Monday 26 November 2012

Spellbinders altered metal 'Christmas 'bauble'

I wanted my Christmas tree to look more modern this year, that isn't to say I don't want traditional too but I need to change the colours I usually choose.  I don't have enough decorations in my chosen theme of blues, copper and cream so am attempting to make some.  I initially attempted to make this decoration from craft metal which has a copper colour to one side but it was very difficult to get the three sides to stick so for this, version 2 I stuck metal tape to quite thick kraft card and die cut three pieces using a spellbinders die.  I then coloured the metal with alcohol inks and copper adirondack paint dabber.  Added a piece of wire (stolen from a wine bottle) and here is the first of hopefully many.

One of the hardest parts has been photographing such a three dimentional object in a not very light house but here goes.



A blue and Silver Trio

Its that time of year when we need to make lots of cards so anything that makes it more enjoyable and easier is welcome.  The splodgeaway mat certainly made brayering a lot easier.  I began this set of cards with the Splodgeaway monthly challenge in mind and would like to enter with the snowflake card below centre.  I'd also like to enter this into the WOW embossing powder November challenge .

 
For the snowflake card I stamped background snowflakes (Sheena Douglas) with versamark watermark ink onto smoothe cardstock and then brayered over with Stonewash archival ink.  I can honestly say I had never used the brayer with the splodgeaway mat before yesterday and it made brayering so much easier.  I wasn't sure how others use it but I inked the brayer first then worked the ink onto the mat before applying it to the paper.  Because I wanted a deep blue for the snowflakes to shine through I did lightly reink the brayer once.  After brayering I spritzed some water into my hand and flicked it over the card, left it for a few seconds before blotting with kitchen towel to give another layer of snowflakes.  I stamped the snowflakes and sentiment with metallic silver WOW embossing powder and after layering onto the card added the layered snowflake topper (Kanban).
 
 
To make the other two cards I used Splodgeaways Christmas Wonderland StenScape mask. For the left hand card I sponged through the sleigh on the mask with faded jeans distress ink then heat embossed with Wow white pearl embossing powder which is translucent allowing the colour beneath to shine through, heating from below gives a smoother finish.  The sentiment was stamped using another Sheena Douglas stamp and embossed with WOW metallic silver.  The card on the right was done by layering parts of the stenscape mask starting with the image at the front (sleigh) inked and heat embossed as before but inked and embossed twice to give better depth. Then I inked and embossed the silver on the tree brushing off any silver that overlapped the reindeer so the tree appears behind them.  Next I inked the main body of the tree using iced spruce distress.  The row of buildings in the background was the next layer inked through the mask with a faded jeans first blotting the sponge to make it paler.  I added the windows by layering on the mask, blotting through with just water to remove the blue then inking with a yellow.  Finally I made a mask for the moon (the wow powder pot was an ideal size)  and brayered over the whole card using the edges of the stenscape mask to add some hilly bits to the ground. 
 
I think it took me longer to blog the instructions for the third card than it did to make it so please don't be afraid to try it.
 
I'd also like to enter this trio into the WOW embossing powder November challenge if three projects together is permitted :)

Wednesday 21 November 2012

My take on Hels Sheridan's Gift-Velope

I am so pleased I found the instructions for this little gift over at http://snazzysdesignteamblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-christmas-gift-velope-by-hels.html because I need to make several this year.  




I've used the Holidays Past Ideaology paper stash by Tim Holtz, a Stampers Anonymous bauble stamp, cardinal red WOW embossing powder on the stamped image before cutting it out and on the die cut numbers.  I distress inked over the bauble and on the edges of the card. I drew round an embossing powder pot and cut round it to make the cut out on the inside pocket as I don't have any circular punches.

I'd like to enter this into the WOW embossing powders November challenge.

Tuesday 13 November 2012

Vintag Earrings

Whilst tidying I found my Vintaj embossing dies and copper shapes so had to play.  These earrings were the result of embossing, shaping (using a pestle and mortar) to give them a convex shape, rubbing with gesso, wiping off all gesso except that in the grooves, then painting with alcohol inks.




To be honest I'm not entirely happy with putting these through the big shot, anything but the lowest platform is too tight but that doesn't emboss very deeply, a shim however makes things pretty tight again and I was worried it would break the machine.

Bauble tree decoration

There is a Christmas Bauble challenge going on at Creative Expressions right now.  I'd like to enter this project.

I decided to use The Pine Cone Christmas set of stamps which has a couple of lovely baubles in it and create something quite simple using a technique that is too easily forgotten about.  I suspect now I have begun I will be trying out all sort of variations.



I used Ranger inkessentials memory frames and glass but the technique could be used on any glass or heat resistant acetate.  First I stamped the image onto a piece of clean memory glass using black archival ink.  If the image doesn't work out first time it can be easily wiped off.  I found that this ink was good as it has a long enough drying time to allow application of embossing powder I used a dark cosmic shimmer one that has added mica in it.  Heat and allow the glass to cool.

 
I used three colours of alcohol inks and found they stayed wet long enough on a piece of glass to allow me to brush/drip them into place where I wanted them.  The embossing prevents them from running out but again if things get messy they can be wiped off and you can start again.  Clean up any smears with alcohol solution.  I placed a second piece of glass in front of the embossed side and fitted it into the frame.


Monday 12 November 2012

Altered metal Corsage

I've heard the expression womble used many times when it comes to crafters and I truly think we are, always making good use of the things we find lying around.  This simple corsage is cut from an old foil pie tin (flower) and a cola can (leaf).  I could have used the can for the whole project and it would have been more sustantial.  I used a bigz die, any one you have would do to cut the flower layers and another bigx die (Tim Holtz pinecone) for the leaf.  I daubed alcohol inks onto the pieces until I liked the colours and layered them together using silicone glue,  I added some black and gold embossing powder to the middle.  I attached a pin to the back and I have a corsage that will last much longer than a natural one.

Saturday 10 November 2012

Autumn Glory Journal page

I love this time of year and can't resist stomping through crunchy colourful leaves and picking them up along with acorns and conkers just like I did when I was a child.

I picked up some leaves a few weeks ago and sprayed them with Dylusions colours, bubblgum pink, lemon zest, squeezed orange and fresh lime, pressing them onto my journal page to create prints.



 I added layers of colour and stamped foliage using distress inks and then finally used black archival ink to create the top layer of stamping.  I stamped and cut out the mask and 'hair', die cut the letters from the wordplay bigz xl die and cut a lot of leaves, dabbed some and swiped others in distress stains before arranging them all over the pages.