the CLASSroom

WCMD 2012 Challenge 5: Trend Watch Challenge by Julia Stainton

Most of us watch trends in some form or other. We enjoy wearing new clothes in an up-to-date style, we pay attention to trends when decorating our homes, trends in music and media and there are even trends in our speech patterns that change as years go by.The same is true with crafting, we often enjoy following trends as well. Just like in life, the key to trends in crafting is to pay attention to trends and incorporate the ones that work well with your style. Trends are fun for new ideas and inspiration but staying true to what you love makes the most sense.

Today my card incorporates a couple of trends I've been enamoured with lately. I love chevrons and shaped dies and they are both hot crafting trends right now. A challenge is only fun if there is lots of participation so the trend I'm going to challenge to play with is the shaped dies trend. It's so hot that pretty much every crafter owns a die cut machine these days and I can't wait to see all your ideas for using them. They are addicting and I know in seeing your designs, I'm probably not going to be able to resist addding a few more to my stash.

Chevrons are so much fun to incorporate into projects but they can be a little tricky to cut out. That's the beauty of the MFT Stamps Cheveron Stripe Die. It cuts them out quickly and perfectly. I've cut these chevron strips from a pad of 6x6 patterned paper from Studio Calico.

As this die comes with two sizes in one die, you can use the larger chevrons or the smaller or combine them to make a pattern like I've  done here.

I wanted to add some stamping to this design but wanted to keep it subtle and not take away from the die cutting. This stamp set by Basic Grey from Hero Arts gave me the solution. The sentiment is stamped and then punched to create an accent. Did you notice the canvas banner strip? That's also created with a stamp. Using one of the Ranger Archival Ink pads I stamped onto some sticky back canvas and then cut it out. A few easy embellishments finish off the design.

Thanks for joining me for this World Cardmaking Day challenge. I hope you're enjoying lots of creative time this weekend!

Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink	Chevron Stripe Die by MFT Stamps	Heyday 6x6 paper pad by Studio Calico	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, Ream
Clippings Best of the Best Clear stamp set	1.5" circle punch	Natural Studio Sticky Back Canvas 8.5x11	Trinket Pins, Vintage Pearl Butterfly
Vintage Round Pearl Trinket Pins by Maya Road	Venetian Orange Archival Ink by Ranger

InLinkz.com

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TREND CHALLENGE

It's time to get your trend on - this challenge is to use a trendy shape such as the chevron, hexagon, triangle, etc on your project. You can use a die to cut that shape or even freehand it if you don't have a die. Go for it - we are excited to see what you create using a trendy shape!   Once you have completed this challenge please be certain to link directly to that specific project in our WCMD Challenge Blog Candy post!

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

BLOG CANDY

What is your current favorite trend?

Be certain to leave your answer in the comment section on this post to be entered in a random drawing for the following goodies. All comments must be made by 11:59pm Pacific Time on October 7th to be eligible.

WCMD 2012 Challenge 4: Scene It Challenge by Kittie Caracciolo

It is an absolute thrill to have Kittie back with us in the CLASSroom once again sharing how it is that she creates her magical scenes AND inspiring you to give it a try!  If you are not familiar with Kittie's work you must visit her blog Kittie Krafts. For additional inspiration I am also going to link you back to the first guest post she shared with all of us here in the CLASSroom

We know you all have the dies she is using so let's get them out and create something fun ;-D

Kittie, thank you so much for continuing to inspire us AND teach us how we can create beautiful scenes using the dies we have in our stash! - Ellen

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I am so excited to be presenting you a “Scene It” challenge in celebration of World Card Making Day. With all the fantastic dies available to us today the scene possibilities are endless.  I have a fun snowy tree and deer project to share that I hope will inspire you to try one of your own.

 
Cut three green and white tree line sections to create the snowy layers.

Cut the trees off the white sections.

Crimp the green tree sections with the straight crimper and the white snow sections with the wavy sections. Crimping adds such fun dimension to the scene. Maybe you should think about taking yours out and dusting it off. Apply adhesive to the back of the white sections and attach to the green tree section. Trim the ends of each section to match the size of the card base. I off set my tree sections to remove the uniform appearance and a more natural tree line.

 
Lightly apply Liquid Applique to the top of the tree, lightly dab and spread with your finger and heat set. You can apply a light second coat, dab and heat to create a fuller snowy tree top. 

Sponge brown ink on the deer to add color and bring them to life.  I cut mine apart so I could attach them a little closer.

 
Attach the deer in between the trees on the front section of trees and attach a piece of mounting tape.

 
Apply tiny dots of Liquid Applique to the blue card base to create falling snow and heat set.

 
I attached the top and second sections directly to the card base with adhesive. I popped up the lower layer with the mounting tape. I secured a few of the taller trees in place with rolled up glue dots.

 

InLinkz.com

DIE SCENE CHALLENGE

Now it’s your turn! My challenge for you today is to grab some of your favorite dies and create a scene project.  I hope you have fun.  Once you have completed this challenge please be certain to link directly to that specific project in our WCMD Challenge Blog Candy post!

BLOG CANDY

Typically when we have guest designers I have you head to their blogs to share your appreciation with them there, but to avoid confusion and remain consistent with the other posts today we would very much appreciate if you would leave a special comment below for Kittie! Your comment on this post will be entered in a random drawing for the following goodies. All comments must be made by 11:59pm Pacific Time on October 7th to be eligible.

WCMD 2012 Challenge 1: Holiday Greetings with Julie Ebersole

(click on the pic to en-biggan)

Yay for World Card Making Day!

My challenge for you today is to create a Holiday Greeting!

The instant I saw it, I fell madly in love with this awesome set by Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday, called "Jingle All The Way"!  My inspiration design here may seem complex, given the stamp set I used, but it's actually a lot easier than you think. *wink*

I mounted all the sentiments I wanted to use onto one single acrylic block--this initially took a little time, to make sure they were all straight; an acrylic block with grid lines really helps! This way, I could ink and stamp all at once, making mass production of this design a breeze!

It was then very easy to "fill the gaps" with the darling accent images in the set like the bell, holly and stars, in different colors.

A little bit of twine and some Rock Candy Stickles was all that was needed to finish it off!

Can't wait to see what Holiday Greetings you create and thanks for joining me in this challenge for World Card Making Day!

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

Technique Tuesday Clear Stamps, Jingle All the Way by Ali Edwards	Shadow Ink, Soft Granite	Memento Ink Pad, Love Letter
Memento Ink Pad, Dandelion	Memento Ink Pad, Pear Tart	Shadow Ink, Soft Pool
A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	H4 Cardstock, Dove Gray
Doodle Twine Spool, Gray	Distressed Stickles, Rock Candy	Clear Acrylic Block 3" x 4" Rectangular with Grid
3D-Dots, 1/16" Thick

InLinkz.com

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HOLIDAY CARD CHALLENGE

We hope that this challenge helps give you a jump start on your holiday cards! Create a card to use this upcoming holiday season! Once you have completed this challenge please be certain to link directly to that specific project in our WCMD Challenge Blog Candy post!

BLOG CANDY

What is your favorite time of year to pull out your card making supplies and create?

Be certain to leave your answer in the comment section on this post to be entered in a random drawing for the following goodies. All comments must be made by 11:59pm Pacific Time on October 7th to be eligible.

2012 World Card Making Day Challenge Blog Candy

It is with great excitement that we share our projects and challenges throughout
the day on Saturday, October 6th, World Card Making Day.
We would LOVE to have you play along with us!

We will be keeping this post as a reminder here at the top of the CLASSroom, so be certain to scroll down for the fun challenges we have in store for you!

Today is the second day of our World Card Making Day sale - remember to shop early for best selection!

Throughout the day today, Saturday, October 6th, starting at 8:00am PDT we will be sharing a new challenge every hour until we have posted all FIVE challenges! Be certain to return throughout the day to see what is new, leave a comment for each designer and enter to win some fun blog candy! Your comment on each challenge post will automatically enter you in a random drawing for the goodies that we are giving away in that post.

Please scroll down through the posts that include a challenge number next to them - example WCMD 2012 Challenge 1: Holiday Greetings with Julie Ebersole, etc. There will be a total of five different challenges posted today for you to participate in. (Don't forget about our special Lawnscaping Fall Blog Hop Challenge as well - but it is not included in this challenge!)

To participate in this drawing, our grand "Challenge Blog Candy" giveaway, all you need to do is create a project for one of the five WCMD Challenges, snap a picture, load it to a gallery or your blog and link us up! We are SO excited to see what you create! Our grand prize for this challenge will be a $150 store credit (the winner will be able to use it to shop for whatever they fancy!) --- we hope this motivates you to get creating and join in the fun :-D

Following are instructions sharing how you can participate in our Grand Prize WCMD Challenge Blog Candy:

1. Create a project for one WCMD challenge, several WCMD challenges, or participate in all of them! It is completely up to you how many of our challenges you would like to create for. You are welcome to create a total of five different projects, one for each challenge and enter each one as a new entry. The more challenges you enter the better your chance of winning this prize package! It is imperative that you indicate in your blog post which challenge your card is being entered for to be included or it will be disqualified.
2. Please enter only one project for each challenge. Each project can only be used for one challenge category. For example please do not combine the holiday challenge with the sketch challenge and then enter that same project twice.
3. Share the projects that you create on your blog, or in a forum gallery such as --- the Gallery, Splitcoaststampers or the World Card Making Day gallery.
4. Once you have your project uploaded come back and share a direct link to your project at the end of this post using the InLinkz tool provided.
5. Deadline for entering in our "WCMD Challenge Blog Candy" is Friday, October 12th at 11:59pm Pacific Daylight Time. We are giving you almost a full week to create so that you can take advantage of as many challenges as possible!
6. We will use a random number generator to select our winner on Monday, October 15th, 2012.

Lawnscaping Fall Blog Hop Sponsorship and Blog Candy

With World Card Making Day tomorrow we wanted to start off with some FUN today! Be certain to note that we have TWO posts for you today! Please join me in welcoming our guest designer Jean Manis in the following post, as well carefully read through this post being we have a special discount for EVERYONE who participates in this challenge AND a discount code for shopping today and tomorrow! 

Over the next two days we will be offering you a MULTITUDE of challenges to participate in and prizes to win!!! So be certain to return again tomorrow! For today and tomorrow we have a special shopping discount for you - if you place an order with us at www.ellenhutson.com either today or tomorrow please use the code WCMD2012 to receive 15% off everything in-stock on your order except Copic products!

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It is such a privilege to be sponsoring the Lawnscaping Challenges fall blog hop!!! When Laurel sent me the badge for the hop I just had to create using it AND I wanted for each of you to have the opportunity to participate as well! After you have completed hopping we hope you feel incredibly inspired and will get busy creating because we have a FABULOUS surprise for those who take this on. We will be offering a one-time discount code to all participants who create a project following the directions below!

To play along in this challenge and be qualified for the discount code you must do the following:

• create a new project for only this challenge based on the photo inspiration above - then link this challenge AND inspiration photo to your post and add the direct link to your post or online gallery to the InLinkz below,
• you must use at least one Lawn Fawn image or product (paper or hemp) in your creation,
• if you do not have a blog you can upload your image to the Gallery, the Lawnscaping Challenges Flickr group or Splitcoaststampers,
• you have one week to complete your project - deadline is Friday, October 12th! Watch the little timer on the InLinkz at the bottom of this post for exact time left.

On Monday, October 15 we will use the email address you provide when entering your project using the InLinkz information included below to send out a special email to all those who have participated with a one-time use discount code of 15%. You will be able to use this code on any order you place with us at anytime until the end of this year - December 31, 2012. We hope this gets you busy creating and joining in the fun ;-D

Be certain to head over to the Lawnscaping Challenge Blog for additional fun and more blog candy!!!

