Wednesday, October 29, 2014

ShadowPress Tutorial

Hello all! I have a Sizzix tutorial to share with you today, made with Tim Holtz 
 
Since I first got the ShadowPress folders I had an idea of covering an entire background with them. I used a whole bunch of different folders, but it will also look nice if you use just one and repeat that word over and over. I made a layout, but you can use the same techniques on a card or for art journaling. The layout has a dinosaur theme since the photo was taken after a dinosaur outing together with a new favourite toy.
 
Start by cutting manila cardstock into strips, about 4 cm (1.6 in) wide. Press Distress Inks on your craft sheet and mist with water. Smear the paper into the inks.

When the ink is dry, stamp the papers with the croc pattern stamp and Peeled Paint ink. You can use any background stamp for this, as long as it isn't too busy. If you hold the cling stamp in your hand instead of mounting on an acrylic block, you get a more random impression.

Carefully dab Jet Black ink on the raised part of the letters. Try not to get ink anywhere else on the folder. Place the paper strip inside the folder, and hold it still with a piece of masking tape. Emboss using this sandwich: multipurpose platform tab 1, cutting pad, folder with paper inside, second cutting pad.

Continue until you have embossed enough strips. I repeated some of the words. Distress the edges and ink with Walnut Stain. The background paper is Motif Cardstock, which has a resist pattern. I inked it with Peeled Paint and Forest Moss.

Use a sewing machine to stitch all the words in place. Don't worry if the spacing is not perfect everywhere. With different words and colours, this background can work for any topic. I love the look of those words.

Adhere cork to mat board and die cut the title with the Block Talk Lowercase die. The letters on this die are pretty narrow, so a long word such as this one, doesn't take too much space.

My son is very interested in how birds are related to dinosaurs, so I had to add some birds to this page. Die cut from grungeboard. I also die cut a second bird, but forgot to include it in this photo.

Also die cut to strips of Courtyard Frameworks from grungeboard. Paint the shapes with Distress Paint.

When the paint is dry, sand the shapes to distress them and ink with Walnut Stain.

Under the photo there is a piece of kraft-core cardstock embossed in two different folders and sanded. I also die cut two flourishes from cork.

Give the birds an eye and place them on the branch so that it looks like they are chatting to each other.

The inky word panels, in combination with the distressed edges and stitching make for an interesting background.

Instead of using cork, you could ink or paint the letters.
 
Thank you so much for looking!
 
Happy crafting!
 
Anna-Karin
 
Supplies:
Surfaces: Ranger Manila Cardstock; Tim Holtz Coredinations Kraft-Core cardstock; Tim Holtz idea-ology: Motif Cardstock, Mini Collage Paper Stash, Grungeboard; Sizzix Little Sizzles Mat Board; cork
Embossing folders: Sizzix: ShadowPress Debossing Folders: Authentic Set, Documented Set, Family & Friends Set, Expedition Set; Texture fades: Drapery & Woodgrain, Eye Chart & Formulas
Stamps: Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz: Graph & Croc
Ink: Ranger Archival Ink: Jet Black; Distress Ink: Peeled Paint, Walnut Stain, Forest Moss, Frayed Burlap, Gathered Twigs
Paint: Distress Paint: Walnut Stain, Barn Door, Peacock Feathers
Embellishments: Tim Holtz idea-ology: Elements Tissue Tape; twine

 


Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Craft Stamper November 2014

Hi all! I forgot to share this cover of the November issue of the Craft Stamper, which is out for sale. I was so happy to see my project being the star of the cover.

They did such a great job photographing the canvas. It is my fifth scenic stamping tutorial, focusing on some fun mixed media techniques. Apart from the scene here, made with Stampscapes stamps, there is also a seascape done with stamps by Tim Holtz.
 
I hope you will enjoy it!
 
Happy stamping!
 
Anna-Karin

Monday, October 27, 2014

Halloween Treat Bag

Hello everyone! This month is almost over, time really flies. We have a 'this is a treat' challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge this week.
 
I made a little Halloween treat bag using Tim Holtz In The Bag die, Distress Ink, stamps and a stencil. The In the Bag die is a Movers and Shapers die and I placed the owl die inside it when die cutting it, to get an owl shaped window. The bag was die cut from manila cardstock.
 
Behind the window there is a piece of Frosted Film, coloured with alcohol ink and stamped with a spider web stamp. It is translucent, so you'll be able to peak what is inside the bag. I thought the owl would look fun with googly eyes.

