the CLASSroom

Hello Fall by Julie Ebersole

(click on the pics to en-biggan)

Here's a super fun way to add some texture to your paper craft projects! I've been fascinated with Real Wood Paper and the fact that it can be cut by hand, die cut, and even embossed much like regular card stock, making it a very interesting supply to create with!

In a word, I love it. LOVE!!! Combine woodgrain with my favorite color, green, and mmmm mm mmmm! It's a good thing, as Martha says! ;)

The added texture of Sage colored Flower Soft creates the illusion of "moss"--have you seen those fun moss-covered home decor letters and terrariums? I think they're so cool looking, and it's fun to recreate a bit of that style and effect on a card!

You can watch the video here or directly on YouTube in HD.

Perhaps this design will spark other ideas for you to try the next time you sit down to create!

Thanks for joining me today!

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

Studio Calico ClearDesign, Claire from Hero Arts	Memento Ink Pad, Espresso Truffle	COPIC Sketch Marker E09, Burnt Sienna	COPIC Sketch Marker YR14, Caramel
Essentials by Ellen, White Linen Cardstock, 25 pk	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 25 pk	Real Wood Cherry, Thin, 8.5x11	Flower Soft, Ultra Fine Sage
American Crafts, DIY Foam Thickers, Shoebox White	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, Ream	Memory Box Dies, Nutty Acorn	Teflon Bone Folder
Tweezers, Stainless	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink	Glue Glider Pro
Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac 58'	3D-Dots, 1/16" Thick

InLinkz.com

The Journey with Susan Tierney Cockburn

 

Life is a Journey and like Dorothy, I am thankful for the friends, I’ve met along the way, who have taken this journey with me.  This concept is key when I was inspired by Eileen Hull’s “suitcase” die cut by Ellison/Sizzix and, like Dorothy and the friends she met along her way, I’ve found my way back home thanks to my friends. These last eighteen months, after losing our daughter Kelly to breast cancer, it’s been my friends who have given me support, helped me find love in my heart again, and shown me courage to help me continue on my journey.

One of my dearest friends, Ellen Hutson, who I’ve come to lean on considerably, has even designed a ruby slipper to complete this profound project of mine.  I’m in awe of every one of her shoe creations, but I have to say, this ruby slipper is the best ever!  It became the perfect “vessel” to show off my red poppies--the ones that put Dorothy and her companions to sleep and the symbol of my state of mind after such a great loss.

Lastly, I have to mention Graphic 45’s “Magic of Oz” paper that finishes the project.  The gingham design for Dorothy’s suitcase is a perfect match and the “cards of the characters” gives the box a familiar look to enhance the story.  However, it’s not just a story I’ve watched on television as a child based on the book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, but a greater meaning I’ve discovered watching it as an adult.

These little suitcases can hold the most wonderful “treasures”!  And, just like my mother, I love chocolate, and always have a stash when I need some!

The Scarecrow’s Suitcase--he thinks he lacks a brain, but his common sense helps guide this unusual group and develop a plan to save Dorothy in their quest to reach the Wizard so she can return home to Auntie Em and Uncle Henry in Kansas.

The Cowardly Lion--a sweet character, afraid of his own shadow until his friends need him.  He has the courage to help Dorothy in her most perilous situations.

The Tin Man--probably my favorite, who longs for a heart from the Wizard.  However, he has the biggest heart of all and puts his friends first when they need him. I felt as if a piece of my heart was gone when Kelly died and relate to the Tin Man seeking one.  My friends have put warmth back into my heart as I continue on my journey.

I hope you all think about the friends in your life that you take with you on Life’s Journey when you look at this project--I know I do and feel so blessed by their presence.

Ruby Slipper Downloadable Template with PDF Instructions - coming soon!

Eileen Hull’s Suitcase die cut by Ellison

Ranger: Foil Tape Sheet

Distress Ink: Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain

Cherry Veneer Paper

Craft-a-board by Ellen Hutson

Crinoline fabric (about 1/8 yd), Raffia, Sculpy Clay, Viva Pearl Pen/Black, Masonite box, Montana Gold Acrylic Paint/7090 Coke, Brads - Copper, Silver, Bronze, Red

Graphic 45 - “The Magic of Oz” Yellow Brick Road and Journey to Oz

Flower Soft - Shamrock Green and Ultra Fine Black 

Crafter’s Pick “The Ultimate” glue

Copic Markers - R14, R29, 100

Poppy:  Punches - Punch Bunch: Medium Begonia Petals, Small Alpine Snowflake, Small Sun, Small Grape Leaf

Neenah Solar White Cardstock, Green & Black cardstock

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

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

Adding Dimension and Texture to Your Stamping, by Sharon Harnist

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

Paper Flowers by Susan Tierney Cockburn and Ellen Hutson

Today's post is going to be a LONG one, but I think you will want to make certain to read all the way to the end as we have some very special blog candy today :-D

First off I would like to remind you to join in the fun of our flower parade by adding a link to your flower creation. Go to Becky's August 2nd post and link us up :-D

One of the greatest blessings of my job is the wonderful women who are a part of my life! It is with both sadness and joy that I share with you that Kim Hughes will be taking on some wonderful new adventures in life. Kim's creativity will be missed here in the CLASSroom, but I am so very supportive of her new ventures and wish her much success as she joins the talented Provocraft team - Congratulations Kim!!! The good news is that our friendship will always remain and I look forward to the times that she will come back as our guest. We love you and will miss you here in the CLASSroom sweet Kim!

As I shared above it is the friendships, that I have developed from being involved in this dream of sharing creativity with others, that are so very precious to me. It has been a couple of years now since Susan and I met. Today was one of THE most special days - creating together with Susan, collaborating on this project, makes me smile inside and out!

Susan Tierney Cockburn has been creating beautiful paper flowers since she was confined indoors during a snow storm many years ago. Gardening and baking are two of her passions and she excels at both! My family gasps with delight each time I come home with that special white box with it's gold seal - they know that something absolutely delicious awaits them. To see more about what I am referring to you MUST visit Susan's culinary blog! We thank you Susan for sharing your love and incredible culinary skills with us! AND today I thank you for sharing your beautiful flower making techniques with me and with all of you.

