the CLASSroom

Flowers with Gelatos and Big Brush Pens by Darlene DeVries

It is a privilege to share a very special project and video with you today! As someone who loves to color I have admired Darlene DeVries' gorgeous coloring over the last several months and am thrilled to share her video with you today as she showcases the technique she uses when coloring with the fabulous Faber Castell Design Match products. This project showcases the use of Gelatos together with Big Brush Pens!

You can see more of Darlene's beautiful work on her blog Darlene Design. Each blogpost not only shows beautiful projects but she shares a coordinating videos showing how she each project! We would love to have your help thanking Darlene for sharing her project here in the CLASSroom. Please head over to her blog, Darlene Design, and leave a thank you in the comments section of her post there. You know you are in the right spot if you see the following picture!

Thank you Darlene for sharing your creativity with us here in the CLASSroom! -Ellen

---

Hi All!  I’m so excited to be invited into the CLASSroom today!! 

I tend to do a lot of coloring with stamps… Copic markers, colored pencils, inks, water-based markers, etc.  Today I thought I would try something a little bit different - coloring with Faber Castell Design Memory Craft Gelatos and Stampers Big Brush Pens.  I love how these products work together to create a beautiful blended look.  And the white pen that was released in the fall is fantastic!

As far as stamps go, I am using one of my favorites by Hero Arts, Everything Flower.  I love this stamp because you can use subtle colors to make it a background, or you can color the flowers to create a foreground out of the background, which is what I have done with this card. 

Sometimes I have trouble figuring out where to put a sentiment on my card.  In those instances, I turn to vellum.  You can pop it right on top and not cover up any of the important elements.  I heat embossed a Paper Smooches sentiment in black onto vellum and just ran it across the center.

Enjoy the video here or you can also watch it over on YouTube. (Many thanks for subscribing to our channel!)

Thanks for spending time with me today.  Thank you Ellen for the opportunity to visit.

-Darlene

Cling Everything Flowers	Everything Flower	Sentiment Sampler	Pitt Big Brush Pen, Subtles, Set of 3
Pitt Big Brush Pen, Green, Set of 3	Pitt Big Brush Pen, Blue, Set of 3	Pitt Big Brush Pen, White	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack
A5 Cardstock, Black, 10 pack	Bazzill 40lb. Vellum, 25pk	VersaMark Inkpad	Ranger - Super Fine 1oz. Embossing Powder, Black
Mixed Accent, Neutrals	Glue Dots, Mini (3/16")

InLinkz.com

Easter Poppies by Sharon Harnist

Hello and happy weekend! Easter comes around in just 3 short weeks, so I thought I would get a head start on a few cards. I finally purchased some Faber-Castel Gelatosand wanted to try them out, so I also have a few pointers I found helpful when working with them.

I purchased the collection sets -- I thought that would be a great way to find which colors I like best and would also give me a few hues in each color family, to work with.  

I found it helpful to have color swatches of each color, so I scribbled each one on an Inchie Arts Inchie+ Art Square and labeled it. I figured the Art Square would be sturdy enough to keep my sample safely right there in the package -- it sits perfectly right over the stamp that comes with each of these Gelato sets!

To work with the Gelatos on this particular Hero Arts Poppy Background stamp that has a lot of solid surface, first, spritz the stamp with water:

Then color directly on the stamp with the Gelatos:

The Gelatos I used were:

Cotton Candy & Blueberry from the Blue collection for the sky.
Green Tea from the Green collection for the grass/lower part of the image.
From the Red collection: Lavender for the flowers & Red Cherry for the flower centers.

By the time you are finished coloring the image, some of the Gelatos may have started drying, so you may need to lightly spritz the stamp with water again. This will also help blend the colors together a little. Then stamp onto Hero Arts Felt Finish Natural White Felt Finish Watercolor Paper. I love how this turned out -- it reminds me a little of a triple dipped-dyed Easter egg!

After stamping I used the watercolor brush that comes with the Gelato sets, lightly dampened with water, to go back and blend some of the colors a little and define the edges of the stamped image.

To finish my card, I trimmed the image and let the natural color of the pretty watercolor paper make a self mat. Then I popped it up on Copic Foam Tape on a Hero Arts Iris Folded Card.  Next, I stamped the Easter sentiment (from Hero Arts ClearDesign-Celebrate Everyday set) onto more watercolor paper with Soft Lilac Hero Arts Shadow Ink and die cut it with My Favorite Things Die-namics STAX-Fishtail Flags and tied it with Hero Hues Floral ribbon. It is also popped up on foam tape.

I hope you have a lovely Spring weekend ahead and get some crafting time!

~ Sharon

{Supplies}:

Hero Arts Cling Poppy Background	ClearDesign: Everyday Sayings	Hero Arts Felt Finish Watercolor Paper-Natural	Hero Arts Folded Cards, Iris
Hero Arts Shadow Ink Pad, Soft Lilac	Hero Arts Hero Hues Ribbon, Floral	Faber-Castel Gelatos Set, Blue	Faber-Castel Gelatos Set, Green
Faber-Castel Gelatos Set, Red	My Favorite Things Die-namics Stax, Fishtail Flags	High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/2"

InLinkz.com

Spring Blossoms by Julia Stainton

It's March! Spring is just around the corner. Officially just a few more weeks away! It will be awhile yet before we see much of Spring here in Canada but I'm totally getting in the mood for it with some pretty blossoms on today's card. It's a simple technique using Liquid Applique and is one of my favorites. Why is it that any technique that using a heat gun seems so much more magical?!

I've started off with one of my favorite new Hero Arts stamp sets, the Art of the Card Friend Collage set. It has a cling rubber background stamp and as I love, love, love background stamps, well...it's simply irresistable when combined with some beautiful timeless florals and a sentiment. I love being able to make lots of cards and designs all from one purchase.

First step...the background. I've stamped the background using the Aquamarine Archival Ink. Archival Inks are my favorites. You can heat set them to make them permanent and then do all kinds of great techniques over them.

Next, the beautiful swirly vines were stamped in Olive Archival ink and then heat set once again.

After trimming the panel to the size I wanted (3.75" x 5") I then sponged on lots of Distress Ink. Keep sponging on color until you get the saturation you want. The main part of the image is sponged with Tumbled Glass and Crushed Olive Distress Inks. Around the edges to add a bit of depth I sponged on Broken China Distress Ink.

Now we're ready for the fun part...adding in all those sweet little blossoms. If you've never used Liquid Applique is so quick and fun to use. Simply squeeze out tiny dots of the Liquid Applique wherever you want a little blossom. This product also makes for GREAT snow if you are creating holiday cards!

Use a Heat Gun to apply heat to the wet Liquid Applique dots. They puff up like tiny marshmallows to almost twice the size of the wet dot. You can leave them like this but I like to add a little color with chalk.

The Pitt Pastel Pencils are like chalk in a pencil form. Scribble some color onto a scrap piece of paper. You'll find this leaves some chalk dust and color that you can pick up with a cotton ball or a cotton swab. Dab it onto the heated Liquid Applique to color the blossoms.

Next step..the sentiment. Stamp it in Jet Black Archival Ink and then color in with a dye based marker to make it stand out.

Because of the dimension of the panel, I add the adhesive onto the card base and then adhere the panel to the card.

The final step is to add an embellishment. When using a lot of technique, I like to highlight that and keep the embellishments simple. For this card, a little Leaf Trinket Pin inserted through the top of the panel does the trick.

 Thanks so much for stopping by the CLASSroom! Have a fabulous and creative weekend!

Supplies:

 

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 02.04.2013

Before I get started, I want to thank you for the lovely birthday wishes--y'all made my 50th AWESOME!!! And many, MANY thanks to my incredibly dear, and incredibly talented, friends for the AMAZING blog hop! I know everyone enjoyed all that eye candy and, um... I pretty much fell off my chair...

Thank you SO much!!!

 

So, I've been in a Lovey-dovey frame of mind lately--how 'bout you?

 

(click on the pic to en-biggan)

I love LOVE the chalkboard trend we're seeing everywhere these days--not sure if it's due to my former teaching days, when I did actually have a chalkboard in my classroom... Ack! I was pre-white board days... Hah! *chuckle*

There are several different ways of going abut getting the chalkboard effect--some folks like to white emboss their images and then add details with a white pastel pencil or white pen. I decided on this one to just use a good white pigment ink (Unicorn, or Snow Cap), and leave it nekked. We are talkin' pigment ink here, so heat setting will be crucial as you work, to help avoid smearing.

