the CLASSroom

Easter Treats by Kim Hughes

With Easter around the corner, I thought I'd come up with some fun decorations to display around your home or create as special gifts.  These are so easy...and there's plenty of time to whip some of these cuties up for your festivities!

 

Supplies:

Basic Grey Woolies, Sugar Rush,  Basic Grey 12"x12" Collection Pack, Nook and Pantry, Basic Grey Buttons, Kioshi, Basic Grey Brads, Offbeat

Botanicabella, Summer Sonata

E-Line Flowers, 6 Petal

Cosmo Cricket 6" Mini Deck Paper Pad, Material Girl, Cosmo Cricket 6" Mini Deck Paper Pad, Garden Variety

fold the 6 x 6 patterned paper in half.  Draw a chick shape, making sure that it has a fold at the top.  Draw a wing.  Cut your pattern and fold the chick body with the pattern facing out.


bend the paper clips for the chick's legs.

poke a hole through the chick so that the eye will be in the same position on both sides. Add a small brown brad on both sides.  Use heavy tape to secure the paper clip

I used dimensional dots for the birds wings to add dimension, but I used double sided adhesive for the point so that it's held down.

You may need to bend the paper clip to give the chicks some support.  I think they have a "folk" feel to them.  Give them as a teacher's gift to display on a desk maybe?

Next we will make a door cone (I am sure there's an actual name for it, but I don't know it.  I just know that i have seen them and always wanted to make one).  Draw a large curve in the 12 x 12 paper and cut along your line

 

Roll the paper, and you will have a cone!  I used liquid glue to hold it together.
 

Pleat paper and staple in place along the rim of the cone.

 

Cut two, 1 inch strips of paper and adhere one to the back of the other so that it's the same color on both sides.
 

add the handle and embellish with fun felt stickers.  I filled mine with festive plastic eggs, but a flower bouquest woudl be a nice touch to your front door.
 

I plan to make a zillion of these paper egg holders for my colored eggs this year.
 

Just cut strips of paper, add a sturdy tape to one end, and create a ring.
 

embellish the rings with paper flowers and playful button centers.  I distressed the top edge a bit to add interest. You can stitch on them before adhering or ink the edges to give them an aged look.

You can also use them as napkin rings when the holiday. comes to an end

Thank you for stopping by today :)

Technique Tuesday - Pinwheel Construction by Becky Olsen

Watching a child play with a pinwheel for the first time is such a thing of wonder. So before Easter arrived, I thought it would be fun to share the technique of creating a working pinwheel. These look great as decor, I have a couple "bouquets" of them around the house with matching banners for some wonderful spring color. It is so fun to walk by and pick one up, give it a strong gust of breath, then watch it whirl (still a child at heart!) The pinwheel is also a very fun trend this year, so I also have shown how to simplify the process and create the shape on a smaller scale that can be added to a card or other type of project.

I started with a few different pieces of Basic Grey's 12" x 12" Kioshi paper. It is perfect for this type of project because it is double sided, and the colors are so beautiful and springy!

I cut 3 different patterns into 3 different sizes. The first is sized at 6" x 6", the second is 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" and the third is 3" x 3".

Draw lines from corner to corner using a straight edge.

Cut along the lines until you are about 3/4" from the center intersection.

Repeat on all the sides.

Adhere the tip of one of the sections into the center, apply more adhesive and repeat with another tip until all of the tips are layered in the center of the piece of paper.

Punch a circle and adhere it in the center of the pinwheel.

Using a Maya Road Vintage trinket pin, poke a hole into the center of the the circle. I use a mouse pad to make it easier for piercing things like this.

Remove the pin, and then poke the pin through both sides of the top of a straw. I used straws that we get in our daily 7-11 fix, a little re-purposing is always a nice thing.

 
Remove the pin from the straw and then put it back through the pinwheel and then the straw.

Use pliers to bend the pin about 1/2" from the pin head so that the pinwheel has plenty of room to spin.

Of course the pin is sharp and this makes it unsafe for children to play with, so we are going to cover it.

Cut a piece of paper that is 1 1/2" wide and the length of the straw and wrap it around the straw, making sure to cover the pointy end of the pin.

Repeat in different sizes and patterns to create a playful centerpiece for your holiday table.

To make an accent for a card or scrapbook page, repeat all of the steps until you get to the pin. Instead of a pin, adhere to the card with a matching Kioshi brad. It isn't mobile, but still has serious cute factor!

This card was made in less than ten minutes, and that included the time it took to clean and put away my stamp and ink ;o)

Supplies used: Hero Arts Folded Card "Daffodil", Hero Arts Clear Stamp "Life is Not Perfect", Ranger "Walnut Stain" Distress Ink, Basic Grey "Kioshi" patterned paper.

Darling, playful spring pinwheel decor is simple and a great way to use up scrap pieces of paper that are way too cute to throw away! I promise you will smile every time you see them and the temptation to pick one up and give it a whirl is just to much to pass up.

B-

Craft-a-Board and Wood Paper Shapes by Lisa Strahl

Good Monday morning friends!

I had much to much fun die cutting this week!  I spent an entire evening just playing with different papers and dies and cut dozens of fun elements to create with in the future.  I encourage you to try it.

My focus today is to share some of the newest Spellbinders dies and some products you may not have used with them such as Craft-a-Board and Real Wood Paper.

Die cut  and emboss the Lotus Pendant from Craft-a-board.  If you need help with die cutting use the low profile Spellbinders dies, please click here.  For more information regarding Craft-a-board, click here.

 

Apply Dries Clear Adhesive (Art Institute) to the back side of the Lotus with a paint brush and press it to the light green grid sheet from the Origins 6x6 Paper Pack (Basic Grey).  Allow it to fully dry.

 

Trim the excess paper from around the edge with Fingertip Craft Knife on the Precision Mat (Basic Grey).  This is a self healing mat is a great size and heavy duty enough to handle the abuse it gets in my studio.

 

Apply thin lines of Antique Linen Distress Sticklesto every other petal.  It's actually quite easy to use Stickles in a very precise way because they hold their form.

 

If you have any areas that are uneven you can make it smoother with a piercing tool or I like to use the head of a pin.

More details about this card:

-tie a knot in the Ivory Eyelet ribbon (Webster's Pages); adhere it to a large button from the Black Line Collection(Jenni Bowlin) with Memory Glue Dots

-base card is Licorice which comes with a matching black envelope (Memory Box)

-bird image mini paper from the Vintage Black Line(Jenni Bowlin); the bird was colored with E31 Brick Beige, the leaves where colored with YG06 Yellowish Green

-Enjoy (Lockhart) sentiment stamped with Jet Black Archival Ink

-Medium Accent Pearls (Hero Arts)

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Next I'd like to share a little about a new product that I am completely in love with.  It was the "one thing" I just had to see at CHA Winter in Anaheim - Real Wood by Creative Imaginations.  Real Wood  paper is printable, embossable, die-cuttable, stampable, and paintable. Great for cardmaking, custom embellishments, custom borders, mixed media, veneering, wood constructions. Real Wood comes in 8.5"x11" sheet and is available in 2 thicknesses.  I am using Thin Cherry Real Wood today.

I began by die cutting the Labels 13 die - you can see how crisp and clean it cut. 

Paint the front of the wood shape with Matte Multi Medium making sure to get full coverage.

Press the wood shape to this sheet of paper from the Origins 6x6 Paper Pad (Basic Grey) and burnish with the Teflon Bone Folder to ensure that the paper is completely adhered.

Once it was completely dry, I trimmed the excess pattered paper around the shape with the Finger Tip Craft Knife, again on the Precision Mat.  I wanted my piece to have a little more substance, so I die cut the same image from Craft-a-Board, adhered it and trimmed around the edge.

 

I had never noticed that Basic Grey put a clever little quote in the middle of this mat!  "Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything."  Mark Twain  So true.

Score the back side of the patterned paper that was adhered with the Multi Medium and then paint the surface with a Niji Waterbrush.  The water will disappear inside the scored marks.

 

Begin rolling the wet paper away with your finger.

 

Continue this process until all of the white paper is removed.

 

You may still have a few areas where the image looks hazy with white...or you are just in a hurry like me!  Rub some Mutli Medium with your finger into the paper to reduce the haze.

 

A few final details:

-stamped sentiment from Motivational Centers (Cornish Heritage Farms)

-Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger)

-Night Clematis Bling It Rhinestones (Basic Grey)

-Midnight Black Crystals (Hero Arts)

-Origins 6x6 Paper Pack (Basic Grey)

-Moss Green Twill (May Arts)

-Dill Note Card and Envelope (Memory Box)

The mad scientist in me has been testing all sorts of ink and paint on the Real Wood product and I hope to share a more in depth tutorial on that soon.  I promise you will see a lot more wood from me!

