Club Scrap: Dahlia Blog Hop

Time again for another blog hop, this month is the Dahlia kit.  An amazing kit of flowers, soft, muted tones and gorgeous watercolor.  What to do with it?  Well as you go along the blog hop you will see me amazing creations. If this is your next stop, you should have arrived from  Debbie or if you are lost, you can start at the Beginning.

I have 3 cards for today.  The first one is just a beautiful card.  The next 2 are using a technique that I tried with my Minc.  So check out the whole post, LOL!!!

Card 1:

This is a window card.  The image is actually on the inside of the card and the opening in the fromt is covered by acetate.

So lets take a closer look.

The challenge with this card was in the planning.  I used a die, plastic sheet with graph paper marking to determine where on my card to place the window.  I marked the inside of the die onto the cardstock.

Using post it tape, I masked off the area.  Then using spun sugar distress ink, inked the opening.

After inking, misted it with water and allowed it to dry.  This is important, I did not, so well I have several of these lovely inked boxes.

Placed back in misty, lined up my "planning sheet, stamped the image over the inked box.  I then colored this with copics.  Stamped the sentiment.  Inside done.

Next, taking the pink cardstock in the kit, cut it down to size, and using my planning sheet, attached the die to the cardstock.

Using an exacto knife cut out the center of the die.

Added score tape, and placed a piece of acetate over the opening.  Next I cut out the die from white cardstock and gently inked the edges and covered the outside of the window.

Attached a white ribbon to the front, all that is left is to adhere the image sheet to the inside.  Finished.

Card 2 and 3

These cards are very similar but vary in some respects.

First step for both was to stamp the image onto Watercolor paper and heat emboss in white or clear.  I used Clear, but white works just as well.

Emboss and heat.  I did use the same stamps for both.  I added a butterfly to the softer one.  In hindsight I could have used another stamp from the kit, but I love this stamp.  So what can I say.

Once embossed, how I chose to color them is all that makes them different.

So Card 2 was colored using Primary Elements.  Like any pigment powder the challenge is in controlling them.  I almost used color burst but I wanted it soft and delicate.  I can't get that with Color Burst, so turned to my Primary Elements by ColourArte.

Using a dry paint brush and a very soft hand, laid the pigment into the areas.  Choosing colors that best reflected the image.  So green in the leaves, pinks and purple in the flowers, yellow-orange over the butterfly and blue in the background.

Gently mist with water, allow to sit for a bit and then I gently blotted up any excess water and dried with a heat tool.  Then I gently added a gold powder over the entire card, misted and dried.

In this photo I am gently picking up the excess water.  You can see how the color is concentrated in areas.  

This is after all the pigment is dry and before the next step.  Not bad, but not crisp images either.

Ok, let's switch to Card 3.

Same process, stamp and heat emboss.  This one was colored using a distress ink pads.  This is my all time favorite way to make a background fast.  Place the ink onto my glass mat or craft mat, mist with water until beads up and place paper into the ink .  I used Aged Mahogany and Crushed Olive.  Lately this has been my favorite combination!

Once inked, dry with heat tool or allow to air dry.

Next for both, I placed into a piece of cardstock and ran it though my minc.  This melted and removed the embossing powder and leaves the crisp white paper underneath.

 For the distressed one, I had my Minc on a setting of 4.  All the embossing powder was removed in one pass.  For the Primary Element, I was worried about the Gold, so ran it through on a setting of 2.  Amazing that too melted and removed most of the embossing powder, but did not damage or remove the mica from the Primary elements.  I still have a glimmer!!!

After this was completed I enhanced some of the areas by blending in more ink.  Distress with this technique often will seep under the embossing, you can see that here on the upper right flower, but I like it.  All that was left was to mount it onto cardstock, add a piece of twine.  The Sentiment was embossed in Gold on Velum and careful tacked down to give the impression of floating.

The Primary elements, I did nothing to the image once it was removed from the MINC.  Just mounted it, added a sentiment, also embossed in gold on Velum and added a white ribbon.  Elegant!

This one is my favorite, as I love soft and impressionistic.  Makes me think of Monet.  And who would know I used a stamp, embossing powder and a Minc.  This technique will work with a laminator and avoids having to use an iron and is much faster.   For more techniques visit my blog posting where I used waxed paper to create a unique background.

