the CLASSroom

Lockhart Neon Thanks by Sharon Harnist

Hello and happy weekend once again! Today I have a brand new Lockhart stamp image to share. You'll want to be sure and check out all of the sweet images in Karen's new 2013 Spring & Summer release, here.

(Click on any photo for a larger view)

Aren't these Gift of Flowers bright and cheery?!!  Here's Karen's colored image you'll see in the store -- I altered the image a bit, by cutting off the the "Thanks" flower stake and using it on the tab of the file folder:

 

I chose my color palette specifically to coordinate with the fun Hero Arts Neon Pink ink I used on the Hero Arts ClearDesign-Glow Girl greeting inside the adorable mini Naked ATC Manila Folder:

Isn't that greeting fun?!! I found my Copic RV06 was a close match to the neon pink ink pad, so I used it to color some of the flowers in these sweet potted plants:

The flowers were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto X-Press It Blending Card and here are the rest of the Copic Sketch markers I used, along with Copic Atyou Spica Glitter Pens (Orange, Lemon, Melon & Pink) to color the flowers. I find the glitter pens are great for coloring in small images like these -- especially tiny stems and the planter's wrought iron:

After coloring the flowers, I used Paper Smooches wonderful Wise Dies Frame-Duo Die 2 to die cut some fabulous Chalkstock paper I recently discovered in the store . . . the texture is silky amazing and accepts the Hero Hues Snow Chalk Ink I used around the edges for a faux chalkboard look very well. I placed the frame over the colored flowers, then adhered the frame to the darling ATC-sized mini file folder. (This would make a great ATC, wouldn't it?).

To keep the folder closed until the recepient is ready to view the contents, I used a cute Mini White Clothespin. Copic Foam Tape was used on the back of the folder to adhere it to the card front, which allows for easy removal and replacing of the clothespin.

The pretty coordinating papers I used are from My Mind's Eye 6x6 The Sweetest Thing-Honey pad, on a Memory Box Raspberry notecard.  I hope you have a bright and cheerful weekend!

~ Sharon

{Supplies}

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 04.29.2013

 (click on the pic to enbiggan)

I have been stamping and coloring on glitter with Copics for a while but haven't always been completely satisfied with the end results. Until now. Different ink and Copic combinations can work, but if you're not *uber* careful you can up with mud. Ack.

Coloring stamped images with Copics requires using the right balance of ink and paper in order to achieve optimal results.  Memento Ink by Tsukineko + Copics is a pretty widely known combo that yields great results. On paper.  But, coloring a stamped image on glitter can be a little tricker. Because you need to use an ink that will actually DRY on glitter AND not bleed out when alcohol ink is applied. Ruh roh...!

You may not be aware that Copics also work beautifully on paper with most* PIGMENT inks. The catch is that they must be fully dry so as not to smear.

Enter: Brilliance by Tsukineko

(this is where the heavens part and you hear angel voices singing)

Brilliance has *looooong* been one of my all-time favorite inks. It is a faster-drying PIGMENT ink. One of its advantages over many other pigment inks, however, is that it can dry on non-porous surface, such as Polyshrink (another topic for another day). *wink*

Brilliance will dry on glitter.  It will need to be heat set, to ensure it is thoroughly dry, but it will dry on glitter. And you can color the image with Copics. You can even be a little careless and color right over the top of this ink. And there will be no bleeding. There will be no mud. 

I know, right?! 

Here are some tips for stamping and coloring on Micro-fine glitter:

• You'll achieve optimal results when stamping onto glitter if you use a micro-fine type; even ultra-fine is not fine enough
• Burnish the micro-fine glitter into the tape with your finger tips until there are no sticky areas left; "squeegee" off the excess with your fingers to reveal a velvety smooth surface
• Stamp with a pigment ink such as Brilliance; as a pigment ink, it works extremely well when coloring with Copics and it is one of the few pigment inks that will actually dry on glossy/slick surfaces without needing to be sealed with embossing powder
• Heat set the ink by keeping your heat gun a safe distance away, i.e. 7-8", to avoid melting the glitter; test dryness with scrap paper as shown in the video
• Lightly tap the tip of the Copic marker when coloring, allowing the ink to flow out; brushing/stroking the nib against the glitter can not only cause the tip to fray, but it can also cause the adhesive beneath the glitter to deteriorate and etch off, resulting in a lack-luster finish

You can view the video here, or hop over to YouTube and thanks muchly for subscribing to our channel!

 

*I say "most" because some inks that are touted as pigment inks are not actually true pigment inks, but more a hybrid of chalk + pigment ink that may indeed smear when alcohol ink is applied...

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

 

Savvy Stamps, Outline Posey	Be Creative (Sookwang) Tape, 65mm (2 1/2")	Be Creative (Sookwang) Sheets, 5 pk (8x11)	A Cardstock, Essentials by Ellen: White Linen #100 Cardstock, 25 Pack
A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream	Cardstock, Black, 10 pack	Elizabeth Craft Designs Silk Microfine Glitter, Warm Diamond 1oz
Brilliance Pad, Graphite Black	COPIC Sketch Marker R24, Prawn	COPIC Sketch Marker R20, Blush	COPIC Sketch Marker, 0 Colorless Blender
Shape 'N Tape, Black	Essentials by Ellen: Sequins, Satin Black	Gemstones, Black Crystals	Teflon Bone Folder
Honey Bee Non Stick Scissors	Embossing Gun	Kool Tak White Foam Adhesive, 1/4 Squares (1/16 Thick)	Accents, Glossy
Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac 58'	Glue Glider Pro	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	Paper Trimmer, Tonic Guillotine 8 1/2"

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 04.01.2013

(click on the pic to enbiggan)

Some simple but beautiful tags on Pinterest caught my eye and I wanted to recreate the look... When we think of shipping tags, we tend to think of them in white, or cream and sometimes kraft... But the tags I had seen were in bold bright colors, and had boldly colored imagery on them. So striking!

I wanted to re-create that look to make some tags I could use to dress up ordinary white cards. As I mention in the video, ink can take on a whole different look when stamped onto COLORED papers--what you see on white or cream may end up very different! So, pull out your scraps and experiment before you begin on your project, just to be sure you like the results you're getting.

ETA: Not quite sure whether or not Neon is for you? Hero Arts' new cubes are a great way to dabble before taking the plunge with full-size pads! The cubes also come in other assortments of pretty color palettes!

The layouts I did were very spontaneous (!)--I just cut and layered snippets of pretty patterns from a variety of paper pads (6x6, 8x8) in combinations that seemed to compliment the stamped tags nicely... A little bit of twine, a little bit of bling and before I knew it, I had an assortment of cards that, hopefully, would brighten anyone's day!

You can enjoy the video here, or in HD over on YouTube--thanks for subscribing to our channel and I sure hope the ideas inspire!

Thanks for joining me this Mundane! ;) 

 

 SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

Wise Bird	Claudine Hellmuth Clear Stamps, Spring Garden	Savvy Stamps, Puddles	Three Artistic Butterflies
Savvy Stamps, Blossom Flower, Lg	Savvy Stamps, Thank You	Savvy Stamps, Outline Tile Pattern	Savvy Stamps, Thank You Flag
Huckleberry Branch	Hero Arts Neon Ink Pad, Neon Pink	Hero Arts Neon Ink Pad, Neon Orange	Chalk Ink, Cerulean
Shadow Ink: Mid-Tone, Pale Tomato	Chalk Ink, Grass	Glue Glider Pro	B2 Cardstock, Bubblegum
EEE3 Cardstock, Pool	EE4 Cardstock, Meadow	D5 Cardstock, Sunflower	Hero Arts, Layering Paper, Mandarin
A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream	Crate Paper Maggie Holmes Signature 6x6 Paper Pad	Studio Calico Sundrifter 6x6 Paper Pad
Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm 6x6 Paper Pad	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool, Angle & Photo Corner	Crop-A-Dile Eyelet & Snap Punch	EK Paper Shapers Punch, 1/2 Circle
Gemstones, Black Crystals	Essentials by Ellen: Sequins, Glossy Black	My Mind's Eye Enamel Dots, Boy Crazy	My Mind's Eye Enamel Dots, Cute from Collectable-Notable by Jen Allyson
Bamboo Cord Spool, Black	Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, Lime Single Cord	Sew Easy Baker's Twine, Black	Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue, .88 oz
3D-Dots, 1/8" Thick	3D-Dots, 1/16" Thick	Paper Trimmer, Tonic Guillotine 8 1/2"	Tweezer Bee
Tweezers, Stainless	Honey Bee Non Stick Scissors

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 03.25.2013

Embossing sure is making a big come back lately, and I thought I'd have fun playing with some colored embossing powders by Ranger!  They look pretty spiffy on black card stock, don't you think?! I love the look! So bold and bright!

Had to add a little butterfly punched from vellum card stock--the card stock weight is perfect for propping the wings up for added dimension!

Enjoy the video here or on YouTube! You can also subscribe to our channel so you don't miss any of our webisodes! ;)

Thanks for joining me today!

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

 

Savvy Stamps, Poppy with Leaf (on side)	Savvy Stamps, Ornate Leaf	Savvy Stamps, Hello Tall	Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black
VersaMark Inkpad	Bazzill 40lb. Vellum, 25pk	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream
A5 Cardstock, Black, 10 pack	Adirondack Embossing Powder, Lettuce	Adirondack Embossing Powder, Red Pepper	White Embossing Powder
Inkadinkado Embossing Magic Bag	Embossing Gun	EKSuccess Adhesive Remover Tool	Uni-ball Impact Gel Pen, White
Tsukineko Brushstix 3pk, Chisel, Brush, Dome Tip #2	Accents, Glossy	3D-Dots, 1/16" Thick	Sew Easy Baker's Twine, Black
Gemstones, Black Crystals	Medium Punch, Butterfly	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	Teflon Bone Folder

InLinkz.com

Spring Blossoms by Julia Stainton

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Supplies:

 

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 02.25.2013

I love snow, and because of snow, I love Winter. BUT, since we didn't get any snow this year, I'm pretty much over it and ready for Spring. Now. How 'bout you? *grin*

I went a little nuts over these cute, CUTE bunny dies by Impression Obsession when we saw them at CHA--ADORBS!!! I love that you can use them alone OR in conjunction with the stamp set--I must apologize that I jumped the gun when I was working on today's video and didn't realize the coordinating stamp set was not yet in stock over in the warehouse, but if you like the idea of the egg card, there are a ton of different styles that could be used in this design, from solids to detail, vintage and contemporary!

These little kraft envelopes were PERFECT for my little note card set--LOVE!!!

