ColourArte Video Creator Design Team Tryout: Embossed Metal Foil Technique

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I have two blog posts today, so if you are here to see my Craftwell USA eBrush project, please click here.  Thanks.

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Hey everyone!  So glad you stopped by today, because I have a short video tutorial to share for my tryout to stay with the ColourArte Video Creator team.  

I was experimenting with various ColourArte products, in particular, Primary Elements Artist Pigments, and this is what I came up with.  Some of the techniques are not new, but the final result is new to me.  I hope you enjoy the process.

I hope you enjoyed the video and that you will give this technique a try.  As I said, you can easily make a piece to use for a card or an embellishment for your mixed media projects, as well as your art journaling.  Check out the ColourArte online shop for more information about these highly pigmented and artist grade powders.  

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful week!

Wish me luck!

Barbara

DIY Desk Accessories with the Craftwell eBrush

Hello everyone!  The Craftwell eBrush design team is featuring anything home decor this month, so I am going to share some easy desk accessories for you to make or give as a gift.  I just want to remind you that this little machine is amazing and so easy to use.  If you don't have one, I hope you will check it out.

Here are the pieces I plan to work with.  Aside from the vegetable tin, the remaining pieces were purchased in the dollar bin at my local craft store.  They are not bad looking as they are, but I plan to decorate them to my personal taste (or the taste of your recipient).  

Let's start with the vegetable tin by removing the paper and using it to measure the circumference of the tin.  You could also use a flexible measuring tape, but this is easier.  My measurements for the outside are 4" tall by 9-½" wide.  

Before cutting my paper to that size, I decided to take an entire sheet of white card stock and emboss it with the Teresa Collins Beautiful Brocade embossing folder.  This will give me lots of embossed paper to work with.

Start adding color to the paper with the Copic Markers.  

I used Copic Markers in this order:  RV02 -  RV04 - RV11 - RV14.

I wanted to warm the color up a bit, so I added Y02 Canary Yellow over the top.

Highlight the embossing by rubbing Aged Mahogany ink pad over the high spots.

Cut the embossed paper to 4" x 9-½", and a piece of script paper slightly less than 4-¼" x 9-½".  

Wrap and glue the embossed paper around the outside of the can.  Insert script paper into the tin can and adhere paper with a bit of glue along the seam.

Cut a 2" x 12" strip of print paper and punch the edge with a decorative paper punch.  I scored a straight line approximately 3/8" from the inside punched edge.  

Fold the paper along the score line and trim to 9-1/2" long.  Fold the strip over the top of the tin can with the decorative side outward and glue the piece over the top, as shown.  This covers the top edge and protects hands from possible sharp metal that may not have been cut properly with the can opener.  (Tip: You may need to trim the side of the paper that goes into the can a bit to keep it from forming too many creases as you glue it in place.)

Punch another strip of print paper with the punch, but punch both sides to make a decorative "ribbon".  Layer the paper over a piece of gold ribbon the same size and adhere to center of can.  I also glued a piece of gold cording around the bottom and added gold metallic wax along the top edge.

I fussy cut the print image from the paper collection and adhered to the center of the can, as shown.

I started to eBrush the bottom edge of the round magnetic tin, but decided to add the gold metallic wax instead because that is all that will show after I add a paper strip.  I protected the top of the tin with a piece of washi tape so I could gild the top of the can, too.

I masked the acetate center of the lid so I could eBrush the sides with the same colors as before without adding color to the center.  I held the mask in place with a clamp, as shown. 

When I finished adding the colors, I removed the mask and punched another circle from the print paper and glued it to the center.  (see photo below this one).

Cut a strip from the embossed, eBrushed paper to 1-5/8" x 7-1/2".  Wrap and adhere paper to bottom portion of round magnetic tin.  Punch another paper "ribbon" and adhere to the bottom, layering over gold ribbon, as shown.  Punch or fussy cut the clock image and adhere, and glue a piece of gold braid along the edge of the top.

eBrush the metal embossed square tile and the large key with a combination of the same colors.  Add gold metallic paste to the edges and the embossed areas to highlight them.  

The key was colored and gilded with the same colors and glued to the top of the tile.  

Two wooden clothes pins were covered with print paper on the front, and a magnet was glued to the back.

This tile has a hanger on the back, but if you needed to make a hanger for it, you could tie ribbon or chain around the key before glueing it in place.  This makes a nice note holder with the decorative clothes hanger clips.  By the way, I did not show it in the photo, but the small round magnetic tin can also be attached to this tile.  

Lastly, the pot was colored and gilded with the same colors.

The shape of the pot was hard to glue paper to because it is conical, so I simply tied a pretty gold ribbon around it.

With the remaining scraps of embossed paper, I cut out circles and then cut a spiral shape into them to make a few flowers for other projects.  

Before rolling the flower, I sprayed the back of the paper with some yellow and pink for contrast.

I am using a quilling tool, but you can use a bamboo skewer or just your fingers to roll these flowers up and glue them to the bottom piece, as shown below. 

When the glue dries, you can open the layers out and give it a shabby chic look, like this.

And if you want the top darker, just hit the flower with your eBrush and more of the same colors.  Easy peasy.

I love my eBrush!!!

