the CLASSroom

Hello, Monday 05.13.2013

(click on the pic to enbiggan)

Go bold, or go home, right?! *chortle*

This card was inspired by a dress I pinned on Pinterest: 

 

Source: news.stylecaster.com via Julie on Pinterest

I'd actually wear something like this.

 

 

Oh, for the love o' Pete, don't mess yer dress!!! I will spare you the horror of my blinding white bird legs! Sheesh!!!

Some tips for color-blocking, if you plan to heat emboss over the top of your paper:

• Really secure those panels of paper down to the typing paper; heat can cause some adhesives to loosen up and then the edges of your colored strips might curl up during the heating process
• For larger pieces, or to avoid smearing the embossing powder when trying to hang onto the panel during embossing, try placing it into a shoebox lid or shallow card board box
• Don't get so close or linger so long in any one spot that you scorch the paper; the embossing gun exceeds temps of 300 degrees
• Tilt the panel to SEE that you have indeed embossed all areas of the powder; all too often folks think they've embossed something completely, only to swipe their finger across it and all the embossing powder falls off! The surfaces should be raised and shiny/glossy, with no sandy or gritty looking areas. Use the embossing gun to spot heat any areas that didn't completely melt

 

Enjoy the video here or on YouTube! Thanks for subscribing to our channel!

Hope your Mundane is happy-happy-happy!

Finished dimensions of card:  4 x 5 1/2" (this card is top-folding)

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

Impression Obsession Cling Background Stamp, Circle Fusion 2	Savvy Stamps, Happy Birthday	Ranger Embossing Powder, Clear	VersaMark Inkpad
Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black	COPIC Sketch Marker 100, Black	EEE5 Cardstock, Lagoon	BBB Cardstock, Red Pepper
D5 Cardstock, Sunflower	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream	Studio Calico Snippets Wood Veneer, Chevrons
Shape 'N Tape, Black	Inkadinkado Embossing Magic Bag	Embossing Gun	Kool Tak White Foam Adhesive, 1/4 Squares (1/16 Thick)
Glue Glider Pro	Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac 58'	Accents, Glossy	Tweezers, Stainless
EKSuccess Adhesive Remover Tool	Paper Trimmer, Tonic Guillotine 8 1/2"

InLinkz.com

 

 

Transparency Tricks by Julia Stainton

Transparencies or overlays have been a long-time favorite crafting product of mine. The shine, the patterns, and the way they add an extra layer of dimension without hiding what's underneath all play into making them intriguing to design with.

I love the new Cards Overlay sheet by Alison Kreft for Webster's Pages. It's a 12x12 transparency sheet that can be used on a layout as is, or cut up to make ATC sized accent transparencies. I chose to do the latter and have designed three cards so show different and easy ways to adhere transparencies. Some crafters find them intimidating to use as they are not sure how to adhere them, but it's really so simple.

Obviously, you can't use regular adhesive when adhering clear items as the adhesive can be seen right through them. This first card layers a chevron printed transparency over layers of patterned paper. It gives a fun look because you can see the different prints through the transparency.

For this card I used my favorite, and the easiest way I know to attach the transparency to the card. A couple staples at opposite corners is fast and holds it on perfectly.

For the second card I wanted to try something a little different. The beautiful birds inspired a more simple and dreamy look.

An experiment seemed to be in order so I went searching through my crafting stash.

Two colors of Distress Stickles were squirted onto the reverse side of the transparency...

...and then smeared together with my finger to cover the entire reverse side of the transparency. Make sure you get right to the edges and then flip over and adhere to a card front. Lay it flat to dry so that the transparency doesn't slide.

 Once dry, your transparency will be adhered and you'll be left with a beautiful glittered background.

Another quick way to adhere a transparency is with washi tape or fabric tape. I've used Maya Road Fabric Tape here to add this fun journaling style transparency. To keep it extra secure you can add a little adhesive on the reverse side of the overlay where you plan to add the fabric tape as it will cover it.

Here's the detailed view. Transparencies are very easy to adhere embellishments over the top of. I like to use a hot glue gun for the heavier embellishments but stickers work fun on their own.

Finally, I'm sure I've shared this trick before but it's worth repeating. One sheet of Fabric Thickers can be changed into any color you want with Copic Markers. It's as simple as coloring them in.

Have a fabulous weekend and thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom!

Supplies:

InLinkz.com

Love is in the Air by Sharon Harnist

Since Valentine's Day is next week and I needed another Valentine card, I thought I would dedicate today's project to a few of my most loved papercrafting supplies and tools!  Here they are, in no particular favorite order (I tried to limit it to 10 but failed!):

 1. Hero Arts Stamps: Year Round Sentiments ClearDesign
 2. Washi Tape: Lifestyle Crafts Shape 'N Tape (Gray)
 3. Dies: MFT Die-namics Fishtail Flags & Sizzix Framelits Hearts 
 4. Copic Markers: R85 
 5. Memento Inks: Gray Flannel  
 6. Doilies: Sizzix Tim Holtz On The Edge Distressed Doily Die
 7. Neenah Natural White Cardstock: for soft ivory card base
 8. Pink hues of cardstock: Memory Box Bubblegum and Raspberry, 
 9. Buttons 
10. Copic Foam Tape - 1/4"
11. Corner Chomper 
12. Glue Dots: Craft and Mini 
13. Sewing 

And here's the card I came up with (click on any photo for a larger view):

Another favorite of mine -- horizontal cards. Do you have an orientation preference for cards?  Mine has always been horizontal! I started with my favorite ivory cardstock (Neenah Natural White) for a base, rounded the bottom corners with the Corner Chomper, then die cut the doily out of the same. This is an edger die (meaning only half of a doily), so I die cut two of them, which gives the oval shape that fits perfectly on a card front!

Next, I die cut Gray Shape 'N Tape with MFT Fishtail Flags and custom colored the tape to match the rest of my card with one of my favorite Copic marker colors, R85:

The tape covers the seam of the doily halves. Next, I die cut two colors of my favorite pink and raspberry Memory Box cardstock four times with the heart die and machine stitched them down the center. Then I folded the sides of the heart up and separated the layers with 1/4-inch Copic Foam Tape, to give the heart dimension. The heart is secured to the card with Craft Glue Dots:

My newest favorite Memento dye ink pad color, Gray Flannel, was used to stamp this darling Hero Arts XOXO sentiment. I used ivory embroidery floss to string and tie the buttons together, then secured them to the card with Mini Glue Dots.

I hope you have some fun this weekend with some of your favorite papercrafting products, too . . . Happy Valentine's Day!

~ Sharon

{Supplies}

A1 Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White, 25 pack	Sizzix Tim Holtz On The Edge Die, Distressed Doily	My Favorite Things Die-namics Stax, Fishtail Flags	Shape 'N Tape, Gray
Copic Sketch Marker, R85	Sizzix Framelit Dies, Hearts	Memory Box Cardstock, Bubblegum	Memory Box Cardstock, Raspberry
Hero Arts ClearDesign, Year Round Sentiments	Memento Ink Pad, Gray Flannel	Hero Arts Buttons, Mixed Blush	High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/4"
Glue Dots Sheets, Craft	Glue Dots, Mini (3/16")	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool

InLinkz.com

 

Hello, Monday Video: GOT CANDY? by Julie Ebersole

(click on the pics to en-biggan)

I had seriously way too much fun making this Halloween design--this tiny shopping bag is to die for--LITERALLY!!!

I can't help but have a lot of fun when it comes to Halloween--it's the Mister's birthday! Candy, cake AND ice cream???!!! Oh, yeah, baby!!!

This week's video shows you how the whole thing came together and you can watch it right here, or hop over to YouTube to watch it in HD!  Enjoy!

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, Ream	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, Ream	Echo Park 6x6 Pad, Dots & Stripes, Soda Fountain	Echo Park 6x6 Dots and Stripes - Homefront
Memory Box Dies, Mini Shopping Bag	Memory Box Dies, Dangling Spider	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink	Be Creative (Sookwang) Tape, 3mm (1/8")
Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	Soft Grip Embossing and Stylus Set	Tweezers, Stainless	3D-Dots, 1/16" Thick
Uni-ball Impact Gel Pen, White	Teflon Bone Folder	Sakura Quickie Glue Pen	Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type Stickers, Black
Glitter Ritz Microfine, Black	Xyron 1.5" Create-a-Sticker Machine	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool, Angle & Photo Corner

InLinkz.com

Land of the Free Mini Canvases by Julia Stainton

Independence Day is coming up and inspired by the new Maya Road Star tins, I thought a patriotic project might be a fun one to work up for my American friends. I hope you enjoy it!

Mini Canvas Frames have to be one of my all-time favorite products in the Ellen Hutson LLC store. They are 4"x4" in size and are the perfect size for making fun altered canvas projects and just right for experimenting on. A great feature of these canvases are they are triple primed meaning you can get right to the fun stuff. As well they come two in a pack, are super high quality and as the canvas wraps right around to the back, you don't even need a frame for them. Unless you want one of course.

 

Today's tutorial has lots of photos to take you through all the steps. A picture is worth a thousand words, right?...so I've taken a few to make it easy to follow. The first step is to paint one of the canvases with blue Studio Acrylic Paint.

While that is drying, you can stamp a nice collage of images onto the other canvas. It's already triple primed as I mentioned earlier so you can just stamp away. I like using the Ranger Archival Inks for stamping on canvas and then heat set the ink for permanence.

Creating stripes is easy to do when you mask off an area. Tissue Tape makes a beautiful accent but it also works perfectly to mask with. Apply the tissue tape on the areas you want to remain white and paint the rest in red.

After the paint has dried, you can remove the masking tape and your canvas should look like the above photo.

While that continues to dry, it's back to the blue canvas. Once it's surface is dry you can stamp on it with paint applied to a background stamp. I love doing this with an Adirondack Paint Dabber as it makes it super easy to cover the area. Stamp canvas and set aside to dry.

Once both canvases are dry you can add a lovely crackle finish if you like the vintage look. Apply Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint over each of the canvas and give it an hour or so to dry.

The Distress Crackle layer will add a beautiful vintage distressed look. To highlight it, sponge the surfaces with some Distress Ink. If you'd like to check out the detail, just click on the above photo to enlarge it.

Finally we get to the Maya Road Star Bottle Cap that inspired the project. Most paints flake off metal so I've painted the inside of the bottle cap with Gesso. I've filled the inside of the star with a knotted length of burlap tirm and added some other sweet embellishments.

Here's a detail of what the star canvas looks like finished.

To complete the striped canvas, I've painted some chipboard letters with the matching blue Studio paint and adhered them to the canvas.

You can display these canvases horizontally as in the first photograph but after completing the project, discovered that it looks great arranged vertically as well.

Hope you've been inspired to create some patriotic art for your home this summer.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom and have a wonderful weekend!

Supplies: White 4"x4" Canvas Frames, Studio Gesso by Ranger, Snow Cap Adirondack Paint Dabber, Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint, Dash of Red Studio Paint and Smidge of Blue Studio Paint by Ranger, Studio Artist Brushes, Jet Black Archival Ink, Vermillion Archival Ink and Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink by Ranger, Cling Music Background,  Large Newspaper Background DesignBlock, Basic Grey Carte Postale by Hero Arts, Patti Mini Alphabet Chipboard Set by Maya Road, Star Bottle Cap, Vintage Paper Roses, Linen Burlap Trim and Ticket Transparencies by Maya Road, Heart Trinket Pins, Crystal Star Trinket Pins, Kraft Flag Trinket Pins and Wood Bingo Motifs by Maya Road, Love Banner Clear Stamp Sheet by Maya Road

"Faux"berge Easter Eggs

Easter is right around the corner and I thought I would share an idea that has been brewing in my head for some time. I figured I'd best get busy and share it if anyone is to have time to play with it this Easter season.

It was as I thought about the many ways to use adhesives that these ideas popped into my head. I cannot lay claim to the clever title of these eggs. Julia E, here at work, is so very clever with words!!! After sharing my idea she just popped out the word "faux"berge and I started to laugh - it was perfect!

Glitter, foil, pearls, gemstones, Be Creative (Sookwang) tape, embossing powder, Distress Stain... the list of products in our studio that can be used to embellish an Easter egg is LONG. It is so fun to think of different ways to use these products!

I would like to recommend that you blow out the insides of your eggs before beginning, but due to limited time I just went for it being VERY careful not to drop it as I worked. Sadly these eggs would not smell very good if I were to actually put them out on display, so I keep peeking at them in the fridge from time to time - LOL! Next time I will definitely be blowing the insides out!

The first idea was to use the beautiful Design Adhesives we carry. The smaller designs are simpler to use because you do not need to worry about them overlapping themselves when you adhere it to the rounded surface. Cut out an individual shape and burnish on to the surface of your egg.

Gently peel back the protective coating.

Apply glitter and press glitter into adhesive with your fingertip.

Pour off the excess glitter and burnish the glitter into the adhesive, just as you would when doing the burnished velvet technique on paper.

Remove excess glitter with a soft brush.

These glittery eggs are absolutely spectacular! Use one color or many colors of glitter for a variety of looks.

The larger adhesive designs are a little more difficult to work with on the rounded surface. You will need to slightly overlap the design, but I found the look to be worth the extra effort.

Apply the Designer Foil to the sticky adhesive surface and gently rub the foil into place making certain all adhesive is covered with foil.

Peel it back and the foil remains attached to the adhesive.

If you have little gaps left exposing the adhesive simply apply a little Microfine glitter. You can use a coordinating color or contrasting - just think of all the options this leaves you!

Not only can you use Design Adhesive for this technique but you can create your own adhesive shapes using your dies and Be Creative (also known as Sookwang) tape! You must use the sheets which have the protective backing attached.

Select a design that would compliment the shape of an egg and cut it out. Dies that are extremely intricate will not work for this technique because the adhesive will stretch as you remove the backing and apply it to your egg. Select your dies with this in mind.

Begin to peel back the protective backing and attach this to your egg. Remove a small portion at a time and adhere to your egg surface.

Once you have it attached apply a light pressure over the entire design to make certain the adhesive is adhered to the egg.

Remove the backing and apply your glitter, burnishing it in to the adhesive.

Add additional embellishments to glam up your egg!

As with all things crafty one things leads to another --- what would Distress Stains do to an egg? I simply applied the stain to my egg and used a soft tissue to remove the excess.

Eggs are so very interesting - the striped appearance just happened naturally!

Using the dots from my previous experiment with diecutting Be Creative sheets I covered my egg. You could easily use Glue Dots if you were simply applying glitter or foil, but if heated Glue Dots will begin to bubble, whereas Sookwang tape can be used with heat.

Remove the backing and apply white embossing powder. Heat the embossing powder to melt.

You could create so many different patterns using tape - stripes, plaids, chevrons, mixed dots and stripes, more die cut shapes - my oh my the list is endless!

How cute is the polka dotty egg?!? These would make awesome little decorations on your Easter table!

I hope that you try making "Faux"berge eggs this year!!!

adhesive: Design Adhesives - Leaf Nouveau and French Swirl, Be Creative Tape Sheets

accessories: Grasshopper Microfine Glitter, Limeburst Designer Foil, 3" Nest, Circle Borders Lifestyle Crafts Die, Smooth Clear Round Gemstones, Opaque White Embossing Powder, Peeled Paint Distress Stain

Song of Spring Card by Julia Stainton

Spring is right around the corner. Literally! Just a few more days until winter is officially over. I for one, am thrilled!

Today I have a spring-themed card to share with you and a fun and quick trick with patterned paper. Did you ever think to use patterned paper for your main image? With so many great papers out there incorporating beautiful vintage images, it's a great way to use them.

Today's project was inspired by this beautiful bird image. It's just a piece I cut out of a lovely piece of sheet music patterned paper from the Sidewalks line by October Afternoon. Instead of stamping an image, I'm going to use this piece for the main focal point of my design.

I wanted to add in a little color to the image so I've highlighted a few of the elements in some Faber-Castell pencils. I've actually used the Art-Grip Aquarelle Watercolor pencils and just quickly added some light color. These pencils can be used like watercolors when you add some water. I didn't add water in this instance but you can use them both ways.

After adhering all my layers together, I wanted to add an embellishment cluster. I've been really addicted to the Maya Road Tulle Pleat Ribbon Trim lately and it makes a beautiful base for embellishments. To adhere it,I placed a Gluber onto the card where I wanted my tulle. After removing the remaining backing, I adhered the tulle around the Gluber twice into a spiral shape and trimmed off the excess.

I could then adhere my flowers to the middle of the tulle for a lovely accent.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom today and have a fabulous weekend!

Supplies: Sidewalks 8x8 Paper Pad by October Afternoon, Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils by Faber-Castell, Tiny Attacher by Advantus, Classic Cream Cardstock by Neenah,  1.5" Gluber by Cosmo Cricket, Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink by Ranger, twine, Vintage Round Pearl Trinket Pins by Maya Road, Vintage Paper Posies by Maya Road, Ruffle Blossoms Yellow by Maya Road, Milk Tulle Pleat Trim Ribbon by Maya Road

VIDEO TUTORIAL: Glittered Copics by Julie Ebersole

 

*click on the pics to en-biggan*

Dazzling, aren't they?! Wanna learn how? Well, snag a nice hot cuppa, 'cuz we have a video tutorial for you to enjoy!

I'm certain there's a name for this technique, but I just called it Glittered Copics.  It combines the Burnished Velvet technique, but instead of using colored glitters, you can create a gorgeous, almost stained glass effect, by coloring the glitter with your Copic Markers!

Some things to note, as mentioned in the video:

Micro-fine Glitter will perform best, as will Copic Sketch (or Ciao) Markers.  You really need the flexibility of the brush nib for optimal results with this technique.

 

 

Two methods are shown--after trying them both, I think I personally preferred the first one over the second, but either will work well.  It's always nice to have options, tho, don't you agree?! *chuckle*

All the supplies & materials featured are listed below.

Enjoy watching here, or on YouTube in High Definition!

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SUPPLIES:

Stamps: Hero Arts Cling Dot Flower Pattern (used on the mat layer of the yellow card)

Paper:  Memory Box Parsley, Mango; Hero Arts Sunshine Layering Paper; Black Card Stock; Neenah Solar White Card Stock

Ink:  Adirondack Sunset Orange

Copic Sketch Markers: YR68 Orange; Golden Yellow; Y000 Pale Lemon; YG03 Yellow Green; YG17 Grass Green; YG67 Moss

Tools:  Making Memories Ribbon Slot Punch Tips; Be Creative Tape 2.5" wide;

Embellishments: Orange hued ribbons (from my stash); Elizabeth Craft Peel-Off Stickers (Leaves from) Bowls of Cherries, Black; Elizabeth Craft Peel-Off Stickers (Flowers from) Flower Window, Black; Glitter Ritz Transparent Micro-fine Glitter in Warm Highlights (or Cool Highlights, or White)

Other:  3D-Dots

Raindrop Wishes by Julia Stainton

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...

Ready for a sweet spring card and a new technique I dreamed up that just may be one of my new favorite things? I'm actually sitting here trying to think of what I'm going to call it. How about the Stamped Template Technique? I think that covers it.

 

Here's my card. I've created a lovely panel of perfectly spaced raindrops on the plastic layer. There is no way that I could eyeball this and get it even like this. If you can... well, all I can say is wow!

I've actually used a stamped image as a template to place each raindrop evenly. There is no stamping directly on the card (except for the sentiment) but yes, I've used a stamp. Here's how I did it...

First of all you need to stamp your image to use it as a template. I've used the Cling Dots background by Hero Arts (fabulous versatile stamp) and stamped it in a dark ink on a scrap piece of paper. This is now your template.

This technique is so easy to do. I've laid some Crystal Clear Plastic over the stamped template and then using the dots as a guide, add dots of Glossy Accents on top of each dot on the template. You can also use a stamped template with vellum or any thin, see-through paper.

Keep adding in the dots until the entire surface is covered. Add your dots left to right and top to bottom so that it doesn't smear. Of course, if you're a leftie...make that right to left.

You are going to want to rush a little but please, do yourself a favor and make sure the dots are totally dry before moving your plastic. Here's what it looks like. I just love how the dots catch the light. I just can't help myself from taking lots of photos of these dots. Hope you don't mind.

Next step is to die cut your blue cardstock, stamp it and adhere to your card. Staple on your dried dotted plastic for the raindrops and then add in your embellishments.

I've covered this super sweet Maya Road chipboard set with a tiny scrap of patterned paper and the cloud were whitened with some Picket Fence Distress Stain.

Hope you enjoyed this technique and hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom!

Supplies:

Key Lime Notecards by Memory Box, Water Cardstock by Memory Box, Cling Dots Background stamp by Hero Arts, All Occasion Messages Stamp Set by Hero Arts,   Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Glossy Accents by Ranger, When Skies are Grey Mini Chipboard set by Maya Road,  Tiny Attacher by Advantus, Styled Labels Movers & Shapers Die by Sizzix, Head Over Heels Tiny Tablet paper pad by Lily Bee Design, Crystal Clear Plastic from Essentials by Ellen, Picket Fence Distress Stain by Ranger

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 12 by Ellen

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house...

This is the theme of my last tag of the year. Day 12, Tag 12 - the end of our 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist for the year 2011. We hope you enjoyed the twists that we shared here in the CLASSroom this year. Yes, it is a labor of love that pushes us through each year. It is a "mission" each day just to get these completed in a manner that we hope inspires you.

Today it is my desire to share several more ways for you to use tissue paper in your projects, as well as share one more resist technique with you!

Don't you find these contemporary, yet rustic little dwellings, sitting in a snowbank with Santa flying overhead simply cute!

Adhering tissue paper to a surface can be done in ways atypical to the usual glues and adhesives. If you would like to add color to your project Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Line is the PERFECT way to add your tissue paper! First cut the dwellings from Craft-a-Board. Apply a layer of Studio Paint.

For variation and interest I added a second color in a streaky manner. You could stamp patterns or use stencils to add variation as well. I was trying to keep today's projects simple and colorful.

Immediately, while the paint is still wet, attach your tissue paper to your project by placing it on the painted surface and applying pressure evenly over the entire surface. Magically the color appears through the tissue paper in a wonderful muted way.

Aren't these just the sweetest mix of colors - right now I am picturing myself in a tranquil setting on the Italian coastline where their homes are so magically colored. How divine!

To add snow to the rooftops follow the same technique I showed a few days ago. Using Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint apply along the roofline and drag a piercing tool through the paint for a random appearance. Sprinkle silver and clear glass glitter (Twinklets Diamond Dust) into the wet paint. Allow to dry.

Streak Picket Fence Distress Stain randomly over a manila tag.

Add "icicles" to the manila tag surface by randomly streaking Rock Candy Distress Crackle paint on the surface. Apply enough so that you get random cracking. The more you apply, the larger the cracks, with thinner layers providing smaller cracks. Allow to dry.

This surface is absolutely fabulous and very "icy" looking, but I had more to show you ;-D

Using an ink blending tool, in a circular motion, add both Tumbled Glass and Stormy Sky distress ink at random to your surface.

Stamp snowflakes in both Stormy Sky and Tumbled Glass.

Make a corner of a soft towel or paper towel damp and wipe the excess ink from the surface where the Rock Candy Crackle paint is applied. Your snowflakes will start disappearing into the night sky.

To create your snowbank use a piece of tissue that has the tiny pinked edge formed by the cutting blade on the packaging on one side and a haphazardly torn edge on the other side. Crumple your tissue paper and then straighten back out. Apply Tumbled Glass distress stain in a random way and dry with a heat tool.

Cut a piece of manila cardstock to fit the width of the tag from the edges of the houses. Tear a random pattern in the top of this snowbank.

On the side opposite of the Distress Stained tissue paper, apply a layer of Gloss Multi-Medium.

Pleat, crumple, and mash the tissue paper to fit and adhere to the manila cardstock snowbank you created above.

Apply another layer of Gloss Multi-Medium to the surface by pouncing with a paintbrush. Sprinkle with both silver and clear glass glitter. Allow to dry.

I love having both 1/16" and 1/8" dimensional squares for adding depth to projects. When you need to layer items one on top of another you can achieve a "flat" look by combining the adhesive squares dependent upon where it is being attached to your project.

As you can see, one of the edges of my blue house is mounted on the tag and the other is mounted on top of the other dwelling. By placing the thicker dimensional on the side that is mounted directly to the tag it keeps my house level. Yes, the perfectionist in my is always coming out and I thought I would share this little trick with you in hopes that it will help other perfectionists out here in cyberville - LOL!

Tip: Create a more unifed balance by spacing these dwellings of different sizes and shapes in an assymetrical way. In other words, don't center the red house or it will not look right. It's all about breaking up your space into thirds and fifths - the Roman mean. Yep, that puts me right back in Italy and I'm going back to the Cinque Terre - ha, ha!

I needed to use my second set of hands, my self-closing tweezers, to knot my baker's twine and add the little jingle bell.

Since it is Christmas Eve I decided to add one simple "window" to my dwelling, but needed to alter the color ever so slightly to coordinate with the house on the left and Santa's face - Delicata Gold ink to the rescue!

One last parting shot of our last tag of the season. We hope that you have enjoyed your time here with us and with that we would like to close with... Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

stamps: Tim Holtz Winter Sketchbook 

ink: Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass and Stormy Sky, Distress Stain - Picket Fence and Tumbled Glass

paper: Manila Cardstock, Craft-a-board, Terminology Tissue Wrap

accessories: Studio Line - Dab of Yellow, Yellow Pastel, Modern Red, Dash of Red, Sky Blue, Landscape Green, Glossy Multi-Medium; Off White Twill, Silver Tinsel, Santa Christmas Ornament (these are absolutely darling and the size is perfect for crafting!), Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint, Silver Glitter Glass, Twinklets Diamond Dust, Bakers Twine, Jingle Bell, Game Pieces

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It's our last day of blog candy, but the party is far from over! Be certain to join us again tomorrow as we get our Hero Arts preview party started. Due to the "inconveniences" of today (yes, my studio is in complete disarray as the neighbors flooded toilet made an amazing mess in our office and warehouse - who would have thought a toilet contains that much water!) I am not certain when we will be able to get our first post up, but it is on to Plan B for the short term as I try to wade through this - ha, ha! Gotta laugh about it or I just might be sitting in a puddle crying - double ha, ha!

To be eligible for the random drawing of the goodies shown above please leave a comment here on this post by noon Pacific Time, Wednesday, December 14th. 

One last reminder that the goodies in the 12 Days Tag Time will be on sale until tomorrow morning at 9:00am, so if you have been inspired to try something new and different please head over to take advantage of the savings.

Thank you all once again for joining us here in the CLASSroom. We sincerely hope that we have brought a bright spot to your holiday season, that you have been inspired, and hopefully, have picked up a couple of new ideas to use in your creating!

Serene Snowfall by Julie Ebersole

*click on images to enlarge*

This beautiful Bare Oak Tree by Memory Box is so perfect for a winter-time scene, altho it could also make a great Halloween scene, too! :)  I must admit, I love images that have a lot of flexibility and I even have a spring/summer scene in my head that it would be perfect for!

If you're mailing out a lot of cards this holiday season, you may want to consider a design that is flat, but still has enough sha-zaaaam! to inspire the recipient to oooooh and aaaaaaah, UKWIM?!

This is such an easy way to achieve that and one of my favorite types of holiday designs!

After embossing the tree with Versamark and clear powder, I placed a torn strip of paper to act as a mask--this will help define the horizon line in the scene.  Tearing the edge can give you an artfully rustic effect, but if you wanted a more graphic look, you could cut a smooth edge.

I sponged Aqua dye ink over it all to create the "sky"--love the subtle hue of this particular shade.

After removing the mask, you can see the the snow-covered ground all around the tree.

To add some interest and a punch of color, I laid down some narrow tape flush along all four edges.

I removed one liner paper at a time, and then burnished this gaaaaw-jus shade of glitter into the tape with my finger tips. This micro-fine glitter gives fantastic coverage, creating an elegant sparkly look that is smooth and velvety (is that possible?  Smooth & velvety at the same time?! *chuckle*)

A quick hand-written greeting, and I couldn't resist creating some "snowfall" with a white gel pen, and then mounting the finished panel to a silver metallic card base.

Yes, I oooohed and aaaaahed when I finished it! :)

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom today!  Have you started your holiday cards yet?

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Supplies & Materials:

Bare Oak Tree by Memory Box
Versamark
Clear Embossing Powder
Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Aqua
Be Creative Tape, 1/8"
Galvanized Silver Cardstock
Regal Red Glitter Ritz, Microfine
Copic Multiliner SP, 0.3 Black
Uni-ball White Gel Pen

Clean & Simple Card: Just saying hi, by Julie Ebersole

*click on the pics for an enlarged view*

This card design seemed apropos for today! I'm so jazzed to be here and part of Ellen's Education & Inspiration Team.

I'm not sure 'bout you, but I never seem to get enough of flower stamps--love LOVE 'em, and in all types of art styles.  This MONDO one by Hero Arts is one of my many favorites--such a great contemporary look, and it looks great simply stamped or colored in.  Makes for a fantastic focal image by nature of its size.

In this instance, I decided to white emboss it, and simply trace around it with a subtle touch of blue Copic that matched the hues of the patterned paper I wanted to use. It's a great way to accentuate an image like this, without having to color it all in (it is kinda big, but in an awesome kinda way. *grin*)

I love that so many manufacturers are now producing smaller, 6x6" versions of their gorgeous patterned papers because the scale/size is so perfect for card making! The Marjolaine collection has some super-cute florals, as well as great masculine patterns in hues of dusky blues, chartreuse, and charcoal.  And, they look wonderful with kraft card stock!

Sometimes you can stamp right over the top of patterned paper, and sometimes the pattern and colors are too strong for a sentiment to really show up well.  To make sure this greeting didn't get "lost" within the pattern of the paper I chose, I white embossed it onto a strip of vellum card stock about 1/4" narrower than the patterned paper first and then adhered with some Xyron adhesive (the little "X" shaped one).  Be Creative sheet adhesive also works extremely well, in lieu of Xyron, for a completely "invisible" vellum adhesive. The vellum diffused the pattern beneath it just enough to allow the sentiment to remain easily legible.

It hit me how fun it would be to layer a clear button over one of the designs from the patterned papers for an accent, so I glued it down with some Glossy Accents, and after it was dry, I trimmed it out, and pierced through the button holes so I could add some twine (I can rarely, if ever, leave m' buttons nekked, I'm afraid) and slap it down with a Glue Dot.

To finish it off, I rounded the upper right corner and decided to add white gel pen borders.  You could easily duplicate this design in 10 minutes, and if you prepped enough supplies for mass production, you'd probably be able to create quite a few in just an hour's time!  Gotta love that! 

Thank you for stopping by the CLASSroom today!

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Hero Arts Cling Large Flower,
Hero Arts ClearDesign Just Saying Hi
Versamark Inkpad
Hero Arts Card Buttons Clear
Judikins Embossing Powder Opaque White
Basic Grey 6x6" Marjolaine Paper Pad
Memory Box Co. H Cardstock Kraft
Copic Sketch Marker B21 Baby Blue
Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool
Uniball Impact Gel Pen White
Ranger Glossy Accents

Other:  Card Stock Vellum (source unknown), Xyron Adhesive, Ivory Twine (by May Arts)

Father's Day Card Using The Metallic Foil Multi-Medium Transfer Technique

Do bells and whistles ever go off in your head when you see a technique? Claudine recently shared a fun video showcasing a Multi-Medium Transfer Technique and bells and whistles went off in my head - this technique would be PERFECT for creating a masculine themed card for the men in your life! 

With Father's Day right around the corner I felt the combination of October Afternoon's Rocket Age would make the perfect fit with this fab technique!

 

I also wanted to show you the goodies that come "Inside the Package" in the Miscellany kits from October Afternoon. It was so much fun to select the ticket and rocket from this collection to add to my card today. I am hoping to create some additional pieces in the next few days to show you some other options - there are so many items (buttons, ribbon, tickets, cards & chipboard) to select from in these fabulous collections!

 

With Claudine's permission we are sharing her video here today. Her blog is filled with magical techniques using her fabulous line of products! Claudine is also teaching an on-line class covering "Composition" which is open for enrollment right now - so head over to Claudine's blog to learn more about it and enroll today!

 

I thought I would also show a few step-by-step photos to share my little "twist" on this technique. Rather than using actual tin I opted for something I had right here in my studio - the new Inkssentials Foil tape. I printed a picture on my laser printer (it is my understanding that inkjet printing does not work the same) of a moon using the mirror image mode since there is writing on the picture I used.

Apply multi-medium directly to the Metallic Foil as shown in Claudine's video.

 

It is absolutely critical that you allow your sample to dry completely. I left mine overnight and found it in this curled up state this morning. No worries... it works just fine!

Spritz to wet thoroughly. 

Using your pointer finger gently rub the paper fibers until your image is revealed. Continue to spritz and gently rub until your image is fiber free. 
 

When working with the foil you will need to hold down the edges as you work and be careful not to bend wrinkles into it.

Cut out a piece of Craft-a-Board to fit the moon. Use a Silver Paint Dabber to create a metallic edge on the Craft-a-Board. Simply remove the backing and the self-adhesive foil can be adhered to this more sturdy base.

You will also use this same Dabber to paint the chipboard rocket. While the paint is still wet simply take a large Artist Brush and smooth the paint for a wonderful "space-age look."

The picture above is one I have wanted to share for some time. I love using adhesive dimensionals when I add embellishments to my cardfronts. The two depths of these dimensionals (1/16" 3-D Dots and 1/8" 3-D Dots) allows me to have varying heights and create a more interesting look overall.

Jenni Bowlin's Spice Tin ink pad is a fabulous navy color and works together with so many of the Navy papers we carry. I couldn't believe I did not have a "dad" stamp in my stash! A ClearDesign alphabet saved the day!

 

Tiny Type stickers and 7 Gypsy studs were the final touches to this masculine look.

Creating for men is always a bit tricky, but I think that this technique will blast you into the stratosphere with the men in your life - ha! ha!

 
stamps: Hero Arts ClearDesign Typewriter Letters

ink: Jenni Bowlin Spice Tin Ink Pad

paper: October Afternoon Rocket Age 8x8 Paper Pad and Miscellany Kit, Memory Box Parchment Cardstock

accessories: Studio Matte Multi-Medium & Artist Brush, Inkssentials Metal Foil Tape, Cosmo Cricket Red Tiny Type, Tiny Attacher, 7 Gypsies Display Trim Studs

Working with Flocked Rub-Ons

Good afternoon everyone! It is fun to see your response to our "Inside the Package" question. Yes, it is work, but I will do my best to start sharing what I "see" when the goodies arrive and I really do put it back or write down on the packing list that I took it (most of the time I think :-D)

I don't know if you realize that we try and take each new paper collection and pull all the coordinating Memory Box and Hero Hues colors, noting them within the product description to help you better know what colors will coordinate with each new paper collection we carry! (Here is an example of that listing.) We have put together color swatch samplers for both Memory Box and Hero Arts paper for you to purchase and have on hand to truly "see" the colors in person rather than just on your computer screen. We are currantly missing a couple of Memory Box papers, but hopefully Dave will get those to us soon so that we can put together more samplers. With SO many papers arriving we are a little behind, but I know that Julia and I will be doing our best to get these selected to help guide your choices within the next week.

Today I am going to share details on how to use some of the products I showcased in yesterday's post. I cannot tell you how much we appreciate your support of our store - to keep this business going is no easy task in today's economy and so we thank you for shopping with us when you have so many other's you could shop with. I will continue to try my best to show you how to use the products we sell.

 

So many beautiful products, so many choices... what is your favorite size to create in? OR are you like me and like to try a little of everything? My goal with these projects was to showcase a variety, in hopes of appealing to all of you.

 

This first project was designed to show you the new flocked rub-ons. I was just like each of you thinking, "How on earth will that work?"

 

These rub-ons come in sheets. Simply cut out the image you would like to use. Then remove the top protecting sheet of plastic leaving the sticky side shown above exposed.

 

Flip the image over and position it in the desired location. I REALLY like the Basic Grey Rub-On tool for affixing rub-ons. You can use a popsicle stick or a teflon bone folder to apply these as well, but the roller ball in the end of the Basic Grey tool makes applying the rub on so easy. Make certain to apply pressure evenly to the entire surface of the rub-on.

 

I lift just a corner of the rub-on to see if it has adhered properly before removing the backing. If I see any portion not affixed I lay it back down and continue to apply pressure evenly over that area. At CHA I even affixed one of these flocked rub-ons to a canvas surface - a simply stunning combination of textures!

 

Carefully remove and you will see the amazing detail revealed! So here is where I am a little odd... I can hardly wait to use the "trash" and turn that portion of the image into it's own little "treasure."

Using all the parts is something I love to do - watch for another challenge shortly, but for now you must join in our Tag Technique Challenge (the Gallery link) - there is a wonderful $50 shopping spree in store for one of the lucky individuals who participate in our current challenge!

 

Another product I have found so useful as of late is the Fabri-tac adhesive - it is a little "stringy" when applying, but positioning my trim and having it hold and dry quickly is a breeze with this glue!

 

Rather than applying it in one straight line I wanted to share that you can create wonderful wavy lines with some of these more open trims! Placing parts of it on top of the focal point really draws your eye to that focal point.

 

You will also note that I trimed a single flower from the new Prima trim. I then attached this single flower to a small styrofoam piece I cut from a styrofoam ball. This adds depth to that little hot pink flower.

I love the textures and translucency of the opal like drop and the satiny finish of the new Hero Arts dots. Spring is in the air with this creation - now if only it would be here in Seattle - :-D

This is going to be a very busy week here - it is mid-winter break so my daughter will be top priority. As well I have an upcoming birthday that I will be keeping for the rest of my life - LOL! I won't be getting any older in the coming years - ha! ha! ;-D I am trying to get some posts in place today that will go live throughout the week, so be certain to stay tuned as we begin the countdown to the arrival of the Faber-Castell product line over the next three days and then the final post to share how I created the ATC.

