May Basic Training-Heat Embossed Resist

Summer is well on its way and in honor of all the May flowers those April showers brought I am sharing a fun resist technique using heat embossing.

Michele here with a super easy background technique.
Here is what you will need:

I used watercolor paper.

Stamp your image with embossing ink and sprinkle with clear embossing powder.  I used Viva Las VegaStamps! high gloss embossing powder.  Now heat it up.

Spray your paper with as many colors as you would like.  I used four Colorations from Art Anthology.

Wipe the color off where is has beaded on the stamped image.  This  one is a VLVS! stamp from a new release,  Wildflower Silhouette

Move the pooling color around and dry with a heat gun.

The Coloration colors used were Waimea Bay, Timeless, Salted Carmel and Guacamole.

You will be able to see the finished card I made with this background over at Viva Las VegaStamps! on May 21.  Visit http://vivalas.blogspot.com/ to check it out.

I hope you are inspired and join us in our challenge drills this month!!  There is a great Spring mood board up right now!!

April Basic Training - Ink Splats for Backgrounds

April showers bring May flowers and this months basic training... Michele here to share a super quick and fun technique with inks.

I used mostly inks but you can also use high flow acrylic paints or fluid acrylics mixed with water.  You will als need a spray bottle with water and a piece of watercolor paper.

Spray you paper with a generous amount of water.

Splatt your inks randomly arond the page.  For the paints you will have to add more water to get a good spread.

Be careful not to layer too many colors on top of each other, you may get mud pies on your page.  :)

I dried with my heat gun to set the color.

I cut my sheet into 2 tag bases for future use.

Thanks so much for visiting and I hope you are inspired to try this fun background technique. Thanks to Limor Webber for the inspiration.

If you would like to see what these bases ended up as please visit me over at Art Anthology on April 13th.

A Life Without Dreams

Saturday I shared with you an inking technique that Dyan Reavely taught in a workshop I recently took at Scrappy Chic.  I mentioned that I would share the finished project with you and I am here to do just that!!
I am so excited with how my tag turned out!  All Dylusions products (except for the tag and pens) on this baby!!  Stencils, ink, paint, stamps...I had SO much fun!!

Fun right?!?

I can't wait to get to work in my journal!!
Thanks for coming back to check it out and don't forget to look at our drills, you could win a fun prizes!!

March Basic Training-Inky Backgrounds

A couple of weeks ago Lanette and I took a workshop with Dyan Reavley at Scrappy Chic, our local scrapbook store.

I learned so much and wanted to share a bit with you.

I inked a couple of tags with some 'cool' colors from Dyan's Dylusions Ink Sprays; Fresh Lime, Vibrant Turquoise and London Blue.
You will need 2 tags, these are no.10, stencil and spray bottle with water.

 Dyan always uses three colors.

 Spray each color in 2 places on one of the tags, make sure you get good coverage.

Put the other tag on top and press down evenly.  You can use a roll of paper towels to roll across the tags.

 Pull the tags apart and mop up excess ink.

Let the ink dry to the touch.

Lay the two tags side by side, place your stencil over one of the tags and mist water over entire tag.

Lift the stencicl and flip over to the next tag, press down by rolling the paper towel roll over the top.

Then roll the paper towel roll over both tags.

Viola!!!  This is one of the awesome techniques Dyan taught and you can find more in her new book, Distinctly Dylusional.  I highly recommend it if you link playing with ink!!

Tune in sometime in the next week or so and I will show you what I did with these awesome tags.

Thanks for sharing a few minutes with us and don't forget to check out our March drill, steampunk Funk that is going on right now.

February Basic Training-Inking with Painters Tape

Happy Valentines Day!
Last week for Drill #49 the team shared some Valentines.  Today I would like to show you how I created the background on my card.

I started by choosing 3 Distress Ink colors and grabbed some painters tape.
I used watercolor paper for this technique cut to size before I started inking.

I put my paper on a paper towel in case I over inked.  Tear a piece of tape a bit longer than you paper and drag across you stamp pad.  I went back and pushed it down with my fingers also.

Tape across your paper and push down to spread the ink.  Repeat as many times as you would like.  I chose 3 colors so I have three stripes.

Gently peel back the tape...viola!
Once it dried I stamped my Valentine image of LOVE from Viva Las VegaStamps with archival ink.  I didn't apply even pressure on the stamp because I wanted a vintage look.

May Arts tulle is wrapped around the sentiment.

And the finished product.

As always we really appreciate your visit and look forward to having you back again soon!!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

January Basic Training-Add a little Sparkle!!

Welcome to 2015!!!
Today we are going to bring on the twinkle and look at a way add some sparkle to any project.
I have been hearing a lot about a technique using a used dryer sheet so I had to look into it...WOW does it add some serious sparkle!!
So here we go...

You will need:  a stamp, cardstock (cut to size), ink, spray adhesive, extra fine glitter and a used dryer sheet.

I stamped my main image in black archival ink then used a grey to stamp offset then again without reinking.  You could also just stamp a couple more time with your black ink with out reinking.

Smooth out or iron your dryer sheet, cut to size with scissors or on your paper trimmer.

Spray your paper with a generous coat of adhesive.

Adhere your dryer sheet.

Right away before the adhesive dries coat with glitter.  Tap off excess and trim dryer sheet if necessary.
That's it, easy peasy!!  Now you are ready to create, I made a card.

I used Authentique Believe, Viva Las VegaStamps, May Arts ribbon, Um Wow Studio snowflake confetti.

These pictures really don't do the sparkle justice!!  It twinkles and catches the light!!  I think I need to use this on my holiday cards next year!!!
Thanks for stopping by and remember to check out our drills for January!!

December Basic Training-Framed Stamping

Where has this year gone??!  Can you believe it is time for our last Basic Training of 2014?   Since Christmas is right around the corner I am going to share a new technique I learned on a Christmas card.  Over at Viva Las VegaStamps! DT member Hermine is one of my stamping idols and she shared a technique with overlapped circles framing some awesome stamping....here is my take on it that technique.

You will need a piece of cardstock with 2 different size circles (different but close), ink, stamp, pen, stencil and a bit of washi tape.

I started with the larger circle.

Traced the circle.

Then used the smaller circle, offsetting and traced.  I did this a couple of times.

Then I aligned my circle to use as a mask.

Taped it with the washi and stamped the image in the circle.  I used a Viva Las VegaStamps! Santa Smoking.

I used black ink because i planned on watercoloring the image.

I used my favorite Um Wow Studio mask, star confetti, and stenciled some of the tiny stars where the lines overlapped.

I absolutely love this technique!!!  There are just so many possibilities...

All Authentique paper, Bo Bunny doily, May Arts silk ribbon, Distress Markers, Um Wow Studio star confetti and flair from the Be Merry set.

Thank you SO much for sharing a part of your day with us at this busy time of year!  I hope you are inspired to try this fun technique AND have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!