This is another of my favourite techniques, and there are so many different ways to 'mask' which we will explore over the next few weeks.
For this particular version, you will need Post-It notes or similar self adhesive edged notes and to practise, a stamp that you will be able to cut out easily. Don't choose one with lots of fiddly cutting or fine wispy details that protrude from the main body of the stamp, or you may set yourself up to fail.
There is one basic rule: whatever appears in the foreground must be stamped first, masked, and the background is then added. First, stamp the foreground image onto your card (mine is the central flower) and also stamp the same image onto a Post-It note, making sure you catch part of your image on the sticky bit.
Cut out the mask, and using the 'sticky bit' to hold it in place, lay it over your original foreground image.
Now the mask has been created, you are ready to start building your layers to create a 3D effect. In this basic example, I am simply stamping two further flowers that I want to appear as though they are tucked behind/further back, than my main central image.
When you remove the mask, you will clearly see that the central flower appears infront of the two either side.
I then simply painted mine with a water brush and some distress ink from pads, added glitter to the stamens, then mounted onto a complimentary coloured mat, which I also accented with similar colour ribbon around the card.
Now
you have the hang of this simple technique, why not have a play with
other stamps. I have stamped a few more up below (although only on copy
paper to demonstrate to you what I mean - hence the few crumples !).
The first two are purely a character (the foreground) sitting on something (the background).
In this one I played further using more masks, beginning with the girl and the front large pot to the left and the small one on it's side to the right.
I then masked the left pot to add another one tucked behind it and then masked this and the small fallen pot whilst I stamped the cart. The pot on the cart and other small upright pot was stamped, and the one on the cart masked whilst I stamped a further two pot tops to create the effect that there was a stack of three......ooops!! .....not quite in line - please forgive me. I placed the masks back on the pots whilst I added some flowers. Voila !! So what are you waiting for ???? Come on - get MASKING :)
Christine
My
first love, when I began card/paper crafting, was rubber stamping.
Whilst on my first trip to Florida (decades ago!), we discovered a fabulous
rubber stamp emporium, sadly no longer there, but to a crafter it was
like Christmas had come early. They had the common sense to provide
comfy leather sofas for the 'husbands' to settle on whilst the 'wives'
wiled away many hours of 'oohs and aahs' and shall I or shalln't I buy
this one or that one. Tim took a book to read, and sometimes two, as he knew he would be in for the long haul. There was too much choice especially with a limited luggage allowance for the return flight. I wanted it all !!!! I did learn the lesson of travelling light after that, and taking an empty case too. I could do without clothes, I could not live without craft products.....you know what I mean don't you ;-)
This is where I first came across the delightful House Mouse range of stamps - Amanda, Monica, Maxwell, Mudpie & Muzzy - drawn by Nancy Dezotell. When I first purchased them they were manufactured by Stampa Rosa Inc, and subsequent ones from Stampabilities. Those in the UK, and certainly the ones in my web shop are by Stampendous, now having the added space saving benefit of being cling mounted rather than wood mounted, plus much more affordable.
The selection of cards I have posted today shows just how detailed the art work is. They almost do the work for you. In fact, the one on the left is just purely stamped in black ink with just the accent of a coloured ribbon. The stamps speak for themselves and are so adorable, that anyone receiving a card couldn't fail to smile when they open it up.
And everyone likes colouring - right? It's so therapeutic.
I have used a variety of colouring mediums - coloured pencils, watercolour pencils (Caran D'Ache for the paler palette and Inktense for the more stronger colours), and my markers of choice are Promarkers. The cards to the left show the difference between the Caran D'Ache watercolour pencils, and the deeper tones of the Promarkers.
The versatility of these stamps also means that they can have multiple uses. These for example, have been made for a Birthday and an Anniversary, but would work equally as well for a Get Well or even a retirement.
I have discovered a Facebook Page especially for the House Mouse range - fabulous :) So relax, enjoy and have fun...and don't forget to visit the web shop.
Christine
This last weekend we attended our friends daughter's wedding which was amazing to say the least. This is the card I made for them, sticking to a purple theme as I knew the bridesmaids dresses were purple. It does stand up, but in my haste to take photos before I wrote it, pack and all the usual preening and grooming rituals, I appear to have completely forgotten to take a photograph in it's standing position....oops. You will have to use your imagination.
