simple dreams

Noel Wreath Card using Digital Letters

Each month as I create the thank you note that goes out with your orders I try to think of an image that is appropriate for the upcoming season. This will then allow you to either use it as a color reference and/or create a card with that image :-D I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the appreciation you share with us when you receive this note and the little snippet of ribbon. I want you to know that you are special to us and I couldn't do this without your support - so once again I would like to thank you so much for being here and shopping with us!

To begin I selected the Wreath of Gifts. I had a blast creating this card and want to share another way to use the letters that Julia created for this holiday season. When I asked her if this would be something she could do I told her some of the ideas I had in mind that I wanted them for, along with some patterns I wanted her to create with and she just went to work. I am SO very proud of her and the creativity she is bringing to our team. Thank you Julia!

So one of the ideas is to use the letters as ornaments. I felt that the wreath made the perfect letter "O". I colored the packages to coordinate with the beautiful Webster's Pages Sweet Season papers, using a silvery gray ribbon to tie them all together.

The fantastic value in these letters is that you can resize them to whatever size you need. To begin follow the instructions in this post.

Once you have pasted the letters into your Word document resizing is simple. Note where the red arrows are pointing. Double click on the letter itself and you will see it outlined as shown above. By double clicking it will take you to the "Format" window. On the right side of the page you will see two boxes with dimensions in them. For this project input the number 1 in the first box and click enter. This will automatically resize your letters to 1" in size.

Use your space bar to add additional spacing between the letters if desired.

I then used a 1 1/8" punch (which has been ordered but I'm still waiting for them to arrive in the store) to create my circle.

My next steps were to punch the border trim with my edger punch and sew the trim to the decorative paper. By sewing at this point I am able to hide the bottom stitching.

Using a 2-way glue pen around the edge of the circle and dipping the letter in Microfine Glitter gives it that final sparkly touch! Position the ornament letters and wreath by using a see-through ruler. This helps you align them evenly and in a straight line. Yes, the perfectionist syndrome coming out in me again - LOL!

Once the letters are positioned it is time to attach the "string." The new Webster's Pages silver trim is AMAZING! The incredulous thing about this trim is that it is linked together with tiny jump ring like circles. I have absolutely no idea how they even manufacture something so delicate. The beauty of this trim is that you can cut it easily with scissors. As I experimented I realized that when you cut it to a single line it falls apart into individual little circles that they look like little bells :-D I love happy accidents!

As you can also see in the photo above this one I am becoming addicted to this little bottle of Studio Matte Medium. It REALLY holds and to have a non-shiny adhesion is important to me. By placing a very small dab of adhesive on the top of the ornament I was able to attach my "chain". I allowed this to dry before moving on.

Once dry stretch the chain up and over your trim and cut to fit.

Then lift the purple trim apply yet another small dab of Matte Medium and attach the upper end of the "chain."

Not only does this chain sparkle, but it actually creates a musical sound when you shake the card :) I'm such a sucker for little details like this - LOL!

Using my favorite tweezers I then placed little jingle bells on each ornament in the wreath using Matte Medium to hold them in place. A final sparkle was added with the Sakura Stardust pen.

I hope that you can use some of these little details in the creating of your holiday cards. Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour this morning! Thanks for stopping in again today and I hope you have a fabulous Sunday.

downloads: Candy Lane Seasonal Alphabet

stamps: Lockhart Wreath of Gifts

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

paper: Webster's Pages Sweet Season and Waiting for Santa 6x6 Paper Pack,

accessories: Webster's Pages Sweet Season and Waiting for Santa Trim Pack and Silver Chain Trim, Studio Matte Medium Mini, 2-Way Glue Pen, Silver Microfine Glitter, Vintage Lace Punch around the Page Edger

Crafting With Kids: Watch It Appear

I will always think back to the magic of "disappearing ink." Writing with lemon juice and then heating the paper to watch it appear. The sophisticated products that we now have that allow us to magically watch a pattern appear still intrigue me as an adult and so my thinking with this project was that kids would find this to be so much fun!

The first two tools that I believe will make this process so very easy to clean up are the non-stick craft mats and the craft scraper. These craft mats come in a number of sizes I am currently working with the XL mat on my work surface so that I can completely protect my tabletop. I then use the smaller one on top of it because it is so much easier to store and carry to the sink if need be. When working with a craft mat allow your paints to dry on the surface and then simply scrap them off using the craft scrapper. It is SO very easy! No more big messes to worry about.

Depending on the age of your children you can do the first step of this technique, but this is not about perfection - it's more about the process. Remember all those foam stamps we accumulated! Well, for this project I pulled one of those out. They work fantastic for this type of technique. You can also use "regular" stamps as well - the only important consideration is to pick a design that is quite bold such as a silhouette or one with thicker outlines.

Paint the Matte Medium on your non-stick craft sheet and use this as your "stamp pad." Randomly stamp the image on your Sticky Back Canvas. You can have small diecut shapes, as I have used here, or work with an entire sheet cutting it into pieces later. 

