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

Waiting for Santa Letterpress Tray - Part 3, Altering Doilies

Thank you to all who have been leaving your love and comments in various locations on the internet and thanks to Webster's Pages for featuring this project on their Inspire Me website. If you love Webster's Pages I would highly recommend joining their Ning site for inspiration! I'm not certain if you will be able to view the page I have linked you to above if you are not a member, but becoming a member has been something I have really enjoyed.

As you probably have figured out by now I love the classic elegance and diversity of the Webster's Pages line of products and will do my best to always keep their items stocked in our store.

Now on with today's how-to complete the tray post.

Doilies, doilies, doilies... yes, I have always loved them, even before they became all the rage. Now that they are we have put together collections of various assortments for you to select from. Altering the color of the doily is SO easy!

Two of the easiest methods of altering the color of the doily are with the ink blending tool and/or misting sprays. For this project I actually combined the two looks.

It is important to work carefully with your ink blending tool. Typically I will start off my paper and swirl on to the paper when using this tool, but with the delicacy of the edge of the doily I need to work blending from the interior outwards.

The final step was lightly spritzing with Sweet Clover Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist.

Today I also want to share how you could get a "2-for-1" when spritzing and use your doily as a mask. As well I would like to introduce you to the new Ranger Perfect Pearls Mists. The beauty of the Perfect Pearls Mists comes in the mixing. Ranger has done a FANTASTIC job of thinking through the mixing process by placing a little "mixer" contraption in the bottle. It takes a LOT less swirling to mix these bottles, for which I am a grateful girl :-D

As you can see in the photo above the coloring of these mists is quite transparent. If you are familiar with Glimmer Mist products and want a similar look it is extremely simple to put a slight amount of the Perfect Pearl Mist into a Mini Mister and then add a squirt of your Distress Reinker to colorize it. Double click on the photo above to see the variation between the simple Kiwi and the mix of Kiwi and Bundled Sage.

When spritzing to add color to your doily you can use it as a mask for an upcoming project. I selected one of the beautiful Webster's 6x6 pages and placed my lacey doily in position in the upper right hand corner of the paper. To hold it in place I simply used my Craft Assistant and a couple of small magnets. This helps to ensure getting a more crisp definition on my masked doily. As you can see I opted to leave the doily in place and dry the mist with my Heat It tool. Yes, I'm a girl who likes to work fast - LOL!

One of my pet peeves when working with "wet" materials is the curling of my paper. Problem solved with the tip below.

TIP: I am fortunate to have a slightly rounded edge on my work surface. By pulling my paper gentley back and forth over this edge in the opposite direction I am easily able to flatten it back out again :-D

I would like to once again remind you that if you are looking for the supplies that I used in the creating of this tray please visit this post.

It's a beautiful, record breaking, sunny day here in Seattle and so I have a grin from ear to ear as I look out the window and prepare to take Jasper for his little lunch break stroll. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you for a few more techniquey posts regarding this tray in the next couple of days!

Waiting for Santa Letterpress Tray - Part 2, Altering Resin Applique Pieces

When I first laid eyes on the Melissa Frances Resin pieces I knew it was love at first sight. The soft elegance of these designs is oh, so classic! Immediately I knew that I would need to experiment with altering the color of them once I had them in my hot little hands and that time has finally come :-D

The white frame around my girls with Santa draws your eye and I didn't want to compete with that, but felt that the new Tree was THE perfect piece for the top left corner. What to do? With so many options to select from I decided to start with a simple technique.

I began by first spraying the piece with English Ivy Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist. I allowed the liquid to pool in the crevices and then took a paper towel and wiped the surface. The detail that emerged was absolutely lovely, but I wanted just a little more color.

After allowing it to dry slightly I then sprayed with a second and lighter color of Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Sweet Clover. Immediately I pulled out my Heat It tool and used it to dry the surface. The gentle heat helped to set the beautiful color in place on my surface, with the soft pooling of the color adding dimension.

A little glue added with a 2-way glue pen and Sand Glitter Ritz on the star finished the piece. I then used some dry clear glue around what would be the base of the tree and added some white Mica Flakes for snow.

It's all in the little details and you know I love details - LOL! Julia was trying to get me to color the presents under the tree with Copics, but I told her that would have to wait for a new project ;-D All I can tell you is that I'm LOVING these little resin pieces and hope to share more with you in the future.

For a complete list of supplies please visit yesterday's post.

Now it's time to head out into the blustery rain and wind --- a warm house and dinner is on the horizon. Thanks for stopping in again today!

 

Waiting for Santa Letterpress Tray - Part 1, Digital Alphabet

I am LOVING the 7 Gypsies display items! When Maddi was born I made a rather lame attempt at creating a scrapbook. I never seemed to have enough time to finish anything and so over the years I gave up on the traditional scrapbook creating. Rather I have become much more into making little books that commemorate a vacation, or special event. Now that I have these display items I am having a blast using them to create special pieces for my home and office. I would also like to rave a little about the Webster's Pages Waiting for Santa and Sweet Treats collections - I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-Y  F-U-N to work with and oh so classicly elegant. OK, on with it now - I've got pictures to take of a costumed girl :-D

Today I want to introduce you to a new product we are carrying in our store :-D These have arisen out of my love for the Optical Lenses, rub ons and rosette die - LOL! Julia has been helping in so many ways here at work and she is the heart behind the alphabets we now have in our store. I asked her if she could create an alphabet in this fall's Pantone color selections. We then pulled out our paper selections to see what they would work with :-D We want to make these super easy to use and hope to share today exactly how fabulous they are!

I will be posting this Letterpress Tray project over a series of days to keep each post as simple as possible. Today we are starting with how to download the file and create the "joy" banner.

To find the alphabet's we created visit our Digital Download section here.

• Add the alphabet of choice to your cart and check out.
• After you have paid for your order you will see the page with the confirmation number pop up. On that same page will be text that says "Download Product Files."
• A screen will pop-up with the files you have purchased.
• Click on the file you would like to save.
• You will then be prompted with the question - "Do you want to open or save this file?" I would like to recomment that you save the file.
• This is the part that can be tricky for some. It is important to keep the files on your computer organized! :-D
• I have created a special file in my "Pictures" folder that I have named Digital Files. This allows me to save my files where I can find them again in the future.
• Click Save.

• Once this action is completed it will ask you if you would like to "Open, Open Folder, or Close" the file.
• Simple select open. In the top left-hand corner of the screen then select "Extract All."
• Your letters are now ready to copy and paste, insert etc.
• If you happen to close the file highlight it as shown in the figure above and in the drop down menu select "Extract All."

• To use your alphabet is as easy as copying and pasting.
• Open up a new Word document
• Highlight the letter you would like to use in the file and using your shortcut keys - Ctrl C, copy that letter.
• Move to your Word document window and using your shortcut keys - Ctrl V, paste that letter in your document.
• Repeat for the remaining letters.
• Print on Neenah cardstock

I used a nesting circle to quickly punch out my letter. We are waiting for the nesting circle punches to arrive in our store as I find this is the quickest and easiest method of preparing my circles.

Tim's rosette dies is one of my all-time faves! I love the neat little pleats that are created during the die-cut process - simple and oh so easy!

TIP: Be certain to use a strong adhesive to hold the rosette together. After a quick exchange with Tim I would like to recommend using a hot glue gun to hold these beauties together :)

Also be certain to follow the directions and have "discs" prepared for both sides of the rosette at your ready before creating your flower, otherwise it will pop right out of your hands. Quess how I know that - LOL!

To raise the rosette off the tray base I stacked a couple of thickness of plain old cardboard. Cardboard is not acid-free, but I highly doubt that this little "work of art" will be saved for posterity :-D

Oh the fun combinations that can be created! The little alphabet circles could have been rolled in glue and glitter to add even more pop. If I were putting them on a banner I would have probably done so, but in this case I really want the Santa picture to be the focal point and am trying to draw your eye to it rather than all the other fantastic little details in this tray :-D

More details will be shared over the next few days, so be certain to stay tuned and let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping in today as it is such a busy time of year. Wishing you a healthy and safe Halloween evening!

Download: Traditional Seasonal Alphabet

stamps: Tim Holtz Festive Sounds and Take Flight

paper: Webster's Paper Waiting for Santa Paper Kit, Grunge Board

ink: Distress Ink Pads - Forest Moss, Antique Linen, and Walnut Stain; Tattered Angels English Ivy and Sweet Clover Glimmer Mist

accessories: 7 Gypsies Letterpress Tray, Princesca Crystal Hardware, and Antique Silver Printer Label Holders; Tim Holtz Dies - Reindeer Flight and Rosette (both so fabulous!); Melissa Frances Tree Applique, Large Newstead Frame, Chipboard Ornaments, White Mica Flakes, Silver Glass Glitter; Webster's Pages Tinsel Trim, Fall Bloomers Deluxe Trim; Glitter Ritz - Celadon, Apple Red and Sand, Crystal Ice Stickles

Happy Birthday Wishes

ETA: Be certain to visit the CLASSroom this Monday to join in our Blog Parade - it's all about the beauty of flowers!!!

Yesterday was my Mother-in-laws 84th birthday! With each year that passes I learn to value the time we have as even more precious.

It has been "one of those" summers for our family - first my daughter Trina had pneumonia, then my DH came down with a severe case of bronchitis (he never gets sick and he was sicker than a dog this time) and then guess who ended up really sick for a couple of weeks now - LOL! Yep, me. When this happens we end up quarantining ourselves from J.J.'s mom as we know that these types of viruses can really be tough on the elderly. So yesterday, I wanted to create a special birthday card to let her know how much she is loved.

The good news is that we are all now healthy "enough" to not worry about giving her the virus we've had and so we were able to have dinner together, laugh, and talk. Mom Jane's latest project is a crazy quilt that she is working on for Maddi. We had so much fun last night discussing Maddi's favorite activities - I was able to lend a helping hand by scanning, sketching and coming up with images that will soon be embroidered on that quilt. YEAH for the little things in life that are so meaningful - they do make up for all the "yuck" that seems to happen :-D

I truly love the elegant feel of the Webster's Pages products and the 6x6 Diecut and Vellum selection is absolutely stunning. For this piece I utilized one of the die cuts, cutting it down in size and sewing it to my card base.

Next, I colored the newest Roses In the Window stamp from Karen Lockhart. I cannot tell you how much I enjoy coloring these images. As always I start with a very light Copic base color to outline the different components in the image. For today's image I selected colors that would work well with this Webster's Pages paper. I forgot to snap a photo of the colors I used, but they are in a bucket on my desk and so I will do that on Monday and add that information for those who like to know which colors I used as I worked. Our orders this month will include our thank you notes that include this image :-D I hope that you enjoy this unusual color take on this image.

 

In today's post I did snap photos that showed how I use the beautiful pearl flourishes we carry in our store. When you first look at them they take your breath away, but then you might wonder - they are so big, how can I use them?

I love that they come on a clear plastic. This allows me to position them over my project and determine placement. As you can see in the photo above I wanted to utilize the last larger pearl as the "dot" on my letter "i" in "wish". Once I have this positioned as I would like, I cut the flourish apart using my Retractable Blade knife. Simply cut through the adhesive line that holds these pearls in position and lift the pearls from the surface using the tip of the knife.

 

Gently place the pearls in the position you think will look right. By allowing the pearls to gently sit on the surface, and keeping your knife tip in place, it is easy to lift and change the position before finding a permanent spot.

 

I then use a dimensional adhesive foam square to place my focal image. This does two things - by lifting the focal point away from the surface it makes it the first thing you look at. BUT it also helps to position your paper above the pearls and allow for the extra dimension they provide. If one of my foam squares happens to fall in the same position as a pearl that may be hidden under the edge of my image I simply pick that pearl off using the tip of my Xacto blade.

 

To complete the look I couldn't resist adding some Cotton Candy Stickles to the floral buds. Oh how I wish it was easier to share the final projects with you as my photos just can't seem to capture the colors and texture as I would like them to. My hope though is that you look at the die cuts and pearls in a new way and allow yourself to just cut them up and use them in pieces. They are oh so beautiful!!! It brought such joy to my heart as I watched my MIL gently touch the surface of the card and exclaim how much she appreciated the thought and time put into it. I am so very blessed to have two wonderful women in my life - my own mom whom I love so deeply and a mother-in-law who is also so very loved and appreciated.

stamps:  Lockhart Stamps Roses in the Window and Wish

ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

paper:  Memory Box Sage Cardstock, Webster's Pages 6x6 Diecuts and Vellum pack, Neenah Solar White

accessories: Prima Light Pink Say It In Pearls, Black Silk Ribbon, Retractable Blade Knife, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Cotton Candy Stickles

Crafting With Kids: Dab It

Today I used the same fishbowl as yesterday and just applied a different technique that I thought would be fun for any age. It is a technique that Tim taught us at Ranger U and so both kids and those of us who are "older" kids will all enjoy giving this a try :-D

I had to share a close-up of the fishbowl before beginning just to give you a better view of these splendid little creatures. 

To begin simply take three different distress ink pads and rub them on the non-stick craft sheet. 

Use a mini mister and spray the surface until you see little beads form. I love the weight of the tags we carry and so used the white tags for this project. They curl when you wet them, but then the flatten right back out when dried.  Simply drag your tag through this delicious little color field.

