Saturday, February 23, 2013

Using Transparencies: Part 1

The special issue of Papercrafts Magazine that lists challenges is interesting, although my reaction to it has been more rebellious than embracing. Do you ever get that way? "Oh, you want me to make a fabric flower? I don't think so!"

Yes, I'm a rebel. Just call me James Dean. Or maybe Jimmy Dean.

Yum. Sausage.

I miss sausage.

What was I typing about?

Oh, yeah, challenges. I was flipping through the magazine in a very negative, grouchy frame of mind when I came across a challenge to use transparencies. Hmmm. I bought a small package of "clear card stock" from PTI years ago, and it's languished in my stash ever since. So I pulled it out and felt happier instantly.

Then I realized I sold my white Staz-On and felt sad. But only for a second. I still had stone gray, brown, and black Staz-On and decided to see what I could do.

The first card uses a half-sheet of transparency for the card base, with a smaller, trimmed card taped inside with a single strip of 1/4" Scor-Tape across the top back, which is almost invisible even through the transparency. I didn't invent this idea, by the way. I've seen it several times over the years. It's a good way of emphasizing the fact that ohmygoshIusedatransparencyformycardbase!!!!




Because I didn't have red Staz-On, I stamped the sentiment on the white card stock, but the red dots are Sharpie used directly on the transparency. It's hard to tell in the photo, but the effect of that layering adds depth to the whole design.

PTI's clear card stock is nice and thick and sturdy, and while it's expensive per sheet, a pack will last most of us YEARS because we will hoard it as too expensive to cut.

Wow, I'm cynical this morning. Clearly I need a sausage biscuit.

Supplies
stamps: Papertrey (Beautiful Butterflies, sentiment), AMuse (Marvelous Marigolds)
ink: Gray Staz-On, Versacolor scarlet
paper: PTI clear card stock, white
accessories: Scor-Pal (you gotta score that thick transparency!), Sharpie

20 comments:

  1. I truly love working with transparencies and yours is wonderful! I especially love your pops of color. If you get addicted to it, as I did, lol, you might have fun stamping on both layers to collage like I tried here:
    www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2287454

    Don't you just love the shadows you can get from the light hitting the paper!?

    Thanks for sharing your journey with us.... I will have to play too! P.S. We miss you on SCS.

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  2. I have never used transparencies in a card; I have trouble remembering I have vellum even.
    I like the way you created your transparency layer bigger than your card base and the way the flower centres pop.
    Heather T

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  3. Lovely card...I think I have one sheet of this stuff....as you say it is expensive and my customers wouldn't know just how expensive so don't use it for them...and rarely for me.
    Talking of magazines....I never buy a stamping or papercraft magazine now, even if there are freebies with it (most are cute stamps which I'm not a fan of)because they are way behind the times in a lot of cases...take the knitting magazines - I just bought my last one last week...there is NOTHING in there that I will knit....full of advertisements....I can get lots of patters for free and will pay for a special pattern on Ravelry if that is what I want. Why pay £5.99 (near enough $1)for a magazine which is really of little use other than to use up say 1/2 hour to read it.

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  4. Why miss sausage - just eat some! lol! I have loved every card you have made with this set and I looked it up at A Muse (despite the fact they won't ship to Canada), and it didn't look as good as you always make it look. I may just have to order it anyway (and ship it to my US based sister!)

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  5. After this card you deserve your sausage. Just look for recipes on how to turn into one those that says otherwise ;)

    Great card!! And You are 100% right, I have my PTI clear cs since a lot of time and hoard it like a mada woman LOL!! I think it's time for me to break that package, you know, followe the leader LOL!

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  6. I'm amazed at how you can take one stamp set and create sooo many different looks ... this is just lovely. Anita :)

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  7. Thanks fore the ideas! I have an old box of overhead transparency paper that I picked up somewhere. I will have to give this technique a try. The transparency paper is not thick, but it should work with a regular cardbase inside, hopefully.

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  8. Mmmm, sausage biscuit .... Oh, and I love your card, too. I should use my clear card stock more. I don't hoard it, but "unclear" (sorry) what to do with it.

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  9. I hear you about the PTI clear cardstock. I've been hoarding it as well. I have used it a few times in a window, but never think to use it as a card base. Really must try it soon. Maybe it will be habit forming?

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  10. Nice card! Like the look of the transparency base w/the smaller white card under it. Did you stamp the flowers on the top or underside of the transparency? This post is hilarious in re to the grouchy/sausage/hoarding comments! It certainly gave me a good laugh! :D

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  11. I sure wish my humuor came though when I get grabby! :) This card is very out of your box and I love it~ WTG!

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  12. Gorgeous card, Susan! Love the sentiment underneath - lovely effect :)

    Hope yu "found" a sausage biscuit!

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  13. Beautiful card! I've always been afraid to stamp on a transparency... I just know I'd smear it! LOL! I bought some to print images on and then color, but I've never even gotten up the courage to try that technique!

    Yum, I love sausage every now and then. Thank goodness I had some yesterday (hubby treated me to a wonderful breakfast out) or your mention of it would have me wanting it all day and we're in the process of getting snowed in so no one here will be making a grocery store run for a day or so! :)

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  14. Love how you used the transparent layer. I'm still afraid of vellum...

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  15. Speaking of hoarding...I have some colored transparencies (somewhere) that I bought at a garage sale years ago. This may be a good time to do a thorough search to find them and try them out. Stamping on transparencies creates such lovely dimension and shadows.

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  16. PS: I just Googled "clear cardstock" and find that transparencies like I have are not the same as the heavier PTI clear cardstock you're talking about. I'm stubborn, too, so I think I will use up my box of transparencies that probably cost me less than $1 before I think about buying the heavier weight. They may not be adequate for a card base, but I think they will work fine for embellishments. Who knew?

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  17. Just love this card... Am new to your blog, will definitely visit again...

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment!