Tutorial: Botanical Edging Technique

Hello Crafty Friends!  Kathy Jo here sharing an inky fun botanical edge technique that can be used on your next crafty project.  This technique was originally used on the project I created for the Quietfiire Designs blog hop:  

The blog hop project was a 12x12 mixed media page.  The project today is a 6x6 card with step by step photo instructions.  Several products were used to create this card, including the following Quietfire Design products:

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme stamp set

Illuminations 1 stamp set

Always Believe stamp

Instructions:

Cut a piece of mixed media paper and and draw an outline of the area in which you plan to use for your project.  (My area was slightly smaller than 6x6.)  For the outline, do not use a pencil or utensil that would bleed or smear after ink was applied.  Use washi tape to secure to a non-stick craft sheet.  

 Apply Broken China Distress ink to the center of the workable area leaving a small border (~1") left without ink.

Apply Mowed Lawn Distress Ink, as shown, to create a green border.

  Stamp plants around border using Bamboo Leaves Memento Ink.  Turn stamp while stamping to create a more natural looking border.  You may also stamp an image twice before re-inking to create depth to your border.  It is ok if the plants extend past your working area as you will trim your area to size when complete.

Use Olive Grove Memento Ink to stamp image from Illuminations stamp set. 

Heat or air dry project then spritz with a glimmer spray such as Art-C's glimmer spray. Dry.  (The glimmer spray was added to add a hint of "sunshine" to the scene.)

 Cut image to desired size.  Stamp sentiment using Jet Black Archival Ink.

 Apply Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress Ink along edges.  Dry.  (You will probably want to wash your hands after this step to ensure you do not smudge your image with inky fingers.)

 Mount onto Kraft paper (it was pre-cut to size with Distress Inks applied) and then onto tent fold black card base.

 Time to add some wee flowers.  Use Nuvo Crystal drops or Liquid Pearls to create the flowers.

Below is a close up of the "flowers". 

I love butterflies and always have a bag of butterflies cut and ready for projects.  Most of my butterflies are cut from Graphic 45 patterned papers. 

After the butterflies were mounted (using liquid adhesive), Stickles was applied to their wings. 

The card is now complete with a botanical frame, shimmery blues skies, beautiful butterflies and a gorgeous, uplifting sentiment.   

I do hope you enjoyed the tutorial and project.  Feel free to share your botanical edge project with Quietfire Design by leaving your link in the comments below or on Facebook...we would love to see it!

Thank you for stopping by!  Have a happy, crafty day.

Big hugs,

Kathy Jo

Quietfire Quick Fx Stencil Blog Hop- Sunshine & Puppies Mixed Media

Hello Crafty Friends and welcome to day 6 of the Quietfire Quick Fx Stencil Blog Hop!

Illuminations 1 Monogrammed Note Cards!

Good morning!  Sherry here today and I have a set of 4 monogrammed note cards to share with you.  I have found myself in need of blank cards recently, that I could scribble a quick note in, so I decided to make myself a few.



The cards are 4-1/4” square and use a cream card stock for the base.  This leaves the inside clean so that I have somewhere to write a quick note.  The designer paper used is Prima Stationer’s Desk.

The background from Illuminations 1 was stamped in Antique Linen on white card stock, then die cut/embossed with Spellbinders Classic Squares SM.   The initial “S” from Capital Letters, Double Stroke was stamped in cranberry pigment and then embossed with a polysparkle clear embossing powder.  The edges of the initial panel were sponged with Antique Linen.



A background layer for the initial was die cut/embossed from the Stationer’s Desk paper with Spellbinders Circles LG.    The edges of this panel were distressed and then sponged with Antique Linen.



The brown panel was die cut/embossed with Spellbinders Captivating Squares and then two square layers to fit inside were die cut/embossed from coordinating designer paper using Spellbinders Square LG.  These squares were but in half on the diagonal, the edges were distress, sponged with Antique Linen and then sewn to the brown layer.



All layer are raised with Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares.

That’s it for me today - - thanks for joining me!!








Project Supplies

Quietfire Design - Illuminations 1 - Set of 4 Stamps Quietfire Design - Capital letters, Double Stroke Prima Stationer's Desk, 6x6" Ranger Distress Inks at Quietfire Design Ranger Non-Stick Craft Sheet Ranger Heat-it Craft Tool Spellbinders at Quietfire Design Quietfire Design - 3D Foam Squares, BLACK (Scrapbook Adhesives)

InLinkz.com

eCut Chickadee - Sing As If - HB

It's Yogi here and my turn again BIG GRIN. I love the "Chickadee" and that word "Sing" eCut files, and the new Illuminations set, so couldn't resist using them. I'm also using my newest stencil from Memory Box. I had mentioned to my friend when I was buying it that I knew I was going to curse, but bought it anyway... and I was right. All the loose protrusions just want to catch on my sponge... So I decided to give it a light spray of Krylon Easy Tac - YES!!! So here are all the directions for this card.

Side folded my white cardstock (5"w x 7"h). Used a Memory Box stencil ("Brilliant") and lightly sprayed the back of it with Krylon Easy Tac, then carefully sponged Distress colors (Mustard Seed, Dried Marmalade & Worn Lipstick). Used a piece of scrap cardstock as a mask and sponged some of the orange around the edges.

