4 Colors to Make a Vibrant and Grungy Card

 

This is my example of the Emboss Resist technique.  I used stamps from our Grunge It  Up stamp series as well as a verse stamp.  I used Memento Ink Pads in Grape Jelly, Lulu Lavender, Danube Blue and Summer Sky ink pads for the stamping and the sponging.

butterfly emboss resist

You know I'm not really a card maker, right?  But I had some time to play today, and wanted to join in the emboss resist technique challenge by, so . . .

What do you think?  The background paper is vintage ledger paper, and I had a really hard time not coloring all over it--you may have noticed I tend to use a lot of crayon.  Honestly, this looks a little plain to me.  But I do like how the emboss resist butterfly (Nature Medallions) came out, it's stamped on sheet music.  Since this card really is going in the mail, the embellishments are flat . . . there are more details on my blog,
easily amused, hard to offend.

Happy Sunday!

Created by: Leslie Turner, Design Team Member

Description: Emboss Resist technique card

Stamp Sets Used: Botanical Silhouettes and Grunge It Up, both from Blockheads

For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Love To Scrap!

feel better soon

Created by: Leslie Turner, Design Team Member

Description: Emboss Resist Technique card 

Stamp Sets Used: Botanical Silhouettes and Verses-Special Delivery, both from Blockheads

For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Love To Scrap!

How to Paint the Face of Princess

Valerie Brincheck created this beautiful card using our Chinese Princess stamp series.  To celebrate the festive colors and overall beauty of this card.  The sheet measures 8.5" x 5.5" and includes 8 stamps.  You can order it to be cut on cling for an extra $5.
 Visit her blog post for details:
The Sum Of All Crafts: My Two Favorite Subjects

30 Minutes or Less - A Reversible Bottle Cap Pendant

 

Do you hate it when your pendant flips around?  Well turn that into a good thing!  Using a plain black bottle cap and soda can along with some useful art supplies you can make a pendant like this in about 30 minutes

"Measure" Steampunk card featuring Lost Coast Designs by Leigh S-B

Created by: Leigh Snaith-Brunton aka The Sharpie Domino Queen and Design Team Member Description: Steampunk card featuring border stamps by Lost Coast Designs to create a stamped basket weave background.  I used Marvy Le Plume Permament markers to colour everything in a grey monochromatic colour scheme.  You can also get the same effect with Copic markers too.  I also used the following tools to create my background panels:  Spellbinders Label Two dies, Tim Holtz Alterations Clocks Texture Fades embossing folder and the Cuttlebug Clockworks embossing folder. Stamps Used:  Lost Coast Designs rubber stamps - all are available at Blockheads:  Steampunk Typewriter Girl, Measuring Tape border, Bingo border and Numbers border. For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Leigh SB Designs.

Blockheads Challenge - Emboss Resist Technique Blog Hop

 

Created by: Colleen Dietrich, Design Team Member

This is Colleen's farewell contribution to Blockheads.  We are sad to see Colleen leave the team, but are grateful for the time she's given us.  If you've used embossing powder before you'll feel right at home with this technique.

Use any stamps for this challenge.  You are not limited to Blockheads stamps, but we always appreciate seeing great art using our stamps.  

Magic Metal Goes Asian

Created by: Karen McAlpine, Design Team Member Description: Magic Metal Technique.  See the Tutorial here. Stamp Set Used: Japanese Musicians, Chinese Princess, Verses-Special Delivery from Blockheads. For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Dreaming and Creating.

Magic Metal Technique Challenge - More Ideas

Created by: Karen McAlpine, Design Team Member Description: Magic Metal Technique: See the Tutorial here. Stamp Set Used: Harried Housewives-Carpool from Blockheads. For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Dreaming and Creating.

It is not in the stars to hold our destiny . . .

(click to enlarge)

What a peaceful, romantic face--isn't she lovely?

This layout featuring the Cosmos Collage stamp is another from
the hand bound book coming out in Altered Arts magazine.

She's such a natural beauty, I only added a little sage copic and
some Tattered Rose Distress Ink for a touch of color to the ephemera
and lace pages.

:)trisha

Fun with Faux Vintage Typewriter keys

 

There are numerous places to get images of vintage typewriter keys, one is a set of printed cardstock images created by Bottle Cap Inc. Mini Vintage Typewriter.  There is a full alphabet set with duplicates of popular letters and lots of numbers.  The main challenge lies in the making the bezel around the keys. 

Using Border Stamps to create Fantasy Sci-fi Art Cards by Leigh S-B

Created by: Leigh Snaith-Brunton aka The Sharpie Domino Queen and Design Team Member

Come with me on a creative adventure into the world of fantasy sci-fi art cards featuring border stamps by Lost Coast Designs!

