My Fairy Shadow Box

I made this shadow box years ago – the fairy has traveled with me to a few houses, apartments, then across country.  The shadow box is only 4” x 4” and I found it at the Dollar Store.  I kick myself often because there were a bunch of them there and I only bought two thinking (yeah, I always get in trouble when I think) that I’d be able to go back and buy more later. . . Haven’t seen them since and I even wrote the Dollar Store company asking for them & got no reply.  I like the box especially because it has a magnetic closure on it so you can open it and not disrupt anything.  I painted the fairy – she is made of resin (I found her at American Science & Surplus) with twinkling H20 paints, jazzed up a few flowers I already had, grabbed some velvet leaves out of my stash and here it is!  

The Love Panel Project

OK, back to the ART!  I made this wall hanging (well, we are going to put it on a small easel - one of those little metal triangle thingies that are made to put pictures, etc. on, so you can put it on a table) for my mom for Mother's Day. This was the first time I has used Wendy Vecchi's Art Parts and I am IN LOVE! I urge you to try some of them!!

I used the following items to make it:

• Dick Blick 6 x 8 panel 
• Letters from & Gypsies Gypsy Market Collection
• Golden Gesso
• Golden Matte Gel
• Golden Quinacridone Red for the 2 hearts
• DoCrafts Papermania Urban Stamps Type Print for the brick
• 2 wooden hearts - the large one is about 3 1/2" wide, the small one about 1"
• Scrap paper for the sentiment
• Patterned paper with random text
• Ranger Products: Adirondack Espresso (stamped the sentiment), Adirondack Jet Black (for the brick), Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap & Distress Paint in Fire Brick Red.
• Wendy Vecchi, Studio 490 Products: Art Parts Residences (for the house) & Homemade Art Stamp Set (for the sentiment "Home is where love resides)
• Crafters' Pick glue (I use this glue for EVERYTHING - the only problem is that it dries glossy and sometimes I'd rather not have all my excess glue shinning for all to see, but that fact has made me a very careful gluer).

First, I covered everything with gesso except the letters. Once everything was dry (I leave everything overnight to dry - I have had a ton of experiences where I thought stuff was dry and nope) was dry I inked the panel, making sure I inked the edges (I personally hate white edges and have begun to be really cognizant of them). 

Then I painted the house with the Brick Red Distress Paint and the roof with more of the espresso ink.  Once the house was dry I stamped the brink stamp on the house (I sort of made a template to help me with making sure the stamp didn't overlap too badly) with the Jet Black ink.  While waiting for that to dry I painted the 2 hearts with the Quinacridone Red - they turned out really glossy so I used some Matte Gel to dull them.  I stamped the Wendy Vecchi sentiment on some scrap paper.  I ripped the text patterned paper for the background and adhered it.  Then I inked the panel again a bit to blend in the text paper.  I put everything on the panel for a dry run, positioned and fixed the items, then glued everything down.  Viola! A nice gift and my mom loved it (of course she did)!

I put the 2 pictures up so you can see what the panel looks like "flat" and then the second picture shows a bit of the 3D effect.  I didn't put any sealer on it (I probably should have at least sprayed some fixative on it) but I was a bit nervous that I would mess it up somehow.  Since if I am going to mess something up it is usually on one of the last steps - so better to be safe than sorry :)

I would LOVE to hear your comments on this - please let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading and looking,
Christi

GoodBye to Baby

On Thursday, May 9, 2013 I had to let my cat Baby go to the Rainbow Bridge.  Baby was the runt of her litter and never weighed more than 5 pounds; when she was a kitten you could fit her in your pocket.  She was a very affectionate cat & I was blessed to have her in my life for 18 1/2 years.  I miss and love her and I wanted to put up something so the world would know she was here ~ I also want to thank the Cat Care Society's staff for their support and incredible kindness.  I am SO grateful I found them (they run a cat shelter and offer veterinary care, http://catcaresociety.org/ ) and I know Baby was comfortable and at peace when she passed. 

