the CLASSroom

Halloween Reflections by Julia Stainton

With Halloween right around the corner, it seemed like the perfect time to play with some new papers and product. One of these products in particular has me really excited about it.The new Tim Holtz Mirrored is a reallly great reflective material that comes backed with adhesive and is thin, flexible and can be die cut. My mind is whirling at all the possibilities.

And what's Halloween without a spooky mirror? Perfect timing, I say, to try it on a Halloween card design.

The thing I was really excited to try out with Mirrored was so see how reflective it was and how well it die cut. I paired it up with the October Afternoon Witch Hazel line. There are so many great vintage prints in this line. I'm not big on anything too ghoulish so this line is just perfect in my opinion.

It really impressed me how cleanly and easily the Mirrored product was able to be die cut. The above picture shows the die cut mirrors. It comes with a protective film over the mirror so leave that in place until you are ready to use it on your project. Make sure you leave the film on for die cutting. The left die cut still has the film on it and the right die cut has it peeled away. I wish the pictures captured just how shiny and beautiful a mirror finish this product has. I'm thrilled with it!

 

In this next image I'm peeling away the protective film on the left die cut. The right die cut has been flipped over and the adhesive backing is being peeled away. It's so easy to adhere this product.

Next onto creating the card. I've layered three of the beautiful prints together and sanded their edges for a worn distressed look. Worn and distressed and old always goes with Halloween in my opinion.

Lastly I used the coordinating Witch Hazel chipboard stickers to make a quick banner over the mirror. The adhesive chipboard buttons can be stacked for added dimension.

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom! Have a spooktacular Halloween!

Supplies:

Tim Holtz Mirrored	Gold Super Star Pins	Witch Hazel Chip 'n Stick Buttons and Banners	Witch Hazel 8x8 paper pad
Harvest Corn Twine Cording	Tim Holtz Sanding Block	Styled Labels Movers and Shapers Die	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, Ream
Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday Video: GOT CANDY? by Julie Ebersole

(click on the pics to en-biggan)

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

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

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

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

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

InLinkz.com

Glittery Ghosts by Krystie Hersch

Hello!  The little Ghost Trio die jumped to the top of my wishlist as soon as I saw it!  You can cut felt with them, cut patterned paper, but I really wanted to make glittery ghosts.  

I started by die cutting.  I went ahead and cut Twiggy Tree at the same time.  When I'm cutting detailed dies, I always add the Memory Box adaptor plate to help get all the detailed cuts.

Now that I have a stack of ghosts, I want to add the glitter.  I'm going to use one of my favorite methods for this, which is the Xyron.  It's a little machine that turns your die cuts into stickers.  The adhesive is perfect for glitter.  It provides a strong hold, doesn't warp your paper, and has no dry time.

Drop your items in the top of the machine and then manually pull paper out below.  

Peel back the cellophane and you're left with a sheet of stickers!  Peel them off and cover them in glitter.

Now I'm ready to add them to my designs.  First, I chose to combine them with some Dots and Stripes patterned paper.  I like non-traditional color schemes, so I went with light blue.

I used Ellen's new linen-textured cardstock for my card base.  It adds a wonderful texture to your card, and is still subtle enough to capture the detail on your stamps, as you can see on the sentiment below:

Lastly, I combined the Ghosts Trio die with Twiggy Tree for a spooky scene.  

I embossed the sentiment in white and added small strips of patterned paper.

Thank you for stopping by today!  

InLinkz.com

A Most Happy Haunted House with Susan Tierney Cockburn

It is such a pleasure to once again welcome Susan Tierney Cockburn here to the CLASSroom! You can find Susan creating some of THE most delicious baked goods on her blog My Mother's Apron Strings, so if you are tempted by wonderful desserts and loving stories you will most definitely want to visit her blog and leave her a comment on one of her delicious creations there! Susan's fine eye for detail ALWAYS amazes me - I hope you enjoy taking in this beautiful haunted house. Yes, I have to laugh when I say it, but it IS beautiful, while still being haunting. Thank you Susan for sharing this marvelous creation and story with us! -Ellen

This is the second house I have made using Eileen Hull's house by Sizzix and I find so much inspiration evoking in this case, a childhood memory, into a project I can share.

I was almost eleven and a dear friend had decided to have a Halloween party at her grandparent's old house before the family had it torn down. I helped with re-creating a haunted feeling --- adding spider webs, vats of gelatin, wooden coffins, etc. It was as authentic as anyone our ages could make. We had a great time when the rest of our classmates came for the party and I really hated to see the house get demolished a month later.

After that occasion, I saw haunted houses differently, knowing the family that had actually resided there. This replication I did for my Halloween table centerpiece reflects that feeling --- a little spooky, but also joyful. The urns, lining the path to the front door, with its "Welcome" sign, are full of brightly colored chrysanthemums. The smiling Jack O' Lantern on the fence looks mischievous!

Jack the crow on the branch of a "Tim Burton-like" tree acts as the watch dog to anyone approaching, the pumpkin patches surrounding the house waiting for pies to be baked, and the graves with the familiar "pushing daisies" symbol, marks past ancestors --- Emma Gonner and Heidi Osamigo.

Kale, maple leaves, sunflowers and all things beautiful we find in the fall surround the decrepid structure.

