Friday, December 4, 2009

snowy embossing--PGP Winter Wonderland hat box

PGP snowy embossed Winter Wonderland mel stampz

A little winter scene with stuff from Paper Garden Projects...

PGP snowy embossed Winter Wonderland CLOSE mel stampz

It's on a hat box top:
PGP snowy embossed Winter Wonderland HAT BOX mel stampz
(speedy way to wrap a gift?)



1...Getting limitless Copic pastel colours or
new colours (unique to you) without buying a single coloured marker.
2...make three types of snowy embossing: Background stamp, Souffle pen & e mbop. and sprinkled e.p.
3...finishing touches
-1-

Get limitless Copic pastel colours or
new colours (unique to you) without buying a single coloured marker.


10 - Copy (2)

Granted, this is nothing revolutionary--lots of Copic artistes use the scribble & pick up the colour technique--but trying it out feels AWEsome, because it lets you invent new colours (not to mention the fact that it can save ya a fortune, dagnab it!) ;o)

No Copic markers? You could do still the pastel (or custom colour mixing) thing by mixing water-based markers (or ink refills), and applying with any blender pen (or paint brush) and some blender pen solution (or water.) Again, it's nothing new, but it sure saves moulah!


The Copic supplies
The main aim for this card was to make pastel shades with my dark Copics but you can also mix shades to create a new hue altogether.



Step 1) Emboss the image--this is an eat cake stamp (Winter Wonderland from Paper Garden Projects)-- embossed in white pigment ink with white embossing powder.



Step 2) Scribble Copic colours onto something that will act as your palette: plastic or glass... an acrylic block or whatever you have (a white paper underneath helps you see your colours)



Step 3) Add a little bit of colourless blender as you work (it will evaporate fairly quickly.)

The solution works like the water in painting, of course. It just thins out the deep colours to make lighter shades. Less blender solution gives a medium shade (depending on the marker colour you start with, obviously.) Lots of blender solution can give you pastels as pale as you want to go!

To prevent some of the evaporation, you can add Copic colourless blender solution directly to the tip of your colourless blender & save blender solution that way. (Though I do find one of those refill bottles last a very LONG time.)



Step 4) Mix Copic colourless blender soloution into your palette of scribbled ink colours with a Colourless blender pen. (I have a spare blender pen for this-it dirties it a fair bit) Mixing colours is SO fun! It's like playing with paints and gives you unlimted colours.



Step 5) Test your custom colours on a scrap of paper. If you think it needs it, you can add more blender solution to lighten (or another scribble of marker colour(s) to deepen or change the shade) and get it exactly how you like it.



Step 6) Colour away! The shade will soften as it dries & the blender evaporates, but of course you can layer to make it more intense and shade and do all you would with normal copics

10 - Copy (2)

Step 7) Since the pastel shades are light, you can add the dark marker (that you used to make your new pastel colours in the first place) to add shading in more intense, but monochromatic or matching colours shades. Or add patterns...dots, stripes...whatever you like.

-2-

...make three types of snowy embossing:

PGP snowy embossed Winter Wonderland CLOSE mel stampz

The snow on this image is a combination of:

A) Plain old background stamp embossing (to get the pattern)

B) Drawing with a Souffle pen & pouring embossing powder on.

C) Sprinkling embossing powder randomly all over the place
(to get the teeny tiny flakes of snow.)

the snowy ground:
(Plain old background stamp embossing-to get the pattern)



Step 1) Add a base of white (if you're using darker cardstock) by colouring the snow with a white prisma colour pencil crayon.



Step 2) emboss snow with PGP cover-a-card Tapestry 1 background stamp (white pigment ink & white embossing powder)


This Tapestry stamp is my new favourite background stamp ever
It's nice & BIG & comes on Ez mount (love that)
(I use my Cuttlebug plate as a block to put it on)

puffy snow:
(Drawing with a Sakura Souffle pen & pouring embossing powder on.)



To get snowflake dots and a snowy horizon:

Step 1) Gather embossing powder & heat gun, so you can work fairly quickly.

Step 2) Colour Souffle pen on wherever you want snow.



Step 3) White the Souffle pen is still wet, pour white embossing powder on it.

Step 4) Heat set the embossing powder with a heat gun (some bubbling is normal, but a light-ish touch will prevent scorching.) :o)


There are two options for this, texture-wise: Heat the way you usually would heat embossing powder to more to get shine... OR heat it ever so gently to keep some of the snowy texture:



the snowy sky:
(Sprinkling embossing powder randomly all over the place--to get the teeny tiny flakes of snow.)



Step 1)
Sprinkle on embossing powder all over in a fine sprinkle (like snow)



Step 2) Heat the sprinkled embossing powder from underneath your paper (The only trick is not to spill all the embossing powder.) :o) Working in batches is handy for avoiding that.



Step 3) Make the image pop. If you want your image to stand out more, you can go around the outside with any marker. The white embossed outline resists ink (even with copics--for the most part-so it's a fast step to add a lot of contrast.) This is a dark cool grey Copic marker.



Step 4) Add it to a Razzleberry prism cardstock circle (as a mat) & pierce it (if you'd like to add stitches and/or beads)


...finish it up...



