the CLASSroom

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

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

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

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

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

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

 

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

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 03.11.2013

Do you love circles as much as I do? Like polka dots, they always make me so happy! And, they always look so mod, too! LOL!

I was playing with the Circle Punches Dies by Lifestyle Crafts--these dies are actually quite handy! You can punch out a whole bunch of same sized shapes all at one time just cranking them through your die cutting machine! They come in basic shapes, like the circles I used here, and they also come in some fun shapes, like bunnies & chicks, snowflakes, hearts, squares, etc.  Very cool!

My voice is back--YAY!!! So, you'll hear me yappin' away once again... :)

You'll hear (and watch!) me make a mistake on the first card and then I save it (*fist pump*) using the QuickStik--such a great gizmo!

Enjoy the video here or on YouTube and please subscribe to our channel so you don't miss any of our weekly webisodes! (I sooooo made that word up!)

Thanks for joining me and I hope you have a great Mundane! *snarf*

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

 

Studio Calico Cleardesign: Sundrifter Love This from Hero Arts Lawn Cuts Dies, Hearts Lifestyle Crafts Dies, Circle Punches Studio Calico Sundrifter 6x6 Paper Pad Studio Calico, Mister Huey's Color Mist, Inky Black Studio Calico Snippets 6x6 Paper Pad Bamboo Cord Spool, Black Amy Tangerine Ready Set Go Transparent Letter Stickers, Baxter 2 H4 Cardstock, Dove Gray A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream Tim Holtz, Tiny Attacher Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool Tweezers, Stainless Elizabeth Craft Designs Tweezers Be Creative (Sookwang) Tape, 12mm (1/2") 3D-Dots, 1/16" Thick EKSuccess Adhesive Remover Tool Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink Lifestyle Crafts Dies, Easter Punches Lifestyle Crafts Dies, Butterfly Punches Lifestyle Crafts Dies, Flower Punches Lifestyle Crafts Dies, Pennant Punche Lifestyle Crafts Dies, Arrow Punches Lifestyle Crafts Dies, Star Punches InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 02.18.2013

(click the pics to enbiggan)

I've been having a ball with sequins and wanted to share a few card ideas I've been playing with in the studio that incorporated these pretty, PRETTY things!!! I just can't get enough of them! The iridescent sparkle and shape make them a perfect accent--they also make fabulous filler in a full card-front shaker pocket! SWEET!!!

Seriously, I am obsessed with sequins as much as I am with Washi tape! Eep!!!

Also, I wanted to mention a few extra tips:

• You might be tempted to color white/vanilla sequins with your Copic Markers, but be advised that the alcohol ink will more than likely ruin the iridescent finish of your pretty sequins.

                Ask me how I know...

• Glossy Accents is a perfect adhesive for gluing individual sequins into place as it dries clear and sets up very quickly
• A few sequins can go a long way--start with a little, then add more when filling your pocket...
• As I mention in the video, if you're good with a sewing machine, you can create your pocket that way; I am not so good and found Washi tape an easier, full-proof method for creating my pocket--the added bonus is that it is repositionable and enables you to interject some additional color and pattern to your project!  BOOYAAAAAAH!!!

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

 

Thanks for joining me!

 

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

 

Technique Tuesday Clear Stamps, Bring on the Sun by Ali Edwards	Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, Bee Mine	Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, Sophie's Sentiments	Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black
Shadow Ink, Soft Granite	VersaMark Inkpad	Crystal Clear Plastic, Medium Weight 8 1/2"" x 11"" (10 pk)	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack
A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream	H4 Cardstock, Dove Gray	EEE3 Cardstock, Pool	My Mind's Eye Decorative Tape, Red & Turquoise
Shape 'N Tape, Teal Blue	3D-Dots, 1/16" Thick	My Favorite Things Die-namics, Flat-Bottom Clouds	Studio Calico Darling Dear 12x12 Vellum, Hepburn
Essentials by Ellen: Sequins, Iridescent Peach	Essentials by Ellen: Sequins, Iridescent Sky	Essentials by Ellen: Sequins, Iridescent White	Essentials by Ellen: Sequins, Iridescent Daffodil
Essentials by Ellen: Sequins, Iridescent Orange Flame	Studio Calico Darling Dear Wood Veneer, Triangle	Glue Glider Pro Tool with Pro Plus PermaTac Cartridge	Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac 58'
COPIC Sketch Marker Y35, Maize	COPIC Sketch Marker YG21, Anise	COPIC Sketch Marker YG95, Pale Olive	Embossing Gun
Accents, Glossy	Hero Arts Embossing Powder, White	Sew Easy Baker's Twine, Black	Doodle Twine Assortment, Boy
Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink	EK Paper Shapers Punch, 1/2 Circle	Tweezer Bee

InLinkz.com

Lawn Fawn - One Die Three Ways by Nina Yang

**Please note - we have two posts to share with you today! Be certain to scroll down and leave a comment for Julia as well! Thank you!