All the colorful fall beauty down to the tiniest of lady bugs on one leaf in memory of my daughter, Kelly. When I showed the house to my 3-year old grandson, he asked "Where's the Ghosts, Mimi?" I said, "Ari, this is a Happy Haunted House!" and left it at that. -Susan

Eileen Hull's Sizzix 3-D House Die Cut, Precut 3-D House

Dreamweaver Translucent Embossing Paste

Ranger - Distress Ink -- Black Soot, Pumice Stone, Bundled Sage

Punch Bunch Punches: Medium Begonia Petals (Kale), Mini Sunflower (Chrysanthemums and Daisies), Mini Maple Leaf (pumpkin vines), Mini Oak Leaf (fall leaves), Mini Ivy (ivy trailing up house), Small Sunflower (sunflowers by the fence), Small Tri-leaf (side bushes)

Martha Stewart Punches: Spider Web border (shutters), Mice border (mice running across back of the house)

Neenah Paper for Chrysanthemums, Sunflowers, Daisies

Double-sided Mulberry Paper for leaves

Copic Markers: Chrysanthemums - YR09, Y19, V15, RV17; Flowering Green Kale - BG93, YG63; Purple Kale - V15, BV08

Copper Foil - "silver side" used to create smoke stack

Viva Pearl Pen - Red berries and ladybug, Black for ladybug

Flower Soft - Christmas Green and Sage for the landscape; Koala Grey, Sand and Earth for the path to the door and grave sites

Styrofoam sheet to cut tombstones, then wrapped in mulberry paper and colored with Distress Ink

Fantasy Film - Dandelion for the window panes

Sakura Gelly Roll Metallic Pen - Gold to make Jack O'Lantern face

Faber Castell - XS Black pen to outline the face

Sculpey Clay - to create flower urns/gray and crow?black (baked as directed 275 degrees for 15 minutes, then brushed with Sculpy's Satin glaze to seal)

Witch hat is a gold charm covered with mulberry paper, then sponged with Bundled Sage Distress Ink and finally Metallic Rub-ons in Olive

Glue - The Ultimate

Spider webbing stretched finely to recreate webbing around parts of the house

Floral Supplies: Sycamore pods for the tree, moss in lichen for roof, honeysuckle vine twisted to construct the tree trunk and branches, as well as small wreath above the front door, flower pods that resemble pumpkins

Easy Distress Halloween Design by Julie Ebersole

 

*click on the pics to enlarge*

I'll admit it--I very rarely "distress" anything--I love the look, it's just not a technique that automatically pops into my head.

BUT . . . (you knew that was comin', right?!) I adore kraft paper, and when I saw this color coated kraft paper, I had to play with it a little!

It has a little linen like texture, and when you sand through the color, the kraft core is revealed!  TOTALLY WICKED!!!

So then a Halloween design sprang to mind, and one thing led to another . . . *chuckle*

I needed a moon.  Not just any moon.  A BIG moon!  So, I grabbed a larger EK Success circle punch and punched a circle from masking paper.  You could use Eclipse Tape, too.  These are great for larger images and when you need ALL the edges securely tacked down while you are working.

Sponging right over the top with dye ink was quick & easy . . .

Tip:  When sponging ink, you can achieve a smoother blended look--almost airbrushed in appearance--by hitting the paper with a circular motion, as opposed to "pouncing".

When I removed the mask, I had a nice "orb" to serve as a back-drop to my focal image.

This really makes the silhouette of the crow & fence "pop"!

After cutting the image down to size, I mounted a decorative edge punched from black card stock and then I used a scoring board and the single Piercing Bug to pierce a straight line.  I then connected the holes with a fine point black marker to create "faux stitching".  I have a sewing machine. I actually bought it for the express intention of sewing on paper. I have yet to thread it . . . (hangs head in shame)

Snagged a black button and bow-tied it with some ivory twine (both from my stash) for just a little adornment and voilá!

Isn't this fun?!

I really like how it turned out! And, it was ridiculously easy! Isn't that an awesome effect?!

Happy Mundane!

 

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Supplies & Materials used:

Stamps:  Old Fence (Memory Box); Happy Halloween Combo (Memory Box)

Adirondack Dye Ink in Terra Cotta
Archival Ink in Jet Black
Eclipse Tape
EK Success
2.25" Circle Punch
Martha Stewart Drippy Goo Edger Punch
Sanding Block
Kraft Card Stock
Kraft-Core Card Stock
A5 Cardstock, Black

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,

Paper Smooches Croppin', Hoppin' and Halloweenie Fun

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

Firmly affix it to your moon. 

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

Remove mask and reveal your fun new moon. 
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Archival Deep Purple

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

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

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.

Boo Halloween Banner by Julia Stainton

I'm totally loving banners. They are so much fun to create as you can make them as large as you want or start small and add more pennants as you find the time.

Today's project is a Hallowe'en banner for my home. Each of the pennants is 5"x7" and is created on a Jenni Bowlin Bingo Card. I know it's difficult to get an accurate idea of the size and detail as blog width ends up making the banner photo very small. To counter this, I'll be sharing each pennant individually as each is a unique creation in itself. Each pennant is larger than card front size and was so much fun to create. Please click on the smaller images to bring them to their full size for a better look.

To create the banner, each bingo card is decorated. You could stop at this point and create a mini album or a scrapbook page accent but I've punch a hole in the top corners and strung them together with some hem tape ribbon.

To keep continuity in the banner project I repeated a few elements on each design. I wanted each to be unique but still tie the project together.

• each pennant is created from a coordinating Jenni Bowlin Bingo Card
• the edges of each pennant are highlighted by "inking" them with a Black Adirondack Paint Dabber
• each pennant has some Graphic 45 Halloween in Wonderland accents
• each pennant has die cut leaves that I've sponged with distress ink

Now for each of the pennants I'll show you a closeup for the detail and highlight some of the design elements of each one...

• star is created by die-cutting Craft-a-board with the Classic Star Nestability die and then covering it with Melissa Frances Silver Glass Glitter
• a fun Tim Holtz Keyhole accents one of the o's in Boo
• the bat accent is a Tim Holtz Fragment that has been masked with a bat from the Tim Holtz Seasonal Masks and then painted with a Black Paint Dabber

 

• Tim Holtz Tissue tape crossed over the bingo card resembles crime scene tape
• a little Memo Pin holds a Kiwi Chandelier Crystal
• the Paper Rosette Sizzlets die makes a darling black flower rosette from black cardstock

• add dates or word accents with Tiny Type and Graphic 45 letter stickers
• The black cat is another use of the Tim Holtz Seasonal Masks

• Ellen's new Ellen's Essentials Doiles are so much fun to use as an achor for a group of embellishments and accents
• Add a fun chipboard button to the rossette center for extra dimension

• the fun Halloween ticket stamp is one of many occasions found on the Tim Holtz Odds and Ends stamp set
• frame your stamped image by stamping it onto a large kraft ticket

So there you have it.

