Around the House: Bonus Projects!

Our September issue is on sale now! Available from WHSmith and many good craft shops as well as from our shop with free UK P&P for a limited time, or as a digital download. In this issue we have a fantastic ‘Around the House’ project from Jenny Marples (p.44-45) using forks to create amazing, unique backgrounds. Here we bring you two bonus project ideas from Jenny using this fun technique. So get your forks at the ready!

Jenny's main project in the September issue of Craft Stamper p.44-45

Materials
Stamps Jenny used...
Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Stamp Set: Nautical Blueprint
Other materials...
IndigoBlu Gee-Sso Good!: Black
IndigoBlu English Cottage Artist’s Acrylics Paint: Goldfinger
Distress Paints: Black Soot, Forest Moss, Peeled Paint, Pine Needles, Peacock Feathers, Antique Linen, Tattered Rose
Distress Ink: Wild Honey
Archival Ink: Jet Black

Ranger Embossing Powder: Clear
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Grungepaper
Core’dinations Card Tim Holtz Distress Collection
Shells
Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Embossing Paste: Black
Distress Glitter: Clear Rock Candy
Glossy Accents
Twine

Rope 

Fork

Seaside Chalkboard

1 

Having painted the board with Black Gee-Sso Good and dried it thoroughly, apply black embossing paste to the bottom in a random fashion with a palette knife and leave to dry.

2
Beginning at the bottom of the board drag your fork through the paste in a wavy motion, repeating this process to create a pattern of curved channels. Allow this to dry.

3

Allow a mix of water and Forest Moss, Pine Needles and Evergreen Bough Distress Paints to run through the paste channels in turn drying thoroughly between each colour.

To finish the chalkboard:

Add some of the nautical shapes, clear embossed and shaped, with die cut fronds and Grungepaper letters covered in Goldfinger paint. Having punched holes in the top of the board thread with a piece of rope and knot.

The finished chalkboard project

Seashell Card

1

Apply Pine Needles, Peeled Paint and Forest Moss Distress Paints to your craft mat then drag your card through it. Mist with water and allow it to blend.

2

Once the first layer of paint is completely dry, apply a layer of Peacock Feathers Distress Paint across your card, ensuring you cover it completely.

3 

Whilst the paint is still wet drag your fork through it both horizontally and vertically in different areas to create a hatched pattern over the card.

To finish the card:
Stamp one of the nautical shapes onto the base with Archival Ink. Add pieces of twine before layering over the corresponding nautical shape, covered in Rock Candy glitter and die cut frond shapes. Finally adhere the corresponding word, covered in Glossy Accents, and mat the background onto coordinating card.

The finished seashell card

Go Shopping!
Tim Holtz Nautical Blueprints stamps and Ranger Clear Embossing Powder available from Art From The Heart, 01423 873739
IndigoBlu paints and gesso available from IndigoBlu, 01777 701980
Distress products and Archival Inks and Grungepaper available from The Artistic Stamper, 01795 597757

We hope you enjoy these extra design ideas and the other fabulous projects in our September issue! To see more of Jenny's work, visit her blog.

Insider Secrets: Chris Dark

Design Team member Chris Dark reviews her favourite stamping product and tells us what she loves most about embossing ink and some exciting ways of using it!

Heat Embossing with embossing ink was one of the first techniques I came across when I started paper crafting, there’s something about watching embossing powder melt on top of an image stamped with embossing ink that’s magical. The formulation of embossing ink is designed to make it sticky and slow drying in order to catch and hold onto embossing powder prior to heating but there are lots of ways of using embossing ink that make it a foundation item for an ink collection.

Have you tried stamping with embossing ink and then dusting over mica powder, chalks or pastels? These products are great for using over both light and dark card and give a lovely rich look to projects. Self colour stamping with embossing ink for subtle interest is great for backgrounds (I’ve found that repeat patterns work well) and on a mid to dark tone of card you get an elegant finish. 

Add an embossing folder and brayer into the mix and there’s another interesting way to put pattern onto card with embossing ink. Use the inked brayer to transfer the embossing ink onto the flat side of an embossing folder and then add coloured ink, mica powder or pastel to highlight the pattern. Embossing ink also works brilliantly as a resist, as well as being an aide for stamping with rubber stamps into hot melted ultra thick embossing powder. The embossing ink acts as a release agent for the stamp once the ultra thick has cooled allowing the stamp to be easily removed.

For my card I initially created a pattern using IndioBlu stamps on black card using the embossing ink to stamp. When the stamping was complete I brushed on Ranger Perfect Pearls powders in cream, gold and blue and dusted off the excess with a tissue to leave a lovely shimmery floral pattern of flowers and leaves on my card. I repeated the process onto a white card blank this time only using the gold powder. Then I assembled the card and embellished with gold cord, dots and lines of relief paste to the centres of the flowers and edges of the leaves. I only used half of the patterned black card that I created so I had some leftover to make a tag.

Above I’ve shown how the stamping looks after applying the mica powder and before cutting my piece for the card. I love the rich effect achieved with this technique which is an old one, but one that gives very pleasing results.

Thanks for looking in at the Craft Stamper blog and have creative day.

To see more of Chris’ work visit www.sketchingstamper.blogspot.co.uk