Bazzill Chip Brooch

Inspired by a class by Kirsty, I have produced my first Bazzill Chip Brooch. I used a paper by Joanna Sheen as the background and a stamp by the same person from the 'Victorian Flowers' unmounted sheet by Past Time Stamps. I stamped the flowers in black Stazon on ordinary copier paper and coloured in using metallic coloured pencils. Cut out the coloured image carefully and applied it with PVA glue to the backing paper which had previously been stuck to the chip.

When dry I stamped a little Oriental flower stamp in Versamark several times and heat embossed with detail silver embossing powder. Coloured around the sides with light violet chalk ink and painted the back of the chip with lavender acrylic paint. Punched a hole with a crop-o-dile before sealing all over with Paper Mod-Podge. Then I decorated the base with a little silver charm of a fairy with bugle and some silver beads on silver wire. Finally applying a brooch pin to the back with superglue.

Will certainly be making more in future, they make terrific prezzies to go along with a hand crafted card !

Triple Heat Embossed Tiles

Just completed three Triple Heat Embossed tiles. I used 2in x 2in Stambord as a base and had fun doing them. The first is on an Oriental theme and I used the Kodomo 'Welcome Back' stamp to make the impression.

I used clear UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel) - Suze Weinberg as the base and sprinkled Stamp-n Stuff Marquisite, Gold, & Gunmetal Embossing Powder into it once melted to the desired effect. I inked the stamp with Colorbox Petalpoint Pigment Ink in Topaz before stamping.

The second is a much brighter version and I used Ranger EP's in Lemon Yellow, Mint Green & Turquoise with a touch of Stamp-n Stuff Claret. I used a floral spray stamp and inked this time with Harbor Pigment Ink.



Final version uses Stamp-n Stuff Marquisite EP and gold Pigment Ink on a Time Flies Stamp.

Three very different effects - all very easy to do !

Triple Heat Embossing - Class

I know that this is a basic stamping and cardcraft technique, but for those of you who might not have tried this type of heat embossing yet.

Here is a class just for you !!!!!!

Ingredients:

• Ultra Thick Embossing Enamels (UTEE's) e.g Suze Weinburgs - any colours you like and/or Embossing Powders (EP's) e.g Stamp n' Stuff or Heat It Up - any colours you like.
• Bazill Chips, heavy card,mountboard or stampbord in various shapes
• Embossing Ink (Judikins) or Versamark Ink Pad
• Rubber stamps of your choice
• Pigment Ink of your choice (e.g. Colorbox or Pretty Color)
• Heat Gun (Ranger White hairdrier type preferably, but not essentially)
• Heat resistant craft sheet (e.g. Oven Liner - Lakeland)

Step 1 - Collect your ingredients

Everything here except the coloured Pigment Ink Pads !

Step 2 - Ink up your rubber stamp with your choice of pigment ink and set it aside.

I have used the Chinese Script stamp by Kodomo.

Step 3 - Next ink up your base material with embossing ink or versamark. I am using a 2inch square piece of Stampbord as my base.

Step 4 - Dip the piece into clear UTEE (or clear ordinary embossing powder), to coat. Shake off excess and place on heatproof surface.

Step 5 - Heat with heat gun until the clear UTEE or Embossing powder has melted. Then quickly re-dip the tile in more UTEE or EP to coat again. TAKE CARE !! The moltem powder will be very hot. Re-heat until the surface is molten and glasslike. You can repeat again if you like.

Step 6 - Then open your selection of EP's and with the heat tool turned off (to avoid blowing the powder everywhere whilst you add it) sprinkle what you like, where you like and then carefully remelt. Repeat until the desired effect is obtained. I used Gunmetal, Gold and Verdigris with a touch of Marquisite. I like to use a small metal spatula for placing the powder where I want it.

Step 7 - When happy with the result of the molten EP, carefully position your inked rubber stamp over the tile and lower into the molten powder. You need to work quickly as the molten powder will set and your impression will not be good. Leave for a minute or two until cool. The heat will not damage your stamp and the pigment ink acts as a release agent as well as colouring your impression.

Step 8 - Carefully remove the stamp to reveal your work of art !! If you don't like what you see, you can re-heat the embossing powder with the heat tool until the surface is smooth again and re-stamp until happy.

Here are two examples that can be achieved, the second using Ranger Bright EP's

That's it and have fun !!

UK Stampers Forum 1st Birthday

Yesterday was UK Stampers Forums 1st birthday Bash. Quite a day with loads of posts and loads of interactivity. A number of on-line classes were delivered by members with some really great inspirational ideas too.
There was online Bingo and a cocktail party - all virtual of course !

I did a class on decorating a Lippy Chick Flip Book.........quite a mouthful ! Today I will do an online beginners class on 'Triple Heat Embossing'. The end product of the book is shown in the three pics. If you would like to see how to make it click the UK Stampers link above.







Festivities continue today too.

Lippy Chick Flip Book Deco - Class

Here is a beginners class on Decorating a Lippy Chick Flip Book.

