Tag Archives: Mixed Media

Imagine is Proud to Announce a Call for Artists In Residence for 2019!

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Imagine is Proud to Announce a Call for Artists In Residence for 2019!

Imagine is proud to announce its call for Artists In Residence for 2019! We are looking for artists and designers who can inspire our customers and community with amazing projects using Imagine and Tsukineko products.

Perks of being an Artist in Residence for Imagine:

  • Exposure of your work as it will be featured on our blog, social media, website and print platforms.
  • Generous supply of Imagine and Tsukineko products with which to create your projects.
  • Be involved with product development and get advanced access to new products before the public.
  • Opportunities to grow your stash with product from Imagine’s preferred partners.
  • Links back to your blog or website connected to each blog post featuring your work.

We are looking for energetic artists to fill two different exciting roles for 2019:

  • Project/Tutorial Artists who create and provide up to 3 different projects or innovative techniques per month with complete instructions and photographs that will be featured online and in printed formats.

OR

  • Video Project/Tutorial Artists who will submit 2 edited videos per month featuring a project and/or innovative technique, which will be shared with our community. See our YouTube channel for examples. 

Artists in Residence basic requirements:

  • Commitment of one year — January 1st, 2019 through December 31st, 2019.
  • Ability to professionally photograph, edit and submit high-res JPG format images for all projects (including step-by-step) by required due dates.
  • Submit clearly written and detailed instructions in English for each project, including a comprehensive list of all supplies used, in Word or PDF format.
  • Socially active online with an established blog and Facebook presence.
  • Not currently employed and/or affiliated with competing manufacturers including as a design team member, guest designer, etc.
  • For further information, see our Artists In Residence Summary.

Show Us Your Artwork!

Show us just how creative you are! The only “rule” for submitting artwork for consideration is that Imagine and/or Tsukineko products were used in its creation. This means that there are virtually no limits to what you can create—scrapbook layouts, cards, altered art, mixed media designs, jewelry, home decor items or whatever your niche art may be.

Please submit one original work of art—one that hasn’t been published, featured online, etc.

Submission Process for Round 1

Only electronic submissions will be accepted. Send your submission to marketing@imaginecrafts.com with the subject line of “AIRs Round 1 <your name>”.

The body of your email must include the following information: name, mailing address, phone number, email address, your personal blog and/or website address, and two links to any additional online content of your work (including videos) that you feel showcases your style.

  • If you are submitting to be a Project/Tutorial Artist:

Attached to your email should be a quality, minimum 700px wide jpg of your original artwork. Please also include a short paragraph about your piece and list what products you used to create it. Please name the photograph of your artwork “AIRs_<your name>_2019.JPG” using underscores in the name instead of spaces.

  • If you are submitting to be a Video Project/Tutorial Artist:

Attached to your email should be a quality, minimum 700px wide jpg of your original artwork. Please also include a list of what products you used to create it. The two links you provide should both include videos you created about your artwork in general (not necessarily the artwork you submit). Please name the photograph of your artwork “AIRs_<your name>_2019.JPG” using underscores in the name instead of spaces.

Round 1 submissions are due by 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time on Thursday, October 18th. Those artists who will be continuing on to the next round will be contacted by Thursday, November 1st with further instructions.

Imagine will contact each 2019 Artist in Residence personally to welcome them to our team.

Once we have announced our 2019 Artists In Residence, the work will quickly begin…each Artist In Residence will be shipped their “essentials” kit, along with our NEW releases for the 2019 Creativation show.

 

 

 

Use Natural Elements to Color a Greeting Card

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by Iris Rodriguez

Use Natural Elements to Color a Greeting Card

Got tea? I do and I like to make art with the left-over tea bag paper. After the tea bags dry, you can take out the dried leaves you are left with an awesome substrate. Tea bags are versatile, translucent, luminous, and have an awesome vintage look and feel. I made a card using tea bags and Walnut Inks Cornflower and Willow; both awesome inks look great on tea bags. Not only are you making cool cards, but you are upcycling your tea bags.

Skill: Beginner
Time: 1 day for drying tea bags, 30 mins for the card, 5 mins to take apart and clean one tea bag

Directions


Step 1

Begin by allowing your tea bags to dry. I place my tea bags on a ceramic plate with a paper towel and allowed them to dry for several days. The color of your tea bag will be determined by the type of tea use. On this project, I started with a light color tea bag because it is Ginger tea.


Step 2

The tea bags are very delicate so a soft touch will be required to take them apart. Remove the tag by pulling it off. Remove the tiny staple with your nails. Rip open the seams. Take out the dried leaves by sloughing it off. Tear off the seams, otherwise, you’ll see it in your art. Do so, by tearing off the edges on the long side of the rectangle.


Step 3

Lay the tea bag on a nonstick surface; such an as craft mat, or wax paper. Spray a small amount of the Cornflower Walnut Ink on your craft mat and mix with water. Brush on the ink. Allow the bag to dry or use a heat tool.