Emboss & colour the back of a vellum circle for a mat I used two Copics to get the colour of the Winter Wonder land kidlets in the scene



Emboss a round cardstock base. This is the Cover-a-card Tapestry #1 background (again) :o)



Punch Martha edge punch (for the wee snowflakes)...

and...Stick the snowflakes on the purple mat & the ultra teeny ones on the sky
(I put mine with the marker side down so it was a softer colour):

PGP snowy embossed Winter Wonderland mel stampz



I've also pierced & added knots to the wee snowflakes, sewn beads around the image, and stitched around the edge of the mat & added Gold Ice Stickles around the edge of the white stitching as well as on the itsy bitsy punched snowflakes in the sky

...and finally, stuck it on a hat box with ribbon:

PGP snowy embossed Winter Wonderland HAT BOX mel stampz

Miscellaneous


Heavy weight vellum
Razzleberry Prism cardstock
Martha Snowflake edge punch
White ribbon from the "I want it White" kit
Swarovski gems
Paper piercer, Needle, thread & seed beads
Tombow monomulti
White Souffle pen
White embossing powder, White Pigment ink & heat gun


Thanks so much for stopping by!

Hope this was useful to You somehow,


P.S. Haven't entered your name for the PGP blogiversary candy?
Please click here to visit the blog candy post.


29 comments:

Alexandra said...

wow, the hat box is beautiful. coloration is topp!!!!
lg
sanny

Domna said...

Mel,amazing box! Great tutorial! Thanks!

Kim Etherington said...

Beautiful little winter scene on that hat box!! Just gorgeous!

Cindy Lietz, Polymer Clay Tutor said...

Oh My Gosh that is just lovely Mel! You have given me so many ideas for my Christmas Cards. Thank you!

Dawn said...

Mel! You're killing me here, you're KILLING me!!!

HolySchmoly girl... another off the charts cuter than cute project!

so, tell me, did you sail through school, graduate grade 12 at 6? c'mon... you're a genius!!

love it sweetie... take a nap!

the PaperTemptress said...

Oh Mel, that is AMAZING LOOKING, as always! You have more talent in your little finger then most have in total LOL! As always F A B U L O U S!!

Patricia
the PaperTemptress

Allison Rankin said...

Wow lady...I am pulling out some river rock and playing this afternoon thanks to you!

kksb said...

What a magical snowy scene you created! Lovely!
TFS

Elaine A said...

Mel -

What a glorious piece of art to gift someone with. You have done a beautiful job with this, just stunning!

Elaine Allen

Moccavanila by Vera Rhuhay said...

OMG.....AMAZING!!!Thanks so much for the great tutorial...You're the best!

Chris said...

Thanks for sharing your snowy secrets! I love them...and so (relatively speaking!) easy. :)

Suzi said...

Well, today must be your anniversary-anniversary. Congratulations! I like those lots more than birthdays! :o)

Leslie Hanna said...

Heeeeeyyyyy< I thought alcohol inks and embossing did not mix! I have heard horror stories! Not true?

liannallama said...

FANTASTIC! Love the snow technique and the background stamp is so lovely and what a wonderful gift!

Anonymous said...

This is so beautiful now getting to see all the detail you put into it. How long would all this take you? this was how I was taught to watercolour with regular markers, I save my white margarine lids! Thanks for a wonderful tutorial.

Candy said...

Ahhh Mel - every day things are getting better and better and you are just breaking my heart!!! That hat box is a beauty - where in the world did you find it? With the design on the top who needs a gift inside it - I just want the box!!!! So would anyone!!! It is absolutely WONDERFUL. Your different techniques for snow are FAB!! Love that you always give us such wonderful tutorials!!!
Hugs, Candy

Deepa Gopal said...

WOW!! That box is just GORGEOUS!!!

The materials n all the stuff...the way u go about it is worth a watch:)

DeeAnn said...

Mel, I love this tutorial. Thank you so much for the Frugal Copics tips. I love the new shortened tutorials. I didn't get to post when you were feeling all bad about it. :) Honey, you write the best tutorials in the world. Trust me I know how tiring it takes to write something. Plus, you want to write other things too. I am a writer and I understand. Thanks for all the money saving tips. I really appreciate it.

lilscrappers said...

Alright. I swore I wouldn't buy any more this year and now I want that background stamp and the snowflake punch and what is a souffle pen?? You talk abut them a lot and I am curious....Do I need one ;^) I am still working on CASEing one of your snowmen projects....alas no white embroidery thread left. You are my best inspiration. Keep it up!

mel m. m. mccarthy said...

Hi Leslie,

Thanks so much for your comment. Copic says "try clear embossing" They do say that coloured embossing reacts with the markers, but the reason white or coloured would be okay with this pastel technique is because it's just one marker (a spare colourless blender.) I'm a weirdo though. I love to mess about with stuff. I've embossed every image I ever use with clear & haven't had any problems. When I want to use coloured embossing powders, I either paint Copic refils on with a brush or use the chisel end which I'm less worried about protecting. :o) Best of luck!

Cathy at Paper Garden Projects said...

This is just darling Mel - love the white embossing!

Pat (mspfd) said...

Amazing techniques. Thanks so much for sharing!!

Mari said...

Amazing! Lots of work, but soooo worth it! I think I'm going to have to find a blender ink refill so
I can attempt this!

Etha said...

THIS IS SOOO CUTE! i JUST LOVE YOUR SNOW WORK!
ooops, didn't mean to cap..

Kendra said...

Absolutely amazing! I LOVE this... it's soooo cute it kills me. Your ideas and tips are fantastic and I truly appreciate all the time you take to share them with us all. Thank you :)

Anonymous said...

Wonderful wintry scene and gorgeous mix of embossing!! Love your hat box lid, Mel!!
smiles,Deena

sunghee said...

Wow, Wow, wow, mel!!! You are too good! Wow, wow, wow! I'm just in LOVE with your creations!

Julia said...

Beautiful Mel!! I have to try your `snow` technique.. Thanks!

Wendalyn said...

That's gorgeous... So are all your creations.,