The mechanics of this card is very simple, and it allows the scope of extra space to add pictures, verses, photos and anecdotes when you want to create a bit of a keepsake and not just a card.
To make, you will need two pieces of card. I created one that when folded up, was approximately 6" square, but this can be made any size, and could also be rectangular, with a portrait or landscape perspective. Your first piece of card needs to be made into a gatefold, so my initial piece of card was 6" x 12 " (slightly smaller if using A4) with the outer 3" folded in from each side, creating the basic 6" square. The second piece is shorter as this only has one fold (3") to create the fold up at the bottom. As this piece is to be glued onto the central panel of your first piece, to allow for the sides to fold in, you will need to remove a slither from the width of the second piece, to reduce the bulkiness and allow the folding up to be easy.
Decorate as you wish. I put a bridesmaids and gifts on the front panels, the bride and groom looking at each other on the inner sides, appropriate quotes/sayings on either side of the fold up, and a pocket in the centre for the verse tag and a place to write something personal (and also an ideal place for holding a cheque). I also added some narrow decorative punched borders to the front panels that met in the middle. If you have a slight gap, this is a great disguise!!
I have started some Father's Day cards in this style, and will post them on my webpages when they are complete so feel free to pop over and have a look in a week or so www.divinecrafting.co.uk
Happy Crafting !!
Christine
I was asked a short time ago how to make the milk carton style gift box. It is a natty box that allows you to fill, and refill it, without spoiling the exterior. I am all for recycling, so providing you tie it up with ribbon, or hold it together with a bull dog clip, it can easily be fastened and unfastened multiple times.
The basic principle of the carton is to divide your paper or card into 3 rows and 4 columns with an additional allowance for a tab to enable you to seal the side. The layout shown is using an A4, but any side could work as long as you divide it up in the same manor. For a taller box, just make the central row much deeper (using a 12 x 12 sheet and trim accordingly) An A4 divides neatly into 7cms square and the excess after 28 cms makes a good allowance for the tab. The columns need to be cut to the 2 scored rows, shown in the bold solid lines on the diagram (the dashed lines are only scored)
To decorate, you might find it easier do this flat. Only decorate the areas shown, as the rest will be folded in and will not be seen. Alternatively use a double sided heavy weight paper, or stamp a design onto a coloured card. Using double sided tape, or glue, seal the tab on the right to the side of panel on the left. You should now have the start of a square cylinder. Fold in the two opposite plain panels at the bottom and seal together, then seal the third plain panel onto these, and finally the decorated panel. Your base should be sealed properly to ensure the safety of any gift you put inside. To close the top, fold in the two plain panels but do not seal them, then pinch the opposite two sides together at the top and use ribbon or a clip to hold it closed. Boxes can be made as fancy or as plain as you like. Shredded tissue paper inside will add an extra luxurious quality.
The taller boxes pictured below are made from a piece of 12 " sheet trimmed to 24 cms, making the rows 7 cms, 10 cms (middle section) and 7 cms. Coloumns remian at 7cms wide.
The mini carton was made from an A4 trimmed to 15 cms x 21 cms, scored into 12 equal squares of 5 cms, with the extra 1 cms for the tab.
Happy crafting !!
Christine
Walking last week with the dogs in the woods in our village, we were still able to catch the beauty of the bluebells. It's been quite a good year for them, although the best I've seen was about 4 years ago, when they were a real blaze of glory. When thinking about what I would blog this week, I wanted to share a few of the photos we took on the walk, and to say that inspiration is all around us if only we look :)
Also this week, I pinned on my 'Inky' Pinterest board an idea called stamping bokeh technique. The link is here https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/381961612123342594/
It appealed to me, perhaps because I used to do a similar style of stamping with the children when I was nursery nursing. You will notice that I have used acrylic paints, whereas the Pinterest link shows pigment ink pads. I have however, still used a rubber tipped pencil to create a similar effect. For all the horticulturists among us, I realise the card I have produced stamping with this technique looks more like a lupin and nothing like a bluebell. But it was the bluebells that started the train of thought that made me arrive at this example.
