Deb Lovett has guided us through a couple of excellent (and easy) techniques using spray starch and plastic wrap. She has a number (a LARGE number) of other techniques we will ask her to share but for now, lets give her a well deserved break. (Shepherding us through these tutorials takes a lot more time and energy than you can imagine.)

She has dropped little hints along the way of other "kitchen cabinet" materials available to card makers and paper crafters.

Think: Lysol, Windex, bleach, your "gathering dust" iron...........Spark any new ideas for you yet?

How about faux batik, distress ink and smoosh (a Nancy Chebuska special approach) or Wanda Hentges' vaseline/gesso technique?

How about your favorite "standby technique?"

________________

Because we are getting a late start for a July Challenge we instead have several activities "in the works." They will lay the groundwork for future Challenges, starting in August.

Project #1: Check the assorted Challenges and Tutorials listed at the bottom of the page. Vote for your favorite and we will revisit the tutorial or challenge with the most votes. We may ask the instructor to increase the difficulty level of the activity or we may solicit samples from all of you, illustrating how you've used these in your work since the information was posted. We'd be interested in knowing if this was a new technique for you or if it rekindled interest in something you had perhaps tried and set aside.

Project #2: New possibilities!!! Let's continue the "Kitchen Cabinet" search and see what else you can come up with. Dishwashing soap? Interesting utensils for stamping (fork? potato masher? grater? sieve?). We'd love to have you show us samples of these innovative ideas. Then we'll survey "viewers" to see which of these offerings they'd like to see expanded into a tutorial or a challenge.

Project #3: Anything that gives you difficulty in your paper crafting? Let us know. We'll search for someone with the answer and present the solutions as a future Tutorial.

Obviously we are "passing the buck!" The quality and personal interest of the Tutorials and Challenges presented for the next few months will be up to you. Ask....and if at all possible, we will search out teachers willing to put together the information you need.

Don't forget...the Challenges and Tutorials are not meant to be a "one shot" deal. They are intended as a convenient resource for you to use. An additional "tool" readily available to you.

Help us built a quality technique library.

gg designs

Write to us: Here is what I would like to see featured in the Gazette:

Deb Lovett writes:

You have so much wonderful art on your website. I would love to see any of these artists share a technique that they are enjoying these days.

I love Linda Reid's green and brown Ivy Silhouette card . . . I can't figure out how she got the brown and added texture on the watering can.    ggd: Actually, the green and brown card is Linda Blackbird's creation. How about it Linda? Directions please, if you can remember? Both Linda's made great use of the ivy/stein image.

I like Janet Detter-Margul's art. She could teach us something about coloring.  (ggd:  Janet, unfortunately, is no longer stamping on the Internet. Extremely talented, lots of fun, her enthusiasm and energy are missed.)

I love Ida's watercolor art. Her technique would be fun to re-visit.     ggd: We have always thought of Ida as the "Watercolor Queen." What about it Ida? Are you up for another round of trying to get us to loosen up and enjoy the watercolor technique? Her tutorial is here.

I'd enjoy learning how Leslie Wong made the heavy embossing element on [her project at] FloraandFaunaPg4  (Middle of Page)    ggd:  Leslie is doing more knitting these days than stamping. The project was done with Suzie Weinberg's UTEE--stamping the image while the powder was still liquid.

Take care.
Deb

Wrap a three inch leader of ribbon through the center (pointing up north) tine holding it in place with your thumb on the lower fork shank then two or three complete revolutions horizontially around the entire
set of tines for desired number of bow loops.Cut ribbon three or four inches away from tines using that finishing length to feed under the ribbon and above the valley where tines meet, pull through leaving a tad of loose ribbon through which to pull ribbon on the come back. If a double layer of center bow smooth ribbon is desired loop through twice then pull taut.

Slip bow from fork tines.
Fluff bow loops.
Cut bow trailing ribbons to preferred length using a squared bottom edge or chevron angle cut with both lengths of ribbon back to back when cutting resulting in equal length trailing ribbons.

Adhere to card, scrapbook page, or in multiples on package face. Ta Da!

Wenda Wickland

ggd: In all our last minute, didn't-plan-well-enough, hasty gift wrapping it never occurred to us that we had a perfect "bow machine" in the cutlery drawer! Stampers certainly are clever!!! Hope you all get a chance to try this and show us your results.

