I am so pleased Team ATB is collaborating with the stamp company 100 Proof Press and their Design Team this month. Oh my goodness, they have the best selection of stamps, my wish list is a mile long! (Santaaaa… you can bring me a gift certificate to spend there lol!) I created my very own ATB "Aquarium" using their stamps!
More views:
The outer block is cut from scrap plastic packaging using the Large Block die. You might want to cut a practice piece using your plastic to make sure it will bend on the score and not crack. Some plastic is more brittle than others.
The inner block is the largest of the set from the multi Blocks die. I cut it out of Sizzles matboard and swiped it with Tumbled Glass Distress Stain first as a base layer.
For the inner block, I colored the images using Distress reinkers and Distress pads as watercolors. It's really easy to do. Using a water brush, dip the tip into a drop of Distress reinker and then paint your image. (I have a selection of reinker inks in a Tim Holtz Ink Palette which is very handy.) If there is a Distress Ink color I want to use that I don't have the reinker for, I'll just swipe the pad on my craft sheet and pick up ink from there with my water brush. I wanted to give the goldfish a bit of shimmer so I added some final accents using Perfect Pearls powder. Put a small amount of powder onto the craft sheet (or palette etc.) and add a drop of water. Mix it around to make "paint" and add it to your image. There are binders in the powder that are activated with water so it will stick and not brush off.
The outer plastic block was a little tricky to assemble. Being clear, I had to cut the tabs off because they would have shown through. Fortunately, I was making an aquarium so adhesive backed foil tape on all the seams fit right in! I colored the silver tape black with alcohol ink first. I cut the tape into the lengths I needed and scored and folded them into shape before applying them to the edges of the plastic panels. It was helpful to use a burnishing tool to smooth the tape and assure firm adhesion.
I used the top portion from the Cupcake Stand die as my base – it gives the cat a place to sit. ;-)
Well that was a lot of info! I hope you are inspired to get creative yourself. You can enter the Art with Heart November challenge with your creation and have a chance to win one of Eileen Hull's new Vintage Kitchen dies. (They are so awesome, check them out!!)
I am also entering my Aquarium ATB into the The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #6 - STAMPS!
and The Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge #20 - Box it Up!
100 Proof Press stamps used:
Fish Tank Plant #3796
Fish Tank Plants #4040
Goldfish Swimming Left #5992
Goldfish Swimming Right #5991
Most of the other supplies I used for this project can be found at Inspiration Emporium. Follow the links below and use my code JUICE to save 10% if you go shopping. I will also point out that US shipping
is always $5 and international shipping is just $10. ;-)