The background was inked with Distress Ink and stamped with a spider web stamp. I used a stencil and Ranger's Texture Paste to add the words. They were inked after the paste was dry. I also added some die cut bats and tissue tape.

At the back, the bag looks like this. I splattered the bag with Black Soot distress ink, smeared on my craft sheet, misted with water and picked up with a paint brush.

You might be able to see the frosty surface of the owl better here. I love Frosted Film.

The handle is a piece of wire which was wrapped with tinsel.
 
I hope you will join us in the challenge. As every week, one random participant wins a $50 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp.

http://www.simonsaysstamp.com/

 
Thank you so much for looking!
 
Happy crafting!
 
Anna-Karin

Supplies:
Surfaces: Ranger: Manila Cardstock; Tim Holtz idea-ology: Frosted Film; Tim Holtz Core'dinations Kraft-Core Cardstock
Dies: Sizzix: In the Bag, Mini Owl and Crescent Moon, Halloween Shadows
Stamps: Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz: Mini Halloween 3
Ink: Ranger Archival Ink: Jet Black; Distress Ink: Spiced Marmalade, Black Soot, Pumice Stone, Dusty Concord, Seedless Preserves
Alcohol Inks: Adirondack: Plum, Raisin
Medium: Ranger Texture Paste
Stencil: Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz: Halloween
Embellishments: Tim Holtz idea-ology: Seasonal Chit Chat stickers, Autumn Tinsel Twine, Laboratorie Tissue Tape

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Sunshine and Rainbows

Hello everyone! It is time for another CSI:Color, Stories, Inspiration layout and I have a sad goodbye to make. This will be my last layout as a member for the CSI Design Team. It was a really hard decision to take and I am going to share the reasons why in a post in a few weeks. I've been on the CSI team since the very start in January 2012 and I have loved working with each and every case file. Debbi Tehrani is a wonderful person and DT leader. I will miss it and I will still play along now and then.  
 
My layout:
 
I loved the mixed media background with all the different dots and did something a little similar on my layout. From the evidence items I used: polka dots, clear shapes, mixed media, hearts, rainbows and. The testimony was inspired by the fairy tale theme, with a pretty broad interpretation. The layout is about a Lollos concert we went to and my son getting to meet the stars of the show. He was so happy.

I coated watercolour paper with gesso, dragging a sponge through it to create a fine lined texture. The dots were stencilled with various Simon Says Stamp exclusive stencils and Dina Wakley Paint. I started with large white circles, then green and red ones and finally the smallest ones with texture paste. The hearts were die cut from mat board, inked red and stamped with a dot stamp. The 'happy' die cut is also by Simon Says Stamp.

The stamped acetate was in my scrap box, stamped with Stazon Cotton White using stamps by Dina Wakley.

I also used frame, heart and flower dies by Simon Says stamp, die cut from white paper.

I love the Heart Parade die as well as this sweet sentiment. The title letters were die cut with the Word Play die, inked with Shabby Shutters and stamped with the same ink.

The label is from the same die set as the frames layered under the photo. I stamped it with a rainbow and added a sentiment. The journaling is tucked behind the layout, because I wrote pretty much.
 
Thank you so much for looking! I was a little sad to write this post, but it helped that the layout was a happy one.
 
Anna-Karin
 
Supplies:
Surfaces: Daler & Rowney Watcolour Paper; Neenah Smooth Solar White cardstock
Dies: Sizzix: Word Play, Mini Hearts; Simon Says Stamp: Happy, Heart Parade, Frames, Tall Flowers
Stamps: Simon Says Stamp: Color and Sunshine, Drawn Heart Background; Ranger Dina Wakley: Textures 
Ink: Ranger Archival Ink: Jet Black, Sap Green, Vermillion, French Ultramarine; Distress Ink: Barn Door, Shabby Shutters; Tsukineko Cotton White
Paint: Ranger Dina Wakley: White, Ruby, Lime; Distress Paint: Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Black Soot
Medium: Ranger Texture Paste
Stencils: Simon Says Stamp: Irregular Dots, Polka Dots Party Set

Friday, October 24, 2014

Glittery Snowflake Card

Hi all! I hope you are all well! I have a quick Christmas card to share using new Sizzix dies by Basic Grey, from the 25th & Pine collection.
 
I was in the mood for glittery snowflakes and used Sizzix adhesive sheets for the snowflakes. Adhere one side of the sheet to patterned paper and die cut four snowflakes using the Snowflakes #3 die. Glue the snowflakes to the background patterned paper. Remove the top protective layer from the snowflakes and sprinkle with glitter.
 
