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!
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!
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.
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!
Ahhh . . . the simple summer-time, don't you love the ease of it? I know I'd like to be taking it easy in a hammock like this one!
Coloring Karen Lockhart's sweet new Summer Hammock stamp (just released earlier this month) is just what I needed to put me in a relaxing mood! I stamped it onto Neenah Solar White cardstock and colored it with these Copic markers:
Copic Tip: Notice the color numbers I chose (except the grays, used for shading) all begin with a 1 -- this assures you that your colors will all fall within the same more saturated truer/brighter color range (0's, 1's, or 2's), as opposed to numbers beginning with 7, 8, or 9 which have more gray added to them, desaturating them and making them more suited for shading or to convey an earthy, shabby or vintage feeling.
Yellow Stickles accent the hammock fringe and a strip of pretty Lily Bee Buttercup paper, trimmed along the zig-zag pattern, finishes this card. The sweet Lockhart sentiment is another new June release.
I hope you find time to relax this weekend . . . I know I will!
Gingham is such fun and timeless pattern. It makes me think of summer, picnics and it's also perfect for sweet baby clothes. Today I have a fun little baby card design to share with you featuring the gingham patterns from the Lily Bee Design Double Dutch line.
I didn't have a particular baby in mind when I created this card so I wanted it to be rather generic and suitable for both boys or girls. Yellow, green and blue seemed to be a pretty neutral color scheme and the three colors are side by side on the color wheel giving it a nice subtle look.
To create my onesie accent, I turned to a Maya Road mini album. Yes you CAN use these sweet little albums for other things. The smaller ones are perfect as accents on cards or layouts.
To cover the chipboard shape, I just adhered the patterned over the chipboard and then filed away the excess paper. The Basic Grey Precision File Set is my favorite tool for sanding chipboard edges. Don't worry about the little hole left in the chipboard from the album binding. Once it's covered with paper, no one will know it's there.
Now for what I really like about this design...the gingham patterned paper matches up perfectly and seamlessly. Because all three papers are from the same line and are the same scale, they are exactly the same. To easily line things up, make sure you cut from the same corner. I cut two squares 4.75" in size from the top left corner. The green paper was then cut into half both ways to have squares that would perfectly line up over the blue.
Stamp your sentiment onto the chipboard onesie before adhering it to the design. I've used a favorite Hero Arts set called Say it All. It's perfect for covering almost any occasion you can think of.
One of the latest additions to my favorites list is the Burlap Rose you see embellishing this design. They come rolled and folded and that neutral texture is so pretty.
Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom. Have a fabulous weekend!
With Mother's Day in a few short weeks, now seemed like the time to get busy designing a special card for my mother-in-law. I turned to the springtime prints of my Victoria Park paper line to get a soft and pretty look that I'm hoping will make her smile.
I love using journaling cards in card designs and so I try to design cards that will work well with both cards and scrapbooking projects.
For this design I've chose the celery damask card that you can see on the bottom right of the packaging detail. I wanted to think outside the box and came up with using the index card as a panel on a belly band for my card design. This keeps the card itself very simple and the band slides on top of the card to embellish it and keep it closed.
A front opening card works well with a belly band and I've folded the outside panels to meet in the middle. For a 4.25"x5.5" card, score 2 1/4" from each end and fold. At the point of this photograph, I haven't yet adhered the patterned paper to the panels but it gives you an idea of how it works.
The index card is pretty but I decided it needed a few stamping details as embellishments to take it up a notch. This beautiful floral stamp is from a Basic Grey Plumeria stamp set from Hero Arts. It was stamped in black ink onto the patterned paper and then cut out.
Quick Tip: Adhere the paper to a layer of cardstock before cutting out to make it firmer and less likely to bend.
The image was then stamped on the pink print paper and paper pieced twice more. The littlest flower is popped up for an accent and some dimension. A Desert Sand Memento Marker works great to add some quick shading to both the petals and leaves.
The stamping is accented with some vintage buttons, a twine bow and some pretty trinket pins.
