A Birthday present used

Dawn gave me this great Dragon brass stencil for my birthday. Today is the first time I have taken it out to use. I thought I'd show you 3 different ways to use the Embossing paste giving you 3 different looks from one stencil.

Let me show you how to tape your stencil down. This is important so the paste doesn't smear. First tape the top down using painters tape.


Next tape the sides.


Then the bottom

After you have applied your paste you remove the bottom tape first. Then the sides and top. Then lift the stencil straight up. Now go and wash off your stencil and paste knife.
OK now for my first card. After taping the stencil down I took a cotton ball and green chalked and filled in all the openings with the chalk. Then I applied a layer of Translucent Paste. It looks just like jade. After it was dry I chalked around the edges of my card stock.

I took a piece of Polished Stone background and used a layer of white paste first. Removed the stencil. Let it dry and then put the stencil over my dried dragon making sure to line it up correctly. Taped it back down and added a layer of Translucent Paste. So he has a nice Ivory look.

My last sample also uses a Polished Stone background and the white paste. But after it dried and before I added the Translucent Paste I applied some Metallics rub ons here and there to give him some color. Now you don't have to add the Translucent paste. I like the shiney effect. You could also put glitter on top of your wet paste. They also make colored pastes. So you have lots of options.

As I was sitting here I happened to look up and saw that Molly was out. My husband is always letting her out and I'm always reminding him she eats my flowers. She's getting so big and is spoiled rotten. We started giving her Horse treats and she now expects them everytime she sees you. And not just one. She wants a couple. Just like one of the dogs.

Tim Holtz was here today too.

Husband had to work so I had the whole day with Tim once again. Made a few more projects and finished a few from yesterday. I think I'm really getting into this distressing thing. Here's my Distressed chicken card. The background is a webbing technique you emboss. You have to work fast and pour on the embossing powder as soon as you spray the webbing. Then heat it. You'll get just bits and pieces of embossing because the webbing dries quickly. So it won't be an all over effect.

The next card is a mistake. A technique that didn't work but I'm the only one who knows that. It's done with Perfect Pearls dry and I also made a spray with the Pearls and sprayed it. I just stamped the image again in Black and saved this from being thrown away. It's really different from my normal but I'm trying to expand.

Here's another one using a mask. Too COOL! I really like this. Such an easy way to make a great background.

One more Perfect Pearls technique on the blue piece and the background is Glimmer Mists and some home made sprays made with the Pearls. It really shimmers.



My last card uses Rangers Crackle Paint and the background is a Cuttlebugged wax paper resist. That's a white oval behind the butterfly. I am loving that new distressing handle and sponges from Inksentials. So much so I ordered a few more handles and some more sponges. No more splotches. It's wonderful.


Well this has been a creative week end. I'm not off again until next Saturday so I probably won't get much done this week but clean up my desk. New backgrounds drying everywhere. Thanks Tim. It's been tremendous!

My Day with Tim Holtz

While all of you were at Stampfest in Orlando today I stayed home and had an enjoyable afternoon with Tim. Or atleast with Tim's videos. I decided not to go today, save some money and and make use of some of the things I have already bought at previous Stampfests that are still in the packages. If only I didn't have dial up. I could have watched more videos but there will be other days. First I have to show you this card that I got from Dawn awhile back.

It has been sitting on my desk for inspiration. I thought it was fantastic. I'm not real big into distressing. But hers is so pretty. Mine usually looks splotchy or I get to much on for my taste. But what I have learned today I may use it more often. Here's a tool I have had for awhile.


Today it came out of its packaging and after a few videos I put it to work. How did I do? The ink just glides ride on. What a difference!!


I was pleased with both. Then it was onto Stamping with water. I saw this at Two Peas in a Bucket.

You cover your piece of card stock with a darker Distress ink. Then ink your stamp with Distress embosssing ink ( another thing still in the packaging). Mist with water and stamp on your ink covered card stock. Dry with your heat gun. Very easy. Next out came the Tim Holtz masks. Been wanting to use this on something.

From the same Two Peas in a Bucket video I learned how to use them and here's my card. I intend to get a few more masks now. This makes a great background.

I've made a few other things not quite finished yet. Learned a lot about Alcohol inks and Paint dabbers. Have had my Dabbers for quite some time. Wasn't pleased with them because they dried up. Well Tim pointed out to me that they need to be stored upside down. He was nice enough to show me how to make them work again and they are now being stored upside down. Have another video loading. I plan on sitting here most of tomorrow also. Hope all you ladies had a great day. I enjoyed mine. One last picture of a critter in the house last night.

