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"...

Spotlight Technique & Final Beeswax ATC's

Firstly, here are the last couple of Beeswax atc's that were started as demo's in the last Beeswax class.

"En-pointe"...
and "Remember"...

Coming up next is another good ol' fashioned stamping technique called Spotlight Technique, another very effective style for both atc's and cards. The idea is to take an image (in my classes we'll be using stamped images), have 2 copies of the image and then highlight a small portion of the image by colouring it, mounting it on black card, then raising it with foam tape. It looks very effective when seen in the flesh, much more so than on a flat scanner! It's also another excuse to get onto using all those stamps that we all collect. You'd be surprised how many people tell me that they just don't use their stamps enough! Well, here's the perfect excuse!

You can also reverse the spotlight effect by colouring all of the first image and then adding a piece of the same image over the top of a section and not colouring that added piece so it stays black and white! Another way I've used this technique for a printed image was to highlight a portion of an image with a small frame, then painted all over the image with Golden brand of gel medium in Soft Gel - Satin. The layer added was slightly thicker than normal and I used my finger to dab up and down into it to add texture immediately after it was applied. I then highlighted what was in the frame and as it didn't have any of the gel medium on it, it looked different than the rest of the image. You need to click on the image to enlarge it to see the effect. Here it is:

"Ornate"...

Some more samples, "Linked"... (not sure who is the maker of this stamp, I'll look into it.)

and "Moments"... (Paris Moments stamp by Hampton Arts)

More to come...

More Beeswax atc's

Saturday's Beeswax classes went really well. I was particularly pleased when two of the girls who had done beeswax with me before, and didn't really like it, changed their mind on Saturday and decided it was a fun technique and they COULD actually do it! Thanks for sticking it out Maureen & Karen, see....I told you it was easy!!! lol Though I think the iron has a lot to do with it, much easier than using it in a melt pot.

"Damaged"... (pretty cool looking steam-punk fish I thought! The steel cage stamp is from Lost Coast Designs and is stamped onto tissue paper and added at the end, along with the Damaged by Seawater stamp which is by Julie van Oosten. Not currently available though she is going to do some more stamps soon!)

"In fashion"... This one is a poke at myself as I am just SO not in fashion. Just liked the juxtaposition between the dressmaking tissue, Asian book paper, vintage image and my favourite cuttlebug diecut scroll.

"Dream"...no stamping on this one, but it does have a piece of cream cotton lace up the top embedded deeply with wax, over the top of dressmaking tissue again and a few microbeads in gold added as well. Isn't it great the colours that you can by using a little crayon with the wax! How boring if they were all the same colour.

"Life"...I scanned this one before I'd remembered to put some silver metallic wax over the embedded chipboard frame so please imagine that it's there, certainly makes it stand out more and blends better with the colouring too. The metallic waxes, like rub'n'buff, treasure gold and JW's dazzle waxes, all work wonderfully on the beeswax.

Jen Crossley's classes went really well last weekend at Scraptivate! Jen has since posted on her blog with some great photo's so if you want to check them out, please go here. I have some pics on my camera but haven't downloaded them yet, when I check them out and see what they're like, they might end up here. But if they don't it just means they were not great. ;-)

I'd like to thank Carol for this Fab Blog award. I have found that more bloggers aren't accepting awards any more, so I have contemplated long and hard about posting these any more. I'll just do it and if they don't want to accept, then that's fine too. I'm just letting them (and you!) know who I think is pretty darn special.

So accept this award I'm supposed to list five "obsessions" and mention five other blogs. Am I an "obsessive" person??? Possibly!

#1 Art Techniques - I'm definitely a technique whore (and I mean that in a nice, wholesome way...lol)

#2 Crime & Investigation channel on Foxtel - gotta have my true crime fix every day, throw in an autopsy or two and I'm in heaven!

#3 Chocolate - ditto.

#4 Teaching - I get such satisfaction and pleasure from watching my student's obsessions developing as they learn new things in my classes. What good's an obsession if you can't pass it on I say!

#5 Friends & Family - Having lost 2 extremely important people to me within a few short months late in 2008, I am more aware than ever of the importance of just picking up the phone to say hi, or emailing and catching up for a "just because" lunch. Try it, you might like it!

So please visit the following blogs:

Svetlana My Time Out of the World

Davinia Deez News

The Creative Junkie

Julie Is There a Shadow

Debbi Baker

Beeswax atc's

Beeswax is the technique for this fortnight's classes. I prefer the natural beeswax with it's warm honey colour and beautiful smell. You can also get bleached beeswax but you can't go past the natural stuff, my personal preference anyway. I like to add extra colour with children's wax crayons, as can be seen in the following atc's.

