the CLASSroom

Spring Butterfly Wreath by Julia Stainton

Paper crafting products have so many different uses. I'm always amazed at how much you can do with them. Today I'm celebrating Spring with a home decor creation, a sweet altered wreath.

To start off my project, I picked up a 12" styrofoam wreath. This makes the wreath nice and light but also makes it easy to pin accents into it.

Covering the wreath is fast and easy using Maya Road Fabric Tape. I've used Blossom Pink here but it also comes in so many other beautiful colors. A large wreath like this will take a couple packages of fabric tape. Simply peel off the backing from the fabric tape and wrap it around the wreath. Simple.

Next step I wanted to create some butterfly accents that would look like they were fluttering off of the wreath. These Maya Road chipboard butterflies are perfect for that. To alter them I first colored them with some Copic Markers.

For these butterflies I've used Y13 Lemon Yellow and R83 Rose Mist.

 

To add some sparkle and glitz to the butterflies, I covered the surface with Glossy Accents and then sprinkled on some clear glitter and allowed them to dry.

Attaching the butterflies on an angle can be a bit of an adhesive problem unless you turn them into pins. Doing this allows you to place them into the foam wreath like floral picks on any angle you wish.

Using a pair of pliers, I pull the heads off the top of the button trinket pins. I've kept the little button tops to be used in another project.

Push the pin into the chipboard butterfly to create a custom pick.

When arranging flowers and other items onto a wreath, start with the larger items first. I've used a hot glue gun to adhere the Maya Road floral embellishments.

Add in the mid-size flowers, then the butterfly chipboard picks to the wreath. They simply pin into the styrofoam wherever you wish.

 

Stamp words onto little linen banners and then pin them to the wreath as well as accents.

As always, click on the images to see them in greater detail.

Have a little fun trying out new and unique projects with your paper crafting supplies.

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom! Have a great weekend!

 

Supplies:

 

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday--on a Tuesday... ;) 04.16.2013

Mother's Day is a comin'... my own mama is at a stage in life where she is trying to simplify life, declutter--heck, I'm at the stage myself!!! So just what do you give that awesome lady? Well, why not give her the evening off from worrying about what's for dinner and treat her to a meal at her favorite restaurant?

When it comes to gift cards, I am always on the hunt for a different way to present them and when I spied these adorable mini bags by Webster's Pages, I simply HAD to have them! They are perfect, not only for gift cards, but you could tuck a pair of tickets to a show, cash, or even a sweet note inside!

These fabby mini bags come in a package of assorted designs or you can get them in bulk, 25 of the same design in a pack--awesome for party favors and whatnot!

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

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

 

Webster's Pages Composition & Color Collection by Allison Kreft, Mini Bags	Studio Calico Snippets 6x6 Paper Pad	A Cardstock, Essentials by Ellen: White Linen #100 Cardstock, 25 Pack	October Afternoon, Farm Girl Label Stickers
Pink Paislee Portfolio Collection, Puffy Glitter Alphabet Stickers	My Mind's Eye Decorative Tape, Red & Turquoise	Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, Lemon Single Cord	Making Memories, Paper & Ribbon Slot Punching Tool
Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	Teflon Bone Folder	Studio Calico, Mister Huey's Color Mist, Silver	Essentials by Ellen: Sequins, Iridescent Sky
Essentials by Ellen: Sequins, Iridescent Melon	Essentials by Ellen: Sequins, Iridescent Daffodil	Tweezers, Stainless	QuickStik
Accents, Glossy	Kool Tak White Foam Adhesive, 1/4 Squares (1/16 Thick)

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 01.07.2013

(click on the pic to en-biggan)

I am an absolute sucker for things postal related--it was love at first sight with this 3D Mailbox Die!

Had to use the Galvanized card stock because I think it makes it look just like the real deal in miniature!  EEP!!! Can't take it!!! 

Along with some chocolates, I also made a sweet and quick little note to tuck inside, complete with Washi tape using the new Shape & Tape!  It's just like Washi Tape only in sheet format! You can die cut it, cut it with your scissors, punch it, trim it with your paper trimmer--they even have a "Tape It" set of dies designed especially for working with the Shape & Tape! It comes in a variety of colors and patterns but you can also custom tint it, like I show in today's video! WOOT!!!

I have a few little tips in the video for assembling the mailbox, once you've die cut all the pieces--nothing jaw-dropping, but just "nice to know", if ya' know what I mean. *grin*

Enjoy the video here, or in HD on YouTube! And, don't forget to subscribe to our channel!

Thanks for joining me today and I sure hope your Mundane is a happy one! *wink*

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS FEATURED:

 

Technique Tuesday Clear Stamps, Love Always Wins by Ali Edwards	NEW Archival Ink Pad, Vermillion	Paper Accents Glassine Envelopes, 1.75 x 2.75	A Cardstock, Essentials by Ellen: White Linen #100 Cardstock, 25 Pack
COPIC Sketch Marker R29, Lipstick Red	Shape 'N Tape, Black	Lifestyle Crafts Dies, Mailbox	Curious Metallic, Galvanized Cardstock
Magnetic Snaps, Small	American Crafts Elements, Mini Brads, Black	Tweezers, Stainless	Ruler, Tim Holtz Design
Craft Knife, Fingertip	Be Creative (Sookwang) Tape, 5mm (1/4")	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink	Sizzix, Cutting Pad, Extended
Sizzix, Solo Platform & Shim

InLinkz.com

Treasure Everyday Mini Album by Paula Cheney

We are honored to share the work of one of the very talented "Gypsy Girls", Paula Cheney, with you here today in the CLASSroom. The details that Paula includes in her work puts them over-the-top! I think it was my Excel spreadsheet that we had a good laugh over when we attended Ranger University a couple of years ago now that brought us together - we both love a good spreadsheet - ha! ha! I love a wonderful sense of humor and to mix it up with sheer artistic talent... you have described Paula to a "t"! I am very lucky to be able to have Paula as a friend.

You can find Paula at the blog she shares with Debbie (who is also amazingly talented and a very special lady!) titled "One Lucky Day." Their blog is filled with shabby, vintage beauties --- you will be able to spend hours going over the beautiful projects they share there. Paula can currently be found as the Creative Coordinator for Tim Holtz Brands and teaching here in the U.S. and abroad. If you ever have an opportunity to take one of Paula's classes you must! You will learn so much and laugh - a wonderful combination! I would appreciate if you would head over to Paula's blog now and help us thank her for sharing her talents with us here in the CLASSroom today. Please leave your comment on her post about being a guest here. As our way of thanking you for taking the time to do so you will have a chance to win some of the fabulous products she used in this post! You know you are in the right place if you see the following picture.

Thank you Paula for sharing your chic album with us here in the CLASSroom today! -Ellen

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Envelopes

Cut out 5 envelopes using the Sizzix Alterations Pocket Envelope die and Manila Cardstock from Ranger.  Do not fold.

Use Distress Stain Tumbled Glass and Mustard Seed to color the envelopes by squeezing Distress Stain onto a craft mat (use more blue than yellow).  Spritz with water from a Mini mister.

Swipe envelope into the stain. Dry with heat tool.
Swipe again, dry again.  Repeat as necessary.

Shake Brushed Pewter Distress stain to mix, then squeeze out a small amount onto craft sheet.  Repeat pervious steps until each envelope has a bit of metallic shimmer. 

Using Archival Ink in Aquamarine, stamp random text onto envelopes.  No acrylic block needed!

Stamp Butterflies with Archival Ink in Sap Green.

Cut out the Sizzix Alterations Inside Out Alphabet.  Create one word for each of the 5 envelopes and adhere with Collage Glue stick.
Add Vial Labels and chitchat words to describe each main word.  Stitch to the envelope if desired.

Adhere 1/8” Wonder Tape to the bottom and side of envelope.

Close envelope so both flaps are out.  The bottom of the envelope should be sealed just above the small flap.

Set finished envelopes aside while we make the cover.

Cover

Cut two pieces of Sticky Back Canvas 3 x 11”. 
Color the canvas with Tumbled Glass Distress Stain in the same method used previously.  Dry with Heat Tool.

Peel off the backing and stick the two pieces back to back. 
Stitch around the canvas with sewing machine.

Repeat butterflies on one side of canvas with Sap Green Archival Ink.

Stitching the book

Line up the first envelope at the left end of the canvas piece.  Stitch to canvas along the small flap.

Repeat stitching the envelopes onto the canvas cover about 1/8” apart. 

Trim away threads.

View of album spine.

Cut 30” of Crinkle Ribbon.
Color the Crinkle Ribbon with Distress Stains Frayed Burlap, Tumbled Glass and Mustard Seed.
Spritz with mini mister, then pounce the 3 colors at random onto ribbon.  Spray again to make the colors bleed then dry with Heat Tool.

Once dry, wrap ribbon around the book and secure to the TOP of the cover with Glossy Accents.
NOTE: make sure Glossy Accents is UNDER the Ornate Plate.

Cut a piece of paper from an old book.
Add Chitchat words and secure to the Ornate plate.

Add Ornate Plate over ribbon on cover.  Secure with brads.

Create small journaling cards for each envelope from manila cardstock. 
Round corners.
Stamp with butterflies and Aquamarine Archival Ink.
Add to each envelope.

Completed mini album cover!

Inside Pages

Sizzix, Tim Holtz, Movers & Shapers Magnetic L Die, Pocket Envelope	Sizzix, Tim Holtz, Sizzlits Deco Strip AlphaDie, Inside Out	Tim Holtz, Attic Treasures	Tim Holtz, Going Somewhere
Metallic Distress Stain, Brushed Pewter	Distress Stain, Tumbled Glass	Distress Stain, Mustard Seed	Distress Stain, Frayed Burlap
Aquamarine Archival Ink by Ranger	Viridian Archival Ink By Ranger	Tim Holtz, Ornate Book Plates & Fasteners	Tim Holtz, Vial Labels
Tim Holtz, Chitchat Stickers	Inkssentials Surfaces, 12x12 Manila	Studio Sticky Back Canvas, 8.5" x 11"	Tim Holtz, Crinkle Ribbon
Collage Glue Stick	Wonder Tape, 1/8"	Mini Mister, Individual	Non-Stick Craft Sheet
Heat It Craft Tool

InLinkz.com

Lawnscaping Fall Blog Hop Sponsorship and Blog Candy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

InLinkz.com

Appliquéd Onesies by Julie Ebersole

My daughter, Hayley, and her husband, are expecting our first grandchild and I very recently had the fun of hosting a baby shower for her! Being the crafty mama I am (and grandma I will be!!!), I thought it would be fun to have a crafty activity for the guests to enjoy! *grin*

Appliquéd baby onesies make a darling group project, and with a little forethought and advance preparation, they can be easily made during a party, even by inexperienced crafters!

Plain white baby onesies in a variety of sizes were purchased and then washed, making sure not to use any fabric softener or fabric softener sheets; this step will remove the sizing and help create the best/strongest bond when fusing the appliqués to the onesies.

ETA (as per a question down in the comments, related to this project post):

For any fabrics you are using to do the applique work that could potentially shrink, you will want to pre-wash and dry them, without any softener, as well. Then iron them flat before fusing the Heat-N-Bond to the back side so you have a nice, smooth application.

As far as washing a finished onesie, machine wash on the delicate cycle and then I personally like to hang-dry, instead of machine dry.

After purchasing a few printed cotton fabrics, I also went through my collection of felt for fun colors. I love the wool/rayon blend felt we carry at Ellen Hutson because it cuts very crisply with both my steel rule and low-profile dies, such as those made by Memory Box, Savvy Stamps, and My Favorite Things , etc. For more information on the various types of dies, please visit this awesome article by Ellen from the InTouch Newsletter Archives.

