Cuttlebug Challenge Blog (new(?) 'bug techniques & folder stuff)

Does texture make you feel all giddy?

Messing about with unpredictable textures gives me such a thrill!

The Cuttlebug embossing texture on this bookmark is...



...all painted up to grace a pocket card:



Don't you just adore paint?

This acrylic paint Cuttlebug technique has me ultra excited about sharing with you today, because it's supremely satisfying!!! LOL It's a tad messy (YAY paint!) but no brushes to clean, so it's relatively fast and easy.

It also gives you some new options to suit the newest styles of Provocraft folders (which have a lot more scenes to colour and treat with painty texture.)
I hope you'll like it....

All you need is:

• Your favourite Cuttlebug supplies
• Your usual colouring supplies (Copics or ink or whatever)
  
• and a bit of white acrylic paint or gesso

1...Cuttlebug Challenge Blog: Be Inspired Wednesday #65
2...project dimensions
3...materials list
4...assembling & embellishing stuff for this pocket front card
5...bookmark--Cuttlebug Acrylic Paint Fresco technique (works with gesso too)
6...cheap tricks: cutting up stamps & DIY tassels on the cheap

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Cuttlebug Challenge Blog

This is for the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog's Be Inspired Wednesday #66

OOPSY! Somehow, I missed the fact that this challenge was supposed to have red as the main colour, but I did get the pocket & Asian embossing folder part in there. Thankfully, part of my New Year's resolution is to not keep berating myself about my frequent little mess-ups. (It's all those paint fumes... No no no... I know...really, secretly the colour turquoise is conspiring to take over my brain! Yeah, that's the ticket!) ;o)

Hope You can join the challenge!

Be Inspired Wednesday #66 (Pocket Cards!)

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• Main card (a normal side-fold card): 5" wide x 6-1/2" high
• Top embossed section (lanterns) 4-3/4" x 3-3/8"
• Bottom Pocket (stamped with branch in blossom) 5" wide x 3-2/8"
• Bookmark (Geisha figure) 6-3/8" x 2-1/2"
  

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• Cuttlebug machine & embossing folder: I used 2 of the soon to be available Provo Craft folders: Kimiko 5x7 Embossing folder & Lanterns A2 Embossing folder. You can see the whole Asian line on the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog hereas well as some stunning inspiration using them in the previous challenge (#65) here
• White Strathmore 100lb Bristol Vellum (akin to heavy white cardstock)
• Copic markers/other colouring medium. (Copics bleed less with the paint)
  
• White acrylic paint (+cardstock scraps to spread it around)
• Distress inks: Antique Linen; Peeled Paint; Broken China
• Painting: brush, water, & paper towel/rag to blot

Other supplies:

• Sewing: paper piercer, needle, thread, seed beads
• Tassels (made from embroidery thread & a button)
• Cardstock: Medium & light turquoise and cream coloured
• Embossing: Versamark; clear & white embossing powder; heat gun
• Stamps: Tranquility from ISC

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...assemble the pocket card

Step 1) Make the top lantern piece:

A) Cut a piece of cardstock to measure 4-3/4" x 3-3/8"
B) Pressure emboss it in the Cuttlebug (or Big Shot or what-have-you)
C) Swipe white acrylic paint on (or gesso) using a scrap of cardstock to spread it
D) Sponge inks on (used here, Distress ink mix: Antique Linen; Peeled Paint; Broken China)

A subtle amount of ink gives you a soft antiqued fresco look:

E) Pierce & Stitch it, if you like...



Step 2) Adhere the lantern piece to a card:

A) Cut a piece of cardstock to measure 10" x 6-1/2"
B) Score at 5 inch point (in the middle)
C) Stick the embossed piece on the top of it

(The card will be 5" wide x 6-1/2" high when folded)



Step 3) Finish the card:

A) Cut & stamp a section of coloured cardstock I used medium turquoise to measure 5" wide x 3-2/8".
B) Add a button tassel.

Please see "cheap tricks" below for details on the stamped branch image & button tassel.

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the bookmark
Cuttlebug Acrylic Paint Fresco technique

This works with gesso too & if you don't have copics you might like to try paint washed on or other markers. I just find Copics bleed out less with the paint.

Step 1) Emboss, colour, & cover the image in white acrylic paint

A) Cut a piece of cream cardstock to measure 6-3/8" x 2-1/2"
B) Emboss it with a Cuttlebug folder to create an image you'll want to colour
C) Colour it with pale Copics (C3 Frost Blue; Cool Gray No3, B00; YG91 Putty) No need to have perfect colouring. To be honest this look pretty ICKy until the next step, when paint went on...
D) Swipe the entire surface with a light coating of acrylic paint



Step 2) Paint an ink wash around it. (This is an mix of water & River Rock reinker)

The paint resists & gives you a neato antique texture:


You can touch up small areas with white paint on a brush, if you like.



Step 3) Pierce & stitch around the image (I added beads at the top)



Step 4) Add a tassel & finish the back of the bookmark... by sandwiching the tassel between the image & a backing piece of cardstock the same size as the image.

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Cutting up stamps & DIY tassels on the cheap

This blooming branch is stamped using the stamp set Tranquility from ISC (Innovative Stamp Creations.) I cut apart the flowers (just trimming between the image of the rubber stamp, so that it's easy to get all kinds of natural and various flower shapes. Of course, cutting up stamps is nothing new, but maybe it's a good trick for beginners? :o)

The flowers are embossed in clear & white embossing powders. The leaves are coloured with a New Leaf Copic marker. The branch is stamped & then shaded with a Dark Bark Copic marker.

The centers of the flowers have knots:

DIY embroidery thread tassel:



I followed this great video on how to make a basic
tassel with embroidery thread

and that's it:

(Click photos to enlarge them in Blogger if you like)

Thanks for visiting! If you try this out,
I hope you have as much fun as I did, :o)

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