As we stood in the Lawn Fawn booth this past CHA admiring the cards, one in particular popped out at Julie and I (well lots of cards popped, but this one... well...) We squealed with delight at the genius behind the card. As good fortune would have it the creator of that fabulous little card walked into the booth moments later and we were introduced to Nina Yang. My goodness but the lady is clever and talented, so to have her joining us and sharing her talents with us here in the CLASSroom today is so much fun!

Nina is author to a marvelous blog called Waffleflower. It is filled with a myriad of treasures as Nina designs for Hampton Arts, Neat & Tangled, Paper Smooches Sparks and Runway Inspired Challenges! You will definitely enjoy the inspiration she shares there. I would appreciate if you would head over to Nina's blog now and help us thank her for sharing her talents with us here in the CLASSroom today. Please leave a comment on her post about being a guest here. As our way of thanking you for taking the time to do so you will have a chance to win some of the new products she used to create this post! You know you are in the right place if you see the following picture.

Thank you Nina for inspiring us on so many levels - your projects are simply fabulous! -Ellen

Just a side note - the Lawn Fawn CHA release is scheduled to arrive at our warehouse February 20th or 21st. Simply click the notify box and fill it in if you would like to receive an email when the product arrives.

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Hello there! I’m very excited to be joining Ellen Hutson in the CLASSroom today to share some fun ways to use dies.

One of my favorite CHA Winter 2013 releases is the A Birdie Told Me die set by Lawn Fawn. What I like most about this set is the cute hand drawn twist to the speech bubble trend. I am showcasing the mini circle bubble today.

First up, the birdie hello card.

 
The speech bubble is designed to come out from the right but we need it to come out from the left for the bird. For stamps, we can do mirror stamping to get it right; for a die, we just need to die cut it on the back of the paper and flip it! Then diecut the heart from the bubble to create a negative image.

Have you noticed that I used the thought bubble die from the same set to create my tree? The bird die makes it easy to create a a-bird-in-the-tree scene.

Here is a close-up. I used lots of foam adhesive to add dimension. I used cardstock but it should be fun to mix and match your patterned paper for a different look.

On the first card, we used two different dies to create the speech bubble. On the second card, We are going to use the negative piece after die cutting a bunch of bubbles to be the base and raise the heart in the middle.

Play with the patterned paper combination and trace the speech bubbles down with a pencil.

No need to be perfect when cutting the bubbles out. We will need the extra paper to mount them with foam adhesives.

I usually add foam dots on the back of my front piece. This way it is sure that they will not show up through the windows. Don’t forget to remove the pencil lines before you mount the patterned paper pieces to the back.

The sentiments were stamped on some scrap and cut out. This is the fun part of speech bubbles and frames – mix and match your sentiment stamps!

The sentiments were adhered to card with some foam adhesive as well. Play with the positions until you are satisfied.

Now, I am very excited to introduce the third way to use the die – make a 3D flower with it!

The little tail on the speech bubble is just perfect for making a flower like this. I first heat embossed the cardstock with the triangle stamp to give some texture to my flower but you can also use patterned paper instead.

Diecut 6 bubbles from the paper and poke a hole in each of them as shown. No need to be perfect but be careful not to tear the paper.

Start with 3 petals with a brad and secure; add foam adhesive to the other 3 petals and adhere them to the back of the first three. Arrange them to your liking.

There is one more tip I would like to add. The white embossed letters are hard to show up on bright yellow cardstock. I used the heat emboss resist technique to give it a shadow so it can stand out from the background. Just make sure that you use a water-based ink for this technique.

The frame die I used is a new CHA release by Paper Smooches. It is my absolutely favorite frame of all time. Have you noticed that it is very similar to the one in the PS logo? Timeless! I have another 1 die 3 way post using the Duo Die 2 on my blog.

That’s it for today! I hope that you are inspired to play more with your dies.

Thank Ellen and Kelly for going through all the trouble to get the new products to me so quickly. Patterned paper I used is from Daphne’s Closet 6x6 pad by Lawn Fawn. Ellen handpicked the cardstocks that go very well with the paper. Check out the supply list below for details.

