Thursday, November 27, 2014

Team ATB and 100 Proof Press Blog Hop!



I am so pleased Team ATB is collaborating with the stamp company 100 Proof Press and their Design Team this month. Oh my goodness, they have the best selection of stamps, my wish list is a mile long! (Santaaaa… you can bring me a gift certificate to spend there lol!) I created my very own ATB "Aquarium" using their stamps!


More views:






The outer block is cut from scrap plastic packaging using the Large Block die. You might want to cut a practice piece using your plastic to make sure it will bend on the score and not crack. Some plastic is more brittle than others.

The inner block is the largest of the set from the multi Blocks die. I cut it out of Sizzles matboard and swiped it with Tumbled Glass Distress Stain first as a base layer.


All the images are stamped with Archival Jet Black ink. Archival ink works well on plastic but you need to give it plenty of time to dry. I didn't want to risk using the heat tool on it and warping the plastic so I just let it dry overnight. I colored the images by painting on the back side of the plastic with alcohol inks. Don't apply the alcohol inks to the same side you stamped on! They will react with the archival ink and mess it all up.

For the inner block, I colored the images using Distress reinkers and Distress pads as watercolors. It's really easy to do. Using a water brush, dip the tip into a drop of Distress reinker and then paint your image. (I have a selection of reinker inks in a Tim Holtz Ink Palette which is very handy.) If there is a Distress Ink color I want to use that I don't have the reinker for, I'll just swipe the pad on my craft sheet and pick up ink from there with my water brush. I wanted to give the goldfish a bit of shimmer so I added some final accents using Perfect Pearls powder. Put a small amount of powder onto the craft sheet (or palette etc.) and add a drop of water. Mix it around to make "paint" and add it to your image. There are binders in the powder that are activated with water so it will stick and not brush off.

The outer plastic block was a little tricky to assemble. Being clear, I had to cut the tabs off because they would have shown through. Fortunately, I was making an aquarium so adhesive backed foil tape on all the seams fit right in! I colored the silver tape black with alcohol ink first. I cut the tape into the lengths I needed and scored and folded them into shape before applying them to the edges of the plastic panels. It was helpful to use a burnishing tool to smooth the tape and assure firm adhesion.

I used the top portion from the Cupcake Stand die as my base – it gives the cat a place to sit. ;-)

Well that was a lot of info! I hope you are inspired to get creative yourself. You can enter the Art with Heart November challenge with your creation and have a chance to win one of Eileen Hull's new Vintage Kitchen dies. (They are so awesome, check them out!!)

I am also entering my Aquarium ATB into the The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #6 - STAMPS!
and The Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge #20 - Box it Up!

100 Proof Press stamps used:

Most of the other supplies I used for this project can be found at Inspiration Emporium. Follow the links below and use my code JUICE to save 10% if you go shopping. I will also point out that US shipping is always $5 and international shipping is just $10. ;-)

 

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Holly Swirls Christmas Card at AJVD

Hello! I have a guest post over at AJVD again today. It is for a simple and elegant Christmas card.
I hope you mosey on over and see the whole thing! ;-)




Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope it is a day of blessing for you and yours.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge #15 - Cabinet Cards

We are already on the fifteenth Compendium of Curiosities 3 challenge! That is hard to believe - there is still so much to cover in Tim's book. The crafty fun just keeps on coming! You can check out all the details over at the Studio L3 blog and join in the fun yourself. Inspiration Emporium is sponsoring this challenge and you could win $50 to spend there.

I chose to make a birthday card for my oldest son who is going to be eleven on Friday. I just can't believe he is almost eleven already - time just flies on by. He is turning into such a wonderful young man. We are so proud of him! =)


I made a tag to fit into the Cabinet Card that has a special birthday message inside:


You still have a few days to join in the fun yourself! Be sure to check out all the inspiration at the Challenge post.

Most of the supplies I used for these cards can be found at Inspiration Emporium. Follow the links below and use my code JUICE to save 10% if you go shopping. I will also point out that US shipping is always $5 and international shipping is just $10. ;-)




Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Eileen Hull's New Vintage Kitchen Line

Eileen Hull's new Sizzix die line called Vintage Kitchen is almost here! We got to show you some sneak peeks in August to whet your appetite. Now you can get down to business and put them on your Christmas list! Check out the full line HERE - these are really versatile dies and would be great for making holiday treats and gifts. This project uses the Canister Die:


It is perfect for making a little treat box for gift giving. I cut it out of Sizzles Matboard. The lid is embossed - the matboard works perfectly in embossing folders and makes a nice crisp design. The matboard also takes ink and media really well. The lid I colored with Festive Berries Distress Stain after embossing. The canister sides are stenciled using the Holly Bough Layering Stencil and Distress Inks. I stamped over them with the Elegant Flourishes stamp and embossed with Gold embossing powder. (Important tip, make sure your under laying media that you've inked with Distress Ink is heat set/really dry or embossing powder will stick all over that too! Distress Ink works really well as an embossing ink. I am always forgetting this lol.)

As a bonus, I am sharing a few of my favorite cookie recipes with you! Click on the chicken below to download a pdf of recipe cards. The tasty looking (and tasting!) Gingersnaps in the background of my canister project are featured in one of them. You could print out these cards and include them as part of your gift of a treat filled canister. ;-)

Cookie Recipes For You

Be sure to check out Eileen's new Challenge over at Art With Heart. The Challenge is called Favorite Recipes and can be a project featuring your favorite technique or style. You can win one of the new Vintage Kitchen dies! You have until Nov. 30th to enter.

Most of the supplies I used for these cards can be found at Inspiration Emporium. Follow the links below and use my code JUICE to save 10% if you go shopping. I will also point out that US shipping is always $5 and international shipping is just $10. ;-)