Well it's Wednesday...so I'm a day late and a dollar short for my Technique Tuesday tutorial! But it's here at last!
Each month I select a product from the Stampin' Up! Catalogue as my Feature Product! March's Feature Product is Markers! Throughout the month of March, you can expect to see lots of projects on my blog featuring markers, and I will be demonstrating them during all my March workshops. Have you booked yours? My Featured Product is also on special:
- 10% off any marker purchase; individual, Colour Family Sets or the Full set of 48 markers
- My hostesses in March will receive 20% Off!
Marker Direct to Stamp
I actually had a really hard time deciding what to feature in this tutorial because there are just so many ways you can use markers. I finally decided to go with the 2nd most common method of using your markers (next to colouring with them), which is Marker Direct to Stamp. Now, even with this technique there are variations to the basics, and I will try to post cards using some of the variations throughout the month. Today...it's back to basics. For many of you, a technique you have known forever so perhaps today is your chance to revisit it!
Using your markers on your stamps is really simple and requires very few supplies.
Your stamps
You markers
Paper
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One of the features that makes Stampin' Up!s markers unique is their twin tip. One end features a "brush" style tip, and the other a fine marker for writing or detailing. For this tutorial we will be using the brush end.
If you have the newest version of the markers, you will notice a wide white band around the "brush" end and a fine band around the fine tip.
You want to avoid putting un-do pressure on the brush tip, which can break down the fibers and soften the tip. (My advice: don't let your kids use these markers. Mine have no concept of "gentle"!) Use light pressure. Markers are quite "juicy", and when doing words as with this stamp, you don't want to fill all the crevices..or the "e"s or "a"s. I'll try to point this out at the end again.
To colour your stamp with a marker you want to place your marker on your stamp at a 45% angle. This angle ensures the widest distribution of ink, and protects the tip of the marker.
When you are using your markers, you can be very specific about the areas or even words that you wish to colour. It also allows you to omit areas, or words, or alternatively, focus on a sole word.
Use as many colours as you wish, or as fit your colour scheme. I chose the colours in the Bali Breeze papers, because they are just so beautiful together: Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Taken with Teal, and Old Olive.
Once you have completely coloured your stamp, you want to bring it close to your mouth and "huff" on it. Think of how you would breathe on your sunglasses to clean them. And no there is no picture. I'm sure it would have looked like I was about to eat the stamp, so I decided to fore-go that shot!
Today is the first time I worked backwards creating this tutorial. So I had the card done, and then staged the shots. The image above is actually better, because markers are juicy and my card shows what not to do! You can see how the first part of the sentiment has too much ink and the letters are "full" of ink.
I am in a white card phase. I love the crisp look of white and lately it seems to be "where" I'm at.
So this card is Whisper White. I used NO ink pads on this card at all. It was entirely completed with markers. I inked up the border stamp of the 4 circle-y flowery things, each with a different marker and I stamped the border, stamping first in the middle, then to either side. I also stamped the same stamp above and below the sentiment. I used my Taken with Teal marker to add some dots and dashes on the sentiment box, before layering it on Rose Red.
The left panel is designer paper from the Bali Breeze series, and it's layered on Taken with Teal. I couldn't resist adding a few dots in the corners with my Old Olive marker. I added a length of Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain with a buckle from the Antique Brass Hodge Podge Hardware. I inked up the circle saw stamp with the outer portion in Rose Red, and the inner portion in Old Olive. I punched the inner
portion out with the 1/2" circle punch, and the outer portion with the 1" circle punch and adhered the "hollow" outer piece to a 1 1/4" circle of Taken with Teal. Using the Pumpkin Pie Marker I inked up the word "YOU" on the sentiment, and then punched it out with the 1/4" circle punch. It was then added to the Old Olive circle, and adhered to a Build a Brad with Crystal Effects. The sentiment and the circle are attached with dimensionals, to add to their presence and ensure a smooth lie over the ribbon.
So there you go. Now there are so many more things you can do that are similar, but I thought I would start with the basics, then I can refer back to this piece as reference. Expect many more...my mind is swimming with ideas. Not to mention, I have the "blue car" syndrome. You know, where you focus on one thing, and suddenly you are seeing it everywhere! And I am, so I hope to link you to some awesome samples too!
K...I gotta go. Kids will be home soon, and I have much to do! Have a wonderful day...hope to see you soon!