The Lily Bee Design stickers are perfectly sized for card designs and make it easy to add in your own custom sentiment. You'll love how many sentiments you can make from one single sheet of them.
A little stamping detail balances the right side of the design.
Finally, here's a look at the belly band removed from the card design. To create the band, simple cut a strip of cardstock and wrap around your card design. Adhere the ends to the back of your sentiment panel.
Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom! Have a wonderful and creative weekend!
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!
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.
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
Some paper crafters are addicted to stamps, some to patterned paper, some to the tools, but for me...it's all about the embellishments.
All those colors and textures and shapes are just so stunning. I love combining them, layering them and just having lots of fun. Often embellishments are for accenting a design but today, I've created some cards to share with you where they take center stage. I hope you enjoy!
Ticket Card
When creating a card that focuses on the embellishments, I really like to cluster them together. Clustering adds impact and gives your eye a place to rest. When adding a lot of anything, you want to be careful not to overdose the entire card. A layer of paper such as the two Maya Road Kraft Tickets helps define the area. Using a chipboard frame or flourish can also work great as a base to build your cluster on.
When adhering a lot of embellishments together you need to use a strong adhesive. The Ultimate Glue is a great liquid adhesive for this and I love using large glue dots to adhere my flowers quickly.
This next card is a fun summer themed design. Banners and pennants make me think of summer and I've had fun designing a couple into this design. This time I've used a fun canvas pennant to anchor my embellishments.
Canvas albums can be used for more than just an album. For this project I've taken one of the pennants out of the album and then cut off the bottom of it to incorporate in this card design. When you trim the pennant it will leave you with one unstitched edge. Either stitch this edge closed or use a strip of dry adhesive to keep it together.
Zippers are a hot trend and another great way to add texture to a design. I've simply added a piece here along the border to emphasize it.
It is with much pleasure that I welcome Betsy Veldman here to the CLASSroom! Bright and cheerful are two words I would use to describe the style and colors that she brings to her projects. When you visit her blog Paper·Scissors·SuperHeroes you will feel all happy inside --- I know that I do when I have the opportunity to visit! Betsy's work can also be found on the Paper Crafts Connections and Moxie Fab blogs as she is one of the PaperCrafts Go-to Gals!
It is so very important to me that we thank those who share themselves with us here in the CLASSroom - that means both you and the wonderful women who educate here. We would love it if you would head over to Betsy's blog and leave a comment for her there --- let her know how much we appreciate her! As our way of thanking you we have a few goodies that we will be sharing with one lucky person who shares their time and thoughts with Betsy. So head over to Paper·Scissors·SuperHeroes now - look for the post with a sneak peek of the project below, as well as a photo of our little goodie box - and leave some words of kindness for Betsy! We will do a random drawing and announce the winner together with Betsy on Friday, June 3rd.
Thank you Betsy for sharing your talents with us here in the CLASSroom! -Ellen
GRID COLLAGE with Betsy Veldman
I'm so happy to be a guest here in the CLASSroom today. I'd like to share a tutorial with you using a technique I call Grid Collage. It's very simple and is exactly what the name implies - a grid in which each space is filled with a tiny collage. It's a fun way to us tiny leftovers or the small bits and pieces that come on sticker or chipboard sheets that tend to get over-looked and unused! This technique is all about the details!
So let's get started.
Here is my finished card. I used a 3x3 grid which resulted in 9 spaces to fill with delicious goodies.
I started off by lightly drawing grid lines onto my patterned paper with a pencil. My piece of paper is 4 1/2" square and each grid space is 1 1/12" x 1 1/2". I used my paper trimmer to quickly measure and draw my lines.
The next step is to choose a stamp to use as a base for each collage. This helps to "ground" each collage and keep it from looking like you have random embellishments floating around on your card! I used the Hero Arts Cling Word Dots background, which has a couple of dots that pop out of the background (fun!!!). I popped one out and stamped it in each of the 9 grid squares with a deep pink ink.
