Pansies? Why'd it Have to Be Pansies?

My aunt would like me to make birthday cards for her Bridge Club, and the first one she requested is to have pansies.  Did you know that I don't have a pansy stamp and I don't think Close to My Heart ever made one.  I could be wrong, but I haven't found one.

I walked around the house one day saying, "Pansies?  Why couldn't it have been butterflies?"  Do you know how many CTMH butterfly stamps there are?   A LOT!!  I'm not really upset at all.  I love a challenge.  It is actually much more fun to have to figure out a new way to do something, so this is what I am in the process of doing for my pansies:

First, I looked at a lot of photos on Google.  I picked one out and sketched it.  Then I outlined it with a fine Sharpee marker.  I traced the outline of the front 3 petals on a separate piece of paper and cut it out.

I made another copy, but only traced one of the back petals.

Below is my original sketch with the outline darkened for easier tracing, and the third stencil.

I lightly sponged ink in all of the stencils as a guide for the below watercolor.

This is my first of three pansies that I am planning for the birthday card.  I had to set it aside to work on some time sensitive things, but I can't wait to get back to finish it!!

Clear Embossing Resist

Today is the unit meeting for Northern Stars, our area group of Close to My Heart consultants.  In addition to catching up on the news and sharing lunch, we will have a chance to go around the room and learn (or remember) 12 techniques.  Each technique is done at a station, on a different 3" X 3" square of paper, so that at the end each person will have a book ring with their technique squares attached.

These are the instructions for the technique square that I will be teaching today: 

1.  Ink Acrylic stamp using Versamark Ink Pad.  The best way to do this is to tap the pad onto the stamp so as not to over- ink the stamp.  Versamark is especially sticky and viscous.

2.  Stamp the image on paper.  Note that it may be completely invisible.  Trust that it is there.  ;)

3.  Sprinkle image with Clear Embossing Powder covering entire area.  (Hard with an invisible image, I know!!  For this sample it is probably best to lightly cover the entire 3” X 3” paper.

  4.  Tap off excess powder.  Ah!  There’s the image!!

5.  Move away from the embossing powder to use the heat tool.  When using a heat tool do not get too close to the paper and always keep it moving a bit.  Keep a close eye on the powder.  As the powder turns shiny, move the heat to a different area of your image.  Make sure that the entire image has turned shiny, and then it’s all embossed.  You can touch it already since it cools off quickly.

  

6.  What you have now is still pretty hard to see.  It’s time to add ink.  For this project, sponge Smokey Plum in the center, either in a circle or a diagonal line.  Surround the Smokey Plum by sponging lightly with Outdoor Denim.     Finish off the square with Slate ink varying the saturation at different corners to create a more interesting effect.

A few more examples appear on November 2, 2012 post entitled Stamped All Day.

I'm looking forward today to talking to and sharing with women from all over S.E Michigan (and even a few from Indiana and Ohio sometimes).  I hope that you all have a fun and creative time today as well!!

Technique Time 8) Masking

I've decided to make a new technique notebook.  I don't know why.  I just decide these things.  I used to have such a thing back in the day, probably 1996, when I was the Arts and Crafts Director at the Girl Scout camp.  That was a fun summer!!  (Another story for my storylane blog!!  Yea.  There's another decision made!!)

Masking Technique:

This is used when you want to combine two images.  I have a cardinal stamp and a branch stamp.  In order to make the cardinal appear to be in front of the branch, I actually have to stamp it first!!

To use this tutorial for the above card, substitute the cardinal for the eggs.

The mask is really dark here because I used it several times before.

I should have shown the cutout against another color, or raised on foam tape.  It would show it off much better.  

Happy Clusters Tree

Today was another one of those days where I spent a lot of time working on something that I don't have ready to show you!!  Really!!  OK, I did waste the entire morning-plus on the couch, moaning about my head.  I was a big baby until the coffee and ibuprofen kicked in.  I sure wish that cured my migraines, but once I got moving - things really got going.  Hopefully tomorrow you will get a report on the Christmas service projects!!

For today, I made a simple card using a stamp that I really, really like, but I don't think it gets the respect it deserves.  It's a really cool idea.