Susan has developed the art of creating the most exquisite flowers from punched shapes. She has researched in depth each flower variety and then worked until she has perfected the art of that flower. She is the author of multiple books in which she shares the "how-to" create these beauties. We carry her latest book in our store and one VERY lucky person will be the recipient of an autographed version by leaving Susan a comment on this post!!! In my opinion this is a must-have book in your library if you are passionate about gardening. Creating these miniature little versions of the flowers we love is so very rewarding.

Today we are going to share Susan's techniques for creating this beautiful hydrangea grouping!

Begin by punching little natural white hydrangea's using the Martha Stewart 3-in1 Hydrangea punch. Use a pen, such as a Sakura glaze pen, to push down on the center of each flower to shape or create a "cupped" shape. Add color to the centers with a YG00 Copic marker. Once you have completed all of these little blooms create your base.

 

We used the very tip top of a small styrofoam egg. Typically Susan uses a small styrofoam ball as her base, but we made do as I didn't have one. Styrofoam is quite versatile and Susan squished it down slightly to flatten the tip slightly. It is important to cover the styrofoam using a circle of Mulberry paper. This serves two purposes. It gives a nice green base for whatever peeks through the surface and it helps keep the glue from absorbing into the styrofoam.

 

Use a white craft glue such as Flower Soft's glue or Crafter's Pick Ultimate glue. It is easiest to apply the glue using a toothpick and holding the small petal with a self-closing tweezer as shown above.

Place each petal on to your base.

We used a toothpick to hold it our base in position as shown above. This allowed Susan to place the petals down to the bottom part of the base without disturbing the other petals while they were drying. Continue to position petals until the entire surface is covered.

There are many ways to color the hydrangea petals - today we decided to use the Copic airbrush system. You know me - I love to airbrush :-D

As you can see Susan brought a variety of gorgeous hydrangeas from her garden to inspire our color selections. If you look at each picture you will see the fabulous variety that can be created.

I began with B63, then B66, V15, B69, R59 and ended with B39. Use short bursts of air and keep spinning your hydrangea bundle as you work to allow the ink to vary. It looks so much more natural that way.

I began with B63, then B66, V15, B69, R59 and ended with B39. Use short bursts of air and keep slowly turning your hydrangea bundle as you work to allow the ink to vary. It looks so much more natural that way.

Then Susan added Ultrafine Flower Soft to the centers by putting a small dot of glue in the center of each blossom. Again use your toothpick to complete this portion. This was a combination of Sage and Vanilla.
 

Next Susan created the large sized leaves. Susan had some prepunched leaves with her, but we could have used the Martha Stewart Rose Leaf to come close to this shape. Using a stylus Susan creates veins in the leaves.

Next she added depth to the leaves using an ink blending tool and Forest Moss ink.

  

We didn't have the same paper to punch out the Ivy leaves, so we created what turned out to be THE perfect Ivy paper. Tattered Angels English Ivy mist to the rescue. We spritzed it on to Natural White Neenah cardstock, dried it with our Heat It tool and then punched out the little leaves.

Once again we created veins - the first vein runs the length of the leaf, then flip it over and add four additional angled veins.

 

Next Susan holds the leaves with the self-closing tweezers and pinches them to shape them. We decided we needed to add a little more yellow green. To keep these little treasures from blowing away during airbrushing create a circle from the remaining cardstock.

Add color to the ivy vine (OK so it really is a Flower Soft wire :-D) with a Copic marker.

 

Wrap the wire around the bird cage curling the ends by wrapping them around the tip of the stylus. Position the ivy leaves along the wire and allow to dry.

Alter the white mat with distress ink.

 

As you can see these minature versions are incredibly realistic.

Whenever you see delicate paper flowers you can envision Susan working in her garden. Many of us have learned and will continue to learn from this beautiful woman who I am privileged to call my friend. So whenever you see a delicate paper bloom you can think of Susan's garden - she is the mastermind behind this beautiful art form!

Today we are sharing Susan's book, Paper Bouquet with one of you. To participate simply leave a comment on this post before midnight Saturday, August 7th. We will use the random number generator to select our winner. Please note that our winner will not be posted until Tuesday, so please do not worry - we will not forget :-D So please leave some love for Susan and Kim in this post to be entered.

Thank you for joining us again today!

paper: Neenah Classic Crest Natural White, Webster's Pages 6x6

ink:Copic Markers (see picture above), Tattered Angels English Ivy Glimmer Mist, Antique Linen, Pumice, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain and Forest Moss Distress Ink Pads

accessories: Martha Stewart Punches - 3 in 1 Hydrangea, Rose Leaf and Fall Leaves, Craft-a-Board, Real Wood Cherry, Sticky Back Canvas, Tim Holtz Caged Bird Die, Chandelier Crystals, Antique Brass Jump Rings, Teensie Butterfly, Sage and Vanilla Ultrafine Flower Soft

CHF Keys to My Heart by Susan Roberts

By now most of you have probably heard that Cornish Heritage Farms is closing up shop.  So today I have been playing with a few of the CHF stamps that as of this typing are still available in Ellen’s Store at a huge 50% off the regular price!

This first card uses CHF’s Beach Party and Mini Triangles Backgrounders as well as the Mona Lisa Moments, Key Expressions Set.

Because the Beach Party Backgrounder has cute little solid tree, surfboard and car images, I thought it would be fun to color each with different colored markers.  I spritzed it lightly with water before stamping.

Isn’t this cute!

Graphic 45 designer paper from the On the Boardwalk Collection was used for both the base background and the darling malt shop girl.  I always like to use a dark marker to color in the edges after cutting out an image from dp.  This really helps to “pop” it once adhered to the card.

CHF’s Mini Triangles was also stamped onto the Beach Party Backgrounder image and the Faux Linen Ribbon was “fringed” on each end for some added interest.

The second card uses a sentiment from the Mona Lisa Moments, Thomas Kinkade Scripture I Set.

Again, Graphic 45 designer paper was used with a piece from the Le Romantique Collection.  Hero Arts Dandelion Frame was stamped directly onto the dp.

