Top Tip - 27 - Polished Stone Technique & Nature Inspired Challenge.

WOW what Fantastic Button Projects you all made it was a real pleasure to visit all your blogs... but you gave me a hard time choosing the Top 3

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Thank you to those of you who left your tips on your blogs too!
I have a small favour to ask please could those of you with word verification of please consider turning it off as it really makes commenting very time consuming I commented on every single card this last challenge and the word verification really made commenting so much harder and it really does not protect you from spam...
Comment moderating does.
Thanks for considering it! and thanks to those of you that turn it off! 
I/we really appreciate it

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This weeks Challenge is Nature Inspired
To get us off to a start I will hand you over to the fabulous Paula
for her fantastic Tutorial

 
Good Day everyone,
I (Paula) am really excited today day and the tutorial I am about to share as it is my first EVER tutorial and I LOVE this technique. I learnt this technique many years ago BEFORE all the rage with alcohol inks. I continue to do this technique using the materials I used when I first learned it. Before we get to the tutorial though, I want to let you know that we are being sponsored by two AWESOME companies this week! Do take some time to visit their websites, I am SURE you will find inspiration and a few items that you cannot live without.

This weeks Awesome sponsors are: 

Wink Wink Wink
3 Prizes of a $15 kit

 

A bit about Wink Wink Wink:  *Wink *Wink Ink is a brand new digital stamp company as of January 2010.  Our images are original, well drawn, and clear with a style you won't find anywhere else!   If you like animals, children and fantasy creatures you will love our stamps!  New stamps are added to our store weekly, so there is always something new to see!  All images are 300 dpi and come in 3 versions- black and white jpg for coloring, transparent png for layering on all your digital creations, and a colored jpg for use as a coloring guide or print and embellish for quick beautiful projects in no time flat!  We hope you stop on by and visit us soon at www.winkwinkink.com!   

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Di's Digi Downloads

1 prize of 5 digi stamps of your choice

Please snag either blinkie
I have been drawing since a child and studied graphics at College many years ago, I now work as a Medical photographer part time but my love was always drawing. I started cardmaking about 4yrs ago when I bought my daughter a cardmaking kit which we did together, but I’m afraid I got the bug! My daughter preferred scrapbooking. I then started looking online at other blogs and this then became my passion and I loved sharing my cards with likeminded people. I love stamping and loved finding images, but sometimes I could not find what I wanted so I started to draw myself.
This then has become my second addiction and I have never looked back, I love thinking of new images, and its just fabulous to see others take them and make them into beautiful works of art. Long may it continue!


  

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Top Tipper Prize this week is

Stitchy Bear Stamps
 1 prize of a $10 voucher 


 'Stitchy Bear Stamps was created when a good friend of mine Sue from Beary Dust Stamps and I (Stitchy) were selling our products in the same store. One day we got an unexpected email saying that the store was shutting down and when we went to the store, poof it was gone...So, after the dust cleared and several emails later, Stitchy Bear Stamps was born. We gathered all the other creator's from the original store and away we went. It has been quite a learning experience but none the less we are growing everyday with new fabulous creators. I have always believed when God closes one door another Bigger and Better one opens ;)... Thank you all who have read our little story, I do hope you enjoyed ;) stitchy aka stitchy stamps."

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And for those of you that choose to have a go at my tutorial/technique, I (Paula) will have a drawing amongst those that participate, but I will tell you more about that at the end of the tutorial.

POLISHED STONE TECHNIQUE (the 'old' way)

You will need the following items:
Glossy White Card stock
Dye Ink Re-Inkers
Metallic Re-inkers
100% Cotton Balls
Rubbing Alcohol in some kind of spray container (I used a mini mister)

You will also need stamps and card stock to make it into a finished card.

Now that you have gathered all your items, let's get started.

Cut your A4 glossy card stock into 1/4 sheets. It is easier to work with at this size and saves on card stock if the colour choices you have made are not what you expected.
For this tutorial, I chose Daffodil Delight and Cherry cobbler.
Keep in mind that if you are choosing a light colour and a dark colour you will want to go light on the darker colour so it doesn't over power.
Spray your cotton ball with the alcohol and then place a few drops of each colour on your cotton ball. Remember that if you are using a darker colour, you may only want to use one drop of that colour. It will be hard to see the difference in colours while on the cotton wool ball.

