the CLASSroom

Monstrous by Debbie Olson

 

At CHA  one morning I was coloring some so-ugly-they-are-cute Hero Arts monsters and brainstorming for creative backgrounds for them. The background that I came up with today is not exactly in my comfort zone, but I think it fills the bill! 

First, I colored a little monster from Monster Fun with the Copic markers pictured below.

 

 

Next I arranged letters from the Alphabet Ransom Mask to spell "monstrous." Letters are low-tack self adhesive, so they work easily to mask for airbrushing. 

 

Using the chisel tip of the Copic YG05 marker, along with the Copic airbrush system, I airbrushed over the letters.

 

Next I chose the brush tip of a Copic V09 marker to airbrush. Airbrushing with the chisel tip gives you a smoother, finer mist. Airbrushing with the brush end gives you a larger mist, like a spatter effect. 

 

This is what it looked like when I peeled the mask letters off.

  

The letter spaces looked a little too clean, so I used the brush tip of a Copic YR16 to add more spatter. I like it better now.

 

He's a cutie!  I used the "Hope you have a monster sized birthday!" sentiment from the same Monster Fun set to complete the inside of the card. Do you have a Copic Airbrush System? Pull it out and try a simple masking project! Thanks for visiting the CLASSroom today.   

Button Up by Julia Stainton

Buttons. I love them. They are among the most humble of embellishments but there are so many things to do with them but they are almost indispensable for crafting with.

Buttons work really well with a myriad of different styles...

Vintage - check, Cute - check, Whimsical - check, Country - check, Primitive - check, Collage - check, Crisp and Clean - check, Masculine - check

I love an embellishment that works with almost anything. They are also pretty inexpensive embellishments too which makes them even better.Designs that have dimension are favorites of mine. Buttons are an easy way to do that.

1. Embellish stamped images.

Stamped images don't have to be specially designed to work with buttons to be used with them. Crafters have been adding buttons to stamped images for years. Whether they are just a cute embellishment or used to accent circular features of the design itself. Think of obvious things like wheels or flower centers or try...

buttons to embellish clothing like on this Vintage Apron stamp by Lockhart,

 
buttons as apples on this sweet tree from Kim Hughes Spring Trees stamp set,

 

eyes, or in this case lack thereof, on this skull and cross bones from Kim Hughes Ahoy Matey set.

 

2. Hang images from them.

Buttons are always sweet to hang design elements from. In this card design, I've hung some stars from the button. Mittens are a cute choice, as is a baby dress, a bunch of dried flowers, or whatever else you can think of.

 

Supply List: Nutmeg 6x6 paper pad by Cosmo Cricket, sewing machine, Baby Dear stamp set by CHF, Tim Holtz Sanding Block, Nested Stars by Spellbinders, twine, button by Basic Grey

3. Create a border.

Buttons make great borders and a way to emphasize a vertical or horizontal element in your design.

 

Adhere buttons along an edges, accent a strip or string on some ribbon or twine to create your border.

Supply List: Robin's Egg Notecards by Memory Box, Nutmeg 6x6 paper pad by Cosmo Cricket , stamp by Hero Arts, On the Desk stamp set (Rummage Bin line) by CHF, Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Tsukineko, twine, Diamond Lace Edger Punch by EK Success

4. Decorate Scallops.

Buttons are fabulous for accenting the rounded shape of scallops. Add them to a scalloped shape or punched scalloped border to add interest and accent the detail.

 

 

Supply List: Earth Love 6x6 paper pad by Cosmo Cricket, Baby Dear stamp set by CHF, Tim Holtz Mini Attacher and Sanding Block, Copic Markers, twine, Large Classic Scalloped Circle Nestability Die

Now these simple ideas are just the beginning. There are so many more. I'll be visiting a few more ideas in upcoming weeks.

Thanks for joining us today in the CLASSroom.

Adirondack Dabbers Shabby Chic by Cindy Lyles

Adirondack Dabbers are now available at ellenhutson.com!  Today's project will walk you through a technique I learned from Tim Holtz at Ranger U - Tim's technique is called Adirondack Dabber Shabby Chic.

To begin I stamped Tim's decorative cage from his Artful Flight set onto Licorice cardstock, using regular VersaMark ink.

Completely cover inked image with clear embossing powder.  Tap off excess and return excess to jar.

Heat set image with a heat tool.  This is a superior heat tool, and Ellen discusses the benefits of Ranger's Heat Tool in her post here.

Opening a Lettuce Dabber I placed a very small dab of paint onto a cut piece of Ranger's Cut-N-Dry Foam.  This foam is a closed cell foam, allowing the product to sit on the surface and not be absorbed.

I completely covered the cardstock and embossed image with the paint.  Adirondack Dabbers are acrylic paint in a handy bottle for controlled dispensing through the push-action, foam-top dispenser.  The colors coordinate with Ranger's Adirondack ink pads.

By using the Cut-N-Dry foam. and not having it absorbed into the foam, it allowed for a SECOND application to create a SECOND card!

I allowed the paint to air dry*, then using a clean work cloth misted lightly with water (or you could use a baby wipe) I carefully, with a light touch, wiped the paint away from the raised, embossed image.

*Do not be tempted to use a heat tool to dry the paint.  Allow to air dry as the heat tool will re-melt the embossing powder.

A small strip of Basic Grey's Origins 6x6 cardstock was trimmed to 4-1/4" x 1-1/2".  The top edge was distressed with a paper distresser, then inked using Walnut Stain Distress ink and an ink blending tool.

I cut the embossed cage and a piece of cardboard, using Labels Eight, and adhered the embossed image die cut over the cardboard die cut, for stability.  Then I positioned a Vintage Pearl Trinket Pin and pushed into place, concealing and securing the sharp tip behind the die cut. 

Using Martha's butterfly punch on more Origins paper I added a butterfly and positioned near the cage.

Using another image from Tim's Artful Flight set and the VersaMark pad, I randomly stamped the floral image onto a Licorice card base.  A hint of Sunflower cardstock punched with a scallop Edger Punch was tucked under the Origins paper layer.  Ribbon lace was machine stitched into place.

Card interior features a sentiment from Say Hello Hero Arts set stamped with black ink, and a Sunflower cardstock and Origins butterfly were layered.

Pearl bling was added to the butterfly and the exposed scallops from the Sunflower layer.  Have fun with your Adirondack Dabbers, and thank you for stopping by the CLASSroom today!

Craft-a-Board Frame by Julia Stainton

One of the types of projects that give me the most satisfaction in paper crafting are those that I can make to display around my home. I love altered projects and especially photo frames. They are perfect for those special photos of my loved ones. Today, using a couple of Ellen's Essentials products and some Nestability dies I'll show you how I created this little display frame.

Ellen's Essentials products are not the most glamorous in the store but I there is a reason they are called essentials. They really are essential. Great products that can be used it so many different ways, the only limitation is your imagination. I've primarily created this project out of Craft-a-Board. Craft-a-Board is a chipboard like material that you can do so many things with. I love the soft white color that makes it so easy to create on. Unlike the greyish chipboard, you can stamp and ink on it and have the color remain true. While a little more porous than cardstock, it will stamp nice and cleanly.

To create this 4.5" square frame, I used one sheet of Craft-a-Board. To get started cut three pieces of 4.5" square Craft-a-Board. As you can see here, I cut out six so that I could make two frames at once. Adhere two of them together to form a stiff base. I then adhered a piece of Domestic Goddess, Lady of the House paper by Graphic 45. The edges were sanded with the Tim Holtz Sanding Block to reveal the white paper core.

Next create the top layer by adhering Domestic Goddess Quilting Bee paper by Graphic 45 to the remaining piece of 4.5" square Craft-a-Board. Die cut this with the largest Scalloped Square Nestabilty die and then die cut the center using a shape. I used a Nestability Circle die but a heart or other shape would be a pretty alternative.

Essentials by Ellen Crystal Clear Plastic is perfect for lining the frame opening to protect your photo. Adhere to the wrong side of your frame opening.

Use a tacky dry adhesive on three sides of your frame front to adhere it to the base. You want to leave that one side open to slide your photo in and be able to change it out again.

As I mentioned previously, Craft-a-Board is fabulous for stamping on and it is also great for die cutting. I've stamped a piece of Craft-a-Board that has been die cut with a Nested Butterfly die. The Newspaper Ads Scrapblock adds that vintage look I am going for on this frame.

The Craft-a-Board embellishment is sponged with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink. Any color will look good on this board.

I love Basic Grey buttons. The colors are fabulous and they have a nice clean look to them. I wanted to make this one more distressed and vintage in appearance so I gave it a quick sand to reveal the inner white core.

Here's my button and butterfly embellishment put together. It is layered over a Maya Road Journaling Tag.

Photos and film strip just seem to go together. Instead of fabric ribbon, I used the Tim Holtz Filmstrip Ribbon. To hide where you've adhered it, just put your glue under other embellishments. Here I've used a Tim Holtz Adage Ticket to do that.

My frame needs one last thing....a way to stand up. To create a little easel back, cut a piece of Craft-a-Board to 2.5" x 3.5". Score about 3/4" in from left side and fold. Measure up from the bottom on the right side and mark 3/4". Trim from the top of the easel at the fold to the marked point. Trim from the marked point back to the bottom of the fold to form a triangle.

Adhere to the back of your frame.

That's it! Your frame will be nice and light. If you wish to change up the project a little, leave off the easel back and apply magnets. This project is light enough to hang on your fridge and it would be a great light project to send in the mail.

 

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom!

Happy creating and have a fabulous day.