The next technique is simply scribbling and dragging a reinker tip through your color field before misting.

As you can see the color is so much more vibrant.

The tag in the center is a combination of the two techniques. I created it using the first method and then dabbed it in the remaining vibrant colors from the second scribble technique. It is magical to see what will happen with each new application. Not only will this be fun for kids, but it will be fun for us older kids as well ;-D

 
This photo is to share what not to use - as you can see I used Memento Ink on the first set of fish and when I applied my Rock Candy stickles, well... SO attempt number two using an appropriate ink for this project, in this case Archival Ink.

I should have thought about my finished project before selecting my ink - I knew I wanted to add Rock Candy stickles to my fish to bring up the glam factor. As you can see the Memento Ink was not waterproof beneath the stickles.

At Ranger U I learned that Rock Candy Stickles can be heated! Yippie - I no longer have to wait to allow this beauty to dry. It is the only Stickles product that can be heated - the shimmer that emerges as it dries is gorgeous!

To create the water effect in the fish bowl I rubbed Distress Ink on my craft sheet, lightly misted it and then placed the fishbowl atop the ink puddles. Neenah cardstock will curl, but if you use your Heat It tool to dry it and then drag it over a rounded hard work surface edge in both directions you can eliminate many of the wrinkles and curls that result.

We hope that you have fun scribbling and dabbing! The results can be quite beautiful.
 

stamps: Kim Hughes Ocean Friends

paper: Neenah Solar White

ink: Jet Black Archival Ink Pad

accessories: Non-Stick Craft Sheet, Mini Mister, Distress Ink Pad - Dusty Concord, Broken China, Wild Honey, Distress Reinkers - Broken China, Dried Marigold, Rock Candy Distress Stickles, Large White Tags

Template: Download Fishbowl Template 

  

Crafting With Kids: Color It In

Coloring - it is so soothing! Coloring in this sweet little girl was so much fun! It had been so long since I had colored a face that I needed to start over as I couldn't remember what colors I prefered to use on people - I had made her peach, very peach - LOL!

Today I would like to share a very simple idea with you. It seems like every time we turn around there is another birthday party on the horizon and we don't have a card ready. I would like to suggest that together with your kids decide what images they would like to use on birthday cards.

Stamp them off on little squares of Neenah cardstock and take them with you in the car, together with a set of markers or colored pencils. Your kids can color them when waiting for a sibling at swimming lessons or whenever they need to sit and wait. Hopefully it will help reduce those "can we go yet?" moments.

This idea can also work REALLY well for all ages of crafters - keep your favorite Copic markers in a wallet and then you can just walk out the door with your tools at a moments notice!

I used Neenah cardstock and Memento ink so that these could be colored in using Copic markers. If your kids will be using Crayola markers (which are water based) I would like to recommend using Ranger Archival or Palette Noir ink to stamp your images.

This is the selection of Copics that I used to color in the images for this Crafting with Kids series. For the skin tone I used E0000, E000, E11 and R11 for the cheeks and mouth. For the hair I used E31, E34 and E37.

Due to this being such a simple idea I wanted to share a fun way that you can gift these images to someone special. They can then use this little envelope to take their work with them on the road.

I love the "flourish" envelope closure of the Hero Arts envies. Using their liner template I simply cut out two decorative pieces of Olivia paper. I prefer to use my fingertip knife to quickly cut these designs out following along the edge of the liner.

Insert one into the interior of the envelope and affix as shown above.

The other will be used on the outside of the envelope to add some pizzaz.

TIP: To help determine the best fit of a decorative punch edge to the piece you are enhancing create a decorative strip out of plain paper that is longer than your decorative paper or card front. Place the piece that you want to edge along your guide to determine best placement. This will help you from having those odd uneven ends.

Punch a hole in the envelope flap using the large hole size on the Crop-a-dile. This will give you a spot to thread your ribbon through and tie the envelope shut.

The Hero Arts Cloud background is incredibly versatile! I love this background stamp! Today I only wanted a couple of clouds. Stamp the image and then using little snips cut out the individual clouds you would like to use, leaving a border around each cloud. Use a 2-way glue pen and some glitter to brighten up the clouds.

Add a Faded texture label and a cute "hippo and friend" and now you have a very special coloring "book" to share with your child.

 
stamps: Hero Arts Sending Smiles, Hippo Friends, Clouds, Kiss the Cook, Let's Chill

paper: Neenah Solar White, Basic Grey Olivia 6x6 Paper Pad, Memory Box Parsley, Hero Hues Punch Envelope

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Adirondack Aqua and Pool

accessories: Microfine Glitter Ice Blue and Grasshopper, Seafoam Faux Linen Ribbon, Deco Scallop Edger Punch, Black Silk Ribbon, Crop-a-dile, Dot Matrix Fades Embossing Folder, Hero Arts Envie Liner, Fingertip Knife

Crafting With Kids: Punch It Out

Thinking about creative processes that are active was my goal when trying to come up with things I think boys would like to do. Many moons ago I taught third and fourth graders - what a fantastic age group! It was important to me as a teacher that I try to meet the needs of all the different learning styles - one of which is the student that needs action to learn.

Your craft tools can be more than craft tools - use the fun punch shapes to have your kids punch out different shapes to learn their math skills - adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing. Fractions, shapes - it truly is endless! Punches are one of the tools that I think your kids could get SO much use out of.

Again today I wanted to create a card that would hopefully appeal to a boy - something he could use for an upcoming birthday party.

Think outside the box when you are creating - turning the picket fence into a railroad track was my out-of-the-box idea for this punch. Kim turned the cupcake punch into a graduation cap. There are SO many different things you can do. Give your kids your punches and see what they come up with!

To complete the railroad track look I first cut the picket points off with my paper cutter and then made a second cut to turn it into a track. Easy and fun! If one is too small to use up the space then use two or three to bring the proportion together. AND if you are kids perhaps you will want to cover the entire card with train tracks :-D

I will be using more punches shapes in another upcoming idea - they are so very versatile and easy for kids to use!

 
paper: Basic Grey Oliver 6x6 Paper Pad, Memory Box Bayou

accessories: Basic Grey Oliver Gummies, Sticker Elements and Clips, Martha Stewart Picket Fence Edger Punch
  

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
  

Puttin' on the Ritz - Creating Glittered Designer Paper

Thank you for joining me over the last few days as I share one of my newest intrigues! Today I will be sharing the most complex of the three projects I worked on last week Friday. Let me tell you that last Friday afternoon was "WAY fun" as I found my sparkle again :-D

CLUE #6

Inch on in and go back in time, to a magnetic post in January 2009.

ETA: Direct link to Clue #7.

As you can see I selected Delovely as the basis for my color theme and ran it throughout this collection. Using the chart I am creating made it easy to select the perfect colors of glitter. As soon as I have that information complete I will link you to it in hopes that it makes your selection process easier as well.

I am SO diggin' the new Hero Arts release. I cannot believe the beautiful impressions I am able to create with the clear stamp line. I can't be as "techniquey" with these stamps, but for stamping and coloring they are fabulous! Thank you Hero Arts and Jennifer McGuire for getting me hooked! LOL!

Once again you can see the Copic colors from which I selected above. Just pretend that the BG's aren't in the mug and you will have the complete grouping for coloring in these darling drink glasses. I do want to point out that I used a Copic multiliner .03 to extend the lines of the straw down into the drink glass - it was just bugging me that I was making the glass clear and couldn't see the straw - LOL! I should have drawn in the fruit as well, but... I'm such a goof!

So here we go - I want to share with you how to make your own designer glitter paper! NEVER throw away the backing that comes with your tape. Yep, you heard me - hoard it as if it were gold :-D This backing is what you will use to create magic with the microfine glitter!

Take your favorite punch shapes and punch to your hearts content. Punch edges, punch flowers, punch butterflies, punch, punch, punch - yep - I think you get the picture! Then save these. I am developing a storage system using little ziplock baggies (I'll share these at another time.) So save those little baggies we send your thank you notes and ribbon in and put them to good use.

Next label them with what is in the bag - flowers, butterflies, yep - whatever it is that you love. Now punch a hole and put it on a ring.

Below you can see the collection of punch shapes that I used for my designer paper. To begin I drew the basic shape of the label I was planning on using on a piece of scrap paper. I should have selected something that was not so distracting. For this I apologize, but I wasn't thinking about that - only about my finished project - LOL!

Arrange your punched backing shapes until you are satisfied. It is much easier to rearrange the shapes here than on your sticky project :-)

For this project I used shapes punched from the following punches:

• English Ivy Edger Punch
• Flowers and Leaves Large Punch
• Star Confetti Punch
• 2-Piece Flower and Retro Flower Punch

I applied my Be Creative Tape to a piece of Solar White cardstock and using my Label die I cut it out. For some odd reason my die did not cut all the way through this time and so I did need to use my Tim Holtz teflon coated scissors to cut through some of the remaining spots. Every other time I have tried this my die cut all the way through, so I'm not certain what was up with it this time. 

Next I removed my "worded" backing. Yes, I saved that piece for future punched shapes :-D

Now using our very fine-tipped teflon coated tweezers (or any other fine-tipped tweezers - I like the teflon coated because if they happen to stick to the adhesive it will have less of a tendency to damage it) place your shapes in the same position as you did on your planned layout. 

Always position your punched shapes with the wording face up!

To create the center in my flower I needed to first place the "abstract" star shape and then position my flower piece over top as shown on the right hand side of the picture. The little star shape is already under neath of this flower.

Finish positioning each piece.

Using an extra piece of backing paper smooth down over your entire project, making certain that each shape is firmly attached.

Cover with glitter.

Remove excess and using your soft make-up style brush (I use my Perfect Pearls brush) brush off the excess glitter.

Now burnish! Remember burnishing simply means to rub over the entire glitter surface with your finger tips. This will keep your glitter in place and ensure that future glitter colors do not become embedded into the current color family.

 

Next I removed the flower shaped backing and applied my Rose glitter.

Once again lift your piece and allow the excess glitter to fall onto your work paper. Use your soft brush to remove any excess. The top right portion is one that was brushed - the lower left is how it will appear when not brushed.

BURNISH with your finger tips!

As you can see I use my tweezers to get in and remove the little shapes that are firmly attached to my backing. If the shape is delicate you will need to work from several different places on your shape so as not to tear it. These little shapes can be reused until they start pulling apart and tearing. Once removed simply store them back into your little bags for future use. 

As you can see in this picture I have removed all of the shapes for my next color application. I wanted yellow to be in the flower centers, as well as on each individual small shaped flower.

Cover with glitter, remove excess glitter by brushing softly and burnish.

Remove small leaves and repeat with Grasshopper colored glitter.

I completed my project by adding yellow gemstones to the centers of three flowers, some Cool Transparent glitter to my fruit pieces, and applying Glossy Accents to my glasses.

So why do I love this product so much - it allows me to be creative! I am only limited by my own imagination. I have other projects to share with you in which I hand cut my shapes to be used on my glitter paper. The possibilities are so incredible!

Now it's time for us to "just chill" :-D Cheers to a marvelous and hopefully sunny weekend ahead - we NEED sunshine here in the Pacific Northwest!!!

stamps: Hero Arts Let's Chill

paper: Cosmo Cricket Delovely, Memory Box Granny Smith, Neenah Solar White

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

accessories: Be Creative 4 1/2" Tape or Sheets, Glitter Ritz Microfine Glitter - Ice Blue, Grasshopper, Rose, Dark Gold, and Cool Microfine; Curved Mega Rectangle Nestability, Summer Mixed Gemstones, Yellow Twill, Glossy Accents, see links above for punch shapes, Tweezer Bees

Puttin' on the Ritz! Creating Glitter Borders

The last few days have been SO busy. School ended today and all the last minute flurry of activity has me "sleepless in Seattle." I could literally fall asleep here at the computer this afternoon, but as I wasn't able to complete this post last night I am filled with renewed determination to get it done this afternoon. I am SO very excited to be sharing these glitter techniques with you because as I stated in my previous post there is something incredibly different about this glitter.

 
We hope to share little glitter samples as shown below in a variety of colors with the orders that are coming in over the next few weeks so that you can see for yourself how gorgeous and different this glitter is. It just is impossible to translate the beauty through the computer screen.

First we have two transparent colors as shown below.

 

This is the cool tone glitter that was applied to the Delovely paper in the previous post. It is difficult to actually take a picture and have the colors be true, but you can see how this glitter is shown on white paper on the left and black paper on the right. It has such an elegant and luxurious look and feel to it.

There are so many scrumptious colors to select from.

 

I am currently working on an Excel spreadsheet that will show the glitter color that corresponds with the Memory Box and Hero Arts cardstock we carry. They coordinate AMAZINGLY!

 

As you can see I have been busy :-D I am working hard to try and make this easier for you because I know that you will love these just as much as I do! Now on with the project.

 

This gorgeous Hero Arts image is so fun to color. Above are the Copic colors I used to color the image. I apologize that we have already run out of this set - I should have know that when it was shown colored it would be gone instantaneously - more are on their way and we hope will be here shortly.

I am not going to go in to the coloring of this image because that would make this post insanely long, so on with the glitter directions.