Thank you Baby for all the years of companionship - your mommy & daddy love & miss you

 The above picture is the last picture we have of Baby ~ she is laying with her Dad.

And here is she hanging out with me.

The Serendipity Technique

This is an oldie but goodie - lots of fun and requires absolutely nothing stressful. . . Here we go!

Supplies:
-1 piece white matte card stock (this is your background, so you can actually use any color you want - you'll see later some examples)
-Various ink pads  
-Black ink pad 

-Embossing powder (you definitely want clear, and perhaps some other colors to dab on)

- Stamps (any kind you wish - seasonal, collage, sentiments. Just keep in mind this will be cut up)

 Now - this is the fun part.

Step 1 - Take your background paper and using the Direct to Paper technique,
color, scribble, mark, paint with all your colored ink pads.  You want this
to be a mess - with no rhyme or reason - be bold - use colors outside of
your comfort zone.  Use gel pens, markers, Pearl Ex, anything you want to.
When you are satisfied with your colorful mess, go to step 2.

Step 2 - Chose your stamps and then stamp on your background with your
black ink pad.  Again, there needn't be any theme or pattern, in fact, I
think the less structured the better.  Once you are happy with the amount of
stamping, select your embossing powder and emboss the entire sheet.  There
will still be "wet" spots of ink and the powder will stick there.  I always use clear, but I may put some gold or another color in a few spots.  It takes a while to emboss the whole sheet - I give my embossing gun a rest between sheets if I am doing more than one.  Once this is done, go to step 3. 

Step 3 - Take your entire sheet and decide the size of the squares you want
to use.  I typically use 1" x 1", but you can use bigger if you want.  I
certainly wouldn't go any smaller.  You can also cut your squares with
decorative scissors.  Once you are done with your sheet you'll have more squares than you need, so you can always stash them away to use later, or keep making cards until you run out.

Step 4 - grab your adhesive and a piece of paper to stick your squares on.
It is really fun to see what color card stock goes with your squares - Some of the combinations I would have never thought of.  You can arrange your squares prior to gluing, or just start gluing. As you can see from the different cards I made from the squares I cut from this sheet, the background card stock color can really make a difference in how the squares look.  The pattern you put them in can make them all look different, too.

 A couple weeks ago I couldn't sleep and I took out some of the squares I had left (some of them from the project above - that I have had since 2009!) and made a few embellishments to use later.

First I traced around something I had on my desk to make a circle.

 

 Then I took some of the squares I had left over from eons ago and placed them around the circle - I think it came out kinda cool & I'll use it as an embellishment on a card or something.

 Bitten by the circle bug I punched out a circle this time and used some holiday squares I had left over.  Instead of using the full squares I cut them in half - I didn't use a cutter or anything so they probably aren't perfect, but isn't that the point of handmade? It's sparklier (like my new word?) than the picture shows & I think it will look nice on a holiday card.

 Then I decided to try to make a Christmas tree, but it came out looking like a stack of gifts to me - I'll probably add a little box on the top and some itty bitty tags to each gift so it's a little clearer what they are.

Now I was getting tired so I thought I'd make one more card - I just used left overs again and spaced them on the card stock.  I made dots of silver between the squares to pick up some of the sparkle but you can't really see it that well.  And if I was going to make these to give away I'd pick out squares that were closer to size (I don't know how I end up with different sized squares sometimes. . .LOL) and I'd be a bit more careful with the placement but I wanted to show this because the squares are just alcohol ink on glossy card stock - very pretty I think.

 
 Here is a picture of all four embellishments/cards I made - all with just these squares!! This is a VERY easy technique and if you decide to try it I'd LOVE to see some of what you come up with - and if you'd like I'll post your creations for all to see.  I hope you enjoyed my little tutorial & I would appreciate it so much if you'd share your thoughts with me.  Enjoy your day!

