Inspire Artist Trading Block

Are you ready to release the inner artist in you? Then you are going to love today’s inspiration piece designed by the very talented designer Anna-Karin author of one of my favorite blogs Layers Of Ink.

The gorgeous detailed images on the sides were stamped using photo stamps from Darkroom Door. I feel the need to warn you, you will become addicted to these unique one of a kind images.

Die cut the 3-D Block/Cube/Bank from mat board or chipboard if you don’t have mat board on hand, assemble into a block. Smear gesso on all the sides with a palette knife. Your completed box should be 3″ x 3″ x 3″. Set aside to dry.

You could stamp right onto the gesso, but if you want to be able to move your images around you might want to stamp your images on tissue paper & transfer them onto the block. This also helps to preserve all the fine details in these gorgeous photo stamps. Just because these stamps are rectangular, doesn’t mean you can’t make them square, by only using a portion. Leave to dry.

Apply glossy multi-medium on the block and place one of the tissue papers on top. Add another layer of gel on top. Work one side at a time. It is easy to tear the tissue along the edges.

Complete all the four sides and adhere a piece of Tim Holtz tissue wrap on top using the same method. Leave to dry.

Paint with Distress Paints, adding a tiny bit of water to puddles of paint. I love how Anna carried the color pink throughout the project than warmed things up by dry-brushing a little bit of Walnut Stain, especially on the edges.

The flowers were die cut from vellum, old dictionary paper, tissue wrap, natural sticky-back canvas (first adhered to a piece of cardstock) and patterned papers using three of Eileen’s flower dies: 3-D Fringed Flower, Flower Layers with Heart Petals, and the 3-D Wrapped Flower. . The papers on this project are from Prima. But don’t be afraid to use what you have on hand & experiment, you’d be surprised what you can come up with.

Scrunch up most of the other flowers to add dimension & ink them with pink and brown inks. Layer the flowers, alternating the different surfaces. Smear a little bit of Antique Linen Distress Stickles on the flowers.

Use a hot glue gun to securely attach your flowers to the top of the box, be careful since it is very hot. Anna die cut leaves and swirls from vellum, patterned paper and text paper and tucked in here and there.

Layers of ink - Inspire Artist Trading Block Tutorial

I love that you can turn the block around when it is displayed to alter the images. Anna stamped each side with a small sentiment stamp, using Stazon Jet Black.

My hope for you is to be fearless when it comes to your creativity, to be brave enough to try new things & most important, have fun with your art.Thanks for stopping in for the visit & I look forward to seeing you back soon.