Splitcoast Tutorial: Pastel Metallic Effects

This week's tutorial over on Splitcoast uses PanPastels to create a faux metal finish - you can find the tutorial HERE! 
If you're unfamiliar with PanPastels, they are a compressed pastel medium with tons of pigment and very little binder. A little bit goes a long way with the colored pans, and the same is true with the metallics! The pans are available individually or at a little discount in sets of 3 or 6 - I've got the set of 6 here grouped with some of the pearl and blending mediums.

Instead of an embossing folder I used a background die to make an impression in my black cardstock (this is done by running the die through the cutting machine with a silicone pad instead of a hard plate):

DIE448-YY Puzzle Background

 The impressed lines remained black when I applied the PanPastels, which gives a neat antiqued effect. The tutorial uses an embossing folder, which looks nice too! 

This sentiment was a perfect "fit" - it is a new one in the Fall release. You might be able to see in these closer pictures how the die cuts all but the corners of the pieces so you can cut a full panel and keep it together as a background if you like - but the pieces are also very easily separated with a craft knife so you can cut a panel up into a puzzle. I actually cut out the center of the gold layering panel, and used that center piece to cut a few edge pieces for my accents. No sense in all that good mirror cardstock being covered up!

Be sure to check out the Splitcoast gallery for other examples of this technique... I'm joining some other IO designers in showing off dies today, so you can find their links and inspiration on the I.O. blog! 

Speaking of IO, we are excited to reveal a new line of stamps designed just for slimline cards this week - come back tomorrow and Friday for lots of ideas using the new Slim Scenes stamps!

Cheers!

Spellbinders August Glimmer Club Kit - with polymer clay!

You may or may not know that I've been learning how to work with polymer clay in my spare time - when this month's August Glimmer Club kit from Spellbinders came, I squealllled because of the craft theme, and then immediately saw it as a texture tool for polymer clay! 

My basement lighting is a little weird, but I did take pictures of my process for those who might be curious! I started by conditioning my clay to a workable softness - this is mostly cadmium yellow Premo clay, mixed with a tiny pinch of brown and granite.

I rolled the clay out and pressed the glimmer plate into it evenly - this plate is a nice repeating border, so it covered the area well. 

I used circle cutters for the larger pieces, then reconditioned and rolled the scraps out and used a plastic texture sheet on that piece for smaller circles. (These cutters are intended for leather, so they're very heavy duty and they work great.)

I used PanPastels to color the raised surfaces of the pieces (I started with this golden color, then changed my mind and layered other colors on 2 sets), then baked them according to the package instructions, drilled holes and dipped them twice in PC-Petrifier, which is the finish I use on my paper beads.

I just stocked up with copper findings for fall so I used those on these earring pairs, each in a different style.

I love how these turned out! Simple, a little out of the box, and every piece unique. I will tuck them into my etsy store in case they want to be yours!

If you're interested in working with polymer clay, there are thousands of tutorials online, as well as several helpful Facebook groups! A few favorites for learners:

Polymer Clay Newbies (Facebook group)

Jessama Tutorials Polymer Clay Group (Facebook group)

The Blue Bottle Tree

Here are the club details, if you're not a member yet! My favorite perks are the extra sales and the 10% discount on the Spellbinders site (even on sale items!)! You'll begin receiving kits the month that you sign up, and the date you sign up will be your shipment day.

Spellbinders Monthly Club benefits: 

 Past Club Kits at Member Rates

 10% Store Savings

 Members Only Offers and Deals

 Earn Creative Rewards for Each Purchase

 Monthly Inspiration

 Cancel Anytime

 Skip Any Month

 Annual Membership Gift

 Exclusive Deals 

Impression Obsession Spring Release - Day 1

The Impression Obsession team is showcasing new Spring images that are available NOW! You can visit the I.O. Blog all this week for links to the previews and ALL the challenge details. Leave a comment on our designers' posts throughout the week for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate from Impression Obsession!

If you're new to my blog, then you may not know that I'm not only on the Impression Obsession design team - I'm also one of their artists! You can find all my stamps HERE. It's always fun during these blog hops to be able to share my stamps, some thoughts behind them, and some fun ways to use them. This release is very personal to me, because I was working on it during the last months of my dad's life as he was battling cancer. One of our designers commented that she could tell that the artwork came from a very deep place - it's true. So I truly hope that this extension of my tender heart will be a blessing to you, and to others through you!  

