Mermaid Play with Lavinia Stamps!

It's Tuesday which means it's time to share a project created for Topflight Stamps. This week my teammates and I are showcasing Lavinia Stamps' fabulous products. 

I wanted to experiment with Elements Inks to see how they reacted with water mists and with salt. I got so excited that I created two backgrounds that I loved, which led to the creation of the two cards below.

Both cards use Zelith Clear Polymer Stamp, Sea Creatures Clear Polymer Stamp, the two little stamps included with the Floral Wreath Clear Polymer Stamp Set, the Glory Stencil, Blue Lagoon and Mermaid Elements Ink.

Here's the first card, which also uses the Mini Fish Clear Polymer Stamp and Every Dream Clear Polymer Stamp. 

Here's the second card that uses Mini Sea Urchin Clear Polymer Stamp, Acetate Hills Masks by Lavinia Stamps,  with the Deeper Than The Ocean Clear Polymer Stamp sentiment.

Topflight Stamps Products Used:

Zelith Clear Polymer Stamp by Lavinia Stamps

Floral Wreath Clear Polymer Stamp by Lavinia Stamps

Sea Creatures Clear Polymer Stamp by Lavinia Stamps

Mini Sea Urchin Clear Polymer Stamp by Lavinia Stamps

Mini Fish Clear Polymer Stamp by Lavinia Stamps

Every Dream Clear Polymer Stamp by Lavinia Stamps

Deeper Than The Ocean Clear Polymer Stamp by Lavinia Stamps

Glory Stencil by Lavinia Stamps

Acetate Hills Masks by Lavinia Stamps

Blue Lagoon Elements Ink by Lavinia Stamps

Mermaid Elements Ink by Lavinia Stamps

Rainforest Prism Ink by Hunkydory Crafts

Onyx Black VersaFine™ Ink by Tsukineko®

PSA: There are loads of wonderful new products available at the store. You should go take a look! I bet you'll find something you want and/or need.

Other Products Used:

140 lb. Mixed Media Paper by Strathmore®

Cardstock by Bazzill Basics Paper®

Twilight, Blue Belle, and Rainforest VersaFine Clair™ Inks by Tsukineko®

VersaMark™ Ink by Tsukineko®

White Detail Embossing Powder by Stampendous!®

Clear Glaze ® 3D Glossy Gel Pen by Sakura® of America

White Gelly Roll® Gel Pen by Sakura® of America

Green and Light Green Stardust® Glitter Gel Pens by Sakura® of America

Triplus® Fineliner Pens by Staedtler

STAY-tion™ by Wendy Vecchi for Ranger Ink

Brayers

8" x 10" Gel Press

Stamping Platform

White Gesso

Chalk Pencils by General's® Pencils

Kosher Salt

Calcium Chloride

Low-tack Tape

Instructions and Notes:

Elements Inks are very juicy so my usual method of using them is to apply ink to the brayer, then brayer off some ink onto a second piece of cardstock. This allows me to control the amount and intensity of the ink applied to the Gel Press.

Instructions for the Backgrounds:

1. Apply Mermaid Elements Ink to a brayer, brayer off onto a piece of Mixed Media Paper, then brayer the ink onto a large Gel Press. 
2.Pull the print.
3. Repeat this process using the same print, building layers of ink until happy with the coverage. 
4. Repeat steps #1 to 3 using Blue Lagoon Elements Ink. You're applying multiple light layers of ink to the same print.
5. The print was misted with water then heat set.

Here's a photo of the misted and heat set print.

6. This background was the result of my experiment. The cardstock that I had used to remove the excess ink from the brayer was rather dark after multiple applications of ink. 

7. Heavily spray the background with water.

8. Add a combination of Kosher salt and large crystals of calcium chloride to the wet print. My husband is a chemist, so we have odd things around here, other than him. 

The salt immediately began to react with the water and ink. Some salt seemed to disappear; some formed a gel-like substance. 

Here's a photo.

 

9. The cardstock was heat set and the remaining crystals were brushed into the bin.

This is what the background looked like when that was done. So cool!

Instructions for the first card.

