Birds of a Feather

This card is a simple layout using pattern paper and a stamped bird image. The image was colored with Copics. I also stamped the image again and cut out one of the birds. The layer effects adds some contrast to a simple design.

Challenges: 

Creative with Stamps - #8 Use a bird stamp (Nov)

Addicted to Stamps - #221 Anything goes (W)

Fab 'n' Funky - #328 Things with wings (W)

Rock Around the Clock

Here's a sweet card created using an alarm clock die by Echo Park.  I love how adding the banners and faux flowers gives this card dimension. A simple layout with awesome flair.   

Creative Moments - Anything Goes (Wed)

Fab 'n' Funky - Anything Goes (Sept. 6)

The Crafty Addicts - Die Cuts (Wed)

Kraftin' Kimmie - Anything Goes (Wed)

Masculine Metal Birthday Card

I have created a masculine card with the new Delicata ink colors. The Delicata ink colors are perfect for the ‘Faux Metal’ technique.  We will be using Seth Apter Gridiron Fine detailed embossing folder and the Drip Drop etched dies from his Spellbinders Collection along with Black & White Simmer, Celestial Copper Delicata inks from Imagine.

Time: 1 hour

Level: Beginner to Intermediate 

Directions

Step 1

Dry emboss a 4 ¼ x 5 ½ white cardstock using the Seth Apter Gridiron Fine embossing folder. Sponge Black Simmer Delicata ink over the embossed cardstock followed by White Simmer Delicata ink.  This combination of inks gives the impression of metal. Tip: place the wedge sponge (thin end) into a medium size binder clip.  This clip allows better control of the ink without the mess on your fingers.  



Step 1

Step 2

To create the impress metal rivets use ½ inch white cardstock strips.  Turn the cardstock over and apply gentle press with the large end of a stylus.  Sponge the embossed strips with

Celestial Copper Delicata ink.  Sponge the strip edges with the Delicata Black Simmer. 

Step 2

Step 3

Die cut from black cardstock Seth Apter Drip Drop etched dies. Using a crackle stamp with Electric Green Radiant Neon ink: stamp the drip die cut, center circle and circle with the X removed.  Apply Celestial Copper Delicata ink to the X die cut.

Step 3

Step 4

The size of my card is 4-1/4” x 5-1/2” top folding.  Layer the black cardstock 4” x 5 ¼.” Cut the embossed faux metal cardstock into various square and rectangle shapes.  Mount the faux metal pieces and the metal rivets strips in the desire layout onto a black cardstock measuring 3 3/4” x 5.”  Apply the die cut pieces to the front of the card. Ink a Happy Birthday stamp with Versa Mark and heat emboss with black embossing powder. Punch out using a 1 ¼” circle and mount to a 1 ½” black circle.

Step 4

Supplies

Imagine

Delicata – Celestial Copper, Black and White Shimmer, Radiant Neon Electric Green, VersaMark Stamp Pad

Other

Seth Apter Spellbinders Collection – Gridiron Fine Detailed Embossing Folder and Drip Drop etched dies, KaiserKraft – Crackle stamp, Cardstock –  White and black, Tools – scissors, stylus, heat tool, Stampin Up: 1 ¼ and 1 1/2 “circle punch, wedge sponges, binder clips.

2 Creative Chicks - Anything goes (June)

A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything goes #21

Cards Galore Challenges - Anything goes (June)

Happy little stampers - Anything goes with a die challenge (June)

Simon Says Stamp - For a guy (W)

Ombre Odyssey

Today’s journal page shows you how to create an ombre effect with the fantastic range of Kaleidacolor ink pads by Imagine. Ombre is an effect which has been making appearances in home décor and papercrafts. Ombre means graduated shades of color. The Kaleidacolor pad is a perfect tool to achieve this technique.

Time: 1 hour + dry time

Level: Beginner to Intermediate  

Directions:

Step 1

Place your chevron stencil over your blank journal page. Take your VersaMark and trace inside the stencil pattern. While the VersaMark is still wet sprinkle on the gold embossing powder and heat set. Tip: Emboss three rows at a time to prevent the ink from drying out.   Repeat this process until the journal page is covered. 

Step 2

Press the open Kaleidacolor Blue Breeze dye inkpad on a craft mat and spritz with water.  Apply the ink with a wet paint brush from top to bottom (light to dark).

Step 3

To create the bird’s nest; use a thick and thin permanent black marker. Write the word, ‘Nest’ in a circle in the lower right corner.  Add the darkest shade of ink with a paint brush from the Kaleidacolor Blue Breeze diluted ink to the center of the bird’s nest. This dark color will give the nest some depth. Draw with a pencil a vine and some leaves.  Apply Creative Medium Metallic Bronze with a palette knife to the vine and leaves outline.