ATC Home Decor by Sharon Harnist

 

If you don't know people interested in swapping ATCs, or if you're like me and just can't bear to part with some of your creations (!) -- why not make them into home decor items?  Here, I simply made my Valentine-themed ATC and then placed it on a plaque.  There's another suggestion for ATC swaps ... you can make them seasonal and then use all the cards you've swapped in a grouping for your seasonal home decor.

Here's what the plaque looked like when I found it on clearance at the craft store -- I knew it had good potential for altering!

Basic Grey's Sugar Rush paper matched the colors of the plaque perfectly, so I just decoupaged the paper to it and then added some of Maya Road's pearl trinket pins to the beads, to make them a little more special:

 

Again, I gave my ATC some shape by die cutting some of the pink solid Sugar Rush paper with a Labels Four Nestabilities die -- the second to the largest die in the set measures almost exactly 2.50" x 3.50" (ATC size).  Then I stamped Karen Lockhart's wonderful new Love Angel with Memento Rich Cocoa ink and colored her with the Copic markers pictured below. 

 

TIP: I like to use the Cocoa ink as opposed to black whenever I want to keep my final colored image a little on the softer side -- to match the softer pastel colors of the paper I'm working with.

To achieve a nicely graduated shading like I did on the Angel's dress, start with a base coat of your lightest Copic color (BV0000).  Doing this first will "prime" the paper and make the next colors blend easier:

 

Then add the middle shade of your 3-color grouping of markers (BV000) to the bottom two-thirds of the dress:

 

Next, add the darkest color in your grouping (BV02) to the very bottom of the dress:

 

The last step is to go back with your first lightest color and blend everything together.  You can then add back in a little bit of the darker color at the bottom of the dress, if it needs more definition.  Sometimes I repeat the last two colors another time, just to get a little deeper color saturation.

I cut out and mounted the angel with foam tape to the Nestie die cut, which is also on foam tape:

 

To give the die cut stability, I backed it with some of Ellen's fabulous Craft-a-Board.  I love that it is a beautiful shade of cream and cuts easily most of the time with Spellbinder's dies -- see it peeking out of the edges of the pink Labels die cut?  Much nicer than traditional chipboard!  The more open kind of die like the Labels Four I used here usually cut very easily all the way through the board on a first pass through your die cutting machine (mine did here).  More detailed dies may take a few more passes through your machine or require a little snipping of the Craft-a-Board in spots where it may not have cut all the way through -- but that's just the nature of low-profile dies. 

TIP: If a die isn't cutting through the Craft-a-Board (or ANY thicker material, such as GrungePaper) all the way, use this sandwich in the Wizard die cutting machine to help get a better cut (from the bottom, up):

-Spellbinders White Master cutting mat
-Die, cutting side up
-Material to cut
-Eyelet Setting Plate (copper colored metal plate that comes with your Wizard)
-White Master Mat

 

I used Glossy Accents to adhere the die cut paper to the die cut Craft-a-Board -- it gives a good, quick bond.  The tiny hearts the Angel is dropping are the punched-out centers from Martha Stewart's Lace Heart Edger Punch, attached with Quickie Glue Pen and shimmered with Copic's Clear Spica Glitter Pen.  The Angel's wings and hearts on her dress were also covered with Clear Spica and Pink Spica was added to the heart she is carrying (hopefully you can see all that shimmer if you click on this photo to make it larger):

 

I think I know two little girls who will love to have this revamped plaque hanging in their room (if they can get it away from Mom)!  It will be good for Valentine's Day or any day you want to spread a little love!

 
Stamps: Lockhart Love Angel
Paper: Basic Grey Sugar Rush, Neenah Natural White
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa ink pad, Copic markers, Copic Clear & Pink Spica Glitter Pens
Accessories: Craft-a-Board, Labels 4 Nestabilities dies, Martha Stewart Lace Heart Edger Punch, Maya Road Vintage Pearl Trinket Pins, Royal Coat Decoupage Finish, Ranger Glossy Accents, Quickie Glue Pen

Welcome Sign by Kim Hughes

Last minute gifts are sometimes hard to come up with...but a home-made "welcome" sign is always fun to receive.  You can take it a step further to make a set of 12...one for each month...ahhhh,, the possibilities!

 

supplies:

Twill, White

Tinsel Glitter, 12 pk

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Stream, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Terra Cotta, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Espresso

CHF: Saturday Evening Post, Vintage Butterflies, Scrapblock, Aged Sheet Music

Invisibles, Paper "Classic Vintage"

other: Doodlebug Design glitter stickers, hole punch

Start with adding ink to the Invisibles paper and rub in a circular motion, add more color to some areas and leave some softer.

 

Rub in some Terra Cotta ink, over the Stream ink and work in the colors together.  The orange softens the bold teal.  Again, rub into the paper in a circular motion.

 

Next, add Espresso ink to a music pattern stamp and press over the inked paper
 

Add 2 stamped butterflies, one to the lower left and a smaller one to the top right.  Since this paper has an embossed resisted pattern already on it, the butterflies will appear to be behind the floral pattern
 

add small Zots or adhesive dots to the top left of the large butterfly and press onto the paper
 

lift paper backing and pour glitter over all 3 dots
 

tap off excess and you are left with instant gold glitter looking flat "brads"
 

add a couple glittered dots to the top of the small butterfly as well..to balance out the page
 

Once again, ink up the music stamp...or do this step while you add the pattern to the paper.  Press white twill onto the inked stamp

 

punch 2 holes at the top, tie the twill through  to create the handle and add the "welcome" letter stickers to the bottom
 

Of course you can create this over and over...and change the ink colors and patterns for a unique look every time.  thanks so much for stopping by today. 

Valentines Tag #4 - Sugary Love Tag by Lisa Strahl

What fun this little Love Themed Tag feature has been!  It's a joy to work with my friend Bek and to see how we can use the same supplies and come up with completely different projects.  Very cool methinks.

My tag today features the Valentines line by Basic Grey called Sugar Rush (the 6x6 inch paper pad), a stamp set that Becky designed when her and I worked for CHF called Domestic Love and LOTS of other extra goodies.  :)

I decided to work with the Clear Paintables, Frames 2 sheet from Prima.  The artwork for these paintable transparencies is absolutely gorgeous.

I trimmed the paintable to the size of my tag. 

Once again the red that I needed did not quite match the paint I had, so I mixed Dash of Red and Painterly Pink Studio Paint by Claudine Hellmuth.  I have said it before and need to say it again, this paint is a joy to work with.  It makes me look like I know what I am doing!  Next, turn the transparency over and paint the rose.

 

Paint the leaves with Landscape Green.

Fill in the frame with Pastel Raspberry Liquid Pearls and allow all of the these to dry and set. 

Stamp the man and woman with Jet Black Archival Ink on the back side of the paper called Pulled Taffy.  It stands as a one sided sheet in the Sugar Rush 6x6 paper pack.

Trim the image and secure it behind the transparency with 1/8 inch Scor-Tape.  

Trim the paper called Cinnamon Bear to match the tag, make sure that you adhere from the top of the tag toward the bottom as the tag is longer than 6 inches.  We will cover that open portion later. 

 

Apply more double-sided tape to the bottom edge of the tag to secure the transparency.

Apply the 1/2 inch double sided tape to the bottom edge of the tag over the transparency. 

Apply the green crochet trim from the Webster's Pages Classic Trim Collection. 

...and then the pink trim from the same package. 

I couldn't help but add one of these heart shaped pearls as an earring. 

Punch a crown from the reverse side of the paper called Fireball (again, this is a single sided sheet in the 6x6 Sugar Rush paper pad.)

 

Add single jewels to each of the spikes on the crown.

 

And a row of jewels to the pink trim.

Cut the word "amour" from the Fireball paper and adhere with double sided tape as shown.

I created my own jewel flourishes to suit my project from a regular package of jewels where the lines are straight.  I also added a Sugar Rush Stitched Brad in the center of the rose. 

I hope you get to do something romantic with that special someone in your life this Valentines Day.  I must tell you that my hubby purposely does NOT give me anything on the 14th.  Wait, wait!  Don't get upset just yet...he always surprises me at least a week early.  The card usually says something like, "I don't need a special holiday to tell you how much you mean to me".   Awwww.  And every year I am surprised!

I am so excited that I get to see Bek and Ellen on Saturday, as we all meet in Anaheim at CHA Winter.  Can't wait!  Thanks for sharing these few days with us CLASSroomies!

Valentine Tag #3 You Can't Beat True Love by Becky Olsen

Wow that tag Lisa created is stunning! It looks like she and I were thinking along the same love lines, I used some fun Graphic 45 in my project as well!

This is what the finished version looks like, and I wish you could see all of the fun depth and color dimension this tag has! And I love this stamp set, although I did design it so I might be a little biased  ;o)

To get started on creating this project you will need a piece of "Haute Couture" paper from the Graphic 45 Fashionista line, Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls, Matte Multi-Medium, and Painterly Pink Studio Acrylic paint

Rip the paper into different sized pieces.

Put dollops of the Multi-Medium, the pink paint and the perfect pearls onto a Non-
Stick Craft Sheet with a little water and a large Studio Brush.

Blend it all together until it has a nice loose consistency.

Brush a little of the mixture onto a #8 Manila tag (you could use the white for this as well) then place a piece of the paper on and then brush the mixture over the top and repeat for all the pieces until the tag is covered and no tag is peeking through.

Spread the remaining glaze mixture evenly over the top of the entire tag. Set the tag aside to dry, we are going to work on other things so no worries. If you want to hurry it along, use the Heat It tool.

Get another smaller dollop of the Matte Multi-Medium, Charcoal Black paint and Pewter Perfect pearls and blend to create another lovely glaze.

Brush onto both sides of Vintage Collage Art Flowers.

Set aside to dry, or accelerate with Heat It tool.

