Welcome

Welcome to the newer followers, it is a delight to see you. I don't consider myself an expert, but if there are any techniques etc, you would like a demo on, I always rely on You tube but I would be happy to help in providing some information or even a short demo myself. Just pop a comment on the latest addition. I hope you continue to enjoy my tutorials. I don't do them regularly, so you need to keep an eye out for one popping up. Thanks everyone who looks on this blog.

Another style of calendar

January Challenge  Blue and Crackle Effect           

The total length is just short of an A4 sheet of card, though this could easily be adapted to fit, by reducing the height of the mountain fold. To make it all easier here are the measurements.

Two pieces of card to measure 12 cm high and 15cm wide.

A third piece to measure 9cm high and 15 cm wide.

score at 2cm , score at 4.5cm, score at 7 cm.

With glue adhere the first 2cm to the left side card and the last two cm to the right side card.

Bend the scores to have the centre at 4.5 a mountain fold and the outer two folds are valley folds.

cover it all in nice paper. If for yourself, I didn't bother tidying the inside, but if for a gift adhere more paper to tidy the inside. Mark with a pencil where to place the holes for the rings or ribbons. Punch in two holes. Fold upwards, add rings then start making your monthly pages. . Here are my February and March pages. More will be added as they are created. The details of each can be found on my main blog, labelled Calendar.

February Red and Embossing

March Challenge Green and Flowers

 April  Challenge Yellow and a Mask

                                                                     May -Challenge Pink and Birds

 June - Challenge Turquoise and Lace

July - Purple and Dry Embossing

 

Easy Embossing Resist Technique

One of my favourite techniques is the Embossing Resist, you can achieve some amazing results fairly easily.
I hope this tutorial with a few pictures will help you along the way. if you would prefer a more visual version, just go to Google- then you tube and type in Embossing Resist or Resist on Cards. Good luck but if you haven't used this technique before, please try it, it's fun.
                                                                 You will need the following.

You will need card - measurements below

Using a text stamp, with Frayed Burlap

Cover the card with either Talcum powder or a anti-static bag. Choose your stamps, position them on the card, once stamped with either Perfect Medium or Versamark you won't be able to see where you stamped. Leave two of the stamps on the card and stamp the third. Take off the second , add the Versamark, stamp in it's position, take the third and stamp in it's position.

Cover with clear embossing powder, tip off the excess, return to the pot.  Heat the powder with a heat tool. I find if I do this under a table light I can see better when the magic melting happens. Start to add Distress Inks using Autumnal colours. I used Barn Door, Dried Marigold, Wild Honey, Peeled Paint, then edged the card using Forest Moss

Matt onto your green card, then adhere to your 5" square card

Your completed project. Well done.

Distress Inks

For my class over the next two weeks I am going to be showing the wonders of Distress Inks and how we can use them. There are some wonderful videos on You Tube, you only need to type in to search for Distress Inks.  I have prepared two ways to decorate tags, though of course, this could be any size card to make either the background or the main area of a card, which I will be showing at a later date.

Firstly Basic Blending adding embellishments, the flower head was coloured with the inks too.
Colours used, Mustard Seed, Peeled Paint, Rusty Hinge

Again with Basic Blending but this time I stamped images onto it. Colours used, as bove.

The above started as Basic Blending but then I splashed water over it, which disperses the ink and leaves splodges, you can leave it to air dry or help along with your heat tool. This is called Water Splashing. Colours used Mustard Seed, Scattered Straw, Peeled Paint, Bundled Sage and Rusty Hinge. 

Again this is the Water Splashing Technique, this time I have stamped onto the tag. Colours I used are, Peeled Paint, Weathered Wood and Rusty Hinge.

The above technique is called Water Stamping, the tag was fully coloured with Weathered Wood, I then choose a swirl stamp, no ink was added to the stamp, I sprayed water onto the stamp, then I directly stamped onto the tag. The water this time lifts off the ink and leaves a watermark design.

Again this is Stamping with Water, I first covered the tag all over with Rusty Hinge, I used Walnut Stain to colour the edges. I used a swirl stamp, sprayed water onto it and stamped directly onto the tag, the stamp lifts off the colour. I then stamped with black ink a smaller swirl.

Adding colour to patterned paper, sometimes the patterned paper we may want to use is very bright, so we can add some distress inks to subdue the brightness. Here I used Scattered Straw.

