the CLASSroom

Imagine Paris Tag by Julia Stainton

I seem to be hooked on tags these days. Last time I was in the CLASSroom I went the art journaling route with a bunch of tags to make a mini album for my daughter. Today's post uses a tag as well. Inspired by a big beautiful black tag and the chalkboard trend, I've gone vintage collage style with them.

There are many ways to stamp on dark surfaces. You can use embossing powder,or a pigment ink, but I've found that paint always works really well. I've been a fan of stamping with paint for years. The interesting thing with stamping with paint is that it never turns out exactly the same each time. I think that adds to much to the vintage style. That perfectly beautiful imperfection.

I love using the Adirondack Paint Dabbers for inking up a stamp with paint. You can use a foam brush with any acrylic paint and brush it on the stamp, but the paint dabbers make it so easy and there is no cleanup. Simply dab the paint with the foam applicator onto the stamp and then press onto your surface. These dabbers also work really well for "inking" the edges of your paper to define them.

• step one - stamp the ATC and apply paint to the edges of the ATC and the Tag

Tip: Wash your stamps off immediately as the acrylic paint is extremely difficult to get off if you allow it to dry. This is the voice of experience and it was painful.

• step two - stamp postage marks onto the black tag
• step three - adhere torn coffee filter paper with Multi-Medium...wrinkle the paper when applying it for added texture

Note: Multi-Medium is a fabulous adhesive and and essential mixed media product. Just brush it on the back to adhere or on the front to add a glaze.

• step four - adhere adhesive lace and then stamped ATC
• step five - tie tag with twine and tie on button

• step six - adhere flowers and insert trinket pins
• step seven - pin metal tag to flower

Tip: When creating a black and white project, add one pop of color to brighten it up.

Thanks so much for joining me today in the CLASSroom! I hope you'll give stamping with paint a try. Have a fabulous weekend!

Supplies:

InLinkz.com

Tag Art Journal Mini Album by Julia Stainton

Art journaling and mixed media projects are really hot trends in the crafting industry right now. Today's project came together from inspiration off this trend as well as few other influences in my life. I've been wanting to get back into more inky techniques and let me tell you, this is the messiest, inkiest and most fun project I've created in quite a while. It's also inspired by my daughter who loves to journal. It's the way she expresses her creativity and is a great outlet for her emotions. Art is my therapy, journaling is hers. I'm so excited to have created this tag art journal mini album for her to use. I know she'll fill it with inspiring quotes and thoughts.

 

The key to creating this project is to realize that anything goes. I didn't put together step out photos for this project but rather, different samples of the tags I've created. Each and every tag you create will come out differently and that is the beauty of this project. Nothing is ever wrong. It's just a beautiful mix of colors and patterns and each tag is an adventure in itself.

To create my tag mini album I started off with 10 manilla tags. They are held together with a ring clip so putting it together is so simple.

Tag Design Notes:

• Start of with your lightest color of Distress Stain.
• Add lots of color and stain to your tag. The more you add, the coverage will be better and the colors blend beautifully.
• Apply heat with a heat gun to dry the stains and speed up the process.
• Work on a Non-stick Craft Sheet to protect your work surface.
• Each tag is inked up on both sides. 
• Don't worry if you get color onto the reverse side of the tag. The more speckles and layers of color, the more interest in your tag.
• After the stains are dried, add more interest to your tag with stamping details.

I've repeated two things on each of the tags. The Old Letter stamp was partially inked and stamped on each tag in Tumbled Glass Distress Ink and the Picked Raspberry Distress Stain was used on every tag for continuity.

Another example.

A few of the tags, I've added even more layers of color by using masks. The above tag was layered over with a chevron mask and then the Picket Fence Distress Stain applied. I love how this white stain is opaque while all the colors are translucent.

This tag has a damask masked area...once again using the Picket Fence Distress Stain.

Once the album is clipped together, it can be written on. I find that a Copic 0.3 Multi-liner works great for the journaling as it is a nice line weight and is permanent.

To embellish the front I've put a book plate on the cover and then added in some pretty felt flowers and buttons.

A little canvas tag is also stained with Distress Stains and then stamped with the Vintage Rose Spray Stamp.

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom! Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

 

Supplies:

 

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 02.11.2013

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

Paper Tole has been around for quite a while and I totally love the dimension it can give my card-making!

It's often done with beautiful floral images and butterflies and can yield stunning results! It can be intricate, and time-consuming, depending on the type of images used--I'll be the first to admit that images with lots of "tiny" details could be quite tedious.

BUT, this series of blueprint style stamps by Stamper's Anonymous had me *uber* excited to play with the technique--they are positively POIFECT for it!!! The variety of different themes really appeals to me, and I love the fact that they have also combined some of them into "minis"! 

The technique isn't limited to just card-making--I think it would be very cool to frame the finished pieces inside shadow boxes and hang 'em on the wall!

Enjoy the video here, or in HD on YouTube!

 

 

Thanks for subscribing to our channel, and for stopping by today! Have an AWESOME Mundane! *wink*

 

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SUPPLIES:

Tim Holtz, Travel Blueprint	Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black	COPIC Sketch Marker B91, Pale Grayish Blue	COPIC Sketch Marker E30, Bisque
COPIC Sketch Marker T5, Toner Gray #5	COPIC Sketch Marker YR12, Loquat	A Cardstock, Essentials by Ellen: White Linen #100 Cardstock, 25 Pack	Teflon Bone Folder
3D-Dots, 1/16" Thick	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	Honey Bee Non Stick Scissors	Paper Trimmer, Tonic Guillotine 8 1/2"

InLinkz.com

Love is in the Air by Sharon Harnist

Since Valentine's Day is next week and I needed another Valentine card, I thought I would dedicate today's project to a few of my most loved papercrafting supplies and tools!  Here they are, in no particular favorite order (I tried to limit it to 10 but failed!):

 1. Hero Arts Stamps: Year Round Sentiments ClearDesign
 2. Washi Tape: Lifestyle Crafts Shape 'N Tape (Gray)
 3. Dies: MFT Die-namics Fishtail Flags & Sizzix Framelits Hearts 
 4. Copic Markers: R85 
 5. Memento Inks: Gray Flannel  
 6. Doilies: Sizzix Tim Holtz On The Edge Distressed Doily Die
 7. Neenah Natural White Cardstock: for soft ivory card base
 8. Pink hues of cardstock: Memory Box Bubblegum and Raspberry, 
 9. Buttons 
10. Copic Foam Tape - 1/4"
11. Corner Chomper 
12. Glue Dots: Craft and Mini 
13. Sewing 

And here's the card I came up with (click on any photo for a larger view):

Another favorite of mine -- horizontal cards. Do you have an orientation preference for cards?  Mine has always been horizontal! I started with my favorite ivory cardstock (Neenah Natural White) for a base, rounded the bottom corners with the Corner Chomper, then die cut the doily out of the same. This is an edger die (meaning only half of a doily), so I die cut two of them, which gives the oval shape that fits perfectly on a card front!

Next, I die cut Gray Shape 'N Tape with MFT Fishtail Flags and custom colored the tape to match the rest of my card with one of my favorite Copic marker colors, R85:

The tape covers the seam of the doily halves. Next, I die cut two colors of my favorite pink and raspberry Memory Box cardstock four times with the heart die and machine stitched them down the center. Then I folded the sides of the heart up and separated the layers with 1/4-inch Copic Foam Tape, to give the heart dimension. The heart is secured to the card with Craft Glue Dots:

My newest favorite Memento dye ink pad color, Gray Flannel, was used to stamp this darling Hero Arts XOXO sentiment. I used ivory embroidery floss to string and tie the buttons together, then secured them to the card with Mini Glue Dots.

I hope you have some fun this weekend with some of your favorite papercrafting products, too . . . Happy Valentine's Day!

~ Sharon

{Supplies}

A1 Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White, 25 pack	Sizzix Tim Holtz On The Edge Die, Distressed Doily	My Favorite Things Die-namics Stax, Fishtail Flags	Shape 'N Tape, Gray
Copic Sketch Marker, R85	Sizzix Framelit Dies, Hearts	Memory Box Cardstock, Bubblegum	Memory Box Cardstock, Raspberry
Hero Arts ClearDesign, Year Round Sentiments	Memento Ink Pad, Gray Flannel	Hero Arts Buttons, Mixed Blush	High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/4"
Glue Dots Sheets, Craft	Glue Dots, Mini (3/16")	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool

InLinkz.com

 

Chalkboard Technique by Sharon Harnist

Hello All -- and Happy New Year to you, since this is my first CLASSroom project for 2013! Today I wanted to share with you the fun chalkboard technique I've been playing with lately:

When I started this project, I wished I had a larger die to use (that would fill an A2 card front) and remembered another fun technique I wanted to share today, how to expand the size of your dies!  So let's get started . . .

1. Start by cutting a piece of black cardstock to the width of the die you want to use but longer than you want the finished size, to give you a little wiggle room.

2. With the cutting edge of the die facing down (I'm using Fancy Labels Sizzix Framelits Die), slip one end of the cardstock into the center of your die (feeding it from the top of the die), down under the cutting edge and position it straight. The other end of your cardstock will be on top of your die and won't be cut. (I'm just showing the next smaller size of this die set in the photo above, so you can see the shape of it). Run through your die cutting machine with normal sandwich.

3. Slide the die down to the other end of your cardstock (the right end in the photo above), to the length you want your final die cut, and run through your die cutting machine again. I lengthened my die cut by a little over an inch!

4. Stamp your images with Versamark ink and emboss with white embossing powder. I used My Favorite Things' Pure Innocence Angel stamp set:

TIP: Lay your stamps face down on your die cut, so you can position the images before stamping. Then place your acrylic block on top of the stamps to "pick them up", ink them, then stamp all at once, for perfect placement!

5. Add more details and continue building your scene with other stamps, using Hero Arts Snow Chalk Ink pad. I used some swirly elements from Hero Arts ClearDesign set, Cheer Up. The white embossed images are crisper and whiter, while the images stamped with white ink are softer and a little duller, adding variety to your project.

6. You can also add some hand-drawn details with a white pencil. I added a rectangle around the sentiment and some extra lines on the sides of my swirls.

7. When you are finished with your scene, go back and stamp the first white embossed images with the white ink, shifting the stamps slightly so they create a shadow effect. This helps make your images truly look "chalky" (photo above)!

8. To finish, add some "chalk smudges" with your finger -- tap it onto your white ink pad and smudge here and there, for a realistic effect. I  created a "cloud" for my angel to stand on and went around all the edges of my chalkboard, too:

I finished my card by mounting my black chalkboard piece with Copic Foam Tape to a card base of Hero Arts Mixed Layer Papers-Blush. Flower accent was cut with Tim's Tattered Florals Bigz die from red WoolFelt, sewn with a Hero Arts Blush Mixed Button. I thought this color combo would work well for Valentine for one of my daughters!

I hope you have fun with these two techniques ... thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom today!  ~ Sharon

{Supplies}

Cardstock, Black, 10 pack	Sizzix Framelits, Fancy Labels	Clear Acrylic Block, 5x7	MFT Pure Innocence Clear Stamp, Angel
VersaMark Inkpad	White Embossing Powder	Heat It Craft Tool	Hero Arts Chalk Ink Pad, Snow
Hero Arts ClearDesign Stamp Set, Cheer Up	Faber-Castell Pastel Pencil, White	High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/2"	Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz Die, Tattered Florals
WoolFelt, 12"x18" Red	Hero Arts Buttons, Mixed Blush

InLinkz.com

Embossed Metal Christmas Wishes by Julia Stainton

 Just a few more days left until Christmas and time for me to squeeze in another holiday card design. I thought I'd use it to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year as this is my last CLASSroom post for 2012. It was a year of lots of changes, both good and bad, and I'm hoping that 2013 brings many blessings to your home as well as my own.

 This holiday card design was also a great time to get back into my craft room and try out a new product, the Tsukineko Sheet Metal Pieces. When I first saw it in the Ellen Hutson shop it immediately sparked my interest and I had to try it out.

