Technique Tag Book To Date

Hello!

My challenge for September is to create a technique tag using 3 or more of the techniques that I’ve shared since July 26th.

So I thought it might be helpful if I added a list of the techniques I’ve used, that you can select from. Here is a list of the 25 techniques that I’ve shared:

  1. Making a Distress Ink background using blending tool and foam
  2. Water stamping onto Distress Inks
  3. Water splotching on Distress Inks
  4. Dying string or twine
  5. Blending and stamping with the same color of Distress Ink
  6. Masking
  7. Toning down brights with Distress ink
  8. Embossing with more than one color of powder (multi-embossing)
  9. Making a faux epoxy embellie using UTEE
  10. Using Glossy Accents as a glue
  11. Second-generation stamping
  12. Over-stamping
  13. Layered masking with Paint Dabbers or acrylic paint
  14. Stamping with Paint Dabbers or acrylic paint
  15. Resisting with clear embossing
  16. Paint Dabber or acrylic paint resist
  17. Making your own embellies with Distress Crackle Paint
  18. Making a Paint Dabber or acrylic paint background
  19. Stamping on paint with a permanent/solvent ink
  20. Adding doodles/borders with dimensional paint
  21. Using multiple stamps at the same time/on the same block
  22. Painting a stamped image with Distress Crackle Paint
  23. Tracing a stamped image with dimensional paint
  24. Faux stitching
  25. Making a rainbow background using alcohol inks

For your convenience, I’ve also added this list to the bottom of the original challenge post. That way, it will be easy to find again.

Have fun! And thanks for stopping by!

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Hi there! Today I’m happy to report that my Baroque Ornament Tag was published in the September issue of Scrapbooking.com Magazine! Hope you’ll pop over to check it out! :-)

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September’s Challenge: Technique Tag

by Anne Gaal on September 1, 2010

in Challenges

Technique Tag Book To Date

Hi there! Today I’m announcing my challenge for September!

September’s Theme is to make a technique tag!

Since July 26th, I’ve been sharing lots of different techniques, using lots of fun products, and making some fabulous tags. So, now I’d like you to select three or more of those techniques and make your OWN technique tag!

September’s challenge rules:

  • Create a new technique tag using 3 or more of the techniques that I’ve shared here on this blog since July 26th! (You can combine my challenge with other challenges if you’d like.)
  • Upload your project to your blog or to Flickr (or some other similar Web site) and figure out the exact URL of that page. Cut and paste the exact URL into the Inlinkz tool below.
  • Please mention which 3 (or more) techniques you used.
  • Please link back to this challenge page (click on the post title to get the specific URL).
  • Please only one entry per person!
  • The challenge runs through Monday, September 20th, at 12:00 midnight EST. (The Inlinkz tool will automatically close when the challenge has ended.)
  • A randomly-selected winner will be announced on Friday, September 24th. The winner will receive an Amber Road clear stamp set from Pink Paislee.

What the randomly-selected winner will receive:

Amber Road clear stamp set from Pink Paislee

Amber Road clear stamp set from Pink Paislee

I can’t wait to see what ya’ll create!

Have fun!

And thanks for stopping by!

Edited to add:

I thought it might be helpful if I added a list of the 25 techniques I’ve used, that you can select from:

    1. Making a Distress Ink background using blending tool and foam
    2. Water stamping onto Distress Inks
    3. Water splotching on Distress Inks
    4. Dying string or twine
    5. Blending and stamping with the same color of Distress Ink
    6. Masking
    7. Toning down brights with Distress ink
    8. Embossing with more than one color of powder (multi-embossing)
    9. Making a faux epoxy embellie using UTEE
    10. Using Glossy Accents as a glue
    11. Second-generation stamping
    12. Over-stamping
    13. Layered masking with Paint Dabbers or acrylic paint
    14. Stamping with Paint Dabbers or acrylic paint
    15. Resisting with clear embossing
    16. Paint Dabber or acrylic paint resist
    17. Making your own embellies with Distress Crackle Paint
    18. Making a Paint Dabber or acrylic paint background
    19. Stamping on paint with a permanent/solvent ink
    20. Adding doodles/borders with dimensional paint
    21. Using multiple stamps at the same time/on the same block
    22. Painting a stamped image with Distress Crackle Paint
    23. Tracing a stamped image with dimensional paint
    24. Faux stitching
    25. Making a rainbow background using alcohol inks

      Have fun!

      { 5 comments }

      Alcohol Inks and Alcohol Ink backgrounds on Glossy Paper

      Hi there! I am revisiting Jennifer McGuire’s free 9-week class at Two Peas in a Bucket called Thinking Inking.

