the CLASSroom

Communique Steampunk Birdie

I have the pleasure of giving a very warm welcome to the first of many products being added to Ellen's store from EcoGreen Crafts.  We have lots to share with you about the story behind this company, but for today I focus in on just one product, the Artables Bird on a Pedestal and the movement behind it's creation - Steampunk.

Julia Andrus, the product developer and creative genius behind EcoGreen Crafts has a passion for all sorts of wonderful vintage things.  She has had an amazing career in this industry and is embarking on something new and very exciting.

What on earth is Steampunk?!  Julia defines it as this: "art that is based on elements from the Industrial Age era (1850’s to early 1900’s) combined with fantasy or out-of-context elements".  She taught a class at the last Winter Craft and Hobby Trade Show that I very much wanted to attend.  So much so, that I talked Ellen into taking it with me.  She is always up for something new and said sure!  I ended up not being able to attend, but she decided to go anyway and was SO glad she did, because she discovered this genre that I have such a passion for too.  P.S.  Here is a link to Julia's Steampunk Birdie from the show.

There are so many things I love about creating with this Steampunk style.  For this post I focused on how useful the Graphic 45 paper line and the Ideology Line of trinkets and metal are for this type of project.

I did not do step out photos on the paper mache technique, but it was very easy.  I simply ripped up papers from the Communique Collection including Party Line, Society Page and A Fine Specimen and then applied Dries Clear Adhesive with a paint brush and layered onto the bird.  It was Plato that said, "necessity, who is the mother of invention".  I have many other products that I *should* have used to decoupage these papers on, but I couldn't find ANY of them.  The Dries Clear product was sitting on my desk and will now be my go to for this type of project.  Something about the consistency was perfect!

The birdies face and head is adorned with a few metal elements that just tickle my fancy!  The eyes are the screw side of the Hitch Fasteners inserted into the bird.  I added a little black jewel for her pupil.  Her nose is adorned with a Game Spinner.

I have no idea how or why it seemed like this little gal needed a hat, but she just looked bald and we can't have that!  I played around with a few ideas and in the end settled on this vintage button from my mom's collection.  When I set it on her head, it kind of tilted to the side like a burret - how PERFECT!  My little french bird with a burret!  Sorry, I will stop using exclamation points, but I am reeeally excited about this project.

She was a little too "clean" and needed some soot, so I applied some Noir Palette Ink with my finger.

For the wings I adhered images from the Typography paper (Graphic 45) with Glossy Accents to some large fragment ovals from the Ovals and Circles Set.  A note about Glossy Accents - this is an amazing product, but like all things has it's limitations.  Because it is a water based product it can react with other water based products and some papers.  I learned recently that if you seal the area with fast drying clear nail polish that the ink will not run. 

Finally, the top half of the Hitch Fasteners were adhered to the Fragment with Mini Glue Dots, giving the impression that it is holding the wing on.

A note on adhesive with the feather and the fragment wing.  I used this super sticky double-sided tape.  Thank you to Miss Kim for sending me a bag of feathers over two years ago.  Completely serendipitous and perfect for this project.

This element is made up of three pieces of the Ideology Line - Ball Chain, Swivel Clasps and Muse Tokens.  I applied Traditional Tan Studio Paint and just a tiny bit of Dash of Red with my finger to the round tag piece to highlight the word.

This might just be my favorite part of this birdie.  I fussy cut a whole bunch of pens from the Pen in Hand paper (Graphic 45) with really sharp tip scissors.  I applied Glossy Accents to all of the pens and nibs, but did coat them with clear nail polish first as I mentioned earlier.  There were also adhered with a 1/8 inch double sided tape and then I formed them with my fingers.  The Glossy Accents help them to keep their shape.

 

The beautiful thing about this type of project is that you can make it completely your own.  It's your creative personality that will come out - you can be as conservative or eccentric as you like!  There are no rules.  I would love you challenge you to try a Steampunk project and link back to this post.  I would love to see your interpretation!

It was a joy to share this with you today, Lisa

Perfect Pearls Dusting masculine card by Cindy Lyles

Perfect Pearls Dusting is a technique I learned at Ranger U from Tim Holtz.  Perfect Pearls are pearlescent powders, available in a multitude of colors from ellenhutson.com.  They feature a built-in resin, allowing them to adhere to inks that do not dry immediately, to name two we are using today: Distress Inks or Perfect Medium. 

For today's card I am simply brushing the powder over a stamped image to create a shimmery, yet masculine background.

Tim created a video demo utilizing the vast wonders of Ranger's Perfect Pearls here.

To begin I stamped the clock image from Tim's Elements of Time randomly over a 5-1/2" square card (folded) of Licorice cardstock using Ranger's Perfect Medium. 

Perfect Medium is a 3" x 3" pad that works similarly to VersaMark or other watermark inks.  It was designed by Ranger to be the perfect accompaniment with Perfect Pearls pigments, and it can be used as a resist ink, embossing or watermark ink as well.

Perfect Pearls Heirloom Gold was dusted over the stamped areas using a clean, soft paintbrush.

To completely remove all traces of loose pigment powder from the cardstock, I found sweeping a large, clean makeup brush (designated for craft room use) works wonders.

Next, the clock image was stamped onto white cardstock using Jet Black Archival Ink, and punched out using a 1-3/4" circle punch.

Punched clock was inked with Distress Antique Linen using an ink blending tool...

...then the edges inked using Distress Vintage Photo ink.

I punched a circle using Crystal Clear Plastic - medium weight and a 1-3/4" circle punch.  I finished this clock embellishment with a few pieces from Tim's Idea-ology line, detailed a few photos down.

Stamp the sentiment and clock from the Elements of Time set onto white cardstock using Jet Black Archival Ink.

Ink up the same way as the clock - first with Distress Antique Linen ink...

...followed by Distress Vintage Photo ink.

Distress the edges of the cardstock sentiment using Tim's paper distresser.  This tool is a quick and efficient way to distress cardstock, photos, chipboard, and so forth.  The blade is titanium.

Ink the distressed, frayed edges of the cardstock sentiment using Distress Walnut Stain ink.

Stamp the sentiment again onto a white cardstock scrap using Jet Black Archival Ink, and cut out key words or phrases.  Completely ink the trimmed words with Distress Aged Mahogany using an ink blending tool.

Add Tim's Mini Fasteners to the mahogany strips once adhered in place over the aged sentiment panel.

Finished card - measures 5-1/2" square.  To create the clock embellishment, align the cardstock and plastic circles, then punch a hole through the center of both layers using a 1/16" hole punch.  Layer one of Tim's Sprocket Gears and a Game Spinner using a brad that is included with the Game Spinners.

The diamond and stripe decorative cardstock is A Fine Specimen and Shutter Speed from Graphic 45.  I used a Labels 8 die (the largest one) on the diamond print.

This cardstock combination is excellent for sympathy cards as well.

The card front sentiment could be a birthday or even retirement.  Sentiment is from Hero Arts Birthday Messages.  Thank you for stopping by Ellen's CLASSroom blog today!

Pumped About Embossing by Susan Roberts

Today I want to shoe you something really fun, making your own embossing template.  It’s easy peasy and can add an interesting detail to your creations.

I chose the “Party Shoe” stamp by Karen Lockhart for the template.

The image was stamped on Ellen’s “Essentials by Ellen: Craft-a-Board” and then cut out.  This Craft-a-Board is sturdy but very manageable to cut fairly small details.  A small border should be left around the image when cutting.

 

I passed the card stock through my embosser with the shoe template.  One layer of Craft-a-Board was enough to leave a perfect embossed image.

To center the image for stamping, I used a “Stamp-a-ma-Jig” over the embossed area.

 

I LOVE the resulting look!

 

Shoes were colored with Copics.  Basic Grey designer paper was used to cut several coordinating pieces to paper piece onto the shoe.  These pieces were quick and easy cutting.  Consequently, I cut out so many of these!  I will store them with my stamp, along with the template, for future creations.

 

Before adhering the paper pieces to the card stock, I embossed some of them.

 

This was a blast!  As I was going through the different designer papers trying to decide which papers to use and once several were cut out, it felt like I was trying on different shoes as I placed the little cutouts on the different colored shoe images.  But, I finally made my decisions.  Below are larger pictures of each of the four cards in the set.

The sentiments are all part of the Cornish Heritage Farms “The Shoe Boutique” set.

Each card has a corresponding sentiment stamped on the inside as well.  These are shown directly below the card.  Also listed are all supplies used on that particular card.

