3 Ways with Altenew's Layered Medallions

It's time for a new edition of "3 way's with", today I am focusing on the Layered Medallions cover dies from Altenew.

The reason I like these dies so much is because you can do so many things with them. Layering options, A plus B or B plus A. Then they can be used alone, (B alone or A alone). Then there's the option to uses the die cut as a stencil, again the 4 mentioned options work perfectly. Okay, enough ramblings for now, lets get into the project details.

I will be walking you through my 3 projects which today are, 2 cards and a gift tag.

My first card uses just one of the dies, I die cut if from some texture teal card and added it to a white card. I then placed a sentiment in the center of the card. I stamped using embossing ink and heat set with rose gold crisp embossing powder onto vellum.

My embellishment is minimal with just a few Nuvo drops from Tonic studios.

Next up is a layered card, Sticking with the teal and white theme I cut one of the dies in white and one in teal, I layered them onto a lighter teal card and added a few white Nuvo drops.

I then die

 cut a heart from White card, added some light teal ink and a sentiment.

My last project is a little gift tag, I decided it would be fun to use just a section of one of die cuts as a focal point. Here I have encased it between 2 die cut hearts, the front one is a heart aperture frame, created with 2 heart dies.

I added a sentiment using the Hope stamp and die set. I cut the hope die using my mini blossom die cutting machine.

Products used

Layered Medallions Cover die A 

Layered Medallions Cover die B

Hope stamp set

Hope die set

Hang in there die

Painted encouragement stamp set

Rose gold crisp embossing powder

Crisp embossing ink

Mini Blossom die cutting machine

Translucent vellum

***My links to Altenew products are affiliate links, this means that I get a small commission from Altenew for each purchase made, this does not cost you any more, however it helps me be able to create more content and share inspiration.  I truly appreciate any purchase made using my links.***

10 ways with Altenews' embossing paste

Good Morning crafters, today's post is a little different  than my normal 3 ways with post as I am sharing 10 ways to use Altenew's Embossing Paste.

I have been itching to get my crafty hands on this Embossing pate ever since Creativation. I have used embossing paste many many time before but as you know I am an Altenew addict, so need this in my crafty arsenal.

Heads up, this is going to be a big blog post but hopefully you'll bear with me and learn some new ways to use embossing paste.

1.Using it as a simple white embossing paste

So the most basic way to use embossing paste is straight up out of the tub.  Here I used it through a stencil and heat set it, You can leave it to dry naturally but heat setting lets the paste puff up a little which I like.

Colouring Your embossing paste

2.Mica powder

To achieve bright or light colours on dark surfaces adding mica powder to your embossing paste is a really cool option.  Remember all those little tubs you've got stashed away? Dig them out and get mixing them into your paste, I work on a glass mat and add a bit of paste and a sprinkle of powder and then mix. N.B you don't get the shimmer from your mica in this method.

3.Glitter

If you want sparkle, glitter is going to be your best friend. It not only adds sparkle but also gives a gritty effect to the paste.

4.Watercolor brush markers

Waterbrush markers can also be used to colour your paste, you wouldn't believe this is actually Altenew's Emerald water brush marker added to the paste, you can add as much or as little as you like. I like the softer look.

5.Alcohol Ink

Reach for the Alcohol inks or Alcohol reinkers you have and add a few drops to your paste, This is such a cool technique.

6.Spray Inks

Altenew's spray inks are one of my favourite products and adding them to the embossing paste is awesome. Unscrew the nozzle and add a few drops to the paste....

Using Embossing paste to adhere foil, embossing powder and gilding flakes

7.Gilding Flakes

Adding guilding flakes to your projects is a really fun thing to do, Here I adding embossing paste through a stencil and then gently put gilding flakes on top, once dry I used a soft paint brush to remove the ecess flakes.

8.Heat activated foil

Now this has to be one of the techniques I love the most.  Adding heat activated foil to dry embossing paste.  Let your embossing paste dry and then add your chosen foil on top, place between a folded piece of copier paper and run through a laminator.......Result is an awesome shiny raised pattern.

9.Embossing powder

How about adding embossing powder onto embossing paste? While wet sprinkle your chosen powder or pwders over the paste and then heat set with an embossing tool. 

Embossing paste as an undercoat to add bright colour onto black card

10.Undercoat

Lastly I stenciled onto black card with the embossing paste and left it to dry. I then placed the stencil back over the image and used Altenew's crisp inks to add colour, I used to do this with white pigment ink as a base coat but it ever seemed to dry fully and would smudge, thi sis now my go to method.

Phew, I told you it was going to be a big post. I hope I have given you some ideas and that you will look at embossing paste in a whole new way.

Thanks for joining me.

Paperbabe Stamps Challenge #93

It's time for a new challenge at Paperbabe Stamps. This time around it's a layout challenge

You can use the picture above any way you wish, rotate it, flip it, Just get creative.

I have created a card to help inspire you.

I started by creating some backgrounds to stamp the flower and leaves on. To do this I used Nuvo Mica Mists in Wild Olive and Fresh Pear for the leaves and Pecan Peach and Turkish Rose for the Flower.

