2016 #1 Lollipop, Lollipop... {by Hazel Agnew}

 2016 Topic 1: Transparent Art:  Lollipop, lollipop.....

Hi everyone Hazel Agnew from Mellifluous Meanderings here to welcome in a New Year her on the PaperArtsy blog!

Tonight I'd like to share with you this evening a post about playing with the transparent qualities of UTEE. UTEE (Ultra thick embossing Enamel) is an embossing powder of sugary consistency when in powder form, so it is thicker than regular embossing powder. You can melt and pour it once molten, but you do need to take care as it gets HOT! It can also be tinted with heat-friendly dye inks to add colour to the enamel.

I chose Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel in Clear, to demonstrate this feature, because it holds a fascination for me. Being able to transform the crystals into shapes and stamp into them gives them great versatility! Also, playing with the specially produced inks, gives you the transparency that is not achieved by adding opaque coloured embossing powders.

Step One: I began with a sheet of A4 PA Smoothy Heavyweight Cardstock and brayered my colours on in 2 distinct sections on the card.

All PA frescos: Cherry Red, Bougainvillea and Orchid for the sky. Limelight, Bora Bora and Green Olives for the grass. I used the brayer in the usual way and then pressed down on the edge vertically to create blades of grass.

Step Two: Next, I knocked back some of the sky with watered down Chalk, washed over with a large paint brush and then highlighted the sky by adding some Tango with the brayer. I also stamped some seedheads from the stamp set JOFY38 ...

...by using Magenta Archival ink, and stamped some background grasses etc using both Jet Black and Olive archival inks.

Step Three: I melted my Clear UTEE in my 'melt pot' (sadly a discontinued appliance from Ranger Industries - but you could alternatively use takeaway or disposable pie tins on a heated element) and added a few drops of Melt Art Heat It Ink in Pink Tourmaline and poured into my moulds. I used what was left over to pour directly onto my craft mat and quickly stamped flowers from JOFY26 while still hot.

{TIP: Ink up your stamp with clear embossing ink before stamping into the UTEE, it helps the stamp release from the UTEE nicely. If you use an ink like Archival, or Encore Metallic inks (by Tsukineko), you also get added detail of the stamped image with a bit of 'pop'. In this case I added archival ink to the stamp first}

Step Four: I stamped flowers 

from JOFY13...

JOFY37

 and JOFY09

...and then I cut out my UTEE flowers, pressed out my moulds and assembled my flowery garden. I painted out some of the flowers with Fresco Paint (Chalk) before gluing everything down with Glossy Accents. You might find a high solid gel medium is a good glue for long term adhesion with this slippery enamel too. I also added small off-cuts of UTEE for flower centres and to suggest smaller flowers.

Here is a close-up which shows the pretty transparency of the UTEE.

I hope that you have been inspired by my contribution. I think that JOFY stamps lend themselves perfectly to this "Lollipop" style of creating. I will have another play in this style and probably use some more of the flower stamps to press into the UTEE. Using leftover bits was very satisfying too as we crafters are known for our thrift! Don't forget, you can also re-melt your UTEE left overs too!

Thank you so much for getting to the end of my Guest Blog post....this is Hazel Agnew, wishing you all a craftylicious 2016.

Oh this is a fabulous bright and cheery start to the year Hazel!! I love how those stamped flowers have turned out perfectly! And the leftovers were used so cleverly! What a triumph! Thank you and Happy New Year to you too! ~Gillian

We would love to see how you interpret this Transparent Art topic by linking what you make to our 2016 Challenge #1: Transparent Art, on this page HERE.

All of our bloggers love to see your twist on their ideas, particularly if you were inspired directly by their post. 

Links go in the draw to win a £50 voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. The Transparent Art link will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, January 17th. The winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.