This time I used a bright piece of paper, but subdued it using Peeled Paint, the edges were inked with Dusty Concorde.
This is only the tip of the iceberg, I have only shown 4 techniques, used in two ways, embellishments and stamping. I will be returning, with more ways to use Distress Inks. If you have any quetions or comments I would be delighted to read them.

Spiral Paper Roses

I made a card on my main blog with paper roses and was asked by a few team members to make a tutorial, so here it is. I hope many folk will find it helpful. I am hoping the visual pics will be so informative that words can be kept to the minimum. Some would say that is a first for me!
For these white roses I used normal copy paper.

The larger circle is from a TH Vintage Shabby paper stash, a heavyweight paper, the two smaller are from a writing pad. Try all forms of paper, though double sided is best.

Draw a circle around any object, a 3d foam tape reel, a baked bean tin or even a coffee cup. The size will obviously dictate the size of the rose. Cut out the whole circle, continue to draw in decreasing circles to the centre.

Start cutting into the decreasing circles, trim off the piece at the beginning in an attempt to keep the circle round. It doesn't matter if your circles are different sizes, it will help produce a more interesting shaped rose.

When the decreasing circles have all been cut you will be left with a spiral.

Whether your left or right handed it doesn't matter, you can start to twirl your paper either to the left or right, this is where using double sided coloured paper is helpful. Using the poistion shown, start rolling the beginning of the spiral, turning all of the time. You need to regularly check the lower section of the flower is always smooth against your finger, the upper section can be wiggly or shaped, which will give the flower more shape.



Keep twirling and keep checking the lower section is flat smooth.

After you have twirled all of the spiral leave the last centre piece flat. Sit it on the flat centre circle and gently release, so it will spring out to it's natural position.

If it springs too far, gently pick it up and tighten the flower by twisting it back a little.






Using a fast drying, dries clear PVA glue, spread the glue on the central circle, sit the remaining flower onto the circle. Press it down with your finger or a cotton bud.

Three roses, different sizes, put aside to dry.

You can prepare many of these in advance, or just when you need them. I hope this has helped. Please leave your comments, if you make any I would love to see your finished creations. I still haven't sorted out how NOT to get the long gaps at the end of my pictorial tutorials, so please do scroll down to find the comments section, and of course my other tutorials. Many thanks.

Deep Embossing Necklace.

Deep Impression Triple embossing using UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel)
Ordinary Embossing powder does not work as good as UTEE, many layers would be needed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swX8SPZc2WU Meryle Holland - Watch part 1 and 2. I have found this lady is the cheapest source of UTEE, you get more for your money.
This video will give visual guidance.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ElusiveImages#p/u/2/Fx4OEhMlxgY Glenda Waterworth
· Take a 2” square of mount board (ordinary card will buckle and bend), using a black marker pen cover it all over and on the edges to be black. Let it dry a few minutes.
· Using either Versamark or Perfect medium which are glue like inks, cover the 2” sq.
· Dip it into a container of UTEE, place onto a craft mat, melt it with your heat gun.
WARNING—DO NOT AT ANY TIME TOUCH THE UTEE ONCE MELTED FOR IT GETS VERY HOT
· When melted and still hot, drop back into the UTEE, tip, don’t tap the excess.
· Before melting prepare your stamp. Choose a patterned stamp, cover with Versamark or similar, put aside within easy reach.
· Return the 2” sq, again melt the UTEE. When melted drop back into the UTEE, tip don’t tap off excess, melt again, when it looks like it is a smooth molten square.
· Gently lower your prepared stamp down onto it, be sure your going down onto it like a
helicopter landing, or your more likely to slip at an angle. Keep it pressed down for a few
minutes it will release itself when it has cooled. If it is not to your pleasing you can again melt the UTEE, re ink your stamp to stamp again
· To add mica powders , dab the piece with the Versamark, sprinkle a tiny bit of chosen colours, brush on with small brush, gently pat onto a baby wipe to take off excess and provide the moisture to seal the powder.
. Punch a hole where desired, add a jewel finding and a chain to make a necklace. Or you can add your completed piece to a card.

Masterboard Technique

Good grief, it's ben over a month since I last added a tutorial, naughty me, must do better! Over on Do Crafts I have for a few months been hosting a Let's Stamp ATC swap, the purpose being to either learn or refresh our way though our ABC of stamping techniques, for the letter M, I chose Masterboard and this is the promised tutorial, so I hope everyone who looks here will find it useful. I firt saw the girls from Stamp Addicts doing it on Create and Craft TV, Since, it has appeared in the Craft Stamper magazine this year, these are my own pics and words.

