Altering KRAFT Envelopes - Maya Road

I think I need to buy more of these Maya Road kraft envelopes. They are pretty enough alone, but because I have some background stamps at my disposal and some other distressing supplies, I thought I would create a mini tutorial on altering these envelopes to create a nice FOCAL point for your layouts or cards.

SUPPLIES:
Background Stamp (Unity Stamp Co. Vintage Chic Kit)
Liquid Adhesive
Glitter (Art Glitter Institute – Angel Dust)
Stickles: Cinnamon
Ink: Color Queue (Chocolate & Blueberries)
Kraft Envelope (Maya Road)

STEP 1:
Ink around the edges of the envelope with brown ink.

STEP 2:

Open envelope and stamp script background (Unity Stamp Co) in black ink.

STEP 3:

Apply liquid glue (clear drying) to the top of envelope, kind of like an icicle pattern.

STEP 4:

Apply glitter to the glue (angel dust).  Shake off excess glitter.

STEP 5:

Although the glitter looks white, it will dry clear. Apply Cinnamon Stickles around the white glitter. Let dry.  Apply to layout.

Here is another example of stamping a background text onto the envelope (both the main and flap).  Inked the edges with a darker brown ink, and applied a green acrylic paint.  The flowers add a nice touch (Maya Road), and a Prima Pebble was added for detail.  The date stamp is 7 Gypsies and the flourishes are Basic Grey.

And here is the whole layout.

Here is another envelope treated with paper strips, stamps, ink, a Prima pebble, and paint.

Hope you can go out and buy some of these fabulous envelopes and find new ways to alter them - and then come and tell me!

CLAY BRADS - Make & Bake!

This is a fun tutorial on making your own FUNKY brads out of FIMO (or similar product).   You can use these on layouts, cards, for the centers of flowers, etc... The possibilities are endless. 

SUPPLIES:

WHITE FIMO/SCULPEY CLAY

ALCOHOL INKS or SMOOCH or ACRYLIC PAINT

SMALL PATTERNED STAMPS (HOUNDSTOOTH)

STAZ-ON

BRADS

Step 1:

Roll clay into 1/2" ball.

Step 2:

Take ball of clay and start covering the large brad.

Step 3:

Cover brad and pinch clay.

Step 4:

Flatten clay on the under side of brad (kind of like a mushroom).

Step 5:

Position brad onto a deeply etched rubber stamp.

Step 6:

Press clay firmly into stamp so that it is flat like a pancake.

Step 7:

Pull up clay gently.

Step 8:

Start molding clay back into a mushroom shape by pressing in the sides, being careful not to touch the pattern (top of the brad).

Step 9:

Bake according to instructions on package.

Step 10:

Colour your brads with alcohol ink (mushroom).

Step 11:

To really make the pattern POP, apply black Staz-on Ink to the raised portion only.

Other ideas:  SMOOCH for color.

Plum Alcohol Ink for colour....

Make lines in the clay with toothpicks....

Make holes in the clay, apply Silver Alcohol Ink for colour....

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and would love to see your projects!

Lesley Langdon Tutorials

Variated Petals - Playing with WHITE Flowers!

With the creation of shimmering mists such as GLIMMER MIST or SHIMMERZ SPRITZ, a whole new world has been opened to us in the crafting world.  You can pretty much add colour to anything that will absorb water.

I have been purchasing CREAM or WHITE ribbons, papers, and flowers with misting in mind.

Below, is a QUICK tutorial on getting some nice blended colours onto your WHITE flower.  You can apply this to any colour scheme, provided your mist, ink, and stickles match.

SUPPLIES:

Patina Glimmer Mist

Broken China Distress Ink REFILL Bottle

Aqua Stickles

Prima Flower

Step 1:

Mist your flower with a good 5 prays of mist.

Step 2:

WHILE THE FLOWER IS STILL WET, directly from the dropper of your refill ink, run the dropper along the tops petals. 

Step 3:

Immediately spray the flower again with mist, this will make the flower very wet, and will allow for the ink and mist to blend.  For a lighter blue flower, apply less Broken China ink, perhaps use a fine tip paint brush instead of the dropper.

Step 4:

While still wet, apply Aqua Stickles to the flower petals tops and middles for some shimmer (THIS IS OPTIONAL).

Step 5:

Watch it blend as it dries and use it on a project!

Have fun crafting!

DRAWING AND PAINTING ON TEXT - CARD

This tutorial is pretty straight forward, you just have to use the right inks and colouring supplies.

SUPPLIES FOR TEXT DRAWING:

Background Text Stamp (CHF Vintage Text)

Waterproof Black Dye Ink (Memories by Stewart Superior)

Waterproof Black Pen (Copic Multi-liner)

Alcohol Ink (Red Pepper by Ranger)

Prism Simply Smooth Natural Paper (or similar)

Water

Paint Brush

Instructions:

1. Stamp any background text in black dye ink (waterproof) or use an old book page.

2. Draw a simple dress with waterproof black pen.

3. Make a little boat out of tin foil for your alcohol ink. Dilute 5 drops of red alcohol ink with 1 tbsp of water and with paint brush, colour the dress, shading the left side and creases.  The text will show through. You can also water down acrylic paint and get a similar result.

4. Die cut the image in a circle.

5. With cut n' Dry Foam, apply Lettuce Adirondack ink around the edges, working your way into the center.

6. Die cut glitter felt (scalloped circle), and adhere image.

7. Design your card and apply image and sentiment.

If I was an artist and could actually draw something more than a dress, I would!!!  You can also try printing images onto the text and see what happens.