the CLASSroom

Treasure Everyday Mini Album by Paula Cheney

We are honored to share the work of one of the very talented "Gypsy Girls", Paula Cheney, with you here today in the CLASSroom. The details that Paula includes in her work puts them over-the-top! I think it was my Excel spreadsheet that we had a good laugh over when we attended Ranger University a couple of years ago now that brought us together - we both love a good spreadsheet - ha! ha! I love a wonderful sense of humor and to mix it up with sheer artistic talent... you have described Paula to a "t"! I am very lucky to be able to have Paula as a friend.

You can find Paula at the blog she shares with Debbie (who is also amazingly talented and a very special lady!) titled "One Lucky Day." Their blog is filled with shabby, vintage beauties --- you will be able to spend hours going over the beautiful projects they share there. Paula can currently be found as the Creative Coordinator for Tim Holtz Brands and teaching here in the U.S. and abroad. If you ever have an opportunity to take one of Paula's classes you must! You will learn so much and laugh - a wonderful combination! I would appreciate if you would head over to Paula's blog now and help us thank her for sharing her talents with us here in the CLASSroom today. Please leave your comment on her post about being a guest here. As our way of thanking you for taking the time to do so you will have a chance to win some of the fabulous products she used in this post! You know you are in the right place if you see the following picture.

Thank you Paula for sharing your chic album with us here in the CLASSroom today! -Ellen

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Envelopes

Cut out 5 envelopes using the Sizzix Alterations Pocket Envelope die and Manila Cardstock from Ranger.  Do not fold.

Use Distress Stain Tumbled Glass and Mustard Seed to color the envelopes by squeezing Distress Stain onto a craft mat (use more blue than yellow).  Spritz with water from a Mini mister.

Swipe envelope into the stain. Dry with heat tool.
Swipe again, dry again.  Repeat as necessary.

Shake Brushed Pewter Distress stain to mix, then squeeze out a small amount onto craft sheet.  Repeat pervious steps until each envelope has a bit of metallic shimmer. 

Using Archival Ink in Aquamarine, stamp random text onto envelopes.  No acrylic block needed!

Stamp Butterflies with Archival Ink in Sap Green.

Cut out the Sizzix Alterations Inside Out Alphabet.  Create one word for each of the 5 envelopes and adhere with Collage Glue stick.
Add Vial Labels and chitchat words to describe each main word.  Stitch to the envelope if desired.

Adhere 1/8” Wonder Tape to the bottom and side of envelope.

Close envelope so both flaps are out.  The bottom of the envelope should be sealed just above the small flap.

Set finished envelopes aside while we make the cover.

Cover

Cut two pieces of Sticky Back Canvas 3 x 11”. 
Color the canvas with Tumbled Glass Distress Stain in the same method used previously.  Dry with Heat Tool.

Peel off the backing and stick the two pieces back to back. 
Stitch around the canvas with sewing machine.

Repeat butterflies on one side of canvas with Sap Green Archival Ink.

Stitching the book

Line up the first envelope at the left end of the canvas piece.  Stitch to canvas along the small flap.

Repeat stitching the envelopes onto the canvas cover about 1/8” apart. 

Trim away threads.

View of album spine.

Cut 30” of Crinkle Ribbon.
Color the Crinkle Ribbon with Distress Stains Frayed Burlap, Tumbled Glass and Mustard Seed.
Spritz with mini mister, then pounce the 3 colors at random onto ribbon.  Spray again to make the colors bleed then dry with Heat Tool.

Once dry, wrap ribbon around the book and secure to the TOP of the cover with Glossy Accents.
NOTE: make sure Glossy Accents is UNDER the Ornate Plate.

Cut a piece of paper from an old book.
Add Chitchat words and secure to the Ornate plate.

Add Ornate Plate over ribbon on cover.  Secure with brads.

Create small journaling cards for each envelope from manila cardstock. 
Round corners.
Stamp with butterflies and Aquamarine Archival Ink.
Add to each envelope.

Completed mini album cover!

Inside Pages

Sizzix, Tim Holtz, Movers & Shapers Magnetic L Die, Pocket Envelope	Sizzix, Tim Holtz, Sizzlits Deco Strip AlphaDie, Inside Out	Tim Holtz, Attic Treasures	Tim Holtz, Going Somewhere
Metallic Distress Stain, Brushed Pewter	Distress Stain, Tumbled Glass	Distress Stain, Mustard Seed	Distress Stain, Frayed Burlap
Aquamarine Archival Ink by Ranger	Viridian Archival Ink By Ranger	Tim Holtz, Ornate Book Plates & Fasteners	Tim Holtz, Vial Labels
Tim Holtz, Chitchat Stickers	Inkssentials Surfaces, 12x12 Manila	Studio Sticky Back Canvas, 8.5" x 11"	Tim Holtz, Crinkle Ribbon
Collage Glue Stick	Wonder Tape, 1/8"	Mini Mister, Individual	Non-Stick Craft Sheet
Heat It Craft Tool

InLinkz.com

Land of the Free Mini Canvases by Julia Stainton

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Misted Canvas Valise by Julia Stainton

There are just so many darling canvas bags, wallets and other goodies in the Ellen Hutson LLC shop that I just had to give one a creative whirl. Today's project uses the Maya Road Valise and it's a sweet little bag with a wrist strap that can carry a few essentials with you on the go.

I've used some mists, stamps and markers to alter it and make it my own. The canvas is the perfect...well...CANVAS for some creative experiments.

This is what I started with. OK. Well, above you'll find the newer version of what I used but it's basically the same project. I actually love the snapped flap on the newer version.

First step is to add some color and design to the canvas. I started off by using a dotted template that you can see below along with some Strawberry Shortcake Glimmer Mist.

You lay the template over the canvas and then mist. Repeat on the front side as well.  I love using pinks and oranges together to I then misted the entire canvas piece with some Tiger Lily Glimmer mist. Don't worry about perfection. It's supposed to look artsy.

You'll want to make sure that your canvas is really dry before moving onto the next step. You can use your heat gun a little if you like to hurry things along. To add stamping details to this valise, I've used the Maya Road Soar Butterflies stamp set and stamped it randomly in Jet Black Archival Ink. I know that I usually mention that this is the best ink for canvas and fabrics but it bears repeating in case a stamper is just joining us. Archival Inks work so well and definitely give the cleanest image without bleeding.

Once you've stamped the images where you want them, you can come in and add extra color to the line images. I've used the Faber-Castell Pitt Brush Markers to color in the butterflies. The ink in these markers is india ink and it is waterproof and works well on canvas.

To create the flower detail, I've cut out a blossom from the Milk Daisies Vintage Lace Trim and then trimmed out the inner circle of the lace so that it doesn't cover up the magnetic catch.

Finally, to finish it off, I've added color to the flower detail with the Faber-Castell Pitt Brush Markers again. You can even color in the thread on the button to coordinate the design.

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

Supplies:  Canvas Valise by Maya Road, 6x6 Mini Swiss Dot Template by Crafter's Workshop, Tiger Lily Glimmer Mist, Strawberry Shortcake Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels, Soar Butterflies Stamp Set by Maya Road, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Milk Daisies Vintage Lace Trim by Maya Road, Faber-Castell Pitt Brush Markers

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

Life Canvas Wall Art by Julia Stainton

Art is everywhere. It's in nature. In design. Essentially any thing of beauty is a work of art.

As a child we love art. We love painting. We love creating. It brings us joy.

Somewhere along the way, something happens.

We start to critique ourselves. We start to decide that art is only for "real" artists and we just don't compare.

I'm more often than not stuck in this mindset too.

Today I have a challenge for you. To believe that you can create art. To feel the freedom of getting messy with some paint and canvas. To explore. To enjoy.

This is my little foray into an altered art wall hanging. It's not perfect but that's OK. I'm not either.

I have to admit this was all a bit of a trial and error project. If we don't take the chance to try things out, we don't learn. I encourage you to dare.

To start my project, I cut a piece of Sticky-Back Canvas to 7x7" square and placed it on a plastic mat. I roughly painted mine with two colors of Studio Line paint from Claudine Hellmuth.

Studio Gloss Multi-Medium is a fabulous product for adhering paper and especially tissue. This new 7 Gypsies Tissue is just stunning and there are a few different prints of it available. To adhere the tissue, brush the entire surface with Glossy Medium and then apply some torn tissue. You'll want to apply another coat of it over the tissue as well to really seal it. If you like a more matte finish, the Studio Matte Multi-medium works in exactly the same way. I've purposely added in some creases in the tissue to add texture to the finished design.

You can layer tissue over tissue and it's a great way to add a stamped sentiment or quote. Here I've stamped my sentiment on plain white tissue with Jet Black Archival ink and then heat set it.

Apply a fresh coat of Multi-Medium to the surface and then layer on the tissue. Brush another coat over the top to seal it.

After your canvas layers are dry, you are then able to embellish it. I've used Glimmer Mist, a Prima Canvas bird, ink, Jenni Bowlin Chipboard Buttons and a beautiful Webster's Pages Designer Threads Doily.

Here's a closeup of all the great texture you get with painting on the canvas and also with the tissue.

To finish off my project, I've stamped various areas of the canvas and tissue to tie the design together.

Please feel free to click on the above images for an enlarged image to see better detail.

As spring is the season for all things new, I encourage you to try something new and explore your creativity! Thanks so much for joining me in the CLASSroom today!

Have a beautiful Easter,

Julia

Supplies: Claudine Hellmuth Sticky Back Canvas, Studio Line  Paint Sky Blue & Studio Line Paint Landscape Green by Ranger,  Studio Line Multi-Medium Gloss by Ranger, Designer Threads Doilies by Webster's Pages, Tiny Attacher by Advantus, Birdsong Collage Tissue by 7 Gypsies, Coffee Shop Glimmer Mist & Sweet Clover Glimmer Mist  by Tattered Angels, flower by Prima, Vintage Green Pearl Trinket Pins by Maya Road, Raw Canvas Chipboard by Prima Marketing, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Shabby French stamp set & Stuff to Say Stamp Set by Stampers Anonymous, Sketchbook Tissue Tape by TIm Holtz, Chipboard Buttons by Jenni Bowlin, Avignon Clear Stamps by 7 Gypsies

Countdown to Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Mix and Match Products - 2

One of the projects that captivated me at CHA was a canvas apron that had been colored using the Faber-Castell product line. The Faber-Castell design team has been doing a fabulous job of educating on their blog using their new product line and I have been taking it all in. I would very much like to encourage you to visit their blog if you are intrigued; there is SO much to learn and gorgeous samples to whet your appetitie. 

I read through the directions that Rita Barakat put together for her apron project. Then with my basic little set of tools in hand I began to explore creating on canvas. I felt that starting small was definitely the way to go, so selected one of the smaller canvas products we carry. Trust me when I say that we have a LOT of canvas options for you to try - LOL!

As an aside I just wanted to share how easy it is to search our store for the products we use right here in the CLASSroom blog.

 

By typing a single word, such as canvas, in the search mechanism (note the red arrow above) and clicking on go, all the products in our store, Ellen Hutson LLC, that have the word canvas in them will show up for you to see. SO easy --- at least we hope - LOL! 

 

One of the products that Faber-Castell has in the line that intrigues me is the PITT Artist Pens. I felt that this product needed some exploration. Following are some of the key pieces of information I felt you should know about these pens included in the Faber Castell Design Match program:

• made from pigmented India Ink - which means they are permanent, waterproof when dry, smudge proof AND extremely fade-resistant (or lightfast),
• acid-free and archival,
• won't bleed through paper,
• two sizes of nibs - the Big Brush Pen (perfect for stamper's who want to ink larger stamp surfaces using a pen) and the Artist Pens (with reversible Brush Nib for long use),
• can be applied directly to Clear Stamps and red rubber alike for interesting impressions!,
• works on all types of paper, and even canvas,
• odorless and non-toxic,
• perfect companion to watercolor pencils and gelatos due to their waterproof quality,
• the black Artist Pens are lightfast for 100 years (I doubt anyone will want to hang on to my projects that long - LOL!) and are available in additional nib sizes - extra superfine (.1mm), superfine (0.4mm), medium (0.8mm) and brush.

 

I began with one of the gorgeous Prima masks, outlining it with the fine brush tip pen. As you can see I simply placed a glue dot on the bottom side of the mask to hold it in place on the canvas.

 

This photo is for comparison purposes - the top pen is the Big Brush Pen and the lower one is the Artist Pen. As you can see their is a lot more ink in the large pen, as well, the larger tip makes quick work of larger surfaces and coloring directly on your stamp. (That lesson is going to be coming soon :-D)

 

I then used the Big Brush pen to add additional color to my background and define this area more. The tones on these two markers complement one another perfectly.
 

Next I worked with a tube of the Gelato and brushed the surface of this chapstick like tube directly to my canvas.

 

The final step was to add some additional orangey-red with my Aquarelle watercolor pencil.

Using my fine-tip waterbrush I then began to work the color into the surface of the canvas. As you can see I stayed within the lines because I wanted a fairly crisp image defined. The wonderful thing about the PITT markers is that they are waterproof once dry. I found that even though I was working on canvas and thought that my color might really bleed into my image the bleed was minimal. If I had wanted I could have controlled this even further by heating my project to quickly dry it, but I loved the way it looked! 

 

As you can see the color really intensifies after it has had water added to it. Make certain to leave some "white space" when adding your colors so that you get a varied background!

 
To create the sentiment tag I simply colored directly on my clear stamp with the Big Brush marker and then stamped it on the mini ticket.

 

To complete the look I stamped a sentiment using Studio Paint to "ink" my stamp surface. I can hardly wait for the pens to arrive - I really want to try the Big Brush pen in black to see how it will work on canvas. There are many inks that do work on fabric, but I have found that with the bumpy texture of canvas paint is definitely the best medium for getting a clean stamped image.

Exploring and learning about a new product is so much fun! Being one who absolutely loves to color these products definitely intrigue me - so tell me, what do you think so far? Have you seen other's working with them?

 

Faber-Castell Design Match products are arriving Wednesday, February 23 and will be found in the New Category :-D

stamps: Studio 490, Be Happy Make Art, Inkadinkado Inchie Greetings

accessories: Prima Mask II and Bird Trinket, Red Twill, Hero Arts Cream Self-Adhesive Lace and Art Flower, Maya Road Mini Ticket, Tim Holtz Memo Pin, E-Line Bermuda Breeze Flower, Studio Line Charcoal Black Paint and Ink Blending Tool

Love is in the Air #4 - Shabby Dabbers and See Through Transfers

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!! Today is the last day of my little Love is in the Air Tag Technique mini-series. My hope is that once again you are simply inspired to just create and try new things - tags are such an easy format in which to do this!

With this thought I am going to challenge you - using any technique from this series or our 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist (just click on the following links to see your choices and find directions for the different technique options) you have one week to create a tag using one of these techniques and share it in the Gallery. Please be certain to contact us at customerservice@ellenhutson.com if you have any questions or are having trouble uploading your project!

ETA: As noted in the Gallery you have until Midnight Pacific Time on Sunday, February 21st 2011 to join in our challenge.

Following are a list of techniques to select from:

1. Shabby Dabbers - directions included in this post
2. See Through Transfers - directions included in this post
3. Copic Stained Glitter
4. Nostalgic Blended Batik
5. Shimmer Sheetz Texture
6. Colorwashed Craft-a-Board
7. Studio Paints and Transparencies
8. Studio Line "Decoupage"
9. Shabby Grungeboard
10. Studio Line Stamped Texture
11. Copic Airbrushed Graffiti
12. Alcohol Ink Holograms
13. Bigz and or Movers and Shapers Die Foam Stamps (create your own stamp)
14. Transparency Accents
15. Hot Glue Embellishments
16. Pattern Play (use a tissue paper pattern or pattern directions in your creation)
17. Magnetic Masks or Stencils
18. Sticky Back Canvas Flowers
19. Inky Texture Folders
20. Enameled Metal Embellishments
21. Dabber Resist
22. Metallic Dabber and Alcohol Ink Magic
23. Glossy Accents and Stickle Glue for Clear Embellishments
24. Clear Embossed Resist
25. Tissue Tape and Alcohol Ink
26. Create your own Custom Felt Stamp Pad

We will be selecting a random winner from all those who participate - that winner will receive a $50 certificate to shop in our store!

Tag #4... how does time pass so quickly?!? I have wanted to play with the Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime collection since it arrived and even though it is filled with flowers and fairies I felt that it was so very Valentiney (is that even a word?) in feel and knew that one of my tags was going to incorporate it. 

