Techniques for Tuesday on a Wednesday

I mentioned yesterday that we would show you 2 cards using the same Rollagraph pattern but using two different techniques - we ran out of time hence Techniques for Tuesday on a Wednesday! Before we begin one of our Blog followers, wanted to know which embossing powder we use

at our Demos to get such a glossy finish, well as they say, it is all in the Detail. It sure is, to get the best finish ever when you are embossing always, always, use fine detail embossing powder. We have it on the site and we always use it. Again apologies for the photos of the products, they don't come out well, but the product is superb. Used with a clear Versamark pad (always use Versamark, cheaper ones just don't cut it), and detail powder, you will never get a better finish. Detail powders are much finer than normal embossing powders and literally they show up the 'detail', of an image. The Black is particularly good, as black powders are notoriously difficult to use and if you are using a word stamp, for example the lovely background 'Words Words', roller you need the fine powder to ensure that all the fine detail is readable. Also, fine powders have a lower melt point and they meld together for a beautiful almost foiled finish - we love them! Also they don't cost much either, which is always a bonus!

So, back to our technique. On the card above, again featuring the lovely Lola with a Bird, Sugar Nellie stamp, the background Mixed Dots roller is used on heat embossable acetate. Ink up the roller with Saddle Brown Staz-On Ink and roll onto the acetate. Leave to dry for a moment. Clean the roller, drag an antistat pad over the acetate, ink up the Mixed Dots with with Versamark, this time, roll over the Staz-On inked dots and heat emboss with clear detail powder. Ink up a piece of background card using the Mixed Dots roller again using the Staz-On Saddle Brown, cut both the background card and the acetate into a circle and layer up with the acetate circle on top of the background circle, separate the two with foam backed sticky pads. Glue the decorative paper circle over the top, stamp Lola using an Artprint Brown Memories Ink Pad, colour her in with the Inkadinks using a small paintbrush. The effect is of being drawn into the card and the Mixed dots and the layering technique using acetate is perfect for this effect. The mixed dots roller lends itself to being rolled over and over again, building up the layered look. Some of the dots are solids and some are open so you can see through to the other layers.

We are very, very, excited today as the much awaited Standard Rollers have arrived! Boxes and boxes of them, all brand new designs, we can't wait to get them out and roll em! They will be a bit cheaper than the Jumbos and they will be great for doing 'wiggly' curved lines and borders and already we are planning some really exciting 'fun' backgrounds using them. Watch this space for more news and hopefully they will be on the web site in the next week or so!

Techniques for Tuesday

Hi Everyone,

Sunshine and showers in Somerset! The week-end was a huge success and we met so many interesting people. In response to all your enquiries and questions we thought we would start the week with some inspiration for your Spring card making but before we do just a quick round up of general news. Heather is back from Russia, thank goodness, we miss her so much when she isn't within easy reach as she has all the answers to all those difficult technique questions!! She caught a horrible cold from a Babushka on the plane but she is now on the mend and is getting herself all psyced up for Happy Stampers North West. We can't wait for the Show and we will have extra help on the Stand this year as it was just unbelievably busy last year and we couldn't get to everyone in double quick time and give everyone the time they needed to answer all those technique questions! Heather will be doing a really inspiring demo this year using the Inkadinks and some new Rollers. So all you roller addicts, can get your rolling 'fix'. Barney loves going to the Wirral because he can run on the beach and chase seagulls, the only problems is that the Wirral estuary does a special line in the stickiest gloopiest mud known to man and Barney just loves it. We have had him clipped for the Summer but his fur seems to retain Wirral mud like super-glue and the showers on the camp site don't quite get to the root of the problem.

Anyway on to the cards featured on the Blog this week.

What we wanted to do was to inspire you and show you how you can use just one or two rollers and get really different effects. The design team have been hard at work as you can see and we have Jennifer and Heather to thank for this week's contributions. We have featured the Mixed Dots roller in these two cards (above and below) and on the Rope Swing image we have just used it to frame the central image in the circle and simply heat embossed the dots with detail silver embossing powder. Really easy and quick to do. Stamp the little girl on the swing 4 or 5 times, using a Black Memories ink pad, (Memories is a permanent, waterbased ink pad which is fantastic as a base before colouring ink - it won't run like Staz-On). Colour her in using a damp paintbrush and Inkadinks. Layer up and mount inside a circle. You could use any colour combination, we have used pink and silver here. Ink up the Roller with Versamark, roll either side of the image, shake on the detail powder, heat emboss, trim, mat and layer. Punch out a few pink flowers and your done!

