More Neg Ink Embossing Cards

I have two more negative ink embossing cards to show you using Cuttlebug folders.  I used the same ink on both of them, Ranger's Old Paper and Marvy's Salvia Blue.  I also used the same Hero Arts Happy Birthday stamp on them, on the first one I used Ranger Old Paper and the second one I used Marvy's Jungle Green.  I then hand cut the birthday tags out.  The first one also has a Sizzix die and another Cuttlebug border that I also used the reverse inking technique on.

The second one I used the same Fiskar corner punch on all the layers and then glued a hand cut teacup image in Salvia Blue on top of the layers.  When I folded the base card I left about half an inch of the inside flap showing.  I then opened up the card and masked off that border area so I could "stamp" it.  I took one of the embossing folders I used on the front of the card and inked up the raised impression side (a reverse of before) this time and then used that as my stamp.  To balance the inside of the card I did the same thing to the left border as well. 



my stamped border



inside with borders on both sides

The stamps inside are: Hero Arts, Lasting Impressions with Panache and Stamps By Judith.  The Tea Cup on the front is by a company that hasn't been around for a long time - sorry.

Now I just have to decide which of the three cards to drop in the mail this weekend for a friend's birthday and I'm having a really hard time choosing just one!

Dress Form with Negative Embossing

I have been spending a lot of time looking at gallery uploads at SCS this week.  Their Monday "Try a New Technique" posting has resulted in the the most gorgeous cards being uploaded.  It was a simple technique but with a twist.  The actual technique is very simple: add ink to the side of an embossing folder that is recessed.  When you run the card stock thru your machine the embossed parts don't change, only the background color changes.  The twist was to use white or cream card stock and a pale golden or beige color ink, resulting in an almost bisque or pottery looking finish.  Super elegant!  Of course I had to give it a try.

Here is a close up of what negative embossing looks like:

and here is my completed card:

Supplies used were a dress form template that I had cut out, Spell Binder Labels and a Spellbinders Fancy Tag dies sets, Hero Arts stamp, Ranger Antique Linen Distress ink, Kromecoat glossy card stock in white, creamy off white hand made paper, ribbon and lace, green thread, white silk flower and white stick on dots for the fancy tag.

I've got some bits left over from playing with this technique and hope to have more cards to show you.  In the mean time why don't you give it a try and for more info on how to do the actual technique go to SCS: Inspired By Belleek Pottery

 

A neighbor’s barely 20 something son had knee surgery this past week so I needed a masculine card with a touch of humor.  Sounded to me like the perfect time to get out and use some of my new purchases.

This card stock is called Rusted Metal and I got it in the clearance bin from Paper Cuts during the Heirloom convention.  Not sure why it is called “rusted”, it is a beautiful old fashioned metallic gold color with a black core.  It’s perfect for embossing and sanding, especially on masculine cards.  I cut a sheet into fourths and used the new to me TH folders “clock works & steam punk” and as you can see for yourself they look amazing.  The other piece is a Cuttlebug folder I already had and will be using some other time as well as the 4^th piece of still plain card stock.  As in love with this cardstock as I am though they probably won’t sit unused for long!

I took both the steam punk and clock works embossed card stock pieces and cut them into smaller pieces.  Four each, for a total of eight.  That gave me enough to frame my base card, leaving a hole in the middle for my central stamp image to over lap onto.  Before I glued the pieces down I lined all 4 sides of the base card with a gold leafing pen to tie it and the embossing together.  I love the look alternating the 2 different embossing folders gives to the card.

The stamped image of the man on a bike is from Rubbernecker Stamps, don’t you love him.  I do!  I first stamped him in black then masked him so I could add sky colors around him.  Next I pulled the off mask and dabbed white “clouds” around and over him.  I used 2 Labels 8 dies from Spellbinder to cut him and a black mat out.  I rubbed the edges of both with a silver ink pad to make them stand out more.  The gold and black embossed pieces were over whelming everything until I used the silver.  It is often the little details that make a card work.  Unfortunately the blue above the man in the bike got cut off when I die cut him out, so I’m not sure the feeling of “flying thru the sky” comes across but I hope so.

I then used an extra large needle to run the string around the bike tires, leaving enough tail to later attach up top.  Next I stamped, colored and cut out the arms, they are from Lost Coast stamps.  I glued the hands to the top of the card and then pulled the strings up thru the hands to the inside of the card with the needle and taped them down. 

The inside of the card I did by computer on another piece of paper  so I could hide the strings.  It says, “Need a lift?  Hope this card gives you a laugh and does the trick.  Get well soon”. 

