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You’re Invited – IMAGINE Crafts®

By Maureen On May 20, 2013 · 3 Comments

What other surfaces work with the new IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento Luxe™ Mixed Media Pigment Ink? How about shiny plastic playing cards.

Have a little fun with a dinner party theme and use playing cards as the invitation.

First step – give up having a full set of cards – ha!

Supplies:
IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento Luxe™ Mixed Media Pigment Full Size Ink Pad in Rose Bud & Pear Tart
IMAGINE Crafts® Embossing Powder™ Clear
Playing cards
white cardstock
printed cardstock
a muse | studio ‘perfectly polished‘ stamp set SNSK070
a muse | studio ‘script background‘ stamp SASJ013
custom ‘let’s eat‘ & ‘CAKE‘ stamps
small hole punch
1″ circle punch
some baker’s twine

Stamp & clear emboss the #6 card with ‘let’s eat’ & ‘CAKE’ stamps with IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento Luxe™ Mixed Media Pigment Ink in Rose Bud & IMAGINE Crafts® Embossing Powder™ Clear
After embossing, stamp background stamp with IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento Luxe™ Mixed Media Pigment Ink in Pear Tart and let dry – give it a few minutes and then heat set to dry fully. Be careful to hold the heat gun a bit farther away from the card so you don’t melt the embossing powder again.

Cut white cardstock to 2.25″ x 3.5″ & stamp with fork/knife/spoon stamp with IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento Luxe™ Mixed Media Pigment Ink in Pear Tart & then stamp ‘you’re invited’, ‘dinner’ & ‘May 6′ with Rose Bud.

Adhere card to white cardstock piece back to back and trim edges

Cut printed paper 2.5″ x 7″, fold in half, punch 1/2 circle where paper comes together. Adhere long sides careful to keep the adhesive close to the edge of the paper – this creates your envelope.

Punch a small hold in top of playing card, string baker’s twine to use as a pull tab for card.

Now all that’s left is planning the dinner menu!

m & m & m – IMAGINE Crafts®

By Maureen On May 12, 2013 · 4 Comments

Who am I? That was the question from IMAGINE Crafts® this month – create a self portrait.

Anyone who knows me, knows I have an obsession with letters, especially ‘m’, ribbon & all things vintage. So when asked to use my art to describe who I am using the new, most amazing ink, IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento Luxe™, there’s no doubt they would be the basis for the work.

I decided to make a fun wall hanging.

Supplies:
IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento Luxe™ Mixed Media Pigment Ink in Sweet Plum & Pear Tart
IMAGINE Crafts® Embossing Powder™ Clear
IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® StazOn® Solvent Ink in Cotton White
IMAGINE Crafts® GlazOn™ Tinted Layer Protectant, Vintage
4 photo corners
3 flower embellishments
3 small buttons
1″ white grosgrain ribbon
10″ wire
1 yard vintage silk ribbon
2 white eyelets
white embroidery floss
5″ x 6″ creme cardstock
5.25″ x 6.25″ green shimmer cardstock
Various ‘M‘ stamps & custom ‘create‘ & ‘cronincompanystore‘ stamps

The obvious first step – stamp a lot of ‘M’s – not all of them, but most of them, while arranging space for the custom stamps, ‘create’ & ‘cronincompanystore’, alternating IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento Luxe™ Mixed Media Pigment Ink in Sweet Plum & Pear Tart. Emboss ‘create’ & ‘cronincompanystore’ to stand out. Fill in empty spaces with additional ‘M’s & the occasional dot.

And then embellish – I chose some flowers, abalone buttons tied with white embroidery floss, & wide white grosgrain ribbon folded & tucked between paper layers. Then tied a layered bow with the silk ribbon and adhered to the corner.

Layer creme lettered paper with green shimmer card, adhere. Add photo corners to creme cardstock.

Punch eyelets about 3/4″ from edges and insert edge of wire hanger about 1.5″ – I wrapped the ends of the wire around a pencil to add the spiral. Then lightly coated the whole wire with IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® StazOn® Solvent Ink in Cotton White to take the shine off the wire. Then applied IMAGINE Crafts® GlazOn™ Tinted Layer Protectant, Vintage to seal the white.

This now hangs nicely in my art room.

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Macarons – IMAGINE Crafts®

By Maureen On May 4, 2013 · 4 Comments

Macaron’s are riding a wave of popularity these days not only because they taste so good but also because they are so cute!

I recently found this super cute macaron stamp from Fresh Baked Paper Goods and couldn’t wait to use it!

Supplies
IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento Luxe™ Mixed Media Pigment Ink, Full Size Ink Pad in Pear Tart & Rich Cocoa
IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Versafine™ Archival Pigment Ink, Full Size Ink Pad in Onyx
IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento™ Dye Ink, Full Size Ink Pad in Toffee Crunch & Gray Flannel
Fresh Baked Paper Goods Macaron Stamp
Penny Black Diamond Pattern Background Stamp 40-169
amuse | studio script background stamp SASJ013
Stampin’ Up ‘Merci’ stamp, retired
tea stained white cardstock 5″ x 3.5″
white cardstock 3.25′ x 1.75″ – or close to this size – mine vary a bit
kraft paper cards

I was testing the way tea stains paper – changing length of soaking time & strength of tea. After soaking the 5″ x 3.5″ cardstock I ended up with some interesting, vintage-looking paper. Once it dried thoroughly, I stamped the background stamps, one each, in IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento Luxe™ Mixed Media Pigment Ink in Pear Tart, IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Versafine™ Archival Pigment Ink in Onyx & IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento™ Dye Ink in Gray Flannel

I stamped the small white cardstock pieces with the macaron stamp in IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento Luxe™ Mixed Media Pigment Ink in Rich Cocoa & Pear Tart, & IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento™ Dye Ink in Toffee Crunch, some stacked macarons and some solo. Then stamped ‘Merci’ in IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Versafine™ Archival Pigment Ink in Onyx.

