Haute Couture Miss Anya appearing at Paper Garden Projects ;o) ~ StampznewBright

This was such a fun set to make. I've developed a real thing for Greeting Farm stamps lately. I got a variety of them from Paper Garden Projects & can't wait to play with them and share the results with you.

New Greeting Farm Stamps in the store at Paper Garden Projects and this schtuff with the Miss Anyas:

-1- French embroidered blouse
-2- Wee 3D Shopping bag details: (Tissue paper & embroidery thread handles)
-3- An ultra easy belt fold
-4- Embossing computer printed sentiments & hand drawn elements on patterned paper
-5- Custom coloured gems (with Copic markers)

The Stamps:

I'm having a riot with these Miss Anya stamps; they're such a delight to colour! You hafta luv deeply etched rubber & they come in a set of 3 with cling foam already on them:

Click to check 'em out at

Paper Garden Projects

-1-

Stitch a French embroidered blouse:

an image
fine needle
thread (and a matching colour of marker)
double-sided tape

These little Miss Anyas are so fun to colour & paper piece and it was even more of a blast to add other 3D bits!

To knot Miss Anya's blouse for a touch of haute couture, stampin' style:

Step 1) Add marker dots (in the colour you'd like to sew) to Miss Anya's blouse

Step 2) Pierce holes to add knot details.

To work a small area without tearing the paper:

-->Use a sturdy enough cardstock. This is Neenah White LUV that stuff madly
-->Use a fine needle (to pierce & stitch)
-->If you are cutting out your image: sew first; cut later

Step 3) Tie knots (and go back down the hole to finish.) Repeat for all the knots & finish by adhering the end at the back of the image with double-sided tape.

-2-

Add 3D shopping bag details:

I've been wanting to stick wee tissue paper pieces in a shopping bag for ages, strange huh? Embroidery thread handles were way too fun to make too.

Vellum Paper
Paper piercer & ruler (to score lines)
Double-sided tape
Sharp exacto blade (with good sharp blades)
Embroidery thread & needle

Step 1) Cut a wee piece of Vellum paper & score lines on it to help create an accordion fold

Step 2) Cut a slit in the top of the bag

Step 3) Add the little vellum fan in the slit & adhere on the back of Miss Anya

Step 1) Knot & stitch on handles for the little shopping bags. hehehe mini is so fun. :O)

-3-

Create an easy belt fold:

One little piece of cardstock (about 1 1/2 inches by 9 for this 5 1/2 inch square card)
Strong adhesive (like Oh so Sticky tape)
Scor-Pal

This is a really really easy way to make a different fold, especially if you want something different with a plain card as an afterthought. Just add a piece of cardstock folded & adhered to the back of your card:

To make the belt fold:

1) Cut cardstock to the size you like. This is 1 1/2 inches by 9 for a 5 1/2 inch square card
2) Score where you want the fold. (I scored at 5 2/8 inches for the section at the back)
3) Embellish the belt
4) Adhere it on the back of your card with nice & strong adhesive

I like this because the belt buckle gives you a place to put the sentiment & embellishments without permanently covering up all that beading (or your favourite patterned paper, etc...

Optional bits to collage it:

Recycled plastic packaging (cut & embossed with Cuttlebug folder & pierced & stitched
Ribbon (Stitched Edge Grosgrain with the bow stitched on)
Embroidery thread & seed beads
Digital image (Royalty free UPC code found here)
Sentiment from Computer (printed on DP coated with gesso, see below)
Magnets to keep it closed

-4a-

Emboss doodles on patterned paper:

Hand drawn elements can add so much to your cards and embossing them can really make them look polished (you can even add them to patterned paper!) It's easier than it might seem:

Step 1) Brush a little gesso onto patterned paper & let it dry (happens nice & quickly)
Step 2) Draw onto your paper with a water-based marker. I use Stampin' Up!'s Stamp'n'write marker. The ink stays wet long enough to...
Step 3) Sprinkle with embossing powder. I use clear detail e.p. mostly
Step 4) Heat the e.p. with a heat gun

Doodled Vine: The leaves in this have a black outline but they're shaded in with green SU marker. (Just do the heat-embossing in stages: heat the black outline & go back in with the colours.) It's amazing how much variation you can get in the colour by layering them as well: light green & then a shadow of dark... WAY too much fun to be legal.

please note: the embossing is necessary to set the Stampin' Up! markers when the paper is treated with gesso (otherwise it will be smudgy-messy.)

You can water down the gesso so that more of your patterned paper will show.
Pencil sketch first to get your design laid out before markering (though pencil will be hard to erase from gesso)
Don't like to draw? You can stamp on the gesso paper & colour in & emboss the markers or
Print your design from the computer & go over it with the marker, then emboss and colour etc...

-4b-

Emboss computer printed sentiments:

Patterned paper
Gesso & Paintbrush
Printer

Step 1) Cut patterned paper to a size that fit in your printer
Step 2) Create your sentiment in a text editing program (like word)
Step 3) Brush gesso onto patterned paper & let it dry
Step 4) Have heat-embossing supplies ready & Print onto your gesso paper The ink stays wet long enough to...
Step 5) Quickly sprinkle with embossing powder & Heat the e.p. with a heat gun

(Gesso)

Gesso is my very best friend, LOL. It's an artist's primer, but it can be so much more...Lots of gesso info & techniques here

-5-

(Colouring gems with Copic markers)

I love these sweet gem flowers & this is a nifty trick if you want to make your own custom coloured gems. Colour them with Copic Markers.

It usually seems to require a deeper shade of marker to get the desired shade of gem since the colour pales with application.

Supplies:

Images: Miss Anya stamps
Colouring: a blend of Watercolour pencils & Copic Markers Gesso & SU markers
Cardstock: Neenah White cardstock (great for Copics) Black for sky line Vellum Paper
Patterned papers: (Basic Grey-Lily Kate Wisteria) Retired SU Christmas paper.
Schtuff: Gem flowers, Black & opalescent purple seed beads, white, black & green embroidery thread
Tools: Paper piercer, needle, Cuttlebug & embossing folder (Perfectly Paisley), Oh so Sticky tape, Paper piercer & ruler, Scor-Pal.

The city skyline pieces were cut using a Cricut Expression & the Plantin cartridge that came with it.

To try & colour Miss Anya with a little more oomph, I looked to the gorgeous colouring skillz of Marlene. The way she colours is amazing! Check out her supremely sweet Miss Anya here.

See you Saturday.
Hope you have a gorgeous weekend!