the CLASSroom

Floral Mother's Day Card by Julia Stainton

With Mother's Day just around the corner, I thought I'd pair up some sweet Jenni Bowlin papers and a floral Memory Box stamp and get creating.

Soft whites, vanilla and pink is the main color combo for this design. My card base is created from Neenah Classic Cream cardstock and I've used a layer of Neenah Solar White cardstock as a mat for my patterned paper layers. These cardstocks have a beautiful heavy weight and are wonderful to work with. The Jenni Bowlin mini papers come in 4x4" size and are so sweet. Perfect for cards and small projects. Here I've used Baby of Mine with Vintage Black Line mini papers. I love how well the lines mix and match.

I've recently been on a twill bow-making kick and love making a double looped bow tied with a button. They're super easy to create.

First cut approximately 18 inches of twill tape and then loop it in your fingers so that there are two loops on each side. You are folding it in an accordion type fold.

Take a piece of twine, embroidery thread or fine ribbon and knot tightly around the bow. Make sure the knot it tight so that the ribbon will not pull through.

Thread ends of twine through a button and tie. Here I've used a Jenni Bowlin Vintage Sew-On Button in pink.

Fluff up loops of your bow as desired until you get the look you want.

Vintage and text are very much in style right now. I thought I'd add some extra dimension to this lovely Memory Box stamped image, Vintage Peony Combo, by stamping it onto some of the Jenni Bowlin text paper. While I love using Copic Markers, I thought a softly watercolored look would add color and fit in well with the vintage look. I used a slightly wet Studio Artist Brush and picked up color from my Worn Lipstick Distress Ink Pad. For the leaves, the new Crushed Olive Distress Ink worked well.

The two stamped and cut out images were layered over a Paper Doily, and also grouped with some Mini Gypso Flowers and a Maya Road Vintage Pearl Trinket Pin.

 

To create your own sentiment, these sweet little Tiny Type letters are perfect for spelling out whatever you wish. Finally I added in a Zva Creative Pearl Flourish to finish off my card. This card could be easily changed up for almost any occasion by simply changing the sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom!

Copic Flick Feather Blended Poppy by Sharon Harnist

 

Today I have a different Copic blending technique to show you ... it's called flick fleathering. This technique is good for coloring larger areas that may otherwise be difficult to get an easy blend, OR trying to blend two totally different color families. The long flicked strokes will cover larger areas of your paper quicker, too, than trying to color in small circular motions. Here are the basic strokes to use (they resemble grass!):

 

Starting at the bottom of your paper and using almost the whole side of the brush tip of your lightest color, flick your brush strokes upward, with the heaviest pressure against the marker tip and the most concentration of color being at the bottom.  Use less pressure towards the end of your upward flicking motion, so the mark is narrower and the color is lighter towards the top of the stroke.

 

 

You can then turn the paper around and using your second color, make the same strokes towards the first strokes (I've just separated the colors in the photo above, so you can see the strokes easier).  When using two different colors, such as the yellow and pink I used in this sample, the blended result will be a new orangey color in the center!  This is an easy way to achieve a natural color graduation, as you would see in nature:

 

You can keep adding color from each end, until you achieve the color intensity you are looking for.  If your colors aren't blended as nicely as you'd like with just these two strokes, you can take the broad tip of your lighter maker and rub it across those strokes that meet in the middle.  The harder pressure you can apply with the broad tip will help blend the colors a little easier.

For this technique you would generally use colors on the lighter end of the scale -- Copic numbers ending in 1, 2 or 3.  These tend to blend together a little easier, for a more natural looking blend.  That's not to say higher (darker) numbers can't be used, because I DID break that rule of thumb with my card today!  Memory Box's Open Poppy is a perfect, beautiful stamp to try this technique with.  I chose Copic colors to match the light and dark rose colors in these beautiful Jenni Bowlin 4" Mini Papers.

The photo below shows my first flick stroke with my lighter R83 marker (bottom petal):

 

I started the lighter color on the outer edges of the flower petals, turned my paper around, and then used the darker R37 towards the inside of the flower:

 

With these darker contrasting colors, I DID use the broad tip to help blend the colors in the middle: 

 

T7 was used in the center of the flower, after the photo below:

 

After coloring the poppy I cut it out, bent the petals, and applied Black Diamond Stickles to the center -- this made the poppy really POP!  To finish my card, I used a Jenni Bowlin Brown Butterfly (brown spots on cream), because that's what I had on hand.  I easily could have chosen the pink, red or black butterflies Ellen carries, though!  I colored my cream/brown butterfly with Copic R81 so it would match my poppy and the patterned papers:

 

Then I used Ranger Glossy Accents to coat the butterfly AND to adhere my chipboard letters to the lace:

 

The Tim Holtz Grungeboard Alpha Minis were given a coat of Claudine Hellmuth's Painterly Pink Studio Acrylic Paint and once dry, Fruit Punch Stickles applied on top:

Some knotted natural crochet lace finishes this Mother's Day card.  I hope you'll have fun experimenting with different colors using this technique!

 

Stamps: Memory Box Open Poppy
Paper: Neenah Natural White, Jenni Bowlin Red/Black Line Ext II & Vintage Black Mini Papers, Memory Box Begonia notecard
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad, Copic markers-R81, R83, R37, T7
Accessories: Tim Holtz Grungeboard Alpha Minis, Claudine Hellmuth Studio Acrylic Paint-Painterly Pink; Jenni Bowlin Brown Butterflies, Ranger Fruit Punch & Black Diamond Stickles, Ranger Glossy Accents, May Arts Natural Crochet Lace

Tri-fold Mom by Kim Hughes

Square cards are very pleasing to the eye, but ones that open like a tri-fold are just plain FUN! They make great center pieces and provide little "nooks" to add a pocket or pull out message...add some photos maybe?  You have 6 sides to work with, so be creative and use some or all sides.  Tri-folds (and accordions) make super easy mini album bases as well (wink)

Supplies:

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

Art Institute Glitter stamp: Butterfly, Medium

Copic: COPIC Sketch Marker R27, Cadmium Red, COPIC Sketch Marker YR24, Pale Sepia

Memory Box: First Flight stamp. Notecard Collection, Indian Summer

Art Flowers, White & Cream

Basic Grey Opaline Half Pearls, Platinum/Pearl

Jenni Bowlin: Banner Alpha Sticker, Brown, Mini Die Cut Circle Label Papers, Rhinestone Buttons, Black, Stick Pins, Pewter, Mini Papers, Vintage Red Line, Mini Papers, Brown, Mini Papers, Vintage Black Line

Martha Stewart Craft Punch, Classic Butterfly

Maya Road: Trinket Pins, Hearts

Cosmo Cricket: Buck Naked Alpha-Buttons

Making a tri-fold card is as easy as combining 2 cards together.

I planned out colors and products each square before I began

I started with the stamping...and added flying butterflies to the letter "o"

and placed it onto a large cut butterfly and added cool pins for the antennas.  The patterned paper in the center of the letter helps it stamp out from it's butterfly base.

I stamped a butterfly pattern to the "w" that I turned upside down to use as the second letter "m"

I added it to a circle jurnal spot and embellished it with a flower accent with a fashionable pin

I went with the circular theme and added round letter stickers to the top.  I wanted to add a little more color, so I added some accent hearts with 2 Copic markers.  I used 2 to blend a color that I was aiming for

 

lastly I embellished with a punched butterfly with a pearl in the center

Think of other 3 and 5 letter words to create your own unique tri-fold project.  They really are a blast to create!  Thanks for stopping by.

Technique Tag Tuesday - Printing and Embossing on Wood by Becky Olsen

This particular tag has a couple of very different techniques that when combined together create a serious wow factor in the finished project. It looks difficult to achieve, but once you get to playing, it really is just a few steps to success!

The first step is the one that you might find the most intimidating, but it really isn't that difficult to do. Start with a new 8" x 8" scrapbook page at the Scrap HD site and just drop the background onto the page and then hit the print from home option. An email will be sent to you with the file, then drop it into your image editor or Word. At this point the file is ready is to print, so let's get the surface we want to print onto ready for some action.

For this print project I used a 8.5" x 6" piece of Real Wood Birch Thin and adhered it with my 1/4" Scotch ATG to a regular piece of printer paper. The backside of this piece of real wood is paper like and is very easy to remove the adhesive from if you make a mistake getting it into place.

A very important usage note for this product when using it with a printer is to make sure that it rolls through against the grain. It is much more flexible this direction and if you try to print on it while running it through with the grain it becomes very brittle and will not work properly.

Once you have your paper properly prepared, insert it into the feed tray in your printer and then print the image.

This is a close-up of how beautiful it looks all printed out!

Next let's prepare the tag for the background. You will need Pink Sherbet and Cranberry Adirondack ink, a Manila #8 tag, and the Memory Box Brandywine Flourish stamp.

With the flourish, stamp the Pink Sherbet ink as the first layer around the edge of the tag.

