Toile Blossoms Scene – Tutorial

80 Comments July 9, 2008 zindorfstamps

Today’s piece is dedicated to all the Stampin’ Up stamp hoarders. Now you know who you are, a few of you have even asked me to use some of my old, but loved stamps in projects. I was a hobby demo so I never felt the need to get rid of my old stamps when new ones came out. So I have around 300 Stampin’ Up sets, that is what is left after weeding out sets that weren’t my style. We won’t talk about my unmounted stamp collections in this same post. You all will think I’m a stamp junkie or something, lol.

Let me hear about your stamp collections/addiction in the comments section of this post. If you are getting this by e-mail update, click this link to leave me your comment:

http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2008/07/09/toil-blossoms-scene-tutorial/

I know I’m not the only one that will chose new stamps over new shoes, let me hear from you. 🙂

Anyway, I have used Stampin’ Up sets “Toile Blossoms” & “Lovely as a Tree” in today’s piece.

Let’s get started on the tutorial. 🙂

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin’ UP Toile Blossoms & Lovely as a Tree

Paper: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Not Quite Navy and Soft Sky

Ink: Stampin’ Up Soft Sky, More Mustard, Not Quite Navy, Basic Black & Old Olive, Palette Noir Black

Accessories: Piercing Tools, Prismacolor Markers, Going Gray marker, White Gel Pen, Black marker, Ticket Corner Punch, Sponges, Brayer, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Versamark Marker, Gold Brads

Stamped Toile Blossom images on a piece of 5″ x 5″ Whisper White card stock with Palette Noir Black ink.

Colored the center of the flower petals with a Prismacolor Deco Pink marker.

Added just a little Prismacolor Magenta marker to the flower petal centers.

Colored the leaves with a Prismacolor Chartreuse marker.

Colored the shadow (dark side) of the leaves with a Prismacolor Light Olive Green marker.

Colored over the leaves and flowers with a Versamark marker.

Note: Be careful to color the white parts first and then the colored parts so the color doesn’t smear onto the white part of your image. You can clean the tip of your Versamark marker my coloring on scrap paper for a second.

Heat emboss the images using clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Brayered Soft Sky ink at the top of the card stock.

Brayered Not Quite Navy ink at the very top of the card stock, not covering the Soft Sky ink entirely.

Stamped Tree image with Palette Noir Black ink.

Sponged More Mustard ink on the bottom of the card stock.

Note: The embossed images resist the ink. Just wipe the ink off the images with a paper towel.

Sponged Old Olive ink at the bottom of the card stock using a swiping motion from the bottom let corner toward the top right. This was done to simulate grasses. Also, sponged Old Olive Green ink in the leaf area of the tree.

Added just a bit of Black ink to the very bottom of the card stock.

Colored the tree trunk with a Going Gray Marker and added some grasses at the base of the tree with a Prismacolor Light Olive Green marker.

Sponged a bit of Basic Black ink on the right side of the leaf area of the tree and just a faint hint of black under the tree for a shadow.

Added White highlights (specks) on the left side of the leaf area of the tree with a white gel pen.

Sponged heavily some Not Quite Navy ink at the top of the card stock to give the sky some interest.

Used a black fine line marker and traced along the bottom side of the flowers and leaves to create the look of a shadow. Also colored along the right side of the tree trunk with the black marker.

Used the ticket corner punch on the main image panel and the Not Quite Navy panel.

Used my piercing tools and a fine tip black marker to do some faux stitching all the way around the card stock.

Added some gold brads and here is the completed card measuring 5.25″ x 5.25″.

Hope your day is filled with blooming flower gardens and shade trees.

Until my next post. . . . . . .

Michelle

ISC Flutterby – Tutorial & Blog Candy

171 Comments July 8, 2008 zindorfstamps

I have a little butterfly action for you on today’s tutorial and also I’m giving this card away as blog candy.

All you need to do to enter for a chance to get this card is leave me a comment here on this post. If you are getting this blog update by e-mail and you wish to comment, please click this link that will take you to my blog so you can comment for a chance to win this card: http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2008/07/08/isc-flutterby-tutorial-blog-candy/

I’ll use a random number generator to pick a number on Thursday morning, July 10th.