Next I layered the card, background and macaron – I adhered some with tape and some I cut small slits in the background piece at each corner and slipped in the macaron piece.

The tea-stained background paper does not lay completely flat but I like the effect the slight wrinkles make.

I’m ready for a real macaron now!

Tea with Tess

By Maureen On April 14, 2013 · Add Comment

There are very few times when I am consumed with anticipation more than time spent with my nieces and nephews.

I was fortunate to spend most of the day Saturday with Tess. We shopped, went out to lunch, played with watercolors, ate ice cream with gumballs and cooked dinner. I LOVE THIS DAY!

We had tacos for dinner – yeah! Tacos & Tea actually.

Here’s how it went down:

Tess: Do you have any tea?
Me: You don’t drink tea
Tess: Yes I do, do you have any tea?
Me: No, actually I don’t drink tea

Tess starts exploring my cupboards – something they love to do as if there are treasures to be found – I guess occasionally there is a treasure, usually a chocolate or chip.

Tess, now holding a box of Zen Green Tea she’s discovered in the cupboard: You have tea! Why did you say you didn’t have tea?
Me: Oh, not sure how old that is – probably read something about it or saw it on an end-isle and thought it was a good idea

While all of this is going on, I’m cooking dinner. Tess has pulled the teapot off the stove, added hot tap water, and is opening teabags before I pause her experiment to find out what’s going on.

Tess: I told you, I’m making tea – I make really good tea!
Me: okay. I’m the aunt – so sure – it’s not a convenient time and it is a waste of tea and she’s not going to drink it but rock on!
Tess: I need sugar
Me: No you don’t
Tess: yes, I always put sugar in my tea
Me: again, I’m the aunt – I’m not going to argue with her – if she needs sugar for her ‘recipe’ then okay – I get out the sugar and Tess adds 2 spoonfuls of sugar to her tea – I decide I’m concerned that sugar is not going to dissolve in hot-ish tea tap water so I recommend we put it on the stove to boil ’cause yea, that’s the right thing to do, right?

Next – teapot with 2 teabags already in the pot and 2 spoons of sugar is boiling away on the stove.

We set up for dinner and Tess asks me for a teacup – I hand her one – and she stares at me saying, ‘I need one for you too’!

Now I’m faced with a dilemma – I’ve just made tacos for dinner which don’t really compliment tea, I can’t imagine actually drinking what’s she’s been making, and didn’t I already mention that despite my possession of a box of tea, I don’t really like tea.

So of course I produce another mug, bring dinner to the table and Tess, with a very big smile on her face, pours me and her a nice cup of tea.

You know it – I drank it.

Yep, I drank it.

Tess was thrilled!

I don’t really think she makes or consumes tea but she did today and that works for me.

Cheers!

-Maureen

Life’s a Breeze – Imagine Crafts

By Maureen On April 12, 2013 · 2 Comments

This month’s Artist Themed Project from IMAGINE Crafts is Spring! I decided it is Spring above and below the ocean.

Supplies:
Blue cardstock – finished card 4.5″ x 6.25″
Fireworks in Summer Sky
Goosebumps Shimmer Texture Spray
Sheer Shimmer Spritz in Sparkle
Versa Magic in Mango Madness, Aloe Vera, Thatched Straw
Versafine Black Onyx
Nautical Blue Momento Marker
Clear embossing powder
Paper Source large fish stamp
amuse | studio ‘Life’s a Breeze’ stamp set SNSM039
amuse | studio cloud duo die set TAD0003
Small fish stamp from amuse | studio ‘Keep Swimmin’ Stamp set SNSQ061
Punch Bunch Seaweed punch
Adhesive & Dimensional tape
Fantastix

I started assembling all of the pieces -
Spray a 3.5″ x 4.5″ piece of white cardstock with Summer Sky Fireworks and let dry. Then spray with Goosebumps shimmer texture spray. (ocean)
Spray some white cardstock scraps, to later use as clouds, with Summer Sky Fireworks and let dry. Then spray with Shimmer Spritz Sparkle spray. Die cut with cloud die.
Stamp the large fish with Versa Magic Mango Madness, emboss and cut out. Using fantastix, shade in the scales and fins with Versa Magic Thatched Straw.
Stamp small fish (2) & boat (2) stamps with Versafine Black Onyx and emboss, cut out.
Punch out a few pieces of ‘seaweed’ and using a dauber, color the seaweed with Versa Magic Aloe Vera.

Cut a wavy edge along one of the long sides of the 3.5 x 4.5″ piece and apply to the lower half of the blue cardstock – that’s the ocean.
For the boat, I cut out 1 whole boat & one with just the sails. With a Nautical Blue Momento pen I colored in the hull and added lines and a number to the sails. Then I used dimensional pieces to apply the sails to the boat.

Using fantastix I shaded in the small fish with Versa Magic Mango Madness. Then applied all of the fish to the ‘ocean’ with dimensional tape. Arrange the seaweed pieces around the fish and along the bottom, adhere.

Stamp ‘Life’s a Breeze’ on one of the clouds with Versafine Onyx and emboss. Edge the clouds with a little Silver Brilliance. Arrange clouds toward top of card and adhere with dimensional tape.

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