Ultra Fine Flower Soft was used on the dandelions.  I sprinkled on a generous amount of Flower Soft and pressed it down into the glue.

Once the glue is dry you can vigorously shake and tap the paper to remove any excess Flower Soft.

Thanks for dropping by the CLASSroom today.

Happy crafting and don't forget about Ellen's fabulous Goodbye CHF sale!

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Beach Party Card:

Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms General Motors Beach Party Backgrounder, Mini Triangles Backgrounder and Mona Lisa Moments, Key Expressions Set

Papers: Memory Box Vanilla Bean Cardstock and Envelope; Neenah Classic Cream Cardstock; Graphic 45 On the Boardwalk Collection

Inks: Memento Rich Cocoa and any Water Based Markers

Accessories: May Arts Yellow 1-1/2” Faux Linen Ribbon; Webster’s Pages Aqua Bloomer

Kinkade Card:

Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms Mona Lisa Moments, Thomas Kinkade Scripture 1; Hero Arts Dandelion Frame

Papers: Memory Box Licorice Cardstock; Neenah Classic Cream Cardstock; Graphic 45 Le Romantique Collection

Inks: Archival Jet Black

Accessories: Ultra Fine Flower Soft and Glue; Nestability Dies – Rectangle Long, Classic Large and Small; KaiserCraft Black Flatback Pearls

Doorway to Discovery by Lisa Strahl

Good Monday morning friends.  It's a pleasure to share a card today featuring Webster's Pages paper and Cornish Heritage Farms rubber stamps.

Webster's Pages papers are simply enchanting.  I remember when they arrived on the scene a few years ago - I was simply in love.  I had never seen designs that use images and patterns in such an interesting way.  I would argue that each release has been an improvement on the last.  Let me share a few details about this card, but first I want to give you a detailed supply list.

6x6 Petite Paper Pad - Garden Gala/Seaside Retreat (Webster's Pages)

Encouragement Expressions Stamp Set (Cornish Heritage Farms)

Pearl Glimmer Mist Spray (Tattered Angels)

Non-Stick Craft Sheet (Ranger)

Coffee Archival Ink (Ranger)

Sparrow Punch (Martha Stewart)

Crystals Trinket Pins (Maya Road)

Vintage Pearl Trinket Pins (Maya Road)

Ivory Mini Gypso Flowers(Prima)

Sage and Sand Ultra Fine, Baby Blue (Flower Soft)

Flower Soft Glue (Flower Soft)

White Crochet Ribbon (May Arts)

Brown Vintage Scallop Crochet Ribbon (Maya Road)

Clear Spica Glitter Pen(Copic)

3/8 inch Memory Glue Dots (Glue Dots)

1/8 inch Scor Tape(Scor Pal)

Mist the sparrow the punch with Pearl Glimmer Mist and allow to dry.  It's important not SHAKE your Glimmer Mist as it will clog the pump.  Instead TWIRL the bottle upright in a circular motion.

Mist the Gypso Flowers as well and allow to dry.  Be sure to spray on a surface that can be easily cleaned up such as the Non-Stick Craft Sheet.

 

Use the wire stem of the stem to wrap the other two pins together.

Snip the pins at the base of the wire wrap with wire cutters.

Stamp "Mistakes are doorways to discovery." sentiment with Coffee Archival Ink.

A few other design notes:

1.  Embellish flowers and leaves with flower soft.  2.  Add Clear Spica Glitter Pen to the lightest stripes on the lower half of the card.  3.  Use Memory Glue Dots to adhere the pin bouquet to the card.  4.  Use Scor Tape to adhere the crochet ribbon.

Hope this little card got your week off to a good start!  Thanks so much for joining us in the CLASSroom today.  Lisa

Snowpuffs to Blossoms by Susan Roberts

The cherry blossoms are everywhere.  Spring is here!!!  And just as the snow melts on the trees and the blossoms appear, this stamp by Memory Box called “Snowpuff Branch” has easily transformed from a lovely winter image to a branch of pink blooms.

 

These little blossoms were made by coloring a coffee filter with Copics and punching out the tiny flowers with  Martha Stewart’s “3-in-1 Hydrangea” punch.

 

 

After making a small hole in the center of each flower (I used the Ornare paper piercer and pad), I used an embossing stylus moving it in a circular motion at the center of the blossom while still on the soft piercing pad.  This “trained” it to fold inward.

 

 

Next each blossom was put on a short piece of wire from Flower Soft, and glue and Ultra Fine Flower Soft in “Raspberry Fizz” was applied.

 

 

The blossom was then pushed up to meet the glue/Flower Soft and the petals were gently shaped.  (This is made easier if the blossom has been trained to curl with the embossing tool.)

 

I think these are so sweet!

 

The stems were placed in a block of floral foam to dry.

 

After the glue had dried, the wires/stems were cut shorter and bent at a 90 degree angle as close to the blossom as possible.

 

The image was stamped and colored and holes were made to insert the stems.  Once all the blossoms were inserted onto the cardstock, I taped the stem ends to hold them in place on the back of the image.  When taping the stems, I made sure to arrange them so that dimensionals could be placed directly on the cardstock around the outside of the oval.  By using dimensionals, there are no visible lumps or bumps on the front of the image once it is adhered to the larger oval base.

 

These little blossoms were really fun to make.  It may look complicated or time consuming, but it really wasn’t.  By making several at once, I had a branch bursting with cherry blossoms in no time at all!

Happy Spring!!

 

Supplies:

Stamps: Memory Box “Snowpuff Branch”, “Swallow” and “Happy Spring”

Papers: Memory Box “Vanilla Bean”, “Frond” and “Gossamer”; Neenah “Solar White”; Coffee Filter

Inks: Memento “Rich Cocoa”; Copics:

    Flowers: RV000, RV11, R30, 0

    Snowpuffs: RV11, R14

    Bird: BG02, BG05, BG09

Accessories: Flower Soft Ultra Fine “Raspberry Fizz”, Wires and Glue; Martha Stewart “3-in-1 Hydrangea” and “Around the Page Crown” Punches; Nestabilities Classic Scalloped Oval Dies; May Arts Silk Ribbon; ¾” and 1’ Circle Punches; Embossing Stylus; Paper Piercer

Lockhart Window Photo Album by Sharon Harnist

 

Today I have a photo album cover to share with you.  I made this to hold 6-inch scrapbook pages that I hope to fill with pages of my daughters to give to their grandmother for Mother's Day!  I'm hoping if I get an early enough start on it, I might finish it in time!  This beautiful Basic Grey Origins 6x6 paper was begging me to be used and I thought it would be perfect for this special keepsake album.