Before die-cutting, we fused Heat-N-Bond Ultra Hold (purchased at a fabric store), an Iron-On Adhesive for appliqué work, to the back side of the printed cotton fabrics, and pieces of felt we wanted to work with.

It helps to cut the Heat-N-Bond to slightly smaller than the piece of felt or fabric you are ironing it to, and to use a pressing cloth; this will prevent any possibility of adhesive melting onto your iron by accident. Ask me how I know! LOL! ;) Take care to use a medium-high setting, and no steam.

Once the adhesive was bonded to the fabric, we were ready to die cut! By cutting the fused materials to sizes just large enough to accommodate the size dies we were working with, we could easily run multiple shapes through the Big Shot Machine all at the same time. YAY!!!

For any of the low-profile dies that were more intricate, the metal adaptor plate helped provide just enough additional pressure to ensure a complete cut.

Here you can see just how crisp and clean the dies cut through both the cotton fabrics and the felt! LOVE!!!

We also hand-cut some shapes--many of my low profile dies are smaller in size, and were suitable for the smallest of the onesies (0-3, 3-6 mos.), and on the larger (18-24 mos. size), we hand cut larger shapes I didn't have dies for that we thought would be fun. Even though I can't draw, my daughter can! So while I die cut shapes, she also drew shapes on the paper backing that we could cut out by hand.

We then put an assortment of cut shapes that worked well together, along with some coordinating buttons, into a zip loc bag, and rolled them up inside a onesie, creating "kits". The little kits were then placed into a basket so that guests could choose a kit to assemble!

(Moonlight Butterfly, Umbrella dies by Memory Box)

All the guests were able to simply peel off the paper backing of the appliqués, and place them where desired on the onesie. We had an ironing station set up on one table, which we protected with folded bath towels.

When ironing the appliqués to the clothing, it's a good idea to carefully place a pressing cloth over the top of the appliqués, taking care not to move/shift them, and hold the iron down in one spot, for about 6-8 seconds, then lift and move the iron and repeat, until the entire appliqué is bonded, using a no-steam setting. Avoid rubbing the iron back and forth (although it's instinctive to rub the iron back and forth, you'll get best results by simply pressing down, then lifting and pressing down in the next area.) Felt may require a slightly higher heat temp, and possibly keeping the iron in place for 8-10 seconds because it is thicker than the lightweight cotton fabrics.

(dies: Puffy Clouds and Meadow Bird by Memory Box)

 

(dies: Puffy Clouds by Memory Box, Eiffel Tower by MFT)

If you notice any edges of the appliqués lifting up, you may need to press the iron to them again, holding in place a little longer to make sure the adhesive is melting and fusing to the onesie.

(hand-cut shapes)

 

(finished onesies)

Each of the onesies turned out ADORABLE and I couldn't resist taking a shot of them all! And, it was super fun to watch all the guests, including Hayley's own grandmother, thoroughly enjoy making them--I couldn't have been more tickled when some of the gals mentioned to me that they thought it was the most fun baby shower idea they had ever seen and that they really had a ball making them!

Thanks for joining me in the CLASSroom today and I hope sharing this project sparks some ideas for you in using your dies, felts and fabrics in fun new ways!

Dies:  Assorted from My Favorite Things, Memory Box, Sizzix

Buttons: From my stash

Other:  Needles & thread (for sewing on buttons), Heat-N-Bond Ultra Hold Iron-on-Adhesive (fabric store supply), Cotton Fabrics (fabric store supply)

WoolFelt, 12"x18" Cotton Candy	WoolFelt, 12"x18" Baby Blue	WoolFelt, 12"x18" Gold	WoolFelt, 12"x18" White
WoolFelt, 12"x18" Strawberry Parfait	WoolFelt, 12"x18" Pea Soup	WoolFelt, 12"x18" Chocolate	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink
Memory Box Die, Metal Adaptor Plate	Memory Box Dies, Petite Umbrella	Memory Box Dies, Moonlight Butterfly	Tweezer Bee

InLinkz.com

Nautical Party by Krystie Hersch

Welcome to the CLASSroom!  It's that time of year for beach trips and afternoons by the pool, I guess that's what put me in a nautical mood when I was putting together this party set!  The nautical theme is very versatile.  This set could be used for a baby shower, toddler's birthday, or a pool party.

I kept a consistent look by using the Savvy Wave Background stamp and Lawn Fawn sentiments on all of my projects. 

Let's start with the toy boat invitation.   I die cut 2 - 2" circles, cut them to the desired size, and added white eyelets.  For the sail, I used a little snip of canvas and some orange striped paper.  

One finishing touch I added was to run a coordinating Copic color along the edge of each piece.  It just gave it that little something.

I adhered the pieces to the card, leaving the edges of the canvas a bit curly.  I liked the dimension and texture.  A bit of hemp cord served as the mast.

Now for the little milk carton party favor.  After I die cut the carton, I added the wave background.  It was the perfect length for two squares, so I didn't have to worry about matching edges.  Note, I also punched a hole with my Crop-A-Dile before I assembled the box.

I found that the easiest way to assemble was by starting at the top and working down.  Fill the bottom with treats and seal it up!

This die set also includes three circles and a label die.  I used the largest and smallest circles to create my life preserver.  I used the same orange stripe paper, and then made another ring in white for the details on the ring.  As I did with the boat pieces, I ran a Copic marker around the edge of the ring.

To make the swallowtail flag detail, just put the edge in a square punch.

Assemble your flag on a lollipop stick and add a little hemp cord rope detail to your ring.

Cute and easy party favors!  Sidenote:  Can you guess what my kids' swim teachers are getting as gifts this year?  ;)

Finally, I made a thank you note to send after the party.  

I love these little dies.  You could carry this theme further by using the hemp cord and these dies to create wineglass charms, tie napkin rolls closed, etc.  

This is my favorite cord, it's really soft and malleable, and there aren't any of those "wild hairs" that some twine have.  I found it easiest to adhere the charms first.  Then I was able to thread and knot the hemp cord where I liked it.

I hope you've enjoyed this projects, thanks for visiting the CLASSroom today!

STAMPS:  Wave Background by Savvy, Sophie's Sentiments by Lawn Fawn

DIES:  Milk Carton by Lifestyle Crafts, Sizzix Framelits Dies, Circles, My Favorite Things Die-Namics, Sea Charms

TOOLS:  Crop-A-Dile, 3/4 Square Punch

PAPER:  Memory Box Robin's Egg, Dots and Stripes Paper by Echo Park, Neenah Desert Storm cardstock, Neenah Solar White

INK:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Archival Ink Viridian, Copics: YR02, YR21, E55, E41, BG10

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Lawn Fawn Hemp Cord Neutral, Canvas, American Crafts Mini Eyelets

Butterfly Mobile by Susan Roberts

It is such a pleasure to welcome Susan Roberts back to the CLASSroom today as she has prepared a fabulous guest post for us! THANK YOU Susan for creating this magical project and sharing the amazing details on how you created this beautiful mobile! It is absolutely stunning!!

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After my daughter-in-law saw a few butterfly mobiles on the internet that she loved, I decided to come up with one for her to hang in my newest little granddaughter’s nursery. It uses many of the wonderful tools and products from Ellen’s store.

The mobile begins with the solid inside pieces of 3 different sized embroidery hoops.

The surface of these wooden hoops was very porous, so they were sealed on all sides with a Gesso and EcoGreen Crafts Acrylic Paint.

To connect the hoops, 3 strands of fishing line were tied across the largest hoop.  To secure each knot a glue gun was was used, and the excess fishing line was cut off.

Again using fishing line, the 2 smaller hoops were tied to the fishing line on the largest hoop.  Each knot was again hot glued and the excess fishing line was cut off.

Next, 18  3’ strands of fishing line were cut and tied to the hoops spacing 6 strands per hoop.  These strands were also hot glued to the hoops and the excess part of the knots was cut off.  To leave room for the ribbons (shown later) the strands on the middle hoop were placed close to the cross sections of fishing line.  (The length of the strands varies on the finished mobile as they were cut once the butterflies were in place.  The number of butterflies per strand also varies.)

Using Mod Podge, strips of Neenah Classic Cream cardstock were adhered to the inside and outside of the hoops, and Kaiser 12” Pearl Strips were placed around the outside of the largest hoop.  (A temporary loop was tied around the center of the nylon strands crossing the hoops to hang the mobile while putting on the butterflies.)

The butterflies were made using Memory Box cardstock in Cotton Candy (light pink), Begonia (medium pink), and Peony (dark pink) and Neenah Classic Cream cardstock.  Each butterfly consists of 4separate pieces, 2 solid butterflies using Memory Box's Darla Butterflydie, 1 lace butterfly made with Memory Box's Vivienne Butterflydie and one body.  (The body die is included with both the Darla and Vivienne butterfly dies.)  This mobile uses approximately 22 Peony, 22 Begonia and 20 Cotton Candy butterflies. 

The graduated colors on the butterflies are as follows: 

Butterfly #1:  Solid(Darla) Butterflies using Peony with a Lace (Vivienne) Butterfly using Begonia

Butterfly #2:  Solid (Darla)Butterflies using Begonia with a Lace (Vivienne) Butterfly using Cotton Candy

Butterfly #3:  Solid (Darla)Butterflies using Cotton Candy with a Lace (Vivienne) Butterfly using Classic Cream

Since the colored Memory Box cardstocks reverse to white,and because part of this reverse side would be visible on the finished butterfly, Jenni Bowlin Ink in Malted Milk ink was applied using an Alcohol Ink Applicator Tool on the white side of each piece to give them a creamy color to match the Neenah“Classic Cream” cardstock that was also being used.

Oh and I have to mention something about The Vagabond! Being able to use Ellen’s studio and the Vagabond was incredible. It made cutting out even the most intricate lacey butterflies an absolute dream.

The butterflies were assembled using a Quickie Glue Pen.  (In those areas on the butterfly which were large enough, double sided tape was used.) Once the butterflies were assembled, they were attached to the mobile by making a hole in the center of the butterfly’s body with a paper piercer and then threading  one of the strands through that hole from the back to the front.

Using a ¼”Circle Punch, circles were punched and then adhered to glue dots.   These were then adhered to the back of each butterfly over the strand of thread one per butterfly matching the cardstock of that particular one.  This holds the butterfly to the desired location on the strand of thread.

Once all of the butterflies were placed and secured,  the strands were cut approximately 4” below the lowest placed butterfly on each strand. Next, two Kaiser self-adhesive pearls were added to the end of each strand placing the sticky sides of the pearls together to form a round pearl.

Finally, six 12” 1-1/4” May Arts Silk Ribbonswere cut and tied to the middle of the three hoops- one to each of the 6sections.  From the hoop to the knot on each ribbon was approximately 3”.  (Note:  If I were to do another mobile, I would add the ribbon before putting all the butterflies on the strands.  Working around the butterflies was needlessly cumbersome…)

The ribbons were all placed on a 1” fastener ring at the knots and gathered together on the bottom half of the ring.

Clip the ring shut and voila!

Papers:  Memory Box Cardstock in Cotton Candy, Begonia, and Peony, Neenah Classic Cream

Ink/Paint:  Jenni Bowlin Malted Milk Ink, Eco Green Acrylic Paint in Clamshell, Studio Gesso

Embellishments: Kaiser Pearl Stripsin Champagne, Kaiser Craft Self-adhesive pearls in Blush, May Arts 1¼” SilkRibbon

Tools: Memory Box Darla Butterfly Die, Memory Box Vivienne Butterfly Die, Vagabond Cutting Machine  by Tim Holtz, Ranger Alcohol Ink Applicator Tool, Retractable Craft Pick(paper piercer), ¼” Circle Punch, Glue Gun

Other: Quickie Glue Pen, Mini Glue Dots, Mod Podge, Embroidery Hoops, Fishing Line, Fastener Ring

Simple Wild Blooms Notecard Set

The Wild Blooms die creates the most spectacular focal point on a card front. There are a number of ways to make these little images pop and today I'm going to share a simple one that you could easily create a complete notecard set in just a few minutes!