The package said this product could be embossed and die cut so I decided to put it to the test. Well, actually, I haven't die cut it yet. That will have to wait for test project #2. But I did emboss it. I wasn't sure how well it would emboss...metal in a plastic folder you know and all that. Using a Tim Holtz holiday embossing folder, the metal ATC is sandwiched in the middle and then run through a Sizzie Big Shot machine. One pass was all it took to get a beautiful embossed metal surface. Nice!

The metal was lovely and shiney and could have been left at the embossed step but I like to step things up a bit now and then. So out came the Gesso. Gesso is a primer that prepares surfaces for accepting paint. It sticks to almost anything including metal. If you simply painted the metal surface with white acrylic paint, you would end up with the problem of flaking paint.

Simply brush the gesso over the metal and allow it to try. I used a heat gun on mine and that sped up the process. I don't like watching paint dry! Grin.

When the gesso is 99% dry, buff off the excess from the raised embossed surfaces. You can also sand it off or lightly scratch it off depending on the look you are going for. It's pretty quick and easy and I love how it looks like an old sign or a pressed tin ceiling.

On to the main base of the card, I picked out three sweet prints from the Aspen 6x6 paper pad by Basic Grey. Soooooo pretty.

Now here's a fun fabric tape ribbon idea. I ADORE the new Maya Road fabric tapes. They can be used just like washi tape, to make a fun border, to make a background among other fun ideas. You can also make the fabric tape into ribbon by peeling off the backing, folding it over onto itself. It then can be tied into a very pretty bow...

A little tinsel, a pin and a star trinket pin finish off the design.

 Thanks for joining me in the CLASSroom today! Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a year of blessing to come!

Supplies:

 

InLinkz.com

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2012 - Day 9 by Paula Cheney

As I began to think about whether or not to proceed with the 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist this year when Tim moved to showcasing a tag and techniques each month I didn't quite know what to do or how to pay homage to what was the beginning of this series here in the CLASSroom. Each year it would get a tad manic as I would try to pull off creating a tag inspired by Tim's tags, but I wanted something special for all those of you who have been such loyal customers and supporters over the years. It has been a welcome change to not have the level of insanity that has ensued over the last few years and more importantly these lovely ladies have taken my breath away with their stunning tags! To have Paula here representing Tim and his product line is something I appreciate more than she can know.

Paula Cheney inspires me! The precision and care she takes when she creates her projects simply blows me away! You must visit the blog she shares with fellow crafter and friend Debbie. Visit One Lucky Day to see one of the most beautiful handcrafted Artful Christmas Villages I have laid eyes on this season. Elegant, exquisite, extraordinary - those are just a few of the words I can come up with that will hopefully make you click that link! I don't know anyone who can showcase the Tim Holtz products better than Paula and Debbie.

Thank you so much for sharing your friendship with me Paula and also for the inspired tag you created for us here in the CLASSroom! -Ellen

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Apply Frayed Burlap and Spun Sugar Distress Stains next to each other on Non-stick Craft Sheet by pressing down on craft sheet and apply pressure to the sides of the bottle.

Mist with water from a Mini Mister. 

Lay a #8 manilla tag in the Distress Stain to pick up stain.  Dry with Heat Tool then repeat steps until satisfied with the look of the tag.

Emboss tag with Sizzix Alterations texture fade - Textured Poinsettia.  To cover the entire #8 tag with texture you must imprint 1/2 of the tag at a time.   Place tag into the texture fade and run through Vagabond machine.

Turn tag around and run the other half through the machine.  Hard to tell where the line is, right?

Use a small paint brush to mix a bit of water and Perfect Pearls - Heirloom Gold on a non stick craft sheet until you have a smooth liquid.  If paint is too thin just add a bit more of the Perfect Pearls Powder.

Use a small brush to paint a few of the poinsettias.  Note: the center of the tag will be covered so concentrate on the top and bottom areas. 

Set aside tag to work on center wreath.

Cut a piece of Grungepaper 6 x 6”.  Use a collage glue stick to adhere a piece of book paper to the Grungepaper.

Use Holiday Wreath die to cut wreath shape from grungepaper.

Use an ink blending tool and vintage photo distress ink to age the edges of the wreath and well as the small leaves that pop up.  set aside.

Cut two pieces of manilla cardstock 2 1/2 x 12”. 
Use one to cut the Festive Greenery decorative strip. 
From the Festive Greenery die cuts, you will need 4 leaves and a pine branch (save other strip and pieces for later).  Use Distress Stain- Tarnished Brass to paint all 5 pieces (shake before use).
Note: there is one large leaf that points left...do not flip over to match the others.

Once all pieces are painted, use Emboss-it pad to coat the entire surface of branch.

Place on a sheet of paper.  Pour Sticky Embossing Powder over branch.

Gently tap off excess powder, place branch on non-stick craft mat.  Slide leftover power back into jar. 

Melt powder using your Heat Tool...as you can see the embossing powder turns clear and sticky.  So much easier to see the reaction when the manila paper is painted gold. 

Immediately cover melted powder with Stickles Dry Fine Glitter - platinum. 

When it is cooled, gently tap off excess glitter.  I like to go over with the Heat Tool again for about 30 seconds.  I find that it seems to cement the glitter into the sticky surface. 
Repeat steps with all 4 leaves.
NOTE: I love this method of adding glitter to a tiny surface area.  I have found that as long as you have good coverage from the embossing pad to begin with, the glitter will adhere easily the sticky surface.  I also know the Sticky Embossing Powder holds the glitter better than plain white glue with a lot less mess.

Add glittered leaves to wreath with a bit of Glossy Accents. 
NOTE: there are no glittered leaves under the top right and bottom right wreath leaves.  The top with be covered with a ribbon and the bottom is not necessary.

Assembling the tag:

Cut a piece of Mirrored (2 x 2”).  Peel off backing to adhere to tag.  Peel off protective top coating to reveal the mirrored surface.  I purposely took this shot with the camera showing so you can see that it is really like a mirror (you can also die cut this stuff!).

Adhere 3-d Pop-it shapes under wreath.  Add wreath to tag over Mirrored surface.

Clip the glittered pine branch in half and ink two other elements from the Festive Greenery decorative strip.

Layer the elements above and below the wreath with a bit of Glossy Accents.

Create a bow using Crinkle Ribbon and Distress stains Spun Sugar and a hint of Frayed Burlap. 
Begin by spritzing Crinkle Ribbon with a Mini Mister to keep in place on the non-stick craft sheet.  Pounce Spun Sugar onto ribbon (keep turning ribbon over to get all sides).  Using the same method, add Frayed Burlap (just a bit) to give the ribbon an aged appearance.  Spritz with water again, then dry with a Heat Tool.  Once dry, create bow (the tails are folded back and glued underneath).

Add bow to wreath a little to the right of center.

Hold on...just a few more steps!

Cut the last 2 1/2” x 12 manilla paper in half (or rip it...it doesn’t matter).  Use your Vagabond machine to cut out two “joy to the world” sayings from the stacked words: christmas decorative strip.

You need two because you are going to cut the words apart.  The bottom of the ‘y’ and the top of the ‘e’ are connected so from one you will cut the word “Joy” and from the other you will cut, “to the world”.  Discard leftover pieces.

Be sure to add the dot at the top of the J with a piece of 1/8” Wonder Tape.

Lightly ink the edges of the words with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  Add Crackle Accents to the word Joy and set aside to dry.  Once dry, rub with Distress Ink to bring out crackle finish.

Cut very small pieces of Pop-it Shapes and add to the back of the word Joy.  Add to the center of wreath.

Add “to the world” to the bottom right corner.

And it just wouldn’t be me without a bit of vintage...I added a few pearls I cut from an vintage necklace

And a bit of hand dyed cheese cloth.
Paper String tied at the top completes the tag.

Sizzix, Tim Holtz, Bigz Die, Holiday Wreath	Sizzix, Tim Holtz Texture Fades Embossing Folders, Textured Poinsettia Pattern	Sizzix, Tim Holtz, Sizzlits Decorative Strip Die, Festive Greenery	Tim Holtz, Grungepaper, 6"x12"
Tim Holtz Mirrored	Tim Holtz, Crinkle Ribbon	Tim Holtz, Paper String, Solids	Inkssentials Surfaces, Manila Tag #8
Inkssentials Surfaces, 12x12 Manila	Distress Stain, Spun Sugar	Distress Stain, Frayed Burlap	Metallic Distress Stain, Tarnished Brass
Stickles Dry Fine Glitter, Platinum	Sticky Embossing Powder, 1 oz.	Perfect Pearls, Heirloom Gold	Accents, Crackle
Wonder Tape, 1/8"	Emboss It Ink Pad, Clear	Distress Ink Pad, Vintage Photo	Ink Blending Tool
Non-Stick Craft Sheet	Collage Glue Stick	Mini Mister, Individual	Heat It Craft Tool

InLinkz.com

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Please join us in thanking Paula for this exquisite beauty! Leave your comment below to be eligible for the random drawing of the $25 gift certificate to our store
www.ellenhutson.com - be certain to do so before noon on December 13th to be eligible (one comment per person please.) Thank you for joining us here again today and don't forget to share the tags you create after being inspired by our 12 Tags series and link them in the post above!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2012 - Day 4 by Jennifer McGuire

Are you enjoying this series as much as I am? I cannot begin to express my thanks to the wonderful women who are participating in this year's series of tags. Today's guest designer, Jennifer McGuire, needs very little as way of introduction as I know you all know and love her as much as I do. Not only is this lovely lady clever, but she is kind and generous. It is with much affection that today I share with you the amazing talents of my friend Jennifer McGuire. If perchance you haven't already marked her blog you can find it at Jennifer McGuire Ink AND if you have not yet had a chance to take one of the classes she co-teaches with Kristina Werner on their site Online Card Classes you are missing out on some very well-done education!

When Jennifer offered to create a video showcasing today's technique I was over the moon excited to share it with you! Today she uses her magical touch on Tim Holtz Mirrored product - I already have envisioned a bobble-glass ornament wreath using this technique after watching this video!

Thank you Jennifer for your constant support, friendship and the absolutely stunning tag and technique you shared with us today!

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The dimension in this glorious tag was created by stamping with white Staz-On on clear plastic and then mounting with foam dimensionals to create depth. The Mirrored die cuts were colored with Copic markers to add texture and color. Be certain to watch the video that Jennifer has created especially for us!

 

Sizzix, Tim Holtz, Movers & Shapers Magnetic Die, Tag & Bookplates	Sizzix, Tim Holtz, Bigz Die, Caged Bird	Sizzix, Tim Holtz, Movers & Shapers Magnetic Die, Mini Snowflakes Set	Sizzix, Tim Holtz, Movers & Shapers Magnetic Die, Ornamental
Tim Holtz Mirrored	Cleardesign: Bring on the Merry	Stampers Anonymous Classics, Classics 9	StazOn Opaque Ink, Cotton White Set
NEW Archival Ink Pad, Jet Black	Distress Ink Pad, Evergreen Bough	COPIC Sketch Marker BG49, Duck Blue	COPIC Sketch Marker T3, Toner Gray #3
COPIC Sketch Marker T5, Toner Gray #5	COPIC Sketch Marker T7, Toner Gray No.7	COPIC Sketch Marker E79, Cashew	COPIC Sketch Marker YG09, Lettuce Green
COPIC Sketch Marker RV17, Deep Magenta	Tim Holtz Tinsel Twine, Silver	Gemstones, Smooth Clear Round	Gemstones, Black Pearl Crystals
High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/4"	Ink Blending Tool	Non-Stick Craft Sheet	Non-stick Micro Serrated Scissors
Fiskars Compact Stamp Press	Retractable Craft Knife	Vagabond Cutting Machine by Tim Holtz

InLinkz.com

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Please help us say thank you to Jennifer for joining us and sharing this fabulous video as she teaches us an over-the-top way to enhance the Mirrored product! Simply leave
your comment below and you will be eligible for the random drawing of the $25
gift certificate to our store www.ellenhutson.com. Leave your comment
before noon on December 13th to be eligible (one comment per person please.) We look forward to "sceneing" you tomorrow ;-D

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2012 - Day 1 by Sharon Harnist

Hello and welcome to Day 1 of Ellen's 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist -- I'm thrilled to be starting off this 12-day celebration today!  Tags are one of my very favorite papercrafted items to create and combining them with a fun technique makes them even more special!  The technique I'm using today is: "Snow" heat embossing on dry embossed snowflake background.