Lots of fun techniques and ideas to try in one fun project. You could also rework it for a different occasion such as Christmas, a baby shower, or whatever you wish. You can find lots of fabulous and varied Bingo Cards by Jenni Bowlin here to use as a base.

Supplies: Halloween Bingo Cards & Vintage Halloween Chipboard Buttons by Jenni Bowlin, black cardstock, Jabberwocky patterned paper & Halloween in Wonderland Tags by Graphic 45, twine, Silver Glass Glitter by Melissa Frances, Tiny Attacher , Memo Pin and Market Place Tissue Tape by Tim Holtz for Advantus, Pitch Black Paint Dabber, Jet Black Archival Ink, Crushed Olive Distress Ink, Barn Door Distress Ink & Wild Honey Distress Ink by Ranger, Tattered Leaves die by Sizzix, Orange Halloween Felt by Hero Arts, Medallion Flower by Maya Road, Classic Star Nestability Die by Spellbinders, Tim Holtz Odds and Ends Stamp Set by Stampers Anonymous, Tim Holtz Fragment and Hinge Clip by Advantus, Tim Holtz Seasonal Masks, Vintage Pearl Trinket Pin and Leaf Trinket Pins by Maya Road, Paper Rosette Die by Sizzix, Assorted Doilies by Essential's by Ellen

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom and happy creating!

Spooky Silhouettes for Halloween and Spooky Blog Candy

OK - I must admit - they really aren't all that spooky - LOL! In fact I find them quite delightful, but I just had to share more simple and fun uses for the silhouettes I showcased in this month's newsletter article.

Printing the silhouettes on decorative paper adds a completely different look to your silhouette. I love the patterns of the Hocus Pocus 6x6 papers and decided to use them as my background.

Once you have your silhouette prepared these are so very simple to create and change out for the different holiday seasons!The silhouette above is the same silhouette that I used in my Optical Lens Ornament Rub On post.

Double click this link for more Rub On details.

For this framed piece I resized and printed my silhouette on copy paper. Using a light box I was then able to position the silhouette under the Hocus Pocus decorative paper, moving it around to find the best part of the pattern to use as the background.

Using temporary adhesive I adhered the decorative paper to my copy paper and then sent it back through the printer again. Voila - spooky prints appear in my silhouettes!

A few gemstones, together with a spider barette and pony tail holder, and the fabulous Melissa Frances frames make a very personalized set of Halloween prints to display :-D

I hope this inspires you to get creative for the upcoming holidays. You will be seeing me pull these silhouettes out of the frames and reuse the frames for the upcoming Christmas season ;-D

For those of you who do not have Photoshop we are offering a custom digital silhouette rendering so that you can use your own silhouettes in your projects. Visit our store for more information.

Once again I would appreciate your input. I am wondering if you would find it valuable for me to share the steps I use to create a silhoutte in Photoshop. Do you have and use Photoshop? If you do --- are you a beginner, intermediate or advanced user? Do you already know how to make your own silhouette? I am so very happy to provide this information, but do not want to use valuable time to create something that you already know how to do and/or share something that is far more complex than you would ever attempt in the first place - LOL!

Please leave your response in the comments section below before midnight Sunday, October 24th to be entered in our random drawing. By leaving your input you will be entered in to our random drawing which will take place on Monday, October 25th for the following:

• Custom Digital Silhouette Rendering, JPG
• 1 pr. Optical Lenses
• Rub Onz

silhouette: get your own Custom Digital Silhouette Rendering, JPG

paper: Hocus Pocus 6x6

accessories: Melissa Frances Large Chiswick and Large Newstead, Gemstone Spiders and Black Crystals, Temporary Repositionable Adhesive

October Calendar by Sharon Harnist

 
 
I know October is a third over already, but I'm just now finding time on this school and Columbus Day holiday to finish my October calendar!  So I thought I would share that with you all today.  You may remember when I introduced you to my 2010 calendar for this year, here.  It's a mini-book style, made out of 4-inch square pieces of Ellen's fabulous Craft-A-Board!  You could prep one of these calendar books for next year to give as a gift, leaving space for the recepient to add photos of their own as the year goes along, if you wish!

I started by cutting two pieces of Craft-A-Board 4-inches square and then round the corners with Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper:

 

Next, I chose papers from Cosmo Cricket's Matilda Mini Deck and covered the Craft-a-Board with them, using a glue stick.  Then I stamped Karen Lockhart's sweet new Basket of Leaves with Memento Rich Cocoa ink onto Copic's new X-Press It Blending Card.  I noticed Ellen has several affordable package options of this fabulous new cardstock available now -- you can find them here!  Your Copic markers will blend wonderfully on this new cardstock and you won't see any feathering of marker color or stamped lines like you might on other cardstocks. 

Here's a quick step-out of the Copic markers I used on the basket image, chosen to match the Matilda papers (click on any photo for a larger view):

 
L - E31 on the basket, YR21 on the basket cross weaves and leaves, pumpkin & apples.  R - E33 & E35 on the basket and fruit stems.

 
L - YR16 on some leaves and pumpkin.  R - YR18 to deepen the pumpking and some leaves.

G82 & G85 on leaves and one apple.

Sorry I didn't get a photo of the last few steps:

R24 on last apple.
E31 & E33 on what I decided would be pods or nuts in the basket and to finish the basket rim, some E37.
YR16 & YR18 on the flowers on each side of the basket.
W1 & W3 to shade under the basket and for the blowing leaf trails.
Gold Atyou Spica Glitter Pen accents everything.

