Sunday 30 September 2012

Calendar challenge #1

Hi,

And welcome to our 2012 calendar challenges, which will run for the next 12 weeks.




Here's how it works:

- A new challenge will be posted every Sunday.
-Un nouveau challenge sera posté chaque dimanche
- You can make a complete calendar of 12 pages, 1 page for each month (equating to 1 page each week of the challenge) or you can make a different complete calendar each week using little calendar tabs like this one. Those make perfect xmas gifts.
-Vous pouvez faire un calendrier de 12 pages (un mois/page/challenge hebdomadaire) ou faire un calendrier différent chaque semaine en utilisant un petit calendrier comme celui-ci. C'est une super idée de cadeau pour Noel/Nouvel an.
- Everyone who enters a weekly challenge will receive a 15% discount on their next order on our online shop. Offer valid once/week/participant and for one week only (not valid in conjunction with another offer or on clearance items). If you post 3 entries in one day to catch up on previous challenges, you can only claim one discount code.
Tous les participant(e)s au challenge recevront un code de réduction de 15% sur leur prochaine commande sur notre site. Code valide une fois par participant/semaine et valide pour une semaine seulement (ce code n'est pas valide sur les articles soldés et ne peut pas être utilisé avec un autre code). Si vous postez 3 challenges d'un seul coup pour rattraper le retard des semaines précédente, vous ne pouvez obtenir qu'un seul code de réduction.
- Those who enter *all* 12 calendar challenges will be able to enter our grand finale draw in December (it will be a big prize ;))
- Pour ceux/celles qui participeront à tous les 12 challenges, il y aura un tirage au sort en décembre avec un super cadeau à gagner
- The little blue frog will accept your links during the whole Calendar season. So if you miss one week, you can post at a later date.
La petite grenouille bleue accepte les liens pendant toute la saison calendrier. Donc si vous ratez une semaine, vous pouvez rattaper plus tard.
- This challenge is open to all countries
-Challenge ouvert à tous les pays
- This is a challenge for calendars only
- Ce challenge est pour les calendriers uniquement

You can also make Art Journal 2013 calendar pages, as I had done in 2011 (see sample below to give you an idea). 
Pages submitted must be new pages made specifically for our challenge, not "recycled" pages from 2012 or before. Thank you.
Vous pouvez aussi faire des pages calendrier pour votre Art Journal 2013. 
Ces pages doivent êtres de nouvelles pages pour l'année à venir, faites pour notre challenge. Merci




So our first challenge this week is.... 
VELLUM

If you have followed our blog this week, you have seen a lot of different ways to use vellum. You can use one of our DT's techniques on your calendar or come up with something new.

Here's this week's samples again






How to enter  the challenge and claim your discount

1/  Once you have made and posted your calendar on your blog, click on the blue frog below to add your permalink (link to your calendar post please, not to your blog)
- If you don't have a blog, email me your sample making sure the picture's name is your full name and I will add it here
- You can enter a link from your Facebook gallery, but please make sure your picture is "public"
1/ Quand vous avez posté votre calendrier sur votre blog, cliquez sur la grenouille bleue ci-dessous pour y ajouter votre permalien (lien vers le billet du calendrier s'il vous plait, pas un lien général vers votre blog afin qu'il soit plus facile à trouver ;))
- si vous n'avez pas de blog, vous pouvez m'envoyer votre réa par email, et je le posterai ici. Le nom de la photo que vous m'envoyez doit être votre nom et prénom.
- vous pouvez mettre un lien provenant de votre galerie sur Facebook mais assurez vous que cette photo soit bien publique, merci.

2/ Email me and I will send you your 15% discount code ASAP.
(please note that this week, I will only answer your emails from Wednesday onwards, but I will make sure your code is valid for one week from the day I email it to you ;)
2/ Contactez-moi par email et je vous enverrai votre code de réduction dès que possible. 
(cette semaine, je ne répondrai aux emails qu'à partir de mercredi, mais je m'assurerai que votre code soit bien valide pour 7 jours à compter de ce jour ;))

I have tried to give you as many details as I could, but if you have any question, please ask in a comment below. I will answer in the comments too.
J'ai essayé de vous donner le plus de détails possible, mais si vous avez des questions, posez-les dans un commentaire ci-dessous. Je répondrai par un commentaire aussi.