Use different sizes of the Champagne colored Opaline for the centers of the flowers. Set them aside until we are ready to embellish our finished tag.

For the next piece you will need to trim a piece of Crystal Clear Plastic to the same size as the tag.

Get out your Black Archival Ink and images from the Domestic Love set and stamp them onto the clear plastic. You can set that aside to dry or accelerate with the Heat It tool.

While that is drying, lets get the tag back onto the deck. Check and make sure that it has finished drying. Trim the edges with Non-Stick Scissors.

Put the "beater" image from Domestic Love onto a clear block and ink with Coffee Archival Ink.

Randomly stamp all over the tag. Use the Heat It tool to make sure the ink is set.

Get a small dollop of Blank Canvas, Painterly Pink and Sable Brown Studio Paint onto your Non-Stick Craft Sheet.

Flip the clear plastic over so you can paint on the back. Carefully blend the colors until you have a combination that you like. Start with a little white and add small amounts of the pink and brown until it is a where you want the color to be. Brush onto the back of where you have stamped.

While the paint is wet, place the clear plastic on top of the tag. The paint will behave like an adhesive to hold the plastic in place.

Place some weight on top of the tag and let the paint dry.

 
When the paint is dry the plastic is stuck nice and tight!!!
I could just leave it, but you know I love the look of stitching, so I then straight stitched around the edge to give a little more finish.

Using your tiniest Studio Brush, outline the top of the painted area. When I had painted I made sure to create a thought bubble feel.

The last thing we need to do is add our beautiful flowers to the top of the tag. Use some dimensional foam adhesive to adhere them and then hold it up and admire your hard work!

Thanks so much for stopping by to play with us!
B-

Valentine Tag #2 Communique Love by Lisa Strahl

Hello dear friends of Ellen Hutson, LLC!  Ellen was so thrilled at your response to our 12 Tags of Christmas with Feminine Twist that I could not resist but join Becky for a "love" themed series leading up to Valentine's day.  Bek gave you some sugary sweetness with the first installment so I focused on a vintage theme with my first tag...

This is a very BIG tag - it measures 8.25 x 4 inches!  I wanted to cover this entire tag with the Graphic 45 Communique Collection tartan paper called Typography.  Lay the tag on the backside of the paper to trace it.  Cut it out and adhere to the tag.

 

Next I needed some red paint and didn't have quite the right shade so I mixed the two Studio colors called Dash of Red and Modern Red which worked perfectly!

 

Paint the largest chipboard heart from the Wings and Hearts Mini Chipboard set.

 

Next paint letters from the Grungeboard Mixed Minis set as well as the Wings with Traditional Tan Studio Paint on a Non-Stick Craft sheet with the Studio Line Paint Brush set.

 

Sand the wings and heart as desired once the paint is dry with the Tim Holtz Sander. 

Press the Ranger Ink Blending Tool firmly to the Tea Dye Distress Ink Pad.

Ink the heart and wings with the tool.  You will get a lovely aged look on these pieces that will coordinate with the project much better.

 

Cut out this lovely lady from the Communique Collection paper.  It's actually from a sheet called "Communique".

 

I like to use my Tonic Guillotine Trimmer to create a nice square border of black around the image.  This trimmer is so handy for all of my precision cutting - it will shave off the tiniest sliver of paper.

 

Paint the reverse side of a Black and White Clock Sheer embellishment with Traditional Tan Studio Paint.

 

Cut a 1x4 inch border of "Buttons A La Mode" from the Graphic 45 Fashionista Collection.  I need to share with you that Graphic 45 has several collections that work well together.  I had seven pieces of paper pulled for this tag from 3 different collections.  Great paper.  Hand tear the top side of the border and adhere to the tag.

Collage the elements together as shown and adhere to the tag.  I used some foam tape under the heart and wings.

Pick up some red (R59 Cardinal) Copic Marker with the Colorless Blender...

...and paint her lips.  Why did I not just use the red marker you ask?  Too dark!

Tuck some Prima Flowers in under the wings.  I also inked this flowers with Tea Dye Distress Ink to tone down the white and tie them better with the project.

Adhere some Filmstrip Ribbon over filmstrip on the paper as shown.

I skipped ahead a few steps - oops!  I got so carried away with my creating that I forgot to stop and take pictures.  *smacks herself in on the forehead*

Here are a few more details - I added some hands to the clock which are also included in the set, placed a "Say It In Pearls" embellishment in the center of the clock, typewriter key letters from the Die Cut Alphabet sheet and last but not least, some black Prima lace.

Thank you so much for joining us in the CLASSroom, this tag was an absolute joy to create for you.  I hope in inspired you to create something very special for someone in your life this Valentines Day.

Cheers, Lisa

Love Window Meets Early Bird by Debbie Olson

  

Beautiful image, beautiful paper--these two just had to meet! I colored Karen's delightful Love Window image with the Copic markers shown below, choosing my Copic marker colors from the Cosmo Cricket Early Bird paper mini deck. (You can click on any picture to enlarge it.)

 

I've made so many step-by-step coloring tutorials that I thought I'd carry this post a different direction--matting and aligning borders. I chose a small scalloped border die to cut the Early Bird papers. I always start with a longer piece than I plan to need so that I have plenty of room to trim my scallops evenly on each end.

 

Above, I have cut but not embossed the edge of the patterned paper.

Here I have also cut the mat layer, again, making it larger than necessary. I find that if I trim it to size too early, I almost always end up not perfect with either the top edge of my mat layer, or with the scallop on the bottom. If only the bottom edge has to be aligned correctly, and the other layers will be cut down to size, you have a much better chance of getting it exact.

Here I've trimmed only the top edge, leaving a 1/16" reveal. Next I will trim both ends, making sure that I end on the same part of the scallop on both ends with my cut. (In the case of this die, I can have a full scallop on both ends after it is cut.)

 

Here I am zig-zag stitching my matted border on after first tacking it in place with adhesive. I usually set the width of the zig-zag to overlap the 1/16" mat layer on both sides.

  

Finally, here is a detail of my Love Window card, with those little red-matted scallops tying in with the scale and color of the flowers. I hope that this is helpful to someone; thanks for visiting the CLASSroom today!

Valentine Tag #1 Who Loves You? by Becky Olsen

The Christmas tags were so much fun that we thought we would bring you some more inspiration for Valentine's Day!

We will be starting with a #8 White tag, your Non-Stick Craft Sheet, Sky Blue and Blank Canvas Studio Acrylic Paint. Use your large Studio Brush to scoop out a small dollop of blue, rinse in a clean cup of water and then scoop out the same size dollop of the white and loosely mix them.

Use the brush to cover the tag with the paint, work quickly to cover the whole thing and to keep the paint moist.

Stamp Swirling Snowflakes into the moist paint and then lift to remove the paint where the stamp touched the tag. Clean the stamp immediately, and don't forget to rinse your brush too.

This is what the technique looks like when you are done.

Paint a piece of Sticky Back Canvas with Painterly Pink Studio Acrylic Paint and your large brush. Let dry or use Heat It Tool to facilitate drying process.

Stamp the heart from the Kim Hughes Heart Warmers set using Espresso Adirondack Pigment Ink.

Stamp the bare tree from Winter Trees using the Espresso ink again.

Trim out and place in the middle of the dry tag.

Stamp the little owl from the Kim Hughes U R A Hoot set, paint using Traditional Tan, Sable Brown and Charcoal Black. 

Paint the beak and toes with Altered Orange and Dab of Yellow.

Stamp the sentiment "Who Loves You?" from the same set using the Espresso Adirondack Pigment Ink. Fill in the hearts using a Quickie Glue Pen.

Sprinkle a little Martha Stewart Glitter in Garnet onto the sentiment where the glue is.

Adhere the sentiment to the top of the tag. Fussy cut the hearts and owl out and arrange on the tag.

When all the pieces are arranged the way you like them, start to peel the protective backing off the canvas and adhere them to the tag.

Of course we don't have to stitch the hearts into place, but I just couldn't help giving each of these darling little hearts a little kiss of love using the Martha Stewart Baker's Twine. Just thread your embroidery needle and make a little "x".

To make the "X" just poke four holes in the shape of a square and come up through with one corner and down into the one diagonally from it and repeat for the other side.

Machine stitch around the sentiment with red thread.

Now tie with a big Red Silk Bow and call it done! Can you feel the love?

I had a wonderful time creating this project, the cool of the blue and the way the pink played off of it gave it such a fun visual pop. The paint technique is really fun and so versatile, I hope that you take a few minutes to try it in a couple of different ways. You will be surprised how different it turns out each time even with the same products. And don't be afraid to experiment, you never know what new technique you might create!

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Cherub Mini Canvas by Julia Stainton

Now and then I just want to get out some paints and play around. Explore some creativity in a style and medium I don't often play with. It's fun to step outside the box and try new things. You never know what you may discover. You almost always learn something, even if it is what not to do. I'd like to encourage you this new year to step out of your box and try something new. Here's what I did the other day.

The little 4x4" Canvas Frames are the perfect size for experimentation. They are similar in size to cards, take little time to create and make lovely little gifts or accent pieces. I love using them with the Studio Paint line. To get started on the project, I first brushed the surface and sides of the canvas with the white Blank Canvas paint. The surface of the canvas comes primed but the reason I did this was to blend on color right into the white pigment. If you're looking for a graduated color and brush stroke look, feel free to blend right on the canvas like I did. I used Landscape Green and Sky Blue.  At the same time, paint the sides of the canvas so that you don't have to remix colors. You'll want enough paint on the canvas to have it nice and wet but still be able to see some of the canvas texture through it.

