Tuesday To-Do

Here are the instructions to make this canvas which I posted a couple weeks ago

Supplies

Canvas or canvas board

Two colours of Ranger Perfect Pearls (I used Sparkle Yellow and Rust)

Ranger Embossing ink

Ranger clear embossing powder

Image stamp - I used clear acrylic stamps by Alpha Stamps

Rub-ons: 7 Gypsies

Sticker: Daisy D’s

Trim: Prima

Fabric butterfly: from Alpha Stamps fabric collage sheet

Two spray bottles

Paper towels

Stickers and embellishments

Instructions

1. Ink your stamp with embossing ink and randomly stamp image across the canvas.

I did my stamping in a trail across the canvas because of the follow your bliss theme I was going for.

2. Cover with embossing powder and tap off the excess. Because the canvas is textured make sure to really tap it against your table so that it adheres only to the stamped image.

3. Use heat gun to melt embossing powder

4. Mix lighter colour of Perfect Pearls with a little water in a spray bottle

And spray over entire canvas.

Don’t worry about any drips or drabbles, that will only add to the effect J

Let dry entirely. If you’re impatient (like me!) you might want to use your heat gun to speed this process up a bit.

5. Once dry mix second colour of Perfect Pearls and spray over canvas, making sure to concentrate on the areas of the canvas that are still white.

6. At this point you can use a crumpled up piece of paper towel to dab into the wet “ink”. This gives a nice texture to the pattern

7. You can choose to either stop at this point or add another layer of colour.

Once the canvas is dry use a clean paper towel or soft cloth to wipe colour off the embossed image

Now you can decorate the canvas to suit your theme!

Some details:

Disconnected

A few days ago Rebecca Sower threw out a challenge: spend a day unplugged - no TV, no telephone no internet. I've been struggling lately with lack of focus and being way too distracted by things like TV and Internet so I am taking the plunge and going unplugged tomorrow. I've made a nice list of some projects I want to tackle, so hopefully I won't feel the pull to check my e-mail every five minutes, or check in on numerous message boards to "see what's happening". I know I will definitely miss my flickr fix, I have become so addicted to that place, but a break might be just what I need!

I'm leaving you with a canvas I did yesterday for the Ranger Yahoo group. It uses Perfect Pearls for the background and I did an emboss resist technique with the butterfly stamps (the stamps and the fabric butterfly are both from Alpha Stamps)



Wish me luck and I'll be back over the weekend!

Tuesday To-Do (on a Wednesday)

I've been under the weather the last few days (and so has hubby) so blogging fell by the way side. Here are the instructions to make this card which I posted last week

Supplies

Ranger

Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks and Metallic Mixers

* Cranberry

* Raisin

* Red Pepper

* Gold

* Bronze

Alcohol Ink Applicator

Tim Holtz Distress Inks

· Fired Brick

· Tattered Rose

Black archival ink

Clear Emboss It ink pad

Clear UTEE

Cut & Dry Foam

Other

Glossy paper

Red card form (or red cardstock measuring 8&12 x 5&1/2)

White and black cardstock

Medium or large love themed rubber stamp

Four small love themed image stamps

Sentiment stamp

2” Square punch

Felt heart accent

Instructions

1. Alcohol Ink background

Cut a piece of glossy paper about 8&1/2 x 5&1/2 in size

Load up your alcohol ink applicator with the three inks and the mixatives

Using a dabbing motion apply to glossy paper, twisting the applicator as you go. Make sure to cover at least 2/3 of the paper

Ink up the medium/large stamp with black archival ink and stamp over background

Cut a piece measuring 4&1/8 x 5&3/8 and set aside

2. Cracked Tiles

Using small pieces of Cut & Dry Foam apply Tattered Rose and Fired Brick inks to a piece of white cardstock

Stamp four small images and use punch to punch out the squares

Press the embossing pad onto the squares, covering completely with the ink. Cover with clear UTEE and heat to melt; adding more UTEE until you have 3-4 layers. Set aside to cool

Once cool, bend the pieces back in forth in different directions forming cracks in the UTEE

Stamp sentiment on a scrap piece of inked up white cardstock with Fired Brick ink. Assemble card as shown above.

card detail

Inky Fingers

Here's another Valentine card.
This one uses a variety of inking and stamping techniques and was posted to the Ranger yahoo group for a monthly How-To (called an Inkling). I'll share the instructions here next week. The image stamps are from Alpha Stamps and the sentiment is from Purple Onion for Self-Addressed. Felt heart from the craft store. I do love playing with inking techniques from time to time!

Tuesday To-Do

I shared this step-by-step project on the Ranger Yahoo group last month. Since January isn't yet over there's still time to get it made before you have to start using it!

