the CLASSroom

Hello, Monday 04.22.2013

Every year, for as long as I can remember, I've noticed that as soon as Spring and Summer start comin' on, my eyeballs start to zero in on all things nautical. I'm pretty sure a lot of that has to do with being the daughter of a USCG Chief, and living the majority of my life very near the sea. I also start singin' Brandy... But, I digress...

At any rate, that is what inspired me to try mitering the corners of some striped Washi tape to create an "off-center chevron"(which, incidentally, then led to the whole design being nautical themed)--at least, this is what I called it because nowhere can I find an actual name for a large single chevron image that is off-center. There probably is one. Somewhere. 

I'd be lyin' if I said there wasn't a lot of monkey-clappin' and deep chortling goin' on when I finished. *snarf* And, it has sparked some other ideas I'm soooo anxious to try!!! LOLLY, I do love when one idea spins off into yet another direction!!!

NOTE: I'm sure there are a number of ways to create mitered corners; this method just worked great for me! 

Enjoy this week's webisode here or right on YouTube, and thanks so much for subscribing to our channel!

 Thanks for poppin' in on this fine Mundane! 

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

My Mind's Eye Decorative Tape, Green & Navy	My Mind's Eye Decorative Tape, Yellow & Grey	My Favorite Things Die-namics, Sea Charms	Handmade, ABC Stickers
Essentials by Ellen: Craft-a-Board 6x12, 12p	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
COPIC Sketch Marker R35, Coral	Essentials by Ellen: Sequins, Iridescent Peacock Blue	My Mind's Eye Enamel Dots, Boy Crazy	Doodle Twine Assortment, Boy
Accents, Glossy	C-Thru Junior T-Square, 12	Ruler, Tim Holtz Design	Glue Dots Sheets, Mini
Glue Glider Pro	Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac 58'	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool	Craft Knife, Fingertip Retractable
Honey Bee Non Stick Scissors	Craft Knife, Fingertip	Retractable Craft Knife	Comfort Craft Craft Knife by Ingvild Bolme
Tweezers, Stainless	Elizabeth Craft Designs Tweezers	QuickStik	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink

InLinkz.com

Wild for Word Bubbles and Wood by Julia Stainton

Hey! What's up?

I have a fun, simple and trendy card to share with you today. Even better is this design works well for either gender so it's perfect to have on hand for when you need it.

This card mixes up three trends that are really popular right now...

1. word bubbles
2. washi tape
3. wood

It's amazing to see all the places these trends are popping up and from so many different manufacturers. Stop by Ellen Hutson LLC and type any of them in the search function and you'll see what I mean!

I've been dying to play around with word bubbles lately and so that's where I started off this card design. This sweet and fun washi tape is from the October Afternoon Midway line and so I paired it up with a couple of fun prints from the coordinating Midway paper pad. The Washi Tape is easy-peasy to apply and I love how you see through it. It's also a great way to visually break up a design and to transfer from one paper print to another.

These sweet wood word bubbles are a perfect mix for my card design. Cute, huh?! Cute, cute, cute! They are from Studio Calico and not only are they an embellishment, they are a great way to add in a sentiment as well. I love them in their natural wood state but when placed on the card, they were getting a little lost on the background print.

Enter the red dye based marker. You can alter one of these sweet little wood veneer cuts in the blink of an eye. Simply color with a marker and allow to dry. The wood is very porous so no worries if you're in a hurry, it will be dry in no time.

The second word bubble, I wanted to use a different color and decided to test out how well Distress Stains would work on the wood. My result...just as quick and easy as the dye marker. Fabulous!

If you want to speed up the drying process, you can use a heat gun but seriously, it's pretty quick on its own. I used a simple liquid adhesive to adhere them to the design.

Almost done! A little wrap of twine, a clothespin and a trinket pin finish it off. Notice the repetition. The star pin echos the star shape print of the green patterned paper. The word bubble appear on the washi tape and the wood. The wood is repeated in the word bubbles and the clothepin.

Oh yes...lastly, that corner chomper makes the rounded corners on the bottom of the card a breeze.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom! Have a fabulous weekend!

Julia

 

Supplies:

 

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)

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

Misting Mania by Julie Ebersole

Today's topic is misting! And, while I'm featuring Mister Huey's Mists by Studio Calico, the technique is pretty much the same whatever the brand.  You can even make your own mists, but if you're an instant gratification girl like m'self, sometimes it's fun to just collect a whole bunch of pretty colors and get right to it! Mister Huey's comes in a fun and hip range of colors, including metallics, and an opaque white that looks AWESOME on dark card stock colors!

One thing I would advise, no matter what brand you're working with, is to shake the bottles from side to side and avoid shaking them up and down; if you're working with a mist that has any pearlescent or shimmer added to it, it can clog the nozzle.

It's also a good idea to wear an apron to protect your clothing, just in case you get a little (over) zealous. *wink*

I almost always have a box laying around from a recent shipment, so I keep one for misting--I like the ones with fairly deep sides, because then I can plop it right on my work desk and not worry about any over-spray getting onto my work surface.

