July Guest I-Teamer for Words 2 Craft By

I was honored to be asked by Sybrina to be the Guest I-Teamer for the July/August Words 2 Craft By after being chosen the winner of the May/June challenge here.

This month - the inspiration words commemorate the July 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing.

"We came in peace for all mankind.

 (lunar plaque inscription).

Here is the card these words inspired me to make.

I stamped the moon using To The Moon stamp and die set from Altenew - using 3 different shades of grey for the multi-stamp moon on white card - Limestone, Silver Stone and Industrial Diamond all by Altenew and then sponged over it with Ranger Distress Fossilized Amber, more on the edges and less toward the center.

I sponged the background panel with Ranger Distress Inks in Wilted Violet, Broken China, Blueprint Sketch.

I created the night cityscape using City Scene Stencil by Altenew - sponging it with Blueprint Sketch Ink, shifting the stencil over and down and sponging again with Black Soot.

I flicked water over the panel to make the splatter, glued on tiny star sequins and the Small Talk Sticker.  The moon is popped up on foam dots.

I was going to trim down the panel and adhere it to a black panel - but I didn't want to define the edges of the universe!  So I just adhered the 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" panel to a white card base.

Please join us this month at Words 2 Craft By and show us what these words inspire you to create!  You'll find all the details of the challenge here.

I'm also linking my card to:
TIME OUT Challenges
inspired by MOON

Stamps:  To the Moon - Altenew

Paper:  White - PTI

Ink:  Limestone, Silver Stone, Industrial Diamond - Altenew, Ranger Distressed Fossilized Amber Wilted Violet Broken China, Blueprint Sketch, Black Soot.

Accessories:  City Scene Stencil, To the Moon Die Set - Altenew, Small Talk Stickers - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, star sequins Nautical Sparkle/Little Things - Lucys Cards, foam dots. 

Adventure Awaits Notebook Journal

Today I have a Notebook to share that I made using lots of Eileen Hull's products - her Sizzix Notebook and Passport Dies, several of her new Blends 2 inks and several of her Molten Dimensions embossing powders!

I cut the cover using Eileen's Notebook die out of a light cardboard similar to the weight of a cereal box.  I covered it with this beautiful wide washi tape called Nebular from Altenew.

I folded the washi tape over on the edges to the inside of the cover, snipping the corners so they would lay flat.

I die cut the pages from Eileen's Passport Die out of watercolor paper.

I sponged two of the pages and the inside front and back cover pieces using Eileen's new Clearsnap Blends 2 Inks using Sunshine, Melon, Leaf, Hydrangea, Pansy, Coconut and Flagstone (on the outside edges).  This ink is so thick - it's almost like a paint!  I spritzed water into each color so I could blend them easily.

First I sponged on watery Sunshine. 

I cut up two round yellow art sponges into 4 pieces to sponge the colors, pouncing one color at a time on the watercolor panel.  I love the bubble spots it leaves from the holes in the sponge .

Next I sponged on watery Melon

then watery Leaf

and watery Hydrangea

Finally, I sponged watery Pansy over the bottom, sides, top edge and through the middle in spots.  I was looking to create a solar sky to go along with the Nebular Washi Tape cover.

I dried the panel with my heat tool then mixed a few drops of Coconut Blends 2 with water, picked some up on a small paint brush and tapped it against my finger to splatter 'stars' on the panel.

I dried the panels with my heat tool then adhered them to the inside covers to hide the turned over edges of the Washi tape using ScorTape.

I did the same sponging process on the first and last page of the two signatures.  I attached the signatures with black elastic cord wrapped through the middle of each signature and around the binding of the Notebook.  I stamped various celestial images and sentiments on the pages including the plain pages

 The stamps above and below are all from Upon a Star from Lawn Fawn.

 The stamp on the back inside cover is Infinite Universe from Lesia Agharda Design.

 The Zodiac Celestial stamp is from Star Gazer Additions from Papertrey Ink.