I applied a piece of Be Creative tape to my Neenah cardstock.

I prefer to cut my tape slightly larger than my project and then using my Fiskars fingertip knife I cut through the adhesive only (it's much easier than it sounds as you use the edge of the cardstock to guide you) and roll the exposed adhesive away and discard it. This gives me little "tabs" to work with when I am applying the glitter. 

Next I used my Scalloped On the Edge die to cut through the layers of tape and paper and then snipped the end tabs free.

If you haven't created little swatches when you receive your glitter you will find that it is easy to select your color by simply turning your bottle over and hold it next to your project as shown above.

Remove the wording from your tape and pour your glitter over the adhesive. Shake off the excess and using a soft brush such as a make-up brush remove the remaining glitter. The next step is always critical - BURNISH the glitter into the adhesive on the tape using your fingertips. It is incredible how it brings the glitter to life and makes it permanent. You might get glitter on you as you are working, BUT it will not come off your project and be all over the recipient of your gift after you burnish it in. :-D

 

There are so many ways to add additional colors and with this post I wanted to keep it easy. After completing the process above I simply added a thin strip of tape overtop my glittered project as shown above.

Again remove the liner with the words on it and pour your glitter over your adhesive. If you forgot to burnish your project you will end up having the two colors mixed together, but if you burnish you will be amazed at how clean and precise each color of glitter remains.

There are so many options available to you depending on the final look you would like for your project!

Remove the excess glitter, use your soft make-up style brush to remove even more glitter flakes and then burnish again.

Not only can you use the tape with the glitter but I find that the Designer Dries Clear Adhesive is magical as well. I dotted little droplets of glue on the stamens in the flowers and applied glitter to these. The gorgeous subtle gleam and texture were the perfect compliment. 

Tomorrow brings my most complex project. I hope that you have been enjoying learning about the creative options that you will be able to achieve with this product! We ran out of some colors quickly, but hope to have more the beginning of next week. So keep checking back to our store or join our Face Book Fan Club to be updated when the glitter arrives back at our warehouse.

Simple elegance - it's my favorite look :-D

 
stamps: Hero Arts Delicate Blossoms

paper: Neenah Solar White, Memory Box Sunflower

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic Markers (see mug in picture above for colors)

accessories: Be Creative 5mm and 40mm (1 1/2") , Glitter Ritz Microfine Glitter -  Ice Blue, Dark Gold, and Apricot, Designer Dries Clear Adhesive, On the Edge Scalloped Die,   

   

Maya Road Chipboard Onesie Gift Card Holder

It is so fun to have an excuse to create and babies are the ideal one! It was GREAT fun to create this special little gift card holder. When Maya Road first showed these chipboard pieces I was completely enamored! I know that my own children are well past the board book stage and so to create one was not really something that made sense. BUT a gift card holder - now we're talkin' :-D

I wanted to share a picture of the completed back before you begin a project that is similar. Before beginning it is extremely important to do your math --- when our kids suggest that the things they are learning in school are never used again, you can prove them wrong ;-)

Make certain that the chipboard coaster you are using is large enough to create a pocket to fit your gift card!

This next idea is not my own - it was something I saw on the Maya Road design team blog that got my brain a tickin' - you can see their post here! You really do need to visit their blog for some AMAZING inspiration - you will then see why I am SO very in love with their product line. What the designers do with it is exquisite!!!

I used a pencil to outline my image. I just didn't have the confidence to start with a marker - LOL! I then used my Copic Multiliner to draw over my pencil lines and darken them. Next I scanned the image.

 

Using Photoshop I cleaned up my scanned image. For those who don't have this knowledge base I do think that you will receive good results doing it the way that the designer on the Maya Road blog did (see link above) but being that I was shooting for precision I just can't leave well enough alone. 

I then turned my black-line drawing into a transparent file. I know that I am losing some of you with this brief explanation, but I wanted to share this for the more advanced users and my continued explanation below.

It was then that I realized that I really didn't have a paper that I found 100% suitable - yes, it had to be baby blue with polka dots - it was what was in my mind and I couldn't let go of it. I then realized that I could really take this to the next level by heading over to my ScrapHD resources! So I did just that!

ScrapHD is designed for making easy and quick scrapbook pages, BUT it is also the most amazing resource for these types of projects. Being an intermediate level Photoshop user I can take the images from my ScrapHD files and incorporate them into my projects on Photoshop! I'm in love with this capability and I know that advanced Photoshop users will have the ability to create amazing projects that blow mine out of the water!

I found this wonderful blue polka dot in the My Mind's Eye collections by putting the words blue polka dot in the ScrapHD search engine - VOILA

With the Club Membership I am sent a file that I was then able to open in Photoshop and layer my little transparent onesie over the top to print a perfect little compliment to my chipboard element! WOOHOO - I was so very excited... aww, perfection - LOL!

I then printed this on Neenah cardstock.

I also printed out the plain polka dot file from ScrapHD onto Neenah cardstock. This was used to create the reverse side. I flipped my chipboard over and traced the onesie - this was my "back side." I traced a second one --- only the lower portion, to create my little "pocket." As you can see I cut just inside my pencil line - this allows for a very nice fit on the backside of the onesie.

I saved my "dimensional" onesie - the first one in the ring for a future project. I plan on painting it and playing with the wonderful embossed detail. Using the second piece on the chipboard ring I gave it a more finished look by edging it with a silver leaf Krylon pen. Be certain to allow the silver leaf to dry before continuing to work or you might have silvery goodness everywhere - LOL!

I stitched the back pocket along the top side and then stitched it to the coordinating piece, so that the gift card could slip between the layers. This little piece just makes me giggle. It is almost like those little drop-down/drawer style P.J.'s - oh so cute!

I selected a coordinating striped paper (My Mind's Eye - Little One) from ScrapHD and scaled it way down so that the pattern would be appropriate for this darling piece. It is yet another reason I am absolutely loving that I have digital files at my fingertips! Cutting and embossing the circle with my Nestability I then left the die in place as I once again used my Copic Multiliner to add my faux stitching.

Using the Hero Arts Precious Baby Boy set (it is the perfect scale for SO many projects and again TOTALLY cute!) I created the little accent pieces, coloring them with coordinating Copic markers.

A little ribbon and a couple of brads completed the look. Babies --- I can still smell my girl's hair even 10 years later! What a blessing to this world they are!

I hope that this spurs you to thinking about other uses for these adorable chipboard coasters! I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions as to what you would use them for. Have a fabulous evening and thank you for stopping by today.

 

digital elements: ScrapHD My Mind's Eye Little One Striped Paper and Be Merry Polka Dot

stamps: Hero Arts ClearDesign Precious Baby Boy

inks: Memento Tuxedo Black

paper: Neenah Solar White

accessories: Maya Road Baby Onesie Coaster, Mini Pins
   

Be Creative and use Perfect Pearls for an Elegant Look!

Welcome everyone. I have to start by telling you that I have a serious love/hate relationship with my computer - LOL! I am so very unhappy with it right now, because I lost an hour of my time :-(. I stayed up late last night doing the newsletter and then got up this morning, did the must get done list and started immediately in on this blog post. AND I kid you not when I tell you that I am almost finished with the epistle length write-up and out of no where my computer shuts down for updates!!! WHAT?!?

So here we go again - LOL! The second time around I'm not certain I'll be nearly as funny as the first, but perhaps it will be a little shorter (which is probably a good thing :-D)

This morning I introduced you to the Be Creative Tape in our newsletter. I have always thought of my adhesive as "glue" - a way of sticking two surfaces together. It was not until I saw Haroldine at work at CHA, and when I attended Ranger U, was I exposed to the idea that perhaps sticky surfaces are designed for more than just putting paper to paper, or ribbon to paper!

A whole new world of creativity has been opened up to me and I would like to share that vision with you as we support the individuals who brought about that first creative vision by utilizing their products to create with.

This little beauty above was quite the experimental process as you will see. I have to admit that I am thrilled with the end result and my hope is that you will see that sometimes the imperfections that occur during the creative process just bring it to a whole new level as you just carry on.

Begin by stamping your image on your transparency or plastic. (I will provide links at the end of this post to help you find the different products I used for this project.) I prefer Palette Noir and/or Archival Ink. My first mistake was to not allow my ink to dry - LOL! Hurry, excitement - don't let it happen to you - allow your ink to dry :-D

Cut your Be Creative Tape to size - in this case my pieces are 2 1/2" x 4". Remove the brown backing and burnish the tape, sticky-side down, in place.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these little pots of color! So beautiful! Now here is a tip that Tim shared with us at Ranger U. If you can see the writing when you open these little pots - you are in TROUBLE. Yep, beautiful, sparkly color will be all over - LOL! SO...

TIP: NO writing should be visible when you open these containers. Turn them over :-D then gently tap the container once on the table before opening. When closing the container, turn the lid backwards until you feel a "click" then screw the lid on. It will be closed properly each time. Thank you Tim for saving me from powdery messes - LOL!

Now here is my next tip - do NOT put your backing tape under the image like I did - LOL! It is much easier to see what you are doing if you work on a white surface. (see photo below - :-D)

Begin by using a very fine-tip brush and VERY little powder. Just barely dip the tip of your brush into the Perfect Pearls as you apply your color. It is much easier to bring on more than to remove the excess.

Aww - yes, the moment of discovery that perhaps I was not so precise in the placement of my colors - LOL! Oh well, you can't learn without trying is my motto.

I still have to figure out how to remove the excess powder. The beautiful "halo" effect came about after I turned my piece, holding it over a garbage can and "flicking" it with my fingernail.

Not to be deterred I carried on. I applied the Perfect Gold directly around the image with a tiny brush and then used a larger brush to spread it over the entire sticky surface.

Perfection I thought - LOL!

Next I took my second piece of 2 1/2" x 4" adhesive and removed the protective backing. I applied it directly over the surface shown two photos above and burnished it in place.

I now had a gorgeous sticker!

or so I thought until I turned it over and realized that I still  had my halo happening - LOL! In hindsight and looking at this photo it really isn't as bad as I thought at the time. Ms. Perfectionism really wanted to hit it out of the ball park and so I just carried on.

You will find that these images look different depending on what surface you adhere them to. In this instance I held it over several different colors of paper before applying it to a piece of black cardstock. The black really makes the Perfect Pearls just jump off the page.

So I removed the protective backing and adhered my giant "sticker" to black cardstock.

This is when ingenuity began on my part. I felt that the color was still a little flat and wondered what I should have or could have done differently. It was at that moment when it hit me - COPIC MARKERS! I could add transparent color over the surface and still have my pearlescent sheen! I very carefully added color (as I was working on the same side as I had stamped my image and Copics can remove your ink on plastics.) I absolutely LOVE the added depth the shot of color provides!

It was at that moment that another realization hit! I would not have been so intricate in the application of my colors. I could have put color in the major areas only and added the definition at the end with my Copic markers! I can hardly wait to try this again and see what happens next time!!!

Because I was still on my quest for perfection I then cut out my image with my fine-tipped scissors.

Oh how I wish you could see this in real-life. I just have not learned how to capture shimmery, shiny surfaces on my camera. The shot above is the best I can do.

I hope that you will join me as we learn how to BE CREATIVE with our TAPE :) Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

 
stamps: Lockhart Phalaenopsis

ink: Palette Noir or Archival Ink, Copic Markers to add color depth (sorry I didn't write these down)

paper: Basic Grey Kioshi, Memory Box Concord Grape

accessories: Be Creative Tape Sheets (you could also use this 2 1/2" roll or this 4 1/2" roll), Crystal Clear Medium Weight Plastic, Teflon Bone Folder, Perfect Pearls - Forever Green, Green Patina, Interference Violet, Forever Violet, Forever Red, Heirloom Gold, Forever Gold, Long Rectangle Nestability, Word Charm, Silk Ribbon
 

Hero Hues Promotion and some Springtime Blog Candy

ETA: I am SO very sorry - I programmed the code wrong and instead of it taking off 15% it was only doing .15%. Please accept my apologies and use the new code - HeroHues15

Our product focus this week in the CLASSroom is Hero Arts. We have had so much fun with this "new to us" product line and today I would like to share a little insight into the "Hero Hues" portion of the line.

First though I would like to announce that for the next seven days we will be hosting a promotion in our store to offer you the opportunity to purchase the Hero Arts line at a savings of 15%. Please see the notes at the bottom of this post for further details. Simply place the items you would like to purchase in your cart and upon checkout enter the following code in the promo code window - HeroHues15

Be certain to read to the bottom of this post to also learn how you can participate in our blog candy drawing!

Hero Hues is a coordinated collection of papers, inks, mixed accents (pearls and gemstones) and printed paper flowers. They come in a wonderful spectrum of different Hero colors. Shown below are the different elements you can select from the Sunshine collection. (Sorry for the funky spacing and alignment - Typepad is giving me fits - LOL!)

