DT Post: Faith based Spring Mixed Media with Infinity Engraving LLC

 It has been a minute since I've done a mixed media canvas and I missed it!  I love card-making but being creative on larger scale has it's own appeal.  I like doing irregular or unexpected shapes with my pieces because for me, it inspires creativity.  I love texture, color and purpose in my work.  With so much unrest and animosity in the world today, I wanted to project of the some love, peace and hope that I find through my faith in Christ into it.  That is the purpose behind todays piece.

I started with a 10" circle board.  These come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are made of layered chipboard.  I bought mine at Hobby Lobby.  After adding three coats of white Gesso (acrylic medium), I covered my board with Tim Holtz "Melange" Tissue Wrap using Prima Soft Matte Gel, smoothing over the surface and wrapping around to the back.  After that was dry, I went in with acrylic paint.  I laid down a coat of clear Gesso to make the paint go on a little thinner so that you could see the print of the tissue paper and to make blending easier.  I used pink and green, which are complementary colors.  Complementary colors means that if you mix them together, they make brown.  So where they met on the canvas, I was careful not to blend them too much.

 

 After the paint was dry, I applied the vellum centerpiece.  I created the wording on my computer in Word and printed it on vellum.  To make a sticker out if it, I applied Stick-It sheet adhesive to the back so that the adhesive wouldn't be visible through the vellum and used a square die to die cut it.  You could also use a paper trimmer.  My chipboard die cuts and wood heart buttons are from Infinity Engraving LLC.  I wanted the wood appearance and texture to show and just used the buttons as is.  I used spray inks to color the rose and vine die cut as well as the corner trellis.  I let those dry while I added my stenciling. 

If you want to use water-based mediums on chipboard do not prime with Gesso.  Gesso is an acrylic base medium that makes whatever it's put on non-porous.  If you want to use water-based mediums, but want a white base, use watercolor grounds instead of Gesso. 

 I used E6000, which is an industrial strength glue specific to metal, to attach my metal embellishments.  It's really the only glue I've found that holds metal; the other mediums I've tried don't hold very long, including hot glue.  The only thing to be mindful of when using E6000 is that it has a strong chemical odor and needs to be used with ventilation.  I live in Michigan and open my windows, even in winter, when using it. 

 To adhere the rest of my embellishments, I use the same Prima Soft Matte Gel that I adhered the tissue paper with.  It dries matte and clear, so you can't see it if it oozes out anywhere and holds perfectly.  All the button, seed beads and flat-back pearls are from 28 Lilac Lane Button mixes and embellishment kits.  I pour them out into a little dish and use them to fill in and around to complete the project.  With the varied sizes and finishes of all the elements, it makes it really easy to shape a cohesive look while maintaining the focus on the center.  To finish off, I added a few enamel dots here and there.

Here is the link to the video tutorial on my YouTube channel if you'd like to see how this project came together.  My supply list is below.

Supplies:
10" Circle Board (Hobby Lobby)
Dina Wakely White Gesso
Tim Holtz Melange Tissue Wrap
Prima Soft Matte Gel medium
Vellum
Stitck-It sheet adhesive
Square die
Dylusions acryilic paint in Bubblegum Pink, Cut Grass and Fresh Lime
Dina Wakely Clear Gesso
Distress Ink Spray: Twisted Citron
Dylusions Spray Inks: Funky Fuchsia, Bubblegum Pink, Bubblegum Pink Mica, Cut Grass
Lindy's Stamp Gang: Lucky Shamrock Green, Salt Water Taffy Pink
Infinity Engraving corner die cut, rose die cut and Wood heart buttons
Versamark ink
Delicata Golden Glitz pigment ink
Perfect Pearls: Pearl, Gold, Forever Green
Herringbone stencil
TH Mini Blossom stencil
Hot Off The Press butterfly stencil
28 Lilac Lane mixes in Pretty Princess, Cotton Candy, French Quarter, New Leaf
E6000
Doodlebug enamel dots

If you are wanting to try mixed media, but feel intimidated, try starting with something small.  You'll never create something you love if you never try to begin with.  As always, I'm happy to answer any questions you have, so don't be afraid to ask.  See you next time!

