Ranger...melt art MANIA...

I'm happy to once again to be sharing a tutorial 

or actually 2...

this time my pieces were designed for 

Ranger's Melt Art Mania event...

be sure to check out the Ranger blog,

 for LOTS of inspiration...

the event continues daily thru May 31st...

here's the first project...

my focus for this first piece,

was to create a 

textured UTEE embellishment...

it's E A S Y & fun...

with LOTS of options...

here's the supply list...

Archival Ink, jet black

Tim Holtz Metallic Distress Stain

Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads

Tim Holtz Distress Paint

Tim Holtz Detailer Water Brush 

UTEE

Emboss-It Dabber

Inkssentials Blending Tool with Foam

Inkssentials Brayer

Glossy Accents

Glue N Seal matte

Inkssentials Non-Stick Craft Sheet

Inkssentials Heat-It Craft Tool

Tim Holtz Idea-ology 

Sanding Grip

Stampers Anonymous Wendy Vecchi studio 490 stamps 

Stampers Anonymous Wendy Vecchi studio 490 art parts

Studio 490/Blossom Bucket embellishment

Misc:

waterproof pen

vintage dictionary paper

and here's the step by step instructions...

1. apply a layer of Glue N Seal to the art part small creative cover (project base), then add vintage dictionary paper, brayer & dry.
2. sand the edges with the sanding grip
3. ink over the base with broken china, wild honey, scattered straw & peeled paint, using the blending tool
4. add shading to the edges with rusty hinge on a blending tool
5. use jet black archival to stamp the flourishes (My Kind of Art LCS092) in the top left corner and the sentiment (British Art LCS107) in the bottom right corner as shown 
6. use jet black archival to stamp the pen (British Art LCS107) 5 times, to create a border
7. shake the tarnished brass distress stain, then dispense a small amount onto the craft sheet. pick up the stain with the water brush, then sharply tap the water brush onto your finger over the base, to add tiny metallic dots. dry
8. add pen stitching detail around the base edge
9. shake the tarnished brass metallic stain and with a fairly dry dabber top, edge the base & dry
10. paint the art parts daisy with broken china distress paint & dry
11. ink the coordinating stamp (Daisy Art LCS101) with jet black archival & press the art part flower onto the inked stamp and dry
12. tap the Emboss-It Dabber over the flower to cover & sprinkle with UTEE. use the Heat-It tool to melt the UTEE. while the UTEE is still hot, sprinkle with another layer of UTEE...
13. ***have the polka dot background stamp (All About Art LCS011) inked with french ultramarine archival***
14. melt the second layer of UTEE & while the UTEE is hot, press the polka dot background into the molten UTEE. allow to sit about 30 seconds. the UTEE will cool & the stamp will release easily, creating a very cool textured flower
15. add a scrap of grungeboard under the flower before gluing in place, to raise the flower off the base & create more dimension
16. accent the flower center with a Blossom Bucket black & gold flower

here's a close up of my textured UTEE flower...

                        

since I was having so much fun...

I decided to play a little more...

this time the technique is 

distress UTEE art parts...

I discovered that tim's new distress paints are so cool with UTEE, and together, they create a vintage enamel effect...

I cut a #12 kraft tag to 6 inches tall...

that's my base...

(save the cut off for another project)

I stamped the flourishes 

(yes... again...I LOVE them!) 

with black soot distress ink & 

sprinkled on the UTEE, then heated to melt it...

I inked the kraft tag with faded jeans & mustard seed distress inks...

to create the random bleached honeycomb background,

 I misted water onto my craft sheet, 

then pressed my honeycomb background stamp (LCS093) into the water & then stamped over the tag...

this lightens the distress ink & creates a pattern at the same time...

I used jet black archival for stamping my sentiment...

(British Art LCS107)

and added some stenciled numbers 

and stenciled striped borders 

using black soot, on the blending tool...

to create the vintage enamel flowers, 

I lightly painted them with distress paint,

 using my finger to spread the paint...