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Stamps: Karen Lockhart "Party Shoe" and Cornish Heritage Farms "The Shoe Boutique"

Papers: Essentials by Ellen: Craft-a-Board; Memory Box "Blueberry" and Basic Grey "Sugar Rush"

Inks: Memento "Tuxedo Black"; Copic 0.3 Black Multiliner and

Copic Individual Markers:

Accessories: Martha Stewart Edger Punch "Threader"; May Arts 1/4" White Silk Ribbon; Hero Arts Button "Summer"

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Stamps: Karen Lockhart "Party Shoe" and Cornish Heritage Farms "The Shoe Boutique"

Papers: Essentials by Ellen: Craft-a-Board; Memory Box "Key Lime"; Basic Grey "Origins"

Inks: Memento "Tuxedo Black"; Copic 0.3 Black Multiliner and

Copic Individual Markers:

Accessories: May Arts 1-1/4" Black Silk Ribbon; Kaiser Black Pearl

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Stamps: Karen Lockhart "Party Shoe" and Cornish Heritage Farms "The Shoe Boutique"

Papers: Essentials by Ellen: Craft-a-Board; Memory Box "Key Lime"; Basic Grey "Sugar Rush"

Inks: Memento "Tuxedo Black"; Copic 0.3 Black Multiliner and

Copic Individual Markers:

Accessories: Hero Arts, Neutral Art Flower; Prima Marketing White Flower Centers

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Stamps: Karen Lockhart "Party Shoe" and Cornish Heritage Farms "The Shoe Boutique"

Papers: Essentials by Ellen: Craft-a-Board; Memory Box "Blueberry" and Basic Grey "Eskimo Kisses"

Inks: Memento "Tuxedo Black"; Copic 0.3 Black Multiliner and

Copic Individual Markers:

Accessories: Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page "Eyelet Lace"; Prima Marketing Creme Ribbon Lace; Hero Arts Neutral Fancy Felt Flowers; Hero Arts Art Flowers Neutral; Kaiser Black Pearls

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Happy Crafting!

Stuck on You Part Four - Dry Adhesive Ideas by Julia Stainton

Adhering your project together well is an integral part of a good design. Over the past four weeks I've been showcasing different adhesives and some ideas on how you might use them in your projects. I think my favorite adhesives have to be the so-called "dry" adhesives. This means that the adhesives is not in a liquid or wet form. This usually includes glue dots, adhesive squares and tape dispensing style adhesive cartridges.

I love dry adhesives as they are very easy to apply, there is little mess and there is no drying time involved. For me the higher cost of dry adhesives is off-set by how well they work and how quickly things go together. All dry adhesives are not equal though. Some are much stickier than others and hold up better over time. After years of experimenting and trying different  kinds, I now have my favorites. I encourage you to do the same and see what works for you.

Since I first tried out the Glue Glider Pro, I've been hooked. Seriously...I don't think I've created a project in months without it. I love how much adhesive there is on a roll, how easy it is to switch out the cartridges, how easy it is on my wrist but most of all, how well it sticks. After all, an adhesive is only as good as its staying power.

 

For this project I used the Glue Glider Pro to adhere my paper and photos and some of the embellishments as well. Here's a look at the start of my project.

I started off with a 12x12 piece of white cardstock. This layout could easily be adapted for an 8x8 size or even an 8.5x11 layout. I want my layouts to last for years and years to pass down to my family so using an adhesive that is acid free and also will work well is important to me. The Glue Glide works great for this and doesn't ripple the photos. For this project I've adhered two 3.5" square photos and a piece of 6x6 paper by Webster's Pages.

 

Next I wanted to add a fun embellishment technique using adhesive glue strips. You can use slim or wide strips of adhesive for this but for this project, I chose the 1/4" size. Making sure to apply the adhesive in a straight line, I applied it to my paper and then pressed well.

 

After the backing is removed, sprinkle glitter over the surface and coat well. Shake to remove excess.

 

Repeat along bottom of layout. To get a perfectly straight line that is exactly on grid, I used the Basic Grey Precision Mat. I love this product for getting things lined up each and every time. The magnets are great for keeping the layout in place as well making it an ideal work surface. Repeat until you have the amount of  glitter strips you wish for on your project. For this layout, I've used the Martha Stewart Glitter in the Golden Beryl, Turquoise and Verdilite shades.

You can also use this technique to attach embossing powder, beads, flocking and other small items to your projects.

The Invisibles Alphabet Stickers are a fun product to work with. I love the pre-embossed pattern and they can be customized to any shade you wish by sponging on ink. I used Shabby Shutters, Worn Lipstick and Broken China Distress Inks to create my "always" title.

 

To create straight lines for my journaling, once again the Magnetic Mat comes in handy. The magnetic ruler that comes with it makes it easy to line up and draw parallel lines in pencil.

 

The journaling was written with a Copic Multiliner and then I erased the lines.

Glue Dots can also but used to add glitter accents to your project. You can add them one at a time or as for this project, add them in a line. To get the spacing and application in a perfect row, simply tear off the length of strip you need to cover and apply them to the paper. Press well before removing backing.

 

Here's what the glue dots look like and then you cover them with glitter.

 

Because this layout was about the passage of time, I added in some supporting embellishments. Maya Road Black and White Clocks and Days of the Week Cards by Webster's Pages are a fun addition. I've also added in some Jenni Bowlin Chipboard Buttons, and flowers for extra detail.

The pretty vintage button is also by Jenni Bowlin and accents the title. You may notice that while stamping is not the key focus on this design, I've tucked in some sweet sentiments and images from the Wedding Centers and Botanical Bliss stamp sets by Cornish Heritage Farms.

This has been part four of the Stuck on You series on adhesives. If you're looking for the previous tutorials you can find them at part one, part two and part three. While there are many ways to use adhesives and adhere layers to your designs, I hope this has given you a few ideas on different methods you can try.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom and happy creating!

Lockhart Window Photo Album by Sharon Harnist

 

Today I have a photo album cover to share with you.  I made this to hold 6-inch scrapbook pages that I hope to fill with pages of my daughters to give to their grandmother for Mother's Day!  I'm hoping if I get an early enough start on it, I might finish it in time!  This beautiful Basic Grey Origins 6x6 paper was begging me to be used and I thought it would be perfect for this special keepsake album.

I started by cutting two pieces of  6-1/4" square Craft-A-Board to use as my album cover base.  Then I adhered the paper to the front and rounded the corners with Zutter's special corner rounder tool that cuts through chipboard like butter!  The edges of the album cover were inked with Antique Linen Distress ink.

Karen Lockhart's Tulips in the Window was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink onto Neenah Natural White cardstock and then cut out.  The center pots of tulips were carefully trimmed away and this left a nice sized (1-1/4" x 1-3/4") opening to have a photo of my girls peeking through!

The window was softly colored with the Copic markers listed below.  Copic Melon Spica glitter pen was used to color the tiny leaves and then Summer Flower Soft applied to make some flowers on the vines (you can click on the photo for a larger view).  The window was popped up on thick foam tape over the photo that I printed at about 2" x 3" in sepia tones.

 

I used Becky's Trend Watch Tuesday-Text advice from this week and stamped CHF's Vintage Text Scrapblock with black ink onto Natural cardstock and then die cut it with Nested Dahlia dies.  The flowers were wrinkled up, the edges inked with Antique Linen Distress ink, and then layered together with foam tape.  A black tied button finishes the center of the flower.

I used my Bind-It-All and 1-inch black Owire to bind my covers and scrapbook page protectors together.  Wide ivory silk ribbon finishes this album cover ... quick & easy!  Now to fill it!  I hope to show you a few scrapbook pages I prepare for this album over the next few months.  Thanks for stopping by today!

 

 
Stamps:  Lockhart Tulips in the Window, CHF Scrapblock-Vintage Text
Paper:  Basic Grey Origins 6x6, Neenah Natural White
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Antique Linen Distress ink. Copic markers: YR31 custom lighter, YR31, YR21, E40, E31, T2 & Melon Spica Glitter Pen
Accessories: Craft-A-Board, Bind-It-All, BIA 1" Black OWire, Round-It-All 1/2" corner rounder, Flower Soft Floral Bouquet Color Collection (Summer), Spellbinders Nested Dahlia die set, Button, May Arts1-1/4" Ivory Silk Ribbon

Cupcake Flowers by Kim Hughes

I love thinking of creative uses for products that were intended for something specific, where in this case, is a cupcake.  Why not make a fun flower with that delicious whipped cupcake top?

Supplies:

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Pitch Black

Martha Stewart Craft Punch, Classic Butterfly, Martha Stewart Punch and Stamp, Cupcake

Cosmo Cricket Paper Crafting Kit, Joy Ride

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

Basic Grey Brads, Indian Summer

Cosmo Cricket Buttons, Material Girl

Memory Box : B7 Cardstock, Boysenberry, F2 Cardstock, Ocean

Karen Lockhart: Water...Weed...Wait... stamp

other: kraft card stock

Start by punching out 14 cupcakes.

Then adhere them to your card base as if you were laying a 5 petal flower.  Gently crumple the tops, upwards.

Place the next layer of cupcakes closer together,on top of the base flower and crinkle those edges as well.

 

The final layer consists of 4 "petals" which are overlapped and also have crumpled edges.  Find the perfect button center and adorn it with a large brad.  Add interest by bending the brad prongs backwards.
 

Once your center is in place, continue to fold and crumple the flower petals to add even more dimension.
 

Create fun "hills" with striped patterned paper
 

Stemp the sentiment onto teal card stock and cut along the words to create a playful flower stem.
 

Add the flower to the hills and cover the bottom with a third hill.
 

Complete the card with a cut leaf that's bent in the center to add dimension.
 