Once dried I stamped the leaf and Rose onto the spritzed papers and fussy cut them.

Working on a 5x7 inch white card blank I stamped a chevron strip using the DesignA tweed stamp set, I used Nuvo's Dried Oregano hybrid ink. I used the Mica Mists to flick droplets onto the card for added interest.  

On a white tag I used some soft form relief paste mixed with Nuvo Storm Cloud Shimmer powder and Rose Gold pure sheen glitter through the Stripes stencil, I love the effect this gives. I added the tag to my card and adhered the Rose and Leaves.

My sentiment was stamped onto one of the papers I created and then torn to give a distressed look. Lastly I added a scribbled border with a black fine liner and some Dusty Rose Vintage drops.

Here's the links to the Paperbabe products used in my project.

DesignA tweed, Stripes Stencil, Rose layers and  Where your dreams take you stamp (currently out of stock)

For more awesome Paperbabe products please visit the Paperbabe Stamps Store. To join in with the challenge pop by the Paperbabe stamps blog where you will find all the details on how to link your project.

3 ways with Altenew's Hibiscus Garden die set

Happy May Day people. 

Today I am using the Hibiscus Garden 3D die set from Altenew in 3 ways.

This die set is huge and features some seriously tropical flowers and foliage. Altenew's 3D die set layer up to create 3D images but can be used in lots of other ways too, so lets dive in and see what I made.

3D Embellishments

I guess this is the most obvious use of the dies, using them as they were intended.  I used Altenew's watercolor brush markers to add detail to watercolor card and die cut my flowers and leaves.

Very simple but so effective, as there was so much detail in the flowers I opted for a simple background using the Dotted scales cover die. My sentiment is form the Leaf canopy stamp set, I added a little bit of golden edge washi for added luxury.

Backgrounds

This has to be one of my favourite ways to use dies, taking elements to create backgrounds.  Working on wet watercolor paper I dropped in colour using the watercolor brush markers and spritzed with water.  I then sprinkle lots of sea salt over the wet background, this is where I would normally say leave it to dry naturally but I was in a hurry and used my drying tool and was so surprised that you still achieve cells where the salt sucks in the water.

I die cut several leaves and placed them onto a card allowing the to overhang the edges, I then turn the card over and cut back an overhanging pieces, this give a more natural look than placing the everything within the card to start with. I added a sentiment using the Wild ferns stamp set and white embossing powder.

Stamps for faux waterolour

OK, so this is one of those techniques where you never really know how it will look until you are done, something I find hard being OCD....

I started by cutting all the dies from craft foam, yes pink was the only colour I had lol, I then use a spray adhesive to mount them onto acrylic blocks.  At this point it's important to make sure that all piece are adhered the correct way round, I reversed mine.......

I then added color from the water brush markers directly onto the foam and spritzed lightly with water before stamping onto watercolor card.

I really love the look of those leaves, I couldn't achieve that with a brush if I tried.  I did the same with all the layers of the flowers. I used a heat tool between each stamping to make sure that the next color was going onto a dry surface to avoid over bleeding.

Lastly I added a sentiment using the Hang in there die and Kraft card.

I hope I've given you some ideas on how to stretch your craft stash and use your dies in new ways. Here are links to the products used in today's post

Hibiscus Garden 3D die set

Dotted Scales cover die

Hang in there die

Leaf Canopy stamp set

Wild ferns stamp set

Watercolor Brush markers - Wonderland

Watercolor Brush markers - Spring Garden

Crisp White embossing powder

Embossing Ink

Golden Edge washi tape

***My links to Altenew products are affiliate links, this means that I get a small commission from Altenew for each purchase made, this does not cost you any more, however it helps me be able to create more content and share inspiration.  I truly appreciate any purchase made using my links.***

Stepping out of my comfort zone with Altenew's Wallpaper Art stamp set.

Happy Fri-yay, it's a bank holiday weekend and it will be my birthday on Sunday so I'm feeling bright and happy.

Today I am sharing a card created with Altenew's Wallpaper art stamp set

I start by stamping the blooms and foliage using as Alcohol friendly ink pad.  I coloured the flowers with Altenew's artist markers.  I then used 2 shades of blue alcohol pen to colour the background. I outlines the floral images in the darker shade and then blended it out with a lighter shade.

I used 3 colours of spray ink to add splatters, I put a little on a glass mat and then use a fine brush to flick the ink so the splatters stay small.  Lastly I added a white heat embossed sentiment using the mini hello stamp set.

This card took me around an hour to complete as it's so different from any card I normally make but it was well worth the time and effort as I am very pleased with the outcome.

Here's the links to  products used

Wallpaper Art Stamp Set

Artist Markers set A

Artist Markers set B

Artist Markers set D

Ocean Waves Spray Ink

White Spray Ink

Cosmic Berry Spray Ink

Crisp white embossing powder

Embossing ink

Mini hello stamp

***My links to Altenew products are affiliate links, this means that I get a small commission from Altenew for each purchase made, this does not cost you any more, however it helps me be able to create more content and share inspiration.  I truly appreciate any purchase made using my links.***