With the schools holidays looming, perhaps this might be something you try with your children or grandchildren. You don't need expensive or unusual resources, just a rubber tipped pencil to transfer your chosen colour medium (acrylic paint, ink pads etc), and I also used an old credit card (an expired AA membership) to make the stalks, dipping the edge in the colour and dragging it down the card. I also picked up the unused acrylic paint that I had put on my palette (an old CD) on an old toothbrush, and rubbing the bristles with my thumb, finely splattered the colour to speckle the stark white background. When it is dry, simply mat onto some complimentary colours, add a bow to create a tied spray look and perhaps a few other embellishments.
Have a go, but more importantly, have fun !!!
Christine
I really fancied a bit of messy art this week. You know when you just get that urge, it has to be satisfied.
I began by stamping my plain tag with a music score stamp across the most of it, and a swirl stamp, just off the edges using a black dye based ink. After building up other layers, it can be seen subtly in the background. I then decided to add some 3D relief. Using a scrap of Dutch grey board, I cut out a heart and glued it towards the bottom of the tag. Then to give it more texture, I covered the whole of the tag in a thin layer of PVA glue, screwed up some tissue paper and added it to the tag. I made sure I firmly pressed around the heart to define the shape, and pushed creases as I went along, with my finger tips. This is soooooo satisfying. Leave it to dry thoroughly.
When the tissue had dried, I removed any excess tissue by trimming around the edge of the tag. I then chose 3 acrylic paints (light and shocking pink, pale blue), and using a wet wipe to apply, I randomly rubbed in small amounts of the paint, starting with the lightest colour first, until I was happy with the finish. This really highlights the wrinkles in the tissue wrap, creating a wonderful texture. Again, this needs to be left to dry. If you use a heat tool, it could dry out the glue too much and the tissue might fall away....so be patient.
I then over stamped, a few random words, using a black dye ink. An image or a verse would work equally as well, as you are only adding interest to catch the eye. I then added a few accents to finish it off - gemstones, flower eyelets and a die cut of a treble clef, simply because I had started with a music score stamp, but again, this could be anything. You are simply creating layers, textures, accents, and therefore interest. You could try glitter, brads, cogs or other metal embellishments, or simply collage other cut outs. I used Frayed Burlap Distress ink to 'age' the edges, but this is optional. A little chiffon ribbon threaded through the top completed the tag, ready to mount on a card.
Well that was therapeutic.....so as always, relax and have some fun !!!!
Christine
Using 2 sheets of A4 card the same colour, place the first sheet portrait view onto a score board and score at 8.5 cms. Rotate 1/4 turn anticlockwise and score at 1.5 cms, 13.5 cms, 26 cms and 26.5 cms. Remove sections shown in the photo to the left. Add tape to the left edge, but avoid the tab.
Now take the second sheet and score again, portrait at 8.5 cms, rotate 1/4 turn anticlockwise. Score at 12.5 cms, 13 cms,
25.5 cms and 26 cms. Again cut away the excess as shown in the photo on the left. You will notice the upper right has been cut into a shape, this can be done using a die, or simply use the curve of a plate as a guide. Also trim another 1/2 cm down the already cut length of the inner side, on the lower half.
Attach the two pieces together, then crease all the scored lines using a bone folder. Fold the bottom pockets up, but don't fix the side tab until you've decorated .... it just makes it much easier to manage. The album should neatly fold in from the right hand side.
I fastened mine with a simple button and some sheering elastic, but you could make a coordinating belly band or fasten up with a length of ribbon. I chose to use the Graphic 45 Mother Goose collection. I could tell you that I love this collection, but the truth is I love all their collections as they are so detailed and are of an excellent quality which makes working with them such a pleasure.
I haven't actually stuck those grey photo/journal mats down yet, as I haven't quite made my mind up what I am going to do with them. They were however, the waste discarded from the first two steps above, so I simply trimmed them and will leave them with the mini album, until I am ready to finish it for a particular person.
Here are some of the pictures of the inside, with the lower pockets now glued down to seal the right hand side of them.
When you remove the mask, you will clearly see that the central flower appears infront of the two either side.
