THE NEXT LEVEL - WEDNESDAY SUPPLEMENT - ISSUE 6

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Welcome to your mid week supplement of Issue 6 of The Next Level

Please scroll down to find the 2 Sections below

HINTS AND TIPS

GRAB THAT STASH

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Click on the Quick Links below to go direct to the sections in Monday's Edition

ANNOUNCEMENTS

SPONSORS OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

HAVE YOUR SAY

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There are some great entries in the Challenge this week, and remember we have 4 Prizes on offer this week, so lots of time to get your entry in - closing time is 9pm UK time on Sunday.

Friday's Edition brings your Tutorial section - a beautiful creation by Abby and believe us - we are preparing you for your Challenge next week - maybe we will give you a clue!!!!!

Also please keep the feedback coming in on the new style of The Next Level - we have some who like the split and others who like the original format - direct links above will take you straight to the Have Your Say section.

Enjoy - Ann and Dawn xxx

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VERSAMARK STAMP PADS - DID YOU KNOW HOW MANY WAYS YOU CAN USE THIS?

A TRULY CLEAR EMBOSSING PAD
Use like you would the Top Boss. Just stamp and emboss with colored powder or clear powder for a see through shine.

A WATERMARK
This is great for backgrounds, it will deepen the shade of colored paper wherever you stamp. Just think about this, for every color of paper you own, you now have a complementary color of ink!

POPPIN’ PASTELS
There are a couple of ways to accomplish this effect on light colored card stocks.
1.) Apply chalks to the area to be stamped, stamp with VersaMark and allow to dry or use heat gun. Then rub gently with a clean cotton ball. You can get a dramatic effect by adding more chalk to a cotton ball or dauber after you stamped with the VersaMark. Or you can emboss while stamped image is still wet with clear embossing powder and the image will jump out at you!
2.) Stamp first then chalk gently over the stamped area and watch the image magically appear.

REVERSE PASTELS
This time you use brightly colored chalk to cover dark colored card stock (Basic Black, Night of Navy, Close to Cocoa, Old Olive, etc.) and then stamp over the chalked area. The ink will pull out the color of the paper from beneath the chalk. Be sure to clean the stamp before re-inking it as the chalk you removed is now on your stamp and you will dirty your VersaMark pad.

SHADOWING
This is a technique to use with Kaleidacolor pads and word stamps but you can use it for anything really. Just stamp directly over your first image. Because you will seldom be exact you will make a shadow that gives the initial image a 3-D effect. You can even take it a step further and emboss with a transparent powder like Pearl or Iridescent Ice.

BRAYER RESIST
This technique can be done with Gold Encore or VersaMark. Stamp image(s) onto Glossy White card stock using one of the above inks. Gently wipe away the ink using a lotion-free tissue and small circular motion. Ink up your brayer and roll it over the paper. Wherever the VersaMark ink was stamped, the paper will resist the colored ink from your brayer. This works on matte card stock but looks better on glossy.

VERSAMARK & 2-STEP STAMPIN’
Stamp the same image first w/VersaMark & then with metallic (Encore). Just shift the image a little bit when stamping the metallic ink. It gives it a shadowed look. Looks great on baroque burgundy and forest foliage!

EMBOSSING ON GLASS
Using the embossing buddy first, then using the VersaMark to stamp the image on a glass container, then emboss with detail gold or silver. Fill it with candy and tie a ribbon on it.

EMBOSSING WITH YOUR 48 STAMPIN’ UP! PADS
Ink your stamp with VersaMark then stamp on one of our 48 color pads or you can use a dauber to apply the color ink if you are worried about the color pad. Stamp and use clear embossing powder. Heat. Now you can emboss and be perfectly coordinated with the SU! markers, cardstock and inkpads. Be certain to clean stamp before re-inking on VersaMark pad or you will leave color on it.

DISCREET JOURNALING LINES
Although the VersaMark ink is sticky when applied, it dries like regular ink and loses the stickiness. It is Acid-free and safe for scrapbook pages. It works perfectly on all of our colored cardstock.

BATIK TECHNIQUE
Simply stamp your image using Versamark on ultra-smooth white or confetti or some other light CS and then emboss with clear embossing powder. Let cool. Then gently wad paper into a ball or you could fold it into a small square for a different look. Unfold it and smooth it out. Place it on a towel and wet with water so the paper is very damp. Next ink your brayer with a Kaleidacolor pad and brayer across the paper. The image will stay white while the ink will seep into cracks and the rest of the paper will have a batik look. (Like back in the 70’s when you applied wax to a pattern on a shirt and then dipped it in dye, cooled and chipped the wax away.

Thank you MaryZ for this great piece of work on the uses of Versamark and for your approval for us to use this on The Next Level

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We have been on the scout around again this week to find you some really gorgeous freebie downloads and we hope you will not be disappointed with what we have found.

A gorgeous set of papers from Raspberry Road called Nanny's Garden paper pack, perfect for this time of year. Click HERE to get this free after completing checkout.

A really fantastic kit with loads of really beautiful elements on top of the really pretty papers. The gingham and check papers are so useful and remember you can recolour these using the tutorial from Summer Driggs in our earlier issues of The Next Level. Click HERE to go straight to download, no registration required.

Well as you know we are adding more and more challenges which feature stitches, so here is your chance to grab a freebie digital zig-zag stitch set. Click HERE to go to the download page - no registration required.

Digital buttons are so brilliant and a great standby. Again remember you can re-colour them if you want to. The best way to make these look really realistic is to print off two or three of the same button, and glue them together, colour the edges with an inkpad or marker pen, and they really do have the dimensions of buttons for your project. Click HERE for a direct link to the download page

Have fun everyone - and if you spot some great freebies out there, tell us about your find in the comments box below.

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See you all on Friday xx