Am just watching the UK's dedicated crafting Channel (I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about) and specifically the programme about the alcohol pens with the colour blending pens with the name of a lizard (Ch---------n). Having already got a good selection of PROMARKERS I thought I'd see if this worked with them and guess what IT DOES !
Simply turn your coloured promarker upside down with whichever end you are wanting to use and press's the chisel end of your blender pen to the end of your coloured pen and wait for the blending solution to be absorbed into the tip of the coloured marker. Use as demonstrated or if you didn't watch the demo shade from the light area to the dark area with just the one pen. Ta dah!
Money saved!
Yve
:)
Saturday, 4 October 2014
Sunday, 31 August 2014
More Christmas card inspiration for 2014.
There's a lot of different manufacturers in these cards, some old, some new. I have listed them below. I hope you like them.
Tip for today : If you don't have the right colour for your decorative gems try dripping alcohol ink over clear, white or a similar coloured gems (e.g. use a pink gem with dark red alcohol ink). I did this for the stags/deer eyes. I used brown alcohol ink on a clear gem. For the Holly berries I used cranberry alcohol ink on a pearl white gem.
The centres of the poinsettias are clear microbeads mixed with a yellow alcohol ink and allowed to dry before application.
Stag's head and leaping stag - Marianne dies
Greetings - frames from an old Anna Griffin CD rom and computer text.
Winter wishes - Tattered Lace.
Noel greetings - designed & cut by me on the original Quickutz Silhouette machine
Pine branches - Chloe's stamps, Tattered lace and an old Judikins Christmas block.
3 Holly leaves - Judikins Christmas block.
Poinsettia - Spellbinders, Quickutz silhouette & Sizzix Bigz dies.
Flourishes - Spellbinders.
Gold Matts - Martha Stewart punch around the page & Tonic dies.
Holly sprig - Creative Expressions die
Wreath - Sweet Poppy stencil and my homemade stencilling paste (see earlier post)
Holly corner - I think is an old X cut punch.
Gold snowflake - Spellbinders.
Have fun!
Yve
Inexpensive Card Stand
Do you sell your cards? Want to display them without spending a fortune on expensive dies or stands?
Well here's my version (with template & instructions). Feel free to copy & print the template. All I ask is that you point the credit back here and spread the word.
1. Take an A4 sheet of card.
(I used foiled but you could use plain and decorate it)
2. On the wrong side and measuring from the shorter edge measure & score at 1cm, 2.5cm & 4cm (ABC distances apart as shown).
Draw a pencil line at 5cm. (the red line at 'D' on the template)3. At the opposite end of the card measure and score at 1cm, 9cm & 17cm. (EFG distances as shown)
Draw a pencil line at 23cm. (the red line at 'H' on the template)
4. Cut the A4 sheet into 3 lengthways (the dotted green line). Each piece should be 7cm wide.
5. Between point 'A' and the edge of the card put extra strong double sided tape.
Fold to make a triangle align and stick to your pencil mark at 'D'.
6. Between point 'E' and the edge of the card put extra strong double sided tape.
Fold to make a triangle align and stick to your pencil mark at 'H'.
7. Do this for each of your 3 pieces.
If you're not decorating - Job done.
Thanks for looking and happy crafting.
Yve
Sunday, 3 August 2014
Rough few weeks !
First I have to apologise to apologise to the ladies booked on my 'mirror stamping' class. Unfortunately since I was off sick from my regular day job, I can't be seen to be working elsewhere (however much I want to be there for you). So I'm sorry I had to let you down. I will be doing classes again after the holidays so I hope you'll forgive me and join me then.
Personally I've had a rough few weeks culminating in the passing of a dear family pet who went over the rainbow bridge sometime overnight Thursday/Friday. Although his passing has been expected for the last year, I thought I was prepared for it. WRONG ! I spent all Friday night balling my eyes out. Welcome back those fatty bags under my eyes that I worked so hard on getting rid of last time I had a good boo ! Oh, well !
I haven't been lying about feeling sorry for myself all the time though as you've probably noticed from my last post (stencilling with this Sweet Poppy Stag being what I hope to be doing as one of my classes soon). Once I'd made all these stags heads though they had to made into cards and here are some of the results (plus some other creations). Hope you like them. Only one of them is done with shop bought embossing paste.