Thank you so much for spending a few minutes with me today in the CLASSroom.

Cheers, Lisa

Inchie Update

It is an absolute thrill to share this news with you. I don't know how many of you know that Lis is EXTREMELY passionate about all "little things." Please join me in welcoming her to our Inchie INKling blog - finally we will have updates for all those of you who are intrigued by little things.

Please join us for her welcome back post!

Canvas Friendship Tree by Julia Stainton

Don't you just love the creative process when you are trying out new ideas? I do! It's so much fun to try out things and see where your creativity takes you. This is one of those I wonder what would happen projects. I had fun with it and hope you'll give it a whirl.

My entire card started with the question of what would happen if I sprayed Glimmer Mist onto a Prima Canvas Tree Form. I love all things canvas and stitching but thought a little dose of color would be fun tot his product. I know the canvas takes ink really well but thought if Glimmer Mist would work, it would add a beautiful shimmer to the canvas as well as color.

I started out by spritzing the leaf part of the tree with Sweet Clover Glimmer Mist. After allowing it to dry, I thought I'd add a little more depth of color and spritzed it again. I like spritzing on my Non-Stick Craft Sheet as it is so easy to wipe up with a rag or some paper towel. You can allow it to dry on its own or use a heat gun like the Ranger Heat It Craft Tool to speed up the process. For the tree truck, I spritzed on another Glimmer Mist color, Coffee Shop, and allowed it to dry. You can see here how it looks as it dries. It ended up looking as great as I'd hoped so I started working it into a project.

The new Webster's Pages 6x6 paper pads are just adorable so I decided to use the Lullaby Lane/Life's Portrait Petite Papers for this project. Instead of just putting them together to make pretty layers, I decided to create a little scene for my tree. The blue dotted paper makes a fun sky and three pretty green prints make up the grass. I've cut mine into curves using some pinking shears from my sewing days but if you don't have any, just cut with normal scissors.

A little stitching on the sewing machine ties in with the stitched tree. I used a simple straight stitch along the curves and around the background layer.

The Friendship is a sheltering tree sentiment is from the Friend Centers stamp set by CHF and is one of my favorites. I couldn't resist stamping it here in Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger.

To put the layers together, I used a dimensional foam adhesive to leave space between the layers and pop them up. The Making Memories Ribbon Glue works great for adhering these canvas pieces.

 

I had so much fun adding the next detail...I planted a little garden using the Maya Road Pink Pearl Flower Trinket Pins. Easiest garden planting I've ever done as you just have to stick them into your dimensional foam adhesive. I've tied mine with some sweet green ribbon that I received from Ellen in one of my orders. Those sweet little packages are the best.

 

Now I almost called the card done at this point but decided to kick it up just one more notch. Becky's Trend Watch Banner post on Tuesday has me dreaming of banners. I thought the Homespun Alpha Sticker Banner by Jenni Bowlin would be just to cute to resist. A couple little twine knots adhered at each end make it look tied on.

 

And there you have it...a fun unique card that started out as an experiment. Don't be afraid to give new things a try. It's all part of the creative process and the fun!

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom and have a great weekend!

Tattered Webster's Birdcage by Sharon Harnist

 

I couldn't believe how large this Maya Road Birdcage Chipboard Book was when I received it -- it's 6" x 7"!  So I thought it would be a good size to make it into a Spring home decor piece.

To start this project, I covered the front chipboard birdcage piece with Webster's Petite Papers Life's Portrait, using Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Multi-Medium in Gloss.  Amongst its many uses, the multi-medium is a great all-purpose glue and works in the same manner as decoupage glue.  I also brushed it on top of the papers, to give them a slightly glossy finish. 

For the back chipboard piece, I first applied a couple of coats of Claudine Hellmuth's Gesso and let it dry.  The Gesso primes the chipboard (since it is a semi-dark color), so that it takes fewer coats of paint color to cover it (especially when using a lighter color of paint). Then I used Claudine's Color Mixing Chart and Studio Paints in Yellow Pastel & Painterly Pink to mix up a close match of Studio Paint to the patterned papers and painted the back chipboard birdcage piece.

 

Once dry, I attached a piece of Webster's Pages paper to the back of the painted birdcage chipboard piece. 

The bird is a piece from Maya Road's Song Bird Coaster Book, which was the perfect size to fit inside the birdcage!  What a great value this book is -- at just $2.20, you get 6 birds to use either all together as a book/album, or separately as accents on any number of projects!  I covered the bird in more Webster's paper (notice the bird and cage theme of the paper?!!), and gave her a beak with a Copic N5 marker. 

 

The Bird's eye is a KaiserCraft Latte Pearl.  I accented her with Maya Road white zig-zag vintage crochet trim that was sprayed with Tattered Angels Old Lace Glimmer Mist.  In the photo below, you can tell a subtle difference between the original white color of the lace (top) and how pretty the Glimmer Mist aged it and made it match the papers better:

The lace also now has a pretty shimmer to it (which, of course, I had trouble showing in a photo).  While I've had the opportunity to experiment with many different colors of Glimmer Mist, I only had Old Lace on hand to use on this project.  So while my examples may not be very dramatic, you can imagine the possibilities with all the gorgeous Glimmer Mist colors Ellen carries!  A GREAT example of how pretty these colors can be mixed, is Becky's Trend Watch Tuesday post this week -- in her layout at the bottom of that post.

I have a few good tips for working with Tattered Angels' Glimmer Mist --

How to use Glimmer Mist:

• #1 Tip - make sure the bottle is shaken up very well so that the glimmer, which settles in the bottom of the bottle (as in the photo above), is distributed throughout.  That being said, don't shake it SO vigorously that all you have are air bubbles inside the bottle -- these will cause splattering!  So after the bottle is shaken well, gently swirl the bottle for a minute (tilting it back and forth), allowing any air bubbles to settle, while keeping the glimmer evenly dispersed in the bottle.  Not only will this give you better results, but it prevents the nozzle from becoming clogged.
• For a light, evenly misted look, hold Glimmer Mist away from your project and spray such as you would when applying hairspray.
• For a thicker, raindrop application, hold Glimmer Mist closer to your project while spraying. Do not move the sprayer too much, or too fast.
• For a pooling effect, which gives intense color, spray Glimmer Mist very closely and directly on your project.

You can let Glimmer Mist air dry or use a heat tool to speed up the drying process. While Glimmer Mist is attractive when just using one color, layering multiple colors also adds a beautiful richness to your projects!  It is acid-free.

Can be used on: 
-Wood, cardstock, patterned paper, metal, glass, fabric or paper flowers, felt
-Cardboard, Grungeboard, Craft-A-Board 
-Adds a gorgeous sheen to lace, ribbon, twill and fabrics (will wash out!)
-Pools on plastic to create a stained glass effect
-Makes your stickers shimmer 

To avoid sprayer dribbles/drips:
When you spray, make sure your finger is not hanging over the front edge of the sprayer. When the Glimmer Mist disburses it will hit your finger and dribble back down onto the rim of the sprayer. The next time you shake it or tip it, it will dribble out. If your finger is pulled back the Glimmer Mist will spray out in the pattern it was intended to and it won't go back onto the cap.

If the sprayer gets clogged:
-To prevent it getting clogged - Make sure you shake the bottle of Glimmer Mist really well before you spray it. The glimmer part settles at the bottom and if the bottle isn't shaken really well, the sprayer will suck up too much glimmer for the sprayer to handle.
-To clear out the sprayer - Take off sprayer top, put canned air (without the spray straw) directly on sprayer opening. Apply canned air in short spurts 1-3 times until clear.

If you don’t like the spray pattern:
-If you want a fine mist - Push the sprayer down quickly and move it across the surface of your project like you’re applying hairspray. You want to keep your hand moving quickly and evenly across your project. Bear in mind the nature of the product is that it may take you several tries to get a completely even spray pattern. Practice spraying before you do your final project.
-If you want a “splotchy” look – Push sprayer down half way while aiming at your project. Don’t move the sprayer too much or too fast.

If your paper is curling:
Glimmer Mist is a water-based spray that can make lightweight mediums (like tags and paper) curl as it dries. There are a number of ways you can correct this:
-Use a heat tool on both sides of your paper
-Iron your paper
-After it’s dry, place a heavy object on it for a few minutes

Will it stain my hands and/or clothes?
As with any arts and crafts project, messes happen. Glimmer Mist will come out of your clothes in almost all circumstances. It may take a couple of washings so make sure you check before you put it in the dryer. Glimmer Mist on your hands comes off best with shampoo, so once you’re out of the shower it should be gone! It will also come off with several washings with soap.

Will it fade in the sun?
Yes, Glimmer Mist will fade if left in the sun. You may be able to resist fading if you use a UV protective coating over your project.

