Showing posts with label JOFY14. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JOFY14. Show all posts

Monday, 11 May 2026

Slimline Box Tutorial with KC {by Autumn Clark}



Hello everyone, Autumn Clark from SewPaperPaint here with you today to share a fun way to turn a few simple gel prints into a birthday gift that keeps on giving.  Grab a cuppa and let's get printing!





I was spending the weekend with my mom, who loves Kate Crane's fun stamps and asked me to work on this project with her.  She graciously allowed me to pick from her selection of PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylic Paints for our gel printing session.  Because she loves purples and blues, I tried to pick a palette that would gear towards her tastes.  I included Electric Violet, Bougainvillea, Orchid, Snowflake, Bermuda, Sargasso, Aquamarine and Slimed Frescos.  Later in the process we added some stamping and used VersaFine Clair ink pads, in perfectly coordinating hues: Warm Breeze, Charming Pink and Verdant.  We decided upon one focal stamp set, PaperArtsy Kate Crane stamp set 11 (KC011).  




My hope is you will be inspired to make a few new prints inspired by these colors or use some of your stash for a similar project.  Our goal was to create a few quick prints, but it's sooooo hard to stop with just a few.  I ended up making 8 pages using various combinations of the abovementioned colors.


We had a lot of fun using some of Kate's Mini Stencils, including PM033, PM036 and PM035.  We used one larger stencil PS426, mainly to add pattern in Snowflake over the darker colors.  






Our prints were on plain white cardstock and book pages.  I cut some of my favorite pieces into mini slimline card panels (3x6") and layered strips across each panel as shown.  Love the book page showing through!  I then stamped each flower from KC011 directly onto the layered panels.  I was able to see where each focal image would be and then picked out some of Kate's Mini Stamps to add collage stamped layers surrounding the images.  For this, I used my trusty three favorite backgrounds from Kate's Minis: KCM016, KCM03 and KCM001.  


 

I could see these cards coming together and decided to kick this project up a notch by creating a box pattern to use for gifting the card set.  Now, I based these measurements on the Mini Slimline Envelopes from The Paper Cut, which measure 3 5/8 x 6 1/2".


I just love how easily it is to turn a simple gel print into a beautiful gift!  I created the pattern as follows, I first cut the gel print to 8 3/4 x 5 7/8” then scored 1” from each side.  I snipped the cross score lines to form box and glued those tabs to the inside.  I cut 1” from inner score lines for a window, using red line tape to secure a sheet of acetate.  Then I cut a separate base from white heavy card to 9 3/16 x 6 5/16”, again scoring 1” from each side and cutting the cross score lines to form box, gluing those tabs inward.  I've shared other patterns for boxed greeting cards on my blog, including THIS popular post for standard A2 cards, which could just as easily be adapted for this project if you are unable to get the mini slimline envelopes.  





Next I had some fun restamping my focal flowers onto Bristol and watercoloring them using my markers and aquabrush.  


I added a couple of the smaller flowers from the stamp set onto my box cover, curling the petals with my bone folder for dimension.  I love how they work with the focal flower from the cards inside!



I let my stamped gel prints dry overnight, even after heat setting the VersaFine Clair ink, because it can be smudged easily until fully dry.  I put the papers under a stack of books to help flatten them during that time. 


I hunted through my stash for a birthday sentiment.  I thought, what a fun birthday gift idea to give someone a stash of handmade birthday cards to gift throughout the coming year!  I loved this handwritten font from PaperArtsy Jo Firth Young stamp set 14 (JOFY14) and stamped and fussy cut those.


I really love how the background stamping settled into the gel prints and created a subtle pattern pop!


The focal colors change from one card to the next, based on the gel printing and stamping colors.




Here are the finished cards one by one...


From pinks and purples to blues and greens...


From coneflowers to seed pods to daisies...


Even if you don't decide to gift the cards, creating the box is a fun way to store them throughout the year as you wait to send them in the post.




If you're anything like my mom and me, you have a large stash of gel prints.  Even when you try to be intentional about creating only what you use, the piles grow and grow!  I really hope this post gives you some ideas of how to put those prints to good use through simple layering and coloring techniques.  What's one thing you can give the person who has everything?  Definitely artsy birthday cards!  That's something we all need and never have enough!  :)  Thanks for joining me (and mom) today!  xx, Autumn



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Tuesday, 2 November 2021

2021 Topic 13: Tiny (News) Print with JoFY {by Ellie Knol}

 2021 Topic 13: Tiny (News) Print


If you wanted some pointers on how to build layers, Ellie has got some great ideas for you. Inserting tiny type into the background layers plus cleverly spotting some words in JOFY stamps that's she used to great effect. With splashes of lovely Infusions she's created some soft and textural panels.
~ Keren

Hi everyone, it's Ellie Knol with you today, and I'm here to share with you these four panels with script and tiny words just everywhere: in the background, stamped into grunge paste, into gesso, on a tag, and also part of the stamped image. 

