Sunday, March 20, 2011

a study in white: Two 3D flower templates & new technique ideas






From one extreme to the other, hey?
[from rainbows to white on white on

white--(with a little silver)]

This post is just a little photo collection of some
textural elements that I've been experimenting with
(this stuff)...
  • Mod Podge & book pages with paint and embossing
  • Free flower templates (2: one by Martha et al & one by me)
  • Chipboard letters & Gesso
  • Sticky back canvas (by Claudine Hellmuth)
  • Silver Leaf
  • White Paint
  • Stamps from Skipping Stones Designs & Hero Arts
  • White colorbox ink & embossing powders
  • Transfer Gel Medium
I thought I'd share some in progress pics of
them in case they might inspire you a little...


(First, a "Technical" tip for your viewing pleasure: if these photos, or any page on the web, looks too big or small to you, you can re-size: simply hold control button on your keyboard, and simultaneously scroll with your mouse up or down to re-size larger or smaller).






Martha book page flowers
using Mod Podge & paint

Some flowers I made using Mod Podge & Book pages
and a Martha Stewart flower template:

mod podge book page flowers melstampz

I used this Martha flower from a lovely project here:



but I used it as a shape for a PhotoShop brush to re-size it
many times to make this one sheet to print with many different sizes:


I printed the flower template, glued book pages on the back of
it with Mod Podge, painted & stamped in the paint, and
then cut the flowers out then layered them onto white floral wire:

mod podge book page flower with acrylic paint wash & stamping
(I did find that I wanted to cut one side of the Martha flower differently
than the template to get it more symmetrical as a paper flower.)

(There's a step-by-step pictorial for the
book page process here):




The Martha template was lovely to work with, as always,
but it left me with a craving for a more symetrical rose-like flower
so I doodled a template of my own for this...


Emboss resist cardstock rose:

hand cut paper rose emboss resist with paint

I've been wanting to make the paper roses you see everywhere now,
so I tried some rolling (Let's just say that I'm very bad
at the rolled rose thing. Need to practice, a whole whack!).

So, this rose is made of cut & shaped layers of cardstock instead of rolling.
It's just one shape made into a template that I printed & cut out (below)

1) Print flower template on white cardstock.

2) Flip printed flower template over (so the flowers are on the back & you can work on the blank side).

3) Stamp on blank side of the cardstock with a background stamp & heat emboss in versamark ink and white embossing powder.

4) Brush on some ink with water for colour (i used SU river rock ink).

5) Let dry the flowers dry for easier cutting.

6) Cut flower shapes out (following lines on template roughly).

7) To shape (one flower at a time works nicely): Mist flowers with a fine spray of water to make them pliable. Lay flowers on some fun foam (to cushion shaping) Use a stylus to shape each of the petals. Press once in the middle down firmly to give more of a bowl shape to the whole flower.

8) To put it together on a stem or as a brooch with leaves: pierce a hole in the center of each flower; take a long piece of wire (or floral wire with the thread on it) and twist the end so it will hold the flower, slide each flower onto the wire (glue to secure petals the way you like. I like them to be alternated so they aren't all lined up unnaturally); twist the wire at the back to keep them in place. Fold excess wire to make loops as a base to stick the leaves on.

9) To make the leaves: stick silk tape (the kind for first aid is cheap and lovely) onto graph paper. Cut shape & adhere to wire loops formed in step 8.

10) Glue a brooch pin on the back, if you like.



Here's my own flower template
in case you might like to use it
[for this, or whatever you'd like to make.
But no resale please]:


Available here on SplitCoastStampers (PDF and JPG)
or
available here on flickr (PNG)



gesso painted chipboard letters:

Have chipboard letters and you're not crazy for the colour?

These ones are sanded & painted with gesso:

Letters painted with Gesso mel stampz

Not sure what they'll end up as but they have more
possibilities open to them on their career path now. ;)


heat embossed stick back canvas with vintage graph paper transfer:
This was a fun experiment in layers...

Vanilla Embossing on sticky back canvas with vintage graph paper transfer

Canvas with heat embossing & paper transfer:

1) Cut a piece of sticky back canvas to size.

2) Peel off backing from canvas.

3) Stick adhesive side of canvas to a Spellbinders Impressabilities (caution residue can definitely get on the Impressabilities die or misshaping).

4) Sprinkle the still exposed stick back of the canvas with embossing powder & remove excess (I used Vanilla embossing powder.

5) Heat with a heat gun the embossing powder (with the Impressabilities still attached).

6) After the powder is melted, remove the Impressabilities carefully so as not to overly misshape it.

Use the embossed canvas as is, or colour it or whatever

I added a bit of transfer (to get the blue graph paper lines):

1) Paint on gel transfer medium
2) Stick paper onto it
3) Let it dry (overnight is awesome for a good transfer)
4) Wet back of paper & roll it off, exposing the transferred image

the transfer gel is really just like a clear paint that holds the
image (in this case the blue graph paper pattern)
but lets you roll the paper off for interesting transparency:

Vanilla Embossing on sticky back canvas with vintage graph paper transfer


silver leaf on sticky back canvas:
(as is or with heat emboss stamping on it)

Some stitched silver leaf canvas pieces for a project I'm making with those
Skipping Stones Design Timeless Textures elements:

silver leafed sticky back canvas with Skipping Stones Designs embpssed in white

To make QUICK Solid silver leafed sticky back canvas:


Step 1) Cut the sticky back canvas to size.

