Craft Warehouse Scrap Challenge July 2014

In this months scrap pack it was all different kinds of paper. Lots of orange pieces which I love. 

I die cut the love you out of the blue panel and an orange panel. I inlaid the orange in to the blue piece. 

I stamped the butterfly/text image from Memory Box on the back of a yellow panel. I colored it with orange inktense pencil. I matted that on top of what was left of the orange paneled. 

I glued both panels down on a blue ombré panel.  I glued the layered piece on to an orange card. I ran the orange inktense around the two pieces and the larger mat. I smudged the orange with a water brush. 

I have been experimenting with the die inlay technique. It's a fun way to add pop without the bulk. 

Craft Warehouse Scrap Challenge - June 2014

Here is my entry into the Craft Warehouse challenge. Each month we get a small packet of paper and embellishments. The challenge is to use each thing in packet in some way on the card. It is a great way to challenge u with things you might not normally use and I always try to challenge myself to not use things in expected ways. For this card, for my personal challenge I made the butterfly 3 D by breaking it so the wings were up and not flat. I used the twine to indicate motion. The half circles at the bottom are the tops cut off file tabs. And using an "&" ad the focal image. 

I love the bright colors and lucky for me this makesthe perfect   anniversary card for my anniversary in July. 

I realize as I'm posting this it would probably make more sense to post the packet of scraps I got as well as the finished card. 

Also by entering the challenge I was entered in a drawing and won a $10 Clift card for Craft Warehouse. 

If you want to attend the stamp group it meets every second Tuesday at 1:30 and 6:30. 

Craft Warehouse Card Swap June 2014

The Craft Warehouse card swap theme for June 2014 was monocratmatic. Easy peasy you would think but the twist was you could not use white. Boy am I more addicted to white paper than I thought. I also challenged myself not to use blue which is the monocratmatic scheme I have used several times in the past. 

After several attempts this is what I came up. 

Ingredients

Kraft Card Base

Old Dictionary Page 

Straight Edge

Decorative Paper in Kraft color - 3 designs (Tim Holtz)

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists (Coffee and Kraft)

Heidi Swapp Color Shine (Gold)

Brown Crown Washi Tape

Distress Stain (Walnut Ink)

Judikins Color Duster

Stamps. (Pears and Believe both unknown company)

Archival Ink (Jet Black)

Pitt Pen (Black)

Scissors 

Adhesives (ATG and glue stick.)

Steps

1. Spray each style of Kraft paper with a spray. Let dry. 

2. Using the straight edge to tear the dictionary page to size creating a deckled edge.  

3.  Stamp pears and sentiment on dictionary page using archival ink. 

4.  Using color duster add walnut ink color around the pears making sure edges are darker then the center. 

5. Stamp pears on each of the sprayed kraft paper. Cut out each pear seperately.

6. Using the glue stick, glue a different paper pear over the pear image on the dictionary page. Using the pitt pen fill in any area where the shapes don't match up perfectly. This is the paper piecing part.

7. Glue dictionary panel to card base. I used an ATG. 

8.  Apply washi tape to the bottom of the card. 

Here is a similar card but each pear is a different color and print and no mist was used. 

PS I liked the design so much I  sent this card to my parents for their anniversary. 

Ombré Gelatos

Faber Castell Gelatos and their student grade gel sticks (which seem very similar though gelatos have a wider selection of colors( are great for the ombré technique.  They are cream and water soluble so blending them is a breeze. 

I share the directions for the technique in another post but wanted to show you the variety this technique has. 

This is an ATC I created for Runaway Studio Marxh swap. The theme was monocratmatic. I colored the background using the gelatos in an ombré effect. I then stamped the seahorse (deep red stamp) and then masked him and stamped him with a stamp from Tin Can Mail. Dabbed viva metal effects paint in silver to give it some sea water shine and then stamped Tim Holtz saying along the side. Below is the same ATC turned in a greeting cards. I never throw away ATCS they make great cards. 

The last three cards are greeting cards I made with gelatos/ombré technique as the background stamped the images with archival ink framed the images with antique dictionary pages and washi tape. 

Stamps in the orange/yellow ombré card are dollar ones from Joann's 

Leaf stamp is Judikins and flower is Studio G. 

This card below I used Inktense pencils to cover over the gelatos. Clown stamp is Stampington and the swirls are inkadinkado. 

Runaway studio ATC Swap for May

Easy fun and fabulous technique.   This was for Runaway Studios monthly ATC swap. The theme for May was comic relief. 

