Friday, December 16, 2016

Baby wipe technique revisited and the 200th Friday Smiles


Not long ago in a galaxy not so far away, there lived a muddled mixed media artist who



Whoa!  Wrong story.  I seem to have been lulled toward the dark side by the Force.  Let's start again.  Recently I showed the baby wipe technique.  If you missed it, it is here.

Please note that I referenced that I had seen the technique on Fiona at Staring at the Sea's blog and remembered I now I had baby wipes.  I want to explain that Fiona teaches this technique in a class, so there were no instructions on how to make this on her blog.  But I had remembered it from years past and that is how I came up with the birthday images I created.


Once again, I started with DYE reinkers to make the trees for my

tip-ins I showed yesterday.

I placed three baby wipes on my largest acrylic block and spread three colors of ink onto the wet baby wipes.  Be sure your baby wipes are very wet.  If you don't use yours often, like me, the top one might not be juicy wet.  You have now created your very own stamp pad.

For my first layer,  I started with medium bubble wrap. 

Although I don't show it, I next went to the small bubble wrap, which was much more accepting of the ink.  I had a bit of trouble getting the large bubble wrap to work, mainly because the "bubbles" were mostly gone from previous use.  I also had a bit of trouble with the star punchinella (sequin waste), while the large punchinella was overpowering.

Next, I stamped a few words and images randomly on the pages.  For the final page, I swiped the now nearly dry baby wipes.

To make certain I didn't create any bias by cutting a favorite place on each page,

I turned the page over and began laying down the tree templates I had created.  

These pages can also be used as masterboards, a background technique that has not caught on in the states, as it has in Europe, whose artists fully embrace it.

To change the subject completely, as I was cleaning my office, I found this from 2008.

I thought it was so unique, and it put a smile on my face.  Since it's been awhile since I've joined Annie (aka Wipso) at A Stitch in Time, I thought it was time I joined in again.

I'm calling this "The Cost."

Since these are 2008 prices,

I can only imagine what that cost is today.

I had to smile about the caveat.  After having a drummer live in my basement for a few years, I can definitely appreciate the earplugs!
That's when I decided to go to PNC to see if I could find the latest CPI.

It seems to have gone up considerably since 2008.

If you want to see some incredible images of each gift (these are simply STUNNING) and incredibly clever, you should click on the link above.  I especially enjoyed the image of the six geese-a-laying.  And if you like those images and love coloring, you can download your own coloring book to, as PNC explains "produce your own beautiful interpretation" of these truly gorgeous images.

However, if you want to see the TRUE COST of all 364 gifts (due to repetition), this is how it plays out.

Thanks for visiting today.  I hope you enjoyed learning how I created the trees for my latest tip-ins using a masterboard background technique.  And please don't forget to visit Annie at A Stitch in Time, where a smile is always the best way to start the weekend.  You'll smile at every link you see there, too.

18 thoughtful remarks:

Helen said...

your cost of Christmas tree is fab! great use of your babywipes to create your backgrounds.

Valerie-Jael said...

What a fun post! I'm glad I don't have to look for all those things today!Have a fun day, hugs, Valerie

chrissie said...

Very interesting post Elizabeth and great reminder about the baby wipe technique and the cost of Christmas

Love Chrissie xx

froebelsternchen said...

What a fun post Elizabeth!
This technique is really great! Thank you for introducing us to it once again!
Happy weekend!
oxo Susi

My name is Erika. said...

Love seeing how you made those trees. They are very festive. As is your 12 days of Christmas. Glad I don't need to buy those gifts for anyone! :) Its bitterly cold here this morning-I just want to go back to bed! :) Happy Friday. Hugs-Erika

Pen Sunshinepen said...

Thank you for your tips on using Baby wipes what a great idea. xx

CJ Kennedy said...

Interesting technique using baby wipes as a stamp pad. As to 12 Days gifts, besides the expense of purchasing the gifts, can you imagine feeding and cleaning up after all those birds, maids, drummmers, and lords a'leaping? Have a great weekend.