Mojo 92

I'm a little late this week. Going back to work full time really kicked my butt. Hadn't realized how out of shape I've become. Spent most of last week in a coma after I got home. Take out food was on the menu every night but this week is much easier. Just have to get used to working all different kinds of hours. Some mornings, some afternoons and some nights. Will have to reschedule my time for when I do things. Today is one of my nights so I'm doing laundry, cleaning the house and taking some time to stamp before I'm off to work. Looking forward to Saturday. I have the day off and once I sit down on my chair I'm not getting out of it. There is so much I want to work on. Todays card was put together with stuff on my desk. The images were colored with chalk and pencils and are from Inkadinkado. The background is Encaustic wax and the flower I crocheted.

My Husband

I had planned to stamp all day and take it easy but ended up working out in the yard. Took a break to enjoy some birds that came to the pond and watched my hubby play with his bull. He's determined to show that cow who's the boss.

A BIG card for this weeks Mojo

This is a size I don't think to make but you know there is so much more room to work with. I started out with a piece of card stock cut 8 1/2 by 8. But you can go 9 1/2 by 8 and it will still fit into a regular Business size envelope. So for some of those bigger embellishments and die cuts try a BIG card. To make this one I went through my stash and came up with 2 different techniques made with the same colors. These two I use quite often together. I think they work well because they start out similarly. The finishing step is the only difference. The image is from Inkadinka do and I embossed it with Black and colored it in with my Atyou Spica Glitter pens. Chalked around the outside and then took an eraser and removed the chalk outlining the hummingbird. Sprayed to seal the chalk. Cuttlebugged the dark purple piece of card stock for a little pizazz. Backed everything with Pumpkin Pie. The little flower I actually crocheted this week. I've made a huge pile of them using embroidery floss and crochet cotton thread.

A technique remembered

Marcia had showed us this Pigment ink technique at a get together not too long ago. I came right home and cut out all kinds of fun foam to make my shadow stamps. I mount 2 layers of the fun foam on EZ Mount. Easy!



Since that time I have been trying to remember what we did. Today as I was working on a Shadow stamp project it all came back. So I thought I would make a tutorial. You need a light Pigment ink and a dark Dye ink. A Collage type stamp. One without writing as this will be reversed in the end. And your shadow stamp.



Ink your Shadow stamp with your Pigment ink.



Ink your Collage stamp with your Dye ink.



Stamp your image onto the shadow stamp and tap the dye ink pad along the edges.



Stamp this onto your card stock. You're ready to make a card.



And here are the 2 cards that I made this afternoon. I added just a little bit of color with pencils.

Mojo 90

Here's my card for this weeks sketch. Not sure how I feel about it. I started out with the image. It's from a clear set of Inkadinkado. Liked them when I bought them but got home and stamped them and quickly lost interest. So while looking for an image I came across this one and decided to give it a chance. Part is pencil and part is chalk. OK. Moved onto the background and found this piece of navy I webbed. Thought COOL that goes together well. Now I needed a piece to make the diamond behind my image. Man I tried everything I had. Nothing worked. No paper, no card stock, NOTHING!! Decided upon this small bit of a saran wrap scrunch technique. Liked it but didn't love it. Totally gave up on the circle thingy. Plopped a flower from yesterdays coloring up there and there you have it. Thank goodness this card is done! It would've haunted me forever if I hadn't finished it. Although I'm not really sure it's finished but it's put away for now in the waiting to be mailed out pile. I shall send it to someone and let them figure out what it needs. What a time I had making this thing.

A Cuttlebug Technique

Some of you will remember a technique that Kren showed us at a monthly get together. We ran a piece of cardstock through the Cuttlebug in a folder. Then we took our bone folders and smoothed it out. Well let me show you a faster way of doing this. First take a piece of cardstock place it in a folder and put through your machine.



Now take an ink pad and swipe it across the raised areas.



Now put it in a different folder and run it through your Cuttlebug. This will flatten the original pattern.


Now swipe a different color of ink pad across these raised areas and this is what you come up with.



Here's my card. The flower is an older Angel Co. Stamp that I cut out and attached to a Nestabilities oval.


And this card I made for the Creative Cuttlebug Sketch challenge for today. You make a card according to the sketch but something has to be Cuttlebugged. I used the flower border on each side of the card which I chalked. Added a strip of this technique in the center. The flowers are from SU. I spent the morning at the Oral Surgeons waiting on Robin to have 4 Wisdom teeth removed so I colored and cut out lots of flowers and leaves to pass the time. Added Stickles to the centers when we got home. The saying is part of an innie and an outie set from Firecracker designs by pamela. The inside of the card says "YOU!"

Mojo Monday Week 89

Here's my card for this weeks sketch. All paper is from Stamping up. Stamp is Magenta water colored with pencils. Butterfly is I Brake for Stamps embossed with gold and colored with Distressed inks.





No more alligator sightings. I'm sure though he is still here somewhere. Lots of water out there. Vacation almost over. Back to work in a few days.