Have fun !! 






Saturday 29 September 2012

Simply Saturday Vellum

Hi,
Another week has passed  and we hope that you have been inspired and you will use your vellum a bit more now... or give it a go if you have not tried to use it yet.
Today, Gay has made a couple of beautiful samples for you: candle holders (love those!!) and a lovely card.
Can't wait to read your thoughts about Gay's samples and about the vellum week in general.

I embossed the vellum and swiped over with Brilliance Moonlight White, when it was dry I stamped with Tim Holtz text stamp. 

The perfect adhesive to attach them is the Quicky Glue pen. I used my water spritzer to form the cylinder and adhered the vellum to itself with super sticky tape.
The embellishment is a Spell binders die cut out in Vellum and rubbed with Brilliance Cosmic Copper. 






The whole cylinder will be adhered to the candle lamp with a glue dot. 



My battery operated candle lamps are a little run down I think I need some new ones!

I used
Dreamweaver stencil, Damask
Brilliance inks in Cosmic Copper and Moonlight White
Spellbinders dies, Ironwork motifs
Tim Holtz Stamps French Marketplace

-----= = = = = ------

I die cut the flowers and the flourish and the petal shapes cut from the flowers I layered back onto the flowers to give them a little interest, black centres and a sentiment to finish. 
The glue pen just doesn't show through.



I used
Spellbinders Morocan Motifs and Nestabilities, Classic Circles Small.
Tim Holtz, Elegant flourishes
Sentiment by Crafty Secrets, Sweet Kids

= = = = = 


Our Special offer this week. 
As you saw yesterday, Isa'sArt is using the metal tools on her vellum 
(Pergamano style), so we are offering 10% off a couple of tool kits so you can have a go at this technique.
Use the code VELLUM10 at checkout
 


See you tomorrow for the first calendar challenge ;)



Friday 28 September 2012

Vellum week day 5 with Michelle

Hi, 
Ready for another calendar? 
Michelle has taken looots of pictures to show how she is making her calendar this year, and is using the vellum to make beautiful flowers. 
Would love to read what you think...


I first made the folder by cutting 2 mountboard pieces 12 x 23cm, 1 piece at 3 x 23cm and then used the pattern of the paper to create a flap to match the pattern. Magenta 12 X 12 paper: Energy, it's perfect for the design!
I then cut 12 pieces of white card 21 x 10cm and punch the holes in all the pieces ready for assembling into the calendar


I die cut flowers out of vellum (any 5 petal flower will do and then just cut a wiggly top making the flower smaller for each layer) and inked the vellum with Antique Linen distress ink and Tea dye making the centre of the flowers darker than the edges.

The beauty of vellum is that it is so easily shaped and sculptured into the shape you want and holds it's shape really well. Using a cuticle stick roll each petal in different directions using the heat of your fingers to 'set' the petal.

To check that they are looking ok, and to arrange the petals in the right place, just thread them onto a long pin and fiddle about till it looks like a rose. Whilst still held on the pin, pop a bit of glue in between each layer and hold until stuck.

 Next cut a piece of vellum 20.5 x 9.5cm and stamp the girl from the Secret Garden stamp set using brown StazOn.

To give her a little tint, colour her skin and her dress on the back of the vellum using Copics or Promarkers


Ink up the calender page and one of the white pieces of card using Old paper, antique linen, gathered twigs and use black soot to edge the sheets.
Stamp the tree from the set using black versafine and bleach out a few of the leaves.


 I added a little pergamano detail in the corners but that's not necessary if you havn't the patience, then mounted the vellum sheet over the stamped card. I mounted the calender sheet so that it peeped over the flap of the booklet.
 (paint the leaves with thin bleach)



And here's the finished cover and first page finished in the calender. The cover folds right over to make a stand so that it sits on my desk!


