Cracked Up – Tutorial #326 and Blog Candy

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How about smearing a little ink today.   This tutorial is all about the technique of “Direct to Paper”.   Direct to Paper, aka “DTP” is the art of smearing the ink pad directly onto the card stock.   I use the short end of my ink pad throughout this piece and leave a bit of the Whisper White card stock showing through for sparkle.

Before I get into the tutorial though I want to announce the blog candy that I now have to give away.  This is a special blog candy, a brand new Stampin’ Up! Level 2 Hostess set, Christmas Punch.  Can you get excited about that?  I can!

To enter to win this set, please leave a comment on this post telling me to enter you in the drawing.  If you are getting this blog update via e-mail, please click HERE and then leave your comment at the bottom of the post.  Please no e-mail enties.

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I will select the winner using a random number generator on Tuesday, May 4, 2010.  Until Tuesday I will be on the road teaching my brayer workshops to the fabulous ladies in Riverside, California.

Now let’s get started on that tutorial. . . .  . . . . . .  . . . .

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin’ Up! Trendy Trees
Paper: Stampin’ Up! Whisper White, Basic Black, Perfect Plum and Almost Amethyst
Ink: Stampin’ Up! Perfect Plum, Going Gray, Almost Amethyst, Really Rust and Basic Black
Accessories: Stampin’ Up! Word Window Punch, White Gel Pen, Basic Black Marker, Sponges, paper Snips and Rhinestone Brads

Live in the USA and need a copy of the Summer Mini Catalog?  E-mail your mailing address to mzindorf@aim.com and I will get one in the mail to you.  )  Are you getting inspiration from this blog?   One way you can help support it is to order your Stampin’ Up products through me.   Click HERE to place an order.  Want to become a Stampin’ Up Demonstrator , receive a 20% discount on product and earn instant income on orders?  Consider being part of my Stampin’ Up Team and start your own business.  Click HERE for more information.dsc03707.JPG

Using the sort end of a Almost Amethyst ink pad, smeared the ink on a 4″ square piece of Whisper white card stock, leaving plenty of white showing.

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Added Going Gray ink by using the short end of the ink pad and smearing it.

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Stamped the trunks of the trees using Basic Black ink.

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Stamped the leaves of the tree by loading the leaves stamp first with Going Gray ink and then tapping a bit of Really Rust on the bottom half of the leaves before stamping it.

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Ripped a post it note and masked right at the bottom of the tree trunks.  Took a Basic Black marker and traced the jagged edge of the mask, leaving a tiny unmarked area in order to form the crack in the next step.

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Removed the mask and drew a crooked line down from the Basic Black line opening to the bottom of the card stock to form the crack.

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Sponged a tiny bit of Going Gray in the rock area to tone it down a bit.

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Added white gel pen highlights in the leaves of the trees.

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Added Basic Black marker under the leaves of the tree to give them a bit more definition.

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Decided to put a little more drama in the sky by adding a tiny bit of Perfect Plum ink by smearing it on the right and left sides of the sky area.

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Added White Gel pen highlights to the left side of the tree trunks.

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Cut a 5.25″ square piece of Almost Amethyst Card stock and sponged Perfect Plum ink on the edges.

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Punched a Word Window from Basic Black card stock and cut one end off of the punch.  Assembled my card front and added the punch.

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Added purple rhinestone brads to the punch.

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Here is the finish card measuring 5.5″ square.

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May your weekend be over flowing with Joy!

Until my next post. . . . . . .  ..

Hugs,

Michelle

dsc07090.jpg    Get ready for Brayer Workshops!  I am coming to:

Riverside, California (Southern California) (only a couple of seats available for Saturday, May 1st)  Click HERE for info.

Salem, Oregon (Sold Out)

Wheaton, Illinois

St. Cloud, Minnesota (Sold Out)

Rockville, Maryland (Sold Out)

North Chili, New York (near Rochester) (Sold Out)

Kenova (Huntington), West Virginia

Helena, Montana

Middleburg Heights, Ohio

Venice, Florida

Grinnell, Iowa

Piedmont, Alabama (Near GA border close to Cedartown)

Auburn, Washington (near Seattle)

Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Savannah, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

North Liberty, Indiana

Soledad, California

Here is a link to my workshop calendar where you can see all of my travel schedule and to get info on beginner and advanced Brayer workshops:   http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/workshop-calendar 

Link to my Stampin’ Up website where you can order all of your must have Stampin’ Up products from me 24-7:  http://michellezindorf.stampinup.net

Frequently asked questions answers:  http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/frequently-asked-questions/ 

390 thoughts on “Cracked Up – Tutorial #326 and Blog Candy

  1. Hot digetty!!! Another great tutorial.. and smeared ink? Hard to beat that!! *grin* Well, a chance to win a great set of stamps just might.. heheheh.. anyway, sure, I’d love to win this wet! Looks like it might even work well with some of the Nestabilities dies! Yumm!!

    Like

  2. SHawn Price's avatar SHawn Price

    I would love to be entered for contest and I adore the DTP technique and the colors you used are awesome not to mention that WOOT.. i actually HAVE those stamps!!
    thank you for the awesome opportunities!