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When I first saw the blog hop badge I couldn't help but have flowers on my brain - I just love these big, beautiful sunflower blossoms! I have been wanting to try a fabulous idea I had pinned to my Pinterest board that brought me back to elementary school days when we wrapped tin cans with string and yarn. Everything just seemed to come together when it dawned on me that Lawn Fawn has the most fabulous hemp!

Mason jars are a hot trend right now! So what better and more fun way to use your crafty supplies than to create an up-to-date centerpiece for the upcoming Thanksgiving festivities! I must admit I didn't part with one of my pretty Mason jars, but rather used a pickle jar that had just been washed to recycle. Begin by applying two rows of 2 1/2" Be-Creative (Sookwang) tape to your jar.

I worked from the bottom up, only removing the protective covering from the lower portion of the tape. This made it easy to hold on to the jar and wrap the hemp as shown in the photo above.

Hide the "tails" of the hemp as shown above. I like to work using odd numbers - the look is always more balanced that way. So I started with 5 rows of the mustard, 3 rows of the teal, etc.

When you complete your last row simply tuck the tail end beneath the previous row. I used my craft knife to help me gently lift the previous row and tuck the end in place. Then use the knife to scrape away any excessive adhesive and an adhesive eraser to eliminate any tape remains.

To create the tag I embossed the die cut Desert Storm tag and added this fabulous cornucopia from Lawn Fawn's Harvest set. Coloring on the Desert Storm paper using Prismacolor pencils gives a warm look to the completed image!

I couldn't resist creating a second tag using the same stamp set - this tag being a little more modern in appearance.

Mount all three leaf stamps on an acrylic block and stamp multiple times using Distress Embossing ink. Then apply Adirondack's Butterscotch embossing powder and heat set it. This embossing powder is a perfect coordinate to the Lawn Fawn hemp! To create the coordinating ribbon colored a segment of 1/4" silk ribbon with coordinating Copic markers.

Can you imagine little jelly jars done in this manner and situated at each place setting?!! You could write individual names on the tags and use them as place holders or line them up down the center of the table and use as a centerpiece. I hope that this inspires you to go and pull out your Lawn Fawn stamps and join in this fun challenge!

InLinkz.com

Lawnscaping Fall Blog Hop with Jean Manis

Who better to join in sharing some fabulous inspiration for our portion of the Lawnscaping Fall Blog Hop challenge than the talented artist who introduced me to these fun challenges!! Today I am so very excited to share the beautiful work of Jean Manis with you! It was about a year and a half ago when I first met Jean at a school related function, little did I know at that time what an avid paper crafter she was. Over the past short months I have had the pleasure of getting to know Jean better as she stops in here at our office/warehouse. It was during one of those visits that she shared how much she enjoyed the Lawnscaping challenges.

Jean is on both the Simple Scrapper and the Neat and Tangled Design Teams and she shares more of her gorgeous work on her blog Right as Rain. I would like to invite you to head over to Jean's blog to be inspired and leave some comments for her!

Being Jean does not have ready access to her in-box this weekend please join me in welcoming Jean here in the CLASSroom by leaving a comment for her here on this post! You will have until midnight October 7, 2012 Pacific Daylight Time to share your thoughts and be included in our random drawing for some of the fun products Jean used to create this fabulous fall forest for the Lawnscaping Fall Blog Hop Challenge!

 Head to the bottom of this post to find the comments section!

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Fall in the Pacific Northwest is glorious as the deciduous trees show their color against an evergreen backdrop. I wanted to capture the Pacific Northwest fall, specifically the textures and colors, in a card using a combination of Lawn Fawn stamp sets, a couple of which are intended for the winter and holidays. As soon as I saw the “Let It Snow” set, I knew it was a must-have given its combination of solid and open evergreen trees. Several of the patterned papers from the Basic Grey “Aspen Frost” pad and Echo Park’s “Everyday Eclectic” offer texture with their prints. We are often wearing scarves here, (not just in the winter!), so I donned the “Winter Owl” with a fall-colored scarf, paper-pieced with a print from “Aspen Frost.”

With each card I make I set out to make an improvement in some way – try a new design, try a new technique or polish my stamping or card-making skills. To that end, I have two tips to share.

To “season” the solid trees in the Lawn Fawn “Let It Snow” set, I used a sanding block from Lucky Squirrel.

Stamped with black Ranger Archival ink, you can see that my first tree (on the far right) has some splotches. I sanded the stamp, on the stamping block, lightly and then stamped again (middle image). I wanted to err on the side of under-sanding rather than over sanding. Since I still had a little bit of splotch, I sanded a bit more and finally achieved a clean solid image (on the far left).

I clear-embossed the owl stamped with Versafine black ink. I find that having the embossed edge makes my paper-piecing easier. There’s something about that raised barrier. I stamped and embossed the owl several times, using the owl stamped on Memory Box Vanilla Bean cardstock as the base. Another tip I wanted to share, which I learned from Chari Moss http://www.mossymade.com/, is to use a marker on the edges of cut stamped pieces. This tip was especially useful when I cut out the owl’s eyes, since I didn’t want there to be any white paper outside of the stamped image. Holding the cut paper with tweezers, due to its size, I went around the edge with a Memento marker. It’s best to dedicate a marker to this task as the fibers of the marker will eventually get paper cuts that could lead to bleeding when you use the marker to color.

I stamped the solid trees from the “Let It Snow” set for the forest foreground using “Peeled Paint” and “Forest Moss” Distress inks. These inks paired nicely together color-wise and provide a watercolor-like effect when stamped with the solid tree. I wanted the forest to have a natural feel to it. Three fussy-cut trees sit in the foreground of my scene. I stamped the background forest with the open trees in the set using the same two ink colors. I wanted there to be some overlap to create a cluster. The tallest cut tree was adhered directly to the background; I used 1/16” 3-D dots for the other two solid trees. I used 1/8” 3-D dots to adhere the owl and stapled the banner for a metallic accent.

Going back to my card-making goals, I periodically like to try a different approach. In this case, the “Winter Owl” stamp was one that I wanted to try Copic coloring. This owl uses brown Versafine ink, rather than black, and is clear embossed. I’m a novice when it comes to using my Copics, so my owl doesn’t include any shading. The Copic-colored approach was definitely less time-consuming than the paper-pieced one.  Using the colorless blender, I “added” polka dots to the scarf.

InLinkz.com

"Jen's Sunshine" Blog Hop

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you will never see the shadow." -Helen Keller

We would like to invite you to join us today as we do our best to help bring a ray of sunshine into Jen Scull's life. Jen has been a customer of ours for several years and it is an absolute honor to be invited to donate a prize for the Party Time Tuesdays blog hop. During the blog hop participants will be sharing the sweet digi set created by Paper Makeup - Jen's Sunshine to help Jen and her family during this difficult time. All proceeds from the sale of this set will go directly to Jen's family.

For complete instruction on how you can participate in the blog hop please head over to Paper Makeup Stamps blog. You will find information on how you can join in the fun and possibly win the $25 gift certificate we have provided there, as well as numerous other prizes! As well please keep reading this post for yet another opportunity to brighten someone's day.

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I love the sentiments and sweet imagery in this set and wanted to participate and encourage Jen and her family! It was so easy to purchase and download this set to create the project below.

I resized the images in Photoshop and broke the sentiment into two parts creating a little hidden message with the last phrase of the sentiment.

Using the My Favorite Things Bookmark Duo die I was able to create an interactive card to honor Jen. This sentiment holds so true - I feel blessed and happy to know that perhaps our little contribution might bring sunshine to someone else's life. Jen we will hold you in our thoughts and prayers and wish you and your family moments of sunshine in the rough days ahead!

Jen's Sunshine Digi Set	My Favorite Things Die-namics, Bookmark Duo (Die Only)	My Mind's Eye, 6x6 Paper Pad, The Sweetest Thing -Tangerine	Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack
COPIC Sketch Marker Y00, Barium Yellow	COPIC Sketch Marker Y11, Pale Yellow	COPIC Sketch Marker Y21, Buttercup Yellow	COPIC Sketch Marker R14, Light Rouge
COPIC Sketch Marker R27, Cadmium Red

InLinkz.com

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AND it gets even better... we would like to donate a second $25 gift certificate to our store here! If you are creating and using this set or would like to leave words of encouragement for Jen we would love to encourage you to share your creations and thoughts - simply link us up to your project below and/or leave a word of encouragement for Jen in the comments section. We will randomly draw a winner from the combined links and comments we receive before the September 4th deadline.

Take 'n Make with Hero Arts 2012 Debut Day 3 - Clear Stamps

Oh how I remember the day that Hero Arts accidentally sent me some of their clear stamps. I think that was all part of their grand scheme to hook me ;-D LOL! Well... they did. I am now a true convert and enjoy many aspects of the ClearDesign product line!

If you have not had the opportunity to do the Hero Arts Preview Party blog hop you have missed out - so many wonderful projects and this one created by Ms. Julie E, our very talented and oh so sweet and funny CLASSroom teacher, blows my socks off!

Following are three more projects designed by the talented Hero Arts designers. A huge thanks to the many wonderful ladies who help create these samples for us!

• Cleardesign: This is Big
• Soft Brown Shadow Ink
• Latte Chalk Ink
• Foliage Designer Paper
• Snow Layering Paper
• Sunshine Designer Paper
• Latte Notecards
• Blush Buttons
• Clear Gemstones
• Glossy Accents

 

• Cleardesign: All the Time
• Cleardesign: Right at Home
• Soft Yellow Shadow Ink
• Black Dye Ink, like Adirondack Pitch Black
• Snow Layering Paper
• Pool Layering Paper
• Sunshine Designer Paper
• Blush Designer Paper
• Daffodil Notecards
• Clear Gemstones

 

• Cleardesign: Cheer Up
• White Pigment Ink, like Adirondack Pigment Ink Pad in Snow White
• Latte Chalk Ink
• Soft Pool Shadow Ink
• Blush Designer Paper
• Pool Layering Paper
• Snow Layering Paper
• Kraft Notecards
• Accent Pearls, Medium
• Accent Pearls, Large

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Day three brings our last "Take 'n Make" Challenge - we hope that you will have some time during the holiday season to do a little creating. If not there will be time afterwards to join in the fun. So put your thinking caps on and start dreaming up what you will create to join in the fun! This prize package is valued at over $65!!!

 

• Cleardesign: Say It All
• Cleardesign: Wish Big
• Hero Hues Black Dye Ink
• Soft Pool Shadow Ink
• Soft Sand Shadow Ink
• Soft Brown Shadow Ink
• Snow Folded Cards
• Snow Envelopes
• Pool Designer Paper
• Art Flowers, White and Cream
• Cream Adhesive Lace
• Accent Pearls, Medium
• Accent Pearls, Large

Following are some simple instructions sharing how you can participate in the random drawing for our Hero Arts Clear Take 'n Make:

1. Create a project using a Hero Arts clear mounted stamp(s). You can use additional stamps of various assortment, but you must use at least one Hero Arts CLEAR mount stamp. Cards, scrapbook pages, home decor items, etc. - all types of projects are welcome.
2. So that you can begin creating pronto you do not need to use stamps from this release, but your project MUST include a Hero Arts clear mounted stamp. When taking a picture of your completed project simply place the stamp you have used alongside your project and snap your photo.
3. Share the project you create in one of the following locations - the Gallery, your blog, Hero's Flickr gallery, or Splitcoaststampers Gallery.
4. Please add the title Ellen Hutson LLC Hero Arts Clear Take 'n Make some place in your description - this will help us identify that it is for this challenge.
5. Once you have your project uploaded come back and share a link to your project at the end of this post using the InLinkz tool provided.
6. Please enter only new projects in this challenge. Take advantage of the extended time frame and enter as many different projects as you would like - but remember they must include a clear mount Hero Arts stamp.
7. Deadline for entering in our Clear Take 'n Make random drawing is January 15th, 2012 at 11:59pm.

