SunSpirit Studio’s Blog

I hadn’t heard of a button fairy until I signed up for a swap on Stamper’s Corner recently. It looked like an intriguing, fun little project, and the deadline was pretty far out (I figured that gave me plenty of time to procrastinate!), so I signed up. Last week, I worked on a little prototype for the swap and wanted to share it with you here.

Steps to make your own button fairy, like the one I did:

1. Cut out a face. Stamp wings, or a butterfly image, onto decorative paper (I used scrap messy paper that was shimmery from repeated Color Mists sprayings). Trim the images and glue down onto stiff paper or cardboard (like from a cereal box). Cut out the whole assembly and edge with a gold Krylon pen.

2. Cut a length of wire (maybe about 8-10 inches) and make a loop at the top by twisting the wire around itself. Thread a bead (in this case, I used a fake pearl from my stash of broken jewelry from my grandma’s house) onto the wire and push up to the loop, covering the twisty part.

3. Then, place your wings/face assembly face down onto your work surface and place the wire down over it so that the bead rests at the top of your face. Use scotch tape to secure the wire to the back of your wings/face. (See the photo to the left to see the back; click for a larger version.) I will finish this back with a page from an old book, but I wanted to show you what the back looks like.

4. Take your largest button and thread onto the wire, bringing the wire through one hole of the button, starting from the back of the button. Then thread it through a second hole on the button, from front to back. Continue this way with 3 or 4 more buttons until your “tail” looks the way you want it to.

5. To finish off the “tail,” I added another pearl bead.

Cute! Fun! The photo is one of me when I was a baby. The butterfly stamp is from Autumn Leaves. The buttons are from grandma’s stash and from a batch of buttons I found in an antique store.

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I thought I would walk you through my “creative process ” of creating my altered canvases. Bare with me as I am not a very good teacher as there really is no rhyme or reason to my madness I call art. :) 

Step 1: gather all possible background supplies and then some…  I start with a blank canvas. Sometimes I will just use alcohol inks with the blending solution to create a background. I choose 3 colors or so and work them intogether, often times using a more distinct color to create a shape, ex. star, heart, branch with leaves etc. Other times, I paint acrylic paints on the background and add the inks as it dries, or after it dries. I like the tattered angels glitter spray also to add an effect. My motto is the more the merrier. I keep adding, blotting, blending until I get an effect I like or think I can do something with. I also, make more than one at a time because more than likely, only 2-3 of the 5-7 I did are ones I can “see” a future for. The others I keep and redo or wait until I get a brain fart for a new creation.

Step 2: after your background is dry, decide what it is to become… at least what you will try to let it become, you can’t make it :) If you have a quote you would like to use, decide where you would like to lay it on the canvas, any tissue to rip up and modge podge on the background. I also add my stickles at this time if I am creating a shape such as a star. I also add alot at the end after I have everything attached, I love my stickles!

Step 3: Next I take out my fabrics, floss, fibers, buttons etc anything goes, literally. I even have used cardboard - ripped, painted and so on to add. Cheap and artsy!

 I also have drawings/templates to use to tarce onto fabic for my birds, fish and anything else I may think of. Don’t forget about your stamps either! They make great additions to these collage pieces.

step 4: Layer it all together until pleasing to your eye and start attaching. I use modge podge for my tissue and fabric, E600 for my charms etc. I sew on buttons and beads. Basically whatever you have on hand. I often print out quotes on my computer on cardstock and modge podge those on too. Be careful, however, not to rub the modge podge over your printer ink to much or it will smear. Alpha stamps and Staz on ink work great also.

Step5: I paint around my canvas, the side edges to give it a finished look. Add more stickles, stitching, dry brush paint etc if I think it needs it. More often than not I need to stop myself from doing more because I am a “more is better” type artist and often do the “one more thing” and feel like I ruined it. Use your scrapbook stash, chipboard letters spray painted, and my favorites, Andrea’s copper at www.SunSpiritStudio.com . She has some fabulous new copper charms I can’t wait to get my hands on!