      This week I will be revisiting Week 5 of Jennifer’s videos, about Ranger alcohol inks, which come in 48 translucent colors and 4 metallic mixatives. You will probably also need the alcohol ink applicator and felt, a bottle of blending solution, and a non-stick craft sheet to protect your work surface. Plus some glossy cardstock, acetate, or another non-porous surface to color with the inks.

      Techniques in each Thinking Inking video

      Each week in Thinking Inking, Jennifer shares at least 3 videos – but this week there are FOUR jam-packed full of techniques. I re-watched the videos and made notes for Week 5 about how Jennifer used alcohol inks.

      Here is a list of at least 36 ways to use alcohol inks, plus other techniques:

      Week 5 – Part 1: Basic Backgrounds

      Part 1

      1. The stuff: applicator & felt, glossy paper, blending solution, craft sheet
      2. Applying alcohol ink to felt applicator
      3. Dabbed alcohol ink background on glossy paper
      4. Adding blending solution to lighten
      5. Cleaning up with blending solution or Hero Arts Ultra Clean
      6. Dabbing with alcohol ink and blending solution combined
      7. Marbled look with metallic mixatives
      8. Stamping with permanent ink (Ranger Archival or Staz-on)
      9. Lining up stamps on a background

      Part 2

      10. Striped alcohol ink background on glossy paper
      11. Stamping with permanent ink (revisited)
      12. Stripes with alcohol ink and blending solution combined
      13. Rainbow striped background
      14. Bring dried alcohol ink felt back to life with blending solution
      15. Swirling alcohol ink onto glossy paper
      16. Dramatic background with metallic mixatives and blending solution
      17. Swipe a background clean with blending solution & start over
      18. Dropped alcohol ink background on glossy paper
      19. Punched shapes or die cuts from alcohol ink background

      Week 5 – Part 2: Alcohol Ink on Clear Products

      20. Alcohol ink on Memory Glass on one or both sides
      21. Striped background on acetate
      22. Alcohol ink on Fragments by Tim Holtz
      23. Dropping ink directly on clear product
      24. Stamp on the uninked side
      25. Mount clear products over white or text
      26. Pearl mixative on back of Fragment, stamp on front
      27. Copper mixative on back of clear buttons
      28. Applying multiple colors on clear product
      29. Rainbow on clear product
      30. Kissing stamp with Ranger Archival ink & wipe to remove ink (resist)
      31. Glue white paper to the back with Glossy Accents
      32. Clean off clear pieces with blending solution or Hero Arts Ultra Clean
      33. Alcohol inks on transparency or acetate
      34. Alcohol ink on dry embossed acetate
      35. Rub-on resist, then flip over
      36. Stamp on uninked side (revisited)
      37. Stamp on uninked side and heat emboss
      38. Add details with black permanent pen

      Week 5 – Part 3: Alcohol Ink Embellishments

      39. Alcohol ink over Basic Grey rub-ons and baby wipes
      40. Alcohol ink over Basic Grey rub-ons and blending solution
      41. Metallic mixatives on white buttons
      42. Alcohol ink on paper flowers
      43. Combining colors and metallic inks on paper flowers
      44. Folding paper flowers
      45. Alcohol inks on pearls and gemstones
      46. Alcohol inks in plastic bags

      REVIEW: If you haven’t tried Ranger Archival ink, I would suggest you give it a try. It is my “go to” black ink – the black ink I use all the time. In fact, it stays out on my desk and never gets put away! I also like it because it is waterproof. So, I can stamp with black ink on watercolor paper and color with Distress Inks, watercolors, or markers and the black ink won’t run.

      Have you tried alcohol inks?

      I have made alcohol ink backgrounds and I’ve customized the look of embellishments using alcohol inks. But I’m glad I watched these videos again. There are so many different ways to use alcohol inks!

      If you haven’t looked at alcohol inks recently, you might like to know that there are new lights and brights colors – some of which Jennifer used in her videos. Or, you might like to see Tim Holtz’ basic video about using alcohol inks or Tim Holtz’ alcohol ink splatter video that also talks about the new ink colors.

      What about you? Have you tried alcohol inks? What is your favorite technique?

      Thanks for stopping by!

      What would you like to know about alcohol inks?

      { 4 comments }

      Tags painted with Distress Crackle Paint

      (Click here to see a larger version.)

      Hello! Today I’d like to share how to paint a stamped image with Distress Crackle Paint, as I did in the tags shown above.

      On Wednesday, I showed a pair of brightly colored tags that I made using Distress Crackle Paint. So, this time I thought I would go for a softer, monotone look instead.

      How I made my tags

      To make these tags, I started by cutting some kraft paper to just a bit larger than 4 3/4″ x 2 3/8″, which are the dimensions of my manila shipping tag from Avery Dennison. I wanted to be sure the kraft paper would fully cover the tag, so I made it just a bit larger and then I trimmed the excess at the end.