WP915 Fred Said clear set
CAC Cable Knit

Mr. Rogers has always been an influence and kindred spirit of mine, so I have a collection of stamps dedicated to his memory - the "Fred Said" clear set features his iconic shoes, of course, as well as some memorable quotes, and there are several other stamps that coordinate beautifully with these, dovetailing into other themes. The sweater panel on the card above was stamped with Versamark ink, and brushed with PanPastels - so easy. I'll put a video together on that soon!

WP915 Fred Said clear set
L13762 DKD Shoes

The shoe images are available in smaller left and right versions in the clear set, or together in this larger rubber stamp. They're so much fun to color in, and did you notice the brand?

D13778 Walking
D23015 Dog Silhouette 2
E23014 Dog Silhouette 3
E23013 Dog Silhouette 4

I love this quote - it goes with the shoe stamps, and my sentiments as I was designing, as well as these dog silhouettes by Gail Green!  I've been sending a version of this card with my pet portraits - it's done with 3 layered images stamped in IO Hybrid inks (Beige, Mist, Fog)

Be sure to check out the other designers' blogs for inspiration - you'll find a full list of their names on the I.O. Blog! You're not required to comment on every post, but the more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win - each one of us has a $25 gift certificate to give away! Our winners will be announced by IO on Monday Jan 14, and we'll have a new feature to share with you on that day as well.

Thank you for visiting me! 



P.S. I mentioned my dad above - if you'd like to see one more reason that Mr. Rogers needed to be a part of this release, please watch this Spokane news feature, which was completed just 5 months before he passed away. You'll understand!

Impression Obsession Winter Hugs Hop - Day 3

This week the Impression Obsession team is showcasing new images that are available NOW! You can visit the I.O. Blog all this week for links to the previews and ALL the challenge details. Leave a comment on our designers' posts throughout the week for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate from Impression Obsession - we each have one to share! 

 I thought I'd make a quick project with the Chocolate Builder set for this week's tutorial over on Splitcoast - this is a Treat Slider, and it was so simple to make! 

Stamps and dies I used today: CAC Chocolate Bar, Chocolate Builder Clear Set, Chocolate First, Rectangle 6-in-1 Frames die

I stamped my background paper and did some simple coloring with Copic markers and a white Prismacolor pencil. The stamps in the set are very easy to line up and use, and they can be interchanged any way you like. 

For the background, I didn't bother with masking - I stamped the Chocolate Bar background over the entire panel, then brushed some gold PanPastel around the stamped images to create a subtle shimmer. 

The slot punch I used is HERE - it's really nice for ribbon!  The tag is done with a frame die, and this sentiment fits perfectly in the center piece. When you pull the bow up, the ribbon pulls out the treat inside!

Speaking of dies, in this week's SCS newsletter, someone asked about my die storage - here's what that looks like:

And these are the supplies that I use:

25 Magnetic Sheets of 8" x 10" Adhesive 20 mil Magnet

Avery 73802 Quick Top & Side Loading Sheet Protectors

Some larger background dies are in these hanging CD pockets:

If you'd like to see more projects, head over to the IO Blog for more links! 

Annnnnd HEY - I have a $10 gift certificate to give away this week! Leave a comment on this post and tell me about your favorite chocolate treat! I love dark chocolate, especially if it has something in it, like salted caramel and nuts (donations welcome)! 

Check back for the winners list on the IO Blog on Monday Dec. 17! Thank you for hopping with us this week!

MIXability - Sketch challenge!

It's my turn to host the Mix-ability challenge over at Splitcoast - for this week's challenge I've created a sketch to follow! If you'd like to play along with us, be sure to use at least 2 distinct mediums on your project to fit the "mix" aspect of the challenge!

For my card, I used a base panel from my file - this was a sample from a tutorial I was working on but never really solidified, using Pan Pastels. I'll have to revisit that and figure out all the details! The main panel features the new Pumpkin Mouse cling stamp from Impression Obsession, and she's colored with Copic markers and watercolors. The sentiment is the Sending Cheer cling stamp from my stamp line.

Here's the sketch in case you'd like to play along!