The reason you want the paint wet is that it is how you are going to adhere the clear Prima Paintable to your project. Trim the portion of the Paintable you wish you use to just under 4x4" square. Press it into the wet paint and allow to dry. For this project I've used one of the images from the Cherub Frames Clear Paintables Sheet.

To get this canvas to have a little extra color and make it a little more interesting you now want to add pigment on top of the canvas. By mixing the colors you choose with the Studio Line Multi Medium Gloss you can add a hint of color but still keep most of the transparency so that the design will show through. For this project, I used Painterly Pink mixed with the Multi-Medium for the flesh color, Sable Brown and some more Sky Blue. I also added streaks of the tan around the edges to give an aged appearance.

After all your painting is dry, cover the surface of your piece with a coat of Glossy Multi-Medium and allow to dry. Apply a coat of Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint to the entire surface and allow to dry. This will give you an antique cracked glaze finish. Because of the slick finish underneath, some of the crackle will flake off but I like the look. After the glazed has dried and cracked, take a sponge and apply some Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink to highlight the edges and emphasize the cracking finish. Another great alternative would be to use the Ranger Crackle Accents product.

 

I like to add layers of elements to my projects and added the love sentiment to the bottom of my canvas. The Tim Holtz Grungeboard Minis are a great size for cards and small projects. To continue with the antique finish, I painted my Grungeboard letters with White Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint.

After drying, I sponged them with some ink and adhered to the project with Glue Dots. As a final touch, I tied some twine around a Maya Road Word Charm and adhered it to the O.

Thanks so much for stopping by the CLASSroom! Take some time to explore your creativity!

Bee Mine ATC by Sharon Harnist

 

I have some more ATC (Artist Trading Card) tips for you today.

1. Use a die to give your ATC some shape.  Here, I used Labels Seven Nestabilities to cut patterned paper for my base.  The second to largest die in this set is exactly 2.50" x 3.50".

2. Don't be afraid to use all the same elements on an ATC as you do larger cards.  Here, I've used a button, gemstones, cut-outs, Copic marker, glitter glue, lace ribbon and staples!

TIP FOR ANY PROJECT: Use solid colors of the patterned paper collection you are working with to stamp your images.  Then you'll be assured the stamped pieces will coordinate well with the rest of your project.

 

3. To give cut-outs or die cuts more depth, ink the cut edges.  Here, I used dark brown Brushed Corduroy Distress ink, to help the cut-outs blend in with the paper pattern.  Copic W1 was used to give the "B" some shadow and more depth.

I used Copic markers YR31 & E55 to color the bee and then glittered her wings and popped her up on foam tape.

   

4. Keep the scale of your embellishments smaller on your ATCs than on larger projects.  Here, I used tiny gemstones and a smaller button.

5. Tim Holtz's Tiny Attacher stapler is a perfect size for ATCs and a great solution to attach an open patterned lace, when any kind of glue or tape would show.  Here, I used a staple on each end of the lace to attach it to the ATC.

I hope you all are enjoying trying out ATCs ... thanks so much for visiting today!  ~ Sharon

 
Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms The Rummage Bin-Sweet Bee Uncut or Precut
Paper: Webster's Pages Petite Papers-Postcards From Paris & Sweet as Cherry Pie 6x6
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink-Brushed Corduroy, Adirondack Dye Ink-Cranberry & Espresso. Copic markers- YR31, E55 & W1.
Accessories:  Spellbinders Labels Seven Nestabilities dies, Prima Ribbon Lace-Saucy, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, Acrylic Block, Clear Crystal Gemstones, Martha Stewart Baker's Twine-Red, Button, Star Dust Stickles

Ink color wash scene by Kim Hughes

I'd love to show you how to create a serene scene with inks and markers.  It's easier than you may think!

supplies:

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Lettuce, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Espresso, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Peach Bellini, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Stream, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Aqua, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Terra Cotta, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Pesto

Memory Box Tree of Love stamp

Silk Ribbon, Ivory 1 1/4" wide by the Yard

Karen Lockhart Live Each Day on Purpose stamp

COPIC Sketch Marker B00, Frost Blue, COPIC Sketch Marker YR24, Pale Sepia, COPIC Sketch Marker YG63, Pea Green, COPIC Sketch Marker Y15, Cadmium Yellow

Manila Tags, #10 (X-Large)

Oh dear!  My technique photos were accidentally deleted...ack!!  I had a bazillion photos that weren't deleted before I uploaded this tutorial, and my camera froze before the technique images were uploaded and they were lost!!  I am so sorry.  I will do my best to walk you through the process.  If you have any questions, please send me an e-mail.

1. fold the tag in half

2. drag the Peach Bellini ink pad across the top of the card

3. press a tissue or foam square in Terra Cotta ink and run it across the top of the card (for a sunset look)

4. drag Aqua ink across the bottom of the card to represent water

5. press a tissue or foam square in Stream ink and run it across the top of the card

6. Stamp tree image and again at the bottom, touching trunks

7. Rub some Terra Cotta ink across the bottom and some Aqua ink across the top to blend all colors.

8. Dab a tissue or foam pad in Pesto and Lettuce ink for the tree top

9. Stamp sentiment with Espresso ink, and don't worry if it smears a bit, it will help to create the watery effect.

10. Blend the top and bottom of the card with all Copic markers listed, first the yellows across the top (the lightest yellow represents the sun.  Ad add blue to the water, green to the tree top.

11. Draw a line along the water line with a brown pen

12. Tie a bow with silk ribbon through the tag hole.

Thanks so much for joining me today.  I apologize once again that my photos pulled a disappearing act. 

Sticky Back Canvas Ribbon Strips and Glam Old Wallpaper

It was the beginning of December and I just needed a break from the reality of running a business. I went into my studio, turned on the music and just started to play. From that little experiment with the Studio Line I realized several different "things" that I could share, that would hopefully add a new twist to what can be done with this fabulous line of products.

I have no formal fine art training and so whatever I come up with is purely accidental. It is at these times when I am just exploring and experimenting that I am in my happy spot :D Today I hope to share a couple of ideas that came from that creative play:

• embossing on sticky back canvas is way cool,
• sticky Back Canvas "Ribbon Strips" can be the perfect embellishment to your project,
• the "old wallpaper" technique that I shared in this post can be glammed up with Perfect Pearls,
• you can use the Studio Line paints with your stamps,
• and finally you can add "dimension" to items created from a single layer of Sticky Back Canvas.

To begin I took a sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" sticky back canvas and cut it into smaller pieces. I then "painted" these with gesso and allowed them to dry. At a later date I hope to share some of the other wonderful things I discovered as I played with these pieces. Today I am sharing one of the first of those ideas.

I had no direction as I started this creative process. I was playing, experimenting and taking pictures as I went along. I had no idea what the outcome would be until I was well into the process - LOL! I wondered what would happen if I tried using embossing powders on this surface.

It is extremely important to make certain that your gesso covered sticky back canvas is dry. I then used an anti-static embossing buddy to rub the entire surface. I stamped my poppy image on the surface using black pigment ink and embossed using fine detail black embossing powder. After heating it the detail of the poppy jumped up off the surface of the canvas making it so very easy to paint the flower.

I added water to Modern Red Studio paint as shown above.

Painting in the poppy allowing the very thin paint to pool and flow.

Next I brought out Dash of Red and added it to the previous mix.

I continued to pool color on the surface, not worrying if the color might "spill" outside my lines since I knew I would cut out the end result. As you can see I also added Sable Brown to the center of the poppy. When applying color to flowers I always like to google an image of the actual flower before beginning so that I can get a fairly accurate idea as to what the true colors are.

I then allowed this to dry.

As you can see I also added a little yellow to the color tones of my poppy. Curiousity had me wondering what would happen if I added layers of color using an old technique in which you watercolor using reinkers. The yellow layer was added with a slight wash of Scattered Straw reinker.

The final step was to lightly spritz the poppy with a mixture of Fired Brick and Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls. (Instructions for creating here-just utilize the colors listed above.)

During this experimental process I discovered that using Gesso on decorative paper brought on an appearance of aged wallpaper. In my previous post I shared how to "scrap" it on. In this post I want to propose a second method to you. Add some water to your gesso mixture on your non-stick craft sheet.

(Tip: Use your craft sheet to protect your desk and make cleanup a cinch. Most often I allow my paint/gesso mixes to dry and then use my craft scraper I scrap the excess into the trash. Then I wipe the surface clean.)

Next I added some Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls to this mixture. I then painted over the surface of my Nook and Pantry papers completely altering the look of the bright yellow paper to coordinate with the color tones in my Poppy. The very subtle gold shimmer that peeks from the paper surface brings about a sophisticated, yet rustic appearance.

I wanted to experiment with dry brushing on this paper. To dry brush I make certain that my brush has all moisture squeezed out of it. I then lightly dab it on the surface of a dry paper towel to spread the fibers. Then touch only the ends of the fibers to the paint that is in the lid of my paint containers. This paint is usually thicker - the perfect consistency for dry brushing.

The photo of the brush above is what it looked like after I had dipped it into the lid. This is still too much paint in my opinion and so I dabbed some off on to a dry paper towel before I gently drag my brush from the edge of my project towards the center. In other words I start on my craft sheet and drag it towards the center of my paper sheet.

Hopefully this picture gives you a better idea of how much and how the paint was applied.

This picture shows the difference between the original, absolutely spectacular paper that Basic Grey manufactured and the one that I felt would be more appropriate to go with my earthy, textured poppy. It is so hard to take good photos and capture the beautiful irridescent light of the altered paper.

After my poppy paint was completely dry I removed the protective backing from the canvas and squeezed my poppy into a dimensional shape as shown. I then applied Matte Multi-Medium to the sticky back surface of my poppy. This did two things. Once dry it was no longer sticky, and it added some additional "stability" to the dimension of the poppy.

