April 2008 Workshop

[Phree]

I took the liberty of suggesting this to dips as an ideal project for our first workshop for 2 reasons. My first and perhaps most important reason was because this project requires next to nothing in the way of Crafting Stash. All you need is an inkpad, a plastic bag (yes, one from your local supermarket will do) and some paper. These are items I thought nearly all of us would own and therefore this is a project that could be tried by anyone who was attracted to the workshop idea without them worrying about not having the “right” stash to have a go.

My second reason was because while reading dips’ thread about getting this concept off the ground it seemed to me that the workshop idea had perhaps grown to become something more like a master class in some people’s minds rather than a simple sharing of ideas with perhaps a little bit of know-how thrown in too. Now while my initials may well be J N, Jayne Nestorenko I most certainly am not and I do not for a second pretend that I can make cards of “master class” level as she can.

However one thing I have discovered is this: I can have an enormous amount of fun, get very messy in the process, and end up with some very presentable cards, even if they are not quite as dazzling as the lovely Jayne’s are. I am hoping that this workshop will not only show people a fun and unbelievably easy technique to play around with, but also show that no matter what level of skill you have, there is almost certainly something that you can do and which we would enjoy sharing with you if you care to create your own workshop for us.

OK enough of the sermon, lets get down to business because I am sure you are dying to know what on earth I expect you to do with a supermarket carrier bag that can possibly end up looking good on a card :D

[Phree]

So without further ado let’s start the end with a picture of one possible end result you might achieve:

End Result:

<a href="http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/My%20Cards%202008/?action=view&current=PapermadewithPlasticBag.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/My%20Cards%202008/PapermadewithPlasticBag.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Which becomes this:

<a href="http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/My%20Cards%202008/?action=view&current=FebChallengeCardtoRita.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/My%20Cards%202008/FebChallengeCardtoRita.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[Phree]

Now for the easy part!

First gather your materials and settle down at your crafting place – what were those materials again?:

An Inkpad (any pad, pigment, dye based or chalk will work, I have yet to try a permanent ink like Stazon)
A sheet of Paper
A Plastic Bag (any tatty old bag will do)
Some Scrap paper to catch ink from over stamping at the edges.

<I> Note : to make it easier to show clearly the paper I was working on and the scrap paper behind it I have used white A5 paper with a sheet of pink A4 behind it to catch the ink from any over stamping. </I>

<a href="http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/?action=view&current=CTWorkshopPic1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/CTWorkshopPic1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

So now we are sitting comfortably it’s time to get your plastic bag and scrunch it up, crush it, mangle it, twist it, anything you like…. go on let some tension out, be brutal to that bag!

<a href="http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/?action=view&current=CTWorkshopPic2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/CTWorkshopPic2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[Phree]

OK I can hear you thinking that now what you have in your hand is a scrunched up plastic bag? Well think again, it’s not a bag, it’s a STAMP! Probably the easiest stamp you have ever stamped with.

<a href="http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/?action=view&current=CTWorkshopPic3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/CTWorkshopPic3.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Next step – ink up your stamp! Go on, dab the bag onto your ink pad, don’t be scared, give that bag a good dab up and down on the pad – 3 or 4 times if you want to make sure it has plenty of ink on it or if you pad is a little older and not as juicy as a new pad.

<a href="http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/?action=view&current=CTWorkshopPic4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/CTWorkshopPic4.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/?action=view&current=CTWorkshopPic5.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/CTWorkshopPic5.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[Phree]

Now dab the bag down on your paper – quite firmly! .

<a href="http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/?action=view&current=CTWorkshopPic6.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/CTWorkshopPic6.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/?action=view&current=CTWorkshopPic7.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/CTWorkshopPic7.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Tada! There we have it, our first impression from our bag-stamp. Looking good huh ? And wasn’t making that splodge easy? So lets do another!