• Poppy Chalk Ink Pad
• Sunshine Folded Card Set
• •  these are A2 size - 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" 
  • (4) four each of the following three colors are included in each set
  • •  Daffodil
    • Poppy
    • Mandarin
Daffodil Notecards - (10) ten A2 size cards are included in each package
• Poppy Notecards
• Mandarin Notecards
• Daffodil Envelopes - (10) ten A2 size cards are included in each package
• Poppy Envelopes
• Mandarin Envelopes
• Daffodil 8 1/2" x 11" Cardstock - (10) ten sheets
• Poppy 8 1/2" x 11" Cardstock
• Mandarin 8 1/2" x 11" Cardstock
• Sunshine Art Flowers - three different colors of flowers and numerous shapes and sizes are included in this packet
• Sunshine Mixed Accents - these packets include both Pearls and Gemstones. Select from three different colors of pearls and/or three different colors of gemstones in a variety of sizes. This is an amazing value, that offers so much versatility!

There are six color palettes to select from (see the photo of the Art Flowers below for a representation of the colors, click on THIS LINK to see a chart of all the colors):

• Floral - the purple color family composed of - Aubergine, Iris and Lilac
• Sunshine - the yellow/orange color family composed of - Mandarin, Poppy and Daffodil
• Foliage - the green color family composed of - Pine, Grass and Celadon
• Sea - the blue color family composed of Azure, Cerulean and Powder
• Blush - the red color family composed of Grenadine, Punch and Carnation
• Earth - a neutral color family composed of Eggshell, Latte and Mocha

 

Hero notecards and layering papers are what we refer to as "duplex cardstock." Duplex cardstock simply means that it is two colors. It is a white core paper - so there is no need to line your cards if you want to write in the interior. The result is a crisp, beautiful appearance!

As you can see from the color comparison above they coordinate beautifully with the Memory Box papers we already carry. The only significant difference is the subtle variance in the shape of the envelope flap. The biggest reason I am sharing this information is because each line has a unique color palette, and it is incredible to me how well they coordinate. Please read on if you would like to help me answer a question I have and win some blog candy by doing so!

You know me - I can't just talk about something without creating a project. I must admit that I feel TOTALLY rusty though. Returning from Ranger U I was sicker than I have been in years and it is just now that I am finally getting back up to speed. So today I am going to share a little of what I learned thanks to Claudine and Tim. I still hope to do a blog post on my experience --- it was absolutely marvelous and the women I met... AMAZING!

Now on to the creativity!

SNOWCAP DABBER PAINT RESIST - Shabby Chic Look

For this technique I used the Snowcap Dabber. Ranger has reformulated these and they now work like a dream. Using my Clear Design Hero Arts stamp I "inked" it with the dabber. My bottle was fresh from the factory and so to start it out I turned it upside down on my craft sheet and gave it a slight squeeze until I could see the ink peek out from the edge. I should have taken a picture of this --- sorry about that, hindsight is 20/20.

Stamp the image and repeat until the notecard front is covered. Be careful because it is a little "slick", but if you stamp gently you should not have any mishaps.

I wanted to "shabbify" the cardfront to coordinate with the Basic Grey Green at Heart paper I had selected prior to starting. Gently heat set the ink. Then using Tattered Rose and Worn Lipstick Distress Ink and the Ink Blending tool I sponged the ink overtop the stamped designed in a circular motion. Leaving some portions of the cardstock bare brought the look of the notecard in to accordance with the decorative paper.

STUDIO PAINT WATERMARK RESIST TECHNIQUE

Another new toy --- oops I mean tool --- I have been wanting to play with are the new Alterations dies. I realize that they take up more storage space than the Nesties but there is an advantages to this product that I love. The depth of the blade allows me to cut all sorts and manners of things that are thicker than the depth of the blade on the Nesties. Today I used it to cut the Sticky Back Canvas.

It is a good thing that I always like to try the tools that I am recommending. What I came to realize today is that my label didn't immediately pop out of the die. Using a long thin needle I was able to pull it out of the die after cutting, but realized that perhaps I was missing something. I contacted Tim and he immediately replied letting me know that a "fix" is in the works. He put me in contact directly with Ellison and I was able to get an immediate resolution to my little quandry.

If you have purchased one of the new Sizzix dies that have an "open" middle - as in the new dies that Tim has designed that have the magnetic component, and are having trouble with getting your piece back out after it has been cut, then please give Ellison a call at (877)355-4766. They will be shipping out a "center piece" to help solve our problems as quickly as possible. These have been ordered and they hope to have them available by the end of this month/beginning of next month.

The die cuts perfectly, and works perfectly as designed, but wouldn't you know it - there are people like me who want to use the die without the keyhole - LOL! Ellison was most gracious and accomodating and I trust that we will be well taken care of. So forge ahead ladies - this really is a marvelous little tool!

OK - now back to the technique at hand...

This is an absolutely lovely technique that Claudine taught us at Ranger U. If you ever have the opportunity of taking a class from her you must! She is witty, sweet, knowledgeable and passionate. I could just hear her words as I mixed up my paint mixture for this technique.

To begin paint the StickyBack Canvas with Painterly Pink paint. (Just a sidenote - this color is PERFECT with the Hero Arts Carnation color.) Allow the canvas to dry completely - yes, I cheated and carefully used my Heat It tool :-D

Now I hear Claudine's voice as she instructs us to have our thinned paint ready for the next portion. You want to have this paint watery, like the consistency of "skim milk" (yep, I can relate to skim milk :-D) I mixed Sky Blue and Dab of Yellow as shown in the wonderful chart she created and has shared with us here. Then using a mini mister I spritzed this mixture with water and stirred.

The green in this photo is the correct consistency, the pink is a mixture of Painterly Pink and Dash of Red (to coordinate with the Punch color) before the water is added. I use either the end of my paint brush to dab just a dot of paint onto my craft sheet and then wipe it with a paper towel before dipping into my second color to avoid mixing the colors in the pots.

Once you have your colors mixed you will then ink your stamp with a Watermark or Resist Ink. Immediately (do NOT allow the ink to dry) gently paint your wash over the canvas surface. You can see how the paint beads up and "resists" the area that is covered with the resist ink!!! SO COOL!

SANDING DUPLEX PAPER (Both Hero Arts and Memory Box are duplex, or white core)

Another element that I adore with whitecore or duplex cardstock is the ease of creating lovely texture with the embossing folders. We are thrilled to announce that we have brought in some beautiful textured folders from Sizzix. These are essentially the same as the Cuttlebug embossing folders, but perhaps just a little "crisper" in the appearance of the finished embossed design. Tim's folders are still not available, but we hope they will arrive soon! Today I used a beautiful new Damask style design.

Please note that when you emboss on duplex papers it is important to think about which side is "up." The picture above helps to demonstrate this. I put the color side of the paper facing the side that has the Sizzix logo on it. This ensures that the positive design will pop upwards on your paper. Sometimes it is desireable to have the reverse, but typically this is the most attractive appearance.

As you can see just by running it through the Big Shot the details begin to appear in white. By gently sanding the surface with a Lucky Squirrel sander, or a Tim Holtz sander the design is enhanced even further.

In trying to figure out how to utilize this element in my card I came up with the little tag above. Utilizing the one-sided embossed notecard above I was able to stamp the sentiment on the smooth portion and use the textured portion to add some flair to the little tag. Cutting it into a "flag" shape, sanding the edges to shabbify the tag and then putting a little curl and affixing with glue dots completed this portion of the project.

Last, but certainly not least was the addition of the Hero Hues Art Flowers. There is a huge assortment in each package. I decided to share how you can use these little one layer flowers to create a glorious blossom. If you would like me to show a step-by-step photo technique on how to create these please let me know. Essentially all you need to do is to begin with the largest size, then select the next size down, and finally select another blossom that is similar sized and cut out two of the five petals. Use these elements in the center of your flower. I used a Jenni Bowlin stick pin to hold it all together.

stamps: Hero Arts Stencil Art, Essential Messages, DesignBlock Silhouette

ink: Snowcap Dabber, Distress Ink Pads - Tattered Rose and Worn Lipstick, Studio Line Paints - Painterly Pink, Sky Blue, Dab of Yellow and Dash of Red, Watermark Resist Ink Pad

paper: Blush Hero Arts Folded Cards, Basic Grey Green at Heart

accessories: Blush Print Art Flowers, StickyBack Canvas, Jenni Bowlin Stick Pin, Sizzix Damask Embossing Folder, Tim Holtz Alterations Styled Labels, 1 1/4" Moss SIlk Ribbon

BLOG CANDY OPPORTUNITY
 

This selection of goodies could be yours - please leave your answer to the the following question in the comments section below. Comments will be eligible for this random drawing if left before Saturday, April 10th at midnight.

Would it be helpful to have a color comparison of the Hero Arts cardstock collection and the Memory Box collection? Also add if you have ever used either of these collections and if so, which one? Being one who does not mind doing the work if it is helpful to our customer base I would be happy to do so, but I do not want to spin my wheels if there is no need for this comparison. Please let me know your thoughts and ask any questions regarding this line below in the comments section to be entered in our random drawing.

 

Once again we would like to encourage you to try the Hero Arts line of products by offering you a 15% discount for the next week. The promotion code HeroHues15 will be valid on all orders placed between now and midnight April 14th. Please enter this code upon reaching the checkout page. Note that upon completion of your order the discounted price will be listed on the individual product line and not at the end of the invoice.

This promotion is valid on all in-stock Hero Arts products only and cannot be combined with any other coupon code (frequent shoppers please place two separate orders and notify us at [email protected] immediately upon completion of both orders so that we can combine your orders for shipping if you would like.) For the best selection be certain to shop early!

Jenni Bowlin Printed Transparency Hybrid Card

As many of you have already read we are adding a new tool to our creative options - our computers. In January I asked in this blog post what your thoughts were in regards to hybrid design? It was a fairly resounding affirmation that many would like to learn how to use their computers in the creative process. The timing was amazing - I asked the question and then two days later learned about ScrapHD. After spending some time with the Petersen family at CHA and looking at what their product had to offer I signed up to work together with them. I believe that the ease of use of their builder, together with an unmatched assortment of digital elements, that the value and ease of use will make this tool a must have for many crafters. You can read more about why I am excited about this product and answer some of the most frequently asked questions by reading the following two posts:

ScrapHD + Ellen Hutson, LLC = endless creative possibilities

ScrapHD FAQ's

Today I am going to do my best to share with you the ease of using this program and how I incorporated the "digital" aspect together with my traditional paper crafting products. I am also going to share how I created the mini crepe paper roses - they were so much fun to make!

Following are a series of stepped out pictures showing you how simple it is to create using the ScrapHD builder. You will see a new "icon" on the sidebar of all of our blogs - this icon when clicked on, will take you directly to the Ellen Hutson, LLC + ScrapHD builder.

Joining is free and there are some wonderful free options available to try, but I must admit that I was a free member for such a short time that I am uncertain to all that is free. I am now a "Club Member," which costs $9.99/month or $99/year and so when I sign in now everything is ready and waiting for me to explore and experiment with.

CREATING A SCRAPHD PRINT FILE

Each one of the following "tiny" windows can be popped open to reveal an example of the steps involved I followed as I printed my transparency.

Upon signing in you will see that you can start with a blank page or a theme. I selected a blank page. The next window that pops up allows you to select either a 5x7, 8x8 or 12x12 size. For this project I selected the 8x8. (We have already requested they add an 8.5x11 size ;-) It's now just a matter of time as they continue to add to what the program can do :D)

 

Once the program is open you can hover your cursor over the symbols that are on the left hand side of the page. Each symbol represents a category. Following are the categories from top to bottom:

• photos (you add your own photos here)
• backgrounds
• embellishments
• layering papers
• frames
• text
• shapes

I selected backgrounds because I knew that I wanted to keep this lesson simple. Next, select the little + symbol and a whole new world of paper options opens up to you as seen in the second photo.

I used the search mechanism and put in the word Tangerine in doing the write-up for this post because I knew the name of the Jenni Bowlin paper collection I had used and wanted to keep my options down. I can use colors, designers, collection names, elements and more to narrow down my search.

Simply clicking on the paper element I wanted to add puts it into my left column. You can select as many backgrounds to try as you would like. I only selected the one I knew I was going to use.

When you have completed selecting background papers click on done. This will close the selection window.

Then drag the paper from the left tray into the square and drop it in place.

My pattern was now ready and so I then selected the "Print from Home" option. 

An email notification was then sent to me, but I decided to show you how to go to "My Account" and you will find the page under "My Scrapbook." Click on the green download button next to the image. A box will pop up and I select save. 

It is important to keep your computer files organized. I would like to recommend that before you begin that you create a file in your Pictures Directory called ScrapHD. This will allow you to save all of your ScrapHD files in one location and make it easier to find later on. :D

The files are emailed in a zipped format. When the next window pops up simply click open and it will show you a window similar to the first photo above. I select extract all and this unzips the file, giving you easy access to it.

Next I opened Office Word. In word there is an "insert picture" option. When your browser opens simply select your file in your ScrapHD folder and click on the file and then insert.

It is now simple to resize the file - note where my arrow is pointed above. I resized the file to 4". I then printed on to my transparency. This write-up took WAAAY longer than actually completing all of these steps - LOL! It truly is a very easy process!

CREATING CREPE RIBBON ROSES

I have fallen in love with the many paper flowers we are seeing all over the place now. When Michelle Obama wore her first large flower I knew that this would be a trend that would become huge! As an interior designer I worked with a lady that created THE most exquisite silk roses. Using this technique I decided to give it a try with the crepe ribbon we carry in the store (yes, more colors are on their way - LOL!)