Stamp Sets Used: The following are by Lost Coast Designs and are available at Blockheads!

Steampunk Typewriter Girl and a variety of Border stamps.

The following are Blockheads exclusives!

Seascape - Fishes, Verses, Greco-Roman and Architecture.

For step by step instructions for these cards, please visit my full blog posts on Leigh S-B Designs.

• Portal to Atlantis
• Codex Atlanticus Artifact #42
• A View From A Window

Create amazing effects with Perfect Pearls, Peacock Feathers and Silver Embossing Powder!

Created by: Leigh Snaith-Brunton aka The Sharpie Domino Queen and Design Team Member Description: Patina Perfect Pearls and Silver Embossing Powder were used to make a Peacock Butterfly gift box with a matching card and a Square Domino Pendant demonstrating various techniques to create a variety of different effects!  Stamp Sets Used: Painted Butterflies and Proud As A Peacock For step by step instructions for these projects, please visit my full blog posts at Leigh S-B Designs and the DominoART Blog:  Square Domino Pendant Perfect Pearls Peacock Butterfly Box and Gift Card

The Sum Of All Crafts: My Two Favorite Subjects

Valerie Brincheck created this great steampunk style card complete with a faux blue print using our Architecture Stamp Set.  Get instructions from her blog post:
The Sum Of All Crafts: My Two Favorite Subjects

Borders into Backgrounds

Created by: Karen McAlpine, Design Team Member Description: Background created using border stamps using three shades of  Distress Ink. Stamp Set Used: Lost Coast Design Border Stamps from Blockheads. For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Dreaming and Creating.

Age is a Number

 

Created by: Colleen Dietrich, Design Team Member Description: Masculine birthday card created using cereal box chipboard and Crackle Paint by Ranger. Stamp Set Used: Bingo Border from Lost Coast Designs, available at Blockheads. For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Dietrich Designs.

Bottle Cap and Soda Can Bracelet

How many of you have been meaning to try this and just haven't gotten around to making bottle cap jewelry?  I have always loved using bottle caps as embellishments but never bothered collecting the supplies to do more with them.  Bottle Cap Inc products make it easy to pick up all the findings and finishing items you need and the new Vintaj Patina Inks have pulled me back into using embossed metal again.  Read on for information on how I made this bracelet.

a hand bound book layout

 

I'm excited to have a little altered book in the upcoming

Altered Arts magazine--you can see a peek of the cover HERE,
featuring one of the layouts. (Did I mention I'm excited?)

Here is a little a peek into the book, one of the layouts you can't
see in the magazine:

When I Saw You

Aren't they a handsome couple?

The happy pair are from the Miscellaneous Anthromorphs set,
which you may remember is one of my favorites. How can you NOT love
those faces, and their fancy fine Victorian garb? It's like steampunk
meets genetic engineering gone wonky . . .

Have a great weekend, everyone!

:)trisha

Shoe fetish continued...

Created by: Leslie Turner, Design Team Member

Description: Shoe (mule with heel) created with Lost Coast Designs border stamps and Perfect Pearls; template by Stacy Cohen

Stamps Used: Lost Coast Designs borders (Squiggles and Spiral)

For step by step instructions for this project, visit my full blog post on Love To Scrap!

Medallion Note Card

Created by: Leslie Turner, Design Team Member

Description: CAS note card created with Lost Coast Designs border stamps, Blockheads Floral Ornaments stamp set and Purple Flash Textiva Fusible Film

Stamp Sets Used: Lost Coast Designs Spiral border stamp, Blockheads Floral Ornaments Full Sheet

For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Love To Scrap!

Created by: Karen McAlpine, Design Team Member Description: Card made with Perfect Pearls background, heat embossed Peacock cut out, and metallic cardstocks. Stamp Set Used:  Proud as a Peacock  from Blockheads. For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Dreaming and Creating.

Shabby Chic with Some Perfect Pearls, Some Crackle Paint, and a Flower

Created by: Karen McAlpine, Design Team Member Description: Project with background made using Perfect Pearls and Die cuts painted with Crackle Paint. Stamp Set Used: Large Flower Vignette,  Backgrounds and Borders, Naughty Pets: Lines image For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Dreaming and Creating.

Best Black Ink Pad

I suppose if there were an easy answer to this question there wouldn't be so many brands of ink pads.  I'll tell you which are my favorites and why and I've love if you'd comment to weigh in with your opinions.