I often toss a piece of white typing paper into the box to test and see how the colors look--sometimes, the actual color doesn't match the bottle label. Also, if there's any clogging going on, I know right away and won't have ruined my project.  A few "test" pumps also helps reduce "splotches" or blobs, and allows me to see how close or far away I need to be to get a finer mist.  Generally speaking, the further away, the finer the misting.  I don't mind the blobs, tho and tend to think they look artsy. *grin*

 

One thing I wanted to mention is that you can use stencils to create patterns onto your project with the mists, and you can also use masks, and even stickers or the negative part of stickers, punches and die cuts to create masks and stencils!

It dawned on me that the negative portion from this sheet of stickers would make an AWESOME large scale honeycomb/hexagon pattern, so I peeled it away carefully and tapped the palm of my hand against the sticky side so the oil from my hands would reduce the tackiness; I wanted just enough for it to hold on the paper, but still be removable.

Into the box it went. Initially, I gave it a light dusting, keeping a little further distance--roughly 16-18", and then I came closer, to get more intense; I don't mind having a few blobs, as I've mentioned.

I'm kind of impatient, so I took a clean paper towel and blotted away the mist that was still wet on the sticker sheet so I wouldn't make a mess when I removed it from the paper. After removing it, I stored the sticker on a recycled piece of acetate from some packaging; this "mask" won't last forever, but I'll probably be able to use it a few more times, at least.  Cool!

It's not uncommon for a mist to make the paper curl--some cause more curling than others and depend on how heavily they are applied, how wet, etc.  I found that if the paper curled, I could hold onto it with tweezers, continue drying it with my heat tool, and applying heat on the back and the front seemed to work well and reduce the curling. When it's dry, you can also place it under a heavy book overnight and that ought to do the trick. If you're patient. And not at all anxious to zoom on to the next step. Like some peeps I know. *insert rolling eyeballs*

 

It made a great patterned paper for this "Bee happy" design! YAY!

I also played around with some red mist--Overdue on kraft card stock.  I concentrated the color towards the upper left corner--SO FUN!!! I was also able to stamp the little jet airplane over the top with Archival black ink--it's possible if I used a non-permanent ink that the misted areas would "resist" stamp ink, so it would probably be a good idea to test that before trying it on an actual project.

See the little flair sticker?  I've always wanted to put those on a card--this is the first time I've gone and done it! They are *uber* fun! I punched a partial circle, 1 1/8" size for the flair to nestle into. Such a great look!  I think this makes a great up-lifting (OK, sorry for the pun) masculine design! :)

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope this encourages you to play with mists--they are TONS OF FUN!!!

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SUPPLIES:

STAMPS:  Technique Tuesday Birds & Bees; Hero Arts/Studio Calico Airmail

INK:  Archival Black, Adirondack Sunshine Yellow; Versamark

MISTS:  Custard, Overdue (I think both of these particular colors are retiring, so you may wanna snag 'em while you still can--they are AWESOME!!!)

PAPER: Neenah Solar White, Sweet Corn Card Stock, Kraft, Black; What's Up 6x6 Pad by Basic Grey

TOOLS: EK Success Circle Scissor Pro, WR Memory Keepers Corner Chomper (1/2" radius), 1" & 1 1/8" circle punches

EMBELLISHMENTS:  What's Up Flair Stickers; Black & White Baker's Twine; Off-white Twill Ribbon; What's Up Title Stickers by Basic Grey

OTHER:  White Embossing Powder; Black & White Diagonal Piano Stripe Washi Tape (from my collection); 3D Dots; Jenni Bowlin Memo Quilted Stickers (the negative part)

Coach and Graduation Thank You Notes

This is probably one of THE simpliest projects I have ever shared here. Sometimes out of necessity one just needs to get things done. Well this was one of those occasions. I was so pleased with how this turned out I thought I would share the idea here, just in case someone else finds themselves in a bind and needs a quick coach, school-themed thank you notecard.

I am so lucky to have a very active daughter and as a senior in high school it has all ramped up even more. Being the captain of the x-country team she was responsible for coach gifts. In need of several thank you notes it was all very last minute, so this was our quick fix.

We simply used the school logo, printing two Spartan heads on Neenah cardstock. We then cut the sheet down to create two notecards. To add a touch of personality to these simple notecards we added the "thank you" by stamping with Distress Embossing Ink and applying and heat setting the ultrafine silver embossing powder.

Simple, affordable and classy --- these are going to make great graduation thank you notes as well!

stamps: Hero Arts ClearDesign: Congrats

ink: Distress Embossing Ink Pad

paper: Neenah Solar White

accessories: Silver Super Fine Embossing Powder

Texture Fades Embossing Folders By Becky Olsen

Embossing folders have been around for a while, and while I thought that they were cool, I had not jumped into the pool of users because none of the designs really fit my design aesthetic. That all changed for me when I found out that Tim Holtz had designed a product for Sizzix called Texture Fades. These embossing folders are right up my alley, and now of course my collection is growing faster than I can find places to store them!

For this project, I designed it to have more of a masculine feel, although it could be given to anyone it is so beautiful! I started with the Regal folder and ran it through my Sizzix with Neenah Solar white card stock.

