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.

Drill #50 A Love Mood Board

Valentine's day has past but it is still February and there is always a place for love!!!

Drill #50
A LOVE Mood Board

The rules are simple, just create a project inspired by our mood board. Feel free to interpret the mood board in any way you like; using one image, several of them, all of them or even just one aspect of an image, using ANY products and/or colors you like.

Projects can be cards, layouts, art journal pages, canvas's or other altered projects.

**All entries must be new, please no back linking.

** Both February Drills will be entered for the prize.

**We are only able to ship within the US and Canada. 

For this month we really want you to be motivated so the winner will receive a $20 Gift Card to......

Now, before you leave make sure you take a look at the labors of love that the S.W.A.T. Team have created to inspire you! 

Michele

Charity

Venetia

Now its your turn to share your love with us! 

Have fun and link up before the end of the month on the right hand side of the blog, we can't wait to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Remember to like us on Facebook :)

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!

November Basic Training-Stamping Through a Stencil

It is just starting to get cold here and we even had some snow...it is hard to believe it is already November.  Where. does. the TIME. go???

Michele here and today I am sharing a quick technique for stamping through a stencil.  I started with a tag that I already had a few layers of mixed media goodness on, I wanted lots of layers on this tag I made to remind me of the short summer we had.

For this technique you will need a stencil, a stamp, ink, gesso and a spatula (or your finger :) works too).

Lay your stencil down flat.

Apply some gesso.  I used heavy gesso but any type will work.

Carefully lift your stencil off.

Let dry or hurry along with your heat gun.

Lay your stencil back down in the same place.  Make sure the gesso is completely dry before you do.

Stamp over the stencil.

 Make sure you apply pressure to make sure the ink takes to the gesso.

Lift the stencil off and viola!

If you would like to see the complete tag pop over to my blog for details, stuffbybelle.

Thanks so much for sharing a part of your day with us!  We look forward to seeing your beautiful working linked up for our challenges.