Acrylic Paint Smearing Tutorial

This tutorial utilizes something most of us just throw away.....a gift card or hotel key card.  It creates a background with several layers in just few steps.

Ingredients

Substrate - I used a shipping tag.    

Acrylic Paint

Plastic Gift Card

Spray Bottle of Water

Steps
1.  Place acrylic paint on the substrate.  For a softer look, spray with water.

2. Using the gift cart, spread across the tag.  Be careful not to over mix it.  If the lines are too hard spray with water.

3.  Let dry. 

One little tag craft challenge #305

On a shipping tag, adhere a torn piece of vintage text paper.  Let dry.  Stamp cat(Hero Arts) with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Scribble black and orange watercolor crayons around the tag around cat image.  Lay a stencil(Tim Holtz) over the tag and with a baby wipe create a ghosting technique.  Let dry.  Stamp sentiment(Art C) on a bit of vintage text paper with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Adhere with washi tape.  

Happy Halloween!!!!!

One little tag craft challenge #304

Tear strips of vintage text pages and adhere to shipping tag.  Let dry and then with gesso create the white wash effect.  Let dry.  Stamp Crow(Art Foamies) on tag with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Color around the crow with watercolor crayon.  With a stencil(Tim Holtz) and a baby wipe remove the watercolor crayon to create a ghosting effect.  Stamp Imagine(Stampendous) stamp repeatedly with Archival Ink Jet Black.  On a piece of vintage text stamp eye(Art Foamies) with Archival Ink Jet Black, color with watercolor crayon and accent with acrylic paint in a fine liner.  Tear out and adhere to tag.  

One little tag craft challenge #303

Using a baby wipe and three colors of dylusions paint, paint a shipping tag.  Let dry.  With dimensional magic in a fine liner bottle draw a design and add glitter.  Draw the first part of the design then ad first color of glitter, shake off.  Then repeat with second color.  Stamp texture stamps(Unity) with Archival Ink Jet Black.  

One little tag craft challenge #302

Adhere vintage book text to a shipping tag and let dry.  Using the acrylic paint smooshing technique create a background.  Let dry.  On text paper, create painted circles, tear and adhere to the shipping tag.  On a text paper stamp image(Lost Coast Design) and sentiment(Tim Holtz) with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Cut out and adhere to tag. 

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #301

Adhere napkin using Napkin Applique Technique to a shipping tag.  Let dry.  On top of the tag, apply tissue paper using Tissue Paper Texture Technique and let dry.  White wash the tag with gesso.  Let dry.  Stamp images and sentiment with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Stamp companies are face(Dina Wakley), designs(Recollections) and sentiment(Unity).  Color female image with color pencils.

One little tag craft challenge #300

On a shipping tag, adhere pink tissue paper using the Tissue Paper Texture technique.  Let dry.  Using the painted circle technique, create decorative paper on vintage book.  Let dry and then cut up into squares.  Adhere squares to tag.  On white tissue paper, stamp butterflies(Tim Holtz) with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Cut out butterflies and adhere to tag.  Let dry.  Apply sticker on tag(Tim Holtz) and emphasize with water soluble graphite.  

One little tag craft challenge #299

Adhere a colored color book page to a tag and then paint a light layer of gesso over it to create a White Wash Technique.  Let dry.  

With Dylusions Paint in London Blue, Calypso Teal and Vibrant Turquoise, stamp several circles(Claudine Hellmuth) and let dry.  Stamp Crow(Art Foamies) in black acrylic paint.  Let it dry.  Stamp word(Stampendous) repeatedly with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Stamp lines along bottom of the tag with Archival ink Jet Black.  Add dot of life with a white paint pen.

One little tag craft challenge #298

On a shipping tag adhere a layer of a decorative napkin using the Napkin Applique Technique.  Let dry.  Paint a layer of gesso over the napkin to mute the colors in the White Wash Technique.  Let dry.  Stamp daisy(Hero Arts) several times with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Outline with acrylic paint in a fine liner bottle.  Let dry.  Adhere a bit of vintage dictionary page.  

Decorative Paper Mosaic Tutorial

This is a technique I have been doing for years.  Recently Cat Hand from Mixed Media Morsels did a video on it https://youtu.be/8myU_lw9DEA

Ingredients

Substrate - I used a shipping tag

Decorative paper - In this tutorial I used decorative scrapbook paper but you could use magazine pages, old paintings, gelli prints, or wrapping paper.

Scissors

Paper trimmer - optional

Adhesive - A wet adhesive works the best.  I used soft gel medium in matte

Patience - If you use a heat gun on this technique to heat up the drying time you run the risk of it bubbling so I suggest just letting it dry on its own.