I cut out the image and popped it up on foam tape.  Now, take a look at my finished colored image next to the papers I chose:

 

I love the bright white of the Copic X-Press It Blending Card -- it produces very crisp and vivid colors.  But notice how different it is (bright white) than the ivory of the patterned papers and Neenah Natural White cardstock that I printed my computer-generated calendar on?  Now this may not bother some people, but it bothers the perfectionist in me, LOL!  So what to do?  Here's where your hand-dandy Copic E50 Egg Shell comes to the rescue!

 

I used it to color any of the remaining white areas of the basket image.  In the photo above, I started on the right side of the image, up to where the tip of the marker is pointing -- the left side of the image still remains white, so you can see the difference the Egg Shell marker makes!

And here's a close-up of the finished image -- hopefully you can see the nice sparkle the glitter pen adds (click for a larger view):

 

I used Martha Stewart's Picket Fence Edger Punch and Maple Leaf Punch to punch more Matilda paper for accents on this page.  The leaves were edged with Copic E35, crumpled and added with Mini Glue Dots.

For the right side of my calendar, I cut the Cosmo Cricket Matilda pumpkin background paper a little smaller than the 4-inch Craft-a-Board and colored the edges of the Craft-a-Board with Copic G85 marker.  Next, I die cut my computer-generated calendar with a Spellbinders Labels Four die and sponged the edges with Ranger Antique Linen Distress Ink.  It is popped up on foam tape.  

 

Cosmo Cricket's Tiny Type Brown sticker letters make the 'october' word on top of my calendar.  Using Spellbinders Nested Maple Leaf die, I die cut & embossed green plaid Matilda paper, sanded the edges, and then machine stitched it.  Strands of ribbon make "hinges" to hold the two calendar pieces together like a book!

Thanks for joining us today -- Happy Columbus Day!  ~ Sharon

 
Stamps: Lockhart Basket of Leaves
Paper: Cosmo Cricket Matilda Mini Deck & Tiny Type Brown letter stickers, Copic X-Press It Blending Card
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Ranger Antique Linen Distress Ink
Copic markers: YR21, YR16, YR18, R24, E31, E33, E35, E37, E50, G82, G85, W1; Gold Atyou Spica Glitter Pen
Accessories: Essentials by Ellen Craft-a-Board, Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper, Spellbinders Labels Four & Nested Maple Leaf die sets, Martha Stewart Picket Fence Edger Punch & Maple Leaf Punch, Sanding Block, Mini Glue Dots

Optical Lens Halloween Ornaments

Can you tell I have been having waaay too much fun here at work lately? Life is settling into a more regular (and happy) routine which allows me to do what it is that I LOVE - create and share :-D

The optical lenses from 7 Gypsies are so wicked cool and I have many ideas floating through my brain since first seeing them in July. The first to surface is the use of these as "Halloween ornaments." Come Christmas time I have another whole new set of ideas, yep my brain is exploding and I can hardly wait to share those - ha! ha!

We were seriously laughing today because it took longer for me to take pictures of the finished designs than it did to create them! Yes, the glare on the lens makes these hard to photograph, but I just had to go outside where these orangey-red berries were. The wind was blowing, the sun was placing dappled shadows on my lenses, but I was determined... and I think I won out :-D

Begin by applying the design adhesive to the lens surface by using the spatula end of the Rub-on tool.

Mix together black ultrafine glitter and black flock. Apply and burnish with finger. Remove excess glitter and flock with a soft cloth.

So pretty!

Add additional dimension to your piece by first applying a rub-on. Then flip over your lens and apply the design adhesive crow, flock and glitter.

TIP: Cut the rubbing down to size before applying. If it is too large and you just try to pull it apart you will pull the rubbing from your surface. Guess how I know this... just look at the top edge and you will see :-(

You must admit that these are rather cool looking! Hang as a window ornament, put branches and berries in a vase and hang these or put it on a chain and wear it as a necklace. Yes, you could even use it on one of your paper craft projects - LOL!

Yes, I am having a barrel of fun! Thank you for stopping in and I hope that I have been able to bring a smile to your day!

accessories: 7 Gypsies Optical Lens, 7 Gypsies Chain and Time Rubbings, Memory Box Fright Night Design Adhesives, Doodlebug Flock (Black), Black Ultrafine Glitter RItz, Basic Grey Rub-on Roller

Hocus Pocus Test Tube Treat Holder

I keep seeing these test tubes arrive and depart here in the warehouse and have wanted to create using them for over a year! EEK!

How to present these has been part of my fascination... I think. Test tube holders are either really expensive, drab looking and/or way too large or small. Our lunch time conversation yesterday turned to the many different ways to hold these test tubes. The template that I have designed is based on the fabulous advice of all the girls here at work. Have I told you how lucky I am to have such fabulous women to work with?!! So I decided to create a template for all those of you who purchase these from us :-D Simply download and use the dimensions attached below. As well, we will be adding this file to the description of the test tubes in the store so that you can easily find it in the future.

You are going to hear me raving about Craft-a-board again today - LOL! Two days ago I created the Halloween treat box base using it. I absolutely love how this product is sturdy enough to really hold it's shape for making a wide assortment of projects. I shared how you can cut part way through using the Zutter Kutter. WELL...  guess what!!! Most of you don't have Zutter Kutter's BUT you do have an Xacto Knife and steel edge ruler :-D

It dawned on me that if I used my Fiskar's tool together with the Tim Holtz ruler I may have discovered a solution for the others to be able to create the sturdy boxes I have been utilizing. Oh the feeling of jubilation when it worked like a charm! As you can see I held my ruler firmly in place and then gently, yet firmly cut through the first layer of the Craft-a-board surface.

This picture shows the reason I am so very excited about this. By cutting through the top layer only you can create crisp, clean folds!!!

If you find that you have cut too deep you can always use adhesive or tissue tape to reinforce your fold lines, but I did not have to do that at all on this project. In fact it worked better than the Zutter Kutter :-D

This photo shows my test tube holder base with all lines, what I am going to call "deep scored" (the top layer of the Craft-a-board being cut through and the bottom layer remaining intact.)