Create a coordinating key chain with ease.  Punch 2 butterflies from striped paper, cut the teal card stock to a 1 x 1 inch square (add onto an inchie block if desired),
 

start by punching the cmallest circle and then place the larger hole punch over that and punch a custom tag topper

 

Poke a hole in the front butterfly and add a large yellow brad in the center
 

adhere the second butterfly to the back side with a sturdy liquid glue
 

Lastly, tie some fun silk ribbon to your key chain.  I know that my daughter will love this tiny treat!

I apologize that some of the photos are a bit blurry, my camera had a heck of a time with those light pastel colors.

Thanks for joining me today :)

Trend Watch Tuesday - Text Brings More to a Project Than Just Talk by Becky Olsen

The trend I thought would be fun to discuss today is that of using text as design element. Whether you create a project using a text stamp or a piece of patterned paper that already has the text on it, this look will add a lot of depth and dimension to your creation. There are many variations on the font that is used in text based products, but I focused on just a few. The first is the look of script, or handwriting. This type of font tends to have more of an elegant or shabby look and lends itself to vintage projects beautifully. The other style I want to take a look at is the basic typewriter fonts. They go well with most every genre of project, from vintage to clean and simple, it all depends on how you use them.

There are many ways to incorporate a font layer into your design, what I like to do first is decide if it will be a layered project or one that is a single layer. Once this decision is made you can decide how to implement text either in a very subtle way or boldly, both have wonderful potential for eye catching results!

My first project is one that is basically a single layer with exception for the sentiment. I loved how this Webster's Pages Message card had wonderful color and image layers to begin with, it saved me a lot of time and thought on designing and let me concentrate on the finishing touches. I thought I was using a card from the Hello Beautiful Journaling Card set, but it ended up coming from the Old World Message Cards. The latter is sold out, but there are loads of gorgeous cards in the other sets as well.

We will be using images from the Cornish Heritage Farms "Botanical Bliss" All Things Considered set.

I first painted a nice thin layer of Studio Paint onto the lines, gently covering those to provide an evenly colored area for where I wanted to stamp. Let it dry completely before trying to stamp. Use the script note from the Botanical Bliss Stamp set stamped in Coffee Archival ink and then stamp the poppy image over the top and let dry fully. Stamp the dragonfly as well in the top left corner.

 

Place some Adirondack Dimensional Pearls onto your craft mat and using a wet paint brush carefully apply thinned dimensional pearls onto the image. Applying in layers will create a more dimensional image so be patient.

 

Stamp a sentiment onto cream colored card stock with the Coffee Archival, trim and then distress with Walnut Stain Distress ink.

Apply sentiment with a dry adhesive to the card.

 

The dimension is fantastic, but what I think really makes this card interesting is all of the different elements of text. They seem to be different ways that support the sentiment even though we aren't really sure what it all says.

I found more really fantastic script products in the store that would contribute to fabulous text based projects.

Stampers Anonymous "Art From the Heart" Studio 490

Stampers Anonymous "Royal Script" Tim Holtz

Cornish Heritage Farms "Spanish Script" Backgrounder

The next couple of projects are going to focus on the typewriter font genre. There are so many fantastic products designed in this style and the opportunity to create with them is endless.

This project starts with The Cornish Heritage Farms Vintage Text Scrapblock

It was stamped with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink onto a piece of Lemonade patterned paper by Basic Grey.

Apply the ink randomly onto the Scrapblock and then place the paper on top of the stamp, randomly and lightly press the paper down onto the stamp.

This will give the text a mottled and aged look that makes it look like a page out of a very old book.

 

With Black Soot Distress ink stamp the Saturday Evening Post Tulip Girl over the top of the text.

I colored with Prisma color pencils, but this is your project so if you would rather stamp with a different ink and color with Copics, go for it!

The sentiment from the Kim Hughes Spring Trees set was stamped onto the top left of the card to create a true one layer stamped project. I colored over it lightly with a colored pencil just to give it a little visual pop.

The image is then mounted onto a few more layers of Lemonade papers and a Lemonade card base with a little row of Memory Box pearls added for a little old world elegance. I just love how the text looks like a page out of an old story book that tells of spring arriving. It is amazing to me how it really doesn't say anything that has to do with the topic of the card, but it doesn't matter because our brain tells our eye what to see, and our brain sees the topic of spring because of the image and colors.

Now if you are in a bit of a rush and want the look of text without all the work that stamping, painting and coloring brings, go with a piece of paper that already has the text on it. There are quite a few different options, Webster's Pages tends to have lovely bits of script font hidden in a lot of their prints, and Graphic 45 has beautiful text sheets that correspond with each of their design lines.

Graphic 45 "A Fine Specimen" Communique

For the last project I used the backside of the Fashionista paper. It was already aged and distressed and all I had to do was add my own bits and it was done in 20 minutes (that is fast for me, LOL!) If you follow this design pretty closely I bet you could get this card done in about 7minutes!

Graphic 45 "Haute Couture" Fashionista

Start with a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of the text paper. Also trim out one of the labels from the Domestic Goddess label sheet. I was loving how delish those strawberries looked they seemed like a fun way to let a friend know I was thinking about them.

Place your Large Polka Dot Backgrounder rubber side up onto your work surface and randomly ink with Fired Brick Distress ink.

Place the text paper down onto the stamp and lightly press to achieve a random dotted look.

After you have done all that hard work (phew!) Stitch the label on, adhere a little Maya Road sheer clock face, tie a bow and stitch on a button with embroidery floss and tie off with a bow. Put in the Maya Road stick pin and adhere with a glue dot. Use the darling Cosmo Cricket Tiny Letters for your sentiment and it is done.

The red dots reflect the color of the berries in the background and visually break it so it isn't too heavy or overwhelming. The text on the label assures freshness, a wonderful way to compliment your friend on being a sweet addition to your life. And the sentiment in that cute and simple font is a quick and easy read that leaves them clear about how your feel.

Thanks for joining me on this very verbose journey through the wonder and delight of using the different types of text you could use to add dimension, and eye catching elements to any project design. This is a trend that I think will just keep getting wordier!

B-

Back to Basics - Ink It Up by Lisa Strahl

Monday.  It's Monday once again.  I hope you had a good weekend and maybe even had time to create or play.

We are starting a new series today called Back to Basics.  Each week one of the CLASSroom teachers will be sharing their experiences with basic paper crafting and stamping supplies.  There are many ways to achieve successful results and it is a guarantee that we all do things a little differently.  By no means are my methods the only ones, just the ones that I have found consistent results with.

Let's get started with how to get the best possible impression with your stamps.  I am going to focus primarily on ink as it relates to line art versus detailed images, silhouette image and suggestions for clear versus rubber stamps.  The paper or surface you are using is also very important, but that's a post for another day!  What I will say is that generally, the smoother the paper, the easier it is to get a good impression with any given ink.  My advice for paper and ink combinations is to test, test, test.  If you try a pigment ink and it doesn't work, try a dye or vice versa.  For this post I am using Neenah Classic Solar White.

My #1 tip for you is called the "Swirl and Tap".  I am real stickler for an even and solid image and this technique is the best way I have found to achieve that.

It is a good idea to clean your stamps well the first time you use them.  My favorite is a strong cleaner like Stewart Superior Ultra Clean and a dry white terry cloth.  This will help to remove any residue left over from the manufacturing process or lint/dirt that may have transfered to the stamp during shipping.

RUBBER STAMPS

First the swirl.  Rub the ink in a circular motion with medium pressure over the entire surface.

Next, the "tap".  Now tap the entire surface, pressing the ink to the stamp.  By pressing the ink to the stamp you have much better control because you can feel the resistance against your other hand.  If the stamp is on the table, you really don't know how much pressure you are exerting.

The tapping motion brings the ink up to a "bead" - it ensures that there is enough ink applied evenly over the stamp.  With this detailed rubber stamp called Leopard and Beauty, I used Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate Ink.  This is my all time favorite ink for detailed rubber images - it is SO crisp!  This color is such a rich brown, without too much red.  Another ink I really like for detail rubber images is Adirondack Pitch Black Pigment Ink.

Here is the image stamped.  One note on the actual stamping - I use finger tip pressure to ensure that I don't press to hard which can cause you to lose detail in the image.  It also helps to stamp on a foam mat of some kind, like a mouse pad.

Next let's discuss silhouette images or images that have large areas of solid rubber.  This Zebra Pair is a great example.  It would be very obvious if the ink did not give an even, solid impression for this image.  For this type of stamp on card stock, my all time favorite ink is Jet Black Archival by Ranger.  This is my go to ink.  It works for me, for the most number of techniques.  The biggest exception is that it is not compatible with alcohol based markers like Copic.  Of course, I used my "swirl and tap" method again.

I encourage you to click on the stamped image to see just how bold and full the coverage is.

I went on to create an ATC (Artist Trading Card) with this image by creating a mask using Judikins Eclipse Paper and airbrushing various colors of Copic Markers and Spica Glitter Pens to create an African sunset.  The Copics I used are: YR24 Pale Sepia, E39 Leather, and V15 Mallow.  The Spicas I used include Lemon, Orange and Clear.  That perfect little sentiment is from a stamp set called Beacon of Hope.