Much love,
Jasmine

Sapphire Smile with Tupelo Designs LLC

Hello and welcome!  Todays card features heat and dry embossing, vellum, and a simple die cut to create a simple, yet elegant design.  The background is what inspired me; the deep blue tones reminded me of a sapphire and I built the rest of the design around it.  Here is the link to the video on my YouTube channel if you want to see how I created this beauty.  My supply list is below.

Supplies: (*denotes item supplied to me by TDLLC)
*Nuvo Mother of Pearl Embellishment Mousse
WRMK 3D Gemstone Embossing Folder
Strathmore Watercolor Paper
DI Blueprint Sketch Spray
Perfect Pearls Spray
Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle dies
Smile die
Altenew Persian Motifs
Versamark
Ranger Liquid Platinum Embossing powder
Stick-It adhesive sheets
Scor-tape
Doodlebug gems and enamel dots
28 Lilac Lane flat-back pearls
DCWV Foiled cardstock stack

Here is the link to a picture tutorial on my blog for how I created the background piece.  Let me know in the comments if you'd like to see a video tutorial :)  See you later!

Much love,
Jasmine

Mixed Media Faith Canvas with Infinity Engraving

 Hello and welcome!  Todays project is a mixed media canvas.  My faith in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is certainly a cornerstone of my life as it's shaped who I am, my career, my marriage and how I go about everyday life.  I grew up in Northern Michigan and have always loved the water.  The lake is a refuge of sorts and that was the inspiration for this piece.  Here is the link to the video on my YouTube channel if you want to watch my process and all the supplies I used are listed below, along with a few close up shots of the different elements. 

Supplies:
9x12 canvas
Tim Holtz Melange Tissue Wrap
Prima Soft Matte Gel Medium
Dylusions London Blue Acrylic Paint
Dylusions Vibrant Turquoise Acrylic Paint
Dina Wakely White Gesso
Dina Wakely Blue Violet Acrylic Paint
Dina Wakely Lemon Acrylic Paint
Lindy's Stamp Gang pigment powder in Tweedle Dee Denim
Prima White Sand Texture paste
Stampendous Fratage Vintage Embossing Powder in Aged Gold
Faber Castell Glitter  Glass Bead gel
SU Vellum
Lindy's Stamp Gang Royal Peacock Fire Glitz Spritz
Lindy's Stamp Gang Hydrangea Blue
Distress Blueprint Sketch Spray and Reinker
Distress Crazing Medium
28 Lilac Lane Button Embellishment mixes in Cotton Candy and Winter Blues

Thanks for stopping by and hanging out with me today!  If you have any questions, leave them in the comments and I'll be happy to answer.  I'd also love to know what you think!

Much love,
Jasmine

Love Everyday - Mixed Media Canvas

Welcome back! Todays project is a mixed media canvas, complete with my first video! This project was a lot of fun to put together, has several different textures and finishes and I love the colors.  The stencils and peacock die cut are from Infinity Engravings and were supplied to me to have fun and create with as a member of their Design Team, but be sure that my opinions are always true and honest.  Here is the link to my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/7Ce4CkYBrV8

Supply List:
Infinity Engraving die cuts and stencil

Oval Canvas 9"x12"
Tim Holtz Melange Tissue Wrap
Prima Art Basics Soft Matte Gel
Dylusions Acrylic Paints in Vibrant Turquoise and London Blue
Dina Wakely Heavy Body Acrylic in Blackberry Violet
Ranger Foil in Brights
Cosmic Shimmer flake and glitter glue
Versamark Ink
Judikins Iridescent Sparkle Embossing Powder
Wendi Vecchi Studio 490 Translucent Embossing Paste
Turquoise glitter
Glitter Ritz Cool Highlight glitter
Faber-Castell Glass Bead Glitter Gel
28 Lilac Lane Embellishments in Winter Blues, On Lilac Lane and Party On
Ranger Glossy Accents
Elizabeth Crafts Silk Microfine Glitter in Fire Opal
Wild Orchid Crafts paper roses
E 6000 glue

If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments and I'll be happy to answer them the best I can and as always, I'd love to know what you think!