The images used in today’s tutorial are by Innovative Stamp Creations from their “Flowers & Elements” & “About Me” Sheets. Here is a link to their online store:

http://www.innovativestampcreations.com/ischomepage.html

Ready for some Emboss Resist, Resist? Let’s get started on today’s Tutorial. 🙂

Supplies:

Stamps: Innovative Stamp Creations “About Me” & “Flowers & Elements”

Paper: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Soft Sky & Basic Black

Ink: Stampin’ Up More Mustard, Barely Banana, Going Gray, Basic Black, Baroque Burgundy & Really Rust

Accessories: Prismacolor Marker Sky Blue Light, Ribbon, Brads, Photo Corner Punch, Aqua Painter, Versamark marker, Going Gray marker, Faber Castell Yellow & Black markers, Sponges

Stamped Butterfly with Palette Noir Black ink on a 3.75″ x 5.25″ of Whisper White card stock.

Colored in the image with a Prismacolor Sky Blue Light marker.

Darkened the middle of the image with a Faber Castell Black marker.

Colored over the entire image with a Versamark marker, by coloring the light parts first and then going to the dark parts.

Heat embossed the image using clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Over Stamped butterfly image with the Flower image using Craft Going Gray ink.

Note: if you don’t have craft ink you can load your stamp first with Versamark then your Classic ink before stamping. The Versamark will let your embossing powder stick to your image.

Heat embossed the image with clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Colored in the flower using an Aqua Painter and Barely Banana ink.

Note: While your ink pad is closed you can squeeze the lid down on the pad to create a little pool of ink on the lid in which to water color with.

Added some Going Gray ink to the top half of the flower.

Colored the entire flower with Versamark marker.

Heat embossed it with clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Used the Barely Banana ink pad directly on the card stock, covering all of the it.

Sponged More Mustard ink on ramdomly, but leaving the lower left corner light.

Sponged on Really Rust ink.

Sponged on some Baroque Burgundy ink.

Sponged a little black ink to get really dark under the butterfly and at the top of the card stock.

Added a Going Gray marker shadow at the bottom of the flower.

Traced fine line around the bottom of the flower and butterfly to create some depth.

Added some Faber Castell Yellow marker on top of the embossed flower to punch up the color a bit.

Heated the embossing powder on the flower to melt the marker in a bit.

Assembled card and added ribbon, brads and punched photo corners.

Here the card is finished measuring 5″ x 6.5″.

Thanks for checking out the tutorial today. Why don’t you give emboss resist, resist a try?

May your day be filled with dreamy sweet smelling flowers and butterflies.

Until my next post. . . . . . .

Michelle

Moody Palms – Tutorial

45 Comments July 5, 2008 zindorfstamps

A few things this morning before I get on with the tutorial.

During this 4th of July weekend, please give a shout out to Chad who is on his FIFTH deployment to the Middle East and to his Unit. Here is a link to his mothers blog that the unit is reading, please leave a comment for them: http://flatfishpaperarts.blogspot.com/2008/07/happy-4th-of-july-chad_04.html

Secondly, we have a Blog Candy winner! Drum roll please. . . . . . . . . . .

It’s lucky number 80, Grace O’Neal who wrote the following comment:

I just started getting your newsletters this week and love your creations! Absolutely beautiful. I plan on trying a few for myself in the next few weeks – can’t wait! Very inspiring. … Thanks and have a great 4th!

Grace, please e-mail your address to mzindorf@aim.com and I will get those stamps mailed out to you. Congratulations!

Everyone else who left a comment, thank you so very much!

