the CLASSroom

Shabby Chic Assemblage Clock by Julia Stainton

Ever feel like there are just so many projects you want to try and just not enough time? I think most of us feel that way. I think the key is prioritizing and making a list of what you want to accomplish.

I've been keeping a crafting-must-try list lately and at the very top of it was the Tim Holtz Assemblage Clock. When I first saw it in the CHA Winter release previews, I gasped and knew it was going to be going into my shopping cart. I love all things to do with clocks and this clock/altered display item...well, it had me at hello.

When I first got my Assemblage clock, I was really impressed with how well made it is and how large it is. It's 7 inches tall. For some reason the photos I'd seen of it made me think it would be more like 5". I was thrilled with the larger size as it gave me a larger work area.

The back panel easily snaps on and off for altering. I decided that it would add extra dimension to alter the glass front of the clock as well as the inside and started off by adding rub-on transfers to the clock face. To apply the rub-ons, cut out the designs you wish to use and remove the backing. Apply to the surface you wish to transfer them to and then rub them on using firm pressure and a popsicle stick or the Basic Grey Rub-on Roller.

To create my background, I removed the back panel and traced the circle onto a piece of Craft-a-Board. You need something sturdy to support the embellishments and this does it well. After cutting the circle out, it was then covered with a piece of patterned paper. I went with a neutral paper and that works well as most of it gets covered up with the layers.

Next step is to add some layers. The kraft tag was stamped using some Shell Pink Paint Dabber and a Hero Arts Background stamp. I've used the same paint to coat the chipboard butterfly.

The coordinating solid butterfly from the same set was covered with patterned paper and the edges filed with the Basic Grey Precision File Set.

I like to keep adding layers until the design is balanced and it just feels right. The left side of the design is fairly simple, a large flower, as the rub-on on the front glass covers that area. I find using a hot glue gun works well for adding in all these heavy embellishments, especially when the design is going to be upright when on display.

You'll notice that I've repeated the rub-on transfer motifs throughout the design. You can see little butterflies and postage marks on the back layers near the top of the design. My favorite use of them is to embellish these sweet little wood spools.

Rub-on transfers are so versatile. This project uses them on glass, paper, paint, wood and even fabric. The little linen tag took the rub-on application perfectly and makes a sweet final accent.

Hope you've enjoyed this sweet timely project and that inspires you to make your own. Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom and have a wonderful weekend!

 

Supplies:

InLinkz.com

Spring Canvas by Sharon Harnist

I was feeling extra Spring-y this week, with all the pretty sunshine (preceeded by a few nice days of rain!) and all the Texas Bluebonnets starting to bloom along the road sides, so I wanted to capture that feeling on canvas and here are the results:

After a few trial and error attempts, I came up with this successful method when wanting to stamp and color with Copic markers onto a stretched canvas frame. Sometimes a detailed stamp like this one is difficult to get a crisply stamped image when trying to stamp onto a stretched canvas over a wood frame.

To begin, I stamped the Hero Arts DesignBlock Flower Text (measuring a nice 6" x 4-1/2") with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Sticky Back Natural Canvas-8-1/2" x 11" 

Then I started coloring . . . Here are the step-out photos of each flower and its corresponding Copic Sketch colors used:

1. I feather blended together Y18 and YR16 (start by coloring with the lighter Y18, then flick the YR16 from the center of the flower outward):

2. YG25 and G17 for the the leaves:

3. V04 and V06 for the purple flower:

4. The same greens and yellow from the first flower:

5. For the center flower, I used B02 & B05 for the flowers and a little bit lighter green combo of YG03 & G05 for the leaves, just for a little variation:

6. As a final coloring step, I decided to go back over the stamped lines and deepen the color with a Copic Multiliner 0.8 (from the Broad 4pc Set). This was just personal preference -- I really like how it made the flower colors pop! The right two flowers below have already been outlined, but you could skip this step if you wanted a more natural flower look like the purple flower on the left that still had not been outlined -- it has a more "painterly" look:

The final step was to trim the Sticky Back canvas to the size of my 5 x 7 Chunky Stretched Natural Canvas (the Sticky Back canvas trims very easily with your paper trimmer or scissors), peel off the backing and stick the colored canvas to the front of the stretched canvas frame (ahem -- thus covering up a previous non-successful stamping attempt!):

The finishing touch was to tie on some pretty Springy May Arts Parrot Green Crochet Ribbon around the left side:

I hope this project helps put you in the Spring spirit and encourages you to get crafting this weekend!

~ Sharon

{Supplies}

Edited 4/9/13: I see you all scooped up the remaining supply of of this great Hero Arts large DesignBlock stamp! If you are looking for a similar stamp, I recently found these while browsing through the Warehouse Sale section of the store (which means great prices!):

Hero Arts Words & Flowers (set of 4):

Three Quirky Flowers:

I hope that helps! ~ Sharon

Hero Arts DesignBlock, Flower Text	Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black	Natural Studio Sticky Back Canvas 8.5x11	Copic Sketch Markers
Copic Multiliner 4pc Set, Broad	Canvas Corp Chunky Stretched Natural Canvas, 5x7	May Arts Crochet Ribbon, Parrot Green

InLinkz.com

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!!

---

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

Land of the Free Mini Canvases by Julia Stainton

Independence Day is coming up and inspired by the new Maya Road Star tins, I thought a patriotic project might be a fun one to work up for my American friends. I hope you enjoy it!

Mini Canvas Frames have to be one of my all-time favorite products in the Ellen Hutson LLC store. They are 4"x4" in size and are the perfect size for making fun altered canvas projects and just right for experimenting on. A great feature of these canvases are they are triple primed meaning you can get right to the fun stuff. As well they come two in a pack, are super high quality and as the canvas wraps right around to the back, you don't even need a frame for them. Unless you want one of course.