      Technique 1: Multiple stamps at the same time

      Next, I got out some stamps from two clear sets by Hero Arts: CL318 Galaxy of Stars and CL288 Scallop Borders. I set a tag on my work surface and arranged some of these stamps on top of the tag until I liked their arrangement. I made sure that the stamping side was down for each image.

      Then, I used one large stamp mount to hold all of the stamps at the same time. I simply pressed it down on top of my arrangement, and then lifted it up – and all the stamps were perfectly placed on my block, ready for inking!

      Multiple stamps at the same time

      Multiple stamps at the same time

      Once all the stamps were on the same stamp mount, I set the tag aside and got out a piece of scrap paper. I put my tag-sized piece of kraft paper on the scrap paper. I used VersaFine Vintage Sepia pigment ink and inked up all of the stamps on the mount, then stamped them all at the same time onto the kraft paper.

      This technique is especially handy if you are going to be combining a lot of stamps using the same ink. And if you are making multiples, as I was. Or if you want to arrange a whole scene and want to play with the arrangement.

      Technique 2: Painting a stamped image

      Once the pigment ink was completely dry, I got out my Distress Crackle Paint in Picket Fence (white). I used a small paintbrush to paint the Distress Crackle Paint in the center of the large focal star. Then I set it aside to let it air dry completely.

      I love the finished look of the star. I think it crackled in a way that reminds me of the veins in a leaf. It is so delicate. I love how the cracks radiate from the star’s spines.

      A rule of thumb to remember is that the thicker the coat of crackle paint, the bigger the crackles. When I painted the star, I used a thick coat, especially towards the centers of the spines and the center of the star.

      Close-up of tag Painted with Distress Crackle Paint

      Close-up of tag Painted with Distress Crackle Paint

      Distress Crackle Paint is a very thick paint. When you are painting in a stamped image, you are likely to go outside the lines in a couple of places. If the paint and background are similar in color, it isn’t very noticeable and your eye will automatically correct it. Or, you can use a permanent marker to draw back in the edges of the stamped lines as Jennifer McGuire did in her videos.

      However, in this case, the paint and background are high contrast. You would definitely see where the white had gone over the lines. So, I came up with a different way to make it have finished edges.

      Technique 3: Adding a border with dimensional paint

      Dimensional Pearls are a special formula of acrylic paint designed to dry so it is raised, hence the name “dimensional”. They can give your project some nice texture. And they have a shiny appearance, even when they are dry.

      I decided to use Dimensional Pearls in Terra Cotta – a nice coppery color – to create a border around the star to finish it. They come in a convenient applicator bottle. All you have to do is squeeze to get the paint flowing. As you squeeze, the bottle will first release most of the air in the bottle, then the paint will flow. When you let go, the bottle will “burp” and suck in more air. Be aware of this as you use the applicator.

      The star shape worked well with the applicator, because I could start at the inside of a star-point and work towards the tip of the star-point, let the bottle burp, and then repeat. I had to be careful when joining with a previous line at the inside of the star-point, so that I didn’t blow a hole in the paint already there, when starting the next line of paint. And, as I released the paint at the end of a star-point, I let the paint naturally taper and overlap into a point.

      When I was finished outlining the star, I set it aside to allow it to dry thoroughly. Once it was dry, I removed the twine from a manila tag. Then I adhered the kraft paper to the manila tag base. I used a regular paper punch to punch the hole at the top of the tag, lining it up with the hole in the tag base. Then I trimmed the edges of the kraft paper to be even with the manila tag base.

      Technique 4: Faux stitching

      Next, I added some faux stitching and other details using a Uniball opaque white pen. I’ve tried several white pens, and the Uniball is my favorite by far. I used this pen to create faux stitching around one of the stars and along the scallops at the bottom of the tag. I also filled in dots for one of the scallops and added dots around another star.

      I used a Sakura Stardust clear glitter gel pen along the middle scallop at the bottom of the tag. This adds just a bit of shine.

      Technique 5: Dying twine to match

      While the glitter gel was drying, I set the tag aside. I got out my non-stick craft sheet, blending tool and foam, and some Tea Dye Distress Ink. I placed the twine from the tag on top of the non-stick craft sheet. I inked up the foam and rubbed it repeatedly over the twine to dye it to match the project.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      { 3 comments }

      Tags with Distress Crackle embellishments

      (Click here to see a larger version.)

      Hello! Today I’d like to share two sets of tags with embellishments that I made using Distress Crackle Paints.

      How I made my tags

      To make the tags shown above, I started with an empty cracker box (Cheezits). I cut open the box and used it as chipboard. Using a pencil, I traced heart shapes onto the gray inside of the box. And, I stamped Stampers Anonymous K2-1061 wings in black into onto the gray inside of the box. Then, I carefully cut them out.

