Final Faux Metal Samples

Thanks for the comments on the previous two posts about the Faux Metal samples.  The idea of the sampler is that you try each one in turn and then you decide which you like the look of, which you enjoy doing and then which you are going to use on your photo frame.  For those of you in America, Michaels has frames like the one I used and in Europe you can get something similar at Ikea.  Of course you could always do a larger one using one of those big frames from Ikea like the Palooza was done with.

The first one I am showing you today was done using Mirri card/Mirror card.  Any base colour will do but I used Gold, fed it through an Embossing Folder and then dripped Alcohol Inks on.

Next is that plastic feel, greyish looking, Duck Tape.  The first one I did I was not happy with as the tape is not wide enough for the 3" x 3" base and you could see the join.  So I had a lightbulb moment and used the join as a line.

Can you guess what made the pattern?

Underneath I laid some string, first gluing the card and then placing the string in position.  Leave it to dry before putting the Duck Tape on.  Again Alcohol Inks were used for the colouring.

This was what I first did several years ago when I made a container out of matchboxes with the Girl Guides.  I must have read about it somewhere and we decorated a lid with string swirls and lines and then when it was dry used crumpled Aluminium Foil and Boot Polish. So you see where the idea was born all those years ago (many many years ago).

The final one is done with sheet metal.  For some reason it looks reversed.  The birds actually puff out and the windows sink in.  This was first stamped in Stazon, outlined with a tool (my class used a stylus from paper crafting) and then worked, in the case of the birds, from the back in a gentle circular movement until it was standing quite proud of the base.

Not sure if you can tell or not from the picture but the squiggles (again worked with the stylus tool) are worked sometimes from the front and sometimes from the back.  This gave a lovely effect with some parts standing out from the other which is indented.  Once happy with what you have done fill in the back of the birds with Polyfilla/Calk or something similar and let it harden before mounting on a piece of card.

If you go along to Ten Second Studios you will find some excellent videos on various techniques working with metal and my scant instructions above for this last tile are given in full there.

Before I leave I will just say that I also experimented with Easter Egg wrappers (foil), various sweet wrappers, Crisp packets (chips to my American friends) and found my favourites to be Total Yoghurt and the foil top off a margarine tub - the crisp packets did not work - plastic I guess.  The margarine foil gives you two different views as you get a shiny side and a matt side - take your pick!

Hope you give some of these a try - and thanks for viewing!

Faux Metal (Part 2)

Carrying on with what I used for my Sampler Board and later for my Photograph Frame - see here for the pictures - I am now going to show you another three tiles all of which use the same medium for the base

This one was produced using an Embossing Folder and colouring with Alcohol Inks.

This one was produced using a mold and rubbing with a large paper stump and then finishing off with a smaller one.  If you have a stylus type tool then you can go around the edges and tidy them up - this brings out the design even more. Again coloured with Alcohol Inks.

The last one was a square just put through a folder and coloured and then I made a metal butterfly to go on it which was die cut and coloured with Inka Gold.

and the material used on all of them was

Aluminium Take Away Cartons!

You can also use the Tomato Paste tubes which you need to cut and then wash out.  I can never be bothered with that but it was fun finding out what materials in the home I could use.  I decided to forgo the use of Soda cans when I was teaching as there can be some nasty cuts if you are not careful. 

There are still three squares to go and I will show you them tomorrow.  Hope you are going to play along and do some yourself.

As Promised - Faux metal (Part 1)

Remember my metal pieces I showed you a couple of days ago here? Well here is the first of my faux metal pieces and how to do it - three of them actually as they all use the same base.

This first one was using a die cut and Aluminium Foil with Alcohol Inks over the top.  First of all you need to diecut yourself a shape say a couple of times if using ordinary weight (300) cardstock.  Stick the diecuts together to make a bit more thickness.  Stick down on base and allow to adhere.

Then take a piece of Aluminium Foil, crumple it in your hands, unfold but do not straighten out fully.  Put glue over the entire piece of cardstock (die and base) and place Foil over gently pressing down. Using your fingers push the Foil down around the diecut shape, I also use the back of my finger nails to smooth out especially over the die cuts.  You could use a cotton wool bud or the eraser end on a pencil to push down with and help to smooth.  Colour with Alcohol Inks of choice.

