Bleached Flowers

Hello, Crafters.

This is the second card showing how to use the large 

flower image from the Blended Seasons Stamp Set

 without having to colour it! I say that very loosely because 

the flowers and leaves do need to be "painted",

but for this technique with regular household bleach. 

I was really pleased to see that the bleached area looks

 like various shades of Soft Sea Foam! I started my 

image by stamping it in Versamark and then heat

 embossing it with Black Embossing Powder.

 The heat embossing helps to keep the bleach within the

 area it's supposed to be in, but it isn't a guarantee. It's

 just as easy to go over the edges as it is when 

you're colouring with any other medium.

 I love this technique, not only because the effect is 

absolutely amazing, but also because you never know 

what colour the cardstock will change to! On today's card

 I did try something new, but I am definitely not

 recommending it despite the fact it worked brilliantly!

 As a one-off it's probably fine, but if it's done a multiple

 amount of times, it will definitely damage your stamp! I 

chose the sentiment from the Itty Bitty Greetings Stamp 

Set, and dipped the stamp surface onto the surface

 of the bleach I had in a small bowl.

 I stamped it, and then washed it under running water

 immediately. When I went back to look at my bleached

 sentiment it was just a blob, there had been

 far too much bleach on the stamp!

For my second attempt, I took the brush I'd been using

 to paint the bleach onto the flowers, and painted the 

sentiment. As soon as I had stamped the sentiment, I 

quickly went out to the bathroom to  wash the stamp under

 running water again. What you  see on my card is the result!

 I'm really pleased with the result, but as I said previously, 

I can not recommend this because, although my stamp

 appears to be fine, I don't know if they'll be any long term

 effects! I'll keep an eye on it and if I notice any problems, 

you'll be the first to know! 

 If you'd like to see a video showing how this technique is done, I 

made this one about three years ago: No.65 - Bleach Technique. 

 

That's about it from me today. Until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.   

Dry Embossed Painted Image

Hello, Crafters.

I hope you've enjoyed a lovely weekend!

 

 When I was  prepping for yesterday's video, I stamped and 

coloured the complete image before I started videoing. This 

enabled me to stamp an image, and show how I coloured 

one of the flowers, a leaf and two of the buds real time.  I then 

said that I'd finish colouring the image off screen once I'd

 finished videoing, and that I'd share what I decided  to do with

 it! Today's card is the result!  I haven't used this technique

 for quite some time, and  I'm oh so pleased with the result!

 

  After I'd finished  colouring the rest of the image, I dry 

embossed the complete layer using the  Basket Weave 

Dynamic Embossing Folder. As I had painted the image on 

one side, I sprayed just the reverse of the layer before

 putting it through the Big Shot.

  I used the HAPPY BIRTHDAY sentiment from the Itty Bitty

 Greetings Stamp Set, and punched it out using the Classic 

Label Punch.  I did consider stamping the image directly onto

 the layer before embossing, but decided against this idea. 

 My concern was that because it's a small sentiment, it could

 get lost once it was embossed, whereas keeping it on its own

 makes it stand out beautifully. I also think the Wink of Stella

 also shows up more than normal - although still not in the

 photgraphs - as it's sitting in different directions on the 

embossed area............if you know what I mean! ☺

 

I have one more card to share with you tomorrow using this same 

image - another no painting card, sort of! - and then I think

 it'll be time for me to move on!

That's about it from me today. 

I hope you have a lovely week, and until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.

Using Watercolour Pencils on the Blended Seasons Flowers - Video

Hello, Crafters.

Yesterday was the first day I felt that jet lag was now 

history............thank goodness! It's great to be back! LOL! 

 I've had a lot of pleasure using the Blended Seasons

 Stamp Set which is on Promotion during August. 

To colour the card which led to this design I used Coastal

 Cabana and Granny Apple Green, which are two of ten

 new colours available during August as part of

 the same promotion. 

Stampin' Up! have said that while the stamp set and 

co-ordinating dies are only available until 31st August, or

 while stocks last, the watercolour pencils may be 

brought forward at some time!  I hope they are because

 it's a great collection of colours. 

