/* */ Beulah Bee

August 25, 2014

Antoinette


Did you ever wonder why brown paper bag-colored card stock is called "kraft" paper? It's not a clever take on the word "craft" but instead, comes from the "kraft process" a term used in paper making. Others must have wondered about this too because there's a Wikipedia entry for it. And did you know that manila paper was originally manufactured in the Philippines, which is how it got its name.

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To celebrate this new found knowledge, may I present a tag made from both manila and kraft paper which I'm linking to the "witch kraft" challenge at SSS.

I pasted the kraft paper onto a manila tag, stamped it with archival ink, transferred an image using polymer medium, tinted it with distress inks, stains and some colored pencils and added strips of printed kraft paper to the border.

The light-colored image plays nicely off the kraft-colored background and this week's challenge was the perfect excuse to finally use it.

August 15, 2014

Madame Butterfly

Before

After

Did you know you can achieve painterly results with gel pens? Just make marks with the ink then wash over them with a brush and water.

Credit for the original image came from one of my most favorite bloggers (thanks again, Aputsaiq).

Half of the pens in the first photo were thrown away after I completed this tag because they had either dried-out or, more typically, the gel and ink had separated from the base of the pen (the survivors had tighter-fitting caps).

Bought several years ago, I haven't used them much but suggest to you that they do have value for adding color to paper and don't need to be saved just for writing.

And because I used a mark-making technique here, I've linked to this week's Monday blog challenge at SSS where the theme is scratched-up.

August 09, 2014

Queen Bee


This is a tongue-in-cheek entry for the Monday blog challenge at SSS. This week's theme is "in the family" and mine happens to be royal.

The tag was made from a scrapbook paper collection by Authentique called Classique Pretty, a bit of Tim's Wallflower paper stash (top), and a frame from Tim's Industrious stickers which I distressed a bit by sanding and painting.

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The background in the frame was stamped and embossed (Hero Arts Lace Flower Cluster) then I applied an image transfer of the Queen and her accoutrements. I tinted here and there with distress ink and paint and dirtied up the inside edge of the frame with pencil rubbings. I intentionally offset the frame but, in hind-sight, should probably have centered it instead. It also needs a ribbon topper which I didn't add because then I'd have to photograph it instead of using my flat bed scanner.

I really need to buy a camera and take some photography lessons!