I LOVE mixed media. My process is all about depth and contrast with lots of layering. I also have been collecting of pictures and pretty papers for a while and I thought using them in this project would be a good way to add interest to the layers. 


My inspiration was this custom made mood board I created a while ago. Red and green are obviously the main colours and I also chose dark brown for a good contrast. I then got all my colour charts out to see what in my stash was in this range.

The base panels were taped to a sturdy cardboard. Among all fitting my colour palette, I selected all the papers I wanted to use and tore each of them into 4 pieces, one for each panel.  
   
 
The real fun could then begin: tearing the papers and and gluing them on the panels. I mostly place them randomly (they only are the first layer after all) but started with the neutrals and greens. If a bit stymied, it helps to switch between panels to refresh your eye. At this point, my only plan I had here was to achieve a focal area in selected corners. I had marked those chosen corners with red dots and arrows. That way I could orient my pieces with text to be 'readable'.

 
Here is the same panel with the red papers added for a finished collage layer. This had then to dry before advancing to the next step: stamping!
 
 
I chose to stamp with brown ink, my contrast colour, onto the background and plainer areas to give them some interest and depth.  I have used Ink & the Dog Minis 29 and 61, both full of tiny text! I like to only use part of the stamp for a random look. Don't hesitate to overlap!



The same panel, now with stamping. Time for some Infusions!
 
 
 
Here I have to apologize as I got in the flow and forgot to take pictures of the next step. This step consisted in adding colour with Infusions, Sunset Beach and Emerald Isle; then knocking it back with some gesso applied with my fingers or a pallet knife. I added some scribbling in the mix of gesso and wet colour, gave it some time to dry then more gesso, then more colour, rinse and repeat until I was satisfied. I like that the scripts and words are still peaking through. Some of the bright colours from the torn pieces of paper and Infusions were knocked back but I prefer it that way as it creates a softer backdrop for the focal images to shine!

I had planned one more layer before adding the focal stamps. I wanted to add Grunge Paste through a stencil and stamp in it but wasn't sure whether I was going to like it or not. I chose to risk it: I had 4 panels... I could always toss one of them, right? I chose stencil PS139 by JoFY, with nice open spaces, and a script stamp from Ink and the Dog: Words plate 3, inked in dark brown. Despite my apprehensions, applying the Grunge Paste and stamping in it, felt like magic... it made me happy. I left everything to dry overnight before removing the tape to reveal the nice crisp edges of each panel, so satisfying!  





Again, the same panel all gessoed, inked, grunged and with the the tape taken off. I love the textures and the use of the brown ink in the Grunge Paste really integrates it to rest of the background.


Now onto finishing the panels, where it all comes together! I used the beautiful flowers of JoFY14 and 97, stamped in the same brown ink and fussy-cut as my focal images.




First panel, the one we have been following during this post. The stamp from JoFY97 really chimes well will the stenciled Grunge Paste. 
 

Here's a close up of the detail around the main image. I chose not to add any color to the focals to make them pop more. No secret here: this is my favourite panel of the four! 

 

Second panel, also featuring a stamp from JoFY97... these images are just perfect.  
 

I am very happy with panel number two as well; it has nice contrasts and beautiful details... Look at that tiny tag for instance! 
 

Third panel, featuring one of the stamps from JoFY14, a quite intricate design. Fussy cutting this image was a bit tricky, but with a dose of patience it worked out fine. Before gluing, I stamped it onto the panel as I did not fussy cut a few tiny circles. I filled them up with a white acrylic marker instead. 
 

LOVE it too! The stamping in the Grunge Paste is so detailed!
  

Fourth panel, featuring another stamp from JoFY14, a beauty as well... As with panel three, I stamped the images onto the panel before adhering the main fussy cut image.  


This panel also has beautiful detail. In real life they all have a lot of depth and texture from pretty much all the layers: the torn and punched edges of the papers, the stamping, the scribbled gesso, the stamped Grunge Paste. It contrast nicely with the clean JoFy images. 
 

So, here they are, filled with happy colours and beautiful images. I have not yet decided what type or colour but these panels will be in a frame!

You might wonder: did I forget the theme, TINY PRINT? Of course not. I saved the close ups for last! 



 


These panels took quite some time to make, but these hours were happy ones for me. It was rainy outside, so that was a good excuse to experiment and play with colour. Starting with what I'm comfortable with then mixing in some new techniques is always a joy to me. 
Would I do anything different next time? Yes... sprinkle the Infusions colours one by one. These crystals go where they please. Sometimes I was applying gesso and discovered some crystals of the other colour had sneaked in... and red and green make muddy colours!  It forces me to wipe off some areas and start again.    

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