Zig Clean Colored Aurella Digi Stamp

I love to color but I am not into coloring small spaces, like a lot of small spaces. My vision is not the best. I am not good with color pencils. I do have small tip markers but it doesn't blend. I still want to blend the colors even in small spaces, can you believe that? But I challenged myself to do it. After all, I did choose this image for this week's DT post.

I started off by printing the image using the Cricut Design Space on some Neenah cardstock. Even if the registration marks were printed off, I didn't went through the process of having the Cricut Explore cut the image. I will just trim the digi image depending on how I will have my lay out planned out.

I colored the image and this is where the challenge starts. I used the Zig Clean Color Markers and made sure I am wearing my eyeglasses all the time as I color. These markers are vibrant in color. I was coloring direct to the paper and when I worked on the witch's skin, I should have not colored it directly. I just wanted a wash of green for the skin so I applied the color onto an acrylic block, then picked it up with a water brush. I know this is not a watercolor paper and good thing it didn't warp. I just made sure I am not applying too much water on the image. I would have chosen a watercolor paper but I am not sure if my printer can handle printing on a thick paper.

The witch was colored with Wicked's Elphaba in mind. Her costume is all black and I want a pop of color for her clothes. This Doodlebug Doodle Pop added more inspiration to coloring this image.

I know Halloween cats are mostly black but I changed that in my panel. The cat color is inspired by my sister's cat, Mama B. 

After coloring the image, the next challenge is whether to fuzzy cut the image or color the background. It can't be plain white, right? I was on the search for a witch background online and got inspired by a moon background for the witch. The next challenge is how to keep the colored image intact. Do I cut a paper mask which will be a lot of work being so intricate, or apply a masking fluid over it? I am unsuccessful with my first few tries using the masking fluid. I always end up scraping the color off when I rub the mask off. But this is the better option so I went for it. I used Molotow masking pen to apply the mask all over the image and allowed this to dry.

I cut a circle from an Inkadinkado masking paper and kept both negative and positive cuts. To create the moon, I adhered the negative cut onto the panel. I blended Tim Holtz Antique Linen and Pumice Stone. I used the TH Seedless Preserves by creating eerie waves on the moon. To create this, I ripped a piece of paper and inked the edges to create sort of waves. I spritz the image with water, allowed the water to react with the inks, then dabbed it off with a paper towel. 

I adhered the circle masking paper to cover this blended area. I blended several inks to create a galaxy looking sky. I blended TH Wild Honey, Pickled Raspberry, Dusty Concord, Faded Jeans and Black Soot. Once I am happy with the result, I spritz water onto this, allowed the inks to react and dabbed the excess water with a paper towel. I dabbed a Tim Holtz Distress Stain Picket Fence on an acrylic block. I spritz this with water and flicked this onto the galaxy background using a paintbrush.  I dried this with a heat gun. I peeled off the masking paper and this is when the magic of the color blending shows. I rubbed off the masking fluid off the image. I was very careful and thankfully, nothing tragic happened to the image. I spritz the panel with Ranger Perfect Pearl diluted in water for extra shimmer.

I heat embossed the sentiment on the top right corner of the panel. The sentiment is from a Lawn Fawn Spooktacular Stamp set.  I colored the black stripes of the witch's hat, arm sleeves and socks with clear Wink of Stella. 

I adhered this to a side folding 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" note card. 

Thanks for viewing my blog. Have a blessed and brilliant day!

Maria Giselle B.

Image Sponsor

https://www.etsy.com/shop/aurella27?ref=hdr_shop_menu

I am submitting this creation to

http://craftingfromtheheartchallengeblog.blogspot.com

http://ribbongirls.blogspot.co.uk

#thedailymarker30day

Laminated Kindness ID Badge

I wanted to create a memento to friends and co-workers I am leaving behind as I continue my journey in my profession. I've worked in my current hospital unit, 8400-MICU,  for 15+ years. It is the first and only job I have held since I migrated to this country. Imagine the friendships and memories gained over those years. I will truly miss them because who I am today as a nurse, a big part of it is because of the MICU.

