the CLASSroom

Hooty Halloween

I have been wanting to make this card for a very long time and thought today would be THE perfect day to share this cute little owl and to wish you all a "Hooty" Halloween!

 

To begin I stamped the Wood Grain backgrounder in black on Vanilla Bean. I couldn't believe the WOW that this simple contrast made. The whole idea is to have this little owl sitting in a tree with the moon peeking from behind. I then used my circle Nestie to create both the moon and the window in my card.

 

Being I didn't have a "swiss cheese" type of background I thought I would share a wonderful trick I use my airbrush for. If you have any interesting textured papers, or products around the house that have holes in them you can create THE most interesting backgrounds. 

 

I used W4, Warm Gray No 4 to create the shadows and craters on my moon. I then used W1, Warm Gray No 1 to spray over the entire mango moon to bring down the color and have it meld better with the coloring of the owl.

 

I then stamped my tree branch and owl using Memento Tuxedo Black on Solar White. First I colored the entire branch with E31. I then added the darkest colors using E47.

 

My favorite palette for blending colors is the non-stick craft mat. The reason I like this surface is two-fold. First is the texture of this surface. I have found that it will really "grab" the color from my marker and therefore give me more ink to work with when blending. Secondly, it is SO easy to clean up! Just a little regular rubbing alcohol wipes it clean. Using my E31 I picked up the E47 from my palette and added depth to the branch, providing some shadowing around the lower edge as well as the top to help the branch feel rounded.

The same tones were used on the owl, with the addition of Y21, YR24, and Y38 for the beak and feet. Just a little sparkle on her eyelids, beak and feet using the Copic Spica Glitter Pens.

 

I hope that you have fun with the little ghouls and goblins in your lives tonight. My girls think that I'm a goof, but I told them we only do "cute Halloween" at our house Ü So a "whoot, whoot" sent out to you on this Halloween eve from this cute little "spooky" owl!

believe card by cindy lyles

It's getting colder here in NJ, and I fondly remember from my childhood having a soft, classic, tweed wool coat.  Seeing the Twiggy 6x6 paper line from Memory Box brought back that comfy memory, and I decided to create a card with that homespun feeling using Lesley Langdon's set Primitive Beginnings.

To begin, I stamped the sheep image once on ivory cardstock and once onto a sheet of Twiggy patterned paper, then cut out the patterned paper sheep's coat.  Stamped 'believe' from this set, distressed the ivory cardstock edges and gently sponged the edges with Distress Antique Linen.

Using pinking shears on more Twiggy paper I created borders and machine stitched into place.  Added an ivory 1-1/4" circle punch distressed the same way over a 1-3/8" circle of kraft cardstock.

For the leaf embellishment, I used this Cuttlebug die with dark green wool felt, and cut the unit in half.  Added a button from my stash to make a fun felt embellishment!  I love making quality handmade 3D embellishments like this one, especially when they are easy!

Sheep shadows at her feet are made with a light grey Copic marker.  You'll find a number of versatile images in the Primitive set from Lesley that will get you into a homespun mood!

finished card size:  a petite but postal approved 3-1/2" x 5". ;)  Card base is Memory Box Dill.  This is a Beate Johns WSC62 layout.

interior verse - Stampers Anonymous; wool felt - J.Caroline Creative; all supplies from Ellen Hutson

Snowy Tree Card, by Sharon Harnist

 

A cold chill hit Texas this morning and it put me in the mood for snow and Christmas (and some hot cocoa!).  This Lockhart Snowy Tree with Birds image was perfect for my mood and to warm it up a bit, I chose this lucious red patterned cardstock from Memory Box's new holiday release 6-inch collection, Gingercake.

The tree was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa ink (I felt this gave a softer look to the tree than stamping it with black) on Neenah Natural White cardstock and colored with these Copic markers:

 

The snow was colored with a white Prismacolor pencil and I also covered up the Cocoa inked parts of the snow, to soften it up a bit.  Then I covered the snow with clear Spica glitter pen . . . hopefully you can see the nice snowy effect this made:

 

Yellow Spica glitter pen accents the tree's star.  The tree was cut out with a Spellbinders Petite Classic Oval Nestabilities die.  To help that star give the appearance of a soft glow all around the tree, I airbrushed Copic Y21 around the edges of the die-cut tree.

 

But I forgot to keep the die in place while airbrushing, so I would have a nice white border around my image, so I went back and used the Copic Colorless Blender to remove the yellow color from the embossed edge:

 

So that's a good tip to remember if you make a mistake with your Copic markers -- you can usually fix just about any mistake by removing it with the Blender!

I couldn't bear to cut off much of the beautiful red background patterned cardstock, so I frequently use the same trick Ellen mentioned -- I took the front package labeled piece of cardstsock, trimmed away the labeling and used that (it's the same cardstock as the whole package)!  I just cut the large dotted pattern off the right side and used it as a faux ribbon effect by trimming one end with scalloped scissors and inking the edges with Tuxedo Black Memento ink.

The Lockhart 'Season's Greetings' sentiment's words were inked and stamped separately.  The card base is a Memory Box Dill notecard.  Have you started your holiday cards yet?!!

Gobble 'til you Wobble Thanksgiving is on it's Way

When I first saw this Cartoon Turkey I laughed out loud. The combination of the sentiment and his droopy eyes make a pretty hysterical combo. Why is it that we eat so much on Thanksgiving day? We often do eat so much that our eyes get droopy and all of our energy drains to our stomachs. Instead of wanting to play games and visit we wobble, or perhaps I should say waddle, over to the couch and slump there for a while. I vow that I am not going to do that this year - I always feel so much better when I eat less, so I think I'll focus on the turkey, stuffing and cranberries, add in a little salad and leave all the other yummies for the others Ü

 

Being that you actually did seem to enjoy my warped sense of humor with my "hippity... hoppity... boo..." card I figured I might as well continue on my merry way with yet another silly card.

 

To help give this character the wobble he deserved and make this a true action card I fitted him with his own custom spring. Simply take some 24-gauge wire and wrap it around a marker or pen a few times as shown above.

 

Then bend the ends of the wires inwards as shown above, to give your spring more stability and a larger surface, to adhere it to your paper. I then used packing tape, because it is SO sticky, to attach the spring to the turkey and to my paper.

 

One piece of paper that I constantly forget that I can use is the cover sheet that is included in the Memory Box 6x6 packs. It is a perfectly wonderful piece of paper and is the same weight as the remainder of the package. (I must tell you that if you are interested in the Sparkle paper buy it now, because unfortunately once it is gone we can't get anymore. I am SO disappointed - I love this paper!) I felt that the psychadelic colors were perfect for the spinning head this turkey appears to be feeling and thought perhaps you could finish the sentiment, "gobble 'til you wobble," inside with the addition "or until you see psychadelic colors!" to complete this funky character.

 

Being I was in a hurry and I realized that this paper had a common color to the thread that was already in my sewing machine (WOOHOO score bonus points for that realization) I elected to sew the one edge with a zig zag stitch and add a tag in the coordinating color. The ribbon I had was off white and so I quickly customized it with my Copic Marker YR21. I now have the perfect invitation to Thanksgiving dinner if I am in charge, or perhaps I'll get off easy this year and it will end up being the perfect follow-up thank you! So I will wait to finish off the inside of this card Ü

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you try making a "springy" card - let me tell you that it really is addictive sitting and plunking his little legs to see him wobble. I guess I am reverting to childhood once again - LOL!

New Nestability Dies

I am happy to tell you that many of the new dies are available now in our store. For the best selection be certain to shop early! Following is a list of the new dies and a direct link to each item:

• Nestability Dies - Circle, Pinked Large and Small (Please note that for a fit similar to what you are familiar with when layering the Scallops and Basic Circles it is just the opposite for the Pinked Circles. I hope to post a picture later today to show you what I mean being a picture is worth a thousand words and I know that you don't want to read through a thousand words and still not get what it is that I'm trying to say - LOL!)
• Nestability Dies - Labels One
• Nestability Dies - Labels Two
• Nestability Dies - Labels, Small (The large are not here and I'm not certain when the expected ship date is for these. Unfortunately the packaging on the small dies was done incorrectly. We are doing our best to "fix" the problem by putting homemade labels on the sets. The packaging is for the Large Labels and is a purple color, but these Small Labels will work the same - it is only the size that is different. Please be aware of this when they arrive so that you don't order the small ones when the large ones are available.)
• Nestability Dies - Rectangles, Curved Mega
• Nested Bird, Butterfly and Flower
• Border Dies Large - Daisy, Rose, Wisteria, and Illumination
• Border Dies Small - Daisy, Rose, Deckle and Scallop
• Other Dies - Cupcakes, Decorative Frames, Sunflower Garden, Sunflower Set One and Sunflower Set Two

We also have brought in additional Magnetic Storage Folders to help you keep your dies organized and together. You can see this post for pictures showing how these folders work.

We will do our best to get your orders out to you in a timely fashion. We have tried our best to list all sizes with each item and are happy to answer any questions you may have. We thank you so much for your support!

I had started making this card last week when all of a sudden the dies arrived, so I dropped this card and set to work to make certain we notified those who had requested to be at the top of our list and put as much information as possible with each item in our store. We apologize for the few emails that did bounce. If you are reading this and you did not receive your email we are sorry - I think that we may need updated email addresses for some of you, or can you imagine - perhaps we were labeled spam! OH NO! - LOL!