Steps

1. Cut up several different pieces of paper into strips with scissors or a paper trimer

2.  Cut up the strips of paper into triangles.  I keep the triangles in piles separated by colors.  

3.  Color your substrate.  I used a tag I was experimenting with stencils and watercolor but if you paint it in solid color such as white or black with took like a more traditional stone mosaic.

4.  Using the wet adhesive adhere the paper triangle to the substrate.  Make sure to leave space between each piece to create the mosaic look.  

5.  Seal with the wet adhesive and let it dry.

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #297

On a shipping tag, create a background using the baby wipe stencil.  With the stencil over the tag, rub a baby wipe with some acrylic paint over the stencil.  Here a Tim Holtz Stencil was used with light blue acrylic paint. Stamp the sentiment (Stampendous)  with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Cut out color book and adhere to the tag.  

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #296

On a shipping tag, stencil spiderweb(Tim Holtz) using two colors of Dylusions paints.  Let Dry.  Stamp images(Tim Holtz) with Archival Ink Jet Black.

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #295

Create a background on a shipping tag by stenciling watercolor.  Let dry.  Stamp Art Foamies with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Out ine with water soluble graphite and activate.  Let dry.  Highlight pupil with watercolor crayon and white acrylic paint in a fine liner bottle.  

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #294

On a piece of vintage text paper stamp the face(Dina Wakley) with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Color image with watercolor crayons and activate with water.  Highlight with water soluble graphite and dot of life with white acrylic paint in a fine liner bottle.  Tear pieces of washi tape and adhere to the top of the tag.  Create a ruffle for the bottom.  Here is the link to that tutorial.

Tip - When every there is a face either human or animal if you put a small dot of white in each of the eyes it make the face more life like.  I call this the dot of life.  

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #293

On a shipping tag, smear red and orange watercolor crayons, activate with water and then let dry.  Create mosaic background using the paper mosaic technique.  Let dry.  Stamp sentiment(Tim Holtz) and the butterflies(Unity) on white tissue paper with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Adhere to the tag and let dry.  

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #292

On a shipping tag, spray Carved Pumpkin Tim Holtz Spray Stain and let dry.  Mask the center of the tag and spray Black Soot Tim Holtz Spray Stain and let dry.  Stamp images (Art C stamps) in Archival Ink Jet Black.  

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #291

Adhere vintage book text to a shipping tag and paint with acrylic paint and let dry.  Adhere strips of decorative paper using paper piercing technique let dry.  Stamp hearts(Dina Wakley) several times with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Die cut out heart die(Spellbinder) in black cardstock.  Adhere to tag.  

Acrylic Paint Smooshing Tutorial

This tutorial is a quick easy technique that creates a background with depth and interest.  Its also a great way to use up extra paint.

Ingredients
Non Stick Craft Mat or other non stick sheet
Acrylic paint - I used some craft acrylic paint I got in a kit
Substrate - I used a shipping tag
Spray bottle with water

Step 1 On a non-stick sheet spread several color of acrylic paint.  For a softer look spray water into the paint.

2. Press the substrate into the paint.  Spraying water on the tag prior to putting the tag into the paint will create a softer look.  If you spray the tag after it has paint on it you will be a very running blended look.

A tag that had water sprayed on it prior to being smooshed into the paint

 3.  Repeat on the same tag until you have the coverage you desire.  Let dry.

This tag was not sprayed with water so the lines are not as soft.

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #290

Adhere decorative napkin to a shipping tag using napkin applique technique and let dry.  Spray with Tim Holtz Spray Stain in Soot Black.  Let Dry.  Stencil flower motif with a buttercream Stencil and white acrylic paint.  Let dry. Apply sticker to tag.  

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #289

Paint the back of the napkin with white acrylic paint and let dry.  Apply napkin to a shipping tag using napkin applique technique.  Let dry.  Apply washi tape on the top and side.  Apply gem stones.  

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #288

On a shipping tag apply napkin using napkin applique and let dry.  Stamp heart(Dina Wakley) several times with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Highlight with silver glitter using the Fine Line Glitter Technique.  Apply sequins.  

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #287

Paint a shipping tag with gesso tag and let dry.  Using a make up sponge and several colors of acrylic paints drag the paint across the tag diagonally.  Let dry.  Paint bold stripes with black acrylic paint.  Let dry.  Stamp images(Dina Wakley) with Archival Ink Jet Black.  

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #286

On a shipping tag stamp squares with a sponge and gesso.  Let dry.  Smear watercolor crayons over the tag, blend and activate with water.  Apply washi tape.  Stamp images (Birds are RubberMoon Stamps) with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Stamp words on a scrap of decorative paper and adhere to tag.  Apply round stickers.  

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #285

Apply purple napkin to a shipping tag using the napkin applique Technique and let dry.  Stamp circle images on tag with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Lighten the intensity of the color with a white wash of gesso.  On white paper stamp unicorn image and sentiment with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Tear out the image and sentiment and adhere on the tag.  All images are from Unity Stamp Company.