Now I'm going to finish off the front of the card before I start adding all of my embellishments. To do this, I stamped my sentiment, trimmed around the edges with a decorative edge scissors, and adhered it to another layer of patterned paper. I also added some stitching around the edges.
Next comes the fun part! I'm ready to get to work on embellishing all of those spaces. I'm going to start by painting some chipboard and wooden pieces that I want to use. I'm just using a cream acrylic paint.
Now all you have to do is play around with different embellishments. Lay them out on each square of the grid and make sure you're happy with the placement of everything before you start gluing! Adding different mediums such as fabric, trim, felt, chipboard, buttons, etc. will give your collage lots of texture and interest. The recipient will love to look at all the details!
Don't forget that today is the start of our Mother's Day Sale - for more details please visit the home page of our store.
I love red, ripe strawberries - SO delicious! Naturally when I say the new Sizzix Scoreboard die I had to have it. Can you imagine this little lovely filled with chocolate covered fruit (or chocolate covered anything :-D)? Perhaps you could use it as a placecard holder or a few of these scattered down your table to create a juicy centerpiece! Oh the options abound!
I realize that many of you probably do not have the Sizzix Big Shot Pro so we have created a special packet of diecut strawberries for those who may want to replicate today's project. These are in limited supply, so get yours now if you are interested.
Immediately the Lilybee Tomato Stationery paper popped into my mind as being THE PERFECT selection for this project! Top it off with a Memory Box Key Lime Gingham and we have a delicious little treat box!
Fold the box along the score lines, using a piece of Be Creative Sookwang tape to attach the flap.
Thread a piece of Distress Stained Everyday Ribbon through the holes as shown.
Pull the ribbon to close the flaps. I inserted the end ribbon back through the same hole as the first ribbon as shown above.
Insert the ribbon through the "hull" (leaves) and tie.
Susan Tierney Cockburn has been a wonderful inspiration and teacher. The techniques that I have used to create this strawberry blossom are all well defined in her books the Paper Garden and Paper Bouquet, as well as in this video series we created. Just a quick little aside - Susan is also a fabulous baker- you must visit her blog to satisfy your sweet tooth! Be certain to leave her some love in her comments section :-D
I was on my own for this strawberry blossom as Susan has not yet created an example of this flower, so I did what all good students do... I googled - ha, ha! I needed to learn what a a real strawberry blossom looks like :-D I decided that the Begonia punch petals looked quite similar, so I used the largest size petal for this project. After taking the photo above I realized that I wanted the tips of the petals to be a little "smoother" and so I snipped off a couple of the bumps.
I discovered that most strawberry blossoms are white, BUT there were a few with hints of pink and so I printed off a picture to inspire my color selections. Using Copic R000 and RV11, together with PITT Pastel Pencil #193 I was able to emulate the natural colors.
To create the pistil and receptacle (yes, I googled for that information as well - LOL!) I used the Big Sky Flake punch. Use Y000 and YG00 to color the pistil. Snip the short projections just above the first ball shape and the long projections at the base. Reattach the long projections to the base as shown above using a large glue dot. Attach a whimsy button to replicate the receptacle and little Sunshine Yellow Flower Soft for realism.
This little blossom suits the strawberry box to a "T." Twirl a little wire through the ribbon base to bring it all together and serve up a red, ripe strawberry to someone special! ink: Copic Markers - R000, RV11, Y000 and YG00; Peeled Paint Distress Stain
Today we are going to do a comparison between the Tim Holtz Alterations Rosette and Mini Rosette dies and the Memory Box Rosette die. Can one have too many dies? Impossible - LOL! OK, so perhaps not impossible and so therefore my post today to share a comparison so that you can hopefully make a decision re: which dies are best suited to what it is that you would like to create! It seems that every die has it's pros and cons and so I will do my best today to share what I have learned about the dies with you so that you can make a more educated decision as to what is best for you.