To begin I cut a grungeboard heart using the Heart Wingz die. I love how this heart is lopsided! Now if you don't like an assymetrical look you can cut out the coordinating "scrollwork" heart and flip it, layering it to make a symetrical heart! I should have taken a picture to share this concept and if I get time I'll come back in and show you, but because I am working from home on a Sunday evening I don't have all my tools - bummer. 

 

Place your grungeboard element in a texture folder and run it through your machine. I am loving my new Vagabond - all I have to do is push a button! SO easy! It really is a very strong machine - Erica and Julia here at work have their own little story. They actually embedded a die in the cutting plate due to an incorrect sandwich --- now that's power! bwahaha!

Paint the entire surface of the embellishment with a light colored paint dabber and allow to fully dry.

Once completely dry, sand the surface - this will remove most of the paint from that top raised layer. Then use an ink blending tool and Distress ink to add color to the sanded surface. Result... instant shabby delight!

 

This next technique was a bit of an experiment. I have created transfers now on numerous occasions by using my Multi-medium to affix inkjet prints or patterned paper to transparencies, but I have never tried mixing it with color before.

I place a very small amount of Studio Line paint on my non-stick craft sheet and mixed it together with a generous amount of Glossy Multi-medium.
 

Paint this mixture onto your plastic or acetate sheet. As you can see I started with clear glossy multi-medium at one end and the special mix with paint on the other end. Yes, the scientist in me had to experiment - ha! ha!

Place a piece of decorative paper on top of this mixture and brayer or rub in place. This next step is critical - you MUST allow it to dry completely! Don't be tempted to start the next step until it is completely dry.

 

Once it is completely dry you will then soak the patterned paper and peel off the top layer.

 

Then gently use the flat portion of your finger to rub the remaining fibers from the surface. Work slowly and carefully so that the transferred image remains in place. If you rub too hard you will remove the transfer.

You may need to wet your surface from time to time with a mini mister to keep the fibers moist and workable. Continue working until you feel the fibers are gone.

To get rid of the last little fuzzy bits, simply apply additional multi-medium to the surface.
 

For the next step I attached the decorative paper, text side up to a Craft-a-board tag and allowed it to dry.

I then used glossy multi-medium to affix my transparency to my tag. As you can see the text shows through the transparency completely in the areas where I used only multi-medium. In the areas where I had mixed Studio Paint and Gloss Multi-medium the transparency has a slight opacity to it, but you can still see through it. I love this combination - it makes for a very interesting final look.

 

Fussy cut out a fairy and add Rock Candy stickles to her wings.
 

Add embellishments and ribbon - keys, pearls, whimsy flowers - such pretty little pieces! I have to admit that I have found a new glue that I am REALLY like for attaching my ribbon. It is Beacon's Fabritac. It is a little stringy, but it dries so quickly and I am able to use it easily each time without having to unclog my bottle tip - HUGE yeah for that :-D
 

ink: Distress Ink - Tea Dye and Walnut Stain

paper: Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime Frames and Primrose Cottage, Craft-a-Board

accessories: Shell Pink Dabber, Grungeboard, Rock Candy Stickles, Baubles, Prima Flower, Printable Transparency, Studio Line Gloss Multi-Medium and Painterly Pink Paint, Antique Brass Key, Antique Brass Reinforcer, Silk Ribbon - Mauve and Olive

12 Days of Christmas: Day 2 - Jewelry to Melt your Heart, by Becky Olsen

Jewelry is one of the ways that we express our indivuiduality and uniqueness. How much more unique and individual can it get than when it is created by you specifically for yourself or a special person? It can be as easy or intricate as you want and perfectly reflect the personality of the person intended to wear it.

For the pieces I made tonight I pulled a large pile of goodies into reach. I liked working with a lot of options at hand and actually was able to complete a lot of pieces in a short time because it was all handy.

I began by melting clear UTEE in my Melting Pot.

While that was getting to the proper temperature I prepared my Memory Frames by trimming all of the backing paper to the size of the frames that I used. These are the 1" x 1" in Black Patina that have paper from the 8'" x 8" Graphic 45 Steampunk paper pad. Make sure to have the Melt Art Kooltoolz handy, they are very useful and non-sick. When you have your frames prepared on top of your Non-stick Craft Mat, carefully pour the melted UTEE into the frame. Try to fill in the corners and not have any air bubbles, but don't stress too much if it is a little uneven.

Here you can see that one of my pours was uneven and had air bubbles. I set it on my Non-Stick Craft Sheet and used my Heat It tool to get the UTEE hot enough to settle evenly and let the air bubbles escape. Please be very aware that you CANNOT touch this piece while in this process with your hands. It is very hot and can cause serious burns or injury. That is what the Kooltollz are for :o)

In this image you can see how much more even it is. I am very pleased with the result, and love the dimension that was achieved. The pieces are from Tim Holtz Washers, and the Sprockets and Gears, and the Copper 2" x 2" Memory Frames.

This is the 1" x 3" Polished Chrome Memory Frame, Mini- Fasteners, Washers, and some Game Spinners.

For a bracelet I attached a couple of appropriate lengths of Tim Holtz Lace Chain with the clasp on one of the sides so that it can use the jump ring that is already attached to hook onto.

I used more of the Lace Chain in different lengths to attach the different sized Memory Frames together and I also included a couple of Making Memories Vintage Groove Charms and another Sprocket to bring the steampunk feel from the art into the chain.

This is what the finished pieces look like next to each other. Very fun and funky, and they are 100% unique to me, never to be duplicated exactly the same way ever again! These pieces would be just as interesting if they were alone on their own chains and worn seperately or together. That is the fun of jewelry is accessorizing with it to match your outfit or your mood :o)

Let me know what you think, and I hope that you found this to be educational and inspiring!

B-

It's time to start humming again :-D ...

On the Second Day of Christmas my goodie box could be...

• Melting Pot
• UTEE 

 
To participate in this random drawing please leave your answer to the following question as a comment to this post. Please limit yourself to one comment only for each goodie package. The last day to submit a comment to this post will be January 6th at Midnight. We will post the winners (which will be drawn using a Random Number Generator) for all twelve days on January 7th.

We need your thoughts. As I try and figure out what interests you as we move ahead into the new year I would love to have your opinion on the posts we do on jewelry making, resin, soldering, etc. Are you interested in this subject matter and the products that we carry that are associated with this category?

Don't forget the following 12 Days of Christmas blog candy drawings --- be certain to post a comment to the question on each individual post to be included in that drawing!

• One Stampin' Treasure

Graphic 45 Hallowe'en In Wonderland by Becky Olsen

For this fun altered project I started by planning a crafting day with a fun friend (she had found the amazing candle sticks on clearance, don't know where, sorry!) a Hallowe'en in Wonderland 12" x 12" paper pad, Claudine Hellmuth's Multi Medium in Matte, and a few Tim Holtz findings. We giggled, fussy cut, got sticky and ended up thrilled with the end results! I took pictures of each side and some close-ups of interesting details that I will describe how to create.To begin I covered all four sides with the Curiouser and Curiouser paper using the Multi Medium to adhere the paper and get a smooth adhesion. Then I fussy cut images from the Through the Looking Glass paper and chose the sides to adhere them to that continued to tell the story.For this side I used the fussy cut images of the White Rabbit and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. I wrapped wire around the handle of a smaller paint brush to get the spiral and then attached it to the side. I then punched out two of the White Rabbit tags and adhered them back to back and put the top through the end of the wire.  

  

For the bottom of the tag I got out a Tim Holtz Typewriter Charms and placed the letter "A" in there (for Alice of course!)The charm was attached using a Tim Holtz Mini Paper Clip that had been placed in the bottom hole of the tag. 

From the view of another side you can see how fun and dimensional that little coiled wire and tag piece is!On this side another fussy cut piece was adhered and I twisted another piece of wire to make a little holder for a Tim Holtz Word Key.    

 

The key is attached to the wire piece using a Tim Holtz Swivel Clasp.

 

Here is a close-up of the twisted wire piece.

 

On the third side you can see how the little wire piece is like a sign hanger. The Cheshire cat and Caterpillar are on this side, and so I used a Tim Holt Hinge Clip that was adhered with a glob of Studio Multi Medium Matte that was left to dry for a bit and then I wound some wire into a circle and put it through the clip. I attached some more Mini Paper Clips and also used a Tim Holtz Spinner piece, and a Tim Holtz Muse Token for the bottom.

 

 

The Tim Holtz Trinket Pin is what is attaching this fun charm to the wire circle.

And as you can see I wrapped the wire around the top quite a few times to create texture and for this section The Mad Hatter was adhered and then another long coil was created by wrapping wire around the handle of a paint brush. I threaded a Tim Holtz Word Stick through and around the wire coil and placed it close to the top of the Mad Hatter.

 

 

When I was going through all of my Tim Holtz goodies I was trying to find the words that reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. It was very fun creating these little vignettes on a single piece that was still cohesive looking.

I love it because it is different from whichever direction you look at it from. It is my first decoration of the season, and I am trying to find a cool pillar candle that is purple that I can put on top. I will likely end up wrapping more wire around that and maybe another little bauble or two from my Tim Holtz toys.I hope that this inspires you to get out your items that would be fun to alter and get some beautiful Graphic 45 to help you along with your projects.

B-

Prima Marketing Masks and a Canvas Pennant Gift Tag

Masking and pennants are all the rage! You can use your masks for airbrushing, spritzing with misting sprays, paint, gesso, and ink blending tool and so much more.

Prima has added a bunch of different stencils (scroll down to the bottom of the page) to the mix and I wanted to give you the low-down on how these come packaged so that you won't be surprised as I was.

Each group of masks/stencils is held together with a rivet. I found it difficult to manipulate these stencils in their current form and so I tried several things. First I tested the rivet to see if it was threaded like a screw - nope. Next I tried to pry it open. Still no luck.This did loosen the rivet and thus made it easier to move the masks, so if you like the idea of keeping them together you may want to try this just to loosen them up a little.

So I finally ended up using my little scissors to snip off one mask right next to the rivet so that I could test how this would work.

 

To clean up my cut and make the edge symmetrical I used my Tonic cutter to trip the "label base."
 

I then used the 1/4" corner rounder on my chomper to even up my corners.
 

Both sides will need to be "chomped" to make them even.

 

To avoid movement as I sprayed I attached the stencil to my canvas with tape to hold it in place.
 

As you can see it is quite wet as I spray to get a deep color.
 

I remove the stencil very carefully to avoid dripping on my project. If you do drip, don't worry - just pretend that was the look you were going for as it is interesting as well.
 

To speed up the dry time I use my heat it tool.

Attach to your gift and make someone feel special with this one of a kind tag.

TIP: Use a basic brown bag and mist it with complimenting colors to create a unique gift bag. In addition you can add some color to plain tissue or packing paper with mist to brighten it up and make the gift even more fun to open.

stamps: Hero Arts ClearDesign Sew Stylish

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

accessories: Prima Masks I, Canvas Triangle Banner, Kioshi Bloomers and Buttons, Maya Road Turquoise Trim, Violet Silk RIbbon

Ice Resin, Mold n' Pour and Beeswax Altered Artwork

Creating pieces to give as gifts or hang on your walls can be so much fun! This past weekend I had the pleasure of playing with some of the new products that we have brought into the store. These are all tools/media that will allow us to expand our teaching possibilities and our creativity. Adding new techniques and ideas keeps my mind fresh and alive and so I hope that you enjoy some of the new additions we have made and that you get up the courage to just give them a try!

Resin is all the rage! The objects and effects that can be created are SO very cool. Today I will be sharing some beginner tips, as well as show you how it is that I created the butterfly for the piece shown below. Hang with me because this will be a "class" of epic proportions - LOL! There is so much fun stuff to share with you.

At Ranger U I fell in love with so many new tools! Today I am going to share how to create with the Mold n' Pour. The molds that you create can be used with resin, UTEE, beeswax, candles, soap and who knows what else - LOL!

Mold N' Pour

Prepare your work surface and all the necessary tools before you begin. This product comes in two parts and once you mix it you only have a few minutes to create your mold before it starts setting up.

As you can see I am working on my XL Misting Mat. You can also work on a non-stick craft sheet or any other non-stick surface. I prefer to remove portions of the mixture from the container and roll them into balls before proceeding. This allows me to eyeball their size - you want these balls to be the same size. I have my object ready - in this case I decided to use a Vintaj butterfly. I clipped the jump ring to create antennae before combining my Mold n' Pour putty.

Working quickly I combined my two different colored putties and knead them together. As you can see in the photo above there are still streaks of white showing - this putty is NOT ready to be used. Continue kneading and mixing the putty until it is a uniform color. Remember that it sets up quickly so don't overwork it. I find that working with smaller amounts is easier, so my suggestion would be for you to experiment first with a small item as your object.

As you can see in this photo it is now a uniform color. Roll it into a smooth ball.

Press your object straight down into the putty and let it sit. I like to press my object about 3/16 - 1/4" into the putty. Now walk away ladies - LOL! It is just too tempting to squish around in this wonderful "stuff." Return in approximately 10-15 minutes and press your fingernail into that pretty round edge. If you do not leave a print then you are ready to remove your object. It is better to be patient and wait too long than pull your image out early and damage your mold.

The detail is incredible!

This next mold was MUCH tricker. It wouldn't have been if I hadn't been stingy with my Mold 'n Pour :-( The good news is that my error forced me to experiment more. I wanted to see if I could salvage/fix my mold and I came pretty close to it being precise. This Hero Arts rubberstamp image is approximately 3 3/4" square. I should have probably used 3/4, or even the entire container of Mold 'n Pour, rather than the 1/2 container I used. Lesson learned - don't be stingy :-D

I kept the cling style stamp mounted on the plastic as I worked so that I would not damage the "cling" aspect of this stamp.

As I prepared to create this mold I determined that I would need a large flat surface to press my putty evenly into place over the surface of the stamp - the 5x7 acrylic mounting block was perfect for this.

On the right side of the image above you can see a damp, white washcloth. This is a trick I learned from Lisa this past weekend. I have gone through mountains of paper towels when creating. I don't like the fact that I am being wasteful, but because I like to work with clean hands as much as possible so that I don't "dirty" my projects I needed a solution. Using two washclothes - one wet/one dry - my need for other cleaning tools has been greatly diminished. I LOVE this solution - thank you Lisa!

I worked quickly, but sadly was horrified when I realized that I was short on material. It was in that instant that I had to decide if I should quickly look for a suitable replacement or just go for it. I decided to proceed in spite of this deterant and quickly using my fingers to spread the molding material over the stamp. I immediately pressed my acrylic firmly against the putty to flatten as best possible. As I worked I could see the "putty" setting up right before my eyes. I haven't figured out yet whether the cool broad expanse of the rubber made my material set more quickly than normal, but it set up FAST! So perhaps it would have been best to spread the material on my non-stick surface before putting it on the stamp. I just don't know yet, but will try this next time.

I could see that I had gaps around the edges as well as holes in the middle, but rather than give up I decided to press forwards and see what would happen. I mixed a little more putty and applied it over the holes in my mold. (I did not remove my stamp to "check" - I knew I had holes.) Again I used my large acrylic block to press down on my mold.

I allowed this to sit for 10 minutes. I then removed the acrylic block and flipped the entire piece over, mixed a little more putty and pressed additional Mold 'n Pour against the sides to create my base.

After allowing it to once again sit I removed the rubber stamp image and was left with a VERY cool mold! I immediately took my dry wash cloth and rubbed the surface of my rubber stamp to remove the excess putty that was slightly stuck to the surface. I don't know what would have happened if I had allowed it to dry completely, but being I like to clean as I go, this worked well for me. As you can see there are "hints" of the mold still in the crevices, but I do not believe that it will impact my stamp in any way.

Creating molds is ADDICTIVE! You can use buttons, metal embellishments, rubber stamps, and so much more. I have read that you can even use hard candies such as Lifesavers - how cool is that?!? Suze and Tim talked about carrying Mold n' Pour with them when they go antique shopping. They ask permission to mold some of their finds along the way! Oh how fun that would be!!!

So now that we have our molds - let's play with them :-D

ETA: These molds can be used over and over again. Suze shared that she has boxes labeled with different styles of molds. I can see doing something similar once I have a few made.