Enjoy the video here or in HD over on YouTube! And don't forget to subscribe to our channel, as we continue to add videos on a regular basis! Yay! :)

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Mundane is a happy one!

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

 

My Favorite Things Clear Stamp Set, Lovey Dovey Sentiments	Savvy Stamps, Laurel	Adirondack Pigment Ink Pad, Snow Cap	Hero Arts Memories Pigment Ink Pad, Unicorn White
Faber-Castell Pastel Pencil, White	PITT Pastel Pencils, Set of 6, Red/Yellow	Cardstock, Black, 10 pack	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack
A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream	Glue Glider Pro	Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac 58'	Ruler, Tim Holtz Design
Paper Trimmer, Tonic Guillotine 8 1/2"	Embossing Gun	Heat It Craft Tool	Krylon Matte Finish Spray
Uni-ball Impact Gel Pen, White	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini

InLinkz.com

Skyline Celebration

With the Fourth of July right around the corner I wanted to quickly share a fun little project with you. I am in love with the Skyline dies due to their versatility. I missed out on one fabulous opportunity to share the Father's Day ideas I had and decided I could not miss out on this one!

Being I didn't have a fireworks stamp I looked at the different flowers and snowflakes we carry - I thought this Starburst was perfect for this project.

Stamp the image on black cardstock using embossing ink and lightly sprinkle Holographic embossing powder as shown above. Do not fully cover because you want to mix the holographic powder together with the opaque white. Then sprinkle the opaque white embossing powder over the entire image. Remove the excess combined powders and store in a new container for a future project. Heat set.

Using a pastel pencil add color randomly to your starbursts as shown above. After coloring use your fingertip to rub the pastel color into the embossing powder mix.

I couldn't resist layering Fantasy Film behind the windows and backed it with white cardstock to make the windows glow in the dark. Simply trace your diecut skyline image. Apply adhesive to the white cardstock and attach the Fantasy Film. Then cut out your shape inside the pencil lines and adhere directly behind your black skyline cutout.

As you can see I ended up using two different skylines - both Savvy Cityscape and My Favorite Things Skyline. This is definitely not necessary, but I wanted to show that the scale of these dies allows them to work together beautifully, creating a more diverse look. You can also cut the shapes and flip them to add character to your cityscape.

Use dimensional foam dots to create a layered effect.

Let the celebrations begin! Thank you for stopping by the CLASSroom again today!

stamps: Hero Arts Starbursts

dies: Savvy Cityscape and MFT Skyline

ink: Distress Embossing Ink

paper: Black Cardstock, Hero Arts Azure Cardstock, Neenah Solar White

accessories: Holographic Embossing Powder, Opaque White Embossing Powder, Faber Castel Pastel Pencils - #226 and #143, Dandelion Fantasy Film

Song of Spring Card by Julia Stainton

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paper Smooches Croppin', Hoppin' and Halloweenie Fun

September is right around the corner and with it comes the fall buzz for all fun and crafty "Halloweenie" things. This new set from Paper Smooches debuts on September 1st, so you will not find it in the store until that date. BUT I have a special surprise for you! We are using it today in our Warehouse Crop and we do not want you to feel left out. Read through this post and share which Paper Smooches set is your favorite with us in the comments section to be included in this random drawing for an opportunity to win your very own set!

 

This little witchie just make one grin - yes, she is a cute ghoul - ha! ha!

To color her I used Copic colors - YG11, YG25, YG00, W00, R02, R08, YR16, YR68, YR09, 100 and V04.

Her hat and dress are paper pieced with the spidery paper from the Graphic 45 Hallowe'en in Wonderland 8x8 collection. Then using a White Pastel Pencil I added color around the "edges" of the design to add depth. Use the Clear Glaze pen to add shine to her lips and the blacks of her eyes. A yellow Spica Glitter Pen was used on the orange in her socks and the buckle on her hat. It is amazing how much these little details help to create a special image.

 

Tip: When cutting out fine details such as the heels on the witches boot cut out the areas that have the most delicate parts first. To have the added stability of the remaining cardstock will help you keep them in pristine condition.

Then using a black marker color over the cut out portion - this helps eliminate any white spots!

Every witch needs a sparkly moon. When airbrushing I like to create a mask that does not "buffet" in the "breeze." To diecut Eclipse tape, my favorite paper masking material,  I affix the Eclipse to a piece of typing paper or cardstock and then cut out the image. In this case I used the Memory Box Flower Mound die - I felt it created a delightful moon background :-D

Firmly affix it to your moon. 

Airbrush with several colors to create a fabulous color combination - I used YR09, YR68 and YR16. 

Remove mask and reveal your fun new moon. 
 

To adhere the Be Creative (Sookwang) tape to your project simply place the moon face down on to the adhesive surface. Using the Fiskars fingertip knife I run it around the exterior of my circle, cutting through the adhesive. Then use your finger to easily roll the excess adhesive away.

Use Warm Highlights glitter and the Burnished Velvet technique (read more about that technique here if you don't remember the details) bring your moon to life.
 

One of the advantages to clear stamps is the ease of cutting the sentiments and customizing them. "hey cute ghoul" comes as one long piece. I wanted to create a shorter, stacked version, so I simply cut it between the words rounding the edges on the end.
 

To then be able to determine the fit makes it so easy to use.
 

Stamp the background using Deep Violet ink, add a few bats (sorry this is an old Martha Stewart punch I just couldn't resist using) and a gemstone for balance and bling.

 
Now don't forget to leave a comment below telling us what your favorite Paper Smooches stamp set is! You have until midnight Sunday, August 28th to be included in this random drawing for the Paper Smooches Halloweenie set!

 
stamps: Paper Smooches Halloweenie (stamp set will be available here in our store on September 1st), Hero Arts Cling Classic Fabric Design

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Archival Deep Purple

paper: Memory Box Granny Smith Notecard, Cantaloupe & Lavender Cardstock, Neenah Solar White

accessories: Memory Box Chadwick Label Die, Citron Gemstone, Clear Glaze Pen, Lemon Spica Glitter Pen, White Pastel Pencil, 4 1/2" Be Creative Tape (Sookwang) or Tape Sheets, Warm Highlights Glitter, Eclipse Tape,

Embossing Folders & Gelatos by Julia Stainton

When a new product hits the market, it's always fun to explore all the possibilities for creating with it. I've been enjoying the creative medium of the new Faber-Castell Gelatos. They are kind of a cross between a crayon and lip gloss. I know that sounds different but it's a wonderful creamy medium that is water-soluble and has a beautiful pearl tone base to it.Gelatos work great on light surfaces but they really shine on dark. This got me thinking. What could I do with black Inchies and Gelatos?

I hope you like this spin on a few techniques all put together into one.

Father's Day is coming up as June is just around the corner. Inchies, embossing and dark texture make a great Father's Day card for Dad.

 

To do this technique, you'll need an embossing folder, some inchies,  paper or chipboard and Faber-Castell Gelatos. Open up your embossing folder and color the inside top of the folder with the Gelatos. I just used random colors and scribbled it on. Apply well but don't press hard so that you get as little color as possible in the cracks. This will help the embossed design stand out.

Place your inchies or other paper into the embossing folder and run through your die cut machine. I love how this not only colors your inchies but embossed them as well. Great texture! Rinse off your remaining Gelato residue when finished and your embossing folder is just like new.

As you can see, you get a great metallic shine to your surface.

To complete the card, I've altered two embellishments to better fit my card style. Buttons can be sanded to reveal the inner white core to add a vintage look to the project.

I've also altered the Prima letters from a light cream color to a rich copper with the Krylon Copper Leafing pen.

Wishing you a safe and wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

Supplies: black cardstock, Black Inchie Squares by Inchie Arts, twine, Green Leaf Trinket Pin by Maya Road, Black Button by Basic Grey, Sanding Block by Tim Holtz, Ivory Alphabet by Prima Marketing, Copper Leafing Pen by Krylon, Gelatos by Faber-Castell, Collage & Notebook Texture Fades Embossing Folder by Sizzix, Campfire 8x8 paper pad by October Afternoon

 

 

Creating a Strawberry Blossom and Gift Packaging

Don't forget that today is the start of our Mother's Day Sale - for more details please visit the home page of our store.

I love red, ripe strawberries - SO delicious! Naturally when I say the new Sizzix Scoreboard die I had to have it. Can you imagine this little lovely filled with chocolate covered fruit (or chocolate covered anything :-D)? Perhaps you could use it as a placecard holder or a few of these scattered down your table to create a juicy centerpiece! Oh the options abound!

