Monday, April 27, 2015

Mixed Media Envelopes Tutorial

Hi friends! I hope you had a good weekend! A big thank you to everyone who commented on my SSS Falling For You Blog Hop post on Friday. I had fun reading all the comments. It is Monday and a new Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge. This week anything goes!

I often find the anything goes challenges a little hard, this week, I decided to use Tim Holtz new Envelope die, and just sat down to create something, without much of a plan. It ended up being lots of fun and I made three mixed media envelopes, with cards inside. My plan was for these to be displayed in my new Clip Carousel. I took some tutorial photos too.

This is what the envelopes look like from the other side. 

These three cards are inside the envelopes. I liked the idea of finding a cheerful sentiment inside the envelopes.

Tim Holtz new Clip Carousel is awesome, and I already wish I had a second one. You can use it to display tags, ATCs, or anything that is small enough. I just added a bunch of tags and ATCs here to show you what it can look like. I will add more later and plan to display this in my studio so that I can look at it for inspiration. You could also do a specific theme for the display, such as a holiday, season of the year or something similar. Such fun! Tags and other smaller projects often end up in a box and in this way you can have them displayed instead, and it is easy to change them now and then for variety.

Start by die cutting three envelopes from Correspondence paper, or another patterned paper.

For the cards I used the ATC & Corners die, which was the perfect size. Die cut three cards from one of the smaller sized designs on the paper pad.

Coat the envelopes with a thin layer of gesso, making it a little thicker where the more detailed stamping will go.

Do the same with the cards.

Smear Distress Paints on your craft sheet and mist with water. Press the papers into the paint and if needed mist the paper too to really get those paints to blend and move around. Leave to dry.

I love the new Cityscapes set and wanted to ink it up for the first time. Stamp the base of each envelopes with a city, using Jet Black ink.

Assemble the envelopes with double-sided tape and stamp them with stamps from the Correspondence and Documented sets, using Archival Inks. Just sitting down stamping like this is one of my favourite things to do.

Decorate the envelopes with a few pieces of tape.

The cards were done in the same way as the envelopes, stamping a sentiment on each one, as well as some smaller stamps.

Add some brown paint around the edges and a little bit of black ink.

I am so happy fragments are back, since I always liked these cool plastic pieces. You can build such fun layers with these transparent embellishments. I decided to use them as postage stamps. Add a little alcohol ink on the fragments, especially around the edges.

Cut out three rectangles from the patterned paper and add a rub on to each one.

Glue the fragments to the paper, by applying a little Glossy Accents at the back and smoothing it out with your finger to cover the whole fragment. Press to the paper.

Give the fragments a golden edge with a Krylon Gold Leafing Pen.

Die cut three small shapes from grungeboard. I used an Eiffel Tower, a plane and a cloud.

Paint them with white paint or gesso.

This pearl paint by Ranger is stunning, and gives a great pearl effect (hard to capture on photo). Paint the shapes. I also added the three designs in the cute Tiny Shapes die set.

Add just a little silver paint here and there, such as at the bottom of the cloud as a shadow.

When dry, sand and scratch the pieces. Ink with Black Soot.

I die cut three words from mixed media cardstock and painted them gold.

The envelopes are kept close with a tiny piece of velcro. Because the Correspondence papers that I used are double-sided, they are pretty on the inside too.

Let's take a look at the finished envelopes. Glue a grungeboard shape, fragment and golden word on each envelope with Glossy Accents.

This is the New York envelope. I picked some of the stamps to fit the particular location.

Here you can better see the gold edge of the fragment postage stamps.

The back of the New York envelope.

It is fun to layer stamps in different coloured ink.

You can't see much of the patterned paper design anymore, but it still adds an interesting extra texture, which wouldn't have been there had we just used plain papers.

And the card inside the New York envelope. 

This is the London envelope, with more fun details. I love the plane die and I wish you could see the effect of the pearl and silver paints together.

The London envelope has a suitable fragment postage stamp.

And this is the back of the envelope. Since the city stamps are pretty long, you can spot a part of them on the back too.

Inside the London envelope, you'll find this card. I love that little vintage plane stamp.

Finally, we arrive in Paris, with the last envelope.