Using the Heat It tool I dried the Matte Medium - I'm an impatient crafter - LOL! If you want to extend the project out over time you can simply set this aside and allow it to airdry.

Using popsicle sticks so that I don't mix my colors in my jars I selected three different Studio paints and dabbed them on my craft sheet. "A little dab will do ya!" Less is more with these paints :-D Then add moisture to your paint with a mini mister, watering it down to a very thin consistency as shown. Using the large size Studio Brush randomly paint your canvas and watch the magic happen. It is so very fun to watch as the design appears!!!

I used Pumice Stone Distress Ink to mute the beautiful colors to coordinate with the Olivia papers. Showing your child how to use the ink blending tool will be so much fun for them. When Trina was creating her Social Studies project it was so fabulous to watch as she adapted the techniques I shared with her to transform her project. Your child's school projects will take on a whole new level if you share some of these little techniques with them!

Another wonderful tip I learned at Ranger U is how to use the Studio Paint as an "ink pad." By simply mixing a little Extra Time with the paint and rolling it out on my craft mat I can then use any stamp to add detail to my canvas projects! This will hold up to washing if you want to stamp on fabric!!!

I didn't have any hair clips at work, but I felt that these adorable Posies from Basic Grey would make the absolute cutest embellishments when fastened to hair clips. Clip a couple of hair clips to your card and you have a quick and fun gift!

Not only will this technique shared today work on Sticky Back canvas, BUT I believe that it will work on T-shirts, tote bags and so much more! The canvas aprons and camera bags we carry are begging for some color. If you haven't seen the fabulous Copic camera bag that Debbie shared yesterday you must visit and leave her a comment. STUNNING I tell you! 

This could be an absolutely amazing project to explore with not only your younger set, but your teens who want to have unique, custom clothing! I sincerely hope that we are inspiring you to try crafting with kids this summer. If you don't have any of your own, then go out and borrow a few - they really can be so much fun to watch and listen to as they create! As well all of us "older set" are young at heart and can be considered kids at times - LOL! So grab a couple of friends and be as free-spirited as kids when you create. Simply have fun!

Thank you for stopping by again today - we hope to see you again tomorrow as we share another idea for a fun summer project!

stamps: Making Memories Foam Stamp (old - I don't remember what the set is called), Hero Arts Clear Design Kiss From the Sun

ink: Pumice Stone Distress Ink

paper: Basic Grey Olivia 6x6 Paper Pad, Memory Box Begonia and Peony

accessories: Non-Stick Craft Sheet, Craft Scraper, Studio Line by Claudine Hellmuth - Matte Medium, Studio Brushes, Sticky Back Canvas, Extra Time, Blank Canvas, Classic Teal, Smidge of Blue, Charcoal Black, Brayer, Martha Stewart Simple Scallop Edger Punch, Basic Grey Olivia Cozy Posies, Ink Blending Tool
  

Lucky Valentine

Today I took the opportunity to head down to work and create a valentine for my DH. There are so many fabulous new goodies to pick from, being I have never had the opportunity to work with the Jenni Bowlin products I decided to pick a Bingo card that spoke to me. Lucky - it is how I feel about having J.J. in my life.

To create this piece I used a chipboard piece from Maya Road (I believe we will have our new Maya Road in this coming week, along with restocking all the items that are currently out) that will be included in some special orders soon :D Be certain to read our newsletter this month!

I painted a set of wings. Recently I discovered something fabulous about the Studio line of paints. Notice the dull appearance when the paint is dry in the picture above.

Do you see the difference?!? This piece looks like it has been buffed with Carnauba wax! All that you need to do is simply wait for the paint to dry and then take a paper towel and buff it. The beautiful sheen that appears is absolutely gorgeous! These wings were just too pink for my card and so I thought I would share yet another fun technique with you.

To create a crackle appearance you do not need to use a specialty crackle paint. All you need is the Studio Line of paints and some white glue and you can create this fabulous effect.

Using plain white glue - in this case I just used my Flower Soft glue. Paint a thick layer on to the wings.

I mixed a coordinating cream color prior to painting on the glue. To keep your paint from getting a skin on it as it awaits you, simply mist with water as needed. Paint a thin layer of paint over top the glue as shown above.

Using your Heat It tool dry this layer. As it dries you will see gorgeous little cracks appear. You will find that the glue will bubble up as you heat it. Once it cracks and dries I then press evenly over the entire surface while it is still warm removing any bubbles and readhering the surface.

To create my sentiment I typed my own verse using Office Word and then printed it on Neenah Classic Cream cardstock. 

A little Grungeboard heart painted pink and buffed, with a few pewter pearls added, helps bring the wings center stage. These wings are intended to represent how life can take us places we may not invision, but no matter where they take us I still feel lucky to have J.J. beside me.  

Wishing each of you a very special day today --- happy Valentine's day!

