Just another manic Monday

Don't know why I titled this as manic Monday as I have had quite a lazy day actually. Got the laundry finished and then as I wasn't very fit for stamping I have spent the day making some embellishments with my Tag-a-long and dies. I've made funky cars, tools and graduation caps and diplomas today using up some offcuts of DCWV textured card. They look fab so I'll make those up into cards this week.

I left the Castaway stamping because I had an e mail from a friend who keeps a careful cyber eye on me. She had read yesterdays post about me not feeling 100% and decided to remind me of what I tell the ladies in the classes I teach............if you are not happy with what you have done, don't throw it away immediately. Put it away, take it out again in a few days and look at it with fresh eyes. So I took her advice.............thanks hun.......that made me giggle and I feel much better for it.

I couldn't go another day without some cards to share so I have got together a small selection that I have done using the Floorwax technique........one of my favourites as the look on peoples faces when you tell them what it is made with is just priceless.

The first card is done with an Anita's stamp and I have used lovely metallic acrylic paints in blue, pink and green. The background is handmade metallic crinkle paper. So easy to make.

Take a piece of paper cut from a brown envelope and screw it up as tightly as you can to make lots of tiny creases in it.

Unscrew the paper and flatten it out but don't iron it.

Now apply Versamark ink all over the paper. Push the pad down firmly to make sure the ink hits all areas.

Cover with silver embossing powder, shake off the excess, then heat with your heat gun.......et voila........a piece of scrummy crinkley paper.

I usually make a piece just the size I need for a project as the edges look nicely finished off.

Floorwax Technique Instructions

Materials needed-:
Stamp of your choice
Stazon Ink Pad
Sheet of Acetate
Metallic Acrylic Paints
Johnson's Klear Floorwax
Stiff tissue paper as used for gift wrapping.....not household tissue such as kitchen or loo roll
An old or cheap craft paintbrush
*Cover your work area if possible with plastic rather than paper*
**Pour some floorwax into an empty screwtop jar for ease of use**
To begin with make sure that your acetate is larger than your stamp image by at least one inch all the way round.
Stamp the image onto the acetate using the Stazon ink pad and allow to dry for a couple or so minutes.
Turn the acetate over and working on the back of the image add a small puddle of floorwax followed by a few drops of each colour of your acrylic paint and gently swirl the colours together with the brush. Do not overwork it as you will end up with a muddy mess.
Make sure you take the floorwax and colour well beyond the edges of your stamped image.
Next crumple up a piece of tissue paper large enough to cover the back of your work and then lay it over the floorwax/paint mix and press it down gently.
Paint the back of the tissue with another layer of floorwax.
If you use a fairly thick acetate one layer of tissue is enough but for thinner acetate you can add another layer and then finish off again with floorwax.
Now leave on one side to dry or if you are impatient dry thoroughly with a hairdryer.....this will take some time.
Once dry you can trim and mount as desired.
***It is not neccessary to use an image within a frame. Mine are within frames for ease of cutting out and layering in workshops***

This second card is made with the large stamp from a set by Rubbadubbadoo. I love this stamp for use on graduation cards or leaving school cards. I even used it once on a special order for a card for someone who had just got divorced.........lol!!!
I've used metallic blue and pearl white paints for this one.
The seagulls are cut with a Sizzix Sizzlit die.




This final card is stamps from yet another Rubbadubbadoo set and I love this for mens cards and the inspiration for this particular card design came from an etched copper picture that used to hang at home when I was a child.
I've used copper and gold paints and the finished pieces have been mounted onto layers of Stardream card which has a lovely sparkle to it.

I have decided to add a Techniques section to the blog where I will post all the techniques used in posted cards. Hopefully this will save you trawling through everything to find what you want and it will save me having to type out the technique every time I use it.

I'll be starting it tomorrow and will add the floorwax technique first.

Well I had best go and catch some more sleep as I am at the shop tomorrow. It's not my class so I will just be till chick and the customers won't want to see me doing my impression of a wretched hag.......lol!!!

Night night

Sheila

-x-