I placed the grungeboard Eiffel tower so that you could see the stamped one just to the side of it.

The last fragment, I had such fun making these.

This is the back of the Paris envelope. You can of course do these envelopes in any theme. 

Another close up of the layers of background paper, paint and stamping.

The last card, kept inside the Paris envelope.

Here you can see them hanging in the carousel. I like the interactive nature of these envelopes, you have to take them down and open them to see what's inside.

Here are some of the ATCs I hung in the carousel. You can find them in this post.

At the bottom tier, I hung some of my tags, I'll rotate them now and then, since I have a lot of tags. My son actually picked out which ones should be on display. It was a little windy when I took the photo.

I hope you have time to join us this week in the anything goes challenge, and it might be you who wins the $50 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp, drawn randomly.


Thank you so much for visiting today!

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin 

Supplies:




29 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. I commented twice and tried to delete one but ended up deleting both! I'll try again :-)) You are the absolute master of using stamps. And die cuts. The envelopes are stunning! Brilliant!

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  4. Absolutely love the envelopes and cards, brilliant use of the correspondence papers, and the colours you added match it so well. Great step by step too and I love how they look on the carousel!!

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  5. I adore these little envelopes and cards! The cityscapes stamps are perfect for the background. Love all the texture and layers. Thanks so much for the inspiration!

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  6. Wow - amazing. I have a friend in Germany that sends me envelopes/letters decorated like this but NOT LIKE THIS... these are outstanding! I hope you will make another to send to someone special. We live in a small town and every time I get a decorated envelope (3 or 4 times a year) the postmaster puts it out for all to see!!! Yours would make them swoon Anna-Karin. Just FANTASTIC! j

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  7. Wow!! Super cool mixed media envelopes, Anna-Karin! Love all the layering of colors!

    *mwah*
    Steph
    Simon Says Stamp!

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  8. These enveloped are gorgeous !
    Corrie x

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  9. These mixed media envelopes are stunning, very inspirational!

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  10. These are flippin' incredible! Wow times ten! I really love how much you poured into each one of these and they are truly stunning. The color palette is to die for and I loved all of the pictures so I could soak in every gorgeous detail. You did a banner job on these!

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  11. These are so cool, Anna-Karin - I love the metallic words and fabulous layering. I've got the envelope die on the way, and can't wait to play. Don't your tags and ATCs look amazing on the carousel - big WOW!
    Alison xx

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  12. Anna-Karin these are amazing... okay so I've been trying to talk myself out of that die... you convinced me I NEED it LOL !!I absolutely love ALL your details ... so very cool, so very fun ! Thank you for tutorial !

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  13. LOVE these letters/envelopes and you've totally sold me on the carousel too :) Jenny x

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  14. Just wonderful Anna-Karin, what a great tutorial, your letters are fabulous! Love how you are using the clip carousel to display them too.

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  15. Seriously love everything about this tutorial. And you make me want to shop, a lot -- ha, ha.

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  16. Wow such beautiful envelopes Anna Karin! I can't wait to get this envelope die and have a play. Love your work as always brilliantly done! Karen.x

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  17. Wow.. love this gorgeous project! All the steps and details are just amazing! :)

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  18. Beautiful miniature pieces of artwork which are packed full of so much wonderful detail ~ I'm in inky heaven with these Anna-Karin, they are gorgeous! :)

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  19. Nice post, packed with tons of technique and examples of new products. Your wonderful creations are sure to inspire.

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  20. Wow! I loved these when I saw them in the post and now I see how the back of them looks and all the cool details this is just fabulous!

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  21. Ohh wow this is so pretty Anna-Karin! Love the step-by-step with lots of pictures! The envelops and cards are absolutely stunning! Hugs, Sandra

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  22. I had to stop by to tell you that I LOVE these stunning ATC's and envelopes. Blessings!

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  23. Only one word: Masterpiece! BArbarayaya

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  24. How awesome!!! So glad I found your blog!

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  25. Wow!! Love these envelopes and cards you made. Your work is amazing. I love all the little details that you put into a project. I can't tell you enough how I've admired your work. Thank you for sharing all the details of how you go through each step to make your beautiful projects.

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Thank you so much for leaving a comment! Happy Crafting!