I came up with the design for the Coastal Cabana card 

because I wanted to show the stunning effect you get 

with the shaped dies in the co-ordinating Stitched

 Seasons Framelits. 

As I was adhering the card together I wondered what the

 card would look like if I popped the centre up on Dimensionals.

 As there was only one way to find out the answer, I went

 ahead and did it............and loved the effect! 

The only part I didn't like about the first card was the

 sentiment because I thought it was too big. Therefore, 

I chose GET WELL SOON from the Apron of Love 

Stamp Set for the Cherry Cobbler Card, and HAPPY

 BIRTHDAY from the Itty Bitty Greetings Stamp Set

 for the Gorgeous Grape card.

  Although it doesn't show up in the photographs nor

 the video, I painted the flowers on these last two cards 

using Clear Wink of Stella Glitter Pen. It does show in 

real life and it adds so much to the card.

I hope you have a very blessed Sunday, and until

 tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.

Blended Seasons Promotion

Hello, Crafters.

This month Stampin' Up! are running a promotion for

 a limited time stamp set and co-ordinated dies called

 Blended Seasons. It's a great set because it can

be used all year round, including Christmas.

  If you watch my videos, you'll know I'm not much of a

 colourer (is there such a word?), and when I first saw

 the large flower and leaves image in this set I thought

 no way! However, I found colouring such a large area 

so much easier when I used Watercolour Pencils, 

and, as it happens, there is also a set of ten new 

Watercolour Pencils on offer with the 

Blended Seasons Promotion. 

Sunday's video will show a card I made using this

bundle.  I started to think about other crafters who feel 

like me when it comes to colouring large areas, and set 

myself a challenge to use this large image without colouring! 

 Yesterday I made two cards, and I'm sharing the Cherry 

Cobbler version with you today. I heat embossed the

 image in Whisper White Embossing Powder on a layer

 of Cherry Cobbler Cardstock (CS). 

I adhered it to a layer of Whisper White CS, and then

 onto a Cherry Cobbler CS card base. Although it doesn't 

show in the photographs, I painted the flowers and the 

buds using my Clear Wink of Stella Glitter Pen.

 I heat embossed the sentiment, which is from the

 Itty Bitty Greetings Stamp Set, using Whisper White

 Embossing Powder on a scrap of Cherry Cobbler

 CS. I die ct it using the smallest oval Stitched Shapes 

Framelits, and layered it onto a Whisper White scalloped

 oval I'd die cut using the Layering Ovals Framelits Dies.

 Using Mini Dimensionals I attached this in the top right

 corner. To finish ooff the front of my card, I added a small

 Basic Pearl on either side of the sentiment. 

Inside the three flowers I adhered a Pearl White Basic 

Adhesive-Backed Sequin, and added a small Basic

 Pearl in the centre. To decorate the inside of the card,

 I stamped a part of the image at an angle in the bottom 

right hand of a Whisper White layer using

 Cherry Cobbler Ink.

If you're a crafter like me who doesn't like colouring

 in large areas, I hope this card has made you

 have a second look at this bundle! 

Until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.

One For All Thank You Card

Hello, Crafters.

We are having to change our watches again tonight, so I have

 totally lost the plot as to what the time in the UK is. 

 You may remember before I came away on the Alaskan Incentive

 Trip, I was trying to get enough videos prepared so I could

 continue sharing while I was away.

 It does mean that I'm sharing my swap card a few hours before it will 

appear on the display board in Stamper's Base Camp here on the ship. 

I decided this wouldn't be a great problem as there are only 25 swaps 

to be shared with just over 400 demonstrators! 

I based my swap on my Customer's June Thank you card, which I 

was really pleased with,  but I added more to my swap as they are

 designed to be swapping ideas. 

I've also shown this card on my video, so you can choose one of

 the other if you like the overall design. 

I hope you enjoy this project, and until next time - hopefully

 tomorrow - happy crafting.

JanB.