The Big Reveal – Steampunk Atlantis!

Well, I have finally finished a project that has been literally in the works for years! It kept getting put on the back burner but now you can check it out…my Finding Atlantis steampunk configurations book! (Prepare for lots of photos!!)

Hmmm… what's inside?

Lots and lots of stuff, that's what!

I had so much fun collecting all the little bits and pieces to fill the cubbies. The whole project was really inspired by the fabric I found and used on the inside cover. It is from Spoonflower and is called The Deep Deep Depths. Whales, mermaids and steampunk?? It was fabulous!

One of the first elements I created was the Captain's "journal", made using Eileen Hull's Passport Book Die. It's full of maps, notes, and other nautically themed goodies. You can check it out in this blog post – there are lots of photos in that one too! It has its own little niche:

I suppose I should be methodical in the photos here. ;-) I'll go back to the outside for a detail photo:

I created a front panel from matboard and covered it with Distress Oxide inks, stamping, and embossing. I also embellished it with die cut gears and a center section comprised of more die cut parts and a metal mermaid ornament. I painted it all with the same gold paint to unify the parts and then antiqued it with black paint. Now, moving back to the inside:

Here's a detail of the goodies inside the cover. The fabric panel has a piece of batting underneath the fabric to give it some 'poof' and dimension.

The compartments!

It was fun going through all the stuff I had collected and creating each little compartment vignette.

I found this Empty Pocket Watch Pendant at Hobby Lobby and filled it with an old sea horse pin and little gears and die cuts.

I like how the front opens out.

The edges of all the little compartment boxes are covered with strips of brown Rinea foil paper and then distressed with their Ghost Ink by swiping it on parts and then wiping it off with alcohol and a paper towel. (The ink removes the color on the foil.)

Book niche!

I am entering this project into the following challenges: 

• SanDee & amelie's Summer Steampunk Special Challenge 'cause, steampunk!  

• The Vintage Journey July Challenge - Precious Metal because my project contains so many metal findings, foil paper, metallic paint and gold embossing powder.

• The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog Challenge - Water, Water, Everywhere because our bold Captain's great passion for finding Atlantis took him on a quest over the seven seas (that is a lot of water) and sometimes his wife and children would accompany him as a vacation adventure. ;-)

Thanks for stopping by and making it through this long post! Below is a partial supplies list. This project has been in the works for so long and I've used so many different things there is no way I can list it all! ;-) I'll just hit the highlights.

Dies:
Eileen Hull Sizzix
Passport Book ( Sizzix / SB )

Tim Holtz Sizzix
Cameo Frame ( Sizzix )
Pediments - retired
whole bunch of gear dies

Other:

Steampunk sea fabric from Spoonflower - The Deep Deep Depths
Tim Holtz Configurations Book
Stamperia Paper Pack - Around the World
Tim Holtz stamp set - Architecture
Tim Holtz stamp set - Marble & Doily
tons of Tim Holtz Idea-ology
Empty Pocket Watch Pendant
Rinea Foil Paper - brown
Rinea Ghost Ink

Store links in this post may be affiliate links which do not affect the price you pay but allow me to earn a small percentage of a sale. Thanks! (My husband also thanks you!)

Dots to Diamonds with Topflight Stamps

Hello and happy Tuesday! ;-)  Topflight Stamps has a new line of products from Hunkydory called Dots to Diamonds. You can get the paper pads that are preprinted with dot designs. Some dots are foiled and others are marks to show where you can add the pearls and rhinestones bling. (Use your stash of bling or buy color coordinated packs!) It is so easy to quickly create a sparkly card for any special occasion!

Preprinted sheets!

Take a look at that glam:

I used a mix of pearls and rhinestones.

For this card, I first spritzed the pre-printed sheet with a little Distress Spray Stain. When it was dry, I added the bling and then topped with a die cut sentiment. Easy peasy! Give it a try. =)

Thanks for stopping by! Below is a list of supplies I used. Be sure to check out the Topflight Stamps blog for more inspiration. There is always something fun to see there! 

Topflight Stamps Products:
Hunkydory Dots to Diamonds Paper Pad #3
Hunkydory Diamond Sparkles - Brillant Blues
Hunkydory Diamond Sparkles - Beautiful Blues
Neenah Metallic Cardstock pack

Other:

AJVD - Celebrate Word Die
Distress Spray Stain - Spiced Marmalade

Some links in this post are affiliate links which do not affect the price you pay but allow me to earn a small percentage of a sale. Thanks! (My husband also thanks you!) If you shop at Topflight Stamps, use my coupon code LISAHOEL for 10% off your order.

