LTSCB Challenge 51 "Dots or Stripes"

Hello. I just attended the Memories Scrapbooking Expo in Columbus Ohio yesterday. I bought some new stuff just in time to use it for another great challenge at the Love to Scrap Challenge Blog. This time around we want to see circles and dots or stripes. Our sponsors are:

 Stitchy Bear's Digi Outlet

Prize: $10 gift certificate
If it fits, enter your project in their challenge - http://onestitchatatimechallenge.blogspot.com/

Pattie's Creations

Prize: 3 images to winner

If it fits, enter your project in their challenge - http://pattiescreationschallenge.blogspot.com/

Kith & Kin Stamp Co.

Prize: 3 images to winner

I worked with a great image by Kith and Kim called Ella Ballerina. She is adorable. I had some orange dotted paper that has been in my stash for a long time so I decided to use it. I chose the card stock based on the flowers that I picked out.  I colored the 2 small flowers with a copic marker. I have a tutorial for the small side strip of paper that I made myself. If you think it looks interesting read on, but first my card:

Tutorial: Making Circular Background Paper

I learned a great technique for making your own circle background paper. It is easy and fun. I used it on the small side strip shown here:

 It is made using Inktense watercolor pencils and a water brush. Choose 3 colors to use (more if you want).

 Wet your paper with a sponge brush. Do not saturate the paper, but give it kind of a light to medium amount of wetness. 

Tape the edges down to your surface so that the paper doesn’t curl so much. You should tape all four corners but here I just did 2. Dip your water brush in water to make sure it is good and wet. Rub the brush on your pencils and color the paper however you want.

 Overlap your colors to blend. I suggest moving your brush in circular motions to blend. 

The wetter everything is the lighter the color will be. If you use Post it Tape you can remove it easily to apply color to that area. The tape will stick back down. Watercolor paper works best, but I used regular cheap cardstock from Walmart for this card. It seemed to work just fine. If you don’t like the look just apply more color to get the combination and blending that you want.

 Just be careful that you don’t get the paper so wet that it pills. Dry your paper with a heat tool. Your color will lighten as it dries.

Make a stencil of different sized circles. My friend who taught this technique made my stencil with dies and a transparency. I tried to add a smaller circle with a punch, but it wouldn’t go through. I ended up cutting it the rest of the way with scissors.

 

Anyway, take a sponge dauber and cover it with white pigment ink. Rub it on the circles applying them to your paper however you want and whatever size you want. I did not make tiny circles, but if you want them you can use a pencil eraser dabbed on the inkpad. The dauber will also make circlesby  lightly pressing on it. Lighter coats of ink make more translucent circles. I like the look of overlapping circles. It is pigment ink so you need to heat it to dry it faster. The white circles will darken as it dries. 

 Here is a picture of the finished product and a card I did in card class:

Here is the recipe for my Ella card:

Image: Ella Ballerina by Kith and Ken

Stamps: W332 Wonderful You by CTMH

Inks: Copic Markers, Memento Brown, Inktense Watercolor pencils, Hampton Art White pigment ink

Dies: Spellbinders Classic Ovals Lg, Spellbinders Classic Scallop Ovals SM, Sizzix Susan’s Garden

          Hibiscus (leaves), Lifestyle Crafts Label It Kit

Embellishments & Misc: Flowers from Michaels (large ones) and White paper Roses by Mikies       

           Favor Embellishments, Tim Holtz memo pin, Scrappy Cat Glitter Glue.

Get your brains to spinning and create those dotted projects. Just remember to use some kind of stamping. You have 2 weeks to enter and 3 chances to win. We hope you will join us.