CLEAR STAMPS

I am pleased to share that Ellen only carries the highest quality clear photo polymer stamps.  Why is that important?  If you have ever bought clear stamps I would be willing to bet that you can tell that there are variations in how they stamp and how they stick to the block.  The highest quality clear stamps accept more types of ink and make a good impression.  With clear stamps, like rubber, it is a good idea to clean them first and think about the surface you are stamping on as I have described above.

For this detailed dragonfly from the Antique Engraving Set by Hero Arts, I again used Adirondack Pitch Black Pigment Ink and stamped onto a white inchie.  For most pigment ink, a quick heat set is a good idea.

I then stamped the image again on paper from the 6x6 Frond Collection Paper Pack by Memory Box, fussy cut out the wings and adhered them with a very thin but super sticky strip of double sided tape.  The "come fly away" sentiment (Botanical Bliss set) is stamped in Eggplant Adirondack Pigment Ink.  The finishing touches include Glossy Accents applied to the body and the entire inchie edged with the Silver Krylon Leafing Pen.

 
Next up is line art clear stamps.  You have several choices for these images including Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger), Graphite Black Brilliance Ink (Tsukineko) and Pitch Black Adirondack Pigment Ink.  There are others of course, but these are my favorite.  I stamped the little owl image from the Say Hello Stamp set by Hero Arts.

I wanted to stamp a single word from the Sassy Petites stamp set  and didn't want to cut this set up so I simply masked off the area around the word "sparkly".

Remove the masking paper to reveal the one inked word.

Use the masking paper again to create a "handle" for the back of your inchie and press the inchie to the stamp.

Here is my finished "Sparkly Owl" inchie.  I used the 6x6 Spearmint Memory Box Paper Pack, added Diamond Stickles and Lemon Yellow Liquid Pearls to the wing and highlighted the rest of the owl with the Clear Spica Glitter Pen and embellished with two small pearls.

 

Thanks so much for joining us today @ the CLASSroom!

Lisa

Sympathy Card

Life is a gift we can never take for granted. The life of one man's family changed in the blink of an eye when they lost him at the young age of 49, a couple of weeks ago. My life changed. Tyler was a man who helped me out of what seemed to be the big black hole of computer problems. He is missed around here and his family is constantly in my thoughts. Tyler and I shared some wonderful laughs as he worked on our computers. We would joke about how as parents of teens and preteens we could best be employed as taxi-cab drivers and videograpers/photographers.

Creating during times when I feel down helps bring me through some of lifes tough moments. As I created this card I thought about Tyler's wife Andrea and the challenges she now faces. I also thought about his two boys and the loss that they are going through and now face at such a young age. Andrea shared the following quote on a special website and I feel compelled to share it with you.

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children…to leave the world a better place…to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I wanted to create a card that was feminine, yet had masculine touches to it. I poured my soul into this little creation and was able to smile when it was completed. It's odd that now when I sit down to type and share the details of how to make this card - I find this part difficult. What an emotional being I am?!? So following are just little snippets - I hope that this helps you to be able to recreate something similar that you can pour your emotions into.

Adhere the Sticky Back Canvas to your non-stick craft mat and use the ink blending tool to add color.

Stamp using Palette Noir Ink. Allow to dry.

Stick the two pieces of sticky back canvas together (opposite side is the vine pattern shown above) and cut out flower using non-stick scissors.

Add color to copy weight paper using ink blending tool. Copy weight paper on the opposite side of your sticky back canvas will give you a little stability to shape your flowers and have them hold the shape.

Adhere the sticky back canvas to your colored copy paper and cut out.

The wood product you see in this photo is a fabulous new product that will be arriving in our store soon. I had to use it because of the soft masculinity it brought to this project.

 

The beautiful brass butterfly is also from a new line that we will be carrying. The Vintaj products we have ordered fill a huge hole I have felt is missing from the products we carry.

I'd like to bring this post to a close with some additional words that Andrea has shared. I can hear Tyler saying them and I would like to encourage you to do at least one of the things on this list when you finish reading this post.

Tyler would say:

• be with the living
• hug your kids
• call your grandma
• what are your goals
• what is your vision

Tyler was appreciated around here so very much and I hope that he knew that when I would say THANK YOU each time he would leave I sincerely meant it. I breathed easier due to Tyler - Tyler's life was a success! Once again I silently say, "Thank you Tyler."

 
stamps: Studio 490 Rose Art Part 2, Hero Arts Big and Small, Kim Hughes Silhouette Blooms I, Scrapblock Vintage Text

paper: Graphic 45 8x8 A Proper Gentleman, Memory Box Licorice CS

ink: Palette Noir, Antique Linen Distress Ink Pad

accessories: Sticky Back Canvas, Wood Veneer (to arrive soon), Jenni Bowlin Vintage Button, Jenni Bowlin Pearl Flower, Hero Arts Felt Flower, Vintaj Brass Buterfly, Prima Lace Black Banner, Nestability Large Labels

Stuck on You Part Three - Liquid Adhesive Ideas by Julia Stainton

While adhesives aren't the most exciting part of your project, they can be a great way to add special touches to your creation as well as holding everything together. Today's project is the third installment of the Stuck on You series andfeatures some quick and easy ways to use liquid adhesives to embellish your designs.

A great adhesive for embellishing is a glue pen. For my project I used the 2 Way Glue which gives you a little more adhesive.

For extra fine detail, the Quickie Glue Pen is also a great product. Either one is a great choice, can be used interchangeably and they are just a matter of personal preference.

 

I love these adhesives as they are very easy to use, non-messy and accurate as well as being very portable. As a little goes a long way, these adhesives will last you for a very long time. To ensure longevity, make sure you tightly replace the cap after using.

Here's how I created today's project...

 

To create the image panel I first cut the Neenah Classic Solar White cardstock to the desired size and airbrushed the background in layers. Eclipse Tape is a great product for this. Just tear off a piece and airbrush starting at the horizon line, moving the mask each time and darkening the color. If you look at a landscape, you'll notice that color fades as it gets further away so the darkest and most intense colors should be at the top and bottom of your image.

Here's what it looks like finished. You'll notice I moved the mask and used a couple different pieces torn differently to vary the look.

 

Copic colors for this project: BG02, BG45, BG10, G40, YG93, Bg93, YG63, E31. Because I wasn't trying to perfectly blend the colors, I used slightly different shades.

 

The Hero Arts Bicycle is a darling stamp. I stamped it onto the landscape using Black Archival Ink and then added touches of color with my Copic markers. I love the depth and intensity of this ink. Planning ahead to my end card layout you'll see paper from the very darling Nutmeg 6x6 paper pad by Cosmo Cricket.

 

Here's where I finally got to add in the adhesives. The Two Way Glue Pen is fabulous for adding glitter to a stamped image. I used Carnelian from the Martha Stewart Glitter Set.
 

The Two Way Glue Pen is also great for adding interesting detail to patterned paper. Here I've traced the clouds with this liquid adhesive and then applied Polar White Flower Soft for a fluffy look.

 

The other great liquid adhesive I used on this project is the Making Memories Ribbon Glue. Often dry adhesives don't adhere ribbon well for long periods of time and this glue is easy to use and has staying power. It's nice and thick so it won't be oozing up through your twill and ribbon fibers.

 

To finish off my card the Hello, friend sentiment comes from the Friend Centers stamp set by CHF. A little knot of twine on the handlebars with a Glue Dot and some tiny Basic Grey buttons add a sweet look.

I'll be back next week for one more Stuck on You tutorial. You can find Part One and Part Two by clicking on the links.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom today!

Airbrushed Masked Canvas by Sharon Harnist

Following up on Becky's Technique Tuesday this week of using masks and the Airbrushing article I did for Ellen's InTouch Newsletter this past weekend, I've combined the two techniques to create an airbrushed canvas wall hanging!

 

I used Tim Holtz' Alphabet Ransom mask set to spell out Live and Love on my 4" Canvas Frames.  Then I accented the bottoms of the canvases with Tim's Borderline mask.  These clear "plastic" masks are easy to peel and stick or reposition as needed: 

I started airbrushing the tops of the canvases with Copic R89:

 

I graduated the colors of markers, using (in this order) R83, R85, E31 & E57 to airbrush the rest of the canvas.  As a final step, I thought the Live & Love were a little too bright white, so I used E59 to splatter airbrush (using the brush end of the marker will give this affect) over the top.  In hindsight, I might have omitted this step!  You can see the difference in color where I airbrushed over the Live & Love vs. the border at the bottom, where I didn't.

 

To finish my canvas, I blinged the bottoms with crystals, and hinged the two canvases together with the enclosed eye screws and used ribbon to hang it.

 

I hope this gets you to thinking what you all you can apply masks to and then airbrush with Copic's wide spectrum of marker colors . . . I know I have some more ideas I'll be sharing with you!  Sharon

 
Ink: Copic markersR89, R83, R85, E31, E57  E59
Tools: Copic Airbrush System, Sparmax AC-101 Windstorm Airbrush Compressor
Accessories:  4" Canvas Frames, Tim Holtz Alphabet Ransom & Borderline Masks, Adhesive Crystals, Ribbon

Coffee anyone? by Kim Hughes

I just love coffee and find that it makes a wonderful gift for my friends and family.  I decided to create a feminine and masculine coordinating coffee set.  Of course this can be adapted for tea or hot chocolate as well.