Now, back to the card. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month I wanted to create this card to remind all of you that you need to make certain that you follow a monthly breast exam regimen as well as head in for that very important screening.

 

Unfortunately I do have a recipient in mind for this card - I hope that it gives her just a little added strength to continue to fight her battle with breast cancer. The sentiment is one that is appropriate for all types of cancer. I love the simplicity of the font. I simply stamped one of Kim's Silhouette flowers in Adirondack Juniper pigment ink on to the plain pink Urban Prairie paper. I then mounted this on to two other pink patterns from this paper set. A little sewing was added for texture and to define the title. Quick, easy and simply elegant - my favorite cardmaking style.

Thank you for stopping by today and I hope and pray that if you need some words of encouragement to help you make it through another day, that this card can help give you a lift as well. Big hugs - Ellen

Got a Bug? by Debbie Olson

Today I needed a get well card for a couple of sweet little pre-school sisters. The Kim Hughes Comforting Hugs set was a perfect fit. I started by picking a germ. . . seriously! I chose the amorphous blob because I wanted to repeat a circle motif throughout. Next I chose some Mocha Chica paper--again, mostly circles with the polka dot pattern at the top. I used a solid pattern at the bottom, scored with a Score-It, then sanded to remove some of the color and emphasize the lines. (If during sanding you depress your score lines, you can simply re-score when you finish sanding.)

I tried several ribbons and had none that were the perfect color, so I chose a coordinating strip of the houndstooth pattern to serve as my "ribbon."  I stamped the germ in Memento black ink, then colored him with Copic YG00 and YG03 markers. After adding a sheen to his eyes with a clear glaze pen, I die cut him with a plain circle Nestability. For the tag, I stamped "caught a bug?" and die-cut it with the smallest double-ended tags die, then trimmed the end that I didn't need and rounded the corners by hand.

Back to coloring the germ for a bit. (If you're a Copic pro, you can skip this part!) I generally fill in my image with the palest color (YG00, in this case), then add a bit of a darker color (YG03 here),and use the paler color to blend the two together.

It's ever-so-simple to get a gradation this way. Finally, I went back with a touch of W1 and added some pale shadows on the lower side of the germ. If you prefer cooler shadows, that works well too. In fact,technically shadows are relatively cool. But when I'm using either (a)vintage images, or (b)warm colors, I tend to use a hint of warm shadow as well.

You can click on the pictures to see them larger if you'd like. Thanks for visiting today!

Debbie Olson, for the CLASSroom

Hippity... Hoppity... Boo

I'm going to begin this post with a disclaimer - I should NOT make cards when I am tired because I think that they are funny and I don't know that anyone else does - LOL! How I come up with these things when I am most tired is beyond me, but I just had to share this goofy idea being I thought it was hilarious. My girls on the other hand just rolled their eyes and said - OH MOM! in a somewhat exasperated tone Ü

 

It all started with the bunny and my quest to see how many occasions I can use her for. Then it hit me - yes, I could stuff (or pretend to stuff) her ears into the IB Witch's Hat and she would be all dressed up for Halloween. But then the moment of pure genius - "bippity... boppity... boo" when inked with a marker and changing the "b's" to become "h's" becomes... "hippity... hoppity... boo!!!" GENIUS, I tell you (as I totally laugh out loud.)

 

I was going to use a Sparkle paper as the background, but unfortunately the Witch's hat just disappeared in to the paper. So I set out to create my own Sparkle inspired paper using my little brayer. I love the size of this small brayer when used with Distress Inks. To begin tear a "hillside" along one edge of the Eclipse tape (or use sticky notes if you don't have this awesome masking tape.) I began with Tea Dye ink and then added a little Walnut along the bottom edge. When I ink my brayer with the darker color I do not ink it evenly, but rather ink only a portion of the roller. Then do a short brayer stroke on scrap paper, before adding the darker tones to my project - this helps you avoid that big "blob" of ink that can occur when trying this technique.

   

Next I used the edge of the Snow Cap pigment ink pad to add some "streaks" of white directly to the Willow cardstock, giving a blustery appearance to my landscape. Cutting a rough circle "moon" from eclipse tape and brayering a little Tea Dye and Walnut ink on the top edge of the landscape helps bring balance to the color scheme. Finally I placed a strip of eclipse tape down the left edge and added a "building" by brayering first Walnut, and then a little black to add some additional texture. When adding the black ink to my brayer I did not roll it on the ink pad, but rather used the edges of the ink pad to add "lines" of ink to my brayer as shown in the picture below.

Use the Cuttlebug vines and birds folder to first emboss the Mango cardstock. Then sand the surface using a small sanding block. The white core paper is perfect for this technique and quickly reveals a white base. I then inked up my larger brayer with Tea Dye ink, once again brayering first on scrap paper, before lightly running it over the Mango surface. The wonderful think about using a large brayer on an embossed surface is that it only hits on the high points.

 

I then stamped, colored ,and cut out the witch's broom, pumpkins and IB hat

To complete the look I sewed around the edge and used dimensionals to add depth to the bunny and largest pumpkin. So tell me - am I funny or just a total goofball? LOL! I hope this inspires you to share your "out of the box" ideas, as well as pull out your brayer and begin to use it in creative ways!

Vintage Signage and Juxtaposing Textures

One of my favorite elements of design is texture. As an interior designer I would juxtapose rustic, almost country elements against the smooth elements of contemporary design. When done right the final look was always beautiful. I think that this love can totally be translated into the paper arts. Today's creation reminds me of the same contrast in textural elements.

 

I began with two key supplies - Basic Grey's Wassail papers, brads and buttons and Rummage Bin Winter Vintage Signage.

 

I began by inking the focal image with Memento Rich Cocoa except for the sleigh itself.

 

I then used a warm red chalk ink to selectively ink only the sleigh. As you can see in these photos this is a technique that is quick and easy. I wasn't worried about the slight overlap in color being I was looking for a distressed look.

 

I then added the border to this "sign" using Distress Embossing Powder. The grainy texture of this embossing powder gives a feel of wood.

 

I then added just a little more depth to the color of the sleigh with Prismacolor Color Pencils.

 

I have seen so many beautiful combinations of brads and buttons and decided to give it a try. The brads that Basic Grey designs have too large a prong to fit through the button holes. I spread the prongs open and then used my Tonic Scissors to trim the prong back to half it's width. Please be certain to wear safety glasses and be cautious if you try this technique being the prongs become quite sharp when brought to such a fine point. It is almost like using tin snips and it is important to keep your eyes covered just in case a piece of metal pops off while cutting.

 

I then inserted the brad through the glossy button and then through the felt snowflake.

 

Once my card was completely put together I added a clear glaze to the surface of my sleigh to once again add a high shine and smooth surface right next to the distressed wood border. When covering such small surfaces the glaze is so well controlled when using this pen.

 

Look at all the amazing texture in this one little square.

• Rough Texture - Cuttlebug Swiss embossed Crimson Note Card, Distress Embossing Powder, Felt Snowflake, Red and Green Hemp
• Smooth Texture - Button, Brad, Sleigh and smooth papers

Think about texture and contrasting the smooth and rough textures the next time you create a card. It might help push you into a new way of looking at your creative process.

pretty birds duo by Cindy Lyles

Today's post features two cards from the very versatile set Pretty Birds by Kim Hughes (Cornish Heritage Farms).

The first card uses two individual birds and I hand drew the branch.  I just stamped the mr. and mrs. birdie then worked in the branch where it needed to be, adding heart leaves then colored in with Copic markers.  For the popped heart I simply drew a heart, colored it in and cut it out, adding Glossy Accents and a little pearl bling.  This will make a great anniversary card!  (finished size - 5-1/2" x 4-1/4")

For the second card, I used one of the branches as a tree and colored with Copic markers.  I masked the tree trunks and airbrushed a small oval to 'ground' them.  To do this, simply punch an oval in a sheet of text weight (computer) paper and mask off the area to be airbrushed.  You could also sponge the area too. (finished size - 6-1/4" x 4-1/2").  I used some new Basic Grey Urban Prairie paper here.

Kim's set Pretty Birds is one of those sets that is bursting with FUN images suitable for a wide range of occasions.  It is one set that will not see a drawer for a looooong time!

all supplies - Ellen Hutson (Copic markers, airbrush kit, Memory Box Cardstocks - Vanilla Bean used)
(ribbons - Strano Designs, sentiment card #2 - A Muse)

Fall Leaves Brayer Resist

This is a technique that I learned when I first began to stamp. It is simple and yet gives a wonderful "WOW" when completed.

After receiving replies to the Tea Time post on my personal blog, simple dreams, I began today thinking I would make some thank you notes to start a "stash" for those occasions when I just need something to pull out and write a quick note. As I took Jasper for our lunch time "power walk" I was awed once again by the gorgeous fall leaves. Even though the wind was blustery, and the air misty, I found getting out so refreshing and inspiring.

Being I had promised more brayer techniques to come this month I knew immediately which stamp I would use for this simple technique. I also wanted to see if the new Dazzle VersaMark would react any differently than the regular VersaMark.

 

To begin I inked Oak Leaves using the VersaMark Dazzle Champagne and stamped on Glossy White cardstock. We are thrilled to have finally found a quality glossy white AND black cardstock to carry in our store! Watch for it to go up in our store over the next day or two.