Clean the stamp and then apply the Cranberry ink and then offset the stamp just a little from each of the pink imprints to create the look of a shadow.

This creates a nice dimension and a background for our centerpiece that really pops.

Trim a piece of the printed image to 2 1/2" x 6" and then stamp the flourish on it using the Distress Embossing ink.

Sprinkle Cranberry Adirondack embossing powder onto the image and then melt with the Heat It tool. You will need to be extra patient with this part, it does take a little longer for the powder to melt on the wood.

After lightly adhering the image to the tag I ran it through the sewing machine for a little extra texture.

A little aging on the edges with Antique Linen Distress ink is a nice way to blend the two pieces together.

A few fun details to finish it off is always a good idea! How about a cute Butterfly from Jenni Bowlin, some Kraft Tickets from Maya Road and the letter "U" from the Grungeboard Minis.

Carefully rub some Cranberry ink onto the letter and set aside to dry.

Adhere the butterfly in place and then staple the tickets into place. Adhere the letter onto the ticket when it is dry.

Of course you could tie a bow into the top, but I really like it like this. It really lets all of the details shine.

The Real Wood is very versatile, it adds beautiful depth and texture to any project, and playing with hybrid products gives you limitless possibilities for your creations. So many fun ways to play! I hope you try one or both of these techniques!

B-

Back to Basics: Positioning your Stamped Images with Acrylic Blocks and the Stamp-a-ma-Jig by Julia Stainton

One of the most frustrating things for beginning stampers is getting the image stamped exactly where they want it. It can take a lot of practice, especially for sentiments, to get them straight. It's my turn to write a back to basics post and I thought I'd show you a few tips on how to use some simple tools to get more professional results. It's all super easy and takes very little time to make a difference in your work.

Many stamps these days are sold as unmounted rubber or clear polymer stamps. I find these the easiest to position and are a great place to start. Both of these types of stamps need an acrylic block to cling to so that you can stamp them.

 

 

While many acrylic blocks come without lines, I find that my favorites are the ones that come with a grid on the such as the 2.5 inch Round Block and the 3x4" Rectangular Block. While it may seem logical to purchase the largest block available as it will fit all stamps, you will find that sizing your block closely to the size of your stamp allows you the most control and cleanly stamped image.

The reason the grid lines are so beneficial when stamping is for positioning your rubber on the block and also for lining up for stamping.

Here's a beautiful rubber unmounted stamp from the Floral Tattoo set by Stampers Anonymous. The corner shape of it makes it easy to place on your acrylic block and then stamp in the corner of your paper. I'm using the Le' Romantique 8x8 paper pad by Graphic 45 for this project. If your acrylic block has a grid line near the edges, place the edges of them image along them and then line up with the corner of the paper.

To ink up my stamps, I like to lay them face up and then tap on the ink from the pad rather than pressing the rubber down onto the ink pad.

Line up your stamp, press down and then remove.

Sentiments can be the trickiest stamps to get lined up and usually, the most obvious if not done correctly. Depending on where you've stamped the sentiment, you may be able to trim the layer straight but it's better to get it right the first time as you may not be able to fudge it if you are stamping right onto your finished design.

To stamp this red rubber stamp from the Mother's Day Centers set by CHF you need to carefully position it as you cannot see through it to do so. As you can see, I've used a smaller block here that is close to the size of my stamp for crisp results. If you line up your sentiment or one of the lines thereof along a grid line, this will help you tremendously. You can stamp on a practice paper first to make sure you have it right before committing the impression to your final project.

Line up a grid line with the bottom edge of your paper to get a perfectly level sentiment.

Here's the punching detail from this card. I've used the Swirl Edger Punch for this ornate edge.

The embellishments.

 

And the final project.

Additional supplies used: Neenah Classic Cream Cardstock, Cream Ruffle Edge Trim by Maya Road, Frayed Burlap Distress Ink by Ranger, Black Memento Ink by Tsukineko, Vintage Sew On Buttons by Jenni Bowlin, twine & floss, Vintage Sparklers by Webster's Pages

If you are using clear polymer stamps, they are the easiest to position. Many times you can just use your eye as you can see through the block well to position your image. I would suggest using the grid line approach above for sentiments though to get them perfectly straight.

I love stamping with wood block stamps as they always give a beautiful quality impression. The one drawback with these stamps is positioning. The Stamp-a-ma-Jig is a wonderful and inexpensive tool that you will find invaluable. Besides stamping sentiments it is great for placement when creating a scene, masking and many more complex techniques. I mainly use mine for sentiments though.

The Stamp-a-ma-Jig comes in two pieces...the positioner and an imaging sheet. I've had mine a long time so mine is black but it is totally the same product. If you are like me and tend to lose things, you can buy replacement imaging sheets. I was in a bit of a pinch so I made do with cutting a piece of Crystal Clear Plastic down to size and using it.

 

This Enjoy the Moment stamp is by Hero Arts and is wood mounted. This means you do not use an acrylic block.

One thing you'll want to do with your wood mount sentiment stamps is to turn them over and take a look at the rubber before stamping. If it's a new and high quality stamp like this Hero Arts one, the rubber should be on perfectly straight. If for some reason your rubber has been stored in a warm environment or stored carelessly with other stamps pressing on it, the rubber may have skewed on the wood base. Make sure it is level before stamping.

To use the Stamp-a-ma-Jig, you first position your tool and place the imaging sheet tightly into the notched corner of the tool.

Stamp onto your imaging sheet to get an impression to line up.

Place your imaging sheet over the area you wish to stamp on, lining up your sentiment or image placement as you wish it to look.In this photo it looks a bit off as the imaging sheet raised the bottom right corner when I took my hands away to photograph it.

Holding the imaging sheet in steady, place the Stamp-a-ma-Jig tool tightly up against imaging sheet.

Remove the imaging sheet and placing your wood block into the corner, stamp your image. 

Here's how the sentiment looks stamped on this Farmer's Wife Jenni Bowlin paper.

 

And here's the final project.

Additional supplies: Neenah Classic Cream Cardstock, Trendy & Front Porch Mini Papers by Jenni Bowlin, Frayed Burlap Distress Ink by Ranger, buttons by Basic Grey, twine, Coffee Archival Ink by Ranger, Doilies by Little Yellow Bicycle, Tim Holtz Mini Pins by Advantus

I hope these few hints will make a difference in your stamping. Just remember, the more you practice the easier it will get. Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom.

Happy Creating!

G45 Boardwalk Tray by Sharon Harnist

 

Since I love all things beach-related, I decided to take Graphic 45's wonderful new On The Boardwalk 8x8 papers and revamp an old 12" x 17" wooden serving tray I had.  This is how it started out:

 

The black base of the tray was still in good shape and blended well with the papers I chose.  I used the 8x8 pad of Boardwalk paper because that's what I had on hand, but I easily could have used the 12-inch versions.  I began by laying out the papers in the pattern I wanted to cover the bottom of the tray.  The 8-inch square in the middle is Coney Island and the 2.75" strips on each side of that are from High Style Holiday <those are the 12-inch versions). The grid pattern of these papers allowed for easy mixing and matching and cutting it to the correct size I needed. 

 

I used strips of Seaside Chic on the sides and top and decoupaged the papers to the tray, using Royal Coat Satin Decoupage to adhere the papers and once that was dry, as a top coat to protect the papers.  The blue "ocean waves" at the bottom are the She Sells Seashells patterned paper, die cut with Spellbinders Heirloom Scroll Border-Lg die.  When the paper was still in the die, I used Ranger Broken China Distress Ink to sponge on the embossed areas showing through the die template -- I love that the swirl pattern in this die resemble waves!

 

To finish the tray, I hot glued seashells around the edges.  I think this tray will make a great beachy accent for my hall entry table this summer or perfect to serve drinks or snacks out on the patio!  Just think what all YOU already have that you could revamp with these gorgeous Graphic 45 papers!

 

Paper: Graphic 45 On The Boardwalk 8x8 OR 12-inch On The Boardwalk collection, OR individual papers: Coney Island, High Style Holiday, She Sells Seashells, Seaside Chic
Ink: Ranger Broken China Distress Ink
Accessories: Spellbinders Heirloom Scroll Border-Lg Die, Royal Coat Satin Decoupage,
Other: Recycled old wooden tray, sea shells, hot glue gun

Window Cards by Kim Hughes

Lately I am trying to make the most of my supplies, but find that it's best to really take a close look at my products to see if they have multiple uses.  I found that the negative from a die cut sheet makes a nice little window frame.
 

Supplies:

Stamper's Anon: Studio 490, Art Rules, Studio 490, Well Worn Art, Studio 490, Art from the Heart

Graphic 45: Botanicabella, Tags, Botanicabella, Dragonfly Duet, Botanicabella, Eden's Symphony, Domestic Goddess 12x12 Paper Pad

Basic Grey Opaline Half Pearls, Indigo/Sky

Maya Road: Clocks, Black and White

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Espresso

 

start with a card base and adhere all papers

After removing the die cut tag (of course it's best if you make use of it), place it on the back of your card cover and trace.