Supplies:

Cosmo Cricket 6" Mini Deck Paper Pad, Earth Love, Cosmo Cricket 6" Mini Deck Paper Pad, The Boyfriend, Cosmo Cricket Buttons, Material Girl

Backgrounder, Wood Grain

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

Basic Grey Opaline Half Pearls, Wine/Champagne

Hero Arts stamps: Cup of Coffee, ClearDesign: What's Perking

Distressed Stickles, Pine Needles, Distressed Stickles, Antique Bronze

other: kraft card stock, brown embroidery floss, Therm O Web Zots

 

start by stamping a wood grain pattern onto a small gift bag.  Notice how the color changes when you you stamp onto kraft.  The blue takes on a green hue.

Stamp the to go cup on the bag and again onto the orange patterned paper.

 

Cut the coffee sleeve oout of the orange paper and paper piece onto the base to go cup.  Add some glitter to the coffee for a glossy/sparkly finish
 

Cut a strip of orange paper to add to the bag fold.  Tear the bottom of the fold to give it a more masculine/rustic look.

Poke 2 holes through the folded flap and use a thread to tie a button closure.

 

Add more floss to the knot and let then hang down.

Press the end of the floss onto a pearl, add an adhesive dot and another pearl to the other side, making a custom bead on the end of the floss

 

add "pearl balls" to each dangly thread.
 

to create the feminine card, stamp the cup, steam and sentiment onto a kraft card base with a torn bottom edge

add some accent color by squeezing blue Stickles to the flower centers and stamping a blue accent spoon.

 

complete the card by anchoring the color with a paper strip and embellish with green buttons in the top corner.

 

When I looked closely at the flower mug, I saw a vase of sorts.  So, I inked the cup and removed the handle.
 

and then I singled out a flower on the cup, inked it with blue ink and added it above the vase.  I then added a larger flower around the small blue one with a brown pen and drew a stem

I hope you will have some fun with these adorable images, I know that I did :)

Technique Tag Tuesday - Masked Hello Tag by Becky Olsen

I am really excited to share this technique with you today. I love the look of masking, and using the masking products that Ellen has in the shop makes it even easier! Masking can be a very fussy process, but using pre-made masking pieces makes it a snap. We are also going to use the Adirondack Acrylics which I think are an incredibly versatile product that are also very easy to use.

It is a good time to start looking for the first signs of spring and the vibrant colors that are sure to follow. With that as my inspiration this is the tag that we are going to be creating.

We are going to start with a Manila #8 tag, a Mini Mister, and Adirondack Acrylics in Lettuce.

Put water in the Mini Mister about 2/3 of the way full and then add a small squeeze of the Adirondack Acrylic, tint to your preference.

This is what the squeeze looked like that I put in. Use the stem of the mister to swirl the paint mix into the water to get it started and then tighten and shake to finish mixing.

Spritz the tag and get a nice coat of the mixture covering the top.

Accelerate drying with the Heat It tool. Apply more layers to get the color that you wish.

I was left with about half of the Lettuce colored mix, I then added a squeeze of the Pesto color. Again swirl with the stem to blend and then put the lid on and shake to fully mix. This is a nice way to blend colors because you know that you will have a color that will compliment your scheme perfectly because it has been blended with the previously used color.

Spritz onto the tag, dry and then apply more layers as desired.

This is what the tag looked like when I was done. I wish you could see the shimmer and color saturation, really beautiful!

Clean the mister out completely and then fill half way with water and add a squeeze of Stream. Swirl to begin blending then cap and shake again to get it completely mixed.

Apply a couple of Advantus Leaves mask shapes to the tag.

Spritz the Stream colored mixture over the top of the mask and tag. Carefully accelerate drying process, if you are too close with the Heat It tool, it can melt the mask (yup, ask me how I know this, lol!) Apply more layers to achieve the look you like.

When everything is dry, carefully lift the mask from the tag and place back onto the protective backing sheet for use at another time. Doesn't that have such a lovely, elegant look?

 Now we are going to be making those sweet little flowers. Start with a piece of paper from the Cosmo Cricket 6" x 6" Mini Deck of Garden Variety and cut a 3" piece from it and then cut that in half. Trim the cut strip from the top and cut another 3" square from that as well.

On the back draw a spiral that starts in the middle and then goes out the edges of the paper.

This is what mine looked like when I was done. Now cut along the lines.

Discard the outside corners and this is what you are left with.

At the beginning of the spiral start rolling the paper...

continue along the entire spiral and keep it going until you reach the inner little circle.

This is what it looks like when you let go of it, a really cute little bloom!

Place a glue dot or two onto the circle and gently press the center of the flower into the adhesive to get it held in place.

Isn't it an easy and cute way to create your own coordinating embellishment?

We need to make some leaves for our blooms, so draw a leaf shape onto the green and teal colored piece and then cut out. I used two of these for my project.

Fold down the middle the long direction and then crumple accordion style to get a nice shape to the leaf.

Use glue dots to adhere the flowers and leaves to the tag.

Stamp sentiment from the Hero Arts Truly Appreciated set with Walnut Stain Distress ink, and trim off just the "hello" part of the sentiment. Adhere under the flowers with a glue dot.

Thread a piece of white floss through a button from the Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety button pack and tie into a bow.

Tie a piece of Olive Silk ribbon through the top, and then adhere the button with a glue dot onto the knot. Now call it done!!

I am sure that you have a friend (or a few!) that would love to receive a tag like this as a sweet sign of the spring weather to come. I hope that this has inspired you to give masking a try, and that you can see the versatility of those beautiful Adirondack Acrylics. They are wonderful for adding texture too, something that we will be playing with in the near future!

B-

Nook and Pantry ATC's by Lisa Strahl

Hello CLASSroom followers!  I am thrilled to share with you that I will be joining you every Monday as a regular CLASSroom Educator.  What a joy to be able to work with dear friends that I admire so much.  I hope that my style and interests in this vast world we call paper crafting will be an inspiration to you.  I believe that each of us has the ability to draw on creativity within us.  With that, please allow me to share a set of three Artist Trading Cards with you.

I have become completely enamored with what I generally call "art in a small space."  Artist Trading Cards are simply a canvas measuring 2.5 x 3.5 inches in which you can express your creativity.  There are no other rules!  How many of you Type A paper crafters love rules?  If my travels and teaching are any indication, most of you like rules.  Perhaps it's the freedom with this medium that I am enjoying so much.

This ATC was created with the Nook and Pantry 6x6 inch paper pad and the Domestic Love stamp set by Cornish Heritage Farms.  I am ready to make my first confession to you.  I am a 6x6 inch paper pack ADDICT.  A few years ago there was nothing more frustrating to me than finding a patterned paper line that I loved only to discover that it was very hard to work with because the elements and patterns were too big for my project.  Then along came the 6x6 inch, scaled down version of my favorite papers!  Now I buy almost every single one I see.  How lucky for me that Ellen carries a great selection of 6x6!

Here are some details of this ATC:

 

 

I began by stamping (Coffee Archival Ink), fussy cutting the couple and layering them over one of the more solid red patterns in the Nook and Pantry 6x6 paper pad.

Paint a Philosophy Tag with Modern Red Studio Paint making sure the paint goes deep into the debossed words and numbers.

Gently wipe the paint away from the surface of if the tag, leaving the paint to highlight "Cherish." 

Punch the edge with the Binding Edge Border punch. 

Color the 1/4 white silk white ribbon with the R11 Pale Cherry Pink Copic Marker.

 

I used that same marker to color the man's dress shirt and the woman's dress.  Now technically Archival Ink (Ranger) is not Copic friendly, but this was a small space and I was careful!  I also could not resist adding yet another earring to the image.  It's a Nook and Pantry Brad.

The ticket comes from a wonderful embellishment book called Adage Tickets. 

The next ATC features the egg beater image from the Domestic Love stamp set.  Again, all papers are Nook and Pantry.

 

Now, you didn't need me to show you how to stamp this image, but I wanted to share that the old saying "necessity is the mother of invention" holds true in my craft room.  I couldn't find a clear stamp block in the piles on my desk, so I grabbed the nearest clear object that could hold my stamp.  The Tim Holtz Design Ruler was perfect!  Stamp the beater and sentiment with Coffee Archival Ink.

Use the Binding Edge Punch on the strawberry paper.

I really wanted to use a button but didn't have anything quite right so I used my Copic Airbrush Compressor System and the Dark Brown Sketch Marker to create one.  A quick note about the air compressor...it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.  I did start with the smaller air can, but found that I liked the flexibility of airbrushing to customize my project that I was using up cans.  Edited to add:  When I linked the compressor to this post I noticed that it's almost 20% off the retail price!

 

The Tonic 8.5 inch Guillotine Trimmer is perfect for cutting the thinnest shred of paper.  I cut a few very narrow stripe to use in the place of thread for my button.

Drizzle some Clear Spica Pen on the strawberries...

...and some Silver Spica on the beater.

 

Last but not least, this one is for all of you who DIDN'T have a great Valentine's Day!