After removing the embossed paper from the folder I applied Faded Jeans Distress ink to the high points by lightly rubbing and tapping the ink pad across the top. Be careful with this part of the process, if you press too firmly you will end up with ink in the negative space. 

Because I wanted more depth and dimension in the project, I applied Antique Linen and Tea Dye Distress inks with my favorite applicator tool, a nice chunk of Cut N' Dry Foam over the entire surface, making sure to vary the amount of ink and colors as I worked.

To embellish I tied some navy silk ribbon around garden twine that I had looped around my hand a few times. The sentiment is from a Hero Arts set called "Thoughtful" and I used Black Archival ink to stamp it onto a Maya Road Kraft Mini Tag. A Tim Holtz Trinket Pin is the perfect finishing detail to attach the sentiment to the bow.

Now for the best part! Not only do I love this card and would love to receive it, but my husband gushed over it too and it was unsolicited! He loved how it was stylish, but a little retro and beautiful without being foofy. Yay!

B-

Old Jalopy Father's Day Card by Becky Olsen

Father's Day is in just a few days, can you believe? Sometimes coming up with masculine ideas can be a little intimidating for me. I love making cards with all the girly fluff and eye candy, but thinking of ways to let the men in my life know how much they mean can be a little more difficult. I was pondering this dilemma and remembered the Old Jalopy die cut that Tim Holtz designed for Sizzix, and the question of where to start was answered.

First the die cut was cut out in Craft-a-Board. Then start at the bottom edge and lay down a strip of Marketplace Tissue Tape. 

Then cover the rest strip by strip with Tim Holtz Marketplace Tissue Tape.

Use an exacto knife to remove the excess tape from the edges and windows of the jolopy.

Color the windows from the other pieces of the die cut with Copic markers and then coat with Glossy Accents and set aside to dry.

Color the other pieces of the car from the die cut with Copic markers and adhere in place on the car. Stitch May Arts black silk ribbon onto the bottom of a card base that has been covered in October Afternoon paper from the Seaside collection. The sentiment was done with Cosmo Cricket black Tiny Type. 

Adhere the jalopy with Scrapbook Adhesives dimensional foam, and insert the windows at this time as well (if they are dry).

This sweet ride is ready to hit the road now, and I am really excited about how cute it turned out. Not the same thing as a girly, eye candy kind of card, but one that no doubt will give a jump start to your special dad's heart.

B-

Masculine Trend Challenge: Pockets, Pochettes & Prints

With Father's Day right around the corner I felt it is the perfect time to challenge you to create a masculine themed card to celebrate the men in our lives! To inspire you we searched the web to find out what was trendy for men this spring. Oh how fun to giggle over some of the trends we spotted and wonder, "Do men really wear this stuff?" as well as smile every time we would see some of the lovely "eye-candy" along the way - LOL!  The piece that we are using to inspire you today was spotted in an Italian catalog --- what is it about Italian design that gets the creative juices flowing. We are excited to see how this challenge inspires you!

 
Etro 

So here are the details to our challenge:

• Create a paper crafted project (card, layout, tag, home decor item, gift bag, etc.) that uses a pocket, pochette, or layered prints in a fun and masculine way.
• Upload this project to your blog, the Gallery, or any other on-line gallery. Click on the URL of that post and copy the URL. Add your project URL using the Inlinkz tool at the bottom of this post.
• Tell others that you have created your project for the Masculine Trend Challenge in the CLASSroom and link it back to this post to encourage others to play along as well.
• Upload your projects and link them in by midnight Friday, June 10th.
• We will use a random number generator to select our winner. The winning entry will be shown here on the CLASSroom on Monday, June 13th and will receive $50 to spend as they wish at www.ellenhutson.com

Of course I had to play along as well since there was so much new inspiration crashing through my brain :-D. 

 

To create the pocket square for my pochette (which I discovered means little pocket or wallet) I used the Memory Box rosette die. I cut and folded about 2/3 of the die cut paper strip and attached the ends first as shown above.

 

Then the center portion was pushed down and gently adhered to the backside of the pocket square. Then 1/8" Dimensional Foam Squares were used at the top edge of the pocket, reducing the depth to 1/16" Dimensional Foam Squares along the lower portion to keep the pocket square firmly in place.

 

The little plaid man needed a tie. Using a .03 Copic Multiliner I sketched one on the striped paper.
 

Red is the noted splashy color this spring and by mixing and layering multiple patterns (plaid, polka dot and strip) I was able to incorporate the masculine trend of layering patterns. Rocket Age not only has cute patterns, but some wonderful basics that made it super easy to create these layered patterns.

Don't delay - get your trend on and join our masculine trend challenge!

 
stamps: Hero Arts Plaid Person and Take Good Care Greetings Set

ink: Jenni Bowlin Spice Tin Ink Pad and Distress Embossing Ink Pad

paper: October Afternoon Rocket Age 8x8 Paper Pad and Memory Box Holly Berry Cardstock

accessories: Memory Box Blooming Rosette Die, Basic Grey Button, Adirondack Denim Embossing Powder

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Father's Day Card Using The Metallic Foil Multi-Medium Transfer Technique

Do bells and whistles ever go off in your head when you see a technique? Claudine recently shared a fun video showcasing a Multi-Medium Transfer Technique and bells and whistles went off in my head - this technique would be PERFECT for creating a masculine themed card for the men in your life! 