Thank you for joining us again today here in the CLASSroom - don't forget to tell us your favorite new stamp set to be included in our random drawing and we hope you find time during this busy season and in the weeks ahead to join in today's challenge!

 

Take 'n Make with Hero Arts 2012 Debut Day 2 - Cling Stamps and Catalog Giveaway!

Some of my favorite stamps are the Hero Arts Cling stamps. I am a sucker for a red rubber stamp that is cling mounted because storage is much less of an issue and I can use the images for so many different techniques! As you probably have noticed I am a bit of a technique junkie and these are perfect for techniques!

We are excited to share our next challenge with you today - so be certain to read to the end of this post and when you have a moment to get crafty join in the fun!

Once again today we are sharing some of the beautiful projects created by the Hero Arts designers! I am happy to report that a cleaning company came in yesterday to work on the carpet, etc. and the fan was blowing all night long. I have to admit I have no idea how long one is supposed to let the carpet dry before putting furniture back on top of it, especially damp furniture. I think perhaps I should be moving the furniture around or maybe even try placing it on it's side to allow the bottom to dry better. I would love to hear the advice of anyone who has had to deal with a problem similar to ours!

• Newspaper House Cling Stamp
• Leaf & Floral Background Cling Stamp
•  Keep Calm Cling Stamp Greeting
• Soft Pool Shadow Ink
• Cup o’ Joe Mid-Tone Shadow Ink (coming soon)
• Mocha Laying Paper
• Snow Layering Paper
• Blush Designer Paper
• Carnation Notecards (reversed)
• Accent Pearls, Small
• Accent Pearls, Medium
• Heart Punch

 

 

• Keep Calm Cling Stamp Greeting
• Silhouette Vines Cling Stamp
• Snow Layering Paper
• Blush Designer Paper
• Cup o’ Joe Mid-Tone Shadow Ink (coming soon)
• Snow Notecards
• Accent Pearls, Large
• Accent Pearls, Small
• Accent Pearls, Medium
• Glossy Accents
• Butterfly Punch
• Circle Punch

 

 

• Very Special Cling Stamp Set
• Dot Flower Pattern Cling Stamp
• Soft Pool Shadow Ink
• Snow Layering Paper
• Blush Designer Paper
• Cup o’ Joe Mid-Tone Shadow Ink (coming soon)
• Mocha Notecards
• Glossy Accents
• Accent Pearls, Small
• Accent Pearls, Medium
• Butterfly Punch

You probably have noticed that there are some "coming soon" tags on the products shown above. We were so excited to discover that Hero Arts is coming out with a mid-tone range of inks, new cardstock colors, fabulous Pool embellishments and of course even more new stamps :-D

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We look forward to sharing the new Hero Arts catalog with 2 lucky readers of our blog!

To be eligible for this random drawing all you need to do is head over to our store, take a peek through the stamps shown here. In the comments section below tell us what your favorite image is and how you see using it, or why you like it. Do so before 11:59pm PST, December 15th to be included!

Now on to our second "Take 'n Make" Challenge! The goodies below are valued at over $60!

• Fancy Keys Cling Background
• Watch Gear Cling Stamp
• Keep Calm Cling Stamp
• Soft Sand Shadow Ink
• Hero Hues Dye Ink in Black
• Snow Folded Cards
• Snow Envelopes
• Snow Layering Paper
• Kraft Paper
• Sea Mixed Accents
• Earth Mixed Accents

Following are some simple instructions sharing how you can participate in the random drawing for our Hero Arts Cling Take 'n Make:

1. Create a project using a Hero Arts cling mounted stamp(s). You can use additional stamps of various assortment, but you must use at least one Hero Arts CLING mount stamp. Cards, scrapbook pages, home decor items, etc. - all types of projects are welcome.
2. So that you can begin creating pronto you do not need to use stamps from this release, but your project MUST include a Hero Arts cling mounted stamp. When taking a picture of your completed project simply place the stamp you have used alongside your project and snap your photo.
3. Share the project you create in one of the following locations - the Gallery, your blog, Hero's Flickr gallery, or Splitcoaststampers Gallery.
4. Please add the title Ellen Hutson LLC Hero Arts Cling Take 'n Make some place in your description - this will help us identify that it is for this challenge.
5. Once you have your project uploaded come back and share a link to your project at the end of this post using the InLinkz tool provided.
6. Please enter only new projects in this challenge. Take advantage of the extended time frame and enter as many different projects as you would like - but remember they must include a cling mount Hero Arts stamp.
7. Deadline for entering in our Cling Take 'n Make random drawing is January 15th, 2012 at 11:59pm.

Thank you for joining us again today here in the CLASSroom - don't forget to tell us your favorite new stamp set to be included in our random drawing and we hope you find time during this busy season and in the weeks ahead to join in today's challenge!

 

Take 'n Make with Hero Arts 2012 Debut - Wood Stamps

Sometimes life happens and "life" definitely has happened around here - LOL! The best laid plans of mice and men have gone by the wayside and we are now taking a whole new twist on our Hero preview.

I'm not certain if I have ever posted pictures of my studio, but this is what it looked like before yesterday afternoon's little flooding episode. Thank goodness for the lovely Alex carts on wheels! Those babies were rolled out of the studio faster than you could imagine. The end cabinets... not so much - LOL!

Everything had a home, even if it wasn't in it's home after the tag series.

Now our eating area is filled with furniture and haphazardly loaded boxes...

and stuff is a mess, with a capital M. I have NO clue where anything is because speed was of the essence in cleaning out the end cabinets and getting things out of the way of the water. Needless to say my heart goes out to those who have experienced REAL flooding because this is minor in comparison, but it certainly does throw a nice little wrench into my plans. So I thank you for your patience as I just go "with the flow," so to speak - ha, ha!

So here goes Plan B!

There is nothing more fun then a fun Make n' Take. Being an on-line store doing Make 'n Takes is really not an option. What we have for you instead is a "Take 'n Make" valued at over $40!

• Just Thinking of You
• Flower Border
• Colorbox Pumpkin Patch Chalk Queue
• Daffodil Folded Cards
• Daffodil Envelopes
• Kraft, Poppy and Snow layering paper pieces
• Art Flowers, White & Cream
• Accent Pearls, Light Yellow
• Mixed Accents, Earth
• Dots, Sunshine

Following are some simple instructions sharing how you can participate in the random drawing for our Hero Arts Wood Take 'n Make:

1. Create a project using a Hero Arts wood mounted stamp(s). Cards, scrapbook pages, home decor items, etc. - all types of projects are welcome.
2. So that you can begin creating pronto you do not need to use stamps from this release, but your project MUST include a Hero Arts wood mounted stamp. When taking a picture of your completed project simply place the stamp you have used alongside your project and snap your photo.
3. Share the project you create in one of the following locations - the Gallery, your blog, Hero's Flickr gallery, or Splitcoaststampers Gallery.
4. Please add the title Ellen Hutson LLC Hero Arts Wood Take 'n Make some place in your description - this will help us identify that it is for this challenge.
5. Once you have your project uploaded come back and share a link to your project at the end of this post using the InLinkz tool provided.
6. Please enter only new projects in this challenge. Take advantage of the extended time frame and enter as many different projects as you would like - but remember they must include a wood mount Hero Arts stamp.
7. Deadline for entering in our Wood Take 'n Make random drawing is January 15th, 2012 at 11:59pm.

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Now on to some fun projects! Over the course of the next three days we will be sharing the beautiful projects created by the Hero Arts team! With each set of new products - wood, cling, and clear - we were sent display boards. We will be sharing those photos with you today along with a complete list of products used to create each card.

• Classic Tea Flower
• Beautiful Birthday
• Black Dye Ink, like Adirondack Pitch Black
• Foliage Markers
• Accent Pearls
• Snow Layering Paper
• Pool Layering Paper
• Earth Designer Papers
• Watercolor Paint

• Zig Zag Cupcake
• Entitle Coupon (Coming Soon - this adorable stamp is on order, but was not a part of the Preview Party release)
• Punch Chalk Ink
• Black Dye Ink, like Adirondack Pitch Black
• Snow Layering Paper
• Pool Layering Paper
• Kraft Layering Paper
• Blush Designer Paper
• Pool Designer Paper
• Blush Mixed Buttons
• Diamond Stickles
• Glossy Accents

• Big Eyes Owl
• Need a Friend
• Black Dye Ink, like Adirondack Pitch Black
• Tea Dye Distress Ink
• Pool Designer Paper
• Snow Layering Paper
• Blush Buttons
• Blush Ribbons
• Glossy Accents
• Hero Hues Foliage Markers

Stay tuned for more fun coming your way shortly!

 

Anniversary Celebration: Color Swatch Challenge by Julie Ebersole

Are you enjoying the festivities so far?!  Well, let's just add to that fun!

I'm here today with a Color Swatch Challenge and a fun card sample!

Brace yer-selves . . . I used this combo to make a HOLIDAY card!  Now yours doesn't have to be holiday themed--you just need to focus on the colors used. I just decided I wanted some sugar-plum colored snowflakes on mine! *wink*

Some of the snowflakes were stamped 2nd generation onto a scrap of white card stock, then punched out with various circle punches. Next they were coated over the top with Xyron Adhesive, and then covered in Cool Highlights micro-fine glitter for ultra shimmer!

Can't wait to see what ya'all do with these yummy colors! And, thanks for playing my challenge!

••••••••••••••
Supplies & Materials:

Hero Arts Cleardesign Snowflakes Set
"Seasons Greetings" from Hero Arts Cleardesign Merry Christmas Trees Set
Versamark Ink
White Embossing Powder
Adirondack Inks in Stream, Willow, Cranberry, Shell Pink
Neenah Solar White Card Stock
Core-dinations Adirondack Card Stock
Xyron
Glitter Ritz Cool Highlights Transparent Glitter

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Oh what a fun color scheme! We invite you to join in the fun by using the color combo Julie has provided above. Once you have completed your project please be certain to link directly to your project using the InLinkz tool provided at the end of this post. You have until 11:59pm Pacific Time Wednesday, November 30th to complete your project. All entries for this challenge will be included in a random drawing for the special prize package shown above. Have fun!

Anniversary Celebration: Back In Time Challenge by Sharon Harnist

For this challenge, we would like for you to go "Back in Time" through the blog posts on any one of our blogs and choose a project that you can use to inspire a new version of that project.

Ever since Ellen introduced us to the Burnished Velvet (glitter) technique, I've loved doing it . . . what's not to love about glitter?!!  In this CLASSroom blog post last September, Ellen shared a fabulous Halloween/Fall card with the technique. In that blog post, you'll find links to a few other projects with the Burnished Velvet technique and complete instructions for the Burnished Velvet technique in THIS InTouch post.  

Here's my updated version for a sweet polar bear Christmas card:

(Click on any photo for a larger view and to see the sparkles!)

The quick and easy steps:

1. Stamp Memory Box's sweet Fredward Bear with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Neenah Solar White cardstock; color the bear's scarf with Copic R81 and R85 Sketch markers.

2. Die cut bear with Memory Box Fredward Bear die.

3. Die cut a piece of Be Creative sheet adhesive with bear die. Peel off protective film from bottom side of tape and adhere to colored image.