Much love,
Jasmine

A Gorgeously Green Beauty

Hello! Todays project is quite versatile, suitable for a birthday, a thank-you or just to say you're thinking of them.  The background is done with spray inks and is quite fun to do.  The stamping is gold embossed and the sentiment and hearts was die cut from ink-blended card stock.  Let's get started.
Supplies:
Strathmore 140 lb cold press Watercolor paper
Neenah Solar White 110 lb cardstock
Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle die
MISTI 
Altenew Hennah Elements stamp set
WOW Metallic Gold Rich Superfine Embossing Powder
VersaMark ink
Dylusions Cut Grass spray ink
Distress Spray Stain in Twisted Citron
Lindy's Stamp Gang Spray in Lucky Shamrock Green
Concord & 9th Beautiful You die set
Distress Ink in Wilted Violet, Picked Raspberry and Abandoned Coral
1/2" Scor-tape
Simon Says Stamp Mini Hearts Outline dies
Stick-It Adhesive Sheets

Step 1)  Make your background.  I use a full 11" by 14" sheet of watercolor paper and cut it down after it's dry.  For the piece I used in this card, I used the three shades of green listed and I have a full tutorial here.  Cut a 4.5" by 6" piece and run it through the Big Shot with the largest of the Stitched Rectangles die set.
Step 2)  Stamp the flower images on Post-It notes and cut out to use as masks.  Using the MISTI, position your images as desired on your background and stamp in VersaMark (this is a clear ink, so you make not see the images).  Add the embossing powder, tap off the excess and heat to melt.  Keep filling in the design, using the masks as needed to prevent overlapping lines.
Step 3)  Using a scrap of white cardstock (mine was 4.25" by 5.5"), Distress Inks and a blending tool, make the ink blended piece.  I started with Abandoned Coral in the bottom right corner, Picked Raspberry diagonally across the middle and finished with Wilted Violet.  Use light pressure and keep the tool at a slight angle, working in circular motions.  Overlap where the colors meet to create a seamless blend.
Step 4)  Add Stick-It Adhesive to the back of the ink-blended piece.  Position the Beautiful You dies to get all three colors in the die cuts, if possible.  Run through the Big Shot.  Position Heart Outline dies over the colors you want and run those through as well.  Remove the backing from the die cuts and add them, starting with the "beautiful YOU" and heart.  Scatter the tiny hearts all around, using as many or as few as you like.
Step 5)  Add scor-tape to the back of the focal panel and adhere to a card base.  Our card is complete!

Thanks for stopping by and hanging out with me today! Feel free to ask questions and let me know what you think!

Much love,
Jasmine

2015 Christmas project series Day 4: Bright and Sunny Snowflakes

Hi! Welcome to day 4 of my 2015 Christmas project series.  I absolutely love the colors in this because they're warm, bright, sunny and completely unexpected.  It's also fairly simple as well as versatile.  By changing the die cut, it can easily be a birthday or thinking of you card. 

 I started with Distress Watercolor Cardstock and used 3 colors of spray inks: Picked Raspberry and Carved Pumpkin and Dylusions Lemon Zest.  I sprayed the ink and let it set for a couple minutes, then added water to get the colors blending and blotted any dark puddles.  I wanted to keep this piece bright and letting it sit for a minute before adding the water allows for some hard edges.  I have another blog post that goes into this technique in detail, linked here.