Regarding the terrific stamp images used for the piece, they came from http://www.mypapermoon.com

OK, let’s get started on the tutorial! 🙂

Supplies:

Stamps: Images by MyPaperMoon.com

Paper: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Not Quite Navy and Soft Sky

Ink: Stampin’ Up Basic Black, Not Quite Navy, Bordering Blue & Soft Sky

Accessories: Sponge, Markers, Aqua Painter, White Gel Pen, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, Soft Sky Reinker, Brads

Using a Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement, stamped 4 palm trees on a piece of 4.5″ x 4.5″ Whisper White card stock. First one with Soft Sky ink, second with Bordering Blue ink, third one with Not Quite Navy ink and Fourth one with Basic Black ink.

Colored the trucks in with matching colored markers.

I don’t have a Soft Sky Marker so I used my Aqua brush and reinker to color the Soft Sky tree trunk in.

Using a circular motion, sponged Soft Sky ink at the top of the card stock and under the Soft Sky Tree.

Sponged Bordering Blue ink under the Bordering Blue Tree.

Sponged Not Quite Navy at the bottom of the card stock, up to the Not Quite Navy Tree.

Sponged Basic Black ink at the bottom of the card stock and lightly sponged in some in the blue area behind the trees.

Made Dash markers with a White Gel pen in the water area and along the left side of the tree trunks. Also, added a bit in the leaves of the darker trees.

Traced the right side of the tree trunks with a black marker.

Stamped the bird with Basic Black ink.

Assembled the card and here it is finished measuring 5.25″ x 5.25″.

Hope your day is filled with Soft Balmy Breezes.

Until my next post. . . . . . . . .

Michelle

Party Dresses – Tutorial

22 Comments July 4, 2008 zindorfstamps

Happy Fourth of July Everyone!

This morning I decided to make my Granddaughter’s Birthday card. She is a girlie, girl for sure. Loves, loves, loves pink! So what do you put on a Girlie Girl’s card, pink dresses, of course.

These images are from Rupa Shevde’s set “Retro Boutique” that can be purchased from Gina K. Design’s online store found here: http://www.ginakdesigns.com/

Let’s get started on the tutorial. 🙂

Supplies:

Stamps: Rupa Shevde’s “Retro Boutique” from Gina K. Designs

Paper: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Basic Black, Old Olive Cameo Coral

Ink: Stampin’ Up Basic Black, Old Olive & Always Artichoke, Palette Noir Black, Adirondack Lettuce

Accessories: Prismacolor Markers, White Gel Pen, Versamark marker, clear embossing powder, heat gun, Going Grey marker, Black marker, Sponge, Adhesive Rhinestones

Stamped the dresses on a 6″x 6″ piece of Whisper White Card stock with Palette Noir Black ink.

Stamped the four purses using Palette Noir Black ink.

Used my Curvy Cutter and cut it out into a 5″ circle.

Colored the dresses on at a time using these 3 colors of Prismacolor Markers in this order, Light Peach, Deco Peach, Blush Pink. With solvent based markers, you want to work fast to try to avoid hard lines. If you do get a hard line, try going over the hard line with the lightest color to blend it some.

I blended my hard lines between the Blush Pink & Deco Peach by going over it with Deco Peach again.

Colored the purses with Light Peach.

Added Blush pink to the purse flowers.

Colored the leaves on the purse with Light Olive Green.

Colored all the images with Versamark marker and heat embossed the using clear embossing powder and a heat gun. I found it is easiest to work one image at a time, coloring with Versamark and then heat embossing before going to the next image.

Now that your images are heat embossed they will resist ink.

Sponged in a circular motion, Lettuce ink in the center of the card stock.

Sponged in a circular motion, Old Olive ink, not covering the Lettuce ink entirely.

Sponged in a circular motion, Always Artichoke ink at the edge of the card stock.

Wanted the edge to be very dark, so I sponged Black ink at the edge. Be careful when you are using black ink over embossed images, it will turn your light colors gray, yuck! If you do get it on the light colors, wipe it off immediately.

Now my image looks flat and I want to give it some life. Using the brush point of a Stampin’ Up Going Grey marker, I traced a thick line at both sides of the dresses and under the purses creating a shadow.

To bring the images forward more, I traced a line down the sides of the dresses and under the purses. Now that added some more life.

