the CLASSroom

12 Days of Christmas: Day 6 - Sweet Borders Album By Julia Stainton

This past year, I'm finding myself in a place I never thought I'd be.I seriously cannot get enough of die cutting. The more I play around with my die cut machine and various dies, the more I realize that the possibilities are endless.

One of the products that I absolutely love to die cut is Craft-a-Board or chipboard. They are basically the same product but I love that Craft-a-Board is a very light off-white color and can be altered in so many ways. The idea of creating a Craft-a-Board mini album popped into my mind a few weeks ago and I just had to put it high on my to-do list. I was thrilled with how this project came out and how much fun it was to create.

One of the most fun things about this project is the use of the Tim Holtz On the Edge dies for creating different shaped borders on edges. To create these unique pages, simply cut as many 6x6" pages as you wish out of Craft-a-Board. I've covered mine with 6x6 papers from the beautiful Sweetness line by Pink Paislee.

 

After you cover the pages, die cut the right edge with any of the On the Edge dies for a beautiful look.

These dies also cut Crystal Clear Plastic Sheets which make lovely inner pages as well. In the above photo you can see this clear sheet in the album and I've placed some gorgeous Sweetness rub-ons on these clear pages to embellish them.

 

Here's a page with the Flourished Edge Border...

And another with the Bracket On the Edge die.

To put the album together, punch holes with a Crop-a-dile and use binding rings to keep it together. I love using these rings as you can always expand your book whenever you wish.

Varying the edges makes for a beautiful book.

I couldn't resist using a few more beautiful Sizzix dies to embellish my cover. Becky Olsen makes the most stunning roses using the Tattered Florals die. You can find her stunning tutorial in Ellen's Premiere Ezine.

Every album needs a theme and I decided mine would be my family. The Prima Letters are a beautiful and easy way to add text. They take ink extremely well and I've sponged on Tattered Rose Distress Ink here.

Supplies: Craft-a-Board & Crystal Clear Plastic by Essentials by Ellen, Sweetness 6x6 paper pack & Sweetness Rub-ons by Pink Paislee, Pearl Flourish by Zva Creative, twine, Tattered Florals and Tattered Leaves dies by Sizzix, Tim Holtz Scrollwork & Bracket On the Edge Dies by Sizzix, letters by Prima, Tattered Rose Distress Ink by Ranger, sanding block by Advantus, Vintage Pearl Trinket Pins by Maya Road

Do you like to die cut too? I hope I've inspired you with a few new ideas. Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom and happy cranking!

On the sixth day of Christmas my Sizzix package could be:

• Texture Fades Embossing Folders, Burlap and Swirls
• Textured Impressions Embossing Folders, Floral Flourishes and Vines
• On the Edge File Tabs Die
• Precut Mat Board 3-D House
• Precut Craft-a-Board Tea Cup
• Precut Craft-a-Board Cake Box

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

We would love to have you share one of your favorite crafting moments from this past year with us today - leave it in the comments section below to be eligible for this random drawing.

Remember to visit the following 12 Days of Christmas blog candy drawings --- be certain to post a comment to the question on each individual post to be included in that drawing!

• One Stampin' Treasure
• Two Melting Tools
• Three Copic Goodies
• 3 Stamps + 1 Color Sampler = Four Memory Box Treats
• Five treats from Claudine's Lines

12 Days of Christmas: Day 5 - Stamping with Paint By Becky Olsen

I have to admit that sometimes I feel a little intimidated by larger sized projects. Am I alone in that, I sure hope not! Filling a larger space takes more planning and preparation for me and I can find the process overwhelming. Maybe that I why I love card making so much. Whatever the reason may be, I am not going to let it stop me from trying new techniques, or media. A 4" x 4" canvas can be a terrific starting place for playing, and if you are like me, you might find an entirely new way to express yourself! After creating this tiny masterpiece, I have plans to make a couple more that will compliment it and give them to my mom for her birthday in a few weeks. She is a seamstress, and I think she would really enjoy a little art cluster for her sewing room.
It simplified my decision making process to use a few products that are all meant to work together, with the stress of decision making gone, I was free to play and enjoy!

What I used:

4" x 4" Canvas, the Claudine Hellmuth Studio Line paints, Paint brushes and Sticky back Canvas, Claudine's Stamps, Archival ink in black, Hero Arts Friend Definition Cling stamp, a Mini-Mister, and of course my handy-dandy Non-stick Craft mat!

