Smash Cover

I bought a smash book over 4 months ago and have thought a number of times about actually using it.  I was a little uninspired as it's not my usual 'style'.  I like to get inky and dirty and layer etc, etc.  BUT the most wonderfully talented Cindy Porter (I'm so lucky she's my friend!) is on the Helmar Design Team and recently posted a tutorial using techniques I was a little familiar with, but with her own interpretations and an awesome result!!  All credit to Cindy for her amazing tutorial and inspiring me to finally do something!! Cindy's blog post is here.

Lucky for me I got to do this while Skype Scrapping with another gorgeous talented friend of mine - Fiona Butler, whom did the cover of her Smash Album at the same time!!

Here's a step by step on my Smash cover - using Cindy's technique as my base, and my little changes :-)

Before (with the plastic cover removed):

Remove the plastic and lay the book flat on your craft sheet.  Pour some Tacky Glue/PVA on the cover - nice and thick. Use a pallet knife to spread it around - and your finger to get ridges and texture...

Cindy used a candle to heat her tacky glue and get the 'soot' - I was too impatient so got out two (yes 2!) heat guns and heated my cover.  It bubbled and popped and shrank and did all sorts of interesting things!!

Then I added some Chipboard from Twiddleybitz, more glue, and heated again:

I then sprayed with a couple of green mists, and heated again:

Drying the mists as I went.  The darker areas are where the glue had shrunk and the mists soaked into the paper on the front cover.

When it was dry on the surface I added silver Inka Gold to bring out the lovely textures created by heating the glue.

And with the materials I used:

Ingredients:

Smash Journal

Helmar Tacky Glue

Claudine Hellmuth Multi Medium Gloss

Twiddleybitz Chipboard Title - "A Beautiful Life"

Twiddleybitz Chipboard - Long Flourish No Tail (FLOR022)

Viva Inka Gold - Silver

Lindy's Stamp Gang - Freaky Franken Lime

Crafty Notions Colorspray - Luscious Green

Pallet Knife and Heat Gun.

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you like my project - once again, thanks to the very talented and creative Cindy Porter!

Never more than a thought away...

I revisited some old stamping techniques from years ago this week... Re-inspired by the new Tim Holtz Masking sheets to make your own Masks!

Taping the edges of the mask down with tape was unnecessary as the mask is sticky backed BUT as the mask did not have a large border, the washi tape protected the card a little like masking tape on walls when painting!

First colour of distress ink - Milled Lavender, sponged on top:

 Then the second  - Dusty Concord; and third - Seedless Preserve:

Black Archival Ink from Ranger on the Kaiser Stamp for a lovely crisp image:

And then again on a 'verse stamp' - removing the mask first and stamping outside the inked area creates another focal point:

Use a section of your mask to use the same inking effect to tie-in your envelope, BUT ink with the central colour first and then you can blend the colours either side into the middle and you will avoid the colour "halo" you can see through the top colour on the card.

 

And the finished card - inked around the edges with the three colours too!

ALSO - 

 I couldn't help visiting the Tuesday Ladies at My2Angels while on my lunch break, and couldn't resist getting all creative - with a lolly bag!!!

• Grab a paper bag (eat the lollies!!) 
• spray with Key Lime Pie Glimmer Mist 
• then with a stencil cover a thin coat of Blackberry Ferro
• sprinkle purple passion sugar beads while wet. press in with a sheet of chippy and a heavy book 
• add small daisy flower charm to pin and curl end over - attach with glossy accents
• spray the green gardenia with olive glimmer mist and attach with glossy accents over the same place as the pin
• add a bit of claudine hellmuth multi-medium on the flower and sprinkle over with diamond dust.
• add white opals liquid pearls to centre of flower charm

Thank you for stopping by - I hope you've enjoyed this post and the techniques used!!

Jennifer

:-)

Me & You

I LOVE this layout of Erin and I, it's in our favourite colours too.

I started with a piece of embossed white card stock and sponged Distress Inks on to give definition.  I also used the ink and water to colour the tag.  I coloured the chipboard pieces (title, frame, and butterfly) with Liquid Pearls - applied by dabbing my finger onto the chipboard one colour at a time.  I coloured washi tape first with alcohol inks, then liquid pearls and ran it through my big shot with a die to get the cute shape, then just peeled it off and stuck it to my project.

I coloured the leaves with alcohol inks, and the edges of the flowers with liquid pearls and distress inks.

I added Flourish With A Bling pearls to the butterfly and as a movement indicator with the flourish, the pin, daughter charm, and the date was printed on clear dymo tape.

