Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Embossing with Paste and Brass Stencils






I love learning new techniques and my local scrapbook store is the place to learn them.

I have a new Dreamweaver stencil and Dreamweaver Embossing Paste, several stencil brushes and my Marvy Markers. Look what I did on ordinary cardstock!




Directions:
1. When using embossing paste on the brass stencils, you need to work quickly, because the paste sets up in 20-40 minutes and you don't want it to dry into the fine bridgework of the brass stencils.

2. Make sure you are working on a hard flat surface and the stencil needs to be flat against the surface, because, if it is bent, the paste will pull under the bridges and smear.


3. While holding the stencil in place, fill in the stencil with brushes, using marker color from a palette.



4. Cleaned off the stencil and carefully replaced it over the coloring.Tape out the edges onto table or mat with removable tape. Line up and attach the stencil over the colored image. Tape top down first securely. The tape at the top becomes a type of hinge.

 
5. Pick up the paste on the bottom of the metal palette knife and smooth over the stencil's cut out areas as if applying icing to a cake. Scrape off the excess paste until all the holes are filled evenly and the stencil surface is smooth.

6. Remove the tape from the sides and bottom first, leaving top hinge tspe in place. Lift the bottom of the stencil straight up. Immediately take off the tape and pick up the stencil from the paper--lifting it off in a straight up manner as much as possible. It is important to clean the stencil off immediately, so drop it into a pan of water until you have time to scrub it. Dry with a paper towel. The tape hinge minimizes disturbing the paste as the stencil is removed.

7. Set aside the paste project to dry.


I have also used a palette of inks with my stencil brushes and these look so lovely also.


For more tutorials and information check out the Dreamweaver website at:
http://dreamweaverstencils.com/techniques.html

Friday, July 26, 2013

Unique Water Color Card Creations - Published

With the help of my favorite scrapbook store, Gingham Buttons 2 in Palm Coast, Florida, I discovered another special stamping company, "Heartfelt Creations." The detail provided by these stamp sets is wonderful. Those combined with Art Impression stamps and a hand drawn background mounted on a printed card stock, create a unique and special card.

Supplies:
Scenery Builders Precut set - HCPC3459 by Heartfelt Creations
Antique Essentials Precut set - HCPC3515 by Heartfelt Creations
Art Impression stamp set UM3521
Ranger Archival Ink pad - Jet black
Tombow Markers
Water brush
Palette
140 lb. water color paper
Printed card stock paper by Graphic 45

Directions:
Print pump and bucket stamps using the ink pad on water color paper.
Print the bucket a second time on scrap of paper and cut it out.
Place the cut out bucket on the bucket printed on the water color paper.
Stamp 2 prints of the long stem flowers going beyond the bucket, creating depth.
Use makers to color all prints.
Select and draw a background fitting beyond the stamped images.
Blend marker color on palette and paint in the background images, using the water color brush.
Fill in foliage and grass with both the Art Impressions stamp set and the Heartfelt Creations scenery builder set. Run markers across the back of the stamps and print grasses and foliage.

I will be looking into more of these scenic stamps...they are fun to design compositions with!
This card is published in Scrap & Stamp Arts Magazine, page 46, May/June 2014 issue!

Friday, July 19, 2013

Three Photo Inspired Stamped Watercolor Cards



These cards were inspired by a number of old photographs and slides taken by my husband through the years. I wanted to try my hand at combining the lovely Art Impressions Stamps with my scenic drawings. It was fun to figure out what would be peeking through the foreground of those stamped images.
Art Impressions Stamps used:
Fence - UMP1499
Flower Pot, Gate and various foliage stamps from the Stamp Set UM3521
Supplies:
Scenic photo or slide
Marvy Watercolor Markers
140 lb. Watercolor Paper
Water brush
Palette
Card 1 Barn Card:
Card was inspired by a barn scene.

Photo of inspirational barn.

Color using markers on the back of the gate and flower pot twice and stamp on to water color paper.
“Pull” out color of each image with damp brush, carefully not adding too much water. Let dry.
Stamp flower pot on a separate piece of paper and cut out. Place on top of the printed pot. Print an overlapping pot on the water color paper, creating a pot behind the original pot. “Pull” out the color from the image. Let dry.
Print foliage in the pots and grass at the bottom of the pots and gate using markers. Pull out same of the grass.
Draw a barn scene to fit behind the stamped images. Use a palette, markers and water brush to paint in the drawing.
Use a variety of foliage and grass to fill in the surrounding areas.

My first try working out the perspective.
Card 2 Blue Roof card:
This card was inspired by an old slide, which when I drew the picture didn't have a fence in the foreground. Now it does!

Color the back of the fence and stamp on water color paper.
“Pull” out color from the fence with the damp water brush.
Stamp grass across the bottom of the fence.
Stamp various foliage above the fence.
Draw house peeking out above the fence and foliage.
Use a palette, markers and water brush to paint in the drawing.
Card 3 Garden Cottage Card:


This card was also inspired by an old slide, which when I drew the picture didn't have a fence in the foreground. Now it has a fence too!

Color the back of the fence and stamp on water color paper.
“Pull” out color from the fence with the damp water brush.
Stamp grass across the bottom of the fence.
Stamp various foliage above the fence.
Draw scene with cottage above fence.
Using both ends of the markers (thick or thin sides) to fill in parts of the cottage. A dry brush and paper towel help to make the shadows on the cottage. Fill in grass around the cottage. Paint the path and lawn with watered down maker from the palette. Foliage is stamped coming from behind the cottage. Use a scrap of paper to block the cottage.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Dancing Granddaughter Scrapbook Pages


When my younger son got married, we not only got his wife as a new daughter, but we got her little sister for a granddaughter. She is the little girl I would have enjoyed having of my own, since I had two rambunctious boys! But it's never too late she is the bonus child and we enjoy having her around, taking care of her and watching her perform on stage. She takes dance most of the week and participates in competitions with the dance team from the local studio.

My husband enjoys taking pictures of her and the other children and I try to keep up doing her scrapbook.

These are the latest pages in my dancing granddaughter's book.