The first thing I did was get my Painterly Pink Studio Paint onto the mat and loosened it up with water from the Mini-Mister. This let me put a nice light color onto the canvas.

I did the same thing with Modern Red, but didn't loosen it quite as much so that the coverage would be a little more opaque. I used the stamp from the Domestic Foam stamp set to get a fun background pattern. I also stamped the scallops from that set onto each of the sides of the canvas.

While that was drying I worked on my top layers.

First I stamped the dress form from the Domestic Foam set with Landscape green onto some Sticky Back Canvas, then stamped the Hero Arts Friend Definition with Archival ink over the top. To add a little punch I used the little dots from the Domestic Foam set in the Modern Red over the top of the definition stamp. When it was dry, I stamped it with the Domestic Clear and then fussy cut it out and set it aside. I then stamped the little birds in Sky Blue over the top of the definition and when it was dry stamped the outline from the Domestic Clear set around them and then cut them out as well. I stamped the birdcage in the Modern Red as well and after it was dry stamped the outline in Archival on it as well.

When the base canvas was dry I stamped the thick and thin rectangles in Yellow Pastel, I let that layer dry and then stamped the Domestic Clear outline over it and the scallops on all the sides as well. Then I peeled the protective backing from the Sticky Back pieces and adhered them in place.

There it is! A finished canvas that is as cute as can be! I learned a few things while playing, and the most important of those was to relax, have fun and don't be afraid to make a mess!  :o)

So what do you think? Are you ready to give these little gems a try? A great size for a quick project, and there is always room for something so tiny and cute!

B-

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

• Creative Layers Dwelling Clear Stamps
• Creative Layers Dwelling Foam Stamps
• Studio Line Brushes
• Studio Line 8 1/2" x 11" Natural Sticky Back Canvas
• Studio Matte Multi-Medium

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

Please share your 2011 crafting resolution - if you don't have one then make one up :-D 

Remember to visit the following 12 Days of Christmas blog candy drawings --- be certain to post a comment to the question on each individual post to be included in that drawing!

• One Stampin' Treasure
• Two Melting Tools
• Three Copic Goodies
• 3 Stamps + 1 Color Sampler = Four Memory Box Treats

12 Days of Christmas: Day 4 - Four Different Heart Cards

I love the crisp, clean look of Memory Box Company stamps and papers! Rather than sharing four birds with you on this fourth day of Christmas I opted to use four hearts instead :-D Hopefully this post will help you get a jump start on your Valentine's projects - there are some basic stamping techniques, as well as a couple of fun little experiments.

 

The color scheme for today's post was selected from the latest Memory Box paper collection - Pixie. I am absolutely loving the diversity in this collection and had fun using it to inspire this collection.

One of the first techniques I learned as a stamper was to use a water-based marker to color my stamped image. You can read more about this technique in Julia's Back to the Basics post here. 

 

As I looked through the Pixie pack of papers I was struck by the paper shown in the picture below. For some strange reason I was inspired to try stripes on this gorgeous heart. I simply selected four different Copic markers and added strips of color to the heart as shown above. I was thrilled to see that the ink from the Memento markers did not bleed at all when I used the Copic markers over the top of the image.

 

I then cut the heart out and mounted it back on Solar White Neenah and cut it out again.

 

To complete the look I used some of our silk ribbon, along with some of our thank you ribbon and added the word "love," also inked with the Memento Marker.

 

The next technique was inspired by Jennifer McGuire. I believe that I saw a video that she did on the Hero Arts blog. In that video she used the Distress Ink pads together with White Opal Liquid Pearls. It dawned on me that if you could do this with Distress Ink, why not try it with Memento Markers.

I colored on my non-stick craft sheet and added a drop of White Opal Liquid Pearls.

 

Next I misted it with water and then used a Studio paint brush to mix the color as shown above.

 

To "ink" the stamp I simply stamped in the pearly paint as shown.

 

As you can see the stamp simply glistened.

 

The results are stunning!

 

I piereced around the heart and then added my stitching with some silver metallic beading thread.
 

 Once again I used our silk ribbon, thank you note ribbon, a Mitten Weather button, a Tiny Type sticker and some of the Pixie paper. Simple and beautiful!

 

For the next image I experimented with a combination of the above techniques. First I inked the stamp with my marker, I then painted over the flower centers and the solid flowers using my White Opal and marker paint mixture.