 

Today's tutorial has lots of photos to take you through all the steps. A picture is worth a thousand words, right?...so I've taken a few to make it easy to follow. The first step is to paint one of the canvases with blue Studio Acrylic Paint.

While that is drying, you can stamp a nice collage of images onto the other canvas. It's already triple primed as I mentioned earlier so you can just stamp away. I like using the Ranger Archival Inks for stamping on canvas and then heat set the ink for permanence.

Creating stripes is easy to do when you mask off an area. Tissue Tape makes a beautiful accent but it also works perfectly to mask with. Apply the tissue tape on the areas you want to remain white and paint the rest in red.

After the paint has dried, you can remove the masking tape and your canvas should look like the above photo.

While that continues to dry, it's back to the blue canvas. Once it's surface is dry you can stamp on it with paint applied to a background stamp. I love doing this with an Adirondack Paint Dabber as it makes it super easy to cover the area. Stamp canvas and set aside to dry.

Once both canvases are dry you can add a lovely crackle finish if you like the vintage look. Apply Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint over each of the canvas and give it an hour or so to dry.

The Distress Crackle layer will add a beautiful vintage distressed look. To highlight it, sponge the surfaces with some Distress Ink. If you'd like to check out the detail, just click on the above photo to enlarge it.

Finally we get to the Maya Road Star Bottle Cap that inspired the project. Most paints flake off metal so I've painted the inside of the bottle cap with Gesso. I've filled the inside of the star with a knotted length of burlap tirm and added some other sweet embellishments.

Here's a detail of what the star canvas looks like finished.

To complete the striped canvas, I've painted some chipboard letters with the matching blue Studio paint and adhered them to the canvas.

You can display these canvases horizontally as in the first photograph but after completing the project, discovered that it looks great arranged vertically as well.

Hope you've been inspired to create some patriotic art for your home this summer.

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

Supplies: White 4"x4" Canvas Frames, Studio Gesso by Ranger, Snow Cap Adirondack Paint Dabber, Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint, Dash of Red Studio Paint and Smidge of Blue Studio Paint by Ranger, Studio Artist Brushes, Jet Black Archival Ink, Vermillion Archival Ink and Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink by Ranger, Cling Music Background,  Large Newspaper Background DesignBlock, Basic Grey Carte Postale by Hero Arts, Patti Mini Alphabet Chipboard Set by Maya Road, Star Bottle Cap, Vintage Paper Roses, Linen Burlap Trim and Ticket Transparencies by Maya Road, Heart Trinket Pins, Crystal Star Trinket Pins, Kraft Flag Trinket Pins and Wood Bingo Motifs by Maya Road, Love Banner Clear Stamp Sheet by Maya Road

"Faux"berge Easter Eggs

Easter is right around the corner and I thought I would share an idea that has been brewing in my head for some time. I figured I'd best get busy and share it if anyone is to have time to play with it this Easter season.

It was as I thought about the many ways to use adhesives that these ideas popped into my head. I cannot lay claim to the clever title of these eggs. Julia E, here at work, is so very clever with words!!! After sharing my idea she just popped out the word "faux"berge and I started to laugh - it was perfect!

Glitter, foil, pearls, gemstones, Be Creative (Sookwang) tape, embossing powder, Distress Stain... the list of products in our studio that can be used to embellish an Easter egg is LONG. It is so fun to think of different ways to use these products!

I would like to recommend that you blow out the insides of your eggs before beginning, but due to limited time I just went for it being VERY careful not to drop it as I worked. Sadly these eggs would not smell very good if I were to actually put them out on display, so I keep peeking at them in the fridge from time to time - LOL! Next time I will definitely be blowing the insides out!

The first idea was to use the beautiful Design Adhesives we carry. The smaller designs are simpler to use because you do not need to worry about them overlapping themselves when you adhere it to the rounded surface. Cut out an individual shape and burnish on to the surface of your egg.

Gently peel back the protective coating.

Apply glitter and press glitter into adhesive with your fingertip.

Pour off the excess glitter and burnish the glitter into the adhesive, just as you would when doing the burnished velvet technique on paper.

Remove excess glitter with a soft brush.

These glittery eggs are absolutely spectacular! Use one color or many colors of glitter for a variety of looks.

The larger adhesive designs are a little more difficult to work with on the rounded surface. You will need to slightly overlap the design, but I found the look to be worth the extra effort.

Apply the Designer Foil to the sticky adhesive surface and gently rub the foil into place making certain all adhesive is covered with foil.

Peel it back and the foil remains attached to the adhesive.

If you have little gaps left exposing the adhesive simply apply a little Microfine glitter. You can use a coordinating color or contrasting - just think of all the options this leaves you!

Not only can you use Design Adhesive for this technique but you can create your own adhesive shapes using your dies and Be Creative (also known as Sookwang) tape! You must use the sheets which have the protective backing attached.

Select a design that would compliment the shape of an egg and cut it out. Dies that are extremely intricate will not work for this technique because the adhesive will stretch as you remove the backing and apply it to your egg. Select your dies with this in mind.

Begin to peel back the protective backing and attach this to your egg. Remove a small portion at a time and adhere to your egg surface.

Once you have it attached apply a light pressure over the entire design to make certain the adhesive is adhered to the egg.

Remove the backing and apply your glitter, burnishing it in to the adhesive.

Add additional embellishments to glam up your egg!

As with all things crafty one things leads to another --- what would Distress Stains do to an egg? I simply applied the stain to my egg and used a soft tissue to remove the excess.

Eggs are so very interesting - the striped appearance just happened naturally!

