Let’s Make a Gel Print Cat Card

By Kathi F. Rerek 

Using a Gel Press with VersaFine Clair inks is a great way to create a quick background.

Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Time: 1 hour

Directions:

Step 1.

Use a 2” brayer to apply Paradise VersaFine Clair ink to the top part of a 4” round gel press. Clean the brayer, then use to apply Green Oasis VersaFine Clair Ink to the bottom  of the gel press.

Press a 6” x 4.25” piece of mixed media paper onto the gel press and pull the print. I actually used a leftover panel from a previous gel print session that was not successful.

Step 2:

Mist the print with with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol.

Use Fantastix to apply Verdant VersaFine Clair Ink to even out the green area of the print and then apply Rain Forest VersaFine Clair Ink to add dimension.

Step 3:

Use paper towel to gently dab the sky and grassy areas of the print with Purell to further blend the ink.

Heat set.

Step 4:

Use magnets to secure the image panel to the base of a stamping platform.

Position the stretching cat stamp from the The Furieux/Caffeinated Cats Unmounted Stamp Set facedown so that its paws are on the grass.

Ink the stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if needed. Remove the stamp and heat set the panel.

Step 5:

The left paws were stamped slightly above the grass, so I used Fantastix and Green Oasis VersaFine Clair Ink to add a tuft of grass under his floating paws and to add detail to the lawn.

Step 6:

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Pearlescent Sky Blue Brilliance Ink around the image circle, leaving a bit of a halo effect around the circle.

Step 7:

Tape the image panel to the back of the Pawprint Stencil so that the smallest paw prints run horizontally across the top of the image panel.

Use Sponge Daubers to apply Pearlescent Sky Blue and Mediterranean Blue Brilliance Inks over the stencil onto the image panel.

Remove and clean the stencil, then repeat the steps above to stencil the small paw prints across the bottom of the image panel.

Lift the stencil and use the Sponge Dauber to edge the panel with Mediterranean Blue Brilliance Ink. Heat set the panel.

Step 8:

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Pearlescent Sky Blue Brilliance Ink to a strip of white cardstock. Heat set.

Secure the cardstock strip to the base of a stamping platform. Position the “You talking’ to me?” sentiment from the Whatchamacallit Unmounted Stamp Set facedown on the strip.

Ink the stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp. Heat set.

Use scissors or a die-cut to cut the sentiment and edge it with Mediterranean Blue Brilliance Ink. Heat set.

Step 9:

Cut a piece of white cardstock to 9” x 6.25”, score at 4.5”, and fold to form a 4.5” x 6.25” card.

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Mediterranean Blue Brilliance Ink around the the edges of the card. Heat Set.

Step 10:

Use Tear It! Tape to secure the image panel to the card front.

Step 11:

After looking at the finished card,I decided that the card needed a larger sentiment up at the top left.

Secure the entire card with magnets to the base of a stamping platform. Position the “Hello” stamp from the Holiday Quotes. Unmounted Stamp Set facedown on the upper left. Use Nocturne VersaMark Ink to stamp the sentiment. Heat set.

Supplies used:

Imagine:

Other Supplies:

  • 140 lb. Mixed Media Paper by Strathmore
  • Solar White Classic Crest Cardstock by Neenah Papers
  • The Furieux/Caffeinated Cats Unmounted Stamp Set 127 by Katzelkraft
  • Whatchamacallit Unmounted Stamp Set 276 by Katzelkraft
  • Holiday Quotes Unmounted Stamp Set 207 by Katzelkraft
  • 4” Circle Gel Press
  • Paw Prints 6×6 Stencil by KaiserCraft
  • Lemon Yellow Zig Clear Color Real Brush Marker by Kuretake
  • 91% Isopropyl Alcohol
  • Purell
  • Stamping Platform
  • Heat Gun by EK Success

Learn How to Color and Stamp on Fabric for a Harvest Fall Theme

by Roni Johnson

Learn How to Color and Stamp on Fabric for a Harvest Fall Theme

I love making new home décor items with the changing season. Here in Indiana we are saying goodbye to summer and welcoming in autumn. This is my favorite time of the year so I always look forward to Fall crafts. I thought it would be fun to create a piece of embroidery hoop art by dying and stamping a piece of linen I had in my stash. Enjoy!

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 90 minutes

Directions


Step 1

Gather your supplies; make sure the piece of fabric extends approximately 2” on all sides of the embroidery hoop. This will give you enough material to secure it to the hoop once completed. Spritz the cloth with a bit of water to dampen. Sprinkle the damp fabric with Walnut Ink Crystals around the edges. I held the embroidery hoop over the cloth while I sprinkled the crystals to make sure they were where I wanted them to be. Spray Willow Walnut Ink Spray here and there over the panel. Let the fabric dry completely before moving onto the next step.


Step 2

Secure the cloth in a stamp positioning tool. I used both magnets and washi tape to hold it in place. Stamp the desired image(s) using Memento Luxe Tuxedo Black ink, stamp a second and third time if necessary to get a deep rich image on the fabric. I also stamped several leaves using other colors of Memento Luxe ink around the edge of the panel while it was still secured in the stamp positioning tool.


Step 3

Watercolor the image using All-Purpose Ink and a water brush or paintbrush, you may want your heat tool handy to help dry each area before moving onto the next. Continue coloring until you are satisfied with the image. Iron the entire panel to set the inks on the fabric.


Step 4

Secure the fabric in the embroidery hoop; trim off the excess fabric leaving approximately 1” material to wrap around the hoop and secure to the back using hot glue. Stretch the fabric tightly as you secure it to the back of the hoop.