 
I love the varigated look of this experiment.

 

I added even greater contrast to the solid flowers by using Copic markers (R46 and a Colorless Blender) to add depth to the pink flowers. Next I added yellow (Y00 and Y15) to the flowers so that they would coordinate with the delicious plaid included in the Pixie collection. 
 

Yellow silk ribbon and a Mitten Weather button were the finishing touches on this card.

 

The fourth card went back to simple embossing. To add some zip to the overall look I selected four different colors of cardstock that coordinated with the Pixie collection. I secured these squares to a Solar White base, used an anti-static puff to wipe the surface, stamped the image using Distress Embossing ink and heat embossed with White Opaque embossing powder. Color blocking is hot... give it a try on one of your next projects and then upload it to our new gallery!!!

 
stamps: Memory Box Daphne Heart, Love and Hearts

ink: Distress Embossing Ink, Hero Hues Blush Memento Markers, Copic Markers (YG00, YG23, BG11, Y00, Y15, R46 and Colorless Blender)

paper: Memory Box 6x6 Pixie; Taffy, Raspberry, Bayou, Sunflower, and Key Lime Cardstock; Neenah Solar White

accessories: White Opal Liquid Pearls, Mini Mister, Studio Brush, Pink Tiny Type Stickers, Fuchsia and Yellow Silk Ribbon, Buttons, Opaque White Embossing Powder, Puff Static Away

On the fourth day of Christmas my goodie box could be...

• one Leaf Canopy stamp,
• one Adore Peony Collage stamp,
• one Daphne Heart stamp,
• and a Memory Box Company Color Sampler

 

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

Today's question centers around our new gallery. We would love to have you join us there. Do you like to participate in challenges and if so what types of challenges would you like see us host?

Remember to visit the following 12 Days of Christmas blog candy drawings --- be certain to post a comment to the question on each individual post to be included in that drawing!

• One Stampin' Treasure
• Two Melting Tools
• Three Copic Goodies

12 Days of Christmas: Day 3 - Copic Airbrushed Graffiti Style Cards

Watching trends is something I really enjoy. This past year I have noticed that there are a ton of "tattoo art" shows on TV, as well as airbrushed looks being shared in some of the graphic design magazines I enjoy. I haven't brought myself to watch any of the shows yet, but was thinking that it would have been handy for this post - LOL!

For today's post I thought I would try and create something that has quite a different look for me and create a project that might appeal to a teen in your life. Maddi offered her arm as a spot to try a temporary alcohol ink tattoo, but I thought it would probably be best to just create a card :-D

 

Most "heart" tattoos I have seen have been a combination of red, pink and purple and so I used that as my guide to start this project.

 

To begin I stamped the new Hero Arts fabric background (LUV IT!!!) using Pearl Paint Dabber as my "ink." Remember how I shared that acrylic ink can act as a resist when used with dye ink, well I wanted to see what would happen when alcohol ink was added. Since I was going for a rather ethereal look I felt this would be a fun combination.

 
To get the image to pop I used an ink blending tool, with Spun Sugar and Worn Lipstick Distress Ink.

As you can see I don't always go with my first choice - LOL! To stamp over the acrylic paint I prefer to use Archival Ink. You need to select a permanent ink for this to work. I snapped the photo and then realized that this text would not be ideal for the look I had in mind, so I started over and used the new "friend" dictionary stamp. Rather than take photos all over again I thought I'd just admit that I changed my mind part way through :-D

 

Using the Winged Heart die I cut masks from the Art Magnetic Masking material.

I then positioned my heart and wings and pulled out my airbrush system. The airbrush is PERFECT for creating a graffiti look and the best way to control the spray pattern is by using it in conjunction with masks. Someday I hope to do an entire article (or two, or...) on creating masks to control your airbrush spray but today I thought I would once again share how wonderful these magnetic masks are. The air from the spray does not move a magnetic mask :-D They are so very easy to place and relocate until you get them into the position of your choice. AND they are reusable!

The Craft Assistant was placed on my work surface, then my stamped cardfront and the magnetic masks snapped into position atop my cardfront.

I began by spraying around my mask with the darkest purple, V17.

 

I then removed the wings and airbrushed using V15 for a slight contrast in color next to the heart.

