True North

Crafting is my "True North". It keeps me grounded, engaged, and happy. I can lose myself in inks, paints, stamps, and paper for hours on end. I think about it often, see the world in terms of Copic colors, and gain inspiration from the tiniest of things.

Hence this small 6x6 canvas:


As you might have noticed, I love maps. Old maps, new maps -- it doesn't matter. I love 'em, collect 'em, and sacrifice 'em regularly. This map is a AAA map of California that has to be ten to twenty years old. Those folds were impossible to flatten, so I just let 'em do their thing, figuring that they add texture.

The compass is one of three stamps from SCACD's Nature's Directions set. The other two stamps in the set are a very cool lightning stamp and a gorgeous pair of Steampunk wings. Check out this set. You'll love it.

Anyway, the compass was stamped onto the map using Onyx Black VersaFine ink, which is the perfect ink for detailed images and/or for embossing with clear embossing powders. The image was embossed with clear detail embossing powder and colored with Copic markers (Ys, YRs, Rs, Gs, Ns). When I was happy with the coloring, I went over the compass using a VersaMark Marker, added a layer of clear embossing powder, and repeated the process several times until a thick glossy image had been built up. I stamped the True North sentiment, which is one of the four stamps in the Follow Your True Heart set, from using Olympia Green VersaFine ink and heat embossed using clear embossing powder. "Art" is from Bombshell's Sacred Heart Art set and was also stamped with the same green ink and heat set with clear ep.

Here's a close-up of the glossy compass!


The next step was to grab my Chevron Arrows stencil by the Crafter's Workshop and pounce Light Blue 3D Stamp Paint by Viva Decor through the stencil using a piece cut from a plain kitchen sponge. Permit me to rave about this paint. It's glittery, which appeals to my inner magpie. It's thick, which adds a sandy glittery texture, which can be spread thickly or thinly, depending on your project. Either way t dries quickly, which appeals to my more impatient side. And a little goes a long way, which appeals to my inner cheapskate. Plus, Viva Decor 3D Stamp Paint comes in several colors and is on sale now!!!!

Here's a close-up of the paint that shows its shimmer and texture!


Back to it! So, I pounced the gorgeous paint over the stencil, removed the stencil, and wiped the paint off of embossed compass, sentiment, and words. Since they were embossed, they resisted the paint! I also cleaned the stencil really quickly using a baby wipe and Purell, which is never far from me. I'm a germaphobe, so I have bottles of Purell in almost all rooms of the house, in my car, and in my hand bag.

The next step was to sponge Bundled Sage over the map. The Viva Decor 3D Stamp paint resisted the ink, as did the embossed bits. I wiped excess ink off everything and proceeded to the next step which was to sponge Mown Grass and Pine Needle Distress inks over the star portion of the Punchinella stencil by the Crafter's Workshop.

The map was further cut down to ~8" square and glued to a 6" square canvas using Multi Medium. This was left overnight to dry. The last step was to sponge a bit of Olympia Green VersaFine ink over the Tiny Circles stencil by The Crafter's Workshop.

It's been very rainy here this weekend, so I had some difficulty catching the glittery goodness of painted arrows and the shine/dimension on the compass. Alas.

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this canvas into the following challenges.
• CMC Copic Challenge Group: #68: Anything Goes

• The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog: May Challenge - Words

• Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenges: Add Texture!