Steampunk Mix Media tags By Maansi

Good morning everyone, 

Lately, I have become a hoarder of just about every piece of junk possible. Everything that I see can be altered or used in a different manner.  And my favorite things to collect are tags.  Every time, we buy clothes we get a host of tags and some of them are sturdy and beautifully made.  

These can be added to mix media panels to create the background.  Better still they can be used to create gift tags or even experiment on.  

So here is what I have created 

So let's get into the procedure for creating these

I have taken two identical black tags.  These are sturdy and will be able to take the weight of all the embellishments that I plan to put. Both the tags are created using the same embellishments.  Placement has been done differently to create a unique look to both the tags

I started by adding texture to the background.  I have added two levels of texture to create more depth in the texture.  After my texture was dry I painted it completely black with gesso.  

Then,  I have added bits of corrugated cardboard in places to add another dimension to the project.  

Once my background was ready, then it was time to add all my embellishments to the base.. I have used MDF gears,  metal chain,  some metal charms,  buttons,  screws and even some nails.  Once it was all dry and stuck properly, I have painted it again with black gesso... 

At this point, I was not completely happy with it...  Living in the coastal area and in defense, we deal with corrosion and rust on a daily basis. And this was not looking corroded or rusted even one bit. 

This I took my modeling paste and added some sand to it to make it coarse and applied it in places...  And it suddenly all came together.  

Once it was all dry I again covered it in with black gesso.  

Now came the part of coloring it to give a rusted effect.  Not having the Prima rust set I decided to try a hack.  I took acrylic colors in burnt umber,  burnt sienna and very little amount of deep yellow. To the burnt umber and burnt sienna, I added a bit of cinnamon powder to make it coarse.  

I could have used sand but that would have been too coarse. And then I started painting my surface...  And I kept adding layers till I was satisfied with the outcome.  

Once everything was dry I added a bit of antique gold mixed with brown to highlight certain areas to give an effect of metal. 

And these turned out beautiful. Here are some close-ups of both the tags.  

Supplies used

Black gesso
Modeling Paste
Sand
Mdf embellishments 
Metal chain
Metal charms
Scraps from stash
Acrylic paints

Hope you have a wonderful day 

Maansi

Hexagon Box using leather paper By Maansi Vaswani

Good morning everyone, 

I am back again with another project using the wonderful leather paper.  Before I go into the details of this project I would like to say that these sheets are beautiful to work with.  They give an absolute look of leather in terms of look as well as texture.  They can be used in place of scrapbook paper and even decoupaged.

I especially love to decoupage this as this is super easy to do so.  And there are no wrinkles or creases while doing so.

So let's get to the project.

I have made a simple hexagon box using the classical leather sheets.  The only difference in my construction has been the fact that I have taken the leather sheets and decoupaged it to the cardstock and used that as a foundation to cover the entire box.  This is because I wanted it to look like a leather box.

Also, I have kept a difference of almost 2/8" between the hexagon at the base and hexagon on the lid.  This is because as my paper is thick and with multiple layers  I did not want the lid to be too tight.

The box has been decorated with pattern paper from Eno greetings both at the base and the lid.  I have again used a brown vintage looking pattern paper to give it an absolutely earthy look.

I have finished off the box with a beautiful loop metal charm which is not only decorative but also helps in opening the box.

Here are some pics of the finished box.

Supplies used
Chipboard
Cardstock
Leather sheets
Tacky tape
Eno greetings paper
Metal charm

Wishing you a wonderful day

Maansi

A Gatefold Album by Nagashri Srinivas

Namaste Everyone,

      I hope you all are geared up for your Winter Holidays. Today I am here with one of my new project made for a client who ordered this beautiful album for her beloved Brother and Sister-in-law. As the client wanted to keep it simple, sophisticated and with fewer embellishments. I have decided to pick the beautiful paper stack Cottage Blush from Bob n Betty which comes in a size of 12" by 12".

                                                                  

I have few tags from Enogreeting Paperback which is going well with these papers.I just love the way Enogreeting packs come out with the tags suitable for all occasions. And it added charm to my album.

                                                                  

   The album has more than 16 pockets and flaps to store 50 photos. The Gatefold album measures 11" by 7" with pages and pockets inside. I have used tags and added few fabric washi tapes which complimented the paper pack.I hope you have liked the project do leave some love ... :)

                                            

Here is the full image of the gatefold album.Hope you liked the album 

                                                    

Supplies used here are

Tacky Tape 6 mm

Tacky Tape 12 mm

Time Holtz ideology Ruler 

Flowers

Cottage Blush

Black Cardstock 

Enogreeting Paperpack's Tags

Decoupage on Candles - By Maansi Vaswani

Good morning everyone, 

This is Maansi here. I am here with a brand new project and technique. For those who don't know me, I started my crafting journey with candle making and till date do make candles, especially during the festive season.