Wenda also sends these directions for a stained glass technique out of  "Office Cabinet" supplies.

• White out paint brush/bottles
     Refill with tempra thinned with water
• Funnel for filling "bitty bottles"  Suggestion from Wenda: Use a skinny tubed funnel
       once intended to refill delicate perfume bottles. Is that a kitchen cabinet tool?
       That's where this helpful funnel was discovered.
       ggd: Lucky Wenda....we haven't seen one of these for decades!
• White liquid glue (to make lines for stained glass designs)

• Black Construction Paper or
• Copy Paper
Outline design with white glue. When dry fill in areas with different tempra colors.
Recycle pull-tab loops for hanging finished art.
Hang and enjoy.

More information from Wenda:
. . . the construction paper project . . . usually mounted on a
contrasting sheet of construction paper to stiffen the project as
construction paper nowadays is recycled and flimsy at best. (Is it my
imagination or is cardstock going that way, too?)
The penciled or black line marker pattern to follow when laying a glue
pattern line on photocopy paper may be hung after tempra paint and
glue are dry.

Waxed paper works best for the see through effect but is more likely
to crack and shed paint so is not the most fun. The photocopy version
may be the compromise.
Way back when, I tried the pastic wrap and found the thick almost
brittle brand which then came in a red box was the best. Name is a
troublesome thing since I don't buy that for everyday use.

Occasion shapes on black paper outlined by dried liquid glue are the
most fun since the other side may be ridged, dried, then painted to
produce a free turning decoration. Initials or banners are tough as
cutouts since few letters take a mirror image, but signs or letter
squares are okay since the square is larger than the letter or word so
no big deal about working one side or the other with color in the
dried glue border areas.
Have fun making this . . . project.

---

 

What's in YOUR kitchen cabinet???

Nancy Chebuske-Guevara has Pledge in hers......

She writes....Thought it might apply to your Kitchen Cabinet [techniques section.]

These were made w/ the help of Pledge ( you know for dusting) so..........

Pledge Mist Technique
(Nancy's own technique/adaptation.)

• Spray Pledge over glossy card stock
• Spritz lightly w/water
• Spray desired mists directly on top.
        ( I used Walnut ink-Lilic, Tattered Angels shimmer mists, 
           Dreamsicle &Tsukineko shimmer spritz-copper)
• Set aside for drying
• When almost dry place paper towel on top to blot up remaining mists.
       Your card stock will want to buckle, which can have nice results but you lose alot of the .mist as they slide to one end.. I placed various items on each corner of my glossy CS to.keep this from  happening. 
If you do not like the results, guess what?    Wipe fully with a paper towel & start over.
• Heat set w/ embossing gun ( not to close or CS will bubble up)

• Stamp desired image w/ Archival ink ( Jet black was used)

• Heat set again.
• Color image (If desired) Prismacolor markers will work on top, not sure if any others will.
...... I heat set the piece again after I colored it -As I wanted to be able to scan it quickly . . . ......
.Not sure what would happen if left to dry on its own.

Wish the scan had picked up the shimmer & shine ! Much prettier in person.

               
Sample 1- Used pewter, green, and a bit of blue. I think this would make a nice sandy beach or water background.

               
Sample 2- I sprayed a circle with the pledge after I had coated the paper once with pledge and copper, rose, electric blue. Notice how a moon was created.. Maybe a good Halloween background?

                  
Sample 4- See the difference just by adding more or less layers? Think this one kinda looks like polished stone.

"In person" these are alot more colorful & they shimmer from the metalic mists.

   Deb Lovett Plays with Pledge:

What a great technique! I tried Nancy's Pledge Mist Technique last
night, and love it.
I partially dried it with the heat tool, but let it continue to dry
naturally overnight. Here is what I found this morning. Fantastic
background -- a very textured-look.
Thanks, Nancy, for sharing this Technique with us.

Another sample from Deb:

She writes:
I followed Nancy's directions and blotted with a paper towel at the
end to get this Pledge Mist background. (You can see at the bottom
where I started to smear it with a make-up wedge, then remembered that Nancy said to blot with a paper towel.)

               Send us your samples! And....your Kitchen Cabinet ideas!