      Technique 1: Distress Crackle embellishments

      I took my recycled chipboard shapes and used repositionable adhesive to attach them to some craft sticks. Then I got out a small filbert paint brush and used Distress Crackle Paint to cover each piece of chipboard completely with paint. For the heart shapes, I used Broken China (aqua blue) Distress Crackle Paint and for the wings I used Brushed Pewter metallic Distress Crackle Paint. Then I set them all aside to dry thoroughly, at least overnight if not longer.

      Close-up of Distress Crackle embellishments

      Close-up of Distress Crackle embellishments

      I used a thinner coat of Distress Crackle Paint on the heart shapes and a thicker coat on the wings. Basically, the thicker the coat of crackle paint, the bigger the crackle.

      Technique 2: Dying twine to match

      Meanwhile, I got out some manila shipping tags with twine, my non-stick craft sheet, blending tool and foam, and Broken China Distress Ink. I removed the twine from the tag. Then I placed the twine on the craft sheet and applied the Broken China ink to the foam applicator. Then I rubbed the twine with the inked applicator to dye the twine.

      Technique 3: Painted backgrounds

      While the Distress Crackle embellishments were drying, I also painted the background on the tags. I used Apple Barrel craft paint in Bubble Gum pink. This brand of craft paint has a matte finish. I used a paint brush and applied a thin coat of acrylic paint over the entire tag.

      Technique 4: Stamping on paint

      Once the painted background was dry, I decided to stamp a flourish design on it. It is important to know that only certain kinds of stamping ink work well with acrylics. The best type to use with acrylics is a permanent ink, such as Staz-on.

      I selected Staz-on Cherry Pink and stamped a flourish from the Bella Brush clear stamp set from Fancy Pants Designs. I stamped it once at the bottom of the tag, then rotated the stamp and stamped again at the top of the tag.

      Technique 5: Adding border using dimensional paint

      Using a piece of scrap cardstock, I used Fiskars Scallop Sentiment (plain scallop) border punch to punch a border. Then I used a pencil to trace that border along the bottom of the tag.

      I got out a bottle of Dimensional Pearls in Stream (turquoise). Dimensional pearls are specially formulated to dry so they are raised, hence the name “dimensional”. They can be used to create texture. The paint also has a shiny appearance, even when dry.

      I traced the pencil line, using the Dimensional Pearls, to create a border along the bottom of the tag. Then I set it aside to dry thoroughly.

      Close-up of Dimensional Pearls border

      Close-up of Dimensional Pearls border

      Finishing the tags

      When the Distress Crackle Paint embellishments and the Dimensional Pearl border on the tag were completely dry, I assembled the final tag. I tied the twine into a bow at the top of the tag. Then I used Glossy Accents as a glue, to adhere the Distress Crackle chipboard pieces to the tag.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      { 7 comments }

      15 ways to use Distress Crackle Paint

      August 23, 2010
      Tags painted with Distress Crackle Paint thumbnail

      (Click here to see a larger version.)
      Hi there! I am revisiting Jennifer McGuire’s free 9-week class at Two Peas in a Bucket called Thinking Inking.
      This week I will be revisiting Week 4 of Jennifer’s videos, about Ranger Distress Crackle Paints, which come in regular and metallic colors. Distress Crackle Paints are a special formula of [...]

      Read the full article →

      August’s Challenge Winner!

      August 20, 2010

      Hi there! As you may recall, August’s challenge was Distress Inks!
      The challenge started on August 2nd and ran through August 16th. The challenge was to create a new project using Distress Inks.
      The randomly-selected winner will receive a clear stamp set from Jillibean Soup called JBC7705 Butterflies.
      I selected a random winner
      from all qualified entries

      And the winner [...]

      Read the full article →

      Secrets of Professional Bloggers: 31DBBB

      August 19, 2010
      31 Days to Build a Better Blog eBook Thumbnail

      Hello! Today I’d like to tell you about an e-book that I recently purchased, called 31 Days to Build a Better Blog (affiliate link) by Darren Rowse. Darren is the highly-respected, well-known author of ProBlogger – a blog about being the best blogger you can be!
      (Note: non-affliliate links at the bottom of this post.)
      31DBBB Basics
      I [...]

      Read the full article →

      2nd Blogoversary Giveaway Winner!

      August 18, 2010
      Card thumbnail

      (Click here to view a larger version.)
      Hello! Today I’m announcing the winner of my 2nd Blogoversary Giveaway!
      Back on July 21st, I announced my 2nd Blogoversary, thanked all of you – my readers – for your continued support, and shared a slideshow reviewing the past year. I also shared the favorite post among my readers in [...]

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      Read the full article →