Saturday, March 5, 2011

Altered Ancestor Front Cover


This afternoon, I finished my design for the Altered Ancestors LFB front cover. I decided it would have a postal theme. Why? I think because I like the new digital collage sheet, "Airmail" that's available for sale here at the blog. I like the images and wanted to use them.
The first thing I had to find was a postal worker hat and I found one searching Google images. I also found the postal seal with the Pony Express by searching Google images. Then, the hunt to find an ancestor facing the right way so the hat would work. First I thought I'd use a woman, but none of the images I used looked right, so I went back to using a man. This man is on one of the Collage Stuff vintage image CD's. I found the right man and added the cap and postal seal digitally. I colored the man's face skin tone and gave the shirt a very light blue color using Copic markers. This scan kinda washed things out. The butterfly wings are from a Collage Stuff "Flutter" collage sheet. The postal images are from the Collage Stuff "Airmail" digital collage sheet.
The background is a phone book page. Mail carriers have to know addresses, right? I found a clock stamp and stamped the image with red ink. Then it was just a matter of deciding which postal images to use from the collage sheet.
I printed out "special delivery" from the Acme label maker website. I highlighted the images with a red Spica glitter pen. I used red Washi tape around all the edges to finish it off.
On the back of this page, I will put something about the name of this LFB - altered ancestors. I ran out of room and couldn't put this on the front.
This is a simple design and that's good as I have to replicate it 14 times. ACK!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Altered Ancestors LFB


At the Collage Stuff yahoo group, we're doing an Altered Ancestors LFB. The premise is to take an old photo of someone (ancestor) and alter it in some fashion. This is the very back cover that I created digitally. I like to do Paris themes and I love gargoyles! I added wings to the woman. Her hand originally rested on a table. I removed the table and inserted one of my favorite gargoyles. I put a little Eiffel tower in to make sure the Paris/gargoyle connection was evident. The words say "He followed her home from Paris" - the "he" being the gargoyle. I plan on having the books all done by the end of April, so stay tuned for a slide show with all of the pages.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Collage Stuff Pink and Green ATC swap


This is my design for the Collage Stuff February ATC Swap. The theme is pink and green.
I glued green cardstock to chipboard and cut out ATC size pieces. This provides a sturdy backing. I sprayed the green background with a gold glitter spray.
I cut up some time cards (new at Collage Stuff) into ATC sizes. Then I used a scallop border punch along one side. I mixed up some Victorian Velvet re-inker with some pink Perfect Pearls plus water in a mini mister. I sprayed the time card pieces with my pink glitter spray. Then I overstamped the pink with a French text stamp using black ink. I didn't want the black text to be too dark, so I didn't ink the entire stamp, just parts of it and didn't press too hard with the stamp. I glued this down at an angle with part extending over the top of the background.
The woman is from the Collage Stuff "Fancy Faces" collage sheet.
I scanned in one of the playing cards from the "Pretty Playing Cards" at Collage Stuff and shrunk it down and printed it out 3 times in a row. I really like these flowers. I glued this column of flowers down to some pink "Education UK Bus Tickets" from Collage Stuff. I thought the tickets framed the flowers nicely. I glued this down at an angle too.
The charm is a "Medium Bee Charm" from Collage Stuff attached with a glue dot.
To finish off this ATC, I used a green Spica glitter pen to highlight some of the edges of the collage elements. I used a bronze Copic marker around the edges and sides of the green base.
In summary, I have to say that I really like making my own glitter sprays! With my re-inkers, I can get the colors I want. I don't own very many punches, but I should use the ones I have more. I really like this border punch.
If you're interested in participating in the Collage Stuff ATC swaps, join the Collage Stuff Yahoo Group. There's a link on the sidebar.
Thanks for stopping by!
Lisa

Sunday, February 27, 2011

New Postcard

This is a new postcard that will start shipping with Collage Stuff orders in a few weeks. I wanted something kind of light and airy - kind of spring-like for this design. Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Blog Special - Digital Collage Sheet


For a limited time, the new Collage Stuff collage sheet, "Air Mail", is available at a special price! $2.50 for this collage sheet available here only in a digital format. Once purchased, this collage sheet will be emailed to you in a .pdf format within 24 hours. Please enter your preferred email address in the "email address" dialogue box and click on the "buy now" button to purchase. This collage sheet features envelopes, air mail postal labels and other postal labels from various countries. The purchased collage sheet will not have the "Collage Stuff" watermark shown on the sample collage sheet.





email address




Skinny Book page two

This is the final white page - "It's a nice day for a white wedding." The background is almost totally covered up with washi tape and lace. The background started out as scrapbook paper with text. I applied gesso and after it dried a gold sparkly spray. I put vertical strips of washi tape and lace.

I edged the playing card with gold washi tape. The background behind the woman's head is old sheet music with a cream washi tape applied over the sheet music.

I colored the bride and groom with a skin tone Copic marker and applied Gold Opal Golden Glaze to the bride's dress. The gold German scrap heart is available at Collage Stuff. I printed the words "it's a nice day for a white wedding". A scrap of cream washi tape frames the words. The flowers are Prima Craftable Flowers available at Collage Stuff. I highlighted the flowers with the Gold Opal Golden Glaze. I used gold brads to attach the flowers.

A lace bow and washi tape around the edges of the page were the finishing touches.

A word about the washi tape or Japanese masking tape. It comes in all sorts of colors, widths and patterns. Try a google search for Japanese masking tape or washi tape to learn more.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Skinny book page


This month's skinny book page has a shades of white theme. I find the white themes challenging . The background was made using music scrapbook paper, bits of a French dictionary page using white gesso as a whitewash. I applied Gold Opal Golden Glaze next. The glaze makes the background shine gold! It's hard to see but I applied some cream washi tape about 3/8" in on all 4 sides. I put some white lace near the top and bottom of the page. At the very top of the page I put a strip of a very light greenish floral washi tape.

The ballerina image is from a collage sheet that I bought on Etsy. I colored the woman with a skin-toned Copic marker to give her some color. I colored the dress with a "wheat" Copic marker to give it more of a creamy tone. I stamped a large flower die cut with French text and cut the petals to make wings. I highlighted the edges of the woman and wings with a gold Spica glitter pen. I also added details to the dress with the gold Spica glitter pen.

I made the flower stems out of the May Arts gold leaves trim (available at Collage Stuff). I glued these down with very skinny red line tape. The flowers are Prima Craftable flowers (available at Collage Stuff) that I highlighted with some of the Golden Opal Golden Glaze. Tiny Paris clock buttons are used for the flower center.
The word imagine, the postage stamp and the fleur-de-lys are all rub-ons. The little pearl butterfly is from Prima. To finish off the bottom, I glued down some more of the gold leaf trim. I finished the edges of the page with gold washi tape.
One side done! Yay!