(Click on any photo for a larger view)

Here's how to create my tag:

1. Cut #8 tag shape out of aqua/light teal Core'dinations Kraft Core Collection Cardstock by Tim Holtz-4x6 Assorted 72-pack.  This cardstock is the star of the show today -- it has a fabulous linen-like texture and kraft core that you can expose by sanding it! You can either trace around a #8 Manila Tag and cut to create your tag, or do what I did and just cover the #8 tag with Kraft-Core cardstock. Note: the length of this colored cardstock is 5.50", so your cardstock will be a little shorter than the #8 tag. You can either just trim off the tag or do what I did and just adhere another piece of teal cardstock to the bottom of the tag -- the poinsettia will cover the seam later.

2. Rub Embossing Ink Pad over on the front inside of the Snow Flurries & Snowman folder (where the snowflakes are recessed):

3. Insert cardstock tag in embossing folder and dry emboss the tag with your die cut machine.

4. Take tag out of embossing folder and immediately cover with White Embossing Powder.  Shake off excess powder and/or lightly rub away any stray embossing powder from raised snowflake impressions and around the edges/bottom of tag. You want it to look snow scattered, not completely covered (in retrospect, I wish I had brushed off a little more of my embossing powder!).

5. Heat emboss the white powder using Heat It Craft Tool.

6. After embossing powder cools, lightly sand the tag with Tim Holtz Sanding Block to reveal the kraft core around the raised snowflakes:

7. Distress edges of the tag with Paper Distresser -- this will reveal more of the kraft core of the cardstock.

8. Create reinforced hole for top of tag, using reverse side of a scrap piece of Kraft-Core cardstock (kraft side): Punch a handheld 1-/4-inch hole in cardstock first, then use a 1/2-inch hole punch to punch around the hole. Adhere to top of tag and punch out center of hole reinforcement with handheld 1/4-inch punch; set tag aside.

9. Stamp Pearl Cling stamp onto Neenah Natural White cardstock with Memento Rich Cocoa ink; lightly/quickly color with Copic Sketch markers E00 & E11 (skin), R20 & R83 (lips, flowers & gift bow), E21 & E23 (hair & shoes), BG70 & BG72 (dress & hair bow). Cut out image and set aside:

(For a more in-depth tutorial on how to color people with Copic markers, please visit THIS CLASSroom blog post I prepared with this same Pearl stamp).

10. Using Heart Wings die, die cut wings and crown from Natural White cardstock; run through Xyron sticker maker.

11. Cover sticky side of wings with Melissa Frances Pure Silver Vintage Glass Glitter. Use Teflon Bone Folder to press glitter into adhesive -- glass glitter shards are very sharp and can easily cut your fingers! Shake off excess glass glitter. Sprinkle Glitter Ritz Silver Microfine Glitter over wings -- this will fill in any gaps that the chunky glass glitter did not cover and make them super sparkly! Shake off excess glitter.

12. Attach wings and crown to Pearl with foam tape; set aside.

13. Die cut Sizzix Tattered Poinsettia out of burgundy and rose Kraft-Core cardstock pad; sand the edges of the flowers. (It appears this particular poinsettia die I used is temporarily out of stock. You could also use this beautiful My Favorite Things Poinsettia die, or this Poppystamps Blooming Poinsettia die.)

Tip: Leave die cuts still attached to larger piece of cardstock after die cutting, lying flat on your work surface when sanding. Amazingly, the edges of your die cut will even get sanded and you'll have less of a chance of tearing the flower petals:

Ink edges of poinsettia with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink.

14. Cover poinsettia center with silver glass and microfine glitters, same as wings above. Layer poinsettia pieces together with foam tape and attach to lower right corner of tag.

15. Stamp Hero Arts Holiday Sayings sentiment with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink onto Neenah Natural White cardstock; cut into banner shape. Sponge edges of banner with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink; adhere banner over Pearl's hands with foam tape.

16. Attach Pearl to tag, behind poinsettia, with foam tape.

17. Cut a 12" length of Ivory May Arts 1-1/4" Wide Silk ribbon and ink both sides of the ribbon directly with the Victorian Velvet Distress Ink pad:

18. Spritz ribbon with water and scrunch it up; blot excess water with a paper towel. Let ribbon dry naturally or quickly heat it from a distance with heat tool (heating silk ribbon too long or too closely will burn it). If ribbon needs more color, lightly tap it with the ink pad again:

19. Thread ribbon through tag hole and then tie ribbon together above tag with Silver Tinsel Twine and a jingle bell.

All done!

Thanks for joining me today -- I hope you'll have fun with this technique and enjoy the next 11 days of tags!  ~ Sharon

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{Supplies} 

 

Core'dinations Cardstock, Tim Holtz Kraft Core	Inkssentials Surfaces, Manila Tag #8	Sizzix Tim Holtz Texture Fade Embossing Folder, Snow Flurries & Snowman	Ranger Distress Embossing Pad
White Embossing Powder	Heat It Craft Tool	Tim Holtz Sanding Block	Tonic Tim Holtz Paper Distresser
EK Success Paper Shapers 1/2-inch Circle Punch	Melissa Frances Pearl Cling Stamps, Just A Little Something	Memento Ink Pad, Rich Cocoa	A1 Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White, 25 pack
Copic Sketch Markers	Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz Die, Heart Wings	Xyron 1.5" Create-a-Sticker Machine	Melissa Frances Glass Glitter, Pure Silver
Glitter Ritz Microfine Glitter, Silver	Teflon Bone Folder	High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/2"	Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz Die, Tattered Poinsettia
Distress Ink Pad, Brushed Corduroy	Ink Blending Tool	Distress Ink Pad, Victorian Velvet	Hero Arts ClearDesign, Holiday Sayings
May Arts Silk Ribbon, Ivory 1-1/4" Wide	Mini Mister, Individual	Tim Holtz Tinsel Twine, Silver	1/2" Silver Jingle Bells

InLinkz.com

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We would like to thank you for joining us and leaving a comment for each of the designers who participates in this very special event. Simply leave your appreciation for Sharon's beautiful tag here today and you will be eligible for the random drawing of the $25 gift certificate to our store www.ellenhutson.com. Leave your comment before noon on December 13th to be eligible (one comment per person please.) Be certain to return tomorrow to see what our special guest Claudine Hellmuth has created!

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

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

Seeing Dots by Sharon Harnist

Karen Lockhart released her new Spring 2012 stamps last week and I couldn't wait to color this adorable Polka Dot Bike . . . especially since my sweet 9-year old daughter crashed her bicycle this weekend and broke her arm, poor thing!  

I guess this card might have been good to give her, with a different sentiment, maybe, LOL!  Her day was definitely NOT perfect that day!

I stamped the images with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Copic X-Press It Blending Card and colored it with fresh, pretty colors of Copic Markers.  The image was then trimmed to 3" square. To finish the edges, I adhered Copic's Double-Sided High-Tack 1/8" Tissue tape to the edges:

and then covered the tape with Microfine White Glitter. The image was adhered to a 3.50" square of Memory Box Currant notecard, trimmed with pinking scissors.  I love the frosty look of glassine bags and was thrilled to find these adorable 3.50" Glassine Envelopes in Ellen's store!  

I slipped the notecard in and decorated the outside of the envelope with Tattered Florals die cuts (from Currant and Cherry Blossom Memory Box notecards) and Doodle Assortment-Bright Twine.

I sure hope this notecard helps to make someone's day perfect! ~ Sharon

Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Co - Polka Dot Bike & Thanks For a Perfect Day sentiment
Paper: Copic X-Press It Blending Card; Memory Box notecards-Currant and Cherry Blossom; 3.50" Glassine Envelopes; 
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; 
Copic Markers: C0, C1, E30, E31, R24, R27, RV52, RV55, T1, T3, T5, V15, Y18, YR04, YG95, 
Dies: Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz Tattered Florals; 
Accessories: Doodle Twine Assortment-Bright; 
Other: Pinking scissors, Copic Double-Sided High-Tack 1/8" Tissue and 1/2" Foam tapes; Glitter Ritz Microfine White Glitter; hand-held hole and EK Success 1/2" circle punches; button 

New 2012 Copic Colors & Lockhart Stamps by Sharon Harnist

I was very excited to see these 12 beautiful new Copic colors for 2012 and wanted to share them in a project with you today:

Colors include:

• BG57- Jasper
• BG90- Gray Sky
• BV34- Bluebell
• E84- Khaki
• E89- Pecan
• G43- Pistachio
• G46- Mistletoe
• R56- Currant
• RV52- Cotton Candy
• V22- Ash Lavender
• V28- Eggplant
• YR27- Tuscan Orange

Ellen is offering the 12 new colors either in the whole 12-piece set (at a bit of a savings) or individually. Here's a run-down of how the new colors fit into the existing Copic color palette:

• Existing G40 now has companions of G43 and G46
• Existing BG53 now has darker shade of BG57
• Existing BG93 now has a lighter BG90 pairing
• Existing E81 and E87 now have darker E84 and E89 golden brown companions
• Existing BV31 now has a darker BV34 companion
• Existing V20 and V25 now have darker V22 and V28 for a wonderful muted lavender blending group
• Existing RV55 now has a lighter RV52 mate, for a wonderful pink grouping we've all been craving!
• Existing R59 now has a lighter R56
• Existing YR24 receives a darker mate of YR27

I used Karen Lockhart's pretty new Garden Roses #2159, stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Copic X-Press It Blending Card and used the new RV55 (with RV52) for the roses and new R59 for the deepest shading.  (You can find all of newest Lockhart stamp release HERE):

(New 2012 colors have a black dot below the color name on the cap end)

The leaves and stems were colored with existing G40 and new G43 and G46:

The basket is base coated with E81 and shaded with new E84 and existing E87 -- such a pretty golden brown / khaki color!

The ground was colored with existing E30, E31 and E35.

The image was die cut with Lifestyle Crafts Tags die and tied with some of Ellen's pretty light pink satin ribbon she sends as a thank-you gift in each order, tinted a little with Copic R20 marker to match the paper roses.  

The paper roses were die cut from October Afternoon Sidewalks 8x8 patterned paper with Sizzix Bigz 3D Flower, and I have a tip to share with you that makes rolling these paper flowers a little easier!

I use Locking Hemostat Pliers to hold the outside edge of the flower and roll it tightly into the center of the flower:

After rolling, you can loosen your hold on the flower, unlock the pliers and secure the flower to the center with a Craft Glue Dot . . . easy-peasy!  

I colored flat-backed pearls with Copic R56 and secured them to the centers of the flowers.  Green patterned paper from the same Sidewalks pad was die cut with Tim Holtz's On The Edge-Scallops die and everything adhered to a Memory Box Currant Notecard.

I know you will enjoy these new Copic colors -- they really fill out some pretty colors of blending groups!  ~ Sharon

Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Company Garden Roses #2159
Dies: Sizzix Bigz 3D Flower & Tim Holtz's On The Edge-Scallops dies; Lifestyle Crafts Dies-Tags, 
Paper: Copic X-Press It Blending Card, Memory Box Notecards-Currant, October Afternoon Sidewalks 8x8 patterned paper
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Existing Copic Markers: 
New 2012 Copic Markers: 
Accessories: Simply Swank Locking Hemostat Pliers, Craft Glue Dots, Pearls, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares, light pink satin ribbon (free gift from Ellen)

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

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house...

This is the theme of my last tag of the year. Day 12, Tag 12 - the end of our 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist for the year 2011. We hope you enjoyed the twists that we shared here in the CLASSroom this year. Yes, it is a labor of love that pushes us through each year. It is a "mission" each day just to get these completed in a manner that we hope inspires you.

Today it is my desire to share several more ways for you to use tissue paper in your projects, as well as share one more resist technique with you!

Don't you find these contemporary, yet rustic little dwellings, sitting in a snowbank with Santa flying overhead simply cute!

Adhering tissue paper to a surface can be done in ways atypical to the usual glues and adhesives. If you would like to add color to your project Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Line is the PERFECT way to add your tissue paper! First cut the dwellings from Craft-a-Board. Apply a layer of Studio Paint.