Is Glimmer Mist water resistant?
No, Glimmer Mist is water-based and does not use pigment dye. Therefore, it will run if exposed to moisture. If you’re planning on using Glimmer Mist in a humid environment (bathroom décor, for example) put a protective coating over it.

My stamped images get blurry after being sprayed:
There are two ways to use Glimmer Mist with stamped images: If you’re using archival ink, you can spray Glimmer Mist on top of your stamped image and it won’t run. If you don’t use archival ink, spray the Glimmer Mist first and stamp your image over it, after it’s dry.

To finish up my birdcage decor, I suspended the bird to the top of the birdcage with narrow silk ribbon and then tied up the top with wide ivory silk ribbon.  I also Glimmer Misted white Prima 4-Petal Flowers and (I think) managed to capture the glimmer in this photo (click on it for a larger view):

I added a tag with the "Live, Love, Bloom" sentiment from one of my all-time favorite Cornish Heritage Farms' stamp sets -- Kim Hughes' Silhouette Blooms II; it is cut with Spellbinders Tags Trio die and also Glimmer Misted.  You can see below where I attached two strips of patterned paper to the bottoms of the chipboard birdcage pieces, so that it would stand up:

I hope you'll have fun with all these wonderful new Maya Road chipboard pieces Ellen is now carrying, along with my favorite Webster's Pages papers!
  

 
Stamps: CHF-Kim Hughes Silhouette Blooms II
Paper: Webster's Petite Papers Lullaby Lane/Life's Portrait 6x6
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad, Ranger Antique Linen Distress, Copic marker N5
Accessories: Maya Road Birdcage Chipboard Book & Song Bird Coaster, Tattered Angels Old Lace Glimmer Mist. Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Multi-Medium (Gloss), Studio Paints in Yellow Pastel & Painterly Pink, and Gesso. Prima 4-Petal Flowers, Hero Arts Spring Fancy Felt Flowers, May Arts wide ivory silk ribbon and narrow white silk ribbon, KaiserCraft Latte Pearl, Spellbinders Tags Trio die, Sanding Block,  

Back To Basics: stamping by Kim Hughes

Welcome to the CLASSroom!  We've all been new to stamping at some point and it sure can be intimidating, but it's easier than you may think.  Here are some pointers that I hope will help get you started.  First of all, you will need at least 2 shades of brown and black ink...these are must have's when starting out.

Supplies:

EEE2 Cardstock, Robin's Egg, H1 Notecards and Envelopes, Mocha

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Ginger, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Espresso, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Pitch Black

COPIC Sketch Marker B00, Frost Blue

Webster's Pages Petite Papers Paperpad, Home for the Holidays & Winter's Wings

Cornish Heritage Farms: Rummage Bin, On the Desk PRECUT, Scrapblock, Old Typewriter, Kim Hughes, Zooper Fun

Cut-N-Dry Stamp Pad Foam

Art Flowers, White & Cream

Say it in Studs, Pastels

VersaMark Inkpad

Heat It Craft Tool

Embossing Powder, Clear

 

This technique was hard to photograph as I was doing it, but here's the gist...use the tip of all 3 ink pads and dab them randomly onto the rubber stamp.  Start with the lightest color, then medium and finish with black.  Press the paper onto the rubber stamp and rub over the entire surface with your finger.  If you are worried about getting your fingers inky...place scrap paper on top of your paper and press onto the top paper.  The effect that you will get is a pattern that's multi-colored.
 

Stamp the vintage typewriter in the center and embellish with some twine and an elegant sticker. 

To make sure I get a bold impression with a stamp, like in this case, the typewriter, I press the stamp onto the ink pad and turn it a bit, making sure that the ink gets in all of the grooves. 

 

The next card consists of a custom background that I created using multiple stamps from one stamp set.  I am using the same 3 colors but alternating them.
 

I start by stamping with all 3 colors and then working around the paper, making sure take balance into account. 
 

as you can see here, there;s black in 5 areas, but they aren't over powering the other 3 colors.
 

I placed the paper onto a solid brown base and added a graphic feel with a bold border that I created with a thick black marker.  Embellished with an elegant sticker.
 

stamping a Scrapblock or Backgrounder with ink is the easiest way to create custom patterned paper, but there are also other fun ways to use a patterned stamp. 
 

dab the stamp with a foam pad and make sure to dab harder in the center and softer around the edges.
 

Press your paper onto the stamp...and you will find that you have a soft and faded pattern.
 

stamp the journal spot and sentiment in the lower right hand corner and cut a scrap patterned paper.  You can easily replace the Webster's paper with a stamped paper from a Scrapblock or Backgrounder pattern.
 

Ink the edges first with Espresso.  Rub the ink in heavier on the edges and press lighter as you come inward.
 

and come further in on the paper with the ginger ink.  This will give the paper a soft and smoky distressed edge,
 

draw a line on the back of brown card stock
 

and cut a scalloped edge with decorative scissors.  Align the scalloped edge on the line.
 

embellish with a flower and pearl
 

Cornish Heritage Farms also have cute images as well as the vintage ones that I just showcased.
 

after stamping the elephant, I colored the entire image with B00...note that the color appears more teal than blue...that's because I am coloring on cream paper and not white card stock. Take note of the base paper because that will determine what tone your marker will be.
 

Instead of using multiple shades of blue, simply go over the image multiple times where you would like shading to be placed.
 

stamp sentiment onto the same colored paper and cut around it.  Cut a paper strip to resemble ribbon.
 

loop the ribbon and attach onto the back of the sentiment block and add dimensional foam squares

 

Next I will sow how easy heat embossing is.  Use a Versamark pad to stamp the elephant on the entire paper surface.
 

Pour clear embossing powder over the entire image and tap off excess powder.  Heat with a heat gun until you see the image become clear.

 

now that you have created a subtle, cute background using a single stamp, you can create an accent the same way.  Heat emboss the elephant onto brown paper.
 

Face the circle punch facing up and punch around the brown elephant.
 

embellish with a playful button.  This is the type of card that is appreciated in person, since it's hard to see ion certain light.
 

Paper piecing with stamped images is easy.  Stamp your image onto patterned paper...and cut along the outer line.
 

if your image had multiple parts, you could piece one pattern over the other.
 

to add a subtle brown frame, a pen line is cleanest, however, you can also ink the edges but it will look more distressed
 

add some dimensional squares behind the elephant and this guys cuteness says it all.

Stamping really is so much FUN...so I hope if you haven't tried it before that I may have answered some questions that you might have had.  Practice makes perfect.  Make sure to practice on scrap paper

Trend Watch Tuesday - It's a Banner Day by Becky Olsen

Oh how I do adore banners of every shape and kind, and am so thrilled that they are a very hot trend right now. There are so many fantastic products that facilitate the process of creating them, and boy are they fun!

There are so many reasons to build an banner and also many ways to integrate them into other projects, so we will be looking at a few of those.

Let's start with the Maya Road Canvas Banner Album, now don't laugh, but I did want to make one of these, and have bought one to play with, but have temporarily misplaced it and so it wasn't readily available when I began creating for this post. But it is a great blank canvas to build on, ready to be made into anything that you have in mind.

Next is the Maya Road Mini Chipboard Triangle Banner, it is so cute and just the right size for cards or layouts. Easy to alter with paper, paint or glitter, and with holes already in them all you have to do is add your ribbon or jump rings to string them together, fun!

I think that these little Jenni Bowlin Homespun Alpha Sticker Banner are adorable, and they come in four different color ways. These are the perfect, quick way to add a banner to your design without any extra effort.

I was also really excited to find a banner in the latest Webster's Pages Lullaby Lane/Life's Portrait mini paper release, such perfect scale for a quick card.

I spritzed a couple of the E-Line 5 Petal Flowers with some Gold Tattered Angels spray mist, set aside to dry.

Adhere a piece of Prima Madeline lace across the seam, then stamp a sentiment from the Rummage Bin "On the Desk" set.

Tie a bow from the "Rose" colored silk ribbon and then sew a button and the little spritzed flower onto the bow and adhere to the card. That little banner is so cute, it makes for a very sweet thank you card.

The most basic hanging banner is simple to make. Start by folding a piece of paper in half and then trimming a triangle that you can trace onto the back of the paper you wish to use. For this banner I used the 6" x 6" Cosmo Cricket "Garden Variety" mini paper pack, and traced my little triangle onto a few pieces and then trimmed them out.

Use a long piece of ribbon that compliments the color scheme of your selected paper and stitch along the tops of the triangles to connect them all.

For a simple decoration I glued a few buttons to the corners of the triangles and then used letter stickers for the word that I wanted on the banner.

For a larger image, just click on any of the pictures.