4. Peel protective film from front side of tape and cover with Glitter Ritz's Transparent Micro Fine Warm Highlights glitter; burnish glitter into tape with finger. 

5. Alternately, while protective film is still on front of colored image, carefully use a craft knife to cut around bear's scarf and remove protective film. Cover exposed area of tape/scarf with your choice of colored Gitter Ritz glitter; burnish with finger. Remove rest of protective film from bear and cover with White Opaque glitter; burnish with finger.

6. Stamp Karen Lockhart's Season's Greetings stamp with Adirondack Watermelon dye ink onto Neenah Solar White cardstock and trim into a banner shape.

7. Paint Maya Road Mini Chipboard Snowflake with Claudine Hellmuth Studio Acrylic Paint-Blank Canvas and sprinkle with Flora Craft Twinklets Diamond Dust. Allow to dry.

8. Cut two pieces of Memory Box Yuletide 6x6 patterned cardstock and adhere to a Memory Box Cherry Blossom Notecard. Assemble card.

We can't wait to see your "Back In Time" projects!  ~ Sharon

Stamps: Memory Box Fredward Bear, Lockhart Stamp Co-Seasons Greetings, 
Dies: Memory Box Die Fredward Bear, 
Paper: Neenah Solar White cardstock; Memory Box Yuletide 6x6 patterned cardstock, Cherry Blossom Notecard,
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Ranger Adirondack Watermelon dye ink; 
Copic Sketch Markers: R81 & R85,
Accessories: Sookwang Be Creative Tape, Glitter Ritz Microfine Glitter-Transparent Warm Highlights; Maya Road Mini Chipboard Sets: Snowflakes; Flora Craft Twinklets Diamond Dust; Claudine Hellmuth Studio Acrylic Paint-Blank Canvas; 

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Find a project here on the CLASSroom that inspires you and create your card or project based on that post! Once you have completed your project please be certain to link it using InLinkz below. You have until 11:59pm Pacific Time Wednesday, November 30th to complete your project. All entries will be included in a random drawing for the special prize package shown above.

Breast Cancer Awareness and a Thank You Challenge

Life takes so many twists and turns and it is one of those tough twists I share with you today. It was a complete shock to receive the phonecall from my mom this past June telling me that she had breast cancer. I don't know why it had never dawned on me that women of all ages can be struck by breast cancer. For some odd reason I had thought that if you passed menopause and not had to face breast cancer you were "home free." It was stunning to attend the class where I learned how to care for my mom after surgery to find the room filled with elderly women.

One of the messages I would like to convey today is that no matter your age, young and old alike, we must continue to do our breast self-examinations AND if we find a lump we must act on it immediately. I am so very grateful that my mom is still here with us and continually improving. It has also rung the bell in my head that I must to do this and that I must get a physical each year. My life is so busy that sometimes I just don't do a very good job of taking care of myself, but if I don't take care of myself I will not be here to take care of my children - not an option in my opinion!

The second message is one that I hope will help make another small difference. There are some wonderful people who have helped my mom (and therefore me) throughout this time and what better way to say thank you than with a special card! It is so very important to let other's know how much they are appreciated by saying thank you. Life get's so busy and yet it should never be too busy to say thank you. 

Today and tomorrow we are featuring the Unity Stamps on our site and we have a special challenge for you, so please read through this post and join us in saying thank you or making it easier for someone else to do so!

 

One of the wonderful things about the Unity stamps is that many of the sets we carry are coordinates to the very popular 6x6 paper pads! For example today's project is a combination of Unity stamps produced using Cosmo Cricket images.

In thinking about this design the idea of creating another type of ombre background came to me. Ombre simply means to shade, or create a graduated change in color tone.

Begin by stamping these trendy women using a Distress embossing ink pad together with clear embossing powder. After heating use an ink blending tool in a swirling motion, being certain to start on your non-stick craft sheet to avoid leaving a "print" on your project. Work your way from the lower edge of the cardstock up your project without reinking so that as you move upwards the color becomes less intense until it completely disappears. I recommend practicing on a piece of scrap cardstock to see how much ink works best.

Tip: To add additional interest you could start at the opposite edge with a different color and work your way back in to the first color.

Create your focal point by stamping the bra on patterned paper and cutting out. To make the sentiment pop off the colored cardstock I used Butterscotch Adirondack embossing powder. The little clothespins and gemstone are the finishing touches to this simple card.

 

stamps: Unity Stamps: Upcycle's Hey Girlfriend and Sexy, Silly, and Sassy
ink: Distress Embossing Ink, Watermelon Adirondack Dye Ink
paper: Cosmo Cricket Upcycle Paper Pad
accessories: Cosmo Cricket Upcycle Jewels, Hero Arts Mini Clothespins

Breast Cancer Awareness Challenge

So here is our challenge - the first is to make certain that you do your self-examinations and schedule a physical/mammogram if you haven't done so yet this year. This first challenge is one that may save your life --- please do it!

The second is one that we can see that you are joining in and are excited to reward you with a special prize! This month Splitcoaststampers is hosting a month long series of Hope You Can Cling To challenges and asking participants to send the cards to a Cancer Center in Texas. We would like to encourage you to participate in this worthy cause! You could also contact a Cancer Center near you --- having blank thank you cards available to patients and family members will spread that feel good spirit and help bring positive thoughts to many.

These two simple words "thank you" do make a difference in life!

You have until 11:59pm Pacific Daylight time , Wednesday, October 12 to add your Breast Cancer Thank You note below using the InLinkz tool. We will be doing a random drawing and awarding TWO individuals a beautiful selection of Unity Stamps we have pulled from our inventory valued at approximately $50 to our lucky winners --- it is our way of saying thank you to all that participate. Good luck and go create something "pretty in pink!"

WCMD 2011 - Sketch Challenge Julia Stainton (EHWCMD4)

Welcome to World Cardmaking Day fun at the CLASSroom! I'm excited to be bringing you a sketch challenge to get you creating today. Everyone loves a sketch challenge, right? I love creating sketches and I especially love a sketch challenge so I hope you'll join me and have some fun!

Here's the sketch...

 
Feel free to click on the image to enlarge and print it out.

I hope you enjoy this sketch. It's a square card that has many possibilities. I can't wait to see how you interpret it. Please feel free to turn it or flip it to suit your needs.

For my sample card for this sketch, I decided to put together a few of my favorite things. I love stamping with white ink on Kraft cardstock. It's such a classic and subtle look and isn't the Hero Arts Lace Background stamp stunning?

I was originally thinking patterned paper for the squares when I designed the sketch but decided to use squares of Printed Canvas to add texture to the design. The Ultimate Glue works really well for adhering this canvas to the card design.

To add in the circle to my design, I've traced a punched circle in pencil onto my card and then stitched over it. You can also try hand-stitching for this sketch detail or use your imagination.

To add color to my design, Glimmer Mist is perfect for altering flower embellishments. I love being able to customize them to each project.

The sentiment on this card uses both chipboard letters and stamping. I only wanted part of the sentiment (the word friend) and so I very carefully just inked up the one word and stamped it onto the canvas. To get a perfectly crisp impression when stamping on canvas and other fabrics, try using the Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink. I find it works the best of any ink I've tried for this.

Supplies: Kraft Layering Cardstock by Hero Arts,  Lace Background Stamp by Hero Arts, Thank You for Being My Friend stamp set by Hero Arts,  Printed Canvas by Prima Marketing, Caribbean Blue Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels, Twine by Jillibean Soup, Snowcap Adirondack Pigment Ink by Ranger, Wedding Shoes Innoscence Flower by Prima, sewing machine, Jet Black Archival ink by Ranger, Leaf Trinket Pins by Maya Road, Alterable Ledger Alphas by Jenni Bowlin

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom and happy World Cardmaking Day!

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SKETCH CHALLENGE

Come join in the fun and create a card using the fabulous sketch Julia provided above!

Once you have completed this challenge please be certain to link directly to that specific project in our WCMD Challenge Blog Candy post!

BLOG CANDY

We know you use fun supplies when creating, BUT we want to hear what is the most unusual found object (repurposed object) you have incorporated in to a paper crafting project. Please leave your answer to this question and some love for Julia in the comment section on this post for a chance to win the delicious goodies shown below.

 

All comments must be made by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Sunday, October 2nd to be eligible.

WCMD 2011 - Holiday Card Challenge by Ellen Hutson (EHWCMD2)

Welcome! We are now on to challenge #2 and we are going to get you working on your holiday cards!

What could be more fun then combining a current trend with a holiday card? Ombre is everywhere - fashion, home decor and most definitely paper crafting! So for today's card I wanted to share how to create a very sparkly ombre look.

 

I am loving the Memory Box dies and used three separate dies for this project - the Classic Ornament, Crisp Bows and Bitty Scallops. Doesn't this Crisp Bow make THE perfect ornament hanger when turned upside down? (I am going to let you in on a little secret - we have another brand new release arriving soon and you are going to LOVE what is in store --- yes, I have to tease just a little. I wish I could share the details, but I'm sworn to secrecy. Watch Facebook for updates in the next couple of weeks! :-D)

 

To begin I adhered some Be Creative Tape to a piece of Natural White cardstock and then diecut the ornament in the Vagabond.

Remove the backing and apply glitter to one half of the sticky shape. Carefully pick it up and gently shake the glittered surface to disperse the glitter unevenly into the center section. Then dump the remaining glitter off the surface avoiding the lower half of the ornament. Burnish only the top 1/3 of the ornament with your finger to embed the glitter into the sticky surface, leaving the center section untouched.

Leaving this center section alone will allow the second color of glitter to join in with this first color for a perfect ombre look. 

 

Add the second glitter color on the lower half and shake the ornament ever so slightly to allow the red glitter to mix with the center section. Again dump the excess glitter off the lower edge of the ornament to avoid getting red glitter on the top 1/3 of the ornament.

Your project should look similar to the photo above. Now burnish (burnishing means to rub the glittery surface with your finger --- by rubbing the surface with your finger you will embed the glitter in to the adhesive and achieve a beautiful, velvet like surface) the entire ornament surface. I went back over the surface several times with my finger to make certain the glitter was firmly embedded in the adhesive before proceeding with the next step. I did not want any stickiness to be left for the gold leaf to affix to. 

 
Adding dimension to this glittery surface is easy when using Design Adhesives. I like to cut the individual shapes out of the adhesive strip before applying to make it easier to keep my designs separated.

Remove the backing from the adhesive element and position. Place the backing behind the ornament and then press the adhesive firmly against the glitter surface and rub in to place using your finger.

 

Trim away excess adhesive and remove the backing to leave adhesive exposed.

Apply gold leaf flakes to all the exposed Design Adhesive elements and press the gold leaf flakes firmly into the adhesive using your finger.

The easiest method of removing the excess gold leaf from your project is to use an inexpensive bristle brush as shown above. Swirl the brush over the surface of your ornament and the bristles will remove the excess gold leaf and at the same time burnish the gold leaf into the adhesive. There is nothing that looks as elegant and expensive as gold leaf!

TIP: Collect excess gold leaf in a tupperware container and save for use next time! It is incredible how long this product will last if you save your bits and reuse!

 

Can you imagine this glitter ombre technique as a sky behind a manger scene, beautiful evergreen trees, Christmas bells... the list goes on and on, and on!