 

Once you cut the decorative shape out, you will be left with a cute window.
 

Next, go back to that die cut sheet and cut the "frame" from the main piece.  Adhere it on the front of the window.

Apply some ink to age/distress the papers.

 

add a fun stamped border along the bottom.  The rubber is such great quality that I don't use a block, I just ink it up and press on the back with my fingers.  I tend to feel more control stamping like this at times.

 

finish off the inside with the musical paper and stamp flowers in the corner

stamp 2 accent flowers onto the red gingham paper and stamp the flower once again onto the lighter pink paper.  Cut them all out...but only use the conter of the lighter pink paper

 

Wrap twine around the window and tie a bow.  Embellish the stamped flower border with dark pearls.

Complete the card by adding Glossy Accents to the flower center and allow to dry


 

How about creating the same card but for that man in your life?  Just use the design above, change the colors and accent a bit and voila, it's all sort of masculine.  Keep this in mind when creating any card...start with a card you love and change it up to accommodate a chid's birthday, sympathy or friend maybe?

Trend Watch Tuesday - Doilies and Lace by Becky Olsen

I remember as a child being fascinated by the beautiful and delicate doilies that both of my grandmothers had hand crocheted. They were used as decor, but they were also very serviceable pieces that could be washed and then set out again for the next dinner party or fantastic guardian of a delicate surface area. If there was a function where a plate of goodies was going to be shared a paper doily was an important part of the presentation, after all things taste better if they are visually appealing, right?

So as doilies and vintage looking lace find their way back into our hearts, onto our tables and within our crafts, I think it is a delightful turn! What is more delicate, genteel and useful than a beautiful doily or piece of lace? (Besides that, doily and doilies are just super fun words to say!)

Let's start with some of the doily inspired product you can find in the shop.

Little Yellow Bicycle created these paper gems. They are so delicate and the details are fabulous!

Spellbinders has created quite a few new dies that you can find with a search of "doily". This Lattice version is very eye-catching isn't it?

 
To create that fantastic scalloped and detailed edge, this Diamond Lace punch from EK Success really brings it home.

Hero Arts has really brought this trend to a new level with many gorgeous stamps!

We'll start with the Cling mounted Circle Doily, so fantastic in detail. It really looks hand crocheted and because it is cling it has a great price and is a breeze to store!

Second is the incredible Rectangle Doily piece that is wood mounted and again has so much beautiful detail.

 

The third that I am sharing, but definitely not the last (do a search under lace and you will love what comes up!!!) is this Circle Lace stamp, so stunning!

This is the stamp thatt I made this card with. Very clean and simple, just stamp with embossing ink, sprinkle with white embossing powder, melt with Heat It tool, trim to 4" x 4" and mount on Neenah Solar white card stock that is cut at  4 1/4" x 4 1/4". I still have Mother's Day projects in mind, and thought that a group of these would make a fantastic gift, and they would be a snap to make a few of.

Next stop on the Trend Watch tour is lace!

Doilies are technically a lace that is just presented in a little different format, so it only makes sense that we take a look at other laces as well.

How about the Lace Backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms? Elegant, easy to use and can be stamped in many colors an most any surface.

How about some lace paper from Basic Grey? These are from the Green at Heart collection, but most every Basic Grey group has paper lace as an accessory now.

If you want that look but are working with a different paper group or want your lace in a solid colored card stock how about this cute punch? Little miniature doilies connected to create a lace! So cute, Doily Lace Trim Deep Edger Punch is, of course, from the Martha Stewart punch collection.

Then just a few of the many must have laces from Prima are:

Madelaine

Creme

and Tamera.

For this project I used Webster's Pages Lullaby Lane 6" x 6" petite pad, the Martha Stewart Butterfly punch, Basic Grey Opaline gems and the Madeline and Creme ribbons.

Again the Mother's Day ideas are on my brain. This one will have the sentiment inside. The lace was tied in a knot and adhered in place with Be Creative double sided tape. A easy and very fun way to bring the look of vintage lace onto a project that will have big textural and visual impact.

Thanks so much for joining me my little stroll down memory lane and for the exciting journey that this trend has taken us on. Few things add as much elegance, gentility and luxury as a beautiful lace to a project, and I think we all can use a little more of that in our everyday lives.

B-

Collage with Graphic 45 and Stampers Anonymous by Lisa Strahl

Hello ladies!  Did anyone get to enjoy the sunshine on their face like I did this weekend?  The vitamin D does a girl good I tell ya.  ;^)

I put together two projects for you that flow out of Bek's AWESOME collage article that was featured in the In Touch newsletter last week.  First up is a collaged Artist Trading Card using only stamps and featuring none other than the Mona Lisa.  I want to share a few tips that I find helpful when creating collages:

The very first order of business is to stamp all of the images I want to work with. Why do I do this, especially since I have a index on the storage sheet?  Even though I am a visual person, there is something organic about the stamped image.  I suppose I am getting to know my images better.  I began my stamping all of the images from the Mini Classics set (Stamper's Anonymous) on Classic Cream Cardstock (Neenah).

The first step helped me to decide which images I wanted to use.  Stamp the flourish image in a random pattern using Mountain Rose Adirondack Ink (Ranger).  I also have to give a shout out to the round acrylic blocks holding the stamp - they make positioning my images so much easier!  They come in three sizes: 2.5 inches, 3.5 inches and 4.25 inches.

The flourishes are pretty, but a little bit to stark against the cream paper so I sponged the same color ink over the entire surface using Cut 'n Dry Foam in a circular motion.  Now it's soft and pretty!

Next up is stamping the Mona Lisa in Coffee Archival Ink (Ranger).  I chose and dark and bold ink so that Mona did not get lost against the background of flourishes.

I finished the collage as follows:  stamp the Imagine sentiment from Just Word Art Studio 490 (Stamper's Anon) in Stream Adirondack Ink; stamp the same flourish again but this time in Pool Adirondack Ink (which is a tone lighter than Stream), stamp the distressed checker pattern from the Ultimate Grunge stamp set in Terra Cotta Adirondack Ink.  Finally, frame the ATC by sponging Pool ink around the image and then a frame closer to the edge with Stream ink.

The second project features Graphic 45 paper and more Stamper's Anonymous images.  I created a special gift for someone that comes in it's very own coordinating box.

Apply Copper Adirondack Paintusing the dabber top to this ginormous flourish stamp from the Fabulous Flourishesset.  It measures 4x7 inches so chances are that you don't have a block and in this case that is just fine! 

 

I wanted to share a tip about cling mount stamps that you might not have considered.  There are occasions where I do not put my stamps on a block at all.  In this case, I was stamping on a very uneven surface and the flexibility of the rubber allowed me to press the stamp unevenly, there by getting in all of the nooks and crannies where the chipboard is scored between the pages.

Details and Product Info:

-background paper on the left is the reverse side of Around the World(Transatlantique) and was applied to the chipboard with Matte Multi Medium (Ranger); the right side is painted with Traditional Tan Studio Line Paint (Ranger)

-the image of the two women is from the Haute Couturepaper (Fashionista)

-stamps include Fabulous Flourishes as mentioned above, sentiment is from the Paisley Prints stamp set stamped in Jet Black Archival Ink, and the pen nibs from the Mini Classics stamped in Cranberry Adirondack Paint

-Black Banner ribbon lace(Prima), Cosmos flower punch (Martha Stewart) sponged with Caramel and Jet Black ink, black brad from the Eerie Collection (Basic Grey)

-backgrounds prepared the same as above

-image of the woman from the Fashionista Tags Sheet

-stamps include sentiment from the Mona's Sketchbook set and Fabulous Flourishes again - this time stamped in Denim Adirondack Paint Dabber

-Metallic Copper Crochet Ribbon (May Arts), Donegal Lace(Prima), black jewels (Hero Arts)

 

Last but not least this cute little oval box was decorated with Globe Trotter and Around the Worldpapers (Transatlantique).

I hope you inspired to try a collage project this week!

Cheers, Lisa

Stamps and Roses by Debbie Olson

 

Good morning! For today's CLASSroom post I had fun playing with some new Graphic 45 Romantique papers, Stampers Anonymous Urban Tapestry stamps, and Tim Holtz Alterations dies (On the Edge Brackets and Tattered Florals). My card is oversized, almost 5" square. (I have some 5-1/2" square envelopes that I was hoping to be able to use, though I think I let my leaves stick out a bit far to fit into the envelope after all.)

 

After  choosing my papers and stamps, I started with the Brackets die and cut my card base edge, mat layer edge, and patterned paper edge. Lining it all up was a bit tricky, but a few light pencil lines helped.

 

Next, using another patterned sheet from the Graphic 45 Romantique 8" x 8" pad, I used the Tattered Flowers die to cut several flower layers, which I sanded and distressed with Old Paper Distress ink.

 

I used the largest flower to cut a green flower and then cut it apart to make leaves. On the left you can see the flower center and the one "leaf" that I haven't cut off yet.

