Technique of the Week: Stencils, Oxide Inks and Glitter! by Pam Nelson

This week’s technique uses the very popular Distress Oxide inks.  We continue to explore fun ways to use these inks and I’ve discovered that I love to use them with stencils because they blend so well!

To begin I cut a piece of watercolor paper to 4 ¼” x 5 ½” and colored it with Nuance colors of orange, yellow and hot pink.  I sprayed the paper with lots of water to really dilute the colors.  Then I blotted up the puddles of color with a paper towel.  I wanted the color to be light because I planned to stencil over the top.  I also colored a piece of scrap watercolor paper with these same Nuance colors for the sentiment tag on the front of the card.  I set the papers aside to dry but you could also dry them with a heat tool.

After it was dry, I taped the watercolor paper to my craft sheet and then taped Magenta Stencil TM100, Small Kiss Motif, over the top.  (Sadly this stencil has been discontinued but this technique will work well with lots of different stencils.)  

Using a finger dauber and the Dreamweaver Picasso Stencil and Masking tool, I applied Distress Oxide Cracked Pistachio ink onto the leaves and stems.  I added some Peeled Paint Oxide ink to add some shading to the leaves.  The Picasso tool has lots of curved edges that allow you to mask off parts of the flower while you apply the green ink to the leaves.  

I used Worn Lipstick and Orange Marmalade inks for the flower petals.  I again used the Picasso tool to mask off the leaves while I stenciled the flower petals.  I had originally planned to use Fired Brick instead of the Worn Lipstick but when I saw the final colors in my dried Nuance panel I changed my mind about the ink colors. 

Just for fun (and because I love sparkle on my cards), I sprayed the image lightly with Imagine Crafts Sheer Sparkle Shimmer Spritz.  I set the panel aside to dry but you could also use a heat gun to dry the inked image.

I re-taped the panel to the craft mat, put Magenta Stencil TM61, Circle Halftones, on top and taped it down.  I used a Dreamweaver Palette Knife to apply Dreamweaver Translucent Embossing Paste over the top of the stencil.  Hold the palette knife at a 45-degree angle to your paper as you apply the paste to avoid smearing the ink under your stencil.  Remove the tape from three sides of your stencil, leaving the tape on the top edge.  Lift the stencil up from the bottom edge and the remaining piece of tape will act as a hinge as you lift up the stencil.  Immediately rinse the embossing paste off the stencil. 

While the embossing paste is still wet, put the panel on a piece of wax paper.  Cover the entire piece with Elizabeth Craft Cool Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter. 

Tap off the excess and return it to the jar.  You can either set the panel aside to dry or you can heat it lightly and slowly with a heat gun.  Heating the panel will create small bubbles in the embossing paste as it dries (a technique called Molten Magic which you can read more about in a previous Technique of the Week here.) 

To finish the card I created an A2 size card from yellow card stock, then die cut a panel of green cardstock to 4” x 5 ¼” using the second largest die in the Hero Arts Infinity Nesting Rectangle Dies.  I adhered this to the front of the yellow card.  I cut the stenciled panel to 3 ¾” x 5” using the third largest die from this set.  I love this Hero Arts die set because my panels are always cut straight!

I stamped the Magenta “have a Beautiful day” sentiment on the scrap piece of Nuance with VersaFine Vintage Sepia and embossed with Judikins Clear Embossing powder.  I die cut it with the second smallest tag in the Poppy Stitched Mainstreet Tags (#1268), punched a hole near the top and used a piece of yellow ribbon to add it to the stenciled panel at an angle.  I cut a rectangle piece of fun foam, slightly smaller than the Nuance panel, adhered it to the back of the watercolor panel and then adhered it to the green panel on the card. 

The finished card is also on display at the store.  The photographs don’t really capture all of the sparkle from the glitter.

To create this sample, Oxide inks were applied through the stencil.  I removed the stencil and allowed the ink to dry.  I taped the cleaned stencil back over the image, taped it down and applied Translucent embossing paste through the stencil.  I removed the stencil the applied Elizabeth Craft Cool Diamond glitter over the paste.  After the paste was dry I colored the background by lightly applying Distress Oxide Fade Jeans with a foam applicator.

To create this sample I stamped Magenta Apple Blossom (14.655.P) and the sentiment with Onyx Black VersaFine Ink. I colored the image with watercolor pencils and lightly applied Tumbled Glass Distress ink to parts of the background.  I created a mask for both stamps and placed it over the stamped images then taped Magenta stencil Wavy Texture (TM222) over the top.  I applied Translucent embossing paste over the stencil, then removed the stencil and masks, and applied Elizabeth Craft Cool Diamond Glitter over the paste.

