Friday, January 31, 2014

painting with archival inks...


YES!
the title is correct…

painting with archival inks…

I discovered this technique a few days before CHA, when it was down to the wire hectic & I didn't have time for a blog tutorial…

but today I DO!

sit back…RELAX & I'll show you another unique way to use your archival ink pads…

BUT FIRST
STOP THE PRESS!

this is my 1000th blog post!

when I started this blog, I wondered if I had enough art in me to share… 
I wondered what I would talk about…
I wondered if anyone would even show up to read what I wrote…

1000 posts later…it seems to be working...

so, 
as a
thank you 
for being 
the best
most fantastic 
lovely
wonderful
supportive
FUN
blog friends
ever... 

I wanted to celebrate my 1000th blog post with a tutorial & 

a GIGANTIC GIVEAWAY…

I have some awesome friends
who have contributed some
awesome prizes…
just for you...

the details are at the end of the post...

now…let's get back to the business of making art...

I grabbed these 3 archival colors to start with…





the photo below shows the secret ingredient…

tim's detail waterbrush, filled with rubbing alcohol (aka surgical spirits in the UK)…

it's important that you use rubbing alcohol in the waterbrush

DO NOT use alcohol blending solution…
alcohol blending solution will eat & destroy the waterbrush…
that's NOT a good thing!

rubbing alcohol is safe & will NOT damage the brush at all…

so now I have one brush filled with water to use with distress inks & one brush filled with rubbing alcohol to use with archival inks...

I added a bit of washi tape to my detail waterbrush that is filled with rubbing alcohol…

this will help me know that this brush is the rubbing alcohol filled waterbrush...



because we're using alcohol, specialty stamping paper is the surface of choice…

as a reminder…
DRY between each layer…
the magic coating on the paper slows the drying process for anything used on the paper...

I tested this technique on manila card stock & on tim's watercolor paper…
the technique does not work on those surfaces...
think soaks thru...

glossy card stock worked pretty well as long as you don't super saturate the paper & dry it fairly quickly to prevent bubbling…

it will work ok for a card, if you glue it to a card base so that you can cover up the back…

HOWEVER…
I'm not a huge fan of glossy & I LOVE the beautiful matte finish of the specialty stamping paper (SSP)
so that's the surface I like best…

plus I have never had any color seep thru to the back, when using SSP…it really takes a lot of abuse & is great for multiple layer techniques that use lots of fluids...

in my last post, I showed how to use the in full bloom SiSi (stamp it -stencil it) on a large art journal page…

for today's post, I wanted to show that SiSis are great for cards too…
with a SiSi, you can add lots of detail, but keep the card completely flat for mailing...

to start...

I cut a piece of SSP to about 5 x 3 ¾ inches…

then used jet black archival to stamp the perfect peony & embossed it with clear super fine detail embossing powder

the stamp & coordinating stencil are in the same package, making all the SiSis a bargain at $9.95…
even the ones that have 2 stamps in the package...
thank you Mr. Stampers Anonymous...




you'll see that I stamped it to the far left side of the paper…
I had a little idea…for the finishing touch...
you'll see that later…

it's important to emboss the stamped image…
if you are using this technique…

remember…
rubbing alcohol removes archival ink…

the embossing powder, which is basically ground up plastic, seals the archival ink & protects it from the alcohol…

here's the perfect peony stamped & clear heat embossed
now its 'll ready to be painted with archival inks!



I swiped the corner of the leaf green archival pad onto the craft sheet…
and used the craft sheet as my ink palette…

it takes VERY LITTLE ink…much less than you think…
one little swipe is plenty...

I picked up the ink with the detail water brush  (it's filled with alcohol) & painted the leaves…
& gave it a quick dry with the heat tool...