Cindy McMath said...

Elizabeth, I love the backgrounds you made. And can you believe in all the years I stamped everything that sat still I never heard of that technique? As to the inflation story, well... I did love the image though!

Krisha said...

Well, I've never seen this technique before, but I think it is a super great idea, and how much fun it must be to play around just making marks.
I have never gotten into making master boards, but love the idea, but having been a scrapbooker for so many years I have tons of designer paper ( which I still have a strong weakness for) so I feel like I should use that up first.........like THAT will ever happen LOL!

I LOVE the way your trees turned out, great idea to flip the MB over before cutting, so you don't have the urge to cut a certain spot. Nicer surprise when you see the results too.

I'm not surprised at the inflation of the 12 days of Christmas.....but then I can remember penny candy!

fairyrocks said...

Thanks for the fun Tutorial reboot! and the 12 days of Christmas smiles. Keep smiling and creating.

Felix the Crafty Cat said...

Hi Elizabeth great to see you again. Love your price of Christmas and not surprised it's gone up so much. Loving your baby wipe technique and may have to give that a go. When you were over at mine you mentioned about the Masterboards and it's a funny thing because I first saw background papers referred to as Masterboards in a Stampington Magazine (Somerset Studio) which as you will know is an American magazine. I am not sure however whether the article was written by an American or an English person. I still have this magazine somewhere and will try and find it. This article could be as early as 2008, certainly know it was a long time ago and when I first used this term thinking that everyone else would know what this was I was surprised to find that they didn't but it now seems to be common knowledge over here. Sometime I must find out who the lady was that started this term. Stampington still do regularly have sample Masterboards in their magazines. Hope you have a great Christmas and look forward to many visits in the new year. Angela xXx

Divers and Sundry said...

still laughing out loud at your look at the cost of all the days of Christmas gifts in current money. I think I'd rather have the cash than all those drummers and maid a'milking ;)

JoZart Designs said...

Thanks so much for popping by and for your comment. Annie has been in touch with me to let me know she is only just back from a family holiday and will post '200" next week.
Interesting to browse your creativity again and I still amaze myself that I no longer do anything inky at all nowadays.
The markets in Germany are so creative, with mostly hand made products, and so much more interesting to see than in England. It is such a pretty place where my daughter lives with high stepped old buildings and cobble stoned streets. In Summer all the windows are dressed with geraniums but in Winter, especially for Christmas, they are filled with candle lights and the whole place is so lovely.
The costumed guards who were collecting coins to enter were jovial but my German language skills are very basic so I couldn't chat and have a joke with them as I would have done in England.
I am looking forward to the German half of my family arriving to join us for a week over the holiday. The other half are spending it in Devon in their new house but it is good to have children around for Christmas morning with all the joy they share.
I hope you enjoy a peaceful and happy holiday and send love from Liverpool to you and yours.
Jo x

Nancy said...

Those baby wipes are certainly handy to have for any number of things. Thanks for the how-to photos. Nice results.

Meggymay said...

Thanks for the reminder about using baby wipes, now I can see how you created those wonderful trees.
It was a good read about the cost of Christmas, I think the true meaning of Christmas has got lost ''big style'' as the years pass by.
Yvonne xx

sheila 77 said...

Great idea about the baby wipes stamp-pad, thanks very much for the tutorial.
I did go over and have a look at those beautiful 12 drawings which almost looked like engravings. I don't think I would like most of these twelve people or creatures in my basement and certainly not the mad drummer. Did you notice the Calling Bird had a sweet blue teddy bear?

pearshapedcrafting said...

Love the ink trick and of course I love making master boards to cut up for journal pages! Your cost of Christmas made me smile Chrisx

Jeanie said...

This technique is really interesting and I love the piece. And what a hoot -- the cost of Christmas! I'll have to remember that one -- great fun.

Thanks so much for visiting and leaving such great comments on my blog. I've been flying, also traveling, and am so behind catching up with friends and comments but I really appreciate the visits -- especially when I know how busy it is this season.