 

I began by brayering Adirondack Carmel dye ink evenly over the entire surface. I wasn't too wild about the "carmel" tone and so I immediately inked up the brayer with Adirondack Rust dye ink.

When you work quickly on glossy paper it is easy to "meld" the colors. This color combo felt a lot more like the leaves I had just seen.  

 

Being that I wanted the leaves to pop in different colors I used my sponges and inked them with Red Pepper and Lettuce Adirondack dye inks.

Did I ever mention that I don't care for dirty hands. It's OK to get them dirty, but then I seem to always get those stains on my project and it makes me frustrated - LOL! A tip I shared a long time ago that is worth mentioning again is the little paper clips that hold my sponges. As you can see in the photo above each one of my sponges has a clip that holds it together. This allows me to ink my sponge without getting my fingers dirty Ü

I then brayered one last time over the entire surface with just a little more "carmel" ink to smooth out the sponged surface.

 

The final step to this technique is to buff the entire piece with a soft cloth or in this case a soft paper towel. I did not see any real difference using the Dazzle VersaMark rather than regular VersaMark for this technique. I was so hoping that the "shimmer" would remain, but as I buffed the piece it appeared to completely lift any remaining shimmer from the piece. A tad disappointing being I thought that the Champagne shimmer would be stunning on this creation.

I cut my leaf background into three pieces and then stamped and embossed the sentiment (All Things Fall) using Espresso Embossing Powder. I used the same backgrounder to stamp the Jack O Lantern note card with Champagne Dazzle. The one thing I have noticed is that the VersaMark Dazzle does show up on the Memory Box notecards. Regular VersaMark did not seem to leave any type of watermark on the soy based notecards and so I am thrilled with this result.

I finished it off with a piece of Crate Crush Ribbon, an Antique Copper brad, and some piercing (for those of you wanting a Design Ruler from Tim Holtz more are on their way and should arrive before week's end.)

 

If you give this simple technique a try leave us a comment with a link to your creation! Happy fall to you all and I hope that you too can enjoy a brisk walk in the fall leaves!

Cornet Holiday Tree, by Sharon Harnist

I love decorating my home for the holidays and especially placing handmade treasures here and there throughout the house.  I've had this tree in mind for quite some time and was happy to finally get it made EARLY for the upcoming holidays!

I started with Cornet Refills -- they are a very sturdy rigid cardboard cones about 6-3/4" tall and 3" in diameter at the wide base.  Although most people use these in the traditional "V" format, as a cup or vase to hold flowers or party favors, I liked the idea of turning it upside down and using it for a tree!

To cover it, I stamped Aged Sheet Music ScrapBlock onto Neenah Classic Cream cardstock with Brilliance Graphite Black ink.  I found this ink covered this detailed large stamp very well.  You'll only need one piece of 8-1/2" x 11" stamped cardstock to cover the tree.  Here's how I stamped mine:

You don't have to try and line up the 6-inch ScrapBlock in a repeating pattern since you'll be cutting it into strips later.  That's why I just stamped parts of the ScrapBlock on what would have been leftover/unused cardstock (on the right).  Then I cut the sheet into 1" x 3" strips and sponged each one with Adirondack Espresso ink, using Ranger's Ink Blending Tool, just to give a worn look:

Save any small pieces you may have left over, to adhere to the bottom of the cornet as a base layer, so the cornet's cardboard doesn't show thru where your strips may not meet.  I curled the bottom ends of each strip before adhering them.

Working from the bottom, up, use your favorite liquid glue to adhere the strips to the cornet.  Wrapping each layer with a rubber band as you complete it, will help hold the cardstock in place while it dries.  I only did three layers/tiers on my tree, but you could stamp more cardstock and add more layers, if you wish.

After the strips were all glued on the tree, I edged each strip with Star Dust Stickles.  For some tree decorations, I used Star Nestabilities dies to cut and emboss stars from Memory Box Dill and Granny Smith cardstock. 

One thing I love to do with the white core Memory Box cardstock is sand die cut shapes (using a sanding block) -- it really brings out the embossing and I love the worn look.  (My sanding block has obviously seen better days -- I also use it to sand hardware to take off the finish if it's too shiny.  But hey, it still works fine!).  The stars were adhered with dimensional foam tape to the tree.  I also used felt poinsettias and leaves for some decorations, along with some green pom-pom trim (mine is from Maya Road). 

A larger sanded Dill star was attached to the top of the tree with curled wire.  One end of the wire is sandwiched between two star die-cuts.

To attach the star to the tree, I punched a 1-inch circle of stamped cardstock and then trimmed it down just a bit (a 3/4" circle punch was a bit too small), then threaded the other end of the curled wire through it and taped it to the underside.

  

Then the circle was attached to the top of the cornet with liquid glue.  Placing some trim at the top of the tree will help hide glued seam.

The final touch was this cranberry bird -- afterall, those musical notes should be coming from somewhere, so this pretty bird is the source!  I stamped Victorian Pattern backgrounder onto more Neenah Cream cardstock with Adirondack Cranberry dye ink and then die cut the cardstock with the two smallest sizes of Spellbinders new Nested Bird die.  I trimmed the beak off the smallest bird, inked it with more Cranberry ink and used it for the larger bird's wing. 

I also cut the large bird out of Craft-A-Board and glued it to the back of my stamped bird, to make it more sturdy.  The Spellbinders dies cut this board with ease and I like that it's a soft white color instead of the traditional gray chipboard color.

I hope you'll give this holiday decor a try -- it will be a beautiful accent to a Christmas brunch or dinner table or as a nice accent for your mantle or entry table!

Patchwork of Friendship, by Debbie Olson

Last night as I was looking through some new papers, I ran across the Basic Grey's Ambrosia pad. Now I must confess that I don't usually have an affinity for orange. And when paired with yellows, grays, and blacks, orange normally shouts "Halloween" to me; but for some reason I was drawn to these patterns and colors. I could see in my mind's eye my grandmother's lap quilts made from her sewing scraps--some of them even polyester double knit! (I can't be the only one who remembers these. . .)

While I am not a great seamstress like my mother and grandmother, I love sewing on cards; and I've made many sewn or quilted cards in the past few years. Today I thought I'd share with you a simple way to piece a card background in case you haven't tried it yet. First, it isn't necessary, but a square punch is definitely helpful. Your squares need to be perfectly square. If you cut them on a paper cutter, take time to get them right. Here I used a 1-3/8" square punch; you'll have to adjust your background size to the size of your squares. With three sets of three 1-3/8" squares, I knew that I would need a background that was 4-1/8" square. I cut my cardstock base 4-1/4" square so that I would have a bit of room to trim and even up the edges if I needed to do so later. I didn't just randomly punch the squares either; I looked at the bottom of the punch to see what my options were and to try to get a consistent pattern. Notice that the butterfly is centered in all three butterfly squares, and the yellow pattern is pretty well centered too.

After punching my papers and deciding how to arrange them, I dotted a dab of adhesive in nine places on my background. I didn't want a lot of adhesive because I meant to sew them down, and sewing machine needles and adhesive are not a great combination. After getting the pattern laid out on the adhesive, I was ready to sew. I chose a zig-zag stitch to contribute to the casual, homespun feel and sewed the middle four lines first. I used to spend a lot of time pulling threads through to the back of the card to keep from having any loose thread tails. Lately (unless it is on something formal), I've simply clipped them close to the edge. Hey, no one's wearing it! After sewing the four center seams, I stitched around the outside of the base, letting my needle barely run off of the outer edge to create almost a serged effect.

When it came to finishing the card, I didn't want to cover up the butterflies or a significant amount of stitching. So I chose a short sentiment from Mona Lisa'a Friend Centers stamp set, framed in a Ribbon Slider Tag die cut.  (We are hoping that our shipment of these long awaited tags will arrive later this week, you can check this general tags link for when it goes live.) I found a snippet of gray ribbon, then used some of the Basic Grey Ambrosia buttons to add visual interest to the left side of the tag. I tied a bow rather than a knot this time because it repeated the butterfly shape. The card front is mounted on gray cardstock, with the inside verse (also from Friend Centers) embossed in detail white embossing powder.

So, save those patterned paper scraps! You probably won't have enough for a lap quilt, but you can certainly make a warm, friendly card front!

a tin of tags - by cindy lyles

A non-crafting neighbor asked if I could create for her a box of tags to dress up blank gift bags.  Some folks rarely wrap gifts due to time - and it is so handy to wrap a gift in tissue then place in a bag for a quick gift wrap. 

So I created a tin of tags, complete with adhesive, that requires no time-consuming dividers.

For someone that does not craft nor have double sided adhesive within reach like us, this is a handy tin. 

First cut a piece of decorative paper (5-1/4" x 3-3/8") to fit the tin bottom, rounding the corners.

Next make a template (this is optional but looks nice) of the adhesive of choice and cover with decorative paper.  I used a Kokyuo Dot 'n Roller and created eight tags.  If you omitted the buttons and did not use dimensional embellishments you could easily include 20 tags.

Cut or punch tags to size desired.  Using dimensional embellishments will restrict the number of tags the tin can hold (it is 1" in depth).  These tags (2-3/4" x 3-1/4") were stamped with Kim Hughes Nature Silhouettes using light pink and light orchid dye inks, then dressed up with Basic Grey Euphoria paper and Basic Grey buttons.