And my favoritest new background stamp is this Thick Stripes by Impression Obsession! I have tried making my own striped backgrounds with a single stripe stamp, and while I can do it, it does take a bit of time to stamp them all the way across a card front individually, while keeping them "perfectly" aligned... this stamp does it all in one fell swoop AND because it's a 6x6" Cover-a-Card, it can go vertical OR horizontal.

   It doesn't get much easier or faster than that, my friends!

For more in depth details on these projects, enjoy the video here or on YouTube! I had some serious fun creating these!

 

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

 

Impression Obsession Cover-a-Card Cling Stamps, Thick Stripes	Impression Obsession Dies, Bunny Set	Shadow Ink, Soft Green	Shadow Ink, Soft Pool
Hero Hues Dye Ink: Ocean	Shadow Ink, Soft Cantaloupe	Memento Ink Pad, Espresso Truffle	Poppystamps Dies, Grassland Border
EEE3 Cardstock, Pool	E7 Cardstock, Parsley	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream
Envelope, Kraft 3x3, 12pk	Pom Pom Trim, White, 3yds Precut	WoolFelt, 12"x18" White (35%)	Doodle Twine Spool, Tangerine
Doodle Twine Assortment, Boy	Doodle Twine Assortment, Bright	Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive	Accents, Glossy
Teflon Bone Folder	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	Paper Trimmer, Tonic Guillotine 8 1/2""	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink
Tweezers, Stainless	Elizabeth Craft Designs Tweezers	Tweezer Bee

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 02.11.2013

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

Paper Tole has been around for quite a while and I totally love the dimension it can give my card-making!

It's often done with beautiful floral images and butterflies and can yield stunning results! It can be intricate, and time-consuming, depending on the type of images used--I'll be the first to admit that images with lots of "tiny" details could be quite tedious.

BUT, this series of blueprint style stamps by Stamper's Anonymous had me *uber* excited to play with the technique--they are positively POIFECT for it!!! The variety of different themes really appeals to me, and I love the fact that they have also combined some of them into "minis"! 

The technique isn't limited to just card-making--I think it would be very cool to frame the finished pieces inside shadow boxes and hang 'em on the wall!

Enjoy the video here, or in HD on YouTube!

 

 

Thanks for subscribing to our channel, and for stopping by today! Have an AWESOME Mundane! *wink*

 

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SUPPLIES:

Tim Holtz, Travel Blueprint	Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black	COPIC Sketch Marker B91, Pale Grayish Blue	COPIC Sketch Marker E30, Bisque
COPIC Sketch Marker T5, Toner Gray #5	COPIC Sketch Marker YR12, Loquat	A Cardstock, Essentials by Ellen: White Linen #100 Cardstock, 25 Pack	Teflon Bone Folder
3D-Dots, 1/16" Thick	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	Honey Bee Non Stick Scissors	Paper Trimmer, Tonic Guillotine 8 1/2"

InLinkz.com

Love is in the Air by Sharon Harnist

Since Valentine's Day is next week and I needed another Valentine card, I thought I would dedicate today's project to a few of my most loved papercrafting supplies and tools!  Here they are, in no particular favorite order (I tried to limit it to 10 but failed!):

 1. Hero Arts Stamps: Year Round Sentiments ClearDesign
 2. Washi Tape: Lifestyle Crafts Shape 'N Tape (Gray)
 3. Dies: MFT Die-namics Fishtail Flags & Sizzix Framelits Hearts 
 4. Copic Markers: R85 
 5. Memento Inks: Gray Flannel  
 6. Doilies: Sizzix Tim Holtz On The Edge Distressed Doily Die
 7. Neenah Natural White Cardstock: for soft ivory card base
 8. Pink hues of cardstock: Memory Box Bubblegum and Raspberry, 
 9. Buttons 
10. Copic Foam Tape - 1/4"
11. Corner Chomper 
12. Glue Dots: Craft and Mini 
13. Sewing 

And here's the card I came up with (click on any photo for a larger view):

Another favorite of mine -- horizontal cards. Do you have an orientation preference for cards?  Mine has always been horizontal! I started with my favorite ivory cardstock (Neenah Natural White) for a base, rounded the bottom corners with the Corner Chomper, then die cut the doily out of the same. This is an edger die (meaning only half of a doily), so I die cut two of them, which gives the oval shape that fits perfectly on a card front!

Next, I die cut Gray Shape 'N Tape with MFT Fishtail Flags and custom colored the tape to match the rest of my card with one of my favorite Copic marker colors, R85:

The tape covers the seam of the doily halves. Next, I die cut two colors of my favorite pink and raspberry Memory Box cardstock four times with the heart die and machine stitched them down the center. Then I folded the sides of the heart up and separated the layers with 1/4-inch Copic Foam Tape, to give the heart dimension. The heart is secured to the card with Craft Glue Dots:

My newest favorite Memento dye ink pad color, Gray Flannel, was used to stamp this darling Hero Arts XOXO sentiment. I used ivory embroidery floss to string and tie the buttons together, then secured them to the card with Mini Glue Dots.

I hope you have some fun this weekend with some of your favorite papercrafting products, too . . . Happy Valentine's Day!

~ Sharon

{Supplies}

A1 Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White, 25 pack	Sizzix Tim Holtz On The Edge Die, Distressed Doily	My Favorite Things Die-namics Stax, Fishtail Flags	Shape 'N Tape, Gray
Copic Sketch Marker, R85	Sizzix Framelit Dies, Hearts	Memory Box Cardstock, Bubblegum	Memory Box Cardstock, Raspberry
Hero Arts ClearDesign, Year Round Sentiments	Memento Ink Pad, Gray Flannel	Hero Arts Buttons, Mixed Blush	High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/4"
Glue Dots Sheets, Craft	Glue Dots, Mini (3/16")	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool

InLinkz.com

 

Favorite Finds from CHA Winter 2013 - Video

Hi, everybody!

In lieu of a Hello Monday video, we're sharing some of the things we found at the CHA Winter 2013 show!  

CHA is the Craft & Hobby Association Trade Show that occurs every winter, typically down in Anaheim, CA. The show is open to the trade only (retailers, manufacturers, and other industry related businesses) and showcases products and lines that manufacturers are debuting for the new year.

Ellen and I arrived a day ahead of the show, and took classes to learn more about some of the exciting new products being released, such as the new Ranger Distress Paints!  This water based paint is very unique and features some very interesting properties, unlike any other paint we've ever worked with before! Watch the video to see and hear more about these paints and some of the other items we were *monkey clapping* over! 

You can enjoy the video here, or on YouTube!

Thanks for joining us, and we hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse of some of the coming new products!  Keep your eye on the "Coming soon from CHA Winter 2013" category to see what will be arriving soon!

An Inchie Valentine by Julia Stainton

Cold winter days makes the perfect time to cozy up and celebrate one of the "warmest" holidays of the year, Valentine's Day. Today's project is a little valentine I put together for my sweetie.

Sometimes you have an idea of exactly what you want to create when you start and other times, well...it's a bit of a journey to the end project. This is one of those journeys and it was inspired by a stamp set I just had to have.

The sentiments in this beautiful Wplus9 Cupid's Arrow stamp set were ones I just had to have and look at all the sweet little accompanying images! This was my first foray into using Wplus9 stamps and I was so pleased with them, it definitely won't be my last!

The biggest problem I faced with this set was just what sentiment I would use. I loved them all. The fonts and typography and phrasing were so cool. So...

What to do? Use them all (or most of them) of course!

Enter my next idea, color blocking the card so that I could include as many images and sentiments as I wanted. Inchies are a great way to color block and it's been a very long time since I've pulled mine out so it was meant to be.

I combined a variety of White Twinchie Squares with White Inchie Squares to form a 4"x4" pattern. You may notice that I have some rectangle shapes in there as well. They are simply Twinchies cut in half with the Tonic Guillotine Paper Trimmer.

I have to admit this next photo takes in a lot of steps. Oops! I got a little carried away and forgot about the camera. Don't worry because they are easy.

1. Stamp images and sentiments on squares with Jet Black Archival Ink and Vermillion Archival Ink by Ranger. Heat set with a heat gun.
2. Sponge edges of Inchies and Twinchies with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink or Dried Marigold Distress Ink.
3. Adhere to 4.25" square card made from Solar White Cardstock.
4. Punch holes in unstamped squares with Cropadile to allow for insert of brads.

Color in large font words to accent them. I used the Rose Bud Memento Marker. Go over the words again with a Clear Glaze Pen to add some shine and highlight the letters.

Sponge edges of Cosmo Cricket Natural Burlap Brads with Distress Inks. Insert through holes onto cards.

Quick Tip: Place a Glue Dot behind each brad to keep them straight and in place.

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

Chalkboard Technique by Sharon Harnist

Hello All -- and Happy New Year to you, since this is my first CLASSroom project for 2013! Today I wanted to share with you the fun chalkboard technique I've been playing with lately:

When I started this project, I wished I had a larger die to use (that would fill an A2 card front) and remembered another fun technique I wanted to share today, how to expand the size of your dies!  So let's get started . . .

1. Start by cutting a piece of black cardstock to the width of the die you want to use but longer than you want the finished size, to give you a little wiggle room.

2. With the cutting edge of the die facing down (I'm using Fancy Labels Sizzix Framelits Die), slip one end of the cardstock into the center of your die (feeding it from the top of the die), down under the cutting edge and position it straight. The other end of your cardstock will be on top of your die and won't be cut. (I'm just showing the next smaller size of this die set in the photo above, so you can see the shape of it). Run through your die cutting machine with normal sandwich.

3. Slide the die down to the other end of your cardstock (the right end in the photo above), to the length you want your final die cut, and run through your die cutting machine again. I lengthened my die cut by a little over an inch!

4. Stamp your images with Versamark ink and emboss with white embossing powder. I used My Favorite Things' Pure Innocence Angel stamp set:

TIP: Lay your stamps face down on your die cut, so you can position the images before stamping. Then place your acrylic block on top of the stamps to "pick them up", ink them, then stamp all at once, for perfect placement!

5. Add more details and continue building your scene with other stamps, using Hero Arts Snow Chalk Ink pad. I used some swirly elements from Hero Arts ClearDesign set, Cheer Up. The white embossed images are crisper and whiter, while the images stamped with white ink are softer and a little duller, adding variety to your project.

6. You can also add some hand-drawn details with a white pencil. I added a rectangle around the sentiment and some extra lines on the sides of my swirls.

7. When you are finished with your scene, go back and stamp the first white embossed images with the white ink, shifting the stamps slightly so they create a shadow effect. This helps make your images truly look "chalky" (photo above)!

