A Very Special SCACD New Release!!

Just wait until you see what Susana has in store for all her crafty friends this month!! Here's a little note from Susana introducing today's release:

We've been "die"ing to mix things upSCACD !  So, this month we have the launch of two awesome new Collections. :)

 

First is a fantastic new line of DIES.  Susana has collaborated on a collection of dies with a timeless, classic feel.  Delicate and beautiful, the diecuts from these high quality wafer thin metal dies will be featuring on your projects for years to come!

 

Second is a wonderful new direction for SCACD.  Susana is following her heart with a new line of Mixed Media stamps.  For those of you who are new to the concept, Mixed Media is a style that embraces creativity and experimentation. Let SCACD take you on a new creative adventure with the Blank Canvas Collection.  From the beginner to the mixed media enthusiast, these stamps will have the creative juices well and truly flowing! 

 

Each set in the collection comprises looks, perfect for mixing it up with different techniques.  Use the elements set to enhance the blank canvas silhouettes, or use them on their own for gorgeous effects.

 

In addition there is a fabulous set of word outlines, ready to be customized however you like!  Color them in, doodle, zentangle, paper piece - go wherever your creativity takes you.

 

Mix it up and most importantly - HAVE FUN!

I have always been intrigued with mixed media pieces. I love the layering, textures, various tools and mediums used to create these projects. That being said, I am a complete mixed media rookie! I have dabbled with a few ideas and techniques, but this is a whole new ball game for me. That being said, I absolutely love pulling out various art supplies, experimenting and getting messy. I have had a lot of fun playing with the exclusive dies and stamps being released at SCACD today. They are so versatile and able to suit so many different styles as you will see on today's blog hop. The entire SCACD design team and some special guests have been busy in their studios getting crafty and creative to share some inspiration featuring these new dies and stamps. If you've been following along, you should have arrived here after visiting with the lovely and talented Lorraine. If not, make sure to pop on over to Danni's blog so you don't miss out on any of the gorgeous projects these ladies have created. 

I am sharing two projects with you today. First up is an Inkssentials Tag I created featuring two of the new Dies for SCACD, "Uncaged Bird" and one of the corner dies from the "Classic Corners" set. These dies are gorgeous...the cuts are beautifully detailed and elegant. I love how the vines are intertwined around the birdcage. I used my Cuttlebug to cut Uncaged Bird and three corners out of plain white cardstock. I then coated each element with modelling paste and allowed them to dry thoroughly. This gave the die cuts a different texture than bare cardstock. I was going for a rustic, antiqued feel. The cage was then painted with gold and brown craft. It was also touched with some Honey Amber Luminarte Silk. The vines were painted with Mallard Luminarte Mica Powder that was mixed with some matte medium to create a paint. The bird and butterflies were also painted with a mica/matte medium combination using Blue Flame. I added some extra vines extending out from the birdcage by cutting an additional Uncaged Bird and trimming the vines from that die cut. In the bottom left hand corner, you will see the Classic Corner Die. (you will get two different dies in this set) It was painted in the same manner as the bird cage. The butterfly in the upper right corner was created by combining two of the Classic Corner Dies...this is a great way to extend the versatility of your corner dies. With their intricate designs, they make stunning butterflies. This was painted with the Luminarte Mica Powder/matte medium "paint" mixture using Mallard and Blue Flame. I also spritzed them with some water in a Mini Mister and blotted them with a paper towel to soften the blend of the colours. I hand cut the little body and drew on the antennae. The background of the tag was first coloured by finger painting on Luminarte Silks in Honey Amber, Coral Berry and Guatemalan Green. I also added touches of the Blue Flame Mica powder mixed with matte medium.  If you look closely, you will see two of the mixed media Blank Canvas Collection stamps being released today...the sun rays on the bottom of the tag and in the upper left corner as well as the a little cog from the clockworks stamp in the top left corner. They were stamped in Archival Ink. I also added a strip of paper from Prima Nature Garden 6x6 pad across the middle of the tag which was coloured in the same manner as the tag background. 

Here's a look at how Uncaged Bird looks fresh out of your die-cutting machine...isn't it gorgeous?? Remember, the extra vines on my tag were made by simply trimming them from the die cut before adding them to the other. 

Up next is a watercolour featuring "No Boundaries Woman" and the sun rays from the Blank Canvas Collection. This was done on watercolour paper. I pulled out my Luminarte Mica powders and simply added water to them. When used in this manner, they give a lovely colour to your project, but not the intense shimmer effect that you will get when you use them in combination with a product that "binds" the shimmer to your surface. (like when mixing them with a matte medium or gum arabic...these mica powders are definitely multi-functional!!) Now I should say that I wasn't necessarily going for a completely realistic sunset here...it's a little stylized. I didn't use a picture for reference...I just went with what was brewing in my head, lol. I began by mixing Blue Flame with water and painting it in streaks, followed by Pink Azalea to fill in the gaps. I also mixed the two colours together to create a purple which was also streaked through the "water". I then worked on the sky using the Pink Azalea. The clouds were loosely worked in with the purple I had created on my palate with the Pink Azalea and Blue Flame. I also added some straight Pink Azalea to highlight them. The ground was created with Mallard mica powder mixed with water and a touch of Dragonfly Wing mica. To create the sun, I stamped the line art rays from the Blank Canvas Collection in Archival Ink. I then rotated the stamp and stamped it again to create the reflection in the water. This was done after "stamping off" some excess ink on scrap paper so that the impression would be faint in the water. The sun and rays were then painted with Coral Berry and Honey Amber Luminarte Silks. I also drew some of the silks through the sky and water to complete the sunset. Finally, I stamped No Boundaries Woman in Archival Ink. I love this stamp. :) 

Remember, these new Dies and Blank Canvas Collection stamps are all SCACD exclusives!! So when you are done hopping today, make sure to pop by SCACD to place your orders! (just click on the coloured  links above to be taken directly to these pages at the store) Our International Friends can check out Quixotic Paperie for your SCACD Stamp needs here and now also Dies by SCACD here.

It is now my pleasure to send you off with one of the very talented members of the SCACD design team, Lori...I know she has something stunning to share with you. :)

Happy hopping, shopping and creating. :)

Blessings, 

Melanie