Thank you for once again stopping in here at the CLASSroom - have a wonderful day!

 
paper: Prima Marketing 6x6 Madeline, Memory Box Bayou Notecard

accessories: Prima Marketing Melody Flocked Rub On, Vintage Tear Drop Trinket, Turquoise Ribbon Lace and Cherry Rose Trim, Basic Grey Rub On Roller, Tim Holtz Mini Paper Clips and Jump Rings (I changed the jump ring out on the Tear Drop to Pewter to coordinate with the 7 Gypsy Clip) 7 Gypsy Gator Clip, Webster's Pages Sparkler, Hero Arts Foliage Dots, Fabri-Tac Adhesive, Micro Glue Dots (perfect with the new Hero Hues Dots)

Love is in the Air #4 - Shabby Dabbers and See Through Transfers

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!! Today is the last day of my little Love is in the Air Tag Technique mini-series. My hope is that once again you are simply inspired to just create and try new things - tags are such an easy format in which to do this!

With this thought I am going to challenge you - using any technique from this series or our 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist (just click on the following links to see your choices and find directions for the different technique options) you have one week to create a tag using one of these techniques and share it in the Gallery. Please be certain to contact us at customerservice@ellenhutson.com if you have any questions or are having trouble uploading your project!

ETA: As noted in the Gallery you have until Midnight Pacific Time on Sunday, February 21st 2011 to join in our challenge.

Following are a list of techniques to select from:

1. Shabby Dabbers - directions included in this post
2. See Through Transfers - directions included in this post
3. Copic Stained Glitter
4. Nostalgic Blended Batik
5. Shimmer Sheetz Texture
6. Colorwashed Craft-a-Board
7. Studio Paints and Transparencies
8. Studio Line "Decoupage"
9. Shabby Grungeboard
10. Studio Line Stamped Texture
11. Copic Airbrushed Graffiti
12. Alcohol Ink Holograms
13. Bigz and or Movers and Shapers Die Foam Stamps (create your own stamp)
14. Transparency Accents
15. Hot Glue Embellishments
16. Pattern Play (use a tissue paper pattern or pattern directions in your creation)
17. Magnetic Masks or Stencils
18. Sticky Back Canvas Flowers
19. Inky Texture Folders
20. Enameled Metal Embellishments
21. Dabber Resist
22. Metallic Dabber and Alcohol Ink Magic
23. Glossy Accents and Stickle Glue for Clear Embellishments
24. Clear Embossed Resist
25. Tissue Tape and Alcohol Ink
26. Create your own Custom Felt Stamp Pad

We will be selecting a random winner from all those who participate - that winner will receive a $50 certificate to shop in our store!

Tag #4... how does time pass so quickly?!? I have wanted to play with the Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime collection since it arrived and even though it is filled with flowers and fairies I felt that it was so very Valentiney (is that even a word?) in feel and knew that one of my tags was going to incorporate it. 

To begin I cut a grungeboard heart using the Heart Wingz die. I love how this heart is lopsided! Now if you don't like an assymetrical look you can cut out the coordinating "scrollwork" heart and flip it, layering it to make a symetrical heart! I should have taken a picture to share this concept and if I get time I'll come back in and show you, but because I am working from home on a Sunday evening I don't have all my tools - bummer. 

 

Place your grungeboard element in a texture folder and run it through your machine. I am loving my new Vagabond - all I have to do is push a button! SO easy! It really is a very strong machine - Erica and Julia here at work have their own little story. They actually embedded a die in the cutting plate due to an incorrect sandwich --- now that's power! bwahaha!

Paint the entire surface of the embellishment with a light colored paint dabber and allow to fully dry.

Once completely dry, sand the surface - this will remove most of the paint from that top raised layer. Then use an ink blending tool and Distress ink to add color to the sanded surface. Result... instant shabby delight!

 

This next technique was a bit of an experiment. I have created transfers now on numerous occasions by using my Multi-medium to affix inkjet prints or patterned paper to transparencies, but I have never tried mixing it with color before.

I place a very small amount of Studio Line paint on my non-stick craft sheet and mixed it together with a generous amount of Glossy Multi-medium.
 

Paint this mixture onto your plastic or acetate sheet. As you can see I started with clear glossy multi-medium at one end and the special mix with paint on the other end. Yes, the scientist in me had to experiment - ha! ha!

Place a piece of decorative paper on top of this mixture and brayer or rub in place. This next step is critical - you MUST allow it to dry completely! Don't be tempted to start the next step until it is completely dry.

 

Once it is completely dry you will then soak the patterned paper and peel off the top layer.

 

Then gently use the flat portion of your finger to rub the remaining fibers from the surface. Work slowly and carefully so that the transferred image remains in place. If you rub too hard you will remove the transfer.

You may need to wet your surface from time to time with a mini mister to keep the fibers moist and workable. Continue working until you feel the fibers are gone.

To get rid of the last little fuzzy bits, simply apply additional multi-medium to the surface.
 

For the next step I attached the decorative paper, text side up to a Craft-a-board tag and allowed it to dry.

I then used glossy multi-medium to affix my transparency to my tag. As you can see the text shows through the transparency completely in the areas where I used only multi-medium. In the areas where I had mixed Studio Paint and Gloss Multi-medium the transparency has a slight opacity to it, but you can still see through it. I love this combination - it makes for a very interesting final look.

 

Fussy cut out a fairy and add Rock Candy stickles to her wings.
 

Add embellishments and ribbon - keys, pearls, whimsy flowers - such pretty little pieces! I have to admit that I have found a new glue that I am REALLY like for attaching my ribbon. It is Beacon's Fabritac. It is a little stringy, but it dries so quickly and I am able to use it easily each time without having to unclog my bottle tip - HUGE yeah for that :-D
 

ink: Distress Ink - Tea Dye and Walnut Stain

paper: Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime Frames and Primrose Cottage, Craft-a-Board

accessories: Shell Pink Dabber, Grungeboard, Rock Candy Stickles, Baubles, Prima Flower, Printable Transparency, Studio Line Gloss Multi-Medium and Painterly Pink Paint, Antique Brass Key, Antique Brass Reinforcer, Silk Ribbon - Mauve and Olive

Love is in the Air #3 - Copic Stained Glitter Hero Heart

Today's tag takes yet another totally different twist! What is more perfect than a VERY glittery heart for Valentine's day? I have been wanting to try this for some time now and I can hardly wait to share this idea with you, so here goes...

 

You all know how much I love my Copic markers - LOL! This particular technique has been brewing in my head, but hadn't been realized on paper and so I am excited to share it with you today.

This is a perfectly girly project --- I hope you enjoy it :-D

Begin by applying Be Creative (Sookwang) tape to Neenah Solar White cardstock. Remove the lining from the tape and cover the entire sticky surface with warm highlights glitter. Use your finger to burnish the glitter into the surface of the adhesive. As you burnish, the glitter becomes firmly embedded, and it will not come off onto your marker when you color --- so be certain to firmly burnish the entire surface!

 

Because I wanted my stamped image to have a slightly raised, glossy embossed surface I removed the stickiness and static from my surface with the Puff Static Away before proceeding.

This next step is one that I had to try several different inks before determining the best way to stamp my image on to the glittery surface. I tried a wide range of ink pads with lack-lustre success before deciding to try the Studio Line of paints. I placed a small dollop of black paint on my non-stick craft sheet and then used my ink blending tool as an applicator. Simply dab the foam surface on the ink blending tool into your paint until the foam is completely covered. Transfer the paint to your stamp by simply dabbing on the stamp image surface.

While the paint is still wet immediately cover the image with clear embossing powder. Heat until the powder melts and becomes shiny and clear. The awesome thing about the Be Creative tape is that heat does NOT affect it - yeah!!!

 

Begin by coloring with your lightest Copic colors - the result is almost ethereal. When coloring on the glitter I used a VERY light touch, working carefully so that I would not damage the tip of my marker on this slightly rough surface. When burnished well the surface does become incredibly smooth and velvety, so be certain to burnish well before starting.

 

Add deeper colors and come back in over top with your lighter colors to blend. The gemstones add that final special, sparkly touch!

 

Copic colors used: RV00, RV17, BG11, BG15, BV02, BV04, YG00, YG23, 100

 

The next step is to develop the accent strip. Once again I am using a Burnished Velvet masking technique. Begin by punching a design in the Be Creative (Sookwang) tape backing as shown above. Apply a strip of 1/2" tape and remove the backing. Place the mask over the exposed surface and using another piece of backing affix mask as shown below.

 

Apply Warm Highlights glitter and remove excess. Burnish glitter before removing mask.

 

Apply a second mask as shown above - this mask was added to define the letters shown above. I could have cut out each letter and applied them with tweezers, but by doing this in two steps it was SO much easier. Apply Warm Highlights glitter on exposed edge and burnish in place.

 

Remove mask and apply glitter to exposed sticky surface (this will highlight the "x & o"). Remove excess glitter and burnish.

 

Color one pin with Copic marker RV17 - I just love how easy it is to make coordinating embellishments with my Copic markers!

 

So there you have it - one VERY sparkley love tag. This technique almost has the appearance of stained glass, therefore the title "stained glitter."

Tomorrow is the last tag in our mini-series... I can tell you that you WILL want to join us on Valentine's for the last of our Love is in the Air series and you may just want to share your thoughts between now and then ;-D

 
stamps: Hero Arts Cling Hearts and Flowers

ink: Copic Markers - RV00, RV17, BG11, BG15, BV02, BV04, YG00, YG23, 100

paper: Memory Box Taffy CS and Pixie 6x6 Paper Pack, Neenah Solar White CS

accessories: Tim Holtz Tag and Bookplate Die, Be Creative (Sookwang) Tape Sheets and 1/2" (12mm), Warm Highlights and Ice Blue Microfine Glitter Ritz, EK Success Arrow Border Edger Punches, Martha Stewart Hugs and Kisses Edger Punch, Studio Charcoal Black Paint, Ink Blending Tool, Clear Embossing Powder, Adelaide Seam Binding, Heart Trinket Pin

Love is in the Air #2 - Lille goes to Paris with a Nostalgic Blended Batik Technique

Today's tag takes a completely different twist from yesterday. I love this about this art form - yesterday was more glam and glitz, whereas today it's more about the vintagey goodness you can create!

I don't know if you remember when I posted my excitement over the new Lille line from 7 Gypsies and how I felt that it would be an awesome fit with Valentine's Day. If you don't have the time to create for Valentine's Day you could always just make a romantic card or tag for your special someone for an anniversary or just because as well.

 

Wouldn't it be SO much fun to head off to Paris for a romantic adventure?!? If not for real than perhaps it would be just the "ticket" to find a French Restaurant to rendezvous at OR you could create your own special dinner event in the coziness of your own home!

 

The technique I am sharing today is called Distress Ink Nostalgic Blended Batik. To begin I stamped Tim's Valentines ticket from Odds and Ends using Distress Embossing Ink multiple times on Manila cardstock. Apply clear embossing powder and heat set. Be certain to heat until the powders melt and become shiny and clear.

 

Then using an ink blending tools, ink over the entire set of images including the embossed design with Distress Ink using a circular motion. Apply the colors individually and in a random pattern as shown above.

 

Place a piece of newsprint or porous paper over your stamped images and iron over it on high heat. This causes the embossing powder to melt once again and be absorbed by the newsprint. Continue ironing and slowly remove the newsprint while it's still hot. If it cools the newsprint will be firmly attached to your project - LOL! SO be certain to remove it while the embossing powder is still hot and melted. Keep ironing it over again until it lifts off easily and when you view it there is no sheen on your project. Be certain to keep moving your newsprint to a "clean spot" as you work so that you do not reapply the embossing powder back to your project.

 

I love the diversity of these tags!

 

I punched a small circle from the Lille paper and colored in one of the flowers, punched it out and inserted it into a typewriter charm. Adding these fun little embellishments to your projects makes them come alive!

 

Stamp the Eiffel Tower on Manilla Cardstock and cut out. The center of the Eiffel Tower was cut out using my little Fiskars fingertip knife. This knife is the perfect way of cutting out those tiny, awkward spots. Affix a heart to the tower for added romance.

The background for my tag was created by randomly applying Matte Multi-Medium to my #8 Tag. The odd outline of attached paper makes the project more vintage in feel. By attaching my printed designer paper to the tag, allowing the adhesive to dry and then tearing away the excess paper I was left with this awesome vintage feel. Next apply Distress Ink using an ink blending tool. Stamp the flourish using Barn Door Distress Ink and then apply Rock Candy Distress Stickles with your finger randomly over the image and edges. Allow it all to dry before attaching your embellishments, twill and baker's twine.

