Antique Gloss Technique

I love backgrounds!    It's why a lot of my techniques that I teach in my classes are background techniques.   If you make a habit of making up more of a background than you need, then slip them into a folder or box (a pizza box is good!), you will always have a ready-made background when you need one and don't have much time.   So this technique is called "Antique Gloss".  It's made using gloss card stock, Ranger Distress Ink Pads, a Stazon Ink pad, background stamps and a sanding block.  Because there are so many gorgeous colours available in the Distress Ink Pad range, you can do whatever colour background you want to suit your images.

"Cosmic"...

"Day-dreamer"...

"Tyrant"...

Here are a couple more of the Wrinkle Emboss technique from last fortnight's classes.

"Natural"...

"Secrecy"...

Finally, this is an atc I did for my brother who runs his own entertainment business Bent Knee Creative.  He has a strange and quirky sense of humour, which we both inherited from our Dad.  It certainly comes out in the skits he creates for his clients.   He liked this atc so much he's thinking of doing a skit based on the Cirque de So-Lazy theme....can't you just see the performers slouching and lounging around?   

"Cirque de So-Lazy"...

Wrinkle Emboss

This fortnight's technique that I'll be teaching through Artability is called Wrinkle Emboss.   It uses the wonderful Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist sprays which luckily, I have lots of.   It also requires embossing powders or UTEE, once again I have many colours in these which makes choice a major obstacle!   Isn't that always the way though, if you only have 2 or 3 choices you can make your decision fairly quickly but open your options up more than that and it can be a big stumbling block for a lot of people.   Do I put blue and brown together with silver or gold?   Does this purple and black combo look good with a platinum colour or should I just go with more black embossing powder?   See what I mean!   The only way around this is to just do as many permutations as you can think of.  You'll work out what works and what won't.   Samples follow.....

"Relinquish"...

 "Captive"...

"Concubine"...

"Tied up"...

Below are the samples that I made using this technique that I cut the atc's from.  Each of these are around A5 size (about 5" x 8") so I can generally get at least 3 atc's from each sheet.   Of course, you can't see very clearly how the embossing powder contrasts with the shimmery mica particles of the Glimmer Mist Sprays, you'll just have to trust me when I say these are very beautiful in the flesh.  Of course, you could always just try it yourself.    I was going to use Cartridge Paper (about 130gsm) but found it was too heavy so I just used the standard copy paper (Reflex or similar) that you would run through your printer.    Click on the images to get a better look at the effect.
  

Just had to say also that I had an absolutely wonderful time in Canberra over the weekend.  It wasn't too freezing which was good and Kaeren looked after me extremely well.   The girls in the ACTSA (think that must stand for Australian Capital Territory Stamping Association?) were all fabulous and so very friendly that I felt completely at home with them all.   No drama all weekend, just a nice and relaxed pace and I hope that the girls had as good an experience as I did.   I did get some positive feedback from some of the girls so I'm hoping it was as enjoyable for them as it was for me.

More Versamark Resist & Others...

Below are the last two atc's I made for the Versamark Resist class for Artability.   I think the girls enjoyed another great way to use the Distress Inks on gloss card by using a brayer to lay down the colour over the Versamark clear embossed stamping.  Loved some of the colour combinations they came up with for their atc's and their covers.   I find it hard to believe we're starting Book Number Eight!

"Trap"...

"Smile"...



These next two are foil tape background, then run through the Cuttlebug embossing folders.   I've gotta say, foil tape would have to be my absolute favourite product, it's so versatile and makes quick and easy backgrounds as well as being able to use the metal letter punch sets to make words.  On Fragment below, I've stuck one of my clear sticky words on a plain piece of foil tape then double mounted it on black and red card stock.  Just another way to use this magic stuff!

"Fragment"...



"Kilt"... (what can I say, lovely

kilt, lovely body)



Finally, this is from the Glue Backgrounds class I taught quite a few months ago.   It's going to be a raffle atc at the Stamp Camp I'm teaching at in Canberra this weekend (14th & 15th July '12).  I'm teaching 5 different techniques from my Technique Book over the 2 day period and the girls will be making their own mini Technique Book complete with sample atc's.  Thought I'd give away a raffle atc for each technique, same as I do for my normal atc classes.

"Haunt"...



Better get packing... lots of stuff to take to Canberra for 2 days!

Versamark Resist - New Cover

So begins another Technique Book, in fact it's Technique Book #8!   This cover is done using the Versamark Resist Technique.  You can do it either with embossing powder or without.   Doing it with the embossing powder is the way I prefer it as it gives a much brighter image.   Though if you want subtle, then just forgo the embossing powder and just the Versamark alone on the gloss card stock before brayering over the ink.

Here's the cover, it measures 20cm wide x 15cm high (approximately 8" x 6").

Below are a couple of sample atc's.  I'll have more to follow later this week....

"Secret Dreams"... (yep, he's/she's dreaming of acrobatic men!!!   did you work that out?)

"Breathe"... (this one is such a departure from my normal style I know.   I just wanted to try out the brayering over torn paper to create the little hills down the bottom and found that it didn't need a whole lot more.  I think this would make a nice card.... if I made cards that is.)

If you want to do this class, I teach for Artability at the Jim Satchell Community Centre in the suburb of  Dianella here in Perth.  This cover class is on this Saturday, the 7th of July from 10am-12pm and is repeated on Tuesday night the 10th of July, 7pm-9pm.   Click on the Artability link above do go to the class calendar to check out the other fantastic classes that are taught there by Natalie (the owner of Artability).  You can book through the class calendar.  My classes are $25 which includes the kit to make the cover as well as 2 sample atc's for inside the book, I also provide instructions to go into your book.  Of course, you do your own designs for the cover as well as the samples.  I bring along a wide variety of stamps but the girls bring along their favourite stamps too!