There you have it: masculine, steam punk, and I got to use several of my new toys all in one card making session!!

Another card for the Anything Goes group over at the Planet.  The Garden image is a PSX stamp and I stamped it with Ancient Page Cobalt Blue.  I created the frame by stamping a border stamp from Lost Coast 4 time in the same color of ink.  I then cut corners at a 45 degree angle with a craft knife.  After it was taped together I used a silver leafing pen around the inside edge for depth.

The label is from the Spellbinder's Fancy Tags 2 set.  I cut a white oval from their Petite ovals set.  The thanks is from K & Company, stamped with the same Cobalt Blue I used on the other 2 images.

Whoops!!  Looks like I need a coupon for some new cutting plates for my Big Shot. 

What do you think?  "LOL!!

I guess that noise you hear as you run your stuff thru isn't always "normal".

Thinking of you blue rosette

 

Evidently blogging is going to require retraining the brain a bit.  Remember that sneak peak in my last post?  I started making the card using the Spellbinder Eyelet Shapabilities dies and before I knew it all the pieces were completed and it was time to start assembling my card.  Problem was I forgot to take pictures along the way for the blog. Oops!!  Good thing I have another card to make.  This one is similar but it is in another color scheme and with a few different embellishments.  The other one is going to be this year’s valentine’s card for my husband and I’ll post it later with an explanation how it came together but here we go with today’s card:

Above is a picture of the dies I used for this card and how I laid them out on my cardstock before cutting.  They are all Spellbinder dies from several different sets.  I used both circle dies from the Eyelet set and one of the matching border Eyelet dies as well.  I also cut 2 circles smaller than the inner Eyelet die; these will be used as a base and reinforcement for the rosette I’m making.  Actual size doesn’t matter as long as they are smaller than the rosette and center embellishment you are going to use on your rosette. They will affect the size your rosette will become though since that is what the ring will be scrunched up and glued to.  I also cut a scalloped circle, although I ended up using the wrong one this time.  I meant to cut one slightly larger than the Eyelet circle but ended up with one slightly smaller.  Just means I won’t have a double scallop effect on the top center of my rosette but I still get to layer them for a great coloring effect which I will show you later in this post.

As you can see, the larger circle actually ends up as a ring of paper.  I have seen many tutorials for taking a strip of paper and accordion folding it, gluing the ends together and then making the rosettes but did you know you can make one from a paper ring as well?  I have used my score board and a stylus to make the folds in the ring before but this time I used the pattern of the ring as a guide and made the folds by hand.  Sometimes the “old fashion way” of doing something is just easier.

I am going to upload this to the January challenge for “Anything But Cute” group over at Paper Craft Planet so it had to blue as well as a thinking of you card, so I pulled out my chalks.  This card was screaming subtle to me and chalks are always a good option when you want color without over powering your card.  I first applied chalk to my dies cuts and there is no right or wrong with this step, just follow your instincts.  The best part of using chalks is the ability to erase if you don’t like something.   I added more blue to the scalloped circle so it would be darker and show thru the pattern of the eyelet circle cuts.  Does not show up as well online but it really helps the eyelet design on top of the rosette pop.

 Next I stamped my sentiment from K & Company with VersaMark ink.  I then added chalk over the stamped image.  Let the stamped image sit for a few seconds first to partially dry before applying chalk or you might smear the VersaMark, however.  Next rub the image with your finger, this will help set the chalk into ink so it doesn’t come off later.  Just be sure you finger is clean so you don’t transfer something else onto the card and ruin it.  Now take an eraser and go over the stamped image to remove the excess chalk.  Notice how the stamped image does not erase and remains, pure magic!

You can now begin to make your rosette.  I am not going to go into a lot of detail how to do this since it is not really a new technique and can be found everywhere; using a precut  paper ring or a strip of paper glued together to form a ring does not change the “how to” from this point on:

1)      Scrunch your ring of paper and use the circles you cut; one glued to the bottom with a glue gun to form the base, then glue one to the top of your rosette for reinforcement.

2)      Glue the eyelet circle onto the scalloped circle.

3)      Glue this onto the top of your rosette and it is done.

You are now ready to assemble the card.  I used white antique linen paper for my base.  I love how it adds to the soft feminine look of the card.  I also added a bit of lace below the border cut.  I hope my sister in law likes the card and it brightens her day.

In either pink or blue I think this would be great as a "New Baby Congratulations" cards too.

I had a great time Saturday at the Heirloom Convention seeing friends and catching up.  It was crowded, in a good way!  It felt more like the conventions of a few years ago, even had vendors in the hallway and two side rooms again.  Best of all though, people seemed to be buying!! 