With Father's Day right around the corner I felt the combination of October Afternoon's Rocket Age would make the perfect fit with this fab technique!

 

I also wanted to show you the goodies that come "Inside the Package" in the Miscellany kits from October Afternoon. It was so much fun to select the ticket and rocket from this collection to add to my card today. I am hoping to create some additional pieces in the next few days to show you some other options - there are so many items (buttons, ribbon, tickets, cards & chipboard) to select from in these fabulous collections!

 

With Claudine's permission we are sharing her video here today. Her blog is filled with magical techniques using her fabulous line of products! Claudine is also teaching an on-line class covering "Composition" which is open for enrollment right now - so head over to Claudine's blog to learn more about it and enroll today!

 

I thought I would also show a few step-by-step photos to share my little "twist" on this technique. Rather than using actual tin I opted for something I had right here in my studio - the new Inkssentials Foil tape. I printed a picture on my laser printer (it is my understanding that inkjet printing does not work the same) of a moon using the mirror image mode since there is writing on the picture I used.

Apply multi-medium directly to the Metallic Foil as shown in Claudine's video.

 

It is absolutely critical that you allow your sample to dry completely. I left mine overnight and found it in this curled up state this morning. No worries... it works just fine!

Spritz to wet thoroughly. 

Using your pointer finger gently rub the paper fibers until your image is revealed. Continue to spritz and gently rub until your image is fiber free. 
 

When working with the foil you will need to hold down the edges as you work and be careful not to bend wrinkles into it.

Cut out a piece of Craft-a-Board to fit the moon. Use a Silver Paint Dabber to create a metallic edge on the Craft-a-Board. Simply remove the backing and the self-adhesive foil can be adhered to this more sturdy base.

You will also use this same Dabber to paint the chipboard rocket. While the paint is still wet simply take a large Artist Brush and smooth the paint for a wonderful "space-age look."

The picture above is one I have wanted to share for some time. I love using adhesive dimensionals when I add embellishments to my cardfronts. The two depths of these dimensionals (1/16" 3-D Dots and 1/8" 3-D Dots) allows me to have varying heights and create a more interesting look overall.

Jenni Bowlin's Spice Tin ink pad is a fabulous navy color and works together with so many of the Navy papers we carry. I couldn't believe I did not have a "dad" stamp in my stash! A ClearDesign alphabet saved the day!

 

Tiny Type stickers and 7 Gypsy studs were the final touches to this masculine look.

Creating for men is always a bit tricky, but I think that this technique will blast you into the stratosphere with the men in your life - ha! ha!

 
stamps: Hero Arts ClearDesign Typewriter Letters

ink: Jenni Bowlin Spice Tin Ink Pad

paper: October Afternoon Rocket Age 8x8 Paper Pad and Miscellany Kit, Memory Box Parchment Cardstock

accessories: Studio Matte Multi-Medium & Artist Brush, Inkssentials Metal Foil Tape, Cosmo Cricket Red Tiny Type, Tiny Attacher, 7 Gypsies Display Trim Studs

Celebrating 50 Steampunk Style

Yesterday was a BIG day at our house - J.J. (my DH) turned 50! So in the spirit of humor I created this humorous card to cheer him on. There were loads of funny quotes that I found, but this one really hit home as I LOVED this page from the Steampunk Debutante collection and felt it was so in line with the latest running joke in our home about the "need for glasses." We just can't read any longer without those wonderful little glasses, YET we can never find our little glasses even though they are absolutely everywhere throughout our home - LOL!

(Finished Card Size: 5 1/2" x 5 1/2")

To create the white on black effect I created a text-box in Word filling it with black and selecting white as my font color. I felt the Old Typewriter font (which I found at DAFont - this is one of my favorite sites for finding free fonts to utilize in my personal cards and pages) was certainly steampunkish enough.

 

I have shared a picture above so that you could better "see" how it is that I formulated my text strip.

Tim Holtz embellishments were the perfect finishing touch for this masculine, steampunk style card! When you purchase the Steampunk collection of papers I highly recommend that you select from some of the awesome accessories from either Tim Holtz or 7 Gypsies. They will make creating more authentically a breeze when using these papers. 7 Gypsies has even blinged up some of their sprockets to make them more "girly." Gotta love it!!!

Thank you for stopping in here at the CLASSroom today. If you have the time I think that it would be great fun if you left my DH some advice (be it humorous or other) or well-wishes here on this blog post to help us celebrate this milestone in his life. :-D

It has been a HECTIC week and it is well-past due that I get to drawing the winners for our flower parade, so off I go. I hope to be back with those names later today. Have a wonderful weekend and I'll be back!

ink: Bundled Sage Distress Ink Pad

paper: Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante 8x8 Paper Pad, Memory Box Licorice Cardstock

accessories: Tim Holtz - Game Spinners, Timepieces, Sprocket Gears; Ink Blending Tool

font: Old Typewriter found at DAFont

Vintage Masculine Card by Debbie Olson

 

Good morning and welcome to the Classroom! Today I have a vintage masculine card to share. 