This second one is done in exactly the same way as the flower but this time I painted Black Acrylic Paint all over, let it settle for a minute and then took it off with a piece of cotton wool or soft rag.  It stays in the creases and crevices formed by the die cuts.

The final one using Aluminium Foil is done in the same way but this time I used the negative from a die cut as this one below (the one above was a swirl).  The two wavy lines are die cuts used as in the previous two examples.  This may look silver but in actual fact when you see it in real life it is duller and the cracks and creases are black - what did I use?  Black Boot Polish!  Rub on, leave about five minutes and gently remove.

Well I hope you will give this a go and I would love to see your results.  I will be back another day with another reveal as to what I used in my sampler.

Artful Times - New Challenge (23)

For this week we decided to do a Colourful Technique and I chose to do the Stazon Technique, a version of which I featured on my blog not long ago.  I was first taught this by Cath Wilson and then the other week Lynne (Wilkinson) repeated it for everyone at Victoria Stampers.

Here's the one I submitted for you to look at on the Artful Times Blog.

If you go over to the challenge blog you will see there is a link provided so you can go and watch a video on how to do it.  Here is a quick written version (all inks used are Stazon):

• Stamp main image at an angle on white card (coated if possible) creating four distinct corners (as shown purple).
• Take a smaller background stamp and stamp in the four corners.  Heat set.
• Using Post-It-Notes, to mask off areas you do not want to colour, apply Azure to the corners and then Blazing Red over the top with some cut and dry foam.  You now have a purple.
• Apply other colours to the central image one by one until the area is filled with bright colours (Cactus Green, Pumpkin, Mustard, Azure and Blazing Red).
• Heat Set again.

• Take word stamps, or use an alphabet stencil and stamp words at an angle across the card using Black Stazon.
• Take a Post-It-Note and put above the word and apply black ink off the edges of the mask to give a black frame effect.  Repeat kind of "upside down" to give a black frame at the base of the word.  Do this with all the words you have stamped.

• Now, using a white pen (my preference is the Signo), rule a white line where you masked the edges.  Leave to dry.  Repeat with other words.
• Highlight the letters with the white pen also.
• Put dots in the background stamped corners using your white pen.  Again leave to dry.

There you have it - the Stazon technique.

I did a variation using Distress Inks in the new colours and got quite carried away making these cards although they all require a word or two yet before they are finished.  Guess they could be left as they are not strictly Stazon technique are they?  But they would do for this challenge!  As you can see I did have fun with these (they were on my desk a while ago but in a pile) and I think I will have some more fun later, afterall this says "time for fun".

As you can see I used my white pen to do different things on my corners.  And did different colours in the corners rather than the central image.  Guess you could say - nothing like the Stazon technique at all.

Hope you join in with us with this challenge.

Anything Goes on Artful Times (Challenge 18)

Phew!  Was I glad it was a free choice this week over on Artful Times.  I just do not know where the days are going to but they are certainly not hanging around.  Only thing is that a) I am not ready for Christmas (not even done one complete card yet) and b) as each day goes by I realise I am getting older.

It was nice to welcome some new people to our challenge last week, hope we see you again soon.  We didn't have as many entries as usual so I wonder if the 'fabric' put some of you off, or are you like me, drowning in the Christmas stuff.  If you haven't seen the lovely fabric tags that are on show do pop over to the Artful Times for a quick look.  It would be nice if you could put a comment on some of the work too, people love comments.

I had a cut down box on my desk a few weeks ago and finally got around to covering it.  One of my closest friends saw it on my blog and said she wanted one.  Well, me being me, I couldn't have hers like mine so I took hers a step forward:

It looks a bit like a contraption on wheels doesn't it.  Well, it is simply a holder for those ATG guns that have so much sticky on the tape that it sticks to anything and everything on your desk.  This has proved invaluable for me and I urge you to make one.

In the beginning

I took one cat food box and cut it down to just below the push out bit for the lid.  It's approximately 3.5 inches high now.  Then I took a piece of 12 x 12 scrapbook paper and measured out, using the box, how much I needed for the two long sides allowing a little at each end to turn around the corner and a good overhang at the top.

Hope you can see what I mean, on the right you can see the folded bit sticking up and on the left my bone folder is there to show you that I marked along the edge of the box to get a crease line.  I then stuck the piece on, marked across the top with my bone folder and turned the top edge over and inside the box.  (Is that as clear as mud?)  Repeated with the other long side.

