Double Embossed!!

Double trouble, not with this technique. I love embossing with my masks, the texture, the dimension and the array of effects you can create. But I always thought it was a once type of technique, I have heat embossed on top of embossing, but never embossed embossing. Well until now!! Having seen the stunning effects a lady got at a workshop when she re-embossed her card because she was not happy with it, I knew it had potential as a planned technique! So when I got my inky mitts on the new snowflake frame, I knew this was the mask to play with! Now in order to create the full effect with this one I did need to use my Grand Calibur, and all I did was emboss the mask on the middle of a piece of stamp and colour paper, I then rotated the mask, so it lined up with the embossing to create a full wreath effect, and embossed it again. At this point the first embossing can look a little flat, but don't panic, ink it (my motto in life, if in doubt ink it!!) Then watch the depth appear, it really appears that the second embossing is in front of the first, I love it!! When happy with the inking I brushed a bit of mica on to add something extra, stamped and die cut a Christmas stamp, matt and layered it all and, there you go!! Simple!!

I am also pleased to give you some dates for your diary (so you can avoid me if you want!!) I have Create and Craft shows on 6th July, 12th July and.......drum roll please.... Paper Clinic 16th July!!

Ok folks happy crafting

Ali xx

What do you do when you don't have what you want?

Well make it yourself off course...
I was making card samples for my show on Create and Craft and I wanted a fancy doily to matt my embossed design on to but I had a problem (one of many I hear you shout!) I didn't have a doily. So while out walking the dogs I was pondering
this quandary and thought "doilies are die cut tissue, so if u could die cut tissue I could make my own". As I had plenty of kitchen towel (being a messy crafter one needs plenty around) I thought I would give it a go. So when back from walking the dogs I grabbed my edge dies and cut myself a fancy kitchen towel. But it still looked like kitchen towel, so I inked it with distress ink, while it was still damp sprinkled on embossing powder, heat set, brushed on some mica, hear set again and voila I had my fancy doily! And I could finish my sample. Below is the one I made on air but I live these colours more, my beautiful gathered twigs distress ink. So apologies that it is a Christmas card but had to share the technique!!

Happy crafting

Ali xxx

Sooty and Stamp!

This is one of those techniques that I love and the effects are outstanding, but please when you try this yourself please please take care, I always do this in the kitchen near the sink! You need to take a piece of glossy card and a candle, light the candle and then with the glossy side face down pass the card backwards and forwards over the flame, move quickly and with the flame just touching the card. You will see the flame starts to coat the card in soot but not burn the card, take care near the edge of the card. Once you have a good coating of soot (you may need to do a few passes over each area) take a perfectly clean stamp and stamp into the soot, and as you remove the stamp you will see the stunning result. Take care not to scrap off any soot until you fix your piece, I use proper pastel fixative and put a generous coating off it down. I love the effect of this technique but please take care when doing it, and give your stamp a good scrub with warm water and an old toothbrush to get the soot off it!

Enjoy

Happy Crafting

Alixxx

Wet, wet, wet

And we are not just talking about the weather, although that is pretty wet too! But I am talking stamping... Wet Stamping, a really easy and effective technique. This technique works wonderfully with your dye pads such as distress inks and big and juicy pads, and stamps such as leaves and flowers. The paper or card you use will give you different effects, I find an uncoated cardstock let's the colour spread, where as a glossy card grabs the colour quickly. Start by inking up your stamp, for cards in this post I inked up with two colours, applying them roughly where I wanted them, but you don't have to be too careful (any body who knows me knows careful or delicate are not words I know!!) Now spritz your card stock with plain water, making sure you have a good covering, then simply stamp onto this soggy card. I often do 2 impressions to get different intensities with the colours. Now try and let it dry naturally so the colours spread nicely. Once it is dry you can then over stamp the image with a good dark colour, lining it up as best you can so the colours show through the stamped design. It is that simple!! Use small stamps to create your own designer backgrounds! I love this technique as it gives you a soft effect and looks stunning, go on five it a go!

Happy Crafting

Ali xx

Busy Busy

Well it is going to be a busy few weeks, we have soo many exciting products being developed it is great. We have new stamp designs and masks, I don't know where to start. But I can say I have beautiful natural stamps on Create and Craft this Friday and new transport stamps on 28th June!! So watch this space!
Right back to current things, as you know I love to experiment with my masks and see what effects you can create with them. And I have to say I do love the vintage look you can get by combining inking and embossing with a smidge if mica! Simply ink up your mask with a pale distress ink (antique linen works a treat), then emboss it into some card, so the ink is lifted off the mask. Now select a slightly darker distress ink, but not too dark (pumice stone or similar)! And ink the design working the ink well in, then move to a slightly darker colour, I like Spanish olive, and build up some of that, then finally end with a good dark colour such as walnut stain, just enough to highlight the embossing. While the ink is still damp, dust with a lovely mica powder, and watch the design just pop. You will never know it started a plain white card.

Happy Crafting

Ali

Well a lot to share....

Firstly sorry, not sure where the last month has gone, honestly this year is just whizzing by! But I have a fair few techniques and projects to share with you. Which I will do over a few posts. I have recently done a couple of DT spots for PanPastels Here is the latest, loving the effects you can get with these pastels.

To acheive this aged vintage look, I took a lovely foliage stamp, inked and stamped with perfect medium and then brushed a dark green Pan Pastel over the image, this picked up all the detail and distressed the back ground a little. I then set this with some pastel fixative as I needed to ink all over the top with Perfect medium and did not want to spoil the lovely detail. After inking all over the image I applied Ultra Thick embossing powder, heat set and then repeated for 2-3 layers, so I had a nice smooth glazed covering. I then popped the glazed image in the freezer for 10 mins. This make the glazing go brittle and allows you to bend and crack the embossing to give it that aged look. This was then matted and layered on to the card. The final touch came from using the Pan Pastels to create my own vintage washi tape. I took a length of masking tape, stuck it to an old plastic bag, so I could work on it with out removing any of the stickiness. I then stamped the same image as the topper, along the masking tape in Perfect medium, again brushed on the Pan Pastels (using the same colours to ensure it all tones beautifully) working the pastels in well so they highlight the texture of the masking tape. I then tore the tape in to smaller pieces and applied the fixative spray again, as the nature of masking tape does mean if not fixed the design will rub off over time (remember to tear first as the fixative spray makes the tape harder to tear!) I then applied the tape as accents on the card as a nice alternative to ribbon.

The masking tape works wonderfully with mica as well, give it a go. Anyway back to making samples for Friday at 11am and 4pm, see you then. Happy Crafting Ali xx