I realize that many of you probably do not have the Sizzix Big Shot Pro so we have created a special packet of diecut strawberries for those who may want to replicate today's project. These are in limited supply, so get yours now if you are interested.

 
Immediately the Lilybee Tomato Stationery paper popped into my mind as being THE PERFECT selection for this project! Top it off with a Memory Box Key Lime Gingham and we have a delicious little treat box!

 

Fold the box along the score lines, using a piece of Be Creative Sookwang tape to attach the flap.

 

Thread a piece of Distress Stained Everyday Ribbon through the holes as shown.
 

Pull the ribbon to close the flaps. I inserted the end ribbon back through the same hole as the first ribbon as shown above.

 

Insert the ribbon through the "hull" (leaves) and tie.

 

Susan Tierney Cockburn has been a wonderful inspiration and teacher. The techniques that I have used to create this strawberry blossom are all well defined in her books the Paper Garden and Paper Bouquet, as well as in this video series we created. Just a quick little aside - Susan is also a fabulous baker- you must visit her blog to satisfy your sweet tooth! Be certain to leave her some love in her comments section :-D 

I was on my own for this strawberry blossom as Susan has not yet created an example of this flower, so I did what all good students do... I googled - ha, ha! I needed to learn what a a real strawberry blossom looks like :-D I decided that the Begonia punch petals looked quite similar, so I used the largest size petal for this project. After taking the photo above I realized that I wanted the tips of the petals to be a little "smoother" and so I snipped off a couple of the bumps.

I discovered that most strawberry blossoms are white, BUT there were a few with hints of pink and so I printed off a picture to inspire my color selections. Using Copic R000 and RV11, together with PITT Pastel Pencil #193 I was able to emulate the natural colors.

 

To create the pistil and receptacle (yes, I googled for that information as well - LOL!) I used the Big Sky Flake punch. Use Y000 and YG00 to color the pistil. Snip the short projections just above the first ball shape and the long projections at the base. Reattach the long projections to the base as shown above using a large glue dot. Attach a whimsy button to replicate the receptacle and little Sunshine Yellow Flower Soft for realism.

 

This little blossom suits the strawberry box to a "T." Twirl a little wire through the ribbon base to bring it all together and serve up a red, ripe strawberry to someone special!
 
ink: Copic Markers - R000, RV11, Y000 and YG00; Peeled Paint Distress Stain

paper: Precut Strawberry Box Packet, Memory Box Key Lime Gingham Cardstock, Lilybee Designs Tomato Stationery

accessories: Sizzix Pro Strawberry Box, Punch Bunch Mega Big Sky Snowflake, Super Giant Begonia Petals, 1/2" Everyday Ribbon, Sparkler Button, Cloth Covered Wire, Sunshine Yellow Flower Soft, Be Creative Sookwang 1/2" Tape

Mother's Day Paper Shoe

Today I am super excited to share a new version of my Wicked Shoe with you! Now for the part that is unbelievably exciting... I didn't hand cut this version!!! Yes, you heard me right --- this beauty was cut with the Silhouette. Julia is making a tremendous difference here at work with her abilities to figure out computer related "things." THANK YOU Julia for making my project today SO MUCH EASIER!  Watch for electronic files to debut in our Digital Downloads category soon!

 

I also wanted to take this opportunity to invite you to shop with us during our Mother's Day Sale. Simply use promo code 'momsday' upon checkout to save 15% off your entire order Friday 5/6 - Sunday 5/8. Remember that we are on Pacific Coast time and the sale runs from midnight to midnight. 

 

I am a hopeless romantic - I absolutely adored the oh so elegant dress that Princess Kate wore last week. It was the perfect "royal attire." You know me - I had to see the shoes too. LOL! Her shoes had the most beautiful soft texture with a lace overlay.

 

Simply stunning! I thought about creating another pump with a rounded toe, but had limited time, so decided to modify my previous Wicked shoe pattern. Using the texture on Kate's shoe as inspiration and a color that most Mom's will love after this LONG winter - sunshiny yellow, I went to work! What better way to brighten it up even further, than with a single beautiful paper blossom!

 

This time I wanted to create a Begonia. Using the directions in Susan Tierney Cockburn's Paper Bouquet book I went to work. This book truly is a treasure trove of fabulous flower designs and instruction!

Just as when we created the Lily, I began with Solar White Neenah cardstock. This allows me to color my petals and leaves to replicate the actual flower with incredible accuracy. I always print off a picture of the actual flower to utilize as a guide. You can see a progression of the color in the photo above.

I work quickly on each individual petal to get the beautifully blended colors. Begin by coloring both the front and back entirely with YR30. Then add the Y21, stroking upwards from the base of the petal. Once again I add this color to both sides of the petal. Next randomly stroke RV32 along the very top edge of the petal. Now go back over this color and work your way back into the Y21 with the lightest color, YR30. This helps to blend the colors together beautifully.

 

The leaves were created from white Neenah cardstock as well. When I looked at the photo of the Begonia leaf it appeared that the leaf was darker on the top side and a little more yellow/green on the underside. Begin by coloring the leaves on one side only with YG63 and YG95. (In writing this post I realized that I forgot to add YG95 to the photo above.) Then flip the leaf over and colored the opposite side with YG63, G85 and a few strokes of YG96 and G29. By working quickly with the different colors they blend beautifully. They do seep to the opposite side, but this only adds to the overall effect.

 

After adding the veining to my leaves I decided to add that little hint of burgundy to the foliage using Pitt Pastel Pencil #193. Smudge the pastel using the little white sponge. I also added a hint of the burgundy to my petals as well. The soft "smudging" of the pastel over the Copic marker base makes for amazingly transparent, dimensional color.

As you can see the colors were SO close to the image I found on-line. I love looking at the real flower as I create my paper blossom - it inspires me. I can only imagine if I had the actual flower sample in hand!

Using Susan's fabulous directions I then finished the construction of my paper Begonia. 

Double click on the photo above for an even closer look.

TIPS FOR CREATING THE SHOE

To create the beautiful lacey texture on the soft yellow shoe is so very easy. Working on light colors can be tricky, but if you keep your Snow Cap dabber handy, all your problems will be solved. "Ink" your image using the dabber - it will appear as above.

 

As you can see the white is quite lovely against the soft Daffodil cardstock. To create a more shabby appearance used an ink blending tool in a circular motion, inking the entire surface with Scattered Straw distress ink.

 
The Snow Cap paint will resist the ink and yet at the same time "grab" it creating a soft suede-like look.

I also stamped the white interior of the shoe with the fabulous Hero Arts Envelope Background stamp using Spun Sugar Distress Ink, adding just a hint of Scattered Straw with an Ink Blending Tool.

 

To add texture and character crepe ruffles were added to the toe and heel area. Cut two pieces from the crepe sheets - 5 1/4" x 1 1/2" (heel area trim) and 3 1/4" x 1 1/4" (toe area trim).

To create balance the heel ruffle is edged with the same pink Copic color as used on the Begonia petals. The toe area was colored with YR30.

 

Thank goodness for my sewing background. Fit is essential when putting these pieces together. To simplify the process add a gathering stitch to the lower edge of the crepe paper and gather as shown above.

 

Position the center back and the front edges as shown above, holding them in place with glue dots. Make certain the glue dots are not on your thread lines. Gently pull the gathering thread until the crepe paper fits perfectly along the back of the shoe. Follow the instructions included in the download for adhering the shoe liner.

 
TIP: Hold your shoe sides gently in place and position the liner. Use tweezers to remove the red tape liner. This method allows you to have everything positioned correctly and helps you avoid getting the adhesive stuck in the wrong position. YEAH for the little tricks ;-D
 

Gather the toe ruffle as shown above. I used a large glue dot to affix this piece inside the toe.

 

Total sweetness! It only takes one little bloom to brighten someone's day - try your hand at creating these beautiful paper blossoms that are timeless!

