Faux Patina Technique - Lacy Brocade

Lacy Brocade Faux Patina
with gold embossing
(close-up)

Hi,

Today, another embossing folder from Stampin' Up - Lacy Brocade - and another technique.  (Thanks to Jenny Burnett, Stampin' Up demonstrator, for showing me this one!)  Similar to the one I showed yesterday but inking the card before putting through the Cuttlebug.  I used 2-3 inks on each of the samples shown in the photos and you need to let this dry well before the next stage.  Then, as the previous technique, use Versamark to coat the raised areas of embossing.  In the blue sample I used a pewter embossing powder, and in the other pink/green one I used gold.


Lacy Brocade Faux Patina with pewter embossing










I was pleased with the results and here are some cards using the pieces that I made.



Card using a section of Lacy Brocade
 (blue embossed with pewter)
image as card on left

Card using a section of Lacy Brocade (blue embossed with
pewter), image from Stampin; Up Little Friends
(coloured with
Promarkers

Card using a section of the pink/green
embossed with gold, and chalked image
('Tranquil' from B Line Designs)



I'm sure that I'll be having another go at this.  It looks particularly effective using Lacy Brocade but it's worth experimenting with other folders as well.  Perhaps the Manhattan Flower I used yesterday would also look good using this method - white embossing powder could work well.  That's for another day though!

Bye for now,

Judy x





Manhattan Flower embossing with watercolour technique

Using Stampin' Up pads Regal Rose and Baja Breeze

Just thought I would show you what I have been doing this afternoon!  I made 4 of these but this was probably the best example.  Whilst browsing the web recently I saw this technique (could have been on Splitcoast Stampers?) and wanted to have a go.  The Manhattan Flower embossing folder from Stampin' Up is one of my favourites anyway and it seemed like a different way to use it.

You need watercolour paper* cut to fit in the embossing folder (I actually left it a little longer so that I had some to hold whilst embossing) and then you run it through your machine (mine's a Cuttlebug) - the instructions said to run it through several times which I did.  Then use some temporary adhesive to stick the paper to your work surface to hold it still for the next stage.  Use a brayer and Versamark to ink the raised portions of the image and then sprinkle with clear embossing powder.  Remove any stray powder you can see with a small brush and then heat emboss.  (I found the embossing easier said than done although that could be that the light in the hall at Craft Club was not too good making it difficult to see where it had embossed - I'll have to try it again at home!  I think also that the watercolour paper soaks up the Versamark a bit so, even if you get the embossing powder on quickly, it doesn't seem to 'take' properly on all the raised areas.  It's worth trying to emboss twice perhaps?)

Anyway, next wet the paper and use watercolours, dye ink pads, etc, to add colour to the roses.  I used the ink pads by pressing the closed lid which gets a small amount of ink on the inside which you can paint with.  If the raised areas have all embossed OK you could just paint over the whole flower in one go but I did each petal individually, using more ink in the centre, and fading out by adding more water to the outer sections.  The instructions said to wet the paper again by misting to blend the colours but this didn't seem to make much difference! - but it did allow me to drop some colour into the background.

I was fairly pleased with the finished result although I would have been happier if I could have got the embossing to work all over.  Will probably have another go at some time, trying different colours - it might be worth experimenting with watercolour pencils.

*I used two different types of watercolour paper - a cheap one from The Works and a more expensive artists' one.  Overall I think the cheaper one gave the best results and is the one in the photo above.

Enjoy your Easter weekend!

Judy x

PROMARKER STORAGE SOLUTION

Really excited about this (perhaps that makes me a bit sad!) so thought I ought to share it with anyone who's interested!  I've 'acquired' so many Promarkers, and recently (well yesterday!) Flexmarkers as well, I desperately needed to sort out some sort of storage for them.  I had started off by using a plastic tub/tray which fits in the Ikea units that I have in my craft room and, for a while, this worked OK.  When I bought a set of 'skin' colours, I put these in a smaller plastic container which I stored on top of the other pens in the tub.  This was OK but as I got more pens, it was difficult to find the colour I wanted to use as there were a couple of layers and they were hidden by the others.  I transferred them all to the lid of a 12" x  12" plastic storage box and this was OK for a while. Then I recently fell for the new Spring limited edition set of Promarkers (which I got at a good price with free P&P) which made my collection too large to continue to store as I had been doing.