1. Secure the first background onto the STAYtion with magnets.
2. Brush or sponge Rainforest Prism ink over the Glory stencil onto both sides of the background. Heat set.
3. Move the stenciled background onto the Stamping Platform and secure with magnets.
4. Position Zelith facedown onto the background panel, press the platform's lid onto the back of the stamp, and lift.
5. Ink the stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair and stamp. Repeat if necessary for good coverage. Heat set.
6. Remove the stamped, stenciled background from the Stamping Platform.
7. Use Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink to stamp the sea horse and the fish as shown.
8. Use Rainforest VersaFine Clair ink to stamp the vertical plant from the Floral Wreath set along the bottom of the image panel. Heat set.
9. Use Rainforest VersaFine Clair ink to stamp the floral leaf plant from from the Floral Wreath set along both sides of the image panel. Heat set.
10.  Repeat step #18 using Blue Belle VersaFine Clair ink. Heat set.
11. Use Triplus markers to add color and detail to the fish and sea horse.
12. Use Blue Belle VersaFine Clair ink to edge the piece. Heat set.
13. Mat with black cardstock cut slightly larger than the image panel.
14. Use VersaMark ink to stamp the "Every dream" sentiment onto black cardstock.
15. Heat set with White Detail Embossing Powder.
16. Die cut the sentiment with a banner die.
17. Assemble the card as shown.

Instructions for the second card (the salted one):

1. Secure the second background onto the STAYtion with magnets.
2. Brush or sponge Rainforest Prism ink over the Glory stencil onto both sides of the background. Heat set.
3. Move the stenciled background onto the Stamping Platform and secure with magnets.
4. Position Zelith facedown onto the background panel, press the platform's lid onto the back of the stamp, and lift.
5. Ink the stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair and stamp. Repeat if necessary for good coverage. Heat set.
6. Remove the stamped, stenciled background from the Stamping Platform.
7. Use Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink to stamp the jellyfish.
8. Use Rainforest VersaFine Clair ink to stamp the vertical plant from the Floral Wreath set along the bottom of the image panel. Heat set.
9. Use Rainforest VersaFine Clair ink to stamp the floral leaf plant from from the Floral Wreath set along both sides of the image panel. Heat set.
10.  Repeat step #18 using Twlight VersaFine Clair ink. Heat set.
11. Use Triplus markers to add color to Zelith's hair, tail, and wing-like structure.
12. Use Stardust Glitter pens to add glittery detail to Zelith.
13. Add a layer of Clear Glaze Pen to the jellyfish's body. Let dry. 
14. Repeat adding layers of Clear Glaze Pen to the jellyfish body, allowing the glaze to dry between applications. 
15. Use white chalk pencil to trace one of the Hills stencils.
16. Use Nocturne VersaFine Clair to stamp the Mini Sea Urchins. Heat set.
17. Paint white gesso along the chalk line to the bottom of the piece. Heat set, which will add some crackly texture.
18. Use chalk pencils to add color to the white gesso to create a sandy layer.
19. Use chalk pencils to add shading around the Sea Urchins and color to them.
20. Use Twilight VersaFine Clair ink to edge the piece. Heat set.
21. Repeat Background Steps #1 to #5 onto another piece of Mixed Media cardstock.
22. Use magnets to secure this piece onto the Stamping Platform.
23. Position the sentiment facedown onto the background panel, press the platform's lid onto the back of the stamp, and lift.
24. Use low-tack tape to cover the second sentence. Ink the stamp with Onyx Black VersaFine ink, remove the tape, stamp, then heat set.
25. Slightly move the background panel. Re-secure it with magnets.
26. Clean and dry the stamp.
27. Use another piece of low-tack tape to cover the top sentence. Ink the stamp with VersaFine ink, remove the tape, stamp, then heat set.
28. Remove the panel from the Stamping Platform.
29. Trim the sentiments and edge with Twilight VersaFine Clair ink. Heat set.
30. Adhere the sentiment as shown.
31. Mount the image panel/background onto a blue card.

If you made it through this entire post, pat yourself on the back, and go get an adult beverage.

Thanks for visiting today!