Technique of the Week: More Fun with Gilding Flakes by Pam Nelson

This week's Technique shows another way to use the Nuvo Gilding Flakes.  This time I've used Stick It Adhesive, along with a die cut, to add beautiful shine to a Thank you card.

To begin I cut a piece of white 80# cardstock to 5 1/4" x 4 1/2".  I also cut a piece of Stick It adhesive to the same dimension and adhered it to the piece of cardstock.  I rubbed a bone folder all over the Stick It side of the cardstock to ensure it was adhered thoroughly.  I removed the cover sheet from the Stick It, exposing the adhesive and set it, sticky side up it in a plastic tub.  I began tapping Sunkissed Copper Gilding flakes all over the piece of cardstock.  

The flakes are so lightweight that they stick to the adhesive very easily.  

When the entire piece was covered I started rubbing off the excess with my fingers.  

After the big pieces were removed, I used a small piece of Cut & Dry foam to burnish the entire surface.  I left it in the plastic tub during this process so all the little flakes and bits were captured.  You can also use a stencil brush for this step.  Just move the flat side of the brush in a circular motion across the flakes until all the excess has been removed.  If you end up with any stray bits of flakes outside your container, a Swiffer cloth cleans them up very quickly.  

I cut the copper piece with the Penny Black Medallion die (#51-211.)  

The die set also contains a small medallion for the center which I also die cut from the copper.  (You could also cut the small medallion from contrasting paper but for this project I just wanted to add dimension.)

I cut the sentiment from Poppy Stamps Spectacular Thank You die (#1755) out of the copper twice.  I decided that I wanted to layer them for some added dimension on the card.  I used my Pico fine tip glue applicator to apply glue to the back of one thank you die cut and adhere it to the front of the second thank you die cut.  I also adhered the small medallion to the center of the large medallion.  

With that part complete I decided to use alcohol inks for my background.  I thought the copper would stand out nicely against the vibrant colors you get when using alcohol inks on Yupo paper.  I cut a piece of Yupo paper to 5 1/4" x 4" and then applied turquoise, patina, amethyst inks along with a bit of copper mixative.  I used the felt applicator to pounce the colors over the paper until I achieved the color I wanted.  If you are new to alcohol inks on Yupo paper or want a quick refresher, check out this blog post from April 7, 2016 here.

To assemble my card I cut a piece of Fashion Purple So Silk to 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" and adhered it to the front of an A2 card.  I used the fine tip glue applicator to apply glue to the back of the die cut and then adhered it to the Yupo paper.  Next I trimmed the edges of the die cut so they were even with the edges Yupo paper, then adhered it to the front of the card.  I used my Pico fine tip applicator to apply glue to the back of the Thank You die cut and then positioned it on the front of the card.  I finished off the card by adding some clear gem embellishments (or you could also use sequins.)


You can see the card on display at Art ‘n Soul So I hope you will stop by soon.  This card came together very quickly.   When working with the Gilding Flakes, I tend to make several pieces at once.  They can be messy, but they are so much fun!  Clean up really is a breeze with Swiffer cloths or a hand vacuum.  It's easy to use multiple colors as well to get a multi-color metallic look.  The Nuvo Gilding Flakes come in three colors Radiant Gold, Silver Bullion and Sunkissed Copper.  Stay tuned for more ideas with this fun product.

What's New?
We have sent orders to our distributor for lots of products, including Nuvo drops, Distress Oxides, Gilding Flakes, and lots more! We have also sent orders to Ranger for more Tim Holtz Platforms and more of the 2nd release of Oxides. We have sent orders to Penny Black, Magenta (we will be getting in lots of Nuance), and a HUGE order to Memory Box! We can't wait to get all of these things in our hands. We don't know when yet, but stay tuned to our blog, email and Facebook.

Technique of the Week: Easy Inlay by Dianne Johnson

I got the idea for this technique from Jennifer McGuire's blog. She's always thinking up easier ways to do complicated things, and we like that!

I thought it would be fun to show this technique using Yupo paper and alcohol ink. I wanted to show how you can die-cut Yupo paper with beautiful results.

For this technique I chose a Poppy die 1840 Gentle Leaf Collage, and the Magenta stamp 07.928.I With Sympathy. 