Canvas Art - Christmas Angel

As I stated on the CLASSroom post yesterday I am completely intrigued by the possibilities of mixing stamping, canvas art and painting. When I find a new product line that I feel has many possibilities I just get giddy thinking about what I can create using those products. At Summer CHA it was the Claudine Hellmuth Studio Line that tickled my fancy Ü Being able to explore, experiment and learn is something that fascinates me and makes me happy - so my explorations with this product line continue. Below is a creation that is reminiscent of a class that I taught a couple of years ago. So today rather than creating "kitchen art" I put a bit of a festive twist on this little pieces of canvas art and painted it, rather than coloring the images in with pencil.

You could hang these little canvases in a series of three from a ribbon, or set them beside one another on your mantel. You could possibly even turn them in to little stocking holders if you find a simple base to adhere these to.

 

The completed canvas finished size is 4" x 4". These small canvases can be mounted on to a larger canvas surfaces for even more impact.

 

To begin I suggest that you prime the surface withgesso, even though these canvases come already primed. By adding additional layers it helps fill in some of the surface texture, making it easier to stamp on the canvas surface. The piece above has the first steps completed. This canvas was remaining from the class that I taught several years back and being I was on a limited "budget" of time today I thought I would just quickly explain these first two steps that were already complete. After priming the surface I then painted the entire surface with white acrylic paint. Next I inked a soft "foam" stamp using a deep blue chalk ink. I have carried these foam stamps in my store for FAR too long without explaining their purpose - it's about time I shared their purpose - LOL!

As you can see on the right side, the script that I had stamped is rather uneven. This is due to the fact that these little framed canvas pieces have a wood edge that dip down slightly. When using a foam stamp you can easily stamp right off the edge of the canvas without any side effects. The script was stamped using a Silver Encore ink. Once these inks had dried I once again brushed the canvas with a white acrylic wash. 

 

To segment my canvas I use painter's tape. I dipped one side of my brush in Sky Blue and the other side in Blank Canvas (white). Using the edge of the painter's tape as my divider I brush this color on to my canvas as shown. Remove the tape immediately and allow your paint to dry. Once dry I arranged the tape in the opposite direction and adding only Blank Canvas, created my "frame" for the stamped image.

 

As you can see the backs of these canvases show that they are primarily wood, with just a small hole in the section. When stamping on this canvas it is important to have a stable surface on which to stamp and so I fill this little hole with a piece of Penscore. (This is a foam-like material that comes in handy for all sorts of stamping projects.) 

 

I then ink my image with Palette Noir ink and stamp directly on to my canvas. As you can see some of the lines are not as distinct as I would like them to be due to the grain in the canvas, as well as my inability to always stamp evenly - LOL! 

 

Using my Copic Multiliner .05 I fill in any of the image that needs a better outline.

 

I then proceeded to paint the Wreath Angel using the Studio LIne of paints together with a little Lumiere for the Angel wings, ribbon and garment. As you can see I use the smallest of the paint brushes and a little palette in which I mix my colors. I simply dip my paint brush in my color of choice and then proceed to mix it with a small "puddle" of paint that I have transferred to my palette. I always work from one side of this puddle. It is hard to paint and take pictures at the same time, so I apologize for not documenting this better. I simply added the blue paint on my brush to the very right side of this "puddle" and proceeded to mix it in. I leave the left side of this little puddle completely white - this allows me to pick up a diversity of colors and fill in my spaces. It is amazing how many different colors you can fit in to such a small canvas!!!

To create this piece I used a combination of the following colors:

• angel hair - Sable Brown and Charcoal Black
• flesh tones - Blank Canvas, Painterly Pink, Altered Orange, and Yellow Pastel (to create this mix I used SO little - I just barely touch the end of a toothpick to my color and then I mix it in with the white, adding a small drop of water to make this mix a little easier to spread)
• garment - Sky Blue, Canvas White, and Smidge of Blue
• wreath - Landscape Green, Charcoal Black, and Dab of Yellow

Remember - less IS more! I always add just a tiny speck of the darkest color when creating a mix of color for these tiny little canvases.

 

Once all my painting was completed I added tiny specks of Glossy Accents around the wreathe where the little balls were indicated. I then poured tiny silver beads over the surface and then poured the excess back off. Next I stamped the word "joy" and embossed it in Sterling Silver.

 

Next I painted the edges of the canvas with Metallic Brushed Pewter Distress Crackle Paint and once thoroughly dry, I sponged it with Faded Jeans Distressed Ink. Last but not least, I added Stickles to her wings.

 

I would love to see how you create your own custom pieces of art using the canvas selection that we have available for you. If you don't like the idea of stretching your own canvas then purchase those that are "prewrapped". If you prefer to have a flat surface on which to work then I highly recommend the Sticky Back Canvas. You can then wrap your own frame or put it inside of another frame. Options, options, options - it's something I value - LOL!