Everything you Wanted to Know About Stamping Inks but were Afraid to Ask (sorta updated 01/07/2016)

** the original article was published in May of 2003 - so it's been up for 13 years now (as of January 7, 2016, give or take a few) That is AMAZING to me!!  Please, if there is something you feel should be listed here, a question that you need answered, just either contact me at my email - listed in the sidebar - or leave me a comment.  

** May of 2003 - the original publication My old website,  goes into greater detail about inks if you’d like to read more – however, some of the ink pads referenced are discontinued.

**On 2/27/2015, Wendy Vecchi did a FANTABULOUS post on the Ranger inks - instead of me copying and pasting, why don't you hop over here and read it yourself ~

Let’s start with the most basic question –

What is the difference between pigment ink & dye ink?

Dye inks are water-based and are permanent once they are stamped on papers. This is a great general-purpose ink that can be used on all types of papers and is great for everyday stamping and scrapbooking. Dye-base inks will fade over time. These are harder to use for embossing because they dry quite fast; however, Ranger Distress Inks tend to dry a bit slower so they may be used for embossing. 

Pigment inks are wonderful to use on clay, mica, wood, paper, shrink plastic, and more. Pigment inks are thick and fade-resistant. The inking surface is usually a sponge because it is thicker and distributed better over a sponge. They are also archival and acid-free, and are perfect for embossing! Pigment ink will not dry on coated papers unless you emboss the image.

Any easy way to remember the difference between dye & pigment inks: think of dye as in dyeing a t-shirt – the dye (ink) literally sinks in to the surface – pigment ink stays on the surface.

Another question floating around recently:

Will solvent ink ruin my polymer stamps? I could find no definitive answer to this question – some websites said yes, some said no.  Personally I would err on the side of caution and just skip the solvent inks.

Some good resources on caring for polymer stamps & clear stamps info in general:

About.com - Rubberstamping

http://rubberstamping.about.com/od/supplies/p/ClearStamps.htm

An article I found while searching: 
http://ezinearticles.com/?Clear-Stamps---High-Versus-Low-Quality&id=6056906

 

Not that you asked, but . . .

My favorite black ink pads – Black ink pads are the staple for those of us who use ink in our art.  I think that everyone has a personal favorite but since this is my blog (hahaha) I am going to tell you my favorites, in no particular order:

§      VersaFine Onyx Black – In my experience this ink pad truly delivers a fine crisp line.  There is more on the Versa line of ink pads further down.

§      Ranger Archival Ink Jet Black – I found this pad by reading Dyan Reaveley’s book on art journaling called “My Creative Journal Journey.”  I figured if this pad stood up to all the water & stuff she incorporates in her journal than it should work for me.  And it does. You can see all of the Ranger Products she uses and sells here. 

I do have a few more that I use occasionally but those two are the ones I actually keep on my desk – and I use them all the time (if I can find them).

Information on Ranger Inks (Rangers home page www.RangerInk.com ) **Also see what Wendy Vecchi recently wrote about the Ranger Ink Family!

The Adirondack line of inks is one of my personal favorites (truthfully, I love everything about Ranger!). I have been using Adirondack inks since I started on this wonderful journey & they are my first love.  I love the “earth tones” & have ink pads that are over 16 years old! 

*I think Ranger is in the process of discontinuing the specific product lines with the goal of merging all unbranded pads into one happy family, but I could be wrong. 

* This is where you'd want to look for more info on the Tim Holtz Distress Brand, as well as his website

Mostly everything that Ranger makes is coordinated with the other products they make. This is from their website: Adirondack Earthtones, Lights and Brights Coordinating Products, Adirondack Dye Inks, Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabbers and Adirondack Alcohol Inks are available in the Coordinating Colors palette of 12 Earthtones, 12 Lights and 12 Brights! The Earthtones are still available in all 24 colors, too. Adirondack Earthtones, Lights and Brights are corresponding hues of the same colors. This makes it easy to create monochromatic scrapbook pages, shadow-type stamping and tone-on-tone looks.

Adirondack Inks – Adirondack Inks are available in both pigment & dye Ink formulations.