Personally I've had a rough few weeks culminating in the passing of a dear family pet who went over the rainbow bridge sometime overnight Thursday/Friday. Although his passing has been expected for the last year, I thought I was prepared for it. WRONG ! I spent all Friday night balling my eyes out. Welcome back those fatty bags under my eyes that I worked so hard on getting rid of last time I had a good boo ! Oh, well !
I haven't been lying about feeling sorry for myself all the time though as you've probably noticed from my last post (stencilling with this Sweet Poppy Stag being what I hope to be doing as one of my classes soon). Once I'd made all these stags heads though they had to made into cards and here are some of the results (plus some other creations). Hope you like them. Only one of them is done with shop bought embossing paste.
Hopefully, with the arrival of a very lovely gift from Tonic studios (guess who jumps to the top of my favourite crafty stash list) on Saturday morning I can put all this bad luck behind me. I also got a £5 birthday voucher from Ideal World (which I hope includes C&C) and only this morning I got a £2 voucher for being overcharged at ASDA's (including the amount I was overcharged). Not a huge amount granted, but when you live on a tight budget everything's welcome. The moral of the story is "always check your receipts before you leave the shop".
Anyway, enough for now. I'm Hank Marvin so I'm off to see what I can rustle up for my tea.
Yve
Monday, 21 July 2014
Stencilling on a budget - Part 3
Making your own glitter paste.
Ok folks, as promised the results of my experiment.
Ok folks, as promised the results of my experiment.
I think that's a brilliant result. Don't you?
Some cheapo kiddies glitter glue (from leading supermarkets) mixed with Tylose powder (available from good cake making shops or I got mine from C & C) to make a firm gel. (I sieved it in an blended well each time).
Place the card onto a magnetic sheet and pop the stencil on top. Mask off the edges with low tack tape, Scrape over the gel with a dedicated scraper or the edge of a palette knife. Carefully remove the masking tape and lift the stencil and VOILA !
Allow to dry and design your cards.
Simples !
On this example I really like the tonal variations between the sections of high glitter and those with a lower concentration of glitter. I'm just blown away that this is so inexpensive but gives amazing results.
Although I love my job, I feel sometimes my talents are going to waste.
Any serious job offers considered. LOL
OH WELL! school holidays are here. YIPPEE !!!!!!!
Yve Jaye
Sunday, 20 July 2014
Stencilling on a budget part 2
Encouraged by my efforts at creating a budget embossing paste I've just finished trying it with glitter glue. As expected adding the talc made the mixture opaque, reduced colour to a pastel shade and had minimal glitter showing. It looks good though!
What could I use to thicken the mix enough so that it wouldn't just run under the stencil or collapse into a puddle when the stencil is lifted without compromising the transparency? Gelatine was my first thought, but that packet that I remember being in my kitchen cupboards must have gone out of date and been thrown because I just couldn't find it anywhere. OK..... think harder ........... I have gum Arabic or Tylose powder. I'm not really sure whether they are the same but I use Tylose powder to thicken roll out icing so it is easier to mould flowers without them losing their shape. However.... when mixed into glitter glue does it turn transparent? Only one way to find out. My first attempt was a disaster. I used about a quarter of a teaspoon in about two teaspoons of glitter glue and it just went into a lumpy mess. Second attempt and I added it very gradually, making sure to add in minute quantities (almost dusted in) and blend well each time. On my first, second and third attempts at stencilling with it, the results got gradually better. Fourth attempt ( and a fresh batch in gold) was just right. It needs to be quite gloopy. (If you've every made meringues you'll know what I mean when I say it needs to stand in peaks.) It retained transparency and didn't run.
The proof will really be in the drying but I am hopeful and will let you know soon how it turned out (with pictures). If it works, I will used the Tylose powder in with the /pearlescent paint to see if it works any better.
Fingers crossed !