Well, I looked on the internet and saw lots of different suggestions, the best one being a large metal case intended for storing CDs, but this was another expense (on top of all the other craft stuff I've been buying - don't tell my husband!) so I needed to think again.  I wanted something that would store them neatly but that I could transport to where I wanted to do my colouring - usually downstairs in front of the TV in the evenings! - but also if I was taking them out with me to a crafting session somewhere.  I wanted each pen to be easy to get out and put away without being too fiddly (eg fitting into an elastic loop) and easy to see what colour I wanted at a glance.  The Flexmarkers that I bought (Set 1 & Set 2 - again at a very good half price down at Martin's Paper Unit in his closing down sale) were just what I had been looking for - some lovely pastel shades and the 'brush-type' nib on them works excellently in colouring smaller areas accurately.  These needed to be stored alongside the Promarkers, if necessary with them, but ideally separated a bit so I could grab them easily.

SUDDENLY a Eureka moment!  In the corner of my craft room on the floor I noticed a container that I had bought several years ago but hadn't really ever used properly.  This could be my storage solution!  It has lots of pockets both round the outside and inside and might work.  It also has a sort of turntable base so you can spin it around to access things easily and it has a couple of handles so that it can be picked up and carried around. 

I got all the pens out (current count around 70!) and tried them in the pockets.  There was room for all of them round the outside of the container with space to spare, so I got some small round stickers and coloured them in with the Promarker colours (Flexmarkers are already supplied with these - not sure why Promarkers aren't!).  I stuck these on the ends of the pens and then sorted them into colour families to put into the pockets around the outside and, very conveniently, the Flexmarkers fitted into the pockets above so I could sort the pastel shades into colours next to their matching Promarkers.  The Blender pens slotted into a couple of the elastic loops around the top, as did the fine nibs & caps.  Great!

Promarker Storage

Then I thought, what about the middle of the container.  There are another load of pockets around the inner edges, plus space in the middle for more!  I took my waterbased markers (Tombow and Marvy Le Plume - remember those?!) from their home in another Ikea tray and put those in the inner pockets, and there was also space for my two waterbrushes.  - AND still more space left! - so I  added my tin of Inktense pencils and another pack of watercolour pencils and tucked these into the centre section.

Promarker Storage showing inside

I gave it a try last night and I LOVE IT!  It sat next to me on a laptop tray on the settee and I was able to see all the colours at a glance and to get them in & out of the pockets easily.  PROBLEM SOLVED AND AT NO EXTRA COST!

NOTE: For anyone interested in the container - the label says 'Scrappin' Sweet Nothings' but I'm not sure if it's still available.  I ordered it online from a company called 'Your Touch of Craft' but I think they don't exist any more.  Good luck with finding one if you love it as much as I do!!

Birthday Bits ...

Hello all.

Promised it wouldn't be such a gap between posts this time so thought I should get on and show a few other bits and pieces I have done in the last few months.  Well, actually in this case, it was last November - my granddaughter Gwen's 6th birthday.  The family have 2 young cats, hence the design of the card!  I made the hairslide canvas for her to keep all her pretty clips/slides neat and tidy and she can hang it on her bedroom wall as it looks attractive too!  I can't claim the idea for this was mine - I saw it in a magazine but I did adapt it quite a lot to my own design.  I also made the new clips and slides to go with it.  Hope you like!


Gwen's 6th Birthday Card

Hairslide Canvas







It's been a long time! .......

Well, hello again.  I hadn't realised how long ago I last created a post so there's lots to
'show and tell'!



PaperArtsy entry

Crafty Individuals entry

 

Photos of work I've mentioned in previous posts. 

The two shown here are the ones I entered into the Craft Stamper of the Year competition (unsuccessfully!) but I liked the finished articles and thoroughly enjoyed making them.

 

 

 

 

 

Ben & Holly's Wedding Memories Box

 

 

 

 



 

 



I made the second Wedding Memories Box for my friend Jackie's daughter, Holly, who got married in December.  (I can't find any other photos showing the inside - must have only taken the one!  Anyway, the inside was similar to the first one I did but next time I'll take more photos!)  The bride was apparently delighted with it and has asked me to do one for her friend who is getting married in June.  I just need to source another suitable box before I can make a start!  The next one will still be a vintage theme but the colours are pale yellow and blue and I've been asked to include the wedding flowers (daisies) in the design. 