So now it's your turn - head into your craft room and pull out your holiday season celebration stamps and papers. Create a card or project for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and/or any celebration your family recognizes during the holiday season! Join in the fun!!!
 
stamps: Hero Arts Music Collage

ink: Adirondack Meadow Dye Ink, Antique Linen Distress Ink

paper: Neenah Classic Crest Natural White, Graphic 45 Christmas Emporium 8x8 Paper Pad, Memory Box Crimson Notecard

accessories: Glitter Ritz - Apple Red & Kiwi Green, Be Creative Tape, Fancy Frames Design Adhesive, Gold Leaf Flakes, Memory Box Dies - Classic Ornament, Crisp Bows, and Bitty Scallop, Pearls

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HOLIDAY CARD CHALLENGE

We hope that this challenge helps give you a jump start on your holiday cards :-D Create a card to use this upcoming holiday season!

Once you have completed this challenge please be certain to link directly to that specific project in our WCMD Challenge Blog Candy post!

BLOG CANDY

What is your favorite current trend and do you see it reflected in the paper crafting world? Be certain to leave your answer in the comment section on this post to be entered in a random drawing for the following goodies.

 

All comments must be made by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Sunday, October 2nd to be eligible.

WCMD 2011 - Color Swatch Challenge by Julie Ebersole (EHWCMD1)

Hiya!  I'm so excited to be presenting a Color Swatch Challenge in celebration of World Card Making Day!

These colors are very contemporary, but lend themselves well to a wide range of possibilities, no matter what your personal art style may be!  I have an example to share that I hope will inspire you in new ways!

The large floral image in the Lauderdale stamp set was clear embossed, and then Adirondack Dye Inks (see supply list for specific colors) were sponged over the top to color them in quickly.

To provide a little more contrast and a hint of pattern, the Friend Definition was stamped with Snow Cap pigment over black card stock and used to accent the focal panel.

Did you know the Donut Edger Punch makes a great "scallop" edge if you tuck it just a wee bit further under the top layer of paper?  Cool, eh?!

Stamping the sentiment onto the distressed red toned card stock (Indie Bloom 6x6) and then framing it with white gel pen gives it some visual weight and helps tie the design altogether.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to design a project incorporating the color combination featured at the top of this post!  (insert Mission Impossible theme music here)

Snap a picture of it, and follow the directions below --- hook us up with a link so we can ogle and drool over it!  And, to submit your entry for the candy, of course.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••

Supplies & Materials: 

Basic Grey/Hero Arts, Lauderdale Clear Design 
Clear Design: Sending Smiles 
Cling Friend Definition 
Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Lemonade 
Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Red Pepper 
Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Aqua 
Archival Ink Pad in Jet Black 
Adirondack Pigment Ink Pad, Snow Cap 
Versamark Ink Pad 
Clear Embossing Powder 
A5 Cardstock, Black 
F4 Cardstock, Water 
Basic Grey Indie Bloom 6x6 Patterned Paper Pad 
Edger Punch, Donut Chain 
Uni-ball Impact White Gel Pen

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COLOR CHALLENGE

Use the color inspiration above to create your card or project!

Once you have completed this challenge please be certain to link directly to that specific project in our WCMD Challenge Blog post!

BLOG CANDY

What is your current favorite color combination? Be certain to leave your answer and some love for Julie in the comments section of this post to be entered in a random drawing for the fun goodies shown below.

 

All comments must be made by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Sunday, October 2nd to be eligible.

2011 World Card Making Day "Challenge Blog Candy"

 
It is with great excitement that we share our projects and challenges throughout the day on
Saturday, October 1st, World Card Making Day.
We would LOVE to have you play along with us!

We will be keeping this post as a reminder here at the top of the CLASSroom, so be certain to scroll down for the fun challenges we have in store for you!

Today is the first day of our World Card Making Day sale - be certain to visit the home page of our store at www.ellenhutson.com for full details. Remember to shop early for best selection!

Throughout the day tomorrow, Saturday, October 1st, starting at 8:00am PDT we will be sharing a new challenge every two hours until we have posted all four challenges! So be certain to return throughout the day to see what is new, leave a comment for each designer and enter to win some fun blog candy! Your comment on each challenge post will automatically enter you in a drawing for the goodies that we are giving away in that post.

Please scroll down through the posts that include a challenge number next to them - example EHWCMD1 through EHWCMD4. There will be a total of four different challenges for you to participate in.

To participate in this drawing, our grand "Challenge Blog Candy" giveaway, all you need to do is create a project for one of the four challenges, snap a picture, load it to a gallery or your blog and link us up! We are SO excited to see what you create!

We asked each of our three designers to make a list of some of their favorite products in our store --- so we have stamps, paper, ink, dies, and accessories!!! Then to top it off we added in one of the Limited Edition Fall Seasonal Distress Ink sets. This prize package is valued at over $200 --- we hope this motivates you to get creating :-D

 

Following are some simple instructions sharing how you can participate in our Grand Prize Challenge Blog Candy:

1. Create a project for one challenge, several challenges, or participate in all of them. It is completely up to you how many challenges you would like to create for. You are welcome to create a total of four projects, one for each challenge and enter each one as a new entry. The more challenges you enter the better your chance of winning this prize package!
2. Please enter only one project for each challenge. Each project can only be used for one challenge category. For example please do not combine the color challenge with the sketch challenge and then enter that same project twice.
3. Share the projects that you create on your blog, or in a forum gallery such as --- the Gallery, Splitcoaststampers or the World Card Making Day gallery.
4. Once you have your project uploaded come back and share a link to your project at the end of this post using the InLinkz tool provided.
5. Deadline for entering in our "Challenge Blog Candy" is Friday, October 7th at 11:59pm. We are giving you almost a full week to create, so that you can take advantage of as many challenges as possible!
6. We will use a random number generator to select our winner on Monday, October 10th, 2011.

So be certain to return tomorrow morning at 8:00am for our very first challenge!

Making Jewelry From Graphic 45 Metal Staples by Becky Olsen

The other day I was working on a project using the Metal Tag Staples by Graphic 45 and had layed them down on my studion table a certain way that caught my eye. What would they look like if they were used as pieces in a necklace, and how could I make that happen? So I got out a few more of the Metal Staple pieces and started playing and arranging until I came up with a configuration that I found visually appealling and that could also be easily done.

I started by rolling the edges of the Metal Flower Staples to make a rose that I could use as the center of the piece. It took three of the large flowers to make this beautiful flower.

Next I got out some of the Metal Hinge Staples and attached Jump Rings that were from the Tim Holtz Idea-o-logy collection then got sections of the Vintage Groove Antique Brass Chain laid out as well.

This is what it looked like after I got the pieces organized.

The metal is pretty heavy and also has some edges that could be uncomfortable, and I also needed a way for the piece to be held together that was reasonably flexible and where the flower could be attached. This led me to create a bib style platform using some Dimensions Spruce colored felt.

To get the shape of the bib I laid out the tags and flower on the felt, removed the flower and traced around the felt with a permanent marker. I then trimmed the shape out of the felt and adhered the metal pieces to the felt using E6000. I think that Fabri-Tac would also work, as that is my go to fabric adhesive, but I have run out and need to re-order. The flower was adhered directly to the felt as well, and I was very generous when I applied the adhesive. It did bleed through the felt, and when it was in the last stages of drying I applied another thin layer and added a very small piece of scrap felt to cover that spot to provide more comfort when I wear it.

This is what the finished piece looks like on the table. As you can see, I shortened up all the chain pieces to make it a length that let it hang better.

Okay, no laughing! I am sans make-up and a the bags and circles under my eyes tell the tale that I might not have been getting adequate sleep of late. The real story  is how unique and fun this piece is, and I think it could work with many different looks because of the neutral antique brass color.

The real test was what the daughters would think. They have a no holds barred approach when it comes to giving me their opinions. They really liked how it looked finished (concerns had been expressed in abundance when the pieces were on the desk) and were very complimentary on how it hung and liked the scale of it as well. 

I personally think that it is fabulous, and am pretty proud of myself for seeing something different in products that I really love! So I am going to put a little challenge out there to all of you crafty fashionistas, create something that is unexpected from your stash. If you feel like leaving a link, I would love to see where you take this challenge and will come by and take a look-see :o)

Happy Crafting!

B-

Summer Card Camp Color Inspiration

Today's post is going to be super quick because I want to give you time to head over and sign up for the Summer Card Camp 2011 if you have not already done so --- you do not want to miss out on the fun Jennifer and Kristina have planned for you! Registration is open until June 29th, so that means you only have two more days.

 

This weeks color combo made me think of sherbet!
 

What better fit than these darling little cones from the Basic Grey Hero Arts Life of the Party. I know who is going to grab this card for a friend's birthday this summer!

To color this image I used a combination of Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils.
 

Then using the same Walk in the Park decorative paper together with some felt flowers and fabulous Wild Plum embossing powder I quickly whipped up a second birthday card. I love having color combinations to inspire me --- it makes the creative process go so very quickly!

Not only can you achieve color with markers, inks and pencils, but you can add color with buttons, felt, embossing powder and so much more. Look in your stash to see what you have in these delicious colors! Then head over and sign up for some fun and join in the challenges - in addition to the amazing inspiration there are some awesome goodies awaiting some lucky participants!

 
stamps: Hero Arts ClearDesign Life of the Party Birthdays

ink: Distress Embossing Ink Pad, Memento Tuxedo Black

paper: Echo Park 6x6 Walk in the Park, Memory Box Mango and Bayou Cardstock

accessories: Sizzix Flowers #3 Original Die, Rose Felt, Basic Grey and Cosmo Cricket Buttons

Masculine Trend Challenge: Pockets, Pochettes & Prints

With Father's Day right around the corner I felt it is the perfect time to challenge you to create a masculine themed card to celebrate the men in our lives! To inspire you we searched the web to find out what was trendy for men this spring. Oh how fun to giggle over some of the trends we spotted and wonder, "Do men really wear this stuff?" as well as smile every time we would see some of the lovely "eye-candy" along the way - LOL!  The piece that we are using to inspire you today was spotted in an Italian catalog --- what is it about Italian design that gets the creative juices flowing. We are excited to see how this challenge inspires you!

 
Etro 

So here are the details to our challenge:

• Create a paper crafted project (card, layout, tag, home decor item, gift bag, etc.) that uses a pocket, pochette, or layered prints in a fun and masculine way.
• Upload this project to your blog, the Gallery, or any other on-line gallery. Click on the URL of that post and copy the URL. Add your project URL using the Inlinkz tool at the bottom of this post.
• Tell others that you have created your project for the Masculine Trend Challenge in the CLASSroom and link it back to this post to encourage others to play along as well.
• Upload your projects and link them in by midnight Friday, June 10th.
• We will use a random number generator to select our winner. The winning entry will be shown here on the CLASSroom on Monday, June 13th and will receive $50 to spend as they wish at www.ellenhutson.com

Of course I had to play along as well since there was so much new inspiration crashing through my brain :-D. 

 

To create the pocket square for my pochette (which I discovered means little pocket or wallet) I used the Memory Box rosette die. I cut and folded about 2/3 of the die cut paper strip and attached the ends first as shown above.

 

Then the center portion was pushed down and gently adhered to the backside of the pocket square. Then 1/8" Dimensional Foam Squares were used at the top edge of the pocket, reducing the depth to 1/16" Dimensional Foam Squares along the lower portion to keep the pocket square firmly in place.

 

The little plaid man needed a tie. Using a .03 Copic Multiliner I sketched one on the striped paper.
 

Red is the noted splashy color this spring and by mixing and layering multiple patterns (plaid, polka dot and strip) I was able to incorporate the masculine trend of layering patterns. Rocket Age not only has cute patterns, but some wonderful basics that made it super easy to create these layered patterns.

