Steampunk ATC its a Contest Winner (Honorable Mention)

On March 14, I attended the Original Rubber Stamp Convention in Carson, CA for the first time. I decided I would also enter the ATC contest while I was there. And my card got Honorable Mention! Yay!!
 

 

I took the theme from my monthly ATC group at Custom Impressions - gears or wheels. For the card, I started off with a pattern paper base. I used the "Clockworks" paper from Graphic 45's Steampunk Spells 8x8 pad. I love the dimension in this pattern, especially for a monotone looking print.

I then added some multicolor metal gilding to the right side and upper left corner. I really like the texture and color the gilding brought to the ATC. I also added a Tim Holtz word band on the left side.

Next, I diecut gear shapes on metal sheets and grunge board. I tinted the grunge board with brass distress paint and walnut distress ink.

The gears were added to the card background, with one being pop dotted to add a layer of dimension. A G45 brad was added to the center of the grunge board gear.
 

 

For the central image of the ATC, I choose a stamp of a woman with gears in her hair from Graphic 45's Steampunk Debutante line. I stamped it on watercolor paper with black Stazon ink.

I colored the image with Prima watercolor pencils using a water brush to blend. I tried to achive a vintage, hand colored look. After the watercolor was dry, glitter and shine was added to the gears with Zig wink of stella pens.

When the image was colored, I fussy cut the lady. And then added some embellishments, gears and a number die by Tim Holtz, then a Graphic 45 brad.

The stamp was popped dotted onto the background. And as a finishing touch, I added s little glitter. to the gears.

Upcoming Class - Mini Album of Tricks & Treats Using Graphic 45's Sweet & Spooky Steampunk Spells!

 

Next month (October 8th from 6-9pm to be exact), I will be teaching a class (at Perfect Day Scrapbooking in Huntington Beach) of this super special mini album.  It uses Graphic 45's Steampunk Spells line and will be perfect for Halloween. And the beautiful paper is not the only treat that makes it special, no no no. This album includes some of the tricks & techniques I learned at Laura Denison's Graphic 45 class at CHA, Las Vegas, including her "stack the deck" binding. And at $28.00 the cost of the class may be the biggest treat of all!

Scroll down for more sneak peaks of the album and info on where, when and how.  Or if you are in the Soutern California area swing by Perfect Day (9552 Hamilton Avenue, Huntington Beach, California 92646 / 714-369-2862) and see the sample in person. 

 The stacked binding creates such a clean well hidden hinge for the pages.  And the hardback cover is also made "from scratch."

And the pages are so interactive! Tags that slide out of both the middle and the ends of the pages! And each page can be combined how *you* want it so it is totally personalized.

And don't let the folded and layered look fool you. The technique for making these pocket pages is really quite simple - Once you know how!

The images used for Steampunk Spells are really creative and manage to be both a little creepy and a little cute, sightly whimsical and a bit witty, bright and fun all the while still having that great vintage feel Graphic 45 is known for. I really love this line.

And even from the back this mini is fun and pretty with classic steampunk gears and roses. It would look great on display.

So, now you have had a peek inside this mini album full of tags, pockets and some new tricks and treats to learn. If you want to make one of your own, please contact Perfect Day Scrapbooking in Huntington Beach (9552 Hamilton Avenue, Huntington Beach, California 92646 / 714-369-2862) to reserve a spot!

Supplies needed - scissors, wet & drt adhesive of choice, scoreboard & tool, trimmer, ruler pop dots.

Optional - ink/chalk for edges

Corset Apron Design fo So Cal Shop Hop

 This year's Shop Hop theme is What's Cooking.  So this year we are decorating canvas aprons.  It took me a while to decide what to do; There are alot of cool things you can do with aprons.  I decided I wanted to go steampunk since I like that style and would be more likely to wear it again.  Then I got some inspiration from a Betsey Johnson tee shirt with a corset drawn on it,  So my final idea was a hand draw steam punk corset.

 

First thisng was to sketch out the corset on the apron.  I used the back of the apron because I didnt want to pockets in the middle of the corset.  I then went over my lines with a brown paint pen and started a bit of shading that would create depth.  To fit with the the steam punk theme I filled in the seams and boning with a copper gilding pen.

I then filled in the "fabric" part of the corset with an olive green paint pen.  I also added a necklace to the top of the apron and began filling in the background black.  This took several Sharpie markers.  I recommend the "magnum" for this much coverage.

 After I finished coloring/painting, I covered the edge of the apron and the neck strap in a faux suede.  I also added grommets down the corset front which I laced with green ribbon decorated in peacock feathers.  I decided to replace the drawing of a necklace with one made of a cameo embellishment and some bling. I think it looked way better.

