Tutorial - Journal cover using textured paste and alcohol ink

I had just received my Golden Medium introductory pack and was very excited to try some of them out so I decided to see what I could do with the molding paste. Here is what I came up with.




Supplies
Hard Cover Journal, Tag, ATC or Cardstock
Gesso
Molding Paste (I used Golden's Light Molding Paste)
Alcohol Ink (As many colours as you would like to combine)
Blending tool
Clean felt pads
Popsicle stick


Step 1 - Gather all your supplies together. You can use this technique as I have on a journal cover or something a lot simpler, like a background for an ATC or tag or even on some inchies.


Step 2 - Place your journal/ATC/tag on your non-stick craft mat and paint over the entire surface with white acrylic gesso. This acts as a primer for the paste. Looking back I would've covered my ring binders with masking tape during this and the next step to avoid getting paste on the rings.


Step 3 - Using your popsicle stick apply the paste to your surface creating peaks and folds or any other textured surface you desire. The paste is very slow drying so you will have ample time to play around creating the finished look you want. Once you're happy with the texture, put your project aside where it can dry. This can take up to 24 hours so only use this technique when you're not in a hurry.


Step 4 - Once your paste is completely dry you can move your project back to your craft mat. Using the blending tool with a clean felt pad, add your selected colours of alcohol ink. For my project I used stonewash, pesto and some silver mixative. Dab the tool over the surface in and stamping motion.


Step 5 - Continue adding alcohol ink to the pad and stamping until the entire surface is covered in the colours and patterns you desire. Here is a close-up of my colour combination on the surface. Remember to pay close attention to the peaks and folds and ensure that you have covered all the gaps with your ink.

Once your surface is fully inked, you can leave to dry or use your heat gun to dry. Now you have a fabulous background to create a stunning project against.

February colour inspiration - SNR

 

This was the inspiration piece I chose for the February colour inspiration challenge at SNR. Here is my LO's I created using this inspiration piece and how I interpretted the piece.

I was first drawn to the inspiration piece because of the large doors with the metal rivets. I knew I would be able to replicate these with some recently acquired metal sheets and a little imagination. The combination of the black with the vintage shades in color palette #2 are just stunning and, in my opinion, added character to my finished layout. I selected the photograph in hopes of creating the illusion of looking through large open doors at the kids walking in the distance. The Dusty Attic chipboard flourish I found in my stash was the perfect item to finish the layout off because of its resemblance to the lighting above the doorway in the inspiration piece.

I created the background by tearing up a piece of vintage pp I had in my stash. I tore it into random sized pieces and inked all the edges with black soot distress ink. I then applied in in a collage type style using some Golden soft gel. Once all the pieces were applied I painted a second coat of soft gel medium over all the pp's which gave the bg a shimmery appearance.

I don't have all the fantastic tools available for metal art but needed to create faux rivets in my sheet metal to resemble the rivets on the doors of the inspiration picture so I improvised and used the back end of a parker pen and a half pearl. I placed the metal on my foam mat and used the half pearl to create the rivets. I then used the parker pen to define the circles.
the metal pieces above and below the pic were emboosed using a sizzix embossing folder.

I was rather delighted with the end result and feel confident that I did a good job of interpreting the inspiration piece....even if I do say so myself...LOL!

Tutorial - Metal flower (Option 2)

This is an second alternative using the Sizzix Tattered Florals die instead of hand cutting the flowers as I did in the first metal flower tutorial I did.



If you enjoy making your own flower embellishments but are perhaps looking for something a little more interesting than your standard paper flower then this flower technique can offer you that and a whole lot more. Using metal will also add some interesting texture to your project.



Supplies
Sheet metal
Sizzix tattered florals die cut
Embossing folder of your choice
Embossing/Die-cutting machine
Sanding block
UTEE powder
Embossing ink
Heating tool


Step One: Using your Cuttlebug or other die-cutting machine cut 1 large, 1 medium and 1 small flower from the Sizzix tattered florals die cut set.


Step Two: Emboss your florals using any embossing folder of your choice. Using a sanding block, sand down the raised embossed images on your metal.


Step Three: Add some embossing ink to the tips of each petal and then pour some UTEE powder over. Tap off any excess powder onto a spare piece of paper which you can then use to funnel the powder back into its container.


Step Four: Using your heating tool, heat the UTEE until it begins to melt. I recommend only doing one layer as you want the grainy uneven finish for these.


Step Five: Bend each petal upwards and also pinch the top of each petal inwards creating a "v" shape as shown above. Stack the flowers starting with the largest at the bottom gluing each layer to the next as you go. Add a flower center (I used a pearl) and you're done.



These will make a lovely addition to any scrapbook layout, card or tag. Experiment with various petal shapes using your metal sheets to create different styles of flowers.

Tutorial - Adding shimmer to your scrapbooking patterned papers

Here's another quick tip I shared in the February issue of SNR.