Using the dots from my previous experiment with diecutting Be Creative sheets I covered my egg. You could easily use Glue Dots if you were simply applying glitter or foil, but if heated Glue Dots will begin to bubble, whereas Sookwang tape can be used with heat.

Remove the backing and apply white embossing powder. Heat the embossing powder to melt.

You could create so many different patterns using tape - stripes, plaids, chevrons, mixed dots and stripes, more die cut shapes - my oh my the list is endless!

How cute is the polka dotty egg?!? These would make awesome little decorations on your Easter table!

I hope that you try making "Faux"berge eggs this year!!!

adhesive: Design Adhesives - Leaf Nouveau and French Swirl, Be Creative Tape Sheets

accessories: Grasshopper Microfine Glitter, Limeburst Designer Foil, 3" Nest, Circle Borders Lifestyle Crafts Die, Smooth Clear Round Gemstones, Opaque White Embossing Powder, Peeled Paint Distress Stain

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,
 

Framed Snowglobe Shaker Decor by Sharon Harnist

             (Click on any photo for a larger view)

Hello and welcome to the CLASSroom!  Today I have this framed snowglobe shaker home decor piece to share with you.  This 4" x 6" framed artwork was easy to create and I love that it's interactive . . . people will walk by this piece on my foyer table and shake it all season long!  Here's how to make it:

1. Stamp this year's Lockhart Stamp Company-2011 Limited Edition Nicholas Sings Carols image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Copic X-Press It Blending Card and color with these Copic Sketch Markers:

2. Stamp the image again, positioned on a 4" x 6" piece of Authentique 6x6-Wonder patterned paper where you want the shaker to be. Using a craft knife, cut out only the globe, leaving the base of the globe on the patterned paper. Color the base with Copic T4 and T6:

3. Cut a 4" x 6" piece of Ellen's Crystal Clear Medium Weight Plastic and adhere it to the back side of the patterned paper you cut the snowglobe out of, using Copic's High Tack Double-Sided Tissue Tape. The plastic helps give the patterned paper extra stiffness so it will sit up over the stamped image well:

4. Next, using 3D Foam Squares, build a barrier around the hole you cut in the patterned paper.  Stay away from the edge of the circle, so the foam tape won't show from the front.  Be sure all the edges of the foam tape are touching, so your "snow" won't escape from the shaker! This will also make the patterned paper/plastic piece sit up over the stamped image and hold your shaker material (snow) in place.  Here, I'm using chunky Twinklets Diamond Dust.  It only takes a very small amount of the Diamond Dust -- a lot less than you might think:

5. To create the banner across the top of the frame, I covered three of Maya Road's Mixed Scalloped Triangle Banner pieces with more Wonder paper.  Those little scallops can be tricky to cover, but Basic Grey's Precision File Set makes it easy.  I've had this file set for almost 5 years -- it was one of the very first things I bought from Ellen's store when it first opened!

6. Next, I colored Maya Road's Noah Alphabet chipboard letters with Ranger's Adirondack Cranberry and Snowcap Pigment Inks and clear heat embossed them:

7. The banner was attached to the top of the frame with Doodlebug Assorted (Red) Twine and Craft Glue Dots:

The final embellishment is a Maya Road Mini Chipboard Snowflake, colored with Versamark Frost Dazzle ink and clear embossed.

You can find previous years of these darling Lockhart Limited Edition Christmas globe stamps Ellen still has in stock here:

2010-Auntsy Nancy Reads to Nicholas,
2009-Nicholas & Kitty,
2008-Nicholas First Train,
2007-Grandpa & Grandma Flurry with Nicholas,

Each deeply-etched red rubber wood-mounted stamp is hand colored, signed, numbered and dated!  How cute an entire set of these framed snowglobe shakers would look on your holiday mantle!

Happy crafting!  ~ Sharon

Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Company-2011 Limited Edition Nicholas Sings Carols,
Paper: Copic X-Press It Blending Card, Authentique 6x6-Wonder, 
Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark Frost Dazzle; Ranger Adirondack Pigment Inks-Cranberry & Snowcap,
Copic Sketch Markers: B0000, C1, R20, R22, R24, R29, T4, T6, YG61, YG63, YG93, YG95, YR12, Y23, Y26
Accessories:  Essentials by Ellen-Crystal Clear Plastic Medium Weight; Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares Mixed; Flora Craft Twinklets Diamond Dust; Doodlebug Assorted Twine; Maya Road Mini Chipboard Sets: Snowflakes, Mixed Scalloped Triangle Banner, Noah Alphabet; Basic Grey Precision File Set; Ranger Clear Embossing Powder & Heat It Craft Tool; Copic High Tack Double-Sided Tissue Tape; Craft Glue Dots;
Other: 4" x 6" dollar store photo frame 

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

Very Vintage Christmas by Julia Stainton

I'm not sure if it is all the new and fabulous Christmas product in the Ellen Hutson LLC store or whether is was Julie Ebersole's stunning Holiday card found here on the CLASSroom earlier this week, but I've been so inspired to create for Christmas! If you're feeling the same way, why not join me today for a tutorial on creating some sweet and vintage Christmas ornaments. If you're not quite there yet, that's OK, file the idea away for closer to the holidays.

One of my very favorite styles to design in is vintage. For me, vintage and Christmas just go hand in hand. I love creating holiday cards but I really thought it would be fun to create some vintage-style Christmas tree balls that I could pull out and use each year.

First I started off with a clear glass ball I picked up in my travels. If you have small children in the house, you can even do these with plastic or paper mache balls and get the very same look...just a little more child-friendly. Can you tell I've had more than my share of children who LOVE redecorating the tree? It's not always pretty.