Ingredients:
Embossed Cardstock
Twiddleybitz Chipboard - "Me & You"
Twiddleybitz Chipboard - Ornate Frame
Twiddleybitz Chipboard - Butterfly
Manilla Tag
Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Seedless Preserve
Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Salty Ocean
Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Peacock Feathers

Ranger Alcohol Ink - Wild Plum

Ranger Alcohol Ink - Sail Boat Blue

Ranger Alcohol Ink - Clover

Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Stain - Picket Fence.

Ranger Liquid Pearls - Orchid

Ranger Liquid Pearls - Lavender Lace

Ranger Liquid Pearls - Baby Blue

Ranger Liquid Pearls - Peacock

Ranger Liquid Pearls - Mint Green

My2Angels - leaves

My2Angels - Roses

My2Angels - Charming Pin

My2Angels - Charming "Daughter"

Flourish With A Bling - Silver Diamonte

Flourish With A Bling - Chloe Flourish, Baby Blue

Sawyer's Place Washi Tape - Pale Blue

MPress Rolled Flower Die

Tsukineko Stazon Permanent Ink - Black

Miscellaneous Flower Stamp

Miscellaneous Music Stamp

I hope you like the techniques I've used today and try them for yourself!  Thanks for stopping by!

Jen

:-)

Tip 4: Die-ing with Washi (Follow-up)

A quick followup on Tip 4 and a sneak peak of a finished project using this technique!

I coloured some plain washi with alcohol inks, and put through the big shot - looks awesome, and you could use it straight away just like that! BUT

 If you want to then colour with something like liquid pearls - they will dry and have a surrounding 'skin' that will ruin the project unless you cut it away or put it through your bigshot again!

A much better idea is to colour it first as below:

After it dries, put it through the big shot using your die:

And add to your project :-)

For the full reveal - stay tuned for tomorrow night :-D

Thanks for stopping by!
Jen
:-)

Remember This Moment

I had a great time getting messy with this!  I wanted to use more than one photo on the layout as a recent request from Twiddlyebitz DT Bosses called for multi-photo layouts!

I sponged distress ink though the Twiddleybitz Chicken Wire template onto the background and overstamped with a compass stamp from Darkroom Door's Discover, Essentials 9 Collection.
I altered the chicken mesh wire using Claudine Hellmuth Multi-medium gloss.

 The more I added, the more it clumped nicely to represent the seaweed and stuff hanging from the net in the photos.

I force-dried it with my heat-gun and sprayed it it with an array of mists...

I used the Stampendous Aged Ivory Embossing Enamel on my title and the new Sunfish - both Twiddleybitz chipboard pieces.  I added a charming chain, some shells, and some sugar beads.

Near the Sunfish I added an Elise Antique Brown Rhinestone Flourish, Sugar Beads and Charms, and a ticket made from the Kaiser ticket stamps and Tim Holtz die.  I'm happy I managed to journal along the bottom of my page using a Distress Marker, and added a date as well using the Grunge Charming Date bottle top from My2Angels.

Ingredients:
Background:
The Paperloft Sanded Geometric Series Patterned Paper
Darkroom Door Rubber Stamp - Discover (DDRS090) from Essentials Nine Collection
Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress ink - Brushed Corduroy
Tsukineko Stazon Ink - Timber Brown
Twiddleybitz Chicken wire stencil
Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Marker - Walnut Stain

Embellishments:
Twiddleybitz - Chicken Wire (WIR002)
Twiddleybitz - Remember This Moment Word (WOR086)
Twiddleybitz - Sunfish (SEA005)
Claudine Hellmuth - MultiMedium Gloss
Assorted Lindy's Stamp Gang Starbusts
Ranger - Emboss It Dabber
Stampendous - Aged Ivory Embossing Enamel
Flourish With A Bling - Rhinestones Elise Antique Brown
My2Angels - Sugar Beads
My2Angels - Charms; Starfish, fish
My2Angels - Charming Chain - Family
My2Angels - Date Bottle Cap
My2Angels - Bakers Twine
Kaiser Ticket Stamp - Explore
Tim Holtz Ticket Die

Tsukineko Stazon Ink - Black

Miscellaneous Doily

Miscellaneous Corner Punch

Thanks for stopping by!!

Jen

:-)

Tip 5: Washi Impressions

That's right - I have another one!!  I'll get straight into it as I'm quite excited about this one!

Tip 5: Put your washi through your cuttlebug/bigshot with your embossing folders!

• Put some washi on the backing paper for jac paper or anything non-stick that you don't mind getting embossed!  oh - don't use your craft mat as you can't make it 'flat' again! 

• Put the washi and backing through your cuttlebug/bigshot.  You can use C6 size embossing folders too - not just these skinny ones.

• Peel the washi from the backing and attach to your card or project - gently push or rub to adhere, careful not to press to hard along the raised image.

