A couple of cards using several Tando masks

Good morning! It's my turn (Coco) to show you something... But before, did you see the lovely makes with some new releases that my teammates have showed here this week? For me, you will have to wait a few days more to see something else with the new products, I have several things in progress but not yet finished. So today, I have some cards made by stamping and stenciling several wonderful masks, not new but as much pleasing to me as on the first day of use... and very resistant. I have still other brands' masks bought before I integrate the team, they are really much less robust!

To do all my backgrounds I used a bit crazy technique that I really love. I simply used up the watercolour paper I was stamping on for other projects. I saw one day a great piece by Helen Chilton done this way, and I was very impressed. I just added a few stenciled images, playing with my Tando masks and inks (you can make out Dylusions Vibrant Turquoise e.g. on the next one... I also played with various Distress Ink pads and my Picked Fence stain to produce large splatters, and then also Brilliance dew drops applied directly here and there, this is so fun to make and I love the effect!). My backgrounds were done some time ago, so I can't give you more details on the process, but I remember that I applied a coat of white acrylic paint (PA Snowflake) a bit diluted at some stage to smooth the colors... I also used white and black markers on some areas.

On this first card you can see Kaz Boughton's 'Dotted Star' and Andy Skinner's 'Burning Rubber' in the background, and Andy's 'Doll face' on the foreground. I was not able to find this latter product into the shop to link it, maybe it is out of stock or has been withdrawn from sale I'm sorry.
I'm very happy with this one because I also played with my new Silks Acrylic Glaze paints for the first time!! I have not many of them of course so far, but those colours I have were perfect to highlight my face. I used Vavoom Red, Stargazer, Fire Opal and Pomegranate.

On the next cards, I played with my JOFY stamps collection for stamping, and with my masks  'Dotted Star', 'Burning Rubber' and  'Code Breaker'. 

Products I used:
 

Also, Andy Skinner Doll Face

Hope you like... I also hope you're enjoying some sunshine wherever you are. Here in France we have a sunny springlike time, my garden is in flowers! Hugs, Coco xx

The story of the day (l'histoire du jour)...

Hellooooo Tando's fans ! I (Coco) have something to share with you for our Free For All week. Such "Anything goes" theme is always perfect to show cute - or not cute sometimes ! - projects we have in reserve that are not fitting to any particular theme. Today is one of such cute projects... Hope you will like it as much as me. It's a mini album I created a few weeks ago for my goddaughter, who celebrated her seven years this month. She wanted something with pastel colours - she told me ALL the colours she love, I think I didn't forget any of them haha ! -, and I had in mind to do a small album similar to a previous one made for my eldest daughter a few months ago (also visible on my blog if you are interested to compare both and/or get all the details and materials I used). 

This is a mini book in oval done from scratch on watercolour paper and covered with two oval Stampbords, and once open you can read a short story in it. I decorated it on every side. I used Distress inks and Perfect Pearls, a lot of Stampotique stamps mainly designed by Maryse Carrier, and no less than 4 beautiful Tando stencils...! The sentiments are from a Dyan Reaveley's collection.
Here is the front cover, closed with the right side ribbon. You can admire the effect of Kaz's "Dotted Star" that frames my the little girl.. This stencil/mask is great, it can really be used in many different ways !! 

I didn't have any Tando's sturdy oval chipboard, so instead I used as covers two Stampbord ovals I had for ages in my stash. Stampbord has an incredibly smooth texture to work with inks especially, this is a great material but much more expensive that plain chipboard !! Some Tando large chipboard pieces can easily replace it. My small girl with flowers was watercolored with distress inks and covered with glossy accents... Love this bright finishing texture !  
Here are some images of the four first panels inside, you can see all my Tandos stencils on the background.

A photo of the mini-book unfolded on the first side:

and now, the reverse-side panels and back cover. On the back I put two photos of my goddaughter, alone and with her cousins !... Cute kids, at least on the photo haha !! :-) At the end I coloured using the same set of distress inks some basic wooden beads, and when dry I tied them to some of my ribbons. 

I used the following Tando masks/stencils: 

Well, what do you think of it ? Would be interested to know your opinion, as I really enjoy creating such whimsical little scenes... Anyway my goddaughter was glad with it upon reception, she said she LOVES it !! That's the best reward for the time spent on such make, isn't it ?...

Have a lovely and creative week-end, feel free to pop over at my blog here if you want further details on this project and have still enough time, as Christmas is now around the corner and everyone very busy ! But don't forget to come back tomorrow if you want to see a last beautiful "Free for all" make for you, by my teammie Katherine.... HUGS Coco xxx

A large banner in Stampotique Originals !

Helloooo everybody! It’s the last day of the week where we can show some of the larger pieces in the range of Tando’s products. At first I wanted to decorate a wonderful 3 panel wall art I have in my stash, but I didn't manage to do it (i.e. not yet tee hee, as of course it’s only a matter of time !)… So instead I share with you a project that might become the next banner of my blog if, like me, you enjoy it ! :)
I used some Tando chippies to do it and some of my favourite Stampotique stamps, starting from one plain A4 Chipboard Sheet. All the sheets are cut out in very sturdy 2250 micron greyboard, which supports many layers of paint or inks, and spritz of water over it too. I love these sheets !! I used a largest size A4 (210mm x297mm) one and cut it in half so that I get the perfect size for a blog's banner. I will use the other half side for another future banner I think, or anything else !

