Mixed Media Sea Tag

Hi crafters! It is Monday again! Time flies way too quickly during summer.

Please note: this post has affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

Summertime Blues is our theme this week at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog. I hope you will join us! Don't miss the last project by our July guest designer Thom Santilla.

I made a mixed media seaside tag using gesso, texture paste and watercolor paint, which is always a fun combination. There is a little boat on the sea going out on an adventure. 

Start by applying gesso to the tag, making marks with a palette knife. When dry, use texture paste to create the sea. 

Watercolor paint gives interesting effects on both gesso and texture paste. The paste is more absorbent. Mix paint, but don't use too much water. Start by painting the sky. Let the paints flow into each other. You can dab some paint off with a paper towel. Make the sky lighter towards the horizon. Then paint the sea. I used Daniel Smith watercolor paint. 

When dry, wipe some paint off with an almost dry paper towel, to increase the texture.

Splatter with Winsor & Newton Permanent White Gouache. 

The birds were stamped with Hero Arts Sunset Over Waves.

Sentiments were stamped with Tim Holtz Tiny Text on the margins of the same old book paper used for the boat. Cut into strips. 

Watercolor on gesso creates very interesting textures, especially if you leave marks in the gesso.

The boat was made with old book paper, a black pen and a piece of left-over inky paper. I stamped 'summer' with Simon Says Stamp Forest Scenery.

I also added Simon Says Stamp Pawsitively Dazzling Opal Gems to the tag.

Tie the tag with cheese cloth, twine and organza ribbon.

Join us this week in our Summertime Blues challenge! You have a chance to win a $25 gift voucher to do some fun shopping at Simon Says Stamp. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in.

Do you use Instagram? If so please add #sssmchallenge so we can see your entries there too.

Thank you so much for visiting today! 

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

Colorful Granulating Backgrounds

Hi crafters! I have a tutorial on the Simon Says Stamp store blog today. I made a card and a tag, using granulating watercolor paint and combined with resist techniques.

Please note: this post has affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

I made a whole bunch of backgrounds with fun granulating watercolor paint (Zig Kuretake Gansai Tambi Granulating Colors), combined with stencil resist techniques. This watercolor paint is so fun. The paint separates into different colors and gives a great granulating texture at the same time. It is easy and a lot of fun. You will get a different result every time.

I made a whole bunch of backgrounds for the tutorial and couldn’t pick just one for my main project, so I made a card and a tag. Below is a sneak peek of the tag.

To see the full tutorial and all the steps, head over to the Simon Says Stamp Store Blog.

Thank you for visiting! See you again tomorrow!

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Alphabet Altered Notebook

Hello crafters! Today I have an altered notebook tutorial to share, made with one of the new large embossing folders by Tim Holtz / Sizzix. 

Please note: this post has affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

The new large texture fades from Tim Holtz make it possible to emboss a much larger surface in just one go. I have many times wished for larger embossing folders and it is fun to just see such a large dry embossed paper. The design was just large enough for the A5 notebook I altered (5.8x8.3in). I used the Large Typewriter 3-D Texture Fade.

Start by embossing a piece of watercolor paper in the Large Typewriter folder. I misted the paper with water before embossing, since that gives a better result. 

Next, I painted the paper with white gesso.

Paint with watered-down Distress Paint and mist with more water to blend.

When the paint is dry (it will take a while), apply white paint to the letters to make them stand out better. Don't aim for a perfect result.

Splatter the background with some more white paint.

Stamp the background here and there with the alphabet stamp from Tim's School Desk set. 

Stamp the Tim Holtz Sign Painter letters with Simon Says Stamp Tidepool Pawsitively Saturated ink and then die cut with the coordinating Simon Says Stamp Sign Painter Letters set. I also die cut the letters from black cardstock.

I stamped sentiments from Tim's Tiny Text and also added strips of Design Tape Trims.

The larger butterflies were die cut with Simon Says Stamp Stitching Butterflies and the smaller with Tim Holtz Vault Boutique set. The were die cut from left over inky and watercolored papers. The bodies were die cut from Simon Says Stamp Black Glitter cardstock.

Glue the title as shown, off-setting the black die cuts to create a shadow. 

The background is very textured and I like how the paints blend.

If you make a card or tag, you can add more shape to the butterflies, but since journals are meant to be used, carried in bags and so on, I left them fairly flat.

I really like the Thoughts & Theories sentiment from Tim's Noble Gents set.

For the background, I used Distress Ink in the same shades, applied them to a non-stick craft sheet, misted with water and pressed watercolor paper into the ink. You can use watercolor paper, gesso and Distress Paint instead. I just wanted a quicker background.

I glued Design Tape to the spine of the book, to cover up the black cover.

Add some glue under the tape to make sure it sticks well.

 I glued everything down with Simon Says Stamp craft glue. If you don't want to alter a notebook, you can also used the embossed panel to make your own notebook, or to create an A5 card.

The notebook happened to match in color to one of my favorite pens. 

Thank you for visiting! See you again tomorrow!

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

Spooky House Tag

Hi crafters! I hope you are well and that you got some crafty time this weekend. Time flies, we are already way more than half-way into October.

Please note: this post has affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

This week we have a Something spooky/Add a little purple theme at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog. I hope you will join us! Our October guest designer Alison Bomber has created a really great project for the theme, don't miss it. 

I made a tag featuring Elmira and her spooky house and cat. The background is Tim Holtz collage paper and as colored with Distress Watercolor pencils. I also used som purple for Elmira herself. Lots of fun little details here. You can easily turn the tag into a card instead if you rather make cards.

Start by die cutting the pieces from heavystock paper using Tim's Vault Wicked set.

Smear Distress Inks on a non-stick craft sheet and mist with water. Press the papers into the ink. Let dry and then repeat until you are happy with the look.

Coat a tag with gesso and when dry, adhere a sheet of Tim Holtz Halloween Collage paper with matte medium. Coat with clear gesso to give tooth to the background, making it easy to watercolor with pencils.

Watercolor the background with Distress Watercolor Pencils. I prefer to use a paint brush, especially on a project like this, which has small details.

Add details and highlights with black pens and a white gel pen. Add shape to the pumpkin with Tim Holtz Shaping Tool Kit.

I die cut bats from Simon Says Stamp Black Glitter Cardstock and glued to the sky.

Add sentiments from the idea-ology Halloween Sticker Book.

The cat was die cut once more from black glitter cardstock and her eyes from Lemon glitter cardstock.

I also added a bunch of Simon Says Stamp Pawsitively Dazzling Rainbow Gems. I like how the rainbow gems change color depending on how the light is falling.

I added a black die cut behind Elmira so that she would stand out better from the background.

Join us this week in our Something spooky/Add something purple challenge! You have a chance to win a $25 gift voucher to do some fun shopping at Simon Says Stamp. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in.

Do you use Instagram? If so please add #sssmchallenge so we can see your entries there too.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog today! 

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.