Techniques Revisited - Part 4 (Spirelli)

Good morning!

Today I want to share a lovely pendant/ornament I received with you.  It's the Spirelli technique. Makes you think of a spirograph doesn't it?

My friend Carol sent me this lovely piece:

This technique works well with any scalloped shape (and is a good way to use up some of those fibers in your stash).  

• I start with a piece of double sided tape on the back of my shape.  
• I lay the end piece of the thread onto the tape and bring up through one of the indentions.  
• Then take the thread down one of the scallops indentions. The look of the finished piece will change, depending on the spacing of your threads.  You can make a tight pattern with a lot of inner space (for stamping), or you can make a smaller pattern (or even no spacing at all if you put your thread straight across).
• Bring your thread back up in the next indention and continue with an over/under pattern until you are completely back around the piece.  
• The above piece goes through every indention twice to make the pattern.

My friend used a metallic thread and used a metal button for the center.

Other uses for those fibers you've been saving:

• Use instead of ribbon when wrapping presents.
• Use to make animal fur for stamped images
• Hair on your stamped people
• Use to make borders on your scrapbook pages (or cards)
• Use them to "hang" charms or embellishments
• Use them for "fence" wire.

Come on, let's add to this list...Just leave a comment and tell me what your favorite use for fibers are. Then pull them out and use them.

Put some color in your day.

Techniques Revisited - Part 1 (Lace)

We have been having a discussion on the Stamptalk Yahoo Group about old techniques and using up our stash, so I decided to do a few old techniques.

Today's post uses lace and glitter.

The background behind the woman is made with a lace background.  Remember that?  The technique is simple but stunning.

• I bought some half sheet labels, which give you two backgrounds per sheet. Just peel the liner off and lay down your piece of lace.  Make sure the lace is adhered really well.  
• Pour your first color of glitter on the sheet. I usually lay a piece of copy paper over it at this point and brayer it to make sure the glitter adheres really well. Put that color of glitter back in the jar. 
• Pull the lace off and put your 2nd color of glitter down.  Again put the copy paper over it and brayer. Put the 2nd color of glitter back in your jar.  
• Your background is now ready.  If you die cut a circle, square, oval, etc., you will be able to use the negative space, too. And you can use the lace over and over.

Here are some examples of glitter backgrounds made using this technique and different kinds of lace. 

Hope you have fun with your supplies and this technique.

Over The Moon Monday - Sponging

Good morning!  Welcome to Over The Moon Monday.  This is my 250th post!

Did you have a great weekend?  The weather here in Florida is finally warming up a bit. I don't want it to get too warm yet.  I'm enjoying the coolness. Like I tell my hubby, I can always add more clothes, but when it gets hot in the summer I can't always take more clothes off.  I'll take the cool weather any day.

I always enjoy my weekend, but I look forward to Monday so I can share with you.  Today I want to share some cards using the sponging technique.

Since so many of you have had lots of snow this winter, I chose to make snow scenes.  The stamps are from The Angel Company. 

I like to pick 3 colors to use when I'm sponging a sky. And depending on which colors you use, it can look like a morning sky, or an evening sky.  Cardstock makes a difference, too.  Glossy cardstock can give you a lighter sky.

I think the first card looks like a morning sky.  I used post-it notes torn to make a ragged edge as the horizon.  Then I sponged my lightest color of ink onto the cardstock.  Moving up a bit, I sponged the 2nd lightest color, and finally at the top I sponged the darkest color, being sure to overlap them some to blend.  The top card is on glossy cardstock.  I punched a yellow circle to be the sun/moon.

On the 2nd card, I used regular cardstock.  The colors tend to be darker because it takes more ink to cover the cardstock.  This could be an early morning or twilight card. Again, I overlapped the colors to blend them.  And again, I used a punch to make the moon.

On the yellow card, this is definately going from midday to evening. If I had reversed the colors on the cardstock, it would have been daybreak.

Instead of using a punched out sun/moon, I used the negative space from where I punched the others, and sponged in the sun.  I like the look...it's softer.

The next card, is definately evening/night. I used several colors of dark blue and purple, and they are subtly blended. I used a white gel pen to add falling snow, and added some crystal clear glitter to the snow to give it a glisten.  You can't see it in the scan, though.

I hope you have enjoyed the cards for this week.  I have enjoyed making them, and if you need any further information on sponging, please don't hesitate to leave a comment and ask. 

I hope you have a great week.  If you get to try your hand at sponging skies, please leave a link in the comment section. We'd all like to enjoy your creation. And you never know, I might just decide to give out a little blog candy, and you might be the lucky winner.

See you next week!