I made the background playing with my Fresco Finish Paints, Grunge Paste, and three Tando's masks I really LOVE : Dotted Star, Sequin Waste and Burning Rubber.
I put over it 5 dominos from the straight dominos bag (I've kept the five remaining ones for another project). At first I stamped my dominos in Black Stazon to create a little scenery using a selection of Stampotique stamps (you can guess that I'm a big FAN of these rubber stamps !!!), next I used my palette of various Distress inks to colour them. I also introduced a bit of Snowflake paint and used a white roll pen and fine black marker to highlight some areas. All the edges of both the dominos and the banner were heat embossed using a mix of powders (Metallic detail copper from Stampendous, and Cricket Zing from American Crafts). I also largely sprayed some satin varnish at the end on top of all the elements to protect the whole banner.

If you want to know more about my process of creation, and if my first intention was to make the background or rather the dominos, the answer is.... dominos LOL ! Here are some close-ups:

You can admire above two new (soooo cute !!) mini Brush Shake Trees. I just covered them with two shades of glitters, to highlight the little star in shrink plastic that shines above them...

Well, hope you like my funny banner as much as I do !
Here are the Tando products I used:

Have a great and possibly sunny Sunday, Coco xxx

Anything Goes Week - FISHING BOAT "ANNA"

Hi lovely fans ! I illustrate for the first time a "Free for All" week, and that's always a perfect theme as we can do everything that crosses our mind... For me, I fancied painting and decorating a Tando kit that I LOVE,  I find it so inspirful ! It's Layered Rowing Boat with Oars. If you like this small marine kit, please see also the versions created by Di and Karen recently on the Craft Barn's blog, they are totally different but so gorgeous both too !!!   

To do my boat, I started from a Manilla tag Size #8. I used Gesso and a Bingo mask to introduce very light texture at some parts only and I highlighted them with some blue paint sprayed with water. I also used my distress Barn Door in two ways: First I water colored a bit of red ink on my non-stick craft sheet and wiped my tag into it. Second at the last stage I also directly applied the pad in all senses on my tag.  Finally as I was satisfied with the result - it really make me think to ocean and boats ! -, I cut out the shapes of the oars and the background of my boat in it and covered the bottom and the oars by gluing the shaped pieces onto them.   

The top and sides of the boat were painted in Fresco Finish Sky and then in Baltic Blue mixed with a finger of Gloss Glaze. I dried off each layer with a heat tool. At the end I covered my boat with some translucent Inky Pool and added a coat of Gloss Glaze all over it for even more brilliance. But before that, I also stamped horizontally my large background stamp imitation "wood" in Versafine Deep Lagoon and also London bus at the top and outer sides of the boat. I also painted these latter alternately in red and blue before gluing them firmly together.

Here are some close-ups of my small fishing boat, I named it "Anna" and registered it for fun as "GV 3011", with GV standing for "Le Guilvinec". This is a nice small fishing port located in Finistère, Brittany !

I used a single fish stamp with fine details to create a lot of small fishes: red, blue... and even multicolored as you will see at the end ! :) This stamp comes from my new - very useful I find - "Tiny Things" plate by Stamper Anonymous. I stamped my fishes on some water colour paper and used my Distress inks and two Opalite reinkers I had for ages and never used yet to color them... They proved to be really perfect for fishes as they are slightly pearlised ! I all coated with Glossy Accents to do beautiful embellishments. I glued two of them on the top right side.

I also created a small jute bag with a piece of extra-large jute ribbon. I tied it up with small jute rope just stringed inside the big holes. I put some true tiny shellfishes and some remaining multicolored fishes in it for fun. I must confess that this little scene of grounded boat on the sand is not my idea, it has been made by my brother in-law and my twins in their sandbox LOL !!! :)

My small fishes hanged up to a metallic wire are done using the same tiny fish stamp but in shrink plastic this time (white or black). I'm very happy since I did them with my twins, it had been a true game for them! They have loved inking each fish and testing every Brilliance ink color, making a small hole into eye, and finally heating each one with the gun and looking at their incredible shrinking in a few seconds... Shrink plastic embellishments are a great fun with kids ! 

The little heart was done roughly following the lines of the Distress red pad (I used Barn Door). I drew it slowly, then inked it and/or painted it in London Bus and finally covered it first with a layer of Crackle Accents and next with more Glossy Accents for extra texture and brilliance. 

For my life-belt, I played with my embossing powders. I used Gold and Clear UTEE added to Distress powders (Black and Fired Red). With UTEE powders, several layers are needed to get a beautiful result... Patience is needed but it well worth doing it ! At the end I even more highlighted the red colour by inking the edges in red again before briefly heating it all again.    

And here is what I made with my leftovers of paint and fishes on a wooden tag !!!

I also realized 3 small tags just for fun freely, using the wastes of paints and playing with two beautiful masks by Andy Skinner. I used ~{Owls}~, ~{Burning Rubbers}~ and ~{SunBurst}~. Could be useful one day... :)

Et voila ! Sorry for this very looooong post... I'm used to explain my process of creation... but you can always skip some steps if it's too boring !!!  

Hope you like my project today... I had a great fun doing it, this small kit from Tando is so lovely and enjoyable to paint and assemble, I highly recommend it !!!  

Please pop over my blog for even more photos and design notes if you like this project !  Coco xxx