This is what the whole project looks like finished. This simple manner of construction can be adjusted for any size of banner and for any reason. And adding embellishments and fun details is also simple, just think in layers.

The last project I wanted to share was creating a layout using a banner in the design. Cut a few triangles from some left over paper and lightly adhere to a piece of white 12" x 12" card stock.

I sprayed with a few different colors of Tattered Angels, and used an old shipping box to prevent over spray mess.

I used Gold on the top left corner, Caribbean Blue on the center and Sweet Clover on the bottom. I sprayed in layers, and then used the Heat It tool to speed up the drying time.

It does dry a little warped, but I will show you a solution that will help you straighten out your layout when you are done.

Stamp the Bracket Block using Coffee Archival ink, remove the small triangle pieces of paper that you used to mask as well. Trim some varied patterns from the Webster's Pages Lullaby Lane/Life's Portrait in the same size triangle that you had used for the mask and adhere in place. Then hand stitch with embroidery floss across the line.

I then used Yellow Stickles to cover my Maya Road Noah chipboard and when it is dry adhere it above the banner. Adhere a picture or two and then stitch some Prima Regia lace along side. Stitch on a few buttons and write a few thoughts.

To get your layout to lay flat, trim a 1/4" off of the right side and the bottom and then adhere to another piece of card stock. This will give it a really nice look and it also has a nice weight.

I hope you have enjoyed this Banner Day with me! It is a really fun trend, and one that can be translated into so many different types of projects! I would love to see what you create, so leave a link in the comments, and I will be sure to drop by, see what you have been up to and leave a comment if you don't mind.

Thanks so much for spending some time with us here in the CLASS room today!

B-

Doorway to Discovery by Lisa Strahl

Good Monday morning friends.  It's a pleasure to share a card today featuring Webster's Pages paper and Cornish Heritage Farms rubber stamps.

Webster's Pages papers are simply enchanting.  I remember when they arrived on the scene a few years ago - I was simply in love.  I had never seen designs that use images and patterns in such an interesting way.  I would argue that each release has been an improvement on the last.  Let me share a few details about this card, but first I want to give you a detailed supply list.

6x6 Petite Paper Pad - Garden Gala/Seaside Retreat (Webster's Pages)

Encouragement Expressions Stamp Set (Cornish Heritage Farms)

Pearl Glimmer Mist Spray (Tattered Angels)

Non-Stick Craft Sheet (Ranger)

Coffee Archival Ink (Ranger)

Sparrow Punch (Martha Stewart)

Crystals Trinket Pins (Maya Road)

Vintage Pearl Trinket Pins (Maya Road)

Ivory Mini Gypso Flowers(Prima)

Sage and Sand Ultra Fine, Baby Blue (Flower Soft)

Flower Soft Glue (Flower Soft)

White Crochet Ribbon (May Arts)

Brown Vintage Scallop Crochet Ribbon (Maya Road)

Clear Spica Glitter Pen(Copic)

3/8 inch Memory Glue Dots (Glue Dots)

1/8 inch Scor Tape(Scor Pal)

Mist the sparrow the punch with Pearl Glimmer Mist and allow to dry.  It's important not SHAKE your Glimmer Mist as it will clog the pump.  Instead TWIRL the bottle upright in a circular motion.

Mist the Gypso Flowers as well and allow to dry.  Be sure to spray on a surface that can be easily cleaned up such as the Non-Stick Craft Sheet.

 

Use the wire stem of the stem to wrap the other two pins together.

Snip the pins at the base of the wire wrap with wire cutters.

Stamp "Mistakes are doorways to discovery." sentiment with Coffee Archival Ink.

A few other design notes:

1.  Embellish flowers and leaves with flower soft.  2.  Add Clear Spica Glitter Pen to the lightest stripes on the lower half of the card.  3.  Use Memory Glue Dots to adhere the pin bouquet to the card.  4.  Use Scor Tape to adhere the crochet ribbon.

Hope this little card got your week off to a good start!  Thanks so much for joining us in the CLASSroom today.  Lisa

Cherish the Moments by Debbie Olson

 

I love making baby cards, and this one is long overdue--the card, not the baby! 

 

I started with a sweet CHF Rummage Bin stamp set, Baby Dear, and a Webster's Pages Lullaby Lane and Life's Portraits Combo Pack. Since this card is for a sweet little boy, I decided to avoid the pink papers and go with a green (Meadow Memory Box) cardstock. 

I stamped the image in Rich Cocoa Memento Ink and colored it with the Copic markers shown below. (Click on any picture to see it larger.) 

 

Here was my colored image, before matting it and zig-zag stitching around the border.

 

Next, I had chosen some ivory silk ribbon, but I wanted a punch of color on my card. I tool the Copic YG63 Various Ink and dripped several drops of it onto the ribbon in a ziploc bag. Next I squeezed the ink throughout the ribbon, pulled it out of the bag, and let it dry for less than a minute--that's all it takes!

 

Presto--here is my coordinating green ribbon! The Copic Various Ink makes the ribbon just s bit stiffer, but with silk, that's a plus: it becomes easier to tie and stay in place.

 

I chose a Big Scalloped die to cut my borders. 

 

Here is my card front after layering the papers, sanding edges, and stitching them. The striped pattern at the bottom is the back of one of the pages.

 

And here is a close-up of my focal image--such a fun little project! Thanks for visiting the CLASSroom today.

Hybrid Mini Album by Julia Stainton

Hybrid crafting is a fun way of crafting, combining both the digital and paper crafting worlds. As there are great techniques to do in both creative mediums, hybrid is a great way to pick the best of both and expand your creativity.

For this hybrid mini album, I created six layouts leaving space for a few extra embellishments and then printed them out to create my album. The thing I love about digital is the items can be used over and over again and if you make a mistake, you can simply undo it. 

I created each layout at 8x8 as that was the smallest choice. You can add pages to your scrapbook and create them all in one file. After you have the layouts as you wish, click on the print from home button and your layouts will be sent to you in jpeg format. To print, open the files and then print at desired size. I used a photo editing program to size them to 4" square and then printed on heavy white cardstock.

 

After all the pages are printed out, crop them down to the 4x4 inch size. If you'd like a closer look at the details on this project, click on any photo for a larger view.

 

Next you'll want to cut three (for a six page album or more if necessary) 4x4" pieces of Craft-a-Board to give the project stability.

 

Adhere mini layouts on each side of Craft-a-Board pages to make your album.

 

I used the Zutter Bind it All to bind my little album. My album is the older blue model but Ellen's pink one works exactly the same. I love binding the 4x4 size as it is so easy to line up the bottom of the pages with the right side of the unit. Punch each page.

 

I used the 5/8" size wire for this project. There's room to add in another page or two still if you'd like to make your album larger.

 

This is the album bound and ready for embellishing.

 

On pages two and three you can see that I added some quick and easy embellishments. As I used mostly Jenni Bowlin digital files, these pretty extras are so easy to work into the design. On the left I added in and Embellished Butterfly, Black and on the right, another Jenni Bowlin item... a Rhinestone Button.

 

I could have added in journaling with text before I printed out my layouts but I've become a huge fan of handwritten journaling. I just wrote it in right on the printed pages using some of the ledger and journaling spaces I designed into the layouts. A Tim Holtz Fragment adhered with Glossy Accents over the writing. I love using a Copic Multiliner for my journaling as I know it writes well and won't smear or bleed.

Here's a peek at the back view. I didn't embellish it so that the album could lay flat for looking at.

 

And finally, the album front. Some handwriting, another Jenni Bowlin Butterfly and a Trinket Pin look pretty adhered over the digital printed page. I couldn't resist embellishing the Bind it All wires and tied on lots of beautiful silk ribbon.

What do you think of Hybrid? Fun huh?

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom!

Technique Tag Tuesday - Hybrid Printing on Tags by Becky Olsen

We are going to be looking at how to use digital images in our hands-on crafting. Hybrid might be an intimidating concept, but all we are doing is taking all of the beautiful images from inside of our computer and using our printer to get them out. There are so many types of products that you can run through your printer, but for this technique we are going to be using the #5 cloth tag, the #5 white tag and the #8 manila tag.

I started my project by opening a new 8" x 8" scrapbook page at Scrap HD. I put three Jenni Bowlin journaling houses on the page and clicked the "print from home" option that is available to the premium members.

When the file was sent to me I opened it up with Photoshop which is the image editor that I prefer. I could also have opened it in Word and achieved the same results.

I printed the image out onto 8.5" x 11" sheet of plain printer paper.

Then I got out the tags that I mentioned earlier and made sure that there was enough room for them on the paper. After I had that figured out, I used a re-positionable adhesive on the back side and placed them over the top of the houses.

