NEW Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads - now in stock!!

Just a quick post as we've had a lot of deliveries today that need sorting, a very exciting day!!  Please click here to find the ink pads

Today's workshop with a new Starburst Stain set!

Oh dear, it's been a long time since I last posted hasn't it!  I'm totally behind with blogland and have a lot of catching up to do. 

I've had a lovely day today, we had a workshop with 3 very nice ladies who came to play with Starburst Stains and learn some techniques.  It was especially good as we had a new Starburst Stain set to play with that only arrived yesterday. 

We started the day with a brilliance ink background technique that the ladies also wanted to try and then got stuck into the new set.  I had asked for a new set similiar to Icicle Creek, which is the palest set that has gold as the secondary colour.  

The new set is called Icicle and Snowflake which has the same pale shades as Icicle Creek but with silver as it's secondary colour.  It is really pretty and it is going to be gorgeous to use next Christmas!

We made lots of backgrounds with different techniques with the new set then moved on to the French Country set. 

Time flew by so there was a frantic frenzy to make cards at the end.  Here are the easel cards the ladies made.

Angela's card

Cynthia's card

Sue's card

Sue also managed to make this card.

Thank you ladies, you were great company, see you all at the Harrogate show!

This was a last minute workshop as we'd had to cancel the one just before Christmas so we finally had the chance to repeat it.

I will be sending out /emailing details of workshops up to June this week to those that have requested information.  There is a variety of classes, they are mainly technique based workshops, such as metal embossing, making an ultra thick embossed picture frame similiar to those that I've posted about recently,  techniques with Tim Holtz/Ranger products.  If you are interested please email us at thestampman@btconnect.com.

Thanks for visiting, enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Jill

Another UTEE frame

Here is a third ultra thick embossed frame, unfortunately the photo doesn't show the colours very well but it is has more colour than it shows here. 

I didn't get to show this frame on our recent Create and Craft show where I explained the technique.  I did post some tips about it that you will find HERE if you are interested in having a try.  There is another embossed frame HERE

All 3 frames are now back on our living room wall.

Happy Valentine's Day!

How cute!  Find this pair of loved up'd owls and others from Hero Arts here

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Jill x

Starburst Stain Workshop with Jill Tuck

We are in the process of arranging our workshop dates but I thought I'd post about the first one as it is for next Saturday.


Starburst Stain Workshop
If you have one, you'd better bring an apron, as we will be getting messy as we create with Moonglow Starburst Stains!
Many techniques will be used with the stains to create backgrounds that we will use with the cuttlebug and nesties.

To embellish our work we will be making some embellishments with ultra thick embossing powder as well as Moonglow 2-tone embossing powders.

Booking
You can book online HERE or telephone the shop on 01756 797048
Information about our workshops can be found on our website HERE

We will be adding more dates soon!

New Hero Arts 2010 - YUMMY and in stock!

Debbie and I have just got really excited, our first delivery of Hero Arts has arrived.  We're trying to decide which to have first, no we cannot have them all now!!

Some are now on our website HERE, but with no pictures at the moment.  Maybe, if you can stand the temptation and excitement, you could have a peek at the Hero Arts website, the designs this year are brilliant.  Oh dear....

More embossed Moonglow Fabulous Filgrees

I used Moonglow 2-tone embossing powders Midnight Emerald Obsidian and Midnight Copper Obsidian on the aspen leaf.  I just love the intricate detail on this, it is so tactile!  I really must stop stroking it and get round to using it on a project...

The gecko is embossed with metallics and stamped into with a patterned rubber stamp.

Again, Moonglow embossing powders in green, copper and bronze have been used before stamping with a patterned stamp design.

Not a great photo of this one, but detail has been added to the leaves and the outline of the 3 tulips with a permanent marker after the embossing powder has cooled.

Fabulous filigrees from last Monday's show

I showed these Moonglow Fabulous Filigrees on the show, they are intrically laser cut mount board shapes that can coloured embossed and used as embellishments, such as for the UTEE frame I posted about earlier this week where I used the anchor that had been embossed with Moonglow 2-tone embossing powders.  The powder above is the Razzleberry Plum.  While it was still hot I added some micro beads for texture.

I used various colours of Moonglow embossing powders on the butterfly above then stamped into it while the powder was still hot with a script stamp.  The stamp must be a proper rubber stamp, a clear stamp will be damaged.

Again various colours have been used on the gecko along with micro beads.

Just embossing powder on this kokopelli design, no stamping or beads. 

I love making these and if you saw the boards we had on the show you will have seen that I've made quite a few now!

