Lucy's Digi Unicorn Tutorial

Hiya It's Lucy here and it's my turn to share some tips & techniques about how I make things.

I love love love digi stamps & spend most of my time creating with them. I love their flexibility, versatility and the fact that they take up no storage space. 

A few tips I would share right at the beginning with Digi Stamps

1

Store your Digi Stamps in Artist folders on your computer, or add the artist's name to the file name after you've downloaded it. It's soooooo easy to forget where you purchased a digi stamp from & then you waste a lot of time trying to track it down before you share your creations on your blog or Facebook. 

2

If you find images via Google search or Pinterest please please please track them back to the original artist and purchase or download from there. There are far too many images floating round in cyber space that have been shared without the artist's permission. Many artists give away freebies, but the terms & conditions mean they should be downloaded from the artists page. Protect yourself and the artists by getting digis in the right way. 

3

Never ever share digis. You've purchased them for your use and the t's and c's almost always state no sharing.

4

BACK UP YOUR DIGIS. 

It's soul destroying when your wonderful collection of digi stamps vanishes into the ether after a computer malfunction. Get into the habit of backing your digis (and photos & documents etc) up regularly - whether to a physical back up hard drive, or to one of the many cloud storage options. It saves tears if anything goes wrong.

So there we go - enough of the basic information. Here's how I went about creating my Unicorn card.

I use software called Craft Artist 2 to design my cards & add watermarks to the pictures of the finished items. Many other programmes are available, this is just eh one I've found easiest to use.

I start with a blank page & draw two squares the size of my card base & the size of the mat I want to use. I increase the transparency of the inner square so it gives me a guideline for cutting, but isn't too bold if I cut slightly wrong (I know me well :P )

 I then drag & drop the digi's I want on the page

 Then arrange them as I want. I added drop shadows as this helps give dimension. One of the things I love about digis is that you can tweak them as wanted. The rainbow didn't look quite right in it's original form so I stretched it sideways a little until it looked as I wanted.

I printed my design & trimmed it using the grey line as a guideline. 

Here you can see the colour reference I've made for my Copics. I use it as a way of working out which colours I want to use & which will go well together.

 Now for the colouring. I started with the rainbow. I love rainbows & have a crib sheet of the Copic colours I've used in the past in my little notebook. It's so much easier than trying to work it out from scratch again each time!

 I started by laying down the lightest colours. Me being me I wanted all 7 strands of the rainbow in there so I overlapped the lines a little. After mapping out the area I used the rest of the colour range to add depth & shading to the rainbow.

I added some shading to the clouds (C0, C1, C2, C3, B21) & touched the raindrops lightly with the colours of the rainbow as the water would reflect them.

A finishing touch of glossy accents added the watery effect they needed.

Next it was the unicorn. I used Copics V000, V01, V12, V15, V17 & V09 & then coloured his mane & tail with Wink of Stella pen & Sakura Stardust Gel Pen

To create the grass I used Copics G000, G01, G02, G82 & G29.

I tried to create random tufts & build the layers up. My random isn't very random though - I have a friend who always laughs at my attempts at random :p

I coloured the sky in with squiggly movements of B000

Here's some pictures of the finished card.

I hope you like it & hope this tutorial has proved helpful. 

Lucy x

Mini Shrine Tutorial by Angela.

It's Angela here and I have a Tutorial on how to make 
one of the gorgeous Mini Shrines from TCP.

You may remember this as I showed it to you in the challenge on 17th January and if you read Craft Stamper Magazine you will have seen it there too.
Today I am here to show you how I made it.

Here is where I began.

Painted the pieces all over with Gesso to seal the MDF.

However try not to put too much in the joints as the fit is quite tight.

Next assemble and apply black paint on the inner edge, no need to worry about it getting on the back as this will be covered later.

Now apply Grunge paste through a stencil on the back and front of the Shrine and paint the other embellishments with Gesso (all available at TCP).