I love white space and so I decided to use all white card stock for the main element and just pop the color from behind.

I like consistency when creating a set and do my best to keep the cut out positioned in the same place on each cardfront. To do this place a template beneath the cutting plate to help position the piece of cardstock. Adhere it to the back of the cutting plate with a piece of tissue tape to keep it from moving. I then use a tiny piece of Be Creative (Sookwang) tape to hold my die in position.

Place a piece of 4" x 5 1/4" Solar White cardstock directly atop the template guide, position the top cutting plate and send through your machine.

TIP: To remove the little pieces that might remain in the die use a Quickstik! I will typically just tap my die lightly against the edge of a garbage can and most pieces will pop out, saving me the time of removing them, BUT when I don't want to move my die this little Quickstik is magic!

For ease in creating the cut piece to fit precisely behind the cut out area simply cut an extra image. Then use it as your guide to cut the colored piece to fit precisely behind the opening.

I prefer to use a 2-way glue pen to add adhesive and then press my colored background to the back side. For images that are not as delicate or if you use only one color element you can also use pop dots to add even more dimension. Due to the intricacy of this design I adhered it directly behind my opening for best visual appeal.

The second color does not need to be precisely cut. Simply cut a rectangle of color and adhere.

Using a combination of colors makes for a beautiful assortment. Place in a Crystal Clear box, wrap with a bow and you have a fabulous gift. Now all the recipient needs to do is add a sentiment to the left of the flower or inside the card!

TIP: There are so many different ways to change up the look of these card fronts:

• Use Copic markers to add depth to your colored base,
• Use colored cardstock for the card front adding white behind the opening, or
• Use a burnished velvet glittery background to make your image sparkle.

paper: Neenah Solar White, Memory Box Cardstock - Mango, Sunflower, Holly Berry and Parsley

accessories: Memory Box Wild Blooms Die, Quickstik, Crystal Clear Boxes

Photo Transfer to Canvas by Sharon Harnist

Hello and welcome to the CLASSroom! With Valentine's Day approaching, I wanted to do something "love" or Valentine themed with some recent photos I had taken of my daughters.  After stumbling across a photo transfer to canvas technique, I decided to combine the two ideas into this fun home decor craft!

(Photo credit: Susan Karlsson from Five Days Later Studio)

You will need these supplies:

1. A photograph copied or LASER toner printed (NOT home inkjet printed) onto regular 20 lb. copier paper. It is the toner in regular (or color) copiers and laser printers that makes this transfer technique work. Just remember the photo will be reversed, once transferred, so if you want your canvas to turn out exactly like the photo, you will need to print the photo in reverse.
2. Stretched canvas on a 1.50" wood frame, any size you wish to work with -- Ellen has several to choose from. I used the triple primed (white) kind like these 4x4 Pair. Ellen also carries these sizes 10x10, 4x6, 5x7 of natural canvas (unprimed). I have to assume they would work just as well since I know this technique also works on the same type of natural canvas FABRIC (See **Note at the bottom of this post).
3. Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Multi-Medium Matte (or I used Gloss) 
4. Paint brush,
5. Scraper to smooth out any bubbles 
6. Mister filled with water
7. Sponge, soft cloth or your fingers!

Since I was going for a Valentine look, I turned my photos a sepia color and then re-colored the red accents so they would stand out. (You can find a quick tutorial for that here). You can use sepia, black & white or full color photos -- whatever you like, it doesn't matter.

Once you have the photo copied and trimmed to the size you want transferred, paint a generous amout of the gel Multi-Medium all over the canvas.  You want enough gel so that the photo is thoroughly saturated, but not so much that it's dripping down the canvas!

Next, place the photo face down onto the Multi-Medium and smooth out any bubbles or wrinkles from the center, out, with the scraper. Be careful not to pull or tug too much, as the thin copier paper might tear easily. Make sure all areas of the photo are "adhered" to the canvas well (click on any photo for a larger view):

My original photo is on the right above, left is the canvas painted with Multi-Medium and the photocopied photo smoothed and "adhered" to the canvas.
A word of warning here: If your scraper picks up any gel Multi-Medium that may ooze out from under the edges of the paper, wipe the scraper off and DO NOT spread it around on TOP of the copied photo! With gel medium on top AND under your photo, this will cause a white spot where the paper is really "glued" to your canvas (I had a few of those spots)!

Then, let dry!  It will probably take a few hours, depending on the size of your photo and how much gel medium you used. To be safe, I let it dry overnight.

Once the Multi-Medium is dry, generously mist the paper with water and start to carefully wipe/peel away the paper with a soft cloth, sponge or your fingers -- whichever works best for you. But "carefully" is the keyword here -- if you rub too hard, you will rub off the photo! But having some of the photo rub off isn't the end of the world -- I think it makes the canvas look like it is a real "painted" look and some of the image missing gives the canvas character!

I started with a soft cloth in the first step but then switched to my fingers in later repeated rubbing (see below).

Water is your friend here -- if the paper is stubborn and doesn't want to peel off easily, re-wet it and let the water soak in, then try gently rubbing the paper off again. Let the canvas dry again.  

If it dries looking "cloudy" (like the photo above) you may have to repeat the process a few more times, to work off all the layers of paper (this is where my fingers could feel the paper better and work it off easier, so not to rub off the photo!).

Once thoroughly dry and you are satisfied with your results, paint a final protective sealing coat of the Multi-Medium over the top of the canvas. Don't worry, it will dry clear!

I added my girls names with painted chipboard letters. To do this, I painted the letters with a base coat of Claudine's Studio Painterly Pink acrylic paint (that's my drying canvas in the top of the photo below!):

Then I used Claudine Hellmuth's Modern Red acrylic paint (it's a little more on the peachy orange end of the red scale), because it matched the red colors in my photos:

and painted it onto Hero Arts Antique Brocade Cling Stamp and stamped over the pink painted letters, for a two-toned pattern look:

The finished letters were glued onto the canvas with Glossy Accents (you can also see the great canvas texture you get with this technique!):

Here are close-ups of the completed canvases -- oldest daughter:

And youngest daughter:

NOTE: For a different look, try using Claudine Hellmuth's acrylic paint COLORS for this transfer technique ... Claudine says they work, too! You can find a tutorial Claudine did HERE.

** NOTE: After completing my project, I discovered both Julia and Ellen have used this same basic technique here in the CLASSroom before (great minds think alike)! You can find Julia's Dec 2009 project HERE where she used a black & white photo on a FABRIC canvas album for a lovely vintage look. And Ellen created an adorable photo pennant banner HERE with fabric canvas -- she had success using a color copy of her photo she printed with her home inkjet printer!

I hope you'll have as much fun with this technique as I did!

~ Sharon

Additional Supplies:
Maya Road David chipboard letters,
Claudine Hellmuth Painterly Pink & Modern Red Studio Acrylic Paint
Hero Arts Cling Stamp-Antique Brocade,
Ranger Glossy Accents,
 

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

Kraft Bag Advent Calendar by Julie Ebersole

*click on the pics to en-biggan*

My house isn't decorated for Christmas just yet, so you'll hafta pardon the wrinkly tablecloth back-drop. *wink*

Every year, I think I'm going to create an Advent Calendar and every year I don't. There are so many absolutely darling ideas out there, but usually, the ones I fall in love with would take more than I have time for as a busy, working mama. I need something I can do in about an hour or two max. If you're anything like me, then this is the advent project for you!

*see supplies & materials list below*

Before I get started, I would like to mention that I don't currently have any number stamps or stickers, BUT I just happened to have a numbers die that worked, so I used what I had.  But, it did take a bit of time to glue each of the numbers all down.  This project actually would have gone faster, if I'd had stamps or stickers. A set that would work well for this project is the Hero Arts Garamond Numbers.

The first thing you want to do is stamp your little ATC Kraft bags--they are so stinkin' cute--one package will provide 25 bags, but you might as well pick up an extra package while you're at it, because after you're finished making the advent calendar, there are all kinds of other projects these babies are fun to use in. Trust me.

TIP: Whenever I'm stamping something like a bag that will have some uneven areas due to the bottom flap being folded up on the back side, I like to insert a piece of card stock into the bag to help create a nice flat surface under that front side. This helps me get the nicest, most even impressions.

When the bags are all stamped, just set them aside to dry while you work on the next part of the project.

Punch out 24 1-inch circles from some pretty patterned paper--I love this red ledger style patterned paper from the Wonder 6x6" Paper Pad by Authentique, and I was able to punch 24 circles from just one sheet.

Apply your numbers (or stamp them with black ink).

Now mount the number discs to the bags, atop the stamped snowflakes.  I wanted a little dimension, so I popped them up with foam mounting squares.

Figure out what you want to tuck inside--little trinkets are cute, and candies are fun, as well--just consider whether or not it will hang above a blazing fireplace because you wouldn't want any CHOCOLATES inside to melt.  Ask me how I know. 

String up your festive twine (twine ended up being 7' long, to leave enough length for tying, etc.) where desired, fold the tops of the bags down and clip them to the twine--I hung mine by the corners and let them overlap as you can see.

OK, seriously, aren't these teeny clothespins just the cutest things ever?! Eep! Um, yeah, I always get 2 packages because, just like the little bags, they are gobs of fun to use on other projects.  Just sayin' . . .

•••••••••••••••••••

Supplies & Materials:

Hero Arts Clear Design Snowflake Stamp Set
3D Foam Squares, Mixed
Adirondack Pigment Ink Pad, Snow Cap
Authentique 6x6 Paper Pad Wonder
ATC Mini Bags, Kraft 25 pk
Little Clothespins, 25 ct
Doodlebug Twine, Primary Assortment
EK Success 1" Circle Punch

Other:  Numbers die cut from black card stock

Bookmarks From Scraps by Sharon Harnist

Happy Wednesday, everyone!  I love Memory Box’s line of Notecards and Envelopes -- they are easy to grab for a quick card base and have the pretty matching colored envelopes included!  Often, I cut down these A2 card sized card bases (5.50” x 4.25”) and make smaller notecards -- 4.25”, 3.50” or 3” square, and am then left with these scraps:

So I recently set out to make something out of these leftover scraps (most were 2” x 8.50”) and the first thing that came to mind was bookmarks!

         (Click on any photo for a larger view)

To make these bookmarks for my girls sturdy, I adhered my Memory Box colored scrap notecards (unfolded) to 2” x 8.50” pieces of Ellen’s Craft-a-Board. On the left above, I used Meadow and Wisteria, and on the right I used Currant and Licorice. I used more pieces of my leftover notecards (the reverse/inside of Memory Box notecards and cardstock is white) and punched with Open Scallop Edger Punch to make the white scalloped edging.

Next, I stamped a few Lockhart stamp images (Bennie Bear and Crown of Royalty) with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Copic X-Press It Blending Card and colored them with these Copic markers:

Next, I cut out the images and adhered them to Inchie Arts White Inchie + Squares.  For the bear, I colored a white Inchie + Square with YG01 and YG03 Copic markers -- I love that I can make any color of Inchie, Inchie +, or Twinchie Square I want, just by coloring a white one!  I adhered the crown image to a Black Inchie + Square.

Then to personalize each bookmark, I used Kim Hughes’ Paper Smooches Alphadot clear stamps to spell out each girl’s name, “Good Reads” and “Was Here”.

