Monday, January 19, 2015

QUIRKY VALENTINES for February

So February being just around the corner and Valentines Day being the big event for the month and all, I created a set of 6 quirky valentines cards focusing on 4 elements - Metal, Stamping, Die-cuts and Embossing. Here is a quick overall snapshot of all. 


Feb Quirk ed



Now I am going to show you each of the cards all up close and personal and write a little description of how I included the stamps, metal, die-cuts and embossing powder in these quirky little Valentines Cards.


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METAL: Brads and  Lab tubes. To make the bottles look like a lab set, I shaped black craft wire into a system of lab tubes and raised the bottles/beakers on foam tape.
DIE CUTS / EMBOSSING POWDER: Tim Holtz Apothecary Bottles die-cut out of Ranger Shrink Plastic, Heat-Shrunk and dipped in melted UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel). Provocraft Books and Apple Die



STAMPS:  Santoro Gorjuss New Heights Stamp (I drew in a different face though).I shadow stamped the blue-printy image from the Tim Holtz Steampunk Collection so that I had faint formula-esque background.























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METAL: Junkyard Findings Jeans Plate and Metal Brads
DIE-CUT: Tim Holtz Fanciful Flight (Bottom wing)
EMBOSSING POWDER:  I mixed a bit of iridescent glitter into some UTEE that I ground up finer in an old coffee Grinder and made sparkly embossing powder.  I coated the wings in that and het set. 
STAMPING:  Wood grain stamp from Heidi Swapp, Cartographer from (Prima??), various other Map stamps.

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METAL:  I made some metal embellishments by twisting thick gauge wire into shapes and hammering it flat (cos I’m wild like that!).  I made all the grungy scratches with ridged flat-pliers.
DIE-CUTS:  the “Wild Thang” sentiment was cut from the Tim Holtz Chip Block Strip-Die, the little heart die-cuts were from the Sizzix Movers and Shapers.
EMBOSSING POWDER:  the background is actually an embossing folder from the Provocraft line which I inked up with a pigment based dye-pad (CHISWICK), I then ran that through the Cuttlebug and then coated it in Ranger Fine Embossing powder so that it stuck to the inked debossed bits and heat-set.  I also stamped the border of the card with one of the branches and fossil leaves stamp set  from  Inkadinkado. I stamped the teeny hearts with a music score stamp that I got ages ago and dont know who makes it.


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METAL:  Pen Nib Tim Holtz Alterations
DIE-CUT: Tiny Heart Sizzix Movers & Shapers, Bottles (not technically a die-cut as much as it was a fussy-cut.
EMBOSSING POWDER: I used a Ranger Embossing pen to selectively mark and fill-in the areas that I wanted to be all glossy and glass-like on the bottles, I then coated that in UTEE ( I LOVE UTEE), the bottles started to look glass-like after about 3 coats of UTEE.  You have to do this on low heat though to get it to look glassy but without it bubbling and burning.
STAMPING:  the “letters” are all stamped in various background text stamps.  The Bottles were all stamps as well.





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METAL:  I shaped pink craft wire into the Love Sentiment. Metal Brad on the banner.
DIE-CUT:  the hot-air Balloons are cut from X-CUT Build-a-scene Hot Air Balloons and the teeny balloons are actually ornament dies from provocraft.
EMBOSSING POWDER: I made some homemade pearly coloured embossing powders by mixing in crushed eyeshadow (YUP, that’s right eyeshadow!!!) into UTEE. I used an embossing pen from Ranger to fill in the sections of the balloon and used the homemade Pearly EP to add colour to the little balloon.  I stamped the background card with the swirl set from Chiswick and used clear EP to create a tone-on-tone effect.
STAMPING: I first stamped the “sky” background with the swirl from Chiswick in watermark ink on stamping paper. It created a nice resist.  I then stamped all over that with  the Hot-Air Balloon stamp (from Inkadinkado I think, the set with the blimp etc).  I added more blue tones to the sky with distress ink in Broken China, Milled Lavender and Tumbled Glass.  The Swirl on the background card that I mentioned above is stamped in Clear Embossing Ink.

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METAL:  Brads DIE-CUT:  Ornate Label 2-die-for, the “hide” die is a self-design and cut with my plotter.
EMBOSSING POWDER:  I covered the entire hide in embossing ink using the Ranger Emboss It Dauber.  I coated it in Fine Clear Embossing Powder and then did an Iron-off technique to take the glossiness down a tad. I made the hide look like leather this way
STAMPING:  I stamped the heart in a zebra pattern (cant really see it behind the jute bow there in this picture). I did the ol’ ink up your embossing folder stamping trick again to create the black and white zebra pattern.  I also stamped random leaf, twig and and map designs on the background card.



8 comments:

  1. Love your quirky Valentines, Candice! The balloon card is my favourite.
    Hug from Synnøve

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  2. They are so quirky and so fun too, I love them all but the Tim inspired one with the pen nib is my favourite - I think! Anne xx

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  3. Absolutely LOVE each and every one of your quirky Valentine's cards, Candice!! Each one unique in its design and vibe!! Love Them!! What lucky Valentine's the recipients of these cards are!! XOXO-Shari

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  4. Such great "quirky" Valentines cards :)
    I really like the second one….but then again I do love Gorguss girls images as well.
    Hard to pick a favourite
    I have to also apologize for not visiting your blog for so long :(

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  5. Candy, these are awesome!I am HORRIBLE about getting around to blogs and leaving comments. So, don't feel bad. I do appreciate the comment you left for me though. It was great to hear from you! Now...on to these Valentine ATCs. They are very cool...each is so different with it's own personality and all so whimsical. Your art is beautiful! I love details and you definitely don't skimp on them. You are amazing! <3 Candy

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  6. Candy, these are awesome!I am HORRIBLE about getting around to blogs and leaving comments. So, don't feel bad. I do appreciate the comment you left for me though. It was great to hear from you! Now...on to these Valentine ATCs. They are very cool...each is so different with it's own personality and all so whimsical. Your art is beautiful! I love details and you definitely don't skimp on them. You are amazing! <3 Candy

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  7. They're so much fun - and each so individual. Pretty easy to guess my favourite I should think... the quill and parchment with those fabulous tiny bottles - an absolute treat of a post.
    Alison xx

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  8. All of these are so unique and so fantastic! Love each one of them in truth for the approach you've taken to the Valentines theme. Jenny x

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It makes me happy when you stop by the Tincan deli - I love interacting with other bloggers, crafters and anyone else who is up for a chat. If you leave a comment I am going to come over to your blog and visit there for a while!!!>