 These next two sentiment stamps are from Starlight Starbright from Verve.

Below is the center of the first signature and you can see the elastic cord in the middle. The sentiment is another one from the Star Gazer Additions Set.

Here you can see the two elastic cords knotted on the outside of the binding,  I added a little passport charm to one of the knots.  I looped a piece of paper string through the cords to wrap around and tie the journal closed.

Now I'd like to show you how I made the embossed ATC circle on the cover.  I saw this YouTube video on how to melt embossing powders using an electric platter.  I actually bought this electric pancake platter from Walmart to use specifically for this purpose!
 (you can't use it for food once you've used it to melt powders.)

So I laid my craft mat over the platter that was heated to 300 degrees F.  I placed ATC coins cut out of MDF that I purchased.  I think you can just use cardstock if you want - but I wanted something a little more sturdy.  So first I spooned on Eileen's Glistening Glass Molton Dimensions over the coins and let them melt totally clear.  Here they are all partially melted.  It just takes a few minutes to totally melt.

Then I spooned on various amounts of Black Magic, Polished Silver and Aqua Splash Powders and let them melt.

Here they are (along with one I did earlier using Golden Rod rather than black powder.  I used a metal pick to make the squiggles, just running it through the colors.

This is the one I chose to use on the cover as it looked the most like outer space!

I adhered the circle to the cover with both ScorTape and Matte Multi Medium to be sure it stuck to the washi tape.

The sentiment is from Big World stamp set by Altenew.  I embossed it in white on a black strip.

Please check out Eileen Hull's blog this month to see how the Inspiration Team is using several of her new dies and products!

Also linking my journal to:
Creative Artiste Mixed Media
Anything Goes

Time Out Challenges
inspired by the word Moon

Stamps:  Big World - Altenew, Infinite Universe - Lesia Zgharda Design, Upon a Star - Lawn Fawn, Starlight Starbright - Verve, Star Gazer Additions - Papertrey Ink.
Paper: light weight cardboard (from packaging I had), watercolor paper - Canson
Ink:  Clear Snap Color Box Blends 2 Sunshine, Melon, Leaf, Hydrangea, Pansy, Coconut, Flagstone - Eileen Hull/Clearsnap, Versamark, True Black - PTI, Hero Hues Black.
Accessories:  Nebula Washi Tape 6 3/4" wide - Altenew, Notebook Die, Passport Die - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, ATC MDF - Top Flight Stamps, electric pancake plate, Molten Dimensions Black Magic, Polished Silver, Aqua Splash, Glistening Glass - Eileen Hull/Emerald Creek, art sponges, water mister, Matte Multi Medium, ScorTape, white embossing powder, black paper string - Ranger, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella, black elastic cord, passport charm - unknown.

July CAS Stencil Card Challenge - Alcohol Inks/Alcohol Lift

It's time for the July CAS Stencil Card Challenge!  Cathy is our creative host this month and she would like to see us use Alcohol Inks and/or Alcohol Lift Technique on our CAS cards!

I was excited to try out the Alcohol Lift Technique - as I had purchased all the supplies for it (Yupo paper, Alcohol Lift Ink and reinker and a few more Alcohol Inks) when the technique was first introduced by Tim Holtz last January, but never found the time to try it out!

There are links to some AI technique videos over at CAS Stencil.  One by our very own Loll!

I looked at this one by Jennifer McGuire

Alcohol Lift Ink Techniques: by Jennifer McGuire  (Stencil technique part starts at (~15:50)

 I have a few photos showing my process.

I dropped 3 alcohol inks, Dandelion, Coral and Pink Sherbet onto the felt pad applicator and pounced it onto a panel of Yupo paper.  I dropped some Alcohol Blending solution onto the card and pounced that as well until I had the blended look I wanted.

I laid the stencil (Oval of Flowers from SSS) over one side of the panel.

I squirted some Alcohol Lift Reinker onto a round felt on a mini applicator and pounced it over the stencil until I saw that a lot of the ink was lifted.

