stamped sand dollar ornament...

Hello my fabulous friends!

Yesterday, this incredible sparkly goodness arrived on my doorstep... 1 pound of glitter!!! 

No, I'm not crazy... well, maybe I am... I have 125 Christmas gifts to make for the kiddos in my church... They will be VERY sparkly this year!!!

*and my studio will be sparkly for the next 10 years probably!!!*

Having that glitter sitting there, and thinking about Christmas (and, if I'm being honest, procrastinating working on the gifts)... I started getting some ideas that I wanted to try out... 

I wanted a colored, stamped image on a sand dollar... 

I decided to start with the Altenew Inspiration Challenge for August. I love the teal color combined with brown leaves... it's different, and elegant..  

Here's the final ornament...

Paper: cheap tissue paper

Stamps: Altenew Christmas Rose  

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa; Altenew Volcano Lake; Chameleon Pens Aqua Marine (BG4), Turqoise (BG3), Bark (BR5)

Other: sand dollar, ribbon, polished hemp, glitter, Mod Podge

Now on to the HOW-TO....

Step 1: Tape some tissue paper to some scratch paper. The tissue paper is thin, so the ink will bleed through. You want to give it a place to go so it doesn't end up in places you don't want it. 

(yes, that would be experience speaking...)

Step 2: Stamp your image on the tissue paper using an ink that won't smear with alcohol markers... 

I like Memento.

*Note: This specific stamp set is an exclusive set that came free with the Simply Cards and Papercraft  magazine (issue 157) However you can do the same thing with other lined images or layered stamps.

Step 3: You can free hand the details if you want, but if you are using layered stamps, you can cheat... Stamp the detail stamp onto some scratch paper using a dark ink (Altenew Volcano Lake happened to be on my desk, so I went with that.)

Step 4: Line up the stamped detail under the stamped tissue paper... Because the tissue paper is thin, you'll be able to see through it.

Step 5: Add your details using your dark color.. I'm using Aqua Marine (BG4), and using the detail stamp as my guide.

Allow to dry (doesn't take long, but if your tissue paper has any type of coating, you'll want to make sure it's dry so the paper doesn't get too wet.)

Step 6: Color your petals using your lighter color... I'm using Turqoise (BG3) fused with the colorless blender for 2 seconds on each petal.

*make sure to test your fuse times... each color will need different times, and your tissue paper might be different than mine as far as how it takes the ink... Just do a couple quick test swatches on the extra tissue paper. 

Step 7: Color the center... I used Bark (BR5) fused with the colorless blender for 2 seconds. I also added some dots once the color was back to full strength.

Step 8: If you want, you can skip this, but I decided it needed something more... So I made a quick mask with a post-it and added some leaves. 

*make sure whatever you use for a mask is low tack so it doesn't hurt the tissue paper.

Step 9: Color the leaves... I used Bark (BR5) fused with the colorless blender for 2 seconds each leaf.

Step 10: Trim out your image. It doesn't need to be perfect.. I like to leave just a little white halo around the edge just to make sure I don't lose any detail. 

Now it's time to prep the sand dollar... 

Step 11: First make sure it is clean (including the sand that likes to hide inside) and COMPLETELY dry. I let mine sit out in the sun for a couple days.

Step 12: If you are using a sand dollar from the east coast (Keyhole sand dollar), it probably already has holes. If you are using a sand dollar from my neck of the woods on the west coast (Pacific sand dollar), you'll have to drill your own hole. I like to use a hand drill for this... They aren't real hard, so a hand drill gives me more control, and it really isn't to tough to get through.

Step 13: For this step you need to work kinda quick... the sand dollar will want to soak up your glue super quick...

Put a layer of Mod Podge on the sand dollar, then press your cut out image onto the wet glue, and cover with another layer of Mod Podge. Make sure you smooth the tissue paper down, and add a little extra  Mod Podge where ever you have an loose edges. Be gentle, the wet tissue paper is VERY fragile and likes to tear...

I used a make-up wedge to do this, but you can also use a paint brush (just make sure to wash it out as soon as your are done so you don't ruin your brush). 

Let this dry...

You can stop here if you want,

But..

I like to take things a step farther...

Step 15: Add another layer of Mod Podge and cover in fine clear glitter.

 (It looks bad now, but let it dry, and brush off any extra glitter, it will be fine)

See!!! Look how sparkly and pretty!!!

Step 16: Decorate as you please... I kept things simple, and used some thin polished hemp string for the hanger, then a pretty ribbon... A little hot glue works great to add embellishments. 

Enjoy!

~Kassi