Windows To Your Soul

Hello folks, it is Saturday so that means it is my Quixotic Paperie DT make for the week.

Now those of you that popped by on Wednesday will know that it is Quixotic Paperie's 2nd birthday this month and Elaine and the DT have lots of fun things lined up for the month that we hope you will enjoy. The first being the yummy 10% off:

1st June to 8th June 2011

10% Off Throughout The Store!

(This does not stack with existing sale offers or discount coupons, and does not include Gift Certificates.)

So I've been busily beavering away at my craft desk - oh hardship LOL! Got a little ATC to show for it.

I've used stamps from the Artistic Outpost Birds of the Feather kit for the background, stamping with Archival Coffee and Ranger Distress Stains. The window and sentiment come from the Artistic Outpost Windows and Doors kit stamped in the Archival Coffee and coloured with more Ranger Distress Inks.

I've also mounted used some EZ Mount to mount my stamps.

I've linked this up to the Artistic Outpost June referral program and whilst you are there also check out their fabulous stamps.

Right well that is me for today, hope you all have a lovely Saturday.

Kim

How To Make A Distressed, Vintage Style Card

Hi Guys, hope you enjoyed the new Natural Beauty Stamps illustrated by Carmen Medlin for SCACD blog hop yesterday. If you are interested here is how I made the card from yesterday's post.

Inspiration note: When I first saw this fabulous stamp the idea of making the image look a bit ethereal immediately jumped out at me. The layering of this delicate looking image onto a 'decayed' background grew whilst I was working on the image. The overall effect puts me in mind of Estella from Great Expectations for any of you Dickens lovers out there (more from the 1946 movie perhaps than the book).

Materials:

Stamp - Carmen Medlin SCACD Naturally Styled

Papers - Prima Melody; Kraft Card (make a card blank); Book page; Vellum or Tracing paper

Inks - Archival Jet Black; Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Inks Vintage Page

Colouring - Caran d'Ache

Usual Suspects - Glue; Double-sided tape

Tools - WRMK Sew-Easy;  WRMK Sew Easy Piercing Mat; Brayer; Paint brush; Heat tool; Paper piercer

Other - Make It Crafty Lasercut chipboard Filigree Jewels; Calico Fabric; Thread; Gesso; Scotch tape; nail file; Perfect Pearls; Golden Gel Medium

Making The Image Background

I started by glueing a book page to a Kraft card support and brayered it down for a to get rid of any winkles then set it aside to dry.

I then covered the old book page with some diluted Gesso, dried it with the heat tool (too impatient to wait!) and added another layer of Gesso.

Stamp Out The Image

I then used Archival ink to stamp out the Carmen Medlin SCACD stamp onto the book page and on a piece of vellum, but I didn't have any vellum so I've actually used tracing paper. Allow the ink to dry then line up the two images and tear to the size you want the image to be on the card. Also tear the edges of the Kraft card blank.

TIP - Be very careful not to move the stamp on the vellum / tracing paper otherwise it will smear and smudge.

TIP 2 - When using unmounted rubber stamps use a little bit of glue stick to stick the back of the stamp to the acrylic block, you can use other products such as Tack n' Peel, or sticky sprays instead, but glue sticks like Pritt stick work just as well and wash off easily. I then use a foam mat under the item to be stamped to get a good image. Practice on spare paper first to find out how hard you need to press to get a clear image.

Colouring On Vellum / Tracing Paper

I then used coloured pencils to colour the stamped image on the tracing paper, pressing lightly and building up the colour in layers.

Distress The Designer Paper

Next might not be for everyone, I know many of you might feel it a bit of a crime to distress those lovely designer papers, but sometimes a girl has got to do what a girl has got to do! Don't judge me too harshly!

So a bit of paper distressing. First get those rips in the surface using Scotch tape, torn in thin strips, burnished onto the paper with my nail and pulled up, practice on a spare piece or in a place that won't show to see how hard you have to burnish and pull to get the effect you want.

I topped this off with some sandpaper distressing and then lightly inked with the Distress ink and added a touch of Perfect Pearls in some areas. Also use the Distress ink on the edge of the book page, Kraft Card blank and a small torn strip of spare book page.

Prep The Papers For Sewing

Using the WRMK Sew-Easy tool pierce some sewing holes in the small strip of spare book page. Tear a piece of fabric and layer them on the distressed designer paper and stitch them in place. 

Stick the book page image to the designer paper with double-sided tape. Carefully line up the two stamped images and prick holes to stitch the image down.

Finish With Embellishments

I added a bit of Distress ink to the Make It Crafty lasercut chipboard then brushed with Perfect Pearls and used Golden Gel Medium to stick the embellishments down.

There you go, all distressed and vintage-fied! 

Enjoy.

Kimx

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BLOG HOP - Natural Beauty Collection Illustrated By Carmen Medlin For SCACD

The Quixotic Paperie design team have once again joined forces with the SCACD design team for a blog hop to celebrate the release of the fantastic new NATURAL BEAUTY COLLECTION illustrated by Carmen Medlin. 

 We hope you'll agree that these are images to fall in love with.

There are SEVEN stunning images in this release, and they are available either individually or as a full set at a special discounted price!

If you’re in the UK/Europe you can buy the stamps NOW at Quixotic Paperie.

There is a special offer on SCACD Stamps during the next week - buy ANY FULL SET or FOUR OR MORE individual stamps from the SCACD Stamps range and receive a FREE STAMP (free stamp will be selected at random by Elaine)!