One main thing: cover up your work surface and yourself when working with alcohol inks. They do stain. Come to my house and you will probably be able to tell every surface I have crafted on. (I am trying to get new countertops ! ;) )

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Friday the 18th we had a ribbon cutting and party for the merger of Beads-N-Stuff and SunSpirit Studio. We now offer a lot more craft supplies and hope to have more stamps and beads in the near future. If you need something just give me a call at 520-432-2400!

Here are a couple of photos from the party.

Susan, Me (Andrea) and Clark - the president of the Chamber of Commerce

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The other day I was pursuing blogs as I do everyday when I came across one discussing “Design Focus: Rule of Thirds”. When I saw this I had no idea what on earth she was talking about. So I read further and learned some new information that I thought I would pass on. It is wonderful to know that after 8 years of stamping I am still able to learn something new and to know that I am not a know it all.

Design Focus: Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds comes from photography and is a fantastic concept that is applicable to stamping, painting, etc. To incorporate the Rule of Third into your artwork, in your mind’s eye divide your card into a 3X3 grid and place your image where the lines intercept.

Consider horizontal thirds:

And vertical thirds:

And, most interestingly, where they intersect:

Here are some sites that discuss the “Rule of Thirds”:

http://painting.about.com/library/blpaint/blcompositionclass2.htm

http://desktoppub.about.com/od/designprinciples/l/aa_balance4.htm

http://www.blackboardarts.com/photography/articles/ruleofthirds/index.php

http://www.apogeephoto.com/jan2002/altengarten.shtml

http://photodoto.com/rule-of-thirds/

http://joshuaclanton.com/blog/2008/01/18/one-third-to-rule-them-all-applying-the-rule-of-thirds-to-web-design/

These are only a few of the many available.

This card is made using the concept of “Rule of Thirds”. When looking at the card visualize how the card is laid out in thirds and where it intersects. This concept can be applied to any card made.

Light Blue Bling Cardstock (Bazzill)

“Haze” – Obscure Pattern Paper (Basic Grey)

White Cardstock

Leaf Rubber Stamp

Chestnut Roan ColorBox Chalk Ink (Clearsnap)

Aquamarine Flatback Crystals (Swarovski)

Scor-It Board

12” Large Base Guillotine Paper Cutter (Tonic Studios)

Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive (Beacon Adhesives)

FE-240 7.1 Mega Pixel Digital Camera (Olympus)

Cut light blue cardstock to the size of 5½” X8½”, score it and fold in half. Cut Haze pattern paper to the size of 4”X5¼” and adhere to card. Cut an additional light blue cardstock to the size 5½”X2” and Haze pattern paper to the size of 5¼”X1¾”, adhere the pattern paper to the light blue cardstock and adhere to card. Stamp leaf image in Chestnut Roan ink onto white cardstock, trim, and sponge Chestnut Roan ink to distress image. Layer leaf image onto light blue cardstock and brown cardstock and adhere to card. Embellish card with Swarovski Crystals.

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It’s springtime (sort of) and all I can think about (besides daisies and whimsical bird stamps) is a good road trip. No, I will not wait till summer, thankyouverymuch. I have one road trip in the works and so does Andrea, so I made this wee book for her.

I’m a big fan of using what I have around the studio, but sometimes I don’t really want to do a lot of cutting and measuring, so I used pre-cut 4×5 pages and covers from Zutter, made for the Bind-it-All. This way, I knew everything would line up nicely and the project would go quickly!

I covered the front and back covers with Basic Gray Phoebe Collection…the little green birds are on the outside and pink cardstock on the inside. I attached that cardstock using the Dot-n-Roller because it’s a dry adhesive and I wanted to be sure I could move forward without a lot of drying time. (Drying time really saps my creative spirit!!) To make sure I had good adhesion, I made a few lines with the roller in the middle of the cover and then I ran the roller around the four sides. Laying the cover, adhesive-side down, on the back of the cardstock, I used a brayer to make sure I had good contact. I then took my scissors and trimmed around the cover! To smooth the edges, I filed them using the big flat file from the Basic Gray File Set.