Can’t forget the bling, assembled the card and added some Brenda Walton Adhesive olive colored Rhinestones that I got from GinaKDesigns.com.

Put dotes in the corners of the card with a white gel pen.

Here is the card all finished measuring 5.25″ x 5.25″

Hope you will try this emboss resist tutorial.

May your day be filled with fireworks and party dresses.

Until my next post. . . . . .

Michelle

Chickadee in the Woods – Tutorial

378 Comments July 3, 2008 zindorfstamps

Here it is Thursday already! Wow, the older I get the faster time flies. Am I the only one that feels this way?

Anyway, today I got back to nature with the Stampin’ Up’s Set “Touch of Nature”. I love this little Chickadee. Isn’t he the cutest little bird? I have Chickadees all over my yard. They are such happy little souls. I can’t help but smile when I see and hear them.

Also, today I’m giving BLOG CANDY! Anyone miss out on the Studio G Series 8 stamps? I have 12 packs here just waiting for some lucky stamper.

Well here is your chance to get them. All you need to do to enter is leave me a comment here on this post. If you are getting this blog update by e-mail and you wish to comment, please click this link that will take you to my blog so you can comment for a chance to win these stamps: http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2008/07/03/chickadee-in-the-woods-tutorial/

I’ll use a random number generator to pick a number on Saturday morning, July 5th.

Ready for the tutorial? Let’s get started 🙂

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin’ Up Touch of Nature

Paper: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Basic Black, Old Olive & Bordering Blue

Ink: Stampin’ Up Bordering Blue, Old Olive & Blue Bayou, Palette Noir Black

Accessories: Prismacolor Markers, White Gel Pen, Versamark Marker, Clear embossing Powder, Sponge, heat tool, Black maker

Stamped the bird with Palette Noir Black ink on a piece of 3.5″ x 5″ Whisper White card stock. I’m using the Palette ink because it doesn’t smear with the Solvent based Prismacolor markers.

Colored the bottom of the birds belly with a Buff marker.

Extended the limb to the edge of the card stock with a Fabe Castell black marker.

Colored the birds head, very bottom of the belly and back with a Cool Grey 30% marker.

Colored the dark parts of the leaves with a Light Olive Green marker.

Colored the Branch with a Buff colored marker.

Added some Cool Grey 80% colored marker to the dark parts of the birds head and back.

Added a bit more Buff marker to the birds belly.

Colored over the bird with a Versamark marker, being very careful to stay within the lines.

Heat embossed using clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Sponged Bordering Blue ink in a pouncing motion all over the card stock. I want it to look splotchy.

Stamped leaves by first loading my stamp with Old Olive ink and then misting the stamp a tiny bit so it would look a bit out of focus when I stamp it. Note: I tried this out on scrap paper first to see how much misting to do for the effect I wanted.

Stamped some Bordering Blue Leaves, some I misted, some I didn’t.

Sponged Bordering Blue ink at the right side of the card stock using a circular motion for good coverage.

Stamped a few leaves using Blue Bayou ink at the right side of the card stock.

Sponged Blue Bayou ink at the right side of the card stock, not covering all of the Bordering Blue ink.

Traced the underside of the Bird and the branch with a Black marker.

Added White Gel pen highlights to the leaves on the branch and a dot on the birds eye.

Assembled card and here it is finished measuring 5″ x 6.5″.

Don’t forget to comment to enter to win the blog candy for today. 🙂

Hope your day is filled with the sights and sounds of birds singing their happy little tunes.

Until my next post. . . . . . .

Michelle

Wanted pony – Tutorial

45 Comments July 1, 2008 zindorfstamps

I love the western style stamp sets from Stampin’ Up and I have them all, but I don’t use them nearly enough. Drug this one out today, dusted it off and got down to business. Fussed around with this card to long to post it this morning before work, hence the late post. 🙂

Ready for the tutorial? Let’s get started. 🙂

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin’ Up “Wanted”

Paper: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Basic Black & More Mustard

Ink: Stampin’ Up More Mustard, Craft White, Basic Black, Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Apricot Appeal

Accessories: Brads, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Black marker, Versamark marker, White Gel pen, Piercing Tools, 1 1/4 circle punch, post it note, Brayer, clear embossing powder & heat gun, sponges

Punched a circle from the sticky part of a post it note and put in on a piece of Whisper White Card stock as a mask for the sun.