I placed the #5 cloth over the aqua colored house, the #5 white over the red and the #8 manila over the brown, put the sheet of paper back into the feed tray and hit print again. This is where it gets fun to play! I didn't have the expected result and thought it would be good to show you that we have learning opportunities too! It is my belief that I learn more from my failures than from my successes. The first tag printed out perfectly, but the other two tags shifted.

So I got out my adhesive remover and cleaned the backsides of the tags. I then used the same re-positionable adhesive and adhered the clean side up and tried again.

This is the result that I got the with the second try. The #8 tag shifted again but the #5 stayed put. What I think is happening (or what I learned) is that the tags seem to be stiffer and not as good as bending to go through the printer on the side. When I was planning my page at Scrap HD, I was trying to squeeze more images onto the page to maximize my printing, so had rotated the images in the document there to be more efficient. What I would do next time is three different documents that had the image upright and unchanged. This would allow any size tag to be put through my printer with a higher likelihood of success (I think). So the #8 tag hit the round file and the other two were put to work! 

On the #5 white tag stitch some Prima "Regia" lace onto the bottom and then stamp "Black Soot" Distress ink with a sentiment from the Hero Arts "Mi Casa" set.

Tie some twine through a couple of Jenni Bowling "Reader" chipboard buttons.

And then adhere them to the tag.

This is what it looks like when it is finished, super easy and fun! I think this tag would be darling as the tag on a house warming gift or on a basket of goodies for a neighbor that might need a pick me up.

Next we are going to add some fun to the cloth tag. I stamped a sentiment and image from the "Sew Special" Rummage Bin set with "Coffee" Archival ink.

I then fussy cut out the cute vine and a few flowers from the Cosmo Cricket "Material Girl" paper and adhered it all using a Quickie Glue Pen.

The finishing touches are some "White Silk" ribbon and a darling little "Crystal" straight pink from Maya Road.

I love the depth and dimension that all of these layers provide, and it all started with running a few tags through my printer. Easy Peasy!

Now that you know a little more about hybrid, hopefully it isn't as intimidating. And think of all the fun things there are to run through your printer, with all of the amazing art that can be found through your computer, oh the possibilities are limitless!!

B-

7 Gypsies Hybrid Tag

Hybrid.  Digital.  Those words can strike fear into the heart of some stampy stampers.  But fear not my friends.  These words simply represent another tool in your paper crafting arsenal!

By now Ellen has given you her vision for the world of hybrid crafting and I want to kick things off with a simple, "get you started" kind of project.  Please read her Newsletter here and the FAQ section if you have not already.

I have had great admiration for 7 Gypsies product, but mostly from afar because most of my local scrapbook stores don't carry very much.  No longer a problem!  I now have access to a library of 7 Gypsies product AND am able to customize it to my liking and my project needs.

To gain access to the information I am sharing today simply click on this link or the preceding graphic and it will take you to the Ellen Hutson, LLC and ScrapHD builder.

 

These adorable tags are found in the Embellishment section of the program.  I created a blank 8x8 page and "dragged and dropped" the images onto the page.  Arrange them to get the most possible images on a single sheet and color print onto 8.5 x 11 Sticky Back Canvas.

Here are a few screen shots to walk you through how to navigate this process:

1.  Click on the Create a Scrapbook Button and Log In.

2.  Select "Start with a blank page"

 

3.  Click on 8x8 Scrapbook.

4.  Click on the tab with the yellow star, which is the embellishment menu.  Click on the green + button to see the selection of embellishments.

5.  Click on Manufacturer > 7 Gypsies > then search for tags.

6.  Choose the tags you want by clicking on them.  They will appear in the left column.  You can then drag them onto the 8x8 blank page.  Images can be resized by simply using your mouse to drag the corner.

 
  
7.  The final step is to choose the option to "Print From Home".  The high resolution file will be emailed to you.

Once again here are my printed tags and embellishments, all from 7 Gypsies.  I am not going to use all of these today, but didn't want to waste extra space on my page.

8.  Cut out the printed canvas tag and stamp the word "Art" from Wendy Vecchi's Just Word Art stamp set with Pitch Black Paint Dabber.

9. Embellish the flourishes on the tag with Clear Spica Glitter Pen.

10.  Apply a narrow layer of 1/8 inch double sided tape to the bottom of the tag and use it to secure the Cynthia Ribbon Lace.

11. Add the word "Expression" from the Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type Black Stickers set.

12.  Punch the Glassene Butterflyfrom the houndstooth pattern in the Red/Black Line Extension Mini PapersPackage by Jenni Bowlin.

 

13.  Embellish the butterfly with pearls.

 

14. Embellish the ribbon lace with black pearls.

15.  I am always looking for new and interesting ways to incorporate pins and metal trinkets into my work.  Rather than tying the Cream Stick Pin by Jenni Bowlin to the Sprocket Gear, I used the brad to secure the pin to the piece.

 

 

16.  Finally, use the brad to hold the entire piece to the tag.

Thank you so much for joining us here on the CLASSroom today!

Cheers, Lisa

ahhh, paper roses by Kim Hughes

I've seen gorgeous flower tutorials for ages, but I thought I'd try to create some in my own way.  I think this may require a little more patience than ones I have seen, but I think the result is beautiful.
 
supplies:

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

Basic Grey Collection Pack, Sugar Rush, Basic Grey Woolies, Sugar Rush

Memory Box: Happy Birthday stamp, B1 Notecards and Envelopes, Cotton Candy, EE Notecards and Envelopes, Endive

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Watermelon, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Butterscotch

Hero Arts stamp:Cling Reversed Flowers and Leaves

I started by stamping the floral pattern onto 3 different orange papers.  The pattern is oh' so subtle, but I didn't want it to over power the pattern on the paper.

I then positioned my circle dies so that it will cut a ring.  Use the second size down from the larger size.  I cut 3 rings in 3 different sizes.
 

Once all 3 rings are die cut, cut a slit with scissors in each
 

then bend each ring in the center with your fingers (crumple them up a tiny bit, but be careful not to tear the paper since it is thin.  I inked the edges with the same colored ink.  Use a darker color ink for more contrast
 

start rolling the paper, white side down
 

as you roll, apply a sturdy liquid glue that dries fairly fast. 
 

keep rolling and bending so that the paper butts up against itself.  It gets difficult because you are trying to be gentle not to tear the paper, but gluing as you go along and rolling at the same time. 
 

sorry for the blurred image, but this is how it will look.  It's fairly flat but it will make it easy to adhere to your project.
 

Since I used 3 different sized rings, I have 3 different sized roses.  I attached them with a dimensional foam square and embellished with a felt leaf sticker (that packs a punch)

I stamped the sentiment, wrapped silk ribbon around the bottom and embellished with a felt heart sticker.

Try this technique with fabric, ribbon or other papers.  Thanks so much for stopping by :)

Snowpuffs to Blossoms by Susan Roberts

The cherry blossoms are everywhere.  Spring is here!!!  And just as the snow melts on the trees and the blossoms appear, this stamp by Memory Box called “Snowpuff Branch” has easily transformed from a lovely winter image to a branch of pink blooms.

 

These little blossoms were made by coloring a coffee filter with Copics and punching out the tiny flowers with  Martha Stewart’s “3-in-1 Hydrangea” punch.

 

 

After making a small hole in the center of each flower (I used the Ornare paper piercer and pad), I used an embossing stylus moving it in a circular motion at the center of the blossom while still on the soft piercing pad.  This “trained” it to fold inward.

 

 

Next each blossom was put on a short piece of wire from Flower Soft, and glue and Ultra Fine Flower Soft in “Raspberry Fizz” was applied.

 

 

The blossom was then pushed up to meet the glue/Flower Soft and the petals were gently shaped.  (This is made easier if the blossom has been trained to curl with the embossing tool.)

 

I think these are so sweet!

 

The stems were placed in a block of floral foam to dry.

 

After the glue had dried, the wires/stems were cut shorter and bent at a 90 degree angle as close to the blossom as possible.

 

The image was stamped and colored and holes were made to insert the stems.  Once all the blossoms were inserted onto the cardstock, I taped the stem ends to hold them in place on the back of the image.  When taping the stems, I made sure to arrange them so that dimensionals could be placed directly on the cardstock around the outside of the oval.  By using dimensionals, there are no visible lumps or bumps on the front of the image once it is adhered to the larger oval base.

 

These little blossoms were really fun to make.  It may look complicated or time consuming, but it really wasn’t.  By making several at once, I had a branch bursting with cherry blossoms in no time at all!

Happy Spring!!