My homage to organ donation...
"Salvage"... (The salvage word was added by stamping the word onto white tissue paper with red Stazon, then melting it on with extra beeswax at the end. A perfect way to add wording that really blends in.)



This next one was a vintage McCalls dress pattern picture which I then added a piece of dressmaking tissue over the top giving it a vintage colour. Blue crayon was added to pick up the colour of the main dress. I also put some blue seed beads in extra wax down the bottom and rubbed the edges of the card and over the seed beads with Treasure Gold (a metallic wax like Rub'n'buff).
"Flair"...

This is an image added over the top of scrapbook paper, extra crayon for colour and a chipboard circle to highlight her face.
"My nose itched"...

As I didn't add a word to this one it's simply "Untitled"...

I have some more beeswax atc's to do as there's not enough here for samples as well as raffle atc's to give away at my classes.

This one below is my last Soot one from the previous technique. Loved this stamp from the Cherry Pie plate that I got for my birthday from good friends. ;-)

"Life is an Island"...

At Scraptivate this past weekend we've had 3 wonderful classes taught by the uber-talented Jenny Crossley. The girls made an altered "Swallow" book on Saturday, then on Sunday and Monday there was 2 separate classes where a metal etched booklet necklace was made. Photo's of these classes will be coming up in a future post. It was great to have Jen staying with me, a wonderful guest and an awesome teacher and friend. I could make some comments about something she took to bed each night...but I won't, I could also say something about Dawnie's gift to her and what she was doing with it...but I won't. Your secrets are safe with me Jen.....just deposit $1000 into my bank account, I'll send the details! hahahahaha

Brushless Watecolour atc's, Beeswax atc & Tagged

I've been tagged by Keron, Stampgram and Bevlea so I'm supposed to reveal six quirky things about myself. Hmmmm....think I nearly got myself into serious trouble last time I revealed things in the "reveal 7 things about yourself" so I'll either be very careful, or I'll throw caution to the wind and blab all....haven't decided yet, read on to find out which it is! The delightful Viv also tagged me with a similar award, the Kreativ Blogger.....

and Di (Lady Di) tagged me with the I Love Your Blog award...(one I've been lucky enough to receive previously.....I know, I know.....what a show-off!!! lol)

Tagged.....

Here are the rules...1. Link to the person who tagged you.2. Mention the rules.3. Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself.4. Tag six other bloggers by linking to them.5. Go to each person's blog and leave a comment that lets them know they've been tagged.

Now for the "tagged" responses...

1. I have avoidance issues with cleaning things like my pantry or linen cupboard - if I leave them long enough I have a wonderful husband who does them! (slack or what!!!)

2. I have skinny fingers, my rings won't fit on the same fingers as mine of girlfriends who are much thinner than me.

3. I dislike top 40 music on the radio, give me HIM, The Rasmus or My Chemical Romance anyday!

4. I've had the same very best girlfriend since I was 12 (hiya Joan!!!).

5. I'm not a seafood person, the only thing I like out of the ocean comes on surfboards. {grin}

6. I sleep in what has been termed "the death pose", flat on my back with my hands crossed across my chest. I've been a back sleeper for decades, it's one of the reasons I don't have many wrinkles on my face.....oh, and good genes from my Mum! lol

Bored yet????

So I've done the first 3 of the requirements but I'm going to be a huge piker and not pass it on....it's SO difficult to choose between the blogs in my favourite blog list, they are there for a reason you know! Definitely go check out the girls who have tagged me though, they are not so slack as me and have some wonderful eye candy and insightfulness on their blogs.

Saturday's class is Brushless Watercolour as I said a couple of posts ago, here are another couple of atc's using this technique. These are both made with the Lyra watercolour crayons. Love this first one, it's my favourite - using Michelle Ward's stamps from the Rough Draft rubber plate. The little moon up the top left was made by using a round stamp with clear embossing ink and brushing Pearl Perfect Pearls over it so it shimmers nicely but is very subtle! I also coloured the top part (the sky) with a couple of pale colours of Twinkling H2O's and then stamped some stars and embossed them with silver.

"beyond the city gates"...

and "heal"... (it's difficult to see the word "heal" on the silver metal tab, but it is there!)


Next is another beeswax one that was a half-finished sample from the atc Tuesday night class last week.

"enchant"...

Stay creative at this festive time of year, it's the only way to retain your sanity as the shop's get busier and the kids start going ballistic with holiday fever and if you haven't started your Christmas shopping yet.....get going!

Beeswax atc's, Canvas & Card

Tonight's atc class is a favourite of most people who try this technique...beeswax! You can use either a Ranger Melt Pot, just a heat gun or my favourite - the Clover Mini Iron with the little triangular shaped head. I use beeswax that is unbleached, it comes straight from the honey supplier so it smells so wonderful when heated and is a beautiful honey colour. I also use wax crayons to add a little colour to my beeswax work too!

