Sally Lynn MacDonald

RESULTS: Printing on Acrylic and Glass Bead Gel

Hi, again from the Studio Lab.

Well last night's experiment is finally complete and I am happy to report a complete success!!!

Picking up where I left off, now that the glass bead gel has completely dried I am ready to apply the Golden Digital Ground for Non-Porous Surfaces.  Just a thin coat.  This drizzle across the top of the shape is enough to pull down through the entire piece.  Following the manufacturer's directions, first apply in one direction.  Let dry completely.  And then apply in the other direction (let's say down, and then across, make sense?).

During that oh-so-lovely drying time (non porous things don't have the benefit of airflow coming from anywhere but above, so get used to waiting), you can start to work on your digital element of this project.  I chose a digital quick page design from Doris Castle's PULSE collection.  I flipped the design horizontally, knowing that my foil work would cover up the silouhette's head otherwise.  I added word art to the center frame and clipped the whole thing to the shape of my acrylic piece to save on ink.

Now that the piece is completely dry from the second coat of Digital Ground for Non-Porous Surfaces, I need to attach my acrylic page to a carrier sheet, so that it will feed into my printer easily.

Dry adhesives need not apply.  Unlike many applications you may have seen, we are printing edge-to-edge.  We are printing on a semi-rigid surface that has to bend as it feeds through the printer. We cannot use painter's tape to stick it down.  Remember, at the very beginning of this project, I left the protective liner on the back of my acrylic piece?  This is the 'why'.  Now I can take my Helmar 450 and apply it to the back (smooth, un-artsified side) and drizzle it liberally near the edge and center of my acrylic shape to adhere it to the carrier sheet.

Let it dry - and you have no chance that this puppy is going to jump up and say, 'Hello!' to your print heads.  Bend it a bit to test.  If you're lucky and have a straight-through feed, such as on many of the Canon large-format printers (which is on my WANT list), then you have no worries.  If, however, you have an Epson, you will be feeding it through the back, and it must bend.  Be careful.  Don't blame me if your lab experiment goes horribly wrong.  CAVEAT PRINTER.  :)

So now I've printed my design (and the printer survived).  I peel the acrylic piece off the piece of cardstock and remove the protective backing off the wrong side of my acrylic shape. 

It looks SO COOL.  The ink detail is amazing. 

See the little detail of the chain links? 

And the translucent nature of the inkjet ink onto the glass bead gel surface lets all of the other elements shine through.

I think Bria is going to love this for her room.
 

I know I loved making it.  I'd like to thank Jenn Mason, and her article in Cloth Paper Scissors "Gifts" for inspiring this experiment in the Studio Lab.

So remember to go pick up a copy of Cloth Paper Scissors "Gifts", for $14.99, it is a collectible, super-sized treasure at 148 pages and can be found at Barnes & Noble or JoAnn's.

 
You still have time to comment below and WIN A FREE ISSUE!! by Saturday, January 1st, 2011.  I'd love to hear your comments on this topic:

What creative techniques and/or projects have you decided to tackle in the new year?  How do you plan to take them on?  Will you take an instructor-led workshop?  Sign up for a course at an art school?  Attend a retreat?  Or just dig in to your own lab and learn as you go?  

I'll append comments from this and yesterday's post for my drawing.  Feel free to post your answers here, and I'll pick a winner on New Year's Day, Saturday, January 1st, 2011 right before midnight EST to kick off the start of 2011!

 

Cloth Paper Scissors GIFTS Magazine Review and Giveaway!

I was recently asked to participate in a monthly review of specials issues and publications by Cloth Paper Scissors for 2011.

To kick things off, this month, I received the first annual GIFTS Holiday Issue. 

 
This gorgeous magazine has tons of inspiration and original projects for handmade gifts and techniques that will take you way beyond the winter holiday season.

I was inspired by so many articles, from Barbe Saint John's embellished bobby pins on page 60 (a short video here to inspire...)

 

...to a group of ATC cards attached as gift tags on page 129 by Linda Blinn.  But the article that had me leaping from the dinner table to my studio was the Digital Recipe Book on Page 92 by Jenn Mason.

 
As a former IBMer, I'm always looking for ways to mix technology with physical artforms.  I rarely do an entirely digital project, preferring the hybrid feel of ink and paint on my hands.  Jenn's article talks about printing vintage recipes onto muslin using Golden's Digital Grounds, and then adding your artistic flair to them.  This keeps the originals intact and allows you creative freedom with lovely vintage pieces.  How appealing!

