Ombre Watercolour Resist Forest

This card uses the Ombre Watercolour Resist technique from the June/July 2012 issue of Technique Junkies.  I used reinkers (Summer Sun, Tangerine Tango, Rose Red) instead of watercolours.  The layout is the weeks My Favorite Things sketch (#200).

Stamps:  Designs by Ryn (Forest Floor 2)

Ombre Watercolour Resist Koi

This card uses the Ombre Watercolour Resist technique from the June/July 2012 issue of Technique Junkies.  I also used this weeks Sunday Sketch (#242) for the layout.  The colours are Pacific Point and gold.  I haven't tried this technique before and it is quite beautiful with the gold embossing.  Definitely one to try again!

Stamps:  Technique Junkies Stamps (Koi)

Michael Strong Card of the Day - Fiendish Friday

First I used a Tim Holtz stencil and sponged a bit in black.  Then I embossed the cat with black embossing powder.

 Next I sprayed on a bit of homemade green Bister spray.

 Then I sponged around all but the bottom right corner with Ripe Persimmon.

 Then I used another Tim Holtz stencil and some black distress paint and sponged on some dots.

Finally I added some yellow paint onto the eyes and nose and cut it out and mounted it on black cardstock.

I had this weeks Sweet Sunday sketch (#241) in mind for this and here's how it turned out:

Michael Strong Card of the Day - Toxiferous Technique Thursday

First I want to say that today's card REALLY shocked and horrified me!   Last week the Tim Holtz blog had some tutorial where they made the same tag with all different kinds of paper to show just how different a look each paper produced.  What a GREAT idea!  So I tried that and I must say I was VERY surprised about the results. 

Since it's Thursday I need to show a technique.  The technique I'm showing today is the Wrinkle Free Distress Technique.  I'm not really doing it exactly right though but there is a tutorial on SplitCoastStampers if you want to check it out.  Basically what I think is the whole point of this whole blog post is to show you how the different papers look.  The technique doesn't really count for anything so that's why I wasn't really concerned about doing it "properly".

So here goes:

The papers I used were Glossy paper, Watercolour paper and Stampin Up! Naturals White and Whisper White paper.  I kept them in the same place throughout this tutorial so you can tell which is which.  Now normally I would have just used Whisper White paper which is my normal paper to stamp with so I was expecting that to work out the best.  Here are the 4 tags.  See the glare on the Glossy paper?  Get used to that:

 For the Wrinkle Free Distress technique you are supposed to not get the colours mixed up but I didn't pay much attention to details when I was reading it so I kinda skipped over that one.  Anyhow I layered Seedless Preserves on top, Ripe Persimmon in the middle and Peeled Paint on the bottom then misted with water.  My mister is a bit funky so there are large drips on the bottom where I held the mister.

 Now I put the tags into the mess.  I didn't drag them or move them in any way.

 Here's the result when I flipped them over.  Right here I noticed a BIG difference in the papers.  The Glossy paper had the most vibrant colour while the Whisper White paper (far right) had the least.  Here's where I was shocked and horrified.  My go to paper worked BY FAR the worst! 

 Now I put some water in my hand and flung it on each of the tags.  The tutorial doesn't do that, but again I wasn't really paying too much attention to it.  Again my WW paper just doesn't look very good.  But I was loving the watercolour one...

 Here is the result when dry.  I did dry with a heat gun to make it quicker.  Here my favourite tag is the watercolour one with the glossy a very close second.  Wasn't too crazy about the other ones but they do get better...

 So now I stamped on Mike's spooky tree.  The Glossy paper actually stuck to the stamp and I had to peel it off but the black ink (Black Soot) covered the entire stamped area on this tag and not on the rest.  You can see how the black is faded quite a bit on the rest.

 So I touched up the inking with a Black Soot marker (not the Glossy one -- it didn't need touching up).

 I sponged around the top with Seedless Preserves, Ripe Persimmon in the middle and Peeled Paint on the bottom. 

 Then I added some dots with Black Soot and a stencil.

At this point I had the cardstock ready that I wanted to add the tag onto but the tag didn't show up quite as much as I wanted so I added some Black Soot sponging around the edges of the tag.  Then I added some ribbon dyed with the Seam Binding Ribbon Dying technique from the Oct/Nov 2014 issue of Technique Junkies (I used the same 3 colours as in the tag) to get this:

 Then I added a couple of glitter stickers to get my 4 tags.  Now before this experiment I would have just used Whisper White because I always tend to use Whisper White but it was actually my least favourite tag.  The Watercolour one was my favourite and the Glossy one came in second because the colour was so vibrant.  Between the Naturals and the Whisper White I far preferred the Naturals just because I thought the colour worked better on it.  Anyhow definitely something to try to see what paper you like best.  I think Tim's point was that there is no right or wrong, good or bad just differences and some people like one paper better and some like another.  On the tutorial the lady didn't like her watercolour one at all but I liked mine best (and to be fair I liked her's the best also so I guess we just have different taste...)  So give it a try and see what YOU like!

 So here are the cards:

This is the card made with the watercolour paper and still my favourite on the cardstock (Rich Razzleberry and Lucky Limeade.)

This is the glossy one that I don't feel looks as good on the card because there is a big difference in the card paper look and the glossy tag look. 

This is the Naturals tag and I do like it much better now that it is complete and on some cardstock.

This is the Whisper White tag and again I do like it much better now that it is complete and on some cardstock.  There were some tense moments for it though...it almost didn't make it after that first dip.  I REALLY didn't like it at that point...  But I think it looks better on the card then the Glossy one just because it matches the whole subdued paper look.  (On it's own the Glossy totally wins out.)