8. To finish, add some "chalk smudges" with your finger -- tap it onto your white ink pad and smudge here and there, for a realistic effect. I  created a "cloud" for my angel to stand on and went around all the edges of my chalkboard, too:

I finished my card by mounting my black chalkboard piece with Copic Foam Tape to a card base of Hero Arts Mixed Layer Papers-Blush. Flower accent was cut with Tim's Tattered Florals Bigz die from red WoolFelt, sewn with a Hero Arts Blush Mixed Button. I thought this color combo would work well for Valentine for one of my daughters!

I hope you have fun with these two techniques ... thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom today!  ~ Sharon

{Supplies}

Cardstock, Black, 10 pack	Sizzix Framelits, Fancy Labels	Clear Acrylic Block, 5x7	MFT Pure Innocence Clear Stamp, Angel
VersaMark Inkpad	White Embossing Powder	Heat It Craft Tool	Hero Arts Chalk Ink Pad, Snow
Hero Arts ClearDesign Stamp Set, Cheer Up	Faber-Castell Pastel Pencil, White	High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/2"	Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz Die, Tattered Florals
WoolFelt, 12"x18" Red	Hero Arts Buttons, Mixed Blush

InLinkz.com

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2012 - Day 7 by Julia Stainton

Welcome back to the CLASSroom and another tag from our 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist series. Today we're more than halfway through the series and I'm excited to be sharing a tag creation with you.

 

My Peace Snowflake tag features lots of holiday sparkle and some very easy techniques. Let's get started!

For my tag base, I've created a textural and shimmery embossed tag. I love how the color changes as it turns in the light.

1. Emboss the manila tag using a snowflake embossing folder and a Big Shot machine.

2. Color the tag by swiping it with a Distress Stain Dabber. I just drag the sponge end across the tag allowing the color to hit the higher embossed areas. Dry with a heat gun to speed up the process.

3. Rub a Versamark Inkpad across the surface of the tag. Sprinkle with Holographic Embossing Powder. Apply heat with heat gun until the embossing powder is melted.

Next steps are to create a pretty embellishment using a die.

4. Die cut the Snowflake Rosette Strip die from a sheet of patterned paper.

5. Pleat the snowflake in an accordian fold. Adhere ends together with dry adhesive.

6. Flatten snowflake out and adhere to scrap paper.

7. Adhere snowflake applique. Insert trinket pins.

8. Apply stickles along pleats to add glitter.

9. Adhere loops of tinsel trim behind embellishment.

10. Adhere to tag.

11.Dab Distress Stain onto Peace chipboard sentiment. Dry with heat gun.

12. Coat chipboard with Versamark ink and sprinkle with Holographic Embossing Powder.

13. Heat embossing powder to finish the shimmery surface.

14. Adhere to bottom of tag.

15. Adhere lace to bottom of tag.

16. Loop twine through top of tag.

It's done! Sparkly and pretty without being too over the top.

Hope you're enjoying each day of the 12 Tags of Christmas! Happy holidays and happy creating! 

InLinkz.com

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We are so fortunate to have Julia here in the CLASSroom sharing her inspired ideas with us on a constant basis - thank you for sharing your creativity with us! Please help us thank Julia for this stunning, sparkly goodness by leaving your appreciation below in the comment section. Leave your comment below to be eligible for the random drawing of the $25 gift certificate to our store www.ellenhutson.com - be certain to do so before noon on December 13th to be eligible (one comment per person please.) Be certain to return tomorrow to "fawn" over the oh, so cute tag a special lady has prepared for you!

Velveteen Stamping with Karolyn Loncon

It is so much fun to share our guest designer, Karolyn Loncon, with you today! It has been my honor to know Karolyn now for several years and to have had the pleasure of her company here in our office/warehouse. Yes, Karolyn lives in the Pacific Northwest during the prettiest months of the year and it is always wonderful to see her when the opportunity arises. Karolyn's clean and simple style has earned her many accolades - she was crowned a Stamping Royalty winner in 2011. She is a "Girl Friday" and works wonders with her electronic cutter as part of the Cameo Spotlight design team.

Karolyn shares many inspirational projects on her blog, Paper Therapy - and yes, it might be her therapy, but I can assure you it will be therapy to just feast your eyes on her delicious projects as well. I would like to invite you to head over to Karolyn's blog and help us say thank you for sharing her talents with us here in the CLASSroom today. Please leave your comment on her post about being our guest and as our way of thanking you for taking the time to do so you will have a chance to win some of the fab goodies used in today's post! You know you are in the right spot if you see the following picture.

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

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Hello from the CLASSroom!

I was so honored and humbled when Ellen asked me to prepare a little project for you all, especially in light of all the other wonderful guest designers that Ellen has had here. Her CLASSroom is one of my most favorite places to visit to learn about
this craft that I love so much.  I’m so excited to share my project with you, and hope that you enjoy it as much as I did preparing it for you.  So let’s get to it, shall we?

Let’s be honest – I don’t do a ton of techniques in my crafting life, mostly because my card design style is pretty clean and simple.  So when I came across the Velveteen Stamping technique on Shari Carroll’s blog several months ago, I squealed with delight as I feel like it’s a technique that lends itself to clean and simple designs, and offers a huge WOW factor!  BONUS!

First, I inked up and stamped the Houndstooth Background from Paper Smooches onto white cardstock with the most amazing white pigment ink that I’ve EVER used – Unicorn Pigment Ink by Hero Arts/Memories!  No joke – this ink offers incredible coverage and a perfect image every single time!  I can’t imagine my crafting life without this ink – no craft room should be without it! You’re welcome.  HeeHee

Back to the project – okay, so you don’t need to wait for the pigment ink to really dry; in fact, this technique really pops when the ink is still a little tacky.  It’s also important that the background be stamped in a pigment ink or this technique won’t really work.  Next, you’re going to want to choose images to stamp that have a good amount of solid space – silhouettes work best.  I used images from another Paper Smooches set called Reflections. 

I used three different Hero Arts Dye Inks for the next step, which is to stamp your silhouette images onto the pigment houndstooth background.  Again, it’s critical to
use dye inks for your silhouette images as the dye inks will be resisted as they’re stamped onto the pigment ink.  As you stamp each image, you’ll want to have a rag or towel available to “blot” the dye ink and allow the houndstooth background to show through.  I stamped, blotted, and cleaned the stamp every single time I stamped an image. 

I continued this process until I had my desired pattern.  I adhered the image panel to a Kraft card base with foam squares.  I trimmed out a banner strip and stamped the sentiment, adhering it to the image panel, again with foam squares.  To finish off the project, I adhered tiny white pearls to the centers of the flowers, which I think added a really simple yet elegant touch, don’t you?

Here’s a close-up of what the stamping looks like when it’s finished.  Isn’t it yummy?  I love how that houndstooth pattern peeks through each of the silhouette images to add some great interest and dimension– yet it’s one layer!  Amazing, right?!

Well, that’s it for me, kids!  I loved sharing my project with you today, and hope that you’ll try this technique for yourself!  Thanks so much for joining me in the CLASSroom today!

InLinkz.com

Designing with Neon by Julie Ebersole

When I was a teenager back in the '80s, neon was hot! I must admit to being intimidated when the trend came back into vogue this year... But, then I took it as a challenge to stretch creatively! :)

Probably one of the easiest ways to interject these hot new colors into your projects is by playing with inks, like the new Hero Arts Neon Inks! It took some experimentation to find the right combinations that I was satisfied with, so don't worry if your initial attempts leave you feeling a bit unsure--I look at it as part of the process. :)

Even so, I do have some tips to share that will hopefully guide you on the quest to incorporate this fun trend into your paper crafting!

And, be sure to enbiggan the pics by clicking on them!

For me the biggest rule of thumb, when it comes to neon, is that less equals more; use it sparingly!

This design features two neon speech bubbles, flanked on the right by a more subdued, yet still bright "pool" color of blue.  It compliments the neon orange and pink quite nicely, without overwhelming or competing, as do the birds stamped simply in black ink.

Partner neon with a neutral hue, such as grey. In the above example, the soft grey (it's actually called "Cloudy Blue", but it stamps "grey") color used on the alpha letters acts as a counter-balance to the vivid neon orange and yellow scattered dots. A little bit of Crystal Stickles also reflects the color and enhances the overall effect in a very light and airy way!

Use neon colors with patterned border stamps (Chevron - My Happy by Hero Arts/Studio Calico, Polka Dots - Geo-Graphic by Paper Smooches, Zig Zag Stitching - Sew Artsy by Hero Arts)--it will give great "pop"! The white spacing gives some breathing room to the neon hues; a black base card and some black accents also help ground the design and keep it from being overly dominating. I think this makes a great teen card, or just even fun for a guy card!

Want a dramatic blended effect? Sponge neon hues onto white card stock, allowing them to overlap and mix, creating additional hues--this combo would make a fantastic sunset effect on a scenic design as well! The white popped up flowers (Sew Me Flowers - Hero Arts) offer a nice contrast to the neon backdrop.

Try stamping a neon hue with a large background stamp (Square Pattern Background, Clippings Collection by Basic Grey/Hero Arts) directly over the top of another color--this example above features neon pink atop a non-neon mandarin orange colored card stock.  Neon pink and green washi tapes (from my stash) accent the design, and the focal sentiment is stamped in full-on neon pink, and subtly edged with neon orange.

This simple design was inspired by a Letterpress card I had seen--the Citrus ink is not necessarily neon, but when paired with the Neon pink, the combo offers a refreshing jolt--I love that it makes me sit up and take notice! The "Thank You" banner by Savvy could also have been stamped with the Neon pink, and then the panel mounted to a neon pink base card if I'd had one on hand; I must admit to being particularly fond of green, however--green just seems to go so well with practically every other color on the planet. ;)

Thanks for joining me in the CLASSroom today and I hope today's post sparks some fun ideas for turnin' up the neon in your projects!

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS

STAMPS: Telephone Lines by Impression Obsession; He Said/She Said, Geo-Graphic by Paper Smooches; My Happy by Studio Calico/Hero Arts; Sew Artsy, Many Birthday Wishes, This Is Big , Sew Me Flowers by Hero Arts; Square Pattern Background, Clippings Collection by Basic Grey/Hero Arts; Monogram Alphabet by My Favorite Things; "have a wonderful...[birthday]" and Scattered Dots by Savvy Stamps

INKS: Neon Pink, Orange, Yellow by Hero Arts; Adirondack Cloudy Blue, Pool, Citrus by Archival Black by Ranger; Mistery Huey's Mist in Inky Black; Copic Marker in YG23 New Leaf

PAPERS:  Neenah Solar White (25 sheet pack or ream); Key Lime by Memory Box; Pool and Sunshine Layering Papers by Hero Arts; Black Card Stock

EMBELLISHMENTS: Crystal and Lime Green Stickles; Washi Tapes (from my stash)

TOOLS: 1 3/4" Circle Punch

OTHER: 3D Dots; Round Sponges (quartered)

Stamping Fun with Dew Drops by Julia Stainton

 

Ink pads can often be the unsung heroes of the stamping world. One of the best things you can do as a stamper is get to know your inks. What are they good for... what are they not? Can I use them for things besides just regular inking of stamps?