Robot Birthday Card #2 with Topflight Stamps

Hello! I'm still in robot birthday card mode and have created another one for a friend's birthday.

I tried out the new Prism Inks that are being carried at Topflight Stamps and I really like how they stamp and blend! I will have to increase my collection of colors lol. I also added an Action Wobble Spring underneath the fussy cut robot cat. It was really easy to apply and wobbles quite nicely. ;-)

Thanks for stopping by! Below is a list of supplies I used. Be sure to check out the Topflight Stamps blog for more inspiration. There is always something fun to see there! 

Topflight Stamps Products:
Katzelkraft stamp - Robot Cat
Katzelkraft stamp set - Holiday Quotes
IndigoBlu stamp set - Fly High
Leane Creatief stamp set - Clocks
Visible Image stamp set - Rays of Light

Prism Ink - Thundercloud, Apple Green, Smoked Paprika
Action Wobble Springs
Ink Blendering Tools

Some links in this post are affiliate links which do not affect the price you pay but allow me to earn a small percentage of a sale. Thanks! (My husband also thanks you!) If you shop at Topflight Stamps, use my coupon code LISAHOEL for 10% off your order.

Mermaid Wrapped Journal with Eileen Hull

Hello there! I'm finally getting my June project for Eileen Hull posted! =) Eileen has new branded products through Therm-o-web as well as Clearsnap inks and the Design Team is highlighting them this month. Therm-o-web was so generous and sent each of us a big box of goodies to use in our projects! It was like Christmas opening that box.

woo-hoo!!! Thanks Therm-o-web!

I tried to use as many of the products they sent as I could as well as Eileen's Blends 2 inks. I think you'll like the result. ;-) Read on for photos and tons of techniques!

I created a mermaid themed Wrapped Journal! (You know me and mermaids lol.)

I love the flap that closes the journal.

Back side.

The inside is lined with mermaid fabric.

I packed soooo many techniques into this little journal! Check them out:

1) I tried the Blends 2 inks on a Gel Press plate and I got some interesting results. The inks bead up a bit but it left an interesting mottled effect on the prints.

I dotted ink directly onto the plate and then blended with a brayer. I also lightly misted it with a bit of water after blending.

I printed one side of a piece of matboard. For the part of the board that doesn't fit on the Gel plate, I just pressed it against the still 'inked' open side of the plate. I also made more of these prints onto copy paper which I used in the covering of the signature notebooks (more on that later).

2) I covered the other side of the matboard with fabric. It is really easy to do using Eileen's new Easy Cut Adhesive. It's a double sided adhesive sheet. I applied it to the blank side, peeled off the backing paper from the second side and then smoothed on the rough cut piece of fabric.

This will be on the inside of the journal.

Because more bling is good bling, I misted the inside fabric with Glitter Dust for some added sparkle. Why not lol? Next, I cut out the journal cover with the Wrapped Journal Die and it cut easily through all the layers.

3) Decorating the cover came next! I dug into my box of Therm-o-web goodies and went to town. First I used a stencil (Mighty Wave) to apply foil Transfer Gel all over the cover. It dries but remains tacky. Then you just press the foil sheets over the top and burnish it to transfer the foil. It looks so beautiful!

Therm-o-web also sent an Adhesive Pen to use with the foil sheets. After applying the Aqua foil, I wanted to add some Lilac foil accents. I used the pen to draw in some wavy lines among the stenciled shapes. Once the fluid had dried to tacky, I pressed the Lilac foil sheet over and burnished to get it to transfer.

4) Adding the fun decorative bits:

Therm-o-web sent Flock Transfer Sheets in the box. I ended up die cutting shapes (foliage/coral) directly out of the sheets. I also covered a small piece of matboard with the blue sheet and used the Journal Die to cut the little label piece behind the mermaid. I also used a stencil and the Deco Foil Metallic Gel to the flap first. I really blinged this journal up!

5) 101 and 1 ways to use Blends 2:
Well here are three more ways at least. ;-) I used a blending sponge to apply a bit of the ink to the mermaids' tails…

…and you can use the ink like watercolors (that are permanent when dry).