Being that I am all thumbs I decided to try using my quilling tool (also known as a slotted tool) to help me keep my flower precise. It worked like a charm! Remember each of these pictures can be clicked on to open in a large view.

Begin by folding the crepe paper over as shown in the first photo above. Then slip the ends between the two prongs on the quilling tool as shown in the second photo.

Wrap a couple of times and then using a toothpick dab a tiny droplet of adhesive at the base of the flower.

The last photo in the series above and the first photo below show the alignment of the paper as you wrap. Fold the ribbon at a 45 degree angle and then keeping the top portion (the portion that is parallel to my finger) even with the top of the rose wrap until this segment of the ribbon is used up. Then make another 45 degree fold, add a droplet of adhesive to the base and wrap again.

Continue to wrap and glue until you reach the end. At the end I apply glue to the tail as well as the base and finish off as shown in the third picture. I then remove my rose from the slotted tool and add adhesive to the base, allowing it to dry thoroughly.

Simply vary the length of your crepe ribbon to vary the size of your rosebud. I apologize for not writing down the lengths of ribbon I used - I thought I would remember. Oops-LOL! I think that the lengths were between 6-12 inches when I began, but can't be certain.

I cut one of the Jenni Bowlin mini papers down to a 3" size and pierced holes through the corners of my transparency and mini paper inserting a brad. The look was completed with some of that gorgeous silk ribbon we carry, some softly Glitter Misted leaves and my three crepe paper roses.

I absolutely LOVE this color combination - Jenni did a fabulous job with this collection and to now have it available in transparency format added just the right twist :D

 
digital element: ScrapHD - Jenni Bowlin Studio, Tangerine Dream Collection-Dream Floral

paper: Ink Jet Transparency, Memory Box Lagoon, Jenni Bowlin Mini Papers-Tangerine Dream

accessories: Jenni Bowlin Turquoise Crepe Paper Ribbon, Mulberry Rose Leaves, Silk Ribbon, Marrakech Brads, Quilling Tool (Slotted Tool), Perfect Paper Adhesive

3-D Punched Tree Scene Christmas Card

What's up?!? Two posts in two days - I'm just giddy with excitement over having the opportunity to finally get some of these ideas that are in my head out on to paper!!! Finally the dreaded taxes are complete (for the most part) and I NEED to play - I've been getting a little punchy here lately with all that bookkeeping! (OK, OK - I hear the groans now from my VERY bad pun, so I'll move right along - LOL!)

I cannot begin to tell you how much fun it is to play with all these fab toys!

This 3-D tree is one I have seen on numerous occasions, I wanted to test it out with the new Martha Stewart Christmas Tree punch and I'm thrilled with the results. I can see all sorts of uses for this little tree! Replace the letter A in PEACE with a dimensional tree, or insert little trees in to the Kaisercraft Advent Calendar, put it on a tag, or create some rolling hills to decorate with a stand of trees... the ideas are endless - I wish that there was more time in the day!

Simply punch out five little trees, in this instance I punched two from the striped paper and three from the patterned green. It is important to score the trees right down the center before attempting to fold them. I like to use my Mini-Scor It for this part of the project. The score line that the Scor-it creates is so superior to any other type of scoring I had used previous to discovering this wonderful gadget. This allows for a very precise fold and makes it easy to fit them together.

As you can see I applied one tree at a time, putting Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA - I love this glue because it does not "soak" the paper) on one half of the tree.

Then using my teflon bone folder I press the entire length of the tree to ensure proper adhesion.

Becky has been creating MARVELOUS sewing tutorials (for further inspiration visit In Touch - An Adventure in Sewing and the CLASSroom here and here.) It is so awesome to have her as part of our team that teaches and inspires. One of the tips that I find the most useful is when needing to turn my project I make certain the needle is in the down position and "skewered" through my paper.

Then lift the foot into the up position and spin the paper before continuing to sew. 

Using this method I was able to create my "corner star" for this card. This particular look would also make fab photo corners!

Using the star that is included alongside the tree, I mounded it with PPA and sprinkled it generously with Brownstone Glitter. Just a side note about this glitter. I must tell you that in looking at products to carry in our store I felt that the colors, selection and value of this set was excellent and therefore the reason for making it available to you. The zing this glitter gives a project is simply spectacular.

Be certain to allow it to sit and dry before moving it to your project.

One of the fabulous Webster's Pages pages made an ideal setting for the tree (unfortunately at this very minute we do not have any left up on the store, BUT a little birdie tells me that our stamp of the month packet is going to blow your socks off this month. SO be certain to stick close to your computer come November 1st to get first dibs on it!) along with the new Christmas Cheer Block made the perfect backdrop for this little tree. A little Webster's trim, stitching and glitter and project complete! 

Now go get punchy girls - Halloween is tomorrow night and the clocks "Fall back"... so you will have an extra hour on Sunday to do a little creating!

stamps: Memory Box Christmas Cheer Block

paper: Webster's Pages Home for the Holidays & Winter Wings, Memory Box Dill Notecard

ink: Memento Rich Cocoa

accessories: Martha Stewart Large Christmas Tree punch, Webster's Pages Home for the Holidays & Winter Wings Trim, Martha Stewart Essential Glitter - Brownstone, Perfect Paper Adhesive

P.S. For those who wonder what it is that I am up to during the day you can now find me on Facebook. Just search for Ellen Hutson and send me your friend request :) Have a safe, fun and creative weekend!

Bluebird Sketch and Technique Tag #1 Card Details

Sometimes it is all in the details and this card had SO many little details that I didn't address in my post on the CLASSroom. Well, with those missing details came a lot of questions and so I decided I would just put together an additional post for those who would like to know more about these little details. I skipped these because my post was already REALLY long and I didn't realize that they would be missed - so here they are for those who would like to replicate this project or would like to try some of these "other" techniques.

 

To color the bird I opted to use watercolors. I select which technique I am going to use when coloring in my images depending on the final look I want to create. I adore this little bluebird and did a Google image search to see what the "true" coloring of these birds would be. Once I saw the pictures I felt that watercoloring would be the route to take. I then went and selected my patterned paper based on the color scheme of the bird. The Hopscotch Graphic 45 paper is delicious and perfect in color tone!

I am finding these papers to be SO easy to use in my cardmaking because one side always has a scale that is appropriate and the color schemes are summed up in one word - YUMMY!

 

I stamped my Bluebird using Archival Jet Black Ink. Next I selected Distress Ink (Faded Jeans, Broken China, Weathered Wood, Fired Brick, Old Paper, Vintage Photo and not shown, Scattered Straw) to color this image. I used the dropper that is attached to the lid in these bottles to place one little droplet of ink on my non-stick craft sheet. I left the bottles on my surface to help me determine which droplet went with each color. Then using my waterbrush I painted in my little bird. There are a number of tutorials on the CLASSroom that talk about watercolor techniques. You will find that the colors will spread beautifully on your papers in the areas that are wet. If you do not want your color to float past a certain line, then do not wet that area of paper.

 

I have had numerous questions regarding the flower that I used on this creation. I should have known that this would be a rather elusive little item that need more explanation. The new botanical line of papers from Prima Marketing are superb! I have placed them in a number of different sections in the store to try and make it easier to find and figure out what they are for. I have put this line in two spots - Specialty Papers and Die Domain: Accessories.

These papers are phenomenal to cut with the low profile dies. In this case I used my Nested Flower die. I then inked the edges using an Ink Blending foam and Antique Linen distress ink. As you can see I opted to use the sponge only, making it easier to manipulate and just use one corner to add color to the edges only.

 

Hmmm - what else did I miss. I used the sentiment included in this month's special value "Gardener's Hands". Each month Cornish Heritage Farms comes out with a Stamp of the Month which is a 20% savings. Once our inventory runs out on this item we will then need to order these items independently and at a higher cost. So purchasing them in a set is a "good thing" if you like both images!

Last, but by no means least is the image from the exquisite Rummage Bin set created by Julia Stainton - Ornamental Beauty. This is a must have set for me - I LOVE the architectural like images that are included - they remind me so much of my interior design days!

I truly do hope that this helps answer some of those questions I left hanging with my technique post on the CLASSroom. I will do my best to create two posts simultaneously in the future. I am trying to keep those posts on the precise technique I am trying to share and not make them too lengthy, but when I get an opportunity to create my mind just goes wild and I throw everything in to the mix, but the kitchen sink it seems - LOL!

Upcoming DVD and Sweet Thing Valentine

Marianne has let the "cat out of the bag," so to speak. It is with a slight bit of apprehension and a great deal of excitement that I will be visiting the Copic booth #4147 at CHA this next week. It appears that they will have a preview of an upcoming video on display at their booth and guess who it features? Yes, you guessed it - it's me. I feel so privileged to have been invited by Copic to share my passion for their product and for airbrushing! Please be gentle on your reviews - LOL! This is the first time I have filmed anything and needless to say I am definitely not an expert in making "movies," but I am passionate about this product and about teaching and so I sincerely hope that you will learn something new and helpful from this upcoming DVD. The video crew from PushPlayPro were fabulous to work with and helped me feel comfortable with the whole "process." My understanding is that this video should be released in the last half of 2009 and that this is a preview only. 

What could be sweeter than "sweets" for Valentines? This little treasure of an image is SO easy to work with - it is from this year's Memory Box Valentine collection and is called Cake Stand. Not only does it work for Valentines, but it would also make a cute Bridal Shower or Wedding image.

 

As with many of my projects I decided to do a little experimenting to figure out what new look I could achieve. I began by inking the cake stand first with Dazzle Champagne. Having recently received the reinkers for these pads I have reinked my stamp pad and I am pleased to tell you that the result is much better than it was after using my pad a number of times. I had noticed that the bling had subsided greatly and so I am extremely pleased to see that using the reinker on the pad brought it back to life again. This is not where my experiment ends though. In the past I have used dye ink pads to emboss simply by first inking my stamp with VersaMark and then inking it with the dye ink. So I decided to try it by combining VersaMark Dazzle Champagne together with Memento Chocolate Chip - YUM!!! I topped this off with clear embossing powder and then heat set it.

If you try this technique I would like to make certain that you only lightly tap your "dazzled" stamp on to your Memento pad being you do not want to transfer all that bling to your otherwise pristine pad. If you do happen to get some transfer I typically will just use a clean paper towel to remove it and then add a little reinker to my pad following the clean-up. It's amazing what a "beating" my pads can take and still work as intended, but I always work quickly to clean up afterwards - not letting it sit and settle in for too long. The pad shown above has not been cleaned, so you can see that a little "bling" does transfer, but most is left on the stamp image as shown on the right.

 

I then added color to the flowers and leaves, as well as a little to the cake itself using Copic Markers. I whitened the cake a little with my Prismacolor white color pencil. Next I felt that my notecard needed just a hint of distressing being the papers I was working with had that feel. So I used my blending tool together with Adirondack Watermelon to distress the Cotton Candy notecard.

 

I'm not certain that you can see the bling in the cake stand, but being I know what I am looking for I can see the mica flecks from the Dazzle pad. The cake was begging for a lovely coating and so I applied glue using my 2-way glue pen and added Diamond Dust for a finishing touch.

 

I thought I would once again share my "tweezer tip" for tying ribbon. I am ALL thumbs and until my friend Taresa showed me this I would always struggle - now I can even tie bows Ü

Using some of the new Bittersweet paper, together with the new Memory Box Sugardrop, to add layers and scalloped pieces to accent the base of the cake stand pulling it all together.

 

Finally to complete this little card I inked my heart and kissed it with Paisley to remove some of the ink. I find that this technique works best when using a Pigment or Chalk based ink to stamp your main solid image, dye inks haven't given me as crisp a definition as the pigment inks.

 

I stamped this beautiful heart print on the interior, along with the sentiment, "hope your valentines is sweet! So get your sweet treats ready, Valentines is right around the corner.

New Lockhart Stamp Release - Buttermilk Hen

You have all been SO patient with me here - I hope that you have been finding my posts over on the CLASSroom, being I have been hard at work. Sometimes it gets a little overwhelming trying to keep up with so many different blogs - LOL! But I really want to keep my own personal "space" and so I will continue to do my best to contribute ideas here as well!

ETA: I am thrilled to tell you that Cindy has come to my rescue. (THANK YOU Cindy!) She will be helping me with the Inchie INKlings blog - yippie! Please head over to see her WONDERFUL project!

I ADORE the new Lockhart Stamp release. We have added a new category to the sidebar in our store to try and make it easier for you to locate these new images. They are simply SPECTACULAR!

One of the first images I just have to cluck about is this darling Buttermilk Hen. I absolutely love the style in which Karen has drawn this cute little chicken - a touch of folk art together with those charming characteristics that make Karen's images so unique. Thinking that Buttermilk must be some special breed of chicken I asked Karen how she came up with the name. I was quite surprised when she told me about a Buttermilk Sky. Well, needless to say I had to google it and find a photo. As soon as I saw the photo I could envision the feathers on this sweet hen in a much more vivid way.

