Noveau Retiform Technique

Today I'm the guest tutorial author at Splitcoast and I have such a fun technique for you.

Back in the olden days, when I had to walk to school wrapped in a wet sheet, uphill both ways and whatnot, there was a very popular technique called Retiform, where you would mask off sections of your card, and fill them both with sponged ink and with stamped images, to make an overall geometric collage pattern.

Back then, this was considered super arty and edgy. Here's a gallery of samples. As I did with the shaving cream technique not too long ago, I decided to modernize this technique a bit with stencils. You can make anything new again with all the fabulous stencils on the market. I also found that using a Rollagraph® wheel made the collage portion of this technique a snap. I call it Noveau Retiform.

In the olden days, when we had to cut down trees to make the blocks for our own stamps, this technique typically used earth toned colors - warm browns and rusts to give sort of a vintage feel, which I also changed up to be a bright, happy color scheme for my adorable little fox. In the video below you'll see how easy this is and no Post-it® notes required!

I made a quick video of this technique - and step by step instructions are available at Splitcoast as well.

I also decided to play around with the super fun Doll Faces wheel too since I had the handle out - first with a snarky card, where I masked out the floral border from Big on Birthdays just to leave the snarky sentiment. Then I paired that with a Cathy Zielske set, which is also hilarious. Cracks me up. I used the Pick a Pattern Washi and just kept it simple in black and white.

Then for my last Doll Faces card, I kept it a little more traditional, with a light watercolor on Bristol and a sentiment from Colorful Seasons.

I hope you go check out the step by step tutorial on Splitcoast today, and if you are in the path of Irma - I hope you are safe this week!

Speaking of Irma - my friends at Concord & 9th are being amazing as usual. 100% of their profits from their hope bundle to relief efforts for Houston for the entire month of September. So please take a look at that awesome bundle - I like when buying craft supplies helps people! Proud to call these people my friends!

Loveyameanitbye.

You are the BOMB!

The ice cream truck has come back to our neighborhood.

Actually it's been back for nearly three months. Since that's when our summer starts - February. But this week I've heard it nearly every day and I just love it. Every time I hear it, (ours plays Music Box Dancer) I am transported back to the days where we used to hear it and immediately run for our houses to shake change out of the couch or a piggy bank so that we could get a Dreamsicle (my fave), a Fudgesicle or the big daddy of them all - a Bomb Pop.

As I recall, the Bomb Pops were significantly more expensive than our staple treats, so I rarely, if ever, got one.

But oh my word were they special.

It doesn't really get better than red white and blue after all...

Stamps: Pops2Eat, Patterns4Pops 

Accessories: Clearsnap Fairy Dust Glitter - Sugar Shimmer, Airmail Twine, Dimensionals

How could I resist stamping one when I heard that?

I am also playing along today with a Clearsnap blog hop, so you might have come here from Steph's blog. If so, your next stop is my sweet friend Mary Dawn!

If you're just plain lost, the full hop list is below - I hope it helps you have a sweet day!

Clearsnap  

The Stamps of Life 

Jeanne Streiff 

Sabrina Alery 

Deb Felts  

Steph Ackerman - 

>>> Lydia Fiedler <<< You are here :)

Mary Dawn Quirindongo 

Kim Howard 

Daniela Dobson 

Tami Mayberry 

Jennifer Priest 

Laura Williams 

Kim Pargeter 

Vicki Garrett  

Joana Studer

Emily Niehaus 

Beverly Sizemore 

Loveyameanitbye.

Flowers in the Attic

Remember those creepy Flowers in the Attic books from the seventies?

They TERRIFIED me. Actually, attics terrify me. They're so mysterious and creepy and hot. It's no wonder that's where both ghosts and rodents decide to make their home.Perhaps also the ghosts of rodents.

I would actually like a house without an attic - just a big lodge type ceiling with no space between there and the roof. That would definitely force the ghosts to go to my neighbors.

Sorry neighbors! I'll bring extra cookies at Christmas :)

Well speaking of attics, I've been neglecting my Attic Boutique products and my Rue des Fleurs set. It's not creepy at all so I'm not sure why I haven't played with it much. My friend Mel made the most beautiful card with it at Leadership and I swore I'd come home and do a million things with it, and I looked up and it was April.

I've been on a watercoloring binge lately so I thought I'd bust out my fave color combo - aqua and red - and color the pretty little corset thingy.

I just used my Aquapainter and Poppy Parade and Pool Party Reinkers on watercolor paper. I put a little grey around the image for a shadow.

Then I added some Smooch Glitz Frost to the vines, and some Clearsnap Ocean Spray glitter.

I die cut the watercolor paper with the Labels Framelits, and cut the next larger framelit from First Edition DSP.

I scored the Crumb Cake base with my Simply Scored Diagonal Score Plate at 1" intervals and added the teeniest  pearls to the intersections.

I think those two colors are so pretty together!

I am not sure who would have a bustier like this all full of flowers and glittery, but I bet whoever it is, they'd keep it in the attic so their ghosts could get their fancy on.

I do love a fancy ghost.

Loveyameanitbye.