Gel Plate Printing Session Take One

 Hi everyone, I've got a (gulp!) YouTube video up on my channel today for a gel plate printing session that I did recently with one of my new Gel Press printing plates, acrylic paints, crayons, embossing folders and some found objects for good measure!

 

I'm still new to filming process videos and it took a couple of days for me to edit it all together but it didn't turn out too badly!  Here's the link to the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/-z98raxLjAQ

or if you prefer you can watch it right here.  Hope you enjoy it!

  Deb xo

Peace Within Mixed Media Plaque For Therm O Web

 Hello everyone, hope this finds you all well.  I have a tutorial over on Therm O Web's blog today for a little beach themed mixed media plaque created with their Deco Foil Transfer Foils, Duo Transfer Gel and Clear Transfer Adhesive Pen.

 

My theme prompt for our Spring Break week was 'Sunshine & Flip Flops & Ocean' and to be honest I was a bit stumped at first but once I started working on it, it all came together so easily and I love the result.  I used my new Gel Press plates for the background and my ocean 'waves' and even added some Deco Foil accents to the seashells.

 

The flip flops got a little Deco Foil added to their straps and the beach 'sand' was created with Seth Apter's Dirty Sand embossing powder.

 

Opal Deco Foil was added to the torn paper 'waves' to mimic sunlight reflecting off of the wave tops, worked a treat!

 

Hope you can pop on over, I had lots of fun making it.  Thanks as always for stopping by today and happy creating,

Deb xo

Easter Blooms For Therm O Web

 Hello everyone, hope this finds you well.  Spring is trying to make an appearance here in B.C. between snow flurries and we've had a few days so far of lovely warm weather.  Our first red winged black bird showed up at the bird feeder the other day and the Canada geese have been flying north in V's over our heads so it can't be long now (she says hopefully!).

In keeping with the coming Spring, I have a tutorial over on Therm O Web's blog to share with you today.  I created a little Easter egg filled with spring blossoms and a fuzzy flocked bunny, love how it turned out!

 

Deco Foil Duo Transfer Gel was finger painted onto the die cut flowers for a distressed foiled look, think it might be one of my favourite new techniques (who doesn't love finger painting!).

 

 

And the bunny had to be flocked of course with Therm O Web's Deco Foil Flock Transfer Sheets, love how the scrapbook paper pattern still shows through the flock.  I also added a wee foiled Easter egg on his collar from the Basket Of Fun Toner Sheet package.

The Duo Transfer Gel doesn't require any heat to transfer the foil so it's perfect for your mixed media dimensional pieces as you don't have to worry about putting it through a heat laminator, just burnish the foil with a soft cloth for a perfect transfer every time.

Hop on over to Therm O Web's blog for the how to (see what I did there?! 😉) and you'll also find a free template for both the Easter egg and the bunny so you can make one of your own.  And while you are there, be sure to enter Therm O Web's National Craft Month giveaway, this week you have a chance to win $55 of Deco Foil products!

 

 

Thanks as always for stopping by today and wishing you and yours a very happy Easter!

Deb xo

Ombre Blue Birds Canvas For Therm O Web

 Hi everyone, I have a tutorial over on Therm O Web's blog today for a mixed media ombre canvas created with their Deco Foil Flock, Deco Foil Duo Transfer Gel and Foil Transfer Sheets.

The birds were first flocked then embossed and inked for an ombre effect.

And I used the Deco Foil Duo Gel with Transfer Foil on the background, love that the Duo Gel doesn't need to be heat set to transfer the foil so you can use the foils on dimensional projects like this.

 Hope you can pop by for my how to, see you there!

Deb xo

Stay Simple Mixed Media Plaque

 Hello everyone and thanks for stopping by.  I have a simple mixed media plaque to share with you today that was inspired by the Monday challenge over on Simon Says Stamp's blog, 'Resist It'. 

**Thank you Simon Says Stamp for choosing my project for your Monday Challenge Designer Spotlight!**

I used an embossing powder resist technique with Distress Oxide ink on kraft cardstock for the back panel:

and a paint resist technique with Distress Ink on the foreground panel.

As I said it was simple to make, here are a few quick step outs.

I started with a piece of kraft cardstock and stamped it with Distress embossing ink and a Rebekah Meir script stamp from Impression Obsession (which doesn't appear to be available anymore).  After embossing with clear embossing powder I inked it with Salty Ocean Distress Oxide ink, added some water drops and wiped the excess Oxide off of the embossed areas.

A smaller panel was cut from Distress Mixed Media Heavystock and stamped with a flourish stamp and blue acrylic paint.  After the paint had dried I inked the panel with Vintage Photo and Frayed Burlap Distress inks, dipping it repeatedly into puddles of ink until I was happy with the coverage.  The excess Distress ink was then wiped off the painted stamped areas.