The two short sides were cut from what remained of the 12 x 12 paper, measured for length with an allowance for a turnover and then stuck on each end.  You can see one is in place and the other on the deck.

As you can see from the photograph below I actually made three of these containers in all. One for myself with "Glue" on it and one with the name of the recipient on it.  (Carmel overheard Lorraine asking me to make her one and she wanted one too) and, of course, the one for my friend Lorraine.

Now what is the wheel?

On Lorraines I have put a Cheese Triangles box, covered in paper. What for, I can hear you asking?  Well, Lorraine is in need of a bit of TLC so she got a special box and hers has a wheel on, to .....  wait for it .....  has a wheel on to hold a spare reel of tape.  I only had one of these boxes or I would have put two wheels on so that she could keep a spare tape for each of her guns in the one place.

I felt it would be cheating to put this on the challenge without any stamping so I made little frames and stuck them around the box (sticky tape on three sides only).  Lorraine can now take the stamped images I made for her box out and replace them with photographs of her pets and family.

Hope some of you like this project and have a go yourself.  If you don't have a cat to get a box do what I do - feed the neighbours two!

ps when covering the circular box lid and base draw a circle then add a bit and cut it like you do when lining a cake tin (snipping edges).  This is then folded down on the edge, glued and a strip added to cover it later.

WOYWW 174 and Two More Cards

Well, I forgot it was Tuesday night and I didn't even think about uploading to my already started blog for Wednesday - went to bed. Hope I have not had any visitors from WOYWW (for those who don't know - follow the link and all will be revealed).  This post is in two parts - WOYWW ends part way through and two cards with instructions starts then.

Anyway, here is my desk as it stands at almost 1.30 Wednesday morning.

I was re-covering my Duster box - the brushes I now use with my Distress Inks.  Iain (Ali-Crafts) says this is the best way to use the inks and I have to agree they make a smashing job of it, no more of those hard lines that you can get, even when you use them correctly, with the "things a purpose".

On the left is my cd box (fabric from that Swedish company) with most of my Spellbinders dies in.  I was going to cut my circles out on that piece of white card, similar to the blue one which is a bit of a mess.  On the blue one I cut them out freehand but I think I have found some dies the right size now.  I also did not make a large enough border which is what brings it up a bit in the box.  Is all that as clear as mud?

This is how I store my dies.  On the picture above you can see they are in plastic CD sleeves with magnetic paper to hold them in place. Each has a label on.  Then they stand up in this CD case with cards between to show what they are, eg circles, rectangles, labels, flourishes etc.  I've had them like this for years and it works for me.

Well, the headache isn't going to go is it, so I guess I should put the computer away and either go back to bed and try to sleep or finish off my box for my Duster brushes.

Why don't you pop along to the Queen of BlogHopping's blog and see what others have on their desks.  Great fun having a nose around and sometimes you find a few tips along the way.  Can I ask please that you put your number down if you are joining in, it makes it so much easier to find you and leave a comment.  This especially helps if you have more than one blog listed.

Night night!

ps Shaz, if you are able to see this I am thinking of you and sending lots of love and healing vibes.

pps Here are the instructions for the other two cards for the ladies from Port Sunny.  (see previous post for instructions on other two cards)

• Take your piece of card 5" x 11.5" and fold in half.  Make a further fold, on either side of the fold already made 3/4" away on both sides.  Punch holes down the front of your card as above to represent a journal page.
• Using a light brown Distress Ink and a mask/stencil lightly sponge a design on three sides.
• Using Archival Cocoa stamp "Ladies Diary" in the top left hand corner.
• Take a piece of card 2 1/4" x 2 1/2" and stamp "Lady in Hat" - mount on brown card and place on front of folded card.
• Take another piece of card 1 1/4" x 2 1/4" and stamp "I promise to" - mount on brown card.
• Stencil border on inside of card and put "I promise to" on left side. 
• Cut a slit (or use punch) in folded inside edge and stick with narrow ds tape so you can insert a gift card.

Here is a view of the inside which might help you to understand the above instructions.