• Here are a few strips I have done with different embossing folders.  You can still rub some dye ink gently over the raised image for more image definition too!

I've used Matte Aqua Washi Tape from Sawyer's Place for these examples; I'd love to see how you go trying this.  Please share a link to your project in the comments below :-)
Thanks for stopping by!
Jen
:-)

Tip 4: Die-ing with Washi

I thought I was fairly limited in using washi.  

I couldn't punch it - it would stick to the punch unless I taped it to card first, then it negates the fact that it's adhesive tape; and it's not wide enough to use with my dies (and again with the whole being sticky thing!), or is it??

Tip 3: Washi Tape is PERFECT for Border Dies!!!!!

I have a number of border (and small dies) and recently tried putting them through my big shot with some washi - OMG I love this!!!  It's easy as the washi doesn't move when you are winding the plates through, and all the fiddley little bits and bobs are already adhesive backed so no glue-messes for me, and using Tip 2 I can keep these bits as well!!

This make me a happy little vegemite! :-)  I am so excited I just want to spend all day Die-ing my Washi!!

I just had to share my success and urge you to try your dies with your Washi Tapes as well so I took some photos for you to show you how I did it:

1.  I put a strip of matte white slightly longer than my border die on the base plate, then stuck my clock washi directly over the top (It's a bit see through and I wanted solid colour).  You can just tape your washi to you base plate if you like :-)

2.  Lay the die exactly where you want it and put the top plate on the stack for your machine.

3.  Rolled the stack through - be careful, your washi doesn't move but your die might - especially if your top plate is a little, warped (like me)!!

4.  Remove the surrounding and inner pieces from the diecut wash tape - but do not throw them away!! Store them on your Clear Acetate from Tip 2!!

5.  You now have a diecut strip of washi tape!! Use on a project straight away or pre-cut a few to store on some Clear Acetate to use in your projects later!!  No more waste or gluey mess with fine die cuts :-)

I really hope you're as excited as I am - I'd love to see your projects using your Die'd Washi so leave me a comment with a link - please!!!  I'll have an example of how I've used it in a full blogpost soon!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jen

:-)

Riley's Ransom

Another thing I love to do is use Chipboard on my projects!  I ink, paint, cover with paper, leave naked, emboss, dry emboss, you name it - I've done it!!  I am happy to report that covering chipboard with Washi Tape can be added to that list!!!  It's super easy and quite effective - another way to get perfect co-ordination :-)

I placed the chipboard down - right side up on non-stick backing (you can use your non-stick craft sheet).

Please the chipboard up and snip the washi tape overhang at short intervals. Than fold and stick to the chipboard.

For Letter ''holes it's best to make a multiple armed star incision and then fold each 'triangle sliver' over and stick to the chipboard, you get better coverage, adhesion, and less bumps!

I used the fabulous Ransom Sticky Paper for the background on this card, teamed with the Cromwell Washi Tape:

You can also see in the closeup I cut the letters for Riley's name from the Ransom Sticky Paper too!

Ingredients:
Twiddleybitz Card and Envelope
Twiddleybitz Large Letter - R
Sawyer's Place - Sticky Paper "Ransom"
Sawyer's Place - Washi Tape: White, Red, Blue, Cromwell black
Adhesives by Stix2Anything

TFL - Mwah! XXX

Jen

Tip 3:Punching with Washi

I have discovered another way to get even more out of my Washi Tape - It is perfect for punching!
1.  Grab an edge punch - any brand will do so long as you can get a continual pattern or design.
2.  Adhere a strip of washi (long enough for your project)as close as you canto the edge of some removable backing (I used the backing from some sticky paper from Sawyer's Place) or transparency - but remember you're gonna punch holes in it so don't use your non-stick craft sheet!

3.  Punch your border all the way along the washi tape.

4.  Trim any little bits that didn't cut all the way through.  You will notice most, if not all, the 'confetti' will fall out.

5.  Peel from the backing and temporarily adhere to some transparency so you can experiment with placement on your project... (as seen in Tip 1)

6.  Adhere to your project and embellish.

See - easy peasy and so effective!!!

Ingredients:
Twiddleybitz - Kraft Card and Envelope
Cream Cardstock
Alison Ellis Design Patterned Paper
Sawyer's Place Washi Tape - gold
Edge/border punch
Flourish With A Bling - Flower from Elise pack
Alcohol Ink - Pebble (to colour the centre of the flowers)
Scenic Route Paper Co - Rub ons
Stazon Ink - Black
Adhesives by Stix2Anything
I would love to see your creations using Washi tape and border punches - please say hi and leave me a link to your creation in the comments below!
TFL - Mwah! XXX
Jen