 

Supplies:

Stamps: Memory Box “Snowpuff Branch”, “Swallow” and “Happy Spring”

Papers: Memory Box “Vanilla Bean”, “Frond” and “Gossamer”; Neenah “Solar White”; Coffee Filter

Inks: Memento “Rich Cocoa”; Copics:

    Flowers: RV000, RV11, R30, 0

    Snowpuffs: RV11, R14

    Bird: BG02, BG05, BG09

Accessories: Flower Soft Ultra Fine “Raspberry Fizz”, Wires and Glue; Martha Stewart “3-in-1 Hydrangea” and “Around the Page Crown” Punches; Nestabilities Classic Scalloped Oval Dies; May Arts Silk Ribbon; ¾” and 1’ Circle Punches; Embossing Stylus; Paper Piercer

Spring Blossom Card by Julia Stainton

I think Spring just may be finally in the air. It has me dreaming of birds and flowers and soft sweet colors. I've chosen some Memory Box products to work with today that are oh so pretty. Pairing them up with some Nestability dies makes it easy to create this unique card.

To create this card, I started off with a Lavender Memory Box note card. By placing the largest Scalloped Circle Die over the notecard, you can die cut your own shaped card. Make sure that you allow at least three scallops to cross over the fold to ensure stability and to make sure you don't cut your notecard into two pieces.

The beautiful striped patterned paper is from the Frond 6x6 paper pad by Memory Box. It is die-cut with the Circle Standard Large Nestability Die and then all edges were sponged with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink. Adhere to the card front.

The next element of the design is the glittered chipboard flower created from Craft-a-board. Using the Nested Dahlia die and a smaller circle from the circle Nestability set, die-cut the flower from Craft-a-Board.

After inking the edges for a vintage look, I applied some Martha Stewart Crystal Fine Glitter by sprinkling it over the die cut element coated in Ranger Glossy Accents.

Now I'm pretty tickled with how the next element of the design worked because I totally didn't plan it. Don't you love it when that happens? I decided to stamp the sweet Batik Birds image onto a piece of Neenah Classic Solar White cardstock and layer it behind the flower for a window effect. If you're looking for the ink color, I used Shabby Shutters Distress Ink by Ranger.

On my desk, I just happened to have some Glass Glinz, 30 mm clear embellishments that I hadn't put away from the post yet. Unbelievably they fit the center perfectly and I love the dimension and how they seem to magnify the stamped image behind. Sweet! Once again Ranger Glossy Accents comes to the rescue and easily adheres this clear element.

 

Using another piece of the Frond 6x6 paper pad, I hand-cut leaves and then scored them and tucked them behind the flower image for a pretty look.
 

Now the Batik Birds image was just too pretty not to show the entire image so I stamped it again, this time on the inside of my card. I added some rhinestones, Basic Grey Bling It, to accent the branch and then added in a short sentiment by spelling out friend with the Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type Stickers.

 

To finish off the project, add in a twill ribbon tied with twine and a Vintage Sew On Button by Jenni Bowlin and the card is complete.

Why not give it a whirl and step out of the square box and give a circle card a whirl?

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom today! Happy Creating!

Button Tree & Butterfly by Sharon Harnist

What a happy coincidence -- I had these button projects planned out a few weeks ago, before seeing Becky's Trend Watch Tuesday post this week about buttons!  I guess it's safe to say we all like our buttons, don't we?!!

I thought Memory Box's Twizzle Tree would be a great stamp to embellish with buttons.  And since the tree is a classic basic tree, you can change the colors of the buttons to suit the season or holiday!  I chose to celebrate Spring by using Memory Box's Frond 6x6 patterned paper as a base for my tree.  I machine zig-zag stitched two different patterns to the bottom of my card base made out of Memory Box Kraft cardstock.

The tree was stamped with Ranger Adirondack Espresso dye ink.  I used Hero Arts Clear Card Buttons, punched more coordinating patterned papers from the Frond collection and then adhered the two together with Glossy Accents:

 

There are three different sizes of these clear buttons in each package, so you can find just about any size you need.  On the tree, I used all three sizes.  It's quick and easy to adhere the patterned paper to the button, by using Glossy Accents -- it dries clear and quickly, to give you a perfectly-matched button for your project!  These buttons can also be stamped on, for another unique look.

 

A tip for sewing buttons on your project easily . . . use a Piercing Tool on a Piercing Pad to poke the holes for the buttons exactly where you want them.  This makes sewing the buttons to the cardstock easier and quicker, especially if you are trying to sew through more than one layer of cardstock, like I did with my butterfly card below:

 

The inside of my button tree card was finished with a little more patterned Frond paper, cut with pinking shears and Memory Box's Happy Spring sentiment:

 

I just recently discovered in the store these adorable Butterfly Cards & Envelopes by Memory Box:

 
While they make cute, quick & easy notecards as is, I thought it would be fun to use the butterflies like a die cut.  I cut one butterfly notecard apart where it was hinged together at the left wing and positioned it on a Memory Box Hyacinth Notecard that I punched the right edge with Martha Stewart's Scalloped Dot Edger Punch:

 

I machine stitched around the butterfly and then used buttons in the same manner as above, for the butterfly's body.  The butterfly antennae was created with thread, after sewing the buttons on the card.

 

The Happy Spring sentiment was stamped with Hero Arts Iris Chalk Ink.  I hope these Spring cards give you some more ideas of ways to use buttons!

 
Stamps: Memory Box Twizzle Tree & Happy Spring
Paper: Memory Box Frond 6x6 patterned, Kraft cardstock, Butterfly Cards & Envelopes-Cool, Hyacinth Notecard
Ink: Ranger Adirondack Espresso dye ink pad, Hero Arts Iris Chalk Ink
Accessories: Hero Arts Clear Card Buttons, Ranger Glossy Accents, Ornare Piercing Tool & Piercing Pad. EK Success 5/8" circle punch, 1/2" circle punch & 3/4" circle punch.  Martha Stewart Edger Punch-Scalloped Dot
Other: sewing machine

Getting Back To Nature by Kim Hughes

Spring is around the corner...and what a better time to go on a nature hike?  I just love going for walks with my family when the weather is perfect.  This is a cute container for them to collect fun twings, leaves or rocks.  Since it's a plastic container, nothing will leak, so if they find something really cool, like a salamander in water, they can set it into this container to look at.

Supplies:

Nestability Dies - Labels Three

Memory Box 6x6 Cardstock, Frond, Log Home, Vanilla Bean card stock from the Notecard Collection, Indian Summer, Biscotti Cardstock, Collection, Nutty Squirrel

start with a plastic kool-aid container.  Crystal light comes in these "ready, set go" containers as well.  Turn a tasty drink into a carry-a-long for the kids.

I sent my 6 x 6 paper through the die cutting machine and created a window in the center.  I then stamped a squirrel onto white card stock and cut it out.  I also stamped the squirrel onto blue patterned paper to paper piece the apron.  I stamped the tree onto the same light blue patterned paper and cut it out as well.

I added green paper to the backdrop and a smaller patterned paper to the bottom of the "scene"

and this is what it looks like when the paper is adhered behind the die cut window.

I added the paper pieced apron to the squirrel and adhered it and the tree to the winidow scene.

Then I adhered the paper onto the plastic cylinder with a sturdy liquid glue.  I like Felt glue by Beacon...it dries super fast.  Crystal Effects works well for this as well, I am sure.

I punched holes in the top and tied ribbon in a knot in each end for the handle.  You can choose to leave the handle off and add delicious cookies to the container with the lid instead. 

Wrap green patterned paper to the bottom of the container.

I colored the hole in the tree with a brown marker and added punched leaves to the tree.

Take an ordinary card base and transform it into a tree branch, uhhuh, no seriously, it's easy :)

cut it down to three quarters of an inch and roll along the side, all the way down the length of the paper.  Continue until it's rolled up tight.


and then glue with sturdy liquid glue.  Cut off an inch from the bottom

bend the longer end and add to the top of the smaller piece...voila!

fold green patterned paper in half and then in thirds to create the same sized leaves for the branch

I know they aren't perfect, at least it's a plus if you can get them to be the same size to start, cut them down and add one behind the other so that it's green on both sides.

...and add to the tree branch, fun, iight?

this would also make a fun water bottle holder, or treat container (like some trail mix, maybe?)

 ;)  Have fun friends!

Trend Watch Tuesday - Button, Button, Who's got the Button by Becky Olsen

For today's trend watch topic I wanted to take it back to basics. We are going to be looking at buttons today, and I for one can never get enough these delightful embellishments! Buttons have been on trend for a few years now, and just when you think that maybe their time has played out as the top dog in your stash, someone comes along and makes them even hotter, more fun and usable! There are so many fun button products out there that we are going to talk about, and we are also going to discuss how to freshen up your approach for using them too.

Let's start with a fabulous piece of patterned paper that showcase the first is from Graphic 45 and is called "Buttons a la Mode" and is the Fashionista line. Don't you love the colors and how fabulous are all of those vintage buttons?