Step 4

From old music paper cut out different sizes of leaf shapes. Arrange the leaf shapes on top of the wet Creative Medium.  In the center of the leaves draw swirls with a thin permanent black marker.

Step 5

Print off the computer a bird silhouette. Place the bird silhouette on top of a piece of cork.  Using the bird silhouette as your template cut out the main shape of the bird’s body.  Don’t cut off the feet from the silhouette. Adhere your bird silhouette to the back side of the cork as shown in the photo above. Adhere the bird to the center of the birds nest.

 

Step 6

Add the sentiment. Add dots and doodles with the Morocco irRESISTible Pico Embellisher. Shade around the leaves, sentiment and edges with black pitt pen.

Imagine Crafts featuring Tsukineko:

Kaleidacolor Ink Pad: Blue Breeze, Creative Medium: Bronze, VersaMarker: Clear, Palette Knifes, irRESISTible Pico Embellisher: Morocco

Other:

Faber-Castell: 101 Stencil Collection, Miscellaneous: Paint brush, craft mat, water, black permanent makers, gold embossing powder, heat tool, cork, old music sheets.  

Gauche Alchemy - Theme: Travel - I enjoy sitting in nature and being inspired.(May)

Creative Embellishments - Inspirational Photo (above): Inspired by the peacocks feathers, they reminded me of leaves. (May)

Dare 2 b artzy (May)

Tuesday Throwdown - Embossing #249 (Tues)



Small Things with Great Love

Today, we are going to create a mixed media journal page using non-traditional colors in lilac, red blue and gold. We will also use the 'Acrylic and Alcohol Technique' to create a cool background.

Time: 1 hour + dry time.

Level: Immediate to Advanced

Directions:

1. Apply good metallic acrylic paint to the page. Let dry. Place a crackle stencil over the page and sponge with StazOn Azure ink. Let dry. 

2. Place the mini bricks stencil on the journal page and spray with Walnut Lilac. Let Dry. Place the small hole stencil on the journal page and sponge with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. Set aside to dry.  

                                      

3. Cut four - ½ x 4 1/4 inches out of white cardstock. Cut additional pieces of white cardstock: ¼ × 4 ¼, 2 x 3 inches and a scrap piece. Place all cut white cardstock pieces on a craft mat. The technique we are going to use on the piece is called ‘Acrylic & Alcohol Technique.’ Apply StazOn Blazing Red ink by the direct-to-paper technique to all pieces. Set pieces aside to dry. Note: Direct to paper just involves using your ink pad directly to paper. Next mix a 50/50 liquid acrylic in Primary Cyan color and water. Apply the mixture to the dry Azure inked base pieces. While the paint mixture is WET drip rubbing alcohol over the wet paint. You should see mottled background when the alcohol drips on the wet paint. Note: complete this step in small batches to ensure the paint doesn't dry. The image on the far right is the end results of the ‘Acrylic & Alcohol Technique.’

4. Arrange the strip is in the layout above. Cut a 3 inch circle out of old music sheet. Sponge the edges with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Keep all scraps from the cutting. Fix the music circle to the center of the strip design. Mount the 2 x 3 technique card as indicated above. Note: The glitter gold piece is from my scrap pile. Stamp the sentiment with Memento Tuxedo Black onto cream cardstock and punch out with small tag. Apply a washi tape to one end of the tag. Sponge the edges with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

5. Mount the main image to the journal page. Mount the tag as indicated above. Print and cut out a computer printed butterfly. Adhere to main image. Using the scape cardstock and punch out four butterflies. Adhere based on layout.  Shade the main image and journal edges with a Black brush pen. Adhere clear sequins to the journal page. 

Supply List

Imagine Crafts featuring Tsukineko:

Memento Ink Pads: Tuxedo Black, Stazon Ink Pad: Azure, Blazing Red, Walnut Ink: Lilac.

Other: Paint brush, craft mat, water, black Sharpie, gold and blue acrylic paint, stencils (3), sequins, butterfly print, old music paper, glitter scrap paper, Martha Stewart butterfly punch and Black Pitt pen.

Butterfly Challenge - #54 Butterflies + R is for Recycle + Red (2 wks)

Country View Challenges - Use A Stencil (May Challenge)
2 Crafty Girls - Add a Sentiment (Thurs)
Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes (May)

Calm is Desirable in Life

When we play in our art studios wonderful things can happen!  A good place to start playing with mixed-media techniques is by creating backgrounds with paste. This metallic background was created with Creative Mediums applied with a palette knife. Creative Medium adds texture and dimension to pages in a variety of ways.