The tag size is big enough to write a few quick words, then omit the card if time is super short.

These particular tags are suitable for female gifts - try changing the tag theme to suit your needs - Christmas, Halloween, teacher themed, girly girl, masculine, and so forth.  These would make ideal and quick holiday gifts for teachers, neighbors and friends.

CHF Kim Hughes , white cardstock, Basic Grey products - available at Ellen Hutson.

(tin is #THN8, available at specialtybottle.com)

Big Shot Grid Pattern and VersaMark Dazzle

Just a quick note to let all of you who are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the VersaMark Dazzle pads know that they have arrived. You will find them at the following links:

• VersaMark Dazzle, Champagne
• VersaMark Dazzle, Frost

Unfortunately the demand for these pads is at such an all time high that Tsukineko has not yet had the opportunity to put together and ship the reinkers. We will notify you as soon as these are available. We have them on order, but are patiently awaiting their arrival.

As promised I did it - I made the template for you to just print and cut out to use with your Big Shot machines. For those of you completely puzzled by this statement you can read more about it in this post where I had my moment of "brilliance" - LOL!

The question has come up as to why it is that I use my Big Shot sometimes and at others I used my Wizard. I use my Big Shot when it is helpful to be able to see my die and image through the clear plates. I use my Wizard when I need to "force" something through at a higher pressure and am worried about breaking and bending plates. I'm a multi-tasking girl and so many times I am working almost simulatenously with these two products. HTH's with questions you might have. I really do prefer the Big Shot over the Cuttlebug being it is sturdier than the Cuttlebug and I haven't broken nearly the number of Big Shot plates - LOL!

Download big_shot_graph_paper.pdf

I am hoping to add some of my other favorite templates here soon and so I am adding a category to the sidebar to help locate any templates we may share here. Have a great weekend!

Cardinal Cuteness Big Tag

I am SO in love with these new papers! I don't know what it is about paper and all the gorgeous patterns, but silly to say, paper makes me happy! I also love big tags and thought rather than the usual card I seem to make I would change it up and make a tag instead.

 

Susan Tierney-Cockburn stopped by today as I was creating this and I'm certain she had a good giggle being my studio was a disaster from the last couple days of creating. Oh well - some of you have had the opportunity to see me "unprepared" for visitors as well - LOL!

I had been playing around trying the technique that Trudee shared in her fabulous tutorial and I must admit - I need to get some personal assistance with the whole "slipping brayer technique" I was performing. I am concerned that perhaps the Speedball Brayer may be better suited to this technique vs the Ranger Brayers we carry in the store. I found that my Ranger Brayer would stick when I rolled it across the inked stamp surface and therefore slip and turn into this nice blob of ink in one area. I am most definitely going to need to figure this out and then I will share my findings being I am wondering if the brayer makes a difference! I most certainly don't want to mislead you in to purchasing a Ranger Brayer for this technique if it is not the best to use.

Being I had VERY limited time and needed to create something fun for this blog post I dropped that project and moved on to this one. Yes, stuff spread everywhere Ü Thank goodness Susan was so gracious and told me that she does the same "explosion" technique when she creates.

 

I quickly selected my paper and an oval die that I thought would really follow the line of the trees on the Gingercake paper. As I was trying to align the die to space it evenly I had a momentary brainstorm. I said to Susan, I wish there was a grid pattern on the top of the Big Shot MultiPurpose Platform to allow me to line everything up more easily. Just by saying it I felt like I was hit by a moment of brilliance - LOL! I quickly grabbed a sheet of paper from my worksurface (yes, I use grid paper when I stamp because it helps me line everything up. Perfectionism? Yes perhaps just a little Ü)

I cut the graph paper to fit beneath the clear acylic mat and voila I could now align my project easily. Sorry it's not aligned in this picture - I feel like a blind bat without my reading glasses and yet when taking pictures I can't use them. Fortunately when I actually cut this out I did get it straight Ü

So here is my tip for the day - be sure to share this little keen discovery with others who are perfectionists - LOL! Create a grid paper pattern in black and print it on cardstock. This will help you cover all the "stuff" that shows through the graph paper from the multi-purpose platform. I will create one and attach a file to this post when I head in to work sometime tomorrow. So keep checking back if you have the patience of a saint and can wait for me to get it done. Ü

 

A little stamping, coloring, cutting, pasting and sewing, and voila a big tag in less than 30 minutes. It would have probably been less than that if I wouldn't have had to pack everything up and take it home with me in a baggie. Running to catch my daughter Trina's bus everyday adds a lot of excitement to my life Ü I also had to totally laugh at the "staging" I came up with for this shot. Everyone else in the blog world has these gorgeous bags of beautifully baked cookies - do you notice what's in my basket? Fruit, yep fruit. It's all I had in the house for my picture taking moment. Thank goodness my family loves fruit Ü

Thank you for stopping in to the Classroom today! It has been so thrilling to read the many wonderful comments that you are leaving for this incredible team we have here!!! Have a great day!

New Christmas Papers! Basic Grey Wassail and Memory Box Gingercake

We just received these two paper collections this morning and have worked quickly to match them up to the Memory Box cardstock and get them up on our store. I know that you have eagerly been awaiting their arrival and they are WELL worth the wait - absolutely gorgeous!!!

You can find the Memory Box Gingercake here

 

and the Basic Grey Wassail at the following links:

• paper
• buttons
• brads

 

I always include a direct link to the Basic Grey website so that you can see these papers in full size and know what types of patterns to expect in your packs. Remember that the small 6x6 papers are all one-sided though.

We hope you have fun creating with these papers. I am feeling the urge to go create something new for a post tomorrow Ü

inchie lavender pendant, by Cindy Lyles

Materials list:

• Lockhart Itty Bitty Lavender stamp
• script paper
• white and black cardstock
• Ranger 1.5" x 1.5" silver Memory Frame
• one piece of 1.5" square glass
• one piece of 1.5" clear acetate or thin, clear plastic sheet
• Copic markers
• ribbon
• light and dark brown inks and Blending Tool
• miniature glass jar with cork
• lavender blossoms
• clear-drying glue
• silver binding clip
• bee rub-on
• silver-tone wire (22 gauge used)
• jumprings
• ball chain and clasp for necklace

Notes:

1. Due to the thickness of the artwork, the completed piece uses glass on the front only and a piece of clear acetate or a thin plastic sheet for the back. 
2. Don't forget to sign and date the back of your work before inserting it into the frame.
3. Bottle cork is glued into place using a clear-drying glue.  Superglue will etch the glass.
4. Use silver wire to make a metal eye pin (or wrapped loop).  Thread the loop through the Memory Frame jumpring and gently push the end into the cork top.  Secure with a drop of clear-drying glue (directions for making a wrapped loop [or eye pin] here).
5. These would make great ornaments - just omit the jumprings, ball chain and clasp.

Fall Sympathy, by Sharon Harnist

 

Sympathy cards are never easy for me to make but when I recently found myself needing a masculine one, here is the fall-themed one I came up with.  I really liked this whole sheet of 6" x 6" Memory Box Twiggy patterned paper and didn't want to cut off any of the pattern, so this became a 6-inch square card. 

I cut a window in the top, using Spellbinders Classic Rectangle Nestabilities (largest of the small set) and then die cut leaves out of some more Memory Box Twiggy paper using Spellbinders Leaf Assortment die set.  I loved how this paper instantly gave my leaves such pretty variegated shading resembling real fall leaves!  I brought out the embossed detail of the leaves by gently rubbing a brown fluid chalk ink cat-eye pad over the top.

The beautiful sympathy sentiment is from Kim Hughes' Silhouette Blooms I stamp set and was stamped with Tsukineko Memento Rich Cocoa ink on Neenah Natural White cardstock and then die cut with Spellbinders Tag die.  Another die cut leaf accents it and both are popped up with dimensional foam tape.

 

Look at the beautiful embossed detail of that leaf!  I used the blanket stitch stamp from The Rummage Bin's Primitive Christmas to stamp along the left folded side of the card, using Memento's Rich Cocoa ink.

The verse (I found from SimpleSympathy.com) was computer generated onto another sheet of coordinating patterned paper from the Twiggy pack.  I adhered this 6-inch sheet on the inside of a folded piece of 6" x 12" cardstock, so the inside is just as pretty as the outside.  This still gives me plenty of space for a handwritten note to the recipient.

 

To find the proper placement for the sentiment, I printed it out on regular printer paper near the center and then placed that sheet inside my card and adjusted it until I found the right font size and placement within the window.  Then I marked the placement of the front of the card against the sheet of printer paper.  Next, I placed my patterned cardstock on top of the markings on the printer paper, adhered it with temporary adhesive, then ran the paper back through my printer.

I adhered another die cut leaf to the inside of the front window, just to give it a professionally-finished look.  Here's a closer look at the front window and verse:

 

The verse reads:

"Those we love don't go away,

They walk beside us every day,

Unseen, unheard, but always near,

Still loved, still missed and very dear."

I hope you don't find yourself needing a sympathy card anytime soon, but this card design could easily be adapted to any number of other themes as well.

Rustic Scarecrow

Fall is MOST definitely in the air. As I drove to work this morning my breath was taken away as I drove down Gilman Boulevard, surrounded by THE most gorgeous red, orange and yellow leaves! I'm not quite certain what it is about the dramatic color nature provides, but it just makes me feel so good inside.