This stamp, Happy Clusters  C1471, looks a little weird.  Just stamping an image of a tree or a star filled with solid shapes is rather dull, but if you first stamp the image on a scrap paper, then again on your good paper, this gives you a lighter image that we call a second generation print.  On this card I actually used a third generation print so that it would be extra pale.  This stamp is a guide for placing the decorative stamps.  I wanted to have a lot of choices for decorative stamps, so I also bought Love Clusters C1781 (then I started making butterflies, and I couldn't stop!!)

Close to My Heart also makes buttons in all of these shapes and sizes (not the smallest size), so I added buttons here and there to some of my butterflies and hearts. Here is a heart that I made this summer that never made it on a card or layout.  The butterflies all flew away.

This is the Christmas card that I made for tonight's post.  When I made it, I didn't realize that the Happy Clusters stamp was retired.  I'm not sure why one of the stamps retired before the other.   I meant to work with current stamps tonight.  Oops!!

Negotiations continue with Will about my technique video.  He says that he can do it without any problem.  All we need to buy is a microphone, a video camera (as opposed to the video function on my camera), oh gosh, I can't even remember now!!  There were two more things and, honestly, he said it with a straight face!!  Tomorrow it's my turn to present my case!!

Stamped All Day

I stamped all day!!  Really, I did.  I made three more monkey Over the Hill Birthday cards, a lot like yesterday's, plus four envelopes to match.  Here's one:

I really need to name that monkey.  So far, I've just been calling him Buddha, because of his cute belly, but I'm not sure that's his name - just a nick name, I think.

After that, I worked on the snowflake waterfall gift tags.  That was an ongoing project throughout the day, but I now have a total of ten tags, so I am very happy about that!!

It was midterms this week, plus Will's application was due for the program to teach English in South Korea for a year.  Will finally had time to work on my technique video from my last Bea's Mini Album post.  He looked at what Lisa and I filmed and deemed it unworthy.  (You have to understand that he has had classes where he has directed TV and radio commercials and interviews, etc., so he's taking this much more seriously than I am!!)  OK, so I went along with him.  No problem.  If that's what it takes to get the video on my blog, that's what we're doing.  After much discussion, we set up, filmed and he disappeared.

Later, he reports that I just have to give up on this idea!!  It's going to be twelve hours of work, it is going to take equipment that we don't have, and he is going to have to learn how to do several things which he explained to me, but I didn't really understand!!  Now, I tried to explain to him that we are having a communications problem. What I require is not at all what he envisions as necessary.  We are currently in negotiations!!

I also wrote a story for my second blog today.  Another band story about Mr. Cezak. It's worth a look just to see eighth grade me in my band uniform (well, the hat, at least!!) You can find it here.  ;)

So, suddenly it's going on 10:00 PM, and I have nothing new for my blog.  Andrew, my hubby, suggested a technique.  That reminded me that I haven't decided how I am going to teach the technique that I signed up for at the unit meeting on November 17th.  It's an easy one, since I have been embossing for 24 years now!! My technique is CLEAR EMBOSS RESIST.  It's a fun one.  You need a white pigment ink or a clear sticky ink, such as Versamark.  I really like the Versamark.  I have used several other brands of clear ink that were too thick, and I was very unhappy.  This stuff works well.  (That was my little testimony.)

OK, so tap the Versmark ink (or white pigment ink) onto your stamp.  Stamp your image onto a light colored paper,  sprinkle with clear embossing powder, and tap excess powder off.  Now heat with your embossing tool, or like I first learned, over your toaster!!  Watch the powder as it slowly turns shiny.  When it all turns shiny, it is done.  I keep the heat moving a bit.  I have never had any problem, but some heat tools seem to run hotter than others and I have definitely heard of people burning their embossing powder.  They don't start a fire.  It just turns the image brownish and dull instead of glossy.  Maybe the heat gun is too close?  I'm not sure because I have never done it.

Now, this is sort of what has happened so far.  You took a white piece of paper and stamped an invisible image on it, then stuck some clear powder to that image, so it looked a bit fuzzy, but still not like much.  Then, after heating it, it turned glossy white on white paper.  Wow, that sure was underwhelming!!  This is where the fun happens. Using some kind of sponge, apply ink to the image and watch it appear!!

I wasn't 100% happy with the text, and I covered up a lot of the Goldenrod with Sunset, somehow!?  BUT you get the idea.