I have worked with Digital Grounds many times before, but Jenn's article made me reach into the studio to try out something new tonight.  Isn't inspiration the best part of what you want from a good publication?  Well inspiration HIT and I decided to try techniques with unique surfaces and mediums that I haven't thrown together before.  Buckle up....we're heading to the studio lab.

My twelve-year old daughter got some items for a room makeover for Christmas.  The theme is all purple and pink.  I decided to make her a window-hanging to add to the new room decor.

To start, I took a 12" x 12" acrylic shape from Clear Scraps and removed the protective film from ONE side only.  This is the side I will be printing onto.  Leave the film on the other side -- essential for the printing step later on in the process. 

I recommend the shapes from Clear Scraps because they are flexible enough to bend easily when they go through the back sheet feeder on my wide-format printer.  Unless you have a direct-feed printer, flexibility is key.  I do NOT recommend the circle shape.  The acrylic on that particular piece is thicker.  Go for the other shapes.

Take some Gel Medium paints, such as these Glimmer Glam paints from Tattered Angels, and dribble, drip and spatter them onto the surface.  Allow to dry.

Place a stencil over the corner and use a stiff stencil brush (one that you don't love too much) and pounce leafing adhesive through the stencil.

Let it extend beyond and fill up the spaces in-between the images.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions.  This particular leafing adhesive starts blue while it is wet...
 

And then turns completely clear when tacky.  Now we are ready to apply the leafing material.

I've used a couple of different materials to show you their effect.  Leafing transfer sheets can be applied, right-side UP and pressed into place, but leafing flakes are applied by pouncing with a DRY, stiff stencil brush. 

When you remove the sheet leafing, you will see a perfect, crisp image, as in the upper left corner shown below.   But, it's a single color.  For a more graphic, clean look, this is great. 

But what I like to do, is then pounce over the exposed area with the loose leafing flakes, getting other colors to adhere around the single-color leafing.  It gives the project so much more pizazz. 

I haven't applied leafing to acrylic before.  It worked!  Cool.

Now let's see what else we can put onto the surface.  I'd love to add to the dimension to this surface, without adding dimension to hit my printer heads.  For me, that means glass bead gel.  This medium has teeny, tiny glass beads, suspended in a translucent acrylic medium.  For a more traditional application, you could mix this with acrylic paint to create colored textured effects.

I only want the translucent textural effect, so I'm going to apply the glass bead gel directly to my surface.  I use some empty packaging, or a large acrylic block or palette knife to evenly 'frost' the surface with the gel.

Think of applying a light layer of frosting to a cake.  You only want a thin layer of glass beads. 

Admittedly, this is nerve-wracking.  It looks so OPAQUE at first, that you think you've lost all of your prior work.  But remember, we are working on a CLEAR substrate.  Even if I mess up, I can flip over.  Isn't that freeing?  Besides soon I see the glass bead texture coming through, and the white begins to disappear. 
 
And wait for it to dry.

And wait...

And wait...

But it really is drying!  Working on a non-porous surface has its drawbacks.  No air comes through the material to aid in speeding drying time.  So we only have surface air (which needs to be at least 55 degrees, so don't do this in the garage during wintertime) in order to dry our glass bead gel.

Look, it really is drying!

 

Why do I seem surprised?  Because I am!  Here in my studio lab, I am willing to fail spectacularly in order to try something new.  But indeed, this experiment appears to be working so far.

And since waiting for gel to dry is what I am doing right now, that is all I'm going to show you for today.  *insert evil laughter*.  To see the rest of the process, including PRINTING directly onto this fun surface, you are going to have to come back tomorrow!

Meanwhile go pick up a copy of Cloth Paper Scissors "Gifts", for $14.99, it is a collectible, super-sized treasure at 148 pages and can be found at Barnes & Noble or JoAnn's.

Or you can comment below and WIN A FREE ISSUE!! by Saturday, January 1st, 2011.  I'd love to hear your comments on this topic:

What creative techniques and/or projects have you decided to tackle in the new year?  How do you plan to take them on?  Will you take an instructor-led workshop?  Sign up for a course at an art school?  Attend a retreat?  Or just dig in to your own lab and learn as you go?  

Post your answers here, and I'll pick a winner on New Year's Day, Saturday, January 1st, 2011 right before midnight EST to kick off the start of 2011!