The Claudine Hellmuth Studio Gloss Multi-Medium is an all-round great product. It's perfect for decoupage and adhering things as well as so many other uses.I've just brushed it onto the glass ornament and then laid on torn pieces of tissue paper and then smoothed it out with more Multi-Medium and my paint brush. To easily hold onto the ball but keep my hands clean, I just placed my finger down the neck of the ball.

Once it's all smooth and well-adhered, I applied another generous layer of Multi-Medium and then sprinkled it with some Krystallos Vintage Glass Glitter. It's absolutely stunning looking glitter! Allow to dry before moving the glass ball.

One thing you may want to notice is the Non-Stick Craft Sheet I am working on. It's perfect for messy projects using liquids such as glue, paint or mists. It just wipes clean and totally protects my work surface.

The ornaments are simply beautiful on their own but it's always fun to add a sweet tag. It makes it easy to give these away as a gift. I've created my own little tags using the Sizzix Tiny Tabs and Tags die. I always love cutting a bunch of these from different cardstocks while I have my die out and storing these sweet tags to have on hand. It's so much easier and quicker that way.

Each tag was inked and then embellished. I've tied on some silk ribbon and some beautiful Maya Road Dangling Chandelier Beads.

On the other ornament tag, I decided to stamp some beautiful Christmas images from the Graphic 45 Christmas Emporium Stamp Set 3.

And here's a final closeup. Anyone in the mood for some Christmas crafting?

Thanks so much for joining me today in the CLASSroom! Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Supplies: glass Christmas ornaments, Paris Collage Tissue paper by 7 Gypsies, Claudine Hellmuth Gloss Multi-Medium, Claudine Hellmuth Studio Artist Brushes, Krystallos Vintage Glass Glitter, 1/4" white silk ribbon, Tiny Tabs & Tags Die by Sizzix, Non-Stick Craft Sheet by Ranger, Dangling Chandelier Trinket Beads by Maya Road, Wood Vintage Snowflakes by Maya Road, twine, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Christmas Emporium Stamp Set 3 by Graphic 45, Vermillion Archival Ink by Ranger, Snowcap White Pigment Ink by Ranger

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

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 

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,

Spring Photo Tray by Sharon Harnist

Time for an update of my seasonal Photo Tray for Spring & Summer!  You can find my other seasonal Photo Trays here (Fall) and here (Christmas), if you care to get some other ideas of how this tray can be used.  I use temporary adhesive on each of the 4" x 6" panels within each tray section, so they can be removed and the tray used over and over again!  I used this gorgeous new Prima 6x6 paper pad-Madeline, for an easily coordinated tray.

In the top left section, I used Spellbinders largest Labels Large Nestabilities die to cut the photo of my oldest daughter (showing off her new glasses!) -- notice that pretty embossed edge of the photo!  I love using dies to cut my photos into unexpected shapes -- I think it gives my scrapbooking a nice professional touch.  

The flower accent was cut from coordinating Madeline paper using Tim Holt Bigz Die-Tattered Florals.  It's quick and easy to cut all the coordinating flower pieces you need in just one die!  I stacked the pieces together with 3D Foam Squares, and accented the center with a Hero Arts Medium accent pearl.

In the upper center section, the bird cage was die cut from a sheet of cork that was backed with a sheet of Be Creative tape:

Then I just cut away pieces of the adhesive backing from where I wanted the cork to adhere to the butterfly patterned paper in a curved dimensional shape.  The adhesive sheet helps give the cork more stability, to retain its curved shape and makes it super easy to adhere to the paper.  Then I just trimmed the patterned paper around the cage and laced it up with Brown Twine, and walah . . . caged butterflies!

This Tim Holtz Caged Bird die contains two images:

Here's how I used the bird in the upper right section:

For this sweet bird die cut, I adhered Creative Imaginations Real Cherry Wood Cherry to Craft-a-Board to give it more stability and then die cut it -- I love the texture!  It's popped up on foam tape.  I loved this wonderful scalloped sentiment piece that is from another piece of the Madeline paper. It says: "True beauty lies within. I know that yours will shine so brilliant it will be blinding."  Something I hope my beautiful daughters learn in life.

 
My favorite section is fabulous dress I created!  I used Tim Holt's Bigz Die-Sewing Room dress form to cut Craft-a-Board, which was then sponged with Antique Linen & Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks:

Then I adhered a large Prima Cherry Rose Trim to the dress form -- one flower was all that was needed of this gorgeous trim:

I trimmed the flowers to fit the dress form, and then finished it with a Hero Arts Small Accent Pearls necklace.  My oldest daughter said she wants a dress like this!

The final two sections on the lower right were accented with huge Spellbinders Nested Butterfly die cuts.  I cut the largest butterfly in half and adhered the halves in each section and then topped it with the middle butterfly die that was adhered on top of the section divider and finished with Hero Arts Medium accent pearls.  Some Maya Road Cream Small Organza Rose trim was used in each section, to help tie them together.  In the left section, I used pieces of the fuschia Tattered Flowers die cuts that were left over from the top left section, topped with one of the small organza roses.  The small label cut out in the left section is from another piece of the Madeline paper, cut in half:

The photo of my youngest daughter was cut with a circle die.  I hope this tray helps to give you some ideas of different ways you can use this wonderful 7 Gypsies Black Photo Tray!

~ Sharon Harnist

Paper: Prima 6x6 paper pad-Madeline, Magenta Cork sheet, Essentials by Ellen Craft-a-Board, Creative Imaginations Real Wood Cherry-Thin,
Ink: Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks-Antique Linen & Brushed Corduroy, Ink Blending Tool; 
Tools: Sizzix Tim Holt Bigz Die-Tattered Florals, Caged Bird & Sewing Room; Spellbinders Nested Butterfly, Labels Large Nestabilities & Circle Nestabilities die sets
Accessories: 7 Gypsies Black Photo Tray, Prima Cherry Rose Trim, Hero Arts Medium & Small Accent Pearls, Maya Road Cream Small Organza Roses, Jillibean Soup Brown Twine, Be Creative (Sookwang) Sheet adhesive, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares, Glue Glider Pro Repositionable tape, 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

 

  

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

CREATING THE CAKE BOX

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

Attach each piece one at a time.

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paper Lilies Dress Up Art Parts

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 
stamps: Tim Holtz Stuff to Say

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

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

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

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

A Sign of Love by Julia Stainton

It's January and by now, the Christmas and holiday decorations are all packed away. Spring seems so very far away but don't worry...Valentine's Day is just around the corner to heat things up.

While I love making Valentines for my guy, I love to think of Valentine's Day as a day to celebrate with my whole family. After all, love is a wonderful thing and meant to be shared. I thought it would be fun to create a wall-art decoration for the holiday. I like it so much, I think it just may hang in my craft studio all year long.

To start this project, I used a Melissa Frances Label Style Backdrop and covered it with some beautiful Parisian Anthology paper by Pink Paislee.

It has a beautiful embossed finish on it that reveals itself when you add ink. I've sprayed this paper with some Viva Pink Glimmer Mist to add color and interest.

The Pink Paislee Artisan Elements are fabulous for adding detail and are wonderful to personalize. Here I've used a RV91 Copic marker to highlight the center of the embossed flowers. Trim off the excess pieces of the embellishment and store back on the sheet for another project.

To create the sentiment, I've used some Tim Holtz Grungeboard letters. The Brushed Pewter Distress Crackle Paint gives the letters a beautiful metallic finish. Clean up is a breeze with the Ranger Craft Sheet.

Once the letters are dry, adhere them to the project with Ranger Glossy Accents.

I thought a mini frame would be a fun addition to the wall art piece. Some Webster's Pages papers are simply trimmed and placed between two sheets of 2" glass before inserting into the Ranger 2" frame.

Adhering lots of elements to a hanging piece can be a challenge, especially if they are not paper. I've used the Tiny Attacher to staple on some of the elements that will be partially hidden such as the heart doily and the crocheted doilies.

The frame was the difficult obstacle to overcome but I found a really fun solution in my stash. The Tim Holtz Hitch Fasteners can be inserted though a hole in the chipboard making a very strong hanger to support the frame.

Here's a shot of the final project.

Supplies: Label Style Backdrop by Melissa Frances, Viva Pink Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels, Parisian Anthology paper and Circle Artisan Elements by Pink Paislee, heart doily by Ellen's Essentials, Brushed Pewter Distress Crackle Paint by Ranger, Grungeboard Minis by Advantus, RV91 Copic Marker, twine, Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink by Ranger, Ivory Silk Ribbon by May Arts, Hitch Fastener by Advantus, 2" Memory Frame & 2" Memory Glass by Ranger, Glossy Accents by Ranger, Hollywood Vogue Journaling Cards by Webster's Pages, Tiny Attacher by Advantus, Sweet Taffy Pink Embellishments by Prima, heart trinket pins by Maya Road

How do you decorate for Valentine's Day? Do you decorate? Create cards?

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom and happy creating!

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",

Christmas Past Wall Hanging

So happy you took some time to join us in the CLASS room today!

I have a fun holiday decor item that I would love to share with you. The Christmas Past collection from Graphic 45 has so many beautiful patterns and colors that work seamlessly together, those along with a few bits and baubles from the Tim Holtz Idea-ology line came together to make a wall hanging that would be great for a focal place on a wall, hanging from a special door or placed on a wreath hanger for your front entryway.

I used Craft-a-board as the base and various sheets of paper from both the 8"x8" pack of Christmas Past and the 12"x12" as well. All the pieces were inked with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink with a foam applictor around the edges and the holly leaves and berries were cut out by hand, inked and then had Distress Stickles applied for extra texture and dimension.

Punch a hole in the top and set an eyelet, use Jump Rings to attach Muse Token and a Swivel Clasp with the Typewriter Charms spelling "JOY".

Attach Game Spinners to Timepiece clock face with a brad and then adhere in place.

To create the wire hanging piece I used Vintaj 28 wire on the spool (the finer gauge, if you want it be sturdier use the 18 gauge) and cut four pieces of the length that I wanted and then twisted them together. For the coil that is over the top I wrapped the wire around a small paint brush handle and then threaded it over the twisted wire piece. Then attach to the Hinge Clips by threading through the holes and then twisting into place.

Use Scrapbook Adhesives Dimensional foam adhesive to attache the leaves and berries and any other little bits you may want to add, I used some Blank Canvas Studio Paint to fill in the letters on this Philosophy Tag and then attached it to the project with a Trinket Pin.

  
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend that maybe allows for a little personal crafting time :o)

B-

Printer Tray Family Collage by Debbie Olson

Welcome! Today I have an altered item to share; I had ordered one of the black Printer Trays several weeks back but wasn't sure what I wanted to make with it. When the new Cosmo Cricket Circa 1934 line came out, I knew that the vintage office look would be perfect with my printer tray.  

I started with the printer tray, an assortment of Circa 1934 papers and elements page, and some snapshots that I had taken one beautiful October day in our back yard. (The pictures were taken with a digital camera, converted to black and white in Adobe Photoshop Elements, and sized roughly for the openings before being printed with a Canon Selphy CP760 printer.)

Tip: Be sure to measure carefully before you cut your pictures; sometimes the shapes are 1/16" more or less than a standard size. Leaning on my woodworking husband's advice, "Measure twice, cut once." 

 

After you have the photographs in place, fill in with bits and pieces of patterned paper, buttons, string, tags--whatever your heart desires!