 

I stamped some greenery from the Urban Tapestry set on the lower right corner of my card front, where I wanted to put the flower. The center of the flower (which I changed out at the end) is from Prima's Say It in Studs Coffee pack. I also used the green distress ink to ink the edges of my leaves before creasing them with my fingernail.

 

I stamped the sentiment from the Urban Tapestry set , notebook-punched its top, and distressed its edges. Then I added some Tattered Rose distress ink with the stipple stamp in the same set.

 

I love the tattered flowers die! It is imperfect enough to look realistic. Thank you for visiting the CLASSroom today.

Spring Charm Card by Julia Stainton

Now and then, it's fun to create a card that is a little more than just a card. Today's Spring Charm card features a little 2 inch square charm set in a Memory Frame. This little frame makes a sweet gift as it is easily unattached from the card. Clip it on bag, hang from a ribbon as a decor piece or thread with a ribbon to make a beautiful bookmark.

To start off this project, I airbrushed in a background for the sweet image using the Copic Airbrush System. I actually used three colors of Copic Markers, B0000, B00 & B000, to get a very subtle variation of color. Unfortunately, it doesn't show up well photographed but it is noticeable in person.

The Birds Nest Wreath by Lockhart is a gorgeous classic image that is lovely to color.

 

Here it is colored. The details are tiny so don't worry about shading.

 

The Ranger Memory Frame I used for this project is 2" square and the perfect size for mounting your image on a Twinchie. I used two of them to the get depth for the frame and adhered the image to one and a piece of coordinating patterned paper on the other.

To add a little dimension to my project, I altered a Grungeboard Butterfly. Tim Holtz Grungeboard Minis set has a great assortment of tiny pieces that would work great for this project. The butterfly is painted with Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint and allowed to dry.

 

After the butterfly is dry, I sponged it with Shabby Shutters Distress Ink and adhered it to my Twinchie image.

What I think makes this project special is the shaker aspect of the frame. The Ranger Memory Capsules are a really fun way to make the frame special and to be able to include some sweet embellishments to your project.

 

Here's what the frame looks like all put together. To make the fun shaker frame, I added in some Spring Blooms Dew Drops by The Robin's Nest. The frame is easily clipped tightly over the capsule/twinchie sandwich. For some added movement, I clipped on a Crystal Binding Ring Dangle from 7 Gypsies.

The card base it kept simple to focus on the pretty charm. The card base is kraft cardstock from Memory Box, and the layers die cut from Neenah Classic Natural White cardstock, and papers from the Cosmo Cricket Mini Decks, Material Girl and Earth Love. Each layer has been die cut with a different sized Labels Twelve Die by Spellbinders.

 

To attach the frame to the card, I pierced the card and threaded through some twine to tie it on with.

 

To add additional stability that still allows the frame to be removed, I rolled up a couple Glue Dots and adhered them to the frame.

 

Here's a close-up of the final project. I hope it inspires you to add a creative charm to a project you're making.

Thanks for visiting me in the CLASSroom. Have a great weekend!

Recipe Wallet by Sharon Harnist

 

I thought Cosmo Cricket's Garden Variety Mini Deck paper would be a perfect choice to compliment Karen Lockhart's new Daisy Apron stamp to make something recipe related, so I came up with this Recipe Wallet.  You could either use it to send someone a few recipe cards or use the wallet to organize different categories of recipes within your recipe box!  You could even use it to perhaps send a gardening friend some vegetable garden seed packets!  Here's how to make it . . .

I started by covering the front of a regular A2-sized envelope (Ellen carries many different colors and styles to choose from!) with the Garden Variety papers.  Then I stamped this darling new Lockhart apron with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto the patterned paper and cut it out: 

 

I used Copic Markers R08 & Y19 to add color and shading to the apron (the photo below was taken before I added the yellow shading): 

 

I mounted my finished apron with foam tape to a mat layer I cut with one of the new Nestabilities Big Scalloped Circle dies.  I love these new larger scallop shaped Nestabilities -- they come in all the shapes ... circles, ovals, squares & rectangles!

Next, I used Cosmo Cricket's Tiny Type Stickers in Black to add the wording, "Mom always said ... eat your veggies!  HINT: If you run out of some of the letters, you can use a Black Copic marker to alter a "q" for example, into an "a", just by coloring in some of the q's tail.  I love the fun look these letters add!

To finish the front panel of my Recipe Wallet, I sponged the edges with Ranger Distress Ink-Brushed Corduroy using Ranger's Ink Blending Tool and added machine stitching around the edges.  TIP: Add any stitching BEFORE adhering the panel to your envelope, so you don't sew the flap on the other side closed (ask me how I know this)!!

 

To complete the wallet, flip the front completed envelope over (the front is on the left side in the photo above) so the envelope flap is opened to the right and then slip the flap of another envelope into the first one and adhere.  At this point, if you close up the wallet like a book, you'll see the first envelope's flap at the back -- just adhere it to the back of the second envelope: 

 

Then finish the back of your wallet.  I used Martha Stewart's Edger Punch-Doily Lace:

 

and the insides:

 

Your recipe cards will slip into the pockets easily -- just remember to make them standard A2-sized: 1/4 of a sheet of 8.50" x 11" paper, or use a 3" x 5" index/recipe card.

 

I think I'll be making quite a few more of these Recipe Wallets ... the wallet has a ton of other uses, too!

 
Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Company-Daisy Apron
Paper: Cosmo Cricket Mini Deck-Garden Variety, Envelopes
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Ink-Brushed Corduroy, Copic Markers: R08, Y19
Accessories: Spelbinders Nestabilities Big Scalloped Circles-Lg, Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type Stickers-Black, Martha Stewart Edger Punch-Doily Lace, Ranger Ink Blending Tool
Other: foam tape, sewing machine + thread

custom chipboard stickers by Kim Hughes

Chipboard stickers are very cool...at least I think so :) So I was inspired to make some of my own.

Supplies:

Karen Lockhart: IB Radishes, IB Carrots, IB Peas

Cosmo Cricket: Cosmo Cricket 6" Mini Deck Paper Pad, The Boyfriend, Cosmo Cricket Ribbon, The Boyfriend, Cosmo Cricket 6" Mini Deck Paper Pad, Material Girl, Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type Stickers, Black

Craft-a-Board

Manila Tags, #1 (Small)

COPIC Sketch Marker YR24, Pale Sepia, COPIC Sketch Marker G28, Ocean Green, COPIC Sketch Marker YG63, Pea Green, COPIC Sketch Marker R27, Cadmium Red

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Pitch Black

Here is my inspiration:

I started with 3 of Karen Lockhart's tiny garden images and stamped on Craft-a-Board that I used to take the place of chipboard...being white is a bonus!

 

I colored each image with a Copic marker.  Nothing is blended since most stickers are a solid color.
 

I then cut closely around each image since it's more difficult to navigate the scissors around the heavy duty specialty paper.
 

Keep your scissors steady while turning the image in your other hand.  Keep a visual edge around each image.  These images are easy to stamp and color if you need to try again.

add a thin layer of crystal effects over each image and allow to dry. 

 

Design a card base and add some more Craft-a-Board under the green paper strip to help tie in the colors.  I added ribbon to each tag but changed them up at add interest.  Adding a machine stitch helps to give this card a little more character
 

I completed the tags with the custom chipboard "stickers" and some sentiment letter stickers.

If you are not comfortable with using scissors, you can try a cutting blade with a glass mat.  Just cut slowly and precisely.  Thank you for stopping by :)

Technique Tag Tuesday - Copic Coloring with a Cracked Finish by Becky Olsen

This week's technique was a challenge for me and brought me quite a few learning moments that I hope to share with you! I love Lockhart stamps, but get easily intimidated with the idea of coloring these little gems. So I thought a basic step by step of how to color one of these images with Copics, might be something that would help others feel less intimidated too. And I am also going to be sharing the technique of putting a crackle finish onto the image that will give it some shape so we can make it into a lapel pin. Loads to do so let's get to it!

This is what the finished pin looks like, it is pinned to my dark brown sweater so it would have plenty of contrast to show of the details.

First we will start out with a white #8 tag and then stamp the Hydrangea Lockhart image with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

There is a learning curve in here with the ink that I used, it worked well until I used the blender pen, and when we get there I will point out why. So my experience is that it is a workable ink if you don't plan on doing a lot of blending. The ink that Ellen recommends is Memento, I didn't have that so decided to give the Distress ink a try. It is fun to experiment and by trying different things you can often come up with interesting discoveries.

My first decision in tackling this sweet image was to start with the lightest color I wanted to introduce be the first that I put down, I colored the hydrangeas and the berries with BV00.

The next color I added was BV04, which is deliciously named "Blue Berry"! I just lightly touched the point into each of the little berries, don't worry about filling it in, we will be going back for refining touches in a bit. If you will notice, I have a little color swatch going off on the side of the project to make sure that the color I am adding will work with what is already down.