As I looked through my supplies for the perfect ribbon I just couldn't find something that I was excited about. This was such a clean simple piece, with some rusticity to it and I didn't have anything on hand that seemed to work. It then hit upon me that I could create my own RIBBON STRIPS from sticky-back canvas!!!

I cut a strip of sticky back canvas to the approximate size and painted it black. After it was dry I spritzed it with my mixture of Fired Brick reinker, Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls and water.

Next I selected a fairly bold crochet ribbon. I wanted this to act as my "stamp." I painted it with Modern Red as shown above. I then carefully picked it up, placing it face down on to my black canvas strip. I VERY gently pressed the crochet ribbon in place and then picked it back up leaving a very unusual "stamped" red image in its place.

As you can see the pattern is not distinct, but it was precisely what I thought fit this beauty.

The last element that was needed to tie it all together was a subtle, rustic flourish behind the poppy.

It is easy to stamp using Studio paints. I find that by painting a very light layer on my non-stick craft sheet and using this as my "ink pad" I can add a rustic painted look to my projects.

One last side view in hopes of giving you a better idea of the finished look. I hope that sharing my explorations with you will give you the courage to just try it---I hope that you too can find stress relief and excitement as you explore with the fine art tools that you have in your possession. You don't need lots of education to try something new. It's OK to make mistakes and throw things in the garbage if they don't work, but miraculously it is amazing how often these explorations don't end up needing to be trashed.

stamps: Memory Box Open Poppy, Stampers Anonymous Take Flight

ink: Pitch Black Adirondack Pigment Ink Pad

paper: Basic Grey Nook and Pantry, Memory Box Persimmon Notecard and Envelope

accessories: Studio Line - Gesso, Modern Red, Dash of Red, Sable Brown, Charcoal Black, Sticky Back Canvas, Brushes; Non-stick Craft Sheet, Craft Scraper, Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls, Jacqueline Crochet Riboon   

Soldered Necklace II by Debbie Olson

 

A couple of weeks ago I shared a necklace made from a Soldered Necklace Kit; today I have the second necklace that I made with that kit, along with some stepped out pictures for using the beading pliers to create charms. If you would like to see larger pictures, click on the pictures.

 

From some Webster's Pages Petite Pages (Magical Wishes and a Sweet Life Combo Pack), I chose a couple of areas that I wanted to use as focal images, marked around them, and cut out inside my line.

 

After trimming the papers, sandwiching them between cleaned layers of glass, and wrapping them with regular 5/16" Copper foil tape, this is what they looked like. They are now ready to be soldered. 

 

This is my basic soldering set-up. I have a heat proof mat underneath this quarry tile on my counter top, so I probably don't need the tile. But being cautious, and having waited a long time to get a studio, I think you understand! I generally use clamps, with that rounded brad head being turned up for stability, to hold my small pieces still. Be sure that you clam on the edge of the copper foil tape and NOT farther in on the glass. 

 

Here is that same piece after being soldered on both sides. I have not cleaned the glass yet since I have to add jump rings. Again, note that the clamp needs to be on the soldered edge and not on the glass. (I have cracked glass at this stage by not having my clamp positioned on the soldered edge--it's an easy problem to avoid!)

 

Here I have attached one jump ring and am ready to attach the second. Note that the opening for the jump ring is on the edge that will be covered with solder. If you have a problem holding the jump ring steady with hemostat pliers, a jeweler's helper will come in handy. 

 

When the jump ring is soldered on, the seam is covered with solder. If you happen to get the jump ring off center, just heat the solder, remove the ring, and try again. 

 

Next I want to show you how to create a loop on a head pin using the concave pliers. The pins and beads, except for the tiny seed bead that was from my bead stash, came with the necklace kit. You need to be able to create a loop to dangle the beads, however. The concave pliers are one of my favorite tools because they make loop construction so simple.

 

Here I've started my loop. You control the size of the loop by scooting the wire up or down your pliers. I want a small loop, so I am working near the end of the pliers. 

 

You can see that my loop is almost complete. Before I can finish it, however, I need to stop bending and cut the end off.

 

I use wire cutters to cut off the excess wire. 

 

Voila! A finished charm.

 

Here are my five charms, along with a picture of what I started with to construct them and the tools that I used. Again, all beads and pins are included in the necklace kit except for the tiny white seed beads.

 

In this picture, I am adding the longest charm. I am getting ready to solder the jump ring shut. Remember that you need to use a bit of flux on the area that you intend to solder in order to get the solder to stick. 

 

The bead charms really do add to the look of the necklace, and they are pretty simple to create once you get the hang of using the concave pliers. Try it! Thank you for visiting the CLASSroom today. 

Magnetic Banner by Julia Stainton

I have a quick and fun project to share with you today that you can customize and change up to suit your event or a specific time of the year. Banners are a hot crafting item right now and using Ellen's Magnetic Masking Material, you can create one banner and change the embellishments by using magnets to hold them on. I've created mine with three panels to the banner but I may just go back and change it to five or even seven. 

To start off you need to cut your Magnetic Masking Material into triangles. This product is extremely easy to cut, punch and die cut for whatever your crafting needs. I've cut each sheet of mine into two triangles. First cut two rectangles 5" x 8" in size. Find the 2.5" midpoint on the short side and mark it with a pencil. I find the white side easy to mark up to keep the magnetic black side clean. One package contains 5 sheets giving you enough for a 10 pennant banner if desired.

 

Kraft cardstock adds a neutral base to the black magnet layer. Once again, cut rectangles (this time to 5 3/8" x 8.5" )and then find the mid-point (2 11/16") to cut into a long triangle.

The Glue Glide Pro works great to adhere the Magnetic Masking Material to the cardstock. Use a hole punch  to punch small holes in the corners of each piece of the banner.

To add a fun embellishment to bling up the banner, I used the Chandelier Crystals attached through the bottom hole with added Jump Rings. The black goes with any occasion.

To put your banner together, thread Twill Tape through the top holes of the banner.

The Basic Grey Chipboard Monograms were the chipboard letters I used in this project. You can also substitute the Maya Road chipboard alphabet. Chipboard looks fabulous covered with Distress Crackle Paint. I used the Broken China color. The paint is super easy to brush on and dries fairly quickly. I love how the paint crackles on it's own for a fabulous textured finish. I find this paint can dry out easily so I spritz a few drops of water into the jar after each use to keep it usable.

To the back of each piece of chipboard, adhere Basic Grey Magnetic Snaps. This will allow you to place your chipboard letters onto the banner to form a word. How about l o v e for Valentine's? w i s h for a birthday? h o p e for inspiration? Change up your colors of paint, change up your words or even change up the twill tape for the color of the occasion.

 

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom today.

Happy creating!
.

12 Days of Christmas Blog Candy Winners

It has been an exciting and VERY busy 12 days!!! Inventory sale, packing orders, inventory count, inventory updates, new products, fabulous tutorials, AND goodie boxes awaiting winners!

We received our restock of Hero Arts, Lockhart and Basic Grey - yippie!!! We are still awaiting that lovely Gossamer paper from Memory Box, more Stampers Anonymous, etc., etc., but I will try to let you know as soon as they arrive as well.

I would like to thank each and every one of you for coming and sharing your thoughts, and so much positive energy, with us! Your words bring happy tears to my eyes---I feel so very blessed to have you here supporting what we do! My family is so very important to me, the women (and a few men ;) ) that I work with are so very appreciated and loved, and you our customers and readers are the individuals who make this all possible. I appreciate you; I thank you!!!

After reading through the many words of love, encouragement and support I feel that it is my responsibility to share some of the reasoning behind the business decisions I have made.

I am going to share some insight about the operating of, what has become, this small online retail business with you today. My hope is to share some of the very difficult decision making thoughts that have come with this privilege. Operating a small retail business was never a part of my "life plan." When I first began thinking about how I could contribute to this industry and try to support my family in some small way I put together a list of "goals" for my "career." I use the term "goals" very loosely, because any business consultant would have looked at me like I had totally lost my mind and start laughing hysterically at my list - LOL! That list is still what I strive to achieve. At the top of that list was the important necessity of being a wife and mother first. Next, was to try and make a difference in other's lives by sharing my passion and creativity. As far as what I would physically do---I knew that product development was most definitely an important aspect of the process. I pop awake in the middle of the night with ideas that would make my life as a crafter better, easier, and more precise. This dream was followed closely by education. I still have big aspirations when it comes to this whole "education" thing :D. I firmly believe that when I am learning, I am at my happiest. I feel enthusiastic and full of life---I feel joyful; my goal is to share that with others.

Reality is that life circumstances altered "my plan." There were needs to be met and I was determined not to let those around me, those who were by my side, down. Outcome... online retail store.

So it gets down to the nitty, gritty. To operate this business has been no easy feat. My goal of treating others kindly and with respect, while operating a business with integrity, is something I strive for each and every day. I am willing to put myself out there to try and make positive change, to stand up for what I believe is right. It isn't always easy; in fact it is very difficult to always stand up for what you believe in. I have thought about running, shrieking in the opposite direction so many times over the past year and half - LOL! Running away from hard decisions is not something I am willing to do though, and so here I am :D

One of the biggest requests that I derived from the comments yesterday is a desire for free shipping. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts - I do appreciate them and I completely understand! Oh how I wish that I could do that for you! It has been a choice that I have put much thought into. I have crunched numbers from every angle (yes, a creative individual crunching numbers is odd. I'm odd - LOL!)

I can choose to provide education, personalized service, and products at a competitive price and charge shipping (and yes, we do provide free shipping for orders over $150 for International orders there is a $10 credit).