Supplies used:

Craftwell USA eBrush

Teresa Collins Beautiful Brocade embossing folder

Copic Markers (RV02, RV04, RV11, RV14, Y02

Empty vegetable tin

Metal pot, 6"x6" embossed metal tile, round magnetic tin, large key 

Prima Tales of You & Me paper collection

Decorative paper edger punch

Gold ribbon

Gold braid trim

Fast grab glue

Scoring tool

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I hope I have been able to inspire you to try some DIY projects, and maybe make your own desk accessories set.  The eBrush made quick work of it, and I was done in no time at all.  Stop by the Craftwell blog for more inspiration from the team.

Mixed Media Desk Accessory with The Mailbox Muse

Hello everyone!  I want to share some more stamping ideas using the Mailbox Muse stamp sets.  Today I am using the Muse Dragonfly stamp set with a really fun substrate from the Square Coaster Book w/chain.  You could use it to display a small calendar, but I wanted to make something to sit on my desk that I could look at every now and then and make me smile.  This little piece did it for me.  What do you think?

Paint both sides of one coaster with Carbon chalk paint; let dry.

Use a spatula to spread the Aleene's Tacky Glue unevenly over the coaster, leaving some areas thicker and some areas thinner for a variety of crackle effects.  Do not let the glue dry completely, just until it is tacky.

Apply a coat of Vintage chalk paint over the glue surface, but do not brush over it more than once or twice.  Don't worry about your brush strokes or uneven paint coat.  It is best not to over work the  paint.

As the paint dries, you will see the cracks develop.  

I decided to add a bit of soft color over the background by adding these two colors from the Gelatos Macaroon Set, using my finger to blend.  It is very soft and subtle, but I love the layers of color.

Use StazOn Midi Cactus Green ink pad to stamp the three tiny butterflies over the background.  In the photo below, you can see where I began to add color to the dragonflies with my watercolor pencils.

Stamp the large dragonfly from the Muse Dragonfly stamp set onto a piece of white card stock using the VersaColor Black ink pad.  Heat set the ink, then color the dragonfly with the watercolor pencils.  Spread the colors over the wings with the clear Wink of Stella Glitter Pen and let dry.

Here's another tip.  While I was playing around, I got the "bright" idea to try coloring with my gelato and the Wink of Stella clear glitter pen.  It worked similar to a water brush but with sparkle.  And I was able to clean the brush tip by brushing on scrap paper until the color was gone.

Use the .01 Micron Pen to darken the details of the wings and body.  I also used some dimensional paint from my stash to make dots for eyes.   

Color a pen nib with the Metallic Rub Ons  from Kit #2.  The nib on top was colored, whereas the one below it was not.  The change is subtle but effective. 

Stamp "Dragonfly Dreams" onto a piece of print paper from the Glitz 6x6 Paper Pads (Happy Travels) paper pad with the VersaColor Black ink pad.  I used a decorative punch to punch out the sentiment.

Edge the punched sentiment with Leather Mix'd Media ink using the Ranger Blending Tool.  

I fussy cut the dragonfly, less his antennae, and glued only his body portion to the top right of the coaster.  I adhered the pen nib over the body, and redrew his antennae with the .05 Micron Pen, as shown.  I used Dimensional Adhesives to pop the sentiment up from the page and adhered it, as shown.

Use Splash Inks Blue and Yellow to color some large flowers green.  I simply mixed the two colors on my craft sheet and picked up the color with my Waterbrush, adding more water as needed to achieve the depth of color I desired.  I cut the flower apart to form leaves.

Next, I colored the center of a second flower with strokes of the green mixture.  Then I mixed yellow and magenta Splash Inks and continued coloring the outer petals, again adding water to strengthen or lighten the color, as desired.

Here are the  pieces after they have dried. This flower is too large for my small coaster, so I cut it up into thirds, as shown.  

I used the Aleene's Tacky Glue to pinch the flower bottom and hold it together, as shown.

The same pinching technique was used to form the leaves, and I cut off the ends to shorten them.

The flower petals and leaves were glued down to lower right corner, as shown.  Extra glue was added in the corner, below the flower, to hold a decorative metal embellishment.

I used a clamp to hold the metal embellishment in place until the glue dried.  I also used a Uniball White Gel Pen to doodle around the edge.

And here is a closer look at the decorative metal embellishment at the bottom of the flower.

Now, if you prefer to use an easel to display your inspirational desk piece, you can either use an easel die or purchase them ready made from your local craft store.  I used a die, but it is too large, so I measured and cut it down to size, along those white lines.

Adhesive was added to the section that will be adhered to the back of the coaster.  These easels fold flat for mailing, too.

And here is what it looks like with an easel back, instead of clipping onto a note stand.  

Supplies:

Muse Dragonfly stamp set

Square Coaster Book w/chain

.01 Micron Pen

.05 Micron Pen

Watercolor Pencil Tin (11)

Uniball White Gel Pen

Chalk Paints (Carbon Black, Vintage)

Aleene's Tacky Glue

Flowers of All Sorts

Pen Nibs Assorted

Wink of Stella Glitter Pens

VersaColor Black ink pad

StazOn Midi Cactus Green ink pad

Mix'd Media Ink Pad (Leather)

Splash Inks

Gelatos Macaroon Set

Metallic Rub Ons (Kit #2)

Ranger Blending Tool

Acrylic blocks

Waterbrushes

Glitz 6x6 Paper Pads (Happy Travels)

Dimensional Adhesives

Decorative 3-1 corner punch

Easel die

3D paint (for the eyes)

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial today using these fun rubber stamps from The Mailbox Muse collection. I hope I have inspired you to try some of these wonderful products from Altered Pages, and see what you can come up with.  Experimenting is so much fun, especially when you discover something new.  

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful, creative week!

Barbara