 

I started with the Stamper's Anonymous Urban Tapestry set, an On the Edge Brackets die, thin real wood, and some Basic Grey Origins papers. 

 

Although I liked the floral background for my focal image, it seemed a bit too distracting and overwhelming. I sponged on a thin layer of canvas paint to tone down the background; you can see the before and after in the picture above.

 

Here I've stamped the bird and branch in Adirondack Espresso ink; the paint underneath muted it more than I expected, so I used Versamark to overstamp the image and emboss in clear embossing powder to add some sheen and texture. You can also see where I used the bracket die to cut the wood and its mat before stitching it to my card front. (Both the die and the sewing machine worked well on the thin wood veneer.)

 

The focal image still needed something, so I chose the frame stamp and stamped and clear-embossed it in the top left corner, adding tea dye distress ink on top to make it show up.

 

My little corner fragment wasn't enough to make the focal image really pop, so I added a couple of Vintaj Brass corners--I love that brass! Yes, I put a bow, but it is tiny--hopefully acceptable, even on a guy card.

In contrast, I had used the same Urban Tapestry stamp set and bracket edge die on the card above with an entirely different feel. That's why we love our stamps, right? Thanks for stopping by the Classroom today!

Coffee anyone? by Kim Hughes

I just love coffee and find that it makes a wonderful gift for my friends and family.  I decided to create a feminine and masculine coordinating coffee set.  Of course this can be adapted for tea or hot chocolate as well.

Supplies:

Cosmo Cricket 6" Mini Deck Paper Pad, Earth Love, Cosmo Cricket 6" Mini Deck Paper Pad, The Boyfriend, Cosmo Cricket Buttons, Material Girl

Backgrounder, Wood Grain

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

Basic Grey Opaline Half Pearls, Wine/Champagne

Hero Arts stamps: Cup of Coffee, ClearDesign: What's Perking

Distressed Stickles, Pine Needles, Distressed Stickles, Antique Bronze

other: kraft card stock, brown embroidery floss, Therm O Web Zots

 

start by stamping a wood grain pattern onto a small gift bag.  Notice how the color changes when you you stamp onto kraft.  The blue takes on a green hue.

Stamp the to go cup on the bag and again onto the orange patterned paper.

 

Cut the coffee sleeve oout of the orange paper and paper piece onto the base to go cup.  Add some glitter to the coffee for a glossy/sparkly finish
 

Cut a strip of orange paper to add to the bag fold.  Tear the bottom of the fold to give it a more masculine/rustic look.

Poke 2 holes through the folded flap and use a thread to tie a button closure.

 

Add more floss to the knot and let then hang down.

Press the end of the floss onto a pearl, add an adhesive dot and another pearl to the other side, making a custom bead on the end of the floss

 

add "pearl balls" to each dangly thread.
 

to create the feminine card, stamp the cup, steam and sentiment onto a kraft card base with a torn bottom edge

add some accent color by squeezing blue Stickles to the flower centers and stamping a blue accent spoon.

 

complete the card by anchoring the color with a paper strip and embellish with green buttons in the top corner.

 

When I looked closely at the flower mug, I saw a vase of sorts.  So, I inked the cup and removed the handle.
 

and then I singled out a flower on the cup, inked it with blue ink and added it above the vase.  I then added a larger flower around the small blue one with a brown pen and drew a stem

I hope you will have some fun with these adorable images, I know that I did :)

A Desk Worthy Gift Idea by Kim Hughes

Having a desk in some way is more common than you may think...do you have a desk?  Do you like to surround yourself with nice things?  This is an idea that takes all of that into consideration.  This is a mini-desk accordion decor piece.  One side is a vintage looking piece of art and the other side is open to add pictures to or it can be used as a name plate.

 

Supplies:

CHF: Backgrounder, Leaves, Backgrounder, Open Circles, Rummage Bin, On the Desk PRECUT, Backgrounder, Houndstooth

Cut-N-Dry Stamp Pad Foam

Martha Stewart Baker's Twine, Solids

Twinchie Squares, Assorted

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Cranberry, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Espresso, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, LettuceAdirondack Dye Ink Pad, Ginger

Studio Acrylic Paint, Blank Canvas

 

after you gather your supplies.  Put a thin coat of white paint to the twinchies and allow to dry.

Lightly adhere the 4 squares side by side onto scrap paper

Use a different color for each patterned stamp.  Ink only a portion of the large stamp and press onto the twinchie squares

Stamp all 3 patterns to create a subtle background.

Add in the darkest brown ink to stamp the boldest images.

add in ginger stamped accents

and then blend the colors with a foam square.  Dab and blot and add more dark brown ink.

Punch holes in each corner
 
...and then string the thread through the holes.  Tie a bow in the end.

Now you have a mini piece of vintage looking art.  :)
 

The wonderful thing about an accordion design is that you can use both sides and you can fold it up.  Create a mini album or brag book.  Play and have fun, I sure did :)

Photo Coupon Book

Today is a very special day at our house. The little girl atop her daddy's back turns 9! WOW time DOES fly! This is one of the last family pictures that we had professionally taken. It was only days later that I tore the cartilage in my hip socket and life changed for me, for us. So it is with fond memories that I look back at this time. You can see uncertainty in those precious little baby eyes, but now that expression is being replaced more often with confidence and a sparkle. Being that she is now engaged in drawing (and singing - yes, her sweet little voice makes me very happy!) and a playdate is arriving shortly I snuck away to complete this post I started last night, but was too tired to finish.