 

 

There are a couple more bits and pieces which I'd like to share with you, but I'll do another post with those in a day or two.

 

Hope you enjoy seeing my work ~ please leave me some comments!

 

Thanks!

 

Judy

 

 

 



Wedding Memories Box - at last!

Hi everyone!

Sorry for delay but I've been away and also been busy with a commission to make some cards for a local cafe.  Took them in this morning and they loved them - bought the lot!!
 

Anyway, here are some photos and a description of how I made the wedding memories box for the happy couple at the recent wedding we attended.  I loved making it and was delighted with the end result and, I understand, the bride was too!

 

Top of the finished box

 


I started with a gift box with lid that I had kept (never throw anything away!) since winning it in a raffle some years ago - it had contained Clarins beauty products. It was a glossy red, so the first thing I did was give it two coats of acrylic paint (antique white). I also used Cosmic Shimmer spray (Ancient Copper) to age/distress it and Treasure Gold to add a bit of interest to the edges of the box.

 


Inside (lid)

I decorated the insides of the lid and base by firstly painting them with a dusky pinky/mauve emulsion paint and then using a couple of matching sheets of decorative paper, customised with sprays, etc, before adding doilies (decorated with stamped images), diecut butterflies, lace, etc.

Inside (base)



 

 

 

One of the box sides

 I found some pinky/purple lace in my stash, so added some of this to the insides of the base.  I didn't want the base to be too fussy as it wouldn't be seen once it contained the 'memories' but also didn't want decorations to be damaged when items were being taken in and out of the box.  The very pretty lace shown in the detailed view photo was obtained from the local scrapstore - I think the pieces were from wedding dresses and have beads, sequins, etc attached - a great find!

The supplies I used are listed below although this may not be an exhaustive list!  Paints (as mentioned previously); Cosmic Shimmer spray (Ancient Copper); Treasure Gold; Rubber Stamps - Tim Holtz (flourish, chandelier & birds), A Stamp in the Hand (script), Craft Stamper freebie, Papermania (Chatsworth), Stampin' Up (Apothecary Art & Wonderful Words), Vap Scrap (memories); Dies/Punches - Sizzix/Stampin' Up Embosslits (Beautiful Wings) and Framelits (Labels Collection); Martha Stewart border punch (Doily Lace); Stampin' Up hearts punch; Rose Bouquet corner from Ebay (coloured with alcohol inks, sprays and Treasure Gold); small frame from La Blanche; doilies from 'The Range' (coloured with Distress Ink Pads (Old Paper & Spun Sugar).

As I said before, I really enjoyed making this box and look forward to making another one (or something similar) soon!








 









Wedding Gift - Love Sign

This is the first of the two gifts that I made for the bride and groom at the wedding that we went to last Saturday (mentioned in my previous post).

 

I die cut two pieces of brown card (covers from old shorthand notebooks) and glued these together.  Cream acrylic paint (made by mixing white with a touch of yellow) was used to add a background colour to the sign and I then stamped the pale blue flowers around the edges.  Two smaller ‘labels’ were die cut from white card – the first one was decorated with pink/red roses and leaves, and the second was embossed with hearts and ‘aged’ with distress ink.  The word ‘love’ was painted cream and then stamped with pink and blue flowers.  The little blue flowers were made from paper coloured with the same ink as I had stamped the background flowers and three different sizes of pearls were added to the centres.  I again coloured paper to match the stamped background flowers and die cut the roses.  Holes were punched, matching eyelets inserted and red garden twine used to hang. 

 

The products I used were Nestabilities Labels Eight dies, Woodware punch (mini flowers), Die-namics Mini Royal Roses, Cuttlebug Love Language (embossed hearts), 'Love' word from The Works (Plaid), Old Paper distress ink, Stampin’ Up products – inks (Baja Breeze, Rose Red and Regal Rose), Stamp Set – Baby Blossoms, Pearls.

 

The second gift I made was a Wedding Memories Box which took many hours of work!  I will show this in a separate post in the next few days. 

 

Bye for now!x