Adirondack Pigment Inks give opaque coverage that air dries on matte paper surfaces. They are embossable and can be heat set on gloss paper, vellum, shrink plastic, metal and glass.
Adirondack Dye Inks are acid free, non-toxic & fade resistant. . Raised above the case, our pad allows easy use of any size rubber image, brayer, or for direct-to-paper techniques.

Archival Inks -  Archival Inks™ provide lasting stamping results that are permanent on many surfaces. Get a crisp image that doesn't bleed over water-based inks and markers, acrylic paint, water colors, Adirondack® Alcohol Ink or Perfect Pearls™ pigment powders.

• Acid free
• Non-toxic
• Waterproof
• Permanent on matte and gloss papers
• Air dries on matte surfaces
• Heat set on glossy surfaces

Tim Holtz Distress Inks – Tim Holtz Distress Inks are a collection of 48 acid-free, non-toxic, fade resistant, water-based dye inks. They're perfect for the new vintage, stained, aged effect crafters are creating in their altered books, scrapbook pages, cards and paper craft projects.

Tim selected the colors and helped develop these inks to produce a realistic, weathered look on paper, photos and decorative fibers. All the colorful Distress Inks afford added versatility when photo tinting and color layering with the original, award winning tones.

The 2" x 2" pads are made with a higher raised felt for easier use with direct to paper techniques.

• Acid free
• Non-toxic
• Fade Resistant
• New Higher Felt
• Water-based Dye Inks

Information on Stewart Superior Inks

Ink Chart from Stewart Superior this is the link to the Stewart Superior home page – they make Palette Hybrid & the Memories ink lines.  You can find the chart on their site)

The chart below does not cover all the surfaces there are in the world for rubber stamping! However, an avid stamper took the time to test our inks on the surfaces listed below. These are the results and of course your results may differ. Please use this chart as a guide and always test a small area or sample of the surface initially to be safe. Some inks have not been tested on some surfaces. We will update this chart as that information comes in. CHART KEY: X indicates that the ink performed well on the surface. X+ means that a heat-set and or fixative is recommended. X- means that the ink performed unsatisfactorily on the surface. X* means embossing is required on that surface. ? means it hasn’t been tested on that surface

INK

SURFACE Memories Mem Chalk MemPigment PaletteMetal India Ink Hybrid

Paper/Card X X X X X X Glossy paper X X X+ X X X+ Vellum X X X+ X X- X+ Photos X X X- X X X+ Acetate/CD’s X X X+ X+ X X+ Shrink Plastic X+ X+ X+ X X X+ Vinyl X X X- X X X+ Glass/Ceramic X+ X+ X+ X+ X- X+ Porcelain X X+ X+ X+ X X+ Terra Cotta X X X+ X+ X X+ Wood X X X+ X X X+ Polymer Clay X- X- X+ X+ X- X+ Metal X+ X X+ X+ X X+ Leather X X X+ X X X+ Fabric X X X+ X+ X X+ Paper Clay X X X+ X+ X X+ Acid Free/Arch X X X X X X

The Palette Hybrid ink is a sorta new ink – it wasn’t around when I started stamping.  I don’t have any myself, but this is what the Stewart Superior website says about them (on the chart above it is referred to as Hybrid):

The Palette Hybrid ink pad represents an innovation in stamping ink technology. It eliminates all the confusion over which ink to use for what surface - because it works on everything and is a non-solvent ink. It doesn’t smell bad, it’s nonflammable and it won’t immediately dry out. It dries instantly on paper and porous surfaces and requires a heat-set on glossy surfaces and fabrics.  It dries too quickly for embossing - so a clear watermark/embossing ink pad is part of the line. This ink pad is the perfect answer for scrapbooking retailers and others who are tired of the confusion of different inks for different surfaces - now one ink works for all surfaces.