Basic Stamping on Plain Cardstock: My favorite, hands down is the Onyx Black VersaFine Archival Ink Pad.  The construction of the pad is exquisite.  It ink goes on evenly and smoothly and stamps the best image possible, showing all detail with no bleeding.  It is also waterproof and has become a favorite of watercolor artists.  Invest $9 in the full size pad you may never have to buy a reinker.  My pad is over 10 years old and I've never reinked it.  How is this even possible?  I don't know but I've heard this from many stampers.  So if this pad is so fabulous, why continue? 

Perfect Pearls Powders & Mists

The design team and I have been working with Perfect Pearls and Perfect Mists this week.  Perfect Pearls are mica powders similar to Pearl Ex but have a binder mixed in that helps them remain more stable when brushed over the Perfect Medium ink. 

Perfect Mists are unlike other metallic sprays because they have no ink color, simply a shimmery mist that you can combine with any color of spray ink you like. 

Sometimes the best products find their way to the backs of our craft drawers and we need a reminder about what they can do to make us get them back out again.  The basic procedure for using Perfect Pearls is to stamp your image, brush the Perfect Pearls over the Perfect Medium, and finally brush off the excess to reveal a shimmery image.  These look especially fabulous on dark cardstock.  The interference set doesn't show much on light cardstock, but the other sets do. 

Visit Leigh Snaith-Brunton's blog for instructions on making the fabulous Peacock Box and matching card and using Perfect Pearls with the Magic Metal Technique to create the gorgeous peacock game-piece pendant.  Leigh also shows a method on her blog for creating a variation of Perfect Pearls Mists using Distress inks and Perfect Pearls.

Karen McAlpine's Blog has another fantastic example of how beautiful the basic technique looks on black cardstock (post coming soon).  You'll also find information on adding a little color behind the Perfect Pearls and see a great example of using Perfect Pearls Mists on her shabby chic example.  She was able to add some beautiful metallic green without hiding the image underneath it.

Leslie Turner's blog shows a great example of using different color pearls to color the stamped lines of the image.

Continue reading for instructions on creating the Retro Friends card and the Leaf Stalk Silhouette cards where I demonstrate the following techniques and information: The difference between clear and black Perfect Medium, Mixing colors, using the Lift-Off technique to remove some of the Pearls from an existing image, and finally using the Tsukineko Glue Pad for an extra strong hold.

Easter egg!

This was such a delight to make, I hope you enjoy it . . .






Had to really trim down the nest from the Vintage Illustrated Birds set, and added feathers to the bird's tail. The inside and out background paper and the face are from the Years Ago set, the bee and medallions are from the Nature Medallions--I was going for a sealing wax look? Have you seen Karen's tutorial for Metal Magic?

Here are all the inks and suchwhat:
Broken China for the outside, Victorian Velvet for the inside, Peeled Paint sponged inside, Tattered Rose sponged outside, embossing with
VersaMark and Queen's gold embossing powder, images stamped in VesaFine Onyx Black.

A few more details are on my blog, :easily amused, hard to offend.

Have a Happy Easter, everyone!

:)trisha

I'm sorry... (you're under the weather)

 r

Description: Get well card created with Perfect Pearls and distress inks

Stamp Sets Used: Blockheads Flowers Full Sheet and Verses-Feel Better stamp set 

For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Love To Scrap!

Goodwill Steampunking

 

Bye bye country cute snowmen.  I loved you in the 80s, but your popularity has expired.  I found this little box at Goodwill on one of my treasure hunts.  It's a dangerous hobby but I had accomplices to

Vintage Masculine Card With Blockheads

Created by: Karen McAlpine, Design Team Member

Description: Masculine Card with background created with spray inks and Crafters Workshop Template.

Stamp Set Used: Victorian Invention, Vintage Light & Form. Grunge It Up  from Blockheads.

For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Dreaming and Creating.

Seashells, Two Ways

Created by: Colleen Dietrich, Design Team Member Description: Card duo. Stamp Set Used: Seashells with Rectangle Sand Frame from Blockheads. For step by step instructions for this card, visit my full blog post on Dietrich Designs.

Magic Metals Technique Projects by Leigh S-B

Created by: Leigh Snaith-Brunton aka The Sharpie Domino Queen and Design Team Member Description: I've got two cards featuring the Magic Metals Technique Challenge!  I created fun faux embossed metal embellishments for my cards. Stamp Sets Used: Proud As A Peacock, Verses Full Sheet, Botanical Silhouettes, Backgrounds for All Occasions and Vintage Light and Form. For step by step instructions for these cards, visit my blog Leigh S-B Designs! Direct links to my projects: Faux Metal Postage Stamps Card Faux Metal Peacock Feather Card