Lawn Cuts Dies, A Birdie Told Me	Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, A Birdie Told Me	Paper Smooches Wise Dies Frame Die, Duo Die 1	Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, Sharp Backdrops
Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, Hello Friend	Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, Love 'n Breakfast	Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, Sophie's Sentiments	Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, Critters Down Under
Lawn Fawn Petite Paper Pack, Daphne's Closet	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	Hero Arts, Layering Paper, Punch	Memory Box Cardstock, Parsley
Cardstock, Juniper	Memory Box Cardstock, Sunflower	Memory Box Cardstock, Sugar Plum	Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black
Memento Ink Pad, Toffee Crunch	Stampendous Embossing Powder, .92 oz Detail White	Lawn Fawn Hemp Cord, Single Spool Peppermint	Essentials by Ellen: Sequins, Iridescent Daffodil
Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool	Paper Trimmer, Tonic Guillotine 8 1/2"	Retractable Craft Pick	Non-stick Micro Serrated Scissors

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!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2012 - Day 8 by Kelly Alvarez

When I first met Kelly Marie at CHA last winter her smile just warmed my heart! Kindness and warmth exude from within her. It has been such a pleasure to bring her stamps in to our store as you can see her character in the sweet images presented in the Lawn Fawn line of stamps and papers! We look forwards to the arrival of the new Valentine sets any day now so be certain to watch the new stamp section in the store.

It is no small wonder that Zooey Deschanel selected Lawn Fawn Critters Ever After stamps as one of her favorite gifts! Congratulations Kelly Marie and Mike on creating such a wonderful line of stamps!

We are absolutely thrilled that Kelly has joined us for our tag series this year! You can find more of her work on her Lawn Fawn blog and you can find the entire selection of Lawn Fawn stamps and papers here in our store.

Thank you so very much for joining in the fun this year Kelly Marie - every detail of your tag speaks sweet femininity!!

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I stamped Lawn Fawn's Sweet Christmas on Ellen's awesome watercolor paper in Versamark and heat embossed in white to make water coloring easy!
 

I scribbled Distress Markers on an acrylic block and used a brush dipped in water to color in my heat embossed gingerbread house.
 

To get a brighter red for the candy canes I tapped the barn door Distress Ink pad on the acrylic block and used that to water color, also! This is such a fun way to get a really feminine look.
 

I decided to use a white gel pen to make the whites of the candy canes even whiter. It really makes them pop! I love doing this with the white areas of a stamped image.
 

I repeated the process with the gum drops from Sweet Christmas and snowflakes from Frosties.
 

I covered a tag with some Fa-La-La papers and punched a hole in the center.
 

I heat embossed the sentiment from Let it Snow and covered the whole strip in that same water color method to coordinate with the rest of the tag. I then flagged the ends to add a little interest.

I punched a hole in my snowflake to create a cute cover for my hole. I then layered some white card stock that I cut curvy lines in to get that snow bank feel. Adding some foam adhesive to the layers really gives dimension, too!
 

After I adhered all of my pieces together I rounded the corners of the bottom part of the tag to go along with the soft feel of the tag. I added star dust Stickles to the snow banks, rock candy Stickles to the gum drops and Glossy Accents to the heart. I used a paint brush for the last two since the areas are so small.
 

I then threaded some peppermint Lawn Trimmings through the hole, and it was done! I had such a blast with Ellen's feminine twist on tags! Thank you so much for having me, Ellen! -Kelly

Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, Sweet Christmas	Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, Let it Snow	Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, Frosties	Inkssentials Surfaces, Kraft Tag #8
Lawn Fawn Petite Paper Pack, Fa-La-La	Essentials by Ellen, Jennifer's Watercolor Paper, 10pc-6x9	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	VersaMark Inkpad
Distress Ink Pad, Barn Door	Distress Marker, Broken China	Distress Marker, Mustard Seed	Distress Marker, Tumbled Glass
Distress Marker, Worn Lipstick	White Embossing Powder	Lawn Fawn Hemp Cord, Single Spool Peppermint	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool
Stickles, Star Dust	Distressed Stickles, Rock Candy	Accents, Glossy	Uni-ball Impact Gel Pen, White
Studio Artist Brushes

InLinkz.com

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Please help us say thank you to Kelly for joining us and sharing how to create this very sweet and feminine tag! Simply leave your comment below and you will be eligible for the random drawing of the $25 gift certificate to our store www.ellenhutson.com. Leave your comment before noon on December 13th to be eligible (one comment per person please.) Be certain to return again tomorrow for Day 9 of our feminine tags as Paula Cheney joins us again to share yet another stunning and beautifully detailed tag! 

