the CLASSroom

Pink Paislee Card Set by Lisa Strahl

There is something so satisfying about creating a set of coordinated cards.  These four designs were put together from the Bayberry 6x6 paper pad by Pink Paislee.  One of my favorite things about this paper collection is that there are multiple designs and colors of useful patterns like houndstooth and polka dots, plus some solid pieces to use!

I simply pulled out one of each design, laid them out together, did my mixing and matching and found a few coordination embellishments. 

The letters for the word "hi" were custom made by applying ink to the Heidi Swapp Invisibles line of stickers.  So easy!  Just sponge on and the polka dots resist the ink.

Paper: Bayberry6x6 Paper Pad (Pink Paislee)

Ink: Black Soot, Aged Mahogany and Faded Jeans/Broken China Distress Ink, Ranger Lettuce Adirondack Ink (Ranger)

Tools: Corner Rounder Punch(EK Success), Cut 'n Dry Foam (Ranger)

Accessories: Downtown Invisibles Alphabet (Heidi Swapp), Crystal Trinket and Green Leaf Trinket Pins (Maya Road), White Vintage Sew-On Buttons(Jenni Bowlin), 1/4 inch White Silk Ribbon (May Arts), Black, Light Blue and WhitePearls (Kaisercraft), Citron Gemstones (Hero Arts).

Fall Scrap Page by Sharon Harnist

I decided it was time for another one of my 6-inch scrapbooking-for-the-fridge magnets, especially since Fall, with its changing leaves, is one of my very favorite times of the year!

 

I've had a piece of corregated cardboard box torn up and waiting for a great idea to hit me on how to use it and I wondered if it could be die cut.  The answer -- most definitely yes!

To start, just cut up any regular old cardboard box into pieces that will fit through your die cut machine, and then peel the layers apart, to reveal the corregation on the inside layers.

Next, I inked the ridges of my piece of cardboard with white pigment ink, just to give it some color variation, and let it dry.  Then I tried die cutting it with Spellbinders Nested Maple Leaf (largest) die: 

 

At first, I thought the sandwich might be too tight and took out the magnetic spacer (or white cutting plate, depending on your Wizard model) piece of my Wizard sandwich but sure enough, it was needed (but a bit tight).  The result was a wonderfully embossed and very well cut leaf!

 

After die cutting and inking the edges of the cardboard leaf with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink, I cut a piece of Basic Grey Pyrus patterned paper with the middle-sized Nested Maple Leaf die to layer on top of the cardboard leaf.  I sanded the embossed edges of the paper leaf, after inking the edges -- I love this look!  A Hero Arts Fancy Felt Flower and a button tied with twine finish the leaf embellishement.

To finish my page (6 inches, cut from olive Basic Grey Pyrus patterned paper), I added a Jenni Bowlin Vintage Mini Bingo Card and FALL letters die cut with the Sizzix Tim Holtz Vintage Market Alpha die from more Pyrus patterned paper. 

 

TIP: Outline your die cuts with a Copic marker -- this will really help define them and make them jump off your page, instead of blending in, unnoticed!  Here, I used 110-Special Black.  Zig 2-Way Fine Tip Glue Pen makes it easy to glue down small die cuts.

Since I've become addicted to glittered embellishments, I added a scalloped edge on the left side that was made by using Martha Stewart's Scallop Dot edger punch to punch a piece of paper covered with Glitter Ritz Opaque Micro Fine Glitter in Spice Brown!  Hopefully you can see the gorgeous coppery color of the glitter here (although there was some glare on the photos!):

 

Oh, and I can't forget the film strip of photos I printed of my sweet (most of the time!) daughters!  By adhering Inchie Arts Inchie Magnets on the back of my 6-inch page, it becomes refrigerator art, holding the school lunch menu or other important school papers we refer to each day!  When the season is over, place the page in a brag book album.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom today ... I hope Fall is on the way to wherever you live! ~ Sharon