There are many ways to color the Craft-a-board. One of the quickest and easiest is to use an ink blending tool and dye inks. I love the color palette of the Distress Inks and so they are frequently my first go-to-ink for anything involving the blending tool. I inked the edges of the Craft-a-board and then the portions of the holder that were not going to be covered with decorative paper.

For more ways to use Craft-a-board simply click on the category link on simple dreams, In Touch and here in the CLASSroom.

Another product I cannot remember ever using before is rub-ons :-O Yes, the girl who likes to try everything hasn't tried rub-ons! As we have continued to explore and expand the lines that we carry in the store these have puzzled me.

Decorating a rounded surface can be somewhat tricky for those of us who are stampy stampers and so I stepped off the edge, so to speak, and broke open my first package of "Press Ons."

Sitting at my table puzzling over how I would hold it in place without moving it Cathy came to my rescue. I used basic removable office tape to hold it in place as I worked :-D

Using the Basic Grey Rub-on Roller I carefully applied my first Press-On. Success! I am hooked! Those optical lenses are now calling my name and I think I must find a way to make a few "dangly" Halloween decorations :-D

The next piece to the mental puzzle of creating the perfect test tube holder was creating the hole that would hold the tubes firmly in place. My circle was a little to large and then it dawned on me. I have seen these funky pinked edges on store packaging. I trace the location of my circle on to my decorative paper as shown above, making certain that it would be positioned in just the right spot.

Look at how perfect the Cosmos flower fits this circle! It was meant to be.

Another rub-on was added to the cork and a gemstone to add just that little bit of bling.

A little more bling with a strip of adhesive and Glitter Ritz, as well as the perfect little amber circle bling and now I have a very fun little vessel and holder in which to present my gift. Purple Nerds to the rescue momentarily for this picture, but soon I will have this filled with some crafting goodies to gift to someone very special.

We hope that you enjoy this little treat holder. Think of all the possibilities!!! You could stamp the decorative paper, add a focal image, drop a tag from it and so much more!!! Add an inch or two to the overall width, cut in additional holes, and you can easily hold two or three test tubes. I would also like to encourage you once again to give Craft-a-board a try. It has SO many uses --- I will continue to do my best to share the many ideas I have to help you bring a higher level of quality to the items you create. Thank you for joining me here in the CLASSroom - now go and get creative!

template: Download Test Tube Favor Stand Template

paper: Pink Paislee Hocus Pocus 6x6 Paper Pad

ink: Dusty Concord Distress Ink Pad

accessories: Martha Stewart Test Tube Favors, Craft-a-board, Fiskars Fingertip Knife, Tim Holtz Ruler, Pink Paislee Hocus Pocus Press-ons, Basic Grey Rub-on Roller, Copper Circle Rhinestone Borders, 1/4" Be Creative Tape, Apricot Glitter Ritz, Cosmos Flower Punch

Owl-o-ween Trick or Treat Pencil Box

I LOVE the days that our customers stop in to pick up their will call orders and they bring along projects they are working on. Ann, thank you so much for sharing your adorable treat box!!!

Nothing could be more fun than this little creation!

Ann is making these for an entire class - I know they will absolutely love this treat!

Well... I couldn't resist giving this a whirl. I pulled out a rather boring pencil box to get measurements to design this template. When I am back at work tomorrow I will measure my box and add the dimensions here. Then using Craft-a-board and my Zutter Cutter I was able to quickly design the base for this box.

Craft-a-board is an inexpensive, fantastic alternative to chipboard!

The Zutter Kutter has a very cool feature which allows you to cut part way through thicker materials. To cut through the Craft-a-board I use the regular setting. To cut a deeper score line in the Craft-a-board I set the dial to "3". This creates a cut which allows you to easily create beautiful boxes!

Then using Distress Inks and an Ink Blending Tool I sponged the surface to coordinate with the Hallowe'en in Wonderland spider web paper.

Above are the Copic colors I used to color the oh, so cute Tufted Owl.

Resisting opening the latest sketchy tree die from Tim Holtz was futile - it was just too perfect. Cutting the tree and then wrapping it around the box to position the owl within the harvest moon... well - I just had to do it :-D

A little added sparkle (Rock Candy and Wild Honey Distress Stickles), along with Black Enamel Accents on the eyes adds dimension for the finishing touch.

Ann, thank you once again for inspiring me and providing THE most fabulous of ideas!

stamps: Memory Box Tufted Owl, Hero Arts ClearDesign Happy Halloween

paper: Graphic 45 Hallowe'en in Wonderland 8x8 pad, Neenah Natural White, X-Press Blending Card

ink: Archival Jet Black, Distress Ink Pads - Weathered Wood, Faded Jeans, Scattered Straw, Wild Honey

accessories: Craft-a-Board, Nostalgic Tissue Tape, Black Enamel Accents, Rock Candy and Wild Honey Distress Stickles, Tim Holtz Branch Tree Bigz Die

Glitter + Halloween = Loads of Fun

Time passes SO quickly! It was July when I had the pleasure of a "playdate" with Heather and Lisa. Heather loves Halloween and so we pulled out the Halloween punches I had and Lis shared the Burnished Velvet technique with her. As Lis demonstrated I was the fetcher and clean-up gal because I knew where to find everything and then could put it away again :-D BUT I had an idea I just had to try so my clean-up role was quickly dismissed as I created the glittered piece below - LOL!

To learn more about Burnished Velvet you can read the following posts:

• Puttin' on the Ritz - Creating Glittered Designer Paper
• Puttin' on the Ritz - Creating Glitter Borders
• Puttin' on the Ritz - Glitter Ritz that is! Going Transparent
• Tape and Glitter, Glitter and Tape! by Lisa Strahl

Begin by adhereing Be Creative tape to the Blackbird paper and then cut out the oval using a Nestability. I have found that sometimes (depending on the weight of my designer paper) I have had to run my sandwich through my machine two times before it cuts all the way through the tape and the paper. It works best if I place my die so that it cuts through the tape layer first, with the designer paper on the bottom.

