WCYDW - 9/4 Altering letters

I like to spice up my layouts with altered letters.  It really adds a bit of zing to your layout and makes it stand out from the rest.  So today I am going to show you several different ways to alter letters.

 

Let's begin with a plain chipboard letter.  For this technique you will need:

Gesso or paint

embossing powder

embossing ink

Diamond Dust

Glue that dries clear, I use Glossy Accents

Chipboard letter

 

 First thing I did was paint the letter with black gesso. 

 

 

Next I dabbed on some embossing ink but I did not cover the entire letter with embossing ink.  Then I sprinkled on Stampendous aged black embossing enamel and heated with my heat gun.

 

 

Then I added some glossy accents glue, again not over the entire letter but random dabbles.   I sprinkled Diamond Dust over the letter and here is the finished letter.

 

Here's a project where I used this technique with white rather than black letters.  I really think these letters made my project special!

 

Here's another example using the same technique but I did not use Diamond Dust and heavily inked the edges of the letters after embossing.

 

Now let's make something with duct tape!  First adhere the duct tape to a piece of cardstock.  My duct tape was kinda wrinkled so I used a rubbing tool to smooth out the wrinkles in the tape.

 

Next, put the duct tape in an embossing folder and emboss.

Now I have diecuts to make letters so I next cut out a letter.  If you don't have letter dies, that's ok, you can still make a cool embellie but cutting it into a circle or flower or whatever you think of.  Paint the duct tape cut out with gesso.

 

 

Then you can paint or mist with your preferred product.

 

 In this example I just made a layer with an embossed piece of duct tape and painted/misted.  I love the look of the duct tape on this layout, it is the embossed circles you see in this photo:

 

 

Here's a really easy technique to add to the vintage look of a layout.  I've started with black Thickers letters.  Next scratch the surface of the letter.  YOu can use a distressing tool, sanding block, nail file, anything of that nature will work

 

 

Next take distress ink and color the sanded areas of the letter.

 

That gives you a nice distressed looking letter that goes great with a vintage styled layout.

 

 

 

Here are some other ideas:

 

Use pop dots to pop up your thin paper letters so that they have more dimension like a chipboard letter.  You can also paint them with Glossy Accents or a similar product to give the paper a little body.

 

Stamp script or a design on plain letters to add some interest to them.

 

This letter has been stamped, inked around the edges, painted with glossy accents and then popped up.

 

These are canvas letters in the Sept KOM.  I stamped them with a script stamp and then randomly  touched with gold paint.

 

Mount your letters on little scraps of paper or circles.

 

 

There are lots of fun things you can do to give your letters a unique look, hope you'll try some of these ideas!

 

 

Let's make tags!

I love to make tags; they are such fun little pieces of art and a great way to add a little extra zing to your gifts or to say a  great big thank you!  I also use them much like many people use an art journal.  A tag is where I experiment and try new things.  If I don't like it, then I don't have as much time and product invested as I would have on a 12 x 12 layout.

My tag of choice these days is the extra long Prima tag, I find that they are perfect size (8.5" x 3.5") for the tags I like to make.  But, really you can make your own tags from cardstock, you really don't need to purchase tag blanks.

Last weekend I hosted a weekend "crop camp" at my house with 6 of my favorite scrappy sisters!  I always put together a little kit of some sort for us all to play with and this year it was a tag kit with Bo Bunny's new The Avenues 6 x 6 papers.  I made all of these tags with little bits from that paper line.

I stenciled all my tags using Viva Décor Ferro Metallic Effect Paint.  This paint is stiff enough that you can easily mask/stencil with it.  The colors are great and create a stunning effect!

On this first tag I used Ferro Mother of Pearl Champagne for the stenciling and the image is from Gecko Galz.  The birdcage, Flying Unicorn metal adornment and Spellbinders oval frame are all heat embossed with Stampendous Shabby Chic white or pink embossing enamel.  The flower is one of Petaloo's new flowers, Darjeeling Wild Blossoms, oh how I love them!!

I masked this tag with Prima's new mask, Scales, and Ferro Altgold.   I think it has kind of an art deco look.  Again I've used new Petaloo flowers and a frame embossed with Stampendous Shabby Chic white embossing enamel.

This is a tag that I made for one of the gals.  I used a new Crafter's "Workshop mask and Ferro Graphite paste for the masking and the older Prima mask, Crackle.  I used a new stamp from Stampers Anonymous, Ultimate Grunge for the red checkerboard and Viva Décor 3D Stamp Paint.

Be sure to stop by the Flying Unicorn store and check out all the new products!



Creating with the Flying Unicorn Sept KOM, 50 Shades of Summer

 The September kit features 13@rts Faces of Spring, Kaisercraft True Romance, and Melissa Francis Classic Elegance Collection.

For this first layout I used papers from all three collections.  I did a lot of masking in the background with triangles  and mini paint lids mask.  After I completed my layout I used the pink ink pad in the kit to add pink highlights to my masking and then used foam stamps to  stamp circles ramdonly on the layout.

 

 

These paper flowers are one of my favorite embellishments in the kit.  They are diecut paper layers so you can layer them together.  They are so delicately colored and so feminine.

