Use Fantastix to Create Your Own StazOn Marker

by Jennifer Vanderbeek

Use Fantastix to Create Your Own StazOn Marker

Creating your own, custom, StazOn Markers is as simple as the three Ss: Smoosh, Spritz, and Soak! Smoosh the ink on the craft mat, Spritz the StazOn cleaner, and Soak with the Fantastix. By using StazOn All-Purpose Stamp Cleaner to make the StazOn ink more fluid, you can vary the strength of the colors in your markers to create a greater range of colors. This way the StazOn colors you love on the pad can be used to color in your favorite images. See how I demo this in today’s YouTube tutorial.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Simon Says Stamp – Floral Bliss
  • Cardstock

Create an Industrial Mixed Media Look with Walnut Ink

by Iris Rodriguez

I like abstract art and assemblages in crafting! The mixed media style can be created with just about anything; inks, paints, found objects…there are no rules. For today’s tutorial, I wanted to create an abstract assemblage art combined with the vintage, grungy, industrial look using Imagine’s Walnut Ink.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1.5 hours

Directions


Step 1

Stamp the texture images with VersaMark ink on watercolor paper. Add Imagine’s Embossing Powder in White and heat set.


Step 2

Brush on the Eucalyptus Walnut Ink. Dry paper.


Step 3

Brush on the Walnut and Java Walnut Inks.


Step 4

Let the paper fully dry.


Step 5

Stamp more texture images with Spiced Chai StazOn ink.


Step 6

On a separate piece of watercolor paper stamp the round images with the VersaMark ink. Add Imagine’s Embossing Powder in White and heat set. Brush on Java or Walnut inks or a combination of both. Vary the colors on the circles. Dry paper. Cut out the circles.


Step 7

Color the gears and brads to make them all the same color with Chai Staz-On ink. Heat set the gears and brads if you’d like to speed up the dry time.


Step 8

Attach the gears to the circles with the brad. Place the circles in the desired area on the background paper. Do not glue the circles yet. It’s easier to bend and wrap the wire if the circles are not glued down. Wire wrap around each gear and brads, ensuring that the wire goes under the gear. Do not let the wire press down on the circles, it will bend the paper.


Step 9

Turn the circles upside down, add glue to the back of the circle and onto a piece scrap piece of chipboard.


Step 10

Adhere the chipboard pieces on top of the brad’s backing. This will secure brads and gears and give the circles dimension by giving them a little height. Glue the circles onto the background. Add dark brown backing and you’re done.

Thank you for stopping by the Imagine blog! I hope you give this abstract art project a try.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Impression Obsession stamps – Seth Apter Edges, Planetarium
  • Watercolor paper
  • 20 gauge steel wire
  • Metal Gears
  • Brads
  • Chipboard
  • Brush

Make These “Give Something Away Day” Friendship Rocks

by Roni Johnson

Make These "Give Something Away Day" Friendship Rocks

July 15th is “Give Something Away Day” so I thought it would be fun to participate and make something to give away. I have these lovely beach stones a friend sent me just waiting for the right project to come along and I think this is it! You’ll find this is a quick and easy crafty project to satisfy your artsy muse!

Skill: Beginner
Time: 30 minutes

Directions


Step 1

Wash and dry stones to be stamped. Let dry. Pounce desired color of VersaMagic DewDrop over the top portion of the stone to be stamped. VersaMagic will provide a good base for stamping.


Step 2

Heat the ink to set the ink.


Step 3

Stamp desired images onto the stone using VersaFine Clair ink.


Step 4

Continue to decorate each rock differently. In the photo above, I stamped “hello” on this rock. Heat set the inks so they become permanent.

 

These friendship rocks are so much fun to make…they are a bit like potato chips, you can’t make just one. I thought I’d make a couple but I ended up making a small pile of them so I’ll have lots to share with friends!

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Rubber Stamp Tapestry – Image stamps
  • JFF Rubber Stamps – “Hello” sentiment stamp
  • Heat Tool
  • Rocks

Design a “Live Wild & Free” Themed Bicycle Card

by Jowilna Nolte

Design a "Live Wild & Free" Themed Bicycle Card

Summer can be busy with a hype of activities outside! But just in case there are days when you feel like staying inside you can beat the heat with a cardmaking session. In this tutorial, I go over some basic techniques that you can use on a variety of designs. This beautiful bicycle theme card in shades of gold that is perfect for those summer crafting days reminding us to be young and wild and free. Enjoy!

Skill: Advanced
Time: 1 hour + dry time

Directions


Step 1

Cover a piece of smooth white cardstock using VersaFine Clair in Golden Meadow by tapping the ink repeatedly onto the cardstock.


Step 2

Once the inked piece is dry stencil a pattern using Creative Medium Iridescent Pink over the yellow and let dry.


Step 3

Paint a layer of All-Purpose Ink in Vegas Gold over the entire background. I used a small amount of water with the gold.


Step 4

Mist the background with Fireworks Shimmery Craft Spray in Cantaloupe to add a touch of orange to the gold and yellow on your background.


Step 5

Trim the background smaller to fit onto a square 4 x 4” card. Add summer decorative elements for a fun card inspiring activity and fun this summer break. Once the inks are all dry they give you a lovely golden glow shimmer with a surprise pink from the Creative Medium showing.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Cardstock – White
  • Jowilna Nolte – dot pattern stencil
  • Short Cuts Craft
  • Kaisercraft – Bicycle image, “Young, Wild & Free” embellishments
  • Diamanté

How to Draw the Eiffel Tower in Paris with Washi Tape

by Jennifer Vanderbeek

How to Draw the Eiffel Tower in Paris with Washi Tape

Whether you are able to travel this summer or are staying home, you can create this fun canvas commemorating one of the world’s most recognized landmarks –The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. After altering our canvas with tissue and Creative Medium, we’ll mask out or elements with washi tape and add layers of Delicata for a burnished patina. Once you’ve got the hang of it, try out more famous places that you’ve visited or only dreamed about.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • 10 x 10 Canvas
  • Tissue Paper
  • Paint Brush
  • Plastic Cup
  • Washi Tape in 3 widths

Color of Month for July is Golden Glow

Color of Month for July is Golden Glow

The Color of the Month for July is Golden Glow. We love gold and with summer in full gear, the golden glow of the summer sun shines down on all of us! We are reminded of golden fields of wheat, fun in the sun, vacations and wedding parties. With cardmaking and scrapbooking gold is an essential element to any crafter’s toolkit. Imagine and Tsukineko offers several products to help achieve the metallic shimmery shine such as Delicata in Golden Glitz, All-Purpose Ink in Vegas Gold, and don’t forget a Brilliance DewDrop in Galaxy Gold! In the meantime, we have a couple of sneak peeks of this months beautiful golden glow tutorials for you!

 

Here is a sneak peek of what we have in store for July!

Keep your eye out for this fun cardmaking tutorial by Jowilna Nolte

Such fun techniques to learn from this upcoming tutorial by Kyriakos Pachadiroglou

 

Product Recommendations for Gold

Delicata Inkpad – Golden Glitz

All-Purpose Ink – Vegas Gold

StazOn Studio Glaze – Gold

Brilliance DewDrop – Galaxy Gold