The Tsukineko Memento Inks are some of my favorite inks. They work excellent on clear stamps as well as rubber and the Tuxedo Black is perfect for using with Copic Markers. I love these inks so much that I started with the Dew Drop size and have since purchased full-sized pads. I've still hung onto the Dew Drops though. Why? Well today I'm going to show you a few fun tricks with these small droplet shaped ink pads.

Petals:

My first project highlights the fun small shape of these ink pads. The Dew Drop makes for a great petal. You don't need a stamp to create these bright fun flowers. Simply stamp the ink pad itself. As you can see above, leaves are easy to create with just one press of a green Dew Drop.

To create evenly spaced petal for the flowers, I first start out by four petals at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock.

In each space I then space out and stamp two more petals...

...until the flower looks like this.

Sweet and simple.

Swiped Background:

Another little idea that I tried experimenting with was another direct to paper trick. By pressing down your ink pad and then swiping it across the page you get a fun and quick artistic background. I've used five different Memento Dew Drops to get a rainbow effect.

Variegated Background:

Memento Dew Drops have a really great size and shape. The small size makes them easy to take with you, and they are perfect for inking small stamps. You can also use them to create a variegated background which would be difficult to achieve with a larger size pad.

To create this fun background, ink up a background stamp by dabbing on color with coordinating hued ink pads. The small rounded end works great for dabbing on the color. Once your background stamp is completely inked, stamp onto some cardstock and finish your project.

Tip: Start inking your variegated background using the lightest color to prevent color transfer between pads. Once your are done inking the stamp, press off some color from the dew drops ink pads onto some scrap paper to make sure any color transfer is removed.

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom! Have a wonderful and creative summer weekend!

Julia

 

Supplies:

STAMPS: ClearDesign: Essential Messages Stamp Set , Anytime Messages Stamp Set, Cling Classic Fabric Design Stamp by Hero Arts

INK: Jet Black Archival ink, Pear Tart Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad, Rose Bud Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad, Tangelo Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad, Summer Sky Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad, and Lilac Posies Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad by Tsukineko

PAPER: Solar White Cardstock by Neena

TOOLS: Corner Chomper Tool , Clear Acrylic Block with Guides, Big Shot by Sizzix, Movers and Shhapers Base Tray by Sizzix, Movers and Shapers Mini Heart Set by Sizzix

EMBELLISHMENTS: Crystal Trinket Pins by Maya Road, Vintage Wood Mini Butterflies by Maya Road, Rock Candy Distress Stickles by Ranger, Buttons by Basic Grey, Wedding Shoes Innoscence Flower by Prima Marketing

ADHESIVES: Craft Glue Dots Sheets, Mixed 3D Foam Squares

OTHER: twine

VIDEO: Fun with Glassine Envelopes by Julie Ebersole

I've been playing with Glassine Envelopes lately and today I thought I'd share some fun things I've made with them!

Glassine is akin to wax paper, very thin, smooth and translucent. Although not water proof, it is considerably water (and air) resistant and small envelopes made from glassine have long been used to organize, preserve and archive items such as collectible postage stamps, fragile insect specimens, garden seeds, etc. Glassine bags and paper are also frequently used in the food service industry, and you'll often see it used to wrap baked goods because it is also grease resistant.  Additionally, glassine is a biodegradable material, so it can be recycled or composted!

There are so many uses for these adorable little envelopes! I love using the 1 3/4 x 2 3/4" size to create little translucent shaker effects, like shown on this birthday design:

(stamp credit: Savvy Stamps)

Just stamp a piece of card stock that's sized to slip into the envelope, tuck it in first, then add a sprinkle of shapes punched from colorful card stock, making sure it falls on the stamped side that will show on the card front. Seal the envelope shut and mount it to your card front and you have a super quick and easy shaker card effect!

It's fun to let your card design show thru the envelope, and decorate the ouside, as I did here with some fun Cakewalk "Numbers" Washi Tape by October Afternoon:

(stamp credits: Savvy Stamps [cake] and Hero Arts [cake and ice cream])

Make a little stack of these to keep handy for those last minute card-giving emergencies!

They are also irresistible for gift presentation and I love to package them with little goodies, as shown in this sample:

I have a video to accompany the treat "bag" shown above! I actually stamped on the envelope prior to embellishing it and also created custom tinted ribbon match as I didn't have any in the color I wanted for this sweet thang--you could tuck a small gift or edible goodie inside--ooh, some tea bags in a delicious flavor would be nice! Wouldn't they make darling party favors?  Enjoy!

BTW, I am constantly asked where folks can get the tweezers I use in my work. You can get them HERE.

 

TIPS FOR STAMPING ON GLASSINE:

• Use an ink designed for non-porous surfaces, i.e. Staz-On and Brilliance by Tsukineko are my go-to inks for slick surfaces such as glassine
• When creating a random pattern, start your stamping towards the center and work your way out; if using a variety of image sizes, begin with your largest images, then fill the gaps with the smaller images where they fit best
• If embossing, be aware of areas that may be folded or bent, the embossing may crack on the fold line and flake off; mask off those areas prior to stamping to eliminate this as much as possible
• Glassine is not designed to withstand the high heat temperature required for thermal embossing; pre-heat your heat tool, and be prepared to move the heat tool in and back out again quickly. Bring the heat tool in just close enough to melt the powder and do not linger long in any one spot to avoid scorching!

Thanks for hangin' with me in the CLASSroom today!

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS FEATURED IN TREAT BAG/FAVOR & VIDEO:

STAMPS:  Hero Arts Cling Birthday Set, Hero Arts/Basic Grey Let Them Eat Cake Clear Set; Hero Arts Cling Dot Flower Background

INKS: Hero Arts Soft Pool; Staz-on Cotton White; Archival Coffee; Copic Marker in R21 Sardonyx; Versamark (for thermal embossing)

PAPERS: Basic Grey Paper Cottage 6x6 Pad; Glassine Envelope 3 1/2 x 3 1/2"; Neenah Desert Storm (25 sheet or ream)

EMBELLISHMENTS: [flat seam binding ribbon] Tim Holtz Trimmings in Lavish White

TOOLS: Big Shot Personal Die Cutting Machine; [Die] Hero Arts Message Frames Stamp & Die Set; 3/4" Square Punch, 1 1/2" Circle Punch; Tweezers (my favoritest!!!); Non-stick Craft Sheet

OTHER: 3D Dots; Ranger Super Fine Gold Embossing Powder

VIDEO TUTORIAL: DIY Ombre (Rainbow) Ink Pad by Julie Ebersole

You've probably noticed the Ombre trend in fashion and home decor of late--I love the gradations of color!

(image credit)

For a one-off card, you can certainly apply ink directly to the stamp, starting with lightest colors first, adding subsequently darker colors. But, what if you wanted to make 20 cards with this effect?  It would be rather tiresome to reink the stamp every single time in this fashion.

But you could make a custom ink pad that would enable you to restamp to your heart's content quite easily and quickly, using Cut-n-Dry Stamp Pad felt by Ranger and dye reinkers!

I did a video tutorial to accompany the info below--enjoy!

 

There are two different types of Cut-n-Dry Stamp pads--felt and foam.  Use the felt when working with dye reinkers and the foam if you're using pigment reinkers.

The first step is to cut a piece of felt that matches the size of the stamp you plan to work with.   I placed the Savvy portrait Chevron stamp onto the pad, traced around it and cut it out.  Once nice thing about this particular size pad, is that I'll be able to use it with quite a few other stamps any time I want that Ombre effect.

The next step is to load the pad with ink; I started with the lightest color in the spectrum that I was going for (see the list below in the supplies), and then added increasingly darker hues.

I used Memento Reinkers, but you could also use Adirondack or Distress Reinkers (dye-based inks).

I put the pad onto a paper plate, just to help keep my work surface clean. And, next time, I plan to wear gloves, cuz this can get a little messy.  Keep some wipes handy... *wink*

I allowed the colors to slightly overlap as I added each subsequent color; I wanted the colors to blend smoothly, without any gaps.

I inked the stamp by tapping up and down multiple times--so the colors would blend together smoothly, and then I did a test print.  My initial print was not as "evenly" colored as I wanted, which meant I probably didn't add quite enough ink in some of the colors so I did add more.  Subsequent stampings were then satisfactory, and I was ready to proceed with my project.

I didn't have any other containers on hand to store my ink pad, so I slipped it into a Zip-loc freezer bag; this will keep it moist until I want to use it again. But, this was so quick & easy, I plan to hit the dollar store for some plastic containers with lids that I can store my DIY pads in. I definitely want to make more because it was so quick & easy!

Note: You can also use "blank" pre-made stamp pads, available HERE.

Another great thing about these DIY pads, is that you can reink them if they do dry out--even use Perfect Ink Refresher to rejuvenate them when needed. AND, if you decide later you want to create a different combination of colors, you can actually wash the pad out and ink it up in a whole new rainbow! *fist pump*

Thanks for stopping by and I hope this sparks some new creative ideas for you!

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

Stamps: Picnic by Basic Grey/Hero Arts; Chevron (portrait) by Savvy Stamps

Ink:  Memento Tangelo by Tsukineko, Memento Refills in Dandelion, Canteloupe, Tangelo, Lady Bug Red, Rhubarb Stalk; Versamark by Tsukineko; Copic Markers in Y00 Barium Yellow, YR16 Apricot, R14 Light Rouge, E30 Bisque, Y35 Maize

Paper: Neenah Solar White (25 sheet or ream); Black

Tools:  Cut-n-Dry Stamp Pad Felt; 1 1/2" Circle Punch; 3/4" Square Punch; 1 3/4" Circle Die (from Hero Arts Frame Cuts "Ticket" Die Set); Heat It Tool

Embellishments: Stickles Glitter Glue in Fruit Punch & Orange Peel; 2mm Black Pearl Sticker (from my stash)

Other:  3D Dots; Hero Arts White Embossing Powder

You are da' man... by Julie Ebersole

Guy cards can be hard. I'm lucky in that my guys have very definite tastes and interest so I know I can rely on themes like fishing, basketball, video games (the son), and nautical (we live on an island, and minus my son, the rest of the men in the family happen to find lighthouses intriguing. Go figure!).

But, what if your guy (dad, father, brother, friend, etc.) isn't into sports? Or the outdoors? Or tools? Or music? Or has absolutely no hobby whatsoever?