 

More stamps from Domestic Love and paper from Nook and Pantry.  Brads from Indian Summer Collection.  The base card stock is Memory Box Dill.

Stamp the vacuum with Coffee Archival Ink on the paper keeping in mind what pattern you want on the dust bag.

 

I love, love, love the Tonic Paper Piercing tool because it's heavy duty and can go through chipboard.

 

This little flower is found on a sheet from Nook and Pantry in a repeating pattern.  I cut out different sections from three different flowers.

 
 
Then layer the different sections of the flower on top of each other and secure with a Nook and Pantry brad.

Creating these Artist Trading Cards has left me feeling very domestic indeed.  Thanks for joining us on the CLASSroom today.  See you next Monday!

Lisa

Love Angel: Happy Valentine's Day! by Debbie Olson

 

A very Happy Valentine's Day to you from all of us here at the CLASSroom! Today I'm sharing a Valentine's card made with Karen Lockhart's Love Angel and some Basic Grey Sugar Rush 6" x 6" papers.

 

As always, click on any picture to see it larger. I stamped the angel in Tuxedo Black Memento ink and chose my Copic marker colors based on the colors in the paper. I doubt I would have had the courage to mix all of the colors that I eventually used, if Basic Grey hadn't done it first! 

 

Here I've added hair and skin tones. I used just the E50 for skin; since such small amounts of it were showing, I didn't really need to shade it with a darker value. 

 

Next I've added some bright colors to the robe and wings, with a bit of lavender shadow on the underside of the angel as well. I'm still trusting the patterned paper for colors!

 

I die-cut the focal image with a Labels Four Nestability and wanted my mat layer to accentuate that shape as well. I threaded the patterned paper over the die where I did not want it to cut, and under the die where I did want it to cut. Since I was using my Big Shot for this, I could back the die out easily when I felt it cut the leading edge, avoiding creasing the next edge.

 

I wanted a splash of green ribbon to counteract some of the red in the background, but I didn't have any that was the right shade. Not a problem though--when you have white silk ribbon and Copic Various Inks (reinkers)! Using gloves would have been a good idea, in retrospect. . .

 

The finished size of my card is 4-1/4" square, and I have a giant Hershey's kiss to go with it. The "so sweet" sentiment is from an older Hero Arts set, So Sweet.Thanks for visiting the CLASSroom today, and we all hope you have a very Happy Valentines Day! 

Stuck on You Part Two - Art Product Adhesives & B Mine Collage by Julia Stainton

Choosing the right adhesive for the job can be a daunting task. To put a lot of work into a lovely creation and then have it fall apart is always incredibly disappointing. For the month of February I'll be sharing some adhesive tips combined with my projects for a "stuck on you" theme.

Today's project uses two different products that you may not have thought about using as adhesives. They are both great products from Ranger that you can use as an adhesive as well as for other uses. Don't you love a product that is multi-faceted? And just as exciting is finding an adhesive that will work well, allow you to express your creativity and not come apart down the road.

The two products that I've used for this collage project are Ranger's Glossy Accents, a dimensional glaze, and the Claudine Hellmuth Multi-Medium. You may or may not have thought of using these for an adhesive but they work especially well on hard to adhere items. While they are both liquid adhesives, they are not as difficult to use as you might think and I find the adhering power well worth the short drying time involved.

This project starts off with yet another 4x4" Canvas Frame.I adore these mini canvases. They are so great for trying out techniques in bite-sized projects and they make a fun alternative to a card. To adhere to a canvas, you want a fairly good adhesive and the Claudine Hellmuth Multi-Medium is a great product for collage and adhering to difficult surfaces like canvas as well as paper. Simply brush over your surface and apply your layer. The gloss or matte variations work equally well.

 

This project called for a vintage look and here I've used a scrap of paper from a vintage book. For an alternative you can also use paper stamped with the Vintage Text Scrapblock or some text patterned paper.

 

Build up the layers by adhering more layers with the Multi-Medium. I've used pieces from the Antiquity and the Happy Homemaker patterned papers by Graphic 45.

 

To add an accent I once again used the Multi-Medium as the adhesive. This Hero Arts Art Flower was quite dimensional but by brushing repeatedly with the medium, it smoothed out.

Stamping on clear items is always a fun accent. The bees from the Sweet Bee stamp set were stamped with Archival Black ink onto a Tim Holtz Fragment and then heat set with a heat gun.

Here is where the second adhesive in this project comes into play. Ranger Glossy Accents is a great adhesive for strength and also because it dries perfectly clear. It works well on transparencies and this Fragment to form a firm bond. I've squeezed some on the back and then pressed it onto my project.

 

The Tim Holtz Typewriter Charms are a favorite accent of mine. They are easy to personalize with the accompanying sticker letters and you then apply the clear adhesive dot over top.
 

I wanted to adhere mine directly over the Fragment and the Ranger Glossy Accents was a perfect adhesive again in this case.
 
 

Here's how it looks.

I wanted to attach a Tim Holtz Keyhole to this project as well. Because of the canvas frame, it wasn't possible to attach it with brads like I normally would have with paper. Insert the brads to fill the holes and spread the prongs. Once again, Glossy Accents to the rescue as a strong adhesive for use with metal.

 

The sides of the canvas still needed finishing and this ribbon lace added some nice texture and definition to the project. By brushing on the Multi-Medium to the sides of the project, it was easy to adhere this lace firmly.

I hope this tutorial has allowed you some insight into adhering in difficult situations and using different adhesive products. If you missed part one of this series, you can find Stuck on You Part One - Glue Dots here. I'll be back next week with more adhesive options.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom and happy creating!

Sewing on Cards by Sharon Harnist

Today I'll be showing you how sewing on your cards can create interesting effects and accents!  In my first example, I created a unique background by stitching a harlequin pattern onto a Memory Box Cranberry notecard base.  To help guide my machine stitching, I lightly scored the pattern onto the card base and then stitched on those lines.

 

Using the same color of thread as my card base creates an elegant tone-on-tone effect.  Memory Box's Crystal Chandelier was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink onto Neenah Natural Whitecardstock and the flames colored with Red Copic Spica Glitter Pen. 

Clear adhesive crystals accent the chandelier and the sentiment was stamped separately, using a Stamp-a-ma-Jig for perfect placement.  The image was die cut matted with Labels ThreeNestabilities dies (and Licorice Memory Box cardstock).  The pieces were layered with foam tape to the card base and then tied up with black ribbon.

 

In this example, I used a Classic Heart Nestabilitiesdie (remember, this die set has been discontinued by the manufacturer, so when Ellen's stock is depleated there won't be any more!) and embossed it onto a Memory Box Sugar Plum notecard, and then used that image as a guide to machine stitch with brown thread the heart shape.  Think of all the shape possibilities you have with shaped dies for this technique!

 

I also machine stitched two ivory straight lines on the left side of the owl tab (click on the photo for a larger view), to help create an "anchor" to the image.  The Memory Box Owl Love You image was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoaink onto Neenah Natural White cardstock and then colored with Copic markers E31, E35, G40, G82 & R81. 

I rounded the edges of the owl image with Zutter's 1/4" Corner Rounder and mounted it with foam tape to the card.  The cute "owl always love you" sentiment is included on the end of the owl rubber stamp image wood block!  I used Martha Stewart's Cosmos punch on some Memory Box Gossamer paper and glue-dotted it to the heart shape.  The edges of the owl image and card were sponged with the Rich Cocoa ink.

 

In the example above I stitched Memory Box Gossamer patterned paper to a Memory Box Granny Smith notecard, after distressing the edges of the paper with Tim Holtz' Distresser.  The stitching also holds the lace onto the card -- a perfect "adhesive" solution for laces or trims that have an open weave to them, where other adhesives would show through the lace.

 

Memory Box's Cake Stand was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa ink onto Memory Box Gossamer patterned paper and then colored with Copic markersR81, R85 & G82.  I trimmed the image with my paper trimmer, layered it onto more Granny Smith cardstock and machine stitched around the edges.  The stitching creates a simple edge and added interest to the focal image.

 

Don't forget the insides of your cards -- Above, I added zig-zag stitching to help accent Memory Box's "hope your valentine's day is sweet" sentiment!

You can also use stitching to accent stamped images:

Above is Memory Box's Sonoma Print image stamped with Memory Box Tuxedo Black ink.  In the photo below (click on it for a better view), you can see where I added a machine stitched "stems" to the floral image:

 
 
You can also use machine stitching to create added interest to your die cuts.  Above, I die cut the image with Classic Ovals-Lg Nestabilities and then used the embossed edge of the die cut as a guide to stitch.  On intricate shapes, just take your time and go slowly with the machine, turning the wheel by hand if you have to, to get the stitching exactly as you'd like it.  Pivoting the cardstock (just lift up the machine's foot while the needle is in the cardstock, and then lower the foot again before stitching) is also a great help.  A (Labels Nine Nestabilitiesdie was used to cut a black cardstock mat for this image).

I hope these examples help to get you sewing on your cards!

EDITING TO ANSWER A FEW (GREAT) QUESTIONS!