Yve Jaye
What could I use to thicken the mix enough so that it wouldn't just run under the stencil or collapse into a puddle when the stencil is lifted without compromising the transparency? Gelatine was my first thought, but that packet that I remember being in my kitchen cupboards must have gone out of date and been thrown because I just couldn't find it anywhere. OK..... think harder ........... I have gum Arabic or Tylose powder. I'm not really sure whether they are the same but I use Tylose powder to thicken roll out icing so it is easier to mould flowers without them losing their shape. However.... when mixed into glitter glue does it turn transparent? Only one way to find out. My first attempt was a disaster. I used about a quarter of a teaspoon in about two teaspoons of glitter glue and it just went into a lumpy mess. Second attempt and I added it very gradually, making sure to add in minute quantities (almost dusted in) and blend well each time. On my first, second and third attempts at stencilling with it, the results got gradually better. Fourth attempt ( and a fresh batch in gold) was just right. It needs to be quite gloopy. (If you've every made meringues you'll know what I mean when I say it needs to stand in peaks.) It retained transparency and didn't run.
The proof will really be in the drying but I am hopeful and will let you know soon how it turned out (with pictures). If it works, I will used the Tylose powder in with the /pearlescent paint to see if it works any better.
Fingers crossed !
Yve Jaye
Stencilling with embossing paste - on a budget
This week I have been thinking about Christmas cards and in particular this beautiful stag stencil. I saw it and just had to have it...... you know how it goes......right?!
Anyway...... I already had some embossing pastes from way back when Dreamweaver stencils first appeared on the market so I thought they'd be perfect to use. Now ......... take a look at the images below. Do you notice any differences (aside from they are obviously facing in opposite directions)?
Another difference is ............the ones on the left are shinier because they are done with the Dreamweaver paste. The ones on the right are more of a matt finish but (and maybe this doesn't show too well) they do have a subtle shimmer.
Soooo........ is that all? you ask.... am I missing something?
Well ! not really except, the ones on the right are done with a paste I created myself at a fraction of the cost.
I used some cheap metallic paint available from most major supermarkets (bronze above and a glittery silver below) and I mixed it with PVA glue (binder) and .................................wait for it................................ talcum powder. Mix them all together to form the paste and "Bobs yer uncle" embossing paste on a budget. I am also going to try some other variations like glitter glues.
Since all the ingredients are for use with or on children I presume it to be non-toxic but I make no claims about that or about it being fire retardant. Having said that paper is flammable anyway so it seems a bit of a moot point.
SOOO.......If you like the idea of stencilling but can't afford the posh stuff have a try with this. I can't give you exact quantities but at a guess I would say 50/50 paint and PVA and just keep adding talc till it forms a paste. It doesn't want to be too runny or too firm. you'll just have to experiment with consistencies. The copper one has nice crisp edges because I did that firmer but the silver one was a bit runnier but it settled slightly which gave the edges a rounder finish.
OH ! and don't forget to store them in an airtight container.
Happy crafting!
Yve Jaye
Anyway...... I already had some embossing pastes from way back when Dreamweaver stencils first appeared on the market so I thought they'd be perfect to use. Now ......... take a look at the images below. Do you notice any differences (aside from they are obviously facing in opposite directions)?
Another difference is ............the ones on the left are shinier because they are done with the Dreamweaver paste. The ones on the right are more of a matt finish but (and maybe this doesn't show too well) they do have a subtle shimmer.
Soooo........ is that all? you ask.... am I missing something?
Well ! not really except, the ones on the right are done with a paste I created myself at a fraction of the cost.
I used some cheap metallic paint available from most major supermarkets (bronze above and a glittery silver below) and I mixed it with PVA glue (binder) and .................................wait for it................................ talcum powder. Mix them all together to form the paste and "Bobs yer uncle" embossing paste on a budget. I am also going to try some other variations like glitter glues.
Since all the ingredients are for use with or on children I presume it to be non-toxic but I make no claims about that or about it being fire retardant. Having said that paper is flammable anyway so it seems a bit of a moot point.
SOOO.......If you like the idea of stencilling but can't afford the posh stuff have a try with this. I can't give you exact quantities but at a guess I would say 50/50 paint and PVA and just keep adding talc till it forms a paste. It doesn't want to be too runny or too firm. you'll just have to experiment with consistencies. The copper one has nice crisp edges because I did that firmer but the silver one was a bit runnier but it settled slightly which gave the edges a rounder finish.
OH ! and don't forget to store them in an airtight container.
Happy crafting!
Yve Jaye
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