By changing this basic idea around and using more “grown up” or seasonal stamps and paper/cardstock colors, these will also make great gifts for teachers, friends and family for any of the upcoming holidays!

Thanks for visiting the CLASSroom today!  ~ Sharon

Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Company-Bennie Bear #1011, Crown of Royalty #2125; Paper Smooches by Kim Hughes Alphadot clear stamps; 2.50” Round Acrylic Block with Grid;
Paper: Memory Box Notecards & Envelopes-Currant, Licorice, Meadow, Wisteria; Copic X-Press It Blending Card;
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Ranger Adirondack Dye Ink-Purple Twilight;
Copic Markers: Bear-YG01, YG03, BV02, BV04, E41, E42, E43; Crown-RV00, RV55, T0, T2
Accessories: Essentials by Ellen Craft-a-Board; Inchie Arts White Inchie + Squares and Black Inchie + Square; EK Success Open Scallop Edger Punch; 

Faux Dry Embossing With Die Cuts by Sharon Harnist

Welcome to the CLASSroom today!  Do you ever need a quick hostess, anniversary, house warming, holiday or birthday gift and opt for the traditional bottle of wine?  Or maybe even a flavor-infused bottle of olive oil for for the culinary inclined?  Then I have a nice gift tag option for you today, using a faux dry embossing technique!

          (click on any photo for a larger view)

To make the process easy, I started with a standard #8 shipping tag -- Tim Holtz’s new kraft tag -- I'm loving these!  Next, die cut or punch a 1-3/8” to 1-1/2” circle in the top of the tag (over and removing the tag’s reinforced hole).

Then I scored underneath the die cut hole, about 2 inches from the top of the tag:

Next, I die cut several leaves using Tim Holtz’s Tattered Leaves and Memory Box’s Maple Leaf dies out of the same kraft tag and adhered them to my tag.  Trim off any shapes that hang over the edge of the tag:  

You could then just leave the leaves as is and use them as a background for any kind of project or card, or to make them stand out a little, you could sponge some Distress Ink around the edges of the leaves, to help highlight them a bit:

Or I opted to sponge Versamark Champagne Dazzle ink over my leaves, to give them an elegant sparkle:

Next, I stamped my sentiment with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Memory Box Concord Grape cardstock and cut it into a banner shape.  I secured the sentiment to the tag with a Hinge Clip tied with lilac twine.  To add a little more color to my tag, I backed it with more Concord Grape cardstock and die cut the lower edge with Tim Holtz's On The Edge-Scalloped die.

I hope you’ll give this faux dry embossed look a try with your favorite dies!  ~ Sharon

Stamps: Hero Arts ClearDesign-Truly Appreciated; 3” x 4” Acrylic Block;
Dies & Tools: Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz Die-Tattered Leaves and On The Edge-Scallops; Memory Box Maple Leaf die; Scor-It Mini Scoring Board;
Paper: Ranger Inkssentials #8 Kraft Tag; Memory Box Concord Grape cardstock
Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black and Versamark Champagne Dazzle; Ranger Tim Holtz Old Paper Distress Ink
Accessories: Tim Holtz Hinge Clips; Ranger Ink Blending Tool; We R Memory Keepers Secondary Twine (lilac); 

Fall Altered Frame by Sharon Harnist

The calendar says it's officially Fall ... at least in some parts of the country (still not here in Texas, though)!  So I thought to help me get into a Fall frame of mind, I would make a Fall photo frame!  Here's what I came up with:

To start this project, I decoupaged (using Royal Coat Decoupage) some neutral papers from Authentique's 6x6 Glowing patterned paper onto a 12-inch MDF photo frame from a local craft store (I liked the nice, large 5" x 7" opening).  I always put a final coat of decoupage glue over the top of the patterned paper, to make it more resilient.  

I finished the edges of the frame with Studio Sable Brown Acrylic Paint.

To make the cascading leaves, I die cut leaves out of several fabulous colors of 100% wool felt Ellen carries: Butter, Dark Sage, Rhubarb and Terra Cotta, using Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves Bigz Die.

The Bigz dies can easily be used in the Cuttlebug, by using a sandwich of B plates:

This felt is wonderfully thick, but this die cuts it like butter!

Next, I cut a small dead branch from a tree and attached the die cut felt leaves to the branch, using Fabri-Tac glue.  Since I covered the front side of the branch up with all of the leaves, here's a photo of the backside of the branch, so you can see how the leaves are attached:

The branch was secured to the frame using one of Tim Holtz's Hinge Clips, so I could have the option of maybe switching out this branch with a different seasonal decoration in the future.  Plus, the clip holds things nice and securely!  

The clip was attached to the frame using Glossy Accents -- it's also a great quick-drying permanent glue!  To accent the clip, I tied some black and brown Baker's Twine to the top.

To accent the top right corner of the frame, more leaves were die cut from Nutmeg felt, machine stitched, and accented with a large brown button tied with brown twine.

For the FALL tiles at the bottom, I used Inchie Arts Neutral Inchie Squares (Dark Cream) and embossed them with Tim Holtz's Bricked Texture Fades Embossing Folder.  

(The Inchie on the left above has not been texturized yet).  Then I painted the Inchies with Copper Adirondack Acrylic Metallic Paint Dabber and topped them with Maya Road Mini Alphabet Chipboard Letters that were painted with metallic Gold Paint Dabber.  

To distress and age the brighter metallic paints, I used Walnut (or any dark brown) Stain Distress Ink to darken them.  Here's a comparison of what the tiles and letters looked like before adding the Distress Ink (items on the right in the photo below) vs. the distressed versions on the left:

To finish this frame, I chose a few cute patterned papers from My Mind's Eye Mischievous 6x6 pad and made a photo mat, ready for a new Fall photo with a couple of mischievous little girls I know (namely my 9 and 11 year olds)!

Thanks for joining me today ... Happy Fall!  ~ Sharon 

Paper: Authentique 6x6-Glowing; My Mind's Eye 6x6-Mischievous;  
Dimensions 100% Wool Felt: Butter, Dark Sage, Nutmeg, Rhubarb, Terra Cotta 
Ink: Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks-Walnut Stain + Ink Blending Tool; 
Dies/Embossing: Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz Die-Tattered Leaves, Tim Holtz Texture Fades Embossing Folder-Bricked, 
Accessories: Inchie Arts Neutral Inchie Squares (Dark Cream); Maya Road Mini Alphabet Chipboard Letters-Noah; Ranger Glossy Accents, Studio Acrylic Paint-Sable Brown, Adirondack Acrylic Metallic Paint Dabbers-Copper & Gold; Royal Coat Decoupage; Tim Holtz Hinge Clips; Beacon Adhesives Fabri-Tac glue; Glue Dots; We R Memory Keepers Neutral Fancy Floss Baker's Twine (black & brown);  
Other: 12-inch MDF wood frame, tree branch 

Colorblocked Custom Canvas by Sharon Harnist

I'm still on a canvas kick (loving it!), so I decided to try something different and came up with this Fall color blocked custom canvas/wall hanging:

It's pretty simple to create one in whatever color combo you'd like, to match your home decor or the season ... here's how:

I started with a piece of Ellen's Craft-a-Board and cut it into a 6-inch square and then rounded the corners, using Crop-a-Dile's Corner Chomper.  Alternately, you could use a shaped piece of chipboard, such as this pretty Melissa Frances 7" x 9" Label Backdrop.  Next, I took Ranger's Sticky Back Natural Canvas ATCs and color washed them with Ranger's Adirondack Color Wash in Sailboat Blue and Wild Plum:

You'll want to be sure to use this product away from anything you don't want colored, as it could wreck havoc with your carpet or furniture!  I used an old shipping box to contain the spray, but Ellen has this nifty Color Catcher that works great with color sprays:

After letting the canvas pieces dry, I lightly sanded each piece, to remove a little of the color and let the natural canvas texture show through (the left piece of canvas below has not been sanded yet, while the right piece has):  

Then I just peeled off the sticky-back liner paper and started placing the pieces of colored canvas in a random color-blocked pattern onto my piece of Craft-a-Board.  Using Tim Holtz Non-Stick Micro Serrated Scissors, trim off any excess canvas hanging over the edges of the Craft-a-Board.

Next, I stamped a random pattern of flowers onto the canvas, using Hero Arts Layered Flowers, with black and white pigment inks. I also sanded the edges of the Craft-a-Board/canvas, to fray it a bit ... I like how it made the canvas look a little like blue jeans!

To finish my piece, I also colored some white Sticky Back Canvas with Lettuce and Butterscotch Adirondack Color Wash and die cut it with Tim Holtz's Tattered Florals die (I left the backing on these pieces, as well as the sentiment tag, to give them stability). I used Copic E35 marker to lightly color the edges of the Butterscotch flowers and define the petals, then I layered the flowers together with a large brass brad. 

The Hero Arts sentiment was stamped onto another piece of the Natural Sticky Back Canvas ATC and hand cut into a tag shape.  You could also add a favorite photo to this piece, and it becomes a wonderful scrap page or scrappy wall art!

I hope you'll try making your own canvas piece -- get creative and choose some different die shapes and seasonal colors!  

~ Sharon 

Stamps: Hero Arts ClearDesign-Layered Flowers & Made With Love, 
Paper: Ranger Sticky Back Natural Canvas ATCs & 8.50" x 11" Studio Sticky Back Canvas (white),  
Ink: Ranger Tim Holtz Adirondack Color Wash-Sailboat Blue, Wild Plum, Lettuce & Butterscotch, Archival Ink-Jet Black, Adirondack Pigment Ink Pad-Snow Cap; 
Copic Marker: E35, 
Dies: Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz Die-Tattered Florals, 
Accessories: Essentials by Ellen Craft-a-Board OR Melissa Frances 7" x 9" Label Backdrop, Sanding Blocks; Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper; Tonic Tim Holtz Non-Stick Micro Serrated Scissors; 
Other: Brass brads 

Lockhart Pumpkin Cookies Foldover Bookmark

There are times when I wonder if I'm living under a rock - LOL! With everything going on in life I don't have any time to blog hop and so I have no idea if someone else has shared a version of this project before. Using a large, shaped die to create a "foldover" is an idea that I just thought was fun and so I had to share it with you - I hope that you enjoy it even if you have heard it before.

 

I have been LOVING the label dies from Memory Box Company and it was after creating the Halloweenie card with the Chadwick Label that this idea dawned on me. Why not create "foldovers" with my larger dies?!?

 

To create a "foldover" you simply score your cardstock and fold it. Then using a piece of tissue tape attach the cardstock, with the fold line end slightly lower then where the die would normally make the cut, to the face of your die.

 

Run it through your die cut machine and voila a very nifty "foldover." These then can turn into darling bookmarks that have fabulous shapes!

 

To hold the bookmark in place use a Basic Grey magnet - these are still the best magnets on the market for something like this.

 

Shown above are the colors of Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils and Spica Glitter pen that I used to color the Pumpkin Cookies. I <3 this image and have used it as our thank you's this month.

I also used the Copic Markers to color the 1/4" white silk ribbon with purple to add a little "pop" to the project.

As a little aside - I must tell you that Indie Bloom has papers in the collection that have a fabulous halloween feel.

 

To close I had to share the first version of my project - it is so amazing to me that sometimes when I view my completed project through the camera lens I see missing elements. That is precisely the case in today's project - do you see the difference? It's the littlest of details that can make a card special. By simply adding texture to the edges of the foldover with a pierced design the project comes to life.

