Basic Brayer Tips ~ It is DO-ABLE!!

Hullo there everyone!

Well, as promised here is my brayer tips post - so many have commented on my brayer work and said how they struggle with it.

So I thought since the Sandy Hulsart video was no longer available I ought to have go. Her's was the best..this is my poor effort to try and help.

Truly brayering is not hard ...
You really need to not think it is hard.

Have you ever taught?? - that is what you have to get through when teaching!!!

You can do it - how I learned was with Stampin up spots, all three in row held by blu-tack, and gloss card!!

..and I watched videos  .. a good way to get the idea, I have a very basic video below.

... and then jump in... and dont stop too soon. 

I often think folk give up on brayer work because they stop too soon.

 Rather like taking a cake out of the oven when it is half baked. 

It does not look great either. :D

To make easier:
1. a good gloss card like Kromcote is it best really, or SU glossy card is okay too.

2. the right ink does help.
I like Adirondack but also good to start with is the Kaleidocolor, as they are all ready to blend together, they are already lined up.
 

However to be honest, I ignore a lot of the "must do's" and "must not's" do on the videos!!

eg.  they start six feet (okay not quite  that much) off the page in some videos and you use three times as much ink, quite unnecessary... and the bit about not rolling different ways - you will see that in the video, but you can get away with it IF you have a light hand!

 If you are not a strong armed person,  it helps. I am not.

I think some folk just go in "really strong, firm-grip style" and you must not be strong armed.. 

If you go in too much power you dont get the firm, light strokes you need. 

I may move quickly when I brayer but it is not  heavy hand. 

 

Just relax!! :D after all, that is what crafting is about!!

Here is my first video (so not great, as editing needed but too hard for me to figure that yet). 
Also it breaks up wee bit towards end at the bottom, I think it must have happened when uploading it as not on original at all.

It will hopefully show you how to help and for any who may have issues or lack confidence.

If it doesn't come up try this link here.

if you want to see the card shown on the video it is on this post, (click  here)

The brayered background for this card is done on this video above.

 

 I plan to show, God willing, in another video, maybe in new year how I do the card images after the brayer background. 

I did one after this but forgot to have camera checked as I was half off screen, der! here are the two backgrounds I did on it, they were on my desk for last weeks WOYWW. if in the meantime you want to see a great video on using images overlapping, etc. see this Stampscape's video here on stamping them.

 Also you can brayer an embossed image from an embossing folder, as I did in this card here. I love the effect.

 

For more details and steps on how I made this card see this post here. 

Thanks so much for popping over for a peek and chat, and may God bless your day wherever you may be!

Shaz in Oz.x 
PS. I want to welcome my latest Wonderful Encourager,Famfa, see her blog here! Famfa, thank  YOU so very much for encouraging me and making my day! :D 
For more brayer tips please just click on "Brayer" on the labels and will give more ideas there. .. or click here.

WOYWW! Wow, is the year flying or what?

Ah here we are everyone ~ another Wednesday!

Suddenly realised yesterday it was six weeks to Christmas!

Happy WOYWW everyone!! (WOYWW = What is On your Workdesk, Wednesday?) Do join us learning as we lean over desks and work spaces around the world! Pop over to Julia's hosting blog - Stamping Ground!! 

Now to matter in question the desk!
It looks much busier than reality as have been away for two weeks from WOYWW. Until the last two days this room has been totally neglected. However some things are afoot (YAY)!

Top right: Quite a few weeks ago you saw the start the Gumblossom Card   (see this post here). Images were sent to me by Ros.A. of WOYWW! it's peeking out at top right of photo, (along with one of my coloured poppy ATC from Artneko, yet to be finished properly).

Well, Ros and all, have posted the Finished card few days back now - see here for the details. 

On that post (one below) you will see the photos of visit to Annecy in France. It was a thank you card for the friends of my family we saw there, as Annecy is the City of flowers - hence a flower card.

Some amazing shots!
It is sooo beautiful, and I feel so very blessed of God to have actually been there. You see these places when you watch Le Tour de France and so such things.. and yet never dream you will end up going there..