Thank you for once again visiting the CLASSroom and wishing each of you a wonderful Mother's Day weekend ahead; one filled with sunshine and love!

 
shoe template: original Wicked Shoe Template which is cut by hand can be found here - Digital Download coming soon!

stamps: Hero Arts Envelope Pattern Background, Sweet Threads Thank You

ink: Distress Ink - Scattered Straw and Spun Sugar; Copic Markers - YR30, Y21, RV32, YG63, YG95, G85, G29

paper: Hero Arts Daffodil Layering Paper, Neenah Solar White Cardstock

accessories: Paper Bouquet, Punch Bunch Super Giant Begonia, Large Geranium Leaf, Alpine Flake Large and Paper Crafting Tools, 12" Strip Pink Pearls, Snow Cap Paint Dabber, Ink Blending Tool, Cream Crepe Paper, PITT Pastel Pencil #193, 1/8" Red Liner Wonder Tape

Easter Lily Cake Box YouTube Videos, with Susan Tierney Cockburn and Ellen Hutson

We thank you for your questions, patience and interest in the video we did for this month's newsletter. Many of you have tried to view the video, but due to computer, browser, and who knows what other issues you have had difficulty viewing the entire video. In an effort to make certain that we don't leave anyone out we are redoing the entire post here in the CLASSroom. We have now uploaded the video to YouTube in three segments due to the length, so please view each segment individually below. Thank you again for your willingness to learn with us and for your patience! So let's begin with "Take #2!"

We have also announced the winner of the Easter Lily Blog Candy here - congratulations go out to Shelley Smith. Please contact us at customerservice@ellenhutson.com with your snail mail address so that we can get your goodies right out to you.

How many of you are passionate about flowers and/or gardening? How many of you can no longer garden the way that you once did? It has been too many years now since I have been able to climb all over my hillside gardening. Before my hip injury I was passionate about my flowers and covered my hillside in beautiful perennials. Some still remain, but they are not in the same "shape" as they once were, so perhaps this is the reason paper flowers appeal to me so much. I can make these in my craft room without squatting AND at any time of the year :-D

One of my greatest blessings in life has been the friendship and bond I have had the good fortune of developing with Susan! It is such an honor to have her join me for today's lesson in paper flower making. Susan has pioneered the art of paper flower making for the past 15 years. Her work is such an inspiration and it is always so much fun to collaborate with her on projects!!!

 

This beautiful cake box is the project we worked on together for this month's newsletter. We hope that you enjoy the video we created to share with you today and that it empowers you to give flower making a try. In this video Susan will teach you how to create the beautiful lilies showcased above and below, sharing many wonderful tips throughout. Please grab your favorite drink and settle in for this 45 minute class with Susan as she shares many of the fabulous techniques she has innovated to bring this art form to us. 

 

 

  

Step-by-step written instructions for creating beautiful lilies are included in Susan's first book The Paper Garden. I cannot begin to tell you how helpful her books have been to me as I learn to create beautiful blooms! If you are a visual learner like me you will also find this book a wealth of information.

CREATING THE CAKE BOX

Now that you know how to make the flowers for this project I am going to share just a few basics regarding the construction of the cake box.

I prefer to attach my decorative paper to the Craft-a-Board before die cutting the pieces using the 3-D Cake Box Die. By affixing the paper to the Craft-a-Board with Be Creative (Sookwang) tape I am assured that I will have a perfectly covered project.

To create today's project I used Lilybee's 12x12 paper. For the scalloped top and base I applied decorative paper to both sides of the Craft-a-Board before die cutting. 

For the cake sides, decorative paper was applied to only one side of the Craft-a-Board. Being careful to position the paper so that the decorative side is cut all the way through, and the Craft-a-Board only scored, is important. To do this place the paper, decorative side to the die, and then send the die through your Vagabond or Big Shot using the crease pad. This will give pieces as shown above and below.

Carefully bend each piece along the score line before attaching them together to get a more uniform look.

 

You will also need to cut and score three pieces of cardstock to hold the cake pieces together. Using a strong adhesive affix the cardstock to the die cut pieces on the back or Craft-a-Board side as shown above.

 

Attach each piece one at a time.

 

When you have all three pieces attached, form the piece into a circle, affixing the last edge.

 

Next you will need to attach the base - the piece with the four tabs. I find it easiest to insert this piece from the top. Push it down through the center until it is firmly positioned in the bottom of the circular piece. Using a pair of needle nose tweezers insert a Glue Dot behind each of the flaps and affix these to the cake tube.

To adhere the scalloped top and base I prefer to use Ultimate Glue. The base is easy to affix due to the large surface you will be attaching it to. Apply Ultimate Glue to the base of the cake and position the scalloped piece holding it in place for a few seconds until you feel it is firmly in place. The cap or top is a little trickier. I run Ultimate Glue all the way around the top of the circular form and then position the scalloped top in place. The glue allows you to move it slightly until you have it in the desired position, then hold it for a few seconds until the glue grabs hold. Allow to dry for at least 30 minutes before continuing your work on the base.
 

To add interest to my cake base I attached a strip of white silk ribbon and then added pearls to either side of it. I also ran a strip of pearls around the top.

I wanted to include just a few close-up photos of the finished project so that you could better see the detail on these beautiful Easter blooms. 

The lily was one of Susan's first punch designs back in 2006. Sadly there are others who have taken Susan's work and called it their own, but the truth of the matter is that these designs, the techniques and wording, are copywritten by Susan --- I am so proud and honored to share her designs with you. With Easter right around the corner and spring knocking at our doors it has been a thrill to be able to share this beauty with all of you. Thank you so much for joining us! 

 
ink: Copic Markers -YG00, YG63, YG95, YR14, Y15, Y17

paper: Lilybee Designs 12x12 Picket Fence and Stationery Designer Paper, Craft-a-Board

accessories: Punch Bunch punches - Mega Lily, Large Alta Flake, Mega Big Sky Flake, Small Caladium Leaf, Small Birch Leaf; Punch Bunch Papercrafting Tools and Magnum Power Punch Aid; The Paper Garden, Sizzix 3-D Cake Box Die, Faber-Castell PITT Pastel Pencils - #104 and #170, Flower Soft - Earth, Toffee, Russet Red, Sunshine Yellow; 12" strip White Pearls, 1/4" White Silk Ribbon, Be Creative (Sookwang) 4 1/2" Tape or Sheets, The Ultimate Glue

Paper Lilies Dress Up Art Parts

I am hoping that you have had time to head over to Kim Kesti's blog and share some love with her - if not please do so, she is an absolutely remarkable woman! That sweet, sneaky girl changed up my desire to share our love with her in the "comment" section and turned it around where you have shared your words with us here at Ellen Hutson LLC. Your words of kindness about the amazing women who I have the privilege to work with here and in the CLASSroom, as well as your beautiful words about who I am as a person bring tears to my eyes. Yes, I am passionate about sharing creativity with others because I truly believe that creativity helped to save my sanity and I want to share that with others - so thank you from the bottom of my heart for your love, financial support (through your purchases) and kindness - it is appreciated more than you could ever know!

If you haven't had the opportunity to enjoy the incredible video Susan helped us make I would like to encourage you to visit this post over on In Touch (our newsletter archive blog) and leave some love for her there as well! Today I would like to share a much more "simple" project for those who may be creating paper flowers for the first time. Sometimes one very simple element can make a huge difference on a project and I think that the paper flowers do just that, so I hope that you enjoy this simple twist.

 

This project is created for yet another woman who has supported me over the past couple of years with her kindness. I felt that the words were so powerful and applied so strongly to the support she has shared with me. My desire is to share my appreciation with her through this project.

 

As Susan stated in her video I did challenge her to work with white paper only :-D. As someone who places a huge value on resources, my desire is to always try and share more ways for you to utilize the tools you may already have in your craft room and in this case I was thinking specifically about Neenah paper, the many Copic markers and now the new Faber-Castell products you have purchased from us. So hopefully here is yet one more way for you to use these awesome markers, pencils, pens, etc.

Before beginning a project in which I am trying to achieve natural coloration I google the flower I am trying to mimic. In this case I found this gorgeous lily picture.

 
I used the smallest petal on the Lily punch to create this little bloom. Begin with the lightest value marker and stroke up from the base of the petal to the tip. After adding the darkest value, color back over the entire petal with the lightest color to blend the colors. 

 

I have really been enjoying the Pastel Pencils to add additional veining and depth in my flower petals.

 

As shown in the video I used the sponge to mute the color somewhat. Isn't it amazing how well the colors work with the Cosmo Cricket papers!

 

Due to the small scale of the calyx on this bloom I simply cut the Alta Flake down in size before adhering the petals.

Just a quick shot of all the colors I used in creating this lily. 

 

As you can see I have added little flecks of color to the petals to mimic the real life lily. The ubber fine point on the Faber-Castell Artist pen is perfect for adding this element.

Susan also taught me an alternate way to make stamens for my lilies and I would like to share it with you. I simply colored a small rectangle of paper. Snipping it down and leaving it connected along the base.

I then used my quilling tool to roll it. I realized after the fact that I forgot to snap a second picture after changing my mind and creating a second stamen with the pistil's colored in E08 - oops.