Brayered Apricot Appeal ink over the entire card stock.

Removed sun mask. Using my Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement, stamped the horse using Basic Black ink.

Colored the horse in with a black Faber Castell marker.

Be sure that your background ink is very dry before moving on to this step. 🙂 Otherwise the embossing powder will stick to the entire card stock.

Colored over the horse with a Versamark maker and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Sponged More Mustard on ink, using a left to right motion, streaking the ink across the card stock.

Put a fresh post it note sun mask on.

Sponged on Really Rust ink using a streaking motion across the card stock.

Added some Chocolate Chip ink by sponging it on using the same streaking motion.

Covered the sky area with post it note masks.

Sponged Basic Black ink all over the un-masked area of the card stock.

Removed the masks and added some More Mustard streaks acoss the sun with a sponge.

Added some Really Rust ink streaks across the sun.

Sponged on just a little black ink around the horses legs in a pouncing motion to simulate dust being kicked up.

Assembled the card front and used my piercing tools to make holes for my brads so they would be in a straight line and well spaced.

Using a stamp-a-ma-jig for placement, stamped the “wanted” stamp with White Craft ink.

Added White dots behind the stamped “wanted” with a white gel pen.

Here you have it the completed card measuring 5″ x 6.5″.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Take a few moments and create a dramatic sky with some warm colors of ink.

May your day end with a fabulous sunset!

Until my next post. . . . . . . . . . .

Michelle

Artsy Victorian Tile – Tutorial

36 Comments June 30, 2008 zindorfstamps

I love to color. It is so relaxing to me. Last night I sat down to color and came up with this creation. This is a variation on Karen Barber’s Black and White Magic technique that I did a post on last week. The technique of coloring with Prismacolor Pencils and then outlining the image with a White gel pen apparently can be done on any color of card stock other than white with wonderful results. It even showed up very well on SU River Rock card stock.

I love making cards that look like tiles, they are so versatile you can use them for so many different occasions.

The images used in todays tutorial are from Innovative Stamp Creations “Artsy Victorian Sheet”. Here is a link to their online store: http://www.innovativestampcreations.com/ischomepage.html

Let’s get started on the tutorial. 🙂

Supplies:

Stamps: Innovative Stamp Creations “Artsy Victorian”

Paper: Stampin’ Up Basic Black & River Rock

Ink: Stampin’ UP Craft White and Basic Black

Accessories: Prismacolor Pencils, Odorless Paint Thinner, Flower Punches, White Gel Pen, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, Piercing Tools, Copper Brad

Stamped image on Basic Black card stock with White Craft ink.

Dried the ink with a heat gun. You can also just wait for it to dry, but I’m not that patient.

When I color with Prismacolor Pencils, I dip my pencil point in Odorless Paint Thinner and then color. The pencil melts like butter on the card stock and blends very nicely.

Started coloring with a Yellow Ochre pencil.

Then added Pumpkin Orange Pencil.

Colored part of the center of the image with a Warm Grey 30% pencil.

Then colored the rest of the center image with a True Blue pencil.

Colored around the center image with a Poppy Red pencil.

Used the True Blue pencil again on the outer frame of the design.

Here is where the magic happens. Outlined the image with a white gel pen. Wow! That makes it come to life.

Trimmed the image down, leaving a bit of black card stock showing all the way around.

Stamped with Black ink part of the flourish image at each corner of a 4.5″ x 4.5″ piece of River Rock card stock using a Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement.

Colored the flourish with the Yellow Ochre and the True Blue pencils.

Outlined the images with the White Gel Pen.

Assembled card front and then felt the corners needed a bit more pop, so I added some of the Pumpkin Orange pencil to the center of the flowers.

Add some punched flowers to the center.

Added a copper colored brad to the center and used my piercing tools to add piercings in between the corner images.