Top left on desk shows some Stampscapes I had been playing with - one was new stamp from March purchase, not used. Was practising the overlapping techniques Kevin shows on his videos (see here).
Lower left shows a card finally finished posted below (was on desk two weeks ago).
 Centre shows brayer resist, with two "Stampin' up" stamps, still wet that is why it so vibrant.
It is done with the same stamp pad which I used for hummingbird card. I  called the pad Calypso but want to correct it - it is Kaleidocolor  - "Riveria"! so apologies, I think someone said they were going to hunt it up.

This card is an image from Elusive images, inked up on watercolour paper and coloured with Promarkers, and tiny bit of iridescent medium you dont see this. Cutting embossing folder is Cuttlebug Plus, a2 "Carly" bought on eBay, they are too dear anywhere else.
Inked it whit chalk pad while still in folder to make raised bits pop.
As this is snippets (done in two separate bits last year), and dark pink is also from my snippets drawers, I would like to enter in Di's Snippets challenge - please Miss, please!

Below is the very favourite scene of mine where I live - and looking toward the little island not far from where I live. Such lovely weather at the mo. Don't you love the sea grass on the sandhills? God beautiful creation..

One very sodden Rainbow Lorikeet, after a bath in our bird bath! They are so funny they go in and out, and in and out then nearly cannot fly away they are so sodden!

Please dont forget to enter in my thank you to all my encouragers second anniversary candy (CLICK HERE)!

Thanks so much every one for popping over for a peek and chat, and may the Lord bless your day wherever you may be!
Shaz in Oz.x 
PS A big welcome to this blog's lovely new encouragers ~ Arty Andrea, and Ali of Teddy Bob crafts, 
 Shelly of My Creative Rumblings and also Ginny of Maxam Made :D 

PPS. I maybe a bit slow coming around to comment!
After doing this post, I left for the skin specialist and came back with 5 stitches in right hand (skin cancer, an SCC)- so will reply as able :D 

Gumblossoms ~ Annecy ~ Ville des Fleurs ~ City of Flowers

~WARNING PICTURE HEAVY POST!~

Hullo there everyone..

A wet and cool day here in Oz but we really need the rain so no grumbles coming from downunder :D

Some time ago now I showed the beginning of my gumblossom card in a WOYWW post -  here.. and I show how beautiful our gumblossoms really are!!!

And here is the final piece finished...

(The true colour of ribbon on far left of image, also paper is beige/cream, not white background. Sorry, best photo I could take.)

 It is an image which was stamped for me by  Ros.A of WOYWW here in Oz, so I dont own the stamp.

Coloured it with my Caran D'ache pencils. The papers are from a discontinued set by Stampin' up about four years ago, ribbon to match. Used the Fleur De Lis square Spellbinders in black card, and Oval Petite dies by Spellbinder also. Cut medium die and then separated into four and attached as shown. This card is for Johan and Estelle, who are my family's friends from Annecy in Haute Savoie region in France.

As Annecy  is called "Ville des Fleurs" or "City of Flowers" I thought it was a appropriate to make a flower card for this Thank you card from them ~ with an Aussie flower on it, hence the Gumblossoms! 
Here are a few photos of our time there! amazing spring time shots - it was in early May.

Should we let two kids play in a lolly shop?? YUM!!

Lac d"Annecy - how very beautiful!

Mt Semnoz, just out of Annecy, is on the route for "Le Tour de France", next year and my brother hopes to be going over as tour guide again! so riding the course, all being well!

Okay, this is the best chocolate dessert I have ever ever tasted.. awesome! thanks Johan! {drool}

Johan and Estelle's house looked over the alps and Mount Blanc.. dont ask me which one it is, as I have forgotten! but it was so lovely, I really enjoyed myself immensely!! Yes, we travelled up into the alps the next day! and in perfectly clear, God-blessed weather!!

Next morning we visited the markets for some more retail therapy! "Fraise" or strawberries which were just like home, as ours are really amazing at the mo!

Aren't these amazing?
We call them Beefsteak tomatoes here (my uncle and neighbour have grown them). They called them "Coeur de boef" or "Heart of beef". We took one of these on our trip with us as well as the "Fraise", and the "Saucissons de savoie"~ may get to show you that lunch in our Swiss photos!