Supplies

6 or more colours of Tim Holtz Distress ink pads

Ranger Cut & Dry Foam

12 manila envelopes about 6.5” x 3.5” – you can use pre-punched envelopes, or punch your own holes at the sealed end

Seasonal rubber stamps and embellishments

Assorted patterned papers

2 nesting square punches – 1.5” and 2”

Calendar for 2008 printed on white cardstock (available here http://craftysecrets.com/images/pattern%20pics/2008%20calendar.pdf)

Hole Reinforcements

Chipboard, patterned paper, number and letter stickers for cover (optional)

Step 1:

Using a small piece of Cut & Dry Foam, apply one colour of ink all over front and back of

envelope

Step 2

Ink seasonal stamp with same colour ink, and stamp randomly over front and back of envelope, re-inking stamp as necessary

Step 3

Punch out calendar month with smaller punch, and stamp same image lightly on it

Step 4

Punch a piece of coordinated patterned paper with larger punch and use to mat month. Cut another piece of patterned paper 6”x3” and use as a mat on the envelope, remembering to punch a hole through.

Add matted month

Add seasonal embellishments and hole reinforcement

Repeat for the remaining months in the year, varying the colours, stamps and embellishments as necessary to suit the month and season. Now throughout 2008 you can add a wallet sized photo above the month, and tuck mementos from that month into the envelope!

To make a cover for the book, cut a piece of chipboard 6.75” x 3.75” and cover with patterned paper and embellishments as shown below

Other ideas:
1. Feel free to substitute your favourite inks for the ones I used. You can also do away with stamping on the envelope and simply mat with your favourite patterned papers
2. You can highlight family members' birthdays on the calendar and use a photo of them that month

If you create this project I'd love to see it, so please come back and leave me a link!

Spooky Greetings!

I made this card for the monthly How-To I do for the Ranger yahoo group. The orange background was done using Ranger alcohol inks, and the card features the Halloween Icons by Alpha stamps. Some days I just love getting my fingers inky!

I make cards too

Played with some ink last night and made this card for the yahoo Ranger Group.


Will follow up soon with the instructions! It involves Distress Inks, Alcohol inks and embossing.

"Quote Unquote"

I did this How-To for the Ranger Yahoo group and thought I'd share it here too.

Tag Quote Book

using Resist Techniques

Supplies
5 large shipping tags
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads(Vintage Photo, Mustard Seed, Peeled Paint, Weathered Wood, Walnut Stain, Tea Dye, Old Linen, Fired Brick, Tattered Rose)
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Reinker (Walnut Stain)
Emboss It embossing pad
Clear embossing powder
Stippling brush
Cut and Dry foam
Assortment of quote, image and background stamps.
Found items for stamping e.g. corrugated cardboard, bubble wrap
Spritz bottle filled with water
Ranger non-stick Craft Mat
Embossing heat gun
Raw chipboard
Letter & quote stickers
assorted ribbon and embellishments


Instructions:

Select the quotes and accompanying images for each tag. Stamp each tag randomly with the image of your choice using embossing pad, and heat emboss with clear embossing powder.




Technique 1: Stippling

Tap stippling brush into Weathered Wood pad, and apply with a tapping motion to tag.














Once complete, ink background stamp with Tea Dye and stamp randomly over tag. Using a soft cloth rub ink off of the embossed portions.



Finish tag with quote stamp, and other embellishments.










Stamp credits: Workbench, Club Scrap

Technique 2: Direct to Paper

Use the Mustard Seed pad to apply ink directly to embossed tag. You can vary the effect by tapping lightly or pressing firmly.















It should look like this once done















Ink background stamp with Vintage Photo and stamp randomly over tag













Finish tag with quote stamp, and other embellishments.











Stamp credits: Time & Space, Club Scrap

Technique 3: Sponging with Cut n Dry Foam

Cut a small piece of Cut n Dry Foam, tap into Tattered Rose ink pad and sponge ink onto embossed tag


























using a piece of mesh as a stencil, sponge Fired Brick randomly onto tag, again using the Cut n Dry Foam














Finish tag with quote stamp, and other embellishments.












Stamp Credits: Painted Dessert, Club Scrap

Technique 4: Monoprinting

On your Ranger non-stick sheet, press the Peeling Paint pad several times.













Using the spritz bottle mist ink with water















Press tag into wet ink, swirl slightly and lift up.













Once dry (you can wait, or cheat like me and zap it quickly with your heat gun), repeat with Fired brick pad. Use found items like bubble wrap and corrugated cardboard to stamp on tag with Vintage Photo and Mustard Seed pads.













Finish tag with quote stamp, and other embellishments.










Stamp Credits: Friendship's Journey, Stampin Up!

Technique 5: Brayer Resist

Using the dropper from the Walnut Ink re-inker, squiggle a line of ink down the short side of tag.













use brayer to spread the ink over entire tag.












Finish tag with quote stamp, and other embellishments.










Stamp Credits: Fossils Stamp set by Club Scrap


To assemble book:

Use a shipping tag as a template to cut two covers from raw chipboard. Decorate front with varied stamp designs (the ones I used are by Club Scrap). Use letter and quote stickers to make title "Quote unquote" (Making Memories and Chatterbox). Reinforce holes with 7 Gypsies canvas reinforcements. Use a binder ring to assemble book. Tie strips of ribbon, ric rac or fiber onto ring.