Everything on the left was done with the clear emboss resist technique and everything on the right was stamped  normally.  It gives you a whole new look, (plus it's fun!!)

I don't think I have found what I am going to teach on November 17th, but I'm well on my way.
If you have never tried this technique before I urge you to think about it.

If you have never embossed before, get some gold embossing powder and play "alchemist"!!  I used to do this with the Girl Scouts all of the time.  When you sprinkle on the Gold embossing powder it's very dull, but when it heats up, it's a beautiful liquid gold!!  They go crazy!!  I still do too!!

Annie Loves Halloween

Annie loves Halloween.  It might have something to do with the fact that it's her birthday!!  Of course, she also has a big personality, so dressing up and having everyone over for a big costume party would probably be happening anyway!!

Who's Annie?  Everyone knows Annie?!!  She teaches my parents' water aerobics class!!

Annie is a wonder, and this group is like a family now.  They range in age from (I'm guessing,)  35 to 87 (I happen to be sure of the 87 - I won't say why ;)  The core group goes out for coffee after every class, twice a week, and also celebrates everyone's birthday (either at coffee or at a restaurant, depending on the birthday person's availability!!)  I have gotten to know most of them, and wish I lived closer so that I could be a regular!!

Here's my Halloween/Birthday card for Annie:

This was my first time using tulle.  It turns out that it doesn't stick to Tombow adhesive at all!!  I decided to try Liquid Glass, but I didn't want to get my fingers stuck in it, so I used a bit of scrap paper (pretty scrap paper in this case) to secure it:

How would you have secured this tulle?

I wanted the black tulle curtain to come together a bit under my little Vaudeville sign. So when I placed the foam adhesive tape, I just left space in the center, like so:

"Best Witches" came from the zip strip that runs along the top of one of the sheets of paper in the Moonlight Pack that I was using.  It's just an extra little bonus!!

Front of envelope and back of card:

I have used the Moonlight paper for everything except Halloween, so I thought I should make a few more cards.  I don't know if it shows up in the photo, but the sign reads "Beware."  I added tiny red sparkles to the ghosts eyes, so that it would be just a tiny bit creepy.

Inside of ghost card:

Tom really liked this and felt it needed a watermark!!

For all of the characters, I stamped them on the light paper that came in the Moonlight Kit.  It is a sort of Colonial White softly sponged in Goldenrod, Smokey Plum, and Slate. I have a real thing for this paper!!  I am going to have to try to make it myself!!

Lastly, with the stamps that came from the Workshop on the Go kit, I made this one:

Ghost and Mummy received spiders on back; Vampire got a bat.

I decided to enter the Mummy card in the Heart 2 Heart challenge blog for the Halloween or Pumpkin Challenge.  It is a wonderful challenge blog with a truly amazing group of creative artists.  Bwaaahaaahaaa!

Thinking of You Card 2.0

I needed a masculine card for a family member, so he would know we were thinking of him on his surgery date.  I found this dog; I call him Fergus.  He's from the stamp called  A Bow Wow A1126.  He's a Scottie so I wanted to make him plaid.  I picked Victory paper which has a plaid and is a very masculine mix, and I love the palette.

First I played around with Fergus, stamping him on the pattern to see what I liked.  My favorite combination had the eye and nose and tongue on light areas and I was able to color in the tongue and nose.

My first choice was the lower right.

I wanted to color in the tongue and the nose on my Fergus.  In order for it to match (because I can, and that's the beauty of Close to My Heart), I squeezed my ink lid into my ink - with the ink closed - until some of the ink was transferred onto the lid.  Then I used my water brush (you could do this with a paint brush and water, but I get a kick out of the water brush every time!!) to pick up some of the ink.  I swished it on my scrap paper (which is getting dirty and in need of changing) so it's not too dark, then painted in the tongue.  To wash the water brush, just swish it on the scrap paper till it's clean.

I used Cranberry for the tongue and Chocolate for the nose, and a light Olive wash for some of the collars.  A few of my Ferguses didn't need their noses colored in because the pattern on the paper took care of it.  They turned out nicely as well.

For the square of Barn Red paper, see card below, I added a pattern with second generation* Chocolate ink using the small star pattern and the fleur-de-lis stamp from the Victory Workshop on the Go.  This stamp set isn't available any more, but the Victory paper is still available and I'm sure you could come up with your own pattern!