Turquoise Card

• On a square card stamp the border matching up as carefully as possible with Peacock Feathers Distress Ink.
• On a piece of card 6" x 4 1/4" stamp a background stamp with Versamark and heat set.  Cover with a mix of Peacock Feathers and two other blue Distress Inks.  Place between the borders.
• On a piece of card 3 3/4" x 2 1/4" stamp the Lady in the Large Hat in Cocoa or Sepia.  Mount on brown card and set to one side.
• On a piece of card 4" x 1 1/4" stamp the words "Style ..." in Cocoa/Sepia; mount on brown card.
• Place both pieces on large background and adhere the whole to the main cream card. 

NB In order to line up the border stamps I used a clear mount that was more or less the same size as the stamp.  Then I placed it at the very base of the mount and marked the centre of the front of the card with a light pencil mark.

Next I went and lined the edge of the stamp up with the pencil mark and stamped, making sure the bottom was at the base of the card.  I repeated it but this time used the opposite end of the stamp to meet the pencil mark.

Graphic 45 Vintage Ladies

Hope you enjoyed the cards in Monday's posting.  Don't forget you can buy the Graphic 45 stamps from Ali-Crafts (see photograph in yesterday's posting for them - just tell Ali they are the ones Neet used.  As promised here are the first of the instructions for the cards.  (NB Larger versions of the cards on previous post)

White Embossing Powder Card:  you need a White DL card for this one.

In the top left hand corner stamp the script with a clear pad, or white, and emboss with white embossing powder.

Preferably using the Dreamweaver Brushes (on sale at Ali-Crafts and honestly the best brushes to use imo) brush on light colours of Distress Inks.  I used a pink, a blue and a yellow.

On a piece of card 2 7/8" x 7/8" stamp "Paris" in black ink and emboss.

On a piece of card 4" x 2" stamp the car and put Glossy Accents on the windscreen - and maybe a box or two.

Tall lady card:  you need an A4 sheet folded in half for main card then

Using Stazon ink stamp the top half of the lady on a piece of acetate. Allow to dry.  In the meantime get on with the remainder of the card next taking ...

A piece of card 7 1/2" x 5 1/2" and cover well with Distress Inks.  Put a stencil over the top and gently mist through.  Wait a minute and lift gently at the corner to see if the colour has begun to "wick" - when you can see the design remove stencil, repeat lower down then heat set and leave to one side to fully dry.

Using a brown DI colour a piece of cream card 6 1/4" x 2 1/4" taking ink from the edges towards the centre but leaving the centre cream and stamp the lady in the dress with black ink.  Set to one side.

Colour a piece of cardstock 2 1/8" x 2 3/4" and stamp the mirror in black.  Cut out the centre mirror part carefully.  Take a small piece of cream card large enough to fill the aperture you have just cut and sandwich the acetate you did earlier (ladies head image) between these two pieces.

Colour a piece of card, on both sides,  2 3/4" x 2 1/4" in a dark brown DI and one slightly less (2 1/2" x 2") in a lighter brown.  On the larger piece faintly with pencil, draw a margin 1/4" in on all four sides. From the corners of these margins cut a cross (corner to corner).  Curl each point over a pencil.  On the lighter piece stamp the words "true beauty in a woman ...".  Affix this behind the aperture on the curled card.

Mount all three finished pieces with a fine black border.  These will be affixed to the main card lastly.

The stencilled card does not require a mount and should be stuck to the main card.  Then affix the three mounted pieces.  A greeting can be attached in the space or it can be left as in my sample.

Hope you enjoyed seeing how to make these two cards.

Oyster Stamps Blog Hop Starts Today

Well, here we are at last, Oyster Stamps is launching its very first Blog Hop, in fact the first time the Design Members (Barbara, Linda, Martine, Pam, Paul and myself, Neet) have got together as a team.  I do hope you join in and visit each one of us as we upload our creations using our Grand Calibur and the Spellbinders Cut, Fold and Tuck Dies starting here today.

It all began with a bit of fun with our ‘boss lady’, Tracey, handing me four sets of Dies at Aintree show.  Four “Cut, Fold and Tuck” dies to do something with.  She then said she was going to challenge the team to come up with something using them.  Barbara and I chipped in and then the words “blog” and ”hop” came out into the conversation and before I knew what was happening it was taking off.