Time: 45 minutes + dry time

Level: Intermediate

Directions:

1. On a blank journal page, apply Creative Medium Metallic Bronze with a palette knife in a random pattern and let dry. Applying Creative Medium with a knife as you would spread frosting on a cake—working the texture to achieve the desired thickness. Layer Creative Medium Iridescent Blue with a palette knife in several places and let dry. The intense shine from the Creative Medium is shown in the photo.
2. At the top of the page, drip StazOn Studio Glaze in Cactus Green. It will dry to a deep semi-translucent Cactus Green color.
3. Make circles in different sizes using StazOn Studio Glaze in Orange Zest down the left size of your paper. Take the irRESISTible Tuxedo Black Pico Embellisher and trace around the Orange Zest circles. The textured created in this project is amazing. Use the irRESISTible Wedding Dress Pico Embellisher and create a pattern of dots on the background.
4. On white cardstock hand-draw a lotus flower shape. Covered the lotus flower with Creative Medium Iridescent Blue paste.  Let dry. To add dimension use Gothic Purple StazOn Studio Glaze with a light touch to the wet lotus flower shape.  Let dry. Use the Gothic Purple StazOn Studio Glaze and shade the outside edge of the page. Let Dry Shade around the lotus flower and add a stem with a black artist pen.  Create a checkerboard pattern on the lotus flower stem with irRESISTible Wedding Dress embellisher. Mount the sentiment on the page. Note: I recycled words from a magazine.

 
Supply List

Imagine crafts featuring Tsukineko:

irRESISTible Pico Embellisher: Wedding Dress, Tuxedo Black

StazOn Studio Glaze: Gothic Purple, Orange Zest, Cactus Green

Creative Medium: Bronze, Iridescent Blue

Memento: Tuxedo Black

Palette Knives:

Other: Faber-Castell Black Pitt artist pen

Miscellaneous: Mixed Media journal, favorite adhesive, heat gun, white cardstock, pencil.

Joy

I feel like I've been thinking about this spread forever. In fact, it went through a period of time I absolutely hated it, then it came out on the other side with a colorful journal page.  I love the end project! I layered spray inks, scrapbook paper, beads, molding paste and rubber stamping to create this dimensional and highly textural page.  

I created this page for the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge 'Dimension'. I created dimension with folded paper, flowers and seed beads. 

The background was created by first using molding paste through a mini tile stencil. I then sprayed the paper with water and spray inks. Adding the water first allows the inks to blend.  I stamped the script stamp with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.   

                                             

The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge - Dimension

More Mixed Media Challenge - Yellow (April)

Make My Monday Challenge - April Showers Brings May Flowers (Monday)

Butterfly Flutterby

We are going to create this quick and simple mixed media card using the 'Scrape Painting' technique. This technique can be used for many cards, art journal pages and canvases just by changing the color, stencil and main focal image.

Time: 1 hour + dry time
Level: Beginner

Directions:
1. Trim white cardstock to 4 1/4 x 11 inches and score at 5 1/2 inches to create a top folding card. Cut an additional piece of white cardstock at 3 3/4 x 5 inches. Cut blue cardstock at 4 x 5 1/4 inches. Cut a piece of silver cardstock at 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches.
2. Apply a small amount of Teal Zeal irresistible Pico Embellisher on a craft mat and dilute with water. Use an old gift card and drag it though the dilute ink.  Quickly scrap the ink over the surface of the cardstock measuring 3 3/4 x 5 inches, leaving the edges white.  Apply additional layers as needed. Let dry.
3. Place a honeycomb stencil on the right side of the card and sponge with Azure StazOn ink. Let dry. Ink a splatter stamp with Azure ink and stamp over the honeycomb pattern.
4. Cut the mixed media card base about 3/4 quarters of the way down (refer to the photo). Paste the silver cardstock between the two cuts on the backside leaving an 1/8 inch gap. Affix the decorated layer as in the reference photo. Affix the butterfly to the card base. Rub the card base with an embossing buddy to eliminate the static and moisture. Emboss the sentiment in the upper left corner with VersaMark and sliver embossing powder. Emboss the center of the butterfly and the antennae with VersaMark marker and silver embossing powder.

Tip: Have you ever needed a specific color of a pearl or crystal, and the ones you have just don't fit? All you need is a permanent marker and the pearl or crystal.  It is best to color them on the plastic backing before affixing to the project. Let dry. Fro this project, I created three silver pearls by coloring them with a silver permanent marker.