For the lightest color layer in the leaves I used G21.

I then added a second layer to the hydrangea with V12 in a few of the random flower shapes. You can click on any of the images to see them larger if you would like more detail.

Now with the V17 I  dabbed some brighter purple to create some dimension.

 

Now go back over the hydrangeas with BV00 to smooth out the color layers that were just added, this is when you will also go back over the berries to do the same.

 

Next I used W3 to build a nice warm shadow on the edge of the flower can and the label as well.

This is where I used the Colorless Blender to soften the edges of the W3 into the tag. If you take a close look you will see where the distress ink started to degrade on the edge of the label. At this point I figured that was an acceptable flaw given that I would be crackling and aging the image enough that it wouldn't be an obvious issue in the finished project.

 

I wanted to make the container look like one of the old ceramic milk containers, so I used B45 for the strip and label.

 

Next I put YG67 which is a little bit darker green than the previous layer, and gave the leaves a small dab for some low lights.

 

I then used the G21 to smooth out and better integrate the color layers in the leaves.

 

For the last touch, I thought that the blue felt just a little too bright so I went back over it with the W3 to warm it up so it better fit the feel of the rest of the container.

Yay, we are done coloring! Hopefully if you are not very comfortable coloring with Copics yet, this little process will help make it fun and feel bite size so it isn't intimidating!

 

The next part is so fun! I really wanted this project to end up as a lapel pin, so getting it into a state where it had some body and could withstand a reasonable amount of handling was the next problem to solve. The solution that came to mind is using clear embossing powder in multiple layers to create a lovely glass look.

To start you will need Clear Embossing Powder, Embossing Ink, the Heat It tool and the Craft Sheet.

 

Start by applying a layer of the embossing ink directly on the area of the image.

 

Then sprinkle the clear embossing powder over it and then gently shake the excess back into the container.

 

Melt with the Heat It tool.

 

Repeat these steps at least 5 times, even more if you want it thicker and sturdier.

 

It is so pretty and smooth, and has a great look just like this, but I want it to look like an heirloom piece so we are going to take it a few steps further.

 

When you have gotten to the point where you are happy with the thickness, trim the image to the final size you wish it to be. Then stick it in the freezer for a few minutes. When it is frozen take it out of the freezer and gently bend the edges on each side to create small crackles in the finish. It is still smooth feeling and won't fall apart, it just looks like it has been around awhile.

 

Now using a small piece of Cut N' Dry foam, gently apply Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink over the whole image. This will work a little bit of the ink into the cracks that we just created.

 

When you are done with that, apply  1/8" Scor-Tape to the edges.

 

Adhere Prima Nikki Lace to the adhesive by removing the protective paper from the tape as you move the lace around the edge.

 

When you have that done adhere a Perfect Pin to the back and call it good!

 

I thought it would be a wonderful card front piece so I made a simple card using a piece of paper from the  Garden Variety 6" x 6" mini deck and stitched it onto a cream colored card base. To get it to stay in place just poke a couple of holes and then pin it on.

 

A stamp with a wonderful sentiment from the "Mother's Day Centers" set by Cornish Heritage Farms makes it a great gift for an important woman in your life.  This has been a really fun project to make, and while it may look like it takes a lot of time, it really didn't. And if you have a few special people, it would be a snap to do a few at once.

Thanks so much for spending a little time with me!

B-

Those Teenage Boys by Lisa Strahl

Designing cards for teenage boys has to be one of the greatest challenges we face as card makers (at least for me).  We don't want it to be too plain or boring and yet, there can be NO FRILLS!

We are featuring Cosmo Cricket this week in the CLASSroom so I thought it would be a great opportunity to focus in on the collection called "The Boyfriend" again.  There are a lot of papers in this 6x6 Mini Deck that are a great fit for those young men we know.  Ellen has decided to offer a Deal of the Week on The Boyfriend Line so be sure to check that out.  I have two designs for you today...

The Basic Grey Eerie Brads are a great match for papers in this first card, as are the yellow buttons in the Green at Heart collection.  I used four of the Eerie brads to decorate the button.

 

Stamp the ruler from the Just a Note Stamp set (Hero Arts) on Real Wood Birch Paper (Creative Imaginations) with Graphite Black Brilliance Ink.  A note about inks on this "wood paper" - I have tested over 9 inks and paints and the Brilliance showed no feathering and had the richest coverage.

 

Cut out your fun little "wood" ruler.  Is this not just the cutest thing ever?!  Ack.  Love it.

Adhere this Black Calendar Card (Jenni Bowlin) askew off the paper and trim the excess.  Add the words Happy Birthday with the the Tiny Type Alphabet Stickers in Cream and Black.

The card base is Gourd (Memory Box) and the pencil paper is layered on Licorice cardstock.  The ric rack ribbon is also from The Boyfriend line.

 

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

On the second card I wanted to break up the sentiment into two parts.  I used the Judikins Eclipse Tape so that I could ink up a portion of the sentiment while keeping the other clean.

Simply remove the tape once it is inked and stamp as desired.  Clean the stamp and repeat, masking off the first word this time.

The sentiment (from The Beach stamp set, General Motors) was stamped with Coffee Archival Ink.

Add the skateboard self adhesive chipboard and the ribbon (both included in the Deal of the Week) and the Offbeat (Basic Grey) green brads.

It was a wonderful weekend for me and I hope it was for you too!

Cheers, Lisa

Puzzled by Susan Roberts

Today’s project is a magnetic travel puzzle, and the Essentials by Ellen Craft-a-Board and the Magnetic Masking Material were the perfect combination to make it happen.

 

Using the Spellbinder’s 4”X6” “Puzzle Madness” Die, the puzzle was cut from the Craft-a-Board and the Magnetic Masking Material.

 

(The Magnetic Masking Material has a black side and a white side.  Black sticks to black and white sticks to white.)

A scene was created on cardstock by masking and using several Hero Arts stamps:

A Simple House

Home with Flourish

Clear Design: Birds and Branches

Clear Design: Life is Not Perfect

Design Block Clouds

(Also used a retired Hero Arts Stamp: Rickrack Ribbon)

The scene was then cut with the puzzle die.

Next the three different mediums (cardstock, Craft-a-Board and Magnetic Masking Material) were glued together making sure that each layer was glued exactly over the other with no overhang.

Any excess glue needs to be removed.

   

 

A sanding block was used to gently sand a few of the edges where the fit was especially tight.  The sanding block was also used on the Magnetic Masking Material before applying the glue so that the glue would have a rougher surface to hold on to and thereby adhere better.

 

 

A puzzle base was made using more of the Magnetic Masking Material which was cut ¼” larger than the 4”X6” puzzle.  This was adhered to a piece of Craft-a-Board which was cut ½” larger than the puzzle.

 

 

Before cutting the scene, a picture was taken and printed.  It was adhered to Craft-a-board and designer paper from Cosmo Cricket’s “Garden Variety” pack was adhered to the back.  This is included with the puzzle to be the guide.

 

Recently I purchased some pillowcases at Target that came in a small white linen bag.  It was the perfect size for my puzzle.  I stamped a few of the puzzle images on the bag, too.

 

 

The Essentials by Ellen Craft-a-Board and Magnetic Masking Material are such fun to play with.  There are so many possibilities!  Thanks for dropping by the CLASSroom today.

 

Happy Crafting!

Stamps: Hero Arts “A Simple House”, "House with Flourish", “Clear Design: Birds and Branches", "Clear Design: Life is Not Perfect", "Design Block Clouds", “Rickrack Ribbon” (retired)

Designer Paper: Cosmo Cricket’s “Garden Variety”

Other Supplies:  Essentials by Ellen Craft-a-Board, Essentials by Ellen Magnetic Masking Material; Spellbinder’s 4”X6” “Puzzle Madness” Die

New Hero Arts Artist Proofs

I bet you all think that I am clever - LOL! OK, so maybe not. Ha, ha---so... pure coincidence or perhaps serendipity. This week is our Hero Arts focus. The girls here in the CLASSroom have mesmerized me with their beautiful creations. Just wait for what Susan has in store for you tomorrow - it hasn't ended yet.

I shared a little about the Hero Hues line on Simple Dreams and we are giving some blog candy away there until midnight tomorrow night (Saturday) - so you still have time to head over and leave us your comment!

We have also created a special tool for you - a Hero Hues Color Sampler.

So here is the serendipity part - we received the brand new Artist Proofs, Hero Arts release. It was completely unexpected (I had heard it was arriving sometime around April 19th) and Molly was able to get it up for you TODAY! (Thank you Molly!) So take advantage of the promotion noted below and do a little shopping this weekend! For complete details you can visit the home page of our store, or the Simple Dreams blog post. If you are one of our frequent shoppers and have a special coupon then please submit two separate orders and send us an email at [email protected] and we will do our best to make certain we ship those orders together and provide you with any shipping refund.