I swiped the waterbrush on the craft sheet to remove the green…
until it goes to clear...

then I swiped the forget-me-not ink pad on the craft sheet & painted the flower…

my first layer is uneven…
I did that to show you that the first layer really doesn't matter…
dry this layer…

so far it looks like this, with the first forget-me-not archival ink painted layer...



now I added another layer of forget-me-not to add shading & dried it…
then swiped the cornflower blue archival pad on the sheet & add more shading, always using the detail waterbrush…
remember to dry…

you can make the painted layers very even, but I like the uneven more watercolor effect…

***I like to keep a paper towel near by to blot the waterbrush if it gets too wet, especially when painting small areas***

keep in mind that even though the archival inks has been diluted with alcohol, they are still permanent & waterproof…

so that means that any water based product like Perfect Pearls mist, distress inks & plain water can be used over this image & they will not affect the image…
the image remains crisp & clear with no bleeding or smearing…

now it looks like this…



I  placed the coordinating perfect peony stencil over the painted image…

so that I could add stamping…
I used watering can archival to add polka dots to the flower & tiny text to the leaves...…



I added a spotlight frame with a waterproof pen
this time an oval…

and stamped the sentiment with jet black archival… 



remember you can always "put a bird on it"…

masking tape can block off areas of the stencil to keep them protected…post-it notes are good too...

the new mini blending tool is THE BOMB!

you will LOVE it for stenciling!



I wanted to add a stamped pattern inside the stenciled bird, so I did a little surgery on my new large collage background stamp

now I have 9 mini stamps, perfect for stamping over stencils with small openings, or for random background stamping on art journal pages

you can easily change plain flower stencils NINE times!

                                     



stamping the mesh portion of the stamp on the bird adds more detail & more interest to the flat card…
I used watering can archival for stamping the mesh...



now it's time to add something to the left side of the card…

I used the stripes/polka dots border stencil
I used the new dandelion archival for the stripes...
note to self…
clean stencils before taking photos…
yikes!



now the stripes appear to be under the oval…

see the shading under the flower & around the stem/leaves?

I swiped the iced spruce marker on the craft sheet, picked it up with the water filled detail waterbrush & added shading around the flower, stem & leaves...

I LOVE the iced spruce marker for creating shadows…
it looks great with any color combo & it's not too stark…
pumice stone is another good marker to have for shadows…

adding the shadow is a small detail, but it makes the flower stand out…and is very effective for flat cards or art journal pages...

make sure to add the marker from the craft sheet, not directly onto the paper...


I wanted to add some lines along the stripes to define them better…
and round the SSP corners...


now the finishing details…

I stamped the flower way over to the left so that I could do a little cut out deal around several petals…
after trimming around the petals, I chopped off a bit (¼ inch?) on the left side to allow the petals to hang off the SSP...

I added black glaze pen dots around the oval & a dot to create an eye for the bird…
then a tiny black string bow…
and mounted it on a black card...

I used tim's sizzix on the edge mini scallops die on the card bottom…
and rounded the top corners of the card to coordinate with the mini scallops…

I added foam under the SSP to raise it off the card base…
it's completely flat, except for the string bow...



are you shocked? NO BROWN was used…
what's happening to me?
YIKES!

actually, my plan was to use tree branch archival for the stripes, but I grabbed the wrong pad…duh…
I was having too much fun & not paying attention…

but I ended up being happy with dandelion stripes...

here's a better look at the watercolor effect of painting with the archival inks and the little cutout detail…

this also shows the shadow, created with the iced spruce distress marker...



using the SiSi allows stamping in several areas of the flower…

the card looks dimensional, but the SSP is completely flat…

using the SiSi stencil allows the stamped images to be stamped with any stamp you have…it can look different for every project…
use text, polka dots, mesh, mini numbers or any background pattern…

there are so many options...

and that's why I LOVE SiSi! 

you aren't stuck with a stamp that always looks the same…

so…that's painting with archival inks!
plan A!
there's another way to paint with your archival inks…
that's plan B…
and a story for another day...

now it's time to celebrate!

once again…

A HUGE THANK YOU 
to everyone who takes time to stop in 
& leave a comment…
send me an email or ask a question...

I think it's amazing how art (an ink pad & rubber stamps) & the internet can change strangers into wonderful friends…

I'm going to divide the prizes between the blog &
giving you 2 places to drop your entry ticket…
which is a simple comment…

while you're visiting my Facebook page, I would appreciate it if you would click "LIKE"…that way my posts end up in your newsfeed…

and feel free to share the giveaway with your Facebook friends too...

somedays I pop in on my Facebook page to share a sneak peek…
or a little tip…
like this one that I posted yesterday…



a little Thursday tip…
use forget-me-not archival ink to stencil a butterfly onto a kraft scrap, stamp some dots with Ranger Inkjet black archival, dry, cover with my translucent embossing paste & allow to dry. cut out the dry butterfly & you have created a custom strong dimensional embellishment..
just like the second photo...
try it! it's fun!

it's fun quick way to stay in touch...