And come back tomorrow for the conclusion of SL's latest Studio Lab experiment...

 

A Crafty Christmas Giveaway!

It is pretty fun to give.  So at midnight tonight, I will give away these three prize packages:

#1 Totally Textured

• Tim Holtz Texture Hammer
• Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher
• Tim Holtz Grungeboard Plain Elements
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• Ranger Distress Crackle Paint, Rock Candy
• Ranger Distress Stickles, Picket Fence

#2 Glimmer and Shimmer

• Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Winter Palette
  • Gum Drop
  • Jingle Bells
  • Santa Baby
  • Jack Frost
  • Snow Queen
  • Sugar Plum Fairy
• Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Fall Palette
  • Apple
  • Autumn Nights
  • Dragonfly
  • Pomegranate
  • Granite
  • Sugar Maple
• Tattered Angels Chalkboard Glimmer Mist in Strawberry Shortcake
• Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze in Emerald Cove and Orange Crush
• ...and some favorite 'blenders' for Glimmer Mist
  • Dazzling Diamonds
  • Iridescent Gold
  • Pearl

#3 Metals and Embellishments

• Tim Holtz Corners
• Tim Holtz Game Spinners
• Tim Holtz Ornate Plates
• Tim Holtz Swivel Clasps
• Tim Holtz Journaling Tickets
• 7gypsies Avignon 6x6 paper pack
• 7gypsies Avignon numbered paperclips

I will select names at MIDNIGHT tonight (Eastern) - just a few short hours from now!

Comment! - but know that I'm going completely random on this.  It's short notice so I'll be posting on Facebook as well, and possibly pulling names from my Friends list there if we don't get a lot of comments here.  I just feel like giving, so don't be a Grinch!

Drawing is open to global participants.

P.S. If you aren't with me on Facebook yet, click on: http://www.facebook.com/sallylynn.macdonald.

Happy Christmas Eve!

Yee Haw! We're adding to the Copic Team Again!

Copic has some great news to share ... adding a talent as big as Texas, Jenn Balcer, who has agreed to help with Copic Certification classes in the South Central Region of the US!  Sharon Harnist will be assisting me at the Copic Certification class in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, June 6th.  I'm hoping we'll have Jenn there as well. :)  Please stop by Jenn's blog and give her a big welcome!  And you know us -- we always like to celebrate good news with a giveaway!  To help welcome Jenn to the Copic Instructor Team, each of us are giving away an empty 24 wallet, to hold your markers:

 

For the chance to win, just leave a comment on this post by this Saturday (April 24) at 11pm Eastern, and I'll let Random.org choose the winner and post it Sunday morning.

CERTIFICATION UPDATES:  All open applications can be found here -
http://copicmarker.com/certification/certification-applications-info/

May 14th, Birmingham, AL Taught by Colleen Schaan Open to the public
May, 15th Las Vegas, NV Taught by Jennie Black Open to the public
May 16th, Concord (Charlotte area), NC Taught by Sally Lynn MacDonald Open to the public - only a couple seats left!
May 23, Charleston, WV Taught by Sally Lynn MacDonald Open to the public
May 23, Anchorage, AK Taught by Sherrie Siemens Open to the public
May 30th, Vancouver, BC Taught by Sherrie Siemens Open to Stores & Designers
June 6th, Arlington, TX Taught by Sally Lynn MacDonald, Assisted by Sharon Harnist Open to Stores & Designers - filling fast!
June 5th, Santa Barbara, CA Taught by Jennie Black Open to Stores & Designers
June 13th, Toronto, Canada Taught by Sally Lynn MacDonald Open to Stores & Designers
June, TBA Grand Rapids, MI Taught by Debbie Olson Open to Stores & Designers
June 13th, Boise, ID Taught by Sherrie Siemens Open to Stores & Designers

Applications have NOT gone out yet for the following locations. Applications go out 60 days from the date of the class. Please do not send us an email about locations that are not open yet:

Opening soon:
June 19th, Los Angeles, CA Taught by Jennie Black
June 27th, Seattle, WA Taught by Sherrie Siemens
June, TBA Branson MO, Taught by Lori Craig

Don't forget to leave your comment here on my blog for the chance to win the Copic wallet I'm giving away AND you can also enter to win the same type of empty wallet on each of the Copic team blogs (some giveaway blog posts may not be up quite yet, but please check back with them this week):

Lori • Sherrie • Sharon  • Jennie • Jenn • Debbie • Sally Lynn <you're here! Colleen • Mish

 

Friend-ly Facebook PRIZE and a technique pictorial to share

I have a thing for the number 1.  My birthday is 11/1 (not going into the year...!) and I seem to finish projects in the middle of the night, around 1am.  So it was to my goofy delight yesterday to see that my Facebook friend count had reached 1,111!  Cool!