Step 5

Use a Fantstix to apply dots of Vegas Gold All-Purpose Ink over the canvas for an extra bit of sparkle.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Unity Stamp Co – Bountiful Haul (truck), Faith, Family & Fall (sentiment)
  • Joy Clair – Hello Autumn (leaves)
  • Fabric
  • Embroidery Hoop
  • Heat Tool
  • Iron
  • Hot Glue/Gun

See a Stamping Technique Inspired by Impressionism

by Lori Warren

See a Stamping Technique Inspired by Impressionism

We all need a little inspiration sometimes and, for this project, I took my inspiration from the Impressionism style of paintings from the 1860s.  It resulted in a fun project using the All-Purpose inks and other Imagine products to create a miniature floral scene on a 4”x4” flat panel canvas.

Skill: Beginners
Time: 1 hour

Directions

Directions


Step 1

Apply Cool Grey ink to the canvas with a bullet-shaped Fantastix.


Step 2

Stipple on Sky Mist ink with Fantastix to the upper portion of the canvas.


Step 3

Stipple on Celadon ink to lower portion of canvas with Fantastix.


Step 4

Stipple Blue Bayou onto the upper portion of the canvas, sparingly.


Step 5

Place Celedon ink onto craft mat, ink stamp, & stamp stems onto the lower portion of the canvas.


Step 6

Stamp roses with VersaFine Clair in Medieval Blue & Monarch across canvas above the stems.


Step 7

Stamp saying with VersaFine Nocturne onto the canvas.


Step 8

Edge panel with Blue Bayou ink.


Step 9

Add black paint splatters.


Step 10

Spray canvas with Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray in Sparkle.


Step 11

Edge canvas with Sheer Shimmer Stix in Gold.

Supplies

Imagine  
Other
  • The Angel Company stamps
  • Mini canvas
  • Acrylic block
  • Paint brush

Use Simple Shapes to Make Holiday Cards

by Jennifer Vanderbeek

Use Simple Shapes to Make Holiday Cards

There are so many cute and fun stamps and dies on the market these days for the holidays that it’s truly tough to resist them. I don’t know about you but there’s only so much room in the budget and the stamp storage to go around, so I’m always happy to come up with ways to use the things I already have and getting more mileage out of my tools and supplies. To that end, these cards use patterned stamps that are not holiday-specific and simple shapes you can cut with basic dies, punches, or even just scissors. These simple shape cards are also perfect for crafting with kids in preparation for the holidays!

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1 hour depending on the number of cards

Directions

Supplies

Imagine

• Delicata – White Shimmer, Pink Shimmer, Ruby Red
• VersaFine – Olympia Green
• VersaMark – Champagne Dazzle
• Embossing Powder – Gold, Clear
• All-Purpose Ink – Vegas Gold
• StazOn Studio Glaze – Claret
• irRESISTibles Spray – Wedding Dress
• Fantastix – Brush Tip
• Creative Medium – Shimmer
• Palette Knives
• Tear It! Tape
• On Point Glue

Other

• Cardstock – Dark green, Green, Royal Blue, Burgundy, Cream, Yellow
• Patterned Paper – Red with White Dots
• Pencil
• Fiskars – Scissors
• Darice – Heat Tool
• Acrylic Blocks
• Stampers Anonymous – Doily Stamp
• Studio Calico – Make a Wish stamp set
• Joy Clair Stamps – Lovely Swirl Background stamp
• Our Daily Bread – Vine Background stamp
• Simon Says Stamp – Merry and Bright stamps
• Bo Bunny – Sentiments Stamp
• Marvy Uchida – Star Punch
• My Favorite Things – Pierced Oval Stax dies
• Lawn Fawn – Stitched Circle Frames dies
• Sizzix – Big Shot Plus
• Bone Folder
• Ribbons & Threads

Create a Reversible Naughty or Nice Christmas Stocking

by Jennifer Vanderbeek

Create a Reversible Naughty or Nice Christmas Stocking

Getting a head start on the holiday crafting rush, I decided to sew up a quick stocking and decorate the linen cuff with Fabrico markers, All-Purpose Ink, and some heat-embossed accents. While deciding just how I wanted to do the embossing I tried out a lot of products: VersaMark, Delicata, and Creative Medium to name the top three contenders, but I decided that the fine details that On Point Glue afforded made it the best choice for this project. Because of the heat embossing, you want to make sure that the area you’re decorating is a fabric that won’t melt when you hit it with the heat tool. Linen, cotton, canvas, or wool (the natural, sheepy stuff, not the polyester kind) should all work just fine, but you might want to test a small piece before getting too far into decorating your stocking.

Skill: Advanced
Time: 1 hour + dry time

Directions

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Stocking blank (or materials to make your own)
  • Pencil
  • Watercolor paper
  • Darice – Heat tool

How To Paint With Versafine Clair

by Jennifer Vanderbeek

How To Paint a Desert Scene With Versafine Clair

VersaFine Clair is great for using with wet mediums because it’s oil-based formula won’t interact with paints or sprays. But I also wondered what else I could do with this very versatile ink. I discovered that VersaFine Clair’s quick-drying formulation makes for a wonderful, texture-rich dry brush effect when combined with Fantastix and that, while you can’t make a fluid medium with it and water-based thinners, a little bit of added oil will work! I had a lot of fun reaching beyond traditional techniques to create my “painted desert” scene.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1 hour

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Canson – Hot Press Watercolor Paper
  • Hero Arts – Stamp Your Own Cactus
  • Acrylic Blocks
  • Fiskars – Paper Trimmer, Scissors
  • Olive Oil
  • Helmar – ZapDots