Here’s a short video to show you how these incredible dies work and a little snapshot of what I made with some of the ones I had been given to work with.  (This video went live yesterday to make sure it was working in time for the Blog Hop so it does talk about "tomorrow" which is "today".  Sorry.  Also the sound is fairly low but that is my itty bitty camera.  Please bear with me.)

Now you have marvelled at my finger nails (don’t often get them all to that length – wonder how long they will stay?) here is what I did with my dies.  It’s fun to buy more than one set of these dies as you can mix and match them - I threw mine in the air and let them land on my desk and then proceeded to make a card with a couple of them.  Now to puzzle as to which set they all belong to LOL.

It had to be a large card from me as I am always dem'ing the Grand Dies from Spellbinders so here I have used Grand Labels One and Four, CFT Angle Approach (Lg), Carnival Dream (Md) and Parisian Accents (thanks *Cindy - see link at end) for the corner pieces.

There are so many things you can do with these dies, not just restrict yourself to making cards, what about a candlestick (Spectacular Spin (L) drip tray ?  (NB please do not leave unattended when burning the candle – always take care with a naked flame or better still remove the tray when burning the candle)

A napkin ring (Floral Burst (M) to use on that table setting with the candlestick?  You could even make a placemat and put one in the corner – imagine them all in red, white and blue for a Jubilee celebration!

I used a sheet of A4 card, the Fleur de Lis border and made a place mat for my Party Setting

I even went and made a badge/rosette (Floral Burst (L) for George, one of the twins (sorry Tom, could not find your photo on my computer) which is what you could do for the kids who are having a party.  Either the child’s name or a number showing their age would be good fun and would fit in those party bags just fine.

There were so many things I wanted to make with these versatile dies – I thought a headband with one, two or three of them on the side would be rather cute, two or three brightly coloured ones on sticks to make some fun flowers.  The ideas are endless.  What can you come up with?

Once I see what the others have made I think I will get back to making more things.  Hope you do too – they are on sale here at Oyster Stamps so get them quickly as the orders will be flying off the shelves in no time.  In the meantime though, you need to follow all the wonderful talented Design Team to see what incredible makes they have all done.  Just leave a comment on every blog and at the end, 6pm Friday, 25th May, all the names of those who have commented (on ALL SIX Blogs) will go into a hat and a winner will be chosen who will receive two of the dies we have been using!

Be sure to peek in at the other DT Members  - tomorrow we are with Linda and then going on to

Sunday - Pam

Monday - Paul

Tuesday - Barbara

And ending with Martine on Wednesday.

Have fun!  And please leave us a comment to tell us what you think of our creations and our first ever blog hop!  Remember, there's going to be a lucky winner.

Links as promised:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vSpPO7o61U&feature=channel&list=UL – * Cindy Etchinaw’s You Tube video

http://www.amazingpapergrace.com/warmed-with-joy/ - Becca’s Amazing Paper Grace Blog

As Promised - A Quad Easel Card

I did promise a few of you at Harrogate that I would post instructions on how to do a Quad Easel card just like the one you saw on my table (see here) and prior to that had made a promise to Tam and others via the internet so here goes.

You will need to cut cardstock as follows:
1 square 8" x 8" which will be your base card
1 toning/contrasting square to be your upper layer 7.1/2" x 7.1/2" (seven and a half inch square)
Mat and layer these two together to begin with.  Set to one side.

4 pcs the same colour as your base card 3.1/2" x 7" (three and a half inches by seven)
4 pcs the same colour as your base card 3.1/2" x 3.1/2" (three and a half inches square)

4 pcs in your toning/contrasting colour 3" x 3" (three inches square) - these are to stamp on

(click on picture to enlarge and see sizes if unsure)

Stamp your images on your 3" squares and mat these on your 3.1/2" (three and a half inch) squares.  Set on one side.

Take your 3.1/2" x 7" (three and a half inch by seven inch) pieces and fold in half and then fold the bottom corners up to the centre fold as in the picture below

I always find it best to put a ruler on the bottom square, corner to corner, and score before folding.  That way you get a much neater, exact and crisper fold.  Go over the folds with your bone folder.
(Below I have shown you how the rectangle is folded on some patterned paper just to make sure you can see what I mean)

Now put sticky double sided tape on the triangles as shown below

Then attach your square with your stamped image on as below:

In this one I did not have as many layers as in the previous one so as not to confuse you, so I decided to do a little corner punching to add some interest and stop it being too plain.