If you aren't on Facebook yet, join!  It's free and fun -- and a great way for me to get to know my readers better.  So if you haven't yet - jump over to http://www.facebook.com/sallylynn.macdonald and friend me, k?

So... today I put a technique post on the Prima blog featuring this project:

  
And as if it wasn't great enough that you can comment over there to win a prize; I'm going to add one of my own!

I will do a random drawing on Saturday, March 6th (midnight-ish) for a kit to make this project!  That includes everything but the Glimmer Mist:

• 9" Memory Tray (color may vary)
• Say It In Studs and Crystal Centers #530945
• Donna Downey Iron On Frame #920302
• Donna Downey Embroidered Tag #920142
• Petite Fleur Vine #529079
• Galaxy Stars Copper #529895
• Say It In Pearls Strips, Cream #530488
• Galaxy Roses, Pierre #533281
• Painted Ladies, Nob Hill Flowers #532727
• Whispered Words, flocked alphabet stickers, #812072
• Holiday Lights Birds, Blue

In short, a nice prize!  So Join me on Facebook - because that is where I'll be drawing the name from.  C'mon - you can do it!  http://www.facebook.com/sallylynn.macdonald.

And watch for a LOT of additions to the teaching schedule (to the right) shortly.  I'm finalizing the June schedule as we speak. 

Ok, off to track down some Fedex, and UPS and getting ready for Memphis this weekend.  My first visit there and I keep humming "Walking in Memphis" by Marc Cohn.  Where are my blue suede shoes?

 

Show me some love...

I heart all things ink.  So my crafting mission today?  To recreate a paper that I adore from a blank white sheet as a starting 'canvas' and make a project based on this inspiration.  This is my favorite scrapbook paper of all time - and the inspiration starting point:

 

This paper is from designer, Christine Adolph.  I bought it so many YEARS ago and still, it holds my heart as my favorite paper of all time.  Even though the stitching wasn't 'real', but printed, the combination of color, texture, foiling, color-blocking, layering... be still my heart!

As if you even needed more inspiration than that, here is another bit, not surprisingly (to me) that was published in a favorite inspiration book, by the same artist.  The book is, "Faith Books & Spiritual Journaling: Expressions of Faith through Art" by Sharon Soneff and Mindy Caliguire.  The art is - mind blowing:

 

Though I've never met Christine Adolph - her work has been a jumping-off point for so many projects.  So I'm sharing my muse (mine!  All Mine!) with you today.  Alright, I'm getting close to stalker-love for this woman's work - but let's just say I'm a fan.

Make something.  Post a link to your post with the creation (not just your blog, but the post link).  And I'll show you some love via a nice little prize package...

A couple of friends have experienced the loss of loved ones this week and my heart aches, absolutely aches for them.  So I feel the need to celebrate every moment and create something positive and meaningful today.  Call it creative therapy.

Go forth and be colorful.  See ya!

 

 

Winner, Winner! Choose some Spica Glitter!!!

Check it out -

Anne B.

has won a set of Spica Glitter Pens!!

Anne B. said...

Congrats to Jennie and what a lovely picture of all you ladies! Thanks for the chance to win some fantastic glitter pens.

Send me an e-mail to inkyheart@earthlink.net to choose your set.  :)

And thanks to everyone for welcoming our newest Copic Certification Team member, Jennie Black.

Copic Team 2010 - Sparkling Personalities plus win some SPICA pens!

One of the very best parts of a trade show, such as CHA, is the ability to get a group of people together, from all over the world and meet in person.

The Copic Team in attendance got together on Saturday morning with a little surprise for an unsuspecting Jennie Black, who was invited to come to breakfast.  Jennie has been teaching in Southern California and making quite a reputation for herself.  She also taught a class at the CHA Craft Supershow (the consumer show) just the day before.  Let's just say her work had caught Marianne's attention.  And so we gathered together on Saturday morning to SURPRISE her with an invitation to join the team as a Copic Certification Instructor!!!  I was sitting directly across from her at the table, and watched the emotions play on her face, from confusion to joy to denial - and back again.  What fun to see the tears literally glistening in her eyes.  We are so glad to have you on the team, Jennie!