I love these vintage inspired buttons from Jenni Bowlin, they are self adhesive and have a beautiful little gem set in the center!

Here are a couple of projects that I made using the Jenni Bowlin line of products that are new the shop.
The first is with the black Jenni Bowlin rhinestone button, I love the cards that these buttons are presented on, so I re-purposed it to make a little tag that can be tied to a little gift or popped into the mail, it uses the "Vintage Red Line" of papers.

Jenni Bowlin designs so many beautiful products that compliment each other, how much fun would these buttons be with this paper line? Of course they match perfectly, but the patterns are so rich and engaging that you could create many exciting project combinations.

I didn't have those amazing buttons in my studio (yet...) so I went back to button basics. I have a bottle full of random black buttons, the different sizes on this card show how you can have buttons that don't seem to match become a beautiful accent by arranging them in a simple way. Thread one through with some yummy skinny silk ribbon and tie a cute bow for a soft finishing touch.

There are so many wonderful colors and shapes of buttons that finding a match usually isn't very hard. These bright green Jenni Bowlin buttons are in my favorite color of green, but what if that color isn't exactly what my project needs?

In comes the Maya Road chipboard buttons to the rescue!

In loads of fun shapes and sizes, with these buttons you can get you your exact match in just a few easy steps.

The first way to get that special look is with paint, stickles and glossy accents. I used the Lemonade Adirondack Paint Dabber, and Scattered Straw Distress Stickles with a finishing coat of Glossy Accents.

The second way to dress chipboard up is to paint with a base color (I chose Blank Canvas).

Then stamp it with Archival ink and when that has dried, then apply some Glossy Accents for that button sheen.

The last technique I have to share (while there are so many more!) is to use patterned paper from the collection you are creating your project from.

I wanted to use the new Garden Variety line from Cosmo Cricket, so I found a piece of paper with a cute flower that was about the same size as the button I was using.

Squeeze a thin layer of Glossy Accents onto the top of the button and then place it onto the back of the paper. Arrange it where the pattern from the front will be where you want it and then set it aside to dry.

When it is dry, trim it out. I used my exacto knife but you could use scissors or a file. Make sure to remove the paper from the button holes, again I used my exacto knife, but there are other ways to get the holes opened up, do what works best for you.

Cover the top with Glossy Accents and set aside to dry.

These are what all three chipboard buttons looked like when I was done, pretty fun stuff!

They are now ready to add it to your projects. I decided to use the little flower one so I tied the skinny white silk ribbon through in a bow again. I might be addicted to that look, do you think a button bow intervention might be necessary?

If you are like me and have to try have it all, then this next project is one that you might enjoy. When I ordered my new Cosmo Cricket paper lines from Ellen, I had to have all of the fun accessories that were released as complimentary product as well. The colors of the buttons that came in the Joy Ride button pack are so perfect and are in great shapes and sizes, making them super easy to use!

I really wanted to have a sun for the little scene I was creating with my card so I started with a circle punch.

I drew a circle on the back of the circle that I had just punched

and then trimmed out little wedges and stitched the button into the center to get my sweet rays of sunshine!

Add a sweet Hero Arts sentiment stamped in Distress Scattered Straw and another darling Joy Ride button and this card is good to go!

Basic Grey also makes gorgeous buttons to go with their product lines. You might notice in this picture of the June Bug buttons, that there are a lot of buttons in these packs!

I often don't use the clear ones with the patterned paper because I like more pop of color, and I can't let an amazing button go unused so a great way to add a little extra oomph to a clear button is by stamping on it. I used the All Things Considered "Key Elements" set.

This gives a subtle and elegant look to a project that needed a little something extra.

There are so many more things that buttons bring to the craft table, but I am going to leave those to your imagination! Buttons have been a staple in the creative arena for longer than we have all been crafting, but now they are leading the trends in shape, dimension and color! Yesterday a useful closure on my favorite skirt, today the leading lady in my craft projects. Way to transform yourself into the must do trend button, you are now anything but basic!

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Twinchie Owl by Lisa Strahl

Can you believe that I am blogging FROM Ellen's office?!?!  It's been much too long since I came to visit my dear friend and just had to make the trip.  I have two words for you SHOPPING SPREE!  Woot!

I am thrilled to share a fun little Twinchie today featuring Memory Box papers and stamps.  A Twinchie is simply any piece of art or creation that measures 2x2 inches.  I love focusing in on creating in these small spaces and then applying them to a card, home decor or altered project.

Begin by stamping the Scalloped Owl on five different papers from the Memory Box Spearmint Collection.  These papers are perfect for paper piecing on stamps because the scale of the patterns are small.

Fussy cut the pieces of the owl.  Be sure to decide ahead of time where you want the outlines of the stamp to remain and take that into account with the next piece you are going to cut.  You will cut some outlines off and leave some on.  You will need to use VERY sharp detail scissors - these are my favorite.

Piece your owl back together.  I like to use Dries Clear Adhesive to adhere these tiny layers together.  I wanted some dimension to his wings so I just glued them down at the top.  Highlight the papers with Clear Spica Glitter Pen.

Stamp the Words to Birds Collage and then the Build a Tree images with Coffee Archival Ink.

 

Add pearls to the tree branches.

Stamp the Sassy Petites word set onto Classic Natural White Neehah cardstock and cut out the words Witty, Chic and Fresh - that is how this owl looks to me!

 

Now, if it were me I would stop right there because I love all things Inchie Art, BUT, I know that most of you love a practical application so here is a simple card. 

The thing that I adore about Memory Box cardstock is that it is super smooth and wonderful to stamp on.  It is also duplexed which means that it is colored on one side and white on the other which means that the inside of your card looks very professional and "finished".  I used Vanilla Bean and Bayou for the layers behind the owl and the folded card is Meadow.

That's it for me today.  Ellen is in the next room creating and I am missing all of the fun!

Cheers, Lisa 

Springtime Greetings by Debbie Olson

Today I have a Memory Box card to share with you; we had temperatures high enough to melt some of our snow cover today, so I'm almost convinced that Spring is coming!

 

I started with some Memory Box Gossamer papers, along with a piece of the Memory Box Sugar Plum cardstock and a Big Scalloped Petites border die. 

 

Next I stamped the Nesting Birds and Springtime Greetings images in Memento Rich Cocoa ink and die-cut it with a Long Rectangle die, leaving the die in place to act as a mask for my Copic BG34 marker and airbrush system.  I did not mask the birds; I sprayed them lightly enough that I knew I would be able to go back in my my clear blender and push the ink out of the way.

Pictured here are the rest of the Copic markers that I used to color the image, and below is the image, colored and slightly distressed on the edges.

 

I finished with a length of white silk ribbon and some self-adhesive pearls.

  

That's it--a simple Spring card. Thank you for visiting the CLASSroom today! 

On the Boardwalk Canvas Wall Hanging by Julia Stainton

I don't know about you but right now, I am dreaming of summer. It's about time for a season change is it not?

While I'm still stuck in the snow, the new Graphic 45 On the Boardwalk line has perfectly captured the timeless joy of summer on the shore. Bliss! I thought I would combine it with another idea I've had spinning in my head for a while...creating a wall hanging from an 8x8 Prima Canvas Album page. You can take one right out of your album if you don't mind losing a page or they can also be purchased in a separate package in both 6x6" page and 8x8" page sizes. For this project, I've used the 8x8 page size.

 

To create this wall hanging I simply used a canvas page at set it with the grommets at the top of the project. Roughly lay out your design by cutting out images from the Graphic 45 On the Boardwalk line. I used the Coney Island and High Style Holiday papers. If you look at the above photo and my finished project, you'll notice that the images are transferred in reverse. Because of this, I only used images without text with the image transfer technique. The others were stitched or adhered in other ways.

 

The image transfer is a really fabulous technique to try and much easier than it looks. I especially love images transferred onto fabric like this canvas album page. To transfer the pattered paper images right onto the fabric, simply brush the areas that you wish to cover with a good coat of Studio Gloss Multi-Medium. Press the images face down into the wet medium and smooth out any wrinkles or air bubbles. Allow to dry thoroughly.

You can also find other tutorials using this technique at these links.... Photo Transfer Album Page and Sticky Back Canvas Image Transfer.

 

Once your transfer medium is totally dry, you can then start removing the paper layers. I like to use a Mini Mister filled with water to spritz the paper and soften it. Rub away the layers gently with your finger. If needed, apply more water and work at it until all the paper is removed, revealing the image transfer. Don't worry if the transfer isn't perfect. Mine weren't and I think it adds to the vintage charm of the project.