Working with Ice Resin

I thought I would begin by trying to explain to you what Ice Resin is. Ice Resin is a two part resin that when mixed forms a crystal clear, jeweler's quality grade product. This resin is different from the water-based, dimensional sealants such as Rangers Glossy Accents, SU Crystal Effects or Judikins Diamond Glaze that we typically use in paper crafts. These dimensional sealants are excellent products for many purposes, but they do not offer the durability and waterproof finish that resins do. Ice Resin is also very different from the meltable embossing powders such as UTEE, that are popular for molding and sealing. UTEE liquifies when heated and hardens when cooled. It is typically rigid and susceptible to cracking. As well the clear versions of UTEE are prone to yellow as you work with them.

Resin is a much harder and more durable product that retains its clarity. With resin you can create a "dome" on your projects that acts as a magnifying lens of sorts.

It can be used together with metal, polymer clay, metal clay, paper, glass and numerous other products. Today we are going to start simply - we are going to create the butterfly I used on my art piece.

Before beginning it is incredibly important to read all your directions first! I would also like to encourage you to visit the Ice Resin website. There are numerous articles written that will answer many of the specific questions you might have.

One of the recommendations I tried as I worked with the Ice Resin the second time was to warm Part A of the Ice Resin mixture in hot tap water before beginning. It worked like a charm - it was not nearly as granular looking as the resin I created in my first batch. It was so much easier to mix with Part A warmed.

Another recommendation that I followed closely was to work in small batches. You will be AMAZED at how many different pieces you will be able to create with 1 oz of mixture! Have numerous projects ready to go before mixing your resin!

Ice Resin comes with little plastic mixing containers that have precise measurements listed on the sides. The first time I mixed my Ice Resin I used two separate containers. The second time I realized that I didn't need to us two containers - I could just use the measurements on the sides to make certain I was mixing correct quantities.

Before mixing in one container you will want to clearly think through your measurements and perhaps even mark the outside of your container with a sharpie marker, showing the precise stopping point for each part. You will need to work very carefully when pouring directly into your container though - there are no second chances with this method - LOL!

The smallest batch Ice Resin recommends making is 1/2 oz. I think that this is a great way to start your experimentive/creative process! You will truly want to try so many different things. It is best to work in layers for many applications, allowing the resin to cure before proceeding - therefore mixing small amounts is what I believe is the best way to go. I had several pieces I am currently working on and decided that a total of 1 oz. would be best for my use this time even though today's project only used a few drops. Hopefully I will have more to share with you soon :-)

Wait until Part A is warm and pour 1/2 oz into the container. Followed with 1/2 oz of Part B. As you can see it fills this little container right to the top. If you do not feel comfortable working in such a tight space be certain to have another clean plastic container that you can throw away at the ready before you begin. I work carefully and so just work from this little container.

It is recommended that you work in a well-ventilated room and wear gloves that you can also throw away once your project is complete. If you don't work carefully you can make a lot of things sticky - LOL! They do say that if resin comes in contact with your skin that it can cause minor irritation. I did get a little on one of my fingers, but immediately wiped it on my wet washcloth with no side effects.

Once you have the two parts mixed together you are going to stir, and stir, and STIR! You can see a visible difference in the photo above compared with the shot two photos above. I stir for approximately 5-7 minutes. You want to have a nice clear liquid before you stop stirring. Allow the mix to rest for another five minutes and many of the bubbles will rise to the surface and pop.

1 oz. is a LOT of resin and so I had numerous projects at the ready. Again, today I am going to share only one of those projects. Once you have used all your resin you will be throwing your container away - it is recommended that you not use "dirty" tools.

Using my popsicle stick I transferred a few drops of resin to a plastic spoon. Prior to beginning I had filled my mold with water and then poured that water into my spoon to see exactly how much resin I would need. I then dried my spoon and mold before proceeding. As you can see it takes VERY little resin. To the clear resin mix I added a small amount of Tarnished Gold embossing powder. Once again remember that less is more - it is easier to add a little more powder than it is to add more resin.

Stir the powder into the resin with your popsicle stick. Be certain to use a clean popsicle stick with the mixing of each new element. You will find that adding the embossing powder thickens your resin slightly. As soon as I had finished mixing I poured my resin mix into my mold.

Typically you will have approximately 30 minutes to work with your fully mixed Ice Resin. It is recommended that you work in a room that is approximately 72-74 degrees Fahrenheit.

Other additives you can use that I have used to color or add interest to my Resin are Perfect Pearls, glitter, mica, and flower soft. Ones I haven't yet tried that are recommended are - oil pigments, chalk pastels, spices, dried floral ingredients, gold leaf, and I'm guessing that there are so many more.

I try not to overfill my molds. My preference is to leave a small space at the top of the mold. To aid in bringing bubbles to the surface you can use your Heat It tool and hold it above your project (approximately 9-12 inches above) and you will almost instantly see a little popping effect happen in your piece. Do not heat for extended periods of time or hold your heat tool to closely - you do not want to damage your work of art :-D Check back over the first hour or so to see if any additional bubbles have come to the surface and pop them with a pin.

Allow the resin to cure in the mold for at least 6 hours. I poured my molds at approximately 5:00 in the evening and then upon returning to work this morning I was able to easily remove the objects. At this point the resin is still not fully cured and somewhat maleable. If you wanted to use resin on a curved surface this would be the perfect time to mold it to the item you will later mount it on. Due to the fact that the resin is not fully cured you will want to be careful not to touch any of the highly glossed surfaces as you might fingerprint them.

As you can see the detail in the image is amazing!

It has been months since Winter CHA when I first saw the Vintaj Altered Blank Canvas pieces. It is with great excitement that I share my first vision for this product. To precisely locate where I wanted to punch my holes I used my Tim Holtz center ruler. Simply mark the points where you want a hole.

The Crop-a-dile is perfect for punching holes in this metal! So very easy.

To create my background I used the wonderful mold created above. I could have poured my melted Beeswax on my non-stick craft sheet and pressed my stamp (be certain to coat your stamp with Distress Embossing Ink beforehand to make the removal of the wax easier) directly into the Beeswax and allowed it to cool, but using a mold I have more control. I used my Kool Toolz spatula to help locate the placement of the wax in my mold.

Allow the wax to cool and remove it from the mold.

Ink a background stamp with Archival Ink and stamp directly on the brass altered blank canvas. Be certain to use an ink that stays on metal such as Palette or Archival. You will need to heat set the Archival Ink, which works magnificently with this application because I wanted my metal hot to attach my wax embellishment.

Allow the metal to cool ever so slightly (you don't just want a puddle of wax on your canvas - LOL!) and press the wax embellishment firmly against the metal. It will melt slightly and as it cools it will adhere to the metal.

I absolutely LOVE the look of the wax on the metal, but being I had a specific color scheme in mind I then brushed my image with Perfect Pearls.

The wax was still slightly warm (but not liquid) as I worked and so I quickly pressed my resin butterfly into the wax and allowed the entire project to then cool and set. You can see in the photo above the reason for my color selection of Perfect Pearls. Bringing together different colors of metals is so very fun. It is just a matter of balancing the colors. 

Mixing the different elements that we carry in the store can make for a very interesting project. You will find a vast array of products to select from. The Vintage Groove line from Making Memories by Jill Schwartz is complete and ready to assemble. There is a significant difference between the Vintaj line and the Vintage Groove line. Vintaj is a natural brass product that is heavy and very well made. It is easy to embellish and makes high quality pieces. Vintage Groove has a lot of the preassembly done and is much lighter weight. It is a funky and easy to use product line, but at times I have needed to reassemble the pieces using a better quality glue. This has not deterred me though as I find it suitable for embellishing cards and adding funky twists to the projects I am creating. Each has its own unique advantage and I have found that combining the elements gives an extremely interesting final product.

I quickly covered a 6x6 canvas with Le Romantique paper and used twill as my outer frame, mounting my brass image on the face. What an elegant, feminine piece of artwork this is - perfect for a ladies dressing area.

It was so incredibly fun adventuring into new territory with this post. I hope that you enjoyed learning about these new tools and techniques and that you will be able to pick and chose from them to add new twists to your creative process! Be certain to take advantage of the special savings we are offering on many of these products this week if you are interested in trying these techniques!

 

stamps: Hero Arts Cling Floral Brocade, CHF Spanish Script Backgrounder

paper: Loves Labyrinth Le' Romantique

ink: Jet Black Archival Ink

accessories:  Vintaj Altered Blank Canvas - 3x4, Vintaj Butterfly Charm, Vintage Groove Ephemera Bead Drop Pendant, Vintage Groove Antique Brass Jump Rings, Mold n' Pour, White Beeswax, Melting Pot, ICE Resin, Tarnished Gold Embossing Powder, Perfect Pearls - Forever Red, Heirloom Gold, Perfect Bronze  

Collage with Graphic 45 and Stampers Anonymous by Lisa Strahl

Hello ladies!  Did anyone get to enjoy the sunshine on their face like I did this weekend?  The vitamin D does a girl good I tell ya.  ;^)

I put together two projects for you that flow out of Bek's AWESOME collage article that was featured in the In Touch newsletter last week.  First up is a collaged Artist Trading Card using only stamps and featuring none other than the Mona Lisa.  I want to share a few tips that I find helpful when creating collages:

The very first order of business is to stamp all of the images I want to work with. Why do I do this, especially since I have a index on the storage sheet?  Even though I am a visual person, there is something organic about the stamped image.  I suppose I am getting to know my images better.  I began my stamping all of the images from the Mini Classics set (Stamper's Anonymous) on Classic Cream Cardstock (Neenah).

The first step helped me to decide which images I wanted to use.  Stamp the flourish image in a random pattern using Mountain Rose Adirondack Ink (Ranger).  I also have to give a shout out to the round acrylic blocks holding the stamp - they make positioning my images so much easier!  They come in three sizes: 2.5 inches, 3.5 inches and 4.25 inches.

The flourishes are pretty, but a little bit to stark against the cream paper so I sponged the same color ink over the entire surface using Cut 'n Dry Foam in a circular motion.  Now it's soft and pretty!

Next up is stamping the Mona Lisa in Coffee Archival Ink (Ranger).  I chose and dark and bold ink so that Mona did not get lost against the background of flourishes.

I finished the collage as follows:  stamp the Imagine sentiment from Just Word Art Studio 490 (Stamper's Anon) in Stream Adirondack Ink; stamp the same flourish again but this time in Pool Adirondack Ink (which is a tone lighter than Stream), stamp the distressed checker pattern from the Ultimate Grunge stamp set in Terra Cotta Adirondack Ink.  Finally, frame the ATC by sponging Pool ink around the image and then a frame closer to the edge with Stream ink.

The second project features Graphic 45 paper and more Stamper's Anonymous images.  I created a special gift for someone that comes in it's very own coordinating box.

Apply Copper Adirondack Paintusing the dabber top to this ginormous flourish stamp from the Fabulous Flourishesset.  It measures 4x7 inches so chances are that you don't have a block and in this case that is just fine! 

 

I wanted to share a tip about cling mount stamps that you might not have considered.  There are occasions where I do not put my stamps on a block at all.  In this case, I was stamping on a very uneven surface and the flexibility of the rubber allowed me to press the stamp unevenly, there by getting in all of the nooks and crannies where the chipboard is scored between the pages.

Details and Product Info:

-background paper on the left is the reverse side of Around the World(Transatlantique) and was applied to the chipboard with Matte Multi Medium (Ranger); the right side is painted with Traditional Tan Studio Line Paint (Ranger)

-the image of the two women is from the Haute Couturepaper (Fashionista)

-stamps include Fabulous Flourishes as mentioned above, sentiment is from the Paisley Prints stamp set stamped in Jet Black Archival Ink, and the pen nibs from the Mini Classics stamped in Cranberry Adirondack Paint

-Black Banner ribbon lace(Prima), Cosmos flower punch (Martha Stewart) sponged with Caramel and Jet Black ink, black brad from the Eerie Collection (Basic Grey)

-backgrounds prepared the same as above

-image of the woman from the Fashionista Tags Sheet

-stamps include sentiment from the Mona's Sketchbook set and Fabulous Flourishes again - this time stamped in Denim Adirondack Paint Dabber

-Metallic Copper Crochet Ribbon (May Arts), Donegal Lace(Prima), black jewels (Hero Arts)

 

Last but not least this cute little oval box was decorated with Globe Trotter and Around the Worldpapers (Transatlantique).

I hope you inspired to try a collage project this week!

Cheers, Lisa

7 Gypsies Hybrid Tag

Hybrid.  Digital.  Those words can strike fear into the heart of some stampy stampers.  But fear not my friends.  These words simply represent another tool in your paper crafting arsenal!

By now Ellen has given you her vision for the world of hybrid crafting and I want to kick things off with a simple, "get you started" kind of project.  Please read her Newsletter here and the FAQ section if you have not already.

I have had great admiration for 7 Gypsies product, but mostly from afar because most of my local scrapbook stores don't carry very much.  No longer a problem!  I now have access to a library of 7 Gypsies product AND am able to customize it to my liking and my project needs.

To gain access to the information I am sharing today simply click on this link or the preceding graphic and it will take you to the Ellen Hutson, LLC and ScrapHD builder.

 

These adorable tags are found in the Embellishment section of the program.  I created a blank 8x8 page and "dragged and dropped" the images onto the page.  Arrange them to get the most possible images on a single sheet and color print onto 8.5 x 11 Sticky Back Canvas.

Here are a few screen shots to walk you through how to navigate this process:

1.  Click on the Create a Scrapbook Button and Log In.

2.  Select "Start with a blank page"

 

3.  Click on 8x8 Scrapbook.

4.  Click on the tab with the yellow star, which is the embellishment menu.  Click on the green + button to see the selection of embellishments.

5.  Click on Manufacturer > 7 Gypsies > then search for tags.

6.  Choose the tags you want by clicking on them.  They will appear in the left column.  You can then drag them onto the 8x8 blank page.  Images can be resized by simply using your mouse to drag the corner.

 
  
7.  The final step is to choose the option to "Print From Home".  The high resolution file will be emailed to you.

Once again here are my printed tags and embellishments, all from 7 Gypsies.  I am not going to use all of these today, but didn't want to waste extra space on my page.

8.  Cut out the printed canvas tag and stamp the word "Art" from Wendy Vecchi's Just Word Art stamp set with Pitch Black Paint Dabber.

9. Embellish the flourishes on the tag with Clear Spica Glitter Pen.

10.  Apply a narrow layer of 1/8 inch double sided tape to the bottom of the tag and use it to secure the Cynthia Ribbon Lace.

11. Add the word "Expression" from the Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type Black Stickers set.

12.  Punch the Glassene Butterflyfrom the houndstooth pattern in the Red/Black Line Extension Mini PapersPackage by Jenni Bowlin.

 

13.  Embellish the butterfly with pearls.

 

14. Embellish the ribbon lace with black pearls.

15.  I am always looking for new and interesting ways to incorporate pins and metal trinkets into my work.  Rather than tying the Cream Stick Pin by Jenni Bowlin to the Sprocket Gear, I used the brad to secure the pin to the piece.

 

 

16.  Finally, use the brad to hold the entire piece to the tag.

Thank you so much for joining us here on the CLASSroom today!

Cheers, Lisa

Communique Steampunk Birdie

I have the pleasure of giving a very warm welcome to the first of many products being added to Ellen's store from EcoGreen Crafts.  We have lots to share with you about the story behind this company, but for today I focus in on just one product, the Artables Bird on a Pedestal and the movement behind it's creation - Steampunk.

Julia Andrus, the product developer and creative genius behind EcoGreen Crafts has a passion for all sorts of wonderful vintage things.  She has had an amazing career in this industry and is embarking on something new and very exciting.

What on earth is Steampunk?!  Julia defines it as this: "art that is based on elements from the Industrial Age era (1850’s to early 1900’s) combined with fantasy or out-of-context elements".  She taught a class at the last Winter Craft and Hobby Trade Show that I very much wanted to attend.  So much so, that I talked Ellen into taking it with me.  She is always up for something new and said sure!  I ended up not being able to attend, but she decided to go anyway and was SO glad she did, because she discovered this genre that I have such a passion for too.  P.S.  Here is a link to Julia's Steampunk Birdie from the show.

There are so many things I love about creating with this Steampunk style.  For this post I focused on how useful the Graphic 45 paper line and the Ideology Line of trinkets and metal are for this type of project.