 

Today's card started out in a whole different direction than it ended.

 

As you can see I had colored this image and had embossed it making it a very clean and simple look. This little piece had been stored in my pile of colored images for some time now. It was one of those pieces that I created and then thought that something else would be better for the project I was working on.

 

When I saw the newest CHF backgrounder, Scratchy Straw, I knew just the piece that I wanted to use with it. What is more appropriate for a Scarecrow image than straw?!? I selected an Eggshell notecard and inked the backgrounder with Scattered Straw Distress Ink. Being that my original colored piece was pristine I knew I had to "rough it up."

I cut my image down in size and then using the Tonic Distressor, aged the paper edges. Using a stipple brush I then dappled the Scratchy Straw ink over the entire image. Yeah - no longer was it pristine white!

 

To create the blanket stitching it is important to first pierce your paper, otherwise you will end up tearing your paper as you work. I am truly in love with this new ruler and can't believe that I didn't know about it for such a long time! It is so simple to align it with the edge of your project and pierce the entire length!!! Yippie! Also the gridlines help keep you piercing on the 1/4" as I did in this project.

 

To create the blanket stitch I am sharing the picture above as well as a link to the Simplicity site where they explain exactly how to complete this stitch. Using a wonderful orange from a fall raffia collection I have added just enough texture to truly make this project feel rustic.

 

Just a few buttons to help complete the look and I'm definitely in the mood for a warm blanket and a cup of tea Ü But I'd best get busy with the next project - always scrambling! Never enough time in the day to just sit back and relax - LOL!

I hope this inspires you to look at those odd pieces that you have created and are just sitting awaiting a project to bring them to life. Change is good sometimes - I think this ended up a lot better than it started. What do you think?

Christmas Critter Cuteness in 10 Minutes!

One of you wonderful ladies left a comment for Debbie that says it all. First though I do want to thank you for leaving comments for the girls and their FABULOUS work! There is nothing like "going to work" each day and seeing that the treasures they are creating are so well loved. Thank you for taking the time to leave them your wonderful words!

Back to this comment :

Great card Debbie! I love Kim's illustrations. She has a really cute approach without being cutesy, if that makes sense. I love how you put the parrot together. He really looks like he is in charge of something! Maybe that pirate ship that I totally missed when I first looked at the card is bringing him some bounty! I almost said "booty" but that would give the story a totally different meaning. Since I turned 50 my brain so doesn't work anymore! I love the use of all of Kim's stuff here, I may just have to case it in the future! -Laurie Hunt

I couldn't agree more Laurie about both Kim's AND Debbie's work!

For today's creation I was on a mission. It is now 11:00 in the morning and I still don't have a blog post up for today! My mission was to create a 10 minute card. So...

 

Ten minutes usually means not much coloring and no layers! So off I went.

 

I stamped the image with VersaMark Dazzle, Frost. As you can see there is only a slight amount of "bling" on the paper. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't more, but I had an idea in mind and so instead of testing and playing, and testing... I just carried on.

 

I embossed this cute little Penguin (yes, he is a Penguin Ü) and colored in his interior with French Gray 10%, white and Spanish Orange. I snapped this picture before completing his nose being I wanted to show you that I did color his nose with white first. This REALLY helps to make the color pop on black cardstock.

 

Being I wanted Petey the Penguin to pop of the page I used an old color pencil technique where you use the side of the tip to lightly skim over the paper surface around the embossed edges. What is wonderful about this technique is that the wax really doesn't adhere to the embossed surface and as you can see above it really does make it pop. Harsh bright edges were not something I wanted and that is why the Kneaded Rubber is shown in this picture as well. Simply erase most of the white pencil with your Kneaded Rubber and you are left with just the right amount of "pop."

 

I was running out of time, but I just couldn't put an embellishment on my project that didn't coordinate. So I grabbed my bright yellow moon (large brad) and my Airbrush along with Y38 and with ease changed my moon to the coordinate perfectly.

 

Well darn - I was out of time! I thought rather than cheating I would just show you my project. It really does need that little tag down in the right hand corner. Oh well, mission pretty much accomplished!

Don't forget to check out the new Inchie INKling challenge winners and be certain to send us your contributions by the 15th!

Yo, Matey! by Debbie Olson

Today I'd like to share a card made with a Kim Hughes stamp set, Ahoy, Matey --what a fun little set!I think that the biggest challenge on this card, besides figuring out what to do with so many pieces in a layout, was simply deciding what colors to make the bird. I eventually Googled "tropical bird" and picked a bird from this puzzle to emulate. (What did we ever do before search engines?)

To get him sitting on the branch properly, I first stamped the parrot, then stamped an extra parrot on Eclipse masking paper. I trimmed the mask very closely and laid it over the main image before stamping the branch. After coloring both images, I used a Copic airbrush system and marker BG15  to give the sky a light tint. (Branch is from The Landing Pad set.)

Here is a finished close-up of the parrot, complete with a gold earring (Spica gold glitter pen), and some nose bling (I couldn't resist--he was so dapper!) Copic markers that I used are pictured below.

For the large skull, I used some Versamagic inks in gray and black, then added a red button for the larger eye and a googlie eye for the smaller one. Sentiment is embossed in detail white embossing powder and stamped on some Memory box Holly Berry cardstock, sanded to get a white edge and add an extra visual layer. I sewed a few seams before mounting the card front. Paper is from Kim's Mocha Chica collection--fun and quite versatile once you really start looking for ways to incorporate it!

I hope you have a lovely day. Thanks for visiting! 

Debbie Olson, for the CLASSroom

WCMD Challenge Winners - Congratulations!

WCMD Challenge #1: Give it Some Texture

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

2	

Timestamp: 2008-10-11 20:50:11 UTC

Debbie Fisher - you are the winner of our Coordinating Cardstock, Flowers and Buttons and button prize.

WCMD Challenge #2: No Layers

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

5	

Timestamp: 2008-10-11 20:50:42 UTC

cards4u - Marlene you are the winner of Kim Hughes' Bloomin' Beautiful stamp set.

WCMD Challenge #3: Stitch It!

Here are your random numbers:

3	

Timestamp: 2008-10-11 20:51:18 UTC

Monika/buzsy - Monika you are the winner of the Rummage Bin Primitive Christmas stamp set.

CONGRATULATIONS ladies - please email us with your snail mail addresses so that we can get your goodies out to you promptly. Again thank you to all who participated!!! We appreciate seeing what it is that you create Ü

WCMD Challenge Participants

I would like to thank all of you for your comments and participation in our WCMD challenges. To make it easier for others to see your beautiful creations and make it easier to use the Random Generator to select our winners I have posted each of our participants along with a number. As soon as I publish this list I will then get on the random number generator site and find out who our winners are. I'll be back momentarily with our prize winners.

WCMD Challenge #1: Give it some Texture Participants:

1. Sandie (Australia)
2. Debbie Fisher
3. cards4u
4. WendyP
5. LacyQuilter
6. Giovana
7. Susan

WCMD Challenge #2: No Layers

1. Doris
2. Lyn S
3. Giovana
4. lacyquilter
5. cards4u
6. Cindy
7. Susan

WCMD Challenge #3:

1. Holly Craft
2. Monika/buzsy
3. Pam Scott
4. Shari
5. Mary Vogel
6. Doris
7. cards4u
8. Kathyc
9. Giovana
10. lacyquilter
11. Susan
12. WendyP

Soldered Ornament Card Presentation

Thank you all so much for your response to yesterday's post. I do appreciate knowing that you enjoy my random thoughts and ideas in regards to storage, tools, etc. I just didn't want to bore you with little details that don't relate to cardmaking. So I shall "carry on" as Tim Gunn would say Ü

 

This card all came out of my desire to use the absolutely ADORABLE little jingle bells that will be added to our store shortly. I apologize for not getting them up on our site today, it was my mission and I failed - LOL! Just too many things to do and not enough time. Being I didn't have a blog post available and set to go live today I decided my mission was to share the creative process of this project and figured that you would be able to find the jingle bells on your own in a day or two.

 

To begin I stamped my IB Ornaments on Frost paper and colored it in using the Copic colors shown above.

   

It was easy to select the correct size circle. I simply placed my 1 1/4" glass circle over the dies and selected the one that coordinated. No measuring necessary.

 

Then I needed to determine which foil would work the best. Being this is such a small glass piece I knew I needed to use one of the foils on the left. Being I had never worked with the wavy foil before I decided to give it a try.

 

I wrapped the foil around my glass project and discovered that the scallops did not line up. I decided at this point I could do one of two things - start all over again with the simple straight-edged foil or move forwards and figure out a way to make it work. I am really glad that I went with my gut instinct and decided to make it work because in doing so I learned a valuable lesson that I plan on sharing with you today in hopes that it will help you avoid the mistakes I made.

 

Using my Xacto knife I trimmed off the bottom wave and brought it down to extend it in to a "longer wave."

 

On the back side I pressed the foil down evenly working my way around the exterior, almost in a similar fashion to what you see on wrapped chocolate coins. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the final look of the project. I followed this by using my teflon bone folder to burnish the foil down completely. One of the most important aspects of soldering is making certain that you have done a clean job of affixing the foil. I then used my Xacto knife to once again trim the foil to create a smooth circle.

