Faux Sealing Wax Using Embossing Powder

There are so many stamping techniques and so little time. Our Tuesday Technique this week will use the VersaMark ink pad, silver embossing powder, your craft heater, and a stamp.

Have you ever seen an envelope sealed with wax? We are going to create this little accent piece using embossing powder.

Cut a piece of cardstock just a little larger than your stamp image. Cover the a piece with VersaMark ink (rub it on heavy) and pour your embossing powder on. Start with the craft heater several inches from the project so that your embossing powder is not all blown away. Heat the image until the embossing powder melts. Let cool. **Tip -- attach a magazine wrapped in aluminium foil to a wooden clipboard, place your piece on the magazine and under the clip (you may want to cut your piece a little larger so it may fit under the clip without removing the embossing powder) and proceed to heat. The aluminium foil helps in heating and you can hold the piece vertical, which is the best for a smooth embossed surface. BE CAREFUL, IF THE CLIPBOARD CLIP IS METAL IT WILL BE HOT, LET THE PIECE COOL ON THE CLIPBOARD BEFORE REMOVING.

Add a little more VersaMark to the embossed piece, pour on more embossing powder and heat again. Repeat this step until you have a thick embossed piece.

On the last heating, before the piece cools, stamp the image into the melted embossing powder.
Cut the edges in a ragged shape and lightly sand. You may also wish to add a little dark ink around the edges to create a little depth to your project.

Supplies for this project:
Versamark ink pad (z891)
Silver Embossing Powder (z669)
Craft Heater (z555)
Craft tray (1764)
Christmas Melodies (D1324)

Unique Christmas Card and Great Stamping Technique

It is never too late to start your Christmas cards.

The new WISHES how to card making book is so full of great techniques.

Each Tuesday my friends come by for lunch and a little technique fun!

In creating a great look for one of my newest Christmas card ideas, I used a background stamp and added a little flourish.

2nd generation stamping (ink your stamp, stamp off onto scratch paper, and then stamp onto your project) using Argyle Backgrounds (D1325) stamp, followed by a 1st generation stamped Playful Flourishes (D1212) stamped onto a Colonial White 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 square.

The same 2nd generation holidays and 1st generation happy finished this beautiful sentiment piece. Finish the card by attaching the sentiment piece onto a cocoa card base. Twilight, desert sand, and cocoa are my favorite earthy Christmas card colors.

I love to create a beautiful coordinating envelope!

Choosing the Right Paper for the Perfect Layout

How do you pick the perfect paper for your layout?

When I am making my paper decisions, I like to determine my focal photograph. I may use the colors found in the clothing, or the color of the eyes, or the colors of the Season, the choices are varied.

In my example, I picked girly pinks (Daydream X7108B) to go with my oldest girl, Nipper. The aging white of her fur, the pink of her ears and her eyes create a beautiful softeness. And even though she may not live up to the girly girl paper, she looks demure and stunning surrounded by the pinks, whites, and flowers.

A great resource for getting back to the basics, such as paper decisions, would be the current MyCTMH webisode. Watch and enjoy.

Enjoy creating today!

Supplies for the example layout:
Daydream My Reflections Level 2 paper packet (X7108b)
White Daisy Grosgrain Ribbon (Z100)
My Creations Acrylic Mini Album (Z1117)
Nature's Ambiance Rub-ons (Z1097)

Stipple Brush Technique Tuesday

So you have a stipple brush, what are you going to do with it? A common use for this tool is to fill in a stencil, however, have you ever tried a little distressing?

Stipple distressing is the newest Technique Tuesday demonstration.

Squeeze a few drops of reinker onto your palette or into the lid of your ink pad. Take your stipple brush and load it with a little reinker. A little goes a long way, so you may want a light hand at loading your stipple brush.

If you are looking for a darker distressed look, run the bristles from the top edge of the paper towards the middle of the paper. This creates drag marks from the edge of your paper into the center. See how dark the top edge of the card is distressed.

If you would like a softer distressed look, remove some of the reinker by dabbing your stipple brush on a clean area of your palette or ink pad lid. Now take your stipple brush and run the bristles from the edge of the paper towards the center of the paper. You will have wispy drag marks as shown along the sides and bottom of the pictured card.