Thank you for joining in my romantic adventure - LOL! I hope that you can use these techniques to create a vintage wonder of your own!

 
stamps: Memory Box Eiffel Tower, Tim Holtz Odds and Ends and Fancy Flourish 

ink: Distress Embossing Ink, Distress Ink - Barn Red, Tumbled Glass and Stormy Sky

paper: 7 Gypsies Lille 6x6 Paper Pack, Inkssentials #8 Manila Tag

accessories: Hero Arts Heart Accent Pearl, Tim Holtz Typewriter Charm, Tiny Attacher and Rock Candy Distress Stickles; 1/2" Circle Punch, Studio Matte Multi-Medium,  7 Gypsies Princesca Crystals

Love is in the Air #1 - Shimmer Sheetz Texture

Today starts the first of our 4 Tags of Love series for 2011! We would like to welcome you once again to our little tag mini series where we focus on some fun techniques and share them in a love-filled tag format. I can tell you that each tag will be VERY different from the next, so I hope you will continue to join me for the full series.

 

Today's tag is inspired by a technique that I learned while at CHA from Judy Kauffman, the creator of Shimmer Sheetz. I cannot begin to tell you how amazing this background looks in real life! The combination of the Shimmer Sheetz and the Glitter Ritz is incredible! I wish that I would have the ability to better capture this in photos, so you are just going to have to trust me that it just makes you say... WOW!

 

To begin attach Be Creative Sookwang tape to a piece of Neenah Classic Crest Solar White cardstock. Using a teflon bone folder or a brayer go over the entire surface to adhere the adhesive well. Then cut out your tag.

Cut a piece of Shimmer Sheetz to fit slightly larger than the size of the tag. Run the Shimmer Sheetz through an embossing folder, I used Tim's Damask Texture Fades.

 

Next remove the tape backing and affix the Shimmer Sheetz to the sticky surface. Place on your work surface and brayer over the entire surface to adhere the raised surface of the Shimmer Sheetz to your cardstock tag.
 

Carefully remove the Shimmer Sheetz from the tag surface doing your best not to finger print the sticky surface of the tag. I like to use my teflon bone folder as I work to help hold the tag as I remove the Shimmer Sheetz. As you remove the "sheetz" you will note that the surface of the mylar sheet is attached to the tape only in the portions that were raised.

Now for a little magic!

 

For a high contrast look use Black Glitter Ritz and dump it over the entire surface of the tag. Tap to remove excess.

 

Then use your finger to embed the glitter into the adhesive --- remember, this is the burnished velvet technique (you can read more about burnished velvet here.)

As you can see I made two tags - note the subtle difference. By flipping the Shimmer Sheetz and using the opposite side you get the reverse image.

Can you imagine the possibilities?!? Tone on tone, high contrast, Perfect Pearls rather than glitter... I can hardly wait to hear what you think and when you try it I would LOVE to see your projects - so be certain to share them in the Gallery!

 

Are you tired of me sharing the wonders of Craft-a-Board yet? LOL! I wanted to keep my focal point simple so that the background would not get lost.

I stamped this gorgeous Iron Orchard Designs image from Unity Stamps using a Pearl Paint Dabber and allowed it to dry.

 

My first attempt I misted the Craft-a-Board with Cranberry Color Wash. I felt it was just a hair too dark and so decided to experiment with the Color Wash. By mixing 1/2 Color Wash and 1/2 water the intensity of the color was reduced to perfection!

Hmmm - can you imagine the beautiful range of monochromatic colors you can create!

 
I then cut around the image and inked the edges using an ink blending tool and Concord Grape distress ink, stitched some silk ribbon to the tag and affixed some gemstones and this darling Whimsy Heart (LOVE these!)

The last step was to punch a butterfly from the remaining Shimmer Sheetz. Yes, Shimmer Sheetz can be die cut and punched! Imagine the possibilities!

I would love to hear from you! Have you ever worked with Shimmer Sheetz before and if so what did you create with them? Thank you for joining me here for my first of four tags!
 
stamps: Unity Stamps Iron Orchird Designs - Be Still Beloved Collection

ink: Dusty Concord Distress Ink

paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Essentials by Ellen Craft-a-Board

accessories: Iridescent Pink Shimmer Sheetz, Black Glitter Ritz, Be Creative (Sookwang) 4 1/2" Tape or Tape Sheet, Webster's Pages Pink Heart Whimsy, Black and Pink Gemstone Crystals, Martha Stewart Classic Butterfly Punch, Damask Texture Fades Embossing Folder

Adding Dimension and Texture to Your Stamping, by Sharon Harnist

 

Today I would like to show you how to add some texture and dimension to your stamping, to create some interesting effects!  In the photo above, you'll notice a protruding branch that adds dimension to the Memory Box Nesting Birds stamp I used.  Here's how I created it:

First, I stamped the birds with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Neenah Natural White cardstock and then base coated the nest with Copic E31 marker:

 

Coloring the nest first, provides a base of color so the white cardstock doesn't peak through our final finished image.  The birds were colored with Copic R00, R01, T1 & T3 markers.  I didn't have just the right color of Flower Soft I wanted to use for the branch, so I combined Flower Soft's Ultra Fine Black & Toffee colors together to make my own custom color!

 

If you haven't tried Flower Soft's new Ultra Fine line, I think you will be very pleased with the different texture these create!  Next, I cut a piece of Flower Soft Wire to the length I wanted, to form the branch. The Flower Soft Glue is the best type of adhesive for this technique, as it is thick, stays where it is applied and latches on to the Flower Soft material fabulously!  I applied the glue to the wire and then sprinkled on my mixed Ultra Fine Flower Soft.

 

For the nest, I also used the Flower Soft Glue to outline the stamped nest and form some "twigs" for dimension -- then I sprinkled on the Toffee Ultra Fine Flower Soft.

To create more texture, I used the Tim Holtz Paper Distresser to rough up the edges of the piece of Webster's Pages Petite Papers-Hollywood Vogue background paper I adhered to a Memory Box Licorice notecard, using Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares.  The foam squares were also used to raise the stamped image and create more dimension.

 

Part of a Zva Jet black swirl frame adds even more texture (and bling!) to finish this card that could be used for either an anniversary, wedding or general love occasion!

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom today ~ hope you have a wonderful weekend!  ~ Sharon

 

Stamps: Memory Box Nesting Birds
Paper: Webster's Pages Petite Papers-WonderFALL & Hollywood Vogue, Neenah Natural White cardstock, Memory Box Licorice notecard
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Copic Markers: E31, R00, R01, T1, T3
Accessories: Flower Soft Ultra Fine-Black & Toffee, Flower Soft Glue, Flower Soft Wires, Zva Jet black swirl frame, Tonic Tim Holtz Paper Distresser, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares,

A Quick Gift Box For All Seasons and Reasons

Last minute gifts are always tough, and finding a way to package them can be even harder. Why not combine the two using some of your fun paper crafting products?

A few miniature chocolates wrapped in beautiful paper and presented in a box that was made to match is an easy way to impress the recipient with your clever and sweet ways. Even if the interior hints at something a little more sinister, they won't be able to resist nibbling on a piece or two before dinner.

The finished 4" x 5" size of these boxes will snuggle 15 little Treasures in ghoulishly delightful comfort. To wrap the chocolates in style you will need to cut 1" x 3" pieces of the different patterns of paper that you like.

For the Halloween boxes I used the Hocus Pocus line from Pink Paislee.

Prepare two pieces of patterned paper of your liking. For the bottom of the box you will need a piece that is cut at 7" wide and 8" tall. Take care in your planning if you are trying to center one of the designs in your project.

For the top of the box you will need a piece that is 12" wide and 5" tall.

Score the bottom at 3/4" and 1 1/2" from each of the edges. You should be left with an inside piece that is the same size and the finished dimensions of the box. 4" x 5".

Fold the inside score up and the outer down. Then you will trim into the center along the inner score just into the box bottom on the top and bottom of the paper.

Then place double sided adhesive tape along the edges.

Remove the protective backing from the top piece of adhesive and fold it back onto itself along the score line. Repeat on bottom.

Place four more pieces of double sided adhesive onto the "tabs" that were created.

Remove the protective backing and adhere to the side of the box after you fold it up.

 

Then remove the protective backing from the tape on the side and adhere into place.

Remove backing from tape on the other side.

Press into place and now the box bottom is complete.

For the top, center your design if necessary and then score the top at 3 3/16" and 3 15/16" and 8 1/16" and 8 13/16". If that is making your brain hurt as much as it did mine to try to describe to you, the idea is that you want the top to be able to slide easily on and off of the box bottom. So the top needs to measure barely over 4" width of the box bottom and barely over the 3/4" over the depth of the box. Hopefully one of those two descriptions will get you there.

Before I adhered the sliding top together I stamped on it and adhered some letter stickers for the sentiment.

And with more holidays around the corner to celebrate, why not make neighbor, co-worker and teacher gifts.  :o)

These are fun, easy and so very cute. Sit down and make a bunch at one time, then set a few of them aside for those unexpected situations when you need a gift in a hurry. If you don't have a fan of chocolate on your gift list, it is a great size for other types of treats, photos or for that someone special you could even make a matching mini-album. It is also easy to adjust the size if you have a little patience in doing some math. Just keep the scored widths the same on all four sides. Have fun and happy gift giving!

B-

Supplies Used: Hocus Pocus by Pink Paislee, Mitten Weather by Cosmo Cricket, Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Be Creative double sided tape, Black letter stickers are from the Life's Portrait paper crafting kit by Webster's Pages, White Trim from Prima Marketing.

World Card Making Day Glitz Challenge by Sharon Harnist (EHWCMD4)

GLITZ CHALLENGE

It's time to get sparkly! I've fallen in love with all the gorgeous colors of Glitter Ritz glitters Ellen carries and wanted to challenge YOU to get sparkly!  Create a project that shimmers and shines in some way, by using your favorite "glitzy" product!  Here's my sample:

 

My card uses a piece of 5.50" x 4.75" Webster's Pages-Hello Beautiful Journaling Card.  I chose this paper because it has quite a few of Ellen's Color Trend challenge colors for today in it!  I mounted a portion of the journaling card onto a Memory Box Crimson notecard.  Then I made a frame by die cutting a piece of Be Creative 8.5" x 11" sheet adhesive with Spellbinders Labels Six die set:

 

I cut another frame from cardstock and adhered the Be Creative frame to that, for stability.  Then I removed the front adhesive liner and did the Burnished Velvet technique by covering the adhesive with Glitter Ritz Opaque Micro Fine Glitter in Ice Blue and rubbing/pressing the glitter into the tape ... what a beautiful look and a quick and easy sparkly frame!

 

Next, I stamped the Hero Arts Create Your Own Journey sentiment with Ranger Adirondack Cranberry dye ink onto Neenah Natural White cardstock, die cut it with the Labels Six die and sponged the edges with Ranger Antique Linen Distress ink.  I topped the sentiment with my glitter frame, popped up on foam tape.  A Webster's chocolate Bloomer finishes my card.  ~ Sharon

 
Stamps: Hero Arts ClearDesign-Life is Not Perfect
Paper: Webster's Pages Journaling Cards-Hello Beautiful Journaling Cards, Memory Box Crimson notecard
Ink: Ranger Adirondack Cranberry dye ink & Antique Linen Distress ink
Accessories: Spellbinders Labels Thirteen, Glitter Ritz Opaque Micro Fine Glitter-Ice Blue, Be Creative 8.5" x 11" sheet adhesive & 5mm tape, Webster's lace trim & Webster's chocolate Bloomer

Once you have completed this challenge be certain to post a comment as well as link to your project, in our WCMD Challenge Blog Candy post! Please be certain to link directly to each project when uploading your link :-D

BLOG CANDY

Do you like sparkle and if so what is your favorite way to make your project shine? Be certain to leave your answer in the comments section below to be entered in a random drawing for the following delicious goodies.

All comments must be made by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Sunday, October 3rd to be eligible.

Design Adhesives and Glitter Ritz by Susan Roberts

My last visit to Ellen’s studio had me leaving with some of Memory Box’s Design Adhesives and some of the oh so sparkly Glitter Ritz Microfine Glitter.  Of course I had to try these two products together.  Here are the results.

First up is a card made with two of Memory Box’s new Halloween images, “Old Fence” and “Crow” and the sentiment “Happpy Halloween”.

One of the Design Adhesives from “Brocade” collection is used with Glitter Ritz “Apricot”.  I wanted to add an additional section to the design under the bird.  Using a Quickie Glue Pen, a small amount of the glue was drawn and then the Glitter Ritz was added over the glue.

The Quickie Glue Pen was also used to added “Warm Highlights” Glitter Ritz to the spider web.

Also used on this card:  May Arts Twill, Memory Box 6x6 "Blackbird" Designer Paper and Vintaj "Flowers" Natural Brass Embellishments.

The second card uses Glitter Ritz on snowflakes from the Design Adhesive “Flurries” collection.  I also used Martha Stewart's Around the Page Snowflake Edger Punch "Aspen" and Memory Box's "Build a Tree" stamp on this card.

Experimenting with the Glitter Ritz, I mixed it with both white embossing powder and clear embossing powder.   Some fun variations in the look were achieved.

Besides using the Design Adhesives and Glitter Ritz on plain cardstock, I also used them together on Memory Box’s Designer Paper “Mistletoe”, on a Twinchie and on the May Arts Silk Ribbon.