***a thin layer of distress paint allows the art parts color (kraft) to show thru, creating a worn look***

the large art parts flower 

is painted with barn door distress paint...

dried, then stamped with the coordinating daisy stamp, 

(LCS101 Daisy Art)

using jet black archival...

and dried again...

I used the Emboss It Dabber to cover the flower, then sprinkled it with UTEE...

I heated the UTEE to melt it, then sprinkled on a second layer while the UTEE was HOT & melted the second layer...

2 layers of UTEE create a glass like dimensional surface...

the 3 smaller art parts flowers were painted with broken china distress paint & black soot distress paint for the centers, dried, 

then I used the Emboss It Dabber over them

 before sprinkling them with UTEE & heating...

since the flowers are small, 

I only used one layer of UTEE on them...

this Blossom Bucket flower accents the large flower...

here's a better look...

the thin layer of distress paint, 

covered with UTEE makes the flowers look faded & very vintage...

I like that this is so quick & that the UTEE can be easily melted with the Heat-It tool...

I like to include helpful tips with my tutorials...

 here goes...

***TIPS***

1. you’ll notice that Glue N Seal is an excellent paper adhesive and that it does not bubble vintage paper
2. the metallic stains add great details, like the base edge & the tiny metallic dots
3. when using the stains to add an edge to the base, make sure the dabber top is not saturated. a fairly dry dabber top is best
4. to easily paint art parts, apply a small amount of distress paint onto the craft sheet & spread the paint over the art part with your finger
5. UTEE is very forgiving. if the UTEE cools before you stamp into it, just heat it again with the Heat-It tool & stamp away!
6. red rubber stamps are best for stamping into hot UTEE. the melted UTEE will not damage the red rubber stamp
7.  when stamping with water, press the stamp into the water once only...if there is too much water on the stamp, the stamped image is blurry...
8. Multi Medium is a great adhesive for adding embellishments over glossy UTEE...
9. oh my...totally LOVE LOVE the Emboss It dabber...so convenient...

Ranger has donated a GREAT GIVEAWAY prize, for me to share with my blog friends...

just leave a comment on this post & 

you'll be entered to win these 

H O T

goodies...

(get it? HOT...melt art?)

I see a giant 8 ounce UTEE jar, 2 texture treads, some heat- it inks, and a melt art project sheet...

the winner will receive 

lots of FUN melt art supplies to...

make art!

wendy

metallic embossing pastes ROCK!

in this previous post, 

I shared how to make custom embossing paste colors,

by combining tim's distress reinkers and 

my white embossing paste...

today...

it's all about the metallic embossing pastes...

first up...

the metallic gold paste...

the gold is especially AMAZING...

in the photo below, 

I spread it thru the "yikes, stripes" stencil...

you don't notice any metallic when the paste is wet...

it's more of a butterscotch color...

let it air dry...

and it magically transforms itself 

into this beautiful metallic gold...

look at the big difference!

not sure how the magic happens...

but I LOVE the result...

next...

the metallic silver paste...

I spread it thru the "polka dotty " stencil...

yippee...stencils are back in stock!

I applied it fairly thick...

the metallics look great on a black surface...

or on kraft...

and on...

everything...

I let the paste partially dry...

then blasted it with the heat tool to create this awesome texture...

back to the gold paste...

what if I wanted to tone down the metallic...

or create another shade?

rub the coffee archival pad over the DRY paste...

the bottom of the tag is the original gold metallic...

on the top, you'll see the color change where it was swiped with the coffee archival pad...

for the silver paste...

I swiped the french ultramarine archival 

over the DRY metallic silver paste...

LOVE LOVE LOVE this effect!

what happens if you mix equal parts of gold & silver pastes together?

it creates a beautiful pewter-ish color...

for the experiment below, I spread a thin layer on an atc...

and blasted it with the heat tool...

look at the AWESOME textured result...