Step 1

You will need:

• Lippy Chick Flip Book
• Decorative papers of your choice
• Trimmer ,Scissors, Guillotine
• Double sided adhesive tape or glue stick
• Photos or images
• Embellishments (ribbon, paper flowers, self adhesive gems etc.)
• Alcohol Inks
• Alcohol Blending Solution
• Distress Inks
• Rubber stamps
• Stazon or dye inkpads
• Sandpaper

Step 2
Right.....lets begin. This is what the LippyChick Book looks like closed and without any decoration.

First Closed:

Then fully open:

Step 3

We are going to decorate the plastic cover of the Lippy Chick Flip Book with alcohol inks.



a) Take 3 inks of your choice, complimentary colours to suit the way that you wish to decorate the exterior cover of your book. I used Adrondack Alcohol Inks in Butterscotch, Terra Cotta and Rust because I am going to do a distressed book.



b) Open out the covers of the book by bending them back - the plastic is a bit rigid at first. We are going to decorate the inside of the cover because this is less textured.



c) Using a piece of felt attached to the applicator squirt equal quantities of the three inks in three distinct blobs onto the felt. Then with a pouncing action whilst turning the applicator apply ink to cover the inside of the book cover until you are happy with the result. Don't overwork the applicator or you will 'muddy' the inks. If you are not happy with the effect the ink can be removed with Blending solution and a cotton wool ball as many times as you like. I then added more blobs of the rust as another coat of colour. You can apply further layers of colour to build on the depth until you like the look. Ok that's it. The pics shows my finished cover open and closed.

Open

Closed

Step 4

Having inked the case we are now going to decorate both sides of the book itself.

a) I used a selection of Basic Grey and Life’s Journey scrapbook papers from K&Co in 6in x 6in and 8.5in x 8.5in sheets. I wanted to keep to the colours muted and distressed. They were trimmed down with a rotary trimmer to slightly less than the desired 5in x 5in size and the papers were adhered with a glue stick so that the 5 inside panels followed by the 5 outside panels were completed. Allowing them to dry.

Here is the front:

Here is the back:

b)Then fold the left and right panels inwards diagonally so that the paper on the outside shows on the inside - like a windmill.





Step 5

a) Having applied papers and folded the windmills, ink all the raw edges with a dark or contrasting dye inkpad or chalk ink to get rid of the white ‘joins’.

b) Next punch a hole in the windmill folded edge through both layers of card and repeat on the other windmill fold.

c) Next set an eyelet into each of the 4 holes made, I used brown eyelets and then chose a suitable brad to fasten the flap closed (you may need to trim the length of the legs of the brad to fit).

d) Decorate the inside of the windmill folds with any embellishments you may like to use. In the first I made a double strip with paper, inked the edges, stamped 3 mini Lalique tags with IOU and attached to the strip with small square brads before applying the strip with double sided tape. In the second I used a doubled strip of paper, inked the edges and stamped with Versamark using a Milan postal frank stamp. Finally heat embossing with detail black embossing powder before attaching with 4 black photo corners to the inside of the flap.

e) On the outside of the windmill folds I stamped in green dye ink ‘OPEN WITH CARE’ and in brown dye ink ‘OPEN HERE’. Finishing off the remaining front squares with compass and journey stamps in black Stazon.

f) The centre was made with interwoven strips of paper and the centre was stamped in Versamark and heat embossed with marquisite embossing powder. The image is a head silhouette.

g) I then added some gold thread, metal embellishments and eclear epoxy stickers to finish. Here are the pics……..

Step 6
Well here's the 6th and final step Finishing touches ! When the book is folded closed apply two maroon buttons to the windmill pockets as shown with Glossy Accents.

Choose a length of some suitable ribbon and cut two slits in the plastic cover, threading the ribbon through as shown.

Finally place the book in its cover and tie a bow to seal the finished book !



So that's it folks...........hope you enjoy doing this !

Hooray It's Party Time !!!

Today is the first Birthday of the UK Stampers Forum .

It has been a great year, from small beginnings to over 200 active members. I just want to say a big thanks to Kym (the founder member), for having the vision to go ahead and start it and also to ALL the very talented members of the Forum who really make it what it is. Only one word for that and it's GREAT !

I wish everyone a super day (weekend even!).

Chinese New Year - Manchester UK

Following on from yesterdays festivities just wanted to say that the day continued to be beautiful and the crowds flocked to the procession and subsequently to Chinatown for the fireworks and for food. Just wanted to include a couple of pics which, I hope, convey the atmosphere. In all, what a great day !!

'Kung Hei Fat Choi'

Or happy Chinese New Year to all !! Today is the first day of the Chinese Lunar Year and this year is the year of the pig. The weather is just great too, sunny and clear.

I will be celebrating in Manchester Chinatown with some Cantonese friends of mine this afternoon. There will be a Dragon Dance and a procession ending up in Chinatown where there will be food, celebrations and fireworks. It's bound to be busy !!

Just did a Card with a Chinese feel for the day. Traditional Chinese colours of gold, red and black.