Also for this card, the felt on a Prima Flower Center was colored with a Copic Marker.

I found that the Design Adhesives and GlitterRitz were easy to use and worked absolutely perfectly together.

Thanks for dropping by the CLASSroom today.  Happy Crafting!

Black, White and Pink INspiration!

Following up with Ellen's post on Monday about "Black, White and Yellow INspiration", I decided to give her suggestion of a black, white and hot pink color scheme a try since it's one of my favorites!  Thanks for the inspiration, Ellen!

 
  
I chose Lockhart Stamp Company's Roses In The Window stamp to do a spotlighting technique with an Inchie Arts Ivory Twinchie Square.  I began by inking up the stamp (upside down on my table top) with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Then, with the stamp still sitting on the table face up, I was able to place the Twinchie Square over the window portion of the stamp exactly where I wanted it and pressed the Twinchie Square into the stamp.

Next, I used Copic markers to color the window image by concentrating most of the color on the roses & foliage, with just some other light accents on the curtains (RV00) and window detail (W1).  Here are the Copic marker colors I used (and Melon Copic Atyou Spica Glitter Pen):

 
  
The next step was to stamp the full window image onto Neenah Classic Crest Natural White cardstock and die cut it with Spellbinders Nestabilities-Labels One die.  I also shaded some of this full image with the W1 marker.  Next, I used my Copic RV17 marker to carefully color the embossed outer edge of the die cut image:

 
  
Then I used Zig's 2-Way Glue Fine Tip Pen around the pink border of the die cut and covered it with Glitter Ritz's Warm Highlights Transparent Micro Fine Glitter.  Alternately, you could use the colored glitter of your choice but I find using a colored marker first, then transparent glitter over it, sometimes works a little better for me. 

Next, I adhered the Twinchie Square to my die cut image using my new favorite adhesive I haven't talked much about yet -- the Glue Glider Pro. This permanent adhesive is strong enough to hold most anything -- even the weight of the Inchie Arts 2-inch square piece of matboard!  Then I popped up the label die cut image with foam tape to my Memory Box Licorice notecard base covered with a 4"x4" piece of Jenni Bowlin Vintage Black Line Mini Paper on the right and a piece of Vintage Red Line paper on the left side.  I placed a row of Hero Arts Assorted Crystal Gemstones (pink, darkened with my Copic RV19 marker) along the seam of the two papers, for an added pop of color.

 

I tend to leave sentiments off card fronts so I can use the card for whatever purpose I'd like in the future, just by adding an appropriate sentiment to the inside.  But the left side of this card would be a good spot to add a sentiment tag turned vertically.

 
Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Company Roses In The Window
Paper: Jenni Bowlin Mini Papers Vintage Black Line & Vintage Red Line, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White cardstock, Memory Box Licorice notecard
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Copic markers-RV00, RV14, RV17, RV19, G12, G14, G16, W1; Melon Copic Atyou Spica Glitter Pen
Accessories: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels One, Inchie Arts Ivory Twinchie Square, Hero Arts Assorted Crystal Gemstones, Zig 2-Way Glue Fine Tip Pen, Glitter Ritz Warm Highlights Transparent Micro Fine Glitter, Glue Glider Pro, foam tape

Glittery Edward Eyes By Lisa Strahl

I just love it when the stars align and things come together.  Today's post is three things:  1) a technique post that I have been dying to share with you, 2) fits nicely into Ellen's current promotion to craft with your kids and teenagers and 3) falls on the release date for The Twilight Saga movie, Eclipse.

A few weeks ago I mentioned to Ellen that I had this crazy idea to do something with the Cornish Heritage Farms stamp called Elvis Eyes.  All of my wood mounted stamps are on shelves near where I sit in my studio.  I was walking past my Elvis stamps one day and saw Edward's eyes staring back at me!  That smoldering gaze, those long eyelashes.  Oh, Edward.  *giggles*

Now, if you are not a fan of the movies or books, I bet you know someone who is and chances are that they are a teenager!  (...and a few "older" ladies who might just be fans too)  The key to understanding why I am using this technique is that Edward has sparkly skin in the sunlight and to that end, we are going to glitter Edward today with a wonderful Transparent Microfine Glitter called Warm Highlight.  The technique called Burnished Velvet was developed by two dear friends of mine - Haroldine the Tape Lady and Deanna the Glitter Lady.  Ellen wrote an awesome post that talks about how she spent time with Haroldine and Deanna recently.

Burnished Velvet is basically where you press Glitter Ritz Microfine Glitter onto Be Creative double sided tape and rub it with your finger to "burnish".  The result literally feels like velvet!!  So amazing.  Once you try this stuff, you will wonder what you ever did without it!

Supplies:

-Elvis Eyes stamp (Cornish Heritage Farms)

-Be Creative Tape Sheets

-Glitter Ritz Mircofine Transparent Warm Highlight Glitter

-Lemon Spica Glitter Pen(Copic)

-Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger)

-Eclipse Masking Tape(Judikins)

-Double Ended Tags die (Spellbinders)

-Licorice and Cranberry (Memory Box)

First, I wanted to simplify the image by masking off some of the detail on the nose and between the eyes.

Eclipse Masking Tape to the rescue!!  (...and another indication that this project was meant to be.  What are the chances that I would need to use a product today named Eclipse!)  Eclipse tape is a sticky enough, but not too sticky a tape that you can use to cover and mask things.  It won't damage your project and is easily removed.  I cut a piece to fit between the eyes and then inked up my stamp as normal.

Remove the tape and voila, the image is inked just where it needs to be.

Edward is stamped onto Neenah Classic, Solar White card stock.

Now, of course Edward has golden yellow eyes so the Lemon Spica Glitter pen was perfect!  Remember that you can dab the pens in the same area over and over to saturate with glittery ink.

The next step is to cover the area with Be Creative Tape.  I trimmed a piece to fit on my Tonic trimmer from a tape sheet.  Remove the brown backing and press to the sheet.

Using a bone folder to something with a flat edge, burnish the tape to the card stock.

Remove the blue and white backing, being VERY CAREFUL not to touch the tape with your fingers and shake the glitter over the entire surface.

Remove the excess glitter with a soft clean brush.

Use your finger tip tip to burnish the glitter into the tape.  This brings up the shine on the glitter, it's really amazing what a difference it makes!

My final step was to use the Lemon Spica pen OVER the glitter to make his golden eyes even brighter.  The sentiment was computer generated in a Twilight font (just Google it) and cut using Spellbinders Double Ended Tags die.  I glittered the sentiment using the same technique as above, before I cut it out.  The glittered panel is framed with Cranberry card stock and mounted on a Licorice base (Memory Box).

Oh, Edward indeed!  I hope you got a kick out of my Twilighty little card - who knows, you might even convince a teenager to stamp with you!!

Sweet 16 - Be Creative Glitter Stickers

There is a VERY special young lady in our household and she has a big day coming up this week! Yesterday as I stood besider her in the bathroom I looked in the mirror only to realize that she is now taller than I am. Not only is she beautiful on the outside, but her beauty radiates from within. As a mom it brings tears to my eyes when her teachers, and other parents, tell me what a kind and thoughtful daughter we have. But what surprises me is when her friends tell me that someday, when they are all grown up, they hope that their daughters will be like Maddi. My children are such a huge blessing in my life and I cannot begin to imagine my life without them. Each and every day I watch them grow into the young women they will become and feel grateful for being given the opportunity to be their mom. So without further ado - I love you my sweet Maddi and I am so very proud of the adult you are growing into. Nothing can state better the sentiment of this card - Happy Birthday my sweet 16-yr-old. Thank you for being you!

Now enough of the proud mom stuff - LOL! Nothing speaks "sweet 16" better than bold, bright, fun colors and a little glitter :-D It is amazing to me that when I put boundaries on what it is that I am going to create how easily it all comes together. This week the challenge I gave myself was to use the same products that our team will be using here in the CLASSroom - Hero Arts, Inchie Arts and Cosmo Cricket. I immediately knew what I wanted to use - Delovely, it is so very lovely. Combine it with some of the bold Hero Arts stamp designs and a few Inchie squares and you will have a perfect card for your teen.

A very hot trend is to use glitter letters and numbers on our cards. Today I am going to share a little secret with you - you can easily make your own custom glitter sticker letters/numbers in any color you would like using Be Creative Tape and any color of glitter. We are going to be carrying some Ultrafine glitter shortly that will coordinate with the paper colors we carry, but for now I used some of the fabulous, regular Martha Stewart glitter we carry.

To begin I cut squares from the Be Creative sheets using the Tim Holtz Sizzlits Alpha Vintage Market Die. The sheets are so easy to use because they come already backed. I haven't tested to see if I can adhere the regular tape to a different surface before cutting, but it is something I will be experimenting with. For now I just went with what I guessed would work. You know me - always testing and experimenting - LOL!

First remove the portion of the tape that the adhesive is not sticking too. I played around with trying to figure out which side the adhesive would stay adhered to and it appears to me that it is the side I have facing up when I punch - but I'm just not certain yet. You may need to experiment with this depending on what type of die you are using.

I removed the white backing and using a tweezer located the number in position. Next burnish the number in place using a teflon bone folder. As you can see on the number "1" I did not get a clean cut - this worked to my advantage. As I removed the backing, the adhesive stayed on the number one and not the surrounding area. If it had I would have snipped around the number, but as it was I was able to easily use the extra paper like a little "handle."

 

Sprinkle glitter over the adhesive and then burnish in place with the teflon bone folder. Use a soft brush to remove the excess.

WARNING: This is section is NOT a recommended technique - so proceed at your own risk - you may destroy your punch! BUT I just couldn't help myself and had to give it a try - LOL! Guess what it worked :-D

Curiosity killed the cat you know and being a curious one myself I just had to try this next technique. It is not recommended that you punch through the tape with regular punches, never mind highly detailed ones like the Deep Garden Trellis! BUT I had to test it for myself and found the results to be simply breathtaking.

Once again I used the Be Creative Tape sheets due to the backing being in place. I punched my design in the tape being very careful to remove any excess bits of paper or adhesive that appeared on the underside of my punch with each pass through. One of the incredible things I discovered about these punches is the amazing detail in the way that the punch is designed. The engineering is so well thought out. These detailed punches do not punch through your paper in all one area. The punch is designed so that there are peaks and valleys to allow the punch to pass through only small portions of the design at one time. I would like to suggest that you take a look at the bottom of your punches - it really was an eye-opener for me. So cool!

Once I had my design the width I felt worked best I removed the backing. What I found was that this time the brown backing needed to be removed (just the opposite of my Sizzlet punched image) and the adhesive remained on the white portion as shown above.

I positioned my design and then once again burnished it in place. I followed the same procedure with the glitter - applying it and burnishing it in place, then using a soft brush to remove the excess.

As you can see the detail of the punched designs is incredible! Following are some cutting techniques I have tried, or plan to try:

• Sizzix, Sizzlet and other steel blade dies,
• Low profile dies such as the Nestabilities,
• Punches - these are ones I canNOT fully endorse because of the possibility of ruining your punches, but...my oh my are these every cool,
• Cricut or Silhouette electronic cutters - I'm going to be giving this a try soon. I can hardly wait to see what the results will be.

The other experiment that needs to occur is what types of media I can apply once I remove the second side of the adhesive. Following are just a few of the products worth experimenting with:

• Glitter (of course)
• Fun Flock (I punched out a little bunny and applied white fun flock, adding a little pom pom tail - OH SO CUTE!)
• Perfect Pearls
• Dried, crushed flowers and leaves
• Flower Soft - Ultrafine may be way cool - I can hardly wait to try!
• Gold Leaf - wowsers this will be gorgeous!

So many ideas - so little time :-D You all have to help me out here by playing with these ideas and giving me your feedback - LOL!

Next, was the selection of my image. One of the beautiful things about the 6x6 pads is the wonderful scale of the images on these papers. I selected a Hero Arts image that was bold and beautiful. I love the fact that the images come mounted on a storage sheet that I can also use to locate the perfect portion of paper to stamp my image. 

 
Stamping the image three times on different papers made for the perfect layered flower! I LOVE the design of this Hero Arts image for paper piecing!

Using a 2-way glitter pen I added details to the leaves and top flower. Sprinkling the same turquoise glitter as used on the numbers and trellis. I allowed the adhesive to dry and then once again used a soft brush to remove the excess glitter.

Tip: When threading buttons I keep a needle threader handy and simply insert my DMC Embroidery floss using this handy, dandy tool. 