 

As you can see the look is quite striking! The Copic ink is translucent enough to see through, yet adds more depth than regular ink because it does "stick" to the acrylic paint.

To add emphasis I free-handed additional detail using a Copic Brush Multiliner.

 

A teen card would never be complete without glitter!

For added depth and sparkle I cut the "scrolly" heart, from the same die, out of Craft-a-Board which had Be Creative (Sookwang) tape adhered to the surface. I removed the tape backing and sprinkled with Burgundy Microfine Glitter, burnishing the glitter into place.

 

The last little trick I would like to share is one I learned from Claudine. To ink up regular stamps you can put a little Studio Paint on your non-stick craft sheet and use an ink blending tool saturated with paint to "ink" your stamp. I figured if you can ink a stamp that way, why not just stamp with it?!? I love the little block design that resulted :-D Hmmm - what other shapes could one cut these little sponges into?

 

I felt it was still lacking something and so I grabbed the Ranger White Opaque Essentials pen and added even more contrast to the wing outline. The crown was completed by painting Pearl Dabber on the Craft-a-Board die cut, embellishing it with black gemstones. A little sewing to outline the focal image and this graffiti style card was complete.
 

stamps: Hero Arts Dictionary Greeting, Cling Fabric Design

ink: Archival Jet Black, Distress Ink Pads - Spun Sugar and Worn Lipstick, Copic V15 and V17, Brush Multiliner

paper: Neenah Solar White, Craft-a-Board

accessories: Tim Holtz Heart Wingz Die, Pearl Paint Dabber, Air Compressor, Air Brush System, Be Creative (Sookwang) Tape Sheet, Burgundy Microfine Glitter, White Opaque Pen, Black Crystal Gemstones, Craft Assistant, Art Magnetic Masking Material

On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me (OK, so perhaps we are not your true love, but maybe crafting is - LOL!)...

• a Copic Airbrush System,
• a DVD showing how to use the Airbrush System,
• and a Copic Multiliner .03

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

It so very easy to participate in our 12 Days of Christmas. Today all you need to do is leave a comment telling us what your favorite part of stamping is, or what your favorite technique is. I'll start - my favorite part of stamping is coloring... it is SO relaxing! :-D

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

• One Stampin' Treasure
• Two Melting Tools

12 Days of Christmas: Day 2 - Jewelry to Melt your Heart, by Becky Olsen

Jewelry is one of the ways that we express our indivuiduality and uniqueness. How much more unique and individual can it get than when it is created by you specifically for yourself or a special person? It can be as easy or intricate as you want and perfectly reflect the personality of the person intended to wear it.

For the pieces I made tonight I pulled a large pile of goodies into reach. I liked working with a lot of options at hand and actually was able to complete a lot of pieces in a short time because it was all handy.

I began by melting clear UTEE in my Melting Pot.

While that was getting to the proper temperature I prepared my Memory Frames by trimming all of the backing paper to the size of the frames that I used. These are the 1" x 1" in Black Patina that have paper from the 8'" x 8" Graphic 45 Steampunk paper pad. Make sure to have the Melt Art Kooltoolz handy, they are very useful and non-sick. When you have your frames prepared on top of your Non-stick Craft Mat, carefully pour the melted UTEE into the frame. Try to fill in the corners and not have any air bubbles, but don't stress too much if it is a little uneven.

Here you can see that one of my pours was uneven and had air bubbles. I set it on my Non-Stick Craft Sheet and used my Heat It tool to get the UTEE hot enough to settle evenly and let the air bubbles escape. Please be very aware that you CANNOT touch this piece while in this process with your hands. It is very hot and can cause serious burns or injury. That is what the Kooltollz are for :o)

In this image you can see how much more even it is. I am very pleased with the result, and love the dimension that was achieved. The pieces are from Tim Holtz Washers, and the Sprockets and Gears, and the Copper 2" x 2" Memory Frames.

This is the 1" x 3" Polished Chrome Memory Frame, Mini- Fasteners, Washers, and some Game Spinners.

For a bracelet I attached a couple of appropriate lengths of Tim Holtz Lace Chain with the clasp on one of the sides so that it can use the jump ring that is already attached to hook onto.

I used more of the Lace Chain in different lengths to attach the different sized Memory Frames together and I also included a couple of Making Memories Vintage Groove Charms and another Sprocket to bring the steampunk feel from the art into the chain.

