New Technique has happy ending...

So many people read yesterday's post about my glitter disaster and so many of you laughed and sympathised with me.  Thank you so much for both reading my very long post and for leaving such lovely comments too.

I was really determined to use those metal flakes successfully as the effect they give is just stunning when it works.  I really couldn't face trying out the glitter again though, especially seeing as my eyes have not fully recovered.

As today is Bah! Humbug! and time for our new challenge I wanted to do something on a Christmas theme.  I had thought of the beautiful snowflakes on my Christmas Cricut cartridge, but my embossing flakes were too autumnal for my liking to use for snowflakes.

As none of the other designs on the cartridge really grabbed me I decided to look in my peel off collection to see if there was anything in there I could use.  As luck would have it (and after my exploits the day before I think some luck was well over due) the very first peel off I spotted just shouted 'Use me - Use me'.  The Three Kings riding across the desert.  I wasn't sure if it would work but it was certainly worth a try.  

So I carefully cut a piece of the double sided sticky sheet to the right size and gently lay the peel off on top.  Then came the fun part putting on the embossing flakes.  I really must be a big kid cause I love this part - even the fact that the bits fly everywhere if you're not careful  Then out came the burnishing brush and yeah success there was my desert scene.  Just needed to stick the special star in place and make up into a card.

Now you are probably thinking that the challenge at Bah! Humbug! this week is 'kings' or maybe 'nativity', but no it's 'Tags and Labels' and the image wasn't  quite the right size or shape for a tag.  However, all was not lost, because on the very same peel off sheet were three crowns - just perfect to make a matching gift tag to go with the card.

I used the same technique to make the crowns and then stuck them on to the cream tag which was then matted on to black.  I may keep this as a tag or perhaps make it up into a card at some time.  I'm not sure.  It may even get used as a special Christmas book mark just for me - not really sure whether I want to part with it at all!

My other tag sample for Bah! Humbug! is a fun bottle bag tag using a snowman and snowlady stamp that I've had for ages and never used due to always being in such a mad rush with my Christmas cards in December that I can't possible find time for tags and bags.  Now due to Bah! Humbug! I can do them and enjoy it too.  So much better than the normal panic.

If you want to get ahead with your cards, tags and more do pop over to Bah! Humbug! take a look at the fab cards by Irene and Max and hopefully join in with us.  It's never too early to make a start on Christmas.

My cards and tags are also for the challenges at...

• Crafty Cardmakers - new technique
• Tuesday Taggers - Tags

Have a fantastic weekend everyone and may all your glitter stay well away from your eyes.  I'll be back on Monday for The Pink Elephant challenge and I also promise not to ramble as much in my posts next week too.

New Technique - Huge Disaster...

Is anyone out there like me when they go to shows such as the NEC.  You do really well buying only the things that you really want and then nearing the end of the day (but this phenomena can strike at any time) you buy something that you didn't know you wanted.  You watch the demo and get totally caught up in how easy and what fantastic results can be achieved not realising that it's all a bit like that fluffy puppet thing on the little TV screens in stores like Woolworths, etc where the fluffy puppet pet runs up and down the presenter's arm like magic.  Then you buy one and yours turns out to be more like a dead dish cloth!

Yep we've all done it - been there - done that and well and truly got the T-shirt.  

Well this time I bought metal embossing flakes, double sided A4 sheets and a burnishing brush.  I would have bought the glitter too but knew I already had black unused at home .

I really, really paid attention at the show - honest and thought I knew just what to do, but oh dear!!!

I decided to start with a small brass tree stencil, which may have been too finely detailed, but it seemed like a good size to use for my first attempt.  I cut a piece of the double sided sheet to the right size and prepared my stencil by rubbing on soap.

At the show someone stood behind me muttered that even with soap applied to the stencil it still stuck a bit too fast so I was quite wary and maybe too enthusiastic in applying the soap.  Anyhow I placed the soaped stencil on top of the sticky and started to place the metal flakes on top. 

oooooooooooh snowing metal - good job I used a deep container.  This bit was great and the embossing brush did a great job in removing the excess flakes.  So far so good!

Then I lifted the brass stencil - it came away easily and ooooooooooooh what a lovely tree.  Just gorgeous.  At this point I should have taken a photo because from then on everything went decidedly pear shaped.

Next step is to apply black glitter which is supposed to adhere to the background and only the background.  Oh dear where is my tree?  

Out came the brush to bring the tree back and remove any loose glitter.  It had stuck, but not particularly evenly and there was glitter everywhere, including in my eyes.  It will be a long time before I use black glitter again.  The effect was not bad but quite patchy and the tree wasn't as clear as I would have liked.  I thought that taking the sticky from the back and attaching the whole piece to black card may help and it did a little, but it still wasn't perfect.  At this point the design was sort of grungy passable, but not perfect to my liking.

This is the part where I really messed up and tried to use black chalk to cover the patches.  This covered the metal as well and just messed the whole thing up and the sample went from bad to worse.

By this time I should have been asleep and probably anyone who started reading this post has either fell asleep themselves or hopped off to another blog.  Please bare with me a little longer cause there is a good bit coming - I promise.

I loved the effect of the metal, but couldn't stand the hit and miss effect of the glitter.  I certainly didn't want to waste anymore flakes and no way is that glitter coming out again.  So after running through all sorts of ideas in the middle of the night (well I couldn't sleep very well as my eyes were so sore from the glitter) it came to me!!  

Cut out the glitter and brass stencil part altogether.  Make your own stencil in black (or maybe another colour) using a cutting machine or by hand.  Yeah I couldn't wait to try the idea this morning.  I daren't get up in the middle of the night as my Cricut is rather noisy.   Anyway this morning (still too early to wake everyone else with sound of Cricut) I punched a shape into black paper and then stuck this on to the sticky sheet.  Then I applied the metal flakes.  Yeah it works!!!  I really can't wait to try this with some Cricut designs.  Just think of the possibilities.  Silver metal flakes would make amazing snowflakes.  Ooooooooooooh so pretty.

Here is my sample ....

I've not made it up into a card cause I'm thinking I might use it on one of my scrapbook pages about York.  It reminds me of 'The Rose Window' there.  Hmmmm well I've not had much sleep!

For those who've managed to get to the end of this post my sore eyes and sleepless night were mainly for the following challenge

• Crafty Card Makers - a new technique

I do hope they appreciate the blood, sweat and tears that went into this.  Don't forget to watch out for the new Bah! Humbug! challenge starting tomorrow.  I wonder if I can use my new technique for it!!! 

Penny Black and more gingham...

I seem to have had quite a craze on checked paper and card this week, which as the challenge at The Penny Black Saturday Challenge  is 'Check it out' turns out to be quite a good thing.  The lilac check card I've used here is by Kanban and is double sided with plain lilac on one side and the check on the other.  Really handy as the colours are a perfect match with no effort involved.  The stamp is one of my NEC purchases - sigh - I love the Penny Black stamps I bought!  I used Promarkers to colour it and then matted on to the card.  The sentiment is from a set of clear sentiment stamps by Hero Arts.

The flowers were made using another NEC purchase (there were quite a few) - my Nellie Snellen flower punches, which not only punch the flower, but emboss it too.  Flower brads were from stash and unbelievably the exact same colour as the card - wow how often does that happen!?

Additional Challenges...

• Sketch and Stash - the sketch (brilliant sketch and one I will use time and time again I'm sure) - new stash is stamp and punches
• Cupcake Craft Challenge - Make your own flowers.
• Magical Crafts - Animal Antics

Training again at work today, so won't be blogging until tonight.  Have a wonderful day everyone.

Ann xxx