I have some over the moon AWESOME prizes for YOU…

here's the list…

from Kim at eclecticPaperie…one of my favorite on line stores...
               5 stencils of the winners choice!
              you can choose any 5 you'd like, even the new ones that 
              will ship in March…Kim will send them when they arrive.
              if you choose some current stencils, they will ship now.
              choose your prize & get exactly what you want! 
              THANKS KIM!

from tim…I'm sharing some stash that he sent me…some of my 
                 most favorite of his idea-ology…YES!  the NEW
                 industrious stickers…I LOVE these things and if I 
                 share don't hoard them, you know I LOVE you!
                 THANKS TIM!
               
from Ted, aka Mr Stampers Anonymous
                 wait 'til you see this…
                 6 brand new stamp sets
                 6 brand new stencils
                 6 brand new SiSIs
                 THANKS TED!

from Ranger2 complete sets of my 12 archival inks! YIPPEE!
                 they are even sending the 6 brand new colors!
                 I'll divide these up & add them to some stamp sets…
                 hey…GOTTA have inks to use with stamps!
                 and…a brand new Ranger apron to "make art" in style!
                 THANK YOU RANGER!

from Simon Says Stamp…a favorite on line store…
                Heidi has a special CATEGORY of my products that        
                are featured at 40% off…just for this celebration
                the sale is good NOW thru FEB. 7th…
                there are 348 products included!
                it includes Blossom Bucket...
                some art parts
                some background stamps
                some stamp sets...
                THANKS HEIDI!

from my friends at onlinecardclasses…these gals do an 
               AWESOME job. I just recently participated in their
               "STENCILED" class & it was GREAT…
               I have 3…YES…3 seats to giveaway for their next class   
               that will start on March 3rd. The class title is
               CLEAN & SIMPLE 3, one layer cards…
               these classes have lifetime access & you can go to school
               in your nightie! you can still join Stenciled, just
               click the link above to see the class contents...
               THANKS JENNIFER McGUIRE & friends!

from Rickhe wanted to get in on the action…he's sharing embossing 
              pastes, Blossom Bucket embellishments &
              whatever else he finds in my stash!..hey…
              that's what he said! sounds like he's planning to send out 2 
              GIANT boxes of supplies to MAKE ART!
              what a guy! I bet he won't share HIS Budweiser!

PHEW…how's that for an awesome list of goodies?
for sure it's my biggest giveaway to date...

I think it's extra exciting because you have LOTS of chances to win!

the random winners will be chosen by Rick at 7am (Chicago time) on Monday Febuary 3rd…

to enter, leave a blog comment here...

and on my FACEBOOK page

we'll choose winners from both places...

from the bottom of my heart…

a MILLION THANKS 
for your support & friendship…

now it's time for me to…

make art!
wendy
                     

Friday, January 24, 2014

SiSi art journal page tutorial...

grab a really comfy chair for this one…
it's LONG…

let's start with a few tips…
the magic coating on the specialty stamping paper slows down the drying of all products used on it, since the coating keeps them from being absorbed…

so, make sure to dry between each addition of ink…
I won't repeat this for each step…but it is very important!

even the waterproof pen I used, needs to be dried to prevent smearing…

when stamping thru stencils, an unmounted stamp is easier to use…no gridblock needed...

post-it notes or masking tape work well to block off areas of the stencils…

plain cheap rubbing alcohol (surgical spirits for my UK friends) will remove the archival inks from your stencils & craft sheet…

I like to use my archival colors for background stamping/stenciling & save jet black archival for my main images...

for this art journal, I cut my page from specialty stamping paper
these large pages I've been using are 8 ½ x 6…

this background is the second generation (aka leftovers), which creates a lighter background…

here's a video that Char (from Ranger) filmed at CHA, to explain how to create these backgrounds…

this base is left over hydrangea & tree branch archival inks…
if you enlarge the photo, you'll see some texture from a paper towel (kitchen roll) that I used to blot off some of the alcohol...