Hello, Monday 11.12.2012

Sweet, right?! Years ago, I had seen some darling, pre-made tri-folding window cards that made me swoon and when I saw these nested Pinking Square Dies by WPlus9, I knew they'd work for making my own!

I brought together a lot of favorites for this design, including kraft paper, white embossing and the Sweet Christmas set by Lawn Fawn... Just couldn't resist the Gingerbread... It just isn't Christmas without Gingerbread... ! *grin*

Measurements:

• Cut card stock to 5 1/2 x 10 3/4"
• Parallel to short side, score at 3 5/8" and 7 1/4"

Enjoy the video here or in HD on YouTube!

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

 

Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, Sweet Christmas	Lifestyle Crafts Dies, Nesting Squares	WPlus9 Design Studio Dies, Clear Cut Stackers: Pinking Squares	Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Hazelnut
VersaMark Inkpad	Waterbrush, Small	Memento Marker, Lady Bug	Memento Marker, Bamboo Leaves
Memento Marker, Desert Sand	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, Ream	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink	Stampendous Embossing Powder, .92 oz Detail White
Heat It Craft Tool	Stickles, Christmas Red	Gemstones, Red Crystals	Martha Stewart Scoring Board
Doodle Twine Spool, Ladybu	Honey Bee Non Stick Scissors	3D-Dots, 1/16" Thick	Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue, .88 oz
Craft Knife, Fingertip	Teflon Bone Folder	Tweezers, Stainless	Tweezer Bee

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 11.05.2012

(click on the pic to en-biggan)

I absolutely adore the Stepping Stone alphabet by Studio Calico/Hero Arts but until now, hadn't had much chance to play with it! I love that it has both a solid AND an outline set included that coordinate together!

It's easier than you might think to combine the two together to mass produce a whole stack of upbeat thank-you cards like this one above!

Enjoy the video here, or skip on over to YouTube to watch it in HD!

Thanks for watching, and don't forget to subscribe to the Ellen Hutson, LLC channel for a new video every week!

 

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

 

Studio Calico ClearDesign, Stepping Stone Alpha from Hero Arts	Studio Calico ClearDesign, Oh Sna	Lawn Fawn Clear Stamps, Interlocking Backdrops	Memento Ink Pad, Gray Flannel
Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Mountain Rose	Shadow Ink: Mid-Tone, Butter Bar	Shadow Ink, Soft Pool	Hero Arts Memories Pigment Ink Pad, Unicorn White
VersaMark Inkpad	A Cardstock, Essentials by Ellen: White Linen #100 Cardstock, 25 Pack	H33 Cardstock, Graphite	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack
A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream	Clear Acrylic Block 3" x 4" Rectangular with Grid	Stampendous Embossing Powder, .92 oz Detail White	3D-Dots, 1/16" Thick
Glue Glider Pro	Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac 58'	Tweezers, Stainless	Heat It Craft Tool
Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	Soft Grip Embossing and Stylus Set	Nesting Punch, 3/4" Circle	Ornare Piercing Pad

InLinkz.com

Lawnscaping Fall Blog Hop Sponsorship and Blog Candy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

InLinkz.com

Lawnscaping Fall Blog Hop with Jean Manis

Who better to join in sharing some fabulous inspiration for our portion of the Lawnscaping Fall Blog Hop challenge than the talented artist who introduced me to these fun challenges!! Today I am so very excited to share the beautiful work of Jean Manis with you! It was about a year and a half ago when I first met Jean at a school related function, little did I know at that time what an avid paper crafter she was. Over the past short months I have had the pleasure of getting to know Jean better as she stops in here at our office/warehouse. It was during one of those visits that she shared how much she enjoyed the Lawnscaping challenges.

Jean is on both the Simple Scrapper and the Neat and Tangled Design Teams and she shares more of her gorgeous work on her blog Right as Rain. I would like to invite you to head over to Jean's blog to be inspired and leave some comments for her!

Being Jean does not have ready access to her in-box this weekend please join me in welcoming Jean here in the CLASSroom by leaving a comment for her here on this post! You will have until midnight October 7, 2012 Pacific Daylight Time to share your thoughts and be included in our random drawing for some of the fun products Jean used to create this fabulous fall forest for the Lawnscaping Fall Blog Hop Challenge!

 Head to the bottom of this post to find the comments section!