I started by cutting two pieces of  6-1/4" square Craft-A-Board to use as my album cover base.  Then I adhered the paper to the front and rounded the corners with Zutter's special corner rounder tool that cuts through chipboard like butter!  The edges of the album cover were inked with Antique Linen Distress ink.

Karen Lockhart's Tulips in the Window was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink onto Neenah Natural White cardstock and then cut out.  The center pots of tulips were carefully trimmed away and this left a nice sized (1-1/4" x 1-3/4") opening to have a photo of my girls peeking through!

The window was softly colored with the Copic markers listed below.  Copic Melon Spica glitter pen was used to color the tiny leaves and then Summer Flower Soft applied to make some flowers on the vines (you can click on the photo for a larger view).  The window was popped up on thick foam tape over the photo that I printed at about 2" x 3" in sepia tones.

 

I used Becky's Trend Watch Tuesday-Text advice from this week and stamped CHF's Vintage Text Scrapblock with black ink onto Natural cardstock and then die cut it with Nested Dahlia dies.  The flowers were wrinkled up, the edges inked with Antique Linen Distress ink, and then layered together with foam tape.  A black tied button finishes the center of the flower.

I used my Bind-It-All and 1-inch black Owire to bind my covers and scrapbook page protectors together.  Wide ivory silk ribbon finishes this album cover ... quick & easy!  Now to fill it!  I hope to show you a few scrapbook pages I prepare for this album over the next few months.  Thanks for stopping by today!

 

 
Stamps:  Lockhart Tulips in the Window, CHF Scrapblock-Vintage Text
Paper:  Basic Grey Origins 6x6, Neenah Natural White
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Antique Linen Distress ink. Copic markers: YR31 custom lighter, YR31, YR21, E40, E31, T2 & Melon Spica Glitter Pen
Accessories: Craft-A-Board, Bind-It-All, BIA 1" Black OWire, Round-It-All 1/2" corner rounder, Flower Soft Floral Bouquet Color Collection (Summer), Spellbinders Nested Dahlia die set, Button, May Arts1-1/4" Ivory Silk Ribbon

Tag 7 - Christmas Carols Tag by Lisa Strahl

Well all I can say about Becky's tag is that I hope she sends it to *ME* for Christmas! 

Today's tag features more traditional Christmas colors, but hopefully keeps that soft and romantic feel with the use of watercoloring and vintage trims.

 

Place the tag over the portion of the Graphic 45 paper you want to cut out and trim around the edges with a Judikins Craft Knife. Adhere the paper to the front of the tag.

 

Stamp and heat emboss the lamp post from the Festive Sounds stamp set with Detail Black Embossing Powder on a tag using the Ranger Craft Tool.

 

Put a small amount of Heirloom Gold, Sunflower Sparkle and Pearl Perfect Pearls Pigment Powder on the Non-Stick Craft Sheet.  Spritz with water. 

 

Mix the Heirloom Gold into paint and apply to lamp standard.

Fill the "glass" portion of the light with the Pearl (white) color and then while it is still wet, add some Sunflower Sparkle and allow it to bleed into the white.

 

Allow the paint to dry and cut out the image with sharp tip detail scissors.

Stamp the image again with Jet Black Archival ink on Judikins Eclipse Tape.

Cut around the left side of the image and place on the tag. 

Ink the music background from the Festive Sounds stamp set with Fired Brick Distress Ink.

Stamp the image on the tag on an angle.  Remove the Eclipse Paper and set aside.

 

 

Stamp the Christmas Carols sentiment from the Festive Sounds stamp set with Jet Black Archival Ink on a tag and cut it out.

 

Spritz the image with a Mini Mister filled with Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls and water - heat set.

Press the image onto an watermark or embossing ink pad.  Dust with Clear Embossing Powder and Heat set.

Apply Candy Cane Stickles as berries to the sign.

 

...and Green Stickles to the edge and leaves.

Color the words on the image with Red Spica Glitter Pen. 

 

Stamp the Santa image from the Mini Holidays stamp set on a Crystal Clear Sheet and heat set.

 

Cut out.

 

And paint the back side with Blank Canvas Studio Paint.

 

Press to the tag while the paint is wet.

 

Apply foam tape to the lamp standard and adhere to the tag.

Paint Santa's coat and hat with A Dash of Red Studio Paint.  Allow to dry.

 

Apply small dots of Flower Soft Glue over Santa's bead and hat and dust with Polar White Flower Soft.

 

Cover the glass portion of the lamp with Glossy Accents.

 

Attach Crochet Ivory Ribbon with the Tiny Attacher stapler.

 

Apply strong tape on both edges of the tag and foam tape in the middle.

 

...and add the sentiment piece over it.

 

Adhere three Red Twinkle Sticklers to Santa's hat.

 

Punch a hole in the top of the tag and cover with a sprocket gear (Ideology) and tie with Ivory 1 1/4 inch ribbon.

Wishing you a wonderful week creative friends, please do come visit us again tomorrow!

Tag 1 - Angel Wings by Mona Lisa

A very warm welcome to the Ellen Hutson 12 Days of Christmas.  Thank you so much for joining us in kicking off the holiday season!

I am honored to be able to create with my dearest friend Ellen for a few weeks and share my passion for paper crafting with her amazing customers.  Becky and I are having much too much fun behind the scenes creating to our heart's delight.

Without further adieu, let's get right to the first tag...

I began by cutting this adorable pair of angels out of the Ode to Joy 12 x 12 sheet (Graphic 45) with my sharp tip detail scissors.  Using a good pair of scissors makes all the difference when cutting out detailed images.

It's very important to have a non-stick surface such as the Ranger Craft Sheet when applying products like Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint.  Any paint or ink wipes right up or flakes off when dry.  Paint a thin layer of the Rock Candy over the entire surface and allow to dry.  This paint cracks like a fine porcelain over these richly colored images.  Gorgeous!