We also received a few extra supplements with our shipment - so... the first 15 orders that have over $30 (remember to use your coupon for sale prices and calculate your total after the discount has been provided - i.e. it's a little over $35 when not on sale) in purchases from the entire Hero Arts line - will receive one of these supplements. Unfortunately we cannot tell you when the 15 supplements run out (because we would have to do this manually and I'm too tired to stay up tonight to watch - LOL!) so shop early!

On yet another note I would like to encourage you to visit the Hero Arts blog. They do an AMAZING job educating with their product line and are always having fabulous giveaways!!!

Have a wonderful weekend! Tomorrow Maddi is running in an Invitational Track event - oh to have those long, swift legs again :-D and then I hope to have a little time to create.

Thank you! -Ellen

1 of a Kind Mom by Julia Stainton

Mothers are special all year round but it's coming up to that time of year when we start thinking about celebrating them on Mother's Day. While I lost my wonderful mother a few years ago, I'm grateful for other treasured women in my life who are like a mom to me as well, my sweet Mother-in-law and my wonderful aunt. I hope you are blessed to have someone to create a special card for this year.

I had fun creating this unique card using a few simple techniques by getting inky and personalizing my paper and embellishment. I've always adored doilies and am thrilled that they are a hot trend right now. When I saw this Circle Lace stamp by Hero Arts, I just had to have it. It makes a gorgeous image, background or embellishment.

To create the doily layer, I started out with some Neenah Solar White Cardstock and stamped the Circle Lace stamp in Versamark Ink. Versamark is a great ink for embossing as well as creating a watermark on cardstock.

After stamping the image, it was sprinkled with Clear Embossing Powder and heated with the Heat It Craft Tool. The embossing forms what is called a resist. The resist will protect the area underneath the embossing so that it won't change color when ink or other media is applied. This is what it looks like before heating...

 

...and after.

Here's where you start to make that embossed doily pop. I sponged on some of my favorite Distress Inks. You can see how the embossing resists the ink and keeps the doily white. On my project I used  a lot of my new favorite, Tumbled Glass Distress Ink along with Crushed Olive Distress Ink and a tiny bit of Worn Lipstick Distress Ink. Build up and blend the color until you like what you have. I like using the Cut-N-Dry Stamp Pad Foam for Blending.

While sponged ink is pretty, I wanted to add a little extra interest to this inked background to create a watercolor look. I spritzed water into my hand with the Mini Mister and they flicked water droplets onto the inked areas. Allow to spread and create watermarks. You can allow to dry as is or blot of water with a tissue when you have the desired look.

Ellen has some stunning new Prima flowers in the shop that are perfect for altering. For this card I used a Fiesta Innoscence flower and then made it match the card.

 

Glimmer Mist works beautifully on these flowers and I was thrilled with how well the ink took and how quickly it dried. I tried to make my flower blotchy so it would look hand-dyed. Just spritz more spray on some areas than others. Electric Blue Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels is the color used here.

 

What do you do when you want to create a specific card but don't have the right sentiment stamp? Create your own of course. I love using adhesive letters on projects and the Prima Ivory Fabric Alphabet is perfect for this. The font choices are fun and they are easy to alter with ink to get the color you need to match your design. Here I've spelled out MOM and sponged the letters with a little more Distress Ink.

 

The new Faux Linen ribbon is gorgeous and here tied in a bow, it almost looks like leaves for the flower. Here I've tied 12 inches of Olive Faux Linen ribbon into a bow and then adhered it behind the flower. Maya Road Trinket Pins, Leaf Brown and Turquoise & Vintage Pearl  are pinned into the ribbon.

 

I couldn't resist adding a few rhinestones to the doily image to highlight the stamping.

 

Lastly, to finish off the sentiment I pulled out a sentiment set that I just adore. Anytime Messages is perfect for so many occasions. 1 of a kind is stamped in Coffee Archival Ink. Don't be afraid to mix up stamping with alphabets to create custom sentiments.

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom.

Happy Creating!

Back to Basics: Background Stamping by Sharon Harnist

"Back to Basics" is a relatively new regular feature here in the CLASSroom ... twice a month, each of the teachers will be highlighting and going back to the basics of stamping.  We hope this will help out any newcomers to stamping and also help others revisit some basics you may like to be reminded of and try out once again.  You can find all of these archived Basics courses by clicking on "Back to Basics" over in the top left sidebar of this page.

Today I'm going to highlight one of my favorite things, background stamping.  Since there are many options of beautiful patterned papers on the market today, a lot of us may have steered along that path (myself included!), so I wanted to revisit how pretty, functional, quick & easy background stamping can be.

 

My first sample uses a whole clear stamp set of sentiments for its background, Hero Arts All Occasion Messages clear stamp set:

I just left all the sentiments on the clear acrylic sheet they come on, put some removeable adhesive on the back of it, stuck it to a 5x7 Clear Acrylic Block, and stamped it with Hero Arts Hero Hues-Latte Chalk Ink onto a Hero Arts Earth Folded Card. I rounded the corners of the notecard with We Are Memory Keepers' Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper and placed a strip of Webster's Pages Petite Papers-Garden Gala/Seaside paper along the left folded edge. 

 

Next, I covered this sweet chipboard bird from Maya Road's Birdcage Chipboard Book with more of the Webster's paper and adhered him to the card front.  Some twine tied around the branch and a Hero Arts Neutral Felt Flower finishes off this card ... quick and easy for ANY occasion!

 

My next card uses Hero Arts Outline Flowers wood-mounted stamp (please excuse the harsh orange color above -- it's not really that glaring, but I can't seem to get it adjusted!):

It measures 4.50" x 5.75".  I stamped it with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto a Hero Arts Sunshine Folded Card.  If you haven't checked out these wonderful notecards yet, you definitely should: They come in a pack of 12 notecards, 4 each of 3 colors for just $2.99.  At just .25 cents each, these are a fabulous bargain!

Next, I colored the flowers with these Copic markers: Y38, YR31, W1, W0 and Spica Glitter Pen in Melon.  I love the way this background turned out ... just as pretty as any patterned paper, I think, AND in the colors of MY choosing!

 

I love the look on this adorable owl's face!  He's from Hero Art's Owl Trio of wood mounted stamps.  I stamped him on Neenah Classic Crest Natural White cardstock with Tuxedo Black and colored him with the same Copic markers.  The "Thank You" sentiment is from the All Occasion Messages set I used above as a background.  I rounded the corners of his focal piece and then machine stitched around the edges, tied the piece with ribbon and mounted it with foam tape to the background.  A Hero Arts Art Flower-Summer finishes the focal piece and a few tied Hero Arts Card Buttons-Summer complete the background. I like that I can make this same card over and over again, varying the colors of the flowers and notecard, and achieve a totally different look every time!

 

My third sample is an example of using a large single stamp, not necessarily a huge overall background stamp, as a smaller notecard background.

This Hero Arts cling stamp, Friend, measures approximately 3" x 3.75" and was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa onto a Hero Arts Blush Folded Card.  I trimmed the horizontal top-folded card down to a 3.50" x 4.25" notecard and colored the image with these Copic markers: R81, R85, YG06, YG07, W1.

 

A beautiful Prima Innoscence Snow Angel flower was added to the largest stem and Hero Arts Small Accent Pearls and Ranger White Opaque Pen accent the smaller flowers.  So how many large stamps to you have in your collection that may seem too large for a standar A2-sized card?  Use them to fill up a smaller notecard!

 

My last sample uses this beautiful Hero Arts Antique Writing cling background:

It measures 4.50" x 5.50".  I started with Glossy White Cardstock and dropped Copic Various Ink Refills in B45 & V15 onto it, starting with V15:

 

And then adding B45:

 

I kept adding drops of color until I achieved the depth I was looking for:  

 

After allowing the Copic alcohol ink to dry, I buffed it with a tissue (this removes any possible residue from the surface of the paper and buffs it back to a glossy finish). Then I stamped the butterfly background with Ranger Jet Black Archival ink. Once dry, I matted the background with Memory Box Ocean cardstock and then adhered the background to a Memory Box Licorice notecard.

 

I stamped the largest butterfly in the background again with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Neenah Classic Crest Natural White cardstock, colored it with Copic markers V12, V15, B32, B45 & E25 and cut it out.  The butterfly's wings were bent and the whole thing glittered with Star Dust Stickles.  It was attached with Glue Dots to the background.  A piece of Prima Jaqueline Lace was Copic Airbrushed with Black-100 marker and attached with Tim Holtz's Tiny Attacher, to finish the card. 

 

This same technique could easily be applied to any number of background stamps -- just choose one that has an element that can easily be cut out and attention brought to it, such as the Outline Flowers background stamp I used on the owl card above.

 

I hope these ideas help bring you back to the basics of background stamping!