Remove the  tape backing and position your decorative images punched from the tape backing (remember to position it with the words facing up for best results) I have alphabetically listed the order in which I placed my elements down on my sticky tape in hopes of assisting you with the layering.

• a - haunted house
• b - flying witch
• c - circle

TIP: If you want an image to be used as a whole place it on your sticky surface first - that way it will be the last item to be removed and glittered.

I have then numerically listed the order in which I lifted my elements and applied the glitter.

1. warm highlights
2. apricot
3. java bean

TIP: Remember to thoroughly burnish each color of glitter in place before applying the next color to avoid mixing the colors. This is especially important when working from light to dark as I did in this case. If it is not thoroughly burnished some of the dark colors may migrate into the lighter colors. This can be an added effect in some cases, so think about the final look you are trying to create before making your burnishing decision.

Glitter and Halloween... they go together like bread and butter! SO pull out your punches and see what Spooky creation you can create :-D

paper: Memory Box 6x6 Blackbird and Licorice Cardstock

accessories: Martha Stewart Flying Witch and Haunted House, Circle Punch, Oval Nestability, Be Creative Tape 4 1/2" or sheets and 1/4", Glitter Ritz - Warm Highlights, Apricot, Black

Blackbird Halloween Photo Tray

Yesterday when I arrived at work this fabulous project was sitting in our front office. I just had to share it with you as I think Carina did a fabulous job!

I love seeing the pictures of her kids when they were younger carving their pumpkins! She used the Blackbird paper line together with some Martha Stewart punches to add interest to the project.

I really like how she split the photo in the top right hand corner and added some "bling" to make the project sparkle. I hope this inspires some of you who have had photos of your kids at Halloween tucked away to bring them out and hang them up for the month ahead. Thank you so much for letting me share your beautiful project Carina!!!

paper: Memory Box Blackbird 6x6 Paper Pad

accessories: 7 Gypsies Letterblock Printers Tray and Label Holder, Martha Stewart Spiderweb and Spider

Design Adhesives and Glitter Ritz by Susan Roberts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for dropping by the CLASSroom today.  Happy Crafting!

Belated Fall Birthday In Wonderland

I loved to do themed birthday parties for my family when I was younger - LOL! OK, I still love to do them, but I just don't seem to have the same amount of time as I once did. For Maddi's 5th birthday party we did an elaborate Alice in Wonderland themed party in which Maddi wore a special Alice in Wonderland dress I had sewed. I dressed up as the White Rabbit, my DH was the Mad Hatter and other friends took on the role of the other characters in this fun tale. I painted large props with characters and scenery for games and created loads of beautiful colored tissue paper flowers. Our back yard was quite the Wonderland.

When Graphic 45 released this line of papers I knew immediately that I would have to do something birthday oriented. It was shortly after, that I saw Karen Lockhart's latest release and knew that the Pumpkin Cupcake was THE perfect fit.

I felt that this card needed a "hole" to represent Alice falling down the rabbit hole. I am so literal - LOL! I don't know where these goofy ideas come from, but they do and so I just need to run with them.

I first applied the black rabbit paper, then a strip of adhesive, next the striped paper and last another strip of adhesive. Next I cut the circle out using a Nestability.

Black ultrafine glitter was applied to the adhesive strip and burnished in place using the burnished velvet technique. I am absolutely loving the touch of elegance this glitter gives my creations!

Humor makes me happy and I am always trying to come up with little quips and so I created my custom saying using a font called Harrington in Office Word. I punched out the sentiments with my tag dies and distressed with Antique Linen.

Rather than using a letter in the Tim Holtz Type Charms I simply punched out one of the fun embellishments on the Hallowe'en in Wonderland Tags sheet. We carry the 1/2" circle punch specifically for this purpose. A girl can never have enough options for those little charms. :-D

I sewed the last of my tags to the Jabberwocky paper and closed my card to place the Pumpkin Cupcake perfectly in the center of the hole. It was shortly after placing the cupcake that I realized I could have and perhaps should have created a little "flame" to place atop the cupcake.

One little tip that I would like to share in creating this cupcakes coloring to coordinate with the Graphic 45 papers is to color your image with your true bright Copic markers and then once you have the look completed color over the surface of the entire pumpkin with a W2 marker. This helps to bring down the brightness of the colors and allows the colors to blend more accurately with the colors in the papers. Always remember that you can alter your Copic colors with your neutrals!

If you have a fall birthday you might specifically want to be late in sending out a birthday card :-D Never pass up a good reason to be a little late - your birthday recipient will be tickled to receive something on the day that it is not their birthday just to extend the days of well wishes. Or use a similar idea as an invitation to a last minute Halloween party. There are loads of options and with the popularity of Cupcakes and Alice in Wonderland you just can't miss :-D

stamps: Lockhart Stamp Company Pumpkin Cupcake

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic Markers (and Prismacolor Pencils)

paper: Graphic 45 Hallowe'en in Wonderland 8x8 paper pad and Tags, Memory Box Jack O' Lantern

accessories: Nestability Circle, Tags Trio, Labels Trio, 1/2" Circle Punch, Tim Holtz Typewriter Charms and Mini Pins, Be Creative 1/4" Tape, Black Ultrafine Glitter

Trick Or Treat? by Kim Hughes

well, I am sure that most kids will choose treat instead of trick, but who says that it needs to be a sweet treat?  My kids are handed more and more non-treats such as popcorn, toothbrushes and pencils.  So, I created an easy pencil "treat" holder just in time for Halloween

Supplies:

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Terra Cotta, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Pitch Black

Punch, 5/8" Circle

Invisibles, Paper "Dots"

Memory Box - Web Crawler, Halloween Greetings

Cut-N-Dry Stamp Pad Foam

Kim Hughes Paper Pack, Mocha Chica

Basic Grey 12"x12" Collection, Lemonade, Basic Grey Buttons, Wisteria

Martha Stewart Baker's Twine, Solids

 
Start by adding color to the polka dot Invisibles paper.  I rubbed the ink on with a circular motion.
 
