Angel of Hope by Linda Hess

 

 

 

As a Christmas baby (December 23) my mother began collecting angels for me from the day I was born.  As I grew, I began adding to the collection on my own until it has found its way into pretty much every room in our home.  With that in mind, you can imagine that they have emerged in my various crafting projects. 

As I looked through the Sin City Stamps shop I found the Wings Stencil (#scs114).  I had to have it! A design quickly began to take shape in my head.  As soon as the package arrived I began experimenting with a variety of papers and embossing powder colors until I finally hit on the combo that met my vision.

Place stencil on paper and use VersaMark to stamp over the opening.  Make sure to cover image completely.  The VersaMark product has a longer drying time than regular ink pads, so it allows extra time for adding embossing powder after the stencil is removed.  (Note: Since I was placing this into a frame with an existing mat I made sure to leave enough space around the wing image to fill the space)

Sprinkle stamped image liberally with embossing powder (shown: Recollections Vintage Blue).  Pour excess powder back into the jar.  Check image and clean up any excess powder clinging to the paper BEFORE heating!

Heat until set.  Be sure to move the heat gun back & forth while setting powder otherwise the paper can scorch!  (Note: if this is your first time to work with embossing powder be sure to start heating on a low setting)

With the base for my project complete it is (of course) time to pull out the polymer clay.  I have a wonderful doll mold from Penni Jo Couch's Best Flexible Molds (www.bestflexiblemolds.com) [Caboshapes II- Divas].  The large doll/Diva shape fits perfectly with the wings.  I put a few slices of patterned cane together, smoothing the seams (contact me directly for more info on polymer clay canes).  I then positioned the sheet of patterned clay in the mold and added additional clay to fill out the bodice and face.  Once filled excess clay is removed

and the angel body is unmolded.

With the wings being so glittery, the angel really needed a little bling.  I grabbed a few heat set crystals from Creative Crystal (www.creativecrystal.com) and pressed them into place.  I also created some arms for her. 

Perfect!   Into the oven the body goes.  275 degrees for about 20 minutes.  While I wait, I think the plain white mat may need a bit of help.  Time for embellishment!

I pulled out the Flourish Mask (#scm112) from Sin City.  Holding it in place, I held my breath as I made the 1st mark with the ink.  WHEW...Exactly what I was hoping for.

I quickly stamped the flourish spirals around the mat.  Hmmmm, it needs something else....

This month we are working with EC Ecstasy Crafts (www.ecstasycrafts.com).  I looked in my package and found gorgeous outline stickers (Starform Outline Stickers #1225).  What a great touch for the edges and to highlight the center. 

 

Better, but something is still missing.  Off to my studio stash I go....

 

Metal scrapbooking words added the right touch.

 

A final detail is to amp up the plain, black frame.  I ran the VersaMark pad along each inner edge and sprinkled on some embossing powder (one edge at a time).  Excess powder was brushed away and then heat set. 

The metal words & clay figure were glued in place with The Ultimate glue (my favorite for everything!).  Double stick tape attached the paper & mat together.  Then it was placed into the frame.  Now to find somewhere to hang it!!

 

I hope you have enjoyed this process as much as I have enjoyed creating it.  See you next time!

 

   

 

 

 

Valentine Mini Album

Hello Sin City Stampers!  My name is Robin Redd and I’m part of the new design team at Sin City Stamps!

 

This month we are collaborating with Frog Dog Studio!  This is the Frog Dog Studio kit for February which includes the beautiful Romantic Background Stamp and a saying “Love Can Hope” stamp that says, “Love can hope where reason would despair”, which is a quote from George, Lord Lyttleto.

I decided to make a minialbum of the first card my boyfriend made.  He made a lovely, detailed, layered Valentine’s Day Card.  The cover shows the Vintage Valentine’s Backgroundstamp which I white embossed portions of in the corners of the cover, over Pan Pastels and chalkboard paint.  I, then, decoupaged the heart ephemera off-centered onto the front of the book.   

Once the book was complete I added a junque-bow ribbon tied with one of the Prima Wood Buttons included in the kit and stuck a metal PrimaStick Pin through the knot.  I tied more ribbons and fibers to the binderrings of the book and attached one of the Prima Love Domino charms so it will dangle.

The first page was covered with Pan Pastels.  I layered the white and black Gelatos through a stencil and stamped the RomanticBackground Stamp in black ink.  I adhered a piece of the ephemera and topped it with a Prima Wood Button tied with the Antique Spooled thread.

 

I used the Pan Pastels to cover the back of the next two pages.  On page 3, I layered a heart stencil with Permanent Green Pan Pastel, outlined it with the Black Gelato and highlighted the heart with the white Gelato.  Again, I layered another piece of the ephemera, outlining it with the White Gelato and spreading the gelato out with my finger.

On page 4, I outlined a picture of the front of the Valentine’s Day card my boyfriend made me with the black Gelato, spreading the Gelato with my finger.

After adhering a picture of the inside of the card to pages 5 & 6, I made a mosaic with the black Gelato and colored each space in with the Magenta and Permanent Green Pan Pastel.

On page 7, my favorite part of the entire book, was ‘making a rock walkway”.

I free-hand cut rock shapes from white cardstock.   

I dabbed black, white and silver Gelato on each ‘rock’.

Next, I smeared the gelatos with my fingers, giving it the look of rocks.

After gluing the ‘rocks’ onto my page, I covered the rocks with Liquid Glass (Close To My Heart).

With a brown water-color pencil I filled the ‘rocks’ in with ‘dirt’, completing the walkway.

Page 8 shows a SinCity Label die-cut painted white.  I stamped the Friends stamp with the VersaMark stamp pad, which is clear.  When I sponge Permanent Green PanPastel over the stamped image, the stamp image pops out!  I doodled over the words on the stamp, “Friends are Forever”.

I really enjoyed making the next two pages in my mini-book.  

 I simply spread the PanPastels over each page using the soft tools.

To show how you can make more colors with the product that comes with the kit, I’m sharing how to tint and shade the Permanent Green PanPastel with the Black and White Gelato.  Color one end of the page with the Black Gelato and the other end of the page with White Gelato.  Using a flat paint brush and water, spread the Gelato, lightening as you move the Gelato toward the center.

This is how each color looks showing the varied colors.

Now, it’s time to watercolor with your Pan Pastels!  

 Simply shake some loose color from your PanPastels onto your page.   

With a mixture of 50% water and 50% rubbing alcohol, 

spray over page then water color your page with a paint brush.

After water coloring with the Magenta Pan Pastel on part of the page, I let it dry.  Then I repeated the process with the Permanent Green Pan Pastel on the other part of the page.  If you spray extra of the water/alcohol mixture onto your page, you can make your Pan Pastel colors drip, for yet another look on your page!

**It’s important to let each layer dry before adding a different color.   

If you add a new color before the first is dry, 

they will mix and possibly make a muddy color on your page 

rather than the distinct colors you intended to show.

I hope you learned at least one thing new, here, for you to change up with product you already have with Sin City Stamps at Frog Dog Studiokit!  I enjoyed sharing with you!

~Robin Redd