Anyhow next time rather than reaching for your normal everyday paper try using a few more to see which YOU like best!

Stamps:  Michael Strong (Spooky Silhouettes)

Michael Strong Card of the Day - Wrathful Wednesday

This card started out with me embossing Mike's spooky tree with black embossing powder on watercolour paper and then sprinkling on some yellow Bister and spraying with water to get this.

Next I sprayed with some handmade black Bister spray.

Then I sponged on some Gathered Twigs over a honeycomb stencil.

I cut out an oval shape and mounted on some Black paper and some Early Espresso textured paper that I ripped and sponged.  Then added some glitter bats and a glitter boo!

Stamps:  Michael Strong (Spooky Silhouettes)

Michael Strong Card of the Day - Trepid Tuesday

This card only uses a tiny bit of this next piece.  It started to use the whole thing but then the card just went it's own way for some reason (okay, I messed up).  So it started with some black Bister that I sprayed with some Dylusions sprays (Lemon Zest, Squeezed Orange) and let dry.

From there I stamped Mike's witch on with black craft ink but I smeared the back of it with my hand accidentally.  So then I could either throw it away or only use the front part.  I had a film image in my head for some reason so decided to put her in film!  I sponged on some Brick Red ink through a stencil then cut out the thin strip I wanted and put the film die cut on top.  I cut out Mike's pumpkin and coloured with Ripe Persimmon and Gathered Twigs markers.  I added a few leaves that were cut out from some leftover Bister fun and then sponged with various inks and some linen string and a glitter bat.  The background was partially stamped in Canvas and then sponged around the edges.  Here's the result:

Stamps:  Michael Strong (Spooky Silhouettes),  Stampin Up! (Canvas, House of Haunts)

Michael Strong Card of the Day - Miscreant Monday

This card started out with a Bister base.  I put a bit of natural Bister on some watercolour paper and sprayed with water.  I let dry and then sprayed with some home made green Bister spray.  Then I applied some Dusty Concord ink on with a diamond stencil and stamped the spooky tree from the Spooky Silhouettes set.  Here's what it looked like now:

I cut that out, sponged around the edges with Dusty Concord and matted with black.  I mounted on some Perfect Plum paper that I also added a bit of Dusty Concord on with the same diamond stencil.  I printed out Mike's digital pumpkin (I want a REAL pumpkin stamp please please Mike!) in a couple different sizes and coloured with Ripe Persimmon and Gathered Twigs markers.  Then I cut them out and applied some glossy accents all over the pumpkins and let dry.  I added a few bats, some orange brads and a glitter "Boo" sticker.

Stamps:  Michael Strong (Spooky Silhouettes)

Eerily Batty

I LOVE Halloween!  Tomorrow I start my Halloween card countdown for the Michael Strong Yahoo Group.  Today will be a preview of the horrors to come!

First I stamped on the tree from the Spooky Silhouettes stamp set.

 Then I used the leftover paper from a Tim Holtz movers and shapers bat and used some embossing paste and added in a few bats.

 When the embossing paste was dry I sprayed on some home made mahogany Bister spray right in the middle of the tree.  It was pretty watered down so it came out kinda pink.  Then I sprayed on some Dylusions Crushed Grape aound the edges.

 The bats didn't stand out enough so I painted them with black distress paint.

When it was dry I added some crackle accents which made the pink come out even more. 

 I added a ribbon dyed using the Seam Binding Ribbon Dying technique from the Oct/Nov 2014 issue of Technique Junkies and added a pink and purple paper border. 

Stamps:  Michael Strong (Spooky Silhouettes)

Sparkling Koi

This card uses the Sparkling Resist technique from the June/July 2009 issue of Technique Junkies.  This time you can see the shimmer a little better.  It also uses this weeks MFT layout (#198).  I first stamped the Canvas stamp in Marina Mist then sponged over the Koi embossing with Pacific Point.

Stamps:  Technique Junkies Stamps (Koi),  Stampin Up! (Canvas)

Sparkling Floras

This card uses the Sparkling Resist technique from the June/July 2009 issue of Technique Junkies.  This is pretty quick and easy and I like the result!  Definitely will try this one again.

I used Smokey Slate to stamp the background script and Black Soot to sponge over the embossing.  The layout is from this weeks Sweet Sunday sketch (#240).

Stamps:  Technique Junkies Stamps (Floras Latinas), Stampin Up! (Francais, Voila)

Bister with a Stencil

I decided to play around with Bister and a stencil.  Here I placed a stencil on some watercolour paper and sprinkled on some red Bister.

 Then I sprayed on some Dylusions spray (Lemon Zest)

 and took the stencil off.  This was a pretty cool effect I thought but I wanted the stencil to show up more so I decided to add less Bister and less spray.

 So here we go with only a bit of red Bister.

 Much less spraying of the Lemon Zest.

 The result:

 Here are the two side by side.  I do like both.  I guess it just depends on what look you want.  But I do like the Bister with the yellow Dylusions spray.  They add that extra bit of brightness I want.

Here's some cards I made from these two panels.

For the first card I made the one into a tag and placed it on some burlap and leaves.  Mikes new digital pumpkin was printed, coloured and cut out in two different sizes.  Then I added some Glossy accents to the pumpkins so that's why they shine a little bit.  A few bats and a ticket were added to get this: 

The other two I kept pretty similar.  I added Mike's pumpkin, a bat and some linen string plus some tiny leaves on one.