  

Once you have covered the paper with ink, rub off excess ink from the resist polka dots.  Use a circle punch that is the same size as the polka dots...or one that is as close to the size as you can get.
  

Use a larger circle punch to punch out a "scrap" circle template.

 

On the back of the orange polka dot paper, line up the inner circle with your template and trace along the top of the outer circle.  Trace paper or a ruler across the center of the circle and hand cut along the line.

  

This is what it will look like once you have cut both ends

 

mat the paper onto yellow paper, add the pencil through the ends

Stamp spider web, sentiment and spider in black onto green paper and cut around it so that it's slightly larger than the yellow base because it needs to go over the pencil.

Punch 2 small holes through the green panel and the base at the same time.

 

thread the twine through both holes at the same time and wrap around to the front.

 

tie a bow in front and add a button accent to the center of the bow.

 

and here's a close-up of your Halloween message

 

this is what the back side will look like.  You can add it to a card base and include a message inside. 
 
 
I am hoping that you will find these easy enough that you might consider making some for your child's class.  Change the size of the holes to adapt to a lollipop, toothbrush or a stick of gum.  Experiment and have fun!

Halloween Decor by Sharon Harnist

You've been seeing a few new Fall & Holiday stamps from Karen Lockhart and today I'd like to show you one of my favorites from this latest release, another in her series of "In The Window" stamps -- Halloween! 

I thought this image would be cute as a home decor sign or door hanger, so I picked up an inexpensive metal sign on sale at the craft store to alter.  Alternately, you could always recycle something you already have or die cut Craft-A-Board into any shape you'd like and use that as your base.  Above is how mine started out!

And here's my altered decor:

 

I started by adhering some of Basic Grey's new Eerie 6-inch patterned paper to the metal sign, using decoupage glue.  After adhering the paper to the sign, I also gave it a top coat of decoupage glue, to protect the paper.

I stamped the image and colored it with these Copic markers and Spica Glitter Pens in silver (spiders & web) pitch black (banners), and chocolate (pumpkin trendils):

After coloring and cutting out the stamped image, I layered it onto more of the Eerie patterned paper die cut with Spellbinders Labels Two and adhered everything to the sign with more decoupage glue. 

  

Using Red Liner tape, I adhered the pom-pom trim.  Then to finish, I wrapped silver tinsel pipe cleaners around the wire hanger, to give a bit of a festive feel.  Happy Fall!

• Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Company In The Window-Halloween
• Paper: Basic Grey Eerie 6x6, Neenah Natural White
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers & Spica Glitter Pens (shown above)
• Accessories: Spellbinders Labels Two dies, Royal Coat Decoupage glue, 1/4" Red Liner Tape
• Other: Metal sign from craft store or recycled, pom-pom trim, silver tinsel pipe cleaners

Halloween Greetings by Kim Hughes

Happy 9/9/09 :)

I get excited about Halloween when I see all of the aisles of candy in stores, so I thought I'd create a card to prepare us for such a fun holiday.  I realize that it's a  not a huge card giving holiday, but why not, right?

Supplies:

 

Craft-a-Board

 

Cut-N-Dry Stamp Pad Foam

 

Memory Box 6x6 Cardstock, Dewfrost, Memory Box 6x6 Cardstock, Twilight

 

Halloween Greetings

 

Web Crawler Memory Box stamp (web and spider on one stamp)

 

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Pitch Black,

 

Dew Drops Bottle, Cowboy

 

other:

 

Buttons

 

Cut Craft a board and Stamp pad foam to the same size as the web stamp.

 

 

Heat the grey side of the Stamp Pad Foam with a heat gun.  I heated it for about 1 minute.  Press the red rubber stamp onto the hot pad.

 

 

Once you lift the stamp, ink the entire surface with Pitch Black ink

 

 

Press the foam stamp onto the craft a board.  By creating a foam stamp, you are creating a reversed image of the original.

 

 

then use the white side of the Stamp Pad Foam to ink the edges of the craft a board.

 

...until it looks a bit "spooky"

 

then use some paper scraps to design your card.  Stamp sentiment in the lower right corner

 

 

And then use the same foam pad to chalk the edges with pitch black ink.

 

 

Assemble the card and add 2 button accents to anchor the main panel.  I added some machine stitching to add interest.  Stamp a spider accent next to the sentiment and add a dew drop to the spider's body (I think it looks eerily real, but it adds such a fun touch)  As I sit back to look at the finished card, it reminds me of Charlott's web as she hangs out in the barn.  This card will be mailed out to someone, for sure...are you with me?

 

Thank you for joining me today.  :)

Fall Piece Owl by Sharon Harnist

Fall is almost upon us -- it's one of my favorite times of the year!  So when I saw all these fabulous new Fall & Holiday Memory Box stamps and papers, I thought this darling owl would look great with this new Twilight paper.

I started by stamping the owl onto four different patterns of Memory Box's new Twilight papers:

and also onto Neenah Natural White cardstock.  Then I cut out the patterns and glued them to the white cardstock.  TIP: If your stamped lines are hard to see on darker patterns of paper, try holding the paper up to a light source -- usually you'll be able to see the stamped lines perfectly!  Ms. Owl is popped up on dimensional foam tape, perched on the branch of the patterned paper.

Her eyes are accented with Black & Clear Copic Spica Glitter pen and were colored with the Copic markers listed in the supply section below.  Black 100 Copic marker was used to color her inner ears -- the Copic totally covers the pattern in the paper, giving an easy extra dimension to her head.

