Journey Blooms and an Update

Well hello!!

I still have not been able to finish that video.  The darn computer is still in the hospital, ICU I do believe.  The latest verdict is a failing hard drive, fuses keep popping and now can't even muster enough energy to turn on.  We decided that this demise is untimely, so there will be a resuscitation effort, thus we are awaiting a new circuit board from Apple, then off to surgery for the overhall.  , After a good dusting and cleaning (D & C), new hard drive and circuit board, I will, hopefully, be up and going, ready to send the rest of the video to You Tube. Sorry for the medical humor, I just couldn't resist!!!

In the meantime, I have playing with the May Kit of the Month from Fun stampers Journey.  I am trying to be more responsible and make each kit in the same month I receive it.  I am hoping that I will not find a "stash of kits" when I next de-stash my craft room, or at least I hope not.  To be sure I won't be de-stashing this kit, LOL.  Bet you all know what I mean.  So here is May Kit of the month. There is a total of 7 cards all using the same stamp set.  I won't bother you with most of the details, but there are some interesting techniques I tried.

gold leaf and watercolors.

First card was a new technique I wanted to try.  I had purchased a kit from Indigo Blu for gold leafing.  So with kit in hand plus stamp, I gold leafed the image onto water color paper, Canson 140# cold press.  Then I used Aqua Noir water color markers, scribbled onto an acrylic block to color the flowers.  Seemed a bit dull.  Not what I was hoping for.  The flower receded into the background and the gold leafing did nothing to define the image.   Maybe a background wash?  So, I wet the paper and began to drop color onto the paper.  Still not right, so I  changed to a regular water color set, but still not enough "pop". I needed something vibrant and intense, but what?   Then I remembered having purchased some Brusho  crystals right before our move to Texas.  But where were they?  I scrounged around till I located them and sprinkled them onto the wet paper.  I started spritzing with water to get them moving.  Better, but I needed to enhance the shadow.  So  I added a little water to the Prussian Blue  crystals and made a dark ink like paint  to create  and define the shadows.    Finally it looked like I had imagined.  Now to get it onto a card.  I decided that a gold leaf layer would compliment the stamped image,  I applied a line of  liner tape to the edge of a scrap card stock and applied the gold leafing to the adhesive, burnishing it in well, then layers the two papers onto  huckleberry fusion card stock.  All that was needed to finish was a sentiment that I had  heat embossed with Ranger Platinum embossing powder and a little bit of silver thread.  Voila!!  Almost a one layer card!!!  Love how the Brusho crystals make it look like marbling.  I might try adding a gold vein in next time.....

The next 2 cards are very similar, layering and colors are basically the only difference.  Both were created with the Indigo Blu glue and gold leafing.  But the image was applied onto Neenah Solar White Cardstock and colored with Copic Markers.   The blue one was intended as a graduation card.  So using a stitched die, kept moving and  positioning, to create the "edge of a mortar board", Does not exactly look recognizable but it worked.  Ruined my die in the process.  Lesson:  make sure your die isn't sticking out of the edges as you crank!!! OOPS, Bent,  Oh well didn't use that end anyway.  

The sentiment was embossed with a clear powder over VersaFine Black Onyx ink.  Gold thread to simulate the end of tassels, a Starbucks Gift Card, Finished!!!

The yellow one was completed at the same time and added to my stash.  Used yellow family of copics and shaded with the cool greys.    Both of these cards were layered over gold Bazzil card stock.

 

The next 4 cards are my interpretation of the kits.  I used the papers provided and the papers from the kit.  the only exception was the purple and blue card.  I had ruined the first stamping, so decided to watercolor the flowers.  I did heat emboss all of the sentiments with Ranger Plantimum fine embossing powder, but otherwise they are almost identical to the Kit pictures.  Not Bad!!!!


Spectrum Water color Markers on Water Color Paper. 

 

I colored this with Momento Markers.  Used a Dove Blender to blend and then highlighted with Wink of Stella, black and clear.  

 

Copics and a little wink of Stella.



More Copic Coloring!!



Well until next time,

Happy Crafting.