I did not do step out photos on the paper mache technique, but it was very easy.  I simply ripped up papers from the Communique Collection including Party Line, Society Page and A Fine Specimen and then applied Dries Clear Adhesive with a paint brush and layered onto the bird.  It was Plato that said, "necessity, who is the mother of invention".  I have many other products that I *should* have used to decoupage these papers on, but I couldn't find ANY of them.  The Dries Clear product was sitting on my desk and will now be my go to for this type of project.  Something about the consistency was perfect!

The birdies face and head is adorned with a few metal elements that just tickle my fancy!  The eyes are the screw side of the Hitch Fasteners inserted into the bird.  I added a little black jewel for her pupil.  Her nose is adorned with a Game Spinner.

I have no idea how or why it seemed like this little gal needed a hat, but she just looked bald and we can't have that!  I played around with a few ideas and in the end settled on this vintage button from my mom's collection.  When I set it on her head, it kind of tilted to the side like a burret - how PERFECT!  My little french bird with a burret!  Sorry, I will stop using exclamation points, but I am reeeally excited about this project.

She was a little too "clean" and needed some soot, so I applied some Noir Palette Ink with my finger.

For the wings I adhered images from the Typography paper (Graphic 45) with Glossy Accents to some large fragment ovals from the Ovals and Circles Set.  A note about Glossy Accents - this is an amazing product, but like all things has it's limitations.  Because it is a water based product it can react with other water based products and some papers.  I learned recently that if you seal the area with fast drying clear nail polish that the ink will not run. 

Finally, the top half of the Hitch Fasteners were adhered to the Fragment with Mini Glue Dots, giving the impression that it is holding the wing on.

A note on adhesive with the feather and the fragment wing.  I used this super sticky double-sided tape.  Thank you to Miss Kim for sending me a bag of feathers over two years ago.  Completely serendipitous and perfect for this project.

This element is made up of three pieces of the Ideology Line - Ball Chain, Swivel Clasps and Muse Tokens.  I applied Traditional Tan Studio Paint and just a tiny bit of Dash of Red with my finger to the round tag piece to highlight the word.

This might just be my favorite part of this birdie.  I fussy cut a whole bunch of pens from the Pen in Hand paper (Graphic 45) with really sharp tip scissors.  I applied Glossy Accents to all of the pens and nibs, but did coat them with clear nail polish first as I mentioned earlier.  There were also adhered with a 1/8 inch double sided tape and then I formed them with my fingers.  The Glossy Accents help them to keep their shape.

 

The beautiful thing about this type of project is that you can make it completely your own.  It's your creative personality that will come out - you can be as conservative or eccentric as you like!  There are no rules.  I would love you challenge you to try a Steampunk project and link back to this post.  I would love to see your interpretation!

It was a joy to share this with you today, Lisa

Stuck on You Part Two - Art Product Adhesives & B Mine Collage by Julia Stainton

Choosing the right adhesive for the job can be a daunting task. To put a lot of work into a lovely creation and then have it fall apart is always incredibly disappointing. For the month of February I'll be sharing some adhesive tips combined with my projects for a "stuck on you" theme.

Today's project uses two different products that you may not have thought about using as adhesives. They are both great products from Ranger that you can use as an adhesive as well as for other uses. Don't you love a product that is multi-faceted? And just as exciting is finding an adhesive that will work well, allow you to express your creativity and not come apart down the road.

The two products that I've used for this collage project are Ranger's Glossy Accents, a dimensional glaze, and the Claudine Hellmuth Multi-Medium. You may or may not have thought of using these for an adhesive but they work especially well on hard to adhere items. While they are both liquid adhesives, they are not as difficult to use as you might think and I find the adhering power well worth the short drying time involved.

This project starts off with yet another 4x4" Canvas Frame.I adore these mini canvases. They are so great for trying out techniques in bite-sized projects and they make a fun alternative to a card. To adhere to a canvas, you want a fairly good adhesive and the Claudine Hellmuth Multi-Medium is a great product for collage and adhering to difficult surfaces like canvas as well as paper. Simply brush over your surface and apply your layer. The gloss or matte variations work equally well.

 

This project called for a vintage look and here I've used a scrap of paper from a vintage book. For an alternative you can also use paper stamped with the Vintage Text Scrapblock or some text patterned paper.

 

Build up the layers by adhering more layers with the Multi-Medium. I've used pieces from the Antiquity and the Happy Homemaker patterned papers by Graphic 45.

 

To add an accent I once again used the Multi-Medium as the adhesive. This Hero Arts Art Flower was quite dimensional but by brushing repeatedly with the medium, it smoothed out.

Stamping on clear items is always a fun accent. The bees from the Sweet Bee stamp set were stamped with Archival Black ink onto a Tim Holtz Fragment and then heat set with a heat gun.

Here is where the second adhesive in this project comes into play. Ranger Glossy Accents is a great adhesive for strength and also because it dries perfectly clear. It works well on transparencies and this Fragment to form a firm bond. I've squeezed some on the back and then pressed it onto my project.

 

The Tim Holtz Typewriter Charms are a favorite accent of mine. They are easy to personalize with the accompanying sticker letters and you then apply the clear adhesive dot over top.
 

I wanted to adhere mine directly over the Fragment and the Ranger Glossy Accents was a perfect adhesive again in this case.
 
 

Here's how it looks.

I wanted to attach a Tim Holtz Keyhole to this project as well. Because of the canvas frame, it wasn't possible to attach it with brads like I normally would have with paper. Insert the brads to fill the holes and spread the prongs. Once again, Glossy Accents to the rescue as a strong adhesive for use with metal.

 

The sides of the canvas still needed finishing and this ribbon lace added some nice texture and definition to the project. By brushing on the Multi-Medium to the sides of the project, it was easy to adhere this lace firmly.

I hope this tutorial has allowed you some insight into adhering in difficult situations and using different adhesive products. If you missed part one of this series, you can find Stuck on You Part One - Glue Dots here. I'll be back next week with more adhesive options.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom and happy creating!

Valentines Tag #4 - Sugary Love Tag by Lisa Strahl

What fun this little Love Themed Tag feature has been!  It's a joy to work with my friend Bek and to see how we can use the same supplies and come up with completely different projects.  Very cool methinks.

My tag today features the Valentines line by Basic Grey called Sugar Rush (the 6x6 inch paper pad), a stamp set that Becky designed when her and I worked for CHF called Domestic Love and LOTS of other extra goodies.  :)

I decided to work with the Clear Paintables, Frames 2 sheet from Prima.  The artwork for these paintable transparencies is absolutely gorgeous.

I trimmed the paintable to the size of my tag. 

Once again the red that I needed did not quite match the paint I had, so I mixed Dash of Red and Painterly Pink Studio Paint by Claudine Hellmuth.  I have said it before and need to say it again, this paint is a joy to work with.  It makes me look like I know what I am doing!  Next, turn the transparency over and paint the rose.

 

Paint the leaves with Landscape Green.

Fill in the frame with Pastel Raspberry Liquid Pearls and allow all of the these to dry and set. 

Stamp the man and woman with Jet Black Archival Ink on the back side of the paper called Pulled Taffy.  It stands as a one sided sheet in the Sugar Rush 6x6 paper pack.

Trim the image and secure it behind the transparency with 1/8 inch Scor-Tape.  

Trim the paper called Cinnamon Bear to match the tag, make sure that you adhere from the top of the tag toward the bottom as the tag is longer than 6 inches.  We will cover that open portion later. 

 

Apply more double-sided tape to the bottom edge of the tag to secure the transparency.

Apply the 1/2 inch double sided tape to the bottom edge of the tag over the transparency. 

Apply the green crochet trim from the Webster's Pages Classic Trim Collection. 

...and then the pink trim from the same package. 

I couldn't help but add one of these heart shaped pearls as an earring. 

Punch a crown from the reverse side of the paper called Fireball (again, this is a single sided sheet in the 6x6 Sugar Rush paper pad.)

 

Add single jewels to each of the spikes on the crown.

 

And a row of jewels to the pink trim.

Cut the word "amour" from the Fireball paper and adhere with double sided tape as shown.

I created my own jewel flourishes to suit my project from a regular package of jewels where the lines are straight.  I also added a Sugar Rush Stitched Brad in the center of the rose. 

I hope you get to do something romantic with that special someone in your life this Valentines Day.  I must tell you that my hubby purposely does NOT give me anything on the 14th.  Wait, wait!  Don't get upset just yet...he always surprises me at least a week early.  The card usually says something like, "I don't need a special holiday to tell you how much you mean to me".   Awwww.  And every year I am surprised!

I am so excited that I get to see Bek and Ellen on Saturday, as we all meet in Anaheim at CHA Winter.  Can't wait!  Thanks for sharing these few days with us CLASSroomies!

Valentine Tag #2 Communique Love by Lisa Strahl

Hello dear friends of Ellen Hutson, LLC!  Ellen was so thrilled at your response to our 12 Tags of Christmas with Feminine Twist that I could not resist but join Becky for a "love" themed series leading up to Valentine's day.  Bek gave you some sugary sweetness with the first installment so I focused on a vintage theme with my first tag...

This is a very BIG tag - it measures 8.25 x 4 inches!  I wanted to cover this entire tag with the Graphic 45 Communique Collection tartan paper called Typography.  Lay the tag on the backside of the paper to trace it.  Cut it out and adhere to the tag.

 

Next I needed some red paint and didn't have quite the right shade so I mixed the two Studio colors called Dash of Red and Modern Red which worked perfectly!

 

Paint the largest chipboard heart from the Wings and Hearts Mini Chipboard set.

 

Next paint letters from the Grungeboard Mixed Minis set as well as the Wings with Traditional Tan Studio Paint on a Non-Stick Craft sheet with the Studio Line Paint Brush set.

 

Sand the wings and heart as desired once the paint is dry with the Tim Holtz Sander. 

Press the Ranger Ink Blending Tool firmly to the Tea Dye Distress Ink Pad.

Ink the heart and wings with the tool.  You will get a lovely aged look on these pieces that will coordinate with the project much better.

 

Cut out this lovely lady from the Communique Collection paper.  It's actually from a sheet called "Communique".

 

I like to use my Tonic Guillotine Trimmer to create a nice square border of black around the image.  This trimmer is so handy for all of my precision cutting - it will shave off the tiniest sliver of paper.

 

Paint the reverse side of a Black and White Clock Sheer embellishment with Traditional Tan Studio Paint.

 

Cut a 1x4 inch border of "Buttons A La Mode" from the Graphic 45 Fashionista Collection.  I need to share with you that Graphic 45 has several collections that work well together.  I had seven pieces of paper pulled for this tag from 3 different collections.  Great paper.  Hand tear the top side of the border and adhere to the tag.

Collage the elements together as shown and adhere to the tag.  I used some foam tape under the heart and wings.

Pick up some red (R59 Cardinal) Copic Marker with the Colorless Blender...

...and paint her lips.  Why did I not just use the red marker you ask?  Too dark!

Tuck some Prima Flowers in under the wings.  I also inked this flowers with Tea Dye Distress Ink to tone down the white and tie them better with the project.

Adhere some Filmstrip Ribbon over filmstrip on the paper as shown.

I skipped ahead a few steps - oops!  I got so carried away with my creating that I forgot to stop and take pictures.  *smacks herself in on the forehead*

Here are a few more details - I added some hands to the clock which are also included in the set, placed a "Say It In Pearls" embellishment in the center of the clock, typewriter key letters from the Die Cut Alphabet sheet and last but not least, some black Prima lace.

Thank you so much for joining us in the CLASSroom, this tag was an absolute joy to create for you.  I hope in inspired you to create something very special for someone in your life this Valentines Day.

Cheers, Lisa

Sticky Back Canvas Ribbon Strips and Glam Old Wallpaper

It was the beginning of December and I just needed a break from the reality of running a business. I went into my studio, turned on the music and just started to play. From that little experiment with the Studio Line I realized several different "things" that I could share, that would hopefully add a new twist to what can be done with this fabulous line of products.

I have no formal fine art training and so whatever I come up with is purely accidental. It is at these times when I am just exploring and experimenting that I am in my happy spot :D Today I hope to share a couple of ideas that came from that creative play:

• embossing on sticky back canvas is way cool,
• sticky Back Canvas "Ribbon Strips" can be the perfect embellishment to your project,
• the "old wallpaper" technique that I shared in this post can be glammed up with Perfect Pearls,
• you can use the Studio Line paints with your stamps,
• and finally you can add "dimension" to items created from a single layer of Sticky Back Canvas.

To begin I took a sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" sticky back canvas and cut it into smaller pieces. I then "painted" these with gesso and allowed them to dry. At a later date I hope to share some of the other wonderful things I discovered as I played with these pieces. Today I am sharing one of the first of those ideas.

I had no direction as I started this creative process. I was playing, experimenting and taking pictures as I went along. I had no idea what the outcome would be until I was well into the process - LOL! I wondered what would happen if I tried using embossing powders on this surface.

It is extremely important to make certain that your gesso covered sticky back canvas is dry. I then used an anti-static embossing buddy to rub the entire surface. I stamped my poppy image on the surface using black pigment ink and embossed using fine detail black embossing powder. After heating it the detail of the poppy jumped up off the surface of the canvas making it so very easy to paint the flower.

I added water to Modern Red Studio paint as shown above.

Painting in the poppy allowing the very thin paint to pool and flow.

Next I brought out Dash of Red and added it to the previous mix.

I continued to pool color on the surface, not worrying if the color might "spill" outside my lines since I knew I would cut out the end result. As you can see I also added Sable Brown to the center of the poppy. When applying color to flowers I always like to google an image of the actual flower before beginning so that I can get a fairly accurate idea as to what the true colors are.

I then allowed this to dry.

As you can see I also added a little yellow to the color tones of my poppy. Curiousity had me wondering what would happen if I added layers of color using an old technique in which you watercolor using reinkers. The yellow layer was added with a slight wash of Scattered Straw reinker.

The final step was to lightly spritz the poppy with a mixture of Fired Brick and Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls. (Instructions for creating here-just utilize the colors listed above.)

During this experimental process I discovered that using Gesso on decorative paper brought on an appearance of aged wallpaper. In my previous post I shared how to "scrap" it on. In this post I want to propose a second method to you. Add some water to your gesso mixture on your non-stick craft sheet.

(Tip: Use your craft sheet to protect your desk and make cleanup a cinch. Most often I allow my paint/gesso mixes to dry and then use my craft scraper I scrap the excess into the trash. Then I wipe the surface clean.)

Next I added some Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls to this mixture. I then painted over the surface of my Nook and Pantry papers completely altering the look of the bright yellow paper to coordinate with the color tones in my Poppy. The very subtle gold shimmer that peeks from the paper surface brings about a sophisticated, yet rustic appearance.

I wanted to experiment with dry brushing on this paper. To dry brush I make certain that my brush has all moisture squeezed out of it. I then lightly dab it on the surface of a dry paper towel to spread the fibers. Then touch only the ends of the fibers to the paint that is in the lid of my paint containers. This paint is usually thicker - the perfect consistency for dry brushing.

The photo of the brush above is what it looked like after I had dipped it into the lid. This is still too much paint in my opinion and so I dabbed some off on to a dry paper towel before I gently drag my brush from the edge of my project towards the center. In other words I start on my craft sheet and drag it towards the center of my paper sheet.

Hopefully this picture gives you a better idea of how much and how the paint was applied.

This picture shows the difference between the original, absolutely spectacular paper that Basic Grey manufactured and the one that I felt would be more appropriate to go with my earthy, textured poppy. It is so hard to take good photos and capture the beautiful irridescent light of the altered paper.

After my poppy paint was completely dry I removed the protective backing from the canvas and squeezed my poppy into a dimensional shape as shown. I then applied Matte Multi-Medium to the sticky back surface of my poppy. This did two things. Once dry it was no longer sticky, and it added some additional "stability" to the dimension of the poppy.

As I looked through my supplies for the perfect ribbon I just couldn't find something that I was excited about. This was such a clean simple piece, with some rusticity to it and I didn't have anything on hand that seemed to work. It then hit upon me that I could create my own RIBBON STRIPS from sticky-back canvas!!!

I cut a strip of sticky back canvas to the approximate size and painted it black. After it was dry I spritzed it with my mixture of Fired Brick reinker, Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls and water.

Next I selected a fairly bold crochet ribbon. I wanted this to act as my "stamp." I painted it with Modern Red as shown above. I then carefully picked it up, placing it face down on to my black canvas strip. I VERY gently pressed the crochet ribbon in place and then picked it back up leaving a very unusual "stamped" red image in its place.

As you can see the pattern is not distinct, but it was precisely what I thought fit this beauty.