The filigrees above are approximately 3", so more suitable to projects other than cards and are on offer at the moment at half price, £1.25 each.  We do have some that are smaller with 2 in the packs HERE

Butterfly wishes box from last Monday's show

I used one of the Tim Holtz Ornate Plates as an embellishment with one of the Adage Tickets on a box I decorated for last Monday's Create and Craft show.  It was used on one of the Craft Creations blank boxes that featured on the show. 

Not content at leaving it as it was, I decided to emboss part of it to match the embossing powder I used with one of Kay's flourish stamp designs from Aspects of Design 58 Fancy Flourishes, I dabbed around some of the detail with a Versamark pad and added Moonglow Midnight Teal Obsidian embossing powder, I wiped some of the excess off where I didn't want it before heating.  I then added a little gold embossing powder the same way.

I embossed the butterfly from the Aspects of Design 3 Botanical stamp sheet with the same embossing powder and added a gold curly clip that I had stretched out and cut in half.

I used the Moonglow Mardi Gras set to colour the box.  I spray the stains onto my non-stick craft sheet then dabbed them randomly onto the box with a screwed up piece of copier paper to give a stippled effect.  This works nicely as you get tiny puddles forming.

I added a small piece of card ready for a sentiment or address to be added that has been mounted onto gold mirri card.

It is a shame the photo doesn't show how luscious the colours are!

Jill

PS:  Did you spot the missing curly clip on one of the butterflies... it was lost in transit and I only just spotted it after taking the photo, darn it!

Aspects of Design Butterfly Beauties

Our Aspects of Design stamp sheet Butterfly Beauties designed by Tracey Coates has been popular this week!  Rachel Jackson has a great project with it in Craft Stamper magazine this month and Debbie and Vix have cards showing on their blogs today too.

I also received an email from Georgina who wanted to show me a card she had made with the sheet, I love the way she has decorated her hair!

So do pop over to see how they have all used the Bling Maiden!

New LARGE Cuttlebug Folders 5" x 7" now in stock!!!!

I need to tell you about these new large Cuttlebug embossing folders that arrived yesterday, yes, 5" wide and 7" in length.  We have 5 different patterns in stock which cost £6.75 each. 

Debbie, Helen and I had our names on some of these and today customers in the shop have had a rummage through them as well.

Click here to go straight to them in the shop.

We also have a lot of new standard size folders in stock but I didn't have photo's of these on the website yet and actually only have thumbnail pictures of the large folders on the website but I will add more pictures as soon as I can.  I just can't upload them at the moment.

Anyway, here are the other 4 large folders for now, click on the pictures for large images.  I'll show you the new standard folders over the next few days.

Another UTEE frame from Monday's show with hints and tips

This is the largest of the 3 frames I showed.  As I mentioned on the show I must have made them all about 12 years ago and every now and then I decide to change the colours so I add a bit more to them.

I was hoping to have some step by step photos but haven't been able to do them today so I will describe how I made them.

Materials

Acrylic paint

Non-stick craft sheet

Heat gun

Versamark or other embossing pad

Ultra thick embossing powder

Various colours of embossing powder to suit your colour scheme

Red rubber stamps, the more deeply etched the better

Embellishments, can be beads, wire, glitter glue, charms, filigrees or other chip board shapes

This is not a quick project, but more of something to keep going back to and you will use a lot of embossing powder, especially on a large frame like this.

I painted all the frames with matt black acrylic paint first, painting them means that you don't have to have embossing powder all over which also adds to the dimension.  You can add mica pigment powders to painted areas afterwards if you wish to add more colour.

I demonstrated stamping into a piece on the show but initially you will need to add powder to the frame.

Have a good pile of paper under your non stick sheet as it will be getting really hot, this will protect your table surface.

Ink directly onto the painted surface with a Versamark ink pad, Versamark is a great pad to use for this if you have one as it is a lot stickier than most embossing pads.  Dab the ink pad over a small area, you may feel comfortable just working on a 2" or 3" square to start with.  Sprinkle on the embossing powder, I actually used UTEE black. 

You can use embossing powders that you don't particularly like the colour of to form the basis. If they are ordinary powders they will take longer to build up though.

Tip the powder off and heat, you can repeat this all the way around the frame.

There are a few options for adding further layers. 

Continue adding powders directly onto the frame

Either re-heat the powder you have already added until it is sticky again and then add more powder or allow to cool and re-ink with your Versamark pad.