ICAD turned into a canvas

The inspiration for this canvas was an ICAD I did.

On a stretched canvas, daub several colors of acrylic paint letting each color dry before applying the next color.  Stamp quotes out on ledger paper with Archival Ink Jet Black and Tim Holtz alphabet stamps.  Adhere to canvas.  Using  strong adhesive, adhere burlap and buttons on to canvas.  Let the glue dry.

This canvas was made as a gift.

Ink Blowing Technique Tutorial

I would love to think of a better name for this technique but I can not really think of a good one.  So please if you have a better one let me know.  

Ingredients

A substrate - In this case I used a shipping tag

Fluid color medium - I used Dr. Ph Martin Hydrus Ink.  Other media to use are air brush paint, hi flow paint,      liquid watercolor, reinkers or calligraphy ink

A straw (This is my preference) or if you want to go high tech you can use compressed air or keyboard cleaner.

Here is my secret weapon....hahahaha....an yes the saints helmet does make the tag better.

Steps

1.  On the substrate place drops of the medium in several colors.  

2. Using the straw or canned air blow the medium around the tag.  Hard fast puffs make the spider webs like lines and soft slow puffs create the large blobs.  Rotate between blows to get better coverage.

3. Add more medium and repeat step 2 as many times as you want.  I used three different colors.  

4.  Once you like the webbing, let it dry. 

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #284

Create texture on the tag with a vintage map using book text texture technique.  Let dry.  Sponge purple and white acrylic paint in a checkered pattern.  Let dry.  Stamp architecture designs on tag with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Stamp Word(Lost Coast Designs) on white tissue paper with Archival Ink Jet Black and adhere to tag.  Let dry. 

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #283

On a shipping tag create a background using the acrylic paint technique in three colors.  Let dry.  Stamp flower images and sentiment (Hero Arts) in Archival Ink Jet Black on tissue paper.  Cut out and adhere to tag.  Let dry.  

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #281

Paint a shipping tag with gesso and let dry.  Smoosh two colors of acrylic paint on to the tag using the acrylic paint smooshing technique and let dry.  Adhere napkin using napkin applique technique and let dry.  Stamp word on white tissue with alphabet stamps and Archival Ink Jet Black.  Adhere to tag and let dry.  With dimensional magic outline napkin image and apply gold glitter.  Let dry.  

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #280

Adhere vintage text page to a shipping tag.  Let dry.  Using acrylic paint smooshing technique create background.  Let dry.  Sponge white acrylic paint in a checkered pattern.  Let dry.  Using Golden Paint Glaze create drips along the top.  Adhere butterfly with napkin applique technique.  Let dry.  Stamp saying with alphabet stamps and Archival Ink Jet Black.  With dimensional magic, adhere cluster of small marbles.  

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #279

On a shipping tag, smear several colors of acrylic paint with a gift card.  Let dry.  Cut out flower images using a die cut machine and die(Spellbinders) from black cardstock.  Adhere to tag with dimensional magic.  Create sentiment on a P-touch machine on clear tape.  Adhere to tag.

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #278

On a shipping tag, lay masking tape to create texture and then apply acrylic paint using Paint Smooshing Technique.  Let dry.  I used pink, orange and white acrylic paint.  Stamp images and sentiment(Inkadinkado) on white tissue paper with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Adhere to tag.  Embellish with washi tape.  

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #277

Crinkle white tissue paper and then flatten out.  Adhere tissue paper to a shipping tag using the Tissue Paper Texture Technique and let dry.  Paint entire shipping tag with a light colored acrylic paint and then dry brush a darker color over tag to emphasis the wrinkles.  Stamp images and sentiment(both are Dina Wakley Stamps) on tissue paper with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Adhere to tag.  Embellish with different color sequins.

One Little Tag Craft Challenge #276

On scrapbook paper apply dylusions paints in several colors using a distress blending tool.  Use a stencil to created more depth and then let dry.  Trim tag with scotch decorative tape.  Stamp the mushrooms(Dylusions Stamps) on drawing paper with Archival Ink Jet Black.  Color with Inktense pencils and activate with water.  Cut out and adhere to tag.

Masking Tape Ruffle Embellishment

Though I called this technique Masking Tape Ruffle Embellishment you can used any type of tape to create a ruffle.

Ingredients

Substrate - I used a shipping tape

Tape - In this tutorial I used masking tape and Scotch decorative tape but you can use duct tape or washi tape or any tape you like

Colorant - I used acrylic paint on the masking tape but on the decorative tape I left the color it was.  

1.  Fold tape connecting tape to its self and then to the substrate creating ruffles.

2.  Paint the tape.