 

Today I created a simple little 4 1/4" square design using Crimson cardstock. Rather than sharing step-by-step coloring I will instead focus on a couple of other tidbits. The first is the background that I created using the Barbed Wire Backgrounder. Sometimes we can change the way that a background feels by simply stamping it twice (or three times, or...) I could have easily kept with the horizontal lines of this backgrounder and just stamped it one more time to create a background that was more in scale with the size of this chicken, but instead I decided to turn it and stamp it vertically to create a plaid barbed wire. I love how appropriate it feels with this sweet hen. Next I sponged the edges of the Natural White cardstock using Tea Dye ink.  

 

My next tip is to share with you how I attach buttons to my projects. At times I sew the buttons directly to the ribbon or paper, but when I'm not certain as to the best location I simply stitch thread through my button and finish it off with a small "knot". This can then be adhered to the project using a mini glue dot, making it simple to locate the best position for the button.

Please note the ends of the twill tape. Rather than using Fray Check to keep the ends from pulling apart you can add a more rustic feel to your projects by pulling the threads from the ends of your ribbon or twill and creating a frayed look that is at times more apprpriate.

 

Inside I need to stamp the sentiment, "just waiting for you" and perhaps put the IB Nest. This card will be the perfect greeting for an expectant mom who may not be in to pastel pinks and blues. It may also make a wonderful themed baby shower! I can hardly wait to see what type of "chicK' message you create with this charming hen.

Gold Leafed Three Wisemen

I have always loved the look of gold leaf! It is simply elegant - pure and simple. When looking through the Cornish Heritage Farms catalog today with the girls here at work Cathy said, "Wouldn't those Wise Men look good in gold!" The idea was born. All the silhouette Christmas images that Aimee created will work beautifully with this technique - you can find them spread throughout the CHF category.

 

This was a relatively quick card to make - unfortunately a little too quick - LOL! Yes, little miss impatient me did not wait long enough to let the adhesive set on the gold-leafed words above, but I decided to share this card anyway to help you avoid making the same mistake.

 

To begin you want your glue pad to be well inked with glue. I love to use my teflon bone folder to spread the ink evenly into the surface of my pad. This really scurries this process along and the teflon wipes clean so easily! (I use it to spread my ink on all my ink pads Ü)

 

I then stamped a parchment looking paper from my Scrapblock collection with Distress Tea Dye ink using the Aged Music Scrapblock. I then stamped the three wisemen over the top with my Glue Pad. As you can see the adhesive does show, thus making it easy to apply the gold leaf to the correct areas. I like to let my stamped adhesive sit for about half a minute before I begin applying the gold leaf.

 

A lot of gold leaf flakes come in these packets. I prefer to pull out a few leaves and use a tidy tray to open and spread them before I begin working on my project. Be certain not to laugh or sneeze, perhaps it's best to not even breathe when working with this product - LOL! One little puff and it can be all over the place, so I always work carefully when I have my gold leaf close by. This helps to prevent the beautification of my room and clothes Ü

 

I then take gold leaf and gently lay it over my stamped image. I lightly tap over the entire surface with my finger and then repeat pressing it gently in to place as shown above. Now is the part where patience TRULY helps Ü Walk away from your project for a while! Go do something else -cut the remainder of the paper pieces, get a drink of water, and even answer a few emails - LOL!

 

Once dry, (I think you should wait at least 15 minutes to make certain that it is set, perhaps even longer if you don't want the same effect as I received on my words above) lightly burnish it with an old bristle style brush.

 

Then moving gently in a circular motion, remove any excess flakes.

 

I collect the finer dust in a little rubbermaid container. You will be able to achieve an entirely different effect with this "dust." As you can see I just collect all the different colors in to this one container. There are five different packets to select from: Copper, Gold, Mixed, Rainbow and Silver.

 

As you can see in this closeup picture the different sheets of leafing start and stop with the subtle color changes for a beautiful effect. I find this look so appealing and hope to share my next gold leaf adventure with you soon.

This card was completed with the ribbon we are including in our thank you notes, a strip of Granola paper, Granola buttons and a Christmas Expressions sentiment. Thank you for stopping by.

Clearly Inspired

I am not certain where I saw a clear card with a layout similar to this - I should have written it down being I just can't remember, but I loved how the clear card was set off with a strip of cardstock all the way up the front and down the back side. This is such a great concept and immediately it was stored in my mind in that special spot of inspirational ideas to try.

Finding the right acetate is sometimes tricky and I have been looking for something that would be suitable. Wouldn't you know it - I already have it in my collection - LOL! This 10 mil plastic acetate works fabulously to make a nice, sturdy clear card. The most important part is to score the top (I really like the Scor It for this part being it needs a sturdy score to fold properly) then I bend it and lay a piece of scrap paper over it and using my Teflon Bone Folder I make certain to get a nice smooth fold in the plastic.

 

The new Urban Prairie collection from Basic Grey is made up of colors that are absolutely delicious. I was completely surprised that this was part of their summer/fall collection being it feels so springy to me. I needed to add some color to my day today so I grabbed this pad of papers. The stripe that is included in this collection is one of my faves and so I decided that less is more in some cases, especially being I want to hoard that stripe - LOL! So I cut a strip and layered it on top of a piece of Granny Smith cardstock.

All that was left to do was to stamp the butterfly from Kim's new Little Gal set (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this set Kim! I have a house full of girlie girls all the time Ü), add a couple of Hero Arts Spring collection flowers, a few gemstones and my project was complete! Yippie, I now have another card ready and waiting for that "stash" I am starting for those occasions that slip by me when I'm not prepared. This could work for so many different occasions - birthday, thank you, or just because. 

 

All that is left to do is add a piece of white cardstock on the inside and write or stamp an appropriate greeting! 

Christmas Tree Dazzles with New VersaMark Dazzle

Finally, one of my favorite things from Summer CHA has now arrived in our store!!!

 

Yes, the VersaMark Dazzle grabbe my attention full force when I saw some of the projects that were created using it at CHA this summer. I knew then that this product would bring something new to our projects, especially those holiday projects that we like to shimmer and shine so much.

I have used the VersaMark Dazzle, Champagne on two parts of this project. The first was definitely easier to capture with the camera, but I'm not so certain I captured it in a good way - LOL!

 

I began by stamping my image on Neenah Solar White cardstock and then colored it with Prismacolor Color Pencils. I could have easily used Copics as well. I do not believe that this ink will affect the Copics in a negative way, but I did not have the time to experiment with that today and wanted to be certain that I created a project that would then "work" for this blog post.

I selected the Della Robbia tree because I have always felt that this tree could use a little gold shimmer to it, being Della Robbia fruits are often gilded. After completing the color I simply applied the Dazzle pad directly to the paper. WOWIE - do you see that shimmer?!? It really doesn't glare like that in real life, but with the flash and overhead lights trying to get the shimmer to show up - well... It really did Ü

The second way that I applied the VersaMark Champagne Dazzle was to the Aged Sheet Music Scrapblock. I began by applying Tea Dye Distress ink to the Scrapblock. I then used my small brayer and added the Dazzle ink over top the Tea Dye before stamping. The effect is VERY subtle - I was hoping that it would shimmer and shine a little more, but it only gives a hint of sparkle when applied this way.

 

I have shared another angle of the focal point that also catches the background in hopes that you can get a better idea as to the final outcome of this project. As you can see in the second photo the Champagne color does alter your white color tone ever so slightly, adding a soft gold.

I have yet to experiment with the Tsukineko Dazzle Frost pad. So watch for more information to come - hopefully tomorrow or the next day. I must warn you that we only received a small portion of our order in today and so they will probably zoom out of the store, so if you are thinking that you would like one in time for making holiday cards you may want to snap one up ASAP. I'm not certain when more inventory will be arriving or when we will be getting the Reinkers, but at least it's a start Ü

Other Supplies Used: Memory Box Frost Paper, Memory Box Amaranth Note Cards, Chocolate Pearls

How Do You Decorate Your Christmas Tree?

SPELLBINDER DIE UPDATE: We received an update on the Spellbinder Dies introduced at Summer CHA - it's a good news/bad news scenario. The good news is that packaging will now include directions for using the dies in most embossing machines. The bad news is that due to these packaging changes the date for the release has now been moved back to the last week of October. We will continue to hold your names on our priority list and as soon as we have more information we will be contacting you with what we hope will be good news only. Thank you for your patience and support through these delays!

One of my favorite times of year is the Holiday Season! The wonderful music, bright lights, beautiful colors and luscious greens that appear at that time of year make it feel so warm and cozy. As Karen developed her new series of trees we talked about the different looks that we found appealing and that suited her style of drawing. I was tickled to see these when she finished up her drawings! I have to admit that my eye immediately went to the design with the birds. Why birds? I don't know being I am actually terrified of them flying around me - LOL! But the sense of calm and beauty that I feel (if I am within a safe distance) gives me the warm fuzzies.

 

Supplies Used: Snowy Tree with Birds, Scrapblock Scroll, Neenah Solar White, Memory Box Dill, Basic Grey Mellow, Foof-a-la Button, Velvet Ric Rac, Liquid Applique, Crystal Snow Glitter, Prismacolor Color Pencils

I began by coloring the Snowy Tree using my favorite colors of Primsacolor color pencils - Chartreuse, Lime Peel, Olive Green and Dark Green; Sand, Goldenrod and Burnt Ochre; Scarlet Red, Crimson Red and Tuscon Red; Cloud Blue, True Blue and Indigo Blue.

 

To create a more "snowy" feel I used Liquid Applique. One must always remember that a teeny, tiny, very small amount goes a LONG way - LOL! I find that this is one of the most essential things to remember when using this product. The liquid applique is barely visible to my eye when I first apply it. I sprinkle glitter on the applique when it is still wet and then allow it to dry for some time. The final step is to take your heat embossing tool and warm the applique. This is when the magic happens Ü. As it puffs out it begins to appear just like fresh fallen snow! The texture it adds to this image and any other snowy scene is absolutely marvelous. If you have not used the product before I would highly recommend testing it out on a piece of scrap paper before applying it to your beautifully colored image. This will help you take the guess work out of how much to apply.

The background was stamped with the Scroll Scrapblock. I completely inked the background and then used my Ink Blending Tool to dab and remove some of the ink from the stamp image. I did not want the appearance to be even or dark - I wanted a more distressed look to the stamped background pattern. I then used the ink that was on the ink blending tool to add additional ink distressing around the edges of the image as well as all over the surface to provide a more "antiqued" look. Experimenting with your tools can lead to some marvelous finds. I would like to encourage you to try this method with your blending tool - my motto is always, "What can it hurt?" If it looks really bad I can just try something else Ü Usually though this experimentation is what leads to some fun little ideas that can create new and different looks.

Thank you for stopping by and don't forget to visit the Classroom because the girls have provided you with a TON of wonderful ideas, eye candy and tips!

White Color Pencil Technique with Browns

It has been brought to my attention that many of my regular blog readers haven't realized that I have added yet another blog to my growing list, that blog being the CLASSroom. So today I thought I would share with you the different blogs that I head up and what you will be able to find at each. The list of blogs I author are located on the sidebar of each of the blogs. This will allow you to hop from one to the next looking for new, fresh ideas or find the golden oldies back in the archives. Following are the blog names and what they are:

• simple dreams - this is still my baby and I will continue to share as many projects as possible right here with you. I am the sole author of this blog.
• inchie INKlings - this was my second blog that I started and totally dedicated to Inchie mania. Each month I host an Inchie Challenge and my goal is to continue with the Inchies from A to Z shortly. Life stalled me as I tried to get more organized and I have begun preparing materials to get moving on this once again! There is a new challenge waiting for you there with a prize each month for one lucky entrant! Be certain to check out the latest 3-D challenge.
• in touch - this blog is attached to our newsletter. Each month we send out a newsletter to our customers sharing new product information, special coupons and special projects created by the amazing group of designers who work together with me. The feature article is written by one of us and is saved to the In Touch blog, so that you will have ready access to the detailed projects and thorough instructions that each designer shares. You can sign up for our newsletter on the home page of our store (scroll to the bottom and fill out the box) or send an email titled Newsletter Request List to [email protected]. 
• the CLASSroom - Being an internet store I don't have a physical room to welcome you in to, BUT we do have a blog that we are working so hard to bring you fabulous projects on a constant basis. This blog is near and dear to my heart and it is brand spankin' new this month. As you all know I am definitely no wonder woman and thus being human there are times when I just don't have the time to blog as regularly as I would like. As the responsibilities of operating our business increased I have found less time to create and inspire. It is SO very important to me that I continue to provide you, my customers and readers, with as much education and information as I can possibly give. So I am thrilled beyond words to be joined by four of the most fabulous paper crafting teachers here on the internet!!! The Classroom is where I am joined by Cindy Lyles, Debbie Olson, Sharon Harnist and Trudee Sauer, together we will do our best to inspire and teach. So please add it to your favorite list of places to visit Ü

To welcome you all to our new "Classroom" we held a sale from September 10th through the 12th. Unfortunately during that time our site went down for an hour at a time on numerous occassions. We would like to extend an apology and an additional sale day to make up for the frustrations you may have experienced and to allow those who were not able to complete their purchases at that time at time to do so now. This special offer will be valid on Monday, September 22 only. This offer is valid on in-stock merchanidse only. Please note that once an item is no longer visible on our website, that means we are currently out of stock - so shop early! Upon checkout please type in the following promotion code exactly as shown to receive your "Back to School Follow-Up" discount - BTSF

Now on to my latest find Ü

Well you know me - I just can't stop myself when I find something I think is cool - LOL! In my quest to find the "perfect" black cardstock for doing the "White Color Pencil Technique" guess what else I just happened upon? Yep, you guessed it - BROWN cardstock. Not just one brown, but TWO! The first is a Golden Brown, camel tone and the second is a yummy Chocolate Brown. I just couldn't wait to try the White Color Pencil technique on these papers!