I've had this idea for a "generic" manly card for a while, and when Studio Calico released the Potty People Veneers, well, I just had to pull all the elements I thought would work together well into this card.

And, seriously?  Who can resist something called "Potty People"???  Cracks me!

I love the Veneers in their natural wood form, but for this design I felt he needed to be tinted, so I stuck him on the sticky side of a Post It Note--this way I could hang onto him and keep him stationary while I tinted him with some Distress Stain in Tumbled Glass.

I didn't have any herringbone patterned paper, so I used this fabulous Herringbone Cover-a-Card background stamp by Impression Obsession to make what I wanted--love that I can do that with stamps!  And, I used my favorite new gray colored ink--Memento Gray Flannel--LOVE!!!

BTW, I started out thinking the card base would be all herringbone, but as the project progressed, I realized it would be better as an accent with all the other elements I wanted to include, so I cut a strip from it and reserved the rest for a future project. I can see myself using the herringbone background stamp for making gobs of custom Washi Tape (video tutorial HERE) in the very near future...

 

I also knew I wanted to use one of my all-time favorite stamp sets "You're The Best" by Studio Calico/Hero Arts

There isn't a die to match that "seal" image, BUT don't be discouraged from fussy-cutting it out--it's actually quite easy and quick if you cut the points from one side, same direction, all the way around the whole image, and then go around and snip the opposite side of the points.

If you *really* do not want to trim it out, then try using a 2" circle punch or die--I didn't happen to have either one, but I love the look of it trimmed out anyway. So. *grin*

Once I realized I was going to need a different base card, I decided to go with black, for dramatic effect, and for texture I spritzed it using Mister Huey's in Calico White (tutorial for working with mists HERE). Calico White is *uber* cool on dark card stock, but it may take some time to dry (overnight).  Or if you're impatient like me, you can take a heat tool to it to speed things up.  The paper will warp a bit just from the mist, and from heating as well, so if that bothers you, once it's completely dry, stick it under a heavy book overnight to flatten.  However, I found that, once it was dry, as I continued working on the card it just became flatter on its own without me having to do too much. The Calico White Mist also has a slightly chalky residue, just so you're aware.

Remember Snap Stamps?  Karen Foster used to make them and we all went kinda nuts over them and then they quit making them.  To everyone's supreme disappointment.

Well, Prima Marketing has picked up the ball (thank you, Prima!!!) and revived the idea behind those alpha stamps, but I'd venture to say they also improved on the idea with their Prima Press Alphabets! Ellen and I were super excited when we spied them at CHA!  I'm using the one with the typewriter font (seriously, I cannot resist a typewriter font... ). I like the handle. I like the way the letters are screen-printed on the side of the plastic housing that mounts to the handle. I like that you can see very easily what you're trying to spell. I like that there are multiples of certain letters you'll probably need when composing a sentence or greeting. Like vowels.  *grin*

For the scale of my project, however, the letters were going to be spaced further apart than I wanted if mounted to the handle, so I left them off and just used them individually to get tighter spacing.  Worked FABULOUS!!!

 

If you're ever stumped for a generic masculine card that is suitable for pretty much ANY occasion, I hope this one sparks ya'.

Thanks for stopping by today!

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

STAMPS: Hero Arts/Studio Calico "You're The Best" Clear Set, Starburst Background Rubber cling, Stepping Stone Alphabet Clear Set (Heyday Collection, coming soon); Impression Obsession Herringbone Cover-a-Card Background Cling Stamp; Prima Press Alphabet in Typewriter font by Prima Marketing

INKS: Adirondack Mountain Rose; Hero Arts Butter Bar, Soft Pool; Memento Gray Flannel & Tuxedo Black; Versamark; Mister Huey in Calico White; Distress Stain in Tumbled Glass

PAPER:  Neenah Solar White; Black Card Stock

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Potty People Wood Veneers by Studio Calico

TOOLS:  Embossing Magic; EK Success Honey Bee Scissors; Corner Chomper; Ranger Heat It Tool

OTHER: 3D Dots; Hero Arts White Embossing Powder

Watercolored Canvas by Julia Stainton

Canvas is such a wonderful textured fabric that is so popular in the papercrafting world right now. Is it any wonder with its beautiful texture and limitless possibilities? Recently I ordered some Canvas ATC's. That's Artist Trading Cards if you are unfamiliar with the term.

ATCs are usually 2.5" x 3.5" in size. Many crafters collect and trade them and they are a great little panel to experiment on.  I had thought to use them as a base for embellishments. I've done that and it's a great way to use them. The other day I decided to take a more artistic approach and use them to make a little stamped canvas panel for a birthday card for a friend. I'm pretty excited with how it turned out so I'll show you how I did it.

First of all I used a Craft Sheet to protect my work surface. This will get slightly messy with inks and water so this makes it super easy to clean up. I'm using a Hero Arts Basic Grey Stamp from the Konnichiwa line called Floral Blossoms. Using Jet Black Archival ink I inked it up and stamped my canvas ATC. Heat setting at this point will make your ink permanent.

Next I've added in my first layer of color. To do this I first mist the canvas with water so that the color will bleed all over the canvas and give you a beautiful watercolored look. A Mini Mister is perfect for applying water over your canvas. Apply inks to your canvas with a waterbrush and just get lots of color onto the canvas. It really doesn't look too exciting at this point but don't worry. It's easy to pick up ink by squishing your ink pad lids into the ink pad and then using the lid as a palette. After this step, use a heat gun to dry the canvas well.

Next build up the color slowly by adding in more color and shading with ink on your brush. You can also use dye-based markers to add in more precise details.

White gel pen makes it easy to add white highlights for a finishing touch. I really like the look of stamping over the entire piece when done with some text or a subtle background stamp. I've over-stamped this piece with the Old Letter Stamp in Aquamarine Archival Ink.

When creating a detailed panel, I always love to keep the focus on my mini work of art. That means a nice clean and simple white card base and a couple simple accents.

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom!

Happy creating!

 

Supplies: Stitches ATC Canvas by Prima Marketing, Floral Blossoms Basic Grey Konnichiwa Cling Stamp by Hero Arts, Old Letter Writing Stamp Set by Hero Arts, All Occasion Messages Stamp set by Hero Arts, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Aquamarine Archival ink by Ranger, Crystal Trinket Pins by Maya Road, Wood Buttons by Maya Road, Crushed Olive Distress Ink, Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink, Tumbled Glass Distress Ink, Worn Lipstick Distress Ink, Wild Plum Adirondack Ink and Sunshine Yellow Adirondack Ink by Ranger, Rose Bud Memento Marker by Tsukineko

Round the Clock Love Note by Julia Stainton

Valentine's Day is the next big holiday and I thought I'd get a head start creating a vintage style valentine. I just love a romantic style.

The new Hero Arts Special Time stamp set works really well as a love note. This card actually doesn't have any of the traditional heart icon on it but still works well as valentine.

Here's some of the creative highlights of this design...

First of all I started with some pieces of Resist Canvas by Prima. Each package has a lot of shapes and they are all die cut and embossed with white embossing. All you need to do is add color.

Because I'm on a Distress Stain kick lately, that's what I added in my color with. The Distress Stains are super easy to add color with by just pressing the dabber end onto the surface. I've used Worn Lipstick and Spun Sugar together here for soft tonal variation.

This sweet cavas resist branch is another piece that comes in the package. I like adding all the colors on together while they are wet so you get subtle blending.

Something to note about this canvas is that it comes with a paper backing on it to make it stiffer. It almost looks like sticker backing but this product is not adhesive backed so don't try to peel it off. Just put your adhesive directly on the backing.

I love these darling clock images. The smaller clock is stamped in Jet Black Archival ink directly onto the canvas.

Here's a trick to add interest to a sentiment...stamp an image behind it in a soft color. Here I've stamped the larger clock. It's ok that just a portion of it shows. You don't always need to use an entire image.

These little Maya Road roses are a beautiful embellishment. I've colored then by dabbing them with Distress Stain and also cut off their wire stems. I find it easier to simply adhere them exactly where I want them with a Glue Dot.

 

Thanks so much for joining me today in the CLASSroom!

 

Supplies: Cleardesign: Special Time stamp set by Hero Arts, Worn Lipstick, Spun Sugar, Peeled Paint and Old Paper Distress Stains by Ranger, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Kraft Cardstock, Londonderry Resistant Canvas by Prima, Chewing Gum Dye Ink by Jenni Bowlin, Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink by Ranger, Vintage Paper Roses by Maya Road, Crystal Trinket Pins by Maya Road, twine, Gramma's Doilies Vintage Findings by Maya Road, 5th Avenue Tag Collection by Melissa Frances

Easy Watercolor with Distress Inks by Julie Ebersole

I'll admit it:  I'm a sucker for a pretty flower.  Prolly cuz I can't keep real plants alive; I have more of a black thumb than a green one . . . *chuckle* So, I have to "garden" on paper. With rubbah. *wink*

I thought the Classic Tea Flower would look so pretty watercolored, so I inked up the stem and leaves with Crushed Olive Distress Ink, and the blossom itself with Barn Door Red and stamped it onto watercolor paper.  I'm really into red this year. No clue why.

Distress Inks react quite wonderfully to water, so all I had to do at this point, was take my water brush and gently/quickly watercolor different areas of the image--I don't get too carried away, and like to leave some of the detail intact; otherwise, I end up with a mondo blob of color and you wouldn't know it actually was a flower to begin with.  Hah!

I borrowed a butterfly from the Antique Flowers & Butterflies Set and stamped that with Adirondack Pitch Black, as I don't yet have the Distress pad in Soot . . . yet. *wink*

I also white embossed a small greeting from the All Occasion Messages Set onto black card stock--that set is so so handy! I love all the little words in it because they help me get a sentiment onto a card when I otherwise don't have room because I didn't think ahead all the way on a design. (sometimes, I get so caught up in the images, I forget to leave room/allow for a greeting on the front)  This set saves my bacon all the time!

I likey!!! It still has some vintage aura to it, but with a very clean translation.

Hope you enjoyed today's project!  I just adore watercolor, don't you?