I considered leaving my photographs and papers just tacked with a bit of adhesive so that I could change the pictures seasonally, but I ended up using Ranger's Matte Accents to glue the pieces thoroughly. I'll just order another tray. . . or two. . . Christmas presents for grandparents, anyone?

Thanks for visiting the CLASSroom today!

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

Fall Scrap Page by Sharon Harnist

I decided it was time for another one of my 6-inch scrapbooking-for-the-fridge magnets, especially since Fall, with its changing leaves, is one of my very favorite times of the year!

 

I've had a piece of corregated cardboard box torn up and waiting for a great idea to hit me on how to use it and I wondered if it could be die cut.  The answer -- most definitely yes!

To start, just cut up any regular old cardboard box into pieces that will fit through your die cut machine, and then peel the layers apart, to reveal the corregation on the inside layers.

Next, I inked the ridges of my piece of cardboard with white pigment ink, just to give it some color variation, and let it dry.  Then I tried die cutting it with Spellbinders Nested Maple Leaf (largest) die: 

 

At first, I thought the sandwich might be too tight and took out the magnetic spacer (or white cutting plate, depending on your Wizard model) piece of my Wizard sandwich but sure enough, it was needed (but a bit tight).  The result was a wonderfully embossed and very well cut leaf!

 

After die cutting and inking the edges of the cardboard leaf with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink, I cut a piece of Basic Grey Pyrus patterned paper with the middle-sized Nested Maple Leaf die to layer on top of the cardboard leaf.  I sanded the embossed edges of the paper leaf, after inking the edges -- I love this look!  A Hero Arts Fancy Felt Flower and a button tied with twine finish the leaf embellishement.

To finish my page (6 inches, cut from olive Basic Grey Pyrus patterned paper), I added a Jenni Bowlin Vintage Mini Bingo Card and FALL letters die cut with the Sizzix Tim Holtz Vintage Market Alpha die from more Pyrus patterned paper. 

 

TIP: Outline your die cuts with a Copic marker -- this will really help define them and make them jump off your page, instead of blending in, unnoticed!  Here, I used 110-Special Black.  Zig 2-Way Fine Tip Glue Pen makes it easy to glue down small die cuts.

Since I've become addicted to glittered embellishments, I added a scalloped edge on the left side that was made by using Martha Stewart's Scallop Dot edger punch to punch a piece of paper covered with Glitter Ritz Opaque Micro Fine Glitter in Spice Brown!  Hopefully you can see the gorgeous coppery color of the glitter here (although there was some glare on the photos!):

 

Oh, and I can't forget the film strip of photos I printed of my sweet (most of the time!) daughters!  By adhering Inchie Arts Inchie Magnets on the back of my 6-inch page, it becomes refrigerator art, holding the school lunch menu or other important school papers we refer to each day!  When the season is over, place the page in a brag book album.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom today ... I hope Fall is on the way to wherever you live! ~ Sharon

 
Paper: Basic Grey Pyrus patterned papers, Jenni Bowlin Mini Bingo Cards-Vintage,
Ink: Ranger Adirondack Snow Cap Pigment ink pad & Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink; Copic 110-Special Black
Accessories: Spellbinders Nested Maple Leaf die set, Sizzix Tim Holtz Vintage Market Alpha dies, Martha Stewart Scallop Dot edger punch, Hero Arts Fancy Felt Flowers-Neutral, Glitter Ritz Opaque Micro Fine Glitter-Spice Brown, Jillibean Soup Twine-Brown, Zig 2-Way Fine Tip Glue Pen, Inchie Arts Inchie Magnets, Sanding Block, Button,
Other: corregated cardboard box

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

Fall Photo Tray Decor by Sharon Harnist

 

I've been wanting to alter this 7 Gypsies Black Photo Tray for quite some time now and finally decided on just the project for it ... a seasonal home decor piece!  So you are likely to see this tray again, just revamped for each season!  I adhered each 4" x 6" panel in place with repositionable adhesive, so the panels can be changed out easily.  Overall, this tray measures approximately 13" square.

I began by selecting the pieces of Basic Grey's new Pyrus 12" collection I wanted to use, since this collection contains some fabulous Fall colors and images!  For the top "home" banner, I covered four of Maya Road's Mixed Scallop Mini Triangle Banner chipboard pieces with rusty brown and olive solid pieces of the Basic Grey papers (using a glue stick), sanded the edges and then adhered Maya Road's Noah Chipboard Alphabet letters that had been glittered to the triangles:

 

Here are some tips for glittering chipboard:  First, I started by coloring the chipboard pieces with Copic markers that closely match the color of glitter I wanted to use (including the edges) -- this just helps to prevent the gray chipboard from showing through the glitter and it also finishes the edges of the chipboard pieces nicely.  See how well the Copic markers color the chipboard:

 

The Copics I used here were E08 and YG03.  You could just use the letters like this, but wait -- glitter makes everything better, in my opinion, and is my favorite thing lately, so let's glitter up these babies!  To do so, I ran the colored chipboard letters through my Xyron Sticker Maker and then covered the letters with Glitter Ritz Microfine Glitters in Chartreuse and Spice Brown.  The triangles were strung together with twine to form a banner.

 

The large bird on the left is a Maya Road Song Bird Coaster, covered in more Basic Grey Pyrus paper.  The edges were also sanded and the tail tied with twine.  The teal flower on the top right was cut from some of the Pyrus patterned papers and a yellow gemstone crystal added to the center.

 

The "sweet" word was made with Maya Road's Noah Chipboard Alphabet, colored with BG13 Copic marker and then covered with Ice Blue Glitter Ritz microfine glitter:

 

The pumpkin and maple leaf were cut from more Pyrus paper with Spellbinders dies, then sanded to bring out the embossed edges.  Both are tied with twine.  The bottom "home" word was created with Maya Road's David Chipboard Alphabet and the heart is from Maya's Love Mini Chipboard Set:

 

This photo was taken in the bright sunshine -- hopefully you can see how gorgeous the glitter is, in a closer view (click on any photo for a closer view).