Pic. 1 shows what you will need, I did this on an A5 sheet of whtie card, though normally I would use an A4 size card. Gather your chosen colour inks, it doesn't ahve to be Distress Inks but I love them, choose your theme and gather your stamps. If you scroll down there are samples of themes I have chosen prviously, this time I have chosen Nature. Pic 2 below - here I have added splashes of the colours to cover the card, leaving a few pieces of the background white will give more contrast and keep the overall mix lighter in colour. I used Mustard Seed, Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmalade, Tumbled Glass, Weathered Wood, Peeled Paint.

Pic 3. below -You can heat set the Distress inks if you wish but it isn't necessary. Using your larger stamps first, randomly stamp them over the A5 sheet, making sure some do go off the page with some of them. I like to add a few words on mine.


Pic 4 below - fill in the gaps with your smaller stamps, also letting some of them go off the page.

Pic 5 below - this is a sample of a completed card with similar colours and stamps. You can use, as I did here, for a complete background and make a suitable matching topper with similar stamps.

Pic 6 - below - is a sheet I have prepared for future use using a completly different set of colours and stamps, this is my masterbaord for ladies and fashion

Pic 7 - below - Again another prepared masterboard in another colour scheme, I have used stamps for Ladies and Travel. As you can see I have already taken a piece for a card, which you can see on Here.

If using an A5 sheet, it is best to add your stamps in a portrait orientation, for making ATC's for you will this way get 4 ATC. Once cut out, you can edge a colour to give more definition, you could use it as a background or add somthing complimenting the background. Whatever you choose to do, have fun and relax.
Plese keep scrolling down, for I seem to have increased this page and knocked loads way, way down, there is more below.

Faux Linen

Close up of Faux Linen

Faux Linen background
Faux Linen Script

I first found Faux Linen on You Tube, goodness knows where. the technique is so simple,
yet is very effective for a background. It is also an article in the April issue of CS.
Choose the size of background card to which your faux linen will be adhered to.
Cut a piece of white tissue paper so it is approx 2 cm larger all round.
Stamp onto the tissue paper, you can either use black or a toning colour for your
project. I used script on one but the other I stamped randomly.
Make sure your ink is dry, heat to dry if necessary. put aside to prepare remainder of
your project. Check it is dry, if so, scrunch it up into a tight ball, loosen out but try not
to smooth too many creases. On your prepared piece of card, rub a glue stick all over.
Gently place your creased tissue paper on top, slip and slide it to create more creases.
When satisfied, cut off the excess at the edges.
You now need to complete your card, with your faux linen as a background.
I hope you enjoy playing with this for the ways you can use it are endless.

Roses and other paper flowers

I made these roses using red card, however, my top tip for making a load of roses to be on standby, is to make them with white card, you can then easily colour them to suit any project. You can use, glimmer Mist, Cosmic Shimmer Mist or other sprays, chalks, inks, even use old items from your make up bag contents, don't throw away the dregs, put them into a box as extra colouring mediums, with your old shadow applicators. There are lots of videos available on the net, on how to make these flowers, some are with punches, some are hand cut, I have a lovely little stamp which cost just over £1 at a craft fair from www.dreamees.org.uk . Here is a lsit of some of the flower making web sites which I like to follow to make my roses and other flowers.
Gabrielles water distressed flowers with and without a punch.
Lisa' Paper Poppies
Lynne's flowers
I'm sure you'll find many more, the important thing is to have fun and a bag or box full of handmade flowers.

Double Slider Card

I tried this last year and failed miserably, not one to be beaten, I tried again, and this time I think I have discovered the secret, the quality of your grocery bag! It needs to be a sturdy type of plastic and not a see through flimsy one. Here is the you tube video to watch with Dawn Griffith, this I find is the easiest one to understand . I decorated mine with some tapestry peg stamps using a variety of dye ink pads, to achieve the colours I wanted. I do hope you will have a go, it is so satisfying when you hold the single card, pull on the ribbon and whoosh! out pop two hidden messages. I coloured the edges using a broad nibbed marker pen, by placing the card onto a piece of scrap paper,

place the nib at the top right corner and drag the pen straight down, half on the card , half on the paper, practice first on waste card, you will soon be able to do it. It saves having to mat your work, especially if you don't want extra card on your main project.