If you like Oxide inks but haven’t purchased them yet, we have a shipment arriving Wednesday, May 31^st.   Drop by the store any time for a demo of this fun product and to reserve yours.  We are also receiving a HUGE order from our main supplier on Wednesday.  We’ll be calling everyone who has pre-orders but we’ll also have lots of fun items arriving with this order.

We just received a very few Hasty Lace Wreath templates. This is one of our most popular templates, and it works up so beautifully! These won't last long. If you don't know how to do Hasty Lace, please come in and see us today (Friday the 26th) or most Tuesdays and Wednesdays for a demo. It's easy and fun!

Hasty Lace Wreath card by Susie Tracy

Art 'n Soul will be closed on Sunday, May 28, and Monday, May 29 in observance of Memorial Day. Please come in and see us on Tuesday the 30th!

Technique of the Week: Convert your Wood Mount Stamps to Cling

Marj Marion is here again with this great post on how to convert your wood stamps to cling. Enjoy!

With the popularity of the MISTI, many crafters and artists are interested in changing their wood mounted stamps to cling stamps. The staff at Art 'n Soul can demo the MISTI for you most any time!

I’m sure there are multiple ways to accomplish this conversion, but I will share how I do it!

1. If the rubber image doesn’t want to peel off the foam part of a wooden stamp, I put it in the microwave wood side down for anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds (As you know, microwaves vary in their intensity.) The heat loosens the adhesive and makes it easier to peel off just the rubber image. I use the EZ Mount cling foam sheets (order from ANS). Remove the liner sheet from the sticky side of the cling foam sheet, but leave the liner sheet in place on the cling side of the foam sheet for now. You can do one image at a time, or fill the cling sheet with as many rubber images as you can fit.

2. In the past, I have used scissors or craft knife to cut out the images, but it’s a sticky process that can be frustrating. I recently learned about the Walnut Hollow Professional Hot Knife (order from ANS). It comes from the wood burning craft or hobby.

3. I prepared a glass work surface by purchasing two frames at the thrift store, removing just the glass, and taping them together with strong tape along the edges. It is easier to cut out your images by using the hot knife against this glass work surface, and you don’t ruin any other surface in your home.

4. Insert the special blade into the hot knife, and plug it in. The blade will be hot, so use caution and utilize the little metal resting rack provided. Hold the knife safely on the round plastic grip, and slowly pull the knife blade around the image. The heated blade slides through the cling foam and bottom liner with great ease! More intricate stamp designs just take a little more care to cut the curves, but still WAY easier than scissors or regular craft knives.

5. Try to hold the knife blade straight up and down, so you don’t cut the edge of the foam slanted in either direction. Press firmly so the blade goes through the remaining liner sheet.

6. If you are converting a lot of images, and the blade gets a little gunky, turn off the heat, and when cool, clean with Goo Gone and/or a little steel wool.

Voila!  You now have your rubber stamp image handy to use as a cling stamp with your MISTI. If you wish, you can also order a package of two replacement Hot Knife Blades from ANS.

Converting your wood stamps to cling is especially useful for getting a great impression with Distress Inks, even on water color paper, as you can re-stamp repeatedly while using the MISTI.  It’s also used for easier coloring of layered stamp sets and marker coloring on stamps.

Marj will be at the demo table during the Recycled Rubber sale on August 6th, if you want to see this conversion process in person.

HASTY LACE CLASSES ARE HERE!

We are thrilled once again that Sandy Jackson is back with new Hasty Lace/Hasty Trace classes.

Hasty Lace/Hasty Trace Cathedral Bookmark by Sandy Jackson

We adore Hasty Lace and Hasty Trace, and are so thrilled to have new classes and new templates from Sandy Jackson at Some Assembly Required. Sandy makes many of these new things just with us in mind, because we are always begging her for new things. 

Hasty Lace/Hasty Trace  Cube by Sandy Jackson

One of the new things we are looking forward to learning from Sandy is how to color the backs of our Hasty Lace projects to make them look even more amazing! Sandy will share here research into the best colored pencils to use and the best techniques. It is not to late to get a seat in these classes!

Besides the Hasty Lace/Hasty Trace classes this year, Sandy has made the most amazing kits for us. There are 4 different kits, and it is so hard for us to photograph these kits in such a way to show you how fabulous they are. We have tried, but we hope you will come in and see them for yourselves. We will have them in the store on Saturday along with a Hasty Lace/Hasty Trace trunk show.

Hasty Lace/Hasty Trace Cathedral Kit

Besides templates, Sandy has dies to match so that you can make these shapes yourselves! These dies are not in the kits, but are available separately.

One of the new templates (less than 2" square)

Sandy is bringing kits, dies and a whole trunk show of her templates with her on class day, tomorrow, July 30th. Even if you don't come to the classes, you can come to the trunk show and stock up on Sandy's fabulous templates and kits. If you don't know what Hasty Lace is about, but would like to know, we would love to show you.