 I added a glass bead fringed ribbon to the bottom of the corset. and re gilded all the boning and edges with the copper pen.  For finishing touches I added some steampunk themed embellishments like keys. gears and butterflies. I also replaced the tie with the green peacock ribbon.

 Finished apron.

Hope you enjoyed my So Cal Shop Hop apron project.  It was sure fun to make and I think it came out super cute.  I wonder what I will make next year....

The card that started it all

So I figured I would start by talking about the project that inspired this blog.  I have a friend I had been making some simple Cricut cards for. First was stuff directly off the cartridges. Next I started using the Cricut Craftroom and welding. And during this time I started looking at some fantastic steam punk projects. (Particularly Carrie's designs mini album and Xannero1's custom mini) So I was inspired and decided to make a stream punk valentine's day card for my friend.  I showed it to my wonderful friend Rosie, who scraps with me, and she said I should take photos and blog it.  I kind of blew the idea off and just mailed it.  But then after I sent it I changed my mind.  My friend kindly took some photos of it for me. So here they are. (Full list of products used at end)

On the front I used the balloon from Cricut's Victorian Romance and behind it is an acetate heart from Teresa Collin's Timeless collection that was fussy cut and painted on both sides with Tim Holtz's crackle paint in rock candy.  I thought the see through aspect looked pretty cool.

On the front I used Tim Holtz paper from the Kraft Resist 12x12 pad.  I added one of his keyholes and some of his gears.  I also used brads with screw tops by Recollections and gears cut from the Cricut on both paper and shrinky dinks. The W charm is also by T.H. and the turtle was from the jewelry section of Michaell's. And I used Ranger's Liquid Pearl in Bisque on the joints of the balloon framework. The frame work is also popped up slightly with foam tape.

For the first pages I used a time/clock theme. I fussy cut some clocks and again used paper and shrinky dinks from Cricut. The paper on the right is from Graphic 45's Proper Gentleman collection and is one of my faves. The clock in the center was fussy cut from Creative Imaginations Rock Star paper. And I used a few more of the Timeless clock faces.

The center pages I themed around keys and locks.  The background paper is another beautiful Graphic 45 paper from the Le Romantique collection.  I cut some keys from the Cricut, Sophisticated and Victorian Romance cartridges. The gold key and butterfly is fussy cut from the Tradewinds pad by DCWV. The top has a border created from gears off the Indie Art cartridge I welded together in Craftroom with more of the screw-brads. I used another keyhole by T.H.  The gear paper on the heart is from the Tattered Times pad by DCWV.  On all the pages I hand wrote quotes pertaining to friendship on distressed paper.

On the last of the inside pages I used a small greenish brown checked paper by Kaiser Craft. and Cricut cut some more gears. Rosie helped me distress a lot of them and I think the big gear in silver she did is really awesome.  I used it to make a tag pocket.  The big fussy cut gear on the left is also from Tattered Times as is the background of gears.

This shows the last page with the tag pulled out. I stuck a short note and gift inside the envelope tag which was made with paper from the T.H. Kraft Resist pad and the top of the Creative Imaginations Rock Star paper I fussy cut the watch on the first inside page. The ticket I wrote "pull" on is also from Tattered Times.  I bound the card with necklace twine and tied gears from T.H. and the jewelry section of Mike's to it to create the tassel.

And finally the back of the card.  It has a clock and gears fussy cut from Tattered Times with a top hat from G45's Romantique collection.  I also added a T.H. gear to the hat.

 So that is the card that inspired my scrapbooking/craft blog. I really had fun making it and think the result came out pretty nice. Please let me know if you have any questions about what I did or whee I bought any items.

Product List:

•  Cricut Cartridges: Victorian Romance, Indie Art, Rock Princes, Paisley, Wrap it Up, Wild Cards and Craftroom Basics
• Paper: Graphic 45-Proper Gentleman, G45-Le Romantique, Teressa Collins-Timeless, DCWV-Tradewinds, DCWV-Tattered Times, Tim Holtz-Kraft Resist, My Mind's Eye-Everyday Fun, Kaiser Craft-Chanteuse and Creative Imaginations/Marah Johnson-Rock Star Ready 2 Rock.(All 12x12)
• Accessories: Tim Holtz- Gears, Keyholes & Alphabet Tokens, Shrinky Dinks, Reflections-Screw Brads, and some pieces from the jewelry section of Michael's
• Inks/Paints: Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist-Cinder, TA Glimmer Glaze-Cowboy, T.H. Distress Inks-Walnut Stain, Black Soot & Fired Brick, T.H.-Crackle Paint in Rock Candy, Ranger Perfect Pearl Mists-Heirloom Gold & Perfect Pearl and Ranger Liquid Pearls in Bisque.