My Creative Classroom - Terriffic Techniques Wk 5

The final set of “homework” for My Creative Classroom – Terrific Techniques (with the theme of texture) proved to be somewhat of an eye-opener. I wasn’t going to do the Funky Foam exercise as I’ve tried this once before & didn’t like it at all. However, that was almost two years ago, & experience has taught me that  I sometimes have to rethink an attitude. I managed to find some craft foam available to purchase in single sheets though the cleanest piece (I don’t think this stock sells very fast) was pink! Suffice to say that I loved the Funky Foam – I wonder if Santa might bring me the pack  of foam I’ve seen in WH Smith’s which contains a whole rainbow of colours.

Owing to the severe weather conditions the planned Open Days at Graphicus this weekend were cancelled. Instead there was a series of posts on the Graphicus Blog with competitions, a crossword, special deals & some free downloads which people were asked to use should they wish to enter one of the competitions.  Somehow the homework pieces & these free downloads matched themselves up.

Polymer Clay

Stamp: Elusive Images

Image stamped into clay & coloured with Perfect Pearls (Interference Blue & Violet) prior to baking

close-up to show the sparkle of the glitter & Perfect Pearls

I made a Christmas ornament from my stamped clay: inking the punched cardstock edges (Brilliance Pearlescent Sky Blue & Pearlescent Purple), glittering (Ice Stickles Grape Ice) & adding a length of ribbon. The back is another punched & inked piece of pale blue cardstock (thus sandwiching the ribbon) left plain for writing a personal message to make it equally suitable as a gift tag for someone special.

Funky Foam

Stamp: Elusive Images

Ink: Brilliance Starlite Black (image), Brilliance Pearlescent Purple (paper & cardstock edges)

Image stamped into heated foam, layered onto free backing paper plus cardstock & embellished with pearls

UTEE

Stamp: Creative Expressions

Inks: Dusty Concord Distress Ink (Stampbord), Pastel Kaleidacolor (random brayered background), 

Brilliance Pearlescent Purple (paper & cardstock edges)

Stampbord inked & coated with clear UTEE into which image was stamped & the sides coloured (Sakura Stardust Pen); mounted onto randomly brayered background, cardstock & free backing paper; embellished with pearls

close-up highlighting heart motif on Stampbord 

& patterned paper

This came together when I spotted how the heart motif found in the stamped image is echoed in one of the snowflakes (which I embellished with a pearl).

Shrink Plastic

Stamp: Elusive Images

Embossing Powder: Stampendous Twilight

Heated shrink plastic stamped into, cooled & layered onto stamped heat embossed cardstock, matching the pattern of the texture in the stamped shrink plastic to the heat embossed image

close-up showing texture of shrink plastic

 matched with embossed pattern

Stamp: Crafty Individuals

Inks: Brilliance  Pearlescent Olive (stamping), Brilliance Pearlescent Purple (paper & cardstock edges)

Heated shrink plastic stamped into, cooled & layered onto free backing paper designed by Lesley plus stamped cardstock

This is the only one of the samples where I used the technique that I learned in the course to create a piece of artwork inspired by one of the motifs in the  backing paper – in this case stamping the crackle motif to make a piece of textured shrink plastic with which to embellish & coordinating stamped cardstock for matting onto.