For detailed directions on creating a lily I would like to encourage you to watch the video in this post  - Susan's work is simply magical.

 

For the remainder of the project I simply covered Art Parts and the Sewing Dress Craft-a-Board base with decorative paper, added my sentiment, a chipboard cameo (made using Maya Road pieces painted with Studio Paint) and some other simple, yet elegant embellishments and my piece was complete.

My desire is that one little bloom will show my appreciation. Thank you for once again visiting us here in the CLASSroom and don't forget to head over and leave some love for Kim Kesti and Susan Tierney Cockburn AND win a chance at some fun little goodies!

 
stamps: Tim Holtz Stuff to Say

ink: Jet Black Archival, Antique Linen Distress Stain, Antique Linen Distress Ink Pad, PITT Artist Pen - #133 and PITT Pastel Pencil - #193, Copic Markers - YR30, R81, R83, R85, YG00, YG63, YG67, YG95

paper: Cosmo Cricket Upcycle 6x6 Paper Pad, Craft-a-Board

accessories: Punch Bunch Mega Lily, Slotted Tool, Sample Pack Art Parts, Maya Road Cameo Mini Chipboard, Vintage Black Pearl Pin, Tim Holtz Mini Tassel and Ornate Book Plate, Hero Arts Foliage Dots, Everyday Ribbon, Studio Matte Multi Medium, Studio Painterly Pink Paint, Eco Green Crafts Clam Shell Paint, Ultimate Glue, Flower Soft - Earth

The Courage to Imagine by Julia Stainton

It's amazing at all the opportunities that come our way. Each special season of life is worth documenting and journaling about.Whether they are big or small, we all have dreams and they are all important.

Last term at school my daughter had the most fantastic highschool co-op opportunity. We had the courage to imagine something wonderful but this was beyond our wildest dreams. Heather spent each afternoon of the entire semester at the hospital in the Organ Transplant Unit. To say we were thrilled would be an understatement. Her experiences ranged from hospital tours to transplant surgeries, data entry to ambulance and airplane rides. She made some lifetime friends but most importantly knows what she wants to spend her life doing.

I decided to find a little courage and try out something a little more artsy for a layout design on this project. The new Tim Holtz Kraft Resist Paper Stash looked like so much fun, I just had to try it out! This paper is a beautiful heavy weight kraft paper that is perfect for layouts or cards.

I wanted the beautiful resist to pop out on this design and immediately thought of my new Faber-Castell Gelatos. The color is so easy to apply and pops on the kraft background.

As you can see, I didn't try to be perfect. I actually wanted the color to go outside the lines so othat the resist would show up. You can leave the Gelato colored as is or blend it in a bit with your finger for a softer look. I love how it adds interest to a monochromatic background.

To continue my artsy look, I created my own collage title block with some great Tim Holtz stamps, some Glimmer Mist and Distress Ink. I've stamped them onto an Arturo Note Card cut into half. I love the texture of this paper and how it takes the ink. Beautiful!

As always, I love to cluster my embellishments together for a pretty collage look.

Journaling is always an important part of scrapbooking. If you like to keep things private, an envelope and tag approach is always a great idea and pretty too! This envelope is the new Tim Holtz Kraft Glassine Envelopes and is a really cool product.

Supplies: Arturo Soft White Card, Wedding Shoes flower by Prima, twine, tag, Crystal Star Trinket Pin by Maya Road, Neutral & Metallic Gelatos by Faber-Castell, Wood Bingo Motifs by Maya Road, Assorted Doilies from Essentials by Ellen, Kraft Glassine Envelopes by Tim Holtz, Kraft Resist Paper Stash by Tim Holtz, Shabby French stamp set & Stuff to Say stamp set by Stampers Anonymous, Sketchbook Tissue Tape by Advantus, Receipt Mini Ephemera by 7 Gypsies, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Worn Lipstick Distress Ink by Ranger, Sepia Archival Ink by Ranger, Coffee Shop Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels

Hope this layout inspires you to have some creative fun and try something new!

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

 

Faber-Castell PITT Pastel Pencils make Gorgeous Blooms

Did you know that Faber-Castell Pastel Pencils are yet another fabulous coloring tool AND they work on dark colored cardstock? When receiving in new products I like to experiment and after doing the post on the Metallic Gelatos it occurred to me that perhaps the Pastel Pencils would look good on black cardstock as well. I was SO excited to see the results and am thrilled to share a few projects with you. I tried to change up the look of each project just a little so that if you like shabby/vintage more than contemporary you would be able to get a feel for how it would relate to these different styles. So let's begin!

 

The title of my post is a play on the new Memory Box stamps called Gorgeous Blooms - these truly are beauties when colored!

 
To begin I decided to emboss the bloom using Silver Pearl. This really helps the bloom jump off the paper.

 

Begin by coloring the image using #193 as shown above.

 

Add a little #226 and blend the colors with the foam blending tool in the Essential Tools Kit.

 

To add even more depth I then added some white pastel #101. Once again blend the colors with the blending tool. I have "allocated" different corners on my blending foam for each different color family so that I don't muddy my colors. I also found that I could remove excess pastel from my blending tool by rubbing it on a soft cloth.

I love the coloring on these blooms.

 

Next I tried embossing with Adirondack powders in various colors.

 
For this bloom I colored with a combination of #143 (blue) and #193 (red) blending them to create purple and then topping it again with white.

 

My last tip for today is to answer the question how I create some of my die cut embellishments. Today I secured four different patterned Lilybee papers to a piece of cardstock. Make certain to avoid placing adhesive along your sewing lines. Then stitch.

 

Next apply Be Creative (Sookwang) adhesive to Craft-a-Board. Remove the Sookwang backing and adhere your decorative paper to the Craft-a-Board. The beauty of the deep Sizzix dies is that you can easily cut through these layers! I have used Tim's new Movers and Shapers Mini Hearts die to create the cut out in the center of this patterned design. I have reserved the darling little heart for a future post ;-D
 

This yellow bloom was colored using #106, #109 and #101.

Tip: If you do not have time to allow your project to sit and are worried about the Pastels rubbing off I do recommend the Krylon Matte Finish Spray. Be certain to go outside when spraying this product - I don't want anyone getting sick!

The beauty of these Pastel pencils is that they work like magic on dark cardstock, BUT they also are beautiful on light cardstock. Yes, I have been working on a project together with one of my colleagues that I am REALLY excited about for our April Newsletter and we use the Pastel pencils on light colored cardstock. So if you haven't signed up to get our newsletter please do. We are hoping to have this project ready for it!

Thank you for once again visiting the CLASSroom and I hope you leave inspired to pull out some dark cardstock and your PITT Pastel pencils!

 
stamps: Memory Box Gorgeous Bloom and Gorgeous Mini Bloom, Miracles of Springtime, and Lilybee Designs This & That Clear Stamps

ink: Distress Embossing Ink Pad, Archival Jet Black

paper: Black Cardstock, Memory Box Currant, Lavender, and Squash Notecards, Currant Distressed Dots, Lilybee Design This & That and Picket Fence 6x6 paper pads

accessories: Faber-Castel Essentials Tool Kit and PITT Pastel Pencils - Neutral, Red/Yellow and Blue/Green;   Krylon Matte Finish Spray, Martha Stewart Diamond Fence Punch and Bakers Twine, Memory Box Hot Pink Pearls, Tim Holtz Movers & Shapers Mini Hearts and Base Tray, Silver Pearl Embossing Powder, Adirondack Embossing Powders

Lilybee This & That Stamped Wild Cards

I remember reading Dick and Jane books. I believe that many of us remember - LOL! Perhaps this is the reason for the popularity of these images. They are so sweet, innocent and carefree. Today I wanted to share a quick way for you to create your own watercolored versions of these sweet wild cards and use them on cardfronts.

 

Combining stamp sets and papers within the Lilybee line was so much fun!

 

Begin by stamping your image in a waterproof ink, such as Archival Jet Black. Today I used Natural White cardstock - it blends PERFECTLY with the papers in This & That giving a more antique appearance than Solar White would.

Using the Aquarelle watercolor pencils add color along the edges and stamped details as shown above. Leaving "white space" or areas uncolored will help you achieve a more interesting look!

 

Once again use a waterbrush to paint these areas and blend the colors. Add a little distress ink to the top and bottom of the card to age it. You could go all the way around, but I liked the look of the clean edges together with the "dirtied" ones.

 

To create the banner you can see how I colored to achieve depth. Leaving the open areas creates movement in the "ribbon." Once again paint with the waterbrush.