I'm in LOVE...

this is part one of the metallic paste experiments...

I have lots more ideas brewing...

but...

think about this...

any color of the distress reinkers can be added to either of the metallic pastes...

a tiny drop of the rusty hinge reinker, 

mixed into the gold paste 

creates a pretty metallic copper colored paste...

I'm going to swipe an archival pad LIGHTLY over the paste that I heated, so the ink is only on the raised area...

this will create a cool rusty texture...

there are so many metallic possibilities to

make art!

wendy

ps...can you see that archivals are AWESOME!

customized embossing pastes...

I thought I'd show you today how to easily create custom colors of embossing pastes...

it's as easy as 1  2  3...

working on the craft sheet...

put a small amount of my white embossing paste 

and a drop of any distress reinker...

just touch the tip of the eyedropper to the craft sheet & that is plenty of the reinker...

just to show you the small amount I used...

I put the lid from the distress stain near the paste...

now use a palette knife to mix the reinker into the paste...

looks yummy...

just like frosting...

this is peeled paint...

it makes awesome colored leaves...

use less color for a lighter paste...

more reinker makes a darker color of the paste...

using a #8 kraft tag,  and my 3 fresh flowers stencil...

I masked off the flower area with post-its...

then using the palette knife, 

I added the green paste thru the stencil...

***remove the stencil...

clean off the paste 

FROM THE STENCIL & PALETTE KNIFE 

before it dries...***

when the green paste is dry...

 mixed a drop of the rusty hinge reinker with a small amount of white paste...

this is a really beautiful color...

now use post-it's again to block off the dry green leaves...

and spread the rusty hinge paste over 

the flower portion of the stencil...

you can do a nice even layer...

or thick & thin like I did in the photo below...

that creates even more texture...

that's how simple it is to create 

custom colored embossing pastes...

 with 48 colors of distress reinkers, 

(this links to the original 24)

think of all the beautiful colors you can create, 

with just a tiny drop of any reinker...

so not only do the reinkers refresh your distress ink pads,

they do double duty...

 they also create custom colored embossing pastes!

while my paste dries...

I'll plan my background...

then I'll make art!

wendy

ps...what's your favorite color of reinker?

try broken china...

it's A W E S O M E!

MEGA THANKS...and more...

MEGA THANKS 

to everyone who came to see us at the MEGA MEET in Novi, Michigan this past weekend...

tim & I had so much fun demoing...

we had THE NICEST people!

AND...

WOW...

you people sure know how to SHOP!

we sold out of so many things on the FIRST day, 

that Ted had to send a cargo van from Cleveland to us,

 so we would have more stamps, stencils, embossing pastes, CFA and another load of tim's idea-ology goodies, inks, paints & stamps...

I thought I'd share one of my demos today...

I showed how to use 2 stencils together...

you can do this directly on a tag...

or...

I cut mine out to make an embellishment...

this is a quickie post...

still working on my CHA releases...

YIKES!

first step...

use stencil tape or a post-it, to tape 

the "yikes, stripes" stencil over a manila tag...

then tape the "never enough hearts" stencil over the stripes stencil...

I used broken china distress ink on the blending tool to add the first color...

that's the vertical lines...

next, turn the stripes stencil 90 degrees & stencil another color...

I used peeled paint...

that's the horizontal lines...

this creates the plaid heart...

I cut mine out, to layer on a tag...

I added brushed corduroy to accent the edges, as you can see below...

on the next photo, you'll see that I cut a 

#8 kraft tag

 down to 5 inches tall...

I'm really liking this size...

a lot...

I inked over the whole tag with brushed corduroy...

then misted water onto my craft sheet, 

stamped my polka dot background into the water, 

then stamped over the tag...

the water will react with the distress ink & lighten it, 

to create the polka dot pattern...

I stamped the background lines from this stamp,

with jet black archival...

and I used jet black for my sentiment too...