Such and awesome time - wont say how many photos I took (cos dont know!), but show just a few!!

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

1.Penny Black ~ Any Die will do ~ focal element of your card must be a stamped image or sentiment. Used the Fleur De Lis square Spellbinders in black card, and Oval Petite dies by Spellbinder also.

2. Pretty Little Ribbon Shop Die cuts, Punches and Ribbons

3. Chocolate Coffee and carats - Stripes! 

4. Jellypark Challenge - Back to Nature. 

5. Forever friends Challenge Blog - Anything Goes! 
6. Papercrafting Journey ~ Anything Goes!

Thanks so much for popping over for a peek and chat, and may God bless your day wherever you may be!

Shaz in Oz.x

THANK YOU Wonderful Encourager's Candy

Sticky post - for new posts, please scroll down.
 
Hullo there every one ~ if you are looking for the details for the blog candy? then please 'CLICK' on this link fo ALL details, please comment there.

Do not comment here, please. It is a BIG THANK YOU to my wonderful encouragers - for full details click above link please, for dates, etc.

Thanks heaps and may God bless your day wherever you may be!

Shaz in Oz.x
PS DRAW will be deferred to 3.12.12, as have very busy two days first two days of December, sorry!! 

THANK YOU Wonderful Encouragers - 2nd Anniversary Candy

Hullo everyone - some exciting news today!! 

It is 1.11.12, and if you dont know what that means???
 
I started my blog on 01.11.10 

(yes it is a palindrome ie reads backward and frontwards the same that way wont forget it!)
So it is this blog's Second Anniversary!! 

As I have so many Wonderful Encouragers who have joined and encourage me during the year on my blog by leaving wonderfully cheering and helpful comments:
~I want to do a BIG "THANK YOU" with a small bit of candy~

Here it is!!!   To enter:
1. You have joined my blog and become one of my Wonderful Encouragers This is the whole point - it is a THANK YOU to You, those faithful ones! 
New Encouragers are more than welcome :D if you are of the genuine variety!

2. If you are able to, I would appreciate if you could put a link of this candy on your blog's sidebar. Those who take the time to do this will get too entries in the candy, as an extra thank you!

3. Please leave a comment below to say you would like to take part.
 It contains:

• A Thank YOU Card, done with brayer resist.
• Some Pearls from Kaisercraft
• Brad set - masculine from Kaisercraft
• A Christmas Cling stamp set from Hero Arts 
•  Marianne corner die LR0143.

Details for die below as it is hard to tell from this. I have two other ones of these, and they are fanatastic.

The Marianne Die LR0143 

 It is really amazingly beautiful.

Go to the end of  the video, as it is the last item on it. 
She shows how lovely it is is. 

To be honest after watching it I wanted to keep it!

But it's not how it works, so must be good. It IS part of the thank-you candy!  
A gift is truly a gift when you like it yourself.

These corner dies are very versatile. You could try lots of variations, here are some similar ones for ideas, taken from their site. The first and last one is the actual die, but the bottom die cut makes an amazing circle frame on the video, where she uses four of them.

This is NOT my card ~ from Marianne Site

This Candy will be stay open until 30.11.12.

The candy will be drawn, all being well on 1.12.12, Australian time. By then everyone should be into December :D 
I will post overseas, I chose light things for that very purpose.

If not sure you have joined this blog, (as  I forget which ones have joined often) just try and join - Google wont let you join twice, this saves looking though all the pickies.

Thanks so much everyone for popping over for a peek and chat, and most of all may God bless you all for being such WONDERFUL ENCOURAGERS!!

love Shaz in Oz.x

WOYWW and some news

Hullo everyone. 

Well has been a rather sad time for the folks in US east coast, in the storm  area from ex-hurricane, Sandy.

My thoughts and prayers are with any out there who maybe affected. Am just very grateful my family who were there a few weeks back are now home safe again.

Here we are, another week, halfway through already! So tis time for WOYWW or What Is On Your Workdesk Wednesday. Please join us at Julia’s wonderful blog of the Stamping Ground to sticky beak peek at the glories of desks of the world! 