The biggest component of the memento I want to give is the sentiment from the Hero Arts Acts of Kindness Clear stamp set. I was going to create badges that my friends can add to their numerous badges. We tend to have many, from our ID to important numbers card to medication dosage cards, you name it. What's one more, right? Anyway, the orientation of the sentiment stamp is horizontal. I wanted it to be vertical so you can read the sentiment without turning the card clockwise, and the with it fitting a 2" x 3 1/4" mini card.  To achieve this, guess what I did? Yeah, I cut the sentiment stamp and separated each word from the other. Don't worry. The words maybe separated but it can still be lined up to create a one whole sentiment. I used the EK Success Cutter Bee scissors to do this job to precisely cut the words apart. I stamped the sentiments on a scrap paper. So far, no letters has been harmed. This is the best way I can mass produce the cards without having to go through masking words to achieve the look I wanted.

I used the Misti Stamping tool to line up the sentiments and stamp a lot of mini cards at one time. At first, I lined them one word on top of the other to stamp the whole sentiment all at once. The spaces between the words were too wide and I didn't like the look of it. I divided the whole sentiment into three stamping groups to be able to stamp the sentiments closer. I still used the Misti tool with the groups next to each other but with enough space in between so as not to re-stamp one group on the the mini card.

The grid lines of the Misti tool paper is very helpful in lining up the mini card with the sentiments. I used a Close To My Heart black dye ink to stamp the sentiment. I die cut a heart using a Costmo Cricket glitter sheet. The die is from Paper Smooches Hearts Wise die. I adhered this to the top of the mini card.

For the back, I stamped the Hero Arts Star Galaxy Background using a CTMH grey dye ink. The background stamp is bigger than the mini card but it is okay. I just stamped a corner to each card creating different impressions on each card.

I wanted the card personalized just like an ID badge. I used the Lawn Fawn Milo's ABC to stamp the names of the person I am going to give the cards to. This is the most tedious among all the processes involved with this project. I could have done more if I can line up the letters better. I stamped the names on a 2" blue strip of cardstock using Mama Elephant Stargazer pigment ink. I embossed the names with Hero Arts clear embossing powder. I adhered this to the back of the card using a glue stick since I will be laminating the cards.

I am not quite successful in foiling with the Minc Machine but laminating these cards was fun, just don't set the heat too high. I kind of went overboard setting it at 4. Setting 3 is just enough to laminate the Scotch Laminator pouches. I was able to laminate 2 cards at a time. I trimmed off the cards leaving at least 1/18" border around the card to keep it sealed.

I hand punch a slot on the top using a Fiskars 1/4" Rectangle Hand punch. It wasn't long enough to fit the ID clip so I had to punch twice. I didn't line it perfectly on a few occasions, and it wouldn't punch through the laminated card. Too thick, I guess. I used a craft knife to complete the cut. It wasn't smooth but it will be covered by the badge clip, so it is probably okay.

Then, it is time to give it away. Thanks for visiting my blog. Have a blessed and brilliant day!

Maria Giselle B.

I sm sharing this creation to the following:

http://craftycardmakers.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/168-bling-it-up.html

Friends Forever Card Using Dura-Lar Film

Last week, I frequented Art Mart, a local store here in St. Louis, because my son had a camp close to the store. On my second visit, I was able to look around the products they sell and one of the products that caught my eye is this Wet Media Dura-Lar Film by Grafix. The front cover of the pad described the product as coated on both sides to accept water-based mediums. Many ideas start running through my mind with one of it as using watercolor to paint on this film. The lady who works at the store was not sure about this idea but curious as I am, I went ahead and bought it.

I trimmed the Dura-Lar film at 6" x 6". I stamped the MFT Roses All Over Background using Stazon black ink. I used the Misti to stamp the background image. Re-stamping the image on a plastic film is not a good idea. Even with the use of the Misti tool, the plastic film shifted making some areas double lined. I didn't want to waste the plastic film so I went ahead and colored it. I used the Zig Clean Color Brush markers, coloring the background in rainbow order.

