Art Journal Page - Lest We Forget

Hi Everyone it's Mike here - My IndigoBlu design team project falls on Armistice Day (11th November) and the Remembrance Day weekend so it's only fitting that I create an art journal page in remembrance of all those who died or were injured in wars in the service of their country.

IndigoBlu Products used:

• Wild Poppy Stamp Set
• Postbox Red Cottage Acrylic Paint
• Olive Waistcoat Junk & Disorderly Acrylic Paint
• Peppermint Tea Cottage Acrylic Paint
• White Gesso (Gee-Sso Good)
• Vintage Frame Stencil
• Damaged Damask Stencil

To watch how I created the art journal page above click on the YouTube link below to watch the entire process from start to finish.

I hope you enjoy the video and will subscribe to the IndigoBlu YouTube channel for more videos just like this one.

Altered Composition Book Butterfly Collage using IndigoBlu Flutterby and Crackleglaze

Welcome IndigoBlu fans! We have some fantastic news for all those fans of rubber stamping in the US who love IndigoBlu stamps (or are maybe new to them?)

Topflight Stamps, LLC is a new Art Stamp Online Store. They are a US based company that carries Rubber and Clear Stamps from different countries around the world. Check them out for unique international stamps, including IndigoBlu. All US orders over $50 ship free.

We thought we'd share some inspiration, first seen back in April 2017, from US based designer and International Design Team Member Autumn Clark. She cleverly combined the Dinkie Flutterby and CrackleGlaze Background stamps to alter the cover of a composition book.

Autumn with you today to share some very fun techniques. My jaw dropped to the floor when I saw THIS post by our Jenny Marples. Right away I ordered the Crackleglaze Background stamp.

I first tried to make a floral design like Jenny. I inked the background and colored the poppy from the Poppycock stamp set with Distress Inks. Next I layered on Super Thick Slap it On with a palette knife. I pressed the crackle stamp into the paste and quickly washed my stamp and let the panel dry. I went over with Distress Crayons blending with a baby wipe. I thought I would add some chunky embossing to the edges to mimic solder. Hmm, at this point I felt the entire project had grown rather dismal... So I cut a square out of the middle and decided to salvage the piece as a frame.

I inked some book page and card with Distress Oxide ink. I cut the circle dies from the inky card. I smooshed some card into Postbox Red paint and then dipped it into Distress Oxide, letting the ink flow down. I stamped the Flutterby stamp onto that panel then used the excess to cut a postage die. I used all of these elements to build my composition.

Here's a closeup shot of that lovely crackle effect.

I layered the butterfly over a purchased paper flower and bundled string.

All of the layers were raised with chipboard.

I added some staples for interest.

I curled the butterfly wings for even more dimension.

I glued a vintage button to a brad to adhere a second paper flower and layered over a die cut flower.

Here it is ready for my journaling and doodles. I hope you have fun experimenting with these techniques.

And here's some more inspiration from Autumn using the Dinkie Flutterby stamp;

Autumn Clark

Autumn Clark

Thank you for joining us here at the IndigoBlu blog to see Autumn's gorgeous projects - we are sure you'll now have some ideas of your own for using the Dinkie Flutterby and CrackleGlaze Background stamps, both of which are now available in the US from Topflight Stamps.

Love canvas

Hi! Solange Marques here again! I'll share with you the project for this month!
February is Valentine's month, then The month theme is LOVE!!!!!

I've created a canvas:

I've used a Square Flat Canvas and I applied modelling paste on the Believe stencil. Then I applied
English Cottage Artist's Acrylic paint Hot Cocoa and GeeSso Good!Gesso-white on the background and I've painted a heart with Postbox Red and Mulberry Bush:

I've used Word Blocks stamp:

I hope you enjoy it!

Blazing Poppies Veteran's Day Card

Autumn here with you today to share a very personal card I made for my husband to celebrate Veteran's Day.  I absolutely adore the Poppycock stamp set!  It was one of my first IndigoBlu purchases and stamping it never disappoints!  However, I wanted to use it in a more personal way so my husband would know I was truly thinking of HIM and not just making pretty cards to blog about.  Ha!  I know some of you can relate...  I looked up the specifics of my husband's service and printed them in a very small font to create my background.

I dipped my panel in a watery mix of Walnut Stain and Vintage Photo Distress Inks to age it.  This tiny corner of text refers to his company and our home during his tour.  Before I go on, let me say thank you to our service men and women who so bravely keep our lands safe.  Thank you for your service!

Now, our theme this month is burning bonfire.  What could be more blazing than a red poppy?!  I have been experimenting with this technique some and have had beautiful results.  I scraped a bit of Postbox Red acrylic paint onto my craft sheet and sprayed with water, then dipped my paper panel into the mixture.  Why use paint instead of ink?  Because of the coverage!  If I had done the same technique in Distress Ink, I would have had pink poppies.  But with IndigoBlu paints the pigment does not dilute.  The water only adds transparency and does not change the color.  I made a large sheet and then stamped my poppies strategically so I could get the highlights and color variation.

I dipped the dried red panel into a mix of Walnut Stain and water to give it a vintage look to match my text background.  Yes, you can layer paints and inks.  :)

You won't believe what I did next, but I actually used the same process to color my seam binding so I could add a coordinating bow.  It worked wonderfully!  There's no end to the possibilities with this line of paints.  Now look at the gorgeous tones on the poppies!  I do hope you will try this technique, perhaps for a Veteran's Day card for someone you love?

Pick up you Poppycock stamp set today!

Twinchie Canvas

It is Cec here and I have some autumn inspiration for you.

I thought this time I would make a canvas in fall colours to share with you.

I started with a 6" square canvas and gave it a coat of white Gesso.  Then I added some texture through the IndigoBlu Mixed Media Stencil.

Once it was dry I covered it with Lemon Meringue Matte paint and then added Burning Bonfire and Postbox Red that were thinned with water, wiping each layer back with a baby wipe in random areas.  After I took this photo I decided to knock back the colour a bit by dry brushing another light coat of Gesso on the canvas.

I cut eight 2" x 2" pieces of chipboard and glued them in pairs with Super Thick Slap it On to make four twinchies.  I used double sided tape to cover them with old book paper.

The twinchies were coated with white Gesso, painted with Lemon Meringue Matte paint and then dry brushed with a little more Gesso.  Take note of the text because it is soon going to disappear.

Next I used a variety of Distress Spray Stains, some Miss Moneypenny Metallic paint and some Gold Luscious to add some interest to the canvas and the twinchies.  I sprayed, splattered and dropped blobs of colour on.  I find it fascinating how differently the substrates react to exactly the same additions.

I used Jet Black Archival Ink to stamp the butterflies and small flowers from the IndigoBlu Live, Laugh, Love stamp set.  In the end I stamped 4 of each and then fussy cut them.

I painted both sides of the butterflies with Carved Pumpkin Distress Ink and the flowers with Candied Apple Distress Ink.   Next I painted the front of two butterflies with Miss Moneypenny Metallic paint and the front of two flowers with Ruby Slippers Metallic paint.  I cut between sections of the flowers and shaped them a bit before I layered them in pairs with the painted flowers on top and added some black pearls for centres.  I layered the butterflies in the same manner and added pearls to their bodies.

The twinchies were adhered to the canvas using Super Thick Slap it On and the embellishments added to the twinchies.

I hope you are inspired to play with twinchies.  I am now on a mission to try something with inchies.