A Favorite Technique - Floating Chalk Backgrounds

March is National Craft Month!!!  The Designer Craft Connection blog group  is celebrating by bringing you some of our favorite techniques this month.   I'm sharing what certainly isn't a new technique to many stampers, but it's one of my favorites and one I fall back to time and time again when I want pretty and unique background papers for my paper crafting projects.  Be sure to follow the DCC link in the column on the right to see what the other participating designers have shared this month!   

I think all colors are beautiful – my preferences change as often as my moods these days.  Sometimes I crave cobalt blue, rich browns and deep mossy greens.  Sometimes vibrant red, black & white.  This time of year as spring approaches I find myself reaching for sunshine yellow tones.  Every so often, pastels call out to me.  However; whether it’s my toenail polish, or my artwork, I always seem to gravitate back to shades of blue-greens:  teal, aquamarine, turquoise, sea glass blues & greens.  The colors of the Caribbean sea always brighten my day.  

Colorful floating chalk backgrounds are very easy to create!  While you may start with the same colors, no two pieces of this unique paper will ever be identical.  The way the colors blend and swirl is just beautiful.

Materials:

Decorator chalks
Craft blade
Shallow baking dish
Water
White cardstock cut to fit in baking dish

Instructions:

Place approximately ½” of water into the baking dish.  Set aside.

 
Choose 2-3 shades of complementary colored chalks.  Use craft knife blade to gently scrape first color of chalk onto the top of the water.  Be careful not to “chunk” it – as the larger pieces will simply sink.  You want a fine powder of chalk floating on the surface of the water.

Repeat with 2nd and 3rd colors.

Place cardstock face down onto water and press gently.  Do not push onto the bottom of the baking dish.  Just let the cardstock float on the surface.  Wait about 5 seconds - it will begin to curl back from the water.  Gently lift out of the water and set aside to dry.  

To speed up drying time, use a heat tool.  If cardstock is curled, iron on low setting to flatten.
No fixative is needed.

Repeat steps 2-3 to create additional pieces of background paper.

Add a bit of Pearl-Ex powders or use shimmering chalks for a sparkling effect.  Try interference shades of Pearl-Ex powders on dark cardstock for a “galaxy” background.  Layer with coordinating cardstocks, stamp directly over the background, let your creative muse guide you!

Valentine Card with the Get-It-Straight Laser Square

Here's a new project on the KellyCraft blog!    Find out the many ways which I used the Get-It-Straight Laser Square for this "U" Make Me Happy Valentine card! - Cindi

Designer Craft Connection Blog Hop - Saying Thanks

"Thanks" is a simple word - and it means so much.  But way too often, people forget the power that word holds.  The theme for the Designer Craft Connection blog hop this month is “thank you gifts.”   I encourage you to follow the DCC blog hop button in the right column on my blog and see how each of the designers has interpreted this theme.  Whether it’s simple gifts to say thank you to a hostess, little mementos to say thank you to a friend for being there for you, a hand-made thank you card to let someone know you appreciated their kindness, an email, a social media post, or even just verbally - it’s the thought that counts and everyone needs to take the time to remember to say THANKS in this world more often!

I’ve discovered that if I keep a stash of hand-made thank you cards on hand, I tend to think about actually saying thank you and sending them more often than if I have to stop and make one when the need arises.   I enjoy making something detailed and more involved when time allows, but these simple, quick butterfly thank you’s are cards I whip up in multiples and keep on hand.  The bold colors are eye catching, and most people like butterflies so it’s appropriate for almost anyone. 

Take time to say THANK YOU to someone in your world today - Cindi 

World Cardmaking Day

It's officially World Cardmaking Day!   I was hoping to be a part of the Charity Wings live event this weekend, but a super busy sports schedule with my boys has made that almost impossible.     Be sure to join in and check out all the amazing craft demonstrations and have your chance at winning one of the giveaways.  Log in here: http://linqto.com/rooms/creativeedventures OR through the Facebook app here: http://apps.facebook.com/creativeedventures.  You don’t need a webcam or mic to participate – simply a computer with an internet connection! Since I couldn't share there today, I thought I'd post one of my favorite techniques for creating simple cards.   

This is a simple, yet very effective technique you can use to create quick cards.  The variations are endless.  Some stampers create their grids with straight squares, some sponge color in all blocks including the center square, etc.  Try sponging the inside frame to soften the edges and bring the color closer to the focal image.  Experiment with adding a subtle background stamp to your entire finished card, sponge color in the center square and stamp that in just black also, try it on a colored sheet of cardstock, etc.  There is NO wrong way to do a grid/retiform card and they give you lots of options for unique cards for almost any occasion!

Here are lots of examples of this technique.  I hope you are inspired to give it a try - Cindi 

 

• Cut white cardstock to 5 ½” x 4 ¼”.
• Choose your center/focal stamp (should be larger than the border stamps).  Stamp using black ink at an angle in the center of the white cardstock.   Color if desired.
• To create the border frame with 8 individual sections to stamp, start with 3 strips of scrap cardstock at least as wide as the piece you are working with.
• Place 1 strip just above center image, over it leaving the space above it open, at an angle matching the angle of the stamped image.
• Sponge first color of ink into the space.
• Repeat on bottom.
• For sides, place one strip at an angle to the left of the focal image, and sponge with 2nd color ink. Repeat on right side.
• 
• Use 3 strips of scrap cardstock as a mask for each of your 8 border sections.  Ink first stamp with black ink, randomly stamp into unmasked space.  Choose 2nd stamp and repeat process in next block, continuing with assorted stamps until all 8 blocks have been stamped.
• 
• Trim as desired, place onto coordinating papers & cardstocks to create your card.