Once my covers were finished, I punched them with the Bind-It-All to be sure I had proper placement when embellishing the front cover. When I adhered the cover to the cardstock, I made sure that I did it in a spot where I’d have a focal point on the front cover. You can see the two birds talking to each other. I then placed Swarovski Flatback Crystals - 4mm round - Montana Sapphire [E133 Montana] on the eyes of the two birds, using Diamond Glaze. I also filled in their wings with the Diamond Glaze to add more interest/dimension to the cover.

On a separate scrap of watercolor paper, I stamped the DoodleFactory Speech Bubble using an India Ink pad. A question mark sticker was added and Mini Glue Dots held trimmed Magnetic Poetry words down on the bubble. I then used Diamond Glaze to give the bubble some shine and dimension. I let the cover and the bubble dry overnight (it was bedtime anyway!).

When the cover was dry, I edged the covers, inside and out, with coordinating dye ink (Stampin Up Mellow Moss on the outside and Rose Red on the inside). I then cut a few 4×4 pieces of watercolor paper, thinking that Andrea might bring her watercolors on the road trip and might like to have paper that can stand up to wet media. I punched all of the inside pages and interspersed the watercolor paper with the Zutter pages.

Then, it was time to bind the book! I used a bigger spiral size than I needed to allow room for adding dimensional ephemera. After binding, I used some pink-ish and green fibers to tie to the top spiral and tied on a Copper oval bead charm [E129] as well for a little extra oomph!

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I can’t honestly say winter is getting to me but I sure enjoy it when the warmth of the sun shines through the window and the light brightens up the day. We were at least up in the 40’s today for temperature wise. Keep in mind, that this temperature followed a yesterday of getting out of school early because of snow! Minnesota - gotta love it! (Which I do)

My art, though, has been geared towards spring. I was inspired by birds, owls, bright fun colors etc. Of course, I also had to add some copper stars! One of my favorite items at SunSpirit Studio.

Spring has sprung, at least in my little creative corner. :)

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This past year blogs have exploded onto the stamping scene. They are an incredible source of inspiration for creating, learning from tutorials, and seeing what is new on the market. If you read many stamping blogs it is easy to understand why many think that in order to stamp one will have to spend incredible amounts of money to have the latest and greatest stamping items. Of course, you want them all; we all do whether we are a seasoned stamper or a new stamper. If you are like me you have limited space and if you bought every embellishment, dies, punches, markers, cardstock, pattern paper, stamps, and a die cutting machine you will find that you have no room left for stamping. Many say they would love to learn stamping or would love to continue stamping but they feel there is no way they can afford all that is needed.

Whether you are new to stamping or a seasoned stamper planning a stamping weekend can be done on a budget. One can spend about less than $100.00 to have all that is needed for a weekend. The following list (compiled based on prices from my local craft store) consists of what items are needed to have a great time stamping for a weekend and beyond.

Fiskars Paper Cutter $10.29
Scissors (from home)
Thermo Web Tape Runner $5.99 plus refill $3.99
White cardstock (50 Sheets) $3.99
12X12 Solid Cardstock (Various Colors) $5.99
Various 6X6 Pattern Paper $3.99-5.99
Black StazOn Ink Pad $8.99
Marvy Brush Markers $16.99/Color Pencils $6.99
Brads $2.99
Sheer White Ribbon $1.99 a spool
Office Depot Invitation Envelopes $5.99
Rubber Stamp $1.00-$6.99 Each

Without adding the stamps into the total at this point based on buying markers instead of color pencils the total it at approx. $70.00. Many $1.00 stamps and a few other higher priced stamps can be bought for the remaining $30.00.