Rather than saying Happy Easter, because it is simply too late to actually send a card using that expression, I went with the cute little Happy Anything Day sentiment, but I would like to express my desire that each of you enjoy this special weekend!!!
To begin I wanted to share a picture of the actual die, the packaging and a sample of the completed rosette. These dies are similar to all the other low-profile dies available now. As you can see the exterior line is deep enough to cut with and the interior line is the line that provides the score line.
Tip: When using the Memory Box die snip the end piece off as shown above. I find that my completed rosette is so much more uniform and the folds meet together better.
Apply adhesive (I like using Be Creative, Sookwang, tape to the last fold) and affix the two ends by overlapping this one fold. You will achieve a circle as shown above.
Flip the circle down as shown above, apply hot glue to the coordinating disc and affix.
Gently hold this disc in position until the glue cools. Flip over and do the opposite side in the same manner.
To get a clear view of the differences in these dies I felt a picture was worth a 1000 words. As you can see you will need both of Tim's dies to create different sized rosettes. Due to the perforation utilized to create the score lines you cannot snip these dies to change the size of each rosette. BUT the pro in regards to these perforated score lines is that it is much easier to fold and score along these lines.
With the Memory Box rosette die it is incredibly easy to vary the size! Simply cut out your patterned paper and then shorten the width and length of your finished piece.
As you can see you can create a variety of different diameters.
I have stacked them so that you can have a top down comparison. What I realized when stacking them like this is that WOW you could create the coolest Christmas tree or fun flowers with the Memory Box die by simply resizing it! That is a cool PRO.
You will also note the different "points" or "edges" on each die - variety is the spice of life!
Thank you for once again joining me here in the CLASSroom as we explored the differences in these dies. SO MANY wonderful options - now it is up to you to determine which one best fits your desires :-D
Please be advised that more Memory Box dies will be arriving hopefully Monday. I will post to our Facebook Fan Club page as soon as they arrive for those who have been wanting to purchase some of these beauties.
We thank you for your questions, patience and interest in the video we did for this month's newsletter. Many of you have tried to view the video, but due to computer, browser, and who knows what other issues you have had difficulty viewing the entire video. In an effort to make certain that we don't leave anyone out we are redoing the entire post here in the CLASSroom. We have now uploaded the video to YouTube in three segments due to the length, so please view each segment individually below. Thank you again for your willingness to learn with us and for your patience! So let's begin with "Take #2!"
We have also announced the winner of the Easter Lily Blog Candy here - congratulations go out to Shelley Smith. Please contact us at customerservice@ellenhutson.com with your snail mail address so that we can get your goodies right out to you.
How many of you are passionate about flowers and/or gardening? How many of you can no longer garden the way that you once did? It has been too many years now since I have been able to climb all over my hillside gardening. Before my hip injury I was passionate about my flowers and covered my hillside in beautiful perennials. Some still remain, but they are not in the same "shape" as they once were, so perhaps this is the reason paper flowers appeal to me so much. I can make these in my craft room without squatting AND at any time of the year :-D
One of my greatest blessings in life has been the friendship and bond I have had the good fortune of developing with Susan! It is such an honor to have her join me for today's lesson in paper flower making. Susan has pioneered the art of paper flower making for the past 15 years. Her work is such an inspiration and it is always so much fun to collaborate with her on projects!!!
This beautiful cake box is the project we worked on together for this month's newsletter. We hope that you enjoy the video we created to share with you today and that it empowers you to give flower making a try. In this video Susan will teach you how to create the beautiful lilies showcased above and below, sharing many wonderful tips throughout. Please grab your favorite drink and settle in for this 45 minute class with Susan as she shares many of the fabulous techniques she has innovated to bring this art form to us.
Step-by-step written instructions for creating beautiful lilies are included in Susan's first book The Paper Garden. I cannot begin to tell you how helpful her books have been to me as I learn to create beautiful blooms! If you are a visual learner like me you will also find this book a wealth of information.