Step 4

Repeat the same process in step 3, using the Willow Walnut Ink.


Step 5

Stamp or stencil images over a piece of scrap paper. The ink will go through the tea bag and stain your paper; it’s best not to stamp on your main card. The Willow Walnut inked tea bag was used to layer an image over the main substrate tea bag. Heat set.


Step 6

To adhere the stamped tea bag to the watercolor paper or main card, brush on a very thin layer of GlazOn Clear Layer Protectant to the back of the stamped tea bag. Finish the card by adhering it to the main card. I hope you enjoyed this project and will give it a try.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Used tea bags
  • Watercolor paper – 140 lbs
  • Joy Clair – Butterfly Kisses stamp set
  • Key Stamp
  • Crafter’s Workshop – Bird On Branches, Moving Vines – (6 x 6 inches)
  • Hero Arts Stamp – Old French Writing

Prepare for Thanksgiving with a Cardmaking Tutorial

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by Steph Ackerman

Prepare for Thanksgiving with a Cardmaking Tutorial

It’s October but before you know it you will be packing away the costumes and preparing for Thanksgiving. Why not be ready by delving into the colors, signs, and beauty of the season. Selecting 4 – 5 colors of Fireworks Shimmery Craft Sprays you can easily achieve amazing color combinations that set the stage for your projects. See how quickly and easily these Fall cards go together using backgrounds created with Fireworks Sprays.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1 hour

Directions


Step 1

Spritz assorted colors of Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray on the craft mat. Be sure not to mix the colors – spritz them about the mat.


Step 2

Drag white cardstock across the craft mat. Spritz additional Fireworks on craft mat if necessary until the cardstock is covered.


Step 3

Allow the cardstock to dry, then spritz with Dandelion Fireworks adding color to the white spaces.


Step 4

Cut cardstock into 2 panels, each 4″ x 5″. Stamp leaf flourishes on both panels with VersaFine Clair in Pinecone. Add clear embossing powder and heat set.


Step 5

Ink the edges of the panels with Brilliance Pearl Beige Ink, then mat with brown cardstock. Add the panels to the cards. Add color to some of the leaves using Memento Markers.


Step 6

Stamp Happy Thanksgiving on leftover strips of the cardstock with VersaFine Pinecone Ink. Add Clear Embossing Powder and heat set. Mat with cardstock.


Step 7

Adhere Happy Thanksgiving to the vertical card with foam adhesives. Cut apart Happy Thanksgiving for the horizontal card and adhere with foam adhesives.

 

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Stamps – So Suzy/Crackerbox Stamps
  • Cardstock – brown, white
  • Foam adhesives

Create a “Be Happy, Be Kind” Scrapbook Layout

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by Jowilna Nolte

Create a "Be Happy, Be Kind" Scrapbook Layout

For this super fun scrapbook layout, I wanted to create a background using some of my favorite craft sprays—Fireworks! These amazing sprays create a color splash and shimmer which has a nice effect with a colorful “Be Happy, Be Kind” scrapbook layout like this one. As I created my background something truly magical happened with the ink and I really loved the end result. Scroll through the steps below to find out what it is!

Skill: Advanced
Time: 1 hour or more

Directions


Step 1

Gather at least 3 colors of Fireworks! Sprays to use on your background. I selected Lady Bug, Lilac Posies and Bahama Blue.


Step 2

First, I sprayed a patch of Bahama Blue in the middle of my layout and left it to dry for a few seconds. Then I added splats with all 3 of my colors. If you’d like colors to layer make sure you allow them to dry fully before using another color.


Step 3

Once the Fireworks splatter layer was dry, I added stamping texture with a mixed media feel using VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink.


Step 4

Add texture with a circle stencil and Creative Medium and let dry. I wanted to add more deliberate splats to create a layered effect. Drop large drops of Fireworks onto the background in Lady Bug.


Step 5

Then use Bahama Blue and drop some of the ink directly onto the red drop and let it pool for a few seconds.


Step 6

Then I added more drops of Lilac Posies on top of the blue and let the ink colors blend. Since Fireworks is a dye-based ink the blending will happen if all the inks are still wet.


Step 7

The ink created the most amazing puddles of shimmer once dry. I totally love the unpredictably of the effect these inks layered on top of each other have.


Step 8

I used the same color to spray some flowers that would perfectly match my layout background.


Step 9

Once I was happy with my background I assembled my layout with photo, cut out flower layers, inked flowers and other embellishments. You don’t always have to have tons of crafting inks to be creative – all you need is a plan and a few amazing inks.