Another choice is to discount the prices dramatically and/or provide free shipping---BUT then there would be no funds to compensate the women who educate here in the CLASSroom. There would be no funds to pay the women who answer our phones, who are here to help make choices when it comes to ordering. There would be no funds to compensate the women who carefully roll the ribbon that is included with the thank you notes as they pack the boxes and make the changes customers request. There would be no love put into the orders that are sent and the communications we share. It would be a standard discounter service.

The last option is to provide education, personalized service and products at a competitive price and provide, for the most part, free shipping. Sadly the reality to that last option is one that would put us out of business and put my family in huge financial risk. It's not an option, I am so very sorry I can't provide this.

I struggle with this decision when I read the comments... should I move my business to a distribution center, do I tell the amazing women who stand beside me each day that I don't have the funds to compensate them for the education they provide---therefore not being able to host this blog, do I tell the women who lovingly pack the boxes and do their best to answer the questions presented that I need to change what we do, or do I just quit???

So many questions, so few real answers. My only answer is that I try... I try so hard to make a difference in other's lives and to do what I believe is right. I believe it is right to compensate designers for their work --- products unfortunately do not pay the electric bills; I will never ask someone to work for me for free. I believe that it is right to compensate the women who pack the boxes and answer the phones. I sometimes wish that it were as simple as my 9-yr-old's idea that "it would be easier if everything was free."  Sadly my reality is---it's not easier if it were free.

Thank you for listening and sharing in my reality. It is scary for me to write something that is so real for me on a daily basis. Am I jeopardizing customer relationships and friendships by speaking so openly? My hope is that by sharing my reality I might make a positive difference and answer that eternal and ongoing question regarding shipping charges. I believe that what the girls share in the CLASSroom is something they should be compensated for. I believe in trying to make a difference in my community by providing jobs to those who need them. I believe in trying to share happiness and something joyful with others whenever possible.

I thank you for believing in me; for sharing your thoughts and desires. I thank you for trusting me, for trusting us with your purchases and your support. I will continue to try and address the other concerns and suggestions you have made in the days ahead. I so very much appreciate your responses and I am hoping that you know that I value them, I value you!

SO... now on to the fun part :D Pop open the windows for a better view of the winners. We will be contacting our winners in the morning if they haven't already discovered their names here!

I had a "lovely" time today as I tried to paste so many different fonts into Typepad. Typepad did NOT like it - LOL! So after many hours of struggling I resorted to the method below. A huge congratulations to our winners! and a HUGE thank you to all those who have shared yourselves and your thoughts with us over the past few days!

Blog Candy Hero Arts Preview Catalogue #1

 
Blog Candy Hero Arts Preview Catalogue #2

Blog Candy Day 1 - Favorite Scoring Tools

Blog Candy Day 2 - Two Soldering Starters

Blog Candy Day 3 - Three Inchie Art Packets

Blog Candy Day 4 - Four Cornish Stamps

Blog Candy Day 5 - Five Fab Fine Art Fixings

 
Blog Candy Day 6 - Six Dies for Cutting

Blog Candy Day 7 - Seven Alterable Items

Blog Candy Day 8 - Eight Copics for Coloring

Blog Candy Day 9 - Nine Packs of Paper

Blog Candy Day 10 - Ten Toys from Tim's World

 
 Blog Candy Day 11 - Eleven Latest Lovely Lockharts 

Blog Candy Day 12 - Twelve Stampin' Treasures 

 
 
I would also like to take this opportunity to invite you to continue to stop by and leave your comments for the girls. It makes me giddy to see how much you enjoy and appreciate their work!!!

Happy stampin' hugs to all of you!

---Ellen 

Artist Trading Cards by Sharon Harnist

 

Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) ... what are they?  Do you love them?  Do they scare you?  What's the appeal?  Hopefully we'll cover a few answers to those questions today!

Artist trading cards are a way for artists to create miniature works of art that can travel the world through trading.  ATCs originated in 1997 when Swiss artist M. Vanci Stirnemann created an exhibit of over 1,200 handmade cards.  He asked others to create cards as well, so that on the last day of the exhibit he could trade his cards with them.  The idea was a hit and turned into a world-wide phenomenon!  Today, artist trading cards are used to share work, network, and practice creating on a smaller scale.

Artist trading cards are pieces of watercolor paper, cardstock, or illustration board that are 2.50" x 3.50" in size.  An artist creates an original work of art on these tiny canvases and then trades them with other artists through groups and events -- similar to trading your Inchies!  Trade is the operative word ... cards should not be sold.

Any medium is "allowed" on trading cards.  Cards are produced in various media, including dry media (pencils, pens, markers), wet media (watercolor, acrylic paints), paper media (in the form of collage, papercuts, found objects).  This is the perfect opportunity to use up all those little scraps of paper, ribbon and other embellishments you have lying around!

On the back of the cards the artist should print their name, contact information (an email address is fine), the title of the work on the artist trading card, and a number if it is part of a series.

To make the most of one piece of 8.50" x 11" cardstock for your ATC bases, follow this cutting guide (you'll get 10 ATC bases out of one piece of cardstock):

 

For my trading card, I chose a line of stamps that make Artist Trading Cards a breeze ... Cornish Heritage Farms' All Things Considered line.  There are many different sets to chose from, and all the elements in the sets are perfectly sized for ATCs!

 

I stamped the floral frame with Cranberry ink onto Natural White cardstock, trimmed it to 2.50" x 3.50" and then colored it with these Copic markers (sorry for the fuzzy photo, they are R30, R32, R37, G21& E25):

 

The center floral image was stamped with Rich Cocoa ink and colored with the R-series of Copic markers shown above. 

 

Next, I airbrushed the background of the card with my custom lighter YR31 Copic marker (made by filling an empty Sketch marker with 2 parts Copic Colorless Blender Solution and 1 part Copic YR31 Various Ink Refill).

 

The edges of the floral center and ATC were sponged with Brushed Corduroy ink.  The center is popped up on foam tape.

To finish my ATC, I colored a Maya Road chipboard letter (it appears the store is sold out of the particular alpha set I used but if you keep a watch on this link, I'm sure they'll be back in stock soon!) with Copic R37 marker and then covered the letter with Glossy Accents.

 

Copper Stickles were added to the flower center and the edges of my ATC were distressed.  And there you have an Artist Trading Card ... not so scary after all!  Fun to create and trade, or just keep for yourself!  Wouldn't a grouping of ATCs you or your friends created look wonderful framed all together?  It would make a very unique home accent!

 
 
Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms-All Things Considered, Botanical Bliss (uncut) or Precut
Paper: Neenah Natural White
Ink: Ranger Adirondack Cranberry dye ink & Brushed Corduroy Distress ink, Memento Rich Cocoa ink pad, Copic markers (shown above)
Accessories: Maya Road Chipboard letter, Copic Airbrush System, Tonic-Tim Holtz Paper Distresser. Ranger Glossy Accents, Copper Stickles & Ink Blending Tool. Foam tape
 

12 Days of Christmas - Day 12: Twelve Stampin' Treasures by Kim Hughes

Note from Ellen:

Thank you for joining us for our 12 days of Christmas event! We are thrilled that you have enjoyed yourselves and have learned from the wonderful posts the girls have put together. Remember that today is the last day for you to leave a comment on each of the 12 posts---links are provided below. There is some awesome "candy" awaiting those who come and share their thoughts.

 

sometimes Birthday's can be a "royal pain" but they can also be a super fun topic to create for.

supplies:

Tinsel Glitter, 12 pk

Rummage Bin, A Royal Birthday

Twill, White

Basic Grey Bling It Rhinestones Lotus, Tangerine

Quickie Glue Pen

Creative Candy Twinkle Stickers, Mini Dot

Cardstock, Neenah Classic Solar White

COPIC Sketch Marker G28, Ocean Green

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Butterscotch, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Pitch Black

Start by stamping the crown onto smooth white card stock

 

and then stamp the sentiment on top
 

cut down to a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 card base and set aside.

Stamp the elegant woman onto another piece of smooth white card stock and cut a box around her.  Use a glue pen to add glitter to different elements

 

allow the glitter to pool instead of adding it back into the jars and mix the colors together.

Apply glue to a scrap paper in a line

and dip the card base edges into the glue and immediately into the glitter xture and allow to dry.

color a yellow bling with a green Copic to change the color to coordinate.

wrap white twill around the card and tie a knot under the sentiment.  Use a glue dot to adhere the twill in place

add gems to sentiment.  And then add the accent panel to the left side of the card with foam dots underneath to add dimension.

TWELFTH DAY BLOG CANDY

On the twelfth day of Christmas by goodie box could be:

• twelve stampin' treasures (it's the grand finale; the mother lode :D --- Hero Arts Heart Trio Cling Set, Martha Stewart Fleur De Lis Punch, Maya Road Crystal Trinket Pins, 1 yard Mauve Silk Ribbon, CHF Domestic Love PRECUT Stamp Set, Hero Accent Pearl Hearts, Basic Grey Bling, Memory Box Lovey Dovey Tree, Maya Road Hearts and Wings Mini Chipboard Set, Stamper's Anonymous Urban Tapestry Stamp Set, Martha Stewart Scallop Clutch Favor Boxes, Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page Crown Punch Set)

 
To participate in this random drawing please leave your answer to the following question as a comment to this post. Please limit yourself to one comment only. The last day to submit a comment to this post will be January 6th at Midnight (That's tonight so don't wait one more minute!) We will post the winners (which will be drawn using a Random Number Generator) for all twelve days on January 7th.

Don't forget the following 12 Days of Christmas blog candy drawings --- be certain to answer the question on each individual post to be included in that drawing!