 

As you can see in the photo (that I did remember to take - LOL) the foil when burnished in place looks quite pristine. Now this is when I made my error. Because I get SO EXCITED to put that first bead of solder on my project I didn't really analyze the position of my "extended wave." It was a duh moment later in the progress of this project that I realized I should have started all over and place that "gap" at the top of the ornament right below where my decorative filigree is affixed. Oh well, now at least you know what NOT to do. I'm such a perfectionist, but unfortunately there just wasn't enough time today to redo this project and get home in time to meet my little one's bus.

 

This next very unsightly photo is one of great importance. I wanted to share with you that as you work on your project it is far from pristine. It is important to keep a soft cloth or soft paper towel on hand to keep wiping off the "yuck." If I don't keep my project and tip of my soldering iron clean I can make quite the mess Ü

 

Another new tool you will find in our store is one that I am quite enamoured with. You all know my passion for piercing and perfection (LOL). Well my little Stampin' Up! piercing mat has seen much use over the years, but my biggest pet peeve was having to realign it to continue a row of piercing that extended past the mat. Then I might miss and have it quirk off at one end. Problem solved! Tim to the rescue. My problem has been solved in a way that gratifies, being there is a LOT packed in to this ruler making it a good value! It is clear and divided into a grid pattern making alignment easy. It also has centering information on it, a steel edge for cutting with your Xacto knife and NOW holes - holes evenly spaced the ENTIRE length of this ruler. LOVE IT!

  

Adding a line of piercing above and below the ribbon was the perfect final touch being I felt it needed just a little more texture. Also one last tip - do you see how amazingly shiny the solder on my project is? Well, the Super Shiny Solder Polish is most definitely SUPER shiny. I love how it removes residue from my project and helps the solder just sparkle when completed.

For those who have never soldered before we have two fantastic tutorials for you to learn from here on our Newsletter Blog - In Touch.

I have a few more goodies I am hoping to reveal over the next few days, so be certain to continue to watch the "New" category on our store for a few little goodies that I'm excited to share with you. Thanks for stopping by today - I'm excited to have a Christmas gift ready to present to someone special Ü

Magnetic Die Storage

You can find the Magnetic Die Storage books here at this link. These books will work beautifully with all your metal low-profile dies made by Impression Obsession, Lifestyle Crafts, Memory Box, My Favorite Things, Poppystamps, Savvy and Sizzix Framelits.

Thus far all of our posts have been technique driven, but one of the things that I appreciate so much is seeing how it is that others figure out storage solutions. As well I want to be able to share the different tools that I have discovered through my years of crafting and share the reason behind my choice in tools. So today I am going to begin by sharing my first "Storage and Organization" post.

I don't know about you, but it absolutely drives me crazy when I can't find the tools I need, or have to flip through pages and pages before I arriving at what I was looking for. Frankly it is pretty funny but sometimes in my search I get sidetracked and then I have to start all over again - arrgh!

In the early days when I first received my Nestability prototypes I discovered a way to keep my dies organized that I thought would work well. You can see the pictures of my first solution here. It is a fairly reasonable solution, but I found that I was spending so much time flipping through this album, with the dies sliding out of the pockets as I would do so, that I just wasn't happy with this solution.

At Summer CHA I was browsing for a solution to this problem and discovered these beauties made by Lifestyle Crafts/Quickutz.

 

This is an 8"x10" magnetic storage book. I never like to assume that things will work well and so I started out by trying one with the Nestabilities. Well, needless to say I was sold!

There is a slightly raised inner edge and a fold-over magnetic flap that keeps your "book" firmly closed. The snap to the magnet is wonderful, easy enough to pull the die away and yet firm enough to keep the dies in place.

 

As you can see I have been able to put all my circles in to one folder! I'm not certain what I'm going to do now that we have the pinked circles to add to this collection - LOL! For now I just put them in a folder with other new dies that I am trying so hard to avoid using because no one can purchase them and it is driving you all crazy, but they are worth having to come up with an alternate plan Ü

 

I then proceeded to make labels for each folder indicating which dies were inside. It is so thrilling to just reach into the cupboard and pull out the set I need to use. If I were just a tad more organized I would alphabetize them, but I'm not quite that anal (at least at this moment Ü) In hindsight I wish I would have placed the writing a little lower on the label so that I wouldn't have a rounded corner, but at least they are labelled, right!?!

Being it is difficult to read my labels I will share the different categories I have used so far:

• Circles (holds all Circles)
• Ovals (holds both Petite and Regular)
• Rectangles
• Long Rectangles
• Squares
• Hearts, Stars, Paisleys
• Tags
• Labels (new)
• Hardware, Alphabet
• Bird, Flower, Butterfly, Pinked Circles (new)
• Flowers, Leaves

 

As you can see I'm a very basic gal - black and white with a little wood, chrome and glass. I wish that they would make all tools and toys in black, then everything would coordinate. But no - they have to make pink, and blue, and lime, and raspberry, and... LOL! OK, I'll stop now before you think that I'm obsessive-compulsive Ü

So that's it for today ladies (and gentlemen if there are any of you out there reading my blog you need to chime in, it appears that it's mostly just us girls Ü). Please let me know if you find these interesting or dull. If I'm boring you with this information that is the last thing I want to do, being your time is precious! If you like this type of post then I will continue on of course. I can hardly wait to share my IKEA drawers - LOL!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

VersaMark Dazzles So Simply

The experimental process of working with a new product is so very exciting and intriguing. What will the new product allow us to do that is different than the old version.

 

This card shows another test I did using the Champagne Dazzle pad. Unfortunately we sold out of our partial order of ink pads almost instantaneously. If you would like to be placed on a list to receive an email from us when our next shipment arrives please contact us at [email protected] and put VersaMark Dazzle in the title of your email along with your request to be notified. We hope that Tsukineko will come through for us in about two more weeks, but as you well know these things are VERY unpredictable. I do want to continue posting projects and ideas using this product for all those who did purchase your pads immediately and so I apologize for torturing those who would love to purchase one.

 

I wanted to see how the new Dazzle would work on glossy cardstock. I used Kim Hughes Natures Silhouettes set and quickly tried one of my old favorites. Simply ink your stamp with dye ink, in this case I used Adirondack Lettuce, and stamp your image three times without reinking. As you stamp each image the color gets progressively lighter leaving you with a wonderful monochromatic color scheme.

One tip I would like to share as you use this technique is to be certain not to stamp a second or third generation image using the portion of the solid image that has met with the edge of your cardstock. I learned the hard way a long time ago that if your sold image falls off the edge of your cardstock and then you repeat stamp that image on your glossy cardstock you will end up with a very strong line in your image right where the stamp met the edge of your paper. As you will notice in the photo above I started with the darkest image on the left side, then moved the stamp slightly to the right and down to repeat, and finally over to the left side and further down yet to repeat. This kept that "line" moving off the paper in a consistent manner.

If I needed a lighter generation of stamping and had this line now on my stamp image I would ink my stamp and then stamp it off on a sheet of scrap paper to avoid the "line" that comes with the stamp falling off the edges.

 

This is a shot of the Versamark Dazzle Champagne ink on the white cardstock. I absolutely love the look of this color together with greens, browns and soft blues. Quite possibly I love this color with any color - LOL!

 

One last effect I wanted to try was adding Clear Embossing Powder over the still damp VersaMark Dazzle. WOWIE! That's all I can say - LOL!

If you are in need of a quick and elegant card I HIGHLY recommend using this technique - it is a sure fire, can't miss, look that has always been well received.

Cupcake Treats

Probably the biggest need for cards in our house comes from my girls. They go to so many birtday parties and it always seems like it is at the very last minute that they ask me, "Mom do you have a card I can use?"

I am loving the new Kim Hughes Birthday Bash set for this purpose. Combine that with her papers and it is quick and easy to whip out a birthday card in no time. The only trick to this is the dry time so I'm excited to have this one now ready to go Ü

I simply stamped the "Let's Party" directly on morning blend and cut along the scallops with my little snips. A little trick when adding the circle of rhinestones is to use an Xacto blade knife to cut the little "strings" leaving the circle of adhesive intact, then lift the entire piece using the knife. I then use a second tool to keep the adhesive from sticking to my hands and carefully keeping it in it's full circle shape lay it lightly on my paper. Keeping the tools in place this allows me to move the gemstones around getting them in to the correct position and then I firmly affix the largest gemstones first working down to the smaller ones.

The cupcake was stamped using Rich Cocoa Memento ink and colored using the following Copic colors:  BG11, BG13, Y21, Y38, YG00, G21, and YG23. A little Orange Spica glitter was added to the flame.

To add the liquid pearls I simply fill the cupcake design with the liquid being careful not to push the liquid over the stamp lines. If I happen to cover the line in any way I have my piercing tool handy and just use the tip to lightly run it along the stamp ouline removing the liquid pearls from the lines. Make certain that you leave this design over night being you will truly make a mess if you forget that you have wet pearls on your surface. 

Gotta love an easy to create card! Besides girls just can't get enough bling, so this is certain to be a big hit with either the 8-10 year olds or the teenagers!