 Mix together Micro Glass beads, acrylic paint and ink which will later be used to give added textured to the surface.

I used the same colours to produce the crackle effect on the wings.

Dark pink first, allow this to dry then add the crackle paste and when that's dry apply the paler pink and watch the fun happen.

Prepare the background paper by dragging it through ink on your craft mat and when dry stamp onto it with a sentiment stamp of your choice.

Here you can see that I have applied the colour and the glass beads ready for the final embellishments to be added.

And here it is completed.

Including a view of the back and sides which you will not have seen before.

 

I have also added a few pink gems for added sparkle.

I love this bubble effect which is easy to achieve by over heating the paint while still wet.

I hope you enjoyed watching me make this and would love it if you could leave a comment.
Any queries just ask! and I will try to answer them.

Happy Crafting,

Angela x

 Don't forget our latest challenge is Here 

Links you need to know 

That Craft Place Facebook Shop

That Craft Place Natter chatter page

That Craft Place Etsy

That Craft Place

winners 24th January for = challenge 1 winners post

Wow what an amazing last challenge that was 

And our Winner is  

Jules

And Our Top 3 are 

Tofa
Tones Scrappermom
Vintage handmade

Dont forget our latest challenge can be found here 

Links you need to know 

That Craft Place Facebook Shop

That Craft Place Natter chatter page

That Craft Place Etsy

That Craft Place

Tutorial - How to make an Easel Card by Lu Lucker

Its DT  Lu here and I have a Tutorial on how to make an easel card with cascading flowers.

To start with you need a digi image (I recommend TCP Esty shop to go get one!)

Get that coloured up and go choose some matching papers or card stock.  On this occasion I wanted to use papers for decorative purposes, so I cut 3 of the same shapes out on plain card and then cut another 2 design papers in the same shape.  Glue the papers to the card stock.

 

 

Score the plain piece as shown, half way and about 1cm from the top, then fold.

 

Glue across the 1cm part and stick down on one of your patterned shapes.  Glue again in the larger space and stick your last patterned shape ontop.

 

It should now freely move and look like this.

 

 

Now for the fun parts, stick your image to the card and start to embellish.  I decide roughly where I would like the card to open to and glue the flowers in place. 

I like to use the flowers on the base as an anchor and position the flowers on the topper to slot in and create either a cascade of flowers or bunches.

 

 

Embellish to finish to your taste.

 

 



 

Don't forget our latest challenge is HERE

Links you need to know 

That Craft Place Facebook Shop

That Craft Place Natter chatter page

That Craft Place Etsy

That Craft Place

TUTORIAL THURSDAY - DT Sam - Freestanding Flowerpots

It's Sam here and I have a Tutorial on how to make my project from this fortnight's challenge.

FREESTANDING FLOWERPOTS
    

   
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
          

Supplies

  

THAT CRAFT PLACE MDF / GREYBOARD
MDF Freestanding Flowerpots
MDF Mini Tag
MDF Words - "Believe"

MEDIUMS USED
DecoArt Crafters Acrylic - Black
Black Gesso
White Gesso
Old, Unwanted Coarse Glitter
(or you could use coarse sand, or a ready mixed Texture Sand Paste)
Acrylic Paint (various brands)
Archival Ink (Tree Branch & Jet Black)
Mod Podge Gloss
Mod Podge Matte
Ranger Crackle Accents
Collall Silicone Glue Gel

OTHER PRODUCTS USED
8x8 Graphic 45 Paper Pad - "Artisan Style"

All products above available from That Craft Place.

ANYTHING ELSE
Brown Garden Twine
A vintage piece of gold patterned paper from my stash
    
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    

Tutorial

This is the fabulous MDF freestanding flowerpots before I got my hands on it!  It is of course available from That Craft Place!

I didn't pre-gesso this project because much of it was going to be covered in patterned paper.

