Hello, friends! For most of us in the US, it’s time for students to go back to school. To me, the “Back to School” season reminds me of fresh paper, freshly sharpened pencils, A-B-C’s and 1-2-3's. The basics really…that make us remember a simpler time.
This month, we continue with an amazing designer showcase from the ever-so-talented, Erika Taylor. Following her inspiration, the team of designers from “7 Girls & a Smoking Gun” will be bringing you amazing projects using “the basics”.
ERIKA TAYLOR
Designer Showcase
As luck would have it, Erika was next in line to showcase her talent. She is a mixed media artist and oozes talent. Erika’s projects, for those of you that are beginners in crafting, is inspiring and something to reach for as you learn how to apply multiple techniques.
You can start by learning the basic techniques that follow this project, and you can literally layer the methods and powders for a similarly stunning effect.
Erika say’s this project was a labor of love, but her favorite, WOW! project to date. For the Miracle Star, she used a lot of double embossing of three of the regular powders from the Suzy West Collections and a regular Silver powder.
- WOW EMBOSSING POWDERS: Whirly Pop, Silver, Skyline Grey Puff and Metallic Platinum Sparkle.
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The larger elements of this layered piece was stamped with a background stamp and embossed with Plantinum Silver and Silver to create a textured look.
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The stars were given full coverage of Whirly Pop and Platinum Silver. There’s a touch of Silver embossing powder accenting the angel’s wings.
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The sentiment, “Believe in Miracles” shows a fantastic use of our Skyline Grey Puff from the Suzy West Collection, By the Bay. This is a textured, matte powder meant to stay “rough” when melted. I absolutely love how it turned out on this project!
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AMY PRIOR
Our next project is also “off the paper”, but does not require a beginning embossing powder crafter to put on a heavy duty thinking cap. Instead, you’ll be putting on a beautiful headband. Anyone can do this project!
Amy repurposed an old Leopard Print Fabric covered plastic headband. She loves making accessories for her girls, but this time she wanted to make one for herself. Amy says, “One of the only headbands I own was this plastic thick band that was covered in Leopard Print Fabric. I kept the fabric on and went to town with my powders to create an uber cute look I can wear every day!! My beautiful youngest girl Chloe just had to model it for you all.”
- · WOW EMBOSSING POWDERS: Black Glint Embossing Glitter (on the underside), Ultra High Copper Embossing Powder, Ultra High Gold Rich Embossing Powder (just sprinkled over the copper when it was hot)
The topside of the headband was embossed with Ultra High Copper that leaves a “thicker” embossed look. After applying Ultra High Copper to the tacky surface of the headband (full coverage with Versamark Ink), and before heating, Amy sprinkled Ultra High Gold powder on top of the UH Copper. She melted the powders all at once.
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The underside of the headband was covered and embossed with Black Glint powder.
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Lovely Miss Chloe! [I’m not sure how much you’re going to get to wear this headband, Amy! It looks great on her!]
DONNA O’LEARY
If you just love paper, but do want something you can display, here’s a brilliant project you can customize for anyone.
Donna made for a colorful wall decoration for her daughter, Ruby who turns 3 in a couple of weeks. She wanted to keep it really simple, and had the idea of putting Ruby’s name on her wall. Thankfully Ruby's name is short!
Donna picked up some frames from the warehouse and colored them with a number of products. She says, “I really like how the dylusions ink sprays match beautifully with the WOW! embossing powders. I used some Tim Holtz grunge board letters which fitted into my frames; I then embossed each letter with a different color to match the frame. I got some plain white card stock and stamped all the little love hearts in a matching color.”
I love the bright girlie colors!
· WOW Stamp Sets Used: StampSet2 - Gratitude
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| Close up of Embossed Letter and Stamped Background |
IRIT SHALOM
Coming back to paper with basic techniques, we can still deliver amazing, giftable embossed projects your friends, family or you will love!
Irit came up with a fantastic project anyone with some paper, popsicle sticks and embellishments (stickers, cut outs, flowers, etc.) could do.
She put together three place cards/toppers that can be used as bookmarks later. Irit heat embossed the edges of the cards by tapping along the edges with Clear embossing ink and using cable red, presidio purple and ebony black. Irit also embossed the wooden sticks with the same colors, using the same clear ink and nothing more for sealing or bonding and it works perfectly. It’s a great way to get into embossing and playing powders with beginner steps for heat embossing without stamping.
· OTHER: Echo Park papers and stickers and Spellbinders dies to cut the shapes.
JEN DEAL
One of my favorite “basic” techniques of all time comes by way of gift wrapping. I love putting plain colored tissue paper, white butcher or craft paper or solid colored gift wrap around gifts and then topping it off with a fantastic ribbon and tag.
Here are three tags that really started from one simple technique. All three tags are basic manila mailing tags. I used “Joy to the World” from WOW! Merry & Bright Christmas stamp set with a pink chalk ink and randomly covered the tags.
For the very first basic tag, you can tie a ribbon through the hole at the top of the tag, and stop there. You can take one more half step and emboss snowflakes with Neutral Ultra Shimmer embossing powder to give a touch of iridescent festiveness to the tag.
To take this a step further, use the Holiday tree from the same stamp set and emboss on one end of the tag with Tea Garden Green. Voila! You have a fancy tag you can tie a ribbon to and add to any holiday package.
If you really want to get crazy, the last tag was sprayed with Tattered Angel’s Glimmer Mist in Cherry Limeade before I stamp and embossed the tree to the tag.
- WOW Embossing Powders: Suzy West Collection, By the Bay – Tea Garden Green, WoW! Collection – Neutral Ultra Shimmer
- WOW Stamp Sets Used: StampSet8 – Merry & Bright Christmas
- Other Products Used: Manila tags, ribbon
SHERRIE STOVER-SUTTLES & ANNE BROWN
This last card is hopefully, a touch of encouragement for Sherrie and Anne who have each had a tough week.
This is a simple tone-on-tone stamping and embossing technique. The black cardstock has been stamped with WOW!’s “Vintage Wallpaper” stamp and Black Glint powder for a solid color but textured look. The heart was cut and the word “love” from WOW!’s “Beyond Measure” stamp set was randomly stamped and embossed with Pastel Pink.
- WOW Embossing Powders: WoW! Collection – Black Glint, Pastel Pink
- WOW Stamp Sets Used: StampSet12 – Vintage Wallpaper, StampSet13 – Love Beyond Measure
The final touch was a sticker …”It’s All Good”. J
Have a great weekend, all!
For more fabulous projects, please visit our blogs!
Click Here to Erika’s blog, Taylord Concepts.
Click Here to Irit’s creativeness at her blog, Irit Shalom’s Designs.
Click Here to Anniebee’s Craft Room.
Click Here to see Amy’s blog.
Click Here to see Sherrie and hear about what is keeping her busy at her blog, Each Days Memories. Click Here to see Jen’s latest pinteresting obsessions.
Click Here to see Donna’s late night creations.
great article.
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