 

If you own Copic Markers or Distress Stains I would like to recommend that you purchase this roll of silk ribbon. Custom dying it is SO simple and you will always have ribbon to coordinate with your project.

To use your Distress Stains to dye ribbon simply hold the ribbon beneath the dabber and slowly pull it allowing the ink to color it as you pull it through.

 

Antique Linen was not quite the right color and so I dabbed some Vintage Photo on to my non-stick craft sheet. (I always work with this sheet on my work surface.)
 

As you can see by dipping the ribbon into the color on the craft sheet I ended up with a speckled look. This is really a FUN look and it immediately made me want to try creating a "speckled egg" look, but I needed to finish my project so that experiment had to wait - LOL!

Simply apply more Antique Linen color to the craft sheet and spread the Vintage Photo ink to achieve the final look. 
 

To hurry things along I do use my Heat It took - it does not harm the silk ribbon in any way.

 

It's all in "the details." "Dream big" and experiment with the products you own to see what you can achieve - it brings out the little girl in each of us!

I thoroughly enjoyed working with the new Lilybee stamps - the product is well made and stamped wonderfully. Another tidbit I thought I would share is that I found that the Jenni Bowlin colors (buttons, embellishments and ink) coordinate beautifully. I hope that you enjoyed this sweet little project - it was so fun to create. Have a wonderful evening!
 
stamps: Lilybee Design Happily Lost and This & That

ink: Archival Jet Black and PITT Big Brush Scarlet Red, Distress Antique Linen Ink Pad and Distress Stain, Vintage Photo Distress Stain

paper: Lilybee Design This & That, Neenah Natural White

accessories: Aquarelle Pencils (102, 108, 121, 154, 126), Jenni Bowlin Sew-On Button Red, Maya Road Kraft Library Cards w/Envelopes, Tiny Attacher, 1/4" white silk ribbon, Alencon Lace F, FabriTac Glue

Copics + Faber-Castell = Beautiful Blooms

Do you ever need to create a REALLY quick card? Well today I want to share a card that took about 15 minutes to make, with less than 10 minutes spent coloring. Using a combination of Copic Markers and Faber-Castell Aquarelles and Pastels you can quickly achieve a gorgeous colored image.

 
Before beginning to color pick the designer paper you would like your project to coordinate with, otherwise finding a paper will take longer than coloring the image - LOL! 

 

Stamp the image using Memento Tuxedo Black. Color image using Copic Sketch Marker. There is no need to be careful - streaks and going outside the lines a little can be very appealing :-D

 

Next scribble color using an Aquarelle pencil as shown above.

 

Add a slightly darker Aquarelle color.

 

Use a waterbrush to paint the color within each petal. I am working on Neenah cardstock above, so it is extremely important not to add too much water. It takes very little water to "dissolve" the Aquarelle pencil color and spread it. Work quickly and leave little pools if they appear. These add to the overall feel of the finished project.

 

As you can see the blossom has a wonderful look to it.

 

I felt that I wanted my flower just a little darker and so added a little more Aquarelle to my bloom.

Adding highlights using the white pastel pencil brings even more depth to the bloom. I will need to color something with higher contrast, which is easier to photograph, for a future project so that you you can see where I have added the white highlights.

 

After cutting out my bloom and looking for a paper I realized - oops I needed a little yellow in my blossom. I quickly added some gold highlights and painted the bloom again. As I said earlier - all this took less than 10 minutes!

 

Finally a closeup of the finished bloom. Add stickles to the stamens for a little additional sparkle. Unfortunately I was in a hurry and didn't have time to allow the stickles to dry, I can hardly wait to see the finished appearance tomorrow. If I get the chance I'll snap another photo and add it here for you to see what it looks like when the stickles dry. :-D

Just a quick review:

• stamp using Memento Tuxedo Black
• quickly color image using light colored Copic Marker
• add depth with several colors of Aquarelle pencils
• paint with waterbrush to blend Aquarelle colors (don't overwet)
• highlight with Pastel pencils

For all those of you who have both Copics and Faber-Castell products I would like to encourage you to try using them together! It is best to use the Copics first and add depth with the Faber-Castell products. Thank you for visiting the CLASSroom!
 
stamps: Hero Arts Sweet Petals

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

paper: Cosmo Cricket Upcycle, Memory Box Peony Notecard

accessories: Faber-Castell Aquarelle Pencils (124, 126, 250), Faber-Castell PITT Pastel Pencils Neutral (White), Icicle Stickles

Aquarelle Scribble Coloring

I want to begin this post with a small note of appreciation to the Imagination International staff here in Oregon for sending us an update regarding the well-being of the people who work in the Copic offices in Japan. Word is that the offices and production facilities have survived the earthquake and aftershocks with minimal to no damage and that everyone who works for the company is safe. What a wonderful piece of news and so I wanted to share it with you! We need to continue to keep the Japanese people in our thoughts and prayers as life moves forward with such uncertainty.  

Don't forget to head over to Inspire Me... and leave a comment for Jill before Midnight tonight - you could win the fabulous collection of Faber-Castell products we are giving away there!

AND don't forget to place your order before midnight tonight as well!

 
Remember as children how we have been taught to "stay in the lines" when we color, well... I am here to suggest that you should scribble and go OUTside the lines :-D I cannot tell you how rewarding AND fun it is to break the rules - LOL!

 

Today's project is a simple showcase of the Aquarelle watercolor pencils together with the Gelatos. My desire is to slowly teach you about the different Faber-Castell products and how they interrelate, as well as bring them together with the Copic product that I love so dearly.

Begin by stamping your image on watercolor paper. I used the PITT Big Brush in black to color my stamp and then I stamped my image on an Arturo single card.

Then scribble, (yes scribble) the color on to your image.  

 

Next, take a watercolor brush and paint the image blending the colors. To add depth scribble some Gelato on to the non-stick craft sheet and pick it up, blending it with the already colored image using your watercolor brush.

 

I decided I needed more color around the base of the flowers and so scribbled the green Gelato at the base and added a few strokes of the olive green Aquarelle.

 

Once again use a waterbrush to disperse the color. Allowing the water to pool and dry gives a beautiful look.

 

I wanted to keep my project simple so selected this beautiful plaid from Julia's 6x6 Picket Fence collection. Setting my image atop the plaid I realized I wanted more movement.

Don't be afraid to twist your decorative paper when putting your project together. By placing the image on it askew from the natural direction it gives the appearance of a tablecloth. It really made me dream I was sitting in a patch of poppies having a picnic. 

 

Sometimes we need to escape the realities of life through our art. Today I enjoyed my little reprieve in the poppies. I hope that I have given you the courage to scribble outside the lines - it truly ends up being a beautiful look!

 
stamps: Unity Stamps, Donna Downey Be Still Watercolor

ink: Black PITT Big Brush Pen

paper: Lilybee Designs Picket Fence 6x6, Memory Box Red Pepper Notecard, Arturo Single Card

accessories: Niji Waterbrush, Faber-Castell Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils 168,166,121, 117,108 (green and yellow)

Go Bold with Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Color by Jill Foster

We would like to give a HUGE welcome to Jill Foster as she does our guest post today here in the CLASSroom. It was only recently that I discovered Jill's blog Inspired By... I love how she "twists" the beautiful projects that inspire her.

We would like for you to visit Jill's blog today and share some love with her! So pop on over to Inspired By... be inspired and leave her a comment - some special blog candy will be awaiting some lucky random person on St. Patty's day. Don't delay - read her post here in the CLASSroom and then head on over!

We appreciate Jill's willingness to help teach you about the wonderful Faber-Castell products we now carry. Thank you Jill, for sharing your knowledge and passion with us! -Ellen

GO BOLD WITH FABER-CASTELL DESIGN MEMORY CRAFT COLOR, by Jill Foster 

Hi! Jill Foster here to share a pair of cards featuring products from the Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft line and a couple of my favorite Hero Arts stamps.

 

All of the Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft products are designed to work together, making it easy to mix and match between colors and products. Here we will be combining the Color Gelatos with the PITT Artist Pens.

 

This first technique uses Color Gelatos and is what I call the “Spritz-Color-Spritz” technique.  First begin by spritzing your stamp with water. 

  

Next, color your gelatos directly on the stamp.  Because the stamp is already wet, the color will just melt onto your stamp- so FUN!

  

Color the stems with a green Stamper’s Big Brush Marker. 

 

Spritz the stamp again and stamp on white cardstock.

 

Allow image to dry.  I used a heat gun to speed this process.  Next go back and add shading to your Gelato stamped flower bouquet using PITT Artist Pens.