Ingredients 

Faber Castel Gelatos or gel sticks. 

Sturdy paper (Canson Mixed Media)

Stamps (Pink Flamingo for quote, Deep Red for combat boots)

Waterproof permanent ink (Archival by Ranger)

Water or baby wipe

Steps

1. Starting with lightest gelato scribble color on a 3rd of the surface of the paper.

2. Repeat step one with each other  2 colors. 

3. Blend with your finger or a baby wipe. I use my fingers dipped in clean water. The gelatos and gel sticks blend so easily. 

4.  Let dry.

5. Using permanet ink stamp images. 

Now go out and trade away. 

Panpastels to the rescue

Every create a background then realize that it's just to bright to be a background that it will take over the entire piece?  Yes I've done it once or twice myself. One way to fix it is to some how cover it with a white or buff color. For this card, I started off with that problem but I used panpastel in white and a stencil to push the painted piece into the background

Ingredients

Acrylic Paints (Distress Paints)

Non-stick Craft Sheet

Spray bottle with Water

Watercolor Paper (Canson Mixed Mefia)

Panpastel (White)*

Sponge Applicator

Stencil

Stamps (Tim Holtz)

Stamp Pad (Archival Ink Jet Black) 

Pitt Pen

Adhesive (ATG)

Washi Tape

Card Base

Steps

1. Apply acrylic paint to craft sheet making sure that the color do not touch each other to decrease over blending. Spray with water. 

2. Lay watercolor paper on top of paint. Smoosh around just a little bit. Pick up paper and if more paint is desired repeat this step. If there is any paint let spray with water and repeat on a different piece of watercolor for additional backgrounds. 

3.  After watercolor piece is dry. Apply panpastel* over the paint using a stencil and a sponge applicator.  

4.  Stamp images with archival ink. Doodle around age with pitt pen. 

5.  Using adhesive apply panel to card base. Place pieces of tone washi tape around edges as desired. 

* I found Panpastels work best due to the binder in the formula. But you can use any chalk or pastel but you will not get the vibrancy of Panpastels and will have to use something like a fixative or hairspray to bind it. 

 

On this altered book page background, I did the opposite. I thought the background was to pale and flat so applied panpastel in a purple color and a doily stencil. 

Craft Warehouse Card Swap May 2014

This Tuesday is the meeting of Craft Warehouse Stamp Club. This month card swap theme is the three B s - bees, birds or babies. Now I always thought it took the birds and bees to get a baby but I don't think that's what they meant. Since I am from Portland originally I wanted to put a bird on it.  Thanks Portlandia.  

This is an old technique from Technique Junkies Newsletter called Bleached Wash Technique.  but I think Bleach Out Markers makes more sense. The TJ newsletter article was written a few years ago  before distress markers were available  but I found distress markers work great with this technique, even better than just regular water based markers.  . It's the technique used on the background paper. 

Ingredients 

For the Technique                             For the Card

Canson Mixed Media Paper.              White Card Blank

Archival Ink.                                            Die Cut Pink Mat

Rubber Stamps                                     Die Cut Lavender Mat

Distress Markers.                                  Foam Dots

Spray Bottle of Water.                           Adhesive (ATG used)

Heat Gun.                                               Pink Bakers Twine

Small Cup of Household Bleach.        Rubber Stamps (bird, hello, chevron)

Paintbrush                                             Corner Chomper

                                                                Watermark Ink (Versamark)

Recipe

1.  Stamp image with waterproof archival ink.  I used Ranger Archival in jet black with Wendy Vecchi flower stamp.

2.  Using water based markers color the images.  Don't worry about staying in the lines and use lots of ink.  I actually colored each image twice.   I used distress markers because they are reactive with water which is important in the next step.

3.  Spray with water so the ink runs.

4. Color images with distress markers again and spray with water again.  You want lots of color to run.  Dry with a heat gun.  

5.  Using bleach and a small paint brush, bleach out the images so they are void of most color.  If you let the bleach set it will continue to be reactive so once the bleach has worked to your liking heat it with heat gun to stop process

6.  Using as a background, round the corners and attach to the blank card.  Die cut the purple and pink paper.  Stamp both with chevron using versamark ink.  Stamp sentiment and bird on the purple piece.  Layer them together.  Tie pink bakers twine around the piece.  Apply foam dots on the back of the pink panel and attach to the bleached out piece.  

Die cuts puzzle cards

Here is a fast and easy card. 

I have had a sizzix big shot for about a year now and I have really not used it much.  This card uses both the big shot's ability to die cut and to emboss. 