 

I selected a more masculine color scheme for this coupon book being most often my projects are quite "girly." My poor husband is surrounded by us - LOL - thank goodness he doesn't seem to mind Ü I thought that I would make this something that could be reused and not overly "heartish." This way I hope that we can all create coupons for the inside and give it to my DH come Valentines day and perhaps use it again for future events or even a little album.

 

I don't know how many of you are aware that the Craft-a-board that we carry in our store works beautifully with the more "open" or "less-detailed" low-profile dies created by both Spellbinders and Quickutz. It is always important to me that you can maximize the use of the products that we carry in our store and thus my search for a product that you can use to make books, frames, etc. with your Nestabilities.

To create the frame I used two label dies from the large set. I first cut out the main image and then placed my smaller die, visually centering it.

After running it through my machine I then cut my patterned paper piece from the new Rhubarb Tart paper collection. To ensure that this piece would align correctly with my thicker Craft-a-board I placed this piece of paper directly beneath my already cut out window and sent it back through my machine yet again. 

 

As you can see it did not cut all the way through my paper layer, but it did leave a great outline and so I needed to remove the Craft-a-board and using the cut line as my guide realign the die with the paper. I was then able to send this back through my Big Shot and cut my patterned paper piece so that it would align perfectly with my Craft-a-board.

 

I adhered our family picture behind the frame and then adhered the patterned paper to the top of the frame. I then cut a striped piece of paper for both the back of this image as well as my back cover piece. Additionally I cut another two "circle" pieces. You will see that I cut and sewed the "circle" paper to the striped paper to create pockets for our coupons.

 

To create the coupons shown in the photo below I simply typed up some ideas using Microsoft Word and printed them out on Neenah Natural White. Inking the Distressed Grid Scrapblock randomly with Tea Dye ink and stamping it at an angle added just a little more texture to what would become my coupons.

Using my stamp-a-ma-jig I then stamped the coupon outline from the Ticket Counter set. I can't believe how often I reach for this set now to complete little gift items. This set comes with some great ideas all ready for you just to stamp, but you can easily add your own sentiments or "gifts" by creating your own Word documents as I have done here.

I then cut out each ticket and inserted them in to the pockets.

   

We had some brand new "bellies" arrive on our doorstep yesterday and just couldn't help myself - I HAD to use them. You know how it is. These are fabulous! I love felt and so to have these little buttons and flowers ready to go and coordinate perfectly with the Memory Box products we carry... I'm so sorry, but we will do our best to get them up before the weekend. I'll get back in to work again tomorrow and hop to it Ü

 

I had to show you a closeup of the backing on the cut out felt flowers, they come with adhesive already applied!!! Yippie! The buttons do not, but it was so easy to thread my silk ribbon through the button holes and then add a little glue dot to the back.

 

The final touch was to add the little Pearl Hearts (yes, that's right pearl HEARTS!) They are simply adorable and I have been waiting with baited breath for them to arrive! I punched a hole in the corner and used a Binding Ring to hold it all together.

I hope this inspired you to create a personalized Coupon book for an upcoming event.

We have also appreciated your patience with our website over the last few days. We appreciate so much when you contact us if you are having problems or frustrations with the site being then we can personally help you. They have been working behind the scenes making changes to the "platform" and so our site keeps going down, which is so incredibly frustrating being we never seem to know when that will happen. I keep hoping and praying for the day that they get it "right", but until then it is entirely out of my control. Sometimes I just want to run in the opposite direction shrieking - LOL! I wake up each day and wonder what it is that they will be changing next, but hopefully it will just make the site more user friendly. Thank you again so much for your continued support!

Well, I'd better start cooking up a storm. Birthday dinners are always per the request of the birthday person - this time round it is home made mac and cheese (easy Ü) and a fruit tart (yep, my little one loves fruit much more than cake - LOL). Thanks for stopping by again today.

Masculine Valentine - How about Dinner and a Movie?

First I must tell you that my dear and talented Cindy has come to my rescue! She will be helping me with the Inchie INKling blog!!! So please head on over to see her fantastic creation!

When I get new stamps they always inspire me to try something new and different. The latest Lockhart release has done just that! (These are now available for sale in our store and we have created a new category in the store called "New Lockhart" to help you easily locate the new images!) With all the new-old game boards I can hardly wait to make up some invitations for game nights. When we were snowed in during Christmas our neighbors invited us over for board games. It was so much fun - so I think I need to make some thank you notes as well! It's never too late, right?!? Hopefully I will get to that before the week is out, but being that the idea below just popped in to my head so easily I decided to go with it.

Sometimes making a masculine Valentine can be tricky, so I thought why not make one that you can share in advance of Valentine's and use as a special invitation. So the first card I created today was to share this idea so that you could start making something similar for your special someone. You could also spin this idea off and turn it into a coupon book as well! Hmmm - perhaps that will be another project I try and create before Valentines!