I used my border stencil with black soot distress ink to add the borders at the top & bottom of the tag...

the flourish you see on the heart was also stamped with jet black archival...

the art parts flower 

was painted with mustard seed distress paint, dried,  

then I used jet black archival with this numbers stamp to stamp over the flower...

the mini black star from my Blossom Bucket line looks cute as a flower center...

I used the fine tip of the peeled paint distress marker to color in the sentiment...

and a waterproof pen to add detail stitching lines around the heart...

I like when art supplies (the stripes stencil) 

can be used more than one way...

*** TIPS & HINTS***

when using 2 stencils together, the tape is a huge help...

it keeps the stencils from slipping...

when using the stripes stencil, it's easiest to work WITH the lines as opposed to inking across them...

try cutting an inch from the #8 tags...

it makes a huge difference...

it's a fun size...

when stamping with water, stamp into the water only once...

if you stamp multiple times, too much water is picked up & the pattern is lost...

to use the distress paints on art parts...

I like to tap a bit of paint onto the art part (or craft sheet), then spread it around with my finger...

that's it for today...

finishing up new my stencils is at the top of  my TO-DO list today...

thanks for popping by...

I hope you'll have some time to...

make art!

wendy

selective embossing...PART 2...

but this time...

here's the TWIST...

it's...

WITH COLOR!

again, only the main image is embossed, 

but as you can see, 

the color from the tag does not show thru the flower, 

like it did yesterday...

start with a #5 kraft tag...

I'm really liking these smaller sized tags...

stamp this flower with jet black archival & dry...

I used the distress markers shown to color & shade the flower & leaves...

use the Perfect Medium Pen to go over the flower/leaves, 

then sprinkle with clear embossing powder & heat to emboss...

now comes the background colors...

faded jeans, rusty hinge & peeled paint applied with the blending tool...

mist water onto the craft sheet, 

then use the polka dot background & 

stamp into the water ONCE & stamp over the tag...

allow the water to sit for about 10 seconds, then dry...

this creates a flippin adorable

SIMPLE background...

which appears to be BEHIND the flower...

another reason why I LOVE distress!

it's pure MAGIC!

next, I stamped my not-scary spider & 

wish with jet black archival & dried them...

then used my striped border stencil with black soot distress ink on the blending tool to add a tiny border at the top & bottom of the tag...

my Blossom Bucket crow is a perfect fit...

here's the finished tag again...

I used the tarnished brass distress stain to add 

a beautiful metallic edge to the tag...

 to review...

same technique from yesterday...

but yesterday, the flower had NO color...

here's the same daisy stamp below...

but this time using today's technique...

WITH color...

coloring in the image with the distress markers 

totally changes the look of the daisy...

change the background stamp & the sentiment...

and you get this...

oh...I stamped the daisy 2 times, cut out one & layered it on the sample above...

again...

simple, but so much fun...

last reminder for the 

40% off code on ALL my products

 over at Simon Says...

the sale ends Thursday @11:59pm EST...

enter this code at checkout...

4wendy...

the cute crow is sold out...

but Heidi has LOTS of other

 FUN Blossom Bucket pieces...

speaking of fun...

I'm off to

Great Lakes Mega Meet...

it's in Novi, Michigan...

I hope you'll come & see us...

tell me you're a blog friend & I'll have a little gift for you!

Ted (Mr Stampers Anonymous) drives this giant rig there...

and it's 

not an inch to spare 

LOADED 

with everything you need to...

make art!

wendy

selective embossing...

I had some major brain activity in the studio this weekend & I thought I'd share a really fun technique...

normally, when you heat emboss, 

you stamp the image, 

sprinkle on the embossing powder & heat to emboss...

the black in the photo below is what you would 

normally expect see embossed...

so what if I didn't want my outline embossed, 

but rather I wanted to emboss some other areas?

like this daisy...

here comes the title...

selective embossing...

here's the secret ingredient...

Ranger's PERFECT MEDIUM PENS...