The last element that was needed to tie it all together was a subtle, rustic flourish behind the poppy.

It is easy to stamp using Studio paints. I find that by painting a very light layer on my non-stick craft sheet and using this as my "ink pad" I can add a rustic painted look to my projects.

One last side view in hopes of giving you a better idea of the finished look. I hope that sharing my explorations with you will give you the courage to just try it---I hope that you too can find stress relief and excitement as you explore with the fine art tools that you have in your possession. You don't need lots of education to try something new. It's OK to make mistakes and throw things in the garbage if they don't work, but miraculously it is amazing how often these explorations don't end up needing to be trashed.

stamps: Memory Box Open Poppy, Stampers Anonymous Take Flight

ink: Pitch Black Adirondack Pigment Ink Pad

paper: Basic Grey Nook and Pantry, Memory Box Persimmon Notecard and Envelope

accessories: Studio Line - Gesso, Modern Red, Dash of Red, Sable Brown, Charcoal Black, Sticky Back Canvas, Brushes; Non-stick Craft Sheet, Craft Scraper, Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls, Jacqueline Crochet Riboon   

12 Days of Christmas - Day 10: Ten Toys from Tim's World by Ellen Hutson

ETA: I apologize for not putting links into my post --- perhaps sleep deprivation is not a good thing - LOL! I have tried to come back in and link to the supplies I have used. Just a quick FYI - more Hero Arts stamps are in transit and I will let you know when they will be arriving once I get the tracking number :D (yippie!)

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to sit down and "play" with the Studio Line of products. Today I want to share just one of the discoveries I made that day. 

With a background in interior design I was able to utilize so many wonderful wall finishes and products as I designed interiors for customers. It was as I sat and thought about correlating that past with my present, that the idea for "old wallpaper" came up. So the technique that I am sharing first today I am calling just that---old wallpaper technique. 

Because today's blog candy drawing includes ten "toys" from the Tim Holtz product lines I decided to pay homage to the beautiful tags he creates.  It was our very own Kim, who inspired me to use the HUGE size tag and turn it into my card today.

Many of you have asked for more information on the Studio Line and this little lesson is going to focus on Gesso.

Gesso is an art supply that is similar to paint, but it dries hard. It is typically applied to a surface to "prime" it or prepare it for painting. It helps to create a surface that paint will not seep through and provides a tooth that the paint will "stick" to. It also adds "substance" to the product you are applying it to, giving it more durability. Even though it dries hard, it still is a flexible product. It can be used on canvas, fabric, paper, wood and so much more.

When dry, gesso has a somewhat chalky appearance. It can be mixed with numerous pigments and applied as a colored mixture, but I have mostly experimented using the white.

As you can see in the photo above I typically apply a dollop of gesso to the paper surfaces I plan on priming.

 

I then use my craft scraper to spread the gesso over my papers. For this project today I spread gesso on one side of a x-large manila tag. I also spread gesso on two 4 1/2" squares of Classic Cream Neenah cardstock (I'm glad I made two as you will see later in this post --- it is just as quick and easy to make two when experimenting and believe me when I tell you that it was a happy thing today :D )

 

Lastly is where I created my "old wallpaper." By simply spreading the gesso in a very thin layer over one of the papers from the Sugar Rush series I was able to age the paper and add a more chalky, plaster like finish to my paper, making it reminiscent of old wallpapers I had to remove in one of the design homes I participated in.

If you find that your scrapbook papers are a little to vivid this is a wonderful way of muting them and creating a unique vintage appearance.

Next I utilized the Mini Floret Mask. I applied it to the front of my tag card along the right edge. I then airbrushed over these masks using YG67. I had initially planned on applying the gesso over the top of all of these pieces, but sadly they just didn't adhere well enough, so on to plan B.

After removing the masks I applied a thin layer of gesso to create a unified surface for my project.

Once I was certain my gesso squares were dry I then stamped this gorgeous flower using VersaMark Dazzle Frost and then applied my silver embossing powder. When looking at the Sugar Rush line of papers I was intrigued by the grays that were used in this line and felt that this silver would fit nicely with those grays.

I am sharing this next segment with you to share something that did not work well for me. I believe that because the gesso surface creates a very smooth chalky-like finish not all dye inks will dry well on this surface. I watercolored in my image using Distress Reinker colors.  I allowed it to sit to dry, I used my Heat It tool think this would set the color --- yet it still did not dry.

I finally ended up just pulling away much of the color with a paper towel. It still was quite pretty, but not what I was wanting and so I abandoned ship here - LOL!

Next I decided to try using Adirondack Dye Ink Pads. I believe that there is some "ingredient" in the Distress Inks that extends the dry time and therefore does not allow the ink to dry well on the gessoed surface. I was not about to give up and so I went with the ink pad to non-stick craft sheet method. Applying Peach Bellini, Mountain Rose, and Watermelon Dye ink pads directly to the surface and misting with water was the next step.

I swirled my remaining dried gesso squared in this mixture. I LOVE the magical appearance that was the end result.

I had wanted to use this technique on the interior of my tag and was very pleased with the end result. Once dry (you will see this in the last photo) it has the incredible appearance of an old plastered wall like you would find in Southern France or perhaps Italy. The texture that the gesso provides is extraordinary!

As you can see the Adirondack inks dried beautifully.

I then repeated the silver embossed flower on this square. I did come back in with my waterbrush and add a little additional reinker to bring a little more boldness to the color of the image. 

As Beks would say---I then fussy cut (love that term :D) my flower. Adding a stitched brad to the flower center. Oh my goodness... I'm in love with the idea of applying gesso to everything and seeing what happens - LOL!

I stitched the Sugar Rush old wallpaper to my tag.

One final view of the tag interior. All it needs now is a sentiment in the silver embossing powder. Being I don't have a destination in mind for this beauty the sentiment will have to wait.

A little silk ribbon, combined with some old favorite Basic Grey trims and my project is complete.

The most important tip I can share is to clean your tools promptly upon completing the application of gesso. I keep a few baby wipes handy to clean my non-stick craft sheet as I go, so that things don't get too messy. As well I have a water dish that I place my tools in so that they don't dry out. Even though this can be a bit messy it is SO worth it and I encourage you to try something new and different. You can use it with some of your old favorites, or add a few new twists. I have other things that I have tried and hope to share with you soon as well, because they are oh, so cool!!! I hope that you will give gesso a try!

Now on to the drawing for today :D

TENTH DAY BLOG CANDY

On the tenth day of Christmas my goodie box could be:

• ten toys from Tim's world

 

To participate in this random drawing please leave your answer to the following question as a comment to this post. Please limit yourself to one comment only. The last day to submit a comment to this post will be January 6th at Midnight. We will post the winners (which will be drawn using a Random Number Generator) for all twelve days on January 7th.

This is going to be a longer comment requirement - LOL! Word on the street is that Tim has 12 new Distress Ink colors coming out at CHA as well as new BIgz dies. Do you see yourself buying these new inks sooner rather than later? Do you still purchase and use the large size dies such as Bigz? Would you like for us to carry the complete line of Tim's accessories? and last but not least, you have suggested that you would like us to share how to use the "old supplies" - please share an example or two of the products you have in your stash that you would like us to incorporate with the new :D

Don't forget the following 12 Days of Christmas blog candy drawings --- be certain to answer the question on each individual post to be included in that drawing!

• Favorite Scoring Tools
• Two Soldeirng Starters
• Three Inchie Art Packets
• Four Cournish Stamps
• Five Fab Fine Art Fixings
• Six Dies for Cutting
• Seven Alterable Items
• Eight Copics for Coloring
• Nine Packs of Paper
 

12 Days of Christmas - Day 7: Alterable Items, Canvas Album Part Four by Julia Stainton

One of the fabulous things about the Prima Canvas Album is all the wonderful techniques and ways you can alter it. For this page, I've had a lot of fun with altering surfaces with paint and trying out a really fun way to give your photos an easy and unique look. Thanks for joining me.

For this page, I thought it would be fun to create a page without paper. Actually, if you look closely, the flowers are made from paper but for the rest of the design...it's paper free. And that includes the photo. I started off by painting my own background right on the canvas. You don't need to do anything to the surface first, just brush on your paint. I've used brush strokes in Blank Canvas, Painterly Pink and a tiny touch of Landscape Green to create this artistic styled background. To get this effect, use a dry brush and brush on the paint with horizontal and vertical strokes until you've built up the color the way you want it.

 

Allow paint to dry well.

My second step was to add a stamped Bracket Block Scrapblock to the canvas page. This helps anchor the design. The Adirondack Paint Dabbers are really great for applying paint to rubber stamps and give a beautiful impression much different from the look you would get with ink. On this page I've used Hazelnut. The paint also works really well on top of the painted background layer.

After the paint has dried well, the next step was to add the photo.You can either use a digital photo or like me, scan in a vintage photo, edit and then print directly onto Claudine Hellmuth Sticky Back Canvas. The 8.5 x 11 sheets fit perfectly into your printer and print. I used a black and white image but color images also print well on this canvas. An ink jet printer will work well with this technique as well as a laser printer.

 

As you can see, it gives the photo a lovely texture and the detail comes out well on this surface. I used my Tonic Guillotine Paper Trimmer to cut out the canvas as it works well on heavy paper and other surfaces.
 

To create my own custom embellishment, I used Craft-a-Board and die cut it with the Spellbinders Nested Bird die, medium size.
 

A really easy way to cover chipboard and Craft-a-Board is alter it with Distress Crackle Paint. I used Shabby Shutters and then while wet, sprinkled it with Martha Stewart Glitter.

After it's dry, you can see how it gives a great textured look  and a touch of shine. I had scraps of Sticky Back Canvas left over after trimming my photo and used it to make an easy pleated ribbon here. I also grouped together Confetti Cake White Flowers, a sweet Basic Grey Button and the gorgeous Say it in Studs Pastels bling embellishment.

 

A third way I used Sticky Back Canvas on this project was to stamp a sentiment on it. Love is the key comes from the Key Expressions stamp set by CHF.

Here's how I added it in along with some of the Shire ribbon lace  I've been using on each page. I love how easy the sticky back canvas is to adhere to your project.

 

Here's a close-up of the other flower cluster. It uses another Say it with Studs embellishment and some Basic Grey Bling.

A close-up of the final project...

 

If you're just joining us and would like to see the other Canvas Album Pages, you can find there at Part One, Part Two and Part Three.

Thanks so much for stopping by the CLASSroom! We hope you are enjoying the 12 days of Christmas.

SEVENTH DAY BLOG CANDY

On the seventh day of Christmas my goodie box could be:

• Seven Alterable Items (Canvas Album, Clear Buttons, White and Cream Art Flowers, Manila #8 Tag Set, 8"x8" Crystal Clear Plastic, 8 1/2" x 11" Crystal Clear Medium-Weight Plastic, Craft-a-Board)

To participate in this random drawing please leave your answer to the following question as a comment to this post. Please limit yourself to one comment only. The last day to submit a comment to this post will be January 6th at Midnight. We will post the winners (which will be drawn using a Random Number Generator) for all twelve days on January 7th.

As you can probably tell we enjoy trying different things here in the CLASSroom along with carrying different products in our store. It is so very important to us that we educate you fully, showing you how to use the products we carry. Please tell us below which products (products we carry ) you would like to see more education on.

Don't forget the following 12 Days of Christmas blog candy drawings --- be certain to answer the question on each individual post to be included in that drawing!

• Favorite Scoring Tools
• Two Soldeirng Starters
• Three Inchie Art Packets
• Four Cournish Stamps
• Five Fab Fine Art Fixings
• Six Dies for Cutting

Tag 11 - Painted Santa By Lisa Strahl

Dear friends, I can't believe this is my last tag!  Where has the time gone?  Sharing this series with Bek and Ellen's readers has been nothing but a pleasure.  (Ok, I could do without this flu bug I am fighting.)  But never fear, there are tags to be made and I took an extra nap this afternoon just so I could finish well.  Thank you so much for all of your kind words, they did lift me up yesterday.  :D

This tag was another labor of love, although hard to photograph at times.  I always craft in the late evening, just the time of life I am in, with day time work and little ones.  Please forgive some strange angles I needed to use to keep the glare off of the project.

 

 

Press the Aged Mahogany, Shabby Shutters and Vintage Photo Distress Ink Pads in a triangle pattern to the Non-Stick Craft Sheet and spritz with a Mini Mister.  Mine is always filled with Pearl Perfect Pearls (say that three times fast!) and water to add some bling.

 

Press the Size 8 Tag to the ink...

 

...and give it a quarter turn.

 

Turn it over and heat set with the Ranger Heat It Craft Tool.  Feel free to use some paper towel to remove any excess ink you don't like.

 

 

Repeat this process over and over until your tag is covered to your satisfaction.  I usually press into the ink about 8 times, focusing on different areas each time.  Be sure to heat set between each layer of color.

 

What on earth is this, right?  I wanted to add some texture to this background, but a stamped pattern was going to be too much for all of the other stuff I had planned.

Cut three lengths of Black Crocheted Ribbon the circumference of the Medium Inky Roller - adhere with some double sided tape.  Remove some of the stickiness by handling it with your fingers a few times so you can remove it later.

 

Squeeze a good amount of paint from the Adirondack Gold Paint Dabber onto your Craft Sheet.

 

Get your brayer good and "painty".

 

Roll in ONCE over the tag, pressing firmly.

 

 

I just LOVE this effect.  Added texture, but it's not distracting in any way.

Determine the right size game spinner (the smallest gold one) to fit this date sticker from the Salvage Sticker Assortment (I know Ellen has these at the warehouse and they should go up on the store in the next day or two.)

They were a little stark for the project so ink them with Vintage Photo Distress Ink using Cut 'n Dry Foam and heat set. 

Using the matching brad, attach the spinner to the sticker.  Hammer it with the ball end of the Texture Hammer, smash that brad!

 

Ink the larger month sticker with Shabby Shutter Distress Ink.

Put the date sticker over the month sticker, attach with the brad and cover the entire piece with Glossy Accents.  Note: The spinner points to the 24th and December.

Dab gold paint onto the Santa image from the Santa's Wish Stamp Set.

Brayer over the paint with a clean brayer to ensure the paint is distributed evenly. 

Stamp onto a tag and heat set.

Fussy cut it out. 

Press the Peeled Paint Distress Ink Pad onto the craft sheet and pick some up with a Small Niji Waterbrush.  Watercolor the holly leaves on the image.

Watercolor Santa's hat and coat with Aged Mahogany Distress Ink.  My favorite part about this technique is that the paint resists the water and ink which means that it shows through and shimmers.  So lovely!

And give him some rosy cheeks with Tattered Rose Distress Ink. 

Whiten his beard with the Inkssentials White Gel Pen.

Cover the white part of his hat with Glossy Accents. 

And dust with Twinklets. 

Stamp the lamp post from the Festive Sounds Stamp set with Jet Black Archival Ink on a Crystal Clear Sheet, heat set and cut out with detail scissors.

Paint the back side of the image with Adirondack Pearl Paint Dabber with the smallest Studio brush. 

 

Press the painted side of the post to the tag as shown.  Add double sided tape to the bottom off Santa and add some foam squares behind his hat so he has some stature.

And once again, attach some of that lovely Black Crochet Ribbon with the Tiny Attacher - I am COMPLETELY addicted to this tool!!!  Can you tell?  *giggles*

Fill a Typewriter Key Charm with Frosted Lace Stickles and set aside to dry.

Once dry, attach to the end of Santa's hat with a silver brad. 

Attach your clock/month embellishment as shown with a strong adhesive.

Adhere a stripe of star shaped Twinkle Stickers. 

Finish it off with the Merry Christmas sentiment from the Santa's Wish stamp set and top it off with 1 1/4 inch Ivory Silk Ribbon.  I just love how soft and almost romantic this Santa turned out.  It's as if he is hiding and you discover him as your eye wanders around the tag.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for having me.  I am blessed.  

Tag 9 - Mosaic Christmas Tag by Lisa Strahl

Tag 9 already, can you believe it?

When I talked to Bek today I just had to share with her how clever I thought her tag was yesterday.  That window was so uber cool.  Nice job girlie!

I have been just dying to play with the new Inchie Art products- Plus Size inchies (1.5 inches), Twinchies and in lovely neutral colors.  Today's tag was my perfect excuse...

 

First order of the day is to decide on a layout for the inchies, twinchies, etc.