 

Paint the surface of the tag with Tea Dye Distress Crackle Paint, but paint "lightly".  Leave lots of open space because we are going to add ink in those areas later.  With Crackle Paint, the thicker you apply, the deeper the cracks.  This color matches the Christmas Past Collection perfectly.  Allow the paint to fully dry.  Cracks will appear as the paint dries.

Here is the what the paint looks like dry:

Edge the mini wooden Scrabble Pieces with the Copper Krylon Pen.  The trick with these pens is to get the flow of ink moving to the tip.  Simply press down repeatedly on the Craft Sheet until it begins to pool.  You can create a nice pool on the sheet if you like and just dip the tip of the pen into the ink as needed.  Drag the tip around each side of the letters and allow to dry.

Cut a small piece (I like about 2x2 inches) of Cut 'n Dry Foam from the 8.5 x 11 sheet and grab your Peeled Paint Distress Ink Pad.

 

Load the sponge with ink by pressing it into the pad several times and then ink the tag in a circular motion beginning ON the Craft Sheet and then dragging the foam onto the tag.  Add color as desired.

Add Perfect Pearl Pigment Powder to a Mini Mister filled 3/4 full with water.  1-2 scoops on the end of a paint brush will do the trick to create a lovely shimmery mist over the project.

Spritz 3-4 times over the tag and allow to dry or heat set with the Ranger Craft Tool.

Stamp the border from the Floral Tattoo Set (Stampers Anonymous) with Archival Ink.  This stamp set will be in the shop soon!

Then stamp the floral spring from the same set.

 

I wanted to really add some texture below where the angels would sit and chose this amazing cream colored Botanical Paper.  I tore the bottom of the piece to get lots of "stringy" bits and then used my ever handy Tonic Non-Stick scissors to cut through the fibers and adhesive underneath.

The Botanical Paper is adhered until the the Angels which are popped up on foam squares.

Attach the "wings" tiles with Red Tape Liner.

Pierce a line of hole in the paper using the piercing template on the Design Ruler.

Use a white gel pen to "Faux Stitch" the border of the tag.

Decorate the berries with Fruit Punch Stickles.

...and the branches with Patina Stickles.

Add small dots of Flower Soft Glue to the Angels' Wings and dust Polar White Flower Soft over the glued areas several times.  Flower Soft is much easier to use in a big container once it has been unpacked from the container.

Attach the lace with the Tiny Attacher Stapler.  This handy little tool really does allow you to attach all sorts of things and the staples are so stinkin' small, you don't even notice them!

Last but not least, tie a soft and romantic piece of silk ribbon to the tag and voila!  A very special tag that someone could enjoy all year round.  Oh, I almost forgot...at the last second I realized that the blond angel needed a flower in her hair.  Tim's Foliage Hardware was perfect topped with a little bling.

Thank you so much for visiting and make sure you check back as I know Ellen has some giveaways planned!

Kitty Wishes by Kim Hughes

Crazy maybe, but I am really looking forward to Christmas this year...the music, the shopping and of course...creating Christmas cards.  I just love it all!!  This new image by Karen Lockhart is just the sweetest.

Supplies:

*New* Karen Lockhart Limited Edition 2009 "Nicholas & Kitty"

Scrapblock, Vintage Text

Copic ( Y000, YR24, YR21, B21, B00, YG63, E00, R21, R27)

Flower Soft, Soft Ivory, Flower Soft Glue

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Pitch Black

Cardstock, Neenah Classic Solar White

I stamped on white card stock and cut out the snow globe.

I started with coloring the trees.  First with the lightest shade and then a darker green.  I colored darker in come areas with the same darker green marker.

and I blended a little with the Y000

I colored the kitty first with YR21 and came in with the darker orange to add dimension.

I then colored the bows red and the gift/tag pink.

I colored the snowman's coat, hat and mitten with B00 and came back with B21 to add dimension.  I blended with B00

I colored the nose with YR21 and added it to the trees, kitty and gift.  It tends to tie in all of the colors together.

I decided that my snow globe needed some "snow"

Add flower soft glue to the bottom and press Flower Soft onto it.  Allow to dry and remove excess.

I created a simple mask or stencil with a punched square.  I chose 4 strong colors from my stamped image.

I placed my square stencil over another piece of white card stock and colored with a Copic marker.

I repeated with 3 more colors. I cleaned up the edges with the pen tip.

I inked up the Vintage Text Scrapblock and stamped over the 4 base squares.

Lastly, I cut around the 4 squares to use as my card base.  I propped the snow globe up onto dimensional dots and let the sweet scene speak for itself.  That darling scene was a treat to work with. I am so glad that you stopped by.  :)

snowpuff branch card by cindy lyles

This style card doubles as a holiday hello card or as a seasonal thank you. I've borrowed Debbie Olson's technique that I learned from her, of keeping the Nestabilities die in place while airbrushing.  This creates a wonderful edge to the die-cut cardstock.

Memory Box Snowpuff Branch image and CHF Kindness sentiment were stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa ink onto white cardstock.

The image was die cut and embossed with Nestabilities Labels One.  I left the die in place, and began airbrushing with Copic B21 - getting closer to the cardstock where I wanted darker color and kept the gun at a distance where I wanted softer color.

Using Ruby Red Liquid Pearls I dotted the 'berries' of the branch image.  Allowed to dry about 30 minutes (less in drier climates). 

Now time for some fun:  I traced a Quickie Glue Pen on top of a few branches, then scattered Flower Soft Ivory on top of the liquid adhesive to mimic snow.  Allowed to dry (about five minutes) then carefully brushed off excess flowers. 

Card base is Memory Box Kraft - size is 4-1/4" x 5-1/2".  Patterned papers are from Memory Box Dewfrost.  A Martha Stewart border punch was used for the Dewfrost paper edge, and red silk ribbon was added to complement the berries.

Snowpuff Branch image was stamped on the envelope with Memento Rich Cocoa ink, and again without reinking, on the card interior.  Strips of extra Dewfrost patterned paper add interest to the inside of the card.  Thank you for stopping by the CLASSroom today!