A person can create quite a few cards with the items on this list. They might not be out of the most popular pattern paper on the market or may not have the most popular embellishments but even the most seasoned stampers can enjoy making these simple cards occasionally. If you are new to stamping you will have hours of stamping ahead without spending lots of money.

Being a seasoned stamper I can tell you that you will eventually want to buy more stamps, more new and fun papers, more embellishments, and some of the newest tools on the market. The good news is that you won’t need to them to continue the hobby you have started. So make a list, be smart with your money and have fun stamping!!!!!!!

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Anyone who scraps or stamps with me knows that my style is anything but “simple.” I spend hours upon hours adding little touches and details to whatever project I may be working on. I struggle with “simple.” - Yet, I love the look, the cleanliness of the page, card etc. I know also, that in an attempt to make a scrapbook page simple or a card simple, I would still spend hours… just to achieve a simple look. Today however, I accomplished simple and in a short amount of time. Yah!

The supplies you need are also simple:

Black Staz On ink

favorite set or sets of stamps

watercolor paper cut into tags

jute string for tag ties

Simply cut out a bunch of tags from your watercolor paper and stamp away. Add your jute string or whatever you have on had and voila! a bunch of tags for a last minute gift bag, present or to give as a gift.

use watercolor crayons or pencils and color them in also…

and for even more use, make some quick cards or postcards to have on hand…

Also, great to use on those days when your creative juices aren’t flowing like you wish!

TFL!

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Since I love techniques and have thousands of them on my computer I decided to continue talking about background techniques. Backgrounds are the beginning of a project whether it is a card or a piece of altered art. Backgrounds are what you will build your entire project on. So why not have fun with the background and be as creative as possible. Who knows what incredible project it may lead to. This background technique is called Crayon Rubbings.

Crayon Rubbings

Materials Needed:

Crayons/Metallic Crayons
Tissue Paper
Coffee Filters
Rubber Stamps – Background or Collage Style
Watercolors
Color Wash Sprays
Wax Paper

How to Make a Crayon Rubbing:

Place tissue paper/coffee filter onto the rubber side of a stamp. Holding the tissue paper/coffee filter in place with one hand, roughly drag crayon over the top of the tissue paper/coffee filter to take a dry rubbing of the stamp design. The wax from the crayon will act as a resist so that you can soak the image with watercolors or color wash sprays.

Remove tissue paper/coffee filter from stamp and place on wax paper. Paint rubbing with watercolors or spray with color washes.

Samples…
The first three samples are coffee filter with watercolors.
Middle two are coffee filter with color washes
Last three samples are tissue paper with watercolors.

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When Andrea first sent these screens to me I was excited with all of the ideas that came to me. I finally acted on my plans. I was pleased with the results and had so much fun creating this album so I thought I would share the idea with you here.

Steps:

1. collect your “colors” - inks, embossing powders, coordinating papers and embellishments.

2. cut the wire off of the screens, save for later. http://secure.sunspiritstudio.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=25&products_id=98

3. figure out how many screens you want on your altered album and the colors and order they will go in.

4. Take your screen and ink pad and rub the ink pad over the frame of the screen, quickly add some embossing powder to it (I didn’t cover the screen completely with embossing powder) and heat set. If your ink still seems to “rub” off even after heat setting you can seal with acrylic sealer also.

5. Complete step 4 with all of you “pages” (screens)

6. Using a coordinating ribbon to wrap around the album and keep closed, glue a Basic Grey magnet on one end and also the other end of the ribbon. Make sure it fits around, leaving a little room for added embellishments. http://secure.sunspiritstudio.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=77

7. Add your paper and embellishments. Once complete, using your saved wire, make two rings combining your “pages” together.

FYI’s: I would suggest you lay it out first before you adhere :) Making sure you cover up glue dots, brad backs etc since the screens are see through. I used mostly glue dots to adhere things on this album. Also some E6000 glue (scrabble letters and ribbon on tin frame with magnets). Sewing also works well. Have fun and be sure to post your results!

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