Altenew Magic

I'll be the first to admit that I am just a little bit addicted to Altenew stamps. As I mentioned in yesterday's post they are very versatile and offer a lot to your imagination. When stamped in the layered option they are gorgeous but I am always trying to think outside the box and in today's card I did. 

Instead of using all the layers I decided to just use one of them and the effect is gorgeous. I used a silver pearl translucent embossing powder to emboss with. I love using this one because it doesn't distract from the background but in certain light and angles it really pops. This is the "Beautiful Day" stamp set. I embossed the sentiment in a gold powder.

For the background I used the same technique as yesterday's post which can be found here:

http://chellebdesign.blogspot.ca/2016/05/did-someone-say-alcohol.html

Hope you've had a awesome Monday and stay tuned for another alcohol ink card I made this past weekend. 

Michelle 

 

The Daily Marker 30 Day challenge Day 8

Hi everyone, Michelle here with Day 8 of The Daily Marker 30 day challenge. 

Where did that first week go??? Here it is Wednesday already and I've already lost a day ... But lucky enough for all that is lost can sometimes be found. Thank God for that otherwise I would be still looking for my brain 😳😉 lol.

Since that big day is coming up where most celebrate that big word LOVE I thought I would pay tribute to all the loveliness. My card today was inspired by my lovely Heidi Swapp tiny heart stencil. Simon Says stamp has this wonderful stencil in stock. Here is the link: https://www.simonsaysstamp.com/product.aspx?id=127852

This project combined 4 main elements: Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads/Blending Tools, Heidi Swapp Tiny Hearts stencil, Embossing Powder and the Close to my Heart stamp set called Sweet and Lovely. It really doesn't take too much to give you that wow factor and an idea, if you do not have a stencil, is to take a small heart punch and create your own by punching a pattern out of a heavy weight cardstock.

So I started out by cutting a heart out of a post it note. The easiest way to get a balanced heart is to fold the paper in half and then cut. I will be using both pieces of the cut out in this project.

Next I placed the heart under my stencil to create a blank space. I cut the heart out near the top of the post it so the sticky part will help it stay in place under my stencil. 

Coloring part ... My Favorite. Using a ink blending tool add colour to the top left, I started with Picked raspberry. You can either tap the colour down or use a circular motion, which I prefer. Then the next colour was Candied apple and then the final color was Seedless preserves. When switching colours make sure to overlap them so you get a blended look. 

Next give it a couple of spritz with your water mister. This help the colours to blend and gives the edges of the hearts a bit of a watercolour look. You can skip this step if you like. Once done remove the stencil and let dry.  TIP: you will have left over ink on your stencil, take the stencil and flip it over onto another piece of white paper and you will have another lovely piece of patterned paper. I am using that paper on my Day 8 project.

Next up I wanted to fill that "blank" area with an embossed heart.  This is where the post it "negative" comes in to play. Place it down overtop of the blank area and line it up with the edges of the hearts. Remember how I cut it out near the top of the post it, this is why. Now I have the sticky part on the top of the post it to keep it stuck down.  FIRST ( sorry I'm not yelling but really want you to do this part) use a powder tool overtop of the whole surface prior to putting down the sticky note. This will help to keep the embossing powder from sticking to the whole paper.

Time to add in the Emboss it by Ranger. This stuff creates a sticky surface for the embossing powder to stick to.  Dab it on, over top of the blank area of the post it, generously. You want lots of that goopy stuff down.

Remove the sticky note and then add your embossing powder. Tap off the excess into a coffee filter which makes it easier to put the excess powder back into the jar. I used a powder, which I am coveting, from a company that unfortunately is no longer in business (very sad). This powder has a mix of red, pink and purple which you could recreate yourself by mixing those colours together. Brilliant why did I JUST think of that! 

Yummy I just love that picture!! Continuing on, take your heat gun and apply heat to the powder just until it melts.  Do not over melt it because this will cause it to smoke and then possibly catch on fire .. No fires allowed!! 

Voila!! Enter the yummy looking shiny heart. This kind of reminds me of a gummy heart!! 

Now we want to add the sentiment. I thought this "lovely" stamp from the Close to my Heart Sweet and Lovely stamp collection would go perfect on top of that heart. I like to use Rangers Archival ink on almost everything as I like how it really stays and gives you a nice crisp stamp.

So that's my project for today. I am a day behind on the challenge due to me having come down with a really awful cold so I will be skipping one day this week but "I'll be back"!!! As Arnold would say. 

Cheers everyone and happy creating!!

 

Aloha Fall

Fall is slowly creeping into our midst but in my creative world summer has arrived. 

My project today is inspired by the newly released My Favorite Things Polynesian Paradise stamps and die set. While I normally tend to lean towards the distress style of crafting I couldn't help but fall in love with this cute little set.  Little doesn't seem like the right word for all the amazing amount of goodness in these sets. This set is packed with fun little sayings and characters. How about the little turtle!! So fun

Here is what the stamp and die set look like.

How great is it that you get all those pieces and what amazing options.

Here is a overview of the products I used to make my card and the steps.

First I used my Avery-Elle "elle-ments" Double pierced rectangles die set to cut out my watercolor paper for the background. I can't express just how much I love these dies. That little bit of added stitching around the sides is the best! 

Next I added a cloudy background to my watercolor paper using the Memory Box - Mini clouds stencil and Rangers Texture Paste in Transparent matte. I wanted a very light texture in the background for dimension. 

I coloured in the background ever so slightly using Tim Holtz distress markers. I swiped three rows of colour over the paper and then generously misted it with water using my mini mister. The colours I used were Blueprint Sketch, Stormy Sky and Iced Spruce. I put that aside to dry. 

Next up I coloured in my aloha girl and flowers also using the Tim Holtz Distress Markers. Here is a pic of the colours I used on the girl and the cloudy background. I cut her and the flowers out of watercolor paper as well. 

Cloudy sky and flowers.

Hula Girl

I cut out the Aloha saying using my Avery-Elle dies and then stamped it with Mowed Lawn and Seedless Preserves Distress Markers. 

Once the watercolor background had dried I took my Walnut Stain Distress Marker and added the sandy base that is under her feet. I just scribbled some colour on and then took my watercolor brush to spread it out. 

I assembled all the pieces together using a combination of pop dots and Sookwang tape. I popped up the Hula girl, flowers and Aloha. 

The card base and purple background are from Craft Smith paperpack and card packs.

Hope you are enjoying your Labour Day!

Michelle