Inchie School Card by Kim Hughes

It's never too early to think about teacher's gifts and cards.  Plus, with kids getting back to school, it's the perfect time to play with school theme stamps.  I am totally feelin' it.

 

Supplies:

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Ginger

Flower Soft, Summer

Chipboard Squares 1"x 1"

All Things Considered, School Primer PRECUT and Kim Hughes, Making the Grade (Cornish Heritage Farms

Martha Stewart Baker's Twine, Solids

Art Flowers, White & Cream

EEE2 Cardstock, Robin's Egg and white card stock (Memory Box)

Other:

Chestnut Roan ink by Clearsnap

Zva Creative dimensional foam circles

 

start with white card stock and cut into 1 inch squares.  Pick out school theme stamps that have a pattern or small images to fit on such a small surface.

 

Then place the stamp onto the inchie and press.  It's alright to have some of the image cut off.

 

Here is what all of the images look like once stamped.

 

I then added the paper squares onto chipboard inchie squares and placed them on my card along with soem flower accents.

 

I decided to add some dimension to the flower centers.  I thought about the double sided, dimensional foam circles that are sticky on both sides.

 

Pel off one side of the sticker and press into the Flower Soft container

 

There you have it, easy peasy fu flower centers to jazz up the card.

Then add a twine border and stamp sentiment.

Thank you so much for joining me today. :)

Make A Wish card by Kim Hughes

Hello everyone.  How about something soft and furry to make you smile?

 

Supplies:

Copic (E00 and YG95)

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Pitch Black

Memory Box party panda

Memory Box Biscotti Cardstock, Collection

Flower Soft Glue

Flower Soft, Soft Ivory

Mona Lisa Moments, Birthday Centers

Gemstones, Small Blossom

memory box card stock

COPIC NEW Spica Glitter Pen, Buttermilk

Start by stamping the adorable panda onto the patterned paper.  cover the belly and face of the panda with liquid glue

generously sprinkle flower soft onto the glue and press.  allow time to dry.

tap off excess flower soft

I used the end of my closed scissors to scrape away the flower soft that went over the stameped lines.  A paper piercer or tweezers should work well also.

if you have "bald' spots, you can add more glue, and flower soft and fill in where needed.

double mat the main panel image.  Color the hat with a yellow Copic marker and embellish with a yellow flower crystal.  Use a glitter pen to add a subtle sparkle to the sparklers.

Create a paper ribbon accent, but cutting a thin paper strip and gently tying it into a knot.  Tape onto the back side of your paper.

jjj

complete this card by stamping a sentiment.  i think this card will be fun for anyone at any age.  who can resist a furry panda bear?  Not me.

thank you so much for stopping by today

All Occasion Favor Box by Kim Hughes

Favor boxes...these adorable little packages should not be limited to just parties.  Whip some up to have on hand to give to friends, hostesses or even something sweet to hand off to your postal carrier maybe?  This favor box would be great for a baby or bridal shower and of course any other occasion that you can think of.  Fill them with chocolate, candy, jewelry or a cute mini gift.

 

Supplies:

Martha Stewart Favor, Scallop Clutch, White

B6 Cardstock, Raspberry

Martha Stewart Baker's Twine, Solids

Kim Hughes, Baked with Love

Stickles, Fruit Punch

Flower Soft, Summer

Flower Soft Glue

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Pebble

Backgrounder, Climbing Leaves

 

Step one is to add a floral pattern to the 2 longer sides of the box.  Ink the backgrounder stamp with Pebble ink and keep the stamp facing up.  Press the paper onto the stamp and apply even pressure all around.  Repeat on the other side.

 

 

Set aside and let's work on the details for a bit.  Punch 2 circles from raspberry colored card stock and apply Flower Soft glue to the entire surface.

 

pour and press Flower Soft onto each circle and allow to dry

 

once dry, cut off excess flowers.  Dab Stickles onto your finger and tap over the flower petals to add a soft glittered look.

 

Now add Stickles to the flower centers of the Climbing Floral pattern.  This product is great for adding color and dimension and the glitter adds such a pretty touch.  Allow plenty of time to dry.

 

stamp "For You" with the Pebble ink color onto one of the box sides.  Create a heart shape with Stickles simply by starting with the letter "V" and plumping the tops...allow to dry before assembling the box.

 

Once you have put the box together, add the Flower circles to the scalloped top.  I cut the bottoms of each circle, just a bit.  Once you wrap some mauve twine around the top, tie a bow, you are done.  Thanks for stopping by :)

spring cherry blossoms by cindy lyles

 

During my youth my family and I visited Washington, DC many times - it was only a four-hour drive away and we stayed with good friends of my parents.  One year we visited while the cherry trees were blooming, and today's project stems from that wonderful memory.

When Ellen told me she was carrying Flower Soft, the Baby Pink instantly took me back in time, and I'd like to share the step-by-step for today's project with you:

Stamp Memory Box Bare Oak image onto white cardstock using Burnt Umber (Palette Hybrid).  Cut a section of Eclipse Tape longer than needed, then tear lengthwise, to create a naturally jagged edging for the grounding line.

 

Airbrush (or delicately sponge) Copic B21 sparingly for the sky - this hint of color forces the pale pink Flower Soft to pop even more.  Follow up with R02 (a pale/flesh pink), sparingly.  Here in the Northeast there has been a subtle, yet distinct amount of pink in the skies as we approach spring.

 

Remove Eclipse tape but do not discard; cover tree and upper portion of cardstock with Post-it notes (to protect from airbrush overspray), then reposition the torn Eclipse Tape as shown above.  Airbrush with both Copic YG91 and YG95 for the grass.

 

Remove Post-It notes and Eclipse Tape and discard.  Dab Flower Soft glue, or a high tack glue in your crafting arsenal, repeatedly over the oak branches and a few scattered places along the ground line.

Carefully open Baby Pink Flower Soft and scoop out a bit of the flora with a scoop or your finger tips, then gently breaking apart with your fingers.  Sprinkle liberally over the adhesive, pressing Flower Soft flora gently into the glue.  You should have entirely too much Flower Soft on top of the glue - so much that your fingers never come in contact with the wet adhesive as you press.