 

stamps: Lockhart Halloween Cookies

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Lavender Spica Glitter Pen

paper: Neenah Solar White, Memory Box Mango CS, Basic Grey Indie Bloom

accessories: Tim Holtz Mini Cabinet Die, Mini Paper Clip, and Design Ruler, 1/4" White Silk Ribbon,

Canvas Purse by Sharon Harnist

You may remember this Canvas Wristlet I created a few months ago for my oldest (11 year old) daughter, which she loved!  But since I have two daughters, you know what happened ... yes, my 9-year old wanted to know where hers was!  So I found a different Canvas Alterable Wallet Ellen carries that I thought would work well for a little girl's clutch and it did!

Here's what the wallet looked like before altering:

It measures roughly 5.50" x 3.75".  I chose two coordinating colors of pretty pom-pom trim and attached one color to the front flap of the wallet (tangerine), and the other color to the inside of the flap (cherry pink), using Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive:

Since my girls love ANY kind of animal, she chose this sweet canvas/embroidered bird set to decorate her purse (you get both of birds in the package) -- I liked the denim color:

I used the Fabri-Tac again, to adhere the blue fabric bird to the front of the wallet.  The wings are detached, so you can choose to include them on your project or not, or perhaps mix and/or match or color the plain canvas wing a contrasting or coordinating color.  I opted for the coordinating fabric wing.

The canvas flower also comes detached from the wallet, so you can choose to use it or not on your wallet AND to make it easier to alter the front and then place the flower over the snap clasp.  I placed it a little off center, to give the bird a place to rest.

The inside of the wallet is just that -- two separate slots that would traditionally be used to hold credit cards and/or money, with an additional larger "pocket" to hold a little larger items (a lipstick or mirror, perhaps, or little girl trinkets!), along with a small zippered interior pocket:

 

To decorate the back of the wallet, I used one of the flocked butterflies I had left over from these canvas back-to-school tags I created.  It irons on quickly ... it took me longer to locate the iron and ironing board and get them all set up!

And best of all, the interior slots will also hold an iPod Touch, with plenty of room for earphones inside:

The detachable strap can also be used to clip this little wallet onto a belt loop or backpack ... for the girl on the go!  This is another fun, quick & easy project that your child can help you make -- I hope you'll try it and share your results!  ~ Sharon

Maya Road Canvas Alterable Wallet, 
Prima Canvas & Embroidered Birds, Cherry and Tangerine Pom-Pom Trim, Iron On Flocked Butterfly,
Beacon Adhesives Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive, 

Back-to-School Canvas Tags by Sharon Harnist

It’s Back-to-School time once again, so I thought I would make some cute personalized canvas tags my girls could use either on their backpacks or lunch bags.  Here’s what I came up with:

I started with this 6” x 3” Maya Road 3-Ring Rectangle Canvas Album and removed two of the “pages” to use for the base of the tags:

Next, I opened Ellen’s Seasonal Alphabet Download (letter A -- both of my girls’ first name initials) in Photoshop and changed the colors … one to a bright pink & green combo, the other to orange & green.  I added the monogram letters to each of my girls photographs and then printed them (approximately 2” x 2.5”) onto Claudine Hellmuth’s 8.5” x 11” Studio Sticky-Back Canvas.

I trimmed the photos, removed the backing from them, and stuck them to the canvas tags.  After machine stitching the photos to the canvas tags, I chose some Prima Iron On Butterflies and Iron On Daisies to add to the tags and ironed them on the fronts as well as the backs of the tags:

Lastly, I finished the fronts of the tags with some pretty natural colored lace, pom-pom, and tiny rose trims (either machine stitched on or held with Fabri-Tac).  Two of the three binder rings that came with the album will be used to attach the tags to whatever my girls would like to use them on.  I like that the holes in the tags are sturdy and reinforced with metal -- they should last a long time and I don’t think their backpacks or lunch bags will be mistaken for anyone else’s now!

I hope you’ll try some of the great canvas and iron-on items Ellen carries -- they can make some very unique, fun projects!  ~Sharon

Paper: Ranger Claudine Hellmuth’s 8.5” x 11” Studio Sticky-Back Canvas, 
Accessories: Maya Road 3-Ring Rectangle Canvas Album, Prima Donna Downey Iron On Butterflies and Iron On Daisies, Ellen’s Seasonal Alphabet Download, Prima Cream Crocheted Lace, Maya Road Ecru Pom-Pom and Small Organza Cream Roses, Beacon Adhesives Fabri-Tac,

Welcome Gate Seed Packet

Holiday Monday's get a big thumbs up! I hope that you are enjoying yours.

Today showcases the coloring on the last piece of the little trio of projects I created using the new Lockhart stamps. Sharing garden seeds can be so much fun and the intent was to create a little piece that garden seeds could be enclosed and given to a friend.

 

Each of the pieces above have one common thread - the Mykonos papers. Using the colors from this collection was a wonderful jumping off point and allowed me to create an ensemble that easily coordinates.

 

Begin by coloring each different element in the stamped image with a light colored Copic. At times I make a "mistake" when pulling out the flowers, greens, etc. - by working with a light color it is so very easy to come back in and adjust the colors if you discover you have colored a leaf pink :-D

I am now going to work through how I add depth or dimension to my colored images.

 

Add W4 as shown above. Do not color the entire area - only little tidbits in similar corners of each "segment."

 

Add E34 in various areas as shown above.

 

Now go back over these areas with W1 - the lighter color will blend the colors you just added, as well, when you color an area over a second time it becomes darker. I have found that I will get varying shades of a color by going over an area up to four times. Each time I apply that color it becomes slightly darker.

 

The last colors I add are typically with Prismacolor Color Pencils. The added texture that colored pencils add by simply grabbing the top layer of tooth on the Neenah paper adds so much interest. I hope that you can see it in these photos.

 

I almost always work from light to dark.

 

Then come back over all colors with my lightest Copic color to blend and add colored pencil once again. Sorry for the blur on the bottom of this picture, my camera grabbed the marker colors and I didn't realize I had lost my focus on the bottom of the image :-( Please look at the photo below to see that area in focus.

 

One of the techniques I like to use when coloring "green" areas is to very lightly "blur" the background area with Chartreuse colored pencil as shown above.

I then come back in with a mix of greens to create depth.

 

Mixing yellows and yellow-reds creates a wonderful golden yellow.

 

A little Goldenrod colored pencil and the flowers and gate are almost complete.

I purposefully left the sign until the very end - I didn't know what color I wanted it to be until my image was complete. It then became obvious to me that I wanted to balance the blues of the flowers at the base and create a triangle of color.
 

To create unity amongst these projects I once again stitched my image to the flap of this wonderful little Kraft Glassine envelope. This time I took a picture of the back side as well so that you can see how the stitching can vary from one side to the next.
 

Using another Squash button together with a mini paper clip and adding a Whimsy Bird completed this simple project.

Remember to leave your comment before midnight tonight on the Summertime post to be eligible to receive the goodies you will need to create these projects! AND let's all cross our fingers for some nice summertime weather!

 

stamps: Lockhart Welcome Gate

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic Markers

paper: 7 Gypsies Mykonos 6x6 Paper Pad, Neenah Solar White, Memory Box Squash Cardstock, Craft-a-Board

accessories: Tim Holtz Kraft Glassine Envelopes, Mini Paper Clip, Memory Box Button Die, Design Ruler, Retractable Craft Pick

Ticket to a Happy Birthday Creeper Style

We are celebrating a special day today at our home - I can't believe how quickly 17 years have flown by!!! My baby is now taller than I am, blows me out of the water when it comes to Math and Physics, and can run like the wind.

 
She also loves music; quirky music.

 

Her voice is beautiful and she is not afraid to sing in public. She's going to shoot me when she sees this photo of her singing this past weekend at the Relay for Life, but I just couldn't help myself. She has so much personality :-D So what better place to hear a wide mix of musical groups than Seattle's Music and Arts Festival, Bumbershoot.

 

"Real" tickets are not yet available and in order to make our gift to her something a little more special I created a "faux ticket" to put in the card. As you can see I once again used Tissue Tape to keep my design perfectly positioned. The light adhesive leaves no marks --- yeah for the little tricks!

 

Next I needed a "muscial" image. I found "Tyler" rocking his guitar amongst the Creeper Crew, but I needed a female version. Using a Faber Castell's XS PITT Artist Pen I changed up the hairstyle as shown above turning Tyler into a girl :-D

 

The colors of the Bumbershoot logo coordinated PERFECTLY with Splash --- I love a happy coincidence. The second was the realization that the edger punch I wanted to use, aligned perfectly with the striped paper!

A little bling with some Chartreuse Glitter Ritz and Amber Rhinestones, some punched musical notes and we now have a cute way to present our little gift. Happy Birthday sweetheart --- You Rock!

 
stamps: Creeper Crew - Tyler from the Creepin' Kit

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Black XS Faber Castell PITT Artist Pen, Copic Markers - E0000, E000, E11, R11, R24, YG0000, YG00, YG03, YG25, YG61, E34, E37, E27, BG11, B93, B97

paper: Echo Park Splash 6x6 Paper Pad, Memory Box Persimmon Notecard

accessories: Chartreuse Microfine Glitter Ritz, Be Creative (Sookwang) 1/4" Tape, EK Success Open Scallop & Musical Symphony Edger Punch, Copper Rhinestones

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

Framed Stencil Flower by Sharon Harnist

Today I wanted to show how you can easily create an easel frame for any sized project.

I started this framed piece of artwork with this fabulous Hero Arts Cling-Stencil Flower stamp.  I stamped it with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Copic's X-Press It Blending Card and colored it with the RV series of Copic Sketch Markers listed below, which matches the smaller flowers on the patterned paper I chose. I cut out the flower and then stamped and colored an additional flower, which I cut out only the center of, and stacked it with foam tape on top of the whole flower.

I loved this piece of Webster's 6x6 Petite Trendsetter paper and wanted to used the whole piece -- as opposed to cutting it down to fit into whatever sized frame I might have on hand (and probably not the right color!).  So this is what I did:

I rounded the corners of the 6-inch patterned paper using Crop-a-Dile's Corner Chomper.  Then I cut 6.25" pieces of Ellen's Craft-A-Board and the fabulous new Core-dinations Color Core Cardstock-Black and adhered the black cardstock on the Craft-a-Board, to create a sturdy base.  The patterned paper was matted with a 6-1/8" piece of Neenah Natural White cardstock and then adhered with foam tape on top of the black base.

To create the easel for the back of the frame, I just used a photo frame I had on hand and traced the shape onto Craft-a-Board and cut it out:

 

If I had thought far enough ahead, I probably would have used brads to secure the easel to the back of the Craft-a-Board frame before adhering the patterned paper to the front, but I didn't!  So instead, I scored 1/2" from the top of the easel and then used Ranger's Mini Glossy Accents to adhere the easel to the back of the frame -- this stuff will hold ANYthing with a fabulous permanent bond!

Make sure to line up the bottom edge of the easel with the bottom corner of your frame, so it will stand up correctly (mine IS aligned -- it just appears not to be, because it's folded up a little).

To create the small glittered frame around the "be true" sentiment printed on the patterned paper, I used two smaller Spellbinders Labels Thirteen Nestabilities dies and die cut a frame from sturdy cardstock:

Then I used the same YG63 Copic marker I used on the flower and colored the die cut cardstock frame -- be sure you color the outside as well as the inside edges of the frame, for a nice finish.  This just ensures that none of the white cardstock frame base will show through the glitter.  Then I ran the frame through my Xyron machine, covering it in adhesive, and applied the Glitter Ritz Opaque Micro Fine Chartreuse Glitter glitter.

The frame was popped up with foam tape over the sentiment and the large flower accented with Ranger Star Dust Stickles.