For variation and interest I added a second color in a streaky manner. You could stamp patterns or use stencils to add variation as well. I was trying to keep today's projects simple and colorful.

Immediately, while the paint is still wet, attach your tissue paper to your project by placing it on the painted surface and applying pressure evenly over the entire surface. Magically the color appears through the tissue paper in a wonderful muted way.

Aren't these just the sweetest mix of colors - right now I am picturing myself in a tranquil setting on the Italian coastline where their homes are so magically colored. How divine!

To add snow to the rooftops follow the same technique I showed a few days ago. Using Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint apply along the roofline and drag a piercing tool through the paint for a random appearance. Sprinkle silver and clear glass glitter (Twinklets Diamond Dust) into the wet paint. Allow to dry.

Streak Picket Fence Distress Stain randomly over a manila tag.

Add "icicles" to the manila tag surface by randomly streaking Rock Candy Distress Crackle paint on the surface. Apply enough so that you get random cracking. The more you apply, the larger the cracks, with thinner layers providing smaller cracks. Allow to dry.

This surface is absolutely fabulous and very "icy" looking, but I had more to show you ;-D

Using an ink blending tool, in a circular motion, add both Tumbled Glass and Stormy Sky distress ink at random to your surface.

Stamp snowflakes in both Stormy Sky and Tumbled Glass.

Make a corner of a soft towel or paper towel damp and wipe the excess ink from the surface where the Rock Candy Crackle paint is applied. Your snowflakes will start disappearing into the night sky.

To create your snowbank use a piece of tissue that has the tiny pinked edge formed by the cutting blade on the packaging on one side and a haphazardly torn edge on the other side. Crumple your tissue paper and then straighten back out. Apply Tumbled Glass distress stain in a random way and dry with a heat tool.

Cut a piece of manila cardstock to fit the width of the tag from the edges of the houses. Tear a random pattern in the top of this snowbank.

On the side opposite of the Distress Stained tissue paper, apply a layer of Gloss Multi-Medium.

Pleat, crumple, and mash the tissue paper to fit and adhere to the manila cardstock snowbank you created above.

Apply another layer of Gloss Multi-Medium to the surface by pouncing with a paintbrush. Sprinkle with both silver and clear glass glitter. Allow to dry.

I love having both 1/16" and 1/8" dimensional squares for adding depth to projects. When you need to layer items one on top of another you can achieve a "flat" look by combining the adhesive squares dependent upon where it is being attached to your project.

As you can see, one of the edges of my blue house is mounted on the tag and the other is mounted on top of the other dwelling. By placing the thicker dimensional on the side that is mounted directly to the tag it keeps my house level. Yes, the perfectionist in my is always coming out and I thought I would share this little trick with you in hopes that it will help other perfectionists out here in cyberville - LOL!

Tip: Create a more unifed balance by spacing these dwellings of different sizes and shapes in an assymetrical way. In other words, don't center the red house or it will not look right. It's all about breaking up your space into thirds and fifths - the Roman mean. Yep, that puts me right back in Italy and I'm going back to the Cinque Terre - ha, ha!

I needed to use my second set of hands, my self-closing tweezers, to knot my baker's twine and add the little jingle bell.

Since it is Christmas Eve I decided to add one simple "window" to my dwelling, but needed to alter the color ever so slightly to coordinate with the house on the left and Santa's face - Delicata Gold ink to the rescue!

One last parting shot of our last tag of the season. We hope that you have enjoyed your time here with us and with that we would like to close with... Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

stamps: Tim Holtz Winter Sketchbook 

ink: Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass and Stormy Sky, Distress Stain - Picket Fence and Tumbled Glass

paper: Manila Cardstock, Craft-a-board, Terminology Tissue Wrap

accessories: Studio Line - Dab of Yellow, Yellow Pastel, Modern Red, Dash of Red, Sky Blue, Landscape Green, Glossy Multi-Medium; Off White Twill, Silver Tinsel, Santa Christmas Ornament (these are absolutely darling and the size is perfect for crafting!), Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint, Silver Glitter Glass, Twinklets Diamond Dust, Bakers Twine, Jingle Bell, Game Pieces

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It's our last day of blog candy, but the party is far from over! Be certain to join us again tomorrow as we get our Hero Arts preview party started. Due to the "inconveniences" of today (yes, my studio is in complete disarray as the neighbors flooded toilet made an amazing mess in our office and warehouse - who would have thought a toilet contains that much water!) I am not certain when we will be able to get our first post up, but it is on to Plan B for the short term as I try to wade through this - ha, ha! Gotta laugh about it or I just might be sitting in a puddle crying - double ha, ha!

To be eligible for the random drawing of the goodies shown above please leave a comment here on this post by noon Pacific Time, Wednesday, December 14th. 

One last reminder that the goodies in the 12 Days Tag Time will be on sale until tomorrow morning at 9:00am, so if you have been inspired to try something new and different please head over to take advantage of the savings.

Thank you all once again for joining us here in the CLASSroom. We sincerely hope that we have brought a bright spot to your holiday season, that you have been inspired, and hopefully, have picked up a couple of new ideas to use in your creating!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 11 by Ellen

It was 10 years ago, when I attended my first rubberstamp convention here in Puyallup, WA, that Suze Weinberg was showing Melt Art. I dabbled with my Melting Pot since that time having loads of fun when I pull it out. It was so fun to see Tim playing with it today, showing how to create Shrink Art embellishments. We have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new rebranded product - I am hoping that Tim posting means that they will soon be on their way! 

I thought I would share a twist on the technique Tim shared with you today; one that brings in some of the other products you may have in your stash.

These irridescent beauties sing in real life - LOL! OK, so that's stretching it just a touch, but they certainly are stunning. I think they might make the cutest earrings, as well as tag embellishments.

For this particular project I used Black Shrink Plastic. You can find it in this Sample Pack. I hope in the days ahead to share several of the other techniques that I played with today while I had my Melting Pot ready for action. There are SO many possibilities!

I put about 2 oz of UTEE into my Melting Pot turning the heat to the UTEE setting. Put the lid on and leave it untouched until the UTEE is completely melted.

Do not be alarmed by the twisting and turning motion of the shrink plastic as you place it in the hot UTEE and it begins to melt.

Remember UTEE is HOT!!! So always be cautious while working. I always have my Kooltoolz handy along with my self-closing Teflon tweezers. The spoon shown above works great for flattening your shrink plastic into the UTEE and you do not need to worry about damaging it with the hot pot and UTEE.

Once my piece is flattened I like to move it towards the front end of the pot into a more shallow area of the liquid and then grab the end with my non-stick tweezers. The UTEE will build up on the non-stick tweezers, but it is easily removed!

Before removing the shrink plastic ornament from the UTEE ink your stamp with Perfect Medium. This will aid in easy release of the stamp from the UTEE and provide the perfect medium for adding Perfect Pearls.

I followed Tim's recommendation to pull the embellishment along my non-stick craft sheet before continuing. It worked like a charm (ha, ha - get it, "charm.") Immediately impress your stamp into the warm UTEE. Allow the stamp to sit for a couple of seconds and then remove. Magical texture!

Perfect Pearls over black is STUNNING! Use a soft brush to apply the powder and to remove the excess.

I wanted to test a clear stamp to see if it would work, because I wasn't certain how it would hold up. Once again I inked the stamp with Perfect Medium.

It was wonderful being able to see through the stamp to precisely place my image on the ornament.

Perfection! As you can see the detail in this stamp is super fine, whereas the red rubber stamp I selected had a bolder image. Exciting to know that both types of stamps work for this technique!

Once again you will see the pattern and texture emerge as you brush on the powder. Place the excess powder back into the container when you are finished.

As you can see I had little "nubbins" on the edges of my ornaments. Once the UTEE has cooled you need to be careful about removing the excess, so as to not crack your project.

I like to use the edge of my Melting Pot to finesse my UTEE pieces. Be super careful so that you don't put your fingers on the hot surface. I find it quite simple to hold the piece and use the heat to soften and melt those weird little pieces that jutt from the edges. It also helps to soften the UTEE slightly so that cutting with scissors and or just scraping with your fingernail works easily.

To create my tag background I use a very old resist technique. This is one of the very first techniques I learned as a stamper and I love it to this day. Glossy cardstock lends a contemporary feel to a project and I wanted that feel with these ornamental beauties.

Ink your background stamp with a watermark resist ink and stamp on white glossy cardstock. I like to place my tag atop the stamp as shown above and then use a piece of scratch paper over the top and apply pressure evenly over the surface. Glossy cardstock is slippery and this helps me keep from smudging it with excessive movement.

Lightly heat the surface of the tag and set the ink. Then apply dye ink to your brayer and roll it over the tag. It is like watching a ghost appear :-D So cool!

Add a second color for interest. In this case I elected to use two green dye inks that are fairly monochromatic.

After brayering on the second color use a soft paper towel or cloth to remove the excess ink.

I don't know how many of you like to work with wire, but it was so fun to use it on this project. I like using a heavier gauge wire, shaping as needed. THEN to add interest hammer the wire, flattening it. You will not be able to change the shape once you flatten the wire so be certain you have the desired shape before hammering. Hammered wire is so cool looking!

I hope you enjoy the contemporary twist that I took with today's tag - bold, yet simple and elegant at the same time.

stamps: Hero Arts Cling Dot Flower Pattern, Antique Sweet Threads Cling Stamp,

ink: Perfect Medium, Inkssentials Watermark Resist Pad, Adirondack Juniper Dye Ink Pad, Iced Spruce Distress Ink Pad

paper: Glossy Cardstock

accessories: Tim Holtz Ornaments 2, Vintage Lace and Tags & Bookplates Die, Assorted Polyshrink Sampler, Perfect Pearls Brush, Perfect Pearls - Sour Apple, Grape Fizz, Pink Gumball, 20-gauge wire, Inkssentials Metal Foil, Brayer, Clear UTEE, Melting Pot, Kooltoolz, Tweezer Bee, White Silk Ribbon

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Day 11 - it's hard to believe how quickly time passes! I have very much enjoyed reading your comments! Christmas Eve is typically spent together with my husband's family. I think it is their Welsh background that brings the tradition of making homemade beef and noodles each year. The noodles have to be hand-rolled and laid out on the counters to dry. It is quite the spectacle and oh, so delicious! I would love to hear what one of your favorite Christmas Eve traditions is. By leaving a comment (one comment per person please) below you will be eligible for the random drawing for the Mini Reindeer & 25 Die set and Shabby Accoutrements shown above. Please do so by noon on Tuesday, December 13.

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 10 by Ellen

Tim's technique of the day today is ubber fun to play with!

Yes, it truly does look like Vintage Mercury Glass when you add the Inkssentials Foil behind the transfer!!!

I began by applying packing tape to a beautiful Melissa Frances image. Be certain to burnish the tape to the image making certain there are no air bubbles. Then place the tape in bowl of warm water. To remove the paper gently rub between your fingers. I find that if I finish the image as I run water over it under the tape I am able to remove the final bits of paper easily. Work gently so that you do not scratch your image.

Partly remove the backing from a piece of Inkssentials Foil and carefully adhere your packing tape transfer. Make certain that the adhesive side of your packing tape is attached to the sticky side of the foil.

I would like to try this on a larger sized image and try diecutting a foil backed tranfer. It looks so cool just as it is!

To make a statement piece I used a Facet and yes, I applied WAY too much glossy accents - LOL! I have created these embellishments before where I did not apply enough glossy accents and ended up ruining the piece, so I have always been a little too generous with my glossy accents since that time. You will notice that I have also used Icicle Stickles around the rim. By adding the Stickles to the edges you get a little bit of glitter just around the edges of your image.

Place the fragment down on to the foil backed transfer and squeeze out any excess adhesive. Very careful wipe it away as you do so to avoid getting it on the face of your facet. Allow to dry and cut out around edge.

Diecut six wings from Craft-a-Board. Use the base of one wing and trace the edge to alter the length of a second set of wings. In hindsight I wished that I had run these through a textured embossing folder at this point. Perhaps tomorrow I will find the time to try this because when looking at the final photos it just isn't as pretty in the photo as in real life because I couldn't capture the variance in the sheen.