 

As you can see I kept the colors fairly crisp and clean, but being I was using an "old" film strip I added a little vintage flair by distressing my papers and twill.

 

To begin I used a transparency and laid my film strip die cut face up on top of the transparency. I then used my airbrush to add a hint of N7 Copic ink to the surface. This helped to age my "film".

 

Above is what the film strip looks like after airbrushing. This is actually the first strip I created and I felt that it was much too dark for my application and so I created another that was much lighter, but then it wouldn't photograph as well - LOL! Using my Stamp-a-ma-jig for precise placement I used the new IB At the Movies (isn't this just the most adorable little stamp - I believe that it is going to see a lot of use at my house Ü) and stamped it on the transparency using Palette Noir ink. It is critical to use an ink that will dry on transparencies and Palette is definitely my favorite for working on glass, plastic and even fabric.

 

I then cut and embossed the film strip using licorice cardstock. To give it more of a realistic look I then sanded the raised surface. After cutting the transparency to be the same size as the film strip I stapled the two together. I could have stamped and colored an image to place beneath the transparency, but I was truly loving the vintage look of the old black and white film. Instead I cut a strip of the Natural White Neenah and aged it using the ink blending tool and Tea Dye Distress Ink.

 

Next I created my tickets using the versatile Ticket Counter stamp set, once again stamping them on the Natural White CS. This was followed by stamping the Fine LInes Backgrounder at an angle on the notecard front. Rather than using my first stamp impression I stamped it off three times on scrap paper before stamping on my notecard front. This really helped bring the black down to a level that was more suitable for the look I was creating.

 

You can see the three impressions on the paper above - LOL! Rather than putting a fresh paper down I just placed my twill on my work surface and randomly stamped one of the sentiments from the Ticket Counter on the twill. The twill that we carry in our store is fantastic for stamping on. It is one of the primary reasons I selected it - that and the ability to run it through the printer to add sentiments. As you can see I once again used Palette ink.

 

So let's get started on making our plans for Valentines Day - it will be here before we know it.

Day 8: Exciting News and More Ways to Use Your Copics and Nestabilities

On the Eighth Day of Christmas my true love gave to my Eight Lords a Leaping... or was it Nine Ladies Dancing??? Oh dear, oh dear - it's a good thing I have an image today that can create either a masculine OR feminine creation Ü

I have SO much to share with you!!! You will notice the darling stamp images below - these are from the new Memory Box Sugardrop collection. Many of you have asked and we are listening... YES, we are carrying the new Memory Box stamps. You can view the complete Sugardrop line here! We will do our best to get in many of the new Memory Box images and then show you how we would use them. As soon as we can get our orders out and inventory count completed I will be working on getting these 15 new images up on our webstore. My goal is January 5th! This is also the day that I will be releasing Karen Lockhart's brand new images - 24 of them!!! I can hardly wait to share these with you - unfortunately we can't do any sneak peeks until then, but that day will be here soon! It is going to be an exciting day... IF I can get it all done Ü

Being a small business I do most of the website work myself. Malin helps me as well, but as you can well imagine it has been a true learning and teaching experience for me. Between the two of us we do our best to give accurate descriptions for each item. We appreciate when you notice our typos, etc. and notify us. So please do not hesitate to let us know if you see something that is amiss.

I would also like to thank those who have left suggestions in the comments of our blog candy. One of my goals for this new year is to hopefully have the funds to hire someone to help me add some bells and whistles to the design of our webstore. I apologize for the need to always hit next, next, next and scroll through the bajillion pages - unfortunately it is like this because I just don't have the knowledge or the time to teach myself how to make those necessary changes. I hope to be able to make these changes soon with the help of someone who truly knows what they are doing!

So without further ado I am going to share how this one little Memory Box image can be used in either a masculine or feminine way.

 

So many little things can help you present your stamps in different ways. The first and easiest is typically color. On the left I selected the Stone Gray Arturo card, making the feel of this card much more masculine. On the right I used the Pale Pink giving this card a feminine feel.

 

Not only does the color give it a masculine or feminie feel, but the Nestability shapes I selected lend themselves to pronouncing that feel even more. To create the embossed edge detail is extremely easy when using the Nestabilities. Simply layer your sandwich as shown above - Clear Acrylic Plate, Tan Embossing Pad, Arturo Notecard and then place your die in the location desired (note that the cutting blade is face down in this example.) Top this off with your other Clear Acrylic Plate and send it through your embossing machine.

 

To complete the image I stamped the chair on one of the new Memory Box Sugardrop papers, cut out the upholstered portion only and then affixed it to my card front. Next I stamped the tea cup on Chocolate Brown cardstock. To add emphasis and shape to the cup I used Prismacolor color pencils to add some highlights and round out the shape.

 

Tip: To reduce the attention a dimensional can draw when used behind a small shape I use my Copic Marker to add ink around the edges. These small pieces are hard to hold when you color them and so I use a pair of self-closing tweezers to hang on to it. As you can see the ink does get on the backing, but when this is removed the dimensional is still sticky, but not nearly as visible as the white would be to the viewers eye Ü

 

Be certain to note the embossed detail on the card above being I am going to show you a different version on the feminine chair below. Note how it has an extra line embossed in to the center of the debossed area. This is due to the fact that the cutting blade was facing in to the note card when I embossed it - see picture above.