 
Paper: Basic Grey Pyrus patterned papers, Jenni Bowlin Mini Bingo Cards-Vintage,
Ink: Ranger Adirondack Snow Cap Pigment ink pad & Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink; Copic 110-Special Black
Accessories: Spellbinders Nested Maple Leaf die set, Sizzix Tim Holtz Vintage Market Alpha dies, Martha Stewart Scallop Dot edger punch, Hero Arts Fancy Felt Flowers-Neutral, Glitter Ritz Opaque Micro Fine Glitter-Spice Brown, Jillibean Soup Twine-Brown, Zig 2-Way Fine Tip Glue Pen, Inchie Arts Inchie Magnets, Sanding Block, Button,
Other: corregated cardboard box

Using Prima Flocked Iron Ons to Create Wearable Art

 I don't know about you, but I love a deal. I also love being unique and staying comfortable while I am crafting. So with that list of criteria in mind, finding a great looking t-shirt on sale at Old Navy for $5 gets my creative juices flowing. Of course there are about a million things that I can do with this shirt to make it unique, and most of them are inexpensive. But creating a unique look can also take a little more time than I sometimes have to spend.

One day as I was meandering through the fabulousness of Ellen's shop (Promo code of 15% off for World Card Making Day this week!!) letting my mind wander, I saw the Prima Iron On collection and that $5 t-shirt got quite a few imaginary make-overs before I settled on the Flocked Birdcage design. What got me excited about this product is that it had no drying time, no worries about messing up because I could move the placement of things around as much as I wanted before heating the iron up and once the iron was hot it only took about 15 minutes to get it all done. Gotta love that!

First and foremost always read the instructions before starting. I am notorious for NOT doing this, but I have learned from previous failures that when using an iron on product the best results have come when I have laundered the item a few times.

 

Set up on an appropriate work surface as well. Plenty of room to work, good padding and of course heat resistant. I trimmed the birdcage out first and the accompanying chain, I could have put a bird under the cage as a first layer, but I wanted my birds to all be free range ;o)

 

Second apply heat with an iron as instructed. I used a pillowcase as the layer between the iron and iron on.

After the proper amount of time to heat and then cool has elapsed, carefully remove the iron on from the application sheet.

 

You will notice that once that layer is removed the design is much more delicate and intricate. I was thrilled to see this and love how the texture feels on the fabric, so cool!

 

After trying a few different arrangements for the birds I ended up with this one.

 

Apply heat with the iron with a layer between again and then carefully remove the sheet from each bird.

I won't even get to be the first to sport this fun wearable art, both teen daughters have already commented on the coolness factor, expressed the desire to create similar projects and the youngest sweetly asked if she could wear it to school tomorrow...

Who am I to say no?

B-

Ice Resin Meets Vintaj Brass by Debbie Olson

Welcome! Today I have another Ice Resin piece to share with you, this time used in conjunction with some pretty Vintaj Brass and a Swarovski Crystal center. 

For the Ice Resin piece I used the same procedures that I showed in this article. I chose the earrings jewelry mold to mold the piece and added blue and green oil paints, black shavings of baked polymer clay, glitter, and mica flakes as the inclusions.

I thought that the VInatj Brass would be a lovely color to pair with the finished piece, and when I rooted through my collection, the Fliligree Clover Petal was the largest piece of brass that I had--that made it the right piece, right?

I had a couple of challenges. The first was figuring out how to put a hook on the filigree when I wanted to turn my filigree so that the points were in an X orientation rather than a + orientation. I finally took a piece of brass wire and ran it through the filigree.

Next I used my concave round nose pliers to create a circle on both ends of the wire. There may be a better way, but this one worked for me. 

This is what it looked like after I put a jump ring through both loops and closed the jump ring.

The next part took the longest--molding the brass piece around the ice resin cabochon. I used needle nosed pliers and a small hammer and just kept bending and hammering until I was able to get the brass where I wanted it.  I could have wrapped it so that all four corners showed evenly, but I decided that I liked it better when the center of the filigree was in the center of the cabochon.

It still needed something. . . Finally I found an iridescent Swarovski crystal in my jewelry odds and ends stash--perfect!  Thanks for stopping by the Classroom blog today.

Cherish Layout by Julia Stainton

We all have those special people in our lives that make celebrations special. The ones who are family or might as well be, and the ones that we truly cherish. Today's layout is about those special people. My family.