Ingredients

Card base

Cardstock (at least 2 colors)

Sizzix Big Shot or other die cutting machine

Die (Tim Holtz Stacking Stars)

Embossing Folder (misc)

Adhesive (ATG Gun)

Gem Stones

Temporary Adhesive Tape (Washi Tape)

Steps

1.  Die cut both pieces of cardstock using die cutting machine.  Use temporary adhesive tape to hold it in place on die. I use washi tape because I have it on hand. 

2. Run the base piece of card stock though big shot using embossing folder. I like to do this after cut so that the embossing doesn't become squashed. 

3.  Using adhesive of choice attach base piece to card base. Apply adhesive to die cuts and attach in cut outs. 

4.  Attach gem stones to card. Finished 

This last piece was done at the same time actual long stacking the stars. 

Craft Warehouse April Challenge Card

Ok as I've mentioned before Craft Warehouse Stamp Club has a challenge each month where I get a small bag of scraps and I make a creation using all the pieces in the bag. 

The crow creation is what I came up with using the Technique Junkies sunburst technique and the bird is attached with with a tiny clothes pin. 

Below are other cards I have made using the same technique one of my favorites because you can use up lots of scraps. 

Craft Warehouse scrap challenge for May

The second Tuesday of each month the Craft Warehouse of Salem has a stamp club meeting. Since I'm trying to build an art creating community for myself here in Salem, Oregon I attend.

During the month prior they offer us bags of odds and ends with challenge for us to make a card using at least a little of everything in the bag. 

Here is my creation

It's not a complicated card. The packet included the kraft card stock the red flower paper and the decorative sticky paper (which I did not know was self adhesive until after I taped it down,) and a cork arrow embellishment. (I should have taken a picture of the stuff in the bag but I forgot. Goal for next time.)

To start I used the cork arrow to stamp on the Kraft cardstock using barn door distress paint. Then I attached the cardstock to another piece of cardstock with the atg along the top and scored it just below to make the card base. I cut the adhesive paper to look like banners and attached it. I used a piece of the red flower paper on top to make it look more finished.  I stamped the "oh deer" stamp using archival black ink. Using my big shot and spellbinder nestabilities dies I cut out the deer panel and the kraft frame. I attached both to the card base and I was done. 

At the meeting there is a drawing for 3 gift cards for all who participate. To me it is always fun to see how differently everyone used the same material. 

Administrative Assistants" Day or what ever the actual name of the day is

One in a series of five cards. 

Ingredients

White Card Base

Distress Markers in Dusty Concord, Spun Sugar and Tumbled Glass

Cardstock in Blue, Pink, and Purple

Canson Mixed Media Paper (MM Paper)

Stamps- Tim Holtz Telephone Blueprint,Tim Holtz Scratches and lLetter Stamps (brand Unknown) 

Archival Black Ink Pad

Copic Lavender Glitter Pen (I believe these are called Spica)

Scissors

Quilting Ruler

Xacto Knife or Paper Trimmer

ATG runner or Adhesive of Choice

Pop Dots

Brayer

Non-stick Craft Mat

Distress Stain in Dusty Concord, Spun Sugar and Tumbled Glass

Pink Polka Dotted Washi Tape

Sizzix Tim Holtz on the Side Die Pennants 

Sizzix Big Shot and Cutting Plates

Steps

1. On craft mat apply Distress Stains side by side. Roll brayer through stain. Apply to MM paper. Repeat until paper is covered in a pleasing way. Let dry. 

2. Using Distress Markers, ink up scratches stamp and apply to card base. Let dry. 

3. Using Archival Ink, stamp telephone stamp on color cardstock. Let dry. Then cut out phone part. Color dial with copic glitter pen. Apply pop dots to back.

4.   Using Archival Ink, stamp phone stamp on distress Brayered paper. Cut image to desired size. Cut colored cardstock to desired size. 

5. Using adhesive mount distress brayed piece to color cardstock. Using pop dots layer cut out telephone to distress Brayered piece as shown.  Adhere combined piece to card blank. 

6. Using Pennants die and big shot, die cut big pennant out of colored card stock. With archival ink, stamp the word thanks. Apply adhesive on back and apply to card base. 

7.  Using Pennants die and big shot, die cut small pennant out of distress Brayered paper.  Adhere over the top of the other pennant piece. Cover edge with washi tape. 

8.Outline all of the pieces with copic glitter pen. 

I used a similar technique for my Easter card. 

Distress Brayered technique is a quick easy background that is very subtle. I believe you could use re inkers if you did not have distress stains