Exploring alcohol inks with Joan

Hi Crafters

Today I'd like to share some information on using Alcohol Inks.

My alcohol inks sat unused on a shelf because I thought you could only use them on non-porous surfaces.  But what if ... you used them on a porous surface?  What if  you used them on watercolor paper?  Guess what ... it works!  Mixing alcohol inks with water creates a vibrant marbled effect and the possibilities are only limited by what you are willing to try.

What you will need:

plastic container

warm water

alcohol inks

watercolor paper

paper towels

latex gloves

1) fill your plastic container half full with warm water

 2) place a few drops of alcohol ink of various colors in the water

 3) dip the watercolor paper in the water

* I wear latex gloves to prevent the ink from staining my fingers

 4) shake off excess water and place on a paper towel to try naturally

* Use bright hues of inks for more vivid colors on your paper

* Don't be afraid to be liberal with the alcohol ink  

* Experiment with different colors

Zipper flower tutorial with Joan

Joan here today.

Most crafters have a stash of supplies.  
I'm no exception and found some metal zippers in my stash form back in the day when I did a lot of sewing.  This stash of zippers inspired me to try my hand at making a zipper flower. 

For this gathered flower I used a 14" piece of zipper.  I removed the end with the metal tab and separated the zipper into two parts.  I used my sewing machine and made a gathering stitch the length of the zipper.  (You could also do this by hand stitching.)

Once the stitching was completed I pulled the thread and gathered the whole

length of the zipper tape at once.

I trimmed and folded one end of the zipper tape and used a hot glue gun to secure it.

The next step you will have to "fiddle" with.  But basically if you keep the zipper teeth up and the gathered tape down, the flower will wind itself into position.

I also placed some glue on the back side of the flower to secure it. 
(You could also tack the end down with a few hand stitches.) 
I placed a small flower from my stash in the center.
(You could also use a button or gem for the center.)

Now I have to decide if I'm using this flower on a card or a layout?

Altered paint brush with Joan

Joan here today and  I have discovered the art of altering paint brushes ... my new favorite thing to alter!

For this altered brush I started out with a 4" (new) paint brush from Lowe's.

 I covered the brush handle and bristles with a couple light coats of white Gesso.

 Next I gathered my supplies from my stash of things I thought I might use.

 Then I painted the handle and metal band with several layers of paint.

I coated the wood handle with a light coat of Mod  Podge and added the tissue paper to the handle.

My favorite part was adding the embellishments.  For me it's a process of finding balance, proportion, variety and harmony.

Thanks for checking out my new favourite creation.

Joan (The Gov)

Easy card making tips with Joan

Joan here today.

I'd like to share two cards I made during my latest card making frenzy.  I found that my Cricut machine and my Gelli Printing Plate are a great combination when it comes to making cards. 

1) Apply several colors of acrylic paint to the Gelli Printing Plate

2)  Roll the paint into a thin layer using a brayer

 3)  Create a design by placing a stencil on top of the paint

 4) Place a sheet of paper onto the stencil and gently rub the paper with your hands to transfer the paint

5)  Pull the paper up to reveal your print

6)  Remove the stencil and follow steps 4 through 7 to make another print

* I thought if I was going to make two prints I might as well make a stack of them for future use.

 7) Die cut a variety of fall themed images

 8)  Emboss die cuts with an embossing machine if desired

 9) Cut cardstock for your card base and matting and cut your Gelli print to fit on top of you matting

10) Assemble cards using adhesive

Here are 4 tips to making multiple cards at once:

a) keep it simple 

b) use the same formula

c) add little details

d) use the same medium 

Thanks for visiting.

Happy Crafting.

Joan

Vintage Mail Box with love notes by Joan

Hi .... Joan here today. I have this vintage mailbox and when we lived at our old house it hung in the hallway at the top of the stairs.  I usually put a flower arrangement in it that changed with each season along with some type of little banner across it.  When we moved to the new house I found the perfect spot for it.  It hangs in our modern farm house bathroom right above the claw foot tub.  I thought it would be fun to use it as a mailbox, where my husband and I could leave each other love notes or words of encouragement.  If I do say so myself it has been one of my better ideas.  I love leaving him a weekly message of some kind and truly look forward to finding my messages from him.  When I received this card from Randy, I knew I wanted to use it on a canvas to capture the cuteness!

So that's the reason for creating this canvas and this is the process ...

1)  I painted the canvas with a light coat of white Gesso.

2)  Next I applied a coat of  Delta "Passion" Acrylic Paint.

3)  I then randomly applied Tim Holtz "Brushed Pewter" Distress Paint.

4) I used Mod Podge and applied some printed tissue paper to the canvas.

5)  For the next step I covered the entire canvas with a light coat of the white Gesso and then wiped it off with a baby wipe.

6)  I started randomly applying a variety of different mist and letting them run down the canvas (Heidi Swapp White Color Shine, Tim Holtz Hickory Smoke Distress Spray Stain, Tattered Angels Boardwalk Mist and Shimmerz Sapphire Spritz).

7)  Wanting to add some texture to the canvas, I tinted some Modeling Paste with Tattered Angels Pewter Paint.  I then haphazardly applied the paste to the canvas using a stencil.

8)  I adhered the front of the greeting card and the saying to the canvas with Mod Podge.  Adding the cluster of flowers completed the canvas.

[ I love seeing how many layers I can add and still have a canvas work for me.  When I'm done, I find it interesting to see what I have chosen to conceal and reveal.]

Watercolour technique with Joan

Joan here today sharing a "Watercolor Technique".

For this watercolor technique I started my using a wash of orange watercolor in the upper right hand corner and on the left side of the page.  I just used a set of Crayola watercolors, you know the kind you buy for kids.

I wanted to create some texture so while the watercolor was still wet I used a piece of plastic wrap and scrunched it on top of the watercolor areas.  This was the hard part.  First fighting with the plastic wrap and second letting it set while it dried completely.

This is the result of the plastic wrap over the watercolor.  I love the added texture.

Next I used a stencil and applied some Super Heavy Gesso randomly on the page.

I'm not very patient so I used a heat gun to speed up the drying time. 

For my creative process I went through my stash and pulled any items that I thought might work for this page.  Through the process of elimination I finally decide what papers and embellishments I was going to use.

After putting the page together I decided it was missing something so I found the perfect ink and did some stamping around the edges.

Not quite satisfied with the page I added some mist and gathered some flowers ... just in case.

Adding the flowers to this page was the finishing touch that it needed.

Thanks for visiting.

We hope you'll get a chance to play along with our challenge this month.

Joan