** Stewart Superior used to make an ink pad called India Ink - that stuff was THE best when working with intricate stamps, like photo stamps.  Alas, unless they have changed the name it seems to be gone :(

Information on Tsukineko Inks  (All information from the Tsukineko Website )

Tsukineko makes several different kinds of inks. I have included as much information as I could get from the website and promotional materials.  There are more inks from Tsukineko than I have listed here.  For more information, got to their website.

All Purpose Ink - Acid-free, water-based and non-toxic

(this ink comes in a bottle – it is not available in inkpad form)

Due to its blendability, washability and versatility, this quick-drying craft ink has become a favorite among fabric artists. And because it's water-based and non-toxic, All-Purpose Ink is fun for artists of all ages. Use it on wood, paper, leather and other porous surfaces too. All-Purpose Ink must be heat set on fabric for permanence. Heat set between color applications to prevent bleeding. Or layer colors to achieve a blended "watercolor" effect.

Quick Tips

• Maintain the soft hand of your fabric while still applying vivid colors to all of your fabric masterpieces!

• Perfect for any porous surfaces—try it on wood, fabric, leather, paper and more!

Brilliance Ink  - Archival, water-based, acid-free & non-toxic

Fast-drying ink and rich pearlescent colors... you never thought you'd see this combination from a pigment ink. Designed for use on shiny papers, Brilliance dries to perfection on vellum, mica, acetate, photo papers, Sculpey clay, shrink plastic, and much more! Brilliance is the solution to all your tricky pigment stamping problems. Ideal for scrapbook embellishments - no smeared pages or smudged page protectors.

Quick Tips:

• Pad is very inky- tap stamp lightly at first to avoid overinking.

• Use Brilliance Inkers to occasionally rejuvenate dry edges.

• Keep pad covered when not in use. Close lid tightly and reuse inner plastic cover!

• Give ink approximately 3-5 minutes to dry completely. Individual results depend on paper weight and texture- always pre-test your surfaces

• Try Brilliance on cured or uncured polymer clay

• Stamp with Brilliance, then brayer over image with Kaleidacolor or Impress for a dazzling resist technique

• Take Brilliance pad direct-to-paper for a shimmering background

• Stamp or smear Brilliance onto acetate and create an elegant stained glass effect

StazOn Ink – Solvent based inks

StazOn is our only solvent-based ink, designed for decorating non-porous and semi-porous surfaces, such as metal, shrink plastic, acrylic, cellophane, aluminum foil, leather and some glass surfaces. Thanks to its mild smell, StazOn is much safer to use than other permanent inks. Wide mouth bottles are available for all 31 colors. For everything from industrial projects to home decor, StazOn is sure to remain the top crafting ink!

The “Versa” inks – ALL are pigment inks

VersaColor Ultimate Pigment Ink

Expect ultimate results with VersaColor Ultimate Pigment Ink. VersaColor combines the highest quality raw materials, including a superior ink recipe, a stackable container with a unique hinged lid and an ultra-dense foam pad for crisper stamped images. VersaColor Ultimate Pigment ink is perfect for every stamping technique, from embossing to archival projects.

VersaFine

Looking for an ink to give you extremely fine detail? An ink that you are able to watercolor or marker over and it won't bleed? Then look no further! This natural oil-based pigment ink dries instantly on matte cardstock. You won't believe it till you see it. Available in 10 colors, no inkers needed. Inkpad lasts 3-5 times longer than regular inks.

VersaMagic (chalk ink)

The perfect chalk pigment ink that dries beautifully on any color cardstock- even dark cardstock! Soft, opaque, chalk-like look with none of that chalky residue.

Other manufacturers not discussed are ClearSnap, Stampin' Up!, Close to My Heart, ColorBox and with each stamp company now introducing their own inks things could get even more confusing.  But, my hope was, when writing this in May of 2003 was to take some of the mystery out of the different inks.  I think I've done that.

SOME OTHER RESOURCES

Besides the ink manufacturers themselves I found a few resources that also address the differences in ink pads:
Scrapbooking Tips

Altered Art (awesome site)
Carolyn's Stamp Store

Again, have anything to add? Leave a comment :)