I hope this gives you some ideas on how you can use this fabulous photo tray -- you can even tuck in a few family photos as the season goes along.  Then I'm thinking each of these 4" x 6" removable panels can then be taken out of the tray after the season ends and put into a scrapbook!

Thanks for visiting the CLASSroom today!   ~ Sharon

 
Paper: Basic Grey Pyrus 12" collection
Ink: Copic markers E08, YG03 & BG13
Accessories: 7 Gypsies Black Photo Tray; Maya Road Song Bird Coaster, David Chipboard Alphabet, Noah Chipboard Alphabet, Love Mini Chipboard Set, & Mixed Scallop Mini Triangle Banner chipboard sets; Spellbinders Nested Pumpkin & Nested Maple Leaf die sets; Glitter Ritz Microfine Glitters-Chartreuse, Ice Blue & Spice Brown, Sanding Block, Glue Glider Pro Repositionable Adhesive Cartridge, yellow gemstone crystal
Other: Xyron Sticker Maker, glue stick, twine

Creating a Picture Pennant by Ellen Hutson

As I thought about what my kids might enjoy creating one of the first things that came to mind was figuring out a way to display pictures of their friends and family. When I first saw this fun canvas pennant from Maya Road I wanted to create with it.

The start to Trina's summer has been a rough one - how she came down with pneumonia we don't know, but needless to say it hasn't been easy. I created this special pennant especially for her in hopes of cheering her up just a little by sharing pictures of those who love her. There is room for so many more, but I ran out of time to add to it before completing this post. The tails have been left long so that we can continue to add to it :-D

The first technique I want to share is the photo transfer I used for the picture of her and Jasper. Jasper is the sweetest, most loving little guy and absolutely loves to wake Trina each morning with wet doggie kisses.

Print a color photo using an Inkjet printer. Cut to fit the pennant. Apply Matte Medium directly to the canvas triangle as shown.

Place your photo, color side down, and firmly press the image in to place. I like to use my Craft Scrapper and press it from the center out, removing any air bubbles that might be hiding.

Now is the hard part - allow this image to dry completely! I used my Heat It tool to speed up the process, but be careful not to remove your paper before the image is completely dry! 

Once completely dry use a mini mister to wet the copy paper. Then use your fingertips to remove the paper by rubbing it gently. The paper will pill as you rub off the excess. Keep working it gently until all paper pills are removed.

If you find that there are still little pieces of paper fuzz on your surface you can use a very thin layer of Matte Medium over the top. This does alter the appearance slightly, but it helps to remove any of the white fuzz that might be left on your project.

To add dimension to the two other pennants I used Tattered Angels Mist. I could have used my Copic Airbrush system as well, but the larger droplets lend a unique look to the canvas.

To dye the trim I placed it in a small ziplock bag and squirted a little Angel mist directly into the bag and then worked it into the trim. This was then taken out and allowed to dry.

Altering the E-line and Hero Arts flowers is also so very easy to do with the mist. As you can see the appearance of the flowers is altered by using a white base vs. an off-white base. Working on canvas I found that it was so much better to use off-white products to stay more in keeping with the warmth of the canvas. The blue flowers on the left showcase an off-white Hero Arts blossom on the left and a white E-line flower on the right.

I needed a larger size blossom in the purple tone and using the white e-line was just too vibrant. Copic markers to the rescue. First I colored the flower with my Y21 and Colorless blender and then spritzed it with Lilac mist. 

The mini chipboard sets from Maya Road are such a fabulous size. To alter these and turn them into the ever so popular glitter letters I first colored them with a Copic marker and then used my 2-way Glue pen to add adhesive. Holding the letters on the sides with my self-closing Tweezer Bees I was easily able to sprinkle the Ultrafine glitter over each letter, shaking off the excess.

To turn the pin into a dangling charm use a pair of jewelry pliers to bend the wire and then clip off the excess after you have insert the pin through the canvas.

I love this picture of my girls - they are so very sweet!

I was pleased with the result of the transfer. This technique could be fabulous on t-shirts, bags and more. Maddi suddenly took a huge interest in what I was doing and I think her mind is working on her "special" t-shirt ideas for the coming year.

And of course Trina's best friend - these two are so cute, and mischievous in a good way :-D 

If your teens and tweens are looking for crafty projects have them try making a photo pennant!
 
paper: Jenni Bowlin Calendar Cards, Maya Road Kraft Mini Tickets

ink: Tattered Angels Mist - Electric Blue, Sweet Clover, Timeless Lilac

accessories: Canvas Triangle Album, Noah Alphabet Mini Chipboard Set, Love Mini Chipboard Set, Green Leaf Trinket Pin, Olivia Buttons, Cream Art Flowers,  Bermuda Breeze E-line Flowers, Grasshopper Microfine Glitter, Melissa Francis Trim
  

Cute Magnetic Message Station by Kim Hughes

I love hanging pictures on my wall as a kid (and I still do) I hope that this is a project that you can see yourself doing with a special child or two in your life.  I altered a Maya Road embellishment tin...and it was OH SO EASY to do.  Weather your little one would display photos of her and her BFF or that dreamy boy that she oogles at school (along with his phone number possibly), this project can be enjoyed for any child at any age. 
 

supplies:

Zva Creative: Ice and Fire Crystal, Jet

Silk Ribbon, Ivory 1 1/4" wide by the Yard

Chipboard Foundation (any Maya Road tin will work)

Nested Butterfly

Essentials by Ellen: Art Magnetic Masking Material

Jenni Bowlin Memo Book, Orange, Mini Papers, Homespun

Ribbon, Vintage Crochet Trim, Wave, White, Ribbon Lace, Donegal

Martha Stewart Craft Punch, Classic Butterfly, Martha Stewart Craft Punch, 3-in-1 Classic Butterfly

start by punching and die cutting butterflies from a magnetic sheet.  They work beautifully with a metal tin.

