Wednesday 22 August 2012

Compendium of Curiosities 2, Challenge 18

This challenge is hosted by Linda at Studio L3 and sponsored by the Funkie Junkie Boutique.

The requirement is that we do a set challenge using a technique from Tim Holtz Compendium of Curiosities Vol 2.  The challenge was to do whitewash stamping. I am quite amazed at the effect this technique gives.  I used the technique as a background layer restamping the images not quite over the top in black archival.





Apart from the book I used Stamps from the Dylusions range by Ranger and spring colour distress inks (plus a bit of mustard seed), archival ink, picket fence distress pen and a sizzix vintag tag.  I coloured the vintag tag with promarkers alcohol pens which gives it an enamelled effect.  the mushrooms were colored in with Dylusions bubblegum pink. 

Saturday 18 August 2012

Embossing is fun

I love embossing, heat embossing with powders or embossing cardstock just lifts a project.   I'd like to enter this project into the Simon Says stamp and show favourite technique challenge and the WOW embossing powder monochromatic challenge.

This Stampendous large tulip stamp is one of my favourites, it makes a great focal image but also works brilliantly as a background stamp. 


for this 8" x 8" card I stamped the image twice and watercoloured it using aged mahogany distress ink.  I find pulling out the colour with a waterbrush intensifies the stamped image. 
I then drew in all the lines with an embossing ink and heat embossed with WOW white pearl powder. 
I cut out both tulips but only used some of the petals from one to mount on top of the other, curling and using silicone glue.
I stamped the background randomely not always reinking the stamp.
I coloured some white seam binding with fired brick distress stain and aged mahogany distress ink and wrapped it around some distress core-dinations card that has been lightly sanded.  I find it easier to tie a bow (this one used two lengths of ribbon) and glue it on seperately rather than tie the wrapped ribbon.
I die cut a white shape to go behind the tulip, lightly distressed around the edges then embossed using an embossing folder.
Finally I added a couple of red pearls, I usually go for odd numbers when it comes to embellishments but for this two seemed right, I think because the background is quite fussy and I wanted the tulip to be the main element I needed to keep everything else really simple.
The whole thing is mounted onto an 8" x 8" pearlised card thet has been coloured with aged mahogany.

Tuesday 14 August 2012

12 tags of 2012 August

Tim's tag for August is just stunning and I really needed to have a try at this one.  We have a family wedding in the near future so decided to adapt the idea to suit a wedding card.  I haven't given full instructions for making the card as there is a good tutorial at the above link but I've summarised my variations below.  My favourite part of making this card was doing the embossing and then watching the acrylic resist the distress inks.  I'd like to enter this one into the Simon Says stamp and show favourite technique challenge the Creative Expressions August embellished card challenge and Emmas Crafty Challenge for August which calls for the inclusion of a silhouette.




Because my cameo stamp was larger than the frame I needed to make a mask of the frame cutting out the centre piece, it had to be big enough on the outside to prevent any of the image spoiling the card.

I loved the idea of using acrylic paint on the card so used some more on the background piece, my first attempt turned out to be a little to heavy on the paint
so I flipped the card over and did some lighter daubing before distressing with the same three colours as the top.

I had planned to make the flowers from some vellum I had but the butterflies on the vellum wanted setting free so I cut them out and used them as embellishments, mking the flowers and leaves from distress coordinations and spellbinder dies, cutting two of the flower pieces smaller than the diecut.  The flowers are distressed then brushed with mica powders.  I diecut a label and stamped the sentiment in black archival ink.  The label seemed a little lost on its own so I diecut a second one in black card and mounted it behind and slightly off centre to give it a shadow effect.

I used

White and black cardstock
distress co-ordinations

Rusty hinge, brushed courduroy, walnut stain and peacock feathers distress inks
Black archival ink
Clear embossing ink

Blue acrylic paint

Ebony WOW embossing powder

Creative expressions Bride and Groom unmounted stamp set
Cosmic shimmer Vintage red and green mica powders
Pearl hat pins

Spellbinder flower, leaves and tag dies



Monday 6 August 2012

Pilkington Transport vintage car card

I took a little more time making this second vintage transport card card.  Instructions below -


You will need

Die cutting machine
Heat tool
Smooth White cardstock
A scrap of black cardstock
A4 sheet of Kraft card folded to form an A5 card blank.  plus a scrap for layering the topper onto.
Tim Holtz Distress Inks in walut stain, brushed courduroy, rusty hinge, squeezed lemonade and aged mahogany.
 Clear embossing powder
That special touch Masks - gears and penny farthing
Ideaology tag
Vintage ribbon
Stapler
die cut gears
Vintage gold mica powder


 Stamp the topper onto a torn piece of white cardstock using walnut stain distress ink, sprinkle over embossing powder and emboss the image.  Distress the topper starting with the yellow ink on the car adding darker colours to the edges.  Tear a piece of kraft card slightly larger than topper and ink the edges with darker colour inks, sprinkle on embossing poder and emboss to give more texture to the piece.

Cut a square of white card approx 6"x6"  you will need to trim this down to fit the front of your A5 card but first carefully distress ink through the mask using a sponge or tool using the three lighter inks finally brushing in a light touch of aged makogany before removing the mask.  Now trim to fit the card and then distress all over the card including over the masked area using only the lighter colours.  Finally distress the edges of the square with the darker colours.   Flick water over the piece then heat dry.

Emboss the black strip of card using the gears mask through a die cutting machine.

Distress die cut gear shapes with darker inks and brush over mica powder.  Spritz lightly with water then heat dry to set.

Finally layer all of the pieces together stapling the tag in place with the ribbon on the left hand side and taping it in place under the topper.

Vintage transport steam engine

I've had a weekend of making masculine cards.  Most of them were using pre made toppers from a kit but although I got to use a bit of imagination I didn't find them as inspiring as the Pilkington transport stamps. 



This first card is pretty simple, I die cut two spellbinders labels stamping the image on the smaller one with walnut stain distress ink.  I used the ink to distress the edges of the kraft card as well as the top label.  I threaded a wooden bead onto two pieces of raffia and stuck them to the back of the kraft card then added three dots of Cosmic shimmer glossy black pva glue.