The snowflakes are from Endless Wishes by Stampin' Up, embossed with Detail Fine Gold embossing powder by Ranger.  The simplest way to do the stamping is starting with the largest snowflake, stamp them in VersaMark, making sure they don't overlap.  I like to stamp off the edges.  Sprinkle the powder over your piece.  Now you can see where your flakes are. Repeat the process with the middle sized flake and fill in any empty spots with the small flake and you are ready to heat.  Let your heat gun warm up for 60 to 90 seconds before applying to your project.  It should melt almost immediately when you heat it if your gun is hot enough.  The powder will turn from dull and powdery looking to shiny and bright.  As soon as your powder melts move to an unmelted section. 

To finish the card, trim 1/8 inch off each long side and mount in the middle of a 4.25 by 5.5 inch top folding card; I use Neenah Solar White 110 lb cardstock.  I like to use Scor-tape because it's very strong and holds thicker papers, like watercolor paper.  The finishing touches are the love die cut and a sprinkling of sequins.  The love is "Scripty Love" die by Lawn Fawn and cut from White glitter paper by Stampin' Up.  The sequins are from doodlebug and attached with Dina Wakely multi medium matte.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you learned something new and try it out for yourself.  Happy crafting.

Much love!

2015 Christmas project series Day 3 Serene Scene

Welcome to Day 3 of the 2015 Christmas project series.  I have really been into non-traditional colors for Christmas this year and I LOVE this one.  The natural imagery is simple, yet impactful and the soft colors add a bit of whimsy. The background is a piece of Distress Watercolor Cardstock, which comes cut to 4.25x5.5 inches, a standard A2 size card.  I used Distress Spray Stain in Picked Raspberry, Shaded Lilac and Cracked Pistachio, then spritzed with water to blend.  This link goes to a blog post for the technique.

The stamp set I used is Winter Wonderland by Wplus9 and the ink is Momento Tuxedo Black.  When working with watercolor paper, it's important to consider what you want to do with it.  Distress cardstock has a textured side and a smoother side.  Stamping on the textured side can be challenging, especially when using solid area images.  What was fortunate (for me) about this set is that I could color in any blank spots in the deer and bunny with a black marker and the trees are designed in such a way that missing spots aren't noticeable when stamped.  I used a Faber Castell PITT marker size B (bold; it has a brush tip).  I stamped the deer first, then made a mask from Inkadinkadoo Masking Paper.  I applied the mask, stamped the bunny, and finished with the trees.  When you remove the mask, you see that the deer is in front of the tree.

The next step is the snow, created by using the Falling Snow Stencil by Simon Says Stamp, Texture Paste by Teresa Collins, Cool Highlight superfine glitter by Glitter Ritz, and a palette knife.  I like to adhere the base to my work surface using tape runner.  Start by scooping about a teaspoon of paste onto your work surface.  Add some glitter to the paste and mix together using the palette knife.  Tape the stencil down over the watercolor piece with low-tack tape; I'm using blue painters tape from 3M.

Smooth the glittered paste evenly over the stencil.  Carefully peel off the tape and remove the stencil by carefully pulling up from the bottom.  Lift the piece off the work surface and set aside to dry.  It should take about an hour or so to dry.  Do not be tempted to use a heat tool.  It will essentially cook the paste, making it bubble up and distort the shape.  I've even seen it turn brown.  Let it air dry.

To add snow to the bottom edge, I used two products.  I did one layer of the same texture paste (without the glitter), but wasn't satisfied with it because it dried translucent in areas, rather than opaque.  I added a layer of Aleene's Glitter Snow. 

I like to leave it uneven, like you would see it outside after one of our famous Michigan blizzards.  I didn't add a sentiment because I didn't think it needed one.  And leaving it without a sentiment makes it flexible.  It's suitable for a birthday, Christmas, sympathy or thinking of you. 

To finish it off, I mounted it on a Neenah Solar White 110 lb card base, cut 4.25 by 11 inches and scored at 5.5 inches.  I added half inch Scor-tape along all four edges and the card is complete.

Thanks for hanging out with me today! I hope you enjoyed and learned something new.  Be sure to let me know what you think and if you have any questions.

Much love!