Heat the powder in a melt pot If you have a melt pot, I feel it would be safer to tip the melted UTEE onto the craft mat to cool before adding rather than tipping directly onto the frame.  If you over pour you could get into a terrible mess, plus it is going to be very hot as well as uncontrollable!

Heat the powder on the non stick sheet with your heat gun and then add them to the frame.

Ink the non-stick craft sheet with the versamark pad and emboss directly onto the mat.  It is the same as embossing a chip board shape or tile except there is no card.

You can add the powders and tip off the excess before heating or use a teaspoon or small scoup to add more while the UTEE is still hot.  Once you get a few layers on it will be so hot that the embossing powders almost melt immediately when they are added.

If you do this make sure you heat gun is well above the powder to avoid it blowing everywhere.  If you have a hair dryer style heat gun you will find this easier to control.  Start high and gradually lower the heat gun.

Allow the pieces you have made to cool.  When you are ready to add pieces to the frame, heat the area on the frame and place the piece you have made on the mat into the sticky UTEE and it will act as a glue. 

When you have built up lots of texture you can either warm areas on the frame and stamp into them there or make them on the mat and add them once they have cooled. 

Make sure the powder is really hot all over, you cannot harm it by overheating on the mat it will just go very fluid.  Ink a stamp with Versamark ink to act as a releasing agent, stamp into the UTEE and allow it to cool before removing the stamp. 

You may find that some of the powder is still hot and is left in the detail of the stamp.  Allow it to cool completely then you can remove it, it should just pop out easily or you can use tweezers.  As long as you are using proper rubber stamps not clear or acrylic stamps, it will not damage the rubber.

Snap the embossed pieces from the mat and add them randomly onto the frame.  Use different stamps to create different patterns and textures.

When adding your cooled pieces do not over heat the embossing powder on the frame as if it is too hot it will melt your stamped piece and you will loose the detail.  If your piece doesn't stick first time, carefully heat the piece on the frame and it will melt into the background.

The good thing about this is that if you are not unhappy with how it looks you can simply reheat and start again.

Save your favourite colours for the last layers.  Moonglow embossing powders look particularly lovely, especially against the black background.

Once you are happy with your frame you can add embellishments, heat small areas and add micro beads, the melted UTEE will also hold chippie shapes in place.

For glitter glue, allow to cool, add the glitter glue to your finger and rub over an areas that has detail.

You may wish to add your mica powders to a clear drying glue such as one of the perfect paper adhesives from US Artquest as this will ensure the mica is sealed in place and as it is a good achieval glue it will ensure the mica colours remain vibrant in the future.   When mixed with the glue a good way to apply it is with your fingers as you can work it into the detail.

I hope I've explained it well enough!  I have another frame to show another time, but if you have any questions, just ask and I will try to help.  I know Lynne has a frame ripe for embossing, I hope this helps Lynne. 

Suze Weinberg saw the frames a number of years ago and she approved of them and thought I'd done well:)

Well, not much notice but Monday's Ideal World decoupage show will be repeated tonight at 8pm on Create and Craft.

We are back to white stuff outside, so glad we visited Peterborough early this week!

Keep warm:)

Jill

Embossed picture frame from yesterday's show

This is the whole frame that I've posted bits of in the last couple of days.  I used some normal embossing powders such as black and gold along with various Moonglow embossing powders. 

The centre background is sprayed with Glitz Spritz.  I embossed the fish charms to tone them down a bit but left the shells on the frame their original gold so they would stand out.

I made this frame quite a few years ago when Suze Weinberg came out with the rubbery mesh that you can see on the top left hand side.  Nowadays you will know it as the non slip sheets you can buy in a DIY shop.

I broke up some embossed pieces and added them randomly to the bottom inside of the frame to make the sea bed.

Unfortunately the photos don't show the filigree anchor very well so I've included an undecorated one so you can see the actual shape of them, I stamped the embossed anchor with one of the images on the Aspects of Design Nautical stamp sheet.  I added some gold cord to the anchor as a finishing touch.

I'll show one of the other frames tomorrow and will include more detailed instructions for it.

Jill

Repeat time update - 12 noon today on Create and Craft, 3pm on Ideal World

Not going to let you forget am I?  Today, Create and Craft Live at noon on Sky 671, Freeview 36, if you'd like any of the items on the show, then visit us here

3pm on Ideal World for Craft Creations Ltd.

Just quickly scheduling this, with another teasing photo of one of the frames, hope it works!!

I'll let you know the repeat times as soon as I can.

Have a good week!!

Jill

UPDATE:  Not much notice but the show will be repeated tonight between 1am - 2am.