And here you have it, the finished card measuring 5.25″ x 5.25″.

Hope your day if filled with warm rich colors!

Until my next post. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Michelle

Beginning of the Day – Tutorial

45 Comments June 28, 2008 zindorfstamps

I’m wrapping up leaf week here on my blog. I hope you have been inspired this week to get out those leaf stamps and use them for projects other than Fall themed ones. Now you know I had to wrap the week up with a brayered sky scene!

Let’s get started on the tutorial. 🙂

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin’ Up Best Blossoms

Paper: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Basic Black & Soft Sky

Ink: Stampin’ Up Apricot Appeal, Basic Black, Really Rust, More Mustard & Soft Sky

Accessories: Photo Corner Punch, 1 3/8″ Circle Punch, Brayer, Sponges, Piercing Tools & White Gel pen,

Brayered Apricot Appeal on the bottom 2/3rds of a piece of Whisper White Card stock that measures 4.5″ x 4.5″.

Punched a 1 3/8″ circle from the sticky part of a post it note and used it as a mask for the sun.

Brayered More Mustard over the bottom 2/3rds of the card stock.

Brayered Really Rust ink at the bottom 1/2 of the card stock.

Brayered Soft Sky ink at the top of the card stock.

Decided I wanted some more interest to the sky so I sponged More Mustard ink in a “U” shape around the sun.

Sponged Really Rust ink just under the More Mustard sponging.

To add more interest, sponged black at the bottom, left top corner and then lightly through the center of the card stock.

Removed post it note mask and sponged Apricot Appeal ink at the bottom of the sun so it isn’t so stark looking.

Stamped leaves with Basic Black ink.

Highlighted the leaves by outlining just the side of the leaf that is facing the sun.

Assembled my card front and used my piercing tools and a White Gel pen to put in some faux stitching around the main panel edge.

Added some Soft Sky card stock photo corner punches and a brad to the bottom two corners.

Here is the finished card, measuring 5.25″ x 5.25″.

I hope your day today started with a fantastic sunrise and ends with a fantastic sunset!

Until my next post. .. . . . . . . . . . .

Michelle

Black & White Magic Leaves – Tutorial

23 Comments June 27, 2008 zindorfstamps

My Dear and Talented Friend, Karen Barber taught me how to do this “Black & White Magic” technique a while back, but I hadn’t had a chance to use the technique for a project of my own until today. So I am going to share her technique with you. To see more “Black & White Magic” cards check out Karen Barber’s SCS Gallery, here is the link: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=138472

Ready? Let’s get started. 🙂

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin’ Up Stitched Exoctics

Paper: SU Basic Black, Bashful Blue, Old Olive

Ink: White Craft ink

Accessories: Prismacolor Pencils, Orderless Paint Thinner, Coluzzle, White Gel Pen, Heat Gun, Brads, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Photo Corner Punch

With a Coluzzle circle template, cut a 2.5″ circle from Black card stock.

Also, cut a 3 1/8 circle from Bashful Blue card stock.

Using a Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement, stamped two leaves on the black circle with White Craft ink.

Heat set the white ink with a heat gun.

Now it is time for some color. Colored the leaves with Prismacolor pencils. When coloring I first dip the end of my pencil in a little container that has Orderless paint thinner in it. This makes the pencil melt like butter onto your card stock when coloring.

First colored with Sky Blue Light.

Next colored with True Blue.

Next colored with Peacock Blue.

Finished coloring with Lime peel.

Next, outlined the images with a White Gel pen. Wow! That makes them pop!

Cut a Piece of Black card stock 3 1/8″ x 5 1/8″. Used my Circle Coluzzle template to round one end of the card stock.

Stamped the Flourish with White Craft ink on to the end of the card stock.

Heat set the White ink with a heat gun and then colored the flourishes the same way I colored the leaves.

Finished by outlining the flourishes with a white gel pen, assembled card and added Photo Corners.

Added Brads to the photo corners and here is the completed card measuring 5.25 x 5.25.