Pretty Peony

The pictures just can't do justice to the shimmer of this card.  It's so lovely.  The background was done with Distress Ink Spray Stain in Salty Ocean and  Shaded Lilac.  I spritzed Perfect Pearls spray over the top to get the ink moving and blending.
The peony was done using the gorgeous Cover Plate Peony die by Papertrey Ink.  It's a full size die that the cuts the size of a standard card, 4.25 by 5.5 inches.  I cut it out of Blackberry Bliss cardstock by Stampin' Up and attached it with Tombow Mono Multi liquid glue.
I set the panel aside to dry with a few acrylic blocks on top for weight and let it sit overnight.  The cardbase is Neenah Solar White 110 lb cardstock and I mounted the panel on the base with 1/2 inch scor-tape.  To finish it, I stamped the sentiment on a piece of Vellum, also from Stampin' Up.  I like SU's vellum because it's thicker than other brands I've tried, so it doesn't warp as easily when heat embossing like I did with my sentiment.  I stamped the sentiment in Versafine black pigment ink and used WOW Rainbow Black embossing powder.  I then heat set it and cut the banner ends with scissors.  The gems are by Recollections and come on an adhesive roll.  Think roll of tape with gems.  I really like them because I can cut out the gems in a certain number or shape and they are self adhesive.  I have made 6 different versions of this card because it's really simple construction with such a pretty die cut card front.  There are endless options with this design.

This angle shows a bit of the shimmer on the background and the rainbow reflection of the embosssing powder on the sentiment.    I hope you found some inspiration and thank you for stopping by!

Much love!

Sealed with a Snowflake

Welcome!  Today's card is inspired by winter and the arctic.  Every so often I like to challenge myself to use nothing but scraps to create a card or two and just love it when I have success.  This is one of those projects.  The snowflakes and tree border were die-cut from scraps of watercolor paper that I colored with spray inks, the seal and igloo were leftovers from coloring practice, and the glitter paper was also cut from a scrap.  I really love how the background stands out and the blue is so vibrant.

The glitter paper was die cut with a die from the Stitched slopes and hills set from Simon Says Stamp.  The trees were cut with the forest border die, snowflakes with the stitched snowflakes set, and the seal and igloo stamps and matching dies are from the Critters in the Snow set from Lawn Fawn.

I used a Spray Ink Background technique for the piece this background came from, which I shared in my Northern Lights card blog post.  It's really easy, but encourages one to get out of their comfort zone, playing with color and getting messy!  The seal and igloo were colored with Spectrum Noir markers on Spectrum Noir paper.  I used IG 2, 4, 6 and just a bit of IG 8 in the darkest areas.

Thanks for spending a little time with me today! I hope you get the chance to express some creativity and have fun with it.  Remember; there are no rules to getting creative, however you make it happen.

Much love!

In-laid Smile

Sometimes playing around turns out really pretty!  The background is a piece of Distress Watercolor paper and I used Dylusions ink sprays in Bubblegum, Sunshine and Distress Mermaid Lagoon.  I spritzed it with water and Heidi Swapp Color Shine mist in Gold to get the colors moving and blending. 

Once dry, I die cut it with a Simon Says Stamp Surely Stitched Heart die.  I used the same die on a piece of black pearl cardstock and fit the pieces back together for an in-laid die cut panel.  I mounted it to a white Neenah 110 lb card base.  I finished it off with a Smile die cut by Mama Elephant cut from a scrap of purple cardstock and a lavender Doodlebug enamel dot. 

I love the clean and simple yet colorful and happy design of this card.  Thanks for stopping by and spending a little time with me.  Feel free to leave any questions or comments.  Much love!

Graphic Magnolia

Welcome back!  Today's card is using a few of the same products I used in my Clean and Simple Magnolia card, but with a few different techniques.  I really like how this turned out and I hope you give it a try!