Spray with Biscotti Perfect Pearl mist.

Spray with Calico White mist and then spray with a little more Biscotti Perfect Pearl mist in some spots.

Use the gold paint dabber to "tip" the wings.

Apply some Ultimate Glue randomly to the edges of the wings and add glass glitter. Attach the wings by applying dimensional adhesive dots between layers.

This is one of my favorite "shabby" background techniques. Use a Snow Cap dabber to apply paint to a background stamp.

Allow to dry before proceeding.

Use an ink blending tool and in a swirling motion apply ink starting on non-stick craft sheet and swirling onto the tag. This is what really makes the white pop and colors it ever so slightly at the same time.

Add some tulle and pleated satin trim to the base of the tag.

Lightly sand the Antique Brass reinforcer before applying.

What says Christmas more than Baby Jesus in the Manger surrounded by angels? So soft, pretty and angelic.

stamps: Hero Arts Cling Classic Fabric Design

ink: Distress Ink - Bundled Sage and Iced Spruce

paper: Manila Cardstock, Melissa Frances Deck the Halls, Craft-a-Board

accessories: Angel Wings Die, Tim Holtz Tags & Bookplates Die, Facet, Inkssentials Metal Foil, Packing Tape, Glossy Accents, Icicle Stickles, Snow Cap and Gold Paint Dabber, Melissa Frances Gold Glass Glitter, Maya Road Tulle and Pleated Satin Trim, White Studio Calico Spray, Biscotti Perfect Pearls Mist, 7 Gyspies Reinforcer, Silk Ribbon

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I loved hearing what your favorite holiday movies are so much that I decided this time round I'd like to hear what your favorite holiday treat is? It can be food related or simply something you do for yourself during the holiday season that makes it special. Leave your comment on this post and it will automatically enter you in the random drawing for the Distressed Doily die and Calico Shine spray shown above. Do so before noon on Monday to be eligible. Wishing you a lovely before holiday weekend and hoping that you are able to check off items on your to do list :-D

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

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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! 

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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!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 7 by Julia Stainton

I've always believed the saying that inspiration breeds more inspiration. I love being inspired by other crafters and for today's tag, number 7 in our 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist, is definitely inspired by Tim's tag. I hope you enjoy this version that takes some of the techniques and elements and makes them work for my style and what I have on hand.

 

The other night I was watching a Christmas special and the set was beautiful white, silver and a hint of blue. I decided I just had to create a project using that color scheme so that is what I went with today. Here's what I did...

First of all I was inspired to use Kraft Glassine but I didn't have any on hand. What I did have though was a Kraft Glassine Envelope and as it is fairly close to a tag in size and shape, decided to make it into my tag base for my project. I started off by crumpling it up for some texture.

I don't have any alcohol inks on hand so I decided to play around with my kraft glassine envelope and see how it would take white paints and inks. I love how this really lightened the glassine kraft color.

To get my finished look I first rubbed in Picket Fence Distress Stain onto the envelope/tag and then heat set it. I wanted a snowy look so I then misted it with Calico White mist and then heat set again. Lastly I stamped the tag with snowflakes in white pigment ink and then heat set it.

Next I moved onto my snowflake accent. I die cut it with my Big Shot from Craft-a-Board and then painted it with Brushed Pewter Distress Crackle Paint. This step takes the longest to dry. I admit I was a bit impatient and this photo is before it was totally dry and cracked.

Altering embellishments with Alcohol Inks was an idea that intrigued me but again, I didn't have any. Copic Ink Refills to the rescue! You can use them the same way. I squirted some into a bag and then colored the pearl tips of my trinket pins. For all of you who support Ellen's Store, you'll know that she ships many of her liquid products in small plastic zip bags. Save them as they are perfect for this purpose!

My little tag was created by pressing some Distress Stain onto my Craft Mat and then swiping the paper across it.

It may be difficult to see in the picture but the flower is accented with dabs of Diamond Stickles for an icy look.

Finally here's a top view of how it all goes together.

I hope this tag inspires you and gets you into a frosty holiday mood

Supplies: Tim Holtz Kraft Glassine Envelope, Snowcap White Pigment Ink by Ranger, Mr. Huey's Calico White Color Mist by Studio Calico, Picket Fence Distress Stain and Tumbled Glass Distress Stain by Ranger, Tim Holtz Grunge Flakes stamp set and Tim Holtz Odds and Ends stamp set by Stampers Anonymous, heat gun, Snowflake Die by Sizzix, Wedding Shoes Flower by Prima Marketing, Diamond Stickles by Ranger, Tinsel Trim by Webster's Pages, Brushed Pewter Distress Crackle Paint by Ranger, Pearl Trinket Pins by Maya Road, twine, Hinge Clip by Advantus, Small Doilies by Essentials by Ellen, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink by Ranger, B00 Frost Blue Copic Refill

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Oh how I love a pretty tag - and Julia S never fails to create beautiful projects with loads of depth. I love how she was able to alter the Kraft Glassine using a completely different method! Please she your love with her this holiday season - by leaving a comment on this post you will be eligible for the random drawing of the stamp set, Kraft Glassine envelopes and Calico White spray above! Please leave your message no later than noon on Friday, December 9th to be included in our random drawing.

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 6 by Ellen

Inspiration comes in interesting ways! It always amazes me how memories in the recesses of one's mind come to the forefront when creating. When I first peeked at Tim's tag this morning I paused - I knew that it reminded me of something, but I could not put my finger on it. Christopher Radko makes some of the most beautiful glass ornaments and the bright colors just struck a cord in my mind, but that wasn't it. It was when one of our sweet customers stopped in, exclaiming that it looked like a Mexican ornament, that it truly dawned on me what memory was trying to find its way to the surface.

(remember to double click on the photos if you want to see them in more detail)

It was a trip to Old Town San Diego when my girls were little! We purchased two very sweet little Mexican Tin Ornaments for our Christmas tree. I always like to purchase a Christmas ornament when we take a trip, so that when we decorate our tree each year it brings back fond memories of time spent with my family. Well guess what... we haven't had the time to decorate our tree yet this year and my mind was blanking... and yet the idea was still there!

Are you tired of me using the Inkssentials Metal Foil yet? LOL! When Tim used it today I knew that I wanted to try another idea I had discovered and will be sharing that "blooper" discovery with you after the tags are completed. Today's creation pushes that blooper a step further!

Adhere a piece of Metal Foil to the Craft-a-board (picture showing this is on Day 4 Tag.)

Place in embossing folder making certain that the debossed area is pushing down into the metal foil.

This particular embossing folder is exquisite! I love the textural difference of the metal foil where it is untouched vs. embossed!

Now being the complete tease that I am, I wanted to post the picture above and say - here is the completed Day 6 tag. I LOVE how simple and beautiful it is!!! You could crank out a TON of these!! But, I had an idea and I carried on :-D

Apply Snow Cap Alcohol Ink Mixative to the felt applicator and dab the entire tag with it.

Then, one drop at a time, use Various Refills (which are alcohol inks) to color in the debossed areas. I used a fine tipped old paintbrush to paint in the color. It is not critical that you stay within the lines, but working in a "neat" manner will make it easier in the long run.

As you can see the color flows fairly well within those debossed areas.

Apply all colors before moving on. I like working on my non-stick craft sheet. Cleanup is super easy - to clean your paintbrush put a small amount of alcohol ink blending solution or rubbing alcohol into a tiny container and swish the brush clean between colors. Then use the solution to clean up any mess on your non-stick craft sheet when your project is complete.

Alcohol ink dries quickly! It still may feel a little tacky, but you can proceed. Put your project on a piece of scrap paper (don't sand directly on your non-stick craft sheet or you may destroy it) and sand the top surface of the tag. Using a corner of the small Lucky Squirrel sander you can also rough up the painted interior of the flowers if desired. It is so fun to see the satiny foil appear through the white mixative!

Use a soft cloth to remove dust from sanding.

I love that the Webster's Pages trims are mounted on a clear backing. This allows you to easily see what your project will look like if you apply these fun jewels. Add additional bling to the flower centers.

I hope you like today's interpretation of Tim's tag and for those of you who love simplicity and are way behind, just stop at step 1! So simple and gorgeous, or detailed and colorful - you pick!

ink: Snow Cap Alcohol Ink Mixative, Various Ink Refills - R29, YG67, Y17, V17, Colorless Blender Solution

paper: Craft-a-Board

accessories: Tim Holtz Tags & Bookplates Die, Sizzix Basic Grey Winter Botanicals Embossing Folder, Inkssentials Metal Foil, Sanding Block - Tim's and Lucky Squirrel, Alcohol Ink Applicator, Webster's Pages Botanical Christmas Dazzle Me strip, Yellow Gemstones Large and Small, Violet Silk Ribbon, Red Tassle

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What is the favorite new tool/product that you have tried recently? By sharing your comment below you will automatically be entered in our random drawing for the goodies shown above. Be certain to leave your comment before noon on Thursday, December 8th to be included. Thank you for once again joining us as we celebrate creativity at this festive time of year!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 4 by Ellen

Welcome to Day 4! The inspiration I took from Tim's tag today was the beautiful cracked detail! The first thing that popped into my mind was the beautiful old glass vintage ornaments that I have seen in photos and so I decided I would try and play with that idea.

I am going to apologize right now for the quality of my photos and promise I will try to take some better pictures during the daylight hours tomorrow. I'm not certain what I did, but the white balance on my camera was definitely not accurate and combine that with the sparkle and sheen... well the quality of my photos tonight is definitely off. I considered going back down to work to reshoot them, but admitedly I'm just too tired - so I decided to share them as is and try to get better photos tomorrow.

OK - so this is a new day and a new photo. The color is much more accurate in this photo, but now you can't see the pretty sparkle - LOL! Oh well, it's all good because I know that you all have wonderful imaginations :-D

To begin adhere the Inkssentials Metal Foil to Craft-a-Board. Craft-a-Board is a product that works BEAUTIFULLY with embossing folders and diecuts. It adds stability to your projects and yet allows all the detail to show.

Use Carved Ornaments #2 to cut out the ornament shapes.

The detail of this embossing folder also reminds me of the patterning I have seen on vintage ornaments. Align the ornament within the folder using a small piece of tissue tape to hold it in position. Run it through your diecut and embossing machine.

Use the alcohol ink applicator and YG63 Various Ink refill to colorize the metal foil. Drip several drops of Various Ink onto the felt pad and dab on the ornament surface.

Lightly sand the raised surface of the ornament. It is incredible how gorgeous the detail looks when the burnished satiny silver appears above the light green.

Apply a light layer of Rock Candy Crackle paint to the surface. Using the Ranger scraper remove the excess Rock Candy by dragging the scraper across the surface. You could also use an old credit card or Starbucks card to achieve the same result.

By removing the excess Rock Candy it exposes the satiny silver finish better and the thinner layer of Rock Candy will crack into the most beautiful fine scale which works perfectly with this embossed pattern. It truly does look like an old vintage ornament.

Add a little extra Rock Candy Crackle paint to the top edge of the ornament and the very bottom. Sprinkle Vintage Glitter Glass on these areas. Allow to dry. Rock Candy Crackle paint takes a LONG time to dry - LOL! This is experiment #4 I believe - when we have completed the 12 days series I hope to do a "bloopers" post. I think you will be highly amused and begin to understand why these posts go up so late each night ;-D

I tried so hard to get a picture that captures the gorgeous cracked detail, but argh - my pictures just are not good today - hopefully you can envision the absolute beauty in this little decoration.

Using the technique that Tim shared today I swiped Picket Fence and Bundled Sage Distress stains on my non-stick craft sheet. Spritz your tag with water and then pull it through the inks on the craft sheet.

When creating my tag base I decided to experiment with the combination of Picket Fence and Bundled Sage. I was curious if there would be a difference between the tags if I added Picket Fence or left it out. I was quite surprised that there was a subtle difference between the two tags. Can you guess which one has the Picket Fence stain added?

It's the tag on the left - the Picket Fence seemed to give a more subtle, "grainy" appearance. It is so fun to compare! I'm certain if you were using a darker stain color that it would be even more defined.

