A warm welcome to all my visitors,

Thank you for taking the time to come and look at my blog, I really do appreciate it. I would love you to leave me a comment, even if it’s just to say Hi. It means I can come visit you!

All my designs are original, so copyrighted to me. If I have been inspired by someone elses work, I have named them in the post, and where able, I have provided a link.

Please feel free to use my designs for inspiration, I just ask you to credit me, and provide a link back to my blog.

Thanks, Shaz XX

Saturday 3 August 2013

Artful card- Artists Pastels, Stamping & a Watercolour background!

I'd been musing about this idea for a while, after seeing so many gorgeous projects using Pan Pastels, but having a mass of Artists Pastels & crafters chalks, absolutely cannot justify buying any! Pastels (& chalks) tend to imply, and give, pale colours, so I wondered how I could use the Artist Pastels sticks in my cards, and get some nice strong colours too.
 I've used chalks over Versamark before now, but one problem I always have is that rubbing on the chalks can smudge the image- best cure is to dab them on, rather than rub them in. Artist pastels are in a stick form, and not so easy to get colour off and onto your applicator. One day, whilst roaming around Tesco, I spotted what I thought might be a solution- A Nutmeg Grater!


 So here is what I started this project with:
 A pack of Artists Pastels,  with the Nutmeg Grater in the top left corner  of the pic.


I took one of the Acrylic plate stamped sheets from an earlier post, Versamark ink and a selection of Tim Holtz stamps.

The heart was stamped first, then had some blue pastel grated over it, and dabbed across the image with a cotton wool ball.



I was actually quite shocked at how well it worked, and gave a nice clean image, without a 'halo' of colour, which chalks sometimes give.














 
Another stamp in the lower right corner, covered this time with purple pastel.Dusted it off again, and out pops the clock image.


Next came a brown pastel, over a filmstrip stamp here at the top, and you can see the grated chalk better. I also stamped the filmstrip onto a post it note, and just rubbed the cotton wool ball over it to make a mask for later on.


 Dusted off with the cotton ball again. I like how its applying colour, but with an almost 'distressed' finish, which works brilliantly with the stamps & background.


 I added some stampings of a floral swag,  in brown at the top right and orange in the lower left.

Next I stamped the Umbrella Man at the bottom, using Sepia Versafine. The post it note filmstrip mask came into play now.







The centres were cut out with a scalpel, and the image covered  with it. I used one of the Three Top Hatted men to stamp in Sepia again, into each of the frames.  To make sure I got them in the right place, out came the  Stamp Positioner- I hate it when I do it by eye, I'm always slightly 'off'.








I added some prints of the numbers and small ticket strip, using the second & third print, with Sepia Versafine again.

The final image was a single pen nib in a couple of places, just inking up one nib on the pen nibs stamp, and using the second impression.









 



     For the backing, a piece of Craft Core card, in a Teal colour embossed with Tims texture Fades 'Gears' folder. After I'd embossed it, I rubbed over the embossing with a Chipped Sapphire Distress Inkpad.

  I wanted to add a Clock die-cut to the card- I don't have this die, but had bought some ready cut from e-bay. This is a great way to get a selection of die cuts, without having to buy all the dies, especially if you are not likely to be constantly using them.
 I added colour with Distress Inkpads Faded Denim, Dusty Concord & Chipped Sapphire. Then added a covering of Versamark and clear embossing powder.




The hands coloured in Black soot, and clear heat embossed too.



Now they were layered up, sandwiching the clock face between the two card layers. The clock hands were held in place with a black brad, and I used copper brads to hold the two sheets of card together.






This is my desk, mid composition, lol. It was marginally worse at one point, here I've moved the stamps and my pad for working on, and put the DI pads away.




The whole thing is mounted onto a dark blue card base using copper brads. I  used two to attach the right hand side of the card, then removed the original two, made corresponding holes in the base card, and reattached them. I also added a Tim Holtz token to the top corner.
 Final addition was a pen nib, added with Pinflair Glue gel, over one of the stamped pen images.








Supplies:
Artist Chalks ( The Works)
Nutmeg Grater
Assorted stamps- mine came from the following Clear stamp sets( all bought from e-bay)
Lifes Possibilities
Lost & Found
City Central
Pen nibs & Top Hatted men from Cling Stamps Curious Possibility
Versafine Sepia
Versamark
Clear Embossing powder
Heat Gun
DI Pads in  Black Soot, Chipped Sapphire, Faded Jeans & Dusty Concord.
Clock Die Cut (E-Bay)
Texture Fades Embossing folder, Gears. (Comes in a two pack, with Blueprint)
Craft core cardstock
Embellishments & brads


9 comments:

MaggieC (Silvercrafter) said...

Had the grater been used for nutmeg? It might make your work smell good as well. It is amazing how many household items make wonderful crafting tools. You got some lovely effects on those pieces, Shaz. Have fun playing. xx Maggie

Anonymous said...

Wow that is brilliant and what a fantastic idea to use a nutmeg grater :) I must buy myself one of those as I have the same set of pastels as you - good old Works!! I should have remembered my school days when I used to shave flakes off coloured pencils and used a finger to move the flakes around an image to colour it in - no more scratchy marks but a lovely even soft colour.
Thanks for the tip Shaz and for sharing your work :)
Lynn xx

Shaz in Oz.CalligraphyCards said...

fabby post Shaz and so true can use other mediums well I have taken to using cotton balls for applying as stops the issues and although do have PP, Id use always with chalks.

The SU set I have have really bright vibrant shades as well as light plus love Docraft frost set I have as use that for shimmers on work.
I suggest if want a few other colours 9thought doubt it with your range to buy just few - Oyster stamps have five for 20 pounds with free post, is where mine came from.. just if need to know.

... and dont need their applicators have decided but do like them when need finer edge, thanks dear friend and God bless, Shaz.xx

Rossella said...

Fab idea and lovely card
Rosie x

Winnie said...

Wow, Shaz! A nutmeg grater! I love how you try the most fun things! I have not tried pan pastels. I have chalks that I hardly use (do the versmark tech with them) or use them for soft color with my stencils. I was tempted to try a set, but currently have so many other mediums that I don't use often too. Thanks for sharing the how to!

Alison Scott said...

Great card. Fantastic step by step. Thank you for sharing that.

JoZart Designs said...

I think like you and haven't bought Pan Pastels as I have so many other pastels. Lets face it, how often do we use them and what's the cost per use. Pan Pastels are good but so pricey.
Your post is excellent and could save a lots of people a shed load of money.
Jo x

Shoshi said...

What a fascinating post, Shaz. It was so interesting to read how you crated this beautiful piece step by step. I have got some pan pastels but haven't had the chance to use them yet. I love how you were thinking outside the box when you decided on the nutmeg grater! Nothing like using tools from other disciplines, is there.

Lovely to see the layers being built up, and I love the intense colours you've achieved.

Many thanks for your lovely comment - yes, my room is gorgeous, isn't it. I agree, too, that there's no excuse for doing things wrong when there are so many good instructions for free out there online!

Shoshi

Jennie -The Artistic Stamper said...

lovely choice and thank you for showing us your 2013 best of!
Happy New Year to you xx

An End of an era

An end of an era

I write this with a broken heart, that only time can heal My beautiful, wonderful wifelet Shaz (Silverwolf) passed away peacefully in the ea...