Now spray your card stock with the alcohol and begin dabbing the cotton wool ball all over your card stock. It will appear blotchy at this point in time - don't worry about that. You will also see the dominant colour in your colour choices. You can add a bit more of one colour if you want. The colours will appear quite wet, this too is fine.
When you have covered your card stock with the ink and you like the results,
it is time for the next step.
I have to make one correction that won't be seen in the next picture
I did this a couple of times before I got it the way I wanted it.
You will take the same cotton ball that you have been dabbing color with
make sure that it is still a bit wet and drop a couple drops of your metallic ink in the middle of the color.
I used gold metallic for this card.
Now, start dabbing the gold - but rather than trying to cover the whole card,
just dab a bit here and there, making sure there are no puddles of the metallic ink
as it will take longer for this to dry.
Once you are satisfied with the amount of your dye ink and your metallic ink on our card take your alcohol and spray a couple more times. This final spraying of the alcohol allows the metallic ink to vein nicely.
I added a bit more of the yellow in my second sample of this technique
and got a much nicer mix.
After playing with the colours Cherry Cobbler and Daffodil Delight,
I decided to try Elegant Eggplant with the Daffodil Delight and changed my Metallic
to silver. I really liked the way the colours blended together.
Once the card stock is dry it is time to make something beautiful with it.
If you get a little impatient, you can heat set with your heat tool and then gently rub a dry clean cotton wool ball all over your card to remove any excess metallic ink.
Here's my card
I really hope you will try this technique.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I will be drawing a name from among those who attempt this technique this week and will be sending out a surprise kit.
If you do not have the supplies to try this technique this week, I sure hope you will try it sometime soon, It really is so much fun.
Do play along with us this week,
And now to show you what my team mates have done with this weeks challenge:

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We have some GDTs from two of our sponsors this week.
Firstly Diane from  Di's Digi Downloads

Next we have three very talented ladies from
Stitchy Bear Stamps
Oona
Ive been card making since 2009. In March 2010 i was asked to join Creative Craft World on their DT and then in June 2010 i joined One Stitch At A Time. I am still on both DT and love making cards as much as ever... I have 3 boys, so my crafts are my 'me girly' time :O) My eldest son and his girlfriend are expecting their first child in July ... So lots of blue things being made here ;O)
Deborah
I'm Deb and I live in North Eastern Manitoba.  I am thrilled to be a Guest Designer this week at Tip Tip Tuesday.  I currently design on the
One Stitch at a Time Challenge Blog and this creation for the challenge "Inspired by Nature" I have used a Stitchy Bear Image called "Flutterby".
Please visit me at my blog anytime at  http://DebsTreasures.blogspot.com

 Hazel
 "I'm Hazel a Mum of 2 who lives on the East Coast of Scotland.
I have been Creative all my life but only took it up seriously about 2 and a half years ago. I have worked with Stitchy Bear Stamps since November 2010. I am delighted to be a Guest Designer this week on Top Tip Tuesday as I take part in the challenge when time permits."

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Now onto the fabulous work from the TTT Team!

Beautiful card Nature inspired lovely summery flowers
and this cute Sugar Nelli image.


Heat it up tool,
Altered using Alcohol inks & the polished stone technique.


Moriah's 
Beautiful glitzy Nature inspired summer flowers card.
 

Vee's
Dreamy Nature inspired card
using the Daisy Girl from Digi Doodle Shop.

Fabulously colourful polished stone centre piece card. 

Beautiful card, look just like a summer garden,
Kadoodle stamp "My Flower Garden"


Please visit the team members blog for more info on there projects 
also I know they really appreciate your comments.

We look forward to visiting your projects on your blogs, don't forget to link to your post so we can find your project quickly, Thanks

Now its over to you all,Challenge closes at 8pm UK time Monday the 4th of April 2011
so don't be late! te heheee!

Please add your Tips to your Blogs... and then add (TIP) after your name on the linky below :0)