I applied alcohol ink to a piece of Yupo paper, using the same technique shown here. I wanted to show that you can also die cut the Yupo paper, although it can't be torn. For this piece I used some of my favorite new colors of alcohol ink, Amethyst, Limeade, Valencia, and Turquoise.

In planning my design, first I cut the die out of white paper and placed the Yupo paper colored with alcohol inks behind it. It was pretty, but I wanted the colors of the alcohol ink piece to show up more, and I needed more space for my sentiment.

I put the die onto another piece of white cardstock onto my cutting plates and placed the sentiment where I wanted it. I moved the die around until I thought there would be plenty of room for both; then removed the stamp before running the die through with the white cardstock.

I then arranged my die on the Yupo paper. My goal was for the die to cut through the Yupo paper, but for all the pieces to remain in the paper.

I looked carefully at the back of the Yupo paper, with the die still stuck to the other side. It looked like it all cut through.
Leaving the cut pieces in the Yupo paper, I then carefully placed the front of the white cut out onto the back of the Yupo paper so that they matched up perfectly.

Working on the back of the white die cut piece that is lined up on the Yupo paper, I adhered scor tape to the entire area of the die cut opening.

The effect of this is that there will be adhesive facing through all of the holes in the front of the die cut opening.

Once the back was completely covered, I flipped it over to the front, and the die is still attached to it.

I poked a sharp tool through all of the holes in the back of the die to ensure that the Yupo paper would release from the die.
As I peeled the die carefully away from the Yupo paper, it revealed that the die cut pieces were still in place, and this is what you want. If any pieces fall out (two of mine did), place them back in their spaces. I pressed the colored Yupo side very firmly.

Since I put adhesive on the back of the white panel that is positioned right behind the Yupo panel, all of the die cut pieces in the Yupo panel stuck to that adhesive. The Yupo pieces only stuck where there was adhesive facing through the die cut.

I carefully peeled the Yupo panel off of the white panel underneath, and the die cut pieces of Yupo paper stayed behind, stuck to the adhesive. If any of them tried to peel up with the Yupo panel, I pressed them down with my sharp tool, so that they all stayed behind, stuck to the scor tape.

The white panel has the Yupo pieces beautifully inlaid into the die cut holes, and I have a beautiful Yupo panel that I can use on another card.

I placed the panel into my MISTI to stamp the sentiment, but first I wanted to stamp it onto a piece of grid paper to ensure that it was perfectly straight. After I did all of this work, I didn't want any mistakes at the end.

With the first stamping, the sentiment did not stamp all the way. It took a number of stampings to get it all stamped and I found myself wishing I had used the Creative Corners for the MISTI. Sometimes when you stamp close to the edges some stamps do not stamp well there.

Although I finally got the sentiment stamped correctly, I got a little smudge in the upper right hand corner. I used a Mono Sand eraser to take that out, with no damage to the cardstock. We do sell these erasers at the shop and I highly recommend getting one for your kit.

I hope you will give this technique a try! It's much easier to do it than explain it! It really is much easier than trying to individually place each die cut piece by hand.

To see step by step photos of this technique, please go to my Backporch blog here.

WHAT'S NEW AT ART 'N SOUL:

The second set of Distress Oxide colors are scheduled to be delivered on Wednesday, July 19. We have been taking pre-orders, and they are selling very quickly. Call us to make a paid order and reserve yours.

Ranger has told us that the new Tim Holtz Stamp Platform will start being shipped as soon as they receive them, and they expect them any day. We are taking paid pre-orders for these Platforms, and they are selling very quickly. If you want one, call or come by to reserve yours.

We just received a shipment from our distributor, with lots of things, including scor tape, specialty Deco foils, Nuvo drops, Mono Sand erasers, alcohol inks, Yupo paper and much more!

Pam has scheduled the newest mini class! 
Sunday, July 30^th, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. "MINI CLASS - CHRISTMAS IN JULY” – Pam Nelson $5 cash or store credit

by Pam Nelson

Do you want to get an early start on your holiday cards? Drop by the store any time between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to make this fun card featuring a new die from Memory Box’s holiday release. Pam will show you how to use two colors of glitter to make a shiny, yet easy, card. Please bring your double sided adhesive and fine tip glue applicator, if you have them.

We will be opening the Memory Box/Poppy catalog in conjunction with this class! The newest collection from Memory Box and Poppy is Holiday and Christmas, and there are some beautiful new dies that you are going to love!