Over The Moon Monday - Technique

Good morning and welcome to another Over The Moon Monday. I hope you had a great weekend. I spent it with my two granddaughters, which was great. We were keeping them overnight so Mom and Dad could go to her company Christmas Party, but decided to get them early and make a day of it. We picked them up, then went to the Flea Market, followed by a late lunch/early dinner at CiCi's Pizza. We did our nails and did card tricks and was silly. On Sunday we watched movies all day. It was great!

For today's card, I chose a technique from the current Technique Junkie's newsletter called Rachel's Coat.


It's basically a Joseph's Coat technique, except you use designer paper for the background. I chose a candy cane striped paper for my background, stamped and clear embossed the snowflakes and saying, then covered it with black ink, removing the ink from the embossed areas. I matted it on a pink cardstock, and used my scalloped edge punch. The whole thing was then adhered to the black cardstock.

I think I will make another, but after matting it on the pink cardstock, I will then adhere it to the same candy-cane striped background paper.

Anyway, the possibilities are endless. I hope you get to try this technique and post a link to it in the comment section.

Happy Crafting!

Over The Moon Monday - Technique

Good afternoon and welcome to another Over The Moon Monday.

I am totally enjoying the cooler weather. I have the windows open and the air conditioner turned off. Can I tell you how much energy I have with the cooler weather? I feel like "spring cleaning".

I am having internet issues, so I will go ahead and get on with today's card. I like this card because you can cut 3 from a 12 x 12 piece of cardstock, and the finished card fits in a #10 envelope.

Anyway, to get started, you will need a piece of cardstock cut 4" x 12". I used a color that coordinated with the background paper I was going to use. On the 12" side, go in 3" and score so that you can fold the flap over. (This is the part that "To A Very Special Friend" is attached to.) Next I cut a piece of light olive cardstock 8-3/4" x 3-3/4" and adhered it to the base cardstock. I cut a piece of coral cardstock 8-1/2" x 3-1/2" and adhered to the olive cardstock.

For the outside flap, I cut a piece of patterned paper 2-1/2" x 3-1/2" and adhere to the flap. I stamped "To A Very Special Friend" (Hero Arts) onto light olive cardstock with lettuce dye ink. I trimmed to fit and adhered to the patterned paper.

Using the same patterned paper, I put a piece onto the coral cardstock.

I brushed white gesso on a piece of white cardstock, and left brush marks. While this was still wet, I applied pearl-ex in a gold and interference green to give it some shine. The texture is great, also.

Then I stamped the birds on a limb (Inkadinkadoo) with black permanent ink and trimmed the cardstock. I used a needle to punch holes in the ends of the cardstock, and ran a black inkpad around the edges, then adhered to the patterned paper.

When you are finished with the card, there is room to open the flap and write a note to the recipient.

I hope I have inspired you to create something this week. If you do, please post a link in the comment section. Happy Crafting!

Over The Moon Monday - Technique

Good morning and welcome to another Over The Moon Monday. I hope you had a great weekend. Did you do anything fun? Just leave a comment and let us know!

Today we will be doing a technique with striped paper. This gives you a whole new way to use up that striped paper you didn't like, and I think you will like the results. I happened to need a birthday card, and wanted to try out the technique anyway, so I just combined the two. Let's get started, shall we?

Supplies you will need:

• striped patterned paper
• stamp of your choice
• coloring media of your choice
• embellishments to compliment your design
• adhesive (the xyron works great for this)
• cardstock base (to adhere the strips)
• cardstock for the card

To begin with, you will need to get out your striped paper. You will need more than the standard 4-1/4 x 5-1/2 because you are going to turn the paper at an angle to cut the first set of strips. You can cut these strips as wide as you want. I chose to cut mine about 3/4". After you cut 3 or 4 strips (depending on the width of the strips you cut), turn your paper 90 degrees and cut 3 or 4 more strips. As you can see on my first attempt at this technique, I didn't get my paper turned a whole 90 degrees, but I like the effect anyway.

Now you will adhere your first strip of paper to the cardstock base. Next pick a piece of the paper that was cut on a 90 degree angle and adhere it next to your first strip. Now pick up a strip like the first one and adhere it, so that you form an alternating pattern with the strips.

When you are finished, trim off any excess paper that is hanging over the edges, and adhere to your card. You could change the degree you turn the paper, creating different looks.

Now you are ready to finish your card using an image of your choice.

Share your creations with us by posting a link...and enjoy the rest of your week!

Over The Moon Monday - Father's Day

Good morning and welcome to another Over The Moon Monday. I trust you have a wonderful week and got to spend some time crafting. Since Father's Day is fast approaching, I want to share a card I made for my husband for Father's Day this year.