I was in the mood for working on a really girly layout so I picked out my papers and although the Prima papers are absolutely stunning on their own I felt they were lacking a little sparkle, which is what I wanted for this particular layout. With a little experimenting I discovered this really fabulous technique which helped breath life into my layout.
It's very simple and a great way for you to get your hands wet with working with some mixed mediums on your layouts.



Supplies
Soft Gloss Gel (I used Golden Soft gel)
Fine glitter
Paint brush


Step One: Gather all your supplies together. Select your patterned paper. I had already started my fussy cutting by the time I decided to try the technique. You can however use the technique on solid uncut paper where you want to add some sparkle as part of background.


Step Two: Using your paint brush, add some soft gloss gel to the areas you want to alter. On my layout I added sparkle to the flower image on the bottom right of the paper, the paper I matted my photo with and the cardstock circle I wrapped some ribbon around. As you paint your paper gently tap some glitter over the area. The gloss gel dries quite quickly so I suggest you sprinkle the glitter as you paint. Fine glitter works best for this technique.


Step Three: Dust any excess glitter off onto a spare piece of paper which you can then use to funnel back into it's container.

It's that easy. There are so many options for this simple technique but here are few that spring to mind immediately

• On a piece of patterned paper as shown above
• To color a stamped image with
• To add sparkle to your fussy cutting pieces used as embellishments
• To alter store bought embellishments
• To alter chipboard pieces

Other interesting techniques used on this LO:
I used my polymer clay leaves tutorials for the little green leaves and the braided vine tutorials for my vine circle. You can find links to both these tutorials on the right panel under "my tutorials".

Tutorial - Singapore Orchid from Polymer clay

This tutorial was part of the Product Parade feature for Perfect Pearls in the February issue of SNR. This was one of a series of great techniques using Perfect Pearls.

Polymer clay is one of my new found favourite products to play with. It's a very versatile product and I just love the life-like look of the finished embellishments. I have tried colouring it with several colour mediums but find that Ranger Perfect Pearls offer the best results. The Perfect Pearls offers easy coverage and is a great product to use if you want to use several colours together because the mica powder blends easily. I'm going to show you how to make some beautiful Singapore Orchids using polymer clay with Perfect Pearls. These are stunning embellishments to add to your layouts, cards to altered projects.


Singapore Orchids by Wendy Greenaway Supplies Cardstock: Bazzill; Stamp: Inkadinkado; Ink, Mica powder: Ranger; Polymer clay: Eberhard Faber



Supplies
Fimo Clay or any other brand of polymer clay in colours of your choice.
Perfect Pearls
Dusting brush (for the Perfect Pearls)
Singapore die cut

Note: The die cut I used was purchased at my local baking supply store. You will find several varieties of flower and leaf die cutters which are usually used for cake decorating. This particular set is the 5 piece Singapore orchid.


Step one: Gather all your supplies together. Break off a piece of polymer clay in the colour you would like to use. For this flower I used the Magenta. Work the clay between your palms until it is soft enough to manipulate. Flatten onto your non stick craft mat. The layer should not be more than 1.5mm. Use your die cutter to cut out the 5 pieces as shown above


Step Two: Gently flatten the edges of all the petals. This is to soften the edges and will give your finished flower a more life-like appearance.


Step Three: Using a toothpick draw veins on each of your petals. There are petal veiners available at the baking supply store but unfortunately I do not have any so I improvised with a toothpick.


Step Four: Using a dust brush, apply a generous coat of Perfect Pearls powder over all 5 of your pieces. I used the colour blush to soften the brightness of the magenta clay.


Step Five: Take the smallest piece and curl in as shown above to form the lobe of your orchid


Step Six: Now add the labella as shown above. Gently curl it back and press the edges between your fingers until they become wavy.


Step Seven: Add the two lateral petals. Press the clay at the base so it molds together with the base of the lobe and labella. Use your finger to support the petals. Again pinch the edges of the petals until they become wavy.


Step Eight: Add the last set of petals by wrapping them around from the base. Press the clay once again so the base is all molded together. Re-arrange your petals so they fall correctly. Pinch the edges so they are wavey to add to the life-like appearance. Place your flower back onto the non-stick craft mat and arrange it as you would like it to look on your project

Important note: Polymer clay harden once baked so you will not be able to manipulate your flower once it has been baked. Make sure it looks as you need it to before placing it in the oven.


Step Nine: To demonstrate what the Perfect Pearls looks like on white clay I made a second flower for my project. I used the Berry Twist for this flower. I only added the Perfect Pearls to the ends of the petals for a 2 tones flower.


Step Ten: I went through all the above steps again to create the finished flower which I placed on my craft mat and manipulated to look as I wanted it to look on my project.


Step Eleven: Leaving your flowers on your Ranger non-stick craft mat place them into your pre-heated oven at 230 degree Fahrenheit or 110 degree Celsius for 30 minutes


Step Twelve: While your flowers are baking you can use the time to make the leaves. You can of course wait to bake the flowers until the leaves are done. I do not have a long leaf die so I improvised and used one of the petals to cut my leaves out of some leafy green clay. I wasn't sure how many I'd want to add to my finished project to I cut six just to be safe.