When coloring transparencies, choosing bold colors is better because it shows through the film. I've noticed that while coloring, some of the Stazon impression comes off. I am not sure why but maybe next time, I will color on the other side of the transparency. After coloring with the Zig Clean Color, the colored side has a sticky feel and touching it makes the color come off. I did not heat set this but it definitely changed my plan for the card. Instead of coming up with a see-through window card, I adhered the window panel on top of a base card. I still have a lot of experimenting to do with the Dura-Lar Film.

I created a 4" x 4" note card. I cut a 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 dotted gray cardstock as a front panel using the Simon Says Stamp Stitched Squares die. I cut a window using Pretty Pink Posh Window Frames die. I cut the colored Dura-Lar Film into four. I adhered this to the back of the window panel using liquid glue.

For the sentiment, I heat embossed the word 'forever' using Hero Arts Silver embossing powder. This sentiment stamp is from the Impression Obsession Love You, Miss You stamp set. The word 'friends' is a die from Simon Says Stamp Family and Friends die. I cut this on a metallic silver paper. I also cut the sentiment on a dark gray cardstock. I adhered this on the back of the metallic paper, slightly offsetting it to create a shadow. I adhered Doodlebug sequins as a last detail.

I was able to create 3 cards out of the colored Dura-lar Film. I could have created 4 but I didn't like the impression of the flowers on one of the 4 pieces from the original piece. I gave this as a farewell card to 3 of my friends in MICU. I am transferring to a different unit and I will surely miss them.

Thanks for viewing my blog.  Have a blessed and brilliant day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am submitting this creation to:

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=5799

http://www.thedailymarker.com

Get Well Soon Flip Card

Creating this card is such a challenge. My first challenge is printing the image. The Cricut Explore can print it but cannot draw it. Too intricate, I guess. Since I am going to print it, I went ahead and just print it without using the Cricut. My second challenge, I don't have a Print Shop. I had to rely on whatever installed printer program my computer has. After several trials, I was able to print the image to the size I want to. I colored the image with Copic markers which is my third challenge. I have to be very careful not to color over the lines. I did not do much blending since this is a small image. I applied clear Wink of Stella to some areas. I applied Ranger Glossy Accent to the IV bag.

For the card base, which is the fourth challenge, I cut a white cardstock at 6 3/4" x 5 1/2". I made pencil marks at 1 1/4" on the top and bottom. For the side, I made pencil marks at 1 2/16". I also made pencil marks at 3" and 4" from the left side of the cardstock. This is where I create the folds to make the card flip and it shouldn't be cut.

Using the Simon Says Stitched Rectangle die and using the pencil marks as a guide, I partially cut the center area. Partial die cutting is when you put your top plate on the area you want to die cut. I also did this technique on the other end of the rectangle.

To embellish the flip base card, I cut some patterned paper. For the border, I trimmed the inner and outer edges with a kraft knife to create a small border in between the flip area and the border, and also show white edges at the sides of the card.

I cut a tan colored cardstock for the back flip area where I stamped the sentiment. I first stamped the Paper Smooches Hip To Be Square using Simon Says Stamp Kraft dye ink. I stamped the sentiment using Hero Arts Journal Letters. I colored the letters with white Prisma color pencil. I inked the edges of the patterned papers, the image panel and the sentiment panel with Tim Holtz Tea Dye Distress Ink.

I started adhering the pieces making sure the center area pieces are lined up so as not to interfere with the flip mechanism. If it does, just cut a little bit off the edges to make the center area move.

Thank you for viewing my blog. Have a blessed and brilliant day!

Maria Giselle B.

Image Sponsor

http://www.doctor-digi.com/

I am sharing this creation to:

http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.ch/2016/07/challenge-weeks-238-239-anything-goes.html

http://craftrocketchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/challenge-19-anything-goes.html?_sm_au_=iHVVkbtkJSHJtnK5

http://inspirationdestinationchallengeblog.blogspot.com.au/2016/07/AG-NO-93.html