  

STARTING WITH THE FLOWERPOTS: 

1...  Mix together black gesso and cheap coarse glitter until it is the required consistency 
(see supplies list above for alternatives to glitter).  
TIP: I wanted it to be very "gritty" so added quite a lot of glitter to the gesso!

2...  Apply the mixture to the pots using a stiff brush, adding an extra thick layer to the top edge to form the lip of the pot.
3... Allow to dry thoroughly.

  

 
   

NEXT ONTO THE PAPERS FOR THE LEAVES AND FLOWERS
4... Lay the MDF piece face down on the reverse of your patterned paper and draw round the leaves .
5... Repeat several times with each chosen paper for the flowers.
Tip: I drew round alternate flower petals, choosing 2 papers for each flower for more interest.
 6... Cut paper for the mini tag and glue to each side of the tag.  Sand the paper off the edges to tidy.
7... Cut out all the leaves and flowers, cutting the pieces around 2 to 3mm bigger than the lines.
8... Using a distressing tool, or open edge of scissors, distress around the edges of the leaves (except the bottom edge).
9... Glaze the petal pieces with Mod Podge Matte.
10... Ink the edges of all the pieces with Archival Ink, first with "Tree Branch" then with "Jet Black".

  

       

NOW FLIP THE PIECE FACE DOWN
11... Paint the reverse and all the edges of the the piece as well as the bottom strip on the front.  I used black crafters acrylic.
Tip: Avoid the tabs when adding paint, paper or any other medium to MDF pieces.  This allows the pieces to still slot together nicely, otherwise extra bulk can make things a tight fit!

  

   

BACK TO THE FRONT, WITH THE FLOWERS FOR NOW:
12... Paint the flower stems and dry before adding black Archival Ink to the edges.
13... Choose more papers and glue to the flowers! We will trim to size and tidy it up at a later stage.
(I just forgot to photograph them before trimming!).

NOW BACK TO THE FLOWERPOTS:
14... Using a dry brush and a tiny amount of white gesso, dry brush over the pots highlighting one side more than the other.

  

         

    

AND BACK UP TO THE FLOWERS!...
15... Trim roughly around the petals.
16... Using sandpaper or a sanding block, sand round the edges of the petals holding the sandpaper at a 45* angle so that the excess paper is smoothed away.

  

NOW TO ADD SOME COLOUR TO THE FLOWERPOTS
17... Dilute some acrylic paint to a wash consistency and brush over the flowerpots.
Tip: I chose 3 different colours as closely matched to colours in the papers as possible.
18... Using a sponge applicator, redefine some of the raised areas with black Archival Ink.

   

   

NOW TO ADD THE PAPERS TO THE MDF!
19... Glue the leaves to the piece, making sure it is stuck down all the way to the edges.
20... Using a bone folder, shape the petal pieces.
21... Add glue to the back centre only of the petal pieces and attach to the MDF.

   

     

NOW FOR THE BASE
22... Paint the reverse and sides of the base with the black acrylic paint. Allow to dry.
23... Add paper to the top of the base piece.
24... Allow to dry before glazing over the top of the paper with Mod Podge.
25... Using a sharp knife, cut away the paper from the tab slots.

  

      

NEARLY THERE!....
26... Using dies, cut circles to fit the centre of the flowers.
Tip: If you don't have any suitable dies, simply draw around bottle tops or similar, and cut out!

   

   

   
AND NOW FOR THE FINISHING TOUCHES
27... Again using a distressing tool or scissors, distress the edges of the circles.
28... Ink the edges with black Archival Ink.
29... Apply a thick layer of Crackle Accents to each circle.
30... Once completely dry, attach to the centre of each flower with silicone glue gel.
Tip: Add a generous blob of glue gel to give dimension.

31... Ink around the base piece with black Archival Ink.

32... Apply glue to the flowerpot piece, between the tabs, and firmly press together into the holes in the base piece.
33... Hold in place until a bond has formed. Allow to dry firm before continuing.