Now just think of all the different sizes and shapes of easel framed artwork (or scrapbook pages!) you can create . . . Enjoy! ~ Sharon

Stamps: Hero Arts Cling-Stencil Flower,
Paper: Copic X-Press It Blending Card, Webster's 6x6 Petite Papers-Trendsetter, Core-dinations Colore Core Cardstock-Black, Neenah Natural White cardstock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black,
Copic Markers: RV13, RV14, RV17, RV19, YG63, T5
Accessories: Essentials by Ellen Craft-A-Board, Spellbinders Labels Thirteen Nestabilities dies, Glitter Ritz Opaque Micro Fine Glitter-Chartreuse, Ranger Star Dust Stickles and Mini Glossy Accents, Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper, Tonic Tim Holtz Non-Stick Serrated Scissors, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares,

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

Learn With Me! by Kim Kesti

It is always such a huge honor when our invited guests agree to teach here in the CLASSroom! Today we would like to give an ENORMOUS welcome to Kim Kesti as she shares her creative ideas here in the CLASSroom. Kim is constantly inspiring her readers on her blog think fast, as well you will find her work as a Paper Crafts Go-to Gal on the Moxie Fab and Paper Crafts Connections blogs.

Once again we have a special "something" for those who take the time to visit Kim over on her blog - so head over to think fast and leave a comment for Kim! We will be doing a random drawing and announcing the winner together with Kim on Monday, April 18th, so don't delay - read her post here and then head over to her blog and be inspired!

Kim is a VERY busy designer and mom and to have her take the time to share with us here... all I can say is a simple and huge THANK YOU Kim! -Ellen

 

LEARN WITH ME! by Kim Kesti

I’m so excited to be here with you in the Ellen Hutson CLASSroom. I am a huge fan of all the teachers here and hope I can bring a little bit of my own experience and personality to share with you today.

My name is Kim Kesti and I’ve been paper crafting for about five years. I currently work with Paper Crafts magazine as a Go-to Gal, it’s the best job in the world! I love trying new techniques and even after five years, there are so many things I want to learn. Won’t you learn with me? (I kind of sounded like Mr. Rogers there, didn’t I?)

My main “style” of paper crafting is pretty bold and graphic. I tend to like simple patterns and straight lines. But, I was recently introduced to the Tim Holtz Distress Inks and I think I am in love. Although the project I am showing you today is clean and simple in nature, I adore how the Distress Ink just gives it that little touch of vintage. Plus, I think the look perfectly suits these Hero Arts stamps, don’t you?

 

First, I stamped my image in my favorite Memento Tuxedo Black. 

Then I grabbed my Ink Blending Tool from Ranger and my Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I used the blending tool to add ink to the edges of all my stamped images. I learned the trick to making the ink smooth is to work from the outside edge toward the center, always moving your blending tool in a circular motion.

  

This technique gives such a pretty, soft edge to your images. It works exactly the same way on patterned paper, too. I was so happy with my stamped images that I decided to create a little set of blank note cards as a gift.

 

This Cosmo Cricket Social Club paper could have been made with these stamps in mind, don’t you think? Love them together.

  

Here’s a close up of how the ink just softened those edges a wee bit. Really nice.

  

Of course, every card set needs a little tag, right?

I created a simple tag with the Memory Box Eggshell cardstock, a piece of the Social Club Ready, Set, Chip  and a sweet little scrap of 7Gypsies Paper Tape. I tied the set together with some twine and an old button. Fun!

Would you like to see one more coordinating project? (I know, I’m on a roll now). It’s basically the same format I used on my cards, but I made this little guy into a mini notebook.

  

I think it was this camera image that inspired the idea. That stamp is so awesome. To make the notebook, I adhered the cardstock panel to a piece of Craft-a-Board. Oh my – love the Craft-a-Board! It’s my first time using it and I already know I need another pack! Hee, hee.

One tip on using the Bind It All: pre measure your finished size to make sure the holes are spaced properly. I’ve learned the hard way to always double check the size first. It’s such a shame to punch your finished project and find out one of the holes is half way off the edge, right?

  

You can see in the photo that my notebook is sized to fit six punched holes across just about perfectly. Sweet.

 

I also wanted to show you how easy it is to figure out where to cut the coil. I place my coil right on to my project, then snip right where the punched piece ends. (Use the instructions that are included with the Bind It All to finish the notebook).

  

Well, there you go. A cute little set of cards and one notebook to match. I think this would make a great gift, don’t you? 

Thanks for trying something new with me! I hope to be back someday to share again.

Kim Kesti

 
stamps: Hero Arts Vintage Stamps

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress Ink Vintage Photo

paper: Cosmo Cricket 6” Mini Deck Social Club, Cosmo Cricket Ready Set Cup Social Club,  Memory Box Eggshell, Lagoon, Squash and Persimmon Cardstock

accessories: 7 Gypsies Paper Tape Christmas Wrap, Zutter OWire ½” Antique Brass

"Gotcha Day" Cake

There is no day more special in one's life than when a child is welcomed in to a family. The love that children provide and bring to our lives is magical. These little blessings come in so many ways! A wonderful ritual that family's who bring their special little people and babies in to their lives through adoption, is to celebrate that extraordinary arrival day. Filling that special family day with hugs, love and fun can be so wonderful.

I am so very honored and blessed to have a very dear friend who brings such joy and happiness to those she knows. Susan Tierney Cockburn  created this exceptional treasure for a special little girl who brings so much joy to her life, and I have had the honor of taking a picture of this treasure and sharing it with you.

 

I love absolutely EVERY detail of this beautiful, celebratory cake - the magic of the little girl and the frog sitting amongst the flowers atop this cake, the date, the springtime papers...

You can see the love that Susan shares as she creates these pieces and I want to assure you that you CAN create these beautiful flowers as well! The directions that Susan has shared in the books she has authored (Paper Garden and Paper Bouquet) are precise and easy to follow. We are currently working to put together a more informative website as we acquire the different punches and tools that Susan has been instrumental in designing for this craft.

Susan's Garden started many years ago in the dead of winter, I cannot tell you how much these beautiful blooms cheer me as the gray winter passes. Paper flowers were brought to life by one of the kindest and most honorable women I know. Keep checking back to our store as we continue to put together pictures and a plan that makes it easier for you to recreate these magical blooms and spread the magic Susan creates with others.

 
Paper: Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime

Accessories: Punch Bunch punches, Tim Holtz Upon A Time Die, Sizzix Scoreboards Cakebox Die or Essentials by Ellen: Precuts Cakebox

Emboss Resist by Sharon Harnist

Today I wanted to cover a few different ways to accomplish the emboss resist stamping technique (even with your Copics!) with this 8-inch Spring wall art:

 

For the base of my wall art, I used a square 8-inch piece of scalloped acrylic I had on hand but any of these 8-inch fabulous shapes of Maya Road chipboard backdrops Ellen carries would make great bases, too! 

    

I covered my base with this gorgeous Graphic 45 Springtime 8x8 paper -- SO pretty, I love all the patterns in this collection, especially these whimsical fairies!

 

The "spring" letters are Prima's Ivory Textured Alphabet Stickers, airbrushed with Copic YG63 marker.  The flower was die cut from more Springtime paper, with Tim Holtz's Tattered Florals Bigz die.  This flower is quick and easy -- I used one piece of the Primrose Cottage Graphic 45 Springtime paper and die cut all the flowers on this die.  Then I simply flipped every other flower over and used the reverse "newspaper" printed side.  Each layer is stacked with EK Success 3D Dots thick foam tape.  A cream button, also airbrushed with Copic YG63 marker, finishes the center of the flower.

Doilies are a hot trend in papercrafting right now, and Ellen has put together some fabulous sets of her own paper doilies that you could also easily use for this project:

   

But for those times that you may want a patterned doily, what better thing to have than a die that you cut whatever color or pattern of paper to make your own doily!  Ellen carries several dies that will do this -- you can find them listed in the store HERE. 

Today I used Spellbinders Eyelet Pendant die to cut some coordinating turquoise Springtime paper and then used Copic BG72 marker to color the raised embossed areas around the outer edge of the doily, before removing it from the die:

 
 
The green dotted scalloped piece was cut with Spellbinders Big Scalloped Border Petites dies and then green sheer narrow organdy ribbon was threaded through the holes in the border, and finished with a Jenni Bowlin Cream Vintage Sew-On Button.  A pretty Zva crystal swirl accents the left side of the wall art.

 

On the right side of the wall art, I stamped this sweet Hero Arts Essential Messages sentiment with Adirondack Espresso dye ink on more floral patterned Springtime paper, die cut it with Spellbinders Labels Thirteen Nestabilities die (I trimmed the right side off), and then added a little leftover Zva bling that I trimmed off the swirl from the left side of the wall art.  Maya Road Small Organza Pink Roses accent the sentiment.

 

Now for the emboss resist!  For any emboss resist technique, you will need to begin by stamping your image (I chose this adorable Hero Arts Cling-Dancing With Flowers) with a watermark ink -- I chose Versamark (shown above).  Then use any color of heat embossing powder you would like -- I chose Clear Embossing Powder, and heat set it. Normally, most emboss resist techniques are done on solid white or neutral cardstock and then colored ink rubbed/sponged around the embossed image.  But I wanted to try the look on patterned paper, so the pattern would show through!

 

I sponged Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink around the image.  When you are finished sponging the ink, be sure to use a clean tissue to wipe the excess ink off the embossed image.  Or you may opt to cover the image with a sheet of clean copy/printer paper and with an iron on low setting, heat the image until the embossing heats up enough to melt off and onto the copy paper.  This method may be especially helpful when using the Copic marker technique below.

I also wanted to see if I could accomplish this technique with Copic markers, so I airbrushed Copic Y28 marker all around another stamped/clear embossed image:

 

and then sprayed Copic Colorless Blender Solution in a Mini Mister on tissue, to wipe away the marker from the embossed image (or you may use the iron heating method described above, to remove the embossing).  This was the result:

 

I was pretty excited this worked so well . . . think of the possibilities!  To finish the focal image, I trimmed the image and then machine stitched it to a gingham Springtime patterned paper, timmed with pinking shears.  I hope you enjoy trying this technique!

 

Stamps: Hero Arts Cling-Dancing With Flowers & ClearDesign-Essential Messages,
Paper: Graphic 45-Springtime 8x8 paper pad,
Ink: Ranger Adirondack Espresso dye ink & Tim Holtz Distress Inks-Brushed Corduroy; Tsukineko Versamark ink pad,
Copic Markers: BG72, YG63, Y28, Colorless Blender Solution,
Tools: Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz die-Tattered Florals; Spellbinders Eyelet Pendant & Big Scalloped Border Petites dies, Labels Thirteen Nestabilities die; Ranger Heat It Craft Tool.
Accessories: Maya Road chipboard backdrop, Copic Airbrush System-1 & Sparmax Windstorm Airbrush Compressor, Prima Ivory Textured Alphabet Stickers, Ranger Ink Blending Tool & Mini Mister, Clear Embossing Powder & Heat It Craft Tool; Maya Road Small Organza Roses-Pink, EK Success 3D Dots thick foam tape, Jenni Bowlin Cream Vintage Sew-On Buttons, Mini Glue Dots, Zva crystal swirl,
Other: pinking shears, light green narrow sheer organza ribbon, sewing machine + ivory thread,

Valentine Chandelier by Sharon Harnist

I must admit this wasn't my original idea -- I recently came across this wonderful Valentine Chandelier and wanted to make my own version of it -- a little more vintage-themed one, so here's my take on it!  Sorry these photos are not better -- it's hard to get a good photo of things that are constantly turning and twisting!