Let's start with the background.  Using Distress watercolor cardstock, I used 3 colors of Distress Spray Stain: Abandoned Coral, Picked Raspberry and Shaded Lilac.  The tutorial post I have for how I create larger pieces is linked here.  I use fewer colors for smaller pieces; this measures 4.25 by 5.5 inches.  I start with my lightest color and end with my darkest, layering as I go.  To get the colors moving and blending, I spritz lightly with water and soak up any puddles with paper towels.  Once I like it, I set is aside to air dry.  I don't like using my heat tool to speed up drying because it tends to warp a lot more.  Air drying seems to allow the paper to relax and it usually flattens out.  If it feels cool to the touch, it's not completely dry yet.

Once my background was dry, I stamped my magnolia in Momento Tuxedo Black.  Because this is watercolor paper, the texture made my image slightly blotchy.  I stamped again, doing my best to line it up, but didn't hit it exactly on the mark.  That's ok though.  I liked the few double lines you can see.  I think it gives it more character.  I die cut the beautiful out of a strip of scrap watercolor paper that was a darker purple and adhered it with liquid glue.  The hello was stamped with VersaMark and heat embossed with Ranger Gold embossing powder.  I added the lavender pearl embellishments for a bit of elegance and whimsy, which are pieces left over from a larger embellishment I cut apart by Prima.  I mounted the finished card front on a card base and it was complete.

Thanks for spending a little time with me today! I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to ask any questions and share your thoughts.

Much love,
Jasmine

MonsterMash!

Hey there! When I saw this stamp set Monster Mash by Lawn Fawn, I thought it was just adorable and not just for Halloween.  It's suitable for birthdays, missing someone, cheering someone up and even a sympathy/empathy card, especially for kids.

I used a section of a larger piece made with spray inks for the background; the tutorial for that is linked here.  I stamped all the images and sentiment in Momento Tuxedo Black.  I colored the monsters with SN markers and inked the sentiment with Distress Ink in Shaded Lilac.  I used the matching Monster Mash die set to die cut each little guy.  The "ground" was done using two other dies from Lawn Fawn: Forest border and Stitched Hillside Borders with black glitter paper from DCWV, layering them over one another and tucking the blue guy behind the trees to add depth to the scene.  I used adhesive gems in the sky to add a little sparkle.

I mounted the completed scene on a black card base and it's ready to send!  Thanks for spending a little time with me today.  If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer.  Much love!

Fall Thank you

I was inspired by the fall colors that are starting to emerge here in Michigan.  I combined a few techniques for this card and really love how it turned out.  I stamped the wood-grain background using the Wood Pallet Background by Altenew.  I used my MISTI to stamp it in VersaMark and heat embossed the image with Copper embossing powder by Zing ( I made 2 panels and only inked 1).  I used Distress Ink with a mini blending tool starting with Tea Dye, then added Vintage Photo and finished with Walnut Stain.  I just love the richness you get when layering those shades.  I die cut the word "thanks" with a die by Lawn Fawn from the panel and from fun foam.  I applied a sheet of Stick-It adhesive to both sides of the fun foam before die cutting it so that I would have a sticker for easy assembly.  I removed the paper from the foam one letter at a time and carefully lined it up as I stuck them together.  Using tape runner, I attached the panel to the card base, then removed the backing from the die cut and fit it in.



For the die cut leaves, I used the stitched leaves set by Lawn Fawn to cut several out.  With the second panel, I blended Tea Dye over it and let it dry.  After I cut out my leaves, I inked over them using Barn Door, Fired Brick, Spiced Marmalade, Squeezed Lemonade and Mustard Seed.  I took a clean piece of Distress Watercolor Cardstock and used Dylusions and Distress Spray Stains to color it as I wanted a mix between deep hues and vibrant ones like you'd see in nature.  For the bright leaves I used Dylusions spray in Lemon Zest and Sunshine, Distress Twisted Citron and Mowed Lawn and Heidi Swapp Color Shine in Gold.  I let that dry thoroughly and die cut my leaves.  I arranged and attached the leaves using tape runner and foam squares. 

I love this time of year with the beautiful change of God's creation outside, abundant farmers markets, apple cider and donuts and countless creative ways to enjoy it.  Hope you enjoyed and thanks for spending a little time with me!