 

Stamp images from the Mini Holidays, Floral Tattoo and Festive Sounds stamp sets in permanent brown ink such as Coffee Archival (Ranger).

 

Create a "handle" for your inchie with Eclipse Tape.

 Press it to the stamp.

 

Repeat this and stamp all of the images.

 

 

 

Sponge Faded Jeans and Peeled Paint Distress Ink around the edge of the pieces with Cut 'n Dry Foam.

 

Sponge Walnut Stain Distress Ink around the edge of the tag.

 

Adhere all of the pieces to the tag.  Stack the Santa image onto a second Twinchie.  

 

Embellish the images with Melon and Sky Blue Glitter Spica Pens.

 

Embellish with Lime Green and Arctic Ice Stickles.

 

Stamp the reverse side of a Word Key with permanent white ink using the Christmas sentiment from the Night Before Christmas stamp set.

A few details: the metal pieces are Sproket Gears, Muse Tokens, Long Fasteners, Foliage, Game Spinners, Hitch Fasteners, Jump Rings and Bead Chain.

 
...of course I can't resist adding some of that gorgeous lace trim to finish it off.

And with that friends, I wish you a wonderful Wednesday!

Tag 7 - Christmas Carols Tag by Lisa Strahl

Well all I can say about Becky's tag is that I hope she sends it to *ME* for Christmas! 

Today's tag features more traditional Christmas colors, but hopefully keeps that soft and romantic feel with the use of watercoloring and vintage trims.

 

Place the tag over the portion of the Graphic 45 paper you want to cut out and trim around the edges with a Judikins Craft Knife. Adhere the paper to the front of the tag.

 

Stamp and heat emboss the lamp post from the Festive Sounds stamp set with Detail Black Embossing Powder on a tag using the Ranger Craft Tool.

 

Put a small amount of Heirloom Gold, Sunflower Sparkle and Pearl Perfect Pearls Pigment Powder on the Non-Stick Craft Sheet.  Spritz with water. 

 

Mix the Heirloom Gold into paint and apply to lamp standard.

Fill the "glass" portion of the light with the Pearl (white) color and then while it is still wet, add some Sunflower Sparkle and allow it to bleed into the white.

 

Allow the paint to dry and cut out the image with sharp tip detail scissors.

Stamp the image again with Jet Black Archival ink on Judikins Eclipse Tape.

Cut around the left side of the image and place on the tag. 

Ink the music background from the Festive Sounds stamp set with Fired Brick Distress Ink.

Stamp the image on the tag on an angle.  Remove the Eclipse Paper and set aside.

 

 

Stamp the Christmas Carols sentiment from the Festive Sounds stamp set with Jet Black Archival Ink on a tag and cut it out.

 

Spritz the image with a Mini Mister filled with Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls and water - heat set.

Press the image onto an watermark or embossing ink pad.  Dust with Clear Embossing Powder and Heat set.

Apply Candy Cane Stickles as berries to the sign.

 

...and Green Stickles to the edge and leaves.

Color the words on the image with Red Spica Glitter Pen. 

 

Stamp the Santa image from the Mini Holidays stamp set on a Crystal Clear Sheet and heat set.

 

Cut out.

 

And paint the back side with Blank Canvas Studio Paint.

 

Press to the tag while the paint is wet.

 

Apply foam tape to the lamp standard and adhere to the tag.

Paint Santa's coat and hat with A Dash of Red Studio Paint.  Allow to dry.

 

Apply small dots of Flower Soft Glue over Santa's bead and hat and dust with Polar White Flower Soft.

 

Cover the glass portion of the lamp with Glossy Accents.

 

Attach Crochet Ivory Ribbon with the Tiny Attacher stapler.

 

Apply strong tape on both edges of the tag and foam tape in the middle.

 

...and add the sentiment piece over it.

 

Adhere three Red Twinkle Sticklers to Santa's hat.

 

Punch a hole in the top of the tag and cover with a sprocket gear (Ideology) and tie with Ivory 1 1/4 inch ribbon.

Wishing you a wonderful week creative friends, please do come visit us again tomorrow!

Tag 5 - Eskimo Kisses Inspired By Lisa Strahl

Are we having fun yet or what?! 

I have seen the preview for tomorrow's tag and once again Bek and I are channeling each other by creating some sugary sweet cutesy projects.  My version was inspired by the Eskimo Kissesline by Basic Grey which is so stinkin' cute I can barely stand it!  Purple and pink and green and burgundy....yum.  Here we go....

 

For those of you who have never experienced the Studio Line of paint, let me give you a very brief endorsement - this stuff ROCKS.  It's the most buttery smooth paint I have ever worked with an when it's applied it gives such a richness and depth of color that I never have to add a second layer.  Just loverly.

Begin by adding some Perfect Pearls "Pearl"to the paint and mix it in well.  I wanted to create a shimmer paint because it 'Tis the Season to bling.  Perfect Pearls are permanent once wet so the Painterly Pink Studio Paint becomes a shimmer paint when the powder is added.  Cool beans right?  P.S.  I added some Blank Canvas white paint to the mixture as well so I could match the paper we are using perfectly.

Go forth and paint TWO tags.

Spritz with a Mini Mister filled with 3/4 water and two scoops using the end of your paint brush of Perfect Pearl.

 

Heat set with the Ranger Heat Tool - also known as the greatest heat tool on the planet.  (and no, I am not being cheeky)

Now loosen up the paint a little by spritzing more.  You don't want the paint to be to heavy when you paint this Heidi Swapp flower. 

 

Leave some open areas of white so we can ink them later.  This is so shimmery and pretty, even though the camera can't pick it up.

 

Flick some Patina Perfect Pearls onto the wet flower and allow to dry.

 

Stamp this image from the Mini Holidays stamp set(NOW available in the store!) with permanent burgundy ink such as Archival or StazOn.

 

Add Clear Glossy Accents to a Charm Fragment.

Press the fragment to the image ensuring full coverage of the Glossy Accents between the plastic and the paper and then set something on top of it while it dries.

 

Trim around the backside once it's dry and set aside.

 

Using the brown Martha Stewart Twine, secure the Swivel Clasp to the back of the Eskimo Kisses button and remove the clasp part (you can bend open the jump ring with your fingers.)  Keep the  jump ring.

Ink your flower with Aged Mahogany Distress using Cut 'n Dry Foam.

 
 
Stamp the calendar image also from the Mini Holidaysset with permanent brown ink on your second painted tag and cut out.

 

Ink around the edges the same way as the flower, with Aged Mahogany Distress.

 

Tear the edges of the Eskimo Kisses paper from their 6x6 pad - the images are the perfect scale for smaller projects.  Use your Tonic Scissors to cut into the edge until it curls.

 

Adhere to your tag.  Sponge around the edges of the painted tag and lightly in the center to highlight the blotches of shimmer paint.

Create a circle of fibers from this green Botanicals paper by Prima.

 

Apply Glossy Accents to the flower.

 

..and press the Botanicals into the glue to dry.

 

Attach the charm fragment onto the chain/jump ring.  Add more Glossy Accents and adhere the button into the center of the flower.

 

Time to assemble the tag!  

-stamp the snowflakes image (yet another from the Mini Holidays set) with the same permanent burgundy ink, adorn your snowflakes with bling and pearls when everything else is put together

-a strip of paper as a border from the Eskimo Kisses Pad, add dots of Glossy Accents once everything is put together

-adhere the calendar image with foam tape, add a big dot of Glossy Accents over the "25th"

-loop wide Burgundy and Celery silk ribbon through the tag

 

I feel like I have been kissed by a pretty cute Eskimo, don't you?  :^)

Wishing you a WONDERFUL Saturday friends!

Tag 3 - Botanical Merry Christmas By Lisa Strahl

Well, Ms. Becky certainly rocked the house yesterday didn't she?  :^)  Go Bek!

Today's tag is definately a non-traditional Christmas Tag.  Let's begin trimming a Webster's Pages Vellum Journaling Card with detail scissors. It's always good to leave a small amount white space around the edge of the image rather than trimming right next to the line.

 

This white paper may not look like much but it's an amazing product line by Heidi Swapp called "Invisibles".  Basically they are 12 x12 pre-embossed pages with absolutely gorgeous designs.  They allow you to apply resist techniques, but you get to skip the heat embossing step.  The pattern is very visible in real life but hard to discern in the photo.  Let's add some ink so you can see what I am talking about.  This piece is from the Classic Vintage Page.

 

Using Cut 'n Dry Foam, I sponged Shabby Shutters Distress Ink onto the Invisible.  Please see the Tag 1 post for more information about adding ink to a project with Cut 'N Dry Foam.

 

Add Antique Linen Distress Ink in the same fashion.  I used the images on the sheet to determine where to add color.

 

The last color added was Brushed Corduroy.  It is the most "red" brown of the 5 Distress browns, but still didn't quite match the color in the vellum overlay I wanted to use, so I added a little Aged Mahogany Distress Ink over the Brushed Corduroy until I achieved the desired color. 

 

Stamp the Reindeer (Mini Holidays stamp set by Tim Holtz) with a permanent ink such as Archival or StazOn.

 

Now you might find this next step interesting.  How shall we attach the vellum to the tag?  There are vellum tape runners or you can use brads or eyelets, but I chose to paint so that the vellum basically became part of the tag.  Simply paint a relatively large portion of the back side of the vellum with Blank Canvas Studio Paint and press to the tag.  I really wanted this beautiful flower to "pop" so I painted that portion to secure the vellum.  You will need to smooth it a little as it sets and dries.  Claudine's Paint Brush Set is an amazing value with all of the different sizes and cuts of brushes.

Once this portion was smooth and dry, there were a few areas around the edge I wanted to be a little more secure, so I just added some Glossy Accents and pressed the seam flat.

 

Trim around the tag with Tonic Non-Stick Scissors.  These work great to cut through any of the extra glue that has seeped out around the edges. 

 

Add Rock Candy Distress Sticklesto some of the ornamental areas.  This product literally dries like sugar on your project, giving it a fascinating texture.

 

Stamp the Reindeer image again on a clean tag and cut out, minus the antlers.

 

Those non-stick scissors came in handy again when I needed to cut my foam tape to fit my deer.

 

Apply Vintage Photo Distress Stickles to the antlers.  If you apply more than you wanted, just use a piercing tool or the tip of your scissors to redirect the glitter glue or even to remove some of it. 

 

Sand a piece of Translucent Lucky Squirell Shrink Film in both directions, but make sure you don't do it on the craft sheet, it will damage it!  I used the Sanding Grip, but Lucky Squirell actually makes great sanding blocks with a very fine grain, for this very purpose.

 

Stamp the Merry Christmas from the Santa's Wish stamp set with a permanent brown ink (I know this looks red, but trust me, it's brown) and gently heat set to dry the ink with the Ranger Craft tool.  Make sure you don't heat it too much or it will start to shrink.  Cut around the the sentiment and shrink based on the manufacturer's instructions.

 

 

When I was pulling the ribbons I wanted to use for this tag together, I realized that I really needed a red/brown and didn't have anything quite right.  Copic Markers to the rescue!  Use the chisel tip to color this 1/4 inch white silk ribbon and allow to dry.  I used Leather Copic as you can see.

 

Being the piercing junkie that I am, I did some decorating around the leaves.

 

There are a few extra details that I added near the end of the project, but forgot to snap photos!  I got so carried away in my creative head, please let me describe them for you...

-Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink was sponge around the entire edge of the tag with Cut 'n Dry Foam

-the Celery 1 1/4 inch Silk, White 1/4 inchand my Copic colored ribbons were wrapped around the bronze Sprocket Gear and tied with some Martha Stewart Baker's Twine

-Nikki Lace Trim was secured to the bottom of the tag with the Tiny Attacher Stapler

-Design Ruler used to pierce a line of holes down the right side of the tag

-Glossy Accents applied to the "shrunk" sentiment

Thank you so much for visiting us again today and happy 12 tags of Christmas to you!

Tag 1 - Angel Wings by Mona Lisa

A very warm welcome to the Ellen Hutson 12 Days of Christmas.  Thank you so much for joining us in kicking off the holiday season!

I am honored to be able to create with my dearest friend Ellen for a few weeks and share my passion for paper crafting with her amazing customers.  Becky and I are having much too much fun behind the scenes creating to our heart's delight.

Without further adieu, let's get right to the first tag...

I began by cutting this adorable pair of angels out of the Ode to Joy 12 x 12 sheet (Graphic 45) with my sharp tip detail scissors.  Using a good pair of scissors makes all the difference when cutting out detailed images.

It's very important to have a non-stick surface such as the Ranger Craft Sheet when applying products like Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint.  Any paint or ink wipes right up or flakes off when dry.  Paint a thin layer of the Rock Candy over the entire surface and allow to dry.  This paint cracks like a fine porcelain over these richly colored images.  Gorgeous!

 

Paint the surface of the tag with Tea Dye Distress Crackle Paint, but paint "lightly".  Leave lots of open space because we are going to add ink in those areas later.  With Crackle Paint, the thicker you apply, the deeper the cracks.  This color matches the Christmas Past Collection perfectly.  Allow the paint to fully dry.  Cracks will appear as the paint dries.

Here is the what the paint looks like dry:

Edge the mini wooden Scrabble Pieces with the Copper Krylon Pen.  The trick with these pens is to get the flow of ink moving to the tip.  Simply press down repeatedly on the Craft Sheet until it begins to pool.  You can create a nice pool on the sheet if you like and just dip the tip of the pen into the ink as needed.  Drag the tip around each side of the letters and allow to dry.

Cut a small piece (I like about 2x2 inches) of Cut 'n Dry Foam from the 8.5 x 11 sheet and grab your Peeled Paint Distress Ink Pad.

 

Load the sponge with ink by pressing it into the pad several times and then ink the tag in a circular motion beginning ON the Craft Sheet and then dragging the foam onto the tag.  Add color as desired.

Add Perfect Pearl Pigment Powder to a Mini Mister filled 3/4 full with water.  1-2 scoops on the end of a paint brush will do the trick to create a lovely shimmery mist over the project.

Spritz 3-4 times over the tag and allow to dry or heat set with the Ranger Craft Tool.

Stamp the border from the Floral Tattoo Set (Stampers Anonymous) with Archival Ink.  This stamp set will be in the shop soon!

Then stamp the floral spring from the same set.

 

I wanted to really add some texture below where the angels would sit and chose this amazing cream colored Botanical Paper.  I tore the bottom of the piece to get lots of "stringy" bits and then used my ever handy Tonic Non-Stick scissors to cut through the fibers and adhesive underneath.

The Botanical Paper is adhered until the the Angels which are popped up on foam squares.

Attach the "wings" tiles with Red Tape Liner.

Pierce a line of hole in the paper using the piercing template on the Design Ruler.

Use a white gel pen to "Faux Stitch" the border of the tag.

Decorate the berries with Fruit Punch Stickles.

...and the branches with Patina Stickles.

Add small dots of Flower Soft Glue to the Angels' Wings and dust Polar White Flower Soft over the glued areas several times.  Flower Soft is much easier to use in a big container once it has been unpacked from the container.

Attach the lace with the Tiny Attacher Stapler.  This handy little tool really does allow you to attach all sorts of things and the staples are so stinkin' small, you don't even notice them!

Last but not least, tie a soft and romantic piece of silk ribbon to the tag and voila!  A very special tag that someone could enjoy all year round.  Oh, I almost forgot...at the last second I realized that the blond angel needed a flower in her hair.  Tim's Foliage Hardware was perfect topped with a little bling.

Thank you so much for visiting and make sure you check back as I know Ellen has some giveaways planned!

Family Wall Art by Julia Stainton

One of the things I love about crafting is the opportunity to be creative and also creating things for my family or home. This week we're celebrating Ellen's 3rd anniversary of Ellen Hutson, LLC and to go along wtih that, I wanted to celebrate family. I hope you enjoy this fun project that will bring out your inner artist.

The base of this project is 9 4x4" canvases from Canvas Concepts. These canvases come in two packs so if you re-create this project exactly, you'll need a few packages with one canvas leftover for a mini canvas project. Feel free to change up your inspirational word. What about CREATE for your craft room for a great alternative?

The canvases used on this project come already primed so I was able to get right to work painting my canvases with Charcoal Black Studio Paint. The Studio Artist Brushes work really well for this project and I love the variety of sizes. Paint the sides of the canvases first for ease of handling and then the front. It really doesn't matter exactly how smooth you get the paint on. If you'd like a more hand-painted art look, feel free to vary the thickness of the paint. After covering the surface well, you'll want to allow the paint to dry at least a couple hours so that the mask doesn't remove it at a later step. To protect my work surface I used a Non-Stick Craft Sheet.

