the CLASSroom

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

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

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

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

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

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

 

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

InLinkz.com

Wild for Word Bubbles and Wood by Julia Stainton

Hey! What's up?

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

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

1. word bubbles
2. washi tape
3. wood

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Julia

 

Supplies:

 

InLinkz.com

Halloween Reflections by Julia Stainton

With Halloween right around the corner, it seemed like the perfect time to play with some new papers and product. One of these products in particular has me really excited about it.The new Tim Holtz Mirrored is a reallly great reflective material that comes backed with adhesive and is thin, flexible and can be die cut. My mind is whirling at all the possibilities.

And what's Halloween without a spooky mirror? Perfect timing, I say, to try it on a Halloween card design.

The thing I was really excited to try out with Mirrored was so see how reflective it was and how well it die cut. I paired it up with the October Afternoon Witch Hazel line. There are so many great vintage prints in this line. I'm not big on anything too ghoulish so this line is just perfect in my opinion.

It really impressed me how cleanly and easily the Mirrored product was able to be die cut. The above picture shows the die cut mirrors. It comes with a protective film over the mirror so leave that in place until you are ready to use it on your project. Make sure you leave the film on for die cutting. The left die cut still has the film on it and the right die cut has it peeled away. I wish the pictures captured just how shiny and beautiful a mirror finish this product has. I'm thrilled with it!

 

In this next image I'm peeling away the protective film on the left die cut. The right die cut has been flipped over and the adhesive backing is being peeled away. It's so easy to adhere this product.

Next onto creating the card. I've layered three of the beautiful prints together and sanded their edges for a worn distressed look. Worn and distressed and old always goes with Halloween in my opinion.

Lastly I used the coordinating Witch Hazel chipboard stickers to make a quick banner over the mirror. The adhesive chipboard buttons can be stacked for added dimension.

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom! Have a spooktacular Halloween!

Supplies:

Tim Holtz Mirrored	Gold Super Star Pins	Witch Hazel Chip 'n Stick Buttons and Banners	Witch Hazel 8x8 paper pad
Harvest Corn Twine Cording	Tim Holtz Sanding Block	Styled Labels Movers and Shapers Die	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, Ream
Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink

InLinkz.com

Song of Spring Card by Julia Stainton

Spring is right around the corner. Literally! Just a few more days until winter is officially over. I for one, am thrilled!

Today I have a spring-themed card to share with you and a fun and quick trick with patterned paper. Did you ever think to use patterned paper for your main image? With so many great papers out there incorporating beautiful vintage images, it's a great way to use them.

Today's project was inspired by this beautiful bird image. It's just a piece I cut out of a lovely piece of sheet music patterned paper from the Sidewalks line by October Afternoon. Instead of stamping an image, I'm going to use this piece for the main focal point of my design.

I wanted to add in a little color to the image so I've highlighted a few of the elements in some Faber-Castell pencils. I've actually used the Art-Grip Aquarelle Watercolor pencils and just quickly added some light color. These pencils can be used like watercolors when you add some water. I didn't add water in this instance but you can use them both ways.

After adhering all my layers together, I wanted to add an embellishment cluster. I've been really addicted to the Maya Road Tulle Pleat Ribbon Trim lately and it makes a beautiful base for embellishments. To adhere it,I placed a Gluber onto the card where I wanted my tulle. After removing the remaining backing, I adhered the tulle around the Gluber twice into a spiral shape and trimmed off the excess.

I could then adhere my flowers to the middle of the tulle for a lovely accent.

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

Supplies: Sidewalks 8x8 Paper Pad by October Afternoon, Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils by Faber-Castell, Tiny Attacher by Advantus, Classic Cream Cardstock by Neenah,  1.5" Gluber by Cosmo Cricket, Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink by Ranger, twine, Vintage Round Pearl Trinket Pins by Maya Road, Vintage Paper Posies by Maya Road, Ruffle Blossoms Yellow by Maya Road, Milk Tulle Pleat Trim Ribbon by Maya Road

Farmhouse Fun with Dawn McVey

It is such a pleasure to welcome Dawn McVey here to the CLASSroom! Dawn is best known for the beautiful and vibrant colored work she does with Paper Trey ink and as a designer on the Studio Calico design team. You will find more of her beautiful work on her blog - Raspberry Suite!