34... Attach the mini tag around the centre flower with twine, tying in a knot at the back.

35... Add the "Believe" sentiment.

ENJOY!

 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
          

Links you need to know 

    

That Craft Place Facebook Shop

That Craft Place Natter Chatter Group on Facebook

That Craft Place Etsy Digi Store

That Craft Place Website
     
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Don't forget our latest challenge is HERE

xxSAMxx

Heart Wreath Tutorial

Hello everyone. 

It's NICOLA here today to show you a tutorial. I am going to show you how I decorated this beautiful MDF heart wreath.

First of all, here is the product list of everything I have used on my project...of course available from my favourite THAT CRAFT PLACE 

MDF Heart Wreath  ~ Gesso ~ Cosmic Shimmer Crackle Paint's in shades Saffron, Vanilla, Corinth Blue ~ Tim Holtz Distress Inks in shades Tea Dye, Antique Linen, Shaded Lilac ~ Creative Expressions Metallic Gilding Wax in shades Graceful Mustard, Cast Bronze, Pewter ~ Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Glue ~ Collall 3D Glue ~ Petal Lu Flowers

The butterfly embellishment and the vintage brooch are what I already had in my crafty stash!

Step by Steps...

1. Paint the wreath and hearts with gesso.

2. Paint the wreath circle and large hearts with Vanilla Crackle Paint. Paint the heart frames with Corinth Blue Crackle Paint. Paint the smaller hearts with Saffron Crackle Paint. Leave to dry overnight.

When it's thoroughly dried you will be able to see the cracks that have appeared.

3. Use the Antique Linen Distress ink and a blending tool to dab over the Vanilla hearts. Use the Tea Dye ink and dab over the saffron hearts. Use the Shaded Lilac ink and dab over the Corinth Blue heart frames. You will see how this really shows up the cracks more. 

4. Use your finger to rub Graceful Mustard Gilding Wax on the edges of the circle and the Vanilla hearts. Rub lightly over the circle and the hearts with the wax too. Rub over the wax using kitchen paper to remove any excess wax, and to buff the wax up. Use the same techniques with the Cast Bronze on the Saffron hearts and the Pewter on the Corinth Blue heart frames.

*If you find your guilding waxes have dried out and gone quite hard, add a tiny amount of turpentine into the pot, leave for about 10 minutes. This should then have softened the gilding wax ready to use.

* A little tip for getting into small corners and crevices with your gilding wax ~ use a cotton bud. I stick the bud into the wax pot to pick up a smalll blob of the wax. I then force the blob into the corner and push it into it using the bud. If it is a smaller corner than a bud will fit into, I then use a cocktail stick. 

5. Now to glue the hearts onto the wreath. Depending on how you wish to hang your wreath, if you want to use a ribbon or twine, now is the time to thread it through the hole at the top. This is because we will be glueing a heart over the hole. I want to hang my wreath with the hole straight onto a hook on my wall, so I'm not going to use any ribbon.

Before you start to glue, lay all your hearts on the wreath until you are happy with the position. 

Once you are happy with the position, start to glue them in place with the acrylic glue. Leave to dry.

6. To finish, glue into the heart frames the flowers using the 3D glue. Glue the ornate butterfly to the top middle heart and the vintage brooch to the bottom middle heart. These two embellishements I already had in my stash, you could use whatever you already have. 

I love these colours together. I wanted to show you that you can mix cool and warm tones together and they can look really nice and pretty!

The great thing about crafting and art ~ you can use whatever your heart desires!

I hope you have enjoyed my tutorial, I look forward to the next one.

Lot's of love 

Nicola 

XXX

Links you need to know.,,

THAT CRAFT PLACE 

THAT CRAFT PLACE CHALLENGE BLOG 

THAT CRAFT PLACE ETSY SHOP 

THAT CRAFT PLACE FACEBOOK GROUP SHOP 

THAT CRAFT PLACE NATTER AND CHATTER GROUP