I tried a technique I use with Distress Ink with the Blends and it worked perfectly:

I squeezed a few drops of ink onto my craft mat and spritzed with water. Then I smooshed the cardstock into the puddles of ink. I used these pieces to diecut 'coral' elements out of.

6) And another way to use Blends! I took the extra gel prints I had made and added streaks of color.

I added some very small dots of ink and scraped the edge of the Stencil Pal tool across the paper to streak the color. (A little ink goes a long way!)

Mini composition books from the Dollar Store fit perfectly!

I cut the papers to fit the mini composition books and added some stamping, then glued them onto the books.

Whew! You made it through this huge, long post! I hope you are inspired by the techniques and apply them to your own projects.

Check out Eileen's blog and if you are not already a member, join the Facebook Eileen Hull Fan Club group. It is a warm, supportive group with lots of inspiration and sharing going on. You'll just have to answer a few simple questions when asking to join (to keep out spammers) and then you'll be added. ;-)

Dies:
Eileen Hull Sizzix
Wrapped Journal ( Sizzix / SB )
Journal ( Sizzix / SB )

Other:

Eileen Hull Easy Cut Adhesive
Eileen Hull Clearsnap Blends 2 inks - Coconut, Beach , Bay, Leaf, Frog, Pansy, Melon, Wildberry, Nutmeg, Sunshine, Rose Gold
Sizzix matboard
stencil - Diana Wakely, Mighty Wave
stencil - Tim Holtz, Burst
Gel Press Plate
elastic
$1 Store mini composition books
mermaid fabric
Lavinia stamps - Sebastian, Seaweed 2, Sea Creatures, Forest Spruce, Guinevere Mermaid, Alana Mermaid

Therm O web products:
Deco Foil - Aqua, Lilac
Deco Foil Transfer Gel
Deco Foil Adhesive Pen
Glitter Dust
Deco Foil Metallic Gel - Champagne Mist
Stencil Pal
Ultra Bond Adhesive
Flock Transfer Sheets - Orange Glow, Blue Diamond

Store links in this post may be affiliate links which do not affect the price you pay but allow me to earn a small percentage of a sale. Thanks! (My husband also thanks you!)

Robot Birthday Card with Topflight Stamps

Hello there! This week at Topflight Stamps we are featuring Neenah's Metallic Cardstock! The pack comes with four different colors of totally luxe cardstock that has a beautiful sheen to it. I thought it would be perfect to incorporate with the industrial robot birthday card I wanted to make for my nephew.

The paper has a nice weight to it and accepts ink well. For the card base, I used the Mechanical Texture Plate as a stamp to cover the metallic paper with the mechanical pattern. The piece under the robot is the silver metallic paper dry embossed (it embosses really well!) and then highlighted with black ink. It's hard to capture the metallic look of the paper in a photo but trust me, it really glimmers in the light!

Thanks for stopping by! Below is a list of supplies I used. Be sure to check out the Topflight Stamps blog for more inspiration. There is always something fun to see there! 

Topflight Stamps Products:
Neenah Metallic Cardstock pack
Katzelkraft stamp set - Robots 2
Darkroom Door stamp set - Happy Birthday Sentiment Stamps
Gel Press Plate
Carabelle Gel Press Texture Plate - Mechanical
Alexandra Renke washi tape - Dots Taupe

Other:

Tim Holtz Sizzix die set - Gearhead (Sizzix / SB )
Tim Holtz Texture Fade Set - Diamond Plate & Riveted Metal Set ( Sizzix / SB )
Tim Holtz 3-D Texture Fade - Lumber ( Sizzix / SB )
Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black, Potting Soil
Tiny Attacher
Tim Holtz Mini Fasteners
Tim Holtz Sprocket Gears

Some links in this post are affiliate links which do not affect the price you pay but allow me to earn a small percentage of a sale. Thanks! (My husband also thanks you!) If you shop at Topflight Stamps, use my coupon code LISAHOEL for 10% off your order.

Mixed Media Card with Eileen Hull

Hello! I've been playing more with Eileen's new Molten Dimensions Embossing Powder and Clearsnap Blends Ink.

The powders are chunky and you get really good coverage and dimension. I discovered that I can use my Melting Pot to easily make all the embossed die cut elements. (The Ranger Melting Pot was designed by Suze Weinberg and they were sadly discontinued a few years ago. You might have one in your craft stash already or be able to find one used on eBay etc.)