 

To create my word art I used a few different masks to easily mask off the areas I wanted to remain black. The 2 inch Newsprint Alphabet Masks were great for creating the letters. To embellish the non-letter squares, I used the Timeworks Mask and the Regal Mini Mask from Advantus.Press the sticky masks on well so that paint will not run under your mask.

The painting itself is a super fun experience. I encourage you to play around with the colors, brush it on light and heavy and just enjoy it. I used Landscape Green, Sky Blue, Yellow Pastel and Dash of Red to create my color palette. To get the more muted shades you see here, I mixed a dash of red or black in with the green and blue and painted the canvases. To get the more mottled artistic look you see below, I then lightly brushed on some surface colors to add interest to the layer. When you are satisfied with your look, allow to dry well.

I wanted to add a little more texture and interest to each canvas so I chose a few Backgrounders and Scrapblocks to stamp onto some of my canvases. I used Sophisticated Swirl Backgrounder, Spanish Script Backgrounder, Vintage Text Scrapblock and Wood Grain Backgrounder. Each was lightly inked with paint from a Black Adirondack Paint Dabber but you can also use the black paint that you painted the surface with and brush it over the stamps. Press carefully onto the surface of the canvas as desired.

Remove masks from surface of your canvases. I seem to have forgotten to remove the L mask on this photo but you get the idea. If you find that paint has bled under your mask, simply take the smallest brush and touch it up with black paint. Clean your masks and replace on carrier sheet as they can be reuses again and again for other projects.

 

Hang your wall art as desired and enjoy. If you use 9 squares, your finished piece will be approximately 14" square when hung.

 

I think the hardest part of this project was deciding which wall to hang it on.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom!

Gesso Goodness by Susan Roberts

A couple of months ago here in the CLASSroom, Ellen featured 3 beautiful tags that she created using Gesso.  I had never used it before but was so inspired after seeing her tags, that I knew I was going to have to give Gesso a try.

On her Tag #2 she states, "I painted a layer of gesso directly on to my red rubber image (you will find another image below showing the amount of gesso that I use. If you slather on a layer that is too thick you will lose all the stamp details. If the layer is too thin, it will dry quickly and not leave a nice impression. Experimenting with the amount of gesso to use will be gained by experience only."  Well it was time for me to experiment and gain some experience!  Just exactly how much was "too thick" and how much was "too thin"?

To begin my experiment I decided to use the largest and detailed image from the CHF "Key Elements" set.  I applied a truly thick layer of Gesso on my rubber image and then stamped the image 3 times.

Each resulting stamped image had less and less Gesso.  Oh my!!  The results were incredible!  Where more Gesso did compromise the detail, it made up for in fabulous lumps and bumps (aka TEXTURE)!!

(Be sure to follow Ellen's advise to immediately wash off the Gesso from your rubber stamp.  It rinses off quite easily before it dries... not so much after it dries!)

I chose to use Tim Holtz  Fired Brick Ranger Distress Ink.  So after the Gesso had dried I applied it directly from the pad to the image stroking it in all directions to emphasize all the texture.  The results made me giddy with delight!

 

Can you believe how fabulous that is!?!  And this is the image with the least amount of Gesso.  Check these out!

I lightly sanded the images before applying a second color of the Distressed Ink.

 

 

I cut out and matted each image and made 3 cards.  To show off some of the Basic Grey's "June Bug" and "Lemonade" Designer Paper Collections, I tore the front right hand edge completely off.

By adhering the designer papers to the inside of the card, some of the paper can be seen whether the card is open or closed.  These are such gorgeous prints!  I mixed and matched the two collections with 2 different patterns per card.

To make this set of cards more versatile, I chose to stamp the sentiments on separate detached strips.  This way, no matter what the need or occasion may be, I can easily add any sentiment desired.  A cute mini paper clip is attached to each card just for this purpose.  This could also be a fun gift set with several sentiment strips included for the recipient to add as needed.

 

I also had lots of fun layering and matching the Art Flowers to the designer papers.  I couldn't find a good pink or yellow to match on one of the cards so I used my Copics to color them for a closer match.

Gesso is wonderful.  It is extremely easy to work with and gives such fabulous depth and texture to a project.  And I've decided that there is no "too thick" or "too thin".  It's all goodness and just depends on the look (and feel) you want to achieve.  What could be better!?!

(Click image for larger view.)

------------------------------

The following products used on these cards are available at Ellen Hutson, LLC.

Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms:  "Key Elements", "Weave Backgrounder", "We Remember" ('With Sympathy' sentiment), "Wedding Centers" ('Happy Wedding Day' and 'Congratulations' sentiments), "Silhouette Blooms I" ('Thoughts of You' sentiment)

Papers: Memory Box: Granny Smith, Currant, Crimson; Neenah: Classic Cream; Basic Grey: "June Bug", "Lemonade"

Inks: Memento: "Tuxedo Black"; Ranger Distress Inks: "Fired Brick", "Old Paper", "Weathered Wood"

Accessories:  Claudine Hellmuth: Studio Gesso; Art Flowers; Dew Drops; Tim Holtz; Mini Paper Clips; Ribbon Lace; Ornare: Piercing Tool and Template

Canvas Bird Friend Card by Debbie Olson

 

Welcome to the CLASSroom! I'm still playing with bird images, but this time I'm using a Nested Bird die set and and some Claudine Helmuth Sticky-Back Canvas, combined with some Cosmo Cricket Early BIrd papers (Cherry Pie and Farmer's Market). Please note that I have used 12" x 12" papers here; I'm waiting for my 6" x 6" pads to arrive! The patterns will be approximately 25% of the size you see here in the 6" x 6" pads, and they are on the truck--yay!

I began by cutting the medium and small bird image from sticky-back canvas with a set of nested bird dies. As you can see, the die does not cut all of the way through the canvas and backing material, but it cuts through far enough that it's simple to snip out quickly. 

I used the medium Nested Bird for the bird body and the small bird for the wing, covering the beak with a button. (This is not my original idea; I think I saw Sharon Harnist use the smaller bird for a wing last year.) Next I used a Ranger Juniper Acrylic Dabber to paint the bird. If you have the Studio Acrylics line, you could probably mix a bit of Classic Teal with some Landscape Green to approximate the color of the bird. I was using what I had on hand. 

For the background, I pieced together some Cosmo Cricket Early Bird, along with a stamped line of sentiment from the Kim Hughes Pretty Birds stamp set.  Most of the type ended up covered, but it seemed a bit sparse without it altogether.

A bit of sewing, a small tag, and a ribbon finished my card off. Other dies that I used were the Border, Deckle, and Scallop die and the Double-Ended Tags die (cut to length after stamping my tag).I really enjoyed using the sticky-back canvas; its texture is such a simple and fabulous addition to almost any paper-crafted item. Thank you for visiting the CLASSroom today!

P.S. Through Monday, August 17, Ellen has a storewide sale going on. The promo code to type in at checkout is the word thrifty. Enjoy!

Debbie Olson

Grungepaper on Canvas by Debbie Olson

 

Last week I played with some Grungepaper for the first time. This week I have a simple gift canvas to share, with flowers created from die-cut and embossed Grungepaper.

I started with a blank canvas, Shabby Shutters and Old Paper Distress Crackle Paints, and some Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I painted the canvas, both top and sides, with the Old Paper (lighter color), and then went over the edges with the darker color (Shabby Shutters), blending the two together. After the crackle paint was dry to the touch, I used my heat gun on it to speed up the crackling process and then sponged a bit of Vintage photo distress ink on the sides and edges. TIP: On the crackle paint, the thicker you apply the paint, the deeper the cracks will be. I kept mine fairly thin so that I would have plenty of the canvas texture still showing, but that also meant that the cracks and crevices are smaller.

Next I used a Flourish Mask and a Copic YG95 marker with a Copic Airbrush System to airbrush the mask onto my canvas.

It looked a little too rigid for me, so I saturated a square of textured paper towel with the 0 Copic Various ink (clear blender fluid) and patted my airbrushed canvas, giving it a bit more of a fluid look.

Wanting still more background interest, I stamped the CHF Leaves backgrounderonto the canvas with white ink. That's it--it's ready to embellish with a sentiment and some Grungepaper shapes.

 

Next I cut my grungepaper shapes with a flower die, and the scrollwork with a Flourish Accents die. I used the same steps shown in last week's post, except that I ran the flower shapes through a Cuttlebug folder after finishing them. I used foam tape to layer the flower for added dimension.

For the sentiment I chose a verse from the Mona Lisa Moments Scripture Essentials 1 set and stamped it on vellum cardstock in Coffee Bean Brilliance ink before heat embossing it with clear embossing powder. I then sponged the edges with some Vintage Photo Distress ink, scraped the edges, and sewed around them. The accessories on the side are a mini paper clip and a button from my stash. Pearl accents (visible in the top photo) are found here.

Thank you for visiting the CLASSroom today!

Love: Miniabilities and Grungepaper by Debbie Olson

Today I have something new to share with you--at least new for me. Ellen had sent me a couple of sheets of the Tim Holtz Grungepaper a while back, and I just got around to experimenting with it this weekend. If you have ever tried Grungeboard, the Grungepaper has very similar characteristics in its ability to accept paint and be flexible. The big difference is that it is thin enough to run through most inkjet printers and to cut with a chemically etched die or a die-cutting machine.

Grungepaper looks something like the inside of a cereal box, but it is as flexible as a piece of suede--a really great feel. Here I've shown you the Grungepaper as well as the dies that I used, Flower Bouquet Miniabilities and one of the Double-Ended Tags. (You will see a normal tag on the card; when I need a smaller tag than the tag in the Tags Trio set, I simply use the smallest Double-Ended Tag die and cut it to length, then round the corners with my scissors.)

 

Here are the products that I used on the Grungepaper: Old Paper Distress Crackle paint, a Shell Pink Dabber, Adirondack Watermelon Ink, and Vintage Photo Distress ink. (If I had had a Tattered Rose Crackle paint, I would have used it and dispensed with the Shell Pink Dabber on top of the crackle paint surface.)

 

I first die-cut and embossed the Miniabilities. Since I wanted them a bit lighter-toned than the Grungepaper naturally was, I coated them with Old Paper distress Crackle Paint and then Shell Pink Dabber paint. After the paint went on, I had basically lost my texture from the embossing pass. So after the paint was completely dry, I carefully stuck my shapes back into the dies and re-embossed. Before removing them, I sponged some Watermelon Adirondack ink on for additional color. I also sponged it and the vintage photo distress ink around the edges of each shape.

 

The card background uses an Ornamental Borders Scrapblock inked in Adirondack Latte ink and sponged with both Watermelon and Vintage Photo. The little Love tag is stamped with a piece from the Ornamental Beauty set. Ribbon is some that I've had here for ages--not sure where it came from--and the mini pin is a Tim Holtz item too. I'm loving the mini safety pins! Finished size of this card is 3-1/8" x 6-1/4"

I have one more Grungepaper project started, and I'll try to share that next week. Thank you for visiting the CLASSroom today!

Stamp of the Month, February

When creating the stamp of the month packets I do my best to keep them simple. I want you to be able to complete these projects easily and in a timely manner and so I try not to overdue it - LOL! You can easily add an appropriate sentiment for your occasion to the front of this card or to the interior. You could also add additional texture by using a Cuttlebug folder, backgrounder or Scrapblock in a tone on tone ink, or pierce a design into the Wisteria cardstock. Sometimes though simple is good Ü

I am craving spring in a HUGE way and keep hoping that soon the Crocus will pop their little heads up and bring a bright, purple hue to our front yard! So with that I selected the new Lockhart Violet Cupcake for this month's project.

 

This little number came together SO easily being I had just received the newest releases from Memory Box Company. Dave has truly given us a special gift with his seven, YES SEVEN, new collections. I am going to give you direct links to them so that they will be easy for you to find.

• Brandywine (soft burgundy, brilliant orange and velvety golds)
• Butterfield (rolling hills, butterfly gardens and gorgeous scenery)
• Fernbrae (a quaint garden full of vintage florals and antique tile)
• Glitterati (lights, cameras and rock n' roll, ready for the ready carpet?)
• Poppyfinch (which is included in this month's stamp of the month packet is described as a bouquet of aqua, teal greens and soft violet)
• Rhubarb Tart (juicy reds, crisp greens and sassy patterns)
• Sweetbay (a lakeside collection of spring greens and frothy blues)
• and one more previous release, Sugardrop (petal pinks, bittersweet chocolate and mossy greens)
• OK - now I'm REALLY ready for spring after sharing these details - LOL!

Having arrived home from CHA sicker than a dog it is taking me a few days to try and get it all back together. I hope to head in to the office tomorrow and pair the papers up with the cardstock so that you will have a better idea as to which products they coordinate with. Each packet has (3) each of 10 different designs in it. What a fabulous value! They are all simply delicious!!!

When I first met Karen Lockhart I loved to color, but I didn't really have a way of sharing how it is that I did so in a manner that was easy to understand. Karen invited me to attend one of her classes as a "bystander", lending a hand where needed and just taking it all in. While attending that class Karen shared some wording that hit me like a bolt of lightning, being my background is interior design. She said as you color think of your image as a room you are decorating. Oh man!!! Why didn't I think of that??? Thank goodness for talented teachers like Karen! Analogies can make things so much easier to comprehend. So this is exactly how it is that I now convey to my students the message of how to color an image.

 

When beginning to decorate a room it typically starts with paint. Therefore the first layer that I use in "decorating" my image is a thin layer of primer. I start with my lightest colors to help define my image and I color the entire image, I PRIME it. I don't just do one wall, or one portion of my image, instead complete it from start to finish. I color the entire image, creating balance as I go. This also helps me define the sections within the image.

In the cupcake image above you can see how I selected markers that coordinate with my paper colors. When you purchase your Copic markers from us we supply you with a sheet of Neenah that has all of the colors we carry listed on it. We suggest that you use your marker to place a "swatch" of that color in each box as you accumulate your markers. That way you will know which colors you have to work with and will not have to constantly make little marks all over your work surface to figure out which colors you would like to use.

 

Next I PAINT my image, for this layer I typically use a darker color tone then the starting primer color. This is where I work quite differently than most Copic users. I have found that by working in the typical recommended way, my colors are much more "flat" than when I vary my color groupings.

The "typical" way of working with Copics is to select a color based on the first number in the series. For example I selected a BV000 to color the violets in the image above. The next number that would be recommended for use would then be a BV03-BV05, and if you really wanted some intense color you would then select a Copic marker that would be in the range of BV08-BV09. Note how the beginning number and letter all remain the same, with only the last digit changing. The last digit in the Copic markers indicate the lightness/darkness or value of the color, with the low digits being light and the high digits being dark.

I prefer to shoot off from that first number in the series and select from an associated color grouping. In nature when I look at a flower I don't see just one color, I see a multitude of colors and so this is how I select my colors. As you can see I first primed my image with the BV000, which is from the Blue-Violet family, but I wanted to make my image "pop." Therefore the next color I selected was V15, a color in the Violet family which has more red in it. In looking at many of the patterned papers you will notice that there are a huge range of colors in those papers. By selecting colors that vary somewhat I feel that I end up with a more natural blend of colors. Note though that the second number in my color selection does follow the general rule of increasing depth, that number being a 5, V15.

After applying this second color you can see that I have fairly distinct lines. I hope that the size of the picture above when opened is large enough for you to really see these details. To "meld" these two colors together I then bring my old brush (my primer or lighter marker color in this case, BV000) and once again color over these distinct areas. The alcohol in the marker will help the colors blend. The more you color the more blended they will become. You could achieve a blended look by using a colorless blender, but being there are NO color particles in the Colorless Blender marker you will lighten the entire image and end up "pushing" most of your color to the edges unfortunately this often ends with a more "muddied" color tone. This is why I most often prefer to use a light color tone when blending.

The colorless blender helps me fix mistakes, it helps me add special effects, it helps me add specific highlights in an image, and yes it does blend colors; but most often I blend using the color I primed my image with.

 

As you can see I did the same thing with my green leaves. Beginning with YG00 and adding YG63 as my paint layer.