Ok, it’s time to announce the winner of the Leaf in Pond card, drum roll, please. . . . . . . . . . . .

The random number generator picked a low number today, #12 and the winner is:

Alison Snow, who left this comment:

Michelle, you have such a way of thinking outside the box with your creations…truly a talent and a gift. Thanks for sharing and I would be so happy to be the recipient of this beautiful work of art!

Alison, congrats! Please e-mail me your complete address and I will get that card in the mail to you.

Everyone else, thank you so much for playing along!

May your day be filled with cheerful colors and cheerful thoughts.

Until my next post. . . . . . .

Michelle

Distressed Leaf Notecard – Tutorial

42 Comments June 26, 2008 zindorfstamps

I’m continuing on with “Leaf Week” in which I’m trying to use leaf images in ways other than fall themed.

Now this card is visually interesting, don’t you think? Get a load of that shadow on the left and bottom side of the main image panel. That panel is not raised, it is glued directly onto the panel under it, but putting in the shadow with markers really makes it look dimensional. Follow along with todays tutorial to see just how to get that effect and maybe save some dough on postage by cutting down on card stock layers. 🙂

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin’ Up With Gratitude, French Script, Stitched Exotics

Paper: Stampin’ Up River Rock & Very Vanilla

Ink: Stampin’ Up River Rock, Distress Ink Peeled Paint, Aged Mahogany & Black Soot, Palette Noir Black

Accessories: Prismacolor Marker Chartreuse, Faber Castell Black Marker, Going Gray marker, Aqua Brush, Small post it note

Masked the center of a 3.75″ x 3.75″piece of River Rock card stock with a small post it note. You could cut a shape out of the sticky part of a large post it note to and use it if you don’t have small post it notes. (Nope I don’t have stock in the Post it Note company. I should since I use them almost every day, lol)

Now beware, Distress inks go on very dark and then dry much lighter. You’ll see 🙂

Dragged the Peeled Paint Distress ink pad directly over the card stock and mask. Dragging it from left to right and then top to bottom.

Stamped a large leaf twice on the card stock using Peeled Paint distress ink.

Stamped stitched designs with Aged Mahogany Distress ink. This looks sooooo very dark now, but it will dry much lighter, trust me.

Removed post it note mask and stamped a smaller leaf in the center of the card stock with Palette Noir Black ink. Note: I used the Palette ink because I am going to color the leaf in with a Solvent based Prismacolor marker and the Palette ink won’t smear with them.

Colored the leaf in with a Chartreuse Prismacolor Marker.

I used a piece of coarse sand paper to distress the card stock edges and center a bit. Sand paper is a great distressing tool and very economical too, as far as tools go. Also, see how much lighter the ink is getting as it dries.

Stamped a small leaf image randomly on a 5 1/8″ x 5 1/8″ piece of Very Vanilla card stock with River Rock ink.

Dragged the River Rock ink pad directly across the card stock from left to right on the top of the card stock and then top to bottom on the right hand side of the card stock.

Used an Aqua Painter and River Rock ink and watercolored the small leafs loosely.

Glued the Main image panel to the center of the background panel.

I inked only part of the French Script back ground stamp before stamping it in two different directions using Black Soot Ink.

By inking only part of the background stamp it gives this worn away look. Note: Yep, I know I stamp it up side down. 🙂

Dragged the Peeled Paint ink pad randomly over the edges of the background panel.

Dragged the Aged Mahogany ink pad randomly over the edge of the background panel. The splashes of Red really add something. 🙂

Now to create the shadow for the main image panel. Using a SU Going Gray marker, made a thick line under the main image panel and to the left side of it.

Using a fine point black marker, drew a line right against the left and bottom sides of the main image panel. Like magic, instant dimension. 🙂

I also darkened the outside of the main image leaf with the black marker to make it pop a bit more.

Note: I messed up and got black marker on the main image panel bottom left corner. Solution, sanded it off with the sand paper.

Additional Note: Faber Castell markers are wonderful! They are Indian Ink markers and very dark. You can get them at about any art supply store or online at DickBlick.com.