 

Now notice how I have selected the Mega Curved Rectangle. It has a much more feminine feel than the Large and Small Labels. When sharing my ideas with Spellbinders last spring I shared a huge variety of wine labels to aid us in coming up with these new designs. Toni Kelly did a fabulous job converting those ideas in to the dies. I am guessing that Spellbinders next release will include more of these label ideas.

Also note that the die has the cutting surface face up as I positioned my project in the photo above. Rather than stamping the chair beforehand, as I had in the masculine version, I went ahead and embossed first. I did this so that I could share how easy it is to create a project two different ways:

• stamping first, then positioning the die and embossing,
• positioning the die and embossing, then using a stamp-a-ma-jig to precisely stamp the image in the center of the embossed area.

 

By positioning the die with the blade up you get a completely different look as shown above. Alli Miles discovered a way to get an even larger embossed area as I shared in an earlier blog post here. As you can also see in the photo above I began coloring the chair using R20 and then repeating it in the darker areas as shown.

One important tidbit to remember is when working on a porous paper such as Arturo or other watercolor-like papers be certain to color a greater distance from the edge of your stamped design. The porosity of these papers sucks the ink differently and so your "bleed area" is completely different than when coloring on a paper such as Neenah.

 

One of the pieces of art that Marianne has shared with me had this beautiful textural quality to it. She had created flowers on a kimono, so I decided it was about time I tried this technique. I have wanted to for such a long time and I thought wouldn't this make a delightful addition to "Grandma's old chair." First I used my Colorless Blender Sketch Marker. Using the brush tip end I first created the "flowers" by positioning the tip straight down. I then added the "leaves" by holding the brush tip at an angle. As you can see in this photo it pretty much looks like a bunch of polka dots - LOL. This would make a wonderful contemporary look, but I was still hoping to achieve the old "Grandma chair" look.

 

I have had the multiliners in the store for a long time and have shared how you can use them to "fix" a stamped mistake, as well as I have doodled with a variety of the black multiliners.

TIP: Karen Lockhart draws her images with a .03 tip (it appears that we are out of this tip and so I cannot link to at this time, sorry about that) - so if you are filling in Karen's images this is the multiliner I would recommend. Memory Box images are also quite delicate and so I would recommend the same tip for their images. Kim Hughes uses a larger drawing tip. To fill in details on Kim's images I recommend a .3 tip.

Today I am finally getting to share why it is that I have the Cool Gray multiliner in our store. Gray does not pop off the paper in the same manner that black would - it has a much softer appearance. At this time I only have the 0.3 tip which I found to be a little too heavy for this project, but with a little tweaking I was able to make it work.

As you can see in the image above I added a little detail to the "flowers" and the "leaves" to help define them. Being that the gray still popped off the paper more than I wanted, I then tweaked it by adding more Warm Gray to the upholstery surrounding the flowers.

 

FInally I used my Sakura glitter pen to add that final sparkley gold/silver "thread" to the upholstery on Grandma's Chair. I also have to point out the cute heart shaped handle on the tea cup - too cute! Add a little clear glaze and you have a beautiful little porcelain cup Ü

 

A few feminine accessories were added and I was able to use the identical image to create both a masculine and feminine card. I love when I can get some extra mileage out of an image!

My little recap for today is to remind you that you can use your dies to do more than cut and emboss. You can cut only, cut and emboss, AND emboss only in a number of different ways. As well, don't forget that you can use your dies as masks. So much in just one small package Ü

I challenge you to try your hand at creating patterns in your smooth Copic colored surfaces and exploring how you can emboss only with your dies!

Classic {Guy} Cards by Debbie Olson

It seems that every time my husband asks for a "guy-card," my stash is depleted. Does this happen to you too? Today I thought that I would get a set of three masculine cards ready, keeping them fairly generic so that I could stamp inside whatever I needed to stamp next time he says, "Jim's birthday was yesterday. Should we send a card?"

I try to keep masculine cards fairly clean and simple--low on the frill-factor. So I started with a Basic Grey Granola 6" x 6" pad and some Granola buttons. I chose Mona Lisa's Birthday Centers sentiments and some 3/8" natural twill--all guy-approved items. I paired my papers and cut them so that I'd have that 1/3 and 2/3 ratio that is visually pleasing, and then sanded all paper edges. (A sanding block gives you the least expensive "layer" that you can add in a white-core paper!) next I embossed my sentiments in a detail white embossing powder, trimmed them, and tacked them with a light touch of adhesive to the card front before sewing the edges. (You'll want to avoid getting adhesive where your sewing machine needle will go through it and get sticky.)

For an added detail, I folded a short length of natural twill and attached it to the sentiment strip before gluing on a threaded button. That's it--a simple trio of undeniably guy cards!

Thank you for visiting, and don't miss the SALE post below this one!

Debbie Olson, for the CLASSroom

Please note: You can click on any of the pictures and get a larger view.