Simplicity was the theme here so I simply die cut a Wildflower Stem from blue patterned scrapbook paper and doubled it up by layering it on a kraft cardstock die cut. A flat back pearl was added to the center of the flower.  A ChitChat sticker was mounted onto a piece of pale blue cardstock and three little hearts were die cut with Simon Says Stamp's Hearts and Stars Shapes Wafer Die from gold Metallic Kraftstock.

The embossed panels were layered on to a piece of sanded Gold Metallic Kraftstock and the flower head popped up on two layers of foam squares for dimension.  The sentiment and gold hearts were adhered to the background, an easel die cut added to the back for display and the piece was complete.  Like I said, simple!

 Here are a few more closeups of the finished plaque.

 Hope that you've enjoyed seeing it and thanks to Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge blog for the inspiration.  Have a great weekend and happy creating,

Deb xo

Stenciled Muslin Faux Washi

 Hello everyone, hope this finds you well.  We are in the midst of a 'polar vortex' event here in B.C. so I've been hunkered down in my studio trying to stay cozy and warm!  I was playing around with strips of cotton muslin fabric that I had left over after making a window blind and ended up making a length of faux 'washi' that I foresee using in my art journals.

 I started with a strip of muslin about 1 1/2" wide by 60" long.  I painted it with acrylic paint starting with pale yellow and gradually blending along the length through shades of yellow, green and finally blue.

Stenciling came next, using the same colour families, through multiple StencilGirl Products stencils (Leafy Doodle Border L736, Tropical Floral Stencil L311 and CM2019, limited edition no longer available).

 Stamping followed with multiple stamps from my stash using various colours of permanent inks.

 I wanted to maintain the frayed edge of the muslin strip so adhered images and patterns with matte medium that were printed on collage and tissue papers.  While the medium was still damp I gently pulled away the pieces of the images that over ran the edges of the fabric strip to reveal the ragged edge of the torn muslin.  I used pre-printed collage tissue paper from Tim Holtz and some pieces of gel plate printed tissue papers I had in my stash.

To add some texture I also added fragments of vintage dictionary papers and pieces of muslin printed with ledger page images, adhering them with more matte medium and when it had dried sewing a line of zigzag stitches.

And finally, I chose a variety of metal charms and embellishments from my stash, painted them all with white acrylic paint and coloured them with Mushroom and Sepia alcohol inks before sewing them onto the strip by hand with embroidery floss.

Hope that you've enjoyed seeing how my faux muslin washi came together, I had a lot of fun making it and can't wait to add bits and pieces of it to my art journals.  Thanks as always for stopping by today and if you are in the deep freeze like I am here, stay warm!

Deb xo

Sweetheart Valentine Plaque

 Hi everyone, hope this finds you well.  I've been slowly getting back into my craft room over the last couple of weeks after a long hiatus and have a little Valentine plaque to share with you that I've made to gift to my hubby this V day.  No step outs I'm afraid as my creative process is definitely one step forward and about 20 back right now but hope you'll enjoy seeing it nevertheless.

 I started out with a gessoed vintage book page, then stenciled the Heart Swirl stencil (StencilGirl Products S066) with acrylic paint, monoprinting the reverse of the stencil with Dina Wakley Media Gloss Spray.  The rest of the page was painted with acrylic paint and stamped and stenciled randomly and spattered with diluted gold metallic paint.

The sentiment (from a very old Fiskars stamp set) was stamped onto a gelli print paper fragment that was layered with washi tape and a bit of sewing.

This little musical note paper clip has been in my stash for years, I painted it with white acrylic paint and inked it with Metallic Pearl and Sepia alcohol inks.  The key got the same treatment.

The book paper was layered onto gold Metallic Kraftstock, a piece of Tim Holtz Wallflower Paper Stash and finally a piece of tealish (is that a word?!) cardstock to echo the colour of the book page background.

 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope that you will have a lovely Valentine's Day with your sweetheart wherever you may be.  Take care of yourselves and happy creating,

Deb xo

Love Letters Shaker Box For Therm O Web

 Hello everyone, I have a tutorial over on Therm O Web's blog today for a little Valentine inspired shaker box created with their Deco Foil Clear Designer Toner Sheets and Deco Foil Flock and Foil Transfer Sheets.

 I used the Arrows Clear Designer Toner Sheet foiled with Enchanted Rose Foil to create my shaker window and filled it with a variety of heart and star confetti and silver sequins.

A chipboard heart was flocked with Pink Carnation Deco Foil Flock and the 'love' word die cut from Peel and Stick Toner Sheet foiled with Bronze Foil.

Hope you can pop by for my how too, see you there and happy Valentine's Day to all!

Deb xo