MASK/STENCIL WEEK

Hello, its Karen here kicking off our MASK/STENCIL week of fun!!!  Tando Masks, or stencils if you prefer are extremely sturdy yet still very flexible.  I have used mine with all sorts of mediums, from paint to very textured paste.  They clean up superbly, usually with some washing up liquid and a nailbrush but I am a bit lazy and tend to leave mine until the medium is truly dried on (so naughty) and if the nailbrush won't shift it, I spray on oven cleaner, leave for half an hour and then wash!!!!  You can also put them in the dishwasher hahaha!!!!!  We have a lot of different designs to suit all tastes and as well as our own designs we have well known designers who have designed some- Andy Skinner, Neil Walker and Giovanna Zara as well as our own lovely Kaz.

For my project I have used 3 different masks (I will list them later) and made up a large canvas.

Lots and lots of layers on this one if you look closely.  I added some stamped and watercoloured flowers (Chocolate Baroque) and a quote.  Some close ups...

I shall be writing a tutorial for this one soon which will be available of the Tando Website so do look out for it if you fancy making something similar!  These are the masks that I used:

Andy Skinners beautiful *Baroque*

 

 

 

Kaz Boughton's pretty *Dotted Star* 

 

 

Tando's lovely *Long Flourish* 

 

If you fancy having a play with some stencils/masks then please enter our monthly draw.  You can find the page to link your work to at the top of the blog, along with the info on how to enter.  Lots of prizes to be won :-D

 

Thank you for popping by, Hugs xxx



Arches Week - with Dawn

Hi Everyone,

I haven't done a canvas for a very long time so thought this a brilliant opportunity to have a play.

I started by doing some under-stamping, then I added a couple of painted and stenciled layers using Dotted Star and Long Flourish. The canvas was then edged and further stenciled with metallic ink. The fabulous Gothic Arches were painted and used to frame some stamped images. A generic stamped sentiment was then added for balance. I love the contrast of the black and white on the colourful background.

Here is what I used.....

All of these items and much much more can be found on the Tando Creative retail site.

If you fancy joining in with any of this months themes please add your work through the link at the top of the page to be in with a chance of winning a prize in the February Challenge.

Many thanks for popping by and leaving a comment if you feel you would like to.

Hugs

Dawn x 

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

"Pou-Poule !" - Summer Holidays

Hi Tando fans ! I'm sneaking in very last minute here this morning before leaving for a few days hols, playing with you along the new Tando's theme this week...: Summer Holidays. 
For the occasion I made a funny tag I really love !! 

For my tag I used a flower Foam Stamp from Donna Downey on the background with several layers of paints and Gesso on it !; some Stampotique stamps I love, and my Tando masks Sequin Waste and Dotted Star designed by teammate Kaz, I highly recommend you as it offers many possibilities !!!. I used this latter to highlight in Snowflake white paint all the edges at the end.  

And what's about the theme of Summer holidays, could you say ??... I was really inspired by "Pou-Poule !", a children's book borrowed by my twins at our public library. I loved the story of this young lovesick hen... Pou-poule is an adorable chick with a sweet heart ! So first, the ground on book's cover is colored in a warm and summery orange... And Secondly, this book... Reading... I take time to read books only during Summer Holidays ! (hem... I know it's not enough, but how could I have time to read with all my crafty works planned for Tando now Arghhh LOL!) 

I don't resist to show you the true Pou-Poule, as she has largely inspired my work haha !!!

I used: 

Hope I made you smile a little bit today... Thank you very much for looking ! Don't forget to keep coming back during the week to see what the rest of the team have made.

Coco xxx

Masked cards

I don't think it's any surprise to anyone when I say I LOVE masks! I love them so much I asked Di if I could give her a few designs to cut and she said yes!!!! Very selfishly, I have drawn a few masks that I would like to use and this is the first one that has been released, ~{Dotted Star Mask}~. I made a couple of cards:

For this one I inked the centre circle and then the dotted star, masking off the bits I didn't want. I've painted 3 hearts from the ~{Mini Hearts}~ pack with Paperartsy Fresco Paint, then added Glossy Accents to then and finished off with a greeting stamp.

This final one was a very quick card (and we all know I love those too). I've inked through one of the corners, wiped the mask before flipping it over to ink it again, making a base for the creatures to sit on. I've watercoloured them and added a greeting.

Kaz xxx