I use my “good” regular old (very basic) Singer sewing machine, but don’t use it very much for fabrics anymore, so I wasn’t worried about "ruining" or otherwise affecting it. I’ve not had any problems with my machine since I started using it for paper crafting about 3 years ago. If you don’t want to chance using your good machine, smaller inexpensive machines can be found. The most popular is a Janome Sew Mini which retails for about $50-$60. A Google search will yield many shopping results!

I haven't ever tried to stitch together more than two layers of cardstock or patterned paper, so I can't attest or recommend trying more!

You do want to be careful about where and how much adhesive you use on paper pieces that you will be sewing.  Try to place the adhesive (and just small amounts) away from any areas that you will be sewing, or the adhesive will gum up your needle and you WILL have problems (speaking from experience)!

I use a "heavy duty" needle that is recommended for my machine.  Just check it periodically to make sure it doesn't have adhesive on it and if it does, clean it with Goo Gone, Scrapper's Solution or rubbing alcohol. 

I use upholstery thread, which is "thicker" than an all purpose thread -- I like the bolder look of it and have fewer problems with it breaking.

If you have any more questions, please ask away and I'll answer them back here!

 
Stamps: Memory Box wood mounted Owl Love You, Cake Stand, Hope Your Valentine's Day Is Sweet, Sonoma Print, Crystal Chandelier, You Light Up My Life
Paper: Neenah Natural Whitecardstock, Memory Box Gossamer 6x6 pad. Memory Box Notecards-Sugar Plum, Granny Smith and Cranberry.  Memory Box Licorice cardstock
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa & Tuxedo Black, Copic markers & Copic Red Spica Glitter Pen
Accessories: Spellbinders Classic Heart Nestabilities, Classic Oval-Lg Nestabilities, Labels Nine & Labels ThreeNestabilities dies. Zutter 1/4" Corner Rounder, Martha Stewart Cosmos punch, clear crystal gemstones, Prima Lace, Ranger Ink Blending Tool, Tim Holtz Paper Distresser, Stamp-a-ma-Jig, Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Tonic Guillotine Paper Trimmer, Mini Glue Dots
Other: Sewing machine and thread

Aprons galore by Kim Hughes

I returned not so long ago from the winter CHA show and found so many wonderful new food and kitchen products!  So I was inspired to create with my Karen Lockhart apron stamps!

Supplies:

Tinsel Glitter, 12 pk

Webster's Pages Petite Papers Paperpad, Postcards from Paris & Sweet as Cherry, Webster's Pages Fabric Fancies, Home for the Holidays & Winter's Wings

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Espresso

Quickie Glue Pen

Memory Box card - pink

Karen Lockhart: Apron, Apron, Vintage

COPIC Sketch Marker E00, Skin White

Kim Hughes, Baked with Love

Maya Road: Trinket Pins, Hearts, What's Cookin' Mini Chipboard Set

Basic Grey Opaline Half Pearls, Wine/Champagne

 

when I cut stamped images, I start by trimming close to the image.  This allows for my scissors to keep from getting hung up on loose paper.  I always start with an opening of an image, in this case, it's the top of the apron, but if I was cutting a letter "e" I would cut the center of the loop first.

 

I chose to dull down the images with a little Copic coloring around the shaded areas of each stamp.  This gives a subtle shadow.
 

I created a pocket in the apron by cutting along the opening and stamping once again onto scrap paper.  This will allow the back to show when the pocket is opened.  Otherwise, you would see where you are adhering your paper pieced image to.
 

Press chipboard shapes onto an Espresso ink pad and press with your fingers.  Or place scrap paper over top to avoid inky fingers.

 

this is what the back of the pocket looks like.
 

glitter the chipboard pieces and add to the apron pocket.  I chose to imk the chipboard first to give the glitter a richer color.  Leaving it grey would have lightened them
 

Create an apron bag by cuttin a curve off from each of the top edges.
 

adhere the straps with this pieces of cut paper.

 

add one of the apron images to the side to act as a tag.
 

and embellish the gift bag with a stamped sentiment.  I glittered the measuring cup chipboard piece the same way I did above and added Zots to the back side.  This is how I adhere the pin behind the cup

 

To create the coordinating card, I dulled down the card base with a Copic marker.
 

I embellished the card with a stamped sentiment, and a fabric accent piece stands as a design element.  Lastly, I added some sweet brown tone pearls to jazz it up!
 

You can fill the gift bag with home-made goodies, recipe cards or a small household gift.  Try this with larger bags as well.  Thanks for stopping by :)

Trend Watch Tuesday - Home is Where the Heart is by Becky Olsen

I am really excited to bring you fun new topics that will be alternating on Tuesdays with the technique tags. I thought it would be fun to talk about a trend and then share a way to implement that trend into a project. It would also be great to have your observations and thoughts on the trend I am sharing and those you have seen and would like to have me explore here.

So with that, are you ready for our very first Trend Watch Tuesday?

The title of the blog post gives a fun hint for what the topic is going to be, it is Valentine's week so I did want to include a little love with our trend which is houses. Our homes are a very personal thing, so using that as an icon in our design process makes a lot of sense! It is a fun visual shortcut that says so many things with out needing words. Do a search of the word "house" in Ellen's shop, and you will end up with a fantastic selection of fun products to use for your creative process. A search of the word "home" also presents some great product options.

Look at this darling clear stamp set called "Mi Casa" from Hero Arts

or this a adorable wood mounted stamp called "Simple House"? Super cute!

There are loads of fun ways to use this trend in your designs. The project I am sharing has a few stamps in it, but the actual house is one that is easy to make and doesn't require any special product to get it done.

The design would be easy to adapt to many card giving situations and is really easy to do.

We are going to start with the card base. All of the paper products are from the Basic Grey "Lemonade" 6" x 6" paper pack except for the tree trunk which is from the Cosmo Cricket "Nutmeg" 6" x 6" paper pack. Don't be afraid to substitute different colors and product brands to get the look that suits the project that you are working on.

Start by trimming the blue paper to 5 1/2" tall by 4 1/4" wide. Then stamp the tree from the "SpringTrees" set and the clouds from the "Forest Friendzy" set.

Stamp the tree top from the argyle pattern and fussy cut out.

Then stamp the trunk and fussy cut it out as well.

Stamp the clouds onto the lovely light colored paper and fussy cut it out.

Adhere all of the pieces onto the card base.

Now we are going to trim a piece of the yummy green paper to get a little grassy knoll for our house to rest on.

Now stitch the grass to the bottom of the card base. *Here is where I tell you that I learned the hard way that it was easier to put the clouds on first before adhering the tree and starting the construction of my house. I had to pull the tree off carefully and then get it back on in the right place to get my clouds where I wanted them to be.

Time to construct our home! Trim the honey comb shaped paper into a 2" x 2" piece, and then the fun stripe to a 3" x 1 1/2" piece. I had my stripes going across the top of the house, but you can have yours going whichever direction you prefer. Use a straight edge to shape the strip into the triangle for the roof.

Lightly adhere the square to your card base on top of the little hill. Then stitch around the square with your sewing machine.

After you are done with that, adhere the roof and stitch around that.

This is a place that you could take off and make this card any theme for any occasion. I wanted this project to share the love, so I drew a heart onto the bright pink paper and trimmed it out. I did stitch this with my machine as well, but I will admit that it takes a practice hand to get the spacing and turning done without messing up, take that into consideration as you are playing along.

The very last detail was just outlining the house, heart and grass with a fine lined brown pen so that it matched the look of the stamped part better. This is where I adhere the card top to a card base. It is really nice to work in this manner if you can because it keeps the inside of the project very clean and easy to write in.

Thanks so much for joining me for the very first Trend Watch Tuesday post!

If you do create something that was inspired by this topic, I would love to see it. Leave me a link in the comments and I will come visit if you don't mind.

B-

Stuck on You Part One - Glue Dots and Recipe Holder by Julia Stainton

For the next four weeks, I'm excited to be writing about different adhesives and how you can use them in your crafting projects. While we'd all love to have just one perfect adhesive, I've yet to find such an item and so. Because of this, I tend to use many unique adhesives in my designs, each being dictated with the need for each particular project. Choosing the right adhesive for the job makes for professional looking creations and ensures the longevity of your project.

While I've used a few different adhesives in creating this project, today we'll focus on an adhesive that I just couldn't be without and one that is extremely easy to use, Glue Dots.

Glue  Dots come in a variety of sizes. The mini ones are perfect for very fine projects but usually my standard is the 3/8" size. They are small enough to hide behind embellishments but have enough adhesion to keep your flowers, buttons and chipboard firmly in place.

Glue Dots are very sticky little circles of adhesive that come on a roll . Because they are not wet, they fall under the dry adhesive category. To use them simply press onto the item you wish to adhere and then onto your project. No mess and no drying time. One quick tip I learned early on is to not pick up the glue dot with your finger but press it right onto the embellishment or item you want to adhere.

Glue Dots are great for specific uses. I've incorporated a few of them into this recipe holder.A little kitchen love to share with you all.

First cut Craft-a-Board into two 6x6 inch squares and adhere them together to make a strong base. I used a liquid adhesive for this but you could also use a strong dry adhesive such as the Glue Glider Pro. I then covered the surface with some Graphic 45 papers from the Domestic Goddess collection, Domestic Goddess Tags & Quilting Bee and from the Renaissance collection, Tudor Rose.