I also punched the same shapes from patterned paper.  I thought that black crystals would be fun to add to the butterfly centers, so I cut them from a full flourish.

I cut down 2 journal papers to fit on the inside of the tin and rounded the edges with a corner rounder punch.

The paper butterflies are adhered to the magnetic base in the center only so that the wings will stand out and add dimension.  I then added white lace to the inside walls of the tin with a liquid glue.

I added liquid glue along the outside edge and adhered green lace along the rim.

a little dab of liquid glue once again..to the tip of each lace design is all it takes to adhere them to the inside of the tin.

Here is what it looks like when it's complete.  Covering that metal edge gave it a finished hand made look.

I punched a hole in the bottom so that a tag message could be hung.  You can mass produce possible message tags that can be hung from this magnetic wall hang. Messages like knock first, I am not home, go away or text me maybe?

It's easy to add ribbon to the back to hang on the wall or a door knob. 

Make more than one and arrange them side by side on the wall (some vertical, some horizontal)  Make them into shadow boxes.  Embellish the clear lid and showcase keepsakes in the box and display on your wall.  I hope that I shared enough basics to make this project your own.  Have fun!

Summer Canvas by Sharon Harnist

 

Summer is definitely in full swing here in Texas and I realized I didn't have any summer "refrigerator art" for my fridge!  So I decided to remedy that with this 6" x 6" Summer canvas.  I began by printing my 4" x 6" photo on Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Sticky Back Canvas.  This was the first time I tried printing a photo on the canvas and was pleasantly surprised at the photo quality:

 

(These were my girls, ready to hit the swimming pool on the first day of Summer!)  Then I adhered the canvas to a 6" x 6" piece of Ellen's Craft-a-Board, to give it stability.  Next, I painted the Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz-Floral Tattoo stamp with Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Paint in Classic Teal and stamped onto the canvas:

 

Then I painted the top and lower edges of the canvas and Craft-a-Board with Yellow Pastel Studio Paint (the color is really a prettier soft yellow in person -- my camera was just having trouble with it!):

 

I was pleasantly surprised at how well Ellen's Craft-a-Board took the paint along the lower edge, without peeling or buckling -- this was the first time I had tried paint on it!

Next, Maya Road's Mini Alphabet Chipboard-Noah "summer" letters were painted with Sky Blue Studio Paint and then sprinkled with turquoise Martha Stewart glitter while the paint was still wet:

 

Ranger's Glossy Accents was used to adhere the sparkly chipboard letters to the top of the canvas:

 

To finish the bottom of the canvas, I airbrushed white Prima Tamera lace with Copic BG45 Sketch marker (I thought the lace resembled water waves!): 

 

and added a Zva crystal swirl:

 

This canvas has magnets on the back and as I said, will decorate my refrigerator this summer with my two cuties!  You could also display this canvas on an easel in your home or attach a ribbon hanger to it and either hang it on a wall or doorknob.  When you are finished displaying it, it can then be tucked into a scrapbook album.  I hope you'll have fun with this technique of printing your photos on the Sticky Back Canvas ... it was lots of fun to play with!

 
Stamps: Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz-Floral Tattoo
Paper: Claudine Hellmuth Studio Sticky Back Canvas 8-1/2"x11"
Ink: Copic BG45 Sketch marker
Accessories: Essentials by Ellen Craft-a-Board; Claudine Hellmuth Studio Paint-Classic Teal, Sky Blue & Yellow Pastel; Maya Road Mini Alphabet Chipboard-Noah; Martha Stewart Essential Colors Glitter Set-Turquoise; Ranger Glossy Accents; Prima Tamera Lace; Copic Airbrush System; Zva crystal swirl
Other: HP inkjet printer

Pretty Party Paper Lanterns by Kim Hughes

Summer parties are SO much fun to host.  Why not hang some sweet paper decorations around to add to the ambiance?  I used 6 x 6 papers but just think of how cool larger versions of these paper lanterns will look mixed in with the smaller ones.

supplies:

Webster's Pages, Seaside Retreat 12x12 Paper Kit, Webster's Pages, Petite Paper Pad, Garden Gala/Seaside Retreat, Webster's Pages, Petite Paper Pad, Lullaby Lane/Life's Potrait

Prima roses

start by folding the square 6 x 6 paper in half.

and cut slits down the entire piece of paper.  Make sure to cut along the fold.  Simply staple the "cone shape" together on each end

I used a trimmer and cut in 1/2 increments, but you can also use scissors


adhere along both ends to attach both papers.  I used liquid glue but a staple will hold them in place nicely.

I cut a 12 x 12 paper down to 5 x 12, rolled it up and added it inside the paper lantern.

Meet the edge and staple in place.  Repeat on the bottom.  Remember that the paper lantern was created with 6 inch paper, so by adding a shorter piece in the center, it helps it fan out.


accordion fold four 6 x 6 papers and score at 1 inch along the entire sheet.  Fold back and forth.  Adhere all 4 sides for a square paper lantern.

add a paper handle to all 3 lanterns.  Each are 1 inch wide.  I added 2 strips together for the larger paper lantern.  Embellish each handle with twine and an accent rose.

Hang beads down from the bottom...or perhaps rolled paper strips?  It's easy to create coordinating straw toppers, place mats or invitations.  Just use a coordinating paper collection. I hope you make 10 zillion of these cuties!  Thanks for stopping by :)