The final details include Black Inchie+ Squares covered in decorative paper, a Tiny Type sticker (these are fabulous stickers and such a great value!) and a silk ribbon tab.
 

stamps: Hero Arts Big Flower Pattern

paper: Cosmo Cricket Delovely 6x6 Paper Pad, Memory Box Sunflower Cardstock

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

accessories: Be Creative Tape Sheets, Tim Holtz Alpha Vintage Market Sizzlet Die, Martha Stewart Turquoise Glitter, Pink Tiny Type Stickers, Black Inchie Square, Black Inchie+ Squares, 2-way Glue Pen, Teflon Bone Folder, Fuschia Silk Ribbon

Be certain to visit our "*Weekly Special" section and use promo code HAIACC upon checkout when purchasing any of the Cosmo Cricket, Hero Arts and Inchie Arts products we have used in this weeks posts!

Magnetic Masked Butterfly - By Lisa Strahl

It's Monday and time for another week of work, school and keeping up with life in general.  I hope you had a chance to relax on the weekend and do something that you love.  It's amazing how just a small amount of "me" time will make huge difference in how well my week goes.  Today I spent a few hours in a hammock in our back yard reading.  It was perfect!

I created some Artist Trading cards last week for a swap that were airbrushed with Copic markers and it inspired me to do some airbrushing again this week.  The main point that I want to share with you about this ATC is that I stamped it on Craft-a-Board.  The best way I can describe it, is that it's a really smooth creamy chipboard that takes ink like a dream!

 

I want to share a design with you that uses Magnetic Masking Material.  These 8.5 x 11 flexible magnetic sheets have with a white topcoat that allow you to stamp and then cut out the shape.  It is thin enough to be cut with most die cut systems, dies and electronic cutters including the Cricut.  I am going to use it with the Craft Assistant which is a metal craft plate that acts as an extra set of hands. It assists by holding the magnetic masks firmly in position while I airbrush.

Stamp desired images on the white side of the magnetic sheet and trim out with sharp tip scissors.  Usually when I am cutting am image out I leave a white border, but in this case I am trimming right on the line or even just slightly inside.

Stamp the image again, this time on the paper you wish you airbrush on.  The stamp set I am using in Antique Engraving (Hero Arts) and the paper collection is Origins 6x6 Paper Pad (Basic Grey).

Place your stamped image on the Craft Assistant and then place your hand cut magnetic mask over the image.  It will stay in place even with the force from the airbrush!  So cool.  I have airbrushed around the butterfly with G28 Ocean Green Copic Marker using the chisel tip which produces a finer mist of ink.  I do use the Sparmax AC-101 Windstorm Airbrush Compressor and have to admit that I LOVE it.  It truly works like a dream and I use it a lot!

 
 

I will keep this mask and use it over and over again.

 

To finish the card:

-color the circle details on the butterfly with Lemon and Melon Spica Glitter Pens (Does anyone else notice that those two words use the exact same letters?  I am such a geek.)  Apply Glossy Accents over the areas you just colored and allow to dry.

-stamp the sentiment "My soul is in the sky" with Jet Black Archival Ink from the Vintage Butterflies stamp set (CHF)

-prick to small holes with the Tonic Retractable Craft Pick just above the butterfly's head and insert some of the wire stems from the Ivory Mini Gypso Flowers (Prima) and secure them with tape on the back side.

-die cut a Large Classic Scalloped Rectangle from Vanilla Bean Cardstock (Memory Box)

-attach small Offbeat brads to each corner of the rectangle

-adhere a Green at Heart button with Mini Glue Dots

-adhere the Origins flourish corner layer to a Vanilla Bean Note card which is sold with the matching colored envelope (show in the photo)

-adhere the focal image to the flourish corner layer with 3D Foam Squares

One more quick and simple project using Arturo Note Cards and Craft-a-Board to create your own letter press designs.

Stamp Artsy Blooms (*Please note that Ellen only sells this image Cling Mounted) image onto the Arturo Note Card with an ink compatible with Copic such as Memento or Adirondack.  Color the image as desired.  Most letter press is printed with solid and even colors, no shading.  We all spend lots of time learning to shade with our Copics, but they are fabulous to create a block of color too!

Stamp the image again, this time on Craft-a-Board and fussy cut it out.  Do leave a small white border around the edge of the image this time.

 

Create the following sandwich for your die cut machine:  plate, embossing mat, stamped Arturo paper, Craft-a-Board cut out image, plate.  I used a few pieces of Judikins Eclipse Tape to ensure that the image doesn't move while going through the machine.  It's so thin that it won't leave a mark on your paper and sticky enough to "stick" but not leave any residue behind when you remove it.

In case you can not tell from the picture, the image is embossed deeply over and just to the outside of the entire image. 

Told you it was quick and simple!  I just created a set of these as a gift for some one and left them blank so that they could be an any occasion card.

Well, that's quite enough yaking from me for today.  Have a great week!

Cheers, Lisa

Inchie Gift Book by Lisa Strahl

It's Monday.  Who's ready?  Need coffee.  Lots of coffee. 

I am going to jump right in this morning and tell you that I love, lovey, love Graphic 45.  It's just easy for me to work with.  I don't have to think.  A happy place.  The project I created for you today is a fold out, Artist Trading Card sized, inchie'ish type book that I plan to give to a friend because she can appreciate an "art for art's sake" project.

I wanted to cover my ATC sized container as quickly and easily as possible, so measured the length of the case with my design ruler and cut an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of Be Creative Tape to size on my trimmer.  The advantage of the sheets as opposed to the roll is that you have backing on both sides of the tape, which means you can die cut it or cut it on a trimmer.

 

Pull off the brown backing a little at a time and simply apply around the surface of the case.  Easy peasy.  Remove the white and blue backing and adhere paper which has been cut to the same size.

 

Paint the top of the case with Pitch Black Adirondack Paint Dabber using one of the many handy brushes in the Studio Line Brush set.  It dries completely within a few minutes.  You can heat set it if you are impatient!

I made a little bouquet of Gypso flowers that have been lightly inked with Sepia Archival ink.  I love to make arrangements and couldn't help but sticking this vintage Jenni Bowlin pin into the center.  Once again I am using those Tiny Type stickers, just can't get enough.  I want to say what I want to say and they allow me to do that.

I also added a thin strip of paper that is the "b" side of Botantical News and embellished it with a row of black pearls.

 

I used a little brown ribbon to hold my fold out book closed inside the container.  The inchie square on the front cover is embellished with layered brass flowers by Vintaj.  I used Black Inchie Squares which were sanded after adhering the paper to give the effect of a worn tile.

A close up of each page is shown below.  Please scroll to the end of this port to see a full supply list.

Each Black Inchie Square has been covered with an image from the Botanticabella Tag sheet, sanded, coated with a layer of quick drying clear nail polish (to ensure the colors do not bleed), adorned with a Tiny Type sticker, embellished with a Clear Spica Glitter Pen and then covered in Glossy Accents and allowed to dry overnight.

 

 

My hope is that this little booklet could be display on a shelf or mantle and then tucked away for safe keeping in it's case.

Thanks so much for joining us today in the CLASSroom.

Cheers, Lisa
-----------------------

Supplies:

Botanicabella Collection:  Botanical News, Antiquity, Botanicabella Tags (Graphic 45)

Black Inchie Squares(Inchie Arts, LLC)

Brass Flower Stacks Fastenables (Vintaj)

Ivory Gypso Mini Flowers(Prima)

Tiny Type Stickers, Black and Brown (Cosmo Cricket)

Glossy Accents (Ranger)

Clear Spica Glitter Pen(Copic)

Cream Stick Pins(Jenni Bowlin)

Sepia Archival Ink (Ranger)

8.5 x 11 Tape Sheets (Be Creative)

Brown Crochet Ribbon, Classic Trim Collection (Webster's Pages)

Pitch Black Adirondack Paint Dabber (Ranger)

Studio Line Brush Set (Ranger)

Strip of Black Pearls(Kaisercraft)

Precision Sanding Kit (Basic Grey)

Stuck on You Part Four - Dry Adhesive Ideas by Julia Stainton

Adhering your project together well is an integral part of a good design. Over the past four weeks I've been showcasing different adhesives and some ideas on how you might use them in your projects. I think my favorite adhesives have to be the so-called "dry" adhesives. This means that the adhesives is not in a liquid or wet form. This usually includes glue dots, adhesive squares and tape dispensing style adhesive cartridges.

I love dry adhesives as they are very easy to apply, there is little mess and there is no drying time involved. For me the higher cost of dry adhesives is off-set by how well they work and how quickly things go together. All dry adhesives are not equal though. Some are much stickier than others and hold up better over time. After years of experimenting and trying different  kinds, I now have my favorites. I encourage you to do the same and see what works for you.

Since I first tried out the Glue Glider Pro, I've been hooked. Seriously...I don't think I've created a project in months without it. I love how much adhesive there is on a roll, how easy it is to switch out the cartridges, how easy it is on my wrist but most of all, how well it sticks. After all, an adhesive is only as good as its staying power.

 

For this project I used the Glue Glider Pro to adhere my paper and photos and some of the embellishments as well. Here's a look at the start of my project.

I started off with a 12x12 piece of white cardstock. This layout could easily be adapted for an 8x8 size or even an 8.5x11 layout. I want my layouts to last for years and years to pass down to my family so using an adhesive that is acid free and also will work well is important to me. The Glue Glide works great for this and doesn't ripple the photos. For this project I've adhered two 3.5" square photos and a piece of 6x6 paper by Webster's Pages.

 

Next I wanted to add a fun embellishment technique using adhesive glue strips. You can use slim or wide strips of adhesive for this but for this project, I chose the 1/4" size. Making sure to apply the adhesive in a straight line, I applied it to my paper and then pressed well.

 

After the backing is removed, sprinkle glitter over the surface and coat well. Shake to remove excess.

 

Repeat along bottom of layout. To get a perfectly straight line that is exactly on grid, I used the Basic Grey Precision Mat. I love this product for getting things lined up each and every time. The magnets are great for keeping the layout in place as well making it an ideal work surface. Repeat until you have the amount of  glitter strips you wish for on your project. For this layout, I've used the Martha Stewart Glitter in the Golden Beryl, Turquoise and Verdilite shades.

You can also use this technique to attach embossing powder, beads, flocking and other small items to your projects.

The Invisibles Alphabet Stickers are a fun product to work with. I love the pre-embossed pattern and they can be customized to any shade you wish by sponging on ink. I used Shabby Shutters, Worn Lipstick and Broken China Distress Inks to create my "always" title.

 

To create straight lines for my journaling, once again the Magnetic Mat comes in handy. The magnetic ruler that comes with it makes it easy to line up and draw parallel lines in pencil.

 

The journaling was written with a Copic Multiliner and then I erased the lines.

Glue Dots can also but used to add glitter accents to your project. You can add them one at a time or as for this project, add them in a line. To get the spacing and application in a perfect row, simply tear off the length of strip you need to cover and apply them to the paper. Press well before removing backing.

 

Here's what the glue dots look like and then you cover them with glitter.

 

Because this layout was about the passage of time, I added in some supporting embellishments. Maya Road Black and White Clocks and Days of the Week Cards by Webster's Pages are a fun addition. I've also added in some Jenni Bowlin Chipboard Buttons, and flowers for extra detail.

The pretty vintage button is also by Jenni Bowlin and accents the title. You may notice that while stamping is not the key focus on this design, I've tucked in some sweet sentiments and images from the Wedding Centers and Botanical Bliss stamp sets by Cornish Heritage Farms.

This has been part four of the Stuck on You series on adhesives. If you're looking for the previous tutorials you can find them at part one, part two and part three. While there are many ways to use adhesives and adhere layers to your designs, I hope this has given you a few ideas on different methods you can try.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom and happy creating!

Stuck on You Part Three - Liquid Adhesive Ideas by Julia Stainton

While adhesives aren't the most exciting part of your project, they can be a great way to add special touches to your creation as well as holding everything together. Today's project is the third installment of the Stuck on You series andfeatures some quick and easy ways to use liquid adhesives to embellish your designs.

A great adhesive for embellishing is a glue pen. For my project I used the 2 Way Glue which gives you a little more adhesive.

For extra fine detail, the Quickie Glue Pen is also a great product. Either one is a great choice, can be used interchangeably and they are just a matter of personal preference.

 

I love these adhesives as they are very easy to use, non-messy and accurate as well as being very portable. As a little goes a long way, these adhesives will last you for a very long time. To ensure longevity, make sure you tightly replace the cap after using.

Here's how I created today's project...

 

To create the image panel I first cut the Neenah Classic Solar White cardstock to the desired size and airbrushed the background in layers. Eclipse Tape is a great product for this. Just tear off a piece and airbrush starting at the horizon line, moving the mask each time and darkening the color. If you look at a landscape, you'll notice that color fades as it gets further away so the darkest and most intense colors should be at the top and bottom of your image.

Here's what it looks like finished. You'll notice I moved the mask and used a couple different pieces torn differently to vary the look.

 

Copic colors for this project: BG02, BG45, BG10, G40, YG93, Bg93, YG63, E31. Because I wasn't trying to perfectly blend the colors, I used slightly different shades.