Also in the last few years, I have been bitten by the decoupage bug.  The reason being that it is the one art form which is very very versatile.

And today my project is a combination for my love for candle making and a passion for decoupage. So here we go...

I am sure you may have seen a lot of videos and projects on decoupage on candles.  Most of the videos follow the following technique.

1. Cut the tissue to the required size and place it on the candle.

2. Put a wax paper on the image and hold the wax paper and the image in place with your hand.

3. Using an iron/heat tool,  melt the image on to the candle.

And you have a beautifully decorated candle.

I did try this technique a few times but somehow this never worked for me.  Mainly because of even a slight shift the napkin gets wrinkled and the image is not crisp. Also as at times working with small candles, there is a chance of accidents, especially with the heat tool.

So to ensure that my image is absolutely smooth and there are no wrinkles, this is what I came up with

1. Cut the tissue to the size and the motif you want it put on the candle.  Ensure that the image is not cut with a scissors, and is torn with hand.  This ensures that the image blends well.

2. Place the tissue on the candle and have the image perfectly aligned as you want it.

3. Taking mod podge,  glue the tissue to the napkin.  Ensure that the glue is very thin coat and is below the tissue.  Do not put the glue on top of the tissue because it may bubble with heat.  (Also follow the motto of - The lesser  the better(for glue)).

4. Stick the tissue in parts especially if it's a large image. Gently smoothen the tissue on to the candle.

5. Once the tissue is stuck leave it to dry. You need to ensure that the glue is completely dry before you go to the next step.

6. Taking a heat tool, slowly run over the image. Do not stay on a particular area for too long -  as it could lead to the candle melting more on that particular area.

7. Smoothen the hot wax with your hand as it embeds to get a smooth even surface.

8. Wait for the candle to cool and check if the entire napkin is blended on to the candle.

And voila your decoupage candle is ready.

Here are some candles done using this technique

I do hope you like this alternative technique. Do give it a try and let me know if it works for you too. 

Supplies used are

Printed German Tissue
Mod podge 
Candle 
Heat tool

Wishing you a wonderful day !!
Maansi

Card using Vintage Leaf Die

Hi! I am here with some inspiration for you using the new Vintage Leaf dies by Nagashri Arts. I loved these dies the moment I saw them since they are so dainty and graceful.

For my first card I wanted a very soft, natural look. Here is the card I made.

I started with a kraft card base. I placed my stencil on top and used a stencil brush to apply the Dark Garnet distress ink. This is a technique that Jennifer McGuire had demonstrated in one of her videos. You can find the link here. This gives a very soft coloring that looks gorgeous. The stencil I used is the Texture Mesh by Memory Box. I die cut several branches using the Vintage Leaf Die from Kraft Color Card Stock. I colored them using the same technique and the Amazon Trails distress ink.

After my coloring was done I arranged the die cuts on my card base and glued only the centers. I turned up the leaves slightly for added dimension. I glued some pink flower shaped sequins randomly and added black seed beads to the centers. Here is a closer look at the card.

I finished the card by stamping and heat embossing the sentiment from the Just For You set by Lia Griffiths for Hero Arts on a piece of black paper. I used a pale pink EP by Wow! to match the flowers. For my second card, I wanted a more dramatic look. Here is my card.

I started with a scrap of water color paper, gold acrylic paint, stencil sponges and Camlin photo inks.

I tried the Faux Mother of Pearl technique by the super talented Loll Thompson. I love her work and have been wanting to try this technique for a long time. Here is a link to her excellent video.

I started by smooshing some gold acrylic paint on the watercolor paper with a piece of scrunched aluminum foil. After the paint was dry, I applied yellow, green and blue inks with the stencil sponges. The result was a rich, multicolored panel that I cut to size. Here is a closer look at the panel.

How to make a precision glue applicator at home

Hello Crafty friends wish you all a happy new year. With the beginning of this year we are coming up with lots of tutorials for Nagashri Arts!!


Tools are very important for any crafter and  have you ever given a  thought of making one at home ?? So lets make the most basic tool but the most important one . Today, our one of the DTs Srinivas will let us know to make a precision glue at home