It's important to scrapbook those special people and moments to have something to remember them by.

I started out this layout with a really fabulous embossed cardstock by Jenni Bowlin for Coredinations. I just love the texture these cardstocks add to a project. This is great if you want a textured look but don't have embossing folders or especially if you want a large embossed area. The package comes with four different patterns in five colors each.

The cardstock has been sanded to reveal the inner white core. You can sand these cardstocks as much or as little as you wish. They are beautiful without sanding as well. Regular sandpaper works well but I really love using the Tim Holtz Sanding Block for ease.

The new Togetherness line from Cosmo Cricket is absolutely adorable and worked perfectly with my theme. Who can resist those darling birds? The large circles were diecut with a large Circles Nestability Die.

Banners are all the rage and I added a sweet mini one here for dimension. The Mixed Scallop Triangle Banner Mini Chipboard set is so darling. It comes with two pieces of chipboard for each pennant. The Snowcap Adirondak Paint Dabber made it easy to apply white paint to the bottom scalloped pennant. Each top triangle was covered with Togetherness paper.

Supplies: Jenni Bowlin Embossed Cardstock by Coredinations, Togetherness Paper Crafting Kit & Ready Set Chip Stickers by Cosmo Cricket, Tim Holtz Sanding Block & Tiny Attacher by Advantus, Snowcap Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber by Ranger, Mixed Scallop Triangle Banner Mini Chipboard set by Maya Road, twine, Ivory Alphabet by Prima Marketing, Turquoise Leaf Trinket Pins & Green Leaf Trinket Pins by Maya Road, 0.3 Black Multiliner by Copic, buttons by Cosmo Cricket

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom and have a creative day!

 

#1 Punkin'

Simple is good - right?!? When I first saw the IB First Place Ribbon a number of different ideas came to mind. Athletic events, 4-H contests, and most importantly we all need a blue ribbon once in a while to remind us that we are special.

OK, so perhaps this isn't the most romantic of images, but I thought that this sentiment was sweet with this image. Sometimes romantic doesn't have to be all mushy :-D

Altering the color of the crochet trims we carry is a cinch. I place it in a small plastic bag, squirt in some Glimmer Mist, squeeze it into the trim, remove and let dry. Simple!!!

I absolutely love to color the Lockhart images and so I pulled out my Copic markers and Prismacolor Pencils and was having such a delightful time that I failed to keep them separated to snap a photo. Sorry about that.

TIP: What I can tell you is that I had the colors a little too bright to work with the papers and so upon selecting my designer paper I grabbed a W2 and colored over the entire image. Using a neutral Copic over the entire image will many times solve the "brightness" factor. I do recommend that you test which neutral to use on a scrap paper before altering your little piece of artwork, just in case you select the wrong neutral :-D

This concept could work really well for those pumpkin carving pictures we all take as well. Goodness knows we spend enough time looking for that "just right" pumpkin each fall to carve. I also want to put together a prize-winning teacher card. So many ideas... so little time - LOL!

stamps: Lockhart Stamp Company - Three Pumpkins, IB First Place Ribbon, and You're the One I Wanted

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

paper: Memory Box 6x6 Blackbird, Sage Cardstock

accessories: White Crochet Trim, Tattered Angels Sweet Clover Glimmer Mist,

Glitter + Halloween = Loads of Fun

Time passes SO quickly! It was July when I had the pleasure of a "playdate" with Heather and Lisa. Heather loves Halloween and so we pulled out the Halloween punches I had and Lis shared the Burnished Velvet technique with her. As Lis demonstrated I was the fetcher and clean-up gal because I knew where to find everything and then could put it away again :-D BUT I had an idea I just had to try so my clean-up role was quickly dismissed as I created the glittered piece below - LOL!

To learn more about Burnished Velvet you can read the following posts:

• Puttin' on the Ritz - Creating Glittered Designer Paper
• Puttin' on the Ritz - Creating Glitter Borders
• Puttin' on the Ritz - Glitter Ritz that is! Going Transparent
• Tape and Glitter, Glitter and Tape! by Lisa Strahl

Begin by adhereing Be Creative tape to the Blackbird paper and then cut out the oval using a Nestability. I have found that sometimes (depending on the weight of my designer paper) I have had to run my sandwich through my machine two times before it cuts all the way through the tape and the paper. It works best if I place my die so that it cuts through the tape layer first, with the designer paper on the bottom.