 

Awwww, yes - it is totally cool. Not in that blackboard, sketchy cool type of way, but in a warmer, and yet still distinctive sort of look. This page was created using Kim Hughes new Twink stamp along with a branch from The Landing Pad. I do believe you could add a sentiment to a "Wise Guy" in your life and use this as a masculine card, perhayps you could even tell him to quit sitting around and get busy - LOL! OK, perhaps that's not the best idea Ü

I stamped the branch in Rich Cocoa Memento Ink on the Golden Brown cardstock and then placed a mask over top of it and stamped the background using Versamark ink together with Weave. This is one of my all time favorite backgrounders, the crisscross texture just seems to be perfect with such a wide variety of images.

Next Twink was stamped in Rich Cocoa on the Chocolate Brown cardstock. Using my White Prismacolor color pencil I then colored the image as shown. I then decided to add just a hint of Gold Prismacolor color pencil to Twink and his nest.

 

As you can see - a little goes a long way! This is such a quick and easy technique!!! I would LOVE to see you try it. If you do please be certain to post a comment with a link to your project!

White Color Pencil Technique

Karen Lockhart is always "playing" with new color pencil ideas and techniques. In one of our phone conversations just recently she began telling me about a couple of new color pencil techniques that she has been sharing with her students. This past week I needed to make an emergency trip to pick up stamps to fill orders and had the good fortune to spend a little time "catching up" with her. Karen showed me two different cards that she had used this technique on and so I snapped a picture of them so that I would have the time to study what it is that she had done. Below is my first attempt using this "White on Black" technique. 

 

Supplies Used: Lockhart Stamp Company Pears, Basic Grey Ambrosia (I am LOVING the orange!!!), Memory Box Licorice Notecard and Cardstock, Black Pearls, Adirondack Snow Cap Pigment Pad

This technique intrigues me for a lot of different reasons, with one of them being it will add to the variety of looks we can achieve using the Black Inchie Squares. The texture of their surface will be appealing and different to work with, being the surface on the Licorice cardstock is extremely smooth, and the tooth of the paper does not grab the wax from the crayon in the same manner. I will also be experimenting with other black papers to determine which one I like the characteristics of the best.

 

To begin I stamped the pears in white pigment ink on the Licorice cardstock. I really should have tried taking a second picture before proceeding because the flash really bounced on this one. Be certain to allow the pigment ink a short time to dry.

I then proceeded to begin coloring using only my white Prismacolor color pencil. Be certain to have a nice sharp point on your pencil as you begin to color, but before setting your pencil to work on your project color the scratchy tip off on a piece of scratch paper.

Marianne of Copic Markers has done several wonderful posts regarding shadows and highlights, so rather than repeating her fantastic lessons here I am going to instead link you to her blog and would like to suggest that you read through her posts on shadowing.

To color this image I elected to chose an unusual light source. Pretend that my light is in the bottom left corner. I opted to do this because I felt that I needed to add highlights to the pedestal plate on which the pears are sitting so as to reveal the detail in the base. Even though I know the theory behind shadows I still have a hard time actually following them through to completion. In looking at this image in it's HUGE state on the screen I can immediately see where I would make changes. I believe that in studying what I have done in a larger scale it will truly help me become better at it in the long run, so perhaps it is something you may want to try on your own work as well. Take a picture or scan and then blow it up on your screen to see where you hit it and where you missed it.

A tip I would like to share that does help me in figuring out my high points is that I go to each individual element in the group and put a little color highlight (in this case I used my white pencil) where I would envision the light first settling on that item. I then color using that as my "hot spot" on each element. The difficult part for me when only using white is determining the edges of the item and being able to separate it from the next element. Practice, practice, practice - I hope to do more of these and share with you what it is that I learn as I make each new attempt.

My final element in this creation was determining a layout, papers, and embellishments. For some reason the orange Ambrosia paper just spoke to me - LOL! I could have done an entirely black and white card, but the warmth that this paper provided to the overall image made those pears just feel like they would taste "yummy". Ü

The layout was determined solely on inspiration, I wanted to show off a lot of the orange paper and the black and white element are fairly bold or strong and so the assymetrical balance I was able to achieve with this layout seemed to work. You will notice the unusual position along the right edge. The small Quince pattern hangs just off the edge of the Mandarin with the Licorice matting aligning on the very right edge. The Licorice of the focal image then aligns with the Mandarin edge. The black pearls where then placed at the 1/3 mark of the Mandarin paper.

As I work with this more I hope to then add colored pencils on top of the white being this creates a whole other look that I think that you will also find intriguing! One thing I have learned though is to stick with something until I have come close to mastering it before moving on to the next step. I would love to hear your thoughts on this technique. Have you tried this before? If so what has your experience been. 

Christmas Angels

As many of you know one of my "simple dreams" has come to it's full realization - the dream to have a place on-line where we (Debbie, Trudee, Cindy, Sharon and myself) have gathered together in one spot to educate you and share our love of stamping/creating with you. You can find this community associated with our store in "the CLASSroom". I hope that you will visit and leave comments for the wonderful women who share their inspirations with us there.

I still plan on continuing to post here to my own personal blog and hope that you will continue to have the time to come and visit me on ocassion here as well.

Today I wanted to share a quick card that I made using some of the new Cornish Heritage Farm products we carry in our store. With Christmas right around the corner and the arrival of these wonderful stamps I was inspired to create a design that could easily be mass produced.

 

Supplies used: Trumpeting Angel, Modern Star, Aged Sheet Music, Christmas Expressions, Kim Hughes Mocha Chica Paper Pack, Vanilla Bean Notecard and Envelope, Neenah Solar White Cardstock, Adirondack Snow Cap (white) Pigment Ink Pad, Brilliance Crimson Copper, Distress Ink (Tea Dye and Walnut Stain), Ink Blending Tool, Making Memories Trim

To create this project I simply stamped the Aged Sheet Music on Solar White cardstock using Tea Dye ink. I then sponged the edges with both Tea Dye and Walnut Stain Distress Ink. The next step was to stamp the angel twice. Once directly on the sheet music and then again on a plain white piece of cardstock. This time I inked the angel with Walnut Ink and added shimmer to the edges of the angel using Crimson Copper. This addition of the Crimson Copper was for two reasons. The first was to bring the coloring of the angel closer to the coloring of the patterned paper I had selected from the Kim Hughes pack, and the second is to add a hint of shimmer to the angel itself to make it more of a focal point. It is incredibly difficult to capture these types of details in photos, but in person it is so easy to see why the effort makes so much difference.

I cut the corner of the sheet music at an angle that coordinated with the angels feet to help create a stronger focal point, as well, this gave me the perfect spot to attach a little "tag". This tag was so simple to create - I simply inked the word "Peace" from the Christmas Expressions set on white cardstock, cut it out and sponged the edges. After adding the patterned paper layer I quickly sewed around the exterior edge three times in a haphazard method to echo the distressed feeling of this card. 

 

I could have left the image as a single layer card, but wanted to add the emphasis of the two wings as shown below. A quick tip I have for cutting out detailed images is to move the paper when you cut rather than moving your scissors. It is so much easier to follow the tiny lines when you use this method. My second recommendation is to use a Quickie Glue pen on the finer details. In this case I used my ATG adhesive on the main body, but added glue to the feet, dress tail and trumpet with the Quickie Glue pen. I don't like get sticky fingers - LOL - and so this is the perfect tool for me Ü

Last, but certainly not least in my books, is the addition of an envelope that coordinates. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I am truly in love with Adirondacks new Snow Cap pigment ink. I first inked the Modern Star with Snow Cap and then touched the tips once again with the Crimson Copper. As you can see it leaves an absolutely beautiful impression on this very dark brown vanilla envelope.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope to see you both here at simple dreams and over at the CLASSroom.

Copper Acorns

Thank you for your patience as we await the solution to our Typepad problems. Hopefully they will have a resolution soon, but it has now been two days since I last heard from them and nothing has been resolved yet. Oh how I wish I knew a lot more about computers!!!

So now on to some eye candy. I have received numerous questions about the foil and copper that we carry in our store. What is it for? How does one use it?

Today I am going to share a project that I created using the Pure Copper, Two Acorns stamp, and Labels 1 Nestability. I selected the copper because of the beautiful characteristics you can achieve when it is heated with an open flame. If you were to use the foil instead of the pure copper, the flame would burn the color from the foil and you would be left with a project that was not so pretty - LOL! So it all begins with the type of project you want to create. If you want to take advantage of the beautiful characteristics of copper, then be certain to select the Pure Copper to work with.

I began by cutting and embossing the new Label 1. We are still hoping for a September delivery date for the new Nestability dies, but do not have any word yet as to what the final date will be.

When selecting an image for this type of creation it is best to use an image that does not have a lot of little details. Those with a lot of fine detail need visual "editing" - you will need to select the portions that should be outlined. Therefore, I started with a fairly simple fall image to create this box cover.

When needing precise placement of a stamped image I always use my Stamp-a-ma-jig. To locate the position of the Two Acorns on the copper label I first stamped my image on the plastic mat that comes with the Stamp-a-ma-jig. By placing your plastic mat squarely in to the corner of the stamp-a-ma-jig and then stamping your image, also placing the stamp squarely in to the corner you can locate the exact position of the stamped image on your plastic mat. Locate this mat and your stamp-a-ma-jig in the exact location you would like to stamp your image.

Remove the plastic mat and stamp your image by once again squarely locating your stamp in the corner of the stamp-a-ma-jig and evenly applying pressure to your stamp and transferring the stamped image to your project.

 

Unfortunately the glare on this picture does not give you the best depiction of this image, but it gives you an idea as to what the finished product will look like. I highly recommend Palette ink for stamping on metal. If allowed to fully dry it holds up fairly well.

In this case you can begin working fairly quickly after stamping. Being that I am right handed I work from right to left so as to not smear the ink on my project. Place a spongey pad, in this case I used our Ornare Piercing Pad (it's consistency is perfect for use with foil), beneath your project. Using a fine-tipped stylus outline the image as shown above.

Once complete you can flip your project over to see the image outline. You could now leave the project as shown adding color with glass paint or even Copic markers. (Copic markers will only give a slight variation to the color, whereas glass paint will allow you to give it more of a cloisonné or enameled look.)

It is now time to "puff" out the metal and give your project life. Once again work on the side that you stamped on. Using the diferent sized ball points on these stylus tools, as well as the finer point on the teflon folder add dimension to your project. Use even pressure when adding these details for best results. You may want to take a little piece of scrap metal and practice before working on your project to get a feel for the amount of pressure you will need to use to achieve the best results.

Now comes the fun part! My kitchen tools always seem to come in handy - LOL! Who has time to make creme bruleé anyways? Ü If you aren't so lucky as to have one of these little gadgets you can also use a lighter that works with a gas grill. I think (now I could be wrong here, but...) any type of mechanism that shoots a fuel flame will work with the copper.

Here you see me practicing to achieve the best results. Be certain to use tweezers to hold your project because the metal gets VERY HOT! To achieve the most beautiful rainbow effects I found it best to barely focus in on the copper and then pull back. If you heat your copper for too long it will lose it's lustre and the rainbow effect will be diminished. I did find that if you sand the surface again you can get a second chance at success.

To help reinforce the copper and pop it off the surface of the box ever so slightly I cut and embossed a second label of the same size from Craft-a-board. To make certain I did not leave a white edge I used a Copper Leaf pen along the edge. Then I simply used my ATG gun to run adhesive along the very edge of the label and affixed the copper to the Craft-a-board.

I then ran another layer of adhesive around the bottom edge and attached it to a little box that I had on hand for gift giving.

This side view allows you to see how "puffed up" the foil can become with steady even workmanship. Other little features of this project include:

• foil tape wrapped around the box lid (also heated - be CERTAIN to NOT do what I did. Being tired I set to it with my flame not realizing that the back was paper. Talk about not so intelligent to put it mildly. Perhaps you can come up with an alternate method that would be a lot wiser - LOL!)
• box top was stamped using the Small Houndstooth ScrapBlock and Tea Dyed Distress Ink
• box top edges were Distressed using Tea Dye ink and Blending Tool
• edge of copper label had additional dimension added using a tracing tool used in sewing

Fill this box with a bookmark, wine charms or some other fall goodies and you will be prepared with a very unique hostess or birthday gift box!

Velvet Stamping and Emboss Resist

ETA: Please note that there are new posts following this one - I placed it as a sticky until the drawing for the blog candy is complete. Thank you for stopping by!

