LIM DT: Monogram OLC

Oh, this one is a real toughie! I don’t think it’s a secret that the design team were all scratching their heads with the latest challenge over at the clean and simple card challenge site, Less is More. We could think of several ways of making a monogram, but most weren’t only one layer. That ruled out die cuts, cutouts and all sorts of other clever stuff.

Anyhoo, I scratched my head successfully and came up with three designs. The first, the N, technically didn’t fulfil the definition of a monogram, being a single initial. Then the stencilled and embellished A didn’t fulfil the definition either and turned out not to be a favourite. Finally, the graffiti monogram meets the definition, but might not be considered a traditional monogram.

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Experimental Stencil Tag

Experimental Stencil Tag

 

I took a little time out from enjoying the [rare] sunny weather today to put together this experimental tag. I used the Random Circles mask from Tando Creative to deboss the circles – inked up with Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink, embossed onto a pre-decorated tag from my stash, and then covered with Vintage Photo Distress Powder for that authentic rusted look. I used the same mask to select areas of cardstock from the Tim Holtz Lost and Found stash and then stitched them onto the tag using my machine – stitching on card seems to be a bit trickier than into fabric! I aged all the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. A few TH cogs and sprockets, and various metal embellishments decorated with Distress Paints are then added with brads before adding the florist ad from the TH stamp set. A bit of unravelled jute string finished the tag off nicely. Not really my normal style, but hey, that’s what experimentation is about 🙂

 

Quick mixed media tags

I’ve got into the studio at last to do my own thing in between some craft room reconfiguration and college work! I’ve chosen to do some quick mixed media tags using mainly Ranger/Tim Holtz products:

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Twelve Tags of 2012 – December

It’s the last Craft Club of the year tomorrow, and thus the last of my twelve tags of 2012. This one incorporates WOW! Embossing Powder, die cut tattered pine cone, a cocktail stick, hot glue, dry glitter and the special secret ingredient – an upcycled orange juice carton! There will be the option to add holly sprigs as well.

Multi-Ink Tag – Twelve Tags for 2012 – October

I appear to have forgotten to post that I’ve created my tenth tag for my Twelve Tags of 2012 series, featuring the flower of the month, Calendula. Or at least my approximation of it! And I’ve learnt to use my new camera and MovieMaker to do a ‘how to’ video as well. Please let me know what you think!

 

[youtube=http://youtu.be/NyeP7octFCw]

Twelve Tags of 2012 – September

I’ve been playing with various options of putting colour onto metal – here are the results! I’ll be showing how to do them at the Manic Stamper Craft Club on Saturday.

The tags are first covered with metal foil tape (really thin foil – serves me right for going to the local poundstore!) and then I used a small embossing ball tool to emboss the outlines. Rub over the whole tag with black acrylic paint, and then wait for it to almost dry before rubbing off the paint from the tag – it should catch in the outlines. Add colour with acrylic inks (I used a paintbrush), Promarkers or alcohol inks (I used the Adirondack alcohol ink pen filled with blending solution to pick up dried alcohol inks from a palette). I love the aged look to the metal caused by the black acrylic, and the translucent colour from the Promarkers/alcohol inks. The acrylic inks are more luminous due to their opacity. By the way, alcohol seems to denature acrylic, so if your black coating doesn’t work out, wipe over with alcohol hand gel and try again!

And as a bonus, I’m publishing the forget-me-not doodle as a tangle pattern 🙂

New Summer Distress Inks – Perfect Splatter Distress

I snuck a few minutes in the craft room this morning to tidy up, and managed to play with my new Summer Distress Inks from Ranger. They are really bright hues, reminiscent of Dyan Reaveley’s colour palette, but as with all the other distress ink seasonal ranges, they play nicely together. I combined them with Perfect Pearls from the Jewels kit and the perfect splatter technique I learnt in Creative Chemistry 101 to make this tag. The embossing is Metallic Gold Rich Super Fine from WOW! Embossing Powders.

Twelve Tags of 2012 – July and August

I have been creating, honest! I just can’t share some of what I have been doing due to commercial sensitivities, but as soon as I can, I will… and some of my creativity is on projects that are taking just that little bit longer to complete.

But I can share these two tags that I have done for this month’s Manic Stamper Craft Club, continuing my series of Twelve Tags for 2012. The first features triple embossing and a smidge of the frosted window technique for the ripples, as well as paper crafted water lilies. The second is napkin decoupage with a stamped and coloured image artfully placed on top. Fuller instructions will follow on the Manic Stamper blog once term has finished!

Jubilee Tag

I’ve been away from the computer for a little while – last weekend was doing the Yorkshire Three Peaks for the first time, and this weekend I was meeting up with some of the team down at WOW! Embossing Powder HQ. I’ve also been working on some hush hush commissioned work, which with college work has left little time for playing. I did manage to squeeze in some quality time with my embossing powders though to reprise my June Twelve Tags of 2012 tag in embossing powders. For more details on how I did it, pop over to the WOW! Embossing Powder blog.