We appreciate Dawn showcasing the delightful October Afternoon Farmhouse line today. This beautiful set of cards would make a wonderful gift! Please share your love with Dawn today and help us thank her for joining us in the CLASSroom by leaving a comment on her blog. Comment on her blog's post mentioning the post featured here for a chance to win the bundle of goodies she used to create these gorgeous projects! A winner will be randomly selected from those comments left before midnight Central Time, February 9th with the winner announced here on Friday, February 10th. 

Dawn, once again THANK YOU for sharing your talents with us here in the CLASSroom! -Ellen

---

Hello there,

I’m so happy to be sharing with you today.....Ellen sent me some really fun October Afternoon goodies to work with so I thought I’d show you some cards made using the Farmhouse collection.  I love these types of collections because putting cards together is a snap, when all of the papers and embellishments are already coordinated for you!

Paris Inspired

 

On this first card, I layered a gray gingham patterned paper on some aqua card stock and die cut a bit of red doily patterned paper with a heart border die, allowing the scallops along the top edge of the hearts to peek out from behind the gingham. 

Next, I cut a button card from one of the patterned papers and stitched buttons to the button card with button twine.  To that, I added a gorgeous rose sticker, some adhesive pearls and a little snippet of adhesive lace at the top.

supplies

October Afternoon Farmhouse patterned papers, Shape Stickers and Buttons; Hero Arts adhesive pearls and adhesive lace; Papertrey Ink aqua mist card stock, rustic jute button twine, heart border die

---

Hello

 
For this next card, I started out with a piece of lagoon card stock and added the gorgeous ruler patterned paper over the top along with some Hero Arts adhesive lace trim along the bottom edge.  Next, I added a Farmhouse Label Sticker and stamped the “hello” sentiment before adding some threaded buttons. 

The doily was stamped using a Farmhouse rubber stamp and hand cut before it was adhered with foam adhesive.  To that, I added a butterfly Shape Sticker as well as a circle label sticker, on which, I stamped the “cream” image.  Lastly, a few Hero Arts pearls were added to finish things off.

supplies

October Afternoon Farmhouse patterned papers, Stamp Set, Shape Stickers, Label Stickers and Buttons; Hero Arts adhesive pearls and adhesive lace; Memory Box Lagoon and Parchment card stock; Papertrey Ink chocolate baker’s twine, true black ink and mat stack 3 stamp set

---

Thanks

This next card is a cheery little number.  A couple of patterned papers were layered on some parchment card stock and some adhesive lace was added.  A “bliss” sticker was adhered in the upper right corner, removing a bit of the stickiness from the bottom of the sticker, so that the “tails” would pop forward just a bit.

 

Next, an adhesive doily was layered on top as well as a tape measure border sticker, that was cut into two pieces.  The “thanks” sentiment was stamped on the scalloped label sticker before a few gems were added.  A yellow rose sticker was adhered over the top of everything, with some foam adhesive. 

supplies

October Afternoon Farmhouse patterned papers, Stamp Set, Shape Stickers and Label Stickers; Hero Arts adhesive gems and adhesive lace; Memory Box Parchment card stock; Paper trey Ink true black ink and mat stack 4 stamp set

---

Buttons Note Card

This card began with a bit of punch card stock and a tape measure sticker was added along the bottom of the card, as well as some lace trim.  Next, I began piling on the various Shape Stickers and labels.

 

The button was tied with a bit of baker’s twine and in cases where I wanted the sticker to have a bit more dimension, I simply stuck the sticker to my jeans a few times, to remove a bit of the stickiness before adding foam adhesive to the back of the sticker.

supplies

October Afternoon Farmhouse Shape Stickers, Label Stickers and Buttons; Hero Arts adhesive gems, adhesive lace and Punch card stock; chocolate baker’s twine

---

Bless Your Little Heart

One more for today.....many of the same elements here, layered with a bit of ribbon tucked behind the doily.