Don't know about you but I have been a little worried that stamp conventions would be a thing of the past before long.  My favorite stamp store already closed a few years ago and I would be really sad if there were no conventions to attend either.  Buying online and at big box stores just isn't the same, know what I mean?

Anyway here is some pictures of my purchases Saturday:

I have already been playing with some of the stuff I bought.  Here is a sneak peek at some of my "experiments".  I promise to post pics of completed cards using these things soon.  

For now though, I'm off to play with my new toys some more.

Here are pictures of the completed mermaid doll I showed you yesterday.  You probably noticed in yesterdays pic that I had 2 different heads cut out.  I have found this easier so I can avoid getting glue on the doll's face.  Once they are both finished, I can put glue on the back of the one with the face and then slide the other one onto the back of it.   Be sure to lift the doll's hair up and over the face of the doll and not between the two heads.  A bonus to this method is it makes the head/neck sturdier, thus supporting any weight from hair or other embellishments.

The hair is made from Raffia that was beige in color, I used reinkers to change the color.  It is important to make a dolls hair more than one color, it is more realistic that way.  Usually I use 3 or 4 colors but since I was having to dye the raffia I opted to only make 2 colors this time and then used glitter glue in the hair instead.

Click on the pictures to bring up larger images.  Promise to do a more in-depth tutorial on dolls soon but I was in a hurry to get this one done so I could take it with me to the convention today.  She was half done already as well, I am really glad to get her completed and that tail section off my desk.

Score in the Christmas clearance area

I had some errands to run the other day and decided to check out the christmas clearance section at Walmart.  I wanted to get some more tissue paper and gift bags for next year.  While I was looking I found some thing that I knew I had to add to my stamping stash.  It was a metal package topper that looked perfect for embossing in my Big Shot.  Lol, how often does that happen to you?  Stamping and paper crafting always seems to be one thought away.  Here is what I got for 75 cents:

How's that for a bargain, can't touch the real stuff for anywhere near that price.  It doesn't cut, I did that with my Spellbinder dies but I love the embossing result they give.  Did you notice I said they, remember for 75 cents I got two of them and I have six metal rings in three different sizes and two pieces of gold ribbon to use in future projects as well. 

Hope to have a card to show using these examples soon but I couldn't wait to show you my great deal.  Gotta love a bargain!

Enjoy your weekend, I am.  I'm at the Heirloom stamp convention today in shopping heaven.

Convention Time!!

January always means Stamping Conventions time here in North Texas.  We have 2 of them back to back just after the holidays each year.  First Heirloom Productions in Grapevine TX and then Stamp Scrap Art Tour in Mesquite TX always follows the very next weekend.  Being the first convention of the year for each company isn't as big an honor as one might think.  Many have not had a change to order and/or receive new merchandise yet and since CHA is right around the corner most have waited on purpose.  One item that is always on my Christmas list though is $$convention money which makes it easy on hubby to know what to get for my stocking.  It also still means I get to wander aisles looking at stamp art and can buy all the "stuff" to make what I see.  Best of all I get to be around other people who have the same passion for stamping as I do and that is always a great jump start to one's creativity.  Can't think of a better way to start a new year.

Last year I bought a stamp that was perfect for a mermaid doll swap I was in.  I ended up with enough of the stamped image left to make an extra tail and it has been sitting on my desk since.  Time to use it and get it off my desk so I am making another doll to give to the company the stamp is from, Stamp Camp.  Here are pics of the work in progress.  I'll post a completed pic of her later after she has finished drying.

 I'm off the enjoy the great weather, hope you have a great day too!

Art Doll Group is up and first swap posted

I mentioned a couple of posts ago that we were starting a Paper Art Doll group over at Rubber Stamp Chat and I am excited to say we have already begun to "gather" and I posted our first swap.  We are making Mardi Gras dolls, how cool and fun does that sound!  Just think of all the fun colors and embellishments one can use for this swap.   I won't always be the hostess but came up with an idea that some liked so.....  I broke the ice and posted a swap, you'll find it in the swaps section.

So come on over and join the RSC forum (link in side bar) and then join our Art Doll group.  You'll find it under user CP : Social Groups, we would love more members!

In the mean time here is some Mardi Gras inspiration.  I made this last year from a template I have and I did kept the colors traditional Mardi Gras colors.  Pretty much threw the kitchen sink into it; layers, multiple techniques, a few dies cut I had on hand and just about every stamp within reach.

 Looking at this mask with all it's bright happy colors and embellishments hanging on the wall in my stamp room just makes me smile.  Hope it gives you a lift this Monday morning as well.