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SUPPLIES:
Stamps:  Hero Arts Classic Tea Flower ; Hero Arts/Sizzix Stamp & Diecut Set Antique Flowers & Butterflies ; Hero Arts All Occasion Messages Set
Inks:  Distress Ink Barn Door Red, Crushed Olive; Adirondack Pitch Black ; Versamark
Paper:  Watercolor Paper ; Black Card Stock ; American Crafts Cream Card stock from my stash (for the base)
Tools:  Waterbrush ; Heat Tool
Other:  White Embossing Powder ; 3D Foam Dot Adhesive

2012 Photo Tray Calendar Q1 by Sharon Harnist

If you follow my personal blog at all, you know I have a thing for calendars -- I love them!  I like combining them with artwork to have on display in my home and most importantly -- right on my desk or in my office/creative space!  I also enjoy finding new ways to create them for gifts.  So here's a new one I came up with, that utilizes my 7 Gypsies Black Photo Tray:

               (Click on any photo for a larger view)

Each section of the tray measures 4" x 6" -- perfect for just adding family photos to your calendar, if you wish, or artwork close to the size of a standard A2 card.  I decided to make three months at a time so I would have additional room to showcase some different techniques for you, but you could easily make this a 6-month calendar if you wish.  Then if you give the tray as a holiday gift, you can easily follow up with additional months later in the year (if you don't get them completed all at once) and they will be easy to mail to the recepient.  I'll try to have each calendar quarter prepared a month in advance over the coming year, allowing you plenty of time to follow along and create your own calendar/months, if you'd like!

The beautiful coordinating papers I used this quarter are all from Lilybee Design's Head Over Heels 6x6 Tiny Tablet, designed by our very own multi-talented Miss Julia Stainton . . . I adore all these colors together!

The calendars are Ellen's 2012 PDF Downloadable Calendar -- printed at 75%, they are approximately 3" square.  Each one was matted with Memory Box cardstock: Lagoon, Raspberry, and Vanilla Bean:

January:

I used Tim Holtz Texture Fades Embossing Folders-Snow Flurries & Snowman for the top panel. The embossed snowflakes were rubbed with Adirondack Snow Cap pigment ink pad and sprinkled with Glitter Ritz Transparent Warm Highlights micro fine glitter and then heat embossed with Clear Embossing Powder (they were a little tricky to photograph, but show up a little better in the close-up views):

The embossed snowman was just hand trimmed closely to the embossed edges and the edges of both the snowman and snowflake embossed panel were sponged with Distress Inks. Pretty Zva Clear Swirl gemstones accent the Maya Road Mini Chipboard Snowflake which was also clear embossed with glitter. Hero Arts Pink Crystals accent the snowflake and calendar.

TECHNIQUE - Watercolor Two Ways:

I just recently discovered this gorgeous Hero Arts Felt Finish Natural White Watercolor Paper Ellen started carrying and LOVE that it comes in either Bright White or this soft Natural White color I used!  I used for both of these watercolor techniques.

February:

Lockhart Stamp Company's Love Angel was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black onto the watercolor paper. Using a Niji Waterbrush filled with Copic Colorless Blender Solution, I dipped the brush into Copic Various Ink Refills (BG11, BG13, R24, R81, and YR31 placed in a plastic paint palette) to "water" color the angel (clean up afterwards with Clear Blender Solution):

Copic Clear Atyou Spica Glitter Pen accents the angel's wings and a light pink crystal accents the heart she is carrying. Memory Box Raspberry cardstock, die cut with Tim Holtz's Heart Wings Bigz Die, accents the background and calendar:

March:

Lockhart Roses Daisies & Polka Dots was also stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black onto the watercolor paper, but then watercolored the more traditional way, with Adirondack Dye Ink Pads (Lettuce, Pink Sherbet, Pool, Raspberry, Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow).  You can just used the ink pad lid as a palette, by rubbing the ink pad onto the lid (as seen in the lower left of the photo below) -- this will usually transfer enough ink to watercolor with, if your pads are juicy enough:

Or you can place a few drops of reinker into the stamp pad lid and use this to watercolor with.  To finish this piece, I used a few dye-based Memento Markers to accent the flowers and color those tiny flower stems!

Memory Box Taffy cardstock, die cut with Tim Holtz's Tattered Florals die, accents the background.

Please let me know if you like this concept and if you'd like to see more months each quarter next year!  ~ Sharon

Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Company Love Angel (#7008), Roses Daisies & Polka Dots (#2122)
Paper: Hero Arts Felt Finish Natural White Watercolor Paper; Lilybee Design Head Over Heels 6x6 Tiny Tablet; Memory Box cardstock-Lagoon, Raspberry, Taffy, Vanilla Bean; 
Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black ink kpad and Memento Markers; Ranger Adirondack Pigment Ink (January)-Snow Cap; Ranger Adirondack Dye Ink Pads (March)-Lettuce, Pink Sherbet, Pool, Raspberry, Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow; Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Jan & Feb)-Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy & (Mar) Worn Lipstick; 
Copic Markers: E33 & BG13 (Angel), Colorless Blender Solution; Clear Atyou Spica Glitter Pen
Copic Various Ink Refills: BG11, BG13, R24, R81, YR31 (Angel)
Dies: Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz Die-Heart Wings and Tattered Florals;
Accessories: 7 Gypsies Black Photo Tray; Ellen's 2012 PDF Downloadable Calendar (printed at 75%); Niji Waterbrush; Sizzix Tim Holtz Texture Fades Embossing Folders-Snow Flurries & Snowman; Ranger Clear Embossing Powder, Heat It Craft Tool, and Ink Blending Tool; Glitter Ritz Microfine Glitter-Transparent Warm Highlights; Maya Road Mini Chipboard Sets: Snowflakes; Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares; Zva Clear Swirl gemstones; KaiserCraft Pearls; Hero Arts Pink Crystals; Darice Plastic Paint Palette; 

Serene Snowfall by Julie Ebersole

*click on images to enlarge*

This beautiful Bare Oak Tree by Memory Box is so perfect for a winter-time scene, altho it could also make a great Halloween scene, too! :)  I must admit, I love images that have a lot of flexibility and I even have a spring/summer scene in my head that it would be perfect for!

If you're mailing out a lot of cards this holiday season, you may want to consider a design that is flat, but still has enough sha-zaaaam! to inspire the recipient to oooooh and aaaaaaah, UKWIM?!

This is such an easy way to achieve that and one of my favorite types of holiday designs!

After embossing the tree with Versamark and clear powder, I placed a torn strip of paper to act as a mask--this will help define the horizon line in the scene.  Tearing the edge can give you an artfully rustic effect, but if you wanted a more graphic look, you could cut a smooth edge.

I sponged Aqua dye ink over it all to create the "sky"--love the subtle hue of this particular shade.

After removing the mask, you can see the the snow-covered ground all around the tree.

To add some interest and a punch of color, I laid down some narrow tape flush along all four edges.

I removed one liner paper at a time, and then burnished this gaaaaw-jus shade of glitter into the tape with my finger tips. This micro-fine glitter gives fantastic coverage, creating an elegant sparkly look that is smooth and velvety (is that possible?  Smooth & velvety at the same time?! *chuckle*)

A quick hand-written greeting, and I couldn't resist creating some "snowfall" with a white gel pen, and then mounting the finished panel to a silver metallic card base.

Yes, I oooohed and aaaaahed when I finished it! :)

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom today!  Have you started your holiday cards yet?

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Supplies & Materials:

Bare Oak Tree by Memory Box
Versamark
Clear Embossing Powder
Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Aqua
Be Creative Tape, 1/8"
Galvanized Silver Cardstock
Regal Red Glitter Ritz, Microfine
Copic Multiliner SP, 0.3 Black
Uni-ball White Gel Pen

WCMD 2011 - Color Swatch Challenge by Julie Ebersole (EHWCMD1)

Hiya!  I'm so excited to be presenting a Color Swatch Challenge in celebration of World Card Making Day!

These colors are very contemporary, but lend themselves well to a wide range of possibilities, no matter what your personal art style may be!  I have an example to share that I hope will inspire you in new ways!

The large floral image in the Lauderdale stamp set was clear embossed, and then Adirondack Dye Inks (see supply list for specific colors) were sponged over the top to color them in quickly.

To provide a little more contrast and a hint of pattern, the Friend Definition was stamped with Snow Cap pigment over black card stock and used to accent the focal panel.

Did you know the Donut Edger Punch makes a great "scallop" edge if you tuck it just a wee bit further under the top layer of paper?  Cool, eh?!

Stamping the sentiment onto the distressed red toned card stock (Indie Bloom 6x6) and then framing it with white gel pen gives it some visual weight and helps tie the design altogether.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to design a project incorporating the color combination featured at the top of this post!  (insert Mission Impossible theme music here)

Snap a picture of it, and follow the directions below --- hook us up with a link so we can ogle and drool over it!  And, to submit your entry for the candy, of course.

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Supplies & Materials: 

Basic Grey/Hero Arts, Lauderdale Clear Design 
Clear Design: Sending Smiles 
Cling Friend Definition 
Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Lemonade 
Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Red Pepper 
Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Aqua 
Archival Ink Pad in Jet Black 
Adirondack Pigment Ink Pad, Snow Cap 
Versamark Ink Pad 
Clear Embossing Powder 
A5 Cardstock, Black 
F4 Cardstock, Water 
Basic Grey Indie Bloom 6x6 Patterned Paper Pad 
Edger Punch, Donut Chain 
Uni-ball Impact White Gel Pen

---

COLOR CHALLENGE

Use the color inspiration above to create your card or project!

Once you have completed this challenge please be certain to link directly to that specific project in our WCMD Challenge Blog post!

BLOG CANDY

What is your current favorite color combination? Be certain to leave your answer and some love for Julie in the comments section of this post to be entered in a random drawing for the fun goodies shown below.

 

All comments must be made by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Sunday, October 2nd to be eligible.

Easy Distress Halloween Design by Julie Ebersole

 

*click on the pics to enlarge*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Isn't this fun?!

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

Happy Mundane!

 

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Supplies & Materials used:

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

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

La Blanche Stamps - Paper, Ink and Coloring Options

There has been a steady "hum" surrounding the La Blanche stamps and being one who loves to try new things I decided to venture into the mix and explore these beautiful stamps. I had never seen or used a silicone stamp before and when they arrived in the warehouse on Friday I knew I just had to "test" them. Isn't it wonderful that I have a valid excuse for needing to stamp?!? :-D

Today I would like to share my discoveries with you in hopes of answering some of the questions you might have about these stamps.

The amazing detail in these stamps is what struck me most!

There was a bit of a learning curve for me with these images, due to the way they are designed. I hope that by sharing my findings with you it might help you stamp a beautiful image without a lot of need to experiment.

The backing on this stamp is foam, with white silicone covering the entire base. I found it very important to do my best to keep ink off the edges of the perimeter of the base. I seemed to transfer the ink to my paper if I was not careful when inking the image.

The easiest method of applying the ink was to place the stamp - image side up on my work surface and then tap my ink pad to the surface of the stamp as shown above.

As you can see there is an ink spot on the lower right hand corner in the photo above. It is this ink that I seemed to transfer to my stamped image, so it is best to make certain your base is clean around the edges before you stamp.