Step 2) Peel off the backing to reveal the sticky side.

Step 3) Lay the canvas down onto the silver leaf (sticky side down). Cotton gloves work perfectly for handling silver leaf or a soft brush, but really just slapping the sticky canvas down onto it is so easy that you don't need an applicator.

Step 4) Press the canvas down well into the silver leaf & remove it from the remainder of the silver leaf sheet.

Step 5) If needed, patch in any gaps with more silver leaf sheet (I haven't found patching to be necessary yet though).

Step 6) To get more of the canvas weave to show through,
burnish it by pressing/rubbing it on the silver side with the tip of the cotton glove

Step 7) Dress it up however you like.

I added heat embossing with different
Skipping Stones Design stamps:

Skipping Stones Designs stamps on silver leafed canvas mel stampz
woodgrain & scales from Timeless Textures and graphic & damask from Grunge set


This piece uses the same ingredients
but uses paint stamped on with a Hero Arts stamp
to make a resist pattern on the sticky back canvas adhesive:

silver leaf on back of sticky back canvas acrylic paint resist HA stamp by Mel Stampz

(The white parts were stamped in paint so the silver leaf won't stick
on that area & it will create the pattern of the stamp reversed.)

You can get a surprising amount of detail
(for silver leaf)

CLOSE silver leaf on back of sticky back canvas acrylic paint resist HA stamp by Mel Stampz

(and of course that yummy canvas texture)

Hope you're doing wonderfully,


P.S. Product Links:

Hero Arts
Ancient Motif stamp


Skipping Stones Design's
Timeless Textures and Grunge sets:


(I'm not affiliated with either company, but in the interest of full-disclosure I want to mention again that I did receive the Timeless Textures stamps for free from lovely Heather at Skipping Stones Design.) :)

22 comments:

Margie said...

Gorgeous flowers Mel - I'm with you on the rolling technique, I just can't get them right so this looks good for me to try. Thanks.

Cassie_lu said...

these look amazing and I really like the flowers you created

Bev said...

WOW Mel, These are absoloutely Gorgeous. I love the White/Silver on White it looks so Elegant and Sophisticated. I love the Stamps you have used from both companies. Thank You so much for your continued Inspiration and Tutorials. I must say you have taught me so much. Many Thanks.
Kind Regards,
Beverley Leeson.......

mekei said...

U R so COOL!

Chelsea said...

These flowers are amazing!! Thanks for sharing! You have inspired me!

Rufus said...

Mel, those flowers are lovely! I just picked up some stamens at a thrift store, so I'll have to give these a try. The white/silver combo is very elegant. Will be looking forward to seeing what it becomes.
Thanks for sharing all of this!
R/

Erum Tasneem said...

How much time did you spend doing ALL this gorgeousness?! Wow this is a LOT of beautiful work! Thanks for all the tips and tuts. This post looks beautiful!

Annie said...

So interesting - thank you so much for sharing.
ann xxx

Crafting Queen said...

Great tip and tutorials, fantastic projects. :)

Sarn said...

Wow . . . what a stunning project. Just beautiful.
Hugs, Sandra

Dawn said...

OMWord, Mel!! You never cease to AMAZE me with your creativity and the amount of WORK you put into a project!!
Fabulous, just fabulous!!! So beautiful........... and you make me tired!! hehe

ooooxoooo

Dotty Jo said...

Swooningly gorgeous stuff here Mel - how do you do it???? Bravo! Jo x

Shoshi said...

Gorgeous, Mel! I adore the white and silver combination. Definitely something to try.

Erin said...

Amazing Mel. You are just incredible. You need a book deal. Seriously, you need to shop that idea around. I would pay $24.99 in a second for a book of your ideas. Wouldn't even have to wait for a 40% off coupon. You truly elevate papercrafting to an art.

leslie (crookedstamper) said...

Wow. I bow down to you and all this crafty goodness you share. So many cool ideas, and you do all the experimenting FOR us! THANKS!!!!! xoxoxoxox

Esther Asbury said...

You never cease to amaze me with your talent!! GORGEOUS!!

MariLynn said...

I love how your flowers turned out. Gorgeous!!!

Tiff said...

WOW! This is too much brilliance in one post! I will definitely be RE-reading this one! THANK YOU!

Juliana Michaels 17turtles said...

WOW! Love your blog! Just found it looking for images of a purse for something! Love your flower tutorials and tips! Thanks for all the inspo!!!

cherrylej said...

hello! I hope you will read this :)

I was looking for a blinkie or a button of your blog so I can share your site or even a 'follow me' button.. You are so fabulous and kind to share your STEP BY STEP craft making, others won't, but you do! I love everything you did. I hope that you will continue to be an inspiration to people :)Thank you so much and take care :)

Mari said...

That silver leaf on the sticky side of the canvas ROCKS! Yay, Mel! :)

Allison Rankin said...

You are killing me with all these crafty ideas. Srsly, you took all that downtime and now you are a font of all this creative sunshine! I would take a break if I knew this was the outcome, but who are we kidding? Ha! Awesome Mel.