This is what the actual Glue Dots look like on the roll. I'm going to use them for the next step, adhering a transparency.

 

Glue Dots work great as an adhesive for transparencies as they are strong, small and clear. I've put mine under some of the black detailing on this Prima Transparency, Clear Paintables Frames Two but they can also be hidden under embellishments or other layers where they won't be noticeable.

To add some interest to the front of this recipe holder, some fun Domestic Goddess tags make a fun accent. The Tim Holtz Sanding Block adds a nice vintage look to the edges.

 

Adhering items on top of transparencies can be more difficult than adhering to paper. Glue Dots aren't the best choice for large pieces of paper so in this instance I've used Scor-Tape. I'll share some more ideas for it in an upcoming post.

 

When I create, I love adding lots of embellishments. I almost always use Glue Dots to add these to my project. It's fast and they adhere well with them. Glue Dots also work well with the layers or clusters of embellishments that I enjoy using. For this project, I've added in some Hero Arts Vintage Art Flowers with Glue Dots.

Knots and bows of ribbon are also easy to adhere with Glue Dots. This beautiful blue silk ribbon is tied into a bow and then added to the project. I've also slid a Maya Road pin into the knotted bow and the glue dot holds the weight of it as well.

To finish off my recipe card holder, I've die cut a piece of patterned paper with a Spellbinders Circle Nestability die and then added a Tim Holtz Hinge Clip to the top of my board. The back of this project has an easel that props up the piece and allows you easy reading of your recipe while you bake. The easel was created the same as for the Craft-a-Board Frame project here.

Every Domestic Goddess needs a little bling and I've attached a sweet little Heidi Swapp Sky Chadelier Crystal to the hinge clip.

 

This project would also be fun as a photo display or a place to clip your to do list or your grocery list.

Try using Glue Dots for other embellishments such as buttons, chipboard and sheer accents. The extra sticky properties of these dots also make them great for adding dots of glitter or flocking to your projects.

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom.

Heart Cupcake Decor by Sharon Harnist

 

I have some Valentine framed art for you today . . . I thought my hall entry table was missing a little something for the holiday!  Would you believe this 6-inch frame started out looking like this:

 

I found a great buy at the Target Dollar Spot on 3 of these white frames (the opening is 3.50") in a package for $2.50 -- I couldn't pass them up!  Now, I'm not too big on all-white things but I knew I could somehow paint or alter these.  I recently finally acquired an Air Compressorfor my Copic Airbrush System and decided this project would be the kind where the air compressor would work out great -- as opposed to using up about half of an Air Can 180!

I used Copic E42 & E44 to airbrush a base coat on the white frame, then I used R24 to splatter (by using the brush end of the Copic marker, you'll get a more speckled spray pattern) a little red here and there so the frame would match the colors in my artwork -- I love how it turned out!

 

For the background paper in the frame, I stamped Hero Arts' Heart Flourishes background stamp with Tuxedo Black ink on Neenah Natural White cardstock and then colored it with these Copic markers:

 

Next, I airbrushed Copic E42 around the edges of the cardstock, to give it a more aged look:

 

I placed the paper inside the frame (under the glass).  On the outside of the frame, I placed an Inchie Arts Inchie + wheat colored square, stamped with a portion of Karen Lockhart's "Peas be mine" sentiment stamp.  Then I stamped this sweet new Lockhart Cupcake With Sprinkles onto Neenah Natural White cardstock and colored it with these Copic markers:

 

The cupcake was cut out and popped up on foam tape on the Inchie + Square and the top heart cherry glittered.  To make the paper flower, I die cut several pieces of the leftover background paper I made and Memory Box Cranberry cardstock with Classic Scalloped Circle Nestabilities.  Next, I spritzed the papers with water and crinkled them up:

 

The nice thing about Memento ink and Copic markers is that the water won't make your colors run!  Once dry, I layered the scalloped circles together with foam tape and adhered the flower to the frame.

 
Stamps: Hero Arts Heart Flourishes, Lockhart Stamp Company Cupcake With Sprinkles & Peas Be Mine sentiment
Paper: Neenah Natural White cardstock, Memory Box Cranberry cardstock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad, Copic markers (E42, E43, E44, R21, R22, R24, R29, R000 R81, R83, R85)
Accessories: Copic Airbrush System, Airbrush Compressor, Inchie Arts Inchie + Neutral Squares(wheat), Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Circle Nestabilities dies, Ranger Star Dust Stickles

Recipe swaps by Kim Hughes

I apologize for the delay...I am having some computer woes.

Have you ever hosted or attended a recipe swap?  Most times it's geared around a holiday, but why not have a get together for no reason?  Easter is around the corner, so planning an Easter cookie swap might be fun!

 

Supplies:

Nestability Dies - Labels Four

CHF: Mona Lisa Moments, You're a Classic, Backgrounder, Writers Block, Kim Hughes, Baked with Love

Crystal Clear Plastic, Heavyweight 8" x 8" (10 pk)

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Espresso

Studio Acrylic Paint, Blank Canvas

Graphic 45: Domestic Goddess, Yours Truly

Basic Grey 12"x12" Collection Pack, Nook and Pantry

Start by die cutting 2 different sized papers.  One for the front and another used to mat the recipe card

 

to easily add lines, simply stamp them on
 

Ink the stamp, press the paper onto the stamp.  I ordinarily place a scrap paper over my paper so that I don't get ink on my fingers.  This is a great match...it's easy to see where yu would like the die cut shape to go.
 

I chose to stamp on 2 different sides to add interest to the set.
 

When you want to use a word on a stamp that is encased by other words, follow these steps.  Mark on your clear block with a black pen where the work appears (of course this is only necessary when using rubber stamps)

 

ink the entire stamp and wipe off the ink on the words that are not wanted.  Wipe the words that you don't want to use with your finger to dry the surface a bit.  Make sure not to remove the ink from the word that you do want to see.
 

and there you have it...look for words within sets that you might not have thought to use.  You might be surpized at how versatile word stamps are.
 

stamp an accent on each recipe card and pull out white paint and a toothpick

 

color the stamped images with the white paint.  You can use a small paint brush as well, but sometimes a toothpick edge can be the perfect size for small areas.
 

do not adhere the yellow recipe paper to the red background.  This will make it easier to write on the back of the yellow paper if needed.
 

die cut clear plastic and stamp the word "recipe" with Stazon ink.  Add some glittery letter stickers to complete the cover.
 

add recipe cards to a ring and tie a bow with white ribbon.
 

If your friends have a die cutting machine, maybe you can each use a different die on each of your recipe cards.  Decide on a color scheme or leave the creating to chance.  Either way, this should be something fu to share with your loved ones.

Thanks so much for stopping by today

xoxo

Technique Tag Tuesday Memory Tag Book

I wanted to share a quick, easy and fun way to use tags as a mini book.
Mini-books are great for keeping similar thoughts, memories and pictures grouped together for sharing or remembering down the road when the glow of the moments has faded a little bit.

The idea for this one was to keep track of some of my youngest sons favorite things for this year, music, video games, favorite foods, clothes, friends, activities and those kinds of things in a way that would be a quick place to jot it down when it happens.

I started with #5 Manila tags and pieces of paper from "The Boyfriend" Cosmo Cricket mini-deck.

Trim the stripe piece between each of the lines so that you have two colors on each of the tabs we will be making. If you want your book a little bigger you will need to cut both pieces in the deck.

Fold each of the strips in half the long way and down the middle making each side even.

Place adhesive on each side of the folded strip of paper.

Adhere the first piece at the top of the tag, and then stagger each of the other pieces down about a stripe until you reach the bottom.

Cut a few strips of each of the other patterns in various sizes, I have one at 1" another at 1/2" and the last at 1/4". Adhere the strips on the backs and fronts of the tags in a random manner to add nice variety to the tags. Then add your lists, notes or pictures. You can do this now or later, the point of the project is to make it easy for you!

For the top page I stamped the title, but of course you can do whatever you prefer.
I used Walnut Stain Distress Ink, the "Playful Alphabet" set,  "Number Fun" and the "Birds and the Bees" set from the Kim Hughes collection by Cornish Heritage Farms for all of the titling in this project.
First stamp onto the tag. Then stamp whatever part you are paper piecing onto the paper you wish to use and then fussy cut out.

Repeat for the other elements in the title.

I used the Quickie Glue pen from Sakura, it is easy to control and doesn't get gloppy on your paper piecing projects.

Put it all together and your top page is done.

This is what it looks like after putting the tags through a ring and tying some fun double sided satin ribbon onto the top. The one thing I think I will go back and add are the adorable Ready, Set, Chipboard from The Boyfriend collection. I didn't have any on hand, but will be ordering these first thing! I think they would provide some wonderful dimension and variety to the project, and give it a little bit of extra spunk!

There are many great ways to change this project up, you could make it with the largest tags to create a gorgeous mini-album, or the medium sized as a clever way to organize business cards and notes from people you have met. There are loads of ways to be inspired, I hope you find a way to make it yours!

B-