I stamped my flower with jet black archival & dried it...

then I used the Perfect Medium Pen to go over the flower petals & leaves...

I didn't cover the flower center, 

to create some contrast...

so my tag now looks like this...

***keep in mind to stay in the lines***

I didn't & you'll see it in the finished tag...

the clear embossing powder will stick wherever 

the Perfect Medium was added...

just like it is meant to do...

note to self...don't be so impatient & hurry...

stay IN the lines...

now sprinkle the clear embossing powder over the flower & heat to emboss...

it now looks like this...

next, I added my background colors right over the whole tag, including the flower...

the embossed areas will resist the distress inks...

the manila tag color remains...

I used the blending tool to apply 

mustard seed, broken china & rusty hinge...

you can used a moist paper towel or baby wipe to wipe the inks off the embossed areas...

now it looks like this...

 distress inks always react with water...

you've seen tim flick water on to the surface

 to create bleached out water spot areas...

here's how you can add a pattern to the background...

mist water onto your craft sheet...

press a background stamp into the water...

***stamp into the water ONLY ONCE***

more than that picks up too much water & the pattern will be lost...

after stamping, allow the water to sit for about 10 seconds, then dry...

I LOVE IT!

I used this background...

it's a worn lined pattern from 

my very first stamp release back in 2008!

YIKES...5 years ago already!

time does fly when you LOVE what you do!

EDIT...OOPS...

wrong stamp link...

the skinny lines are THIS STAMP...sorry!

I used the old paper distress marker to trace around the flower to add a shadow...

and colored in the flower center with the tea dye marker...

***in this close up...you can see where the embossing is outside the lines***

duh...

note to self...

art does not have to be perfect!

I stamped TRUST & the mini bee with jet black archival...

and also the border at the top, using this background stamp...

I used the peeled paint, rusty hinge & broken china markers to add color to the bee & the border...

I inked this unmounted script background stamp 

with french ultramarine archival & randomly stamped the background...

to remove the archival from the embossed flower, 

I just wiped it off with a paper towel before it dried...

ps...archivals are AWESOME!

I drew 3 little hearts & filled them in 

with the sepia Sakura Glaze pen...

used the clear glaze pen over the bee wings...

then added the pointing finger...

it's one of tim's new remnant rubs...

they are so flippin COOL!

a little bow at the top & done...

***things to note***

normally when I work on a project, 

the background is the first thing I do...

I start at the bottom & work to the front...

BUT...

when using this technique, the main image gets stamped before the background is done...

that keeps the embossed area,

 the manila color of the tag...

and...

if you do this same technique on a kraft tag...

you get this...

a vintage amber looking jar...

I think my glass jar looks cool...

with the wildflower INSIDE the jar...

I left the glare on the photo so that you could see that the jar stamp really does look like glass...

the embossing makes it super simple to cut out the image & make it even more dimensional, when layered onto the project...

I find open area stamps to be the best for this technique...

like the jar...

this ink bottle...

this medicine bottle...

(how cute for a get well card!)

or this one...

and stamps like this flower

or this is another good one...

 like the infomercial says...

but WAIT...

there's MORE!

but...that will be my next post...

it's a really fun one...

selective embossing again, but...

with a different effect...

stay tuned!

***REMEMBER***

all my products are ON SALE at Simon Says...

thru this Thursday...

at checkout...

enter the code...

4wendy

and you'll get 40% off...

stamps, 

art parts,

CFA (clearly for art)

clicker cutts, 

stencils,

books and

embossing pastes...

not to tease you...

BUT...

I had a M A J O R discovery with the embossing pastes this weekend...

here's just a little hint...

I found a way to make dimensional embellishments...

they are especially A W E S O M E with the metallic pastes...

clicking on the highlighted links, 

will magically transport you right to the items I used...

I hope you enjoyed this technique & 

that you'll give it a try...

it's so much fun to try something new when you...

make art!

wendy