Remove the  tape backing and position your decorative images punched from the tape backing (remember to position it with the words facing up for best results) I have alphabetically listed the order in which I placed my elements down on my sticky tape in hopes of assisting you with the layering.

• a - haunted house
• b - flying witch
• c - circle

TIP: If you want an image to be used as a whole place it on your sticky surface first - that way it will be the last item to be removed and glittered.

I have then numerically listed the order in which I lifted my elements and applied the glitter.

1. warm highlights
2. apricot
3. java bean

TIP: Remember to thoroughly burnish each color of glitter in place before applying the next color to avoid mixing the colors. This is especially important when working from light to dark as I did in this case. If it is not thoroughly burnished some of the dark colors may migrate into the lighter colors. This can be an added effect in some cases, so think about the final look you are trying to create before making your burnishing decision.

Glitter and Halloween... they go together like bread and butter! SO pull out your punches and see what Spooky creation you can create :-D

paper: Memory Box 6x6 Blackbird and Licorice Cardstock

accessories: Martha Stewart Flying Witch and Haunted House, Circle Punch, Oval Nestability, Be Creative Tape 4 1/2" or sheets and 1/4", Glitter Ritz - Warm Highlights, Apricot, Black

Organza Window Sympathy Card

I love my girl Jules - she always has THE bestest ideas :-D It was on our very first meeting that Julie brought me some of the most GORGEOUS organza ribbon. She used it to create a beautiful window card WAY back at that time. Well, I was so very lucky to have her come to my house for a "playdate" a few weeks ago and once again she shared her genius with me (I say as I monkey clap - yes, we monkey clap when we get excited about something - LOL!)

Sympathy cards are some of the hardest for me to create - I really should make a stash of them so that I have them ready when they are needed. Sadly a friend lost both her father and brother and so my quest to create a card to share with her that we care and appreciate her. I wanted something that was soft and pretty and I think that this organza really suits this look.

Now the genius that Julie shared is that you can stamp on this ribbon! Oh my - it is so soft and pretty! I tested several different inks that we carry and met with good luck using the following types of ink:

• Ranger Archival Ink Pads (scroll down the page)
• Ranger Adirondack Pigment Ink Pads
• Memento Ink Pads

I'm not certain if you can tell that I stamped on the ribbon shown above on the left. I also stamped and colored the butterfly again on Neenah cardstock and colored it in with Copic markers.

I discovered that I can also use the darker colored Copic markers on the Organza and it gives a beautiful hint of color. I still need to play with this idea more to make certain which ink I should recommend for this technique.

This colored image was set behind some beautiful Webster's Pages Vellum and then the Organza butterfly layer was adhered over top.

There are SO many ways to layer your beautiful stamped ribbon - my imagination is wandering with the possibilities.

Place your layered image beneath a frame created from Thistle and Chocolate cardstock.

I hope that you are having a lovely weekend and thank you for stopping in here at the CLASSroom today!

stamps: Hero Arts Antique Engraving

paper: Webster's Pages 6x6 Vellum and Diecut, Hero Arts Daffodil card, Memory Box Thistle

ink: Archival Coffee, Memento Rich Cocoa

Copic Markers: Y21, Y26, Y28, R20, R29, BG72

accessories: 24 Karat Pearls, Large Label, Ivory 5" Sheer Ivory Organza, Damask Texture Fade Folder

 

Blackbird Halloween Photo Tray

Yesterday when I arrived at work this fabulous project was sitting in our front office. I just had to share it with you as I think Carina did a fabulous job!

I love seeing the pictures of her kids when they were younger carving their pumpkins! She used the Blackbird paper line together with some Martha Stewart punches to add interest to the project.