ETA: Perhaps this teacher was just a little too tired when she was sharing the lesson regarding the rhinestone circles - LOL! I have added a link to the actual product above so that you can see that these rhinestone circles and help this explanation make a tad more sense Ü. There is a very small adhesive strip in the shape of a circle that holds the rhinestones together into this circle shape. Then there are three little adhesive strips that connnect the large circle to the small circle. Unfortunately they are not visible in the picture above. I simply used an Xacto knife to cut these three strips from the larger outside layer and then using my Xacto Knife and the tip of my piercer I lifted the entire circle from it's acetate sheet. When placed lightly on to the surface of your project you can then use these tools to position the rhinestones. Once you have them in the correct position then you apply pressure and affix them to the surface of your project. Hopefully this helps a little with that not so great explanation Ü

A Partridge in a Pear Tree, by Sharon Harnist

World Card Making Day is usually a good time to get started on holiday cards and I did just that this weekend, how about you?  One of my very favorite songs of the season is The Twelve Days of Christmas and when I saw this new curly Kissable Tree by Kim Hughes, along with her sweet birds in the Cute Curls set, this is immediately where my mind went!

I started by stamping the Kissable Tree with Ranger's Perfect Medium onto Memory Box Frost patterned paper and then lightly brushed the stamped image with Bronze Perfect Pearls (metallic pigment powder).  I like how the pattern of the paper still shows thru the pigment powder and the blotchy look I achieved.  But I did have a difficult time getting a good photo of the subtle sparkle this powder has -- it's really much lighter and prettier in person (there's a closeup photo down below).  I cut out the tree and adhered it with dimensional foam tape to the card base (more Memory Box Frost paper layered onto 5.50" square Memory Box solid Mocha cardstock). 

Next, I stamped and cut out one of the birds from Cute Curls with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored her with BG10 & BG72 Copic markers.  Karen Lockhart's IB Pear and a portion of Pears were stamped, cut out and colored with G40, G21, BG93 & E25 Copic markers, with Olive Spica glitter pen on the leaves. These were adhered with dimensional foam tape to the tree.

Let me show you one of my favorite tricks with the Long Scalloped Rectangle Nestabilities . . . I do this quite often, to make scalloped strips to go across my cards and 6-inch scrapbook pages.  To cut just one edge of your paper or cardstock with the die, place the part of the paper you don't want cut on the "outside" of the die (the flat side that doesn't have the cutting blade -- here, I'm making my cutting sandwich upside down, with the blade of the die lying flat on my paper and against the cutting mat).  Cut/emboss and repeat with the other side.  Now you have a strip any width you'd like -- you are not limited to the shapes & sizes of the dies!

After machine stitching the snowflake strip to my card base, I added Star Dust Stickles to the snowflakes in the patterned paper strip along with a Water Dew Drop to the center of one snowflake.  Some more Water Dew Drops were added to the rounded top corners of the card. 

I made my 'On the first day of Christmas . . .' sentiment with a Dymo label maker and their clear 3/8" tape, adhered it to more of the patterned paper I used for the tree and mounted the strips with dimensional foam tape to the snowflake strip.

Okay, that's one of my holiday cards done . . . now only about 74 more to go, LOL!  Have you started yet?

VersaMark Dazzle and Memory Box Cardstock Collections

I am very excited to share with you that we have received a partial shipment of our Summer CHA VersaMark Dazzle order in both Champagne and Frost. Please note that I said very small - I'm afraid that by the time some of you click on these links above the product may have disappeared and you will receive the "we can't find that product" page. That only means that we are currently out of stock and are waiting for the rest of our shipment. We really want to give our faithful customers and those who read our blog first dibs on these new pads. You can read a little more about them and see the completed project that I have shared a sneak peek below over on Simple Dreams.

 

As you can see when applied directly to your project the final outcome looks very similar to StarDream cardstock. It really is a very unique look that I haven't achieved in any other manner up to this point. 

 

The other little "service announcement" I will post with this is.... we have finally, finally put together Memory Box Cardstock Collections for you. Each packet contains two sheets of five different colors. We have worked hard to make them coordinate without duplicating a single color. Some of the colors are still not included in a collection, but I think that I have all my favorites grouped together at this point. I know that you have been asking for this for some time, but as with all good things it does take us time to get to these tasks being our priority is always to provide quick shipping and excellent customer service. So thank you so much for your patience!

Don't forget to come back tomorrow! I have seen the project that Sharon has created to go live tomorrow and it is spectacular! Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful week!

Crystal Clear Sleigh Ride

Katrina piped up the other day with, "I wish it would snow!" Oh dear I thought, not yet!!! Snow is so magical when it comes down here in Seattle, but it is definitely WAY too early! Today I thought I would share a project that might translate into a fun scrapbook page, mini booklet, or just some wall art for the upcoming holiday season.

 

There is something about a see-through project or layout that is so very intriguing. This project has been in my head ever since I laid eyes on the Joyeux Noel (Christmas Snowflakes) stamp set and the Crystal Clear Plastic. I love this picture of my girls headed down the hill on their sled. It is rare that it snows here in the Seattle area, but when it does, the sled gets pulled out instantly. Maddi has always been such a great big sister, bringing Trina along for the ride.

Then I found the Hero Arts Felt Snowflakes - what a wonderful textured combination these make - the felt frame, Snowflake Gemstones and clear smooth plastic!

To create my frame I used the new Labels 1 set. I am still crossing my fingers and toes that we will have them at the end of October. I know it is frustrating for you to see us using these, but I just had to, I couldn't control myself. In the meantime you could use your square dies to make a similar look to this. I use my magnetic placement mat when I am trying to make certain that the spacing on my dies won't shift. My Wizard sandwich is as follows:

• thick white embossing mat
• white spacer plate
• magnetic placement mat
• dies, blade side up
• felt
• thick white cut mat

 

Unfortunately my felt was just a little too thick for the footprint of this die and so I needed to finish the last snips through the felt with a pair of scissors. This final cut is always so much easier than trying to trace and then cut out felt. I always end up with odd shapes when I cut felt by hand.

 

To stamp on the Clear Plastic my white ink preference is the Palette, New Canvas. It is critical that you allow your project time to dry overnight. Otherwise you will end up smearing ink everywhere. I then flipped my project over so that the stamped surface would be on the back and added some Snowflake Gems and Clear Gemstones to the front. Finally I added a couple of Felt Snowflakes to the "frame". If I could do it all over again I would add a running stitch by hand around the inside of the felt frame, just to give it a little more definition. Next time I guess Ü

Thank you for stopping by today - I hope this gives you another idea as to how to use stamps on the Crystal Clear Plastic.

Inchie Prize Package Winner

Yippie - I found a much better random number generator that allows me to copy and paste without making a random mess of my posts Ü

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

11	

Timestamp: 2008-10-05 16:15:56 UTC

Gotta love technology that works!

Suzy wrote:

I have never had the chance to work with inchies...but I have seen so many great projects done with them, I am looking forward to creating great things with them! Thanks!

Suzy I will send you an email message here momentarily, but if you do not get it please send a message to [email protected] and include your snail mail address. We would love to get this goodie package shipped out to you promptly.

Thank you to all who participated yesterday! My body conked out on me and I ended up having a nap and watching a movie with my family. So today I am on a mission to "run around" the internet and see the beautiful creations you have linked me too! Thank you so much for doing this I am totally looking forwards to seeing your beautiful artwork!

Ouchie Get Well

When I saw the Kim Hughes Comforting Hugs set and the Mona Lisa Moments Get Well Centers, I knew that I needed both sets! Today's card is a get well card--fun and simple. I started by stamping the Band-Aid image on Neenah white cardstock with brown Memento ink, then coloring it with my Copic markers in the following colors: E00, E02, W0, W1, R24, R29, R11, and R20.  I then die cut and embossed the Band-Aid with a Spellbinders long oval Nestability and left it in my die as a mask while I airbrushed with the Copic Airbrush System and Copic marker YR12.I used a gold paint pen to edge the oval and emphasize the shape a bit.

For the back- ground, I chose a Memory Box Sherbet notecard because it seemed to be a perfect color for a Band-Aid. I then stamped the Band-Aid  image randomly with Adirondack Shell Pink ink. I used a double layer of foam tape in the center back of the focal image to raise it and glued the outer edges down, so that the Band-Aid would slightly bow out in the center, and I finished it with a few threaded buttons, mostly Foof-a-La buttons. On the inside I stamped the sentiment, "You are on my mind and in my prayers." Who wouldn't feel just a bit better with some sweet get well wishes? Thanks for visiting the CLASSroom! 

Debbie Olson

Simply Solder Creative Art Kit Blog Candy Winner!

Good Morning everyone! It has been SO much fun to read through all the posts that you have left here on our blog! Thank you for sharing little pieces of yourself and your work with us! I must admit that perhaps being under the weather is a good thing - it has slowed me down enough to allow me the opportunity to sit back and enjoy the words that you have shared with me. Today I want to take the time to click on any links that you have left, so don't be surprised if I end up at your blog or in your gallery today Ü

I know, I know - get on with it already - LOL!

I am thrilled to announce that the winner of our blog candy is post #93!

Beth Benham wrote: By far I love the hunt of product, techniques and bling. It is fun to create and recreate in my mind and then sit down to do the project. I would love to do more with soldering so I hope I win!!

Beth I am sending you an email, but please contact us at [email protected] should you not receive my email.

Now it is time for me to eat a little breakfast, take a much needed shower, spend some time cuddling with my sick kid and do a little blog hopping Ü Don't forget to leave a message on our Inchie Blog Candy and remember to link to your challenge projects before Friday of the coming week. Have a wonderful and creative day!

WCMD Challenge #3: Stitch It!