Jennie Black - Copic Certification Instructor, Southwestern U.S.

I think one of the highlights of my trip was a team dinner with everybody from the Copic/Imagination International Team.  I thought it would be a great time to introduce everybody to you.

Here is a picture of the Certification Team:

top row (l-r) Lori Craig, Sally Lynn MacDonald, Sharon Harnist, Debbie Olsen
bottom row (l-r) Nancy Zenke, Sherrie Siemens, Marianne Walker, Jennie Black, Colleen Schaan

There are a lot of people that you don't meet unless you come to the tradeshow booth... and these guys really make it happen for all of us too back at the office in Oregon and all the way from Japan!

 
(l-r) Ron Sprafkin, John Darland, Justin and Toshi 

Ken and Courtney weren't at the show this time.  But by way of introduction, I would love for you to meet Ken O'Connell through this article in an Oregon Newspaper, "A Life, in 68 Sketchbooks".  Kenneth O'Connell is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Oregon and President of Imagination International, Inc.

And I still hope to meet Kris and Colleen and Kari (sp?) in person one of these days.  I guess somebody had to stay behind and keep things running at the office!

So in honor of the latest addition to our team, and a truly SPARKLING personality I am giving away a set of Atyou Spica Glitter Pens (choose set A or B, set A is pictured).

 
Leave a comment on this post and I will draw a name at midnight on Saturday, February 6th for a set of Atyou Spica glitter pens ... a $30 value!

Have a colorful day!

And The WINNER is...

Thank you for joining the...

I've pulled a number from Random.ORG and counted the dear Facebook friends to reveal...

.

.

. drumroll

.

.

.

.

.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000021208235

Lesley Ainsworth!!

In her own words:

"by day I'm a Nuclear Operations Instructor at a power plant...by night I'm a mad crafter!  Married for 10 years to my biggest fan and best friend...I have one 10 year old daughter who every once in awhile will spend an afternoon crafting with me!  I started making cards in May of 2008 when I was invited to attend a Close To My Heart party (obligation mostly...made my best friend attend a function for something else at my house...so I had to "pay her back" LOL!) and have been addicted to stamping ever since.  I started getting back into Scrapbooking Fall of 2008...and since then I spend a good majority of my "down time" playing with paper, inks and stamps.  I love the creative process!  It helps that my two dearest friends are also scrap-a-holics...so we try and have annual get together's to spend a weekend just hanging out and getting scrappy! We actually started our own blog last February and it's been so much fun!  I was so lucky to get to take one of your Copic classes last November and my Copic addiction was born!"

Her reaction upon hearing from me was pretty cute!  I sent her a cryptic e-mail that said "guess what?" and she replied, "my number is up????".  LOL!!!

My first reaction...OH MY WORD!  I wasn't sure what to say...I almost didn't believe it...but gave it a go and when you told me I was the winner...WOW...WOW...WOW...I've been bouncing around with the goofiest grin on my face!  Oh wow oh wow oh wow.  I'm beyond excited...unbelievably thrilled and shocked and everything!

So thanks to everyone for participating in my blog milestone.  It's been really great to get past the anonymous IP addresses and locations.  Thank you so much for becoming a part of the Facebook community so I could know who was reading the blog.  I truly look forward to getting to know you better in 2010.  Have a fantastic evening!

 

CHA - New Things, Old Friends and...drawing the number....!

CHA has been an 'interesting' experience for the first day.  It had a different feeling for me this time around.  I've run into people that are 'Facebook friends, in-person friends and gained more insight into friendships that I'm certain will last a lifetime.  Gained some clarity.  Spread some love around.  I even mended a fence.  That's my kind of day.

And then I ran into the guys from The Original Scrapbox.  I love their organizational furniture.  Take a look at this EZ View modular desk and you'll see right away why I am a big fan.

We were talking about this and that, and then I mentioned:

 

And guess what they said?

"Well why don't you give one of these away?"

So now, one of you lucky blog readers / Facebook friends is going to get a EZ View Desk from The Original Scrapbox!!

What a great way to store all the other goodies coming in the box...

Hurry up now - I'm drawing the number!!!!!!!!!!

I will post the big reveal tomorrow. :)  Sleep tight.  And have happy dreams of the big box.