<a href="http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/?action=view&current=CTWorkshopPic8.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/CTWorkshopPic8.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[Phree]

Not bad, but what if we want a more subtle look? Well we don’t need to ink up that stamp (er bag) every time do we? So lets go for a second dab without re-inking…

<a href="http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/?action=view&current=CTWorkshopPic9.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/CTWorkshopPic9.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

….. and what about a third dab?

<a href="http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/?action=view&current=CTWorkshopPic10.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/CTWorkshopPic10.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Mmmmmm nice, a softer look :)

[Phree]

Oh dear, those white edges are going to look a bit harsh…..hang on we can stamp off the edge a few times, that will ease the look. Our scrap paper will catch the ink that goes over the edge.

<a href="http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/?action=view&current=CTWorkshopPic11.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/CTWorkshopPic11.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

That’s better !

Now lets keep stamping until all of the page is covered and we are happy with the amount of colour we have added

<a href="http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/?action=view&current=CTWorkshopPic12.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/CTWorkshopPic12.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<I>Note : the scrap sheet was turned over to it’s clean side to enable the finished result to be seen more clearly in this photo.</I>

There we go, just leave it for a minute or so to make sure all your ink is dry and now you have a nice abstract backing paper that you can use in lots of ways.

[Phree]

Taking it a little further……

Try using a sheet of coloured paper instead of starting with white

Mask off a bit in the middle of a second piece of paper with a Post-It note and then stamp your bag all over the areas that have been left uncovered. When you peel off the Post-It note you have a nice insert with a clear area for writing your message. This will co-ordinate nicely with the first sheet you made to use on the front of the card. Remember when doing this to stamp right up to and over the edges of your post-it note so as you have a nice finished edge once you peel off the Post-It note mask.

Try using toning or contrasting colours of ink BUT be careful not to contaminate your inkpads by cross inking when your bag is still carrying one colour and you move to another! To avoid cross contamination of your ink pads just “re-scruch” your bag and use a clean area of the bag for each colour, or use different bags for each colour.

This was the inkpad I used to make the paper for the Kimono Card – I used inks from all areas of the pad. You don’t have to have one of these “rainbow” type pads, just choose single colour pads from those that you do own, which are in colours you think will work well together, or contrast nicely.

<a href="http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/?action=view&current=CTWorkshopPic13.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/CTWorkshopPic13.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<I> Note : This particular make of pad works by having a mechanism that allows you to slide the separate colour segments together when using it, and then to slide them apart again when the pad is not in use. Keeping the various colour segments apart when the pad is not in use helps to prevent them bleeding into each other. </I>

Adding another touch – Stamp a design over the top – here I have used a flower stamp, which I have inked in a slightly darker colour than any of the inks I used on the backing paper.

<a href="http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/?action=view&current=CTWorkshopPic14.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/Phree_/CT%20Workshop%20April%202008/CTWorkshopPic14.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

What about heat embossing an outline image onto you paper, filling in the embossed outline with a clear glaze such as Glossy Accents and then cutting it out as an embellishment?

While we are thinking about cutting, maybe you could put some of the paper though your die cutting machine, or use a punch to punch-out elements to decorate your card with

Another technique is to spritz your finished paper with water and then see what happens. So long as you have been using water based inks the water will make your design change – remember to let it dry thoroughly before using it.

And of course, like the finished Kimono card we saw at the start, there are always those trusty crafting stash staples - “peel-offs” – stick them down on your paper, and cut them out. The kimono peel-offs on that card came from winspiration’s shop and are the transparent kind, which it would probably be more accurate to describe as a sticker as they cover the whole area of the design rather than being just an outline image.

A final benefit – NO STAMP CLEANING REQUIRED – yes you heard me correctly - no need to clean your stamp (oops I should say bag) afterwards, just toss it in the bin :D

I hope you have enjoyed this workshop as much as I enjoyed messing about with my inkpads and that carrier bag, and that you feel that it is a nice easy project to try out. If you have a go do post some pics and let us see what you make.

[Dips]

Thank You, Phree, for reinstating this most excellent workshop that was enjoyed and used by many folks on here.