Ink the snowflake stamps with Bundled Sage Distress Stain and randomly stamp the tag background. The difference when stamping using an image inked with Distress Stain vs. an ink pad is quite noticable. Distress Stain will give you a looser, more watercolor like look (shown on the left), whereas your stamp pad will define the image clearly (shown on the right).

Cut the evergreen foliage using the Tattered Pine Cones die from excess plastic packaging. It is fun to know that there is a recyclable use for the packaging from the dies. If you do not have any Clearly for Art works in a very similar manner.

Use Snow Cap and Silver Metallic dabbers to ink the foliage. Then lightly heat the plastic and shape. You need to work quickly as the plastic cools it hardens into whatever form you have created. Good news is that you can always reheat and reshape.

One last parting shot that also has really bad coloring - LOL! Be certain to double click on the photo and it will pop bigger so that you can see the cracked detail. Please use your imagination to input the color above to coordinate perfectly with Bundled Sage, then add an incredible sparkle and a silvery satin quality and you've got it :-D Sorry for the bad photos but I do hope that this inspires you to try playing with these fun techniques!

stamps: Winter Sketchbook

ink: YG63 Various Ink Refill, Picket Fence and Bundled Sage Distress Stain

paper: Neenah Solar White, Craft-a-Board

accessories: Tim Holtz Tags & Bookplates, Carved Ornaments #2 and Tattered Pine Cones Dies, Lifestyle Crafts Whimsy Embossing Folder, Inkssentials Metal Foil, Alcohol Ink Applicator, Melissa Frances Pale Green Glass Glitter, Rock Candy Crackle Paint, Webster's Pages Vintage Netting, Vintage Satin and Lace, Lavish Trimmings, Snow Cap and Silver Metallic Dabbers, Sanding Block, Baubles

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I love dies - there are SO many to pick from! Tell me which dies you currently use frequently - by doing so you will automatically be entered in our random drawing for the Carved Ornaments #2 Dies shown above. You have until Tuesday, December 6th noon Pacific Time (one comment per person please) to share your comment.  We look forward to hearing from you!    

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 1 by Ellen

Welcome to Day 1 of our 12 Tags journey! I have to admit I almost felt panic in my stomach this morning - LOL! What if I couldn't create something worthy to share with all of you - it has been far too long since I have allowed myself the gift of creating and I'm feeling RUSTY! Life has been SO busy - moving my MIL, helping my daughters with all their school projects, trying to keep things running smoothly here at work, starting new adventures and trying to wrap up the old - I just haven't found the time to allow myself this luxury. Yes, today was a gift - once I started to create the ideas just began to flow and I am so thrilled with the final tag - I hope you like it. Be certain to read the end of this post, because we have a special surprise for you!

(you can double click on all the photos to make them bigger)

When I saw Tim's tag this morning my mind reverted to a page I had seen in the Crate and Barrel holiday catalog. There was a wreath - it was all white and it had white painted pine cones in it. There were also pages showing a combination of white, silver and either gold or cream --- and the thoughts started to flow as I worked.

I did exactly what Tim suggested. Neenah cardstock is quite stiff, so before diecutting I broke down the fibers by rubbing it back and forth on both sides, and in different directions, over the edge of my work table. Next I cut out the tattered pine cone and folded over the edges and creased each scale with my fingernail.

Using hot glue attach the first scale to the end of a toothpick.

Begin to roll the toothpick, wrapping the scales around the toothpick as shown. Now this isn't quite as easy as I am making it sound. I will be completely honest with you and tell you that I believe that Tim has had a little more practice than I have - he may just be the master tattered pinecone maker ;-D

I did cheat and once I had it wrapped around and fitted I unwrapped it and put a couple little spots of glue on the toothpick along the way. My dexterity is lacking in comparison I guess - LOL!

I didn't worry about the excess hot glue on the toothpick stem because I knew I was going to be clipping it off at the base and wanted to be certain it was secure. Hopefully this sideview will help you see the spacing as you work.

When working with white on white it is extremely important to provide a lot of texture. Using the Distress Embossing Ink Pad I brushed the tips of the scales, then dipped the pine cone in white embossing powder and melted it with my heat tool.

Use a pair of self-locking tweezers to hold it while you work so you don't burn your fingertips!

Clip the toothpick to make it easy to affix the finished pinecone to your project.

As I created the pinecones I thought about how I could create a wreath. Maya Road creates the loveliest trims! I have been so looking forward to playing with it and this tulle screamed wreath.

Using about an 8" piece of 20-gauge stainless wire I began "sewing" with the wire along the natural seam in the trim.

Work the tip of the wire in and out of the tulle, just like you are using a needle.

Approximately every 1 1/2" of gathered tulle I would add a lightbulb. Lightbulbs are SO Christmas and it was after I was almost finished with the tulle that the "lightbulb" went off and I pulled all the tulle off to add these cute little embellishments. I can totally see using alcohol ink to color them and create a more modern, contemporary wreath! Someone please try it for me :-D

As I stated earlier when working with white on white texture is critical. I love the fact that Tim has a couple of stamps that coordinate with the embossing folders. I wasn't certain if this was going to work, but figured nothing like a good experiment.

Stamp and emboss the image with white embossing powder.

I needed to be in good light to be able to align the text with the message in the folder and then used a piece of tissue tape to attach my tag to the folder interior so that it wouldn't move.

Run it through your machine and magic happens. Beautiful texture on texture, beautfiul white on white!

To create balance with the silver in the light bulbs I adhered some metal foil to Neenah cardstock and then sanded it with the sanding tool. As you can see in the photo above the variation in the texture is stunning - it has a much more satin-like appearance after you sand it, allowing it to coordinate beautifully with the satiny finish on the lightbulb bases.

Using more burnished foil attached to cardstock I cut out the foliage for the pinecones.

Now not only do you have a beautiful tag, BUT you have created the sweetest ornament for your tree. Gift it to someone on a package - that someone will feel special as they hang their tag on the tree!

stamps: Seasons Silhouettes

ink: Distress Embossing Ink Pad

paper: Neenah Solar White Cardstock

accessories: Sizzix Dies - Tag & Bookplates, Vintage Lace and Tattered Pine Cone, Christmas Background Texture Fades Embossing Folder, Tim Holtz Light Bulbs, Lavish Trimmings, Sanding Block, Metal Foil Tape Sheet, Maya Road Ribbon Tulle Pleat Trim, White Opaque Embossing Powder, 20-Gauge Silver Beading Wire, 7 Gyspies Antique Silver Reinforcer, Hot Glue Gun

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Join in the fun and leave us a comment telling us where you find inspiration for creating your holiday cards? Your comment will automatically enter you in a random drawing for the Tattered Pine Cones die - you have until Saturday noon Pacific Time (one comment only per person please.)

Thank you for joining in the festivities here in the CLASSroom!

2012 Photo Tray Calendar Q1 by Sharon Harnist

If you follow my personal blog at all, you know I have a thing for calendars -- I love them!  I like combining them with artwork to have on display in my home and most importantly -- right on my desk or in my office/creative space!  I also enjoy finding new ways to create them for gifts.  So here's a new one I came up with, that utilizes my 7 Gypsies Black Photo Tray:

               (Click on any photo for a larger view)

Each section of the tray measures 4" x 6" -- perfect for just adding family photos to your calendar, if you wish, or artwork close to the size of a standard A2 card.  I decided to make three months at a time so I would have additional room to showcase some different techniques for you, but you could easily make this a 6-month calendar if you wish.  Then if you give the tray as a holiday gift, you can easily follow up with additional months later in the year (if you don't get them completed all at once) and they will be easy to mail to the recepient.  I'll try to have each calendar quarter prepared a month in advance over the coming year, allowing you plenty of time to follow along and create your own calendar/months, if you'd like!

The beautiful coordinating papers I used this quarter are all from Lilybee Design's Head Over Heels 6x6 Tiny Tablet, designed by our very own multi-talented Miss Julia Stainton . . . I adore all these colors together!

The calendars are Ellen's 2012 PDF Downloadable Calendar -- printed at 75%, they are approximately 3" square.  Each one was matted with Memory Box cardstock: Lagoon, Raspberry, and Vanilla Bean:

January:

I used Tim Holtz Texture Fades Embossing Folders-Snow Flurries & Snowman for the top panel. The embossed snowflakes were rubbed with Adirondack Snow Cap pigment ink pad and sprinkled with Glitter Ritz Transparent Warm Highlights micro fine glitter and then heat embossed with Clear Embossing Powder (they were a little tricky to photograph, but show up a little better in the close-up views):

The embossed snowman was just hand trimmed closely to the embossed edges and the edges of both the snowman and snowflake embossed panel were sponged with Distress Inks. Pretty Zva Clear Swirl gemstones accent the Maya Road Mini Chipboard Snowflake which was also clear embossed with glitter. Hero Arts Pink Crystals accent the snowflake and calendar.

TECHNIQUE - Watercolor Two Ways:

I just recently discovered this gorgeous Hero Arts Felt Finish Natural White Watercolor Paper Ellen started carrying and LOVE that it comes in either Bright White or this soft Natural White color I used!  I used for both of these watercolor techniques.

February:

Lockhart Stamp Company's Love Angel was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black onto the watercolor paper. Using a Niji Waterbrush filled with Copic Colorless Blender Solution, I dipped the brush into Copic Various Ink Refills (BG11, BG13, R24, R81, and YR31 placed in a plastic paint palette) to "water" color the angel (clean up afterwards with Clear Blender Solution):

Copic Clear Atyou Spica Glitter Pen accents the angel's wings and a light pink crystal accents the heart she is carrying. Memory Box Raspberry cardstock, die cut with Tim Holtz's Heart Wings Bigz Die, accents the background and calendar:

March:

Lockhart Roses Daisies & Polka Dots was also stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black onto the watercolor paper, but then watercolored the more traditional way, with Adirondack Dye Ink Pads (Lettuce, Pink Sherbet, Pool, Raspberry, Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow).  You can just used the ink pad lid as a palette, by rubbing the ink pad onto the lid (as seen in the lower left of the photo below) -- this will usually transfer enough ink to watercolor with, if your pads are juicy enough:

Or you can place a few drops of reinker into the stamp pad lid and use this to watercolor with.  To finish this piece, I used a few dye-based Memento Markers to accent the flowers and color those tiny flower stems!

Memory Box Taffy cardstock, die cut with Tim Holtz's Tattered Florals die, accents the background.

Please let me know if you like this concept and if you'd like to see more months each quarter next year!  ~ Sharon

Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Company Love Angel (#7008), Roses Daisies & Polka Dots (#2122)
Paper: Hero Arts Felt Finish Natural White Watercolor Paper; Lilybee Design Head Over Heels 6x6 Tiny Tablet; Memory Box cardstock-Lagoon, Raspberry, Taffy, Vanilla Bean; 
Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black ink kpad and Memento Markers; Ranger Adirondack Pigment Ink (January)-Snow Cap; Ranger Adirondack Dye Ink Pads (March)-Lettuce, Pink Sherbet, Pool, Raspberry, Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow; Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Jan & Feb)-Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy & (Mar) Worn Lipstick; 
Copic Markers: E33 & BG13 (Angel), Colorless Blender Solution; Clear Atyou Spica Glitter Pen
Copic Various Ink Refills: BG11, BG13, R24, R81, YR31 (Angel)
Dies: Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz Die-Heart Wings and Tattered Florals;
Accessories: 7 Gypsies Black Photo Tray; Ellen's 2012 PDF Downloadable Calendar (printed at 75%); Niji Waterbrush; Sizzix Tim Holtz Texture Fades Embossing Folders-Snow Flurries & Snowman; Ranger Clear Embossing Powder, Heat It Craft Tool, and Ink Blending Tool; Glitter Ritz Microfine Glitter-Transparent Warm Highlights; Maya Road Mini Chipboard Sets: Snowflakes; Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares; Zva Clear Swirl gemstones; KaiserCraft Pearls; Hero Arts Pink Crystals; Darice Plastic Paint Palette; 

Little Red Wagon

This month's thank you note is this oh, so cute wagon filled with toys by Karen Lockhart. I love that Karen's stamps always have that hand drawn look and in this case it is perfect for these vintage toy-filled wagon. We have a special surprise for you this week only --- the Wagon of Toys is going to be our stamp of the week at 25% off! So I wanted to share a project with you that might help you "recycle" your little thank you note and give you a simple and not too fussy design you could use for your Christmas cards.

