Monday, August 13, 2012

Challenge: Favorite Technique

It is a universal truth that we crafters all have our favorite techniques. From something new I just learned from a favorite blogger to long time classics I used years ago. This week, we challenge you to craft with a favorite technique and share with us.

What are you into right now? what’s your current favorite? Whether it is simple as sticking bits of tape to your project, distressing metal, using embossing powders, a new ideal all your own, or anything in between we can’t wait to see what you’ve been up to. Let's check in with the design team to see their favorites - and be sure to check in their blogs for more information and how-to as well!

My (May Flaum) favorite right now was discovered by happy accident - and I've created a card on gloss paper to show it to you this week.
First of all - I didn't mean to discover this technique! I was creating a card where I used Tim's technique of stamping with Archival ink and then blending distress inks. I had set it aside to work on something else for a while - as I often do. While I was working and misting dylusions on my other project- a bit got onto my card. Whoops! Oh but wait - it showed up in perfect droplets. How did I do that? The happy accident has turned into one of my go-to techniques that you can see put to use here with one of my favorite background stamps and my favorite alphabet set as well.


Ashli's favorite technique of all time is using white acrylic paint to create a resist. The second runner up to that is messy stitching. Of course, both of her favorites needed to get onto this page!
With white acrylic paint in hand, the possibilities are endless. Stamp it, paint it, stencil it, or splatter it! For this page, I used Tim Holtz's Movers and Shapers Mini Butterflies to create a stencil to apply my resist as well as to cut out my Kraft Glassine butterfly embellishments. After the paint was dry, I had a good time spritzing and splashing with various stains and mists to create a custom background. The added contrast of the black stitch lines against the white resist along with the movement of the butterflies creates the perfect mix for this playful page about when we first started our family.


Candy's favorite technique right now is a resist technique using Ranger's Collage Glue Stick and Distress Inks
I am totally fascinated with this resist technique. I love the ghosted images that seem to appear from nowhere! Peacock Feathers and Gathered Twig Distress Inks provide great background color for my design. I think the integration of Copper and Queens Gold Embossing Powders give a great textural and metallic look. Tim Holtz' Ideaology elements add a lot of interest and dimension.




Suzz has an infatuation with her glimmer mists, and this layout features her favorite way to use them.
My family lives near Lake Michigan which made an easy decision of where to take Prom pictures this year. My son and his girlfriend look wonderful and the sky was overcast which provided the perfect lighting in addition to the gorgeous beach.  I knew the Patina Glimmer Mist - Tattered Angels was the perfect shade to partner with her beautiful dress.   I spritzed multiple layers of tissue paper to create a soft background.  I added in a hint of rustic with the My Mind's Eye - On the Bright Side paper and softened the layout with  flowers from Prima (Laraine,Tasha).




Sandra Mouwen knew the perfect technique to turn to for this week’s tag – perfect distress!
The contrast between shimmering and grunge is simply amazing, and that's why I'm in love with Perfect Distress technique. To create the background I've used Milled Lavender, Antique Linen and Walnut Stain Distress Ink. To achieve the Perfect Distress I've stamped the Subway stamp with Walnut Stain and worked some Blue Raspberry Perfect Pearls onto the ink to give it that blue sparkle. My favorite part of this technique is when you spray the tag with water and the Distress Ink underneath the Perfect Pearls starts to wick.



Terry wanted to make 3 tags because she thinks it's the little things that makes everything big in life.
My favourite technique is heat embossing, when melted you achieve such fabulous texture and dimension.  First I worked on the background with distress inks and played around with the distress stains and a paint dabber. And last but not least the Copper Embossing powder. Just love it. The Wendy butterfly is my favourite, I played with the Sprocket Gears, Game Spinners and embossed the butterflies from the Embossing folder and of course could not resist some crackle on top. I just love the little things that make life BIG.



Tracy Evans was inspired by a new stamp purchase to create her feminine tag.
My favourite technique right now is the Multi-Medium resist, I still love the wow factor achieved from such a simple idea. I was also inspired by the Spring seasonal Distress colours peacock feathers and squeezed lemonade; I was in the mood for a brighter colour palette this time around. I often use browns in my artwork and wanted to try something a little different, a move away from my usual grungy style. I decided this colourful background would work perfectly for a feminine piece, and this Girls Rule image was the perfect choice.