Don't delay - get your trend on and join our masculine trend challenge!

 
stamps: Hero Arts Plaid Person and Take Good Care Greetings Set

ink: Jenni Bowlin Spice Tin Ink Pad and Distress Embossing Ink Pad

paper: October Afternoon Rocket Age 8x8 Paper Pad and Memory Box Holly Berry Cardstock

accessories: Memory Box Blooming Rosette Die, Basic Grey Button, Adirondack Denim Embossing Powder

---

the Gallery Inchie INKling Challenge Winner

It's that time of year again - yes, major government paperwork, bookkeeping and all those things that aren't nearly as much fun as creating. No wonder sometimes they are called necessary evils - LOL! I apologize for being absent and hope to begin creating and sharing again shortly.

A huge thank you to all who joined in our first challenge in the Gallery!

I can't believe that I just posted this without sharing the prize package - Geri you have won a $25 gift certificate to our store and you can use it to purchase whatever you would like! Please contact us via email if you haven't received a message from us shortly.

 

Following is our winning entry created by Geri - I love how Geri combined our challenge of black and white with mossy green/gray.

 

I would like to encourage you to visit the Gallery and join in the fun by sharing your work there, as well as leave compliments for others who have shared their creations.

It is time to put my thinking cap on and come up with our next challenge, so stay tuned. I'm hoping to be back before heading off to CHA. Oh to be able to clone myself or reduce the paperwork required to keep a business running :-D

Thank you again!

World Card Making Day Inchie Challenge by Cindy Lyles (EHWCMD6)

We're creating texture Inchies today - if you have never tried creating an Inchie how about trying one today!?!

Steampunk was my operative mode of thought when creating today's altered notebook project, featuring....textured Inchies!

To create the textured Inchies for this project, a Sizzix Embossing Folder was used, and two, white Inchie + Squares (these are 1.5 inches square) were sandwiched and run through a die cut machine.  This produced a wonderful and incredible impression on the Alpharag Artcare matboard.  One could run several Inchies through an embossing folder at a time to keep on hand, and use whenever you need a bit of texture in one of your projects; just add Distress inks to suit your project colors, as was done below.

Next, Distress Inks in Wild Honey, Crushed Olive and Antique Linen were applied using an ink blending tool, to one embossed Inchie + Square, and Aged Mahogany and Antique Linen to the other.  The recesses created by the embossing folder are nicely emphasized with the addition of these wonderful Distress inks.

The rosette was created using Graphic 45 Society Page and one of Sizzix's newest dies, the Paper Rosette - it allows one to create a 2-1/2 inch diameter paper rosette with incredible speed!

I opted to create a covered notebook for these embellishments - all from Tim Holtz's Idea-ology line - here's a close-up:

The covered notebook base uses Graphic 45 Pen in Hand.  Black cardstock is Memory Box Licorice.

Here's a photo of the notebook inside.  Finished dimensions (closed) are 5 inches by 8 inches. 

Thank you for visiting the CLASSroom on World Card Making Day, and hope you have a great time participating in the CLASSroom challenges today!

breakout of Tim's hardware: Game Spinners, Hitch Fasteners, Philosophy Tags, Sprocket Gears, Swivel Clasps, Washers, Timepieces.

INCHIE CHALLENGE

For our Inchie Challenge simply create any project (card, notebook, scrapbook page, and so forth) using an Inchie or Inchies that you've added texture to!

Once you have completed this challenge be certain to post a comment on this post, as well as a link to your project, in our WCMD Challenge Blog Candy post!

BLOG CANDY

Thank you for stopping by our corner of WCMD today! After you have finished drooling on your keyboard be certain to leave a comment to be entered in a random drawing for the delicious goodies shown below. Do you own an electronic cutter and if so, which one?

All comments must be made by 11:59 Pacific Time on Sunday, October 2nd to be eligible.

World Card Making Day Trend Watch Challenge - Pleats Aren't Just for Lampshades and Curtains by Becky Olsen (EHWCMD3)

Welcome to a special World Card Making Day Trend Watch post!

We are going to be looking at how pleats are a hot trend and how much fun, beauty and texture they can add to your projects.

You probably see pleats like these everyday...

or these. Elegant, simple but not terribly exciting or inspiring, yet. I am hoping that after you are done reading this post you will look at pleats with a whole new respect and find inspiration in some new places that you might not have looked at before.

Let's start with the pleats on this delicious pillow! I love how it looks like a flower, but the pleats add a little more edge to the texture.

I thought it would be fun to do a little education on the different types of pleats that you might see on a skirt. These are classic looks and were something I could likely have found in my grandmother's closet, not the type of inspiration we might be looking for in a "trend watch" post.

But how the pleats were used on this dress that I found at Nordstroms is hip, beautiful and classic all in one fantastic silhouette.

Along those same horizontally pleated lines is this adorable top that is from Nordstroms as well. So cute!!

And how do you accessorize using this fresh trend? How about this hot handbag that uses pleats to form the shape of a chevron? So cool!

Or this gorgeous handbag that puts pleats back to the vertical, great texture!

These shoes have a bit of the horizontal and down the front it is stitched to create that chevron look again...

Hmm, we might have a little sub trend going on in our trend!

And this headband with pleats also from Nordstroms is stunning. It is so simply put together, has the classic feel of pleats but the soft satin fabrication gives it a softness and ease that makes it appropriate for most any outfit. That makes it a WOW in my book!

I made a couple of projects that were inspired by this trend, first I used products that were "pre-pleated" for time saving convenience. The first is the Twill Ribbon pleats from the Pink Paislee "Queen Bee" collection. The pleated flower is from the Prima "Madrigal Blossom" set.

These are on the cover of a notebook that I made for my Copic coloring practice sheets.

For an easy to make pleat I used the Tim Holtz "Marketplace Tissue Tape". Just fold over a few times and then adhere to your project.

For this card I cut the strip in half when I was done folding it and had the top pleats going toward the left and the bottom pleats to the right. The paper is from the new "Hocus Pocus" collection from Pink Paislee and that cool trim is from Basic Grey's ribbon doilies in the "Basic Krafts" collection.

It has been fun looking at the hot trend of pleats, thanks for taking the journey with me, and I want to challenge you to find a way to play with pleats in one of your projects. Pleats are hip, modern and now you can start looking at curtains and lampshades with a whole new perspective  ;o)

B-

TREND CHALLENGE

It's time to get your trend on - so put some pleats on your project :-D Pleat up some paper, ribbon, tissue tape or... simply get trendy.

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

What is your current favorite trend? In the comments section below be certain to leave your answer to be entered in a random drawing for the delicious goodies shown.

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

World Card Making Day Sketch Challenge by Julia Stainton (EHWCMD2)

It's World Cardmaking Day and what a wonderful day to celebrate. Cards are always special projects to create as they bring joy to both the creator and the receiver. I love creating cards as they are the perfect size canvas to try out new techniques and ideas and they fit so well into our busy lives. You can create a five minute card or a 50 minute card depending on your mood and schedule.

Cards are wonderful ways to staying in touch with those special people in our lives. In this busy whirlwind we call life, cards are a very special way to show we care. While I love technology, my cell phone, internet and e-mail, getting a card in the mail, especially a handmade one is a wonderful thing.

Here in the CLASSroom today we've put together a fun group of challenges for you to celebrate World Cardmaking Day with us. I hope you'll play along. Ellen has some fabulous goodies to share!

I always love creating for a sketch challenge and I hope you do as well. This sketch is very versatile so enjoy playing along. Create whatever design you wish based on this sketch. Feel free to flip it or rotate it if the inspiration strikes.

Here's the sample I created from the above sketch. It's a shabby style design with lots of misting and sanding and beautiful new product from Ellen Hutson LLC.

Here's a better look at the details. The white Prima flower has been spritzed with Glimmer Mist for a hit of color. The whole design is misted as well and the brown Coffee Shop Glimmer Mist was flicked over the surface for a distressed look.

I adore pleats and texture and the 7 Gypsies Printed Paper Tape makes it so easy to get a darling pleated layer. The blue cardstock is from Memory Box and I love how sanding the edges gives you a nice white distressed edge.

I have an addiction to the Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type letters. It's wonderful to be able to create any sentiment you wish with them. Most often I line them  up along the bottom of the stickers but for this design thought it would be fun to align the top edges and stitch them.

Supplies: Bayou Cardstock by Memory Box, Conservatory 8x8 paper pad by 7 Gypsies, Avignon Printed Paper Tape by 7 Gypsies, Cynthia lace by Prima, flower by Prima, Black Tiny Type by Cosmo Cricket, Peacock & Coffee Shop Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels, Tiny Attacher and Sanding Block by Advantus, sewing machine, Kraft Doilies and Leaf Trinket Pins and Green Resin Blossoms by Maya Road, twine

Thanks for celebrating World Cardmaking Day with us!

Happy creating!

SKETCH CHALLENGE

Come join in the fun and create a card using the fabulous sketch Julia provided above!

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

It is "challenge day" today --- so we would like to hear from you for future reference. What is your favorite type of challenge? Be certain to leave your answer in the comments section below to be entered in a random drawing for the delicious goodies shown.

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

World Card Making Day Color INspiration Challenge by Ellen (EHWCMD1)

We would like to welcome you to our corner of World Card Making Day with our first challenge and blog candy opportunity!

Color trends and color forecasting have always been a passion of mine. As an interior designer we studied where trends started and how the color marketing group works to create a color plan, years in advance.

My favorite type of TV shows are those that showcase design in some fashion (well... that and the Food Network - LOL!) Project Runway is one of my favorites and so in searching over the internet to find pictures that shared the fall color trends I found this fabulous Pantone picture showing fashion color trends for this Fall and Winter. My heart gives a happy leap everytime I look at it :-D

I went back to the warehouse to look through the papers we currently have, and needless to say, it was no easy task picking which one of the many wonderful papers fell within these trendy colors. I ended up utilizing the newest Memory Box Tinsel collection because I knew I wanted to use the latest Lockhart Sweet Treats for this month's thank you note.

The scale, color and proportion coordinated perfectly!

So for our Color INspiration challenge I tweaked the colors slightly and created the above palette for you to select from.

COLOR CHALLENGE

Use the color inspiration above to create your card or project!

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

Thank you for stopping by our corner of World Card Making Day today! Be certain to leave your answer to the following question to be entered in a random drawing for the delicious goodies shown below. What is your current favorite color combination?

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

World Card Making Day "Challenge Blog Candy"

It is with great excitement that we share our projects and challenges throughout the day on Saturday, October 2nd World Card Making Day. We would LOVE to have you play along with us!

We will be keeping this post at the top of the CLASSroom so be certain to scroll down for the fun challenges we have in store for you!

Throughout the day tomorrow, Saturday, October 2nd, starting at 8:00am PDT we will be sharing a new challenge every hour until we have posted all six challenges! So be certain to return throughout the day to see what is new, leave a comment for each designer and enter to win some blog candy! Your comment on each challenge post will automatically enter you in a drawing for the goodies that we are giving away.

Please scroll down through the posts that include a challenge number next to them - example EHCWCMD1 through EHWCMD6. There will be six different challenges for you to participate in. To participate in this Blog Candy drawing all you need to do is create a project for one of these challenges!

Following are some simple instructions sharing how you can participate in our Grand Prize Challenge Blog Candy:

1. Create a project for one challenge, several challenges, or participate in all of them. It is completely up to you how many challenges you would like to create for. You are welcome to create a total of six projects and enter each one as a new entry.
2. Please enter only one project for each challenge. Each project can only be used for one challenge category. For example please do not combine the color challenge with the sketch challenge and then enter that same project twice.
3. Share the projects that you create on your blog, or in a forum gallery such as Splitcoaststampers or the World Card Making Day gallery.
4. Once you have your project uploaded come back and share a link to your project at the end of this post.
5. Deadline for entering in our "Challenge Blog Candy" is Wednesday, October 6th at 11:59pm. We would like for you to have additional time to create, so that you can take advantage of as many challenges as possible.
6. We will use a random number generator to select our winner on Thursday, October 7th, 2010.