Magi-Boss Chunky Mother of Pearl

Hi Everyone

We're back from warm sunny London and Ally Pally to get ready for Shepton Mallet and slow dreamy Somerset - what a contrast that will be. I do love the 'buzz', of London but the driving this time was completely crazy! People driving up the wrong side of the street and on the pavement - mad, bad and not nice to know!! But the view from Ally Pally on the top of hill right out over the park with London set out in front is quite a vista and it never fails to thrill. Phew! we were sssoooo busy and sssoooo hot but we upset our favourite security guard Baz because we left Barney at home. He brought his (Baz's and Barney's that is) favourite Garlic sausage so he could feed him, so we were not popular and to get his own back he dumped the Garlic Sausage on the Stand and what with the heat and all, we smelt a bit 'allo allo' and I am surpised we weren't wearing berets and smoking Gauloise by the end of the day!! So I apologise for the not so delicate French aroma of our Stand on Saturday but Baz's garlic sausage got a bit overheated! We did contemplate buying a baguette and offering it round but we weren't sure how many birthdays it had had!! Anyway the thought was there and that's all that counts - thanks Baz and just for the record Barney's paw is better now and the lampshade has come off - thank goodness! However Barney's penchant for Poodles hasn't diminished as evidently he 'met' one at the week-end so I think the French influence stretched back down to Dorset and there was a bit of 'entente cordiale', going on back at La Maison Imagination!

We do hope you like this week's card. We thought we would feature something cool, calm and contemporary and as 'lurve', seemed to be in the air (rather than garlic sausage), the lovely Simon and Lola from Sugar Nellie seemed very appropriate. We will be featuring lots of cards from one of our most talented card designers Jennifer Johnston, on the blog. She has been on our design team for some years now and she has some brilliant creative ideas as you will see in the coming weeks. Here she has used our fabulous new Chunky Boss, thick embossing powder. As you can see it is so smooth and flexible and even though it can be used in the same ways as UTTE, it can be used in a single layer as well as being layered up. The beauty of the Magi-Boss Chunky is that it is flexible, so it can be used for really fine work. Jennifer has used a Die-Cut shape, inked it up with versamark and heat embossed with 2 layers of Mother of Pearl Magi-Boss Chunky. Even on the photograph you can get some idea of the incredible smoothness, shimmer and shine that you can achieve with the Magi-Boss. The photos of the powders on the web don't do them justice, they are a really good price and used with punched out shapes and blended together, particularly using the Diamond Black Knight as a base they are a stunning addition to your stash. Use them in your Melt Pot as well as on cardstock. Enjoy the sunshine, we are hoping to have a lawn this year, and Harvey has put up one of those little garden tent gazebos, so I can craft outside in the sunshine, so on the folding table from Argos with Barney stretched out working on his tan, dreaming of a follow up meeting with La Belle Fifi, I shall enjoy working on our exciting new designs ready for the Autumn.

Happy Crafting.

Hi Everyone
Just a quickie Blog as we are off to Ally Pally for the Big Stamp and Scrapbooking Show this week-end. The weather is usually really sunny and hot, we will see if this year is any different! Barney isn't coming with us this year as he has cut his paw and is now wearing a lampshade (Buster Collar) and looking very sorry for himself. So he is staying with friends who will feed him Bonios and feel sorry for him!
Isn't the piccy above gorgeous! We just wanted to show you what is possible using the Inkadinks and the jumbo rollers! Don't be nervous about using the Inkadinks because we send you our famous Step by Step instruction sheet, so you aren't out on your own with them. Lots of hints and tips enclosed.
This beautiful sample was produced by inking up the Dogwoods roller with versamark, onto Pearlescent card, heat embossing with Detail White Embossing Powder and then sponging the Cranberry Sorbet ink over the top using Cut 'N' Dry Foam which is now BACK IN STOCK!! The embossed image acts as a 'Resist' against the ink. It is that easy - just mat and layer!! Lovely for an Anniversary, Wedding or Spring Birthday card. Don't you love it when something is so simple and beautiful. Of course, we have our Heather to thank for this lovely sample and of course it is just one of many. Thank you for your lovely comments about our Demos at the Show, we know how much you enjoy Heather's creativity and it is so nice to hear that you do.

Magi-Boss Chunky with Doodles!

Hi Everyone
Well back from North Yorkshire and one of our favorite haunts, Harrogate. We are all at least 1/2 stone heavier as the food in the Hotel, out in the countryside was superb! Even Barney has put on weight! Don't you just love this week's card featuring our new incredible, amazing Magi-Boss Chunky embossing powder, we have used a mixture of the Copper and Gold on this one. Jennifer, one of our really talented designers made this one using the Doodles Rollagraph. She used the Chocolate Cartridge for the colour on the background and the amazing Versamark Cartridge for the foreground embossed doodles on the mid brown cardstock. She used Versamark to ink up the diamond shape and then a mixture of Gold and Copper Magi-Boss Chunky Powder heat embossed, to a smooth melted layer before pushing in the rubber stamp inked up with Black Memories into the Chunky Powder. She left it to cool for a few seconds and the released the stamp. Magi-Boss Chunky has a different consistency to other UTEE powders in that it remains flexible after heating. Other powders can crack and split off the card after they are layered up and cool. Magi-Boss is flexible and therefore incredibly smooth when it is cool, as you can see from the photo, the reflective qualities of the powder are beautiful and because it has been designed to be used either alone or mixed together, using the shimmering colours together, Shimmering Green Grass, Shimmering Blue Mountain and Shimmering Deep Purple will give you incredibly beautiful reflective backgrounds. We have also produced a Mother of Pearl Chunky Boss and you can see the soft smooth pearly effect on the next card. These powders will transform your crafting so do give them a go. It is difficult to get decent photos of them for the Web Site as you can't get the reflected qualities in a photo or scan but you can see the results for yourself on these samples.