So much fun...

Hi everyone and thank you to those of you who left such positive feedback on my latest video. I have ideas for more but if you have any requests for techniques/products you'd like demo'd then let me know.

In between card orders and samples I've taken time out to play, no restrictions, no plans, no deadlines. This new Wendy Vecchi Archival Reinker watercolour effect has got me so excited as it's quick and unpredictable. Here's the latest card made by combining Cornflower Blue and Fern Green.

This design developed from where the ink ran to and that paler patch in the top corner. To make the most of it I stuck with the same colour Archival Inks for stamping and stencilling but then used a contrast colour, Red Geranium, for the sentiment and flower centres; this made them stand out.

I love it when you start to dry the inky mix and see the way the colours have reacted and bleached in different place.

After stamping the flowers I masked them off to add the background stamping and stencilled stripes. Rather fortuitously some left over altered red paper (from these skating boots) matched the ink colour perfectly so I stamped/fussy cut the central elements for the flowers. The smaller dots and flowers were added with a Distress Marker, as was the blue colour to the outer edges of the flowers and leaves.

 Matting and stencilling are the only parts adding any dimension to this design; the various inky layers add plenty of interest already, and of course it keeps the Royal Mail from charging extra for postage!

I'm hoping the fact that this card is essentially built on Archival Inks means it qualifies for the latest

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - 'A is for...'

and with that sentiment and the little heart centred leaves I'm also entering it into

The Artistic Stamper Creative Team challenge - 'Love is in the air'.

Tomorrow is the start of the second week over at Frilly and Funkie's latest challenge, 'The Warmth of Winter', and I hope you'll be able to join me to see how I warmed the hearts of a couple of rather special people. For now, take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

Colouring Embossing Paste

Hi everyone and thank you for your kind comments on my recent posts. They are always very much appreciated. As promised yesterday, I have just uploaded a NEW VIDEO HERE about colouring and using embossing paste in response to a couple of questions received recently. It will take you through the processes used for creating the background on this card;

I hope you find this useful and, if you haven't yet indulged in the joys of using/colouring embossing paste, you are encouraged to give it a whirl.

Have a great weekend and take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

Prima 6x6 Stencil - Flourish	Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Embossing Paste - White	Ranger Wendy Vecchi Archival Reinker - Cornflower Blue	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Faded Jeans	Sizzix Alterations Die - Mini Tattered Florals Movers and Shapers Die by Tim Holtz	Sizzix Alterations Decorative Strip Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers Die	Sizzix Alterations - Mini Tattered Leaves Movers & Shapers by Tim Holtz	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Mustard Seed	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Wild Honey
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Rusty Hinge	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Mowed Lawn	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Fired Brick	Cotton Crinoline	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Long Fasteners	Ranger Inkssentials Foil Tape Sheets 6x12"	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain - Brushed Corduroy	Ranger Embossing Powder - Silver	Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black
Ranger Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink - Watering Can	Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Simple Sayings

Archival Ink 'Watercolour' Backgrounds

Hi everyone. I just wanted to start this post by saying a big thank you to the team at Fashionable Stamping Challenges for including my Christmas Gift Cards in their Saturday Spotlight. It is always a huge honour to be publicly applauded by your peers, especially such a talented team as theirs.

Well, with the excitement and anticipation of all the new releases from CHA still fresh in our minds, I jumped on the new technique using Archival Reinkers shared by the uber-talented Wendy Vecchi. A video is now available at Paperclipping.com HERE. Wendy had been teasing us with her sneak peaks and a couple of journal pages showing some beautiful 'watercolour' backgrounds and now we know how she does it! I set to work as soon as a bottle of rubbing alcohol arrived in the post...

This is a mix of Potting Soil and Cornflower Blue Reinkers. When they mixed a little areas of a more charcoal colour appeared too.

Wendy is quite right when she says that when created, the background inspires the rest of the design. The bottom left hand corner was the perfect spot to add a stamped pile of cases.

I knew an altered metallic globe would work well with the emerging travel theme but it needed the stamped area extending, hence the reason for adding the German script from a Wendy Vecchi set.

I'm really enjoying adding stripes/lines and dots to projects to give the designs structure. In this case two stencils were used with more Archival Ink complimenting the base colours.

The lines are added using Archival Ink applied to the edge of a ruler. I also used a black fineliner pen to draw 'sketchy' lines around the edge over the Walnut Stain distressing.

The alcohol inked surface on the globe is made even more dramatic by applying/drying/rubbing away Black Soot Distress Paint to the metallic base.

Having matted the finished design onto contrasting card it needed more to help balance the sentiment, hence the addition of stencilled white paste.

There are a few more of these backgrounds already done and I'm just finishing them up before sharing them. In the meantime I will be posting a new video tomorrow all about colouring and using Wendy Vecchi's paste so I hope you will join me for that.

In the meantime I'm lucky that the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge has an 'Anything Goes' week which I will enter this in.

Thanks for joining me and until tomorrow, take care of yourselves. Jenny xxx

Ranger Wendy Vecchi Archival Reinker - Potting Soil	Ranger Wendy Vecchi Archival Reinker - Cornflower Blue	Ranger Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink - Cornflower Blue	Ranger Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink - Orange Blossom	Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Stencil - Dots & Stripes Borders	Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Layering Stencils - Honeycomb	Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Embossing Paste - White	$17.95 Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Time Travelers	Stampers Anonymous Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Stamps - Love to Make Art
Tim Holtz Vintage Fan & Globe Sizzix Alterations Movers and Shapers Dies	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Paint - Black Soot	Ranger Inkssentials Foil Tape Sheets 6x12"	Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Rust	Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Espresso	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Walnut Stain	Ranger Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink - Watering Can	Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Simple Sayings

Friday Focus at Frilly and Funkie

Hi everyone. It's my turn to host a Friday Focus over at the Frilly and Funkie challenge blog.

I'd love to see you over there!

Jenny xxx