Have you heard the news? Cornish Heritage Farms is having a major league "Backgrounder Blitz" over this next week!!! We here at Ellen Hutson LLC are thrilled to be playing alongside them and will do our best to stimulate your creativity and give you new ideas as to how to use these wonderful stamps as well!!! In honor of this special occasion we will have a week long promotion beginning today on the CHF backgrounders in our store. Be certain to enter the code: CHFFun in the Promo Code area as you are checking out to receive a 10% discount on all backgrounders that you order from us during this week.

Today's post is to play along with the wonderful challenges CHF has created for this week. The first backgrounder challenge is to create a card using Lisa's awesome sketch!

There are two techniques I would like to share with you that I used as I created my project for today's challenge. The first is a real WOW in my opinion and I haven't seen it done much lately.

VELVET STAMPING

The key to success with this technique is the velvet that you select. I find that a man-made velvet works the best. In this case I used a velvet ribbon that is 100% rayon. This technique is one that works beautifully with the deep-etched red rubber backgrounders!!!

Place your backgrounder face up on your work surface, I used the new Sophisticated Swirls. I preheat my regular large iron with it set on rayon/polyster. Spritz the face of the ribbon generously with water - I have a mini mister filled with water that I always keep by my work surface, it works fabulously for misting the velvet. Place velvet face down (fuzzy side down) on the backgrounder and then iron from the backside of the velvet. I would typically place a piece of typing paper between the ribbon/backgrounder and the iron, but I wanted you to see the layering process without it being covered. Press your iron down firmly and move it about on the ribbon surface so that you do not create a hot spot.

It is SO beautiful and elegant in real life - I hope that you can get a sense of the beauty from this picture.

EMBOSS RESIST

This next technique is one that I have always loved. From the beginning of my stamping adventures there has always been a sense of wonderment as I watched embossing powder melt. Now being I photographed and worked this portion of my project before deciding to use the velvet I didn't quite think it through enough - LOL!, so my final project doesn't even use this beautiful creation. But at least you get the idea as to how to complete the background of the card I will share below.

Tip: Before I  begin I want to share how it is that I keep my Clear Embossing Powder. Being it is one that I use a LOT I purchased a large supply and placed it in a rubbermaid type of storage container. I do this so that I do not have to clean up the powdery mess that can occur if you use a tray. I love the convenience of just spooning the powder on to my project and letting the excess fall back into my container!

OK - on with it Ellen! To begin I place my backgrounder face up on my work surface and ink it completely with a "sticky" ink. In this case I used Perfect Medium, but Versamark or any other Clear Emboss Ink will work as well.

I then spoon the embossing powder on to the inked paper surface and dump the excess powder back into my tub. I then heat set it using my embossing heating tool. Be certain to watch the surface as you do this so that you don't overheat it and melt the powder until it is completely gone. When it becomes glossy that is the time to move on over with your heat tool. It is like magic as you watch the surface begin to glisten in the light.

Now it is time to make the background pop! Ink your brayer using a dye ink - I love using the large brayer being it covers the background completely in one motion. This does not mean that you do not need to go back and forth across your surface a number of times, but it does make it so simple to get an even ink coverage. I used Adirondack Lettuce as the main color for this project.

Being that I wanted a more distressed look and did not want the white to pop off the paper I then used my iron to "melt" the embossing powder into a piece of scrap paper. Iron over the paper covered image completely - then move your scrap paper to a new location and repeat. Do this until all sheen has disappeared.

I then used my Ink Blending Tool and Adirondack Pesto to distress the edges and "buff" out some of the white in the center of the image.

My focal image is the Lockhart Delphinium and Peony Watering Can. These are two of my favorite flowers and I can't believe that I hadn't given this beauty any "love" yet. To color the image I used a combination of Copics and Prismacolor color pencils. This truly is my favorite combo. The intensity and dense coverage that the Copics provide, followed by the Prismacolor pencils which just grab the tooth in the top surface of your paper gives such incredible depth to your image.

I began with the Copic Markers - BV000, R46, R81, Y21, Y21 Special, YG00, YG63, YG95, B21, B23, W1, W3.

I truly wish that you could all see this image up close - the detail that jumps out when you add the Prismacolor color pencils (Limepeel, Goldenrod, Burnt Ochre, Process Red, Warm Gray 80%, Pink Rose, and Imperial Violet) along with Spica Glitter Pens (Gold, Sky and Pink) is so "purdy".

As you can see I used a square nestability to cut out the image and emboss it. Little mini brads were added to the corners just to draw extra attention to the focal point. Instead of the Sophisticated Swirl background I created above I changed it out for a much more subtle Weave pattern. It would have been great if I would have actually thought ahead to the completed project, but hey now I have an awesome sheet of patterned paper that I can use for a future project Ü

To help celebrate this fun learning experience and backgrounder blitz we would like to give away two of my FAV backgrounders - yep that's right. All you need to do is leave me a comment below telling me which backgrounder is YOUR FAVORITE! You have until Tuesday morning to leave your comment - at that time we will do the Random Number Generator thingy and select two names from the comments section.

The first number drawn will receive the Lined Paper backgrounder and the second number will receive Grid Paper.

For yet another FABULOUS technique you must head over to the CHF Forum and read Mona Lisa's Distress Ink Burnt Edge it is WAY cool. They also are running some of the most fun challenge's - like the one I posted above.

Have a wonderful weekend! I'm going to give it my best effort to play along with the Backgrounder Blitz challenges - I have been missing creating!!! So check back in soon if you get the chance Ü

Stamp of the Month, April

It has been a long time since I posted anything using the beautiful parchment paper we carry. When creating using this paper one achieves such a soft, elegant look. So for the April Stamp of the Month packet I thought I would share this art form with you in a very elementary way to expose more of you to the beauty that can be created using these simple tools.

I began with specific limitations - as you well know one must think in advance in order to have supplies at the ready. This month I had preselected a beautiful springy ribbon and brads to use in my project, but I had not determined what stamp I was going to use. It occurred to me that April is Tulip season here in Washington state and I just knew that this image would translate into Pergamano so well. When coloring flowers I often times Google the particular flower I am coloring to use as a reference. Little did I know that there are EXQUISITE blue tulips! You must click this link to see some other incredibly gorgeous blue flowers Ü

Photo by Nedko

To begin I stamped my Tulips image using Palette, New Canvas on Parchment paper. I then gently heat set it being I am an impatient stamper and don't like waiting for ink to dry - LOL! Be careful to hold your heat source away from the paper though so that you don't "curl" it. Place your parchment paper stamped side down on a dark padded surface. I prefer to use one of the Pergamano Embossing pads, but beginners can use a black piece of cardstock atop a stack of papers. Next I used my Fine Stylus Embossing Tool to trace all the details of the image. As you can see the Fine Stylus, shown on the bottom, has a much finer tip than any other stylus I carry. I really like this stylus for detailed work. You can achieve an embossed look with other embossing stylus, but it will not be as precise.

Copic markers work fabulously on parchment paper! To color this image work on the back side (or opposite side) of the stamped image - the same side as you embossed on. Begin with the lightest colors - B23, YG00, and Y21 (special). Add depth and dimension with B29, YG63, G85, Y21, YR14 and E39. Below is a close-up of the finished image.

One of the little quandries that one runs in to with vellum and parchment is that all detail shows from behind. In this case I really wanted the image to pop. As a solution I then stamped the Tulips image once again - this time I used a very light blue ink pad, Adirondack 's Cloudy Blue - to stamp my image on white cardstock.

To hide the adhesive can be tricky. There are many new adhesives on the market - one is made by Tombow and I tried it at CHA, unfortunately I could still see it through the vellum and so I try to be clever in attaching my projects so that no adhesive will show. I punched holes in the parchment using my Making Memories Slot Punching Tool. I love that I can punch a slot in any location with this tool. I did learn though that one should use the Making Memories cutting board that comes with it rather than the Basic Grey Magnetic Precision Mat - I managed to punch my slot right through to the metal surface - oops! Fortunately I was able to reinsert the little piece and my mat looks as good as new, but I thought I would forewarn you so that hopefully you don't make the same mistake.

Then thread your ribbon through the slots and apply adhesive to the back side of your cardstock placing it directly behind your pergamano piece. Place your project into position and adhere the cardstock to your cardfront. As you can see I removed the parchment from the ribbon so that I could adjust the ribbon to be in the correct spot for tying my knot. Next apply adhesive to the back side of the parchment piece directly beneath where you will run the ribbon. At this point I realized that I wanted to "frame" the parchment and so I ran my E39 Medium Broad tip around the edge of the parchment.

Thread ribbon through slots and adhere the parchment attaching two brads in the upper left hand corner of the parchment aligning them with the knotted ribbon below. I also sponged a little Vintage Photo distress ink on the Ocean Blue notecard to pull it all together.

OK - so I'm a goofball - LOL! I made this post go live and I wasn't even finished with it. So there you have it - a sneak preview of what is to come later tonight Ü I hope that you enjoy this month's project and jump on board with a Pergamano style or parchment craft project!

Inchies from A-Z: B is for... continued

Product Updates:

Nestabilities have just arrived in Phoenix today! Can you see me doing a happy dance? So what does this mean for timing? It means that unfortunately our waiting game will continue just a little longer, but I want to assure you that these items will be included in our sale on Monday, March 17th as Preorder Items. If you haven't looked at or received our Newsletter Coupon please let us know so that we can forward it to you in time for Monday's sale. Or join our mailing list at the bottom of our homepage and we will try and get a current copy of our newsletter to you before Sunday evening at 6:00pm. It will be essential for you to enter this code to receive the discount.

Our Copic supply is also not quite at the levels we would like. We are awaiting the arrival of more sets of CD24D and Copic Gotta Have It All's. Our delivery dates for these items will be the end of March, so with perhaps a little anxiety (OK - so maybe it is more than a little being I truly like to ship your orders immediately) I will go ahead and put them up as Preorder items as well so that you can use your coupon.

B is for Bunny GIrl

Created using: Bunny Girl (this is the last opportunity to pick up this darling stamp being it will no longer be available once our inventory is gone); Copic Markers - Custom Y21, RV11, RV34, E55, E27, E39; Pale Gold Leafing Pen; Gold Glitter Pen

B is for Background

1. Basic Copic Background

Copic markers on the White Inchie Squares are BEAUTIFUL! There are so many ways to create intricate backgrounds, but for that post you are going to have to wait all the way until W. Can you make any guesses as to what the letter W stands for? So for today we are going to look at the Basic Copic Background.

Creating backgrounds for basic designs is simple. By basic design I am referring to an Inchie I create when I stamp directly on an Inchie Square. There are not a lot of layers to this type of design.

Begin by placing your stamp, rubber face up, on your work surface. Ink the surface of your stamp image determining where it is that you would like to position your Inchie on the image. Being that this stamp had recesses in the rubber on either side of the Inchie I was able to easily set my square atop the stamp. If I didn't have this recessed area I would have used my little "pull tab" for the back of my Inchie Square.

This pull tab is created using Blue Painters Tape. This tape is ideal for this application being it will not mar your surface when you remove it from your project.

After inking your Inchie Square using Adirondack ink it is essential to heat set your square. I have found that the porosity of the Inchie Squares does not allow the ink to sink in to the surface as readily as the Neenah paper and therefore if you go straight to coloring on a stamped surface you will more likely than not cause the ink to bleed.

As I colored the background of the image I began with my new Y21. (See this post for information as to how to make your own custom colors.) To create the sunshiney window effect I did pick up my darker Y21 from my palette and added it around the edges.

2. Paper Covered Background

So what can you do with all those bits of paper that you have left over from a large project? Well turn them into 1"x1" squares of course!

Or if you are not fortunate to have saved all your scraps then we do have a packet of Inchie Papers available for you to purchase. This fun collection of 108 patterned paper 1-1/2" squares will keep you supplied for quite some time. You can die cut or trace and trim before attaching them to your Inchie Squares. Each of these packages also contains two (2) Inchie Finders. These little 1" squares of yellow acetate are the perfect tool for "finding" a section of a prestamped image or part of a pattern. Simply place, trace and trim. The yellow color will hopefully help you spot it easier amongst the mish mash that occurs on most of our tabletops when we get in a creative swing.

Karen always has the best organizational tips! I absolutely adore this beautiful box she has put together to keep her Inchie backgrounds prepped and ready to use.

When sorted by color it makes it easy to find the perfect background for your art. Prepare some of these backgrounds for your projects in advance if you are not feeling "it". You know those times when you would like to relax and create, but you just don't have a long-term vision for what it is that you would like to create. Then start at a later time to create the elements or embellishments to complete your Inchies.

I will be sharing more of the backdrop for this little assortment at a later date. For now I just want you to focus in on the assortment of papers that Karen used on these little creations and how she added the focal points to each Inchie. I have to admit I am a bit envious of her beautiful handwriting Ü I would hate to think about how many beautiful Inchies I would ruin if I were to write in cursive on them - LOL! So if you are like me perhaps you might consider printing and cutting out words or stamping them and adhering them to the finished creation instead.

3. Other Background Ideas

• Stamped Backgrounders
• Prismacolor Color Pencils
• Twinkling H2O's or Watercolors
• Old Book Pages
• Word Documents such as Definitions, Special Words

These are just a few of the ideas that I could come up with today/tonight. I hope that they inspire you to try a myriad of different background techniques when creating your Inchies!