 

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Cardstock – White
  • Short Cuts Craft – Stencil
  • Mixed Media Stamps
  • Scrapbook Flower pieces
  • Acrylic block
  • Photo
  • Scissors
  • Sentiment – Be Happy, Be Kind
  • Scrapbook page 12 x 12

See How to Make Rose Petal Using Creative Medium

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by Kyriakos Pachadiroglou

See How to Make Rose Petal Using Creative Medium

Working with the Creative Medium on some of my crafting projects, I noticed how it shows when it gets dry on the craft mat. Combining the nonstick feature of Imagine’s Craft Mat with the elasticity of the Creative Medium, I thought it could create a new kind of project–rose petals! Leaving a thick coat of the Creative Medium on the Craft Mat, it gives you a material for dimensional creation. The roses crafted with it can be part of the decoration on a festive table, attached on gift boxes, gifted as they are, or be an inspiration to use on various craft projects. The Creative Medium can be also mixed with different inks to make multiple colors of flowers.

Skill: Advance
Time: 1 hour + drying time

Directions


Step 1

Use a palette knife to lay a thick layer of Creative Medium on the Craft Mat making circles. Let the Creative Medium dry well. For each rose, you will need 7 circles to create the petals.


Step 2

When the Creative Medium dries, remove the circles and start rolling one to make the center of the rose.


Step 3

Continue by attaching more circles forming them to petals. Note that you may need to trim around a bit the circles if the Creative Medium is not spread nicely on the craft mat.


Step 4

While you attach more petals, bend the edges a bit and hold them to keep the shape of the petal. The Creative Medium is sticky enough to keep the petals together with no need of extra glue.


Step 5

Press the branches on the VersaMark inkpad, cover with Imagine’s Embossing Powder in Gold and heat set.


Step 6

Cut small pieces of the florist brown tape and trim the edges to form triangles.


Step 7

Press lightly the branch in the rose, secure with hot glue and cover with the trimmed tape. Add more tape around them for a better presentation.


Step 8

Color the fabric roses with the VersaFine Clair Chanti ink pad and then distress them with the irRESISTible Pico Embellisher in Gold. When they dry, glue them on the branches.

 

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Thin branches
  • Faux/fabric rose leaves
  • Florist brown tape
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue gun

Learn to Make a Pendant from Clay

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by Iris Rodriguez

Learn to Make a Pendant from Clay

Making your own jewelry can be so rewarding. You get to make fun and exciting creations, express yourself and make a statement. Making beads out of polymer clay is a great way to get started or simply experiment and see if you like it. The beads can be stamped, colored, and even embossed. For this project, I made a round, dome-shaped bead, stamped it and embossed with silver embossing powder.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 30 minutes + baking time according to clay manufacturer instructions

Directions


Step 1

Set out your mat. Ceramic, glass or special mats like Polyform’s Sculpey Make ‘N Bake Mat surfaces work best when working with clay.


Step 2

Begin by conditioning the clay with a clay roller, or pasta machine. When first taking the clay out of the package, roll the clay a few times in order to soften it. If it cracks when running it through the pasta machine or roller; this means that it’s not conditioned. So continue to condition. If using a pasta machine, roll one sheet of clay to the third thickest setting. If using a roller, aim for 1/16 inch thickness. Place stamp over the clay, press firmly into the clay with your fingers or clay roller.


Step 3

Remove stamp. Ensure you get a deep indentation so that you have good dimension.


Step 4

Using the Premo Sculpey Circle cutters, cut out the clay. Use the second largest cutter from the set.


Step 5

Prepare the pendant for baking. In order to get a dome shape, place the clay over a rounded object, like a burned out light bulb or the round edge of a ceramic bowl. Bake the clay according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the package.


Step 6

While the clay is baking, prepare the bail. Using the Premo Sculpey Circle cutters, cut out a circle. Use the second smallest cutter from the set. Then use the smallest cutter and cut out tiny slices off on opposite sides of each other.


Step 7

After the clay cures, roll out a small sheet of clay to the 4th thickest setting in the pasta machine. Spread a little bit of liquid clay on the back of the bead. The liquid clay adheres the clay to each other. Adhere the newly rolled out sheet of clay. Cut out the excess with a precision knife. Texture the back. This is in case, the bead flips while you are wearing it and it will still look fabulous. Add a couple of drops of liquid clay to the bail and adhere to the bead. Before doing so, lay down a piece of wire, so that it bakes with an opening. This is where the cord will go through. Bake the bead according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the package.


Step 8

Ink the raised areas with the VersaMark ink. Add embossing powder in Silver. The clay tends to attract the embossing powder so it will want to go into the non-inked area. Use a liner brush to remove the embossing powder from the crevices.


Step 9

Heat set the embossing powder, just like you would on paper. The clay will tend to get a little soft with the heat. Let cool off, do not touch and risk distorting it. The clay will harden again. Seal the bead with Sculpey Gloss Glaze. It is very important to seal the clay. It protects the embossing powder and clay. Add the leather or cotton cord and clasp. Now you have a necklace to add to your wardrobe.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Polyform – Sculpey Souffle Clay in Poppy Seed, Gloss Glaze, Graduated Cutter Circle Set
  • Lightbulb
  • Rubber Stamp
  • Leather or Cotton Cord
  • Jewelry Hardware: jump ring, clasp, needle nose pliers
  • Ceramic tile, crafting glass, or Sculpey Work ‘N Bake Clay Mat