CREATING THE CAKE BOX
Now that you know how to make the flowers for this project I am going to share just a few basics regarding the construction of the cake box.
I prefer to attach my decorative paper to the Craft-a-Board before die cutting the pieces using the 3-D Cake Box Die. By affixing the paper to the Craft-a-Board with Be Creative (Sookwang) tape I am assured that I will have a perfectly covered project.
To create today's project I used Lilybee's 12x12 paper. For the scalloped top and base I applied decorative paper to both sides of the Craft-a-Board before die cutting.
For the cake sides, decorative paper was applied to only one side of the Craft-a-Board. Being careful to position the paper so that the decorative side is cut all the way through, and the Craft-a-Board only scored, is important. To do this place the paper, decorative side to the die, and then send the die through your Vagabond or Big Shot using the crease pad. This will give pieces as shown above and below.
Carefully bend each piece along the score line before attaching them together to get a more uniform look.
You will also need to cut and score three pieces of cardstock to hold the cake pieces together. Using a strong adhesive affix the cardstock to the die cut pieces on the back or Craft-a-Board side as shown above.
Attach each piece one at a time.
When you have all three pieces attached, form the piece into a circle, affixing the last edge.
Next you will need to attach the base - the piece with the four tabs. I find it easiest to insert this piece from the top. Push it down through the center until it is firmly positioned in the bottom of the circular piece. Using a pair of needle nose tweezers insert a Glue Dot behind each of the flaps and affix these to the cake tube.
To adhere the scalloped top and base I prefer to use Ultimate Glue. The base is easy to affix due to the large surface you will be attaching it to. Apply Ultimate Glue to the base of the cake and position the scalloped piece holding it in place for a few seconds until you feel it is firmly in place. The cap or top is a little trickier. I run Ultimate Glue all the way around the top of the circular form and then position the scalloped top in place. The glue allows you to move it slightly until you have it in the desired position, then hold it for a few seconds until the glue grabs hold. Allow to dry for at least 30 minutes before continuing your work on the base.
To add interest to my cake base I attached a strip of white silk ribbon and then added pearls to either side of it. I also ran a strip of pearls around the top.
I wanted to include just a few close-up photos of the finished project so that you could better see the detail on these beautiful Easter blooms.
The lily was one of Susan's first punch designs back in 2006. Sadly there are others who have taken Susan's work and called it their own, but the truth of the matter is that these designs, the techniques and wording, are copywritten by Susan --- I am so proud and honored to share her designs with you. With Easter right around the corner and spring knocking at our doors it has been a thrill to be able to share this beauty with all of you. Thank you so much for joining us!
Is it Spring yet? The calendar says yes but in my part of continent, I'm not quite sure where it is! I'm seriously hoping it's on its way!
To ease my craving for Spring, I decided to create some fun projects using my favorite bright colors from the new Picket Fence line by Lily Bee. I'm so excited to have had the opportunity to design this line and I hope you enjoy creating with it!
My first project is a card design with lots of prints and textures.
I started off by die cutting this sweet bird with the Sizzix die. I always think of birds and spring together. How about you? I've covered some Craft-a-Board with the Fresh Air patterned paper and then die cut both at the same time. When I designed this paper, I wanted it to be super flexible. You can use it just like cardstock and ink it up. The text will show through very subtlely.
One of the many new and exciting products in Ellen's store over the past few weeks is the pure wool felt. It's thick, gorgeous and has a beautiful texture. It's easy to stitch and die cut and here I've die cut it with the Tattered Florals die.
When I get started creating, I always hate to stop. A great way to put away scraps is to use them up instead for quick little projects.
This darling Keep Calm Maya Road stamp set arrived just as I was cleaning up and I just had to use it right away. My problem was that I love ALL the little possible sentiments on it. Which would I choose?
A light bulb went on! Love it when that happens! Why not use them all?
I covered the sheets with patterned paper and stamped away. Now I can keep this fun little magnet on my scraproom magnetic board and change it up at will.
