Mo Valentine's Hop

What's shakin'?

Welcome to Mo's Dream Team Valentine's Blog Hop!
The talented Kerttu is hosting this month & we're making treat bags
(Well, mine is a box turned bag with the addition of a basket-y handle.) ;o)

The star of the show, of course, is this new delightful sweetie
rendered by the ever marvellous Mo!

Cupid in Love! (Doesn't he look smitten?
Can you hear him sigh with amour?) ;o)

1... Mo's Digital Pencil Dream Team blog hop
2...how to make this Cupid in Love treat bag
3...links to template & digital paper freebies

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Hopping order:

If you're not already on the hop,
please start with: Kerttu who's hosting it! :o)

-Cheryl
-Rach
-Mina
-Mel (you are here)
-Jak has an amazing project for you next
Shell
-Lori
-Suzanne

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• Cupid in Love image from Mo's Digital Pencil
• bag (box) template (freebie linked here ) or below
• ledger digital paper (freebie linked here) or below
• Strathmore 100lb Bristol Vellum paper
• Golden Matte Medium, Clear embossing powder, heat gun
• Copic Markers, Crystal lacquer, Glitzy Glitter
• Cosmo Cricket Everafter kit & black cardstock
• GCD Studios Paris Nights collection (#473 Paris Market)
• Paper piercer, needle, black thread & gold seed beads
• Blue green seed beads & matching embroidery thread
• White Organza ribbon,
• Double-sided tape, Tombow Monomulti
  

Step 1) Clear heat emboss Mo's Digital Pencil Cupid in Love image from an ink jet printer. The digital embossing is made possible by cardstock that I coated lightly with Golden Matte Medium & embossing done with clear embossing powder on wet ink jet printer ink-standard setting.

Notes about this digi embossing method (in case you've never heard me ramble on about it before) ;o)...Matte medium alters the surface & changes the feel of Copic colouring, (like colouring on metallic paper; the ink floats & can be moved around and blended together. It can have a resist effect which may be a fun new technique in itself for random texture effects, but that resist quality can make your image mottled if the application of matte medium is not fairly even...

BUT I love that:

• You get the embossed look with a digital image (yet with such fine beautiful lines)
• You get a cool erase-ability that the matte medium gives.
• There are never any smears on the image (assuming you get the embossing powder on while the ink is still wet. The best way to ensure ink wet enough to emboss is to use a standard setting, print one image at a time on a half sheet of cardstock--a width of 8.5 inches & about 5.5 high goes through the printer faster.)

Step 2) Emboss just the hearts on patterned paper (also using matte medium)

Considerations with Copics on Matte Medium
(and with Printing on it too)

Copics: This digitally-embossed image is coloured with Copic Markers. Please note: " I'm not "technically" sure of the effect of Matte medium on Copics, but I am a sucker for the blend-ability (and floating quality that Matte Medium gives).

I fall back on the fact that the tips are replaceable if the need ever arises. Mine are A-okay so far (and I do this often) but I thought you should be aware of the possibility of clogged Copic nibs.

Printers: Likewise, please realize that the digital embossing on Matte Medium is just something I made up and hence I'm not sure about what effect it might have on your particular brand of printer. I know that Golden makes "Digital Grounds" that go on liquid as well, so perhaps it's okay?

I've been doing this for years & just clean the heads occasionally on my $50.00 Canon MP250-- ink jet printer--it's still printing wonderfully. If you are worried about your expensive printer, but want to try out heat embossed digital images, perhaps you could get an affordable (cheap) ink jet printer for the purpose.

All that said, I wouldn't give up digital heat embossing for all the riches in the world. It prevents smudging and adds such rich depth & fine detail to the line of images.



Step 3) Cut both the patterned heart & the Cupid image out, bending the wings for dimension.



Step 4) Colour the image. Please note-Matte medium will affect the way Copics perform on papers. If you want consistent colour, be sure to coat evenly. They sit on the surface of the medium so you have some erase-ability.

I coloured the little blue-green bit at the bottom of the Cupid to match the paper pieced heart. You could cut it from your paper instead, but I found a mix of Copic markers & Prismacolour pencils made a nice colour match.



Step 5) Add some Glitzy Glitter (glass pieces, SO cool!) to the wings. I glued it on with Diamond Glaze (crystal lacquer)



Step 6) Glue patterned heart to the image & pierce around the outside edge



Step 7) Stitch gold seed beads around the edge of the heart (I think I'm hooked on that, hey?) ;o)



Step 8) Print & cut a second heart (through the magic of digital images this one is printed larger--at 110%--to create a second ruffle underneath the image.



Step 9) Glue the image onto the under ruffle



Step 10) Pierce holes & stitch silver thread for the bow string



Step 11) Adhere Cupid to a mat (This is a beloved scrap of GMC Paris Nights & black cardstock.) It's stitched with blue-green seed beads & the outer edge is coloured with a Copic marker for a faux mat (BG-72 Ice Ocean.) I adore the way Copics shimmer on the GMC.



Step 12) Build the box. This is my mini long note box template with vintage ledger freebie on it (printed on Strathmore 100lb Bristol Vellum)



Step 13) Adhere a strip for the Cosmo Cricket Everafter Kit to more black cardstock.



Step 14) Place the strip under the box (centered) & score to fit around the box.



Step 15) Adhere the strip to the box.



Step 16) Wrap with a piece of ribbon & tie a bow & adhere it.

Step 17) Adhere the image to the front of the box...

Step 18) Add a handle & a little bag of treats.

...et voilà...

(click me if you'd like to see me bigger) ;O)

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for this treat box (or as a note-card with
matching envelopes) is linked up here:

(Please click the photos to go download the template)

Digital ledger paper:

(click to go download it)

-Jak has an amazing project for you next
(You're in for a treat and then some!)

E.T.A: The PDF of this tutorial is here
(with photos, I'm still trying to figure out how to
edit photos out in the PDF writer I have.)

Thank you SO much for hopping by!

P.S. Mo' links:

You can find Cupid in Love here:

You can see all the newest art from Mo here on...


&

There's a great challenge every Thursday on...


(Those ladies are such a talented team!)

And if you haven't joined the Mo's Digital Pencil groups
(on PCP or SNR) then what are ya waitin' for? heehee.
LOTs of inspiration there!

Details on how to join in the fun at Mo's Digital Pencil groups are
written up (with links) at the bottom of this post, in case you'd like to come play! :o)

(click to visit the blog from an email or reader)