Josette

Funstampers Journey: A cupcake for your Birthday

I am ready to announce my involvement with Fun Stampers Journey and share a card made with their stamps.  I have been wanting to align myself with a stamp company for some time and have been researching various ones off and on for the past 2 years. There has always been a reason I did not jump in. Stamps, Ink, Paper, Time.   This company was different, and sucked me in from the start.  Let me tell you why I chose them.

•  First they manufacture their stamps in Red Rubber.  I love red rubber.  While I have clear stamps, I feel that I get a crisper clearer image with red rubber.  This stamp product has been around for some time and historically last "forever".  Clear stamps while nice in that you can see through them, I am not always happy with the stamped image.  I feel they are not reliably predictable in giving me the best results. .  I do believe that the inks and climate seems to be a factor with them more than with rubber.  Or perhaps it is the material they are made from. I have noticed that Photo polymer gives the closest result to rubber, but there is something about that thick rubber that makes me smile.
• .The second reason: I can use other products in my design.  I am not limited in my creative being with just FSJ supplies, thus my hoard of other products can still be used. 
•  The third reason: the ink!!  I love dye ink, but it is too transparent at times.  Pigment ink, while it gives a good vibrant ink, is messy and takes a long time to dry. I smear it more times than not, and unless I am going to emboss avoid it for the most part.   I, also  have trouble getting a decent image with pigment, I think I am too heavy handed.  FSJ inks are a true hybrid, vibrant, opaque and dries instantly. The crispness of dye, opacity and vibrance of picgment, and dries in a blink!! 

So this will officially begin my Stampers Journey and I will be sharing "Little Bits" of inspiration along my card/paper crafting journey.  So without adieu, my first card.

inside of card

outside of card, looking through the "window" to the inside.

This is a shaker card.  Created by using 2 pieces of acetate with foam between them and the space filled with sequins and beads.  The image is on the inside of the card, Thus the shaker is independent of the image and acts of a window.  I love this style of a shaker card.  Reason, I spend so much time coloring my copic image, I don't want it covered up by floating things.

Supplies used:

Stamp:  Birthday Sketch, SS-0013, both cupcake and sentiment.

Ink:       Black Licorice (FSJ)

Paper:   Candy Apple Red, Oatmeal Cookie (FSJ)

              Image colored on Neenah Solar White,

The image was colored with copic markers and then sprinkled with Journey Sparkle dust.

The dots on the frame were added with a Signo white pen and the bow is white seam tape.  Sequins, not sure where they came from but was a bulk buy from Michaels.  

So long for now, will post again soon.  Should have a regular schedule unfolding soon!!  I need to find a predictable way to get my photos to my IPad, so I have them ready when the time is right for posting.   If you would like more information, leave a reply or send an email.  Also, I have a link now where you can subscribe to a email notification of my postings. 

Josette

Visit me at Fun Stampers Journey.  

Day 2 another card!

Today's card is interesting.  I was trying to water color flowers and this one came out dark and "fall like" not spring at all, which is what I was going for. The stamp is Straw-flowers, from Technique Tuesday,  I did have success in creating a spring flower with a later attempt, using  a different stamp, and a different set of water colors (will post that later),  but I needed to do something with this one, but what?.

I had a template for a swing card,   I had received a similar one in a kit at the Journey Coach meeting in March.  So I decided to try one on my own and only usea circle die.  All the papers were cut to fit, after I had the swing card base build.  I went with an antique or vintage theme.  I feel like it worked out well and "lightened it up at bit", not so dark and fall like, but still not spring!

I learned a lot about water coloring.  What works and what does not work in regards to paper selection and types of ink that work for water coloring.  In the end: I used Canson paper water color paper, 140# cold press, stamped in distress ink , pumice stone and water colored the image with  Peerless Watercolors.  After the main focus was completed, the background was inked in distress ink that had been  diluted and then was sprayed on (blue) and brown was dabbed on.  I believe these were tumbled glass and brushed corduroy.  One thing I like about distress is that when wet they produce a multicolored effect.  After drying, I  outlined with a copic multiliner and splattered ink spots using the same distress inks plus black soot.  I am not sure the title of the paper pack I used  as the cover and identifying marks are long lost, but I in know it was graphic 45.  Anyway, enjoy this "spark" and will post another soon.