For all the news on classes and events at Art 'n Soul, you can link to our latest email newsletter here. There is a link above on this blog for our calendar, or you can link to it here. Come in and see us soon!

Twelve Tags of Christmas - Tuesday, December 13th - Day 9

Art ‘n Soul’s annual Twelve Tags of Christmas event to support the Thurston County Food Bank began Monday, December 5th.

Dianne created this tag for Tuesday, December 13^th, the ninth day, and she’ll be at the store all day to show you how to make it.   We’ll have a new tag for you every day through Friday, December 16th.

While you are at the store, be sure to take advantage of our Twelve Days of Christmas daily special.  On Tuesday you can get one free Magenta cat stamp with a minimum $30 purchase. Don't forget, just for coming in, you can fill out a ticket for our drawing! For each $10 pre-tax that you spend, you can fill out another ticket. The Twelve Days of Christmas runs through Thursday, December 22nd.  Follow our blog or Facebook to see the daily special.

Today’s tag showcases one of our favorite techniques: alcohol ink on Yupo paper! To begin creating the background, drop some drops of alcohol ink onto a piece of Yupo paper (I used a piece 2.5" x 3"), and watch the ink "bloom". Then choose a color of ink to apply to the felt of a felt blending tool. Pounce the tool all over the drops of ink on your Yupo paper to create the beautiful mottled effect. Yupo paper works best if you do not handle it or touch it much with your fingers, since the oils on your hands will affect how the ink moves on the paper. To create a similar colored background, you can use alcohol inks in Turquoise and/or Pool, Raspberry, Amethyst or Purple Twilight, Mermaid and Botanical. I pounced with the green ink at the end, so that it would look like the Aurora Borealis.

To complete the tag, I die cut two tags using the Sizzix Super Scallop Tag die (sorry this tag die is no longer available from Sizzix, but you could cut a piece of paper to at least 3.25" x 4.5", round the corners, and punch a hole in the top for a similar size tag). Next I used a Memory Box die 99579, Countryside Circle to cut out the center of one of the tags.

Once the Yupo paper was inked and had dried (the alcohol ink dries pretty quickly) I adhered the Yupo piece to the back of the open area of the Countryside Circle cut-out. I stamped under the cut-out using Versafine Onyx Black ink. I actually have two versions of this tag, since I couldn't decide which stamp I liked better.

The stamps I used are Memory Box B1385 Heaven Sings; and Hero Arts F3605 Peace Border. A piece of ribbon was added at the top. The second tag was adhered to the back.

The Art ‘n Soul staff will provide all the materials you need to make each day’s tag.  The cost to you is a donation of non-perishable food or $1 (or more if you would like) for each tag you make.  All donations go directly to the Thurston County Food Bank.  We really appreciate your support to this great community program.  We look forward to seeing you in the store this month to thank you in person.

Additional News:
We have received a shipping notice that our MISTIs are on the way. We don't have an arrival date yet, but if you want one, we encourage you to call or come in and pre-pay to ensure you get one. We are getting a case of the standard, and a case of the minis.

We have also received a shipping notification from Ranger, and that will arrive on Monday the 19th. There will be Yupo paper, alcohol ink, the small packs of watercolor paper and more!

Technique of the Week: Rainbow Beam Blending

This technique is from Laura Bassen, and it makes a quick, easy and beautiful background. 

You will use Distress blending for this technique, but you will do it through a stencil. This makes the blending so much easier. You don't have to be as careful because you will not get the splotches that you sometimes might get with regular blending.

First I die cut a panel from Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock, using the Lawn Fawn LF768 Stitched Rectangle Stackables die. I used the largest one that gives me a panel approximately 5" x 3.75".

I taped the panel to my craft sheet, and then taped down a Magenta stencil (TM-147 Stained Glass) centered on the panel. I then got two pieces of Post-it tape to use as masking.

Starting at the left bottom corner of the panel with the stencil over it, I put the two pieces of tape close together and then wider apart going up to the top right. This creates a long triangular shape like a beam of light.

To do the blending, I used three colors of Distress ink (Wilted Violet, Peacock Feathers, and Twisted Citron). I started with Twisted Citron, and working from the bottom to the top, I applied the color with a mini blending tool. This goes very fast, since you don't have to worry so much about building up your color.