So be certain to return tomorrow morning at 8:00am for our very first challenge!

Max and Whiskers Trio

Hello dear friends of The CLASSroom! 

I have created a trio of cards for you today that feature inchies and kitties, what could be better?

 

This adorable paper collection by Basic Grey was released several months ago, but I think the themes and colors are timeless for dog and cat lovers alike.  This collection is also suited so well to children with it's sweet whimsy.

These designs are quick to make by using papers from the Max and Whiskers 6x6 Paper Pad, a little ribbon and the Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type stickers in Black and Brown to customize your sentiment.

Another tip I wanted to share is to use the Neutral Colors Inchie Squaresto mat your paper inchie kitties.  Both the black and white would have been quite stark against these cards, but the Light Grey and Dark Grey were perfect matches to tie the card together.

You can also see that I have layered the middle inchie above the other two.  I did this by applying 1/16 inch foam squares under each corner.

If you enjoy working with Inchies I would invite you to visit Ellen's Inchie INKlings blog for sketches and a great community of creative people from all over the world.  I am going to post the two sketches for the above cards here on The CLASSroom today - you are welcome to play along with us for a chance to win an Itty Bitty stamp by Karen Lockhart!  Simply create a card with either of these sketches and link to this post for a chance to win.

Inchingly Yours, Lisa

Flower Parade Inspiration Challenge

Thank you for sharing your excitement regarding the artwork that Susan and I created for the CLASSroom. It is SO much fun to collaborate on a project - if you haven't tried working together with a friend I highly recommend it! I will be sharing pictures of two other beautiful projects that Susan has created using hydrangeas very soon so that you can envision some of the other possibilities. I want to assure you that it does not take long to complete one of these flower projects. As with anything there is a slight learning curve, but once you know the basic techniques, it is incredible how fast these beauties come together. I would love to encourage you to purchase Susan's book - it is packed with beautiful blooms! You can find more information about it at this link.

Don't forget to enter our blog candy drawing posted yesterday! You also have just a little less than three days to join in the fun by linking in your floral project to win a $15 gift certificate in our Flower Parade.

Today I would like to share another challenge with you. You can choose to create a project based on one of the following criteria - use the picture shown in the color inspiration to create a project of your choice:

• create a card that is based on the color scheme shown in the card, and/or
• create a card based on the Card Architecture Sketch, and/or
• create a project that is inspired by the photo - it can a card, an ATC, an Inchie, a scrapbook page or a home decor project

 

Following is the project I created to inspire you to join in the fun. I will be sharing the details shortly, but wanted to get this project posted to allow you a full week to come up with a project to join in the fun. I will come back here and link you to that project as soon as I complete the write-up.

We will be doing a drawing on August 12th using the random number generator from the entries submitted. The winner of this drawing will win a $25 gift certificate to our store, Ellen Hutson LLC. Yes, you can use it on all of the fabulous new goodies that are arriving now on a regular basis from the new Summer CHA releases :-D So get creative and come join in the fun by creating something pretty and floral!

Colorful Butterflies by Sharon Harnist

 

Can you get any more colorful than this?  I don't think so!  I LOVE these gorgeous bright summery colors in Cosmo Cricket's DeLovely Mini Deck!  To start this card, I used the May 15th Inchie INKlings Inchie card sketch #6 for inspiration. 

My card base is the DeLovely paper with rounded corners, adhered to a Memory Box Currant notecard.  The yellow base for my Inchies was created with Spellbinders Labels Four, by first die cutting & embossing the yellow paper, trimming off all the embossed edges, and then adhering it to a pink mat cut with the same die.

The butterfly Inchies were created by punching Eclipse Masking Tape with Martha Stewart's Monarch Butterfly punch.  To achieve successful results, apply the masking tape on printer paper, turn the paper over so the masking tape is on the bottom side of the paper, turn the punch over so you can see the metal underside and punch the paper.  I found punching this way (two butterflies on the left in the photo below) gave cleaner results than punching from the Eclipse side of the paper (right butterfly).  When the punch pushes the Eclipse tape into the paper, it doesn't cut as cleanly and you'll be left with some of the inside areas (that are supposed to punch out) still attached.

 

NOTE: This punch is one of Martha Stewart's collection considered to be a "double punch", as it punches a shape with "holes" in it. This punch will not punch the butterfly out all the way. Your shape should remain attached to the paper with two little "tabs" which you will need to cut (you can probably see where the butterfly is still attached at the tops of the wings. This will prevent the punchout from getting stuck in the punch. Simply use your paper snip scissors or an X-acto knife to free your beautiful Monarch butterfly!

 

Next, I placed the butterfly masks onto my Inchie Arts White Inchie Squares and sprayed them with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist (this one is Viva Pink):

 

I didn't have a shade of green Glimmer Mist to match my papers, so I airbrushed Copic YG23 onto this Inchie Square and then made it shimmer with Old Lace Glimmer Mist:

 

Caribbean Blue Glimmer Mist was used on the other Inchie -- hopefully you can see all that pretty sparkle in the photo below!

 

I was very pleased with how well the Inchie Squares "hold" the Glimmer Mist and didn't warp from even the heaviest of applications of the colorant!

To finished my card, I used Copic markers B02, R85 and YG23 to color the edges of the corresponding Inchies and I stamped Hero Arts ClearDesigns All Occasion Messages with Ranger Jet Black Archival ink onto each of the Inchie Squares.  The yellow popped-up diecut is accented with Zva clear crystals and May Arts Fuchsia wide silk ribbon ties it up!

The bonus to this technique is that you can also use those butterfly masks you made and turn them into another similar card, or break them up and use them on smaller note/gift cards!

 

This is a Memory Box Key Lime notecard trimmed to 3.50" square. Inchie is accented with Spellbinders Big Scalloped Square-Sm Nestabilities diecut.

Thanks for being with us on our colorful journey here in the CLASSroom!

 
Stamps: Hero Arts ClearDesigns All Occasion Messages
Paper: Cosmo Cricket DeLovely Mini Deck, Memory Box Currant & Key Lime notecards
Ink: Ranger Jet Black Archival, Copic markers B02, R85, YG23
Accessories: Copic Airbrush System, Inchie Arts White Inchie Squares; Martha Stewart Monarch Butterfly punch, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist-Caribbean Blue, Viva Pink & Old Lace, Eclipse Masking Tape, Spellbinders Labels Four & Big Scalloped Square-Sm Nestabilities dies, WRM Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper, May Arts Fuchsia wide silk ribbon, Zva clear crystals

World Card Making Day Seasonal Challenge: Holiday Cards by Debbie Olson (EHWCMD7)

Is there anyone else out there in blog land who seems to need "just a few more" cards around December 20 every year? I can think I have enough, but it seems that I'm always running out and then having to mass product a dozen or so cards toward the end! 

Just in case you need a friendly shove in the direction of getting started, I'm sharing a darling little Lockhart Limited Edition snow globe, Nicholas & Kitty, paired with some Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly Mini Deck papers. Keep in mind that you can click on any of these pictures to make them larger. 

First, I chose the papers from the Jolly by Golly Mini Deck that I thought I might want to use, along with some coordinating Copic markers, R30, R32, G40, G12, and C0. I colored the trees, coat, and cat's bow with this first batch of markers. (Shall we pretend that Nicholas is Nikki today? I really wanted some pink in here, and a pink cat just didn't seem right! ;-D)

Next, I chose Copic BG000 for the sky, BG72 for mittens, hat, and scarf, and some cool gray (C1) for defining shadows on the snowman and on the snow.

 

The toughest decision for me was how to color the cat. I chose Copic E21 and added a dab of E25 in shadow areas, using my lighter marker as a paintbrush to dab at and apply the darker marker. It's a good way to avoid having to try to blend extreme values, and it's not a problem with Copic markers since they cannot be cross-contaminated. 

I added a few more cool shadows to help the white of the snow and snowman pop, as well as coloring the base so that it would appear reflective. Normally I would go with a darker value right next to the light to indicate reflectivity, but I toned it down here because I didn't want to draw attention to the base of the snow globe. 

Here are the Spica glitter pens that I used to touch up an add highlights. All but the orange one are the newer colors; my caps aren't colored because mine are prototype markers. If you order them, they will have colored caps as always.

Finally, here is a close-up of the colored "Nicholas and Kitty" image--I love this one! Thank you for visiting the CLASSroom on World Card Making Day!

HOLIDAY CARD CHALLENGE

This is our last challenge for the day and it is an important one! Create a card to use this upcoming holiday season! It would be fun for you to share how many cards you have already created as you leave your comments below or in the post above.

Once you have completed this challenge be certain to post a comment as well as a link to your project, in our WCMD Challenge Blog Candy post! It would also be great if you could please refer to Challenge EHWCMD7 when you upload to a gallery to make it easier for us to spot your creations!

BLOG CANDY

Thank you for stopping by our corner of World Card Making Day today! After you have finished drooling on your keyboard be certain to leave a comment to be entered in a random drawing for the following delicious goodies used to create this project:

 

• Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly 6x6 Paper Pad
• Lockhart 2009 Limited Edition, Nicholas and Kitty
• Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly Ribbon Packet
• Memory Box Cardstock - Eggshell, Robin's Egg, Wheat Grass, Currant, Raspberry

All comments must be made by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Sunday, October 4th to be eligible.

World Card Making Day Color Challenge by Sharon Harnist (EHWCMD6)

Hi, everyone -- we hope you are having fun today, setting aside some time to craft and maybe get started on your holiday cards?  Well I hope this challenge might help you with that ... or anything YOU might like to create today, as this is one of my favorite color combos!

I chose some beautiful Memory Box patterned papers to get my creative juices flowing, and paired it with one of Memory Box's latest holiday stamps.  This made for an easy color combo for a wintery holiday card!

I selected Memory Box's solid coordinating cardstock colors shown in the color challenge graphic above to match their Dewfrost patterned paper, but you are certainly free to use any manufacturer's similar colors of soft, light robin's egg blue; dark brown & vanilla/cream.

 

Winter Retreat Dew Drops accent the Twisty Pine tree that was stamped onto a light blue solid pattern from Memory Box's Dewfrost 6x6 paper collection and then mounted to a layer of Natural White cardstock.  Machine stitching provides a snowy ground for the tree.  Spellbinders Snowflake Wonder die was used to cut patterned paper snowflakes, which were adhered to the Memory Box Vanilla Bean card base.  Call me crazy, but I love making brown snowflakes!

We can't wait to see what YOU come up with ... I hope you have a blast participating in the challenges today!  Thanks for playing! ~ Sharon

 

• Stamps: Memory Box Twisty Pine
• Paper: Memory Box Dewfrost 6x6 patterned cardstock pad & Vanilla Bean Notecards, Neenah Natural White cardstock
• Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
• Accessories: Spellbinder Snowflake Wonder dies, Winter Retreat Dew Drops, Tim Holtz Paper Distresser

COLOR CHALLENGE

Use this fabulous color combination to create your card!

Once you have completed this challenge be certain to post a comment as well as a link to your project, in our WCMD Challenge Blog Candy post! It would also be great if you could please refer to Challenge EHWCMD6 when you upload to a gallery to make it easier for us to spot your creations!