Here's a close up of one of the snowflakes. Instant glitter and it all stays stuck. The stars were die cut from Specialty Stamping paper with the Labels & Snowflakes Thinlits set. Leave the paper in the die and dry emboss it using this sandwich: multipurpose platform tab 1, Impressions Pad, die facing up with the paper still inside, Silicon Rubber Pad. Leave the paper in the die and ink the star with Peeled Paint ink.

The tree was also die cut from Specialty stamping paper and dry embossed. While still in the die, I inked the ornaments with Barn Door Distress Ink. Remove from the die and ink the rest of the tree with Peeled Paint. The banner was done in the same way, only inking it with Antique Linen instead. I attached the tree and the banner with foam dots. The stand of the tree got a bit crooked when I took the photo, it is straight again now.
 
Thank you so much for looking!
 
Have a great weekend!
 
Anna-Karin
 
Supplies:
Surfaces: Ranger Specialty Stamping Paper; Basic Grey: Aspen
Ink: Distress Ink: Barn Door, Peeled Paint, Antique Linen
Glitter: Ranger: Star Dust
Embellishment: Tim Holtz idea-ology: Christmastime Remnant Rubs
Tools: Sizzix: Big Shot, Impressions Pad, Silicon Pad

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Happy Heart Journal Page

Hello and welcome! I am sharing an art journal page on the Sizzix blog today, made with new dies by Stephanie Ackerman.
 
I really like these heart and word dies and had fun with the colours, using paint by Dina Wakley. This teenage photo of me was on my desk and I thought it fit the page well.
 
You can read more about the page on the Sizzix blog.
 
Thank you for visiting today!!
 
Happy crafting!
 
Anna-Karin

Halloween Magic Blocks

Hello all! This month the challenge at Eileen Hull's Art With heart challenge is 'Tricks and Treats', my project is a little bit of both. I hope you'll join us in the challenge and there is a great prize to be won.
 
I made three Halloween Artist Trading Blocks, but they also double as gift boxes, or rather a gift box where you have to open three boxes to get to your gift, which is inside the smallest box. These boxes are all done with the 3-D Blocks/Cubes die, and I used Tim Holtz stamps and Distress Ink to decorate them.
 
Start by die cutting two of each size of the three boxes (sorry about the poor photo).

Stamp the boxes with different Halloween stamps, and remember to stamp them in the right direction.

Ink with Antique Linen Distress Ink.

Stamp most of the images again on sticky-note paper or masking paper. Cut them out and mask the images. You don't need to mask the areas which are a solid black.

Ink the blocks with Seedless Preserves, Dusty Concord and Black Soot, using an ink blending tool. Mat board takes ink beautifully.

Leave the masks on and mist the blocks with Pewter Perfect Pearls. It is hard to capture the shine in photos.

When dry, stamp with two different script stamps, to add texture.

Remove the masks and you'll have all the images in the light Antique Linen ink. You can add more colour to them if you want to, I decided to leave them.

The blocks were a little too dark for my liking, so I white embossed the fabulous Cracks stamps here and there.
 
Assemble the blocks, but don't apply adhesive to the top flap, since we want to be able to open them. I used Ranger's Wonder Tape.

The three boxes fit perfectly inside one another. My son is going to enjoy opening one after the other.

Let's have a look at the other sides of the blocks. I used blueprint stamps on the larger blocks, carved stamps on the middle one and various small stamps on the smallest block.

There had to be a spider web and a scary witch.

The blocks were embellished very simply with a few orange rhinestones. Since I am giving these to my son, it was better not to add too many things to the boxes.

These are the three lids, would you dare opening those boxes?

Here you can better see the layers of stamping and inking. The Distress Inks hadn't dried fully with I did the white embossing so there is a quite a bit of stray white powder, which I thought added to the effect. If you don't want any stray powder, dry the inks with a heat gun first.

You might be able to see the metallic effect of the Perfect Pearls better on this photo.
 
Thank you for visiting today!
 
Happy crafting!
 
Anna-Karin
 
Supplies:
Dies: Sizzix: 3-D Blocks/Cubes
Stamps: Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz: Mini Halloween, Mini Halloween 3, Mini Halloween 4, Carved Halloween, Specks & Cracks, Mini Blueprints 7
Ink: Ranger Archival Ink: Jet Black; Distress Ink: Seedless Preserves, Dusty Concord, Black Soot
Mist: Ranger Perfect Pearls: Pewter
Embossing powder: Ranger Seafoam White