Paper Casting

This fortnight's technique was shown to me by Mandy, one of my students (& a friend!). I had done paper casting years ago using rubber stamps and tissues with a bit of glue and water. Of course the worst thing about it is you have to wait for it to dry overnight before you can use it. Well those sort of techniques just have no place in my 2 hour classes so speeding it up by using the Cuttlebug machine and embossing folders and then drying with a heat gun is the way to get instant gratification....and I'm all about instant gratification!!! I used Glimmer Mists to spray the castings to add colour and then used Gilding Wax/Treasure Gold/Rub'n'buff to add the extra zing to the backgrounds.

"Silent language"... (on this one I used white gilding wax to add the highlights on the background)

"Industrial"... (sorry it's a poor picture, stupid jump rings just add too much depth for the scanner)

"Antisocial"...

"Chaos"...

"Ambivalent"...

More to come after I've done the 3 classes.

More Abstract Acetate

Here's the last couple of Abstract Acetate cards from the current technique. I have a few blank ones left - meaning no images or stamping on them, just the abstract background. I've added them to my "backgrounds box where they'll eventually get used. I love having a whole heap of backgrounds when I just feel like making up an atc quickly or using it as a focal point on a card.

"Mesmerise"... (this one is on acetate, as were the previous ones in the last post)

"Disobedient"... (this is done on gloss card. I've used the same colours as the one in the previous post called "Self Expression" - Eggplant Alcohol Ink and Terra Cotta Alcohol Ink as well as one of the "lights" in a taupe colour, the name escapes me at the moment. They look really different in the flesh as the acetate makes the colours just so much brighter!)

"Save Face"... (this is the final Salted Sprays atc from the class from a fortnight ago).

On a sad note, unfortunately the best papercraft store around will be closing it's doors at the end of this month. Yep, Scraptivate, where I've worked and taught for the past 5+ years will be no more. The good news is there will still be an on-line store called Artability which will stock all those hard to find arty bits & pieces and as soon as the web-site is up and running, I'll post it here. Natalie and I will still be teaching in Perth however, at this stage classes will probably be at the Ballajura Community Centre. I'll still be doing my atc classes and Natalie will be doing her mixed media & cardmaking classes there too! As soon as I have a calendar to direct you to, it'll be posted here. As so many of the girls have said, one door closes....another one opens.

Abstract Acetate

The technique that I'm showing the girls this fortnight is a Tim Holtz classic! Well, maybe not a classic as it hasn't been around as long as his other classic....smoosh, but a good background technique nonetheless! Whereas he does this on gloss card stock, I did it on acetate and much prefer the brighter background when you place the acetate against white cardstock to really make the colour pop! Good ol' alcohol inks....always perfect!

"Self expression"...

"Live life"...

"Twilight"...

"Frolic"...

"Flagrant"...

I also made a card using the gloss card and will post that next time I'm on here. Hope the girls like this technique!

Salted Sprays

I have several types of sprays but the ones I reach for most are the Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists. I love the colour combinations that you can get by layering a couple of colours or just spraying them next to each other or randomly on a page. For this technique I'll be using gloss card stock, Glimmer Mists and Rock Salt or Sea Salt. By using the large chunks of salt while the spray is still wet, it soaks up some of the spray and when it's all dry and you shake off the excess salt, you end up with a beautifully distressed and textured background. As a bonus, the salt also soaks up the colours of the ink so you can also use that to stick it down (using gel medium) either on the card you're making or keep it for another project that the colouring will suit. Samples...

"Illusion"...

"Cinematic"...

"Afterworld"...

"Princess"...

The samples below are the final ones from the last technique, Beeswax.

"Dire Warning"...

"Double soy"...

"Be fruitful"... (love this quote!)

Finally, one from the Burnt Distress Stain class from a month ago. It's a bit of a risque image though you can't actually see anything. The colour of the picture worked really well with the background. Well....that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

"Kinky"...

Beeswax

The last time I did beeswax was several years ago and it's surprising how many people haven't tried it yet but definitely want to give it a go! The classroom always smells so wonderful during a beeswax class as I use the proper beeswax rather than the sanitised bleached version that some of the stamp companies sell. So it has it's natural colour and smell...yum! I add colour by using cheap, kids crayons. I also like to use my little Clover Mini Iron but you can also use the Suze Weinberg Mini Iron and even those little craft irons (as long as it doesn't have holes in the base).

"Wings"...

"Sometimes I Pee"...

"Life is Change"...

More beeswax atc's will follow as I do the next 3 classes. The following ones are from the previous class - Burnt Distress Stains.

"Fracture"...

"Dirty"... (this quote is from one of my two more "risque" quote sheets, love the pic...mmmmm)

"Delicate"...

Burnt Distress Stain

We've just had a restock of all the wonderful Distress Stain colours at Scraptivate, just in time for my next atc technique class....Burnt Distress Stain. The Distress Stain is the base colour for this technique and I'll be using a lemon to burn it...yep, you read it right....a lemon! So the darker bits on these backgrounds are from the lemon. Samples follow...

"Not Wanted"...

"Wild Life"...

"Now what do I do"...

These last 3 are from the previous class Metal Foil Stamping.

"Rapture"...

"Broken"...

and my favourite, "Cutting Edge"...

There will be more samples of the Burnt Distress Stain within the next week as I always create something with the demo's that I show the girls in the classes. I LOVE my Distress Stains!!!

Metal Foil Tape cont'd... & Cali

Well, 2012 started off in a not so good way for me this year. Our much loved (& spoiled!) Basenji had to be put to sleep on New Year's Day. She'd been going downhill over the last couple of months but the end was very sudden. Considering it was less than 6 months ago when she was last at the vet and he commented that he hasn't seen an 18 year old dog look so good! So no more pets for us, will just have to be content with grandkids when they arrive, no rush Elice & Jarred!!! lol

My new technique book #7 starts this Saturday with Metal Foil Tape for the cover which you can see in the previous post. Here are some samples of this technique on atc's. The first one is for Cali.

"Cali"... (the heart is coloured with Red Pepper Alcohol Ink)

"Zen"...

"Relinquish"...

This next atc is from a previous class we did at the end of last year - Clear Embossing & Gilding Wax. This one is on it's way to you Glenda!

"Dire Warning"...

Here's a couple of pics of Cali...

Grant and Cali when we first got her at 7 weeks of age back in 1994.

Here she is in her prime!

This is the last photo that was taken of her on Xmas Day 2011. She was gone just 7 days later. Happens to every living thing I know but it still doesn't make it any easier. Time is the only thing that settles the heart.