Well that is all from me.  Your next stop is :   Jennifer

Happy Crafting, 

Josette

Links:

http://clubscrap.com

Dahlia Kit for April

ColourArte Primary Elements

Distress Ink:  Crushed Olive, Aged Mahogany

Hero Arts:  Clear Embossing Powder

Strathmore 140# Cold Press Water Color Paper, 400 series.

ColourArt: Primary Elements and Stamping

In my last video for ColourArt I used  Primary Elements to create a soft background,   Background Video Link.  In this video, the background was turned into a card.  I had intended to use Twinkling H20 for the image, but after much consideration, decided to stick with the same product.  I tested this technique and determined it to be a perfect choice.

I used both backgrounds and cut them down to the right size.  The first one is an A2 and the second, well I just could not bear to trim all that gorgeousness away, so it is a 5.5" square card.

I cut mat out of gold Cardstock for the square card and did not use a mat for the other one.  I was struggling with the black but that was the paper that showed the image the best.  Gold seemed to soften it a bit.

The image was stamped with Versamark after a static tool was applied to the cardstock.  This helps control the powder,  Patting on the Primary Elements, finally brushing away the excess and cleaning up the mess with a Swifter cloth.  A quick spritz with water and after drying was ready for the card.

I cut the tag with an oval die, a mat from a slightly larger scalloped die.  Then using fun foam, created the corner element.  Final touch was to add a gold cord underneath the tag.

Everything was adhered with score-tape onto the card base, mat and finally the element onto the card.
I used scor-tape for 2 reasons.  Water color paper can be warped and it is hard to get good contact.  The second issue is that in Texas, my snail tape and ATG doesn't seem to stay stuck.  I am unsure if I need a different product or I am just glue challenged.  Anyway the scor-tape always holds for me.

I used a Heidi Swapp Glitter paper and it was backed with scor-tape before die cutting.  This paper is very thin but incredibly sturdy.  The combination of die cutting and score tape makes a durable sticker that is easily repositioned for a short time.


That is it!! All done.  Stop by YouTube: Primary Element and Stamping Video to see this card in the making.

Happy Crafting,
Josette
Link:  ColourArte
YouTube: ColourArte YouTube Channel
Supplies:  Primary Elements:  Beach house Blue and Sunburst
Veramark
Cardstock, black and gold
Swifter cloth
Scor-tape
Stamps are from Unity Stamp Company
Heidi Swap Glitter Paper in Gold

How to Make a Treasure Chest from Art Canvas

Good afternoon.  Today I have an amazing project.  This is a dual posting,  The video that shows the whole process is located on ColourArte YouTube Channel:  How to make a trunk from art canvas using Club Scraps December Kit: Navigation.  The final posting for this project will occur during the Team Challenge Hop,

This is the first time I combined two teams into one project.  The video goes through the entire process of creating this piece.  In this posting I will discuss some of the issues and share some "out takes", I think we all learn from mistakes.

I started with 2 art canvases, both 8 X 8 and 1" deep.  They were on sale and had some issues on the back.  I am thinking who buys a canvas and worries about the back.  Obviously I didn't when I bought them, so I had to do some "fixing".  Next time, check out the back and not just the front.  Oh well they were cheap!!

 I used several brands of flower dies.  I prefered the sizzix die as I could cut several layers of paper at once, but the blooms don't stack as neatly as the Spellbinder.  I used both on the project, but only demonstrated the process with the Spellbinder rose dies.  

The product that shines here is the Glassine.  This is an Idea-ology product but is also available at Michaels in their Reflection line.  Glassine is used for envelopes, and layering over art canvases.  Do a search, it amazing what can be found.  As a medium here, when inked or painted, and heated, it takes on the texture of wilted but dried flowers or leaves, leather, or parchment.  Rugged.  The more it is manipulated the softer it becomes.  Like a worn piece of leather as opposed to a new piece.  Following me here?