Dan used a range of acrylic paint techniques on this colourful, funky tag.
More and more I find that I'm loving using acrylic paint on my projects. I stencilled the circles on this manila tag and also applied layers of paint with a Ranger Craft Scraper, which basically performs the same function as an artist's palette knife. I've bought palette knives from art supply stores in the past but I find I keep coming back to the Ranger scraper, I just think it feels better in the hand and is more suited to the way I like to apply paint. Claudine Hellmuth paints are my "go to" paints these days and I used an ink blending tool to apply the paint through the stencil. I used a few different stamp sets, including one of Tim Holtz's new releases, Classics #6.



Anna-Karin made a card with hot-air balloons flying over an inky watercolour landscape:
I did a watercolour background with Distress Inks, which is one of the techniques I use the most; I love the unexpected results and happy surprises you can get. This time it looked like a landscape from high above and I added just a bit of stamping, not wanting to cover too much up. The hot-air balloon stamp I wanted to use was too big and shrink plastic, another favorite, solved this problem. After shrinking the pieces, they were coloured with alcohol inks, backed with text paper and coated with Glossy Accents.


Sarah created a tag full of Grungy blue tones to showcase her two favourite techniques... flowers and grunging it.

I absolutely love the colour of Weathered Wood Distress Ink it's such a great shade to work with. I'm a fan of blue on any day of the week, and by adding touches of Broken China and Walnut Stain Distress Inks,you have the perfect trio for playing with Tim's Rusted Enamel technique. I created two embossed grunge roses using Paper Artsy's great die to be my main focal point and then went to town with lots of metal accents using ideaology and random stitching to complete her tag.

I encourage you to check out each of the design team member's blogs for more photos, supply lists, and more.Simply click on their name (above the photo of their project) to visit their blog.

Now that we've shared their creations - we're ready to see your favorite techniques!

As always,Simon Says Stamp is giving away a $50 gift voucher that will go to a random entry chosen by Random Generator. The challenge will close at Midnight Eastern time on Monday, August 19 and the winner will be announced a few days later in the week.To qualify all you need to do is create a new project that ties in with our theme and post it to your blog, then add a link here.

For the full rules, read the "challenge rules" posted in the side-bar here on our blog. We can't wait to see what you make!




14 comments:

  1. Lovely challenge and even lovelier DT projects. Thank you so very much for letting me join the fun on your blog. See you next time…

    CraftyGirl
    craftygirlcardsandcrafts.blogspot.com

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  2. Ooh, everyone has made such AWESOME things! Nice job :)

    Thanks for the fun challenge! My new favorite technique is water coloring with Distress Inks.

    Luvs,
    Annie Rose

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  3. Wow! The DT have really pulled all the stops out. Definitely going to try some of these ideas out especially May's. Thanks for the inspiration!
    xx

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  4. what a great challenge, and what an utterly JAW-DROPPING assortment of DT projects! i think i want to learn ALL of those techniques, just based on the things you've done with them! ♥

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  5. Terrific inspiration from the DT.

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  6. My 1st time participating here at Simon says Stamp! Looks like an active place, and the DT work is amazing!

    My favorite technique is to stamp with an entire sheet of the acrylic stamp set to get a larger background.
    Thanks for a great prompt.

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  7. Great challenge, I loved seeing everyone's favourite techniques!
    Alison xx

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  8. Beautiful work by the DT girls! I love these types of challenges where you get to use your favorite technique in order to play along! Can't wait to get started!! :D

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  9. Wow!!.. Absolutely amazing designs by the DT. Thanks for the opportunity to join in another great challenge. Hugs Annie x

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  10. DT members again you all did amazing job,really great inspirations!! Thank you
    Hugs from Slovenia

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  11. Your blog and team members are truly inspiring to me. Blessings!

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  12. Thanks for a chance to practice my favorite technique and show it off! The DT creations are all amazing--well done, all of you! :)

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  13. It's been great seeing everyone's favorite techniques! And even greater is that I made it in time for the challenge! Yay!

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  14. So great to hear everyone's favourite techniques (well, favourite at least for the moment!) on the fantastic DT projects, as well as the entries I've managed to visit... fabulous challenge, thank you!
    Alison x

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