I felt that it paired beautifully with the word "dream," because it is fun to dream of the days when we were young - the anticipation of something new to play with, friends and family gathered to eat and play games together, snow covered hills to go sledding on... all delightful things to dream about! 

Dream from Tim Holtz Sizzix Mover and Shapers series is just the right size to fit on a card front. Simply sit it in the Base Tray and butt it right up to the edge, centering it to make it easy to know where to place your cardstock. Position your cardstock and place the cutting pad on top and simply run it through your machine.

Next take an ink blending tool and add a little color around the word to define the edges. I am DELIGHTED to tell you that the new Iced Spruce Limited Edition Distress Ink Pad is a wonderful coordinate to Copic colors BG72/BG75. If you love these colors you may just want to pick these pads up.

To color in the wagon of toys I used the colors shown above. Simply start with the lightest color and adding depth with the darker shades.

The final steps when coloring are to use a very well sharpened color pencil and add additional depth with a slight cross-hatch pattern to the tree and bear to create texture. As well add a little glitz with the Copic Spicas - I used gold, lipstick and turquoise.

You will notice a "snowy" appearance on the Kraft cardstock. Yes, I'm a convert to the Mister Huey Calico White - it is definitely THE most opaque mist I have used. It should be on our shelves later this week so stay tuned on Facebook for an update when it arrives.

Thank you for stopping in again here in the CLASSroom and have a wonderful week ahead!

stamps: Lockhart Wagon of Toys

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Iced Spruce Distress Ink, Copic colors shown above

paper: Memory Box Kraft and Red Pepper CS

accessories: Tim Holtz Dream Movers and Shapers Die and Base Tray, Mister Huey' Calico White Mist, Ink Blending Tool

Faux Dry Embossing With Die Cuts by Sharon Harnist

Welcome to the CLASSroom today!  Do you ever need a quick hostess, anniversary, house warming, holiday or birthday gift and opt for the traditional bottle of wine?  Or maybe even a flavor-infused bottle of olive oil for for the culinary inclined?  Then I have a nice gift tag option for you today, using a faux dry embossing technique!

          (click on any photo for a larger view)

To make the process easy, I started with a standard #8 shipping tag -- Tim Holtz’s new kraft tag -- I'm loving these!  Next, die cut or punch a 1-3/8” to 1-1/2” circle in the top of the tag (over and removing the tag’s reinforced hole).

Then I scored underneath the die cut hole, about 2 inches from the top of the tag:

Next, I die cut several leaves using Tim Holtz’s Tattered Leaves and Memory Box’s Maple Leaf dies out of the same kraft tag and adhered them to my tag.  Trim off any shapes that hang over the edge of the tag:  

You could then just leave the leaves as is and use them as a background for any kind of project or card, or to make them stand out a little, you could sponge some Distress Ink around the edges of the leaves, to help highlight them a bit:

Or I opted to sponge Versamark Champagne Dazzle ink over my leaves, to give them an elegant sparkle:

Next, I stamped my sentiment with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Memory Box Concord Grape cardstock and cut it into a banner shape.  I secured the sentiment to the tag with a Hinge Clip tied with lilac twine.  To add a little more color to my tag, I backed it with more Concord Grape cardstock and die cut the lower edge with Tim Holtz's On The Edge-Scalloped die.

I hope you’ll give this faux dry embossed look a try with your favorite dies!  ~ Sharon

Stamps: Hero Arts ClearDesign-Truly Appreciated; 3” x 4” Acrylic Block;
Dies & Tools: Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz Die-Tattered Leaves and On The Edge-Scallops; Memory Box Maple Leaf die; Scor-It Mini Scoring Board;
Paper: Ranger Inkssentials #8 Kraft Tag; Memory Box Concord Grape cardstock
Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black and Versamark Champagne Dazzle; Ranger Tim Holtz Old Paper Distress Ink
Accessories: Tim Holtz Hinge Clips; Ranger Ink Blending Tool; We R Memory Keepers Secondary Twine (lilac); 

Lockhart Pumpkin Cookies Foldover Bookmark

There are times when I wonder if I'm living under a rock - LOL! With everything going on in life I don't have any time to blog hop and so I have no idea if someone else has shared a version of this project before. Using a large, shaped die to create a "foldover" is an idea that I just thought was fun and so I had to share it with you - I hope that you enjoy it even if you have heard it before.

 

I have been LOVING the label dies from Memory Box Company and it was after creating the Halloweenie card with the Chadwick Label that this idea dawned on me. Why not create "foldovers" with my larger dies?!?

 

To create a "foldover" you simply score your cardstock and fold it. Then using a piece of tissue tape attach the cardstock, with the fold line end slightly lower then where the die would normally make the cut, to the face of your die.

 

Run it through your die cut machine and voila a very nifty "foldover." These then can turn into darling bookmarks that have fabulous shapes!

 

To hold the bookmark in place use a Basic Grey magnet - these are still the best magnets on the market for something like this.

 

Shown above are the colors of Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils and Spica Glitter pen that I used to color the Pumpkin Cookies. I <3 this image and have used it as our thank you's this month.

I also used the Copic Markers to color the 1/4" white silk ribbon with purple to add a little "pop" to the project.

As a little aside - I must tell you that Indie Bloom has papers in the collection that have a fabulous halloween feel.

 

To close I had to share the first version of my project - it is so amazing to me that sometimes when I view my completed project through the camera lens I see missing elements. That is precisely the case in today's project - do you see the difference? It's the littlest of details that can make a card special. By simply adding texture to the edges of the foldover with a pierced design the project comes to life.

 

stamps: Lockhart Halloween Cookies

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Lavender Spica Glitter Pen

paper: Neenah Solar White, Memory Box Mango CS, Basic Grey Indie Bloom

accessories: Tim Holtz Mini Cabinet Die, Mini Paper Clip, and Design Ruler, 1/4" White Silk Ribbon,

Making Jewelry From Graphic 45 Metal Staples by Becky Olsen

The other day I was working on a project using the Metal Tag Staples by Graphic 45 and had layed them down on my studion table a certain way that caught my eye. What would they look like if they were used as pieces in a necklace, and how could I make that happen? So I got out a few more of the Metal Staple pieces and started playing and arranging until I came up with a configuration that I found visually appealling and that could also be easily done.

I started by rolling the edges of the Metal Flower Staples to make a rose that I could use as the center of the piece. It took three of the large flowers to make this beautiful flower.

Next I got out some of the Metal Hinge Staples and attached Jump Rings that were from the Tim Holtz Idea-o-logy collection then got sections of the Vintage Groove Antique Brass Chain laid out as well.

This is what it looked like after I got the pieces organized.

The metal is pretty heavy and also has some edges that could be uncomfortable, and I also needed a way for the piece to be held together that was reasonably flexible and where the flower could be attached. This led me to create a bib style platform using some Dimensions Spruce colored felt.

To get the shape of the bib I laid out the tags and flower on the felt, removed the flower and traced around the felt with a permanent marker. I then trimmed the shape out of the felt and adhered the metal pieces to the felt using E6000. I think that Fabri-Tac would also work, as that is my go to fabric adhesive, but I have run out and need to re-order. The flower was adhered directly to the felt as well, and I was very generous when I applied the adhesive. It did bleed through the felt, and when it was in the last stages of drying I applied another thin layer and added a very small piece of scrap felt to cover that spot to provide more comfort when I wear it.

This is what the finished piece looks like on the table. As you can see, I shortened up all the chain pieces to make it a length that let it hang better.

Okay, no laughing! I am sans make-up and a the bags and circles under my eyes tell the tale that I might not have been getting adequate sleep of late. The real story  is how unique and fun this piece is, and I think it could work with many different looks because of the neutral antique brass color.

The real test was what the daughters would think. They have a no holds barred approach when it comes to giving me their opinions. They really liked how it looked finished (concerns had been expressed in abundance when the pieces were on the desk) and were very complimentary on how it hung and liked the scale of it as well. 

I personally think that it is fabulous, and am pretty proud of myself for seeing something different in products that I really love! So I am going to put a little challenge out there to all of you crafty fashionistas, create something that is unexpected from your stash. If you feel like leaving a link, I would love to see where you take this challenge and will come by and take a look-see :o)

Happy Crafting!

B-

Zen Apples by Sharon Harnist

 

I loved the idea Ellen shared in this post about filling larger open stamped images with doodles or Zentangles, so I thought I would try my hand at tangling and had a BLAST!  To start, all you need is any stamp image with enough room to doodle in ... I chose Karen Lockhart's Perfect Apples (they reminded me of school starting again next month!) and stamped them with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Copic X-Press It Blending Card.

Next, just have fun randomly drawing images within the stamped image, using Copic's Black Multiliners -- I used 0.1 for most of my details and 0.3 for the thicker lines.  You can find the refillable markers individually in Ellen's store or both of them in this disposable pack.  Using the Copic Multiliner, which is the same permanent ink as Copic markers, ensures no fading or bleeding should you want to also add color to your tangled images.

 

If you need help with patterns to doodle, Ellen carries a wonderful selection of Zentangle books that give you ideas and easy to follow patterns.  After finishing my designs, I colored each of my apples individually with Copic markers (colors listed below): 

 

To finish my card, I die cut the apple image and mounted it with 3D Foam Squares to another die cut of Memory Box Cranberry cardstock and then to a black card base embossed with Tim Holtz Texture Fades Wooden Embossing Folder -- I love that these folders are the exact same size as an A2 cardfront!  For accents, I added red twine and green felt leaves attached with a gold brad.

I hope you'll give tangling a try, I think you'll like it -- I sure did!  - Sharon

 
Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Co-Perfect Apples,  
Paper: Copic X-Press It Blending Card; Memory Box Licorice & Cranberry notecards
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black,
Copic: Black Multiliners-Refillable 0.3 and 0.1 or disposable 4-piece set, Markers-RV34, R35, R37, BG13, E35, G21, G24, G07, YG17, Y08, YR23 
Accessories: Tim Holtz Texture Fades Embossing Folders-Bricked and Wooden, Jillibean Baker's Twine-Red & Brown, Hero Arts Felt Poinsettia & Leaves, gold brad, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares, Zentangle books,

Texture Fades Embossing Folders By Becky Olsen

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

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

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

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

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

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

B-

Maribelle Burnished Velvet Butterfly Tag

Today I wanted to share a project created using the beautiful Memory Box Maribelle and Selena Butterfly Dies, as well as the lovely Butterfly Delights Die. Having always loved butterflies these dies are ones I am having SO much fun creating with. Over the next few days I hope to share several other methods of creating using these dies, so be certain to stay tuned for more ideas --- I couldn't help myself :-D

 

Burnished Velvet is a technique that we have shared numerous posts here on our blogs. By using the search mechanism located in the upper right hand corner of the blog the following posts and typing in the words "burnished velvet" these posts came up to refresh your memory.

 

To begin today's project I covered Craft-a-Board with Be Creative Tape. These low profile dies will typically cut all the way through Craft-a-Board, but not when adding extra layers of adhesive or decorative paper. Using the Selena Die I ran it through my Vagabond first and then completed the cut with the Fiskars Fingertip Knife --- it was super easy to cut through the remaining thickness!

Cut out the Black Outline of the Maribelle Butterfly from Black Glossy cardstock.

 

Remove the tape backing, position the Maribelle Butterfly exactly over top the Selena Butterfly, and use the backing to press the outline firmly in to place.

Sprinkle Grasshopper glitter on to a portion of the wings and shake off excess. 
 

Apply Peacock Blue glitter to the outside edges of the wings and shake off excess.

Next apply Ice Blue glitter over the remaining uncovered portion and remove.

I then came back over the Peacock Blue portion and a slight portion of the Ice Blue with more Peacock Blue glitter and burnished it in place. This allowed for some of the Peacock Blue to mix with the Ice Blue and help soften the line. I know with practice I would be able to get a better gradation between the colors, but this was my first attempt and I felt that it I should share some of my "imperfections" with you. This way you can see that I don't always get it right - LOL! 

Repeat on the opposite side with the Grasshopper glitter.