 

You want your surface to be evenly inked with no ink around the edges. I kept a paper towel handy to remove any excess ink that strayed onto the base once I realized I was not going to be able to stamp cleanly otherwise.

ETA: To clean my stamp I have been using Ranger's CleansIt and fresh water.

To evenly distribute the ink on my paper and capture all the detail I carefully "walked" my fingers over all the details of the image as shown above. 

Yes, it is the detail in these images that is incredible! 

 

There has been a lot of talk about paper - which one is best, what should I use, etc. I have shared two examples above - the image on the left is stamped with Jet Black Archival on Neenah and the one of the right is Jet Black Archival on X-Press. X-Press is definitely a smoother paper and so the detail reads differently on this smooth surface, but I must share that they both are absolutely lovely! My opinion is that I LOVE the different looks that different papers can provide - so try them on all your favorite papers - I don't think that it makes that much difference.

 

I decided to also test different inks. In the video I observed the beautiful work created by using Distress Ink Pads and Cut n' Dry nibs so I wanted to try that, but I also wanted to see how Copic Markers would work and so I tried both Archival ink and Memento inks. Archival inks work fabulously with watercolor products and techniques, whereas I prefer Memento ink when coloring with Copics. The hardest part was taking a photo that would be accurate - LOL! As you can see the results are all beautiful and I can hardly wait to have more time to do entire images with various coloring methods!

Below I am sharing my version of the Distress Inks and Cut n' Dry nibs coloring process.

 

Utilizing the lightest selection of green I colored in the entire leaf.

 

Following the "shading" of the stamp I then added a more citrusy ink color for the highlights and a darker, mossy green in the shadows. This helped to add dimension to the coloring.

 

One of the perks of the colored images on the website is the ability to refer to them as a guide. To add warmth and dimension to the sparrows I opted to utilize a little pink in addition to the browns. I love how they turned out.

 

To create the soft, blue sky-like background I used a foam ink blending tool and the beautiful Soap Powder ink pad.

Due to the intricacy of the design I wanted to keep the card simple. I decided to create a stucco like wall and die-cut a window to look out on this gorgeous natural scene.

I first painted some Neenah Solar White paper with a combination of Painterly Pink and Altered Orange allowing it to dry.

To create the "stucco" I simply mixed some Gesso together with Studio Paints as shown in the picture above.

Adding a little Rust reinker helped to add intensity to the color. 

 

Place a template, in this case I used the Crafter's Workshop harlequin pattern, over the painted background and use a Craft Scraper to add the gesso.

 

My mixture was a little more liquid than I had initially thought and so it oozed out beneath the stencil, but I have to admit that I love the effect and so rather than rework it I just went with it. Allow the gesso and paint mixture to fully dry and then cut the window. Distressing this image slightly with an ink blending tool and Vintage Photo distress ink helps to age it even further.

Stamp, color and fussy cut the birds, then pop them up off the image to create a striking focal point.

My opinion is that you will be able to use these images with many different types of papers and inks --- it all depends on the type of look you would like to create! Experiment and play with the different colors and textures of papers and inks.
 

stamps: La Blanche Two Sparrows

ink: Archival Jet Black, Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress Ink Pads - Bundled Sage, Shabby Shutters, Forest Moss, Spun Sugar, Antique Linen, and Brushed Corduroy; Jenni Bowlin Soap Powder

paper: Neenah Solar White, X-press Blending Card, Memory Box Meadow Cardstock

accessories: Studio Line - Gesso, Painterly Pink, Altered Orange and Traditional Tan; Adirondack Rust Reinker; Crafter's Workshop Harlequin Template, Craft Scraper, Tim Holtz Mini Cabinet Card together with Base Tray, Cut n' Dry Nibs, Ink Blending Tool

Masking with Stencils...1,2,3 by Julia Stainton

Masking is one of those limitless techniques. There are just so many fabulous possibilities with it. Lately I've been enjoying masking with stencils and today I have three projects to share from one technique. I just couldn't bear to throw a scrap of it away.

Stencils are a wonderful tool. They are easy to use, store and they will last indefinitely. This pretty background was created by masking a stencil and sponging on different colors of distress ink.

To use your stencil as a mask, place it over your paper and then either hold it down firmly, adhere it with removable adhesive or as I've done here, hold it down with magnets and on the Basic Grey Magnetic Precision Mat Kit. You want to make sure that it doesn't slip or move.

Begin by sponging on ink over each flower and leaf.

Keep adding ink until the entire stencil area is covered and the colors blend together.

This is my favorite step...removing the stencil reveal the beautiful white pattern beneath. I cut this masked paper into three pieces to make my three projects.

To create my first card, I just left the beautiful pattern alone and simply stamped a sentiment from the Hero Arts stamp set. All three projects use stamped sentiments from this set. It's so versatile.

Next I created a 3"x4" tag to coordinate with the birthday card. I thought it would be fun to tie onto a kraft gift bag. I've added a little glitter to the masked surface to add some shimmer and shine.

 To cover an inked surface with glitter, I like to use a dry adhesive so that the ink doesn't run. The Be Creative Sheets work really well for this. After applying the adhesive sheet to your surface, sprinkle with glitter and burnish in for a beautiful shimmery finish.

My last project is a card that I decided to give a different look to. This time the panel was simply misted and flicked with Coffee Shop Glimmer Mist for a more rustic look.

To accent the design, I've added Maya Road wood buttons that have been inked to the center of three of the flowers.

Supplies:

Solar White cardstock by Neenah, Kraft Cardstock, Find Joy Stamp set by Hero Arts, 8x8 Mask III by Prima Marketing, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Worn Lipstick Distress Ink, Dried Marigold Distress Ink and Crushed Olive Distress Ink by Ranger, twine, Green Leaf Trinket Pins by Maya Road, Fiesta Innoscence flower by Prima Marketing, Coffee Shop Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels, sewing machine, wood buttons by Maya Road, Be Creative Adhesive Sheets, Transparent Microfine Glitter by Glitter Ritz, Tim Holtz Hinge Clip, Mauve silk ribbon by May Arts

I hope you enjoy trying out this fun technique. Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom and happy creating!

 

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,

Holiday Recipe Album by Sharon Harnist

I've been promising myself the past several years that I would gather up all of my favorite family holiday recipes from the four different cook books, three loose recipe cards, and five different pieces of paper they are all written on and put them all together into ONE easy-to-access holiday favorites recipe album, so I finally did it!

 

I started with one of the several different Melissa Frances Kitschy recipe albums Ellen carries:

There are also coordinating 6-inch and 12-inch papers Melissa Frances patterned papers that match these albums that you could use on the chipboard album cover, but since I didn't plan very well in advance(!) and was looking for more of a vintage style as opposed to retro/kitschy, I chose some beautiful Conservatory 6x6 papers from 7 Gypsies:

I thought they were the perfect combination of colors, a little bit Christmasy but yet still just plain vintage that would go well in my kitchen or for any holiday!  I also decided to give the album a little bit different shape for the cover, by using this nice, big 7" x 9" Melissa Frances Label style "backdrop" piece of chipboard for the cover:

It's good and sturdy (and a real bargain at just $1!) and easy to cover with the "patchwork" style of papers I chose.  For covering chipboard with paper, my favorite adhesive, especially for something that will be kept in a moist, hot environment, is Royal Coat Decoupage glue.  After adhering the papers to the chipboard cover, sand the edges and then sponge the edges with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink.  Then give the top of the paper a sealing coat of decoupage glue, too, to help make it water-resistent.  After covering the chipboard label, I punched holes in it using my trusty Crop-a-Dile, that would coordinate with the Kitschy album cover's holes and bound everything together with the binder rings included in the kit.

 

For the cover, I made a flower accent by die cutting Grungepaper with Spellbinders Nested Peony dies and inking them with Worn Lipstick & Fired Brick Distress Inks.  I thought this thicker, sturdier paper would hold up better than regular paper in a moist, hot kitchen environment:

 

I alternated inking each layer of flower with a different Distress color, to give the flower more depth.  To create dimension, I used thick foam tape between the layers of flowers:

 

But because I'm pretty certain the foam tape would end up eventually not holding the suede-like fabric texture of the Grungepaper together over time, I used Tim Holtz's Tiny Attacher to secure the flower together in the center, minus the smallest flower.  Then I added the last, smallest flower to the center to cover up the staple:

 

The Maya Road chipboard letters were colored with YG93 Copic marker, to match the greens in the papers.  I LOVE using Copics to color chipboard -- it dries fast, is easy, not messy, and with 346 Copic colors to choose from, you're sure to find just the color you need!

 

The last finishing touch was this pretty Maya Road Yellow Ruffle Edge Trim that matched these papers perfectly!  It is securely held in place with Copic's 1/8" X-Press It High Tack Double-Sided Tape:

 

The bonus to using this larger chipboard label as an album cover is that you can flip the recipe cards over to the front of the cover and the covers stand up & open and act as a built-in stand, for easy viewing of your recipe!

 

I hope this album sparks some creative ideas for you -- if not for recipes, then maybe for some favorite family photos!  Thanks for visiting the CLASSroom today!  ~ Sharon

 

Paper: Melissa Frances Kitschy Kitchen Homemade Recipe Album, 7 Gypsies Conservatory 6x6 paper pack, Tim Holtz Grungepaper,
Ink: Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks-Worn Lipstick, Fired Brick & Brushed Corduroy, Copic marker YG93,
Tools: Spellbinders Nested Peony dies,
Accessories: Maya Road Mini Alphabet Chipboard Set-Noah & Yellow Ruffle Edge Trim, Ranger Ink Blending Tool, WRM Crop-a-Dile, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, EK Success 3D Dots thick foam tape, Copic X-Press It High Tack Double-Sided Tape, Royal Coat Decoupage glue, sanding block,

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!

World Card Making Day Inchie Challenge by Cindy Lyles (EHWCMD6)

We're creating texture Inchies today - if you have never tried creating an Inchie how about trying one today!?!

Steampunk was my operative mode of thought when creating today's altered notebook project, featuring....textured Inchies!

To create the textured Inchies for this project, a Sizzix Embossing Folder was used, and two, white Inchie + Squares (these are 1.5 inches square) were sandwiched and run through a die cut machine.  This produced a wonderful and incredible impression on the Alpharag Artcare matboard.  One could run several Inchies through an embossing folder at a time to keep on hand, and use whenever you need a bit of texture in one of your projects; just add Distress inks to suit your project colors, as was done below.

Next, Distress Inks in Wild Honey, Crushed Olive and Antique Linen were applied using an ink blending tool, to one embossed Inchie + Square, and Aged Mahogany and Antique Linen to the other.  The recesses created by the embossing folder are nicely emphasized with the addition of these wonderful Distress inks.