Here I've changed it to Keep Calm and Carry On. I guess that's just what I'll have to do until Spring arrives.
Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom! Happy creating!
If you placed an order with us during the month of February you should recognize this image, because it was the one I colored for our thank you notes :-D I have been patiently waiting for the Lilybee Design Picket Fence papers to arrive to complete this card. I cannot tell you how BEAUTIFUL this purple is! Julia - you nailed it! It coordinates beautifully with the Dusty Concord distress ink color and real lavender - yippie for things that coordinate so well!
I prefer simple layouts when adding all the little details.
I'm in love with how easy it is to create coordinating ribbon colors now that I have the Distress Stains. That dabber attachment is genius I tell you. I have been in search of just the right type of white ribbon to simulate the look of the gorgeous seam binding and have finally found it. I was so tickled it arrived today! SO we now have one more Essentials by Ellen product added to the store. Everything white can be altered! You can change the color of this ribbon to coordinate with your project using either Distress Stain, Color Wash, Copic Markers and/or Various Ink Refills. So easy and fun!
To attach the vial I simply cut off an eye pin and inserted it into the top of the vial cork.
Mix together lavender and Lavender Flower Soft for added color and fill little vial.
Using three links from a chain length I then dangled it from the base of the button. Using another link I attached the pricess dragonfly.
Add Lavender Flower Soft to the lavender in the mug by using the Quickie Glue Pen on randomly selected lavender blooms.
The sun is out today and it actually feels like springtime - what a blessing! I hope this brings some sunshine to you if you are in the midst of the random snowstorms I have been hearing about! Happy creating! stamps: Lockhart Lavender in Teacup
I remember reading Dick and Jane books. I believe that many of us remember - LOL! Perhaps this is the reason for the popularity of these images. They are so sweet, innocent and carefree. Today I wanted to share a quick way for you to create your own watercolored versions of these sweet wild cards and use them on cardfronts.
Combining stamp sets and papers within the Lilybee line was so much fun!
Begin by stamping your image in a waterproof ink, such as Archival Jet Black. Today I used Natural White cardstock - it blends PERFECTLY with the papers in This & That giving a more antique appearance than Solar White would.
Using the Aquarelle watercolor pencils add color along the edges and stamped details as shown above. Leaving "white space" or areas uncolored will help you achieve a more interesting look!
Once again use a waterbrush to paint these areas and blend the colors. Add a little distress ink to the top and bottom of the card to age it. You could go all the way around, but I liked the look of the clean edges together with the "dirtied" ones.
To create the banner you can see how I colored to achieve depth. Leaving the open areas creates movement in the "ribbon." Once again paint with the waterbrush.
If you own Copic Markers or Distress Stains I would like to recommend that you purchase this roll of silk ribbon. Custom dying it is SO simple and you will always have ribbon to coordinate with your project.
To use your Distress Stains to dye ribbon simply hold the ribbon beneath the dabber and slowly pull it allowing the ink to color it as you pull it through.
Antique Linen was not quite the right color and so I dabbed some Vintage Photo on to my non-stick craft sheet. (I always work with this sheet on my work surface.)
As you can see by dipping the ribbon into the color on the craft sheet I ended up with a speckled look. This is really a FUN look and it immediately made me want to try creating a "speckled egg" look, but I needed to finish my project so that experiment had to wait - LOL!
Simply apply more Antique Linen color to the craft sheet and spread the Vintage Photo ink to achieve the final look.
To hurry things along I do use my Heat It took - it does not harm the silk ribbon in any way.
It's all in "the details." "Dream big" and experiment with the products you own to see what you can achieve - it brings out the little girl in each of us!
I thoroughly enjoyed working with the new Lilybee stamps - the product is well made and stamped wonderfully. Another tidbit I thought I would share is that I found that the Jenni Bowlin colors (buttons, embellishments and ink) coordinate beautifully. I hope that you enjoyed this sweet little project - it was so fun to create. Have a wonderful evening! stamps: Lilybee Design Happily Lost and This & That
