Opals Embossing Enamel Paper (not quite)

Annette makes beautiful Opal Embossing Enamel Paper, watch her video! My efforts didn't turn out as I expected. First I ironed white tissue paper onto heavy fusible webbing. Then poured three colors of Opal embossing enamels over the tissue paper.

 Heated the powders on the tissue between two sheets of parchment paper.  Found the tissue paper dissolving and pulling off the webbing in parts.

 Thought it might hold all together if I covered it all in clear Opals and reheat between the parchment paper.

 That didn't work, so I pulled the melted Opals off the webbing.

 Placed the bits together, re ironed between two sheets of parchment paper, and it held together!

Hoping tomorrow I'll be able to turn it into some embellishments.

 10/1 Note: I was able to punch out shapes from this, but when I tried to stamp on it and hold it, it cracked and broke. It was too thin and fragile only being on the tissue paper, or even just being melted embossing enamel.

And another "A" technique ATC

Used the Alcohol Ink Monoprint sample I made earlier.

Stamped flourishes with white Brilliance ink. Love the look of this.

Added an angel image, stamped letters with blue Brilliance ink on a strip of the Alcohol Ink Monoprint and adhered with two mini silver star brads.

Going into my ABC technique ATC book.

C is for Chalkboard Technique

 Another new to me "C" technique found on Split Coast Stampers. I think this is similar to the Black Magic technique that I have not yet tried.

Start with dark colored card stock. Ink a bold image with white pigment ink.

 Color white ink with chalks as desired.

 Wipe off extra chalk with a paper towel.

 This technique is very similar to the Chalk & Versamark technique. Here's my finished background:

 Added sticker letters and a clown image and am adding this to my ABC technique ATC collection.

C is for Crayon Rubbed Embossing

 Found a new to me technique on Split Coast Stampers. And now that I'm looking at the directions again, realized I didn't quite follow them. : )
The instructions say to place the card stock ON the raised side of an embossing folder, then use the side of a white crayon and firmly rub over all over the card stock, rubbing several times over the raised areas.  I placed the card stock IN the embossing folder and ran in through my Cuttlebug, then used the side of a light colored crayon to cover the raised areas.

 I wondered how I was going to color the surface in the depressed areas, so I flattened the card stock by re running it through the Cuttlebug under the embossing folder.

 The directions said to ink a rubber brayer with a dye based ink to cover the card. I ran Distress ink over the card stock with the Direct to Paper method of applying ink.

 Use soft cloth to burnish the whole image and remove extra ink from the wax and brighten the design.

 Here's my finished background.

 Decided to smooth out the crayon by heating the card stock with a heat tool. Then added an image of a couple and a "corrosive effects" embellishment. Another "C" technique ATC to add to my book.

Book Study: Stamping with Objects

On NGS group we're starting a new book study using Darlene Olivia McElroy & Sandra Duran Wilson's book "Surface Treatment workshop".  I highly recommend this book. I may look at each section, but couldn't begin to cover all the wonderful tips, troubleshooting and variations they pack into this book. Also their color photography and examples are fabulous!

The authors recommend using found objects to add visual interest to your projects because acrylic paint may clog up and damage the rubber in the rubber stamps (most are made to be used with inks). I think the found objects also add a lot of interest and make your projects unique.
In the book, Darlene and Sandra, discuss how techniques can be used as additive, subtractive, in combination and/or as resist techniques. For this project, I decided to play with both the additive and subtractive uses of stamping with objective. Started with white card stock. Painted a layer of  terra cotta colored acrylic paint on the one on the left.

  Used a tile trivet to remove some of the paint, then used that same trivet to add the paint to the one on the right.

Once the paint dried, I wanted to keep playing by layering this technique over the backgrounds I started. I painted a mixture of butterscotch acrylic paint and acrylic glazing liquid over the one on the right. Used the acrylic glazing liquid to thin the paint and allow the squares in the first layer to be seen.

A different trivet was used to remove the yellow paint from the one on the right. After cleaning the paint off the trivet, I painted a different portion of the trivet to apply the same colored paint to the one on the left. These look great and I could stop here, but I wanted to keep playing with layering this technique.