The rosette was created using Graphic 45 Society Page and one of Sizzix's newest dies, the Paper Rosette - it allows one to create a 2-1/2 inch diameter paper rosette with incredible speed!

I opted to create a covered notebook for these embellishments - all from Tim Holtz's Idea-ology line - here's a close-up:

The covered notebook base uses Graphic 45 Pen in Hand.  Black cardstock is Memory Box Licorice.

Here's a photo of the notebook inside.  Finished dimensions (closed) are 5 inches by 8 inches. 

Thank you for visiting the CLASSroom on World Card Making Day, and hope you have a great time participating in the CLASSroom challenges today!

breakout of Tim's hardware: Game Spinners, Hitch Fasteners, Philosophy Tags, Sprocket Gears, Swivel Clasps, Washers, Timepieces.

INCHIE CHALLENGE

For our Inchie Challenge simply create any project (card, notebook, scrapbook page, and so forth) using an Inchie or Inchies that you've added texture to!

Once you have completed this challenge be certain to post a comment on this post, as well as a link to your project, in our WCMD Challenge Blog Candy post!

BLOG CANDY

Thank you for stopping by our corner of WCMD today! After you have finished drooling on your keyboard be certain to leave a comment to be entered in a random drawing for the delicious goodies shown below. Do you own an electronic cutter and if so, which one?

All comments must be made by 11:59 Pacific Time on Sunday, October 2nd to be eligible.

Back To Basics: coloring (or not) by Kim Hughes

 

Supplies:

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Butterscotch, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Stream, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Peach Bellini, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Lettuce, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Espresso

COPIC Sketch Marker YR24, Pale Sepia

Memory Box: Happy Birthday, Log Home, Memory Box 6x6 Cardstock, Enchanted, Sonoma Print, Silhouette Branch, Umbels

Basic Grey Buttons, Green at Heart

A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Solar White
 

stamp the flowers with a lighter shade ink than a Copic marker.  Then add a darker tone to the center of the stamped flowers
 

It gives them a subtle "water colored" effect
 

Use a colored pencil that's slightly darker than the Copic marker.  Press harder in the center of the flower and add depth to the image by coloring lightly
 

Draw a loose line around the image to give it a hand drawn look.

Next, simply add texture and interest to a stamped image by adding just a touch of paint.

 

Dip a toothpick into white paint and dab onto the flower tips...it's as simple as that...of course you will need to wait for the paint to dry.  You may try to use this technique on glossy paper and spritz a mist over the image, so that the white paint will show through.
 

stamp the leaf image with blue ink.  It looks beautiful as is, doesn't it?  I like to stamp and leave the image alone, but coloring it in different ways can add just so much.
 

Dip a Q-tip in the same ink that you stamped the image with and "paint" with it.
 

No need to be perfect her...it's alright to go outside the lines.
 

add some background color with more Q-tips.  Just rub the color around the image.  This will give it a "chalked" look
 

work around the image and to not add background color to the white tips.
 

when you crop the image, it will be hard to believe that it started with white paper and a blue stamped image.
 

Stamp an image and only color half of it with a colored pencil.  This will give it a "graphic" look
 

Another way to color with colored pencils is to start with the edge and press harder at that point...as you move in towards the center of the image, press lighter on the pencil
 

continue along the entire outline of the stamped image, I turn the paper as I move along the edge.

 

and here is the end result.  You and add another color on top to add more texture...just repeat the first step.
 

when there are multiple lines, you can add dimension to each separate section.
 

repeat along each line
 

and then shade the opposite side for added dimension.
 

So, there are three ways to use a colored pencil when coloring an image.  Color with Copics, paint with a paint brush, color with a dabber and chalks or just leave it alone..as is.
 

This paper is so beautiful, so I didn't want the stamped images to overpower the background. So, in this case, I chose to leave the images alone.  When you color an image, it's easier to coordinate solid papers with your image.  You can color your image first and then try to match paper to is.  It's all a matter of trial and error.  Discovering the perfect complimentary paper is half the fun/  So, experiment.

I hope that you rediscover how truly fun coloring stamped images can be.  Thanks for joining us today.

Glitter Baby Page by Sharon Harnist

 

I decided to make a traditional 6-inch scrap page today and used an element I'm in love with at the moment ... glitter!  It's a good thing I have little girls who appreciate glitter and bling, too!  :D  To make this page, I started by stamping three different background stamps onto three different colors of Memory Box Cardstock: Taffy, Granny Smith & Iris:

 

The CHF Backgrounders I used were: Geometric Flowers II, Polka Dot Large & AlphaNumber.  I used Ranger Distress Inks in Worn Lipstick, Sabby Shutters & Tumbled Glass.  Next, I cut a piece of white cardstock 5.75" square and used this as my base to piece the stamped colored cardstock in an arrangement I liked, and rounded the corners with the 1/2" side of my Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper.

Next, I used Spellbinders Big Scalloped Square Nestabilities die (largest die in the small set) and cut four pieces of Sweet Corn Memory Box cardstock.  Then I layered all four scalloped die cuts behind the colored scrap page base, overlapping one scallop -- this created a perfect 6.25" frame for my page!

To create the photo frame, I used Spellbinders Big Scalloped Oval Nestabilities dies-Lg and Classic Oval Nestabilities dies-Sm and layered them together on my magnetic cut mat, to cut a piece of the Sweet Corn cardstock:

 

Next, I used The Essential Glue Pad to ink up the Polka Dot Large background stamp and stamped the frame with it, then covered the dots with Martha Stewart's Essential Colors Crystal Fine Glitter:

 

Hopefully you can see the pretty sparkly surrounding my sweet oldest daughter's face when she was 5 months old (click on photo for a larger view):

 

The frame is popped up with foam tape over the photo.  Prima E-Line 4 Petal & 5 Petal flowers adorn the upper right corner and Zva Crystals accent the flower center and line dividing two of the stamped cardstocks.

The "baby" title was made from Maya Road's Chipboard Alpha-Noah letters.  I gave them a coating of Adirondack Pigment Ink in Snow Cap:

 

(The letter "b" on the left wasn't covered yet, so you can see the difference it made).  While the ink was still wet, I sprinkled the Crystal Fine glitter over the letters and let it dry:

Here's how the letters turned out:

 

The little tag was cut with the smallest Spellbinders Tags Trio die from Lavender Memory Box cardstock and then I made a rub-on with my daughter's name, age & date by using Grafix Rub Onz ... this was the first time I had used this product and I can see all the fabulous possibilities it possesses!  A little bit of white silk ribbon finishes this page.

Thanks for stopping by!  -Sharon

 
Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms Backgrounders-Geometric Flowers II, Polka Dot Large, AlphaNumber
Paper: Memory Box Cardstock-Taffy, Granny Smith, Iris, Lavender & Sweet Corn
Ink: Ranger Distress Inks-Sabby Shutters, Tumbled Glass, Worn Lipstick & Adirondack Pigment Ink Pad-Snow Cap; Tsukineko The Essential Glue Pad
Accessories: Spellbinders Big Scalloped Oval Nestabilities dies-Lg, Classic Oval Nestabilities dies-Sm, Big Scalloped Square Nestabilities-Sm, Tags Trio; Maya Road Chipboard Alpha-Noah, Martha Stewart Essential Colors Glitter-Crystal Fine; WRM Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper, Grafix Rub Onz, Zva Crystals, Prima E-Line Flowers-4 Petal & 5 Petal

ATC Trio by Kim Hughes

They're versatile and super cute...I adore the sweet ATC size.  They can easily be added to a card or tag base and they make me feel extra artsy when I create them!

Supplies: 

Ranger: Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Butterscotch, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Cranberry, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Terra Cotta, Distress Ink Pad, Walnut Stain

Basic Grey Brads, Green at Heart Glazed

CHF: Backgrounder, Open Circles, Scrapblock, Vintage Text

Martha Stewart Craft Punch, Classic Butterfly

Basic Grey Opaline Half Pearls, Wine/Champagne

Manila Tags, #8 (Large)

Crystal Clear Plastic, 8" x 8" sheets

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Spray, Walnut Gold

Hero Arts: Cling Curly Flowers,  Cling Circle Doily, Cling Messages, Set of 3, Cling Reversed Flowers and Leaves

Pull out a piece of the clear plastic and dab the edge of the ink pad onto the surface. 

 

repeat with an orange ink pad
 

and a third time with cranberry ink
 

dab a few drops of glimmer mist and rub the stamp onto the clear , inked surface.
 

stamp onto a manilla tag multiple times, picking up ink as you go
 

complete with a stamped sentiment.  Clean clear sheet with baby wipes and use again

Ink up the top of the patterned stamp with the darkest color to the lightest, making sure to overlap each color

 

Bring out the plastic sheet once again and ask off the center section.  Stamp with cranberry ink first.  Then cover the columns on the right and left and ink the center with orange ink...complete with covering the middle and stamp with yellow ink

 

cut the tag to ATC size (2 1/2 x 3 1/2) and stamp the bottom
 

complete by adding a touch of color with a Copic marker, a punched butterfly and some pearl/brad accents

Have a wonderful day :)

Welcome Sign by Kim Hughes

Last minute gifts are sometimes hard to come up with...but a home-made "welcome" sign is always fun to receive.  You can take it a step further to make a set of 12...one for each month...ahhhh,, the possibilities!

 

supplies:

Twill, White

Tinsel Glitter, 12 pk

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Stream, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Terra Cotta, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Espresso

CHF: Saturday Evening Post, Vintage Butterflies, Scrapblock, Aged Sheet Music

Invisibles, Paper "Classic Vintage"

other: Doodlebug Design glitter stickers, hole punch

Start with adding ink to the Invisibles paper and rub in a circular motion, add more color to some areas and leave some softer.

 

Rub in some Terra Cotta ink, over the Stream ink and work in the colors together.  The orange softens the bold teal.  Again, rub into the paper in a circular motion.

 

Next, add Espresso ink to a music pattern stamp and press over the inked paper
 

Add 2 stamped butterflies, one to the lower left and a smaller one to the top right.  Since this paper has an embossed resisted pattern already on it, the butterflies will appear to be behind the floral pattern
 

add small Zots or adhesive dots to the top left of the large butterfly and press onto the paper
 

lift paper backing and pour glitter over all 3 dots
 

tap off excess and you are left with instant gold glitter looking flat "brads"
 

add a couple glittered dots to the top of the small butterfly as well..to balance out the page
 

Once again, ink up the music stamp...or do this step while you add the pattern to the paper.  Press white twill onto the inked stamp

 

punch 2 holes at the top, tie the twill through  to create the handle and add the "welcome" letter stickers to the bottom
 

Of course you can create this over and over...and change the ink colors and patterns for a unique look every time.  thanks so much for stopping by today.