For the base of the chandelier, I used one chipboard heart "page" from Maya Road's Heart Chipboard Album:

These hearts are a nice size -- approximately 6.50" at the widest point and almost 6.25" tall.  With eight "pages", you can either make a lot of these type of projects, or a very full Valentine album!  Alternately, you could use some of Ellen's Craft-a-Board or Crystal Clear Plastic to fashion whatever shape you'd like your chandelier to have.  That's what I was originally going to do, until I saw how nice and large this heart album was!

I covered the chipboard heart with patterned papers from 7 Gypsies' Lille 6x6 paper pack -- I love the warm tones and vintage collage style of these papers!

The 6-inch paper will not quite cover all of the heart chipboard -- it must be turned at an angle into the corner of the paper and then just some tiny slivers of the chipboard will still show.  The rose trim I used around the edge of the heart chipboard shape finished covering the chipboard just fine. But if this bothers you, the Lille papers are also available in a larger 8-inch size!

 

I trimmed the edge of the heart with Cream Small Organza Roses, adhered with Copic's X-Press It Double-Sided High Tack Tape (shown below is the top side of my paper-covered chipboard heart, untrimmed and the bottom side, shown trimmed with the cream roses):

 

For the photos, I used Ellen's fabulous selection of Assorted Doilies:

See those cute heart doilies in the pack?  They are the perfect size (approximately 4" x 4") for about a 2.50" x 3" photo!  So I made them into "frames" by cutting my black & white photos into heart shapes and adding some Zva Clear Swirl Crystals to dress them up: 

 

I backed the doilies with patterned paper, to give them more stability & weight, and make them pretty on the reverse side, too!  I sponged some Antique Linen Distress Ink on the white doilies, so they would match the vintage patterned papers a little better.  Instructions for the red tissue flowers are below with the Bingo card and the little "love bird" was die cut with Spellbinders smallest Nested Bird die set.

 

I used a Jenni Bowlin Red Adore Mini Bingo Card and since the back of it is plain white, I machine stitched more of the Lille paper onto the back and then trimmed the edges with pinking shears.

 

To accent the front of the Bingo card, I made a tissue flower by die cutting several layers of red tissue paper with Spellbinders Nested Peony dies.  After die cutting, just stack the layers of tissue paper together and secure them in the center (I used Tim Holtz's Tiny Attacher) and cover the staple with a large pearl or rhinestone.  Then fluff up the layers of tissue paper -- quick and easy!  Alternately, you could use a brad to secure the center of the flower.

The "wonky" hanging hearts were die cut with Tim Holtz's Heart Wing Bigz Die (shown below): 

from Memory Box Cranberry cardstock (solid heart) and then topped with the swirly heart die cut from Lille papers (these are two separate shapes on the die):

 

More solid hearts were die cut from Memory Box's Red Biscotti cardstock, aged with Antique Linen Distress Ink so they would match the Lille papers better, and accented with red gemstones. To make it quick and easy to die cut matching images (that you want to have a nice front and back), fold the cardstock in half (Memory Box is colored on one side and white on the back), so the white is on the inside. After die cutting, just adhere these two mirror images together and you'll have a colored heart on both sides! To adhere smaller die cuts like the swirly heart above, I like to use a mini bottle of Ranger's Glossy Accents -- it's a great liquid glue!  The bottle is easier to hold, the small applicator makes it easy to control the "glue" in tight spaces, and it dries quickly.  The double heart at the bottom of the photo above was cut on the fold of the cardstock and then opened up and backed with another piece of patterned cardstock.

 

If you've never used any of Tim's or Sizzix's Bigz dies and don't have either Sizzix's or Tim's die cutting machines but have a Cuttlebug, these dies work perfectly and easily in it!  I just use a Cuttlebug B plate on either side of the die and get perfect cuts every time, even with cardstock doubled like I've done here.

 

The birds were die cut with Spellbinders Nested Bird die, again from doubled Memory Box Cranberry cardstock, and I made the wings from Tim Holtz's Heart Wings Bigz Die!

To assemble the the chandelier, I lined up all my elements in four different columns and played with the placement.  Then I threaded an embroidery needle with fishing line and strung each of the four lines separately, leaving enough fishing line at the top and bottom of each string to allow for tying.  Using my Crop-a-Dile, I punched holes at the point of the heart and on the top of the heart, at each of the curves.  A piercing tool was used to place a hole in the center of the heart for the fourth line.

NOTE: When adhering the heart and bird fronts and backs together, I only placed a strong adhesive on the edges and not in the middles, so I would be able to string the fishing line through the centers of the double-sided cardstock shapes.  These "sandwiched" shapes were then easy to slide up and down the fishing line, to determine good placement and then stayed in place very well.

To anchor the doily heart frames to the fishing line (since I had not thought ahead and glued all of the photos and backing papers to the doilies and didn't leave a space through the middles!), I sewed the fishing line through the bottom of the front of the heart, along the back, and then back through the top of the heart to the front side.  Until the exact placement of the frames was determined, this let me slide the frames up and down the fishing line easily:

   

Once the proper placement was determined, I placed Mini Glue dots on the back of the heart frame where the fishing line was "sewn" through the cardstock.  To make the Glue Dot a little prettier, I sprinkled Glitter Ritz Warm Highlights Transparent Microfine glitter over them!

To weight the ends of the fishing line, I used these beautiful Melissa Frances Diamond Chandelier Drops:

 

The Chandelier Drops also help to weight each line, so they hang nicely.  And the darling butterflies are Jenni Bowlin Vellum Embellished Butterflies in Red! 

Finally, to make the hanger at the top of my chandelier, I used ivory satin ribbon threaded through each of the three outer holes (knotted separately on the bottom of the heart base) and knotted them together at the top. I hope I've explained the construction of this chandelier well - if not, please let me know if the comments and I'll answer your questions! Thanks for visiting the CLASSroom today!  ~ Sharon

 

Paper: 7 Gypsies-Lille 6x6 paper pack, Memory Box Cranberry Cardstock & Cranberry Biscotti Cardstdock; Essentials by Ellen Assorted Doilies, 
Ink: Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink-Antique Linen,
Copic Markers
Tools: Tim Holtz Bigz Die-Heart Wings; Spellbinders Nested Bird & Nested Peony die templates; WRM Crop-a-Dile, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher,
Accessories: Jenni Bowlin Vellum Embellished Butterflies-Red & Mini Bingo Cards-Red; Maya Road Chipboard Album-Heart; Prima Small Organza Roses-Cream; Melissa Frances Chandelier Drops-Diamond; Hero Arts Assorted Gemstones-Red; Ranger Ink Blending Tool & Mini Glossy Accents; 3/8" Glue Dots; Glue Glider Pro with Perma Tac adhesive, Copic X-Press It High Tack Double-Sided Tape; Zva Clear Swirl Crystals, Glitter Ritz Warm Highlights Transparent Microfine glitter,
Other: fishing line, red tissue paper, pinking shears, sewing machine + ivory thread, embroidery needle

12 Days of Christmas: Day 5 - Stamping with Paint By Becky Olsen

I have to admit that sometimes I feel a little intimidated by larger sized projects. Am I alone in that, I sure hope not! Filling a larger space takes more planning and preparation for me and I can find the process overwhelming. Maybe that I why I love card making so much. Whatever the reason may be, I am not going to let it stop me from trying new techniques, or media. A 4" x 4" canvas can be a terrific starting place for playing, and if you are like me, you might find an entirely new way to express yourself! After creating this tiny masterpiece, I have plans to make a couple more that will compliment it and give them to my mom for her birthday in a few weeks. She is a seamstress, and I think she would really enjoy a little art cluster for her sewing room.
It simplified my decision making process to use a few products that are all meant to work together, with the stress of decision making gone, I was free to play and enjoy!

What I used:

4" x 4" Canvas, the Claudine Hellmuth Studio Line paints, Paint brushes and Sticky back Canvas, Claudine's Stamps, Archival ink in black, Hero Arts Friend Definition Cling stamp, a Mini-Mister, and of course my handy-dandy Non-stick Craft mat!

The first thing I did was get my Painterly Pink Studio Paint onto the mat and loosened it up with water from the Mini-Mister. This let me put a nice light color onto the canvas.

I did the same thing with Modern Red, but didn't loosen it quite as much so that the coverage would be a little more opaque. I used the stamp from the Domestic Foam stamp set to get a fun background pattern. I also stamped the scallops from that set onto each of the sides of the canvas.

While that was drying I worked on my top layers.

First I stamped the dress form from the Domestic Foam set with Landscape green onto some Sticky Back Canvas, then stamped the Hero Arts Friend Definition with Archival ink over the top. To add a little punch I used the little dots from the Domestic Foam set in the Modern Red over the top of the definition stamp. When it was dry, I stamped it with the Domestic Clear and then fussy cut it out and set it aside. I then stamped the little birds in Sky Blue over the top of the definition and when it was dry stamped the outline from the Domestic Clear set around them and then cut them out as well. I stamped the birdcage in the Modern Red as well and after it was dry stamped the outline in Archival on it as well.

When the base canvas was dry I stamped the thick and thin rectangles in Yellow Pastel, I let that layer dry and then stamped the Domestic Clear outline over it and the scallops on all the sides as well. Then I peeled the protective backing from the Sticky Back pieces and adhered them in place.

There it is! A finished canvas that is as cute as can be! I learned a few things while playing, and the most important of those was to relax, have fun and don't be afraid to make a mess!  :o)

So what do you think? Are you ready to give these little gems a try? A great size for a quick project, and there is always room for something so tiny and cute!

B-

On the fifth day of Christmas my goodie box could be:

• Creative Layers Dwelling Clear Stamps
• Creative Layers Dwelling Foam Stamps
• Studio Line Brushes
• Studio Line 8 1/2" x 11" Natural Sticky Back Canvas
• Studio Matte Multi-Medium

To participate in this random drawing please leave your answer to the following question as a comment to this post. Please limit yourself to one comment only for each goodie package. The last day to submit a comment to this post will be January 6th at Midnight. We will post the winners (which will be drawn using a Random Number Generator) for all twelve days on January 7th.

Please share your 2011 crafting resolution - if you don't have one then make one up :-D 

Remember to visit the following 12 Days of Christmas blog candy drawings --- be certain to post a comment to the question on each individual post to be included in that drawing!

• One Stampin' Treasure
• Two Melting Tools
• Three Copic Goodies
• 3 Stamps + 1 Color Sampler = Four Memory Box Treats

12 Days of Christmas: Day One - One Stamping Treasure

Welcome to our 12 Days of Christmas! There is no partridge in the pear tree here, but we will be putting flowers in a tea cup. Remember to read through to the end of this post and leave a comment to be eligible for today's blog candy! You may also want to visit previous year's 12 Days of Christmas posts for some wonderful inspiration.

During our 12 Tags series I asked what you would like to learn about. Many of you answered that you wanted to learn more about Ranger's Color Washing sprays. Well... they finally arrived and so today I am hoping to share with you some of the beautiful things you can create using these ink sprays.

 

Most of the color in today's picture is achieved by using the Color Wash sprays. To begin I want to share with you the special feature that these sprays are rather permanent when heat set! They are PERFECT for use on fabric and so today I am sharing some of the little treasures I tried them on.

Before beginning I made a trip to the fabric store. I hope to have future posts to share the use of some of the other fabrics I purchased, but today I'm going to focus on the products I picked up from behind the cutting counter. The Joanne's, which is a 15-20 minute drive from my office, was my stop for these goodies. Be certain to pull your number early in your quest on any trips during this busy time of year and soon you will have your turn.

Purchase all sorts of "odd" things! Crinoline (used to make those poofy skirts - yes, it is behind the cutting counter so insist they look!), Pellon, Fusible Lining, Tulle, Linen, Cotton. Any 100% natural fiber fabric will take the dyes of these sprays well and you will be able to create some beautifully colored projects. Experiment with the man-made fibers as well because you will achieve some interesting results!

