nature set) over the top, to create a spooky night scene. Trouble is I used Core'dination cardstock which is textured and I lost some of the stamp detail. The second problem I had was trying to clean the mica off the embossed trees...

I die-cut a few leaves, using the resulting stencil to ink some leaves (white pigment ink), and the letters for my title from some more Black magic Core'dination cardstock.

I am entering the following challenges:
Crafty Individuals, Country View Crafts- Something Spooky, Imagination Crafts, My Mum's Craft shop, Pan Pastels UK, Ali-Craft

Thanks for coming by,

Challenged By Alison Bomber (2)

As soon as I saw Alison's canvas, I wanted to try out some of her techniques.
I get on much better with acrylics when diluted, and made my own spray with Fresco paint to create some water effects with drippings as well as concentrated colour around the mesh and corrugated cardboard pieces I stuck to the panel..

Water effects made me think about reflections and this is what I am trying to capture in my main image. I first stamped the boat's reflection with a brayer and ligned up the stamp with a stamp positioner for the positive image. This is my third attempt as the first 2 went wrong !

To complete the panel, I stamped the Reflection stamp from Paper Artsy Eclectica ESN07 and a motif from  Hot pick 1111 in black ink as well as another stamp from ESN07 in Aubergine.

I am entering the panel in the Paper Artsy and Pan Pastels UK challenges.

Thanks for coming by,

Journal Page Dictionary challenge Letter J

Can't accuse me of too much imagination... I chose "journal" as my word for the Craft Barn challenge letter J.
I managed to illustrate 3 different meanings of the word with stamps, the rest is filled with patterns.

Like the previous page, I have used a smooth card and coloured pencils for this page.

Of course I reprised the rubbing technique I used last time, as I had had so much fun, and I went further by trying rubbing with stamps! See top left the diamonds and bottom left the flourish. It doesn't produce results as defined as with hard surfaces such as embossing folders but still is an interesting option...

I also tried the method successfully with a stencil (Crafters' Workshop Garden gate)

If you're looking for the illustration of the 3rd meaning I have stamped a Ledger design on top of my definition.

Thanks for coming by,

No glittery substances spared

I know this was World Card Day but it's been so long since I have done a layout I needed to do something about it. Starting with the sorting, labelling and printing of almost 2 years' worth of photos! Prompted by the Impression Obsession challenge, I chose a photo taken in October last year, just as the leaves were turning, on one of those crisp and clear mornings where the sky colour takes on a deep blue shade.

I started with a blank page and used 2 stencils with sprays and Distress inks.
Using CAC Grunge (CC076) I distressed all 4 sides of the page and partially stamped CAC Branches (CC031) for some interest.
I created a mat for my photo with a MStewart PATP, without the corners as the size was incompatible, and a label with Flags Die Set (DIE015-F).

I punched out a leaf to make a stencil and applied texture paste through, when dry I used pigment ink and mica powder on top.

Some embossed vellum and a scrap of washi tape serve as embellishments to break up the fall colors.

Now for the glittery stuff... I wanted to have another go with foiling with the Sticky Stuff powder (Judikins) as the last time I tried it was an out and out disaster. For those unfamiliar with this, it is a powder, used like an embossing powder over a versamarked image, which turns sticky after heating with the embossing gun. When I got it I thought it was a better way than to use a glue pad,  less clean-up and no drying pad before it has even been used!

BUT.... it doesn't work as well. Below are detailed pictures of the areas I used as testing grounds. The stamp is a solid image, Rose Leaf Branch (F8199).

On the left, I stamped with the glue and applied the flakes before burnishing. As you can see the whole surface of the stamped has been covered. (and what a shine!)

On the right I used the powder and gilding flakes; when it failed I overstamped with Versamark and gold embossing powder. Only a small area was sticky enough to grab some flakes.

Powder 0, Glue 1. But would the powder work with glitter at least ? Below the result:

Definitely better than with the foil but even though the whole image was stamped, embossed and glittered at the same time and in the same manner, you can see the top leaves had a lot less stickyness to them. I surmise that the area has been overheated which means that the powder is VERY sensitive and a fraction of a second turns it into a useless mess.

My advice : don't use my powder! As well as being finicky the grain is quite large (larger than standard embossing powder) so the sticky surface is not as flat as it should be, particularly if you want to use detailed stamps.



I am also entering this layout in the Pan Pastel UK challenge.

If you do know a powder that does work (I know there are other brands out there) please let me know in your conmments!

Challenged By Jo Myhill

Time for another Paper Artsy challenge ! This week I was inspired by Jo Mayhill project here.

For the background I used Claret, Limelight and London Bus Frescos and a beige acrylic paint.
I used several ticket die-cuts stamped with a selection from Hot Picks 1206, 1207 and 1208 as well as from ESN07.
For the image transfer I used an image from a magazine instead of my own photo.
I added some green embossing powder on the sides.

I am now thinking the white border around the image is just too white and I might take a marker and change that!

Let me know what you think...