Tutorial - Antique China

There are many ways to achieve a distressed or aged-look in paper crafting, from smoking the surface of the paper to tearing along the edges. The technique I'm demonstrating in this tutorial uses multiple layers of UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel) to give a cracked and crazed surface much like you'd find on an old china plate or platter.

I started by printing and colouring an image from the Precious Memories digital stamp set. I've used a no-line colouring technique to make it look more like a hand-painted design. If you'd prefer, you can use markers or even a pre-coloured image.

Apply versa mark directly onto the image by patting the ink pad all over the paper. Make sure the ink pad is clean before you start so you don't end up with marks everywhere.

Dip the image into the UTEE powder, then heat set with an embossing tool.

Don't worry if you end up with a splotchy result from the UTEE melting unevenly across the image, we'll be applying more layers of UTEE until the surface is smooth and glassy.

Add more versa mark to the surface of your image, apply more UTEE and heat until melted. From this point, you can actually dip the hot image into the UTEE powder to add more between melts. Be very careful not to touch the heated UTEE or you may sustain burns.

Repeat until the surface of your image is smooth and glassy and you have a thick layer of embossing medium.

Once the image is completely cool, we're going to carefully crack the embossing using a snapping motion with your fingers. Don't be too rough and don't over work any one place or you may find the embossing comes away from the paper. If you find the card stock is too flexible to crack, it may help to place it in the freezer for a few minutes 

I rubbed some brown ink over the surface of my image to accentuate the cracks and give an aged look to the finished piece. Be aware that the ink can stain the surface of the embossing so take care with how much you use.

Stamps:

Paper Tole (part two)

A couple of days ago I started a paper tole project, which I originally intended to use on the front of a greeting card, but after all the work and the fabulous results (if I do say so myself), I decided it needed to be displayed in a different way. I oscillated between creating a framed picture and using it on the front of a notebook or album. In the end, it was the frame that won.

I sandwiched a piece of acetate between the top of the frame and the side layers to keep the image clean and protected. You can buy sheets of acetate from your local craft or scrapbook store, or you can recycle it from packaging, which is what I generally do.

Stamps:

Paper Tole

A clever friend of mine taught me a few tricks for making beautiful paper tole pictures, so I thought I'd give it a go using the double birdhouse from the Precious Memories set. I started by printing three of the full colour images with the intention of building them up to form a three dimensional scene.

I cut the base layer with a scalloped circle die. As you can see from the photo, the die doesn't quite fit the image, cropping out some of the leaves and the top of one of the birdhouses. I chose the small die so that some of the image will extend beyond the border of the base layer.

It was at this point that I realised I would need a couple more images to get a really detailed result. Thankfully I remembered the size and settings at which I printed the image and was able to produce two extras. (Hooray for digital stamps!)

For the second layer I trimmed away all the openings in the bird houses, then fussy cut the entire image, right up against the printed lines.

One of the tricks of the trade that I learned from my friend is to use a marker to reduce the amount of white paper that shows from your cuts. I used a light green shade to colour the edges of all the cuts. Make sure you work from the back though, as it's fairly common for the marker to slip and leave a trail of ink!

I adhered the second image directly over the first with a layer of silicone. You can buy specific silicone based glue for paper tole projects, but I was able to purchase a tube from my local hardware store that does the same thing at a better price.

I harvested a variety of different pieces from each of the other printed images. I ended up with a lot more than what you see in the photo below. Each of the pieces (except the birdhouses) were shaped with ball tools for a little more realism.

I'd originally intended to use the finished piece on the front of a card, but after all the work it took I felt I should do something more... which I haven't quite figured out yet. Hopefully inspiration will come to me in the next day or two!

Stamps:

A Day At Jackie's

There are many reasons to create and send cards, from birthday celebrations to the joyous arrival of a new baby. Some occasions are easy to create for, while others are more difficult and finding the right words can be a challenge. The Precious Memories set has sentiments for just those times. Whether you need a card for a grieving friend or for someone who is dealing with a health, financial or personal challenge, there are kind words to help you express your care and support.

Jackie has created a collection of beautiful cards for those challenging moments that occur in every life. She has coloured the images with soft, beautiful colours and matched them with meaningful sentiments intended to offer comfort, hope and love. She has kindly provided some colouring guides for those who are curious about the mediums she used on her projects.

For more of Jackie's work, head over to her personal blog:

Jackie's Blog

Artistic Effects

There are lots of advantages to using digital stamps, from resizing and flipping to skewing and stretching. One of my favourites is adding artistic effects to pre-coloured images in MSWord. There are lots of options for picture effects, from mosaic tiles to black and white sketches. 

Stamps:

Tutorial - Flag Fold Cards

I have a fabulous display card to share with you today, featuring five little flags that project from the centre of the card, giving it it's name. Despite how it looks, it's not too difficult to create and will fold up nicely for posting in a standard envelope.

1. You'll need one piece of heavy patterned paper measuring 10" long x 6" high, one piece of cardstock measuring 8" long x 6" high, and five 2" squares of cardstock for the flags. Extra patterned paper and embellishments will be needed for decoration once the base is created.

2. Score the piece of cardstock and fold in half to form a 6" x 4" card. Set aside.

3. Place the patterned paper horizontally on your scoreboard and score at 2", 3", 4", 5", 6", 7" and 8".

4. Concertina fold the card, starting and ending with valley folds. You should have three peaks in the centre of the paper and a 2" flat section on each side. Refer to the photo below.

5. Apply adhesive on the back of the 2" flat sections on either side of the patterned paper. DO NOT apply any adhesive to the concertina section in the middle.

6. Line up the adhesive ends of the patterned paper with the sides of the card blank and press firmly in place. The concertina section should be free to fold and unfold as you open and close the card. Set aside.

7. It's easier to decorate the "flags" at this point rather than after you have secured them to the card. Add some patterned paper, stamps, images and other embellishments as desired. Keep in mind that any decorations you add should be flat as they will be included in the folds of the card.

8. Apply adhesive to the half of the "flag" that will attach to the card. Double check before you add any glues or tapes to make sure you're applying it to the correct side.

9. Start by adhering the centre "flag" halfway up the middle fold. I used a centring ruler to make sure I placed it correctly.

10. Now adhere two flags on the first fold, one flush with the top of the card, and one flush with the bottom.

11. Apply the last two flags on the last fold, one flush with the top of the card and one flush with the bottom.

12. Decorate the front of the card as desired. I used a digital image, coloured with copic markers, some ribbon and patterned paper. The card is quite bulky when complete, so you might like to create a belly band or ribbon tie to hold it closed.

I think this fold would be fabulous for Christmas, decorated with lots of different sized snowflakes, glitter and snowmen. I hope you'll give it a try!