The top strip of Argyle pattern is a zip strip that comes on one of the Victory papers. The Hello cloud was roughed up with scissors for a distressed look. (When I made subsequent cards I used the edge distresser and it was much easier for me.)    I wrapped Fergus' podium with natural hemp for some texture.  Both Fergus and the podium were popped-up with foam tape for depth.

 Here's the completed envelope from all sides:

My next project was to make a birthday card for a cousin , but I was still enamored with my darling Fergus and wanted to keep making more, when I realized he was also a birthday card!!!  YES!  Another Kallixta Card Challenge completed!!  HA!!!!!  (Hey Dave, We miss you guys!!  Happy Birthday!!)

Lastly, one of my dear Fergies, flipped over and he's Camo on the other side!!!  So, I got out my light box and finished him off.  Does he need a new name now?

Fergus and new friend Tracker!

*A second generation stamp is when you ink the stamp up, first lightly stamp it on scrap paper, then stamp it on your project.

Fergus is a happy scamp.  Hope you like him as much as I do!!

P.S.  The Edge Distresser is in the Idea Book under Accessories and then "Distressing Products".  I kid you not!!  I'm still giggling!!  : D

Sue's Belated Birthday Card

I started going through paper, thinking of Sue... can't use Avonlea because I just wrote her a Thank You Note on that a few weeks ago, hmmm, everything looked inviting.  Delaney wanted to go outside and there was the smallest of nips in the air and I started to think of the Fall weather.  That started me off.  I grabbed papers and stamps and more stamps and more stamps.  I didn't use them all - that's just how I get going - with a big flurry and whoosh.

This is where I started:

I was going to stop here, but I thought it might look suspicious as the right edge is too clean.

So, I added a few more little bits:

Now see what I did - I messed it all up!!
Never fear, we'll come back to that!

The next stamp features one of my very favorite things about Close to My Heart Stamps.  I call it "overstamping."  I'm not sure what it's technical term is.  I think I should know this, my great-grandfather wrote a book about printing - seriously - look:

Basically, you have at least two stamps that work together to make your finished image in more than one color.  The first image below is made up of the second Sunset image, plus the third Tulip one.

On the scrap paper you can see where I was working out my palette:
Twilight, Tulip and Sunset.

I edge nearly everything I do.  I usually use an eighth pie-wedge of a round sponge, but I only have two hands and I needed one to take the photo, so this is what I came up with.  ; )   Just dab the sponge on the ink pad and then swipe it on the edge of the paper.  Experiment!  I usually edge all of the papers in a project in the same color because that's the way Carolyn (my "art therapist") taught me!! and it looks good that way!

Now to cover up those ink marks that I accidentally got on the cover of my card...

Note how it was a good thing that I added those marks on the right margin of the card. It just didn't look like real paper with out them.  

OK, so we're skipping to the completed card - like the magic oven on the cooking show!! The vertical "bookmark" stripe (that's what I see it as  because Sue is a BIG reader) is a bit more right-justified than I had originally envisioned in order to cover up my ink boo-boo, but I like it - and it passed the Will inspection.  (Huh, I see Will's been doing a bit of sneaky editing here.  I guess I'll let him get away with it this time.)  The rest of the cards I make today will be made to this same pattern.  So take that Ink Gremlins - you won't get me down today!!

The Ink Gremlins got me again - this time we cover up with sparkles. not too spread out because I write a lot.
Who would have thought, huh?

The background paper is from Florentine.  It was going to be in my card at first, but then I started with the background stamp.  It did provide me with the Twilight and the Sunset and I just threw the Tulip in on a whim.

Lastly, something for the back.  Sue does volunteer work since she recently retired, and I love this quote and the way it flows, so I thought it was perfect.  I had to curve the stem a bit more to make it fit width-wise, but I think it works.  The dandelion puff is stamped in Crème Brûlée and then I carefully just rolled the edges of the puff in Sunset.  This is called "Rock and Roll" and it's a really fun technique.  Play around with it!  BUT always stamp in the lighter ink first so as not to contaminate your ink pads!!!!

Hope it was a really Happy Birthday, Sue!!

Love, Karen