Several years ago I attended a convention and bought a sheet of unmounted stamps. I have no idea who makes these stamps, but if you know, please post to the comment section. Anyway, my hubby likes to drink wine with dinner, and I've made so many fish/fishing cards until I know he's sick to death of them, so this idea just kind of leaped into my brain. I think he will like this card. I colored the wine bottle and the glass of wine with permanent markers. Then I covered them with Versamark and coated them with clear embossing powder and heat set, so they would have a shiny look. You could do the same thing with Crystal Lacquer. I used a brick patterned paper for the background, and adhered the wine bottle. I stamped the wineglass again onto acetate, cut out the part that would show the bricks through the part of the glass that was empty, and adhered to the background with pop dots. This let the bricks show through nicely. I stamped "Let's Celebrate" onto a scrap of red cardstock, then outlined it with gold leafing pen and adhered to the background with pop dots. I stamped "Happy Father's Day" on the inside of the card to complete it.

The following ATC (Artists Trading Card) features a stamp named Miss Kitty and a technique called Bingo Blast.

This is a fun technique using bingo markers that have been spritzed with water, but I have also used the starburst stains from Lindy's Stamp Gang, and I am sure there are other liquids you could use as well. Just spritz with water and slam them down on the paper for a unique background.

I hope you have enjoyed this post, and that you will leave a post showing us your Father's Day card. Until next time...

do something crafty!

Over The Moon Monday

I am starting a new "Monday" Event here at my blog, called Over The Moon Monday. I will either show you a technique, give you a challenge, give away blog candy, or some other fun event. So, whenever you see the cow jumping over the moon, you'll know we're going to do something fun.

Today, I would like to teach you how to make a background using toilet paper and acrylic paints, called Faux Handmade Paper. The sample below was made by Wendy Kerr. The faux handmade paper is the blue/gray paper behind the dove.

For this project you will need a couple of complementary colors of acrylic paint, some cardstock, and some cheap toilet paper. The cheap toilet paper breaks down much quicker, which is what you want. You might also want to use rubber gloves and you will need paper to lay down on your desk to work on.

First you will put some of the lighter color acrylic paint on your toilet paper and pounce up and down on the cardstock, in random locations. The toilet paper will start to degrade and leave bits of colored toilet paper on your cardstock. This is exactly what you want it to do. Just make sure the pieces left behind are small. I usually flatten them down on the cardstock. When you are happy with the color, use the next color of acrylic paint. Just don't overwork it too much or your colors will get muddy. When you are happy with the results, let the cardstock dry and you will have some fantastic background paper that looks like handmade paper.

I hope you will give this technique a try, and post a link back here so we can all enjoy your endeavors.

Until my next post, have a happy Monday.

Pearlized Gesso

Good evening. I hope you had a productive day today. Mine was so-so. I slept late, which I don't like to do, because then I can't go to sleep tonight, and it's just a vicious cycle, so that on Monday I don't want to get up for work. On a good note, though, it didn't rain today, so maybe everything can get dried out.

I got some new cuttlebug embossing folders today from an online store, and when I got my order I had purchased and paid for 2 of the same folder, the Holly one. So, if you would like to purchase it for what I paid for it, plus shipping to you, please email me at mypapermoon512@aol.com.

This is a card I made using a technique called Pearlized Gesso from the Technique Junkie newsletter. You can't see from the scan, but it's very shimmery from Pearl Ex that was brushed on the gesso. It's very pretty in real life.

Hope you have a crafty weekend...

Christmas Cards

Yeah, I know it's only August, but I figured if I worked on my Christmas cards, I would be cooler. So, here is one of the Christmas cards I will be sending out this year.

This is a Joy Fold card, and the dimensions and instructions can be found in the newsletter archives at Splitcoaststampers. The poinsettia was colored with copic markers, and there is gold glitter in the center. The background for the poinsettia is a polished stone technique and has gold running through it. I liked the fact that I could use 2 different Christmas patterned papers and it still looks good.

This is a fun technique, and I've already used it several times.

Hope you are having a crafty day!

Another Stencil Card

As promised, here is another version of my stencil card.

This one was made on a faux batik watercolored background, which allows the faux batik to show through the stencil. I really like it.

To make this card, I stamped a large background swirl stamp onto plain cardstock using versamark. I then embossed with clear embossing powder.

Tip: When you are using Versamark, remember to clean your stamps immediately.

Then I watercolored the background with soft pastel colors, which do not show up in this scan. I put the cardstock between some copy paper and ironed until the embossed design was gone. It doesn't take long. This is the faux batik technique.

Then I stenciled the flower onto the cardstock blending my dye ink colors. That allowed the faux batik part to show through my stencilled area. To finish the card I stamped the flourishes and the stitched part along the top, matted on yellow cardstock.