BLOG CANDY

Thank you for stopping by our corner of World Card Making Day today! After you have finished drooling on your keyboard be certain to leave a comment to be entered in a random drawing for the following delicious goodies used to create this project:

 

• Memory Box Dewfrost 6x6 Paper Pad
• Vanilla Bean Notecards and Envelopes
• Twisty Pine Stamp
• Winter Retreat Dew Drops
• Spellbinders Snowflake Wonder Dies

All comments must be made by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Sunday, October 4th to be eligible.

World Card Making Day fashion/home decor challenge - Kim (EHWCMD5)

Happy World Card Making Day!  I'd like to invite you to join in my fashion/home decor challenge.  Although both topics are uniquely different, they are surprisingly the same.  Both have a style that changes with each season.  Trends, textures and time of year all have an impact of what we see in magazines and on television.

I love the rich colors in this ad.  Bursts of vibrant color, subtle patterns.  Hints of glam and silver.  All of which makes me want to learn more about the 40's.

 

These beautiful rooms seems so inviting.  The cozygreen and blue tones that just make me want to melt into a couch.  The openness of rooms with large windows and touches of nature leaves me refreshed.  And the golden tones of an elegant room just melts me heart.

 

I took inspiration from so many aspects of these ads.  I chose stripes that are elegant and inviting.  I adore the white pleated top, so I added a touch of folded white paper to the bottom of my border.  The tiny weaved slacks are so classy...so I chose to add a subtle patterned strip to my card.  I just had to add a pop of yellow and a button and bling was perfect!  I am not sure if the stamps that I chose are characteristic of the 40's but it reminds me of "olden days".  I chose the main panel paper for it's colors, flowers and leaves...this ties in the nature that is seen in all three rooms.  I couldn't call it complete until I added just a splash of silver.

 

supplies: Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Ginger, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Cranberry, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Espresso, Gemstones, Small Blossom, Basic Grey Buttons, Wisteria, Basic Grey Buttons, Granola, Rummage Bin, On the Desk PRECUT, Webster's Pages Petite Papers Paperpad, Postcards from Paris & Sweet as Cherry Other: silver brads, light white printer paper

FASHION/HOME DECOR CHALLENGE

My challenge for you is:  Take inspiration from one or both of the ads that I have shown.  Take inspiration from the colors, textures or style.  Choose one element or many...the possibilities are truly endless.  Create a card, tag or what ever you like.  Have fun!

Once you have completed this challenge be certain to post a comment as well as a link to your project, in our WCMD Challenge Blog Candy post! It would also be great if you could please refer to Challenge EHWCMD5 when you upload to a gallery to make it easier for us to spot your creations!

BLOG CANDY

Thank you for stopping by our corner of World Card Making Day today! After you have finished drooling on your keyboard be certain to leave a comment to be entered in a random drawing for the following delicious goodies used to create this project:

 

• Webster's Pages Petite Papers Paperpad, Postcards from Paris & Sweet as Cherry Pie
• Cornish Heritage Farms On the Desk
• Gemstones, Small Blossom
• Adirondack Dye Ink Pads - Ginger, Cranberry, Espresso

All comments must be made by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Sunday, October 4th to be eligible.

Welcoming Becky Olsen!!! Sticky Back Canvas Image Transfer Technique and Challenge by Becky Olsen (EHWCMD3)

Ellen here, sneaking in the night before our preview to hopefully surprise sweet Becky, as well as all of you. It is with GREAT excitement that we welcome Becky in to our midst. I have been struggling to complete our Technique Tuesday Tags for the past several months - too many things and just not enough time. I was SO thrilled and excited when Becky agreed to join our team!!! Her Ranger U training will come in so very handy and it is so exciting to have her fabulous talent here in the CLASSroom. We welcome you Becky - I am so thrilled that you are here with us! Now I'm going to scoot on out of the way and let you savour these fabulous projects Becky created!!!

Hello!

My name is Becky Olsen, I have joined Ellen and her wonderful team with the goal of bringing fun, interesting and inspiring technique tutorials to the CLASSroom.

Here are the projects that we are creating today. The first is a card with a fun handmade scalloped flower...

and the second is an altered breath mint tin.

Supplies you will need:

One sheet of sticky back canvas

Claudine Hellmuth matte multi-medium Paint brush

brayer

Non-stick craft sheet

Paper from Eerie 6' x 6" paper pack

Mini-mister filled with water

Ranger craft scraper

Tonic Tim Holtz non-stick craft scissors

Archival ink in black

Owl silhouette stamp (out of stock right now, but will be back soon!)

Black gems

To get started, layout your non-stick craft sheet, your jar of multi-medium, a brush, a sheet of the sticky back canvas and three sheets of paper (one of those cut in half). Organize the paper so that you will have a good idea of how you will want it laid out. This helps you to work quickly when the surface is sticky.

Using your wide paint brush, lay down a generous (but not gloopy) layer of the multi-medium over the whole surface of the sheet of canvas.

Carefully place your papers in place.

Try to place them working from the center out to avoid air bubbles. Smooth with hands to try to work out air bubbles if you do have them.

Brayer the back with even pressure. Now step away and let it dry completely, this is very important, so don't rush it. While you are exhibiting immense patience, the multi-medium is absorbing the ink from the paper. So cool!

After it is completely dry, peel off as much of the paper as you can, this makes the next step a little easier

Spritz the back of the paper with your Mini-Mister to loosen the paper fibers.

Gently scrape and spritz lightly as needed to remove the next layer of paper.

It doesn't need to be soaked, just damp to be effective.

Keep spritzing and scraping until you have a pretty smooth surface.

Spritz again to make the surface a little moister and use your finger tips to work in small circles to remove the smallest fibers that are left from the scraping. Then lightly scrape those from the surface with the scraper. You can see those little piles of fiber on the right in the picture, they have more color than the previous bits. When you are done, the surface should feel smooth.

Put a few full paint brush smears of the multi-medium onto the non-stick mat and spritz with the Mini-Mister. That loosens the gel up so that you can spread it over the canvas and smooth the last few fibers that are left (that you can't see) to create a very nice looking surface. A great last touch before you start to create projects. Of course now you have to walk away for a bit and let it dry completely.

So now that we are dry we are ready to cut! I love my non-stick Tonics for this job. I freehand cut my scallops because I like that random look. If you wanted them to be more even, just trace a piece of scalloped cardstock and cut along that line.

Remove the sticky back and use a paper piercer to make even holes in the canvas. Mine was not so sticky that I couldn't work with it, but if you find yours is really sticky still, just sprinkle a little baby powder on the back. Work thread through holes with needle and gather.

Tie closed at the diameter you want the flower to be. I liked mine with a little tighter, ruffled look, so I gathered it very closely for the project. For the sample shown here, it is looser and has a larger finished diameter. It is up to you!

For the card, trim a section of the green at 3 1/4" x 5 1/4".
The trim a piece of the stripe at 1/2" x 5 1/4" and then a hand trimmed piece of the star dot at about 1" x 5 1/4". Assemble on card base made from black cardstock that measures 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" using extra adhesive if necessary.
Cut a large circle from one of the sheets of paper and adhere to card.
Then stamp owl onto another sheet and cut out around the circle, adhere to card with foam squares.
Adhere a button with ribbon tied in a bow onto top of scallop flower.
Adhere this on top of larger circle.
Call it done!

For altered tin, trace around top of tin and then trim out. Place on top of tin, it should stay itself, but if it not as sticky as you would like, add a little extra adhesive, the multi-medium works well for this, just lightly brush a little on the top of the tin, then place canvas, and let dry. I didn't need to and mine is holding perfectly, but it is about personal preference, do what works for you.

Cut a strip of the striped paper the long way and apply to tin the same way as you did the top.

I finished decorating mine with a black velvet ribbon, little sparkly letter stickers and some black crystals. I love a little bit of bling!

HALLOWEEN PROJECT CHALLENGE  

Are you ready for a challenge now? Create a Halloween project that is in some way inspired from this post.

Once you have completed this challenge be certain to post a comment as well as a link to your project, in our WCMD Challenge Blog Candy post! It would also be great if you could please refer to Challenge EHWCMD3 when you upload to a gallery to make it easier for us to spot your creations!

It is so exciting and fun to be a part of this team and your day! Thank you so much for taking some time to stop by and play!

B-

BLOG CANDY

Thank you for stopping by our corner of World Card Making Day today! After you have finished drooling on your keyboard be certain to leave a comment to be entered in a random drawing for the following delicious goodies used to create this project:

• Ranger Studio Line Sticky Back Canvas
• Basic Grey Eerie 6x6 Paper Pad
• Black Gems
• Matte Multi-Medium
• Mini Mister

All comments must be made by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Sunday, October 4th to be eligible.

 

World Card Making Day Sketch Challenge by Susan Roberts (EHWCMD2)

Happy World Card Making Day!!  I'm so excited to have a Sketch Challenge and some Blog Candy for you today!  Here is the sketch for you to try.  The measurements are given as a guide only.  Your card can vary from this as long as the general layout can be recognized.  It is also fine to rotate the sketch 90 degrees, if desired.

Here is the card I made using the sketch.

After tying the ribbon on my card today, I trimmed the ends.  This left a couple of almost-2" pieces of ribbon.  Here's something to do with those extra pieces of ribbon that feel just a little too long to throw away.

I attached glue dots to one end of each piece and tucked them under the flower.

After trimming the ribbon a second time, the extra pieces were only about 1/4".  I can part with that!  And I love the look of the additional pieces of ribbon with the flower.

Hope you will join in the fun and give this sketch a try.

Happy Crafting!!

------------------------------

Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms "Botanical Bliss" and "Time to Stamp"

Papers: Memory Box Cardstock and Notecard and Basic Grey "June Bug"

Inks: Memento "Tuxedo Black" and Copics:

Accessories: Basic Grey "June Bug Pops Layered Stickers", Dew Drops, Art Flowers, Satin Ribbon

SKETCH CHALLENGE

Come join in the fun and create a card using this sketch!  

Once you have completed this challenge be certain to post a comment as well as a link to your project, in our WCMD Challenge Blog Candy post! It would also be great if you could please refer to Challenge EHWCMD2 when you upload to a gallery to make it easier for us to spot your creations!

BLOG CANDY

Thank you for stopping by our corner of World Card Making Day today! After you have finished drooling on your keyboard be certain to leave a comment to be entered in a random drawing for the following delicious goodies used to create this project:

 

• Basic Grey June Bug 6x6 Paper Pad
• Cornish Heritage Farms Botanical Bliss
• June Bug Pops
• Art Flowers, Neutral
• Memory Box Cardstock - Sunflower, Cherry Blossom, Red Pepper, Dill, Licorice (2 each for a total of 10 sheets)

All comments must be made by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Sunday, October 4th to be eligible.

Spring Fling Sketch by Susan Roberts

When I first saw the new Lockhart image, "Petunia" that Ellen released this weekend, it was love at first sight.  I think maybe it was the gloves that totally put me over the top.  My mom would plant petunias around our back garden every Spring.  It's been a long long time since I was a young girl.  But if memory serves me right, she had a pair of red checkered gloves that would lay just so by the earthy pots of Petunias that were ready to be planted against our white picket fence.

For this fence I used the Martha Stewart "Picket Fence" Edger Punch.  So that none of the floral image would be lost in the punched out section of the fence, I used a strip of the punched fence as a stencil.  Placing it on the cardstock, I sponged over it creating the fence and sky.  An actual punched strip of the picket fence is accented by a chocolate ribbon placed behind it.

Copics were used to color in the Petunias and gently shade areas of the stenciled fence.  A panel of Graphic 45 designer paper was used behind the main image.  A "rainbow" was made with three Dew Drops.

Hope that you can join in on the fun a give this sketch a try.  Happy crafting!!