I really like how she split the photo in the top right hand corner and added some "bling" to make the project sparkle. I hope this inspires some of you who have had photos of your kids at Halloween tucked away to bring them out and hang them up for the month ahead. Thank you so much for letting me share your beautiful project Carina!!!

paper: Memory Box Blackbird 6x6 Paper Pad

accessories: 7 Gypsies Letterblock Printers Tray and Label Holder, Martha Stewart Spiderweb and Spider

Graphic 45 Hallowe'en In Wonderland by Becky Olsen

For this fun altered project I started by planning a crafting day with a fun friend (she had found the amazing candle sticks on clearance, don't know where, sorry!) a Hallowe'en in Wonderland 12" x 12" paper pad, Claudine Hellmuth's Multi Medium in Matte, and a few Tim Holtz findings. We giggled, fussy cut, got sticky and ended up thrilled with the end results! I took pictures of each side and some close-ups of interesting details that I will describe how to create.To begin I covered all four sides with the Curiouser and Curiouser paper using the Multi Medium to adhere the paper and get a smooth adhesion. Then I fussy cut images from the Through the Looking Glass paper and chose the sides to adhere them to that continued to tell the story.For this side I used the fussy cut images of the White Rabbit and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. I wrapped wire around the handle of a smaller paint brush to get the spiral and then attached it to the side. I then punched out two of the White Rabbit tags and adhered them back to back and put the top through the end of the wire.  

  

For the bottom of the tag I got out a Tim Holtz Typewriter Charms and placed the letter "A" in there (for Alice of course!)The charm was attached using a Tim Holtz Mini Paper Clip that had been placed in the bottom hole of the tag. 

From the view of another side you can see how fun and dimensional that little coiled wire and tag piece is!On this side another fussy cut piece was adhered and I twisted another piece of wire to make a little holder for a Tim Holtz Word Key.    

 

The key is attached to the wire piece using a Tim Holtz Swivel Clasp.

 

Here is a close-up of the twisted wire piece.

 

On the third side you can see how the little wire piece is like a sign hanger. The Cheshire cat and Caterpillar are on this side, and so I used a Tim Holt Hinge Clip that was adhered with a glob of Studio Multi Medium Matte that was left to dry for a bit and then I wound some wire into a circle and put it through the clip. I attached some more Mini Paper Clips and also used a Tim Holtz Spinner piece, and a Tim Holtz Muse Token for the bottom.

 

 

The Tim Holtz Trinket Pin is what is attaching this fun charm to the wire circle.

And as you can see I wrapped the wire around the top quite a few times to create texture and for this section The Mad Hatter was adhered and then another long coil was created by wrapping wire around the handle of a paint brush. I threaded a Tim Holtz Word Stick through and around the wire coil and placed it close to the top of the Mad Hatter.

 

 

When I was going through all of my Tim Holtz goodies I was trying to find the words that reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. It was very fun creating these little vignettes on a single piece that was still cohesive looking.

I love it because it is different from whichever direction you look at it from. It is my first decoration of the season, and I am trying to find a cool pillar candle that is purple that I can put on top. I will likely end up wrapping more wire around that and maybe another little bauble or two from my Tim Holtz toys.I hope that this inspires you to get out your items that would be fun to alter and get some beautiful Graphic 45 to help you along with your projects.

B-

Orchid Wish Card by Julia Stainton

Do you see a stamp that you just have to have? There is just something about it that speaks to you and you can't wait to get creating with it. When I first saw this beautiful Phalaenopsis stamp it reminded me of my mother. She always grew orchids and had such a way with them. I don't have her green thumb but I grow a few in my home today as they never fail to make me think of her and smile.

Today's card pairs up the beautiful Phaleanopsis stamp by Lockhart Stamp Company and gorgeous papers by Pink Paislee. I'm so excited that Ellen is now carrying this wonderful manufacturer.

Airbrushing a background for your image is a great place to start coloring your image and also anchors it visually. I like to leave some white space in the design so I've just airbrushed around the image with a light application of Y21. The flowers are colored in with RV32, RV34 and R89. Orchid leaves are a dark glossy color and I've used YG97, YG95, YG93 and YG03 to shade them. The terra cotta pot is colored with YR14 and YR24.

A really cool product that I know you are going to love is the Artisan Elements by Pink Paislee. These embellishments are gorgeous dimensional stickers that you can ink, paint, distress, etc. to create your own custom accent.