Here are 2 samples for tonight's class , the first one is the raffle atc.

"Dream"...

The next one started out as a transfer of a girl over some script paper, then I applied the beeswax and crayons over that as well as one of the Collections frames. It's a little more work when you are applying something a little thicker to a beeswax work, like the chipboard frame below. You just have to apply enough beeswax to form up around the edges to hold it in place and also some beeswax over the top too. If you apply too much it is easy to scrape back and smooth over again either with the heat gun or with the Clover Mini Iron.

"Silent and withdrawn"...

A while ago I was asked by Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft magazine (an Aussie publication) to take part in their stampers challenge. The stamps were from Rachel Grieg's Darkroom Door Series and it was the Doors set that I was sent for the challenge. Here is a card that I made and also a 4" x 4" canvas. These stamps are beautiful on gloss card as they are photo stamps so they come up really well on the smooth surface. I also used black onyx mica glitter on this card too, unfortunately it just doesn't show up how much it sparkles!

This is the 4 x 4 canvas, note how the bolt looks so realistic and 3d! The darker image mid-left is the same door stamp from above but it has been stamped on shrink plastic and shrunk.

These should be appearing in the next issue.

Beeswax atc's

Last night's class was on the wonderful beeswax! Love the smell of this stuff melting in the meltpot, there's nothing like natural honey-aroma beeswax wafting about the room....mmmmm.....


The first one is the raffle atc won by Gayle (she DID say she was going to win when I was handing out the tickets and be darned if she didn't!!!).

The next two were just because you can't just make one beeswax atc when you are doing them, especially as I didn't even get my meltpot out to make any of these....just used my little quilting iron that was bought ages ago in my fabric & cloth doll days - though never did use it for that purpose. It's just fantastic for beeswax.

Quick Instructions......

All you do is put some little chunks of beeswax onto your atc-sized backing cardstock, melt the wax with the iron, then lay over your next thinner layer of either dressmaking tissue, wrapping tissue or even something that you've stamped yourself on normal copy paper, doesn't matter that the original wax has dried and hardened, drop some more wax on, re-melt it all together.

Then you can start adding images, embellishments, words etc just using little bits of wax on top and using the iron to melt it. This is difficult to get it to be precise as once you melt the wax, it all starts to swim around....don't stress.....just let it go where it wants - especially if you try to use micro-beads or something small like that! You can also add extra colour by either shaving a little bit of normal wax crayon and adding that to the piece, melting it will spread the colour around or you can hold the end of the crayon straight to the iron and make drops...like I have in the first one below. Hope this is enough instruction....love my little Clover quilting iron!!! (Remember to wipe off your iron though - the coloured crayon can tend to smoke a bit)

After these are finished, I use some double-stick tape and attach them to black mat-board. I always do this with my atc's as it makes them nice & sturdy and I like the little border around them....just the way I do it....not the "law"! lol

Beeswax atc's

The class I'm teaching tomorrow at Scraptivate is beeswax atc's. That classroom is going to smell oh so sweet with the natural beeswax aroma wafting around the room from several melt-pots going! Love doing beeswax....it's SO forgiving, don't like the placement of something?....just re-heat, take it off and place it somewhere else, not enough colour?......melt some crayon onto it and spread it around, too much wax build-up?......scrape it off and re-heat to smooth it out again...gorgeous stuff!

One of these atc's is for the raffle and the other is because you can never do just ONE beeswax atc when you start! lol

On another note, I went with my girlfriend Joan the other day for the usual ladies "poke & prod"...something we both really look forward to!!! NOT!!!! Anyway, in the car on the way there, we were discussing when we could end with this fun activity......I said maybe 48? Joan is 48 in a week's time and then it's my turn in a couple of months (yep, you'll ALWAYS be older than me Joan!!! hahahaha). Joan tells me that the age for women is actually 69........unless..........you take on a new sexual partner!!!!! I kid you not!!!! Like THAT'S going to happen!!!

So anyway, in we go for our separate appointments and both finish up at the same time and she comes out with this huge grin on her face saying "I don't need to have them anymore....not enough 'bits' exist down there for it to be necessary!". So I was right! It was 48 for her but still 69 for me...drat! Another friend who shall remain nameless (Michelle), asked if I wouldn't mind having her exam for her while I was in there as she's overdue....sure, I'll just take it out of my bag and plop it on the table for the doc to look at, then hand it back to her when she's done! Wouldn't THAT be bliss.......mmmmmm........one can dream.......get your check-up girls!