You can now add your "stops" - these can be diecuts, stamped images etc with a sticky foam piece underneath or you could put brads on as I have with this one.

Place your individual easels on the base card carefully (do a dry run, I found this confusing at first) so that each one is facing outwards and then fix into position either by double sided tape (strong one please) or using sticky foam pieces which is best if you have used brads, otherwise they won't lie flat.

Top View above

I used brads for the stops but a punched circle with words stamped on for just one of them.  (Birthday Greetings)

Yes, it does fold flat for giving

Tip: 

1) If I want my hole in the centre of the card for my brad or just for placement of anything (it gets covered) I put my ruler corner to corner and mark a faint pencil line and then do it with the other two corners so I have a cross - "X marks the spot!"

2) I always put a hole in my base with my pokey tool to mark where I want the brad and then lie that one on top of the other one and poke through again, repeat with the other two.  That way all the holes are in the identical place on each one.

I hope you can follow this, I always find it difficult to do a tutorial on blogger because you only have a little window to work with.  I will try to find time to do another one but video it just in case you didn't follow but that might be another week yet as it will be a Blue Peter job.  LOL.

If I have gone wrong or missed something please do not hesitate to tell me - at least then I can correct it.  Who will be my guinea pig?

It's Christmas Day 2011

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas.  

I thought I would show you a Christmas Card I made that was a little bit different to what I had been making.  It started life as a birthday card for someone and then I thought about it and made a couple of Christmas cards in a similar way.  It probably needs working on to get it to be the perfect card.

Basically it is a card with a circular aperture cut out, with acetate behind it that has been alcohol inked.
Displayed so the light shows through the acetate.

Cards with aperture cuts in and acetate with alcohol ink on them

Acetate stuck to back of card

Image stuck on to card front

I need to work on this some more and think outside the box a bit.  I am sure some of you out there can already do this.  I have left this so that when the recipient displays this card the light (hopefully) shows through the acetate.  I did think of adding pieces of thin cord in a "web" or stamping some background on the acetate but time did not allow for such experimentation.  Perhaps now that the Special Day has arrived there will be more time.

Perhaps some of you out there have had enough of the tinsel and turkey and you might give this a try adding your own special twist to it.  

Have Fun!  But before I go may I thank all of my followers for being there through thick and thin - watch out for a give away in the New Year.  And to everyone God Bless as where you are.

A Bit of Naughty

I had to do two cards for two friends and, so unlike me, I did them both the same.

Here's one of them

And here it is viewed slightly from the side so you can see the effect of the screen.  The extra "leg" is a reflection from the acetate.

I thought it rather a clever idea to make the screen from acetate and then have it curved around the figure.  Here is how I did it:  (saves you thinking)

First of all I stamped, in Stazon, the screen (Non Sequitur) on a piece of acetate.  You have to be so careful with this as the stamp can slip and also the ink can lift off in places.  Left it to dry naturally overnight.

Then I cut the screen out but left two tabs, one at either side (hope you can see these).

Next I stamped my lady (Non Sequitur again), coloured her skin tone in and her shoes and stamped an Art Nouveau image (from Tanda) down the side.

Next I marked up on my lady image where the tabs would be - you need to curve the screen whilst you do so (as in my second picture)  - and mark top and bottom of each tab width.

Then you cut between your lines to allow the tabs to sit in later.

It is now ready to assemble.  Entirely up to you what kind of card you make this into but as you can see I made mine into an easel card which I think is probably an easy one to do, particularly with the next stage - sticking it down.

Push one tab in and crease well on the back side so that it lies nice and flat.  You could use a bit of sticky tape to hold it down but I didn't bother.

Next tape the left hand side and across the bottom - it will hold well in place without any other sticking.  This will allow the recipient room enough to handle the card and push in the tab on the right hand side when they display it.

There all done!  An easy card but a tiny bit different.  You could, of course, colour in the screen but I chose to leave mine as it was to display the lady more.

Here is the other one, just a different piece at the base (both bases are Tanda).

Am sure both ladies will cope with sticking the tabs in - I did put a note on the back of each card.  Hope so anyway.

One of them was Diane who had a birthday on Wednesday and the other Ann who has a Special Birthday today - so Happy Birthday to both of you!