 

No dry time necessary - simply tip and repeatedly tap cardstock to remove excess Flower Soft.  I recommend allowing adhesive to dry completely prior to mailing. 

Stamp 'happy spring' (Memory Box) onto Basic Grey Porcelain paper (6x6 pack) strip with Burnt Umber, trim and notch end.  Adhere sentiment strip with a dimensional to give the appearance of a wavy flag.  5x7 card base is comprised of Memory Box Pea Pod cardstock with snippets of Basic Grey Porcelain 6x6 decorative paper.  Complementary Basic Grey Porcelain brads and a Basic Grey Porcelain button complete the card.

Thank you for stopping by Ellen's CLASSroom blog today!

Welcome Tag by Sharon Harnist

 

Supplies:

• Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Co Buttermilk Hen, Kim Hughes Spring Trees
• Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Ranger Walnut Distress Ink, Copic markers and Spica glitter pens
• Paper: BasicGrey Marrakech
• Accessories: Martha Stewart's Doily Lace edger punch & Baker's Twine, Spellbinders Flower Creations 3  & Tags Trio, Inchie Arts White Inchie Squares, Ivory or Nut Brown Flower Soft & Flower Soft glue
• Other: Jumbo paperclip, sewing machine & thread, ribbon & rick-rack, aggressive glue (E200 or Gorilla Glue)

We live in a new development and haven't had any close neighbors for the first 18 months we've been here.  We finally had our first next door neighbor move in, so I made this tag to accompany a welcome gift of good old fashioned pound cake.  On the back of the tag, I wrote our names and contact info. 

The tag measures 3.25" x 6" and I loved the bright, welcoming patterns of these BasicGrey Marrakech papers -- they seemed to fit perfectly with Karen Lockhart's Buttermilk Hen.  I stamped the hen with Memento Rich Cocoa ink onto an Inchie Arts White Inchie Square and colored her with these Copic markers (Spica glitter pens are orange & sky blue):

I covered another White Inchie Square with coordinating patterned paper and sandwiched a jumbo paperclip between them, using a very aggressive glue.  It is just clipped to the paper pocket I created on the tag (by machine stitching the pocket to the solid colored tag) -- it's made to be removed and used as a bookmark.  Or you could put a magnet on the back and use it on the fridge to hold papers or a recipe.

I glued Flower Soft at the bottom of the Inchie, to give the hen a realistic nest!  I used Ivory and then airbrushed the Flower Soft with E13 Copic marker, but the Nut Brown Flowersoft would be a great match, without having to airbrush.

The flowers were die cut with Spellbinders Flower Creations 3 and stacked with dimensional foam tape.  The button in the center was tied with Martha Stewart's peach Baker's Twin.  The twine was also used to tie on the welcome tag.  The Spellbinders Tags Trio was stamped with part of Kim Hughes' Spring Trees "welcome spring" sentiment, using Walnut Distress ink.  The Flower Creations 3 die was also used to make the hole reinforcement at the top of the tag.

The faux lace trim at the bottom of the tag was created with Martha Stewart's Doily Lace Edger Punch and more coordinating BasicGrey Marrakech paper.  Thanks for visiting our CLASSroom neighborhood today!

Lilacs and Lattices by Debbie Olson

 

Tonight I used Karen Lockhart's Lilacs in Pitcher image for the first time--what a beautiful stamp! I paired it with some Basic Grey Euphoria papers and a Lattice punch to try to capture a garden look. If you would like to see me color this image with Copic markers, please play the video below. Warning: I tried a different set-up with my little Flip Video camera, and its focus range is obviously not meant for close-up filming. That means that the focus is not tight; I think that the information might be a bit helpful anyway, so I'm putting it out here with that disclaimer. It is in two parts since YouTube allows only 10-minute segments. If you are a video buff, I would LOVE to hear what video camera you might recommend for close-up filming, as well as family use. I'm seriously shopping, so send those camera suggestions! If the YouTube embeds break, the direct links are at the bottom of this post.

Video Part 1

Video Part 2

After coloring and airbrushing the stamped image, I added some Heather Flower Soft to the fronds--just a touch here and there. I think that stuff must be addictive! It has a lovely texture, perfect for adding the final touch to flowers, as well as for creating flowers on stems, shown in this amazing piece by Ellen.

Thank you for visiting the CLASSroom!

_____________

Direct YouTube Links in case the embedding breaks:

Video Part 1

Video Part 2

Flower Soft Spring Trees by Sharon Harnist

 

Welcome back for another seasonal installment of my scrappy refrigerator magnets -- if you all are getting tired of them, just let me know!  As in the past, this is a 6-inch scrapbook page with Inchie Magnets on the back that I like to display on my fridge.  It does double-duty and holds all of those elementary school important papers and lunch menu that we reference quite frequently.  It is made sturdy by backing it with Craft-a-Board.

I thought this new Sweetbay patterned paper from Memory Box was a great start for a spring page and Kim Hughes' Spring Trees were a nice accent.  I stamped the trees with Memento Rich Cocoa ink onto Memory Box Kraft cardstock.  I knew I wanted to use Flower Soft on the trees and decided a soft green would go well with the paper.  I didn't have a plain green color but I did have Ivory, so my trusty Copic Airbrush System came to the rescue!

First, I applied the Flower Soft Glue to the open tree area, then sprinkled the fluffed Ivory Flower Soft onto the glue and pressed gently.  Once the glue was dry, I pulled out the Copic sketch marker I had that most closely matched the leaves in the patterned paper (YG03 Copic Sketch):

 

The Flower Soft took the airbrushing wonderfully and I was able to give it a little bit of shading by spraying heavier in some areas!  I popped this one treetop up over its tree trunk that I colored with Copic E27 marker.  The other tree trunks were left the natural Kraft color, for a little variation.  Here's a closeup of how they turned out:

 

I love the texture of the Flower Soft (you can click on the picture for a closer look)!  The "Welcome Spring" tag was made with a sentiment stamp from the same Spring Trees Kim Hughes set -- again, stamped onto Memory Box Kraft cardstock.  I cut the tag with Spellbinders Tags Five die and cut another matching tag from Craft-a-Board and glued them together.  I wanted the tag to have some extra sturdiness, since it would be hanging off the page.