I decided to use the "in full bloom" SiSi…
stamp the image with jet black archival...


now place the coordinating SiSi stencil over the DRY stamped image & add leaf green archival to the leaves, using a blending tool…
the new mini blending tool is soooo cute!
you can also add the inks with pieces of cut n dry foam...


this next photo shows that the stencil protects the flower, making it super simple & FAST to ink the leaves…
just ink right over the flower too...


here you'll see the inked leaves…with some shading…
the new mini blending tool makes this easy…
and you can see that the stencil protected the flower…
only the leaves got inked...


now position the flower portion of the stencil over the stamped image & ink the flower with dandelion archival
again…so easy, because the leaves are masked off by the stencil...


with the stencil still in place, add some shading with orange blossom archival
I kept the right side lighter...


with the stencil in place, it's now possible to add stamping to just the flower…
the leaves & the background are protected by the stencil…

this is where the SiSi idea same from…
the stencil makes it simple to add stamping to the open areas, without getting any stamping on the background…
LOVE IT!
this will be especially useful for card makers who choose to send a flat card...

use tree branch with the unmounted polka dot border stamp to add dots to just the flower...


I designed the large collage background stamp to add stamping to small stencil areas…
this stamp has 9 mini patterns to choose from…
I might cut mine into small squares…still thinking on that...

this is plan B…you could add stamping to the leaves…
for this sample I decided not to…

but keep this in mind as another option when you are using stencils...


next, use a waterproof pen to add a circle…
trace anything you have in your home…
a square or rectangle would work just fine too…
it acts as a spotlight…

I like to add the spotlight after I stamp the main image…
that way the spotlight appears to be under the stamped image...



stamp the saying in jet black archival...



 use the "add a stencil" with hydrangea archival & stencil inside the circle...

use the "checkmate stencil" with tree branch, outside the circle...


here's another reason I'm LOVING stencils…
you can combine them!

use just a portion of the "vintage floral" stencil to add these little dots/leaves in 3 areas…
this is why I enlarged this stencil…
more options for us!

I used leaf green & orange blossom archival...


just those 3 little stenciled add ons, change the look of "in full bloom"…
and it's simple to position stencils wherever you want...


now use watering can archival to stencil dots along the left side of the page, outside the circle...


and now it looks like this...


use the "dots & dashes" background stamp (unmounted) with tree branch archival, to add random stamping in 3 areas outside the circle...


the page now looks like this...



you'll see several things added in the photo below…

the 2 sentiments (remember this & BE TRUE) are stamped in jet black archival…
the mini bird was stamped with carnation red archival & I added a bit of the same red to accent the flower center…

I also filled in more of the right side with polka dots, using watering can archival...


use the waterproof pen to add a frame around the edge of the page...


 use hydrangea to stencil the numbers in 3 areas...


now to add the finishing fill-ins...

use jet black archival to stencil the star...

stencil the heart from the "little bits" stencil with carnation red & use jet black to stamp the tiny text inside the heart…
a small detail…that makes a BIG difference...


I pressed the lid from a mister onto the hydrangea pad & added 3 circles…

the photo below shows the same lid, but I used antique linen distress paint…

it looks good in person…but doesn't show up well in my photo…
oops...


and below is the finished page?…

or I still might play a bit more & add a little something to the top left?

it's completely flat, but still has interest, due to the stencil/stamping layering...



this art journal page is an example of ONE WAY to use SiSis…
and I have several more ideas for another day...

SiSis work great for cards…
because it keeps them flat for mailing...

if your butt isn't completely numb by now…
or if you're staying in due to this weather…

in Illinois we're calling it CHI-BERIA...

check this out...

Christine from Scraptime filmed 4 videos at CHA…
THANKS CHRISTINE & HUBBY MARK!
I hope you'll leave a comment there & tell her THANKS for doing such a nice job!


time for me to hit the studio…

I hope I've inspired YOU to…

make art (with SiSi)

wendy
ps..I heard from 2 people yesterday that their stores have received their Stamper Anonymous CHA orders…be watching! YIPPEE!

oh and one more thing…
Ted is in Plano Texas this weekend…pop in to see him demo, give him a kiss from me & see our booth that will be LOADED with stuff…

here's the info for the convention…