Adding a few different elements to a design is always a great idea for a collage design. Here I've stamped right onto some spaces on the canvas using these postal images from the On the Desk stamp set by Cornish Heritage Farms. Black Archival Ink by Ranger is a wonderful ink for stamping on canvas and other surfaces. Heat set for a permanent finish.

 

As I mentioned above, images with words were added without the image transfer. The Twinchie Squares, Assorted made a great surface to create an accent. The paper elements were trimmed to 1 7/8" square and the edges sanded with the Tim Holtz Sanding Block.

 

You can see in this photo that I stitched right through the Twinchies to my canvas base. This secures them on tightly. If you don't want to stitch, simply adhere them with more of the Studio Multi-Medium brushed on the reverse. You can also see in this photo that I zig zag stitched around each transferred image for definition. The large Beach square was stitched onto the project as well as the main title element of the project.

To hang up this wall hanging, twill tape was threaded through the grommets and knotted. I adore these new Jenni Bowlin Vintage Style Buttons. They are gorgeous and add some texture interest to the project.

 

To finish things off, I added in a little Adage Ticket pinned with a Trinket Pin that says Memento on it. A Game Spinner points to the Beach for an additional vintage element.

Have fun trying out this unique decor piece or make your own variation. A little creative time is always great for beating the late winter blues. Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom!

Graphic 45-Hero Floral Door Hanger by Sharon Harnist

I seem to be into door hangers lately -- I like that they can be hung from a door or decorative hook and also used as a piece of wall art!  This one was made using Spellbinders Labels Eight Nestabilities die that measures approximately 5.50" x 4".  I die-cut my base out of good 'ole Craft-A-Board -- I love this stuff!  Then I cut this beautiful Graphic 45-Le Romantique 8x8 paper with the same die and adhered the two together.

The Hero Arts Big & Small flower was stamped onto more coordinating peach & green Le Romantique papers (twice) and then easily & quickly cut out using my pinking shears:

A few more straight snips with scissors between the petals and this big flower was done!  I colored the flower center with Copic E35 marker and put a large Glue Dot in the center and covered it with Martha Stewart's copper glitter.  The petals of both flowers were curled with my fingernail and layered together.

This great Hero Arts sentiment (from the Life Is Not Perfect set) was stamped with Adirondack Espresso ink onto an Inchie Arts Wheat Twinchie Square -- these squares are the same wonderful museum-quality matboard as Inchie Squares, but are 2-inches! 

 

I topped the Twinchie with another piece of the Le Romantique paper that was punched with Martha Stewart Arch Lattice Edger Punch.  I also rounded the corners of the Twinchie easily with the 1/2" Corner Chomper.  I was about to call this project "done" but then spotted these beautiful Zva crystals in my drawer and they just begged to be used!  Good news is that Ellen will be carrying Zva's beautimous bling in the store but the sort of bad news is that they haven't quite arrived yet!  So please keep checking back!

To finish this door hanger, I punched holes in the top and tied up some pretty lace.

 
Stamps: Hero Arts Big & Small, Life Is Not Perfect
Paper: Graphic 45-Le Romantique 8x8
Ink: Ranger-Adirondack Espresso dye ink, Copic marker-E35
Accessories: Spellbinders-Labels Eight Nestabilities dies, Essentials by Ellen-Craft-A-Board, Inchie Arts Assorted Twinchie Squares (Wheat), Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper, Prima-Jaqueline Lace, Martha Stewart Edger Punch-Arch Lattice, Glue Dots, Martha Stewart Essential Colors Glitter Set-Copper, Zva Crystals (arriving soon!)

 

Vintage Page by Kim Hughes

I don't make nearly as many layouts as I used to, so I decided to dabble a bit.  Creating scrapbook layouts really are so fulfilling to me and I plan to create many more this month.  I pulled out products that spoke to me first and searched for a coordinating photo.  I know that many designers work in the opposite direction.  They start with the fun photo and coordinate around that.  I love creating that way as well..there is no right and wrong way and everyone can scrapbook, seriously.  So, if you are new to it, maybe you could start with a 6 x 6 size and work your way up to 12 x 12.

Supplies:

Inchie + Squares, White

Ranger: Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Lettuce, Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Espresso

Jenni Bowlin: Rhinestone Buttons, Black

Studio 490, Art from the Heart, Studio 490, Art Rules

Maya Road: Trinket Pins, Vintage Pearl

Graphic 45: Le' Romantique, My Beloved, Le' Romantique, Tender Missives, Le' Romantique, Loves Labyrinth, Botanicabella, Tags, Botanicabella, Secret Garden, Botanicabella, Garden Suite

Pearls, Champagne

Cut-N-Dry Stamp Pad Foam

I started out with the decision that I would create a "frame" for my small photo to give it more of an impact.  Inchies are perfect tiles that can easily be customized to coordinate with any project, plus they add dimension.

 

I inked up the large stamp first, alligned up my frame and pressed the stamp onto the squares at the same time.
 

I then added a soft touch to the edges with brown ink.  It gives them a vintage look, but they also look "clean" because they are not overly distressed.
 

I chose some scraps for accent papers (the edges are inked as well)  Scraps from 12 x 12 layouts are wonderful to use on a card....always keep that in mind.
 

I decided to cut down the polka dots a bit by dding a large mat to the bottom of the page.  I cut a decorative edge in the top to add interest. 
 

I then pushed the papers and tag accents around until I was please with each placement.
 

Before I adhered my paper and accents, I stamped a fun border
 

Graphic 45 has the most gorgeous rosebud paper, so I decided to cut some out to use as accents.
 

Once I added my cut flowers to the page, I embellished my tag with twine and a push pin.
 

Finishing touches include pearl stickers and a vintage button
 

I added touches to the top of the page to balance it out.

I added a touch of glitter with a glitter pen, and before it could set, I rubbed it around with my finger, the result is subtle, but sweet in person.

I will go back and add my title and journal at a later time.  This s a photo of my Mom, who is dear to me, so I will keep the details private.  I hope that I have encouraged you to create a scrapbook page.

Have you thought about creating pages as a gift.  leave a frame for a photo, include letter stickers, a journal block and pen maybe?  You could add to their album through the year and have them "fill in the blanks"

Thanks for stopping by :)

Technique Tag Tuesday - Let's Rock and Roll by Becky Olsen

I want to rock and roll all night and get crafty every day...

Are you singing along with me yet? I love that old school rock song and a little change in the wording gets me ready to dance in the aisles of my craft room! It also reminds me to play with the technique called rocking and rolling, and I thought that would be fun to share for those of you who aren't familiar with it.

I started with a #8 White tag, a sheet of Neenah Solar white, Marmalade Spice, Dried Marigold, Scattered Straw, Fired Brick, Shabby Shutters, and Peeled Paint Distress Inks.

We are going to press Dried Marigold, Scattered Straw, and Spiced Marmalade onto our craft sheet in three rows that are approximately the width of the stamp we are using which is the Cornish Heritage Farms Large Polka Dot Backgrounder.

Place the cling mounted stamp onto a clear block and then carefully place onto the ink that is on the craft sheet and gently press the stamp to pick up the ink from the mat, you will want to pull it about 1/4" to the left and right so that the colors are carefully blended where they meet each other on the stamp to create a nice transition.

Because the stamp isn't the same width as the tag, I just flipped it over and stamped the end to finish it off, we will be putting a ribbon through that will cover the seam, so don't worry if it doesn't match perfectly.

Cut a piece of Cut-N-Dry foam and pick up a little color from the Scattered Straw pad.

Lightly blend into the edges of the tag.

Next we will need the large flower image from the Ornamental Beauty set. Always start with the lightest color first, apply a layer of Dried Marigold onto the center of the stamp.

Then apply the next lightest color which in the case is the Spiced Marmalade around the outside of the image.

The darkest color is applied last and this is where we do the rolling! Roll the side of the ink pad along the very outermost edges of the stamp.

Press onto your Solar White paper.

For the leaves apply Shabby Shutters first and then roll the Peeled Paint along the edges of the flourish. Now it is time for a little fussy cutting and maybe this is a good time to listen to a little classic rock and roll to make it even more fun ;o)

Stamp the sentiment using Peeled Paint and use the Cut-N-dry to apply the Scattered Straw onto the edges of the sentiment, the flower and the flourish leaves. Fold sentiment over the edge and then stitch onto left side of tag.

Sew flower into the center of the tag. Adhere the flourishes with dimensional foam adhesive and then the beautiful green cameo piece from the Webster's Pages Nature's Storybook Silhouettes into the center of the flower. Tie a piece of Olive colored May Arts silk ribbon into the top of the tag.

The greens are the same color in real life, and compliment the rich yellow, oranges and red beautifully.

Thanks so much for stopping by to share a classic technique with me, and hopefully this will have you dancing you your craft room too!

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