 

The Hero Arts Bicycle is a darling stamp. I stamped it onto the landscape using Black Archival Ink and then added touches of color with my Copic markers. I love the depth and intensity of this ink. Planning ahead to my end card layout you'll see paper from the very darling Nutmeg 6x6 paper pad by Cosmo Cricket.

 

Here's where I finally got to add in the adhesives. The Two Way Glue Pen is fabulous for adding glitter to a stamped image. I used Carnelian from the Martha Stewart Glitter Set.
 

The Two Way Glue Pen is also great for adding interesting detail to patterned paper. Here I've traced the clouds with this liquid adhesive and then applied Polar White Flower Soft for a fluffy look.

 

The other great liquid adhesive I used on this project is the Making Memories Ribbon Glue. Often dry adhesives don't adhere ribbon well for long periods of time and this glue is easy to use and has staying power. It's nice and thick so it won't be oozing up through your twill and ribbon fibers.

 

To finish off my card the Hello, friend sentiment comes from the Friend Centers stamp set by CHF. A little knot of twine on the handlebars with a Glue Dot and some tiny Basic Grey buttons add a sweet look.

I'll be back next week for one more Stuck on You tutorial. You can find Part One and Part Two by clicking on the links.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom today!

Stuck on You Part Two - Art Product Adhesives & B Mine Collage by Julia Stainton

Choosing the right adhesive for the job can be a daunting task. To put a lot of work into a lovely creation and then have it fall apart is always incredibly disappointing. For the month of February I'll be sharing some adhesive tips combined with my projects for a "stuck on you" theme.

Today's project uses two different products that you may not have thought about using as adhesives. They are both great products from Ranger that you can use as an adhesive as well as for other uses. Don't you love a product that is multi-faceted? And just as exciting is finding an adhesive that will work well, allow you to express your creativity and not come apart down the road.

The two products that I've used for this collage project are Ranger's Glossy Accents, a dimensional glaze, and the Claudine Hellmuth Multi-Medium. You may or may not have thought of using these for an adhesive but they work especially well on hard to adhere items. While they are both liquid adhesives, they are not as difficult to use as you might think and I find the adhering power well worth the short drying time involved.

This project starts off with yet another 4x4" Canvas Frame.I adore these mini canvases. They are so great for trying out techniques in bite-sized projects and they make a fun alternative to a card. To adhere to a canvas, you want a fairly good adhesive and the Claudine Hellmuth Multi-Medium is a great product for collage and adhering to difficult surfaces like canvas as well as paper. Simply brush over your surface and apply your layer. The gloss or matte variations work equally well.

 

This project called for a vintage look and here I've used a scrap of paper from a vintage book. For an alternative you can also use paper stamped with the Vintage Text Scrapblock or some text patterned paper.

 

Build up the layers by adhering more layers with the Multi-Medium. I've used pieces from the Antiquity and the Happy Homemaker patterned papers by Graphic 45.

 

To add an accent I once again used the Multi-Medium as the adhesive. This Hero Arts Art Flower was quite dimensional but by brushing repeatedly with the medium, it smoothed out.

Stamping on clear items is always a fun accent. The bees from the Sweet Bee stamp set were stamped with Archival Black ink onto a Tim Holtz Fragment and then heat set with a heat gun.

Here is where the second adhesive in this project comes into play. Ranger Glossy Accents is a great adhesive for strength and also because it dries perfectly clear. It works well on transparencies and this Fragment to form a firm bond. I've squeezed some on the back and then pressed it onto my project.

 

The Tim Holtz Typewriter Charms are a favorite accent of mine. They are easy to personalize with the accompanying sticker letters and you then apply the clear adhesive dot over top.
 

I wanted to adhere mine directly over the Fragment and the Ranger Glossy Accents was a perfect adhesive again in this case.
 
 

Here's how it looks.

I wanted to attach a Tim Holtz Keyhole to this project as well. Because of the canvas frame, it wasn't possible to attach it with brads like I normally would have with paper. Insert the brads to fill the holes and spread the prongs. Once again, Glossy Accents to the rescue as a strong adhesive for use with metal.

 

The sides of the canvas still needed finishing and this ribbon lace added some nice texture and definition to the project. By brushing on the Multi-Medium to the sides of the project, it was easy to adhere this lace firmly.

I hope this tutorial has allowed you some insight into adhering in difficult situations and using different adhesive products. If you missed part one of this series, you can find Stuck on You Part One - Glue Dots here. I'll be back next week with more adhesive options.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom and happy creating!

Stuck on You Part One - Glue Dots and Recipe Holder by Julia Stainton

For the next four weeks, I'm excited to be writing about different adhesives and how you can use them in your crafting projects. While we'd all love to have just one perfect adhesive, I've yet to find such an item and so. Because of this, I tend to use many unique adhesives in my designs, each being dictated with the need for each particular project. Choosing the right adhesive for the job makes for professional looking creations and ensures the longevity of your project.

While I've used a few different adhesives in creating this project, today we'll focus on an adhesive that I just couldn't be without and one that is extremely easy to use, Glue Dots.

Glue  Dots come in a variety of sizes. The mini ones are perfect for very fine projects but usually my standard is the 3/8" size. They are small enough to hide behind embellishments but have enough adhesion to keep your flowers, buttons and chipboard firmly in place.

Glue Dots are very sticky little circles of adhesive that come on a roll . Because they are not wet, they fall under the dry adhesive category. To use them simply press onto the item you wish to adhere and then onto your project. No mess and no drying time. One quick tip I learned early on is to not pick up the glue dot with your finger but press it right onto the embellishment or item you want to adhere.

Glue Dots are great for specific uses. I've incorporated a few of them into this recipe holder.A little kitchen love to share with you all.

First cut Craft-a-Board into two 6x6 inch squares and adhere them together to make a strong base. I used a liquid adhesive for this but you could also use a strong dry adhesive such as the Glue Glider Pro. I then covered the surface with some Graphic 45 papers from the Domestic Goddess collection, Domestic Goddess Tags & Quilting Bee and from the Renaissance collection, Tudor Rose.

This is what the actual Glue Dots look like on the roll. I'm going to use them for the next step, adhering a transparency.

 

Glue Dots work great as an adhesive for transparencies as they are strong, small and clear. I've put mine under some of the black detailing on this Prima Transparency, Clear Paintables Frames Two but they can also be hidden under embellishments or other layers where they won't be noticeable.

To add some interest to the front of this recipe holder, some fun Domestic Goddess tags make a fun accent. The Tim Holtz Sanding Block adds a nice vintage look to the edges.

 

Adhering items on top of transparencies can be more difficult than adhering to paper. Glue Dots aren't the best choice for large pieces of paper so in this instance I've used Scor-Tape. I'll share some more ideas for it in an upcoming post.

 

When I create, I love adding lots of embellishments. I almost always use Glue Dots to add these to my project. It's fast and they adhere well with them. Glue Dots also work well with the layers or clusters of embellishments that I enjoy using. For this project, I've added in some Hero Arts Vintage Art Flowers with Glue Dots.

Knots and bows of ribbon are also easy to adhere with Glue Dots. This beautiful blue silk ribbon is tied into a bow and then added to the project. I've also slid a Maya Road pin into the knotted bow and the glue dot holds the weight of it as well.

To finish off my recipe card holder, I've die cut a piece of patterned paper with a Spellbinders Circle Nestability die and then added a Tim Holtz Hinge Clip to the top of my board. The back of this project has an easel that props up the piece and allows you easy reading of your recipe while you bake. The easel was created the same as for the Craft-a-Board Frame project here.

Every Domestic Goddess needs a little bling and I've attached a sweet little Heidi Swapp Sky Chadelier Crystal to the hinge clip.

 

This project would also be fun as a photo display or a place to clip your to do list or your grocery list.

Try using Glue Dots for other embellishments such as buttons, chipboard and sheer accents. The extra sticky properties of these dots also make them great for adding dots of glitter or flocking to your projects.

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom.

Glue Glider Pro vs. ATG 714

ETA: Thank you so much for your responses to this post and for the amazing support you have shown us. First I want to let you know that if the links below show no product that means we are currently sold out. We have more on it's way and will update the site as soon as it arrives. We are hoping to have it up soon so that you can continue to use your well-deserved coupon towards this purchase. 

On another note I want to thank Glue Arts for their quick response. I have sent them a note letting them know how much we would like for them to consider continuing to research their product line to make it a little more environmentally friendly. I truly hope that there is something they can do. It never hurts to ask!

As you all know I really like to research a product before I determine whether or not I will carry it in our store. It was at CHA that I discovered this awesome little glue applicator. I don't know if this has been all the rage, but I know that I just discovered it and knew I had to share it with you.

As you well know I'm not so much about the "cute" factor - LOL! For me it is finding out if the product works as professed. What are the Pros and Cons? So here's the skinny from Ellen's vantage point.

 

Size Comparison:

Glue Glider Pro - 5 ounces and 6 3/4" x 5 5/8" x 1 1/8"

ATG Gun - 13 1/2 ounces and 9 1/2" x 9" x 1 3/4"

For those of you who are young and strong the ATG Gun is not a problem, but for those who have arthritis setting in, or fully set in, I believe that the Glue Glider Pro is the answer to your adhesive needs! It is not cumbersome or awkward. With the ATG gun there is a little trigger that needs to be pulled in order to activate the release of the adhesive. Another advantage with the Glue Glider Pro is that you simply pull - no double action trigger activation required! 

   

Storage and Travel: One of the things that I must be extremely careful with is how I store and travel with my ATG gun being the adhesive is out there fully exposed. It has been on numerous occasions that I have had my gun stick to different items in my storage drawer or in my tote. Glue Arts has an innovative solution for this problem. Quickly pull the adhesive cartridge out and flip it around storing the exposed adhesive on the inside of the applicator as shown above.

 

The next part of my test was determing how easily the adhesive applied. As you can see I have tried to title the two parts of this project defining which applicator I used. One of the disadvantages to the ATG gun has always been the "start and stop" of my adhesive application. As you can see many times there are "strings" that extend beyond where I actually want my adhesive to be applied. I would have to pull this extra adhesive off. Sometimes I would remove too much of the adhesive and have to reapply it.

Once again Glue Glider Pro has come up with an innovative solution. They have die cut the adhesive every 1/16" to allow you to apply a small amount of adhesive with a defined cut point. This applicator does still allow you to use a continuous line, but as you will see I don't think that you will find this necessary. 

 

Now it was time for the mother of all tests - the TRUE TEST! How would it stick?!?

Cathy is my witness to this test. After applying the adhesives I closed my card and pressed my hand smoothly and evenly over the entire surface. I let is sit for a minute and then I opened it up.

SHUT UP!!!! OMWord - never in my life would I have thought there was an adhesive that holds better than the ATG Red. I have tried the ATG Gold tape (this is the acid-free variety), but it was WAY too stringy for me, it drove me crazy and didn't stick as well. So I switched to the ATG Red tape. Well look at the result! WOW, WOW, WOW! I couldn't believe. I felt that my trusty red ATG tape had let me down, so I tried again because I know it sticks, it really does!

 

This time I pressed hard on the ATG adhesive and left it sit longer - thank goodness - it does work. I knew it had too, I have been in love with it for far too long to not have it work. I remember the days of using Snail Adhesive or Mono Adhesive and having my cards fall apart right before my eyes. So when I tried the ATG adhesive I was absolutely thrilled with the "hold" it had. I still am thrilled with it and so this test totally blew me out of the water.

So are there any Cons - well yes, there are. First is the environmentally friendly aspect. Rather than just having a roll of paper to dispose of upon completion there is the plastic cartridge. Unfortunately so many struggle with installation of the tape in the ATG gun and the slightly awkward application that I determined that currently there is a need for this type of applicator. I truly hope that Glue Arts will continue to work on the cartridges to reduce the amount of waste when the adhesive has run out, in fact I will urge them to do so.

Second is cost. We have priced the Glue Glider Pro at $13.49 to try and have the price competitve with other sources on the internet. Once you purchase your ATG dispenser, your initial cost is somewhere in the $50-$75 range, the adhesive is inexpensive. I believe it is somewhere around $.12/yd. and if you are a shopper of all shoppers you can probably find it for less.

So next I did an internet search to find the costs of the Glue Glider PermaTac refills. With that search I found a range of prices beginning around $.52/yd up to $.68/yd. I wish that I could compete with the prices of the big name retailers in the industry, but unfortunately I can't. We spend so much on education (yes, I do compensate the girls who work with me Ü), and customer service, that we just can't bring the price to that same level. So we have tried our best to be competitive in our pricing structures and will be offering it for $8.09 or ($.607/yd.). We appreciate your support so very much and we will continue to provide you with this type of education.

The other refill that I am extremely excited about is the Repositionable Adhesive. It is something I use a lot when working towards having my work be precise.

Thank you for once again for stopping in here at the CLASSroom - so let's go get "sticky!" Pull out your crafting supplies and have a wonderful and creative day!