I think I might like this one better than the first stencil card. Especially if you could see it in real life. The colors are so soft and subtle as to almost not be there.

Let me know what you think about this card.

See you again soon....

Becky

Stencil Technique - kind of

Good morning! I hope this finds you well and crafting. I have been busy this week and unable to blog. It was my first week back to work from vacation, and I had a lot to catch up on.


One of the techniques from the Technique Junkies newsletter was a stencil technique. This is my take on that technique. The background was made from re-inkers smooshed between a page protector then smooshed onto glossy cardstock. The daisy was stenciled using white Brilliance ink, and the flourishes were stamped with Palette Noir ink. I ran a gold leafing pen around the outside of the cardstock and layered onto a deep red cardstock.

I have another one to post later. It's a variation on this technique, and I like the way it turned out, too.

Gotta run for now....hope you have a wonderful day!

Becky

Faux Handmade Paper

Happy Saturday!

I made the above card using a technique called Faux Handmade Paper, from the Technique Junkie's newsletter, which can be found here.

I then ran the paper through the cuttlebug using an embossing folder. I used a lot of different colors making the faux handmade paper, and it really shows in the relief from the embossing folder. I added a flower, stamped the sentiment, rounded the corners and adhered it all to a glossy black backround. I love the way it turned out and it's so textured in real life.

Please continue keep my great nephew, Bradley, who was diagnosed with acute lyphocytic leukemia (ALL), in your prayers. He is to begin his chemotherapy and the search will begin for a bone marrow donor today. According to his sister, his chances for "recovery" are 30 - 40%, which are not good odds for a young man in his early 20's.

I hope you have a great weekend and get a chance to craft some. I've been cooking rubber f0r orders all afternoon, and now it's time to play a while. It's great therapy, and I want to make a special card for my neice, and another for Bradley.

We'll chat again soon...

Joseph's Coat Inside Out

I read a lot of blogs every day, and I ran across this technique on the Stamps, Paper Scissor blog, which you can find here: http://stampspaperscissors.typepad.com/stamps_paper_scissors/2007/09/index.html I have to warn you, this gal has a sense of humor.....

Bold stamps by The Angel Company, background writing stamp by Hampton Arts

This was a fun card to make. Unlike the traditional Joseph's Coat technique, this one uses plain cardstock, not glossy. And it was actually very easy to make, and looks good. My kind of card!

In a nutshell, you stamp your background image on light colored cardstock. Add some colors by sponging. You don't have to cover the whole card. Then you ink up some bold stamps with versa-mark, stamp them on the background, and emboss with clear embossing powder. Now, take some darker ink pads and sponge it on the card. When you are done, take a tissue and wipe off the embossing. Viola! A very pretty card. The details on Stamps, Paper, Scissors, is much more detailed and has pictures, so hike on over there and check it. out.

If you make one, post a link back here so we can check it out.

Other good news....my step-son is home from Iraq! He's at Ft. Stewart, GA, but he's back in the states after completing his 2nd tour. Woohoo! Now we can actually watch the news again...

It turned COLD last night! Brrrr....it was in the 40's, which is very cool for here. I slept with the bedroom windows up, though, and it was very refreshing. I sleep much better when it's cold. Even the cats were content to be inside for the night. I love this weather, though, and can't get enough of it. It will be hot soon enough, and will last way into the fall, so give me cold weather while I can get it.

Talk to you again soon....

Free Shipping and the Bathing Beauty

This week I'm offering Free Shipping on domestic orders at My Paper Moon in honor of it being a Leap Year. To get free shipping, just visit http://www.mypapermoon.com/, place your order and at check-out enter Free Shipping for the coupon code.

All stamps used are by My Paper Moon, artwork by Shelly H.

This card was made by my good friend, Shelly, and since it's so cold and snowy in parts of the United States, I felt it would be good to remind you that summer will surely come sooner or later, and this is what you have to look forward to. Of course, in Florida it's already very, very warm and we aren't looking forward to it being warmer for summer.

Notice that the bathing beauty is paper sculpted? This is a great technique for giving something texture and dimension. I got the following instructions from Shelly. She's a GREAT teacher.

• Stamp your image on watercolor paper with permanent ink.
• Water color the image and let dry.
• Cut out image.
• Moisten the back of the image with water on your fingers.
• Place image on a piece of fun foam.
• On the back of the image use a bone folder or spoon to gently curve the areas of the image that should pop out.
• Use a stylus to crease areas to emphasize details on the front of the image.
• Let dry.
• Blacken edges of image w/ a permanent black marker.
• When you attach the image to your artwork, use pieces of double stick foam tape under the rounded areas & adhesive around the edges of the image.

It's easy to do and gives such a nice effect. Give it a try. This technique would also look great with flowers.

Talk to you soon...