• Favorite Scoring Tools
• Two Soldeirng Starters
• Three Inchie Art Packets
• Four Cournish Stamps
• Five Fab Fine Art Fixings
• Six Dies for Cutting
• Seven Alterable Items
• Eight Copics for Coloring
• Nine Packs of Paper
• Ten Toys from Tim's World
• Eleven Latest Lovely Lockharts

We need to put together a customer recommendation page. You send us the sweetest notes and we appreciate them so very much! We need to compile information to share with new customers, we need them to know what it is that you have to say about what we do. We also need to hear if there are things you would like for us to work on. I fully realize that our webstore can use VAST improvements and I'm hoping you know that I am doing my very best. I have done all the work on the website myself (with no training --- can you imagine - LOL!) and unfortunately the $$$ just haven't been there to hire the pro's, so please be gentle on the recommendations as to site improvements - LOL! Never-the-less I do want to hear precisely what you think. So my request on the final 12 Days of Christmas is to leave a comment that shares your love for us, that suggests improvements we can make, that just shares your true opinion of what we do and how we do it. Please share your thoughts regarding the service we provide, the product we carry, etc. Your opinion truly does matter to me, to us!

We want you to know that we appreciate you! We appreciate your support! Thank you for shopping with us, learning with us and contributing to our little corner of the world here on the internet. Happy New Year everyone - wishing you all a healthy, happy year ahead; one filled with little things that bring joy to your days! Now go and leave your comments to the questions on each post :D --- Ellen

12 Days of Christmas - Day 11: Eleven Latest Lovely Lockharts by Becky Olsen

Eleven of the latest Lockharts!!! I didn't use that many for my project that I will be sharing. I used five of the new images, and they are so sweet!

To prepare for the project, stamp the images onto Neenah Solar White card stock with Black Memento ink and then trim the smaller ones into 1" squares. Trim around the Mailbox so that you are close to the image and have a nice rectangular shape.

Also trim an inch strip off of a few varied pieces of Sugar Rush patterned paper and then trim again into 1" squares as well. I used a floral, plaid, word and plain to get a nice balance of color and pattern.

Get out a few of your Copics (or colored pencils if you wish).

Color inside the lines, but if you miss a little (like I do!) you can gently brush the color back in with your blender!

Let's get our tag ready for all of this fun color! Brush Painterly Pink Studio Paint onto a #8 White tag.

Stamp your Distressed Grid Scrapblock onto the surface to create a very cool negative into the surface of the tag.

I really like this technique and we won't get to see enough of it when this project is done, so I will be showing this again in the future!

Place the patterned paper pieces and colored images onto the tag with a little adhesive on the backside. You won't need very much, just enough to tack it into place.

Make sure that you like the arrangement of your little pieces, and then turn on your sewing machine and set it to a narrow zig zag stitch. Mine was set at 2.0 wide and 1.0 long. Now stitch along all the edges, we will have a super cute quilted look when we are done.

Now stitch around the mailbox with a straight stitch, it will seem weird to not be sewing it onto anything, but we will be adhering it with dimensional adhesive so it has more visual texture so don't worry!

Now stamp the darling love sentiment and trim into a little banner shape, color with a pink Copic and then stitch onto card.

Loop Celery Green Silk Ribbon through the hole in the tag, and then place a few of the Prima Mini Gypso blossoms through the hole and tape onto the back to hold them into place.

And now we are done!

 

Thanks for stopping by to play!

B-

ELEVENTH DAY BLOG CANDY

On the eleventh day of Christmas my goodie box could be:

• eleven latest Lockharts (stamps that is :D )

 
To participate in this random drawing please leave your answer to the following question as a comment to this post. Please limit yourself to one comment only. The last day to submit a comment to this post will be January 6th at Midnight. We will post the winners (which will be drawn using a Random Number Generator) for all twelve days on January 7th.

How many of you feel comfortable trying new things on your computer? Have you tried hybrid card making or scrap booking? (Hybrid is a combination of digital and traditional paper crafting.) Does the idea of using digital designs in your paper crafting intrigue you at all? Please share your thoughts on this subject.

Don't forget the following 12 Days of Christmas blog candy drawings --- be certain to answer the question on each individual post to be included in that drawing!

• Favorite Scoring Tools
• Two Soldeirng Starters
• Three Inchie Art Packets
• Four Cournish Stamps
• Five Fab Fine Art Fixings
• Six Dies for Cutting
• Seven Alterable Items
• Eight Copics for Coloring
• Nine Packs of Paper
• Ten Toys from Tim's World

12 Days of Christmas - Day 10: Ten Toys from Tim's World by Ellen Hutson

ETA: I apologize for not putting links into my post --- perhaps sleep deprivation is not a good thing - LOL! I have tried to come back in and link to the supplies I have used. Just a quick FYI - more Hero Arts stamps are in transit and I will let you know when they will be arriving once I get the tracking number :D (yippie!)

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to sit down and "play" with the Studio Line of products. Today I want to share just one of the discoveries I made that day. 

With a background in interior design I was able to utilize so many wonderful wall finishes and products as I designed interiors for customers. It was as I sat and thought about correlating that past with my present, that the idea for "old wallpaper" came up. So the technique that I am sharing first today I am calling just that---old wallpaper technique. 

Because today's blog candy drawing includes ten "toys" from the Tim Holtz product lines I decided to pay homage to the beautiful tags he creates.  It was our very own Kim, who inspired me to use the HUGE size tag and turn it into my card today.

Many of you have asked for more information on the Studio Line and this little lesson is going to focus on Gesso.

Gesso is an art supply that is similar to paint, but it dries hard. It is typically applied to a surface to "prime" it or prepare it for painting. It helps to create a surface that paint will not seep through and provides a tooth that the paint will "stick" to. It also adds "substance" to the product you are applying it to, giving it more durability. Even though it dries hard, it still is a flexible product. It can be used on canvas, fabric, paper, wood and so much more.

When dry, gesso has a somewhat chalky appearance. It can be mixed with numerous pigments and applied as a colored mixture, but I have mostly experimented using the white.

As you can see in the photo above I typically apply a dollop of gesso to the paper surfaces I plan on priming.

 

I then use my craft scraper to spread the gesso over my papers. For this project today I spread gesso on one side of a x-large manila tag. I also spread gesso on two 4 1/2" squares of Classic Cream Neenah cardstock (I'm glad I made two as you will see later in this post --- it is just as quick and easy to make two when experimenting and believe me when I tell you that it was a happy thing today :D )

 

Lastly is where I created my "old wallpaper." By simply spreading the gesso in a very thin layer over one of the papers from the Sugar Rush series I was able to age the paper and add a more chalky, plaster like finish to my paper, making it reminiscent of old wallpapers I had to remove in one of the design homes I participated in.

If you find that your scrapbook papers are a little to vivid this is a wonderful way of muting them and creating a unique vintage appearance.

Next I utilized the Mini Floret Mask. I applied it to the front of my tag card along the right edge. I then airbrushed over these masks using YG67. I had initially planned on applying the gesso over the top of all of these pieces, but sadly they just didn't adhere well enough, so on to plan B.

After removing the masks I applied a thin layer of gesso to create a unified surface for my project.

Once I was certain my gesso squares were dry I then stamped this gorgeous flower using VersaMark Dazzle Frost and then applied my silver embossing powder. When looking at the Sugar Rush line of papers I was intrigued by the grays that were used in this line and felt that this silver would fit nicely with those grays.

I am sharing this next segment with you to share something that did not work well for me. I believe that because the gesso surface creates a very smooth chalky-like finish not all dye inks will dry well on this surface. I watercolored in my image using Distress Reinker colors.  I allowed it to sit to dry, I used my Heat It tool think this would set the color --- yet it still did not dry.

I finally ended up just pulling away much of the color with a paper towel. It still was quite pretty, but not what I was wanting and so I abandoned ship here - LOL!

Next I decided to try using Adirondack Dye Ink Pads. I believe that there is some "ingredient" in the Distress Inks that extends the dry time and therefore does not allow the ink to dry well on the gessoed surface. I was not about to give up and so I went with the ink pad to non-stick craft sheet method. Applying Peach Bellini, Mountain Rose, and Watermelon Dye ink pads directly to the surface and misting with water was the next step.

I swirled my remaining dried gesso squared in this mixture. I LOVE the magical appearance that was the end result.

I had wanted to use this technique on the interior of my tag and was very pleased with the end result. Once dry (you will see this in the last photo) it has the incredible appearance of an old plastered wall like you would find in Southern France or perhaps Italy. The texture that the gesso provides is extraordinary!

As you can see the Adirondack inks dried beautifully.

I then repeated the silver embossed flower on this square. I did come back in with my waterbrush and add a little additional reinker to bring a little more boldness to the color of the image. 

As Beks would say---I then fussy cut (love that term :D) my flower. Adding a stitched brad to the flower center. Oh my goodness... I'm in love with the idea of applying gesso to everything and seeing what happens - LOL!

I stitched the Sugar Rush old wallpaper to my tag.

One final view of the tag interior. All it needs now is a sentiment in the silver embossing powder. Being I don't have a destination in mind for this beauty the sentiment will have to wait.

A little silk ribbon, combined with some old favorite Basic Grey trims and my project is complete.

The most important tip I can share is to clean your tools promptly upon completing the application of gesso. I keep a few baby wipes handy to clean my non-stick craft sheet as I go, so that things don't get too messy. As well I have a water dish that I place my tools in so that they don't dry out. Even though this can be a bit messy it is SO worth it and I encourage you to try something new and different. You can use it with some of your old favorites, or add a few new twists. I have other things that I have tried and hope to share with you soon as well, because they are oh, so cool!!! I hope that you will give gesso a try!