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Fall in the Pacific Northwest is glorious as the deciduous trees show their color against an evergreen backdrop. I wanted to capture the Pacific Northwest fall, specifically the textures and colors, in a card using a combination of Lawn Fawn stamp sets, a couple of which are intended for the winter and holidays. As soon as I saw the “Let It Snow” set, I knew it was a must-have given its combination of solid and open evergreen trees. Several of the patterned papers from the Basic Grey “Aspen Frost” pad and Echo Park’s “Everyday Eclectic” offer texture with their prints. We are often wearing scarves here, (not just in the winter!), so I donned the “Winter Owl” with a fall-colored scarf, paper-pieced with a print from “Aspen Frost.”

With each card I make I set out to make an improvement in some way – try a new design, try a new technique or polish my stamping or card-making skills. To that end, I have two tips to share.

To “season” the solid trees in the Lawn Fawn “Let It Snow” set, I used a sanding block from Lucky Squirrel.

Stamped with black Ranger Archival ink, you can see that my first tree (on the far right) has some splotches. I sanded the stamp, on the stamping block, lightly and then stamped again (middle image). I wanted to err on the side of under-sanding rather than over sanding. Since I still had a little bit of splotch, I sanded a bit more and finally achieved a clean solid image (on the far left).

I clear-embossed the owl stamped with Versafine black ink. I find that having the embossed edge makes my paper-piecing easier. There’s something about that raised barrier. I stamped and embossed the owl several times, using the owl stamped on Memory Box Vanilla Bean cardstock as the base. Another tip I wanted to share, which I learned from Chari Moss http://www.mossymade.com/, is to use a marker on the edges of cut stamped pieces. This tip was especially useful when I cut out the owl’s eyes, since I didn’t want there to be any white paper outside of the stamped image. Holding the cut paper with tweezers, due to its size, I went around the edge with a Memento marker. It’s best to dedicate a marker to this task as the fibers of the marker will eventually get paper cuts that could lead to bleeding when you use the marker to color.

I stamped the solid trees from the “Let It Snow” set for the forest foreground using “Peeled Paint” and “Forest Moss” Distress inks. These inks paired nicely together color-wise and provide a watercolor-like effect when stamped with the solid tree. I wanted the forest to have a natural feel to it. Three fussy-cut trees sit in the foreground of my scene. I stamped the background forest with the open trees in the set using the same two ink colors. I wanted there to be some overlap to create a cluster. The tallest cut tree was adhered directly to the background; I used 1/16” 3-D dots for the other two solid trees. I used 1/8” 3-D dots to adhere the owl and stapled the banner for a metallic accent.

Going back to my card-making goals, I periodically like to try a different approach. In this case, the “Winter Owl” stamp was one that I wanted to try Copic coloring. This owl uses brown Versafine ink, rather than black, and is clear embossed. I’m a novice when it comes to using my Copics, so my owl doesn’t include any shading. The Copic-colored approach was definitely less time-consuming than the paper-pieced one.  Using the colorless blender, I “added” polka dots to the scarf.

InLinkz.com

Nautical Party by Krystie Hersch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TOOLS:  Crop-A-Dile, 3/4 Square Punch

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

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

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

A Tribute To My Sweet Girl On Her Graduation

As I sit here tonight reflecting on the past 18 years I am grateful - grateful for my two very special daughters! My heart is bursting with pride as we celebrate with our oldest daughter Maddi, as she graduates from high school today. I wanted to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the amazing young lady she has become.

Maddi's kind and caring heart is probably the trait I am most proud of. The goals she sets for herself constantly amaze me and she works towards them with fierce determination, putting in the hours of work necessary to make them come true.

Maddi, congratulations on meeting your goal of running a 1/4 mile in less than 60 seconds and setting a new school record together with your teammates in the 4x400 at State this year.

Congratulations on your many scholastic achievements - to know that you love science and math as much as I do just makes me grin from ear to ear. You will do something amazing in life... of that I am certain!

Creating this simple card was an absolute joy, because as I created it I was able to reflect back on the past and remember the moments of joy, tears, and laughter. Your quirky wit is definitely something you get from your dad - my goodness but you can make me laugh! We are so very proud of you as you head into the next phase of your life. Congratulations once again my sweet girl!!!

TIP: It doesn't take much time at all to create a card for a graduate in your life. Use their school colors as your jump-off point. Apply Be Creative Tape to Solar White cardstock and cut out your numbers before applying glitter and burnishing. "Cap" it off with a mortar board and you are well on your way to congratulating someone special.

stamps: Technique Tuesday Grad, Lawn Fawn Chevron Backdrops

paper: Neenah Solar White

ink: Library Green Archival Ink Pad

accessories: My Favorite Things By the Number Stamps and Die Set, Silver Microfine Glitter Ritz, Be Creative Tape