 

 

On this second card, we will be using Stamper’s Big Brush Markers and PITT Artist Pens to color in a stamped image.  Remember when investing in your Big Brush Markers and PITT Artist Pens that not only are these pens useful for coloring directly on your stamps but they also work fabulous to color in your stamped images. I will be working with 2-3 colors in the same color family to aid with blending and shading. 

 

Begin by stamping your image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Don’t stress if the stamping isn’t perfect--we’ll touch that up later! To color the red flowers I used Stamper’s Big Brush Markers in Scarlet Red 118, Deep Scarlett Red 219, and a PITT Artist PEN in Magenta 133.  Begin by coloring the entire image with your lightest shade (Scarlett Red 118).

 

Add your darkest color (Magenta 133).

Finally, blend the two colors together using your medium shade (Deep Scarlett Red 219).

 

Continue to color all flowers and stems in this fashion. 

To finish the look and really make your colors “pop,” color over black areas using a black Stamper’s Big Brush Marker. 

 

Hope you have a great day and that I have inspired you to go bold with Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft color!

 
Stamps: Hero Arts (Garden Bouquet CG172, Large Blossom CG271, Envelope Pattern S5507)

Ink: Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Big Brush Markers/PITT Artist Pens/Gelatos, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Brushed Corduroy

Paper: Neenah Classic Solar White, Hero Arts Earth Folded Cards, Black Cardstock

Accessories: twine and gems

Hope...

A wonderful woman and special friend was recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer and immediately underwent a double mastectomy this past week. As friends we wanted to do something special for her to help her through these rough times.  

I absolutely love this Memory Box image and wanted to use pink, but not have it be overpoweringly pink. At an antique store I recently purchased an old french dictionary - I love these types of finds :-D I pulled out the page that had the French word for "to hope" on it and used it as the background. I know it has a scrambled appearance, but it is that scrambled appearance that I love. Sometimes hope is somewhat elusive and hard to find, but through the garbled darkness it can emerge with support and love from friends and family.

 

Spotlighting the spring blossoms on the natural cork gave the card an earthy feel. I colored the stamp with #174 Chromium Green Opaque Faber Castell Big Brush and impressed the image on to the cork square. I then scribbled #129 Pink Madder Lake on my non-stick Craft Sheet and using my watercolor brush diluted it before painting in the flower petals. While still wet I came back directly over the top and added some deeper color into the blossoms as shown below.

 

To highlight the word "hope" and help it emerge from the page I outlined one edge with a black .03 Copic Multiliner.

Wanting to keep with the simplicity of the image I cut one edge of a piece of Raspberry cardstock using Tim's new Mini Scallop On the Edge die and assymetrically mounted it on my card front.

 

I also had to share this beautiful angel created by artist Kelly Rae Roberts. We are sharing angels; covering a tree with beauties that will hopefully provide encouragement, love and lend support. The words on this image and the way that Kelly Rae creates is so beautiful --- I just had to share this "have faith" angel with you in case you know someone who could use a lift. May our real guardian angels watch over Beth, protect her, encourage her and heal her.
 

stamps: Memory Box Hope Collage

ink: Faber Castell PITT Big Brush Pen - #129 Pink Madder Lake and #174 Chromium Green Opaque, Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress Antique Linen, Copic .03 Multiliner

paper: Memory Box Raspberry and Kraft Cardstock

accessories: Tim Holtz Mini Scallop & Pinking On the Edge Die, Magenta Mosaic Cork Square

"Swan Lake" Earth Art Style

The arrival of the Earth Art stamps had me chomping at the bit to color, so I am going to apologize right now for not having step-outs of the coloring process, or a photo of the markers and pencils I used. This is because I stamped my image, stuck it in my briefcase and took it home to color in the evening.

 

To begin I stamped the swan four times on a single sheet of Neenah. I knew that I would need to "figure out" what colors I wanted to use and immediately selected one of the images as my "test image."

Following are some of the color tools that I found work beautifully on these very intricate images:

• Faber-Castell PITT Artist Brushes - Blue, Green, Red, Yellow (the tips on these pens have a finer point then the Sketch Markers and were PERFECT for the fine details of these images)
• Copic Sketch Markers - Brush Tip
• Prismacolor Color Pencils - sharpened to a fine point

I used all three of these products to color in the swan. I followed the same strategy as always, by first defining areas using a very light color. I can honestly tell you that one of the most fun parts of coloring these images is finding the little creatures and plants within the image. Some of the images had me stumped initially, but as I colored in the details a new subject would emerge. The part that had me stumped here in the swan was the little piece right beneath the castle. In looking at it I wondered, is it a pansy, or is it an owl, or??? So I asked Sue and sure enough - it is a pansy. Always trust your instincts is what I decided. These images are like little puzzles and I love "solving" a puzzle :-D

I probably spent a couple of hours coloring in this one image - coloring and then walking away, coming back and adding a little more depth to define each area.

  

The final addition was a little Clear Glaze in the water and on each creatures eyes (unfortunately I just couldn't capture the sheen - instead it looks frosty in this picture) and a Clear Spica adds glitter to the fish scales, stars, bee wings, lotus, etc.

When I went to put my card together I thought about adding a little ribbon and a couple of buttons, but decided that simple was indeed better. This allows the image to truly shine.

 
stamps: Earth Art International Swan

ink: Archival Jet Black (I would recommend that you use Memento rather than Archival if you plan on using Copic markers. Initially I was going to just use the PITT Artist Pen, but after realizing I needed some really light tones and the only product I had available at home were some Copics so I just went for it. Working carefully it didn't bleed too much, but it would have been easier if I had stamped my image in Memento ink to begin with for use with the Copics)

paper: Neenah Solar White, Memory Box Lagoon

accessories: Copic Spica Clear Glitter Pen, Sakura Clear Glaze Pen

Countdown to Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Mix and Match Products - They Are Here!

ETA: YEAH, everything is here and we are almost done with everything here. The Faber-Castell product is now live! We are hopeful that tomorrow clears off again and we will be back to pack your orders! I'm taking home some product to do a little "study session" so that I can make some "Inside the Package" recommendations.

Yes, we hope - LOL! Washington state has once again been hit by snow. I am writing this post from home as I watch the weather forecast on TV. The view out our back window is VERY white and they keep saying it is going to snow some more. Perhaps I am ready to move someplace warmer, it seems to have been a LONG winter :-D

I will be heading in to work shortly to see if UPS is going to be able to make their deliveries today. Then I'll do a quick count and come home to make the updates, because it sounds like the snow is supposed to come again this afternoon. So keep your fingers crossed that the weather holds off and that the snow disappears quickly so that we can get back in here to pack your orders :-D

For today's project I did some experimenting with applying these mediums directly to clear stamps. The results were a happy surprise!

 

It may be hard to see what I stamped in the project above, but I stamped the flowers on the background paper, as well as the pennants. Looking at these gorgeous colors really makes me want spring to arrive!

 

To begin I started with the Big Brush Pen and a clear Hero Arts flower stamp. The first image next to the pen is first generation and the one directly beneath is the second generation stamp.

Next I tried the Artist Pen - the results were surprising. Due to the finer tip on the pen the finished image had a "feathery" appearance.

I also colored an image with the Artist Pen and then came back in with the Big Brush Pen with beautiful results, but I can't seem to find that photo this morning as I'm editing pictures. The color variation between the Artist Pen and the Big Brush Pen is ever so subtle and so the combination of the two is quite lovely!

 

The last technique I tried was coloring the stamp with the Gelato watercolor tube. After adding the color to the stamp lightly spritz the stamp with a mini mister filled with water from about 12" away and then stamp. It is SO cool how the veining becomes more prominent!

The images that were colored with the Gelato stick can be spritzed numerous times before reapplying the watercolor base - experimenting is so much fun!

Gelatos have been one of the products in the line that seem to have a lot of questions and so I thought I would try and share just a little background information here in this post. I know that I will personally have to do a lot more experimenting to fully understand the possibilities, but here is just a little more information on these delightful color "stix."

Gelatos have a creamy, rich texture and when first applied are opaque in color. The colors are vibrant and when combined with other watercolor products, or other Gelato colors blend smoothly. Apply the gelato color directly to paper by easily gliding it directly on the paper - this color can be left to dry or dissolved wtih water to create beautiful watercolor effects. Another application is to create a palette on a non-stick craft sheet or any plastic surface, picking up the color with a watercolor or wet paint brush. 