 Here is my desk today - mm, there is a snippet to the left front which hope to finish for Di's snippet challenge all being well.

And yes, some way remnants of last week's work there.. if you remember I had some stamps just newly arrived.
The bundle from Artneko (here is a set of 9 ATC stamped images, and Muted Bamboo too the top left).

Such amazing ones, and have been busy stamping them, and hopefully colour a few with my Caran D'ache pencils at the ready.

Hard to chose which one! 

To see their stamps, especially ones on 50% off sale at present  L@@K here!

 As you can see have my two helpers there too all ready to partake in WOYWW!

 A couple more pickies of some flowers here in our local town.

 These glorious orchids were a gift to me from my neighbour post surgery earlier in the month, picked from their huge orchid house! Some gorgeous specimens in it as you can see from these Cymbidiums.

 These are from the Botanic garden I clicked on my mobile on a walk a few weeks ago now..

"the Penstemon flowers - beautiful shades of pink.." according to Elizabeth, below comment thank you :D

That's all from me today off to do some more jobs, several doctors appointments, all clear for eyes though! :D

I maybe missing next week because of more medical things..

Thanks so much everyone for popping over for peek and chat.
May God bless your day wherever you may be,
Shaz in Oz.x
P.S. Keep your eyes peeled as there should be an anniversary candy, all being well, TOMORROW!!!! :D

More Finland photos on post below, as well as brayering tips.

Brayer Used With Dragonflies + Finland

Warning ~ long, picture heavy post~

Hullo there everyone!

Hope your weekend is travelling along well! another lovely day here, but we need the rain.Today am going to share another one of my brayer cards with a different method. 

I also want to say before you all sigh despondently at the thought of the brayer - I have post in the pipeline with brayer tips listed. 

As Sandy Hulsart has removed her wonderful brayer video, I really should do something, so I can continue giving folk a link. If am brave enough may even try a video after Christmas. However this post will have few tips too.  :D

I embossed gloss card and the Dragonfly embossing folder (K Kingdom), then brayered with Kaleidacolor Riveria, (see below). Added stamped images in Archival ink from Stampin' Up Oriental set. Used Labels Large from Spellbinder extended; mounted them on black card and cut a highlight around by hand. After printing computer generated greeting on the card, scoring below it adding three black brads to left, adding the mounted pieces on small pop ups.

Here I am just starting the card, brayering on padded area (I use junk mail). Often when at this stage I have no clear idea where it is going..

After embossing to this stage I thought, Mm, that looks okay, how about extending the embossing to end and doing image on end??

 Now generally folk freak out about lines with brayering, so here I just wanted to show you can get rid of most of them if you are patient.

Almost all evidence of white division between folder and stamped images is covered by further brayering..

 And as you notice the Kaleidocolor pads blend well together. Use the brayer over the full width moving it up and down a little so colour is well distributed on brayer. Then firmly but gently (an oxymoron, but hope you will understand) brayer it on the gloss cardstock.

That's end of tips for now - if want more on "BRAYER TIPS" click on labels at the bottom of this post or here, and there is promise of more tips. :D

This card is for one of my family in UK, who took me over to Finland as  real treat when I was staying with them. See previous post, click here.

As this card is for Jules, (who really likes dragonflies) I wanted to share some more of the lovely time at the lake near Vihti, in Finland; and also at the family home of their friends in Helsinki. 

First lot are at the lake, second at Vihti and last three at Helsinki. 

If you "click" on photos, they will enlarge for you.

Lakeside cabin!

Sunshine! 7c max. first day, 15c second day.

Two birds (?) on roof of sauna.

Icy water, which looks like waves.

Red Squirrel (I think) in Vihti

Church in Vithi, someone throwing a snowball maybe??

 A ruin from 8th cent (?) in Vihti

Okay, this is serious wood collecting, but it is FINLAND!

Snow, and more snow - icy hard!

 

 ah, spring has sprung - God's beautiful handiwork, in Helsinki!

Well, everyone thanks so much for being so patient and most of all for popping over for a peek and chat and may God bless your day wherever you may be!

Shaz in Oz.x