Supply List

Imagine Crafts featuring Tsukineko:

• irRESISTible Pico Embellisher: Teal Zeal
• StazOn Ink Pad: Azure
• VersaMark: Ink Pad, Marker

Other:

Stampin Up: Sincere Salutations stamp set, Butterfly die cut and pearls, Ranger silver embossing powder, Silver Galaxy marker, Faber-Castell 101 stencil collections.

Miscellaneous:

Craft mat, water, heat tool, splatter stamp, adhesive, paper cutter, old gift card, sponge and cardstock in white, blue and silver.

Directions with photos available on the Imagine Crafts blog here.

Crafting from the Heart - Anything goes (M)

Crafty our Passion - Anything goes (M)

Make My Monday - Butterfly (M)

Simon says Stamps - Butterfly Beauty (M)

Cell Theory

Art journaling can be one of the most rewarding forms of art. I love sitting in my studio thinking about color, texture and photos/images.  Today's art journal page was created from a black and white photo I found in a magazine. 

Look around you: you probably already have the materials you need to get started making a collage.

 To create the background I started with Apple Green, Jack-O-Lantern and White acrylic paints. To help with blending the paint together a tip is to spray the background paper with water.  Apply the paint with a wet paintbrush. 

Use a KaiserKraft diamond background stamp with StazOn Azure ink randomly on the journal page.

                                  

The magazine photo was adhered using a glue stick and smoothed out with an old gift card. I then added scraps of reinforcement labels which can be found in the office supplies stores.

Mix molding paste with Pool Blue acrylic paint. Apply the mixture TCW mini cell theory stencil with a platte knife, let dry.  Apply 7Gypsies rub ons randomly and then glue silver twine on the photo to give the impression of the steel cables.  Creating pages from unexpected materials will provide plenty of inspiration to fill your art journal!

Challenge I participated in:

Craft for the Craic- Anything but a card, Friday

Simply Papercrafts for all Occassions - Anything goes,Friday

Natural Beauty

Art journaling can be one of the most rewarding forms of art. This journal page was created with a DIY foam stamp.  Making your own unique foam stamps from craft foam is easier than you might think! All that is required is to transfer or draw a design on the craft foam. Any bold design will work well.

Directions:

1. Create a tag template from a piece of scrap paper.  Trace and cut the template out of craft foam.  Mount the craft foam tag to a piece of cardboard.

2. Stamp the butterfly, flowers, and tag with Rich Cocoa Memento ink onto scrap paper. Set aside the butterfly and flower images. 

3. Ink the edges of the craft foam tag stamp with Memento Rich Cocoa ink and stamp in the center of the journal page.  Place the tag template over the stamped image and stamp again slightly to the left of the original image.  Ink the word background stamp with Memento Rich Cocoa ink and randomly stamp the background.

4. Press the Kaleidacolor ink pads in Autumn Leaves (used green, brown and orange) and Bouquet (used pink, yellow and blue) onto a craft mat. Dilute the ink with water and apply the colors with a wet paint brush as indicated in the layout.  Let dry. Use a palette knife and mini tile texture stencil with molding paste on the journal page.

5. Press the Rich Cocoa Memento ink onto a craft mat and dilute with water. Apply the diluted ink over the molding paste. Let dry. White wash three pieces of cardboard with diluted Gesso and mount two strips to the journal layout.

6. Press the Kaleidacolor Bouquet ink pad onto a craft mat and dilute with water. With a wet paint brush color the butterfly and flower images.  I used pink and blue colors on the images. Let dry. Cut out the images and set them aside.

7. Staple the ribbon onto the tag. Add the tag, twine, butterfly and flowers with dimensional foam tape. Apply Crystal Effects to the center of the flowers and add gold beads. Add the last piece of white wash cardboard and words to the journal page. Then shade the edges of the journal page and words with the Big Pitt pen in brown. 

Time: 1 ½ hour + dry time.

Level: Beginner to Intermediate 

Supply List

Imagine Crafts featuring Tsukineko:

Kaleidacolor Ink Pads: Autumn Leaves, Bouquet

Memento Ink Pad: Rich Cocoa

Imagine Craft Mat:

 

Other: Stampin Up Natural Beauty stamp set, Crystal Effects and Big Pitt Brown and TCW Mini Tile Texture stencil. Miscellaneous: Paint brush, craft mat, water, heat tool, twine, dimensional tape, gold beads, cardboard, Gesso and craft foam.  

Directions with photos available on Imagine Crafts blog here.

I created this page for the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge - inspirational photo (below).

I was inspired by the colors in the inspirational photo.  To give the impression of glitter I added gold beads to the center of the flowers. 

Creative Artiste Mixed Media - Anything Goes, March - I added a stencil to create texture to the background.

Altered Eclectics - Anything Goes, March.