Sunday 17 April 2011

Using Mists To Make Your Own Paper {The Alphanumeric Blog Hop}

Hello and welcome to The Alphanumeric Blog Hop. Hopefully you'll have arrived here from Michelle Loves Allsorts but there's no need to panic if you haven't. You can start the blog hop from the beginning by heading over to I Speak Melsh where you can find a list of all the participating blogs. There are prizes to be won, so do join in.

When Mel asked me to take part, I was originally thinking that I'd be assigned just the one letter or number. Imagine my shock when she asked to write about the whole bloody alphabet!

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I like to get the most out of my crafting supplies, so I hope you'll join me in some appreciation of the humble negative - the way to include typography (and a little interest) to your scrapbooking pages. Those of you who know me will already be aware that I'm not a stranger to using the leftovers from my chipboard alphas or creating with the remainders of my sticker sheets. So today, I wanted share a technique that's new to me - even though it's been around forever - stencilling.

If you want to have a go you'll need a spare piece of cardstock or watercolour paper, an old (but still useful chipboard negative) and some spray inks. You may also want to have your art journal on hand if you have one.

1. I've set up my desk so that my cardstock background is lying on top of a larger piece of watercolour paper which happens to be part of my art journal. You'll see why later. If you don't want to do it this way, at least make sure that you're not spraying onto your best tablecloth. Learn from my (bad) experience.

2. Pop your chipboard piece down onto the cardstock and choose one colour of spray ink. Now spray. The closer you are to your page, the darker and more concentrated the colour. Experiment. It's good for you.

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3. Now lift off the negative carefully and if you have an art journal handy open it at a blank page. Pop the stencil in with all that lovely ink still swimming around on the top. Close your journal and press down over the surface.
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4. Take your negative out of your journal and re-position it on your cardstock, choose another colour of ink and get spraying.

5. Again, take your negative off carefully and pop it into your art journal. Remember to apply a bit of pressure across the surface.

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If you're lucky, you'll be left with some awesome backgrounds in your art journal as well as your original background cardstock. Result!

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Now, I've not tried it, but I'm also thinking that by piling some of my old and dusty mis-matched letters onto a piece of cardstock and getting busy with the inks I could come up with a different look altogether. Hmmm....

The next stop on the hop is Over At Our Place, so before you get your fingers all inky, pop over and say hello to the lovely Amy. She's bound to have something special up her sleeve.

Note: If any of the posts aren't up yet, please bear with us - the different time zones and the peculiarity of blogging platforms when it comes to autoposts may mean that one or two posts don't appear on time! If that's the case, head back to the list at I Speak Melsh and pick up from the next blog, but do please pop back and try the other link later, when the post should be there for your enjoyment.

33 comments:

  1. What a clever idea! Enjoyed your blog!

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  2. love the tip of putting the chipboard into the jouranl book to use up the ink - will try it next time I'm playing with stencils

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  3. What a brilliant post for a difficult challenge from Mel - the whole alphabet??? What?!!!!

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  4. thanks for the timely reminder to use the negatives as well! Love the bright misting you have done here - very bold.

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  5. Ah, but I knew you'd do something brilliant - and sure enough, you have! Thanks so much for rising magnificently to the challenge xx

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  6. Well done on rising to the challenge and I do like what you have done here. It would make a brilliant bkgd pp to any layout.

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  7. Great take on your challenge - thanks for sharing those ideas - am a novice when it comes to sprays - using them that is - I have a box full!! Jen x

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  8. I loved your post, and a very imaginative way to approach such a daunting task.

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  9. Well done on discussing the whole A-Z! Thanks for the tutorial. I am sure I used to follow your blog and have now subsribed to it so hopefully will contiue to ooh and ahhh at your creativity! xxx

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  10. Using alpha negatives is a favorite technique for creating canvas pieces. Fun post.

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  11. Very creative way to portray the whole alphabet:)
    Fiona x

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  12. What a brilliant way to get negative - it's the perfect excuse for me to do something messy very soon indeed. I love this Clair. Happy Hopping!

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  13. ha! I bet your entire hands were inky after that. Love the effect.
    caroline

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  14. I love this idea, and have some mists that don't get enough love so will try this for sure! I already have an idea of how to use it on a layout. TFS!

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  15. That is an awesome idea for a background. So pretty.

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  16. I love using the negative, but never thought of slapping that piece in the art journal too - awesome!

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  17. What a fun idea - I want to get going on my art journal, this just might be the technique I try on the next page! Thanks for the idea.

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  18. very creative way to meet Mel's tough challenge, thanks for the tutorial :)

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  19. I always save my alpha negatives, but haven't done anything like this with them! TFS!! Sandi :)

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  20. What a great idea, I think I will be trying this one out soon. ~c~

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  21. Fab technique - and love the way nothing is wasted!

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  22. I am not surprised you were given such a task ... but, seriously, do I have to experiment? I am not so good at breaking out the paints ... well, I just might try one day if you say so ;-) Love what you have done today :-)

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  23. Great prompt and even better representation!
    Rinda

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  24. That is such a great idea! I think I will try it out in one of my art journals - thanks for sharing! :)

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  25. Great technique....I'll certainly be trying this one.

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  26. I don't have a current art journal. I have one from a long time ago that I did for a class - but that's it. I've been hearing about them more and more lately and I'm feeling that itch to start one - you are not helping! How fun to see you play. I might just have to try that...

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  27. Love ur idea! Gonna try it :)

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  28. Great post and great idea!

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  29. You certainly did rise to the challenge very very well ! Lovely idea. I'm catching up as i have been away since the hop

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  30. I'm late commenting as I've just got back from holiday This is great idea, and a brilliant take on Mel's alphabet brief

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  31. Very cool! I rarely keep the negatives or packaging from anything, but I probably should keep some of it around so I can do cool things like this, too!

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I <3 comments! Thank you x