 

 

Supplies: All from the September KOM unless otherwise noted

Patterned paper:  Melissa Frances:  black newsprint and pink  print - At First Blush PA404, brocade strip - Strictly Business, PA 406, Die Cut Accents; 13 Arts Faces of Spring collection: base - Strong Feelings, large rectangle - Natural Beauty, Kaisercraft True Romance Collection:  tag  behind photo

Letters:  numbers Melissa Frances die cuts

Chipboard:  Dusty Attic DA0432 Damask (from my stash)

Embossing powder:  Stampendous Shabby Green (from my stash)

Flowers:    Docraft PaperMania Vintage Notes Big Bloomers; American Crafts Juliana Flower Shoppe77271

Ink:  Distress black soot (from my stash), Colorbox warm green, Prima blossom tree

Masks:  TCW mini paint lids (from my stash), Studio Calico triangles

Paint:      Cladia Hellmuth pink (from my stash)

Other:  Liquidtex modeling paste (from my stash)  White lace



 

 This is a fun layout with a photo from the very early 1900's of a couple of dance hall gals in Dawson City, YT, the site of the famed Klondike Gold Rush. 

 

I used a lot of Flying Unicorn adornments to embellish this layout.  I added some embossing enamel to the adornments, I love how it looks on the metal.

 



 

 

Supplies: All from the September KOM unless otherwise noted

 

Patterned paper:  Kaisercraft True Romance collection:  Base-Daydream, small tags - Desire, large tag under photo - Passionate, rose strip - Affection

Embossing powder:  Stampendous Chunky white embossing enamel on Adornments (from my stash)

Diecuts and punches: MS deco fans (from my stash)

Flowers:    Papermania Vintage Notes Big Bloomers, Prima pastel velvet rainbow 556297

Mist:  Dylusions white linen mist,  (from my stash)

Masks:  TCW mini dots and dashes, TCW mini Art is (both from my stash)

Paint:      Ranger white paint dabber, white gesso (both from my stash)

Other:  Dazzelerz Spun Sugar molding paste, Flying Unicorn Adornments butterfly, leafy petals, key (from my stash)



Ah, a photo from long ago, LOL.  This is me at the tender age of 17!

 

 

 

Supplies: All from the September KOM unless otherwise noted
 

Patterned paper:  13 Arts Faces of Spring collection:  Base frame - Spring Morning, base paper - Strong Feelings, tags - Only for Girls

Letters:  Prima Lifetime 562885
Chipboard:  Dusty Attic Baroque corners (from my stash)
Embossing powder:  Stampendous Aged Teal (from my stash)
Flowers:    Petaloo Wild Blossoms Aqua 149-129, American Crafts Juliana Flower Shoppe77271
Ink:  Distress pumice stone,  (from my stash)
Mist:  Glimmer Mist Gumdrop, Lindy's Frosted Forget me not (both from my stash)
Masks:  Studio Calico Mr. Huey triangles masked with Shimmerz Texturz patina  (from my stash)
Paint:      Viva 3D stamp paint gold  (from my stash)
Other: Blue and green gelatos, Tim Holtz Mixed Media stamps  (both from my stash)


 My very favorite part of the kit this month is the Tim Holtz Assemblage Clock!  I used Graphic 45's new Christmas collection, Twelve Days of Christmas to decorate my clock.  I painted the clock with white gesso, fussy cut some images and painted them with Glossy Accents to stiffen them. I nestled a few tiny white roses into the Petaloo poinsettia vine.

 

 

 

Supplies: The clock is from the kit, everything else is from my stash

Patterned paper:  Graphic 45 12 Days of Christmas

Embossing powder:  Stampendous

Flowers:    Petaloo Poinsettia and Berries Branch vine

Paint:      White gesso, Metallic rub on

Other:  White pearls from Hobby Lobby

 

The Flying Unicorn believes that scrapbooking should be a passion and not an obligation.  Our kits are available on a first come first serve basis and we do not take signups.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

 

Flying Unicorn Sept Kit release!

Flying Unicorn's September Kit of the Month :

The end of summer is not a farewell, but an embrace of memories that will live on. That hot sun as you played in the water, and those steamy nights where you may have sipped wine in the yard, enjoying the smell of the bbq as you entertained friends and family . Lazy days by the pool and family vacation time. Sleeping in, as the yellow sun played in the skies of blue to late nights where only the shinning stars above were the light source. From the boldest blues and reds to the muted greens and purples it was 50 Shades of Summer.

Flying Unicorn proudly presents September's Kit of the Month with an ensemble from Melissa Francis Classic Elegance Collection,True Romance from Kaisercraft and 13@rts Faces of Spring.

Not only are we unique in the fact that scrapbooking should be a passion and not an obligation that we have no sign ups but it is first come first serve - Our kits have an Off the Page Project and this month is no different we have included the Tim Holtz Assemblage Clock for your creative pleasure.

Join Jax on the forums as she takes you step by step

to make this incredible layout using the Kit of the Month

Do NOT miss Denise on our You Tube Channel as she shows you

how to alter Timmy's Clock

Remember Once the kit is gone its gone ... so get yours NOW