The leaves were all punched from the same Memory Box papers as used for the owl, using Martha Stewart's Maple Leaf punch, and were machine stitched to the Memory Box Pea Pod notecard.  A button tied with Martha Stewart's Baker's Twine (the cocoa colored twine, colored with black Copic marker) was used in the upper right corner, to resemble a big orange harvest moon, casting that orange shadow into the night sky!  A custom sentiment made with my label maker finishes off this card.  Oh, and the distressed edges -- I just can't seem to stop using Tim Holtz's Paper Distresser, I think it lends a wonderful, interesting texture to just about anything!

• Stamps: Memory Box Scalloped Owl
• Paper: Memory Box Pea Pod Notecard & Twilight patterned paper, Neenah Natural White cardstock 
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad, Copic Markers-Y38, YG63, YR31, 100 and Spica Glitter Pens-Clear & Pitch Black
• Accessories: Martha Stewart Maple Leaf punch & Baker's Twine (colored with Copic 100), Tim Holtz Paper Distresser, Button

Trick or Treat - how to create your own 3-D scene inside your greeting cards

As a child I was always enamoured with minature doll houses. The rooms would be wallpapered and the itty bitty furniture covered in exquisite little print fabrics. It was Beate's Stairstep creation that got my mind whirling when the Splitcoaststampers Newsletter arrived in my inbox. It got me thinking about how I could use my stamps to create a minature scene.

The new Memory Box stamps that we just got in were beaconing me from afar. So on Thursday evening when my little one was at camp I stayed late here at work and began my creative adventure.

 

It started with the cat and the table. I knew that I needed more substance to the lamp then the base provided and decided to create a light pattern. Using Eclipse Twins I created my lines and airbrushed with the Y21 marker, spraying a little heavier along the edges to create depth.

The lamp shade was pieced with the new Twilight papers. I must say that I think this is a must have series of papers. The scale of these is FABULOUS for paper piecing - something I adore :) I then colored the table base with a neutral Copic and added additional "woody" texture using my Prismacolor pencils.

I think that the pièce de résistance of this little creation are those adorable mice. I had some of the test strips of the new Martha Stewart punches sitting on my desktop and it was almost one of those "slap your head moments" when I spotted these mice. OVER THE TOP hilarious and cute is all I could think. Look how the cat has her head turned and the mice are all scampering around her. OK, so I'm perhaps a little odd, but I think it is absolutely hilarious!

By cutting the mouse strip in pieces I was able to completely surround the regal cat.

 

Next came the window. Once again I airbrushed the open window and then colored in the frame and pumpkin with a combination of Copic Markers and Prismacolor pencils. The shade was made by stamping on patterned paper and gluing it in place. What is a window treatment without a little "bling?" A row of Halloween jewels added just enough sparkle to make me happy.

Next came the staircase. Stamping on two separate pieces of patterned paper and then piecing the base in a similar manner to the method I used on this month's stamp of the month quilt I added dimension to this piece. Using W2 I added shadows to the "wallpaper" behind the stair spindles. If you ever need to add a vintage quality to your patterned papers, just grab your "W" series of Copic markers. They are perfect for creating that aged look.

The chair and bird were a little tricky to cut out - LOL! BUT I was determined!!! First I stamped the image on white Neenah CS. I stamped it a second time on the floral pattern and cut out only the seat. A must have tool when gluing these tiny pieces to their bases is the Quickie Glue pen.

 

Now I needed to create my floor. I love the diverse patterns in this series of paper and selected one that I felt could represent a carpeted floor. Coming up with the measurements for the little "pop-up" folds was the trickiest part of this project. The "test pieces" (said with "tongue in cheek" because they were not intended to be test pieces) I created will atest to this being the part I needed to figure out previous to creating this little "masterpiece."

I will hopefully spare you a little of my pain by laying it out for you. Ü What I would like to suggest to you is that you create the little pieces that you would like to use in your 3-D scene. Cut them out and determine the placement of these items. Then measure the items when they are placed flat on the card base to determine the base distance from the fold or the edge of the card.

The cat is the largest and for perspective purposes I wanted it at the front of my little scene. To ensure that it would lay flat inside the card without bending it needed to be at the front edge. The back stairs and chair are smaller and could fold forwards, but I also wanted to be certain that they would remain within the inside "walls" of the card.

I cut my decorative "carpet and wallpaper" to 5 1/2" in width so that the paper would fit nicely to the interior of my card. First I attached the wallpaper, scoring it at the fold. 

Next I created my carpeted area. To try and simplify this for you I have created a PDF file of the 5 1/2"w x 6"l piece of decorative paper.

Download Room Scene

Using my Scor-It I was able to score and precisely fold this piece. I then applied adhesive inside the peeks to hold them together and affixed this piece firmly to the interior of my card.

As you can see I added little "tabs" to the bases of some of the pieces to hold them in position behind the folds. The first fold with the cat attached folds back into the card and the back two folds flip forwards.

I needed to still create the "front" of the card and wanted to keep it simple. What would be more perfect coming in to this room scene than two little "Trick or Treaters?"

A little masking to create more of those fun light patterns, some extra color and my card was complete. I'm so silly proud of this little thing - LOL! It makes me giddy to open it up and play with the pieces. Perhaps I should be going back to my interior design work rather than playing with paper, but because I am so devoted to what it is that I am currently doing I guess I'll just try and satisfy that desire in new ways.

For those of you who love to decorate, I encourage you to give this a try. It was so over-the-top fun to do something so different Ü

stamps:  Cat and Lamp, Chair and Bird, Shady Window, Staircase and Pumpkin, Trick or Treaters, Happy Halloween

ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

markers/pencils: COPIC - B0000, Y28, YG00, YR14, YR07, E19, W00, W2, 100; Prismacolor - Jasmine, Metallic Gold, Burnt Ochre, Chocolate, Sepia, Mineral Orange, Pumpkin Orange, Apple Green

paper:  Twilight 6x6 paper pad, Neenah Solar White, Jack O Lantern Notecard, Black Cardstock

other:  Martha Stewart Edge Punch with Wings, Mice; Scor-It, Halloween MB Jewels, Clear Spica, Eclipse Twins, Fingertip Craft Knife, Snips, Rectangle Nestabilities