Materials
Spellbinders die Rose creation
Crafty Secrets: Garden girls
Versafine Onyx black

Our Special offer this week. 
As you saw yesterday, Isa'sArt is using the metal tools on her vellum 
(Pergamano style), so we are offering 10% off a couple of tool kits so you can have a go at this technique.
Use the code VELLUM10 at checkout
 


See you tomorrow







Thursday 27 September 2012

Vellum week day 4 with Isa'sArt

Hi, 
Pergamano techniques might be something familiar, but maybe some of you have never tried this before. Isa'sArt is using the metal tools to emboss her vellum whether it's with a stamped image or an embossing folder. 
New techniques for you? why not try them out? 


I cut a small piece of Vellum which I will use as embellishment. 
I stamped the heart with Versamagic ink, and I then used a metal tool to highlight part of the hearts. 
Work on either side of your vellum depending if you want an emboss or deboss effect. 
The vellum sold at the Craft Barn is thick enough for this kind of technique, but make sure you don't press too hard to start with.
I then use a pricking tool to make holes for the stitching


This time, I use an embossing folder to emboss the message letters


 The piece of vellum is then torn, inked and sanded


Here's the finished tag

Materials
Embossing folder: Clocks & Print Blocks Set
Crafty Individuals stamps CI-342
Aquamarker Golden brown, sepia
Americana acrylic paints: Milk Chocolate, Antique White, Burnt Sienna
Versamagic ink Jumbo java, Distress ink walnut


Our Special offer this week. 
Want to try Isa'sArt technique?
(Pergamano style), so we are offering 10% off a couple of tool kits so you can have a go at this technique.
Use the code VELLUM10 at checkout
 



See you tomorrow


Wednesday 26 September 2012

Vellum week: day 3 with Jane

Hi, 
Another calendar post today with Jane and this beautiful tag. Die-cut and embossed vellum is perfect for snowflakes. Add to this a lovely inky snowflake background and you have yourself a beautiful winter tag.


I thought vellum was just perfect for some snowflakes and as January now seems to be the month for a few flurries

So, take a large Ranger tag and emboss it with a snowflake mask. Add some Distress Ink


Vellum snowflakes were cut and added to the tag.

Together with the January calendar tab

Add some gems and ribbons to finish

The Crafters Workshop template - Flurries
Distress Ink - Chipped Sapphire
Marianne Design Creatables: Snowflake 1 and Snowflake 2

Our Special offer this week. 
You will see during this vellum week that Isa'sArt is using the metal tools on her vellum 
(Pergamano style), so we are offering 10% off a couple of tool kits so you can have a go at this technique.
Use the code VELLUM10 at checkout
 



See you tomorrow



Tuesday 25 September 2012

Vellum week: day 2 with Gio

Hello, 
Gio day today, with another calendar to inspire you. Beautiful subtle colours and some lovely flowers and background made with vellum, our product of the week. 
Let us know what you think... 



I stamped on a piece of vellum using the Katzelkraft unmounted rubber stamps - Art-Nouveau and Jet Black Archival Ink. I cut it and coloured it using several Distress inks with a detailer Zig BrusH2O Waterbrush.




To make the background I cut a piece of vellum to the right size then I embossed it using the Sizzix Textured Impressions Embossing Folders - Daisy Blast and Paisley Palooza Set. I brushed over it three different Dreamweaver metallic F/X: Kiwi, Glacier lake and Pink blush. 
Tip: to fix the metallic powder I sprayed a matte sealer.



I glued the stamped image to the background along with a flower made of scrap of vellum, two Vintaj Charms painted with the Victorian Gable Vintaj Patina kit and the month.



Materials:
Dreamweaver metallic F/X: Glacier lake, Pink blush, Kiwi
Katzelkraft unmounted rubber stamps - Art-Nouveau
Zig BrusH2O Waterbrush: Detailer
Sizzix Textured Impressions Embossing Folders - Daisy Blast and Paisley Palooza Set
Vintaj Charms and embellishments: 15X21mm Diamond Filigree
Vintaj Patina kit: Victorian Gable 



Our Special offer this week. 
You will see during this vellum week that Isa'sArt is using the metal tools on her vellum 
(Pergamano style), so we are offering 10% off a couple of tool kits so you can have a go at this technique.
Use the code VELLUM10 at checkout
 


See you tomorrow