Today I've airbrushed the artisan element with YG95 and added in some highlights by directly coloring prominent areas with YG03.I like to cut the element out of the packaging leaving the backing intact. This makes it easy to alter and also move around your project to decide which spot looks best.

Supplies: Neenah Classic Solar White Cardstock, Phaleanopsis stamp by Lockhart, Tiny Type Black by Cosmo Cricket, Bayberry Cottage 6x6 paper pad by Pink Paislee, Artisan Elements Swirls by Pink Paislee, Copic Markers and Airbrush, Inkssentials White Opaque Pen by Ranger, Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Tsukineko, Labels 8 Nestability Die Set by Spellbinders, Pewter Antique Stick Pin by Jenni Bowlin

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom and joining me today!

Memory Box Favorites by Lisa Strahl

As our summer comes to a close and we get back into the routines of school and work, I found these Memory Box favorites in my stamp collection and just could not pass up a chance to play with them.

Cory Chair Card

 

 
Stamps:  Cozy Chair stamp (Memory Box), Missing You sentiment (Lockhart Stamp Co.)

Ink:  Coffee Archival Ink (Ranger)

Paper:  Kioshi 6x6 Paper Pad (Basic Grey), Meadow and Mango Memory Box Cardstock

Tools and Accessories:  Classic Scalloped Large Rectangle Nestibilities, Accoutrements Buttons (Tim Holtz), Detail Scissors (EK Success)

*Design Notes:  This paper pieced chair was created by stamping the image onto several different pieces of Kioshi paper and cutting out different sections on each.  They were then all adhered together on a single stamped image.

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

Kioshi Asian Panel

 

 
Stamps:  Spring Blossoms stamp and Garden Cutaway stamp (Memory Box)

Ink:  Coffee Archival Ink and Distress Embossing Ink (Ranger)

Paper:  Kioshi 6x6 Paper Pad (Basic Grey), Aubergine Cardstock (Hero Arts), Vanilla Bean Cardstock (Memory Box)

Tools and Accessories:  Detail Clear Embossing Powder (Ranger), White Gel Pen (Ranger), Kioshi Buttons (Basic Grey), Clear Spica Glitter Pen (Copic), mini clear jewels, eyelet ribbon, Prima White Flower

*Design Notes: Need a subtle background?  Try embossing an image with clear ink and clear embossing powder to add interest and elegance such as with this Garden Cutaway stamp.

Wishing you all a creative, back to the routine week!

Design Adhesives and Glitter Ritz by Susan Roberts

My last visit to Ellen’s studio had me leaving with some of Memory Box’s Design Adhesives and some of the oh so sparkly Glitter Ritz Microfine Glitter.  Of course I had to try these two products together.  Here are the results.

First up is a card made with two of Memory Box’s new Halloween images, “Old Fence” and “Crow” and the sentiment “Happpy Halloween”.

One of the Design Adhesives from “Brocade” collection is used with Glitter Ritz “Apricot”.  I wanted to add an additional section to the design under the bird.  Using a Quickie Glue Pen, a small amount of the glue was drawn and then the Glitter Ritz was added over the glue.

The Quickie Glue Pen was also used to added “Warm Highlights” Glitter Ritz to the spider web.

Also used on this card:  May Arts Twill, Memory Box 6x6 "Blackbird" Designer Paper and Vintaj "Flowers" Natural Brass Embellishments.

The second card uses Glitter Ritz on snowflakes from the Design Adhesive “Flurries” collection.  I also used Martha Stewart's Around the Page Snowflake Edger Punch "Aspen" and Memory Box's "Build a Tree" stamp on this card.

Experimenting with the Glitter Ritz, I mixed it with both white embossing powder and clear embossing powder.   Some fun variations in the look were achieved.

Besides using the Design Adhesives and Glitter Ritz on plain cardstock, I also used them together on Memory Box’s Designer Paper “Mistletoe”, on a Twinchie and on the May Arts Silk Ribbon.

Also for this card, the felt on a Prima Flower Center was colored with a Copic Marker.

I found that the Design Adhesives and GlitterRitz were easy to use and worked absolutely perfectly together.

Thanks for dropping by the CLASSroom today.  Happy Crafting!