I have to admit that I am so grateful for the textile training I received during college. It has come in handy on so many occasions as I experiment with the wonderful stamping products we have - but experimentation is the key to discovery, so don't be afraid to try new things!

 

Today I used both Crinoline and Pellon. Use the Tattered Florals Die to cut out three sets of fabrics for each flower.

As you can see I used two products today - Cranberry Color Wash for the dark tones and Viva Pink Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist for the lighter color. I needed a lighter color and wanted to see how these two products would mix. Incredibly is my answer!

First I sprayed one set with Cranberry Color Wash. 
 

Next I sprayed a set with Viva Pink and then placed these petals into the Cranberry spray droplets that remained on the non-stick craft sheet. Gorgeous combinations of color were the end result.
  

I just had to share this next series of pictures. I am in LOVE with the Craft Scrubbie. No longer do I worry about getting inky fingers - head to the sink, scrub your fingers using the "Scrubbie" and voila --- clean fingers!!!
 

Now it's time to cut the petals to create your flower. For each flower:

• Cut down between two petals, to the center - then cut a small circle in the center.
• Cut out one petal and then cut a small circle in the center of the petals.
• Cut out two petals and create a small half circle where the center once was.

You should now have five pieces as shown above.

 

I prefer to cut down the petal before gluing each section together as shown in the photo above. Be certain to leave enough room to attach the opposite petal to form a circle (or cone.)

 

For the two petal and one petal sections roll the crinoline, pellon, or fabric of choice before applying the adhesive.

I prefer using Beacon Adhesives FabriTac for these types of projects. It holds extremely well and dries quickly!
 

Prepare petals and allow to dry.

 
You should have five pieces completed as shown above for each flower.

 

Start with the largest piece as your base. Place adhesive around the open circle as shown.
 

Insert the next smaller section as shown above. Be certain to offset the petals from the first piece for a natural look. Add adhesive and repeat until all pieces are used.

 

Upon completion I allow my flower to sit base up so that the adhesive can dry without sticking to things. Flower should look similar to the one in the background upon completion.

 

As you can see the smaller, pellon flower takes the spray in a completely different manner. The pellon almost looks like felted wool once dry, BUT let me tell you... this is so much easier than felting! The petals shown above is pellon sprayed with Cranberry Color Wash. It is interesting to see how the man-made fibers take the spray. Experimentation is key!
 

Next I want to share how you can use the gorgeous stick pins as flower center. I began by using three petals. Apply adhesive around base of petals and wrap.
 

Off-setting the petals, add three more petals.
 

For this dainty style flower I mixed pellon and crinoline - alternating the layers. Creating these flowers is the same as for the first flower above, the only difference is that there will be more layers and therefore more cuts. Cut the petals as stated below:

• Pellon - Cut down between two petals, to the center - then cut a small circle in the center.
• Crinoline - Cut out one petal and then cut a small circle in the center of the petals.
• Pellon - Cut out two petals and create a small circle where the center once was.
• Crinoline - Cut out three petals and create a small circle where the center once was.
• Pellon - Cut out four petals and create a small half circle where the center once was.
• Crinoline - Cut into three sections of three petals.

Glue as in first example and then insert pin with petals as shown in the photo above.

 

To create the tea cup Sizzix recommends folding the second tea cup back against the score line as shown in the photo above. I have found that this comprimises the design and so rather than cutting my second teacup using the crease pad I simply cut it out and then on the correct side I score through one layer of the Craft-a-Board. Compare the two looks and you will see why I am particular - LOL!

 

I have found that acrylic paint makes a WONDERFUL resist to inks.  For this teacup I used the Pearl Dabber to ink these fabulous crochet stamps. I masked the handle and stamped my teacup with the trim pattern.
 

Allow the paint to dry and get prepared for some magic!
 

Spritz with Lettuc Color Wash. The Craft-a-Board absorbs these colors in an absolutely delicious way. With a little finessing I think that you could achieve a wonderful gradient effect, but for this project I simply spritzed the exterior and interior.
 

I use a paper towel to dab the excess Color Wash from the paint stamp design to allow it to pop even further.
 

TIP: Bend pieces so that interior of score lines are exposed. Spritz and allow to dry.

Paint the handle, cup lip and saucer edge using Aged Gold Metallic Paint. Allow to dry.

 

Apply adhesive as shown on instructions. I applied to one side of the teacup only and then prepared my styrofoam fill.
 

Trace shape and cut out styrofoam. Spritz the top of the styrofoam and allow to dry.
 

I also prepared some mulberry leaves using Butterscotch Color Wash and Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls Mist.

I pulled apart one of the brand new Webster's Pages Floral sprigs and attach some of my flowers to the wire stems. I added wire stems to all of my leaves as well. Insert the wire stems and pins into the foam. Your flowers will be firmly in place. Add a little FabriTac adhesive to some petal edges as shown above and then sprinkle with Twinklets Diamond Dust. Shake off excess.

Insert styrofoam into teacup.

 

The Butterscotch color wash was also used to dye the tag to emulate a tea bag. The sentiment was stamped using Palette Noir ink. Palette ink is one of my all-time favorites for utilizing on "odd" surfaces.

This little "pretty" can be used at a tea or luncheon to decorate each place setting or give as a gift to "warm" someone's day if they are not feeling well. So many possibilities!!!
 
stamps: Studio 490 In Love with Art, Inkadinkado Inchie Greetings

ink: Adirondack Color Wash - Cranberry, Butterscotch and Lettuce; Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls Mist, Viva Pink Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Palette Noir

paper: Essentials by Ellen Craft-a-Board

accessories: 3-D Teacup Die, Inkssentials Craft Scrubbie, Webster's Pages Waiting For Santa Floral Pick,

 ***Please note - please check in the alterable items category at www.ellenhutson.com, shortly for precut teacups, and other Sizzix die shapes. We realize that many of you simply don't have the resources for all of these dies and may only want to create one or two projects using some shapes. We (my daughter Maddi is cranking away :-D) are currently working on preparing some kits especially for you. So check back soon!

We can't have the 12 days of Christmas without some gifts ;-D So start humming the tune...

On the First Day of Christmas my goodie box could be...

• Just So Artsy stamps to play with!

 

To participate in this random drawing please leave your answer to the following question as a comment to this post. Please limit yourself to one comment only for each goodie package. The last day to submit a comment to this post will be January 6th at Midnight. We will post the winners (which will be drawn using a Random Number Generator) for all twelve days on January 7th.

What new discoveries have you made or techniques have you learned by visiting us here in the CLASSroom? Knowing that we do make a difference helps give me the energy to just keep at it ;-D

Christmas Photo Tray by Sharon Harnist

Remember when I made this Fall photo tray project?  I promised a Christmas version and here it is!  When I made the Fall tray, I used repositionable adhesive to hold each panel in the tray.  That made it easy to remove each section and store them until next Fall, enabeling me to change out this tray seasonally!

 

Once you decorate one of these trays, you'll be hooked -- they are so much fun! Here's how I created each section, starting at the top:

 

On the top left is Spellbinders Wreath die, cut from a Memory Box Dill Notecard.  I sanded the embossed areas of the die cut, then added Christmas Red Stickles for berries.  Jillibean Soup Red Twine ties up the the wreath that is adhered with  EK Success 3D Dots.

 

In the center of the wreath, I placed our family monogram using Ellen's Traditional Seasonal Alphabet Digital Download -- a red letter H tied up with a bow coordinated perfectly with these gorgeous Webster's Pages Waiting For Santa Petite Papers I used!  The darling Christmas Wish List in the center section is a fabulous Melissa Frances Retro Printed Chipboard piece!  I thought it might be fun to have my girls write their wish list to Santa here!

 

For the top right section, I made a Tim Holtz Paper Rosette and topped it with another piece of the Retro Printed Chipboard.  The Christmas tree is a fabulous dimensional Melissa Frances resin Christmas Tree that I airbrushed with these Copic markers:

 

The YG63 was used to base airbrush coat the tree, then YG97 used to add depth directly with the brush tip.  These colors were still a little too bright for the papers, so I finished the piece with a light airbrushing of E25 to give it a more antiqued look.  The tiny tag in the middle far right side, tied with red twine is another MF chipboard piece!

 

On the bottom left section, I hand trimmed a letter "A" ornament from the Webster's paper (both my girls' names start with an A!) and popped it up with foam squares on top of a Martha Stewart Large Snowflake punched piece of cream Webster's paper.  The center section has another Melissa Frances Retro Printed Chipboard snowman that says "Holiday Memories" and is accented with a Melissa Frances Candy Cane.

 

The photo of my girls was framed with Spellbinders Snowflake Frame, cut from more Webster's Waiting For Santa paper.  The bottom right section has another Retro Printed Chipboard "the Season's Greetings" large postage stamp adorning the Webster's paper.

 

Thanks for visiting the CLASSroom today -- I hope this Christmas home decor piece puts you in the holiday spirit on this almost first day December!  ~ Sharon

Paper: Webster's Pages Petite Papers-Waiting For Santa, Copic X-Press It Blender Card, Memory Box Dill Notecard,
Dies & Punches: Spellbinders Wreath & Snowflake Frame; Sizzix Tim Holtz Paper Rosette Decorative Strip Die, Martha Stewart Large Snowflake punch,
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Copic Markers: YG63, YG97, Y26, R39, E25
Accessories: Copic Airbrush System, 7 Gypsies Black Photo Tray, Melissa Frances Christmas Tree Applique, Retro Printed Chipboard & Candy Canes; Traditional Seasonal Alphabet Digital Download, Ranger Stickles-Christmas Red, Jillibean Soup Red & Brown Twine, Sanding Block, EK Success 3D Dots, Glue Dots-Mini & 3/8",

heartfelt gift clips by Cindy Lyles

Hope you and your loved ones had a happy Thanksgiving - we are officially into the holiday season...for today's projects, I am working with Maya Road's Bingo numbers.  These come in red or brown numbers, and shapes/images are available in black.

We'll also be using clothespins.  Clothespins are everywhere in the blogsphere, magazines and crafting world in general...functional, clean lines, made from wood, and perfect for altering.

I am also using Maya Road's small round tins.  We are creating clips to be used for jazzing-up wrapped packages, that can subsequently be used in other ways after the gift is opened.

Working with new October Afternoon papers Schoolhouse and Modern Homemaker, a 1-3/8" circle was punched and adhered inside in the tin.  Select a number or numbers that work(s) with what you need.  For the above, it will be a clip for a Christmas package.

For each tin you'll need a Paper Rosette as well.

After adhering the 1-3/8" patterned paper circle inside the tin, followed by the bingo tile, add a scoop of clear shard glitter.  I sealed the Maya Road tin using Tissue Tape.

Cut downward snips into the tape so it will lay neatly...

...then fold them down on to the back of the tin.  Neat and clean.  The tissue tape has adhesive on one side, making this procedure easy.

Adhere the tin to a paper rosette, then adhere the unit to a patterned paper covered clothespin.  Tie a bit of Baker's Twine.  Adhere to a wrapped parcel...recycle the decorative clip into a tree ornament or fancy chip clip or bill sorter... 

The Maya Road bingo numbers of 29 and 11 add up to a nifty 40th birthday clip addition - adding color and cleverness to the traditional black.

Hope your turkey day was full-filling, and thank you for stopping by the CLASSroom today!

A Quick Gift Box For All Seasons and Reasons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then place double sided adhesive tape along the edges.

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

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

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

 

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

Remove backing from tape on the other side.

Press into place and now the box bottom is complete.

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

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

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

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

B-

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