I hope I’ve helped to show today, just how easy it is to create a variety of cards for various occasions with one collection pack of coordinated goodies!    -Dawn

supplies

October Afternoon Farmhouse patterned paper, Stamp Set, Shape Stickers, Word Stickers and Button; Hero Arts adhesive pearls and Punch card stock; ribbon, Papertrey Ink rustic jute button twine

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 8 by Ellen

Steampunk - oh dear, not something I'm particularly good at - LOL! A couple of things popped into my mind this morning when I first saw Tim's tag and I ended up going with the first idea because, well... it's just simply ca-ute! Having just seen the fabulous street scene in the October Afternoon Holiday Style collection the idea of using a gear as a wreath on a lamp post was the first idea.

OK, so it's not very Steampunk, but - it's cute! AND I used a couple of awesome techniques to get to my finished project that I'm going to share with you today, so... here goes.

How to achieve the look of a street post? I began by cutting a strip of Manila cardstock wide enough to cut out the Holiday Lamp Post. Using the direct-to-paper technique, apply the Iced Spruce directly to the surface of the manila cardstock.

Cover the tag with clear embossing powder and remove the excess. Now typically you do not want to flick your paper after applying the embossing powder, BUT today I want you to try holding it over a garbage can and using your fingernail to give the back side a VERY firm "flick" or two. This will remove some of the embossing powder.

When heated it will give you this fabulous "orange peel" like texture. Be certain to double click on the pictures to enlarge them so you can really see the details.

Run this through your diecut machine leaving the pieces intact as Tim showed in an earlier tag post and as shown above. Use Black Soot Distress ink and your ink blending tool to age the lamp post.

Wipe the excess ink off the surface with a paper towel. The resulting finish really reminds me of the finish on an old lamp post!

Remember how on my day one post I wanted to try "colorizing" my lightbulbs. Well, today was the day. I wrapped tissue tape around the base to help avoid getting alcohol ink on the silver base and simpy added a drop or two of alcohol ink directly from my Various Ink refill to the bulb surface. If you get alcohol ink on the silver base simply use a small corner of a paper towel with a little blending solution on it to remove the excess.

Insert a piece of wire and curl it. Now don't you think these would make THE cutest holiday earrings or necklace?!?

The foil is an extra from my project on day one as well. It was cut using the Vintage Lace die and Metal Foil attached to Solar White cardstock. By attaching the foil to the cardstock it made it a lot more durable. It was still too bright a silver color even after a light sanding and so I used W4 Various Ink Refill to "dirty" it slightly to blend better with the Gear Wreath.

When turned upside down this trim felt like little snow drifts and so I went with that idea and added a little Picket Fence Distress Crackle paint to the top edge. While still wet sprinkle Twinklets Diamond Dust, a fabulous glass glitter, on to the wet paint. It will stay embedded after the paint dries and cracks. It really looks SO cool! 

A little "snow" was added to the other embellishments as well. Allow the pieces to dry and then proceed.

A little red velvet ribbon, silver tinsel, a couple of holly berries on your wreath (Berry Pearls) and some glass (Fantasy Film) in your lamp post and your sweet scene is complete.

So, there you have Ellen's version of Steampunk - pretty lame, I'll admit it - LOL!

But hey - it was a really cool technique I happened upon for the lamp post and you just have to love the snow ;-D Julia E. here at work said, "If you entertain yourself, you're half way there on entertaining everyone else!" We're quite the bunch aren't we?!?

ink: Distress Ink Pads - Iced Spruce (Winter Limited Edition Color) and Black Soot; Copic Various Ink Refill - R59, W4

paper: Neenah Natural White, October Afternoon Holiday Style 8x8 Pad, Hero Arts Pine Layering Paper

accessories: Tim Holtz Vintage Lace, Holiday Lamppost and Tag & Bookplates Dies, Sprocket Gears, Light Bulbs, Metal Foil, Clear Embossing Powder, Berry Pearls, Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint, 20-Gauge Wire, Dandelion Fantasy Film, Red Velvet Ribbon, Silver Tinsel

---

The other idea was by far more hysterical and definitely way more Steampunk, but I just couldn't get the cute factor of the new Holiday Style collection from October Afternoon out of my mind. I have to share the idea for all those of you who are truly diehard Steampunk fans because I think you will get a kick out of it.

