July tag of 2013 and some good news

I found out at the beginning of the month I'm the winner and runner up of Visible Images June Challenge: Character. Hence the new blinkie badge my prize was the choose of any clear stamps for £10 which is basically 2 stamps. Due to the random selection of winner and runner up anyone can win except for Craftstamper magazine the standards are so high. In all it is important to do your best in everything you do. Tim Holtz is launching a new load if idea-ology plus stencils I'm having trouble trying to keep up. Only joking I only choose the stuff I actually want so for July's Tag of 2003 this is my creation:

The technique was using a brayer and distress ink I barely glanced at the post so the result was make it up as I go along. Grunge board with Rock Candy crackle paint, I was little impatient with drying and rushed the process with the heat gun. Ideally it should be left for day or more but I don't get free 'quiet' slot at the kitchen table till 7pm sometimes later. A half a day is wasted through waiting and with this heatwave, crafting is difficult. My intention was make something which celebrated Handover day in Hong Kong but ended up different and random. Mistakes can be turned into something wonderful. Distress Stains were dabbed in the cracks, I made my own tissue tape as ideo-ology range is so expensive, you can use washi tape instead.
Didn't have simple saying in my collection a stamped text on vial labels works as fine, most of stamps are PaperArtsy except for the Aztec Sun which is GCS(Great Canadian Stamp). For embellishments I used Muse token attached to crinkle ribbon with mini safety pin and metal charm (not idea-ology). Grunge board is strange as it smells like new shoes, very rubber and meant to be  altered as it doesn't lie flat. Element range is hard to find I end up buying and Mini safety pin might be discontinued. Some places still sell them if you know where to look.

These are the stamps I've chosen and don't know if I have time to make something for Visible Image's July challenge.

I've discovered something new this month it's called Smash book, all it's really is sticking stuff on pages. K & Company sell these Smash book which is spiral bound and has lots of coloured pages plus there are numerous accessories. It's like what I have to spend money on a new idea when I have been doing this kind thing for years since about 2000 when I was studying Foundation Art and Design it was called Visual Diary and brought on by Dan Eldon. I did buy a doodles smash book and few stuff from Amazon, at the moment I'm using Walls Journal Notebook due the fact it becoming annoying trying to align the writing. More details on 'smashing' will later I have stuff to right now.

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Second entry for Visible Image June challenge

Second card for June challenge  'Visible Image has character' is

Clara, she is first card I made and took me 6 hours to complete the card. I was working on card sketch layout. She and Edgar were embossed on 250gsm cardstock and coloured in Distress stains.
For her I chose Seedless Preserve, Aged Mahogany, Walnut Stain, Scattered Straw and Brushed Corduroy. The skin tones are a mixture of Spun Sugar and Scattered Straw as glazes, I tried to remove the stain from her face and area become napped up hence importance of having clean hands.

I always used precoloured embellishments as it saves time. I believe the lace is in Chipped Sapphire and Pine Needles. The background is light mix of Aged Mahogany and Tarnish Gold with middle section stamped in old free rubber stamp of Craftstamper before they gave away clear.

There's more paper flowers here accented in Stickles Shabby shutters and Weathered wood. I used Tim Holtz's method of adding acrylic paint to foliage Idea-ology to give worn feel. The reason I added a clock well it originally piece of grungeboard and thought using clock face would better because influence by Doctor Who. Current Doctor played by Matt Smith, he's assistant is Clara Osward otherwise known as 'impossible girl'. Besides there's lot of Steampunk influences in Doctor Who and can't wait for next one.

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Visible Image June challenge

Ever heard of Visible Image I haven't until I discover them in July 2013 issue of Craftstamper magazine. Not only was free 'clear' stamp designed by Visible Image but in their advertised it showed some of range of stamps produced by the company and they are great too. What caught my eye was anime/manga inspired character stamps, I normally stay away from cartoon stamps because to be honest they are rubbish and stamps cost money so I only buy high quality impression.
I had bad experience with 'clear' stamps especially Stampendous as they tend to squishy and yellow but with Visible Image I gave an exception they use high quality photopolymer, their stamps are firm and give a good impression. Pop along to their website and gave the stamps a try.
Also they have monthly challenge going on their blog, For 'Visible Image has character' I will enter 2 cards, first one:

Edgar and his pet raven. I chose Steampunk style because character really suited to this theme. I did some research to get idea of what Steampunk the best way to do is look at fashion for colour scheme and definition. Majority of art involves clocks and gears but it's much more about this. Think of Doctor Who, HG Wells it's a good idea to watch some films/animation such as Steampunk.

Distress stains work well if layered or mixed with other colours here I used Seedless Perserve and Brushed Pewter for background. Edgar I coloured him using mixture of Distress Stains and Markers plus Ink palette as help to separate the different colours which are Pine Needles, Black Soot, Chipped Sapphire, Brushed Corduroy, Scatter Straw and Aged Mahogany. Highlights I used Inkessential white gel pen. I'm still practising with watercolour techniques using the Stains made it easier, the Markers were harder to manipulate the colour.

There's so much metal components on this card it kept falling over as I trying to photograph. I was thinking of dials and gears which compliment they each because everything is on the card for a reason as to convey a story. Idea-ology Sprocket gears, locket keys, Time pieces, Game spinners and other miscellaneous antique brass embellishments.
The side panels is stamped in Stampers' Anonymous ledger and others with embossed in Stampendous Fran tage aged bronze.
This month has been hectic with all these monthly challenges I'll leave Craftstamper for next one because need a rest. These challenges are good thing as keep the resistance and block way.

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