TAWS post #8 - Love

Greetings Crafty Friends!

I'm here to share with you a fun and simple card using the set Bubbly!  I stamped the letters using black Momento ink and then colored them in with my Copics making a fun polka dot pattern.  I then coated the letters in Glossy Accents.  I made the border design using the letter "U" from the Bubbly Set.

I added a few shiny and wood veneer sequins and a little sticker embellishment for an added decorative touch.

Thanks for coming by today!!

Crafty Hugs!
Meredith

TAWS post #7

Hi Crafty Friends!  Meredith here bringing you four mini gift cards using the fun set Bubbly!  I used my water color pencils and some splatter painting to make these cards bright and happy!  These minis measure 3" x 4" and they're perfect to tuck into a little gift!  I used my Heidi Swapp mist to create the gold splatter on all of them by taking the wand out of the bottle and letting it drip wherever it wanted to.  I then added one sequin to each card for a little extra something.

And lucky you that today I'm sharing the joy of The Alley Way Stamps birthday celebration with you by giving one lucky winner this awesome stamp set!

Seriously?  Is this not the best set for SO many techniques?!?!

There are 3 very easy things you need to do to be entered in a chance to win:

1.  become a follower of my blog (if you aren't already)
2.  become a follower of The Alley Way Blog (if you aren't already)
3.  leave a comment with your favorite stamping technique on my blog by Monday, January 26th at 8 pm to win!  Please make sure you leave a clear and easy way for me to contact you!

I will contact and announce the random winner on Tuesday, January 27th!!

Good luck!!

Crafty Hugs!
Meredith

TAWS post #6 - Happy Scrappy!

Hi Crafty Friends!

Thanks for coming by today to check out my TAWS project!  Today I've created a 12" x 12" layout using the set Bubbly for my main focal point.  I white heat embossed the words 'happy hello' onto good quality watercolor paper.  I then colored the letters with my Distress Markers and took my Wink of Stella brush to them pulling the color out of each letter and blending them together.  The glitter liquid inside of the Wink of Stella brush acts like water when taken to the Distress Ink.

I then masked the letters off and took my Heidi Swapp mist in Gold an took the sprayer out of the bottle and used the end that is actually in the bottle to splatter paint drips all over my paper.  It's hard to know when to stop with this process (for me anyways) so I tried to stop sooner rather than later reminding myself that I can always add more!

I did a bit of stitching and layering with some older die cuts I had lying around combined with a few bits and bobs from older Studio Calico kits.  I matted and added one of my favorite pics of my children from this past Fall and completed the layout with some fun wooden sequins.

Thanks for coming by today!!

TAWS Post #3 - Thanks!

Hello Crafty Friends!!

Thanks for coming by today to check out my creation using the newly released TAWS set Bubbly.  I simply adore the open work of these letters which lends to such infinite possibilities as far as techniques are concerned.

Today I used Delicata gold pigment ink to stamp my letters.  I didn't want a thick black outline so the Delicata was perfect.  I then used my Martha Stewart micro fine glitter in purple, copper and gold color.  I coated the interior of my letters with Glossy Accents and then sprinkled the glitter over top.  I let this dry overnight without touching it.

Once everything was dry, I masked my letters and then used Heidi Swap gold mist to splatter paint over top.  I didn't actually use the mister part, I took the nozzle out of the bottle and used the wand that carries the paint up to the sprayer to splat the paint all over my card.  I use a small cardboard box to put my papers in when I do this so it doesn't make too much of a mess!

I added a few scattered sequins and voila!

Thanks for coming by today!!

Crafty Hugs!
Meredith

TAWS post #2 - Hello Nessie!

Greetings Friends!!

Today I have a creation to share with you using the newly released TAWS mini-set Nessie!  It's SO cute and perfect for practicing any masking techniques!

I used a piece of good quality watercolor paper and I first stamped Nessie using black pigment ink and black embossing powder.  I always use an anti-static powder tool like this one.  It's a MUST when using black embossing powder.  After I heat embossed Nessie, I then masked my image and stamped the lake.  I then added the little 'nessie' underneath.

Once this step was done, I used a sort of Pointillism style of coloring using my Copic markers.  I then coated the entire image using my Versamark pen and put clear heat embossing over the top effectively sealing in all of the coloring I just did.

With my colored image completely protected, I sponged a lot of Wild Honey Distress Ink over the top giving it a glowing effect and really making my image pop.  I used my Peeled Paint Distress Ink to hand draw the little areas of grass and then added my sentiment which is from another newly released TAWS set Bubbly.  I stamped this with my favorite black Hero Arts ink.  I added a few scattered sequins and added it to the front of a white note card.

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Crafty Hugs!
Meredith

TAWS New Release Peek Day #2

Greetings Crafty Friends!!

I'm so happy to be posting my first official sneak peek for The Alley Way Stamps or TAWS!  Today I'm peeking a sentiment set called 'Bubbly' and it's fantastic with open work letters which make it perfect for all kinds of techniques!

Today I've stamped on this heavy weight vellum 55 lb to be exact.  It's seriously amazing stuff.  I used my anti-static powder tool to clear the vellum from having any embossing powder stick where I didn't want it to.  I then inked my stamp with black craft ink and then coated it with black embossing powder.  I let my heat gun warm up for a good thirty seconds before bringing it to the vellum to heat emboss.  I find this gets the job done faster and creates less of a chance of burning the paper.

Once my heat embossing was done I coated the interior of the letters with my Wink of Stella clear glitter pen/brush.  It's hard to capture in the photos but it adds just a subtle shimmer when you see it in person.

For the background I took a piece of watercolor paper and my Heidi Swapp spray mists in gold and red and splatter painted the background.  I stitched a line of red/white thread on the top to anchor the two panels together and then added a few sequins for an added pop of texture and shine.

Thanks for coming by today to see my project!!  See you soon for the TAWS blog hop happening on December 31st!!

Crafty Hugs!
Meredith