    Like

  3. Oh wow, that background is just amazing!

    I never tire of looking at your beautiful creations and one of these days I might just manage to turn out a card myself that looks vaguely like your samples Lol!

    Sue
    x

    Like

  4. Love this card and the messy inky technique. Gives me a good excuse for all the ink I manage to get all over myself even when I’m trying to be neat. Hmmm…no gold but a golden glow comes right off the screen on this one.

    Please enter me for the blog candy. I’m crossing my fingers on winning this gorgeous stamp set. My fav hostess set this year and time is running out. Thanks for offering such wonderful blog candy on such a regular basis. And good luck with the travels and the workshops.

    Like

  5. Gloria Probert's avatar Gloria Probert

    Oh cool – more blog candy and Christmas to boot. Thanks for the opportunity to win and as always thanks for sharing your awesome talent.

    Like

  6. Judy Covey's avatar Judy Covey

    Hi Michelle, please enter my name to win the Level II Christmas Punch stamp set from Stampin’ Up. I absolutely love your latest card where you smeared ink onto your cardstock/paper directly from the pad … fantastic effect and the colors are marvelous.

    Like

  7. Gloria Probert's avatar Gloria Probert

    I hope I am not duplicating myself. Please enter me to win the blog candy. Love the set and love looking at all of your wonderful cards. Thanks

    Like

  8. sandie carter's avatar sandie carter

    Love your cards .Thanks heaps for sharing how you make them – you make it look so easy. Please put my name down to win this awesome set.

    Like

  9. This is one of my favorites! Great work, Michelle! And I love the Christmas stamps! Please enter me!!! Many thanks for the chance to win – have fun in sunny California!

    Like

  10. Debbie from Buffalo, NY's avatar Debbie from Buffalo, NY

    Greetings from Buffalo, NY! Please enter me into your Blog Candy drawing Michelle…and thanks for sharing another awesome card with us! I love how you used the different shades of purple in this one! debbie

    Like

  11. Toni's avatar Toni

    Hey now – this card creation isn’t a “jab” at coming out here to Southern California – and “earthquake country” this weekend is it???? Ha Ha

    LOVE the card, as I do all your others. I always love your color choices – how do you ever come up with them.

    Please enter me for drawing and I’m counting the hours for the brayer class this weekend.

    Like

  12. Ronn's avatar Ronn

    OMG!!! I have been wanting this set for like forever…..PLEASE PICK ME. Sorry..lol, now to say “Beautiful card as usual and I just love your techniques.”

    Like

  13. Phyllis's avatar Phyllis

    YES, please enter me! You are on a blog roll these days and we appreciate it so much. Love this direct to paper technique and have used it often! Safe trip, return safely.

    Like

  14. ColindaSue's avatar ColindaSue

    Please enter me in this draw! This set is soooo appropriate for today as we have had a storm blow in ….brrr….it’s like Christmas with all this snow!

    Like

  15. Doreen's avatar Doreen

    I would love to win this set. Please enter my name. I love your work and wished you lived closer so you could teach us a class in Canada. Thanks

    Like

  16. More AWESOMENESS from you today Michelle! Love the DTP technique. I just called it dragging. Heeeheeeheee.

    Please enter my name to win the Christmas stamps. Looks like a fun set to play with.

    Love the cracked earth in your tutorial. We see a lot of that here in north Texas during the summer! :O)

    Betty in Allen, TX

    Like

  17. Michele Ruiz's avatar Michele Ruiz

    Hey Michelle, Thanks for all your wonderful cards, you inspire me everyday to do something new! Would you please enter me in your drawing for the Christmas stamps!! Thanks so much

    Like

  18. Becky's avatar Becky

    Please enter me in for the drawing…cool set. Sensational tutorial….love the technique you did. I will have to try this in the near future. Have safe travels. 🙂

    Like

  19. Marcia's avatar Marcia

    Please enter me in the drawing! Love all your tutorials! You are an inspiration!! Thanks, Michelle. Have a fabulous time in California.

    Like

  20. Tina's avatar Tina

    I would love to be entered to win the Christmas set. Thanks for the chance and thanks for all you share. You make what you do look so simple, and those of us “wanna be-s” know it just isn’t that easy…8-) But we will keep trying!

    Like

  21. Bobbie in Montana's avatar Bobbie in Montana

    You have such a good heart. Not only do you share and teach us how to do such amazing and beautiful cards, you also do give aways! WOW! and THANKS! Please enter me in your drawing!!!

    Like

  22. Phyllis Huie's avatar Phyllis Huie

    Hi,

    Love your cards. You are so talented. You help us to stretch our abilities and our imagination. Thanks.

    Love the Christmas set. I guess it is time to think about that, isn’t it?

    Blessings,
    Phyllis

    Like

  23. Shirley N.'s avatar Shirley N.

    Thanks for the chance to enter this contest and possibly win some blog candy. Christmas will be here before we know it. Love the work you do on your cards. They are outstanding. Would love to take one of your workshops and learn to do it too.

    Like

  24. LorraineB's avatar LorraineB

    I love the tutorial. The end result is great and the method is simple. Loved it! Please enter my name in the drawing for the Christmas set blog candy. Thanks.

    Like

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