For the last layer I used a thimble with q. nickel azo gold acrylic paint and stamped it multiple times over both backgrounds using the different ends of the thimble to get different sized circles.

 Using the same paints with the same objects I obtained very different backgrounds. I like them both. I am going to start looking at what I have around the house very differently from now on!

Another "A" ATC

I'm going through the backgrounds and atcs I've made for the various book studies and other projects and adding them to my collection of ABC technique ATC notebook. Decided to fill up a sheet protector page for each letter of the alphabet. I think this note book will be a great resourse of techniques when we're finished.

For this ATC I used the Alcohol Ink Agate on Grunge piece I made earlier this summer. Added some stickers on acetate and some rhinestones. Lightly inked the word from the dictionary with silver Encore! ink.

"F" technique ATC

I'm using the combined Foxy-Oxi and Fusible Webbing backgrounds I made earlier as the base of my "F" technique ATC for the ABC technique ATC swaps on ArtVentures. Added a large fairy image and a star shaped flower charm. Colored the edges of the atc with Royal Purple StazOn ink.

I think this is a Fairy Frosting the night sky with Flowery stars.

F is for Fusible Webbing

I did this technique before, and wanted to try it over a background I made, instead of over colored card stock.



Cut up the darkest of the Foxy-Oxi backgrounds I made yesterday into ATC sized pieces.

Place a piece of  Fusible Webbing (Heat n Bond is one brand of fusible webbing) over the Foxy-Oxi background. Use a heat tool to melt the fusible webbing and adhere it to the card stock. I choose the Lite fusible webbing, as it melts quickly with the heat tool, leaving nice large holes, giving a lacy appearance.

While the webbing is still hot, sprinkle over embossing powders. It works better to sprinkle on the embossing powders while heating the fusible webbing, but I wanted you to see the powder before it melted. I used an assortment of white, silver, and blue embossing powders with glitter in them.

Here is how the fusible webbing technique looks over the Foxy-Oxi background.

 Here's another one, each one will have a different appearance.

It was interesting to see how the Foxy-Oxi background using only purple Distress inks, changed color with the intense heating of the heat tool.

F is for Foxy Oxi

I have done many "F" techniques and was excited to fine one I haven't seen before on Split Coast Stampers and decided to play with it.

 Did a Direct to Paper (DTP) application of light purple Distress ink over matte card stock.

 Then colored the card stock with a variety of purple Distress inks with a blending tool.

Sprinkle Oxy Clean over the ink. The spray water over the Oxy Clean and ink, let sit for about 30 seconds. Then brush off the powdered Oxy Clean when dry (it's ok to use a heat tool to speed up the drying).

I like how it looks.

Decided to try this technique on other papers. 

Did same colors of purple Distress inks DTP on a coated card stock.

 Followed the same steps, was surprised how much the Distress inks faded on the coated card stock, 

but love how it looks.

 Next used a Manila folder as the card stock, same purple Distress inks DTP over all.

 Followed the same steps. The ink stayed nice and intense on the Manila Folder.

 It is interesting to see how different the inks worked with this technique on the different papers. 

I like them all!

Sketch Card

This sketch was chosen for us to make our swap cards for Stamp Club tonight. I'm not very good at drawing or cutting straight lines, but I persevered. (The number was for voting not part of the sketch).Here's what I came up with, hope they like it!

Happy Birthday Elaine

My granddaughter turned six this month. She wanted a blue princess dress for her birthday and choose this pattern. She is very happy with it and looks like a princess!

Abstract ATC

These month's ATC theme is "Abstract". I'm not very good at non-representational art. I picked a couple of background scraps and stamped on designs with black StazOn ink. Added some black paper squares with colored "pearls" and a black paper stripe down the middle.

No crafting for a couple of weeks

Too busy enjoying the newest addition to our extended family: Nicholas Gustavo Sweeney

Statue Images for Your Use

While on vacation I visited the gorgeous Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. I took these photos of some of the statues. Feel free to use them for your personal use (not for profit or resale please).