I eCut the chickadee (it's 4"w) and then eCut it again as a blackout. The blackout I colored yellow and the cut out I colored with a black Zig Writer marker, then applied Versamark and clear embossed. Adhered the two elements together. Adhered to card.

Colored a piece of 90# watercolor paper on both sides using Dylusions dye ink sprays (Sunshine Yellow, Pomegranate Seed & Cherry Pie) and lots of water. Tilted the paper to merge and blend colors, then dried with a heat gun. Die cut with Die-Namics "Mini Royal Rose" die set. Used a bead making tool to coil the flower, then let it expand and glued it down. When the glue dried I adhered it to the card.

eCut the word sing, then again as a shadow. The top layer I sponged with the Distress pads, then with the Versamark pad and embossed with Sticky embossing powder, sprinkled with Distress "Star Dust" glitter and heat set again. The shadow layer I colored with the black marker, then adhered the two elements together and onto the card.

Stamped the rest of the "Sing" quote with Versafine Black Onyx.

Stamped the "Happy Birthday" (10 tiny stamp set) with the black and cut it out like a speech bubble, sponged a bit of Distress around the edges and used a colored pencil to outline it, then adhered to card.

On the inside I stamped the "Illumination" border, then the Italic capital "D" then the rest of the word all using Versafine Black Onyx and clear embossing. Used colored pencils (red & a yellow) and a Lyra Splendor Blender to decorate the letters. Wrote in the rest of the saying with a Zig Writer.

Used the scarp cardstock and the sponge to color the edges.

Click on either image to enlarge. Enjoy.

HOPE- LIFE JOURNEY WORDS- CARD

Hi Everyone! It's Holly here today, with a fairly Clean & Simple card for you.

I began by masking the center panel and stamping along both sides of it. I used a two inch wide strip, and repositionable tape to hold it in place while I stamped.

 

From the HOME-CONGRATULATIONS stamp set, I cut the foliage away from the house, and used it, with a variety of green DISTRESS INKS. I sponged more ink close against the edge of the mask, then removed the mask from the card.

I drew black lines along the edge of the stamping, then stamped the center panel.

 

I stamped the barberry bush image from ILLUMINATIONS 1 with Peeled Paint Distress Ink, then over-stamped the image with the small BUTTERFLY, using Jet Black ARCHIVAL INK. With the same ink, I stamped HOPE from the LIFE JOURNEY WORDS stamp set. I added a little bling from my stash and called it done.

 

 

Thank you so much for stopping by today!

 

 

 

Tuesday Winsday - Illuminations!

This week's Tuesday Winsday giveaway is the brand new stamp set "Illuminations".
Follow the Rafflecopter instructions for your chance to win.  Every option you complete gives another chance to win!  Good luck!






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Illuminations "Joy" Christmas card

Hello!  Kathy Jo here to share a Christmas card using the new Quietfire Illuminations stamp set.  Yes, you read that correct...a Christmas card.  It is barely spring and I am thinking of Christmas cards!  Well, there is a reason for thinking of the season: one of my New Year's resolutions was to make at least one Christmas card a month to avoid the rush closer to the holidays.  The Illuminations set helped to make a quick card for this month's holiday stash.

I stamped the Illuminations background onto ivory card stock using Versamark and then heat embossed using gold detail embossing powder.  Next I stamped the letters J, O and Y from Quietfire Designs Capital Letters set in red and heat embossed.  Spellbinders Classic Squares was used to die cut the images.  Red paper was die cut from Spellbinders Labels Fifteen.  The die cuts were stacked on wood grain paper and an ivory ribbon was adhered as shown.  The bow had a single red metal button applied.  Definitely a quick and easy card!

I played around with some other colors using the Illuminations background and the Capital stamps.  The gold with red really seemed to work well with the wood grain which is why I chose that combination for this card.  I also tried a light gray background with red letters (very classy and clean looking with some pop) and Tim Holtz' Antique Linen on the background with dark brown letters (which will look fantastic on vintage card).  I will share those cards when they are finished.  Hopefully the Illumination cards will inspire you to get a head start on your stash, too!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a happy, crafty day!

New Stamps Release: Illuminations 1

We have new stamps!

Illuminations have been on my to-do list for a few years.  I kept stalling because traditionally letter decoration is done uniquely for each letter.  So I had to stop thinking like a calligrapher and do something that would work for every letter of the alphabet.


What is an illuminated letter?  In the most strict sense, it is a letter gilded with gold leaf, but the term now encompasses any decorated letter.  Here are a few historical examples. I won't start into the historical lecture! I can see you nodding off already....

Our Illuminations 1 consists of four different decorations designed to compliment the Quietfire Capital Double Stroke Letters.  We go from traditional, semi-traditional, floral and contemporary funky.



The first of our set is similar to a 16th Century design found in an illuminated manuscript.  Robyn will posting very soon sharing how she's used that.
 
The intertwined vines are a William Morris-type design.

The floral is the Barberry from our front yard!  I adore the graceful drape of the branches (it looks lovely, but it's a lethal plant with really sharp spines).

The last design is reminiscent of designs by calligrapher Sherry Kiesel and may be used as a standard square shape or rotated to be used as a diamond.  Don't worry if the letters stretch outside the box - literally!  Create to your hearts content!

We hope you enjoy Illuminations for whatever projects you are working on.  We look forward to seeing what you do with them!  Watch over the next few weeks as the Design Team weaves their magic with our new stamps.
Happy creating! Suzanne