If you’re in the US you can buy the stamps NOW at Susana’s Custom Art and
Card Design.

Susana is offering a Prima freebie to anyone purchasing the full set - see the SCACD Store Blog for full details!

On to the hop!

If you have hopped on over here from Alex's blog Paper and String then you are on the right track, if not then start your journey at Elaine's Blog - Quixotic Cards.

The stamp I've used from the NATURAL BEAUTY COLLECTION illustrated by Carmen Medlin is called Naturally Styled

I've matched the image with Kraft card and Prima Melody Paper.

Used the Make It Crafty Lasercut Chipboard Filigree jewels to embellish.

Thank you for hopping with us today! 

I hope you are enjoying the journey.

Your next blog on the hop is Melanie's blog Paper Blessings.

Pop by tomorrow if you want to see how to make this card.

Kimx

Are You Distressed?

Well don't be - it is Cute Card Thursday! This week it is all about distressed and vintage cards and you can used any type of distressing - ink, tearing, scrunching, scrapping, sanding, the list is endless! Visit Cute Card Thursday to learn more about our sponsors this week.

I've used all sorts of distressing for my card. I've distressed the gorgeous Pink Paislee Sweetness and Old School papers available over at Quixotic Paperie with Tim Holtz Ranger Distress inks, added a bit of sparkle with the Prima Marketing flower centres.

The image is from the SCACD Victoria Case Bonita Collection - She is Victoria Bonita. 

I've used one of the Artistic Outposts Ephemeral Background stamps to add a bit of a background to the distressed image and I've added more distressing with the new The Greeting Farm Splotchy background stamp with Wild Honey Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain.

The sentiment is from the Artistic Outpost Windows and Doors Stamp set. Think that about covers it!

Looking forward to seeing all your distressed and vintage pieces. 

Kim

Cheating?

Is this cheating? A post containing something I've already shown you? Well this was originally an ATC that I posted for my DT make for Quixotic Paperie a week or so ago.

I thought I would make it into a card with a bit of fabric and my favourite corrugated card texture.

So just to remind you the image uses two of the the Artistic Outpost stamp sets The Ephemeral Background set and the Steampunk Stamp set.

I thought that I would link it up to Hels' Sunday Stamper challenge which is 'Men' this week. 

Sorry if you feel cheated for a make you have partly already seen. Pretend I showed you a work in progress before!

Have fun.

Kim

Mail Art Steampunked

Hi Guys, hope you are having a good weekend. For those of you getting the two bank holidays - hope you are having a lovely LONG weekend - could get use to this!

Got a little mail art for you today, something a little different from my usual cards. I've decorated an envelope using the fabulous Artistic Outpost stamps and some journal stamps I already had in my stash.

I've used the fabulous Ephemeral Background set which is just so useful.

With the wonderful Steampunk Stamp set which has so many fabulous Steampunk themed stamps to keep me busy for a good while yet!

I think you can tell I love these stamp sets!

My list of projects using them are getting a little out of hand!

I've linked this up to the Artistic Outpost April Referral Program for April.

Right I will be off now! before I go don;t forget the Quixotic Paperie weekend special:

FREE P&P ON UK ORDERS OVER £25

PLUS A SELECTION OF SPECIAL OFFERS!

RANGER and TIM HOLTZ PRODUCTS 10% OFF!

OFFERS END MIDNIGHT MONDAY 2ND MAY 2011

Catch you later.

Kim

Right Ho!

Ok so you all saw the mess that once was a craft space in yesterday's post, well I actually managed to make something! I know! Shock! Well I had to make it in the kitchen on a little portable craft mat!

I used my new favourite vintage stamps, the Artistic Outpost stamps that Elaine has stocked over at Quixotic Paperie.

There are two sets in this make the The Ephemeral Background set and the Steampunk Stamp set.

A bit of Ranger Distress ink colouring and Elaine has the new Distress ink stains in stock. I've used ZIG Art and Graphic Twin pens for the background.

Before I go off to tackle my cleaning Elaine has lots of fabulous new items in stock, well worth a look-see:

NEW BASIC GREY 6X6 PADS!

MAKE IT CRAFTY STAMPS - CARNIVAL!

MAKE IT CRAFTY LASERCUT CHIPBOARD

GORJUSS STAMPS IN STOCK!

NEW COSMO CRICKET 6x6 PADS!

PLUS From 21st April 2011 to midnight on Monday 25th April 2011 all UK orders

over £30 will enjoy FREE P&P

Time to stock up me thinks!

EDIT: I've linked this up to the Artistic Outpost April Referral Program.

Have fun!

Kim

Artistic Outpost Birds Of A Feather

Hi all, I've had my sewing machine out, I haven't done any machine sewing on cards for what seems like ages but I thought that this card really needed it! 

It is little vintage style make using the Birds of a Feather stamp set which is one of the new gorgeous Artistic Outpost stamp sets that Elaine is now stocking in Quixotic Paperie. 

The paper is from Cosmo Cricket and I've distressed the papers and added some washes of colour to the images with distress inks.

The little swirl is one of the alterable Artisan Elements from Pink Paislee and I've added a touch of Viva Decor Gloss gel pen and some acrylic paint.

Well enjoy your Saturday.

Kim

Vintage Style Travelling Birthday

Do you know someone who likes to travel? I have a Birthday card for a traveller today. I do like this vintage cruise-themed paper, I think it is from K&Co.

The little tag is stamped with travel related stamps and I've added a touch of Rangers Tim Holtz Distress ink distressing.

So where are you all going this weekend? 

Have a fun Friday.

Kim