I then moved the pieces of tape, allowing part of the initial color to show and some white area. I applied the next color, Peacock Feathers, and quickly blended it into the partial line of Twisted Citron that was showing. I worked across the entire card this way, moving the tape and randomly choosing another of the three colors to blend with.

When I removed the tape and the stencil at the end, the results were striking. You can do this technique with lots of different stencils and colors of ink to create a unique one layer card.

To finish the card, I stamped Happy Birthday, using Magenta's beautiful birthday stamp 07.305.G and Versamark Ink. I thought this looked like a birthday card, and this stamp fit in the opening of the Stained Glass stencil perfectly. I embossed the image with Judikins White Diamond embossing powder.

I matted the panel on So Silk Shocking Green cardstock, which goes very well with Twisted Citron Distress ink. I scattered a few sequins, and it was finished! This technique was easy and fast to do, and I hope you will give it a try. You can see more of the step by step photos on my Backporch blog here.

Other Art 'n Soul news:

Come in to Art 'n Soul this weekend and take a fabulous class with Vesta Able! Vesta will be here all weekend for 3 amazing classes! Scroll down for complete info; we still have a few spots left! When Terry Medaris was here, he had wonderful things to say about Vesta and her talent and creativity. We are so lucky to be able to have Vesta here to teach. 

Five new Nuance colors are coming soon from Magenta.  These colors are in production and they will be out very soon, and they are perfect for Fall! We will be the first store to receive these, so if you want them (and you are going to want them) be sure to put in a paid pink sheet order to reserve your set.

We got our Ranger order, and the new Distress Crayon sets are here! Beautiful colors! We also have Yupo paper and lots of the new alcohol ink colors. If you have not used alcohol ink and Yupo paper, we would love to show it to you. You can make the most beautiful backgrounds. We are also all stocked up on the new and beautiful Enamel Accents from Ranger.

Sets 4 and 5 Distress Crayons

New colors of Alcohol Ink and Yupo paper

Enamel Accents from Ranger

Technique of the Week: Recycled Art Materials by Marj Marion

Marj has found a fun use for those foil "security" liners covering various yogurt containers! Here's how she creates interesting cards using these liners, some dies, and some embossing folders.

After washing the liners to remove any food particles, dry the foil liner, and use a bone folder or brayer to flatten the liner and any wrinkles it may contain. Strive for a nice smooth surface.

Apply glue stick to a piece of 65# card stock, press the liner to the glued surface, and cover with a waxed sheet to protect the liner while burnishing.  Be sure the plain foil side is facing up! Burnish with a bone folder or brayer to secure the liner to the card stock. Note, the 65# card stock has enough body to give the liner stability, but not too heavy to get a good impression later when used in an embossing folder. Remove the wax sheet.

Rough cut the shape, trim to desired size, or cut out desired shape with a craft die.

Insert your foil creation into the embossing folder of your choice and run through your die cut machine.

Add Alcohol Ink to your creation if desired, dry with a Heat Tool, and add to your card creation.

by Marj Marion

Just for fun, challenge your card’s recipient to guess the source of the metallic layer!

by Marj Marion

Stop by the store on Recycled Rubber weekend to see the cards in person.

Recycled Rubber is this weekend, Saturday, September 3rd 10:00-5:00, and Sunday, September 4th 12:30-5:00. We have so many items in the sale, you do not want to miss it!

BONUS!!
MARJ WILL BE DEMO'ING AT RECYCLED RUBBER THIS SATURDAY!!

From 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 3rd, Marj will be here to demo a fabulous ink layering technique using the MISTI tool. This technique features Scenic stamping with color layering, pioneered by Virginia Liu and Jill Foster. This technique will blow you away! If you don't have a MISTI, we have just a few more in stock.

Five new Nuance colors are coming soon from Magenta. Here's a sneak peek!

 As soon as Helene gets back to Magenta from teaching classes at Art 'n Soul, she will begin production on these fabulous new colors, and they are perfect for Fall! We will be the first store to receive these, so if you want them (and you are going to want them) be sure to put in a paid pink sheet order to reserve your set.

You may have seen on Facebook or in our Newsletter, we received the larger size Tim Holtz Crazy Dogs! 

Tim Holtz Crazy Dogs by Stampers Anonymous

We have them in stock right now, so some in right away to get yours. The dies are supposed to be out later this month.

