Thursday, August 30, 2007

Canned Primas


I have been insanely busy making homemade primas. After I made them I wondered where I should store them. So, I put 'em in canning jars. Each small jar holds about 15 and the tall one in the middle holds 40 or so. These were embossed and water-coloured, then cut out and embellished. (Crystal effects is the perfect adhesive for the beads etc...)

The water-colouring process included two steps: edging around the outside of each flower in a chocolate chip reinker wash and wet into wet painting with two aqua painters (light wash and darker tone in craft ink for saturation of colour). The brown centers were easiest to do. I found that I could just slop on a circle of wash and go back in with darker tones, since I'd be trimming anyway.

I can't wait until my S.U. order (with more blue-bayou and soft-sky cardstock) comes in. I'm also waiting for a BIG order of gorgeous water-colourable stamps from eat cake graphics. Sighhhhhhhhh...
Mel

EDITED TO ADD: More details

I use an aqua painter and reinkers. These primas were done in combos of: tempting turquoise & not quite navy (with chocolate chip centers); bordering blue & blue bayou; bordering blue & ballet blue.

I do several whole sheets of cardstock at once that way painting is faster (and I don't have to wait for them to dry between steps (I'm so impatient!).

First, I go around the edge with a light brown wash, then let it dry. After that, I use a wet into wet technique: just paint the flower quickly with a light wash of blue (sometimes twice depending on how quick it seems to be drying: you want it wet enough) then I go in with the dark ink in spots. It's fun when it bleeds into the light colour.

Then, yup (the tedious part) I cut them all out, BUT thankfully I just sent my paper snips out for sharpening (and with a wash around the outside you don't have to worry about perfection). Also this is a doodley set, so it's forgiving).

:0) Mel

7 comments:

Michelle said...

Beautiful! How did you color them? And did you sit and cut them all out? Wow, dedication!!

Michelle said...

I think I should learn to read more closely before I ask dumb questions. Duh!!

mel m. m. mccarthy said...

No Prob. I can give you more details this way ;-) I'm just happy someone's curious.

I use an aqua painter and reinkers. These primas were done in combos of: tempting turquoise & not quite navy (with chocolate chip centers); bordering blue & blue bayou; bordering blue & ballet blue.

I do several whole sheets of cardstock at once that way painting is faster (and I don't have to wait for them to dry between steps (I'm so impatient!).

First, I go around the edge then let it dry. After that, I just paint the flower quickly with a light wash (sometimes twice depending on how quick it seems to be drying: you want it wet enough) then I go in with the dark ink in spots. It's fun when it bleeds into the light colour.

Then, yup (the tedious part) I cut them all out, BUT thankfully I just sent my paper snips out for sharpening (and with a wash aroung the outside you don't have to worry about perfection). Also this is a doodley set, so it's forgiving).

Thanks so much for askin'

Mel

Anonymous said...

WOW lots of neat and intricate stuff here...think i'll give those reinkers another shot!!

-pt

Anonymous said...

Very clever idea. It must take lots of time but I bet it saves you a ton of time later.

~* Tracy *~ said...

I'm just in luuuuuuuurve with these!!! I can just see me making a gazillion of them ~ they are just so pretty :)

Anonymous said...

well aren't you a clever cookie? storing your pretties in a clear canning jar? THX again Mel!!
Laura from FB