I LOVE this beautiful sparkly butterfly! 

To create the tag I first cut out my tag using the Tags and Bookmarks die from Tim Holtz. I then positioned the Butterfly Delights die atop the tag, holding it in place using tissue tape, and created the cut outs. I love the border dies that create tese fabulous cut outs - you can then use the little butterflies to flutter them about on another project or put them into your gift bag as confetti.

As I said earlier, stay tuned for more fun ways to create using these gorgeous butterfly dies!
 

paper: Memory Box Key Lime Distressed Dots, Glossy Black Cardstock, Craft-a-Board

accessories: Memory Box Dies - Selena, Maribelle, Butterfly Delights; Tim Holtz Tag and Bookplates Die, Maya Road Turquoise Ruffle Edge Trim and Sheer Scrolls Ribbon, Be Creative (Sookwang) Tape, Grasshopper, Ice Blue and Peacock Blue Glitter Ritz

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-

Welcome Gate Seed Packet

Holiday Monday's get a big thumbs up! I hope that you are enjoying yours.

Today showcases the coloring on the last piece of the little trio of projects I created using the new Lockhart stamps. Sharing garden seeds can be so much fun and the intent was to create a little piece that garden seeds could be enclosed and given to a friend.

 

Each of the pieces above have one common thread - the Mykonos papers. Using the colors from this collection was a wonderful jumping off point and allowed me to create an ensemble that easily coordinates.

 

Begin by coloring each different element in the stamped image with a light colored Copic. At times I make a "mistake" when pulling out the flowers, greens, etc. - by working with a light color it is so very easy to come back in and adjust the colors if you discover you have colored a leaf pink :-D

I am now going to work through how I add depth or dimension to my colored images.

 

Add W4 as shown above. Do not color the entire area - only little tidbits in similar corners of each "segment."

 

Add E34 in various areas as shown above.

 

Now go back over these areas with W1 - the lighter color will blend the colors you just added, as well, when you color an area over a second time it becomes darker. I have found that I will get varying shades of a color by going over an area up to four times. Each time I apply that color it becomes slightly darker.

 

The last colors I add are typically with Prismacolor Color Pencils. The added texture that colored pencils add by simply grabbing the top layer of tooth on the Neenah paper adds so much interest. I hope that you can see it in these photos.

 

I almost always work from light to dark.

 

Then come back over all colors with my lightest Copic color to blend and add colored pencil once again. Sorry for the blur on the bottom of this picture, my camera grabbed the marker colors and I didn't realize I had lost my focus on the bottom of the image :-( Please look at the photo below to see that area in focus.

 

One of the techniques I like to use when coloring "green" areas is to very lightly "blur" the background area with Chartreuse colored pencil as shown above.

I then come back in with a mix of greens to create depth.

 

Mixing yellows and yellow-reds creates a wonderful golden yellow.

 

A little Goldenrod colored pencil and the flowers and gate are almost complete.

I purposefully left the sign until the very end - I didn't know what color I wanted it to be until my image was complete. It then became obvious to me that I wanted to balance the blues of the flowers at the base and create a triangle of color.
 

To create unity amongst these projects I once again stitched my image to the flap of this wonderful little Kraft Glassine envelope. This time I took a picture of the back side as well so that you can see how the stitching can vary from one side to the next.
 

Using another Squash button together with a mini paper clip and adding a Whimsy Bird completed this simple project.

Remember to leave your comment before midnight tonight on the Summertime post to be eligible to receive the goodies you will need to create these projects! AND let's all cross our fingers for some nice summertime weather!

 

stamps: Lockhart Welcome Gate

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic Markers

paper: 7 Gypsies Mykonos 6x6 Paper Pad, Neenah Solar White, Memory Box Squash Cardstock, Craft-a-Board

accessories: Tim Holtz Kraft Glassine Envelopes, Mini Paper Clip, Memory Box Button Die, Design Ruler, Retractable Craft Pick

Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante Shadowbox by Becky Olsen

Steampunk is an intriguing trend that continues to grow, it brings together hard metal and soft vintage with whimsy and elegance. No paper line embodies those elements like Steampunk Debutante by Graphic 45.

I had been wanting to make a shadowbox using this line for quite a while, and finally took a few minutes this weekend to make a little Mother's Day gift for myself  :o)

The base piece I used was an inexpensive shadowbox frame that I bought at IKEA. But most any other frame of this type would be just as effective.

The back layer was made by fussy cutting out a few different layers from the gorgeous papers in the 8" x 8" Steampunk Debutante paper pad.

I added some Game Spinners to a Sprocket Gear for this piece. I scored the bottom 1/4" of the edge, applied some 714 Scotch ATG adhesive and placed it very close to the front of the glass of the box.

The gears were fussy cut out and a few Sprocket Gears, Foliage and Washers were used to create that mechanical look. Again I scored the edge and applied the adhesive and attached it to the left edge on the side of the box about 1/3" away from the edge.

To soften all of the metal additions, I fussy cut some butterflies to sprinkle randomly around the inside and outside of the frame and some flowers to soften the frame.

By layering all of these elements and using the interior of the shadowbox to build dimension I ended up with a project that I just love and can still have more little pieces added to if I felt so inclined, or make a few different variation of to display as a fun art cluster.

Playing with different looks and trends is adventurous. I had a great time making myself a little treat and learned some fun new tricks along the way.  Maybe this will inspire you to try something new or adventurous in your crafting.

B-

Rosette Die Comparison - Memory Box and Tim Holtz Alterations

Today we are going to do a comparison between the Tim Holtz Alterations Rosette and Mini Rosette dies and the Memory Box Rosette die. Can one have too many dies? Impossible - LOL! OK, so perhaps not impossible and so therefore my post today to share a comparison so that you can hopefully make a decision re: which dies are best suited to what it is that you would like to create! It seems that every die has it's pros and cons and so I will do my best today to share what I have learned about the dies with you so that you can make a more educated decision as to what is best for you.

 

Rather than saying Happy Easter, because it is simply too late to actually send a card using that expression, I went with the cute little Happy Anything Day sentiment, but I would like to express my desire that each of you enjoy this special weekend!!!
 

To begin I wanted to share a picture of the actual die, the packaging and a sample of the completed rosette. These dies are similar to all the other low-profile dies available now. As you can see the exterior line is deep enough to cut with and the interior line is the line that provides the score line.

 

Tip: When using the Memory Box die snip the end piece off as shown above. I find that my completed rosette is so much more uniform and the folds meet together better.

 

Apply adhesive (I like using Be Creative, Sookwang, tape to the last fold) and affix the two ends by overlapping this one fold. You will achieve a circle as shown above.

 

Flip the circle down as shown above, apply hot glue to the coordinating disc and affix.

 

Gently hold this disc in position until the glue cools. Flip over and do the opposite side in the same manner.

 

To get a clear view of the differences in these dies I felt a picture was worth a 1000 words. As you can see you will need both of Tim's dies to create different sized rosettes. Due to the perforation utilized to create the score lines you cannot snip these dies to change the size of each rosette. BUT the pro in regards to these perforated score lines is that it is much easier to fold and score along these lines.

With the Memory Box rosette die it is incredibly easy to vary the size! Simply cut out your patterned paper and then shorten the width and length of your finished piece.
 

As you can see you can create a variety of different diameters.
 

I have stacked them so that you can have a top down comparison. What I realized when stacking them like this is that WOW you could create the coolest Christmas tree or fun flowers with the Memory Box die by simply resizing it! That is a cool PRO.

You will also note the different "points" or "edges" on each die - variety is the spice of life!

 

Thank you for once again joining me here in the CLASSroom as we explored the differences in these dies. SO MANY wonderful options - now it is up to you to determine which one best fits your desires :-D

 
stamps: Lilybee Design Picket Fence Clear Stamps

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

paper: Lilybee Design Stationery 12x12 paper collection and Picket Fence collection, Memory Box Mango Notecard

accessories: Memory Box Blooming Rosette, Pristine Border, and Double Ticket Dies, Tim Holtz Alterations Paper Rosette and Mini Paper Rosettes, Be Creative (Sookwang) Tape, Hot Glue and Hot Glue Gun

Please be advised that more Memory Box dies will be arriving hopefully Monday. I will post to our Facebook Fan Club page as soon as they arrive for those who have been wanting to purchase some of these beauties.

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

Spring Photo Tray by Sharon Harnist

Time for an update of my seasonal Photo Tray for Spring & Summer!  You can find my other seasonal Photo Trays here (Fall) and here (Christmas), if you care to get some other ideas of how this tray can be used.  I use temporary adhesive on each of the 4" x 6" panels within each tray section, so they can be removed and the tray used over and over again!  I used this gorgeous new Prima 6x6 paper pad-Madeline, for an easily coordinated tray.

In the top left section, I used Spellbinders largest Labels Large Nestabilities die to cut the photo of my oldest daughter (showing off her new glasses!) -- notice that pretty embossed edge of the photo!  I love using dies to cut my photos into unexpected shapes -- I think it gives my scrapbooking a nice professional touch.  

The flower accent was cut from coordinating Madeline paper using Tim Holt Bigz Die-Tattered Florals.  It's quick and easy to cut all the coordinating flower pieces you need in just one die!  I stacked the pieces together with 3D Foam Squares, and accented the center with a Hero Arts Medium accent pearl.

In the upper center section, the bird cage was die cut from a sheet of cork that was backed with a sheet of Be Creative tape:

Then I just cut away pieces of the adhesive backing from where I wanted the cork to adhere to the butterfly patterned paper in a curved dimensional shape.  The adhesive sheet helps give the cork more stability, to retain its curved shape and makes it super easy to adhere to the paper.  Then I just trimmed the patterned paper around the cage and laced it up with Brown Twine, and walah . . . caged butterflies!

This Tim Holtz Caged Bird die contains two images:

Here's how I used the bird in the upper right section:

For this sweet bird die cut, I adhered Creative Imaginations Real Cherry Wood Cherry to Craft-a-Board to give it more stability and then die cut it -- I love the texture!  It's popped up on foam tape.  I loved this wonderful scalloped sentiment piece that is from another piece of the Madeline paper. It says: "True beauty lies within. I know that yours will shine so brilliant it will be blinding."  Something I hope my beautiful daughters learn in life.

 
My favorite section is fabulous dress I created!  I used Tim Holt's Bigz Die-Sewing Room dress form to cut Craft-a-Board, which was then sponged with Antique Linen & Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks:

Then I adhered a large Prima Cherry Rose Trim to the dress form -- one flower was all that was needed of this gorgeous trim:

I trimmed the flowers to fit the dress form, and then finished it with a Hero Arts Small Accent Pearls necklace.  My oldest daughter said she wants a dress like this!

The final two sections on the lower right were accented with huge Spellbinders Nested Butterfly die cuts.  I cut the largest butterfly in half and adhered the halves in each section and then topped it with the middle butterfly die that was adhered on top of the section divider and finished with Hero Arts Medium accent pearls.  Some Maya Road Cream Small Organza Rose trim was used in each section, to help tie them together.  In the left section, I used pieces of the fuschia Tattered Flowers die cuts that were left over from the top left section, topped with one of the small organza roses.  The small label cut out in the left section is from another piece of the Madeline paper, cut in half:

The photo of my youngest daughter was cut with a circle die.  I hope this tray helps to give you some ideas of different ways you can use this wonderful 7 Gypsies Black Photo Tray!

~ Sharon Harnist

Paper: Prima 6x6 paper pad-Madeline, Magenta Cork sheet, Essentials by Ellen Craft-a-Board, Creative Imaginations Real Wood Cherry-Thin,
Ink: Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks-Antique Linen & Brushed Corduroy, Ink Blending Tool; 
Tools: Sizzix Tim Holt Bigz Die-Tattered Florals, Caged Bird & Sewing Room; Spellbinders Nested Butterfly, Labels Large Nestabilities & Circle Nestabilities die sets
Accessories: 7 Gypsies Black Photo Tray, Prima Cherry Rose Trim, Hero Arts Medium & Small Accent Pearls, Maya Road Cream Small Organza Roses, Jillibean Soup Brown Twine, Be Creative (Sookwang) Sheet adhesive, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares, Glue Glider Pro Repositionable tape,