Now on to the drawing for today :D

TENTH DAY BLOG CANDY

On the tenth day of Christmas my goodie box could be:

• ten toys from Tim's world

 

To participate in this random drawing please leave your answer to the following question as a comment to this post. Please limit yourself to one comment only. The last day to submit a comment to this post will be January 6th at Midnight. We will post the winners (which will be drawn using a Random Number Generator) for all twelve days on January 7th.

This is going to be a longer comment requirement - LOL! Word on the street is that Tim has 12 new Distress Ink colors coming out at CHA as well as new BIgz dies. Do you see yourself buying these new inks sooner rather than later? Do you still purchase and use the large size dies such as Bigz? Would you like for us to carry the complete line of Tim's accessories? and last but not least, you have suggested that you would like us to share how to use the "old supplies" - please share an example or two of the products you have in your stash that you would like us to incorporate with the new :D

Don't forget the following 12 Days of Christmas blog candy drawings --- be certain to answer the question on each individual post to be included in that drawing!

• Favorite Scoring Tools
• Two Soldeirng Starters
• Three Inchie Art Packets
• Four Cournish Stamps
• Five Fab Fine Art Fixings
• Six Dies for Cutting
• Seven Alterable Items
• Eight Copics for Coloring
• Nine Packs of Paper
 

12 Days of Christmas - Day 9: Nine Packs of Paper by Debbie Olson

 

No, I'm not really using nine packs of paper today! Welcome to day nine of the Ellen Hutson Twelve Days of Christmas celebration. I started with some new Memory Box papers, Gossamer, along with a Memory Box stamp, Scripted Bird. I love how well the stamp and papers coordinate in this line. (Ellen does have more Gossamer paper on order and hopefully it will arrive soon.)

 

I chose three of the Gossamer papers, and I stamped the bird twice, once on a green pattern and once on a light pink pattern. The berries were brown, obviously, so I used some Cotton Candy Stickles to cover the berries.

 

I trimmed around the bird stamped on the light pink paper and attached him on top of the green layer with foam tape.

 

The background was such a lovely sheet of paper that I didn't want to add a lot of distracting elements to it; I stitched one simple line around it, attaching it to a dark brown mat layer.

 

Finally, I added a strip of 1-1/4" wide pink silk ribbon and some buttons from my stash. That's it--new paper, new stamps! Be sure enter today's Ellen Hutson, LLC giveaway, and thanks for visiting the CLASSroom today!

NINTH DAY BLOG CANDY

On the ninth day of Christmas my goodie box could be:

• nine packs of paper

 

To participate in this random drawing please leave your answer to the following question as a comment to this post. Please limit yourself to one comment only. The last day to submit a comment to this post will be January 6th at Midnight. We will post the winners (which will be drawn using a Random Number Generator) for all twelve days on January 7th.

Did you know that Memory Box cardstock and notecards are duplex? (this means that one side is white and the other is color.) Do you prefer notecards with coordinating envelopes or 8 1/2" x 11" cardstock? Also, do you prefer 6"x6" or 12"x12" decorative paper?

Don't forget the following 12 Days of Christmas blog candy drawings --- be certain to answer the question on each individual post to be included in that drawing!

• Favorite Scoring Tools
• Two Soldeirng Starters
• Three Inchie Art Packets
• Four Cournish Stamps
• Five Fab Fine Art Fixings
• Six Dies for Cutting
• Seven Alterable Items
• Eight Copics for Coloring

12 Days of Christmas - Day 8: Copics for Coloring by Susan Roberts

Welcome to Day 8 of the CLASSroom’s 12 Days of Christmas.  Karen Lockhart has some new images to be released soon, and this darling "Love in the Window" is one of my absolute favorites.  As it turned out, it is also the perfect size to alter a baby food jar into an easy gift jar.

The image was stamped with Memento’s Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with those wonderful crème de la crème of markers… COPICS!!

 

After coloring the image, I cut it out and punched two small slits on either side to thread the ribbon through.

 

After threading and tying a knot on one side, I put a strip of double sided sticky tape on the back before placing it on the jar.

 

Once the image was adhered to the jar, the (gingham) ribbon was wrapped around it and threaded and knotted through the second slit.

 

Just a note:  To make sure that the slits are a bit sturdier, I would recommend adhering a small second layer of cardstock on the back of the image where the slits will be punched.  With the slits punched through two layers, it would allow the ribbon to be pulled a little tighter before tying off the second knot without worrying about any tearing (like on mine below) and thus avoiding some minor repairs!!

The jar is finished off with another new Lockhart image called "IB Rosebud Heart".  It is also colored with COPICS, cut out and then adhered to the lid.

Thanks for dropping by the CLASSroom today!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Stamps: Lockhart "Love in the Window" and "IB Rosebud Heart"

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black and COPICS

EIGHTH DAY BLOG CANDY

On the eighth day of Christmas my goodie box could be:

• eight Copics for coloring (for a wonderful overview of the Copic Color System please read this fantastic tutorial put together by Debbie Olson)

 

To participate in this random drawing please leave your answer to the following question as a comment to this post. Please limit yourself to one comment only. The last day to submit a comment to this post will be January 6th at Midnight. We will post the winners (which will be drawn using a Random Number Generator) for all twelve days on January 7th.

Have you tried the Copic markers and if so what do you like about them? Have you taken a Copic class? Have you tried the airbrush system? Tell us a little about your experience with Copic markers or if you haven't had the experience of coloring with Copics please share why it is that you would like to win this set of markers :D

Don't forget the following 12 Days of Christmas blog candy drawings --- be certain to answer the question on each individual post to be included in that drawing!

• Favorite Scoring Tools
• Two Soldeirng Starters
• Three Inchie Art Packets
• Four Cournish Stamps
• Five Fab Fine Art Fixings
• Six Dies for Cutting
• Seven Alterable Items

12 Days of Christmas - Day 7: Alterable Items, Canvas Album Part Four by Julia Stainton

One of the fabulous things about the Prima Canvas Album is all the wonderful techniques and ways you can alter it. For this page, I've had a lot of fun with altering surfaces with paint and trying out a really fun way to give your photos an easy and unique look. Thanks for joining me.

For this page, I thought it would be fun to create a page without paper. Actually, if you look closely, the flowers are made from paper but for the rest of the design...it's paper free. And that includes the photo. I started off by painting my own background right on the canvas. You don't need to do anything to the surface first, just brush on your paint. I've used brush strokes in Blank Canvas, Painterly Pink and a tiny touch of Landscape Green to create this artistic styled background. To get this effect, use a dry brush and brush on the paint with horizontal and vertical strokes until you've built up the color the way you want it.

 

Allow paint to dry well.

My second step was to add a stamped Bracket Block Scrapblock to the canvas page. This helps anchor the design. The Adirondack Paint Dabbers are really great for applying paint to rubber stamps and give a beautiful impression much different from the look you would get with ink. On this page I've used Hazelnut. The paint also works really well on top of the painted background layer.

After the paint has dried well, the next step was to add the photo.You can either use a digital photo or like me, scan in a vintage photo, edit and then print directly onto Claudine Hellmuth Sticky Back Canvas. The 8.5 x 11 sheets fit perfectly into your printer and print. I used a black and white image but color images also print well on this canvas. An ink jet printer will work well with this technique as well as a laser printer.

 

As you can see, it gives the photo a lovely texture and the detail comes out well on this surface. I used my Tonic Guillotine Paper Trimmer to cut out the canvas as it works well on heavy paper and other surfaces.
 

To create my own custom embellishment, I used Craft-a-Board and die cut it with the Spellbinders Nested Bird die, medium size.
 

A really easy way to cover chipboard and Craft-a-Board is alter it with Distress Crackle Paint. I used Shabby Shutters and then while wet, sprinkled it with Martha Stewart Glitter.

After it's dry, you can see how it gives a great textured look  and a touch of shine. I had scraps of Sticky Back Canvas left over after trimming my photo and used it to make an easy pleated ribbon here. I also grouped together Confetti Cake White Flowers, a sweet Basic Grey Button and the gorgeous Say it in Studs Pastels bling embellishment.

 

A third way I used Sticky Back Canvas on this project was to stamp a sentiment on it. Love is the key comes from the Key Expressions stamp set by CHF.

Here's how I added it in along with some of the Shire ribbon lace  I've been using on each page. I love how easy the sticky back canvas is to adhere to your project.

 

Here's a close-up of the other flower cluster. It uses another Say it with Studs embellishment and some Basic Grey Bling.

A close-up of the final project...

 

If you're just joining us and would like to see the other Canvas Album Pages, you can find there at Part One, Part Two and Part Three.

Thanks so much for stopping by the CLASSroom! We hope you are enjoying the 12 days of Christmas.

SEVENTH DAY BLOG CANDY

On the seventh day of Christmas my goodie box could be:

• Seven Alterable Items (Canvas Album, Clear Buttons, White and Cream Art Flowers, Manila #8 Tag Set, 8"x8" Crystal Clear Plastic, 8 1/2" x 11" Crystal Clear Medium-Weight Plastic, Craft-a-Board)

To participate in this random drawing please leave your answer to the following question as a comment to this post. Please limit yourself to one comment only. The last day to submit a comment to this post will be January 6th at Midnight. We will post the winners (which will be drawn using a Random Number Generator) for all twelve days on January 7th.

As you can probably tell we enjoy trying different things here in the CLASSroom along with carrying different products in our store. It is so very important to us that we educate you fully, showing you how to use the products we carry. Please tell us below which products (products we carry ) you would like to see more education on.

Don't forget the following 12 Days of Christmas blog candy drawings --- be certain to answer the question on each individual post to be included in that drawing!

• Favorite Scoring Tools
• Two Soldeirng Starters
• Three Inchie Art Packets
• Four Cournish Stamps
• Five Fab Fine Art Fixings
• Six Dies for Cutting