Stitching - it adds so much interest to a card and can be done in so many different ways! I have used three different methods of stitching on this sample today.

 

I absolutely love the vintage feel of the Rummage Bin collection of stamps. Working with them allows my creativity to expand in a whole new direction that I find very appealing. Lesley Langdon has done a wonderful job putting coordinating elements together in her sets. For today's project I wanted to help you hit your stride creating Christmas cards for the upcoming holiday season. I selected Primitive Christmas being it so easily allowed me the opportunity to share more information regarding the stitching trend.

 

To present the first stitching option I "Stamp Stitched", using the "blanket stitch" that is included in this set. I could have opted to simply stamp it on the surface of the paper, but I wanted it to have a more raised effect similar to what "real" blanket stitching would achieve. I stamped the image using Versamark Ink and then used Tim's Distressed Embossing Powder to really add some dimension to the stitching. To help the corners meet without overlapping and looking off, I simply used Eclipse tape at a 45 degree angle on each corner, stamped, removed the Eclipse tape, applied the embossing powder, heat set and then repeated for the next corner.

As you can see in the top photo I was able to get the corners to meet up in an attractive "framed" method using this technique. If you find that you miss a small portion of your stitching, simply grab your VersaMarker and complete the lines that feel empty.

For the next method of stitching I pulled out my Janome once again and "Sew Stitched." I simply straight-stitched the Cosmo Cricket paper to the my cardfront. This line of stitching added reality to the faux-stitching I had created with the stamping.

The third method of stitching I used on this project was simple "Hand Stitching." Using thread and needle I stitched the buttons in place. I was thinking about adding a running stitch around the perimeter of the star, but realized that this would most definitely be "overkill" - LOL! I selected the felt for this very purpose, but the urge to add the red pearls just pushed the hand stitching to the background Ü. 

One little tip I would like to share with you in regards to stamping on felt is in regards to the type of ink to use. I have found that pigment inks are my preference. I have stamped using Palette and Memento as well, but the pigment ink gives the image a little more substantial effect. Be certain to allow your ink to fully dry before continuing to work on your project. You can heat set the ink, but when using some types of felt you must be careful to not overheat it and cause it to shrink.

Other methods of adding stitching to cards would be using piercing templates together with a colored pen such as the Opaque Pen or fine-tipped markers. This is called, "Faux Stitching."

So are you ready to try your hand at stitching? I hope that I have shared enough different options and ideas to get your started. Your challenge is to:

• Create a card using stitching of any variety - stamped, sewing machine, hand, or faux.
• Post it on your blog or in any online gallery. Then come back here and link us to your creation.
• You have one week to do this! So this challenge ends at midnight on Friday, October 10th and once again the drawing will be done using the random number generator. 

You don't think I would expect you to do this without a giveaway do you? For all those who post a link to their stitched creations here within the time frame above you will be entered to win this awesome stamp set, Primitive Christmas!

Once again thank you for stopping by and for your wonderful support of our CLASSroom blog. We appreciate your business and support more than you could ever know and we are thrilled to provide you with ideas, tips, techniques and on occasion these fun opportunities to win some free goodies! Have a WONDERFUL time creating today on WCMD!!!

WCMD Challenge #2: No Layers (and How to Figure out Random)

Genius I tell you! Pure genius! When coming up with new product ideas one of THE most exciting things is seeing what others do with these products. The nesting capabilties that I envisioned when I created the Nestabilities didn't see this design coming. Why? I don't know, but I am certainly thrilled with the creative ingenuity that others throw in to the mix, which translates into something extraordinary Ü (At least I think it is - LOL!) Below I will share how Alli has inspired me!

I wanted to create a "no layers" card with a teenage girl in mind. I have found that as my daughter grows up her tastes have changed dramatically. At times I'm not certain what to create for her and her group of friends. So I went to Pottery Barn Teen for some inspiration, being she loves everything in that catalog, and I found the bedding ensemble shown below.

 

Using Kim Hughes Bloomin' Beautiful gave a very similar feel to the end result. The variety of flowers and leaves in this set gave me a LOT to select from! When I showed Maddi the completed card her response was, "COOL, Mom!"

 

I have always loved the high-end look of fine stationary lines. The simpler and more elegant the design the more I gravitate towards it. So this extra thick embossed edge just made me giddy when I saw it for the first time a few days ago (yes, I really should blog hop more often.) Alli Miles this is fabulous! Alli shares a wonderful tutorial on her blog showing how she first came up with the layering of the Nestabilties. You really must check it out. Now she has me thinking about all sorts of possibilities! I think I must warn you that this might flake your dies or even bend them if not done correctly, but man to me it is worth the risk (insert big silly grin). Be certain when you layer your dies that they fit perfectly together. If they slip you may damage them! BUT I'm all over this look and can't resist!!! Thank you Alli for such a spectacular addition to the Nestability mix!

 

So here is the basic idea - use two nestability dies together! Genius I tell you! You can use the squares, circles or ovals. Unfortunately the rectangles will not work because of the "geometry" of breaking a rectangle down in percentages. You will need to select two dies that are within 1/8" from each other to get the look above. Place one die with the blade face up and the other with blade face down. Alli has even shown you how to mix it up by flipping this whole set-up over. This allows you to get an Innie and an Outie. I do believe I have an Innie shown above - LOL! Once again be certain that your dies do not slip out of this position or you may damage them!

As you can see in the picture above I used my BIg Shot so that I could see the final layering through the clear acrylic and make certain that my dies did not slip out of position. To do this in the Big Shot I used the following sandwich:

• Big Shot Multi-purpose Platform, Tab 1
• 1 sheet Craft-a-Board cut to same size as Acrylic Mat (this gives my machine just the right amount of embossing pressure)
• Clear Acrylic Mat
• Tan Embossing Mat
• Cardstock
• Nestabilitiy Sandwich - two dies that fit together precisely as shown above
• Clear Acrylic Mat
• Roll through Big Shot until dies have completed their pass through and then reverse sending it back out on the same side it entered.

I reverse and crank backwards as soon as the die has finished passing through so that I will not get odd creases in the remainder of my project. Being I am using a card that is 10" long I cannot fit it completely under the clear acrylic mat. If I were to pass this project all the way through the Big Shot I would end up with a damaged card. This is why I only pass it through the machine until the die is finished embossing. I then reverse it to bring it back out the same side I started it in. Hopefully this makes sense - please let me know if I have confused you completely - LOL!

 

Next I created my mask by adhering Eclipse tape to the Clear Acrylic Mat and used the next die size, to cut a window that would fit perfectly over the embossed area of my card front (see photo below).

 

Random isn't always something that is easy to figure out. I always have a method to my madness when creating a random print. It took me a little experimenting to figure out exactly what was going to work the best for this project and so I would like to share it with you to help you muddle through it a little faster.

Being I wanted the sentiment to pop from the flowers I stamped it in black ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder. At this point I wasn't certain whether it would look best with the words being masked and therefore completely "clean" or if it would be OK to stamp over the words, and so I experimented on a piece of scrap paper. I began by stamping and creating my mask. I located it on my scrap paper and then positioned the buttons I wanted to add as flower centers and the dot on the "i" in birthday.

 

I then stamped my main, large image first removing the buttons one at a time as I stamped and then repositioning them after the ink had dried. As you can see in the photo above I was able to space everything quite easily by doing it in this manner. Always start with your largest image and then work your way to the smallest ones.

AS you can see in the sample above the look with the mask removed was not anything like I imagined and so I knew now that I wanted to just slightly overlap the image on my words. I placed my sample right next to my embossed card front which has the mask firmly attached. By placing my sample in such close proximity it allows me to really see the position of where I want to stamp my images. It also allows me to perfect the placement even more. 

 

As you can see I continued by stamping in a very similar fashion as my sample.

 

One of my favorite things in my stash of goodies is my embroidery thread collection. Before rubber stamping I did a lot of Cross Stitch and so I have quite the collection of different colored threads. I simply laid my project down next to my thread box and selected one that coordinated with the ink I had used. (I used Colorbox Chalk Ink and unfortunately I am now working from home being I have a sick child and I am not feeling well myself, so I apologize for not being able to share the exact color grouping that I used.) Embroidery thread is relatively inexpensive when it goes on sale and it is one of the items that I think you will be able to use a lot in your creative process. I highly recommend putting a collection together. Perhaps not as large as mine (LOL) but to have thread handy is a "good thing."

 

One tip I would like to share with you when threading embroidery thread through buttons is to use an embroidery thread needle. This will save you a lot of time being you only need to thread it once Ü.

So here is my challenge to you:

• Create a card using no card stock layers - use only a single sheet of cardstock or notecard for this project.
• Yes, you can use embellishments such as ribbon, buttons, brads, pearls, bling, glitter, etc. - just no additional layers of cardstock.
• Post your creation on your blog or in any online gallery. Then come back here and link us to your creation.
• You have one week to do this being I know that you really want to blog hop today and find all that yummy blog candy that everyone has out there waiting for you Ü. So this challenge ends at midnight on October 10th. This drawing will be random - I could never "judge" the beautiful artwork I know you will submit!
• Your reward for putting your creativity to work and linking is the possibility of earning this wonderful giveaway - Kim Hughes Bloomin' Beautiful, so go get busy ladies! 

Thank you for stopping by on such a BUSY day and don't forget to post a comment for each of our Blog Candy entries that are live!