Whatever you add to it, you must heat it.  This liquifies the coating and allows the  pigment, ink or dye to saturate into the paper, then when it cools the layer is again on top.  The ink and paint will not dry or at least not for a long time if you do not heat it.  I forgot when I was making the Faux Leather, and even though I was using a pigment ink, it smeared and ran, until I heated it.  It worked out, but I wanted the images to show through, oh well, next time.  

Lets walk through the steps.  Again, you can watch the video and see it in the making, but you will miss my discussion of the process, LOL.   

I first made the flowers.  These had multiple layers of paint so would need extra drying time.  I was anticipating this project to be completed quickly, boy was I mistaken!!

DIE CUT: Layer and add a brad to center.  Scrunch the paper and unfold.

Using several different products, color the flower.  Heat set and let dry.  Repeat with the leaves.  I used ColorArte Products which are listed in the supply section.

 Here they are all finished and Dried.  The various dies produced different shapes and while they were colored with the same products, vary enough to give interest.

I colored a flower that was made from book paper, you can see how they compare.

The next step was to created the "Faux Leather" from Glassine

The Glassine was randomly stamped with multiple stamps using Archival ink.  I forgot to heat set, so the ink smeared and ruined the crisp images.  In the end it was fine.  I had intended to use the sheets whole rather than tearing them.  But this goof changed my plan.

Not dry but it has been heat set and is finished.  As I add more layers of colorant it will take on an even more distressed leather look.

Time for the Box.  I base coated the canvases with an acrylic paint.  I did not have the exact paint to match the paper in the kit, so I mixed two browns to get the right color.  Not thinking here, I covered it all up with paper.  I could have painted it purple and no one would know.  That would have saved me time, geez!!

Once painted, paper was torn and basically decoupage down.  I used a gel medium as I have better luck with how the finished project looks.  But anything to glue down the paper will work.

 Glassine and book paper was used to completely cover the canvases both inside and out.  Then more stamping in Archival was added.  After every product is added, the glassine was heated.  This prevented contamination of colors.  In the right upper corner, you can see that color has been added.  I was intending this to be the bottom and had tested that corner for color and how it would crackle.  

Several products were used to color the canvas.  ColourArte products, Gesso, and acrylic paint.  After this dried a crackle glaze was applied to the smooth areas and sides of the canvases.

Antiquing wax was then applied to both canvases, this allowed the crackles to show,plus give it a more aged appearance.  My idea was an old trunk that had had the leather peeled back to show the construction.  

Straps were created with Grunge board.  Using the antiquing wax, ColourArte Primary Pigments and Distress ink, the paper was transformed into "faux leather "straps. 

This was cut into strips, pierced and studded with brads, and finally glued to the "trunk".

In doing so I dropped hot glue onto one of the straps, when I pulled it lose, the top layer came off.  I had to come up with a way to cover that, so I added secondary straps.  These are buckles from the Idea-ology line.  I glued them down and then added another piece of grunge to cover the oops.

See that booboo, but I think the buckle added interest.

Added hinges to the front and back.  Because of my to glue accident, the bottom became the top.  Straps don't quite line up on the front, but this an old beat up trunk!

Added the flowers and ribbon to the front.  A little metal tag completes the picture.  The ribbon was dyed with the same greens and gold that were used to color the leaves.  

Next step, what to put on the inside of this box?  That will be revealed during the Team Challenge Hop on December 22, so come back and check it out. 

Happy Crafting,

Josette

Links:  Video: The making of this trunk on ColorArte Channel

ColourArte

Club Scrap

Supplies:  Navigation Deluxe Kit

                 Navigation Unmounted Rubber Stamps

ColourArte Products used:

Primary Elements:  Sunburst, Love Struck, Golden Jade, Ancient Coin, Burnt Umber

Radiant Rain:          Poppy, Jasper Red, Red Hot Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Butternut, 

Other products:  Archival ink: Black, Golden Gesso, Art Basic 3D Gloss Gel, DecoArt Crackle Glaze, Tombow Mono Adhesive, Americana Dark Chocolate acrylic, Liquitex Burnt Sienna acrylic, brads, seam tape. Hinges from Michaels.

Ranger:  Distress Inks; Ground Espresso and Black Soot, Kraft Glassine, Grunge Board, Glossy Accents, Idea-ology metal parts