Step Thirteen: using a toothpick, vein your leaves. Lightly press the edges of the leaves and generously dust them some green patina Perfect Pearls.


Step Fourteen: Manipulate your leaves as you would like them to look. Pinch the edges between two fingers to create the wavy look. Place them on your non-stick craft mat and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes as you did with the flowers.

Once you have baked both your flowers and leaves and they have cooled add them to your projects with some hot glue.

The list of possibilities for what you can create with polymer clay is endless. Visit your local baking supply store to find some molds and die cutters. Perfect Pearls are guaranteed to give you a smooth finish every time and is definitely my go-to clour medium when using clay.

If you don't want to make an entire flower for your project, then invest in some leaf cutters or molds which you can use to make some life-like leaves to add to your paper or fabric blooms. These will add a lovely classic touch to your project.

SNR - March issue available and May calls up

The March issue of SNR is available. Starting this month readers will get a double dose!!! The issue available right now is filled with all the eye candy inspiration one could hope for in a craft magazine. You'll find over 400 images covering scrapbooking, card making, stamping  and mixed media projects.
Then on the last Sunday of of every month, a second issue will be released packed full of tutorials, the Product Parade and several primers including ink, paint, Perfect pearls/Pearl Ex. This issue will also feature some fantastic articles covering all sorts of topics. This issue will be available on March 27th this month. Don't miss it!!!!

For those of you who would love the opportunity to be published take a moment to check out the May calls which have just been posted HERE

Tutorial - Molding paste frame

This tutorial was featured in the February issue of Scrapbook News and Review.

This technique is an interesting way to add some texture to your layouts and is a great way of easing into mixed media. Many scrapbook artists may be wary of adding pastes directly to their projects. Following this technique, you get the texture without the risk of compromising your layout.

An important point to remember before starting this project is that molding paste is a slow drying product which could take up to 24 hours to dry depending on how thick you apply your paste so please factor this into your project planning.



Supplies
Triplex board or chipboard
Molding paste
Cling wrap
Trowel
Choice of Paint, Perfect Pearls or alcohol ink


Step One: Gather your supplies together. Cut your piece of triplex board or chipboard into a frame shape. The center of your frame should be the exact size of your photograph you plan to frame.


Step Two: Using a trowel and working on your non-stick craft mat add some molding paste to your frame. At this point you should just cover the surface area of the frame with a thin layer about 2mm thick. Don't be too concerned about creating patterns at this point. Remember, it's a slow drying product so you have plenty of time to work on creating the patterns.


Step Three: Once the entire surface area of the frame is covered you can start playing around with creating your texture. You can use your trowel to create some dips and peaks but I find the best results are achieved by using your fingers. At this point you have 2 options....


Step Four (option 1): You can create a neat textured surface only covering the actual frame, or...


Step Four (option 2): You can get a little messy with it by placing the frame onto a piece of a cling wrap and allow the paste to flow off the frame. It may look really messy but there's no need to be concerned, the end result is fabulous, I promise. Put your frame aside in a safe place to dry. My particular frame took 24 hours to dry.


Step Five: Once the molding paste is dry, carefully peel the cling wrap off. As you can see in my example, there is still molding paste filling out the corners, thus softening the angles of the frame. Some pieces of the paste are so thin and delicate they're almost translucent so be very careful when taking the cling wrap off.


Step Six: The molding paste dries with a matt finish so this is where you get to have some fun adding some sparkle to and characeter to your project. For my layout I needed a plain white frame so I painted the frame with some white perfect pearls. This is a real stunning finish IRL. However, I wanted to showcase something with more colour for the tutorial so I've taken a second frame and played with some color options to show what works and what doesn't
(please add bullet points)
Top left: Several colours of perfect pearls blended together. Absolutely gorgeous finish which I highly recommend you try. the mica powders blend together beautifully on this textured surface.
Top right: Alcohol ink - I used a mixture of raisin and gold mixative. This creates a gorgeous metallic finish.
Bottom left: Pearlised paint - I used the color amethyst from Creative Inspirations. This has a beautiful pearlised finish.
Bottom right: Glimmer mist - The molding paste seems to absorb the mist, leaving a dull surface when it dries. This would be an option if you're wanting to retain the matt finish with a little added colour.

These are just some examples of what you could use to colour your paste with but feel free to play with other colour mediums like acrylic paint, distress inks, stickles for example.
I would suggest you make a sample chart by applying several small amounts of molding paste onto a piece of cardstock and then colour them with various colour mediums you may want to use. Once your samples have dried you will have a better idea of what it will look like. There may be some unexpected surprises. I was certainly surprised by how the glimmer mist turned out because I assumed it would dry shimmery and gorgeous but was rather let down.