 

Being I wanted the wrapper to have a more "papery" feel to it I switched from Copic markers to Prismacolor pencils. When first beginning to work with the Copic markers it was a natural transition to the Neenah cardstock. The Neenah cardstock that we carry in our store is the one Karen first selected to use with Prismacolor pencils. It has THE perfect tooth for working with the colored pencils. As I explored different papers and how they could be used with the Copic markers I determined that there really was no better paper out of all the ones I tested that could produce a result that was any better than when using Neenah. That is not to say that no other paper works with Copic markers - there are many papers that work, but I am a creature of habit when it comes to my coloring materials. Once I find one that works well, and Neenah works REALLY well, I stick to it. It is affordable and has just the right amount of tooth for coloring with Copics AND Prismacolor pencils. It is a wonderful surface for combining these two mediums. Yes, I started the Neenah cardstock/Copic marker frenzy and this is the reason I recommended it to everyone out here in cyberspace.

Back to the cupcake wrapper. To bring the color tones of the B00 more in line with the decorative papers I was using I needed to add some warm gray and a hint of periwinkle. If you look closely you can see how the Prismacolor pencils only catch the tooth of the paper and float over the top. The Copic marker soaks into the paper, thus going in to the recesses of the paper. This combination adds a layer of depth to your project that you cannot get when using the Copics alone. So if you own both Copics AND Prismacolor color pencils you can achieve the best of both worlds! Deep rich color, together with transparent depth.

 

Rather than pulling out the deepest Copic Marker value I pulled out my Prismacolor pencils to add that final layer to my cupcake. First we primed, then we painted and finally we ACCESSORIZE. When accessorizing a room you don't add a layer of accessories that covers your entire surface - you pick and choose the areas that you place your accessories. This is how I think of adding my "accents" or the layer that I use to draw your eye in to the image. This can be done in so many different ways - typically I use Prismacolor color pencils and glitter pens to add this layer to my image.

In the image above I selected Dark Green and Imperial Violet, both are intense, dark values. I hope by sharing this description with you it will help you look at your individual little images in a new way. When Karen used the words - PRIME, PAINT and ACCESSORIZE - a lightbulb went off in my head and it continues to shine through in such a natural way when I now color. As you practice think about these different levels and soon I hope that it will all start to happen naturally for you as well. Never fear trying to place two different colors together - you will most certainly not ruin your markers. You might end up with your image in that "round file" otherwise known as the garbage, but it is just paper and it is SO worth the experimentation! You will discover layers of color that would otherwise be lost to you. Give it a try - leave your thoughts here to share with others who are venturing out in to the unknown world of color. Color is satisfying and by adventuring in to it's depths you will discover exquisite beauty.

 

I finished the piece above by using my Mega Curved Rectangles to cut out my background papers and the Classic Circle for my focal point. I did cut out my cupcake and pop it up, but you need not do that when creating your own image if you find cutting tedious. I love the depth of popped up images and so I take the time to do this. The final touch of glitter pens, coordinating ribbon (you only need 3 1/2" for each card with this layout) and the addition of a few lavender gemstones and your project is almost complete. Using the Memory Box Envelope Liner Template I added a little of the accent paper to the interior of the envelope for an added touch. You could also use your scraps on the inside of the notecard aka Cindy Lyles Ü

I am thrilled to tell you that I found some fabulous goodies at CHA and my hope is that they will start appearing in our store over the next few months. Some were to ship immediately and others will take time (waaaah!), but that's the way the manufacturers do things and we just have to live with it - LOL! For now to keep your creative appetites satiated we do a have a ton of new Memory Box papers AND images, as well as all the new Lockhart images that were released this past month! We will do our best to keep the projects and ideas coming. Thank you for stopping by again today.

Artsy Pin Cushion

The focus article for our newsletter, In Touch, features the Studio Line of products. I didn't know if I was the only one excited about this new line and so I asked Cindy if she would be willing to do our feature article this month using them. She graciously accepted and oh WOW, once again she has blown my socks off! If you haven't signed up for our newsletter you might want to do so - simply scroll to the bottom of our home page and you will see the spot to sign-up. We always try to bring you something that will wet your appetite to learn and create!

Today, I also have the pleasure of releasing the Shady Tree Studio images in our store! Nancy Baier has created five images for you to start with. I plan on making a series of framed art for my living room wall using these images. They are so very versatile! Today's project features them in a very "vintage-like" style. Soon I hope to share a very modern look that I have swirling around in my brain. Many days I wish that all I had to do was create - LOL! but instead there is all kinds of other "business stuff" that needs my attention. When I get days like yesterday (the day I created this) I am just giddy inside as the final project starts coming together.

 

Claudine Hellmuth created an ornament for her Christmas tree. When I saw her project it hit me like a bolt of lighting - PIN CUSHION! I have seen some spectacular vintagey framed art pieces and I guess you might say that it is those pieces that inspired this process.

 

I once again began this process by stamping a bold Silhouette image (this is the tulip from Kim's Silhouette Blooms II set). These solid stamps work fabulously when working with the Studio Paints and Mediums. As you can see I applied the Matte Medium generously to the stamp surface and then stamped my sticky back canvas.

 

I then repeated the process over and over until I had the entire surface of the sticky back canvas covered in blooms. Using my heat embossing tool I quickly dried them so that I could move on to the next step. I have found that even when I REALLY heated the surface the sticky back remained fine and intact.

 

Next I mixed up my paint "washes." I refer to them as washes being they become much more translucent with the addition of water. First I added water to the Traditional Tan paint and applied it over the entire canvas surface. Then I added water to the Modern Red and applied it sparingly in selected areas. As I worked with the red I estimated the approximate location of my tulip placement and brought the red in for balance in the other areas of my canvas.

 

I am sharing the two pieces above being the one I ended up with on the right was somewhat of a "happy accident." Being a novice with these materials I do a LOT of experimenting as I work through what the materials are capable of doing. Being that the tulips acted in such a wonderful "resist" manner as I applied the paint washes I thought that it would be necessary to apply something over the top to make certain that my stamped tulip and additional layering of paints would work and not be "resisted." SO I applied a layer of gesso over the entire project thinking that it was going to dry transparent. OOPS! Gesso is white - very white and it is used to prime surfaces. EGADS - my beautiful project was on it's way to be nothing. So I ran to the sink with canvas in hand and placing it directly under the stream of water I removed the gesso. What I was left with was a soppy, in fact VERY soppy, piece of canvas. Yet the sticky back was still mostly intact.

Experiment number two - now what??? soppy canvas??? YUCK! So I once again grabbed my heat embossing tool and dried it. Voila - I now had the canvas which is pictured on the right.

 

This project was about layers and experimenting. Next I applied Palette Burnt Sienna ink (yes, I do use these little cubes to ink my Scrapblocks - they work great) randomly to the Tulle Damask scrapblock. To begin I had cut my canvas to a 6x6 size, Scrapblock size! I created a mask of the tulip using Eclipse Tape and positioned it in the appropriate place on my canvas. First I tried stamping off and then stamping on the canvas. Oops yet again! I needed more ink. So I reapplied the ink and this time immediately stamped my canvas - perfect! (well almost, but you really can't see the imperfections, besides they just add to the wonderful vintage effect - LOL!)

 

After removing my mask I then stamped my Tulip using Brilliance ink. Many of you have asked me to provide you some information on inks and why I use what I use. I hope to do that in the near future. There is typically some thought put in to which ink I am going to use before I begin. I used the Palette above because I know that it stamps well on fabric. I wasn't planning on using any other mediums over it and so I felt that it would be my best choice for adding the tulle damask pattern. When stamping the Tulip though I wasn't certain where this experiment would lead me. I knew that I wanted to paint the Tulip with the Studio Paints, but I wasn't certain if I would be able to achieve the look I had in my mind and so I wanted some flexibility. I wanted to be able to add either water based products OR perhaps Copics and so I didn't want to paint myself in to a corner, so to speak, and went with the broad-based Brilliance ink instead of Palette.

After stamping it, I did heat set it once again - this part is critical when working with Brilliance in this type of project.

 

I began painting by adding my first layer of color to the tulip (Modern Red mixed with White). As you can see the Studio paints are translucent and the lines of my stamp image show through and act as a wonderful guide. The layers do show through one another, especially when you thin the paint with water. The fabulous thing about this is that it creates SO much depth to your project. The more paint you add, the more the bottom layer disappears and so by the time I was finished painting my tulip most of the black lines had disappeared with the strategic placement of my paints.

For the foliage I began with Landscape Green, once again thinning it ever so slightly. I used the smallest size brush included in the package of brushes Claudine has put together. I am finding that for the price they are absolutely fabulous! No hairs on my projects and yet easy to clean with each use.

 

I know that this is an enormous picture, but I really wanted you to be able to "see" the colors and layers in this project. I used the following colors to complete my project: Modern Red, Blank Canvas, Charcoal Black, Dab of Yellow, Smidge of Blue, Landscape Green and Traditional Tan. Some colors were used straight out of the bottles and others were mixed using Claudine's charts as a beginning guide tool. I needed a darker, more yellow green for the foliage and so by quickly referring to her chart I knew to mix Dab of Yellow with Smidge of Blue. I then went off on my own tangent and mixed yet another little puddle combining this color with the Landscape Green. It seems like no matter what artist tools I'm using, be it Prismacolor Pencils, Copic Markers and now Studio Paints I prefer to use at least three colors to create "one" area of color.

 

Once this was complete I just sat and marveled at the incredible piece of art that was before me. I realized that creating this piece of art is all about teamwork. Teamwork of those who first created and defined the images I was using, those who developed the products I was using and then my own natural curiosity and experimentation. I want to assure you that you too will be able to have some of the happiest of accidents if you just try! I was literally taken aback at how beautiful this came out. My wish is that you can all experience the feelings that I felt as I worked with these products yesterday. It felt SO amazing!

 

I then used my Tim Holtz ruler to poke the holes in the canvas and used embroidery thread to define the image.

Next the ribbon and button were sewed in to place.

 

To create the pin cushion backing I simply used a piece of canvas from my days of sewing. (Yes, I have a weird assortment of things in my back room - LOL!) I brushed a wash of the red randomly on this 6x6 piece of canvas fabric and blew it dry with my heat embossing tool. Once again I inked and stamped the Tulle Damask with Burnt Sienna. This time I painted the Silhouette Tulips using Modern Red and once again stamped them randomly on the fabric. Heated the fabric one more time to dry it and ironed it flat using my craft iron.

After removing the sticky back from the front canvas layer I sewed the two pieces together leaving the top edge between the ribbon open. Using Polyfil I stuffed my pin cushion. (They say that human hair is a wonderful thing to add to pin cushions. It is supposed to keep your needles sharp, but being I'm not a hairstyliest I thought I'd best leave my hair intact - LOL!) The opening was then sewn shut and my project was complete.

The edges of this canvas can also be "pulled" to lend a more frayed look to it, but time was now of the essence to just get this done - LOL! I stuck a couple of my "pretty" pins stuck in to my brand new pin cushion and snapped my pictures. Beth was laughing at me - only I would have just the right colored pins to add to my pin cushion - LOL!

 

So here it hangs in my studio and it is going to make me smile for days to come. I hope that this project inspires you to try some new things in your creative process. Step outside the box; don't worry about the end result. Formulate a picture in your mind and then just start working. You may need to alter the steps along the road to discovery, but sometimes those alterations end up making the project even more beautiful. Believe me when I tell you that for every happy accident there are dozens of not so pretty ones - LOL! Come on and join me in the discovery process of this new line of paints and tools, as well as these gorgeous new Shady Tree Studio images - you might just surprise yourself! -Ellen

Shady Tree Mixed Media Art

It is such an honor to be given the opportunity to share a new line of art, Shady Tree, with you! It will be released by Cornish Heritage Farms and available in our store on January 15th (I am highlighting this in red being many of you have been asking where you can find them and it is not quite that time yet.)  Before that time I want to share some of the visions I have had as to ways to use these images, so that when they do become available you will have your "toys" ready to begin to play with and be ready to create.

Ethereal is a word that comes to mind when I look at these floral images. I could hardly wait to try coloring one of these beauties. When I first say these I knew that I wanted to try a combination of watercoloring and Copic markers together. Experimentation is key to learning, so today I would like to share my experimentation with you.

 

Each image comes in packaging that showcases a beautifully colored image. As an artist translating someone elses vision for that image I have found it so helpful to begin my experimentation by referring to their colored image and using it as a guide. This helps me to get a better feel for the shadows, highlights and color variations that may be possible. So I used the package image to help me begin this process.

 

Pictured above are the supplies that I used to create my final piece of art. To begin I stamped my image using Brilliance Ink on an Arturo watercolor paper. The rich deckled edge and luxurious touch of this paper adds to the overall quality feel of the end product. I heat set the ink to make certain that I would not have any problems with bleeding. I also stamped an image using Memento Ink, but did not have the time to test it to see how it will hold up to the combination of all the elements - water, alcohol, etc. I do plan to do so in the days ahead and I will be certain to let you know the results. I selected the Brilliance today because I knew that when heat set I would have no problems with either watercolor or Copic techniques on this very porous paper. I am fairly confident that Brilliance will hold on most porous papers, but remember to heat set it just to make certain.

 

To begin I lightly washed the entire image with water using my watercolor brush. I then picked up a hint of Olive Green and lightly washed it over the stems and leaves, making certain that I went outside the lines, fuzzing the color around the entire image. I used the Stampin' Up! Watercolor Wonder crayons being I know many of you have them. You could also use Lyra Watercolor crayons being they are identical to the SU ones, other than some color variations. Using So Saffron I applied a hint of color to the petal area, once again washing around the petals as well. I did this very quickly and quite randomly.

Unfortunately as you can see I forgot to snap a picture before I began with the next portion of my "experimental" painting. When I get into a grove I must admit I forget that I am working and so I forget to take my pictures. I hope to get this whole Flip Video thing figured out and then I can just let it run and edit later. I promise I will figure that thing out and then hopefully I won't forget to document the process as I go along.

 

Using the colors above I finished coloring the image. This time I worked completely opposite from my normal light to dark. I decided to try working in the reverse. As you can see in the photo above, (the one that I did remember to snap - LOL) I began with my darkest orange and then worked my way through the remainder of my oranges, yellows and pinks. I finished by using my yellow greens on the stems and leaves.

 

As you can see I did not work to get a smooth transition between the Copic colors that I used. I wanted to see a few of the strokes showing through, being I knew that I wanted to add yet another layer of color over the top. When working on a paper that is porous, such as this Arturo, you will find that your marker has a tendency to "bleed" a little more than a dense paper such as the Neenah. So when you begin to color start further from the line edge then you would typically to see how the color flows from your marker in to the paper. You might even want to consider just stamping or drawing a series of circles and filling them in to test how the paper allows the marker ink to flow.

 

I don't know how many of you have these little pots of shimmery goodness (better known as Twinkling H20's Ü) in your collections, but I know that mine have been neglected for a VERY long time. I happily pulled them out today being I felt that these would add the perfect finishing touch! Don't be afraid to combine the different tools that you have in your collection. At this time I won't recommend bringing your Copic colors back over this surface that has mica on it, but I will test this in the future and see if it will destroy the tips on my markers before I allow you that privilege - LOL! 

 

Adding a hint of the green to the foliage, pink to the petals and gold to the area surrounding this beauty and my coloring was completed. I felt a warm feeling of happiness roll through my body. I'm not certain what it is about seeing something come together and be so exquisite, but it makes my soul happy. Photographing shimmer is so hard, but I hope that you can get a sense of what this looks like. I wish that I could just pass it around class so that you would be able to run your fingers over it and truly get a better sense of the layers of color and shimmer.

This whole process took approximately 10 minutes to complete. I began this by stamping three separate images thinking that I would need all three to come up with something I could share. It is a rare occasion when my experimental process only has one little image completed at the end. The balance was off, but I didn't care. I did my best to stamp a fitting sentiment (from the Vintage Butterflies set) in a spot that would bring balance and added a few pearls to balance the color that I selected to place behind my image. Placed it in an inexpensive IKEA frame and my little "masterpiece" was complete.

 

OK, so perhaps it's not a masterpiece and I will never take credit for the beauty of this stamped image. But what I will do is have a feeling of complete satisfaction as I gaze at the beauty before my eyes. What a gift we have been given to have the opportunity to see. Now I want springtime to come! It is my favorite time of year and I can hardly wait for the crocus to pop their little heads up out of the ground!

Thank you for joining me in my little adventure of mixing various media together. I hope that it gives you the courage and desire to give it a try. I wish for all of you to feel that warm sensation run through you as you run a finger over your completed project and think about who you can share your little masterpiece with.