I had so much fun making my DT project for this month's Emerald Creek Anything Goes Dare that I made not one but two projects that coordinate. I took a dollar store notebook and pencil and transformed them into these with a little EC flare!
I started the notebook transformation by giving the cover two coats of gesso, allowing it to dry in between layers. Next, I slathered on a layer of Tim Holtz Grit paste with a palette knife and let it set up for a few minutes. Then, I spritzed the Kimilese stamp and stamped it into the grit paste; cleaning it off as needed and re-wetting it so as to not get stuck full of grit paste. I set the book aside to dry and worked on the watercolour panel.
Once it was dry, I spritzed the cover with water and then generously sprayed Tim Holtz Distress Stain, letting the water and stain mix to work their magic. Again, I set it off to dry.
The techniques for the watercoloured chrysanthemum piece work best by using a positioning tool; In this case, I used my MISTI. After positioning the Spider Chrysanthemum stamp in the MISTI tool with a 400 Series piece of Strathmore watercolour paper, I loaded the Kimilese stamp with Coffee Archival ink and stamp kissed it onto the Chrysanthemum stamp. Then, I stamped the Chrysanthemum stamp to the watercolour paper. It gives a reverse image imprint but it is not an issue in this case because the font is not very legible; however, it gives the look of script that I wanted. It is very important to use a waterproof ink like the Archival ink for that first step as it will not run once dry for the next steps.
After cleaning of the ink from the flower stamp, load the stamp with Antique Linen Distress ink and spritz both it and the watercolour paper with water before stamping the image over the previously stamped script. Once dry, use a static tool over paper image and load the flower stamp again but with VersaMark ink. Cover with fine clear embossing powder and heat set. This will leave the petals and stem areas of the Spider Chrysanthemum clear and easy to watercolour as the emboss powder sets the Antique Linen section and resists the watercolours. Using Distress inks smooched on a craft mat and a water brush, colour the petals with Peacock Feathers and the stem with Mowed Lawn. Lastly, I wet the edges of the watercolour paper with the water brush and tore them off to leave the distressed raw edges.
Taking kraft cardstock, I cut it to a 4 5/8" x 7 5/8" sized panel. Then, I stamped the Just a Note at the centre 3/4 mark down the piece with VersaMark ink and covered it with a custom combination of Candy Brown, Vegas Gold, and Mirror Gold embossing powders. Next, I distressed the edges and inked them with Coffee Archival ink to match the script font stamping on the watercoloured piece and then, wrapped the hemp twine around the centre section. I adhere the kraft panel to the notebook cover with gel medium and left it to dry.
Supplies: Kimilese Script stamp, Spider Chrysanthemum Stamp, just a note stamp, Clear Fine Embossing Powder, Candy Brown Embossing Powder, Vegas Gold Embossing Powder, Mirror Gold Embossing Powder (Emerald Creek Craft Supplies), Tim Holtz Grit Paste, Antique Linen Distress Stain Spray, Antique Linen, Peacock Feathers, Mowed Lawn Distress inks, Coffee Archival ink, Dina Wakley Gel Medium (Ranger), VersaMark ink (Tsukineko), gesso (Golden), 400 Series cold press watercolour paper (Strathmore), ribbon (May Arts), natural hemp cord (Darice), notebook (Dollarama)
Once dry, I foam taped the back of the watercolour stamped piece and adhered it in the top half section. Lastly, I threaded the beautiful May Arts ribbon through the spirals and tied it off hiding the knot by rotating the ribbon through the spirals a bit at the bottom.
It is amazing what embossing powder will transform! I "coloured" the pencil by taping off the metal and the sharpened tip ends with painter's tape and rolled it across a Versamark ink pad to cover it completely. Then, I covered it with Turquoise Sparkle emboss powder to match the blue of the chrysanthemum.
Supplies: Cerith Seashell Stamp, Seahorse Stamp, Turquoise Sparkle Embossing Powder, Metal Turtle Brad, Ancient Anchor Charm, Citrine Gemstones (Emerald Creek Craft Supplies), VersaMark ink, Timber brown, Saddle Brown, Teal Blue StazOn inks (Tsukineko), pencil crayons, (Crayola), Shrink-It (Aleene's), Natural Hemp Cord (Darice), Tim Holtz Idea-ology Jump Rings (Advantus), 1/2" x 1/8" Pop Up Dot (Glue Dot), pencil (Dollarama)
It has been a long time since I used shrink plastic but it was the perfect way to accessorize the pencil. I took a piece of Shrink-It plastic and lightly sanded one side. Turning it over, I stamped with StazOn ink on the clean side. I stamped the Cerith Seashell once in Timber Brown and once in Saddle Brown. I stamped the Seahorse in Teal Blue. Next, I turned the sheet over to the sanded side and added touches of colour with pencil crayons before carefully cutting them out and hole punching with my Cropadile. Then, on a parchment lined cookie sheet, I shrunk all three with an embossing gun. I coloured the Ancient Anchor Charm with some Tim Holtz Walnut Distress Paint, letting it set up a bit and then wiping some of it off. I added jump rings to all four pieces and tied on some hemp twine to each.
To attach the charms to the top, I used a turtle brad which I coloured with brown and green Sharpies. I pushed the brad into the eraser and tied on the four charms at a variety of lengths.
To cover the metal and finish the pencil off, I took two large dimensional pop dots and stretched then around the top until they were secure. Then, I pressed in the Citrine stones until completely covered. And there you have it... one kickin' pencil!
Here is one last look at both projects together...
Now it's your turn. Let your imagination go where it may and come play with this month's dare. Full details, other design team member's inspiration pieces, and contest link up can be found here on the Emerald Creek Dares Blog.
TTFN,