{Bird Card}
Stamps: Hero Arts All Occasion Messages clear stamp set
Paper: Hero Arts Earth Folded Card Set, Webster's Pages Petite Papers-Garden Gala/Seaside
Ink: Hero Arts Hero Hues-Latte Chalk Ink
Accessories: Maya Road Birdcage Chipboard Book, Hero Arts Neutral Felt Flowers, WRM Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper, Sanding Block, 5x7 Clear Acrylic Block, twine

{Owl Card}
Stamps: Hero Arts Outline Flowers & Owl Trio wood mounted stamps
Paper: Hero Arts Sunshine Folded Card Set, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White cardstock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Copic markers Y38, YR31, W1, W0 & Atyou Spica Glitter Pen-Melon
Accessories: Hero Arts Card Buttons-Summer & Art Flowers-Summer; WRM Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper, sewing machine, ribbon

{Friend Card}
Stamps: Hero Arts Cling-Friend
Paper: Hero Arts Blush Folded Card Set
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa; Copic markers R81, R85, YG06, YG07, W1
Accessories: Prima Flower-Innoscence Snow Angel, WRM Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper, Hero Arts Small Accent Pearls, Ranger White Opaque Pen

{Butterfly Card}
Stamps: Hero Arts Antique Writing Cling
Paper: Ranger Glossy White Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White cardstock; Memory Box Licorice notecard & Ocean cardstock
Ink: Ranger Jet Black Archival ink pad, Memento Tuxedo Black; Copic Various Ink Refills: B45 & V15 and Copic markers V12, V15, B32, B45, E25 & 100
Accessories: Copic Airbrush System-1, Prima Jaqueline Lace, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, Ranger Star Dust Stickles, Glue Dots

Vintage-y Cuteness by Kim Hughes

Who ever said vintage couldn't be cute?  Not me, that's for sure :)  Why not mix these fun styles...right?
 
Supplies:

Webster's Pages, Petite Paper Pad, Lullaby Lane/Life's Portrait

Maya Road Clocks, Black and White, Mini Chipboard Set, Birds with Cages

COPIC Sketch Marker G82, Spring Dim Green, COPIC Sketch Marker E00, Skin White, COPIC Sketch Marker Y000, Pale Lemon

Stickles, Fruit Punch

Hero Arts ClearDesign: Mi Casa, Cling Curly Flowers, Set of 3

Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Espresso

 

Start with a beautiful vintage/shabby paper.  The frame in the center grabbed my attention, so I used a scrap paper as a mask, so that the stamped image would be confined.
 

Now it looks like it was meant to be there.
 

I colored the entire base with the lightest color and added low-lights with the darker one.  I didn't worry about staying in the lines, because I wanted to give it an aged look.
 

I love Maya Road's birds, so I thought one would be cute to add as an accent.  I traced the chipboard pieces onto the front of my paper.  I usually draw on the back to hide the traced lines.  But in this case, no one will see the pencil marks because they will be sanded off.
 

Notice how there's some paper hanging off the edge.  Rub that off with a sand block.
 

Now you have a "distressed" cute bird!
 

Add some green color with a Copic...and add Stickes for sparkle and shine...this adds to the "cute" side, I think :)
 

The paper already has a clock on it, but it's a bonus when you can add a dimensional accent

Put tape on the bird and stick onto clear clock.  Add adhesive on the clear clock, where the bird will cover it.
 

Stamp sentiment in the center and adhere the bird and clock to the bottom.

Utilize patterned paper when you see an element "peeing", like with this butterfly. 

Cut into it where the slit won't be seen...and begin to ct aroudn the butterfly, being careful to cut the top and bottom, all the way down.

 

Here's how the butterfly will look

sand the edges and machine sew some zig zags to add to the Vintage feel...along with trim.

thank you for popping in today :)

Trend Watch Tuesday - Sew Fun by Becky Olsen

It is time for a new trend watch post, and if you know me very well, you might remember that I really love to use my sewing machine on my projects. When this trend started to show up, I was "sew" very happy! "Sew" let's explore the trend of sewing and the influence that it has in crafting.

Let's start with this adorable Maya Road "Sew Cute" mini chipboard set. Very easy to use by painting, inking or spritzing with a spray mist, they are a wonderful addition to so many types of projects!

There were a few different shapes of dress forms, a fun icon that we are going to see more of starting with this Canvas Dress Form from Prima. It is so darling, and alterable in most anyway that you can imagine.

This dress form chipboard album is from Maya Road, and offers so many ways to use it! You can alter the pieces individually or create a themed mini album to keep treasured memories in or to give as a wonderful gift.

Let's move on from dress forms to patterns and stitching by looking at some fabulous stamp sets. Stamper's Anonymous has this fun stamp set called "Patterned Pieces" that looks like an old school pattern.

And how about some fun stitching that you can add to your projects? This is another fantastic set from Stamper's Anonymous called "Just Sew Artsy" that has quite a few unique stitches that you can use on projects to give that look of sewing without needing a sewing machine.

The "Stitches" Scrapblock from Cornish Heritage Farms is a wonderful stamp for creating versatile backgrounds for all kinds of projects.

And for the hand sewn look there is this super cute set from Hero ARts called "Sew Original" that has some fun elements and cute sentiments!

And to go with the vintage trend that is so hot right now, the "Sew Special" stamp set from Cornish Heritage Farms was designed by our very own Julia Stainton, and is one of my favorite sets ever!

 Of course we need some paper and accessories to go with this fantastic trend, and Cosmo Cricket doesn't disappoint with their "Material Girl" collection.

The "Ready, Set, Chip" for this collection is SEW cute, and has many wonderful elements that will add fun dimension to whatever it is you are creating.

 

It was really fun to make a couple of projects using a few of these products. I started with a card, and one of the things I love most about Cosmo Cricket is that they always create a wonderful double sided sheet of coordinating cards on one sheet of paper that is a very affordable way to create projects in a snap. These are from the "Material Girl Elements", I used two of the cards and fussy cut a flower out of one of the sheets of paper. Notice that the delightful dress form is included with this product line too?

 Stamp a sentiment from the "Sew Special" set onto some smooth card stock and trim.

The dress form card has been stitched around as well as the card top to the card base. It is a fun and easy way to enhance the theme of the card. The other supplies I used were the 1/4" cream silk ribbon, Walnut Stain Distress ink, Maya Road Crystal Trinket pin and a Material Girl button.

For the next project, I created a layout using some fun pictures I had taken while my mom, my daughters and I had a girls night sewing some cute aprons. I started with a chipboard dress form piece and applied some ATG 714 one the back.

I placed it onto the back side of the paper I wanted for the front

and then trimmed around with a craft knife.

To make an apron for my dress form I gathered some paper using floss and a running stitch.

When I got to the end I tied it off and then glued it onto the front of the dress form shape around the mid-section.

For the background of my layout I used Aqua Adirondack on my Stitches Scrapblock and stamped it four times on my sheet of cream 12" x 12 " card stock.

To continue the sewing theme I stitched around the edges of the background paper with a straight stitch and then used a zig zag stitch for the pictures.

I used a few more of those darling cards from the elements sheet. To add a little extra interest I used the cream colored "Tiny Type" letters for a couple of the words to make the title of my page. I then adhered it with dimensional foam adhesive for more depth on my page.

To finish up the apron on the dress form I tied a bow with the wide white silk and then sewed a button into the center and tied a bow with the floss.

A few more of the cards adhere with the dimensional adhesive for journaling and fun finish up this quick and easy project that was inspired by the fun products that we talked about.

This is such a delightful and whimsical trend that I hope stays with us for a while!

That is the trend watch for this week, thanks for taking some time to visit and if you create a project inspired by this post, please leave a link in the comments section so I can come and visit!

B-

Quick and Practical Cards by Lisa Strahl

Welcome to the week dear friends!

I am easing you into the week with some cards that come together quickly and with ease because I used coordinating products from The Boyfriend Line by Cosmo Cricket.

These designs feature The Boyfriend 6x6 Paper Pad, Chipboard Set and Ribbon.  I also stamped sentiments from three different sets including:  Say Hello, Encouragement Centers, and Be Happy in Coffee Archival Ink (Ranger).  Finally, the Offbeat Brads (Basic Grey) are a PERFECT match for this collection and I used them throughout.

Note:  Oops!  I just noticed that I used the prototype version of this stamp set I created when I was Art Director for Cornish Heritage Farms...it has a typo.  Ug.  The sentiment was corrected before it went into full production and is perfect now!  It's a Monday after all...  You can view Encouragement Centers here.

Wishing you a wonderful week filled with getting some "quick" cards done for your stash!

Cheers, Lisa

Make Your Own Happiness by Debbie Olson

 

Good morning! Today I have an all-purpose card to share with you. I had been wanting the Hero Arts Cling Large Flower ever since I saw Jennifer McGuire use it on a gorgeous card once; it looked like a fun image to color! I began with a Latte card base from the Earth Tones card pack, stamping the Antique Cling Writing stamp using Latte Chalk Ink.

Next, also using the Latte ink, I stamped the Cling Write Your Own background on ivory cardstock, and turning it upside down, I used the Punch Chalk Ink to stamp a sentiments from the Anytime Messages set.