 NOTE:  OOPS!!! I realized after that I was supposed to use a round FOAM sponge on the applicator with the Lift Ink - you can have seepage using the felt - mine came out ok but for my next time I'll use the foam!

 Then I dabbed over the stencil with a paper towel to remove more of the lifted ink.

 I removed the stencil and waited a minute to be sure the lift ink was dry and then buffed over the panel with another paper towel to reveal the cleaned lift - so cool!  I repeated the process on the other half of my panel so I could make two cards.

 I cut a panel of watercolor paper for the background of my stenciled piece but it looked really plain (!) so I splattered some orange water color ink over it.  Some of the drops were large and watery so I dried it with my heat tool before moving on!

 I die cut my Yupo panel as well as a piece of Orange Zest card with the Pierced Feature Frames: Ovals from PTI.  I layered the frame over the splattered panel with foam dots and the stenciled piece inside the frame.  I stamped the sentiment (Label Love - Altenew) onto white card, cut it out and layered it over the frame.  Then I added some black rhinestones.

 I made the background panel for the second card with black watercolor ink splatters.

 A small change but big visual difference I think?!

So please join us this month with this fun challenge to use your Alcohol Inks with your stencils!  You have until July 18th to link up your CAS cards!

You'll find links to tutorials as well as lots of creative inspiration from the Design team as well as our wonderful guest designer this month,  Janet - Swanlady Impressions over at CAS Stencil!

I'm also linking my card to:

Inkspirational

Either card works!  I have 3 black rhinestones  on 3 flowers on the first card and 5 black rhinestones on 5 flowers on the 2nd!

CAS Mix Up

Stamps:  Label Love - Altenew
Paper:  Yupo Alcohol Ink Paper - Ranger, White, Orange Zest - PTI, watercolor paper - Canson
Ink:  Hero Hues Black,  Alcohol Inks Dandelion, Coral, Pink Sherbert.
Accessories:  Oval of Flowers Stencil - Simon Says Stamp, watercolor paints, brush, water, Pierced Feature Frames: Ovals - PTI, foam dots, black rhinestones - Kaiser Craft, felt applicators and handle.

Age Is Just a Number

I have a birthday card to share today that I've already sent to my lovely blogging friend, Darnell, as her birthday is today and it needed to wend it's way from Massachusetts to California! I know she has received it already!

 (and was not offended by the tongue in cheek sentiment!!)

The flowers are a two part stamp from Rubbernecker called Wild Flower Joy.  I put the stem and flower centers stamp in my stamp positioner, colored the stamp with a Black Soot Ranger Distress Marker, spritzed the stamp with water and then stamped it on a panel of watercolor paper.  Then I lined up the flower stamp over the stem stamping, lifted it in the stamp positioner and colored the blooms with Spiced Marmalade and Squeezed Lemonade Distress Markers.  I spritzed  the stamp with water and pressed it onto the watercolor panel over the stems. I added a little blue watercolor wash along the right side of the stampings and stamped the sentiment from Off Beat Birthday from PTI.

I die cut the stamped panel with Tipped Top Die from PTI and die cut the Bright Buttercup panel with Stitched Edge rectangle die from Waltzingmouse (retired).   I added the die cut Tied Trio from Impression Obsession to wrap up my blooms into a bouquet!

Hope you have a wonderful birthday celebration today Darnell!

I'm linking my card to:

July CAS Watercolour Challenge

Time Out Challenges

Stamps:  Wild Flower Joy - Rubbernecker, Offbeat Birthday - PTI.
Paper:  Watercolor - Canson, White, True Black, Bright Buttercup - PTI.
Ink:  True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Tied Trio Die - Impression Obsession, Stitched Edge Rectangle Die - Waltzingmouse (retired), Tipped Top Dies - PTI, blue water color paint, brush, water, Ranger Distress Markers Spiced Marmalade, Squeezed Lemonade, Black Soot, water mister, Stamp Positioner.