You can also apply the gelato color directly to a red rubber or clear design stamp image, then mist with water and stamp. (This is the technique I used for today's project.) As you add water to these intense colors a translucent tint is formed, dependent upon the amount of water added. You can use them to add color to chipboard, watercolor paper, canvas and so much more.

Gelatos also come in metallic form! These will not only add color, but will add a lustrious sheen to your projects as well! Once again color Gelatos are acid-free and odorless. Now back to my project.

 

For the background paper I stamped the first set of flowers using the Big Brush pen to ink my image. Then I used the Gelato to add color to my stamp, misted it carefully with water and added the image that almost feels like a reverse of the first image.

 
Thank you for once again joining me in the CLASSroom as I try to escape winter and share a new found product I plan to enjoy for years to come!

 
Faber-Castell products - hopefully I will be able to add direct links later today :-D

stamps: Hero Arts ClearDesign Blossom Art and Friendly Flags

paper: Memory Box 6x6 Brioche Cardstock and Holly Berry

accessories: Martha Stewart Baker's Twine

Countdown to Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Mix and Match Products - 2

One of the projects that captivated me at CHA was a canvas apron that had been colored using the Faber-Castell product line. The Faber-Castell design team has been doing a fabulous job of educating on their blog using their new product line and I have been taking it all in. I would very much like to encourage you to visit their blog if you are intrigued; there is SO much to learn and gorgeous samples to whet your appetitie. 

I read through the directions that Rita Barakat put together for her apron project. Then with my basic little set of tools in hand I began to explore creating on canvas. I felt that starting small was definitely the way to go, so selected one of the smaller canvas products we carry. Trust me when I say that we have a LOT of canvas options for you to try - LOL!

As an aside I just wanted to share how easy it is to search our store for the products we use right here in the CLASSroom blog.

 

By typing a single word, such as canvas, in the search mechanism (note the red arrow above) and clicking on go, all the products in our store, Ellen Hutson LLC, that have the word canvas in them will show up for you to see. SO easy --- at least we hope - LOL! 

 

One of the products that Faber-Castell has in the line that intrigues me is the PITT Artist Pens. I felt that this product needed some exploration. Following are some of the key pieces of information I felt you should know about these pens included in the Faber Castell Design Match program:

• made from pigmented India Ink - which means they are permanent, waterproof when dry, smudge proof AND extremely fade-resistant (or lightfast),
• acid-free and archival,
• won't bleed through paper,
• two sizes of nibs - the Big Brush Pen (perfect for stamper's who want to ink larger stamp surfaces using a pen) and the Artist Pens (with reversible Brush Nib for long use),
• can be applied directly to Clear Stamps and red rubber alike for interesting impressions!,
• works on all types of paper, and even canvas,
• odorless and non-toxic,
• perfect companion to watercolor pencils and gelatos due to their waterproof quality,
• the black Artist Pens are lightfast for 100 years (I doubt anyone will want to hang on to my projects that long - LOL!) and are available in additional nib sizes - extra superfine (.1mm), superfine (0.4mm), medium (0.8mm) and brush.

 

I began with one of the gorgeous Prima masks, outlining it with the fine brush tip pen. As you can see I simply placed a glue dot on the bottom side of the mask to hold it in place on the canvas.

 

This photo is for comparison purposes - the top pen is the Big Brush Pen and the lower one is the Artist Pen. As you can see their is a lot more ink in the large pen, as well, the larger tip makes quick work of larger surfaces and coloring directly on your stamp. (That lesson is going to be coming soon :-D)

 

I then used the Big Brush pen to add additional color to my background and define this area more. The tones on these two markers complement one another perfectly.
 

Next I worked with a tube of the Gelato and brushed the surface of this chapstick like tube directly to my canvas.

 

The final step was to add some additional orangey-red with my Aquarelle watercolor pencil.

Using my fine-tip waterbrush I then began to work the color into the surface of the canvas. As you can see I stayed within the lines because I wanted a fairly crisp image defined. The wonderful thing about the PITT markers is that they are waterproof once dry. I found that even though I was working on canvas and thought that my color might really bleed into my image the bleed was minimal. If I had wanted I could have controlled this even further by heating my project to quickly dry it, but I loved the way it looked! 

 

As you can see the color really intensifies after it has had water added to it. Make certain to leave some "white space" when adding your colors so that you get a varied background!

 
To create the sentiment tag I simply colored directly on my clear stamp with the Big Brush marker and then stamped it on the mini ticket.

 

To complete the look I stamped a sentiment using Studio Paint to "ink" my stamp surface. I can hardly wait for the pens to arrive - I really want to try the Big Brush pen in black to see how it will work on canvas. There are many inks that do work on fabric, but I have found that with the bumpy texture of canvas paint is definitely the best medium for getting a clean stamped image.

Exploring and learning about a new product is so much fun! Being one who absolutely loves to color these products definitely intrigue me - so tell me, what do you think so far? Have you seen other's working with them?

 

Faber-Castell Design Match products are arriving Wednesday, February 23 and will be found in the New Category :-D

stamps: Studio 490, Be Happy Make Art, Inkadinkado Inchie Greetings

accessories: Prima Mask II and Bird Trinket, Red Twill, Hero Arts Cream Self-Adhesive Lace and Art Flower, Maya Road Mini Ticket, Tim Holtz Memo Pin, E-Line Bermuda Breeze Flower, Studio Line Charcoal Black Paint and Ink Blending Tool

Countdown to Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Mix and Match Products - 3

The one product line I wanted to find at CHA this winter is one to watercolor with. The countdown has started with the shipment of our order --- it will be arriving on Wednesday, February 23. I can hardly wait!

You may be wondering why I would want yet another product to color with when I already use and am passionate about the Copic markers. Well... it is because I am fascinated by multi-media. I like to learn about a product and then explore every facet of that product. Once I learn to use it on its' own I like to learn how I can combine it with other products to see where it leads my creativity. I hope to share over the weeks and months to come, how Faber-Castell watercolors and Copic Markers can marry together in a beautiful way!

There are loads of watercolor products in the marketplace but I wanted to make certain that I selected something that would be user-friendly, quality, a good value and work together with the products we have already shared with you. Faber-Castell's Design Memory Craft line fit the bill perfectly. So with this product line comes a new opportunity to learn and I am SO very excited to be sharing my journey with you.

So let's start SIMPLE!

 

To begin I selected the Hero Arts Felt Finish Watercolor paper - LOVE this stuff! Dave's beautiful orchid was calling my name as well. I looked up red orchids on google and sure enough there actually are red orchids --- I was set.

 
When I purchased the line at CHA I was given a handful of Faber-Castell products as a sample, so all I had to create with were some reds. Thank you FB for such an awesome gift - this was just what I needed to start learning about the line and sharing information with you, our customers! I guess you will now see how far I can push myself with a limited supply list :-D

I began by stamping my image using Archival Olive and Library Green ink because it is waterproof. By inking the image first with the Library Green and then tapping the Olive on to the edge of one side I was able to achieve a color that I felt would work well for this image.

 

The beauty of watercolor products are that you don't need to color perfectly, AND you don't necessarily always want to stay within the lines. I began by using the Aquarelle pencil and added my first layer of orangey-red.

Layer two --- Gelatos. These little sticks remind me of lip gloss - LOL! OK, so I didn't use it on my face but rather rubbed some on my non-stick craft sheet. Now, if I had more colors I could make myself a cute little paint palette on my craft sheet and mix my own colors! I can hardly wait - :-D

Using my fine tipped waterbrush (this brand has always been my favorite) I picked up some of my gelato and adding to my orchid blooms.

 

To intensify the color I picked up my Aquarelle again and began to add definition to the bloom.

 

I wanted more intensity and so I used just the edge of the Gelato to add a hint more red.

 

I continued to work the added color into my bloom with my waterbrush.

 

Once satisfied I allowed the image to dry and then added some orange pastel.

 

Yet, a little more red ;-D

 

Then a hint of sparkle from my Spica Glitter Pen.

 

Now that I felt my blooms were complete I thought I would add to the overall feel by adding some watercolored edges. Just a quick smear of Gelato around the edges, a hint of Aquarelle to add depth and variety to the color and once again pooling water over this combination with my waterbrush and my image was complete.

 
We would love to hear from you - tell us if you are familiar with the Faber-Castell product line. Have you worked with these products? What would you like to learn? Share your thoughts with us today!

 
stamps: Memory Box Orchid Branch Print

ink: Archival Olive and Library Green

paper: Hero Arts Bright White Felt Finish Watercolor Paper, Memory Box 6x6 Brioche and Holly Berry Notecard

accessories: Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft watercolor products (arriving February 23!)