Birthday Card

Just completed a birthday card. Started with a peach card scored and folded to A6 size. Stamped around border with Whispers caramel delight dye ink using Stampendous Foliate Quad Cube stamp. Cut K&Co Isabella paper and matted onto dark orange cardstock and applied with double sided tape to card. Matted Ashford self adhesive journal tag (K&Co) onto dark orange cardstock and stamped 'Happy birthday' with versamark, heat embossing with detail gold embossing powder. Applied the mat with foam pads at an angle. Applied two peach paper flowers to bottom corner of mat with Glue Dot.

Pleased with the finished article

'CHINO'

When I visited my Mum last week she produced a load of old photos, one of which I had taken with my old SLR camera in black & white. At the time I was into developing the film then enlarging and then printing my own photos. I brought it home and did a scrapbook page with it. 'Chino' was the dog - A Papillon - she was very attached to (now long gone to meet his maker). My Mum was somewhat younger too!!!

I think she will be pleased with what I did with the Photograph.

My entry into 2nd UKStampers CJ

Well finally managed to complete my entry into Culpeppers CJ entitled 'Medieval'. Here are the pics............used images of a medieval knight and a castle which was printed onto vellum and applied with eyelets across the two pages. I randomly used direct to paper to color backgrounds with gold and dark green pigment ink. Then I stamped and applied the images of the knight with silver glaze and matt paper Mod Podge. Lettering was from various sources.

Laid Back Challenge (2)

I have completed the mini-book which I have called 'Angels'. I used two tiles, one for the front and one for the back which I first gave two coats of gesso as a base for the paint. I then coated all over with Jacquard Halo Green Gold Lumiere paint using a stippling action. I applied a diamond pattern in black Stazon ink using a diamond heart stamp from the Invoke Arts 'Textured Hearts' plate to front and back surfaces of the book. For the front tile I applied some Calypso Beadazzles with Glossy Accents and also applied four 8mm square Guttermann mirrored beads. The Angel word was stamped using small letters on a green plate and this applied also with Glossy Accents. I edged the sides of both tiles with gold Krylon pen. For the insides I made a concertina fold insert and painted one side with Stewart Gill Alchemy Fusion paint and the other with Aurora (to contrast with the colours in the Beadazzles). I then decorated them with cutouts from the Crafty Individuals miniature tile books and other SG craft embellishments such as Gilding chips in Rapture and Bijou Blends in Amethyst and Cornelian. the insert was then stuck to the front and back finished tiles and closed with a length of Mizuhiki cord in dark metallic green threaded with some seed beads in clear and green.

I really love the textures provided by using different media to decorate and am very pleased with the end result. Will certainly be doing some more.

Laid Back challenge

Just finished part of a challenge set up by Daphne at TalkCrafts Forum . She sent all of us three plain tiles to turn into anything we like. I decided to make a pendant and a mini book. I first applied a coat of gesso, then stippled all over with Lumiere Halo Pink Gold acrylic. I stamped an image selectively in Black Stazon using the Kodomo 'Plum' stamp and hand coloured in the plum flowers using a water brush and USArtQuest 'Jewelz' Duo Red-Blue mica paint. I then applied a transfer of a bird with Glossy Accents and sealed all with a thinned down glaze of Glossy Accents (applied by large brush).

I strung the pendant with Japanese Mizuhiki cord in emerald and gold, threading a number of pale orange glass seed beads to form a loop at the bottom. Although you can't see it in the pic I have used a screw clasp to secure.

Loved doing it, and have nearly completed my mini-book using two tiles.

'Inchies' Galore

I am surrounded by 'inchies' at the moment, they are arriving thick and fast from members of UK Stampers Forum who are taking part in the swap! I am very privaledged to be witnessing some absolutely wonderful work from the contributors so far. I have also received my 25 'Inchies' from the Talk Crafts Forum swap, and here is a pic. Wonderful aren't they?



These are the ones I think I will collage in an 'altered' frame. Will post a pic when it is complete.

My entry into 'These are a few of my favourite things' CJ (UK Stampers Forum)

Once again another entry into the 2nd CJ was completed.
On this one I used glossy photo papers and dye based inks to produce the backgrounds. The lilac one also had a butterfly image which was stamped first using a resist and overstamping with a contrasting darker colour. I applied a prima flower to each and a piece of ribbon to finish. Here are the pics.


Quite pleased with the results.

'Inchies' swap on UK Stampers forum

Yet another swap of 'Inchies'. This time for UK Stampers forum . I am running a swap on this forum where each participant makes 25 tiny 1 x 1 inch decorated squares (plus 1 extra). At the end each person then receives an assortment of 25 squares made by other crafters in return.

This form of art has been rapidly gaining in popularity because of the endless variety of ways to make the squares unique.

The beauty of these 'Inchies', is not only that they are tiny works of art but that they are so easily packaged and sent through the post. The forum also has help and advice threads on 'Inchies' and no doubt will be running some themed swaps later on. The swap ends on 31st March 2007 and to see the entries so far click here . If you are interested in taking part why not join us and be part of the 'Inchie' revolution?

Here is a pic of my entry.