Playing with Yupo Paper and Alcohol Inks

This week's Technique of the week features a very fun product that is fairly new to Art ‘n Soul - Yupo paper.  Ever since Tim Holtz demo’d this wonderful paper at the CHA we have been fascinated by the properties.  

Yupo has been around for a long time but Ranger now packages 10 pieces of 5"x7" paper for $10.25 which is much more affordable than the pads of paper that sell for around $25.00.  Yupo is actually a synthetic paper made from plastic; it's very smooth and it's a great medium for  alcohol inks.  Since Yupo is made from plastic it won’t buckle when you introduce liquid like alcohol inks or watercolors.  However, since it is super smooth, it easily picks up the oils from your hands so try not to handle the paper very much.  There are a number of demos available on YouTube that demonstrate how various mediums can be used on Yupo.   

Today’s technique demonstrates the way alcohol inks react on Yupo paper when applied direct to paper.  To begin, I cut a piece of white Yupo to 4” x 5 ¼” and laid it on my Ranger craft mat.  I selected alcohol inks in Pool, Eggplant, Wild Plum, Aqua and the Pearl Fixative. 

Begin with the Pool alcohol ink and put 5-7 small drops on the Yupo in random spots.  It will immediately start spreading out to form larger circles.  The best way to do this is to just touch the tip of your ink to the paper. 

As the color drops expand, you may see the components of the color in the outer ring as the color expands creating what looks like an aura.  

Next, add a few drops of Eggplant and after that has finished expanding, add a few drops of Wild Plum. 

You can also put colors on top of each other; for example, add a drop of Wild Plum on top of the Pool and watch how the colors expand and blend. 

The alcohol dries quickly but can be reactivated by adding more alcohol ink or small drops of alcohol ink blending solution onto the Yupo. 

This is a close up of a section of the paper as the colors
 expand and blend 

While I was dropping colors onto my Yupo, my two kitties came running through the room and startled me.  The result was a lot more ink on my paper than I planned.   Fortunately. Yupo is very, very forgiving and you can continue adding layers of color and Mixatives either with or without the blending solution, until you get the look you want.

Here's the "oops" part of my project where I ended up
with lots more ink on my Yupo than I planned thanks to
my two playful kitties!

I had a few white spaces left on the paper so I put some aqua alcohol ink on a felt blending pad and pounced it all over the paper.  This also blended the darker colors a bit.  I added more aqua ink to the felt pad as needed.  Next I put drops of the Pearl Mixative on the felt pad along with a small drop of blending solution and pounced all over the paper.  I added more Pearl Mixative and blending solution as needed until I was happy with the results. 

I decided to use this piece as a background for my card.  

Last Christmas I bought the Poppy Massa Leaf Frame (#1021) for my Christmas cards and I've been looking for another opportunity to use it.  I die cut it out of my favorite color of So Silk - Glamour Green. 

 Next I stamped the Memory Box sentiment "Happiest" (C2078C) with VersaMark on white cardstock that was cut to 1 7/8" square.  I embossed it with Ranger Black Sparkle embossing powder and shaded the outer edges lightly using a sponge blender and Distress Mermaid Lagoon ink. 

I cut another piece of So Silk Glamour Green to 4” x 5 ¼” and adhered it to the front of an A2 card.  I trimmed the Yupo paper to 3 ¾” x 5” and adhered that to the front of the A2 card.  Next I adhered the Massa Leaf die cut to the front of the card.  I cut a piece of fun foam slightly smaller than the square sentiment; adhered it to the back of the sentiment and then adhered it to the square opening of the die cut.  I added a few iridescent sequins using Ranger Matte Adhesive. 

Yupo also die cuts beautifully.  This Yupo paper was colored with alcohol inks in red, yellow and oranges.  Gold Mixative was pounced all over the paper and then it was die cut with the Penny Black Medallion Die (51-211.)  

The colors of the alcohol ink stay very clear and vibrant on the Yupo.  

These are examples of alcohol ink applied directly to Yupo without any additional Mixatives or blending solution added.  Don't these designs just beg to be Zentangled?

I really hope you will try this technique.  I have to warn you though, this technique can be addictive!   My project didn't go the way I expected but I was still happy with the final results.  We'd love to see your creations!