I LOVE The Christmas Story movie --- one just cannot forget the Leg Lamp! In the Steampunk Debutante collection there is the image shown to the left. Wouldn't this just make THE most hysterical Christmas tag ever if you turned it into a Leg Lamp?!!

Someone just has to do it and when you do we would LOVE to see it, so be certain to let us know! 

---

Do you have a favorite holiday movie? If so, what is it and does it inspire your creativity? By leaving a comment below you will be eligible for today's random drawing for the fabulous Vintage Lace die, Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint and Light Bulbs shown above. You have until noon Saturday, December 10th to share your thoughts about my tag or movie below (one comment per person please.) We hope to have brought a smile to your face today - thank you for once again stopping in here in the CLASSroom!

Old Jalopy Father's Day Card by Becky Olsen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

B-

Masculine Trend Challenge: Pockets, Pochettes & Prints

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

 
Etro 

So here are the details to our challenge:

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

Embossing Folders & Gelatos by Julia Stainton

When a new product hits the market, it's always fun to explore all the possibilities for creating with it. I've been enjoying the creative medium of the new Faber-Castell Gelatos. They are kind of a cross between a crayon and lip gloss. I know that sounds different but it's a wonderful creamy medium that is water-soluble and has a beautiful pearl tone base to it.Gelatos work great on light surfaces but they really shine on dark. This got me thinking. What could I do with black Inchies and Gelatos?

I hope you like this spin on a few techniques all put together into one.

Father's Day is coming up as June is just around the corner. Inchies, embossing and dark texture make a great Father's Day card for Dad.

 

To do this technique, you'll need an embossing folder, some inchies,  paper or chipboard and Faber-Castell Gelatos. Open up your embossing folder and color the inside top of the folder with the Gelatos. I just used random colors and scribbled it on. Apply well but don't press hard so that you get as little color as possible in the cracks. This will help the embossed design stand out.

Place your inchies or other paper into the embossing folder and run through your die cut machine. I love how this not only colors your inchies but embossed them as well. Great texture! Rinse off your remaining Gelato residue when finished and your embossing folder is just like new.

As you can see, you get a great metallic shine to your surface.

To complete the card, I've altered two embellishments to better fit my card style. Buttons can be sanded to reveal the inner white core to add a vintage look to the project.

I've also altered the Prima letters from a light cream color to a rich copper with the Krylon Copper Leafing pen.

Wishing you a safe and wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

Supplies: black cardstock, Black Inchie Squares by Inchie Arts, twine, Green Leaf Trinket Pin by Maya Road, Black Button by Basic Grey, Sanding Block by Tim Holtz, Ivory Alphabet by Prima Marketing, Copper Leafing Pen by Krylon, Gelatos by Faber-Castell, Collage & Notebook Texture Fades Embossing Folder by Sizzix, Campfire 8x8 paper pad by October Afternoon

 

 

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

Using Circle Punches to Make a Banner By Becky Olsen

Circle punches are one of the staples that I just can't live without in my crafting supplies. A few different sizes were one of my very first investments in this fun hobby years ago, and still to this day whenever I see a size I don't have I will buy it. They are so versatile and being able to quickly punch out multiples is very handy.

With the popularity of banners still in full sway, I thought it would be fun to use a circle punch to create a celebratory banner for one of the many events that I will be needing a congrats card in the next few weeks for. By using scraps from some of my favorite papers I feel like I am maximizing my paper purchases as well, that makes me smile, I never want to waste an inch of any of those gorgeous papers.

For this card I used October Afternoon Five and Dime papers and Five and Dime chipboard and scraps from the October Afternoon Seaside collection. A 1 1/4" circle punch, Jillibean Soup Beanstalks Twine in brown and Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type letter stickers in blue.

I began by punching circles from some of my delicious scraps, and cut a workable length of the Jillibean twine. I also laid out the card design and machine stitched it together.

I then folded the circles in half, making sure that the edges matched up.

Apply adhesive and overlap over the twine, then repeat for the size of the card. If I were doing a larger project I would just cut the twine longer and add more pieces.

Of course you could make your banner different sizes by just changing the size of the circle punch that you use.

I hope that this fun banner inspires you to get out one of your most basic supplies and have a little fun with it, after all it is the celebrating time of year!

Happy Punching!

B-