Supply list for this week's Technique Tuesday
Cocoa reinker (Z2214)
Cocoa ink (Z2114)
Stipple Brush (Z1298)
White Daisy Cardstock (various sizes)
Envelope flaps 3x3 (Z1022)Say It In Style (D1283)

Silhouette in Red Layout

I love the neutrals of the Close To My Heart Silhouette paperpackets (My Reflections Level 2 paper packet and Creative Basics) !!

It works well by itself or with just one color. My beautiful granddaughter has picked her true love. Of course, at 4, this may be only the first of many beautiful friendships.

In order to share these memories with her future loves (and to get that cute little wrinkled nose look and maybe a little blushing, and the never ending 'oh Grandma') I had to add this to her 2009 scrapbook.

Paper, photos, and the great Close To My Heart How-To Reflections and in no time a layout is complete -- WAIT -- don't forget the WOW -- with a great Close To My Heart stamp set (Soul Mates D1254), a cut out title from the Silhouette cutting system (Close to My Heart plays well with others), a little black organdy ribbon, and a paper flower cut in half, and another layout is complete.

Glitter Happy and Liquid Glass Savvy - Technique Tuesday

I love new techniques, don't you? Technique Tuesday is full of summer fun and surprises.

Summertime is full of run, run, run -- so once a week take a break. Breath, enjoy some artsy fun, and, most of all, enjoy some YOU time.

Today we are going to play with Prisma Glitter and a Liquid Glass to create a blingy little embellishment, great for a card or scrapbook layout.

Stamp your image in the color of your choice. I stamped a Honey colored sun from the Daydream stamp set (D1297).

Add a little liquid glass to the area you wish to add glitter.

Pour on the glitter and let sit for a few minutes.

Carefully shack off the excess into a craft tray. Let dry completely. This step may take several minutes.

Glitter may be a little fly away and with a little added liquid glass you may find that your glitter will stay put. Once your glitter covered liquid glass has dried completely, add a second layer of liquid glass and let this layer dry.

Wait, we are not quite done, stamp a matching envelope!!

My Scrappin' Studio is open for my Technique Tuesday lunch bunch so come on over and enjoy a hands on demonstration and leave with a great card and envelope.


Supply List for today's Technique Tuesday project:

D1297 Daydream Stamp Set
X5752 Juniper Cardstock
Z2150 Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad - Sunflower
Z134 Prisma Glitter
Z679 Liquid Glass
1764 Craft Tray
X254 White Cards and Envelopes Value Pack
Z1297 Edge Distresser
Z338 Euro Personal Paper Trimmer
1514 Tombow Mono Adhesive

Good Morning

I am somewhat of a morning person. At least that is when I love to read my Bible, study the Word, meditate, and journal. Over the last two years I have become an avid journalist - LOL. I find it lets me be honest with myself and say the things that need to be said from the heart to the head.

And it is so much fun and interesting to go back and read earlier journal entries. I see where I have grown, weakness that persist, and beautiful, sad, or funny events. There are times when my family gets together and I wish I kept a journal earlier. We never remember the same event the same way - oh wait that is a totally different subject.

My journal is a great inspiration for scrapbook layouts. I wonder what your favorite time of the day is? do you journal? is your family as wild and crazy as mine (oh sorry off subject again). Thank you for stopping by and come back again.

Beginnings

You have to start somewhere and today is my blogging debut. I am not one to talk about me, however, I love to talk scrapbooking, stamping, card making, and more. I like to think that we are all artists in one form or another. From painting, to photography, to sculpting, art is in the eye of the beholder. In my eye, scrapbooking is a unique art form. A way for your soul to capture a moment in time and share it with your world. Coloring outside the lines is allowed and strongly encouraged, and digging deep for those memories, you never want to forget, is a must. Artists are always on the lookout for their next inspiration. Scrapbooking inspiration may come from that special photograph or the memories of a moment remembered from a ticket stub or your great grandmother's beautiful lace tablecloth. It is amazing how you can share the story and share how these treasures inspired you or made you feel through a scrapbook layout. Scrapbooking allows me to share my memories, people who touch my life, and places I have been, with family and friends. It is also a great outlet for my artistic endeavors. I look forward to sharing my art with you.