I die cut the flower parts, inked them with Eileen's clear (super sticky!) Blends Ink, applied the powder and set it into the pre-heated pot to melt. (It doesn't take long!) I had these non-stick inserts with side flaps that were made to fit into the tray which made it really easy to remove the melted die cut. I just lifted the liner out and let it cool off to the side before handling it. You could do the same thing with a folded piece of foil or paper.

On the large gold flower, I stamped it to give it an embossed texture. The round stamp from the Tim Holtz set The Professor fit perfectly onto the flower tips. While the powder was still molten, I carefully pressed the stamp in place and then left it there until the powder had cooled and solidified. Then the stamp just pops off.

The frame is the front from the Trinket Box die. (See, 3-D dies can be used for 2-D projects too!) I covered the frame with the clear embossing powder, sprinkled on White Wonder powder and then gently knocked some of the powder off by tapping on the back. I wanted some 'gaps' that would give an eggshell, vintage texture after melting. After I embossed it and it was cool, I rubbed Nutmeg Blends Ink all over the frame, working it into the gaps left by the powder I knocked off. I buffed the extra ink off with a soft cloth before it dried. I also added a bit of ink to the flower parts to give them a vintage distressed look too. I had to use a strong liquid adhesive to glue the flowers together because of the slick embossed surfaces. Crafter's Pick The Ultimate! glue is one of my favorites for such jobs.

Thanks for stopping by! Check out Eileen's blog and if you are not already a member, join the Facebook Eileen Hull Fan Club group. It is a warm, supportive group with lots of inspiration and sharing going on. You'll just have to answer a few simple questions when asking to join (to keep out spammers) and then you'll be added. ;-)

Dies:
Eileen Hull Sizzix
Journaling Cards - Flowers & Leaves ( Sizzix / SB )
Book & Pages, Trinket Box & Frame ( Sizzix / SB )
Flower, Heart & Soul - retired

Other:

Eileen Hull Embossing Powder by Emerald Creek - Golden Rod
Eileen Hull Embossing Powder by Emerald Creek - Aqua Splash
Eileen Hull Embossing Powder by Emerald Creek - White Wonder
Eileen Hull Clearsnap Blends Ink - Clear, Nutmeg, Ebony
cardstock
Tim Holtz Stamp Set - The Professor
Distress Oxides Spray - Cracked Pistachio, Vintage Photo, Fired Brick, Spiced Marmalade
Distress Paint - Antique Linen
Tim Holtz Big Chat Stickers
Ranger Melting Pot - retired
Butterfly metal embellishment 
stencil - TCW169, Kasbah

Sizzix and Scrapbook.com links in this post are affiliate links which do not affect the price you pay but allow me to earn a small percentage of a sale. Thanks! (My husband also thanks you!)

Steampunk Father's Day with Topflight Stamps

Hello! Father's Day is fast approaching and I was in need of a card for my Dad. The Stamperia brand is being showcased this week on the Topflight Stamps blog and they have products that are perfect for masculine cards! I used stamps and a stencil designed by Antonis Tzanidakis and the steampunk vibe is just what I wanted.

I started off with a Gel Press Plate print made with black, white and orange paint. It created an interesting base. On top of that, I used the Mixed Media Layout stencil and the Emboss It Dabber to apply embossing ink. I mixed the Eclipse and Desert embossing powders from the Seth Apter Baked Velvet Neutrals kit to emboss the stenciled design. The top layer of the card is fussy cut stamped images and gear diecuts.

Thanks for stopping by! Below is a list of supplies I used. Be sure to check out the Topflight Stamps blog for more inspiration. There is always something fun to see there! 

Topflight Stamps Products:
Stamperia stamp set - Time Machine
Stamperia Stamp - Corrugated Cardboard
Stamperia stencil - Mixed Media Layout
Seth Apter Embossing Powder by Emerald Creek - Dirty Sand, Baked Velvet Neutrals
Gel Press Plate

Other:

Tim Holtz Sizzix die set - Gearhead (Sizzix / SB )
Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black
Versamark ink
Ranger Distress Ink - Rusty Hinge, Spiced Marmalade
Ranger Emboss It Dabber
Tiny Attacher

Scrapbook.com links in this post are affiliate links which do not affect the price you pay but allow me to earn a small percentage of a sale. Thanks! (My husband also thanks you!)