 

Now for that big, beautiful flower; seriously, doesn't it have the most graceful lines? I stamped the flower in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored it with the Copic markers shown above. Next I carefully trimmed around it. I also trimmed down in between a few of the petals so that I could curl them a bit. I colored the very center of the flower in black--first time I think I've used my black marker!--and the outer parts of the centers in shades of gray. I wanted a dark, dramatic center so that the gemstones would look dramatic.

 

I colored the scallops on the Write Your Own background very carefully; Copic marker tips can get clogged by the particles in chalk inks, so I carefully colored up to the line, not actually touching it. (It's probably best to use Copic-compatible inks, but I was having fun with my new Hero Arts chalk inks!) Lace is from Prima, and buttons are from my stash.

Thank you for visiting the CLASSroom, and we all hope you have a lovely Easter!

ScrapHD 7-Day Free Trial Club Membership and Jewelry Box How-To

I have received a number of emails from you wondering if I felt that ScrapHD is a product that makes sense to those who are not "scrappers". In a nutshell my answer is a resounding --- YES! One of the things I am so very passionate about is not wasting supplies. I am a paper addict and what this program has offered me is an ENORMOUS selection to pick from at a moments notice. I can print the "paper" on cardstock, lightweight paper for transfers, transparencies, sticky back canvas, and so much more. Will I ever give up my paper pads? No, but I most certainly will be using them in conjunction with the elements that I can download and use within a very short time. No more waiting for the package to arrive when I have a last minute project and can't find just the right option, and no more wondering what to do with the paper pads that I don't like a pattern in.

Today I am going to show you how it is that I combined "real" paper from Webster's Pages with a fabulous "printable" design from Jenni Bowlin. So head over to our In Touch blog to read more about the project shown below.

ScrapHD 7-DAY FREE TRIAL CLUB MEMBERSHIP

For those of you who do not subscribe to our newsletter I wanted to be certain to let you know that ScrapHD is currently offering a special promotion! If you have been on the fence about trying out this fantastic program then now is the time to join the Club and experience what the ScrapHD builder has to offer for a 7-day FREE trial. This will allow you to try any of the backgrounds, embellishments and templates AND use the "print from home" service!

To take advantage of this offer simply follow the link below (or the one in the sidebar of our blogs) to subscribe to ScrapHD.

Sign up as a Club Member providing all the information requested. If you are enjoying ScrapHD after your free trial, do nothing --- your credit card will be billed and your membership will automatically continue. If you decide that it is not what you were looking for then you can easily cancel anytime, online, 24 hours a day.

FREE WEBINARS (ONLINE CLASS)

ScrapHD is also offering a free Webinar program (online class). These Webinars last for about an hour and are geared towards the beginner. Ross or Katy (who have been very patient with me as I learned) will walk attendees through creating an account, explain the difference between the Free and Club membership levels, show you how to create a layout and save the project, and more. I would like to strongly encourage those of you who are afraid of trying something new to sign up for one of these classes.

For the month of April they will offer these free Webinars every Monday evening at 8:30pm CST, Thursday evening at 11:59 CST (Midnight Madness - for those of you who are night owls :D), and Saturday morning at 10:30am CST. You can register for all April time slots by going to the following link: FREE WEBINAR SIGNUPS

So head on over to In Touch for some Hybrid inspiration!

Happy Easter to you all!

Wearable Canvas Blossoms by Julia Stainton

Spring is finally here and blossoms are everywhere. Wearing them is a sweet way to personalize an outfit and add a fun touch to brighten your day. Loving this trend, I decided to experiment with creating my own from some Sticky Back Canvas paint and other embellishments I had on hand. Here's how I did it.

Stickyback Canvas is such a fabulous art and craft product. I'm amazed at all the things you can create with it. By using the Canvas instead of paper to create this blossom, it makes it a flexible fabric accent that is easily worn. The Canvas is sturdy compared to paper and you'll be able to enjoy this project for many times to come. You can use either size of the Sticky Back Canvas for this project, 8.5x 11 or 12x12. I've paired it up with the Nested Dahlia die which is one of my favorites. This project uses the largest four dies in this set to make a large flower. If you wish to make a smaller one, simply use the smallest sizes instead.

Die cut 2 flowers in each of the four sizes as you'll be adhering them together.

Getting crafty with paint is always one of the most fun parts of a project. By mixing colors and blending, you can create any color you wish to get the look you want. For this flower I worked with two different color blends. Painterly Pink Studio Paint and Dab of Yellow mixed with Blank Canvas Studio Paint. The Claudine Hellmuth brushes are great for mixing and blending and well as applying the paint. 

I wanted a watercolor look for the paint application so I spritzed the paint withe water from my Mini Mister to thin it out.

Each layer is a little different...a mix of pink and yellows brushed on together. If you apply the paint thinner is some places than other, I think this enhances the fabric and artistic feel to the project.

After allowing the canvas flowers to dry, the backing was peeled off the adhesive and the layers adhered together sticky side to sticky side. Match up the largest size with the largest size and so on. It will be difficult to get them to line up perfectly so just trim as needed.

The Hero Art Speckled Elements stamp set has a gorgeous damask stamp that I used to add depth to the canvas. I stamped it on the layers in Worn Lipstick and Dried Marigold Distress Inks.

Punch holes in the middle of each flower layer. I used a Crop-a-dile but you can also use an anywhere hold punch or a paper piercer to make the holes.

 

To hold the flower together, I've inserted a Green at Heart Stitched Brad by Basic Grey.To embellish further I tied it with some Celery Silk Ribbon and added a beautiful Jenni Bowlin Stick Pin.

To wear this flower, stitch or hot glue a metal pin back to the back of your flower and enjoy.

For alternative ideas for this flower, try stitching it to a headband or pinning to a purse, or giving as a friendship or Mother's Day gift. And of course, you can always add it to a card or layout if you desire. 

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom!

Have a beautiful weekend!

Spring Cards With Dies by Sharon Harnist

 

Dies can make your papercrafting a very quick & easy task AND give beautiful professional results with little effort . . . no wonder I love them so much!  :)  I have a few such examples for you today.

 

My first card was shaped with Spellbinders' new  Big Scalloped Circle-Lg Nestabilities die (largest in the set) from Basic Grey's Green At Heart collection.  I like that these scalloped circles resemble a flower, so I chose some of Prima's wonderful Natural Obsessions Botanical Paper in Bright Tones to compliment that.  This botanical paper pack includes 8.50" x 11" sheets of three different colors of this fabulously textured handmade paper AND six already-die cut 2.50" flowers!  I used the red die cut flower from the pack and then die cut a yellow center myself from the sheet of yellow paper, using the smallest die from the Big Scalloped Circle Nestabilities-Lg set.

TIP:I discovered that this highly-textured and open weave paper die cut crisper and cleaner if I placed a layer of cardstock underneath it:

 

In the photo above, the top flower (that sill has the white cardstock under it) cut much better than the bottom flower without the cardstock.  To complete the flower center, I used a brand new Eco Green product Ellen is now carrying, their flat-backed glass bubble Glass Glintz in the 12mm size.  This product is made from recycled glass and is perfectly clear, so it makes a great magnifying glass to spotlight anything you'd like!  It's adhered with Ranger's Glossy Accents that dries clear.  Karen Lockhart's wonderful new Roses, Daisies & Polka Dots stamp was stamped and colored with these Copic markers:

 

The image is cut out and adhered with foam tape.  Glossy Accents was added to the flower vase, to give it a realistic look and Copic Spica Glitter Pens in yellow and clear accent the flowers (hopefully you can see all that sparkle and shine if you click on the photo below for a larger view):

 

My next card uses a scrap piece of leftover negative space from die cutting a Memory Box Meadow notecard with Spellbinders' Nested Dahlia die set (so save those scraps!): 

 

I placed the green die cut piece over more of Basic grey's Green At Heart patterned paper, machine stitched it and added one of my favorite Spring sentiments from Kim Hughes' Spring Trees stamp set. The whole panel is raised on foam tape.  Hero Arts' Art Flowers-Summer & Card Buttons-Summer are a nice compliment and finish this card VERY quickly!

I hope these samples help get you into the Spring spirit AND give you some more ideas of using dies in your papercrafting!

 
{Roses & Daisies}
Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Co Roses, Daisies & Polka Dots
Paper: Basic Grey 6x6 Green At Heart, Prima Natural Obsessions Botanical Paper-Bright Tones, Neenah Natural White cardstock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markersshown above, Clear & Lemon Copic Spica Glitter Pens
Accessories: Spellbinders Big Scalloped Circle-Lg Nestabilities, Eco Green Glass Glintz 12mm, Ranger Glossy Accents
Other: Ribbon

{Hello Spring}
Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms-Kim Hughes' Spring Trees
Paper: Basic Grey 6x6 Green At Heart, Memory Box Mango & Meadownotecards
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, 
Accessories: Spellbinders Nested Dahlia die set, Hero Arts Art Flowers-Summer & Card Buttons-Summer, Glue Dots
Other: Sewing machine