Down by the Steampunk Sea by Betsy Skagen

Making this piece was so liberating. After experiencing a horrible, no good, really bad day all I wanted to do was crawl under the bed covers. However, I knew that wasn't a choice since I had too many upcoming project that I needed to complete.

Instead of retreating from the world, I pulled out some  sea-themed chipboard pieces since waterways always soothe my soul. To keep my project simple, I limited my palette to only two colors beyond black and white.

I found this decision liberating because my project came together lickety-split--which for me, the world's slowest artist, is nothing short of miraculous.

Down by the Steampunk Sea Tutorial

Begin by cutting the Steampunk Seahorse, Undersea Steampunk Set and Beach Shape Set pieces from their protective frames and covering them with gesso.

Color the chipboard pieces with a coral and teal ink and then ink the edges with black ink.

Next use matte medium to adhere scrapbook paper to a wooden board. If you don't have a wooden board, a piece of mat board of foam core will work.

Give the paper a light whitewash of gesso mixed with water and then dab dry with a textured paper towel. 

Ink the edges with embossing ink and lightly sprinkle aqua and black molten dimensions embossing powder around the edges. Heat with heat gun. Check out the amazing texture this makes. 

Use embossing ink to stamp wavy lines in random spots on the board and cover with White Molten Dimensions. Heat with heat gun.  

Adhere the chipboard shapes to the board. I just love how Gypsy Soul gave sea elements a steampunk twist.

If you wish, create a title piece and line it with black cardstock before adhering to your board. Finish your steampunk sea board by adding a black and white decorative backing. 

I hope you have a fabulous weekend. Happy creating! -Betsy

Great Stuff

Steampunk Seahorse

Undersea Steampunk Set

Beach Shape Set

White gesso

Coral Distress Oxide Ink

Black Distress Ink

Eileen Hull Bay De Laurier Color Box Blends

Scrapbook paper

Black cardstock

Wooden board

Matte medium

Embossing ink

Eileen Hull Aqua Splash Molten Dimension

Eileen Hull Black Magic Molten Dimension

Eileen Hull White Wonder Molten Dimension

Wavy lines stamp

Beacon Zip Dry Adhesive

Love Potion No. 9 by Betsy Skagen

 

 Sometimes people need a little help in the romance department--that's why I invented Love Potion No. 9.

Each jar contains a potion of cherubic magic. Just open the mason jar, dab a little love potion behind your ears and let the romance begin!

Tutorial: How to Make Your Own Love Potion No. 9

Begin by painting gesso on Gypsy Soul's wonderful canning jar chipboard and on an old wood frame.

Apply embossing ink and distressed silver embossing powder to the canning jar lid. Activate with heat gun.

Create a "wash" by mixing teal paint with water and paint onto a deli sheet and onto the base of the mason jar.

Apply embossing ink over the teal part of the jar and sprinkle with clear embossing powder. Activate with heat gun. Repeat several times until you have a thick glass-like consistency.

Reheat the silver part of your jar and drag the end of a paperclip through it to create lines. After it cools, you can accentuate the lines with a black pen.

Use a metallic silver paint pen to change a Faux Metal Number Plates from gold to silver.  

Cover the label part of the jar with black ink.

Create a label with your computer, print and cut out. Attach the computer label to the black label. Insert two brads into the number plate and adhere to the black label. 

Coat the deli paper with gloss medium. Place the jar on the deli paper. Add a cherub image and heart to the inside and cover with another coat of gloss medium.

Cut away the excess deli paper. Glue onto black cardstock and cut the black cardstock around the jar. 

Cut a piece of sheet music to fit the frame. Dry brush black and teal paint around the edges. Draw hearts with a light blue market. Scribble loose hearts with a silver marker inside the blue hearts. Use rub-ons to place a 9 inside each heart. 

Add black medallions to the corners.

Adhere the jar to the sheet music.

Use a silver paint pen to paint your frame silver. After it dries, dry brush black paint over the frame. Glue the frame to the sheet music.

I hope you enjoyed today's tutorial. Go out and make your own love potion--or any other concoction! Have a fantastic February -Betsy

Great Stuff

Canning Jar Chipboard

Faux Metal Number Plates

Wooden frame

Sheet music

Deli Paper

Black cardstock

Cherub image

Distressed Silver embossing powder

Rocky Road Bake Textures

Metallic silver paint pen

Metallic silver ink pen

Acrylic paint

Number rub-ons

Heart Sequins

Architextures black medallions

Getting Rusty with Betsy Skagen

Remember when rust was considered a bad thing? Now altered art enthusiasts cannot get enough of it. In fact, we even try to turn not-metallic things to rust. All the elements on this tag are paper, yet adding some paint techniques to Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Lock and key really makes them appear rusty.

I learned the basics of this faux rust technique from watching tutorials by Andy Skinner. I took his basic technique and adjusted it to my own whim and supplies on hand. Of course, the snark is pure Betsy Skagen!

Step 1 - Place your tag in an embossing folder and run it through your die cut machine. My tag was bigger than the folder, so I needed to line the pattern up carefully and run it through a second time. 

Step 2 - Add some textured sand paste with your finger. Or if you have run out of a textured paste like I did, go ahead and use some artificial snow--hee hee.

Step 3 - Cover your tag with a black acrylic paint. Let dry.

Step 4 - Mix Payne's Gray acrylic paint with a bit of white paint and stipple it onto the tag. Let dry. If you wish, dab a sponge into black paint and darken the edges of  your tag. 

Step 5 - Paint a coat of Quinacridone Gold over the tag. 

Step 6 - Once dry spray your tag with matte varnish. This removes the shine. When that has dried rub the tag with a graphite pencil. 

Step 7 - You can use the same technique to create rusty chipboard pieces. As you can see here, I make a large lot of rusty pieces at once so I can use them in future projects. 

This technique really makes paper products look rusty!

Step 8 - To continue making the tag, place a piece of teal cardstock in the embossing folder and run through your die cut machine. Then, use a gray or brown pencil to lightly sketch in the honeycomb crevices.

Step 9 - This is a piece of chipboard that I had used numerous times as a stencil. As you can see, it ended up looking so lovely, I decided to use it as part of my art. The chipboard pattern is discontinued, but GSL has plenty of other Texture Sheets you could use. 

Step 10 - Adhere your doo dads and ephemera. 

Step 11 - I printed a picture of my ancestors and typed up a little snarky saying to complete the tag.

Great Stuff

Cupid's Shape Set
Texture Sheet
Manilla tag
Texture sand paste (or artificial snow!)
Quinacridone Gold acrylic paint
Payne's Gray acrylic paint
Black acrylic paint
White acrylic paint
Matte varnish
Beacon 3-in-1 Adhesive
Embossing folder
Family photo
Snarky text
Teal velvet ribbon
Teal doily