 

The Craft-a-Board also gives a wonderful dimension to the tag.  I cut out a leaf from the patterned paper and applied it to the edge of the tag, for more added dimension.  Clear Spica Glitter Pen was traced over the Spring lettering -- hopefully you can see it in the closer view above.  Shabby Shutters Distress Ink was sponged on the edges of the tag.

In keeping with the circle theme of my page, I cut my daughters' photo with the largest of the Large set of Classic Circle Nestabilities.  I didn't want to cover up any of the pretty leaf pattern in the paper with the photo, so I cut around the pattern with my craft knife and slipped the photo underneath the leaves -- they fit in perfectly with this photo I took of my girls in the park a few years ago, with the trees in the background!

I rounded the corners of my page with Zutter's 1/2-inch Corner Rounder -- it makes cutting through layers of Craft-a-Board and patterned paper a breeze!  A few ribbon tabs complete my page.  Remember, this project can be downsized if you'd rather have a smaller magnet on your refrigerator.  By using Craft-a-Board as your base, your shape and size possibilities are endless!

Flower Soft Lilacs

Up and down the long aisles one walks at the Anaheim Convention Center looking for something to truly grab your attention. As I watched the Flower Soft demonstration at CHA I knew that it was a product that we just had to add to our store. The detail that can be added to stamped images such as the Lockhart florals, slippers or robe, using this product, is QUITE beautiful.

 

As we all know most Lilacs are lilac in color, so I wanted to step outside that box because I KNOW that you will all find the beauty in using that color with this image. Being that I was extremely taken with the new Basic Grey papers at CHA, and even had the opportunity of meeting the two graphic artists that completed the Porcelain and Marrakech lines, I elected to use the Porcelain papers together with Ivory lilacs. These two Basic Grey collections are so diverse, but the Porcelain collection just seemed to call my name, in conjunction with the Lilacs in Pitcher image.

 

I began by stamping my image on a piece of designer paper. One trick that I would like to share is to first stamp your image on a Stamp-a-ma-jig imaging sheet. Then move this sheet over your various papers to select the one you want, as well as the precise pattern you would like to use in your completed project. After your image is stamped add the details to your image using your Copic markers and color pencils. This will truly help define the image and "round" out the shape appropriately.

 

To begin I collected the materials that I would need to construct my Lilacs. The starter kit comes with the glue, wire and foam shown above. Most items are also available separately, except for the foam. You could most certainly use any type of styrofoam to insert your wires in as shown below without the need for the starter kit. The advantage to the kit is that it comes with all the necessary components along with some interesting tag assortments, urns, etc. I will try and show a more closeup shot of these pieces in a later post. 

 

To begin Flower Soft recommends removing the product from the container and breaking it apart with your fingers. I just used my tidy tray to catch the product as I "crumbled" it between my fingertips. By doing this it breaks apart being it is squeezed so tightly in to it's cute little container.

 

Next I snipped the wire to a length that was slightly larger than what I thought I would need. I figured I could always make it shorter, but I most certainly can't "grow" the wire longer - LOL! I tried using my regular little scissors, but realized that I would most likely damage the blade and so I reached for my Bind-it-All wire cutters instead. They worked great!

 

Next I snipped approximately 1/4" off the tip of the Flower Soft Glue applicator. It comes with a closed tip so as to avoid leaking and drying. This applicator worked well for me - I easily squeezed the glue on to tip of my wire as shown above. The Flower Soft gal told me that if you have Aleene's glue, a PVA glue that has the right consistency, there is no need to purchase this glue. I most certainly do not want to sell you something that you already have in your "stash" and so I wanted to share this information with you. If you are like me I probably have it, but... where did I put it? LOL! Or is it dried out now? So before placing your order be certain to check out your already owned goodies.

 

Next I sprinkled the Flower Soft over my glued wire tip as I slowly rotated it. This allows the Flower Soft to adhere naturally for a more consistent, fluffier look. After applying my Flower Soft I then added a little sparkle, by adding some glitter to my project. The Flower Soft is a larger scale and so it leaves gaps on with the glue exposed. The glitter being fine will pass through to the exposed glue and attach itself. This just brings another level of interest to your project. I can totally see this with Lilac and Lavender Flower Soft together with sparkley glitter! Oh man what about Diamond Dust?!?! I must give that a try Ü

 

After adding the Flower Soft place the wires in the foam so that your Lilacs will remain in an upright position as they dry. If you were to lay these down on a flat surface you would end up with a "flat-side."

 

To create the unusual shape of the lilac once the first application of glue and flower soft had dried I added an additional layer of glue to the base of the flower as shown above.

 

As you can see it truly altered the shape! Just think of the different ways you can form the wire to create different flower shapes! OR add stamens to your paper flowers, your Prima flowers and more!!!

 

Next I stamped my image on a lacey paper includedin the Porcelain collection. I then added color once again with my Copics and Prismacolor pencils. After completing the coloring I added glue to the lilacs as shown.

 

Next sprinkle Flower Soft over the top of your project, let it sit for a few seconds and then shake the excess off. At this time I felt that I needed a little more "shape" to these lilacs and so I added a little more glue and Flower Soft to my image.

 

I then "bundled" my lilacs and snipped the wires so that they would be hidden beneath my colored pitcher. To adhere the wires to my project I simply taped them in place. This allowed me to move them up and down, as well as bend them in to their final position. I then firmly pushed my tape down in to place.

 

I added dimensionals to the back side of my colored pitcher and placed it over the wire stems. It was then that I realized I still had white "stems" or wires. BUMMER! I VERY carefully used a Copic marker to add color to my stems. Next time I also want to try airbrushing my flowers, but I knew that this time I just didn't have enough space in this post to share that as well - LOL Ü To completely finish my pitcher I added some glue to the handle with my glue pen and held the handle down, matching it to the handle on my lacey paper, not letting it go until the adhesive had set.

These would make exquisite little shadow box framed pieces for gifts! Now I just need to wait a little longer for the springtime lilacs to appear here in the Puget Sound area, but until then I can make my own - LOL!