This is what the finished pieces look like next to each other. Very fun and funky, and they are 100% unique to me, never to be duplicated exactly the same way ever again! These pieces would be just as interesting if they were alone on their own chains and worn seperately or together. That is the fun of jewelry is accessorizing with it to match your outfit or your mood :o)

Let me know what you think, and I hope that you found this to be educational and inspiring!

B-

It's time to start humming again :-D ...

On the Second Day of Christmas my goodie box could be...

• Melting Pot
• UTEE 

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

We need your thoughts. As I try and figure out what interests you as we move ahead into the new year I would love to have your opinion on the posts we do on jewelry making, resin, soldering, etc. Are you interested in this subject matter and the products that we carry that are associated with this category?

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

• One Stampin' Treasure

12 Days of Christmas: Day One - One Stamping Treasure

Welcome to our 12 Days of Christmas! There is no partridge in the pear tree here, but we will be putting flowers in a tea cup. Remember to read through to the end of this post and leave a comment to be eligible for today's blog candy! You may also want to visit previous year's 12 Days of Christmas posts for some wonderful inspiration.

During our 12 Tags series I asked what you would like to learn about. Many of you answered that you wanted to learn more about Ranger's Color Washing sprays. Well... they finally arrived and so today I am hoping to share with you some of the beautiful things you can create using these ink sprays.

 

Most of the color in today's picture is achieved by using the Color Wash sprays. To begin I want to share with you the special feature that these sprays are rather permanent when heat set! They are PERFECT for use on fabric and so today I am sharing some of the little treasures I tried them on.

Before beginning I made a trip to the fabric store. I hope to have future posts to share the use of some of the other fabrics I purchased, but today I'm going to focus on the products I picked up from behind the cutting counter. The Joanne's, which is a 15-20 minute drive from my office, was my stop for these goodies. Be certain to pull your number early in your quest on any trips during this busy time of year and soon you will have your turn.

Purchase all sorts of "odd" things! Crinoline (used to make those poofy skirts - yes, it is behind the cutting counter so insist they look!), Pellon, Fusible Lining, Tulle, Linen, Cotton. Any 100% natural fiber fabric will take the dyes of these sprays well and you will be able to create some beautifully colored projects. Experiment with the man-made fibers as well because you will achieve some interesting results!

I have to admit that I am so grateful for the textile training I received during college. It has come in handy on so many occasions as I experiment with the wonderful stamping products we have - but experimentation is the key to discovery, so don't be afraid to try new things!

 

Today I used both Crinoline and Pellon. Use the Tattered Florals Die to cut out three sets of fabrics for each flower.

As you can see I used two products today - Cranberry Color Wash for the dark tones and Viva Pink Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist for the lighter color. I needed a lighter color and wanted to see how these two products would mix. Incredibly is my answer!

First I sprayed one set with Cranberry Color Wash. 
 

Next I sprayed a set with Viva Pink and then placed these petals into the Cranberry spray droplets that remained on the non-stick craft sheet. Gorgeous combinations of color were the end result.
  

I just had to share this next series of pictures. I am in LOVE with the Craft Scrubbie. No longer do I worry about getting inky fingers - head to the sink, scrub your fingers using the "Scrubbie" and voila --- clean fingers!!!
 

Now it's time to cut the petals to create your flower. For each flower:

• Cut down between two petals, to the center - then cut a small circle in the center.
• Cut out one petal and then cut a small circle in the center of the petals.
• Cut out two petals and create a small half circle where the center once was.

You should now have five pieces as shown above.

 

I prefer to cut down the petal before gluing each section together as shown in the photo above. Be certain to leave enough room to attach the opposite petal to form a circle (or cone.)

 

For the two petal and one petal sections roll the crinoline, pellon, or fabric of choice before applying the adhesive.

I prefer using Beacon Adhesives FabriTac for these types of projects. It holds extremely well and dries quickly!
 

Prepare petals and allow to dry.

 
You should have five pieces completed as shown above for each flower.

 

Start with the largest piece as your base. Place adhesive around the open circle as shown.
 

Insert the next smaller section as shown above. Be certain to offset the petals from the first piece for a natural look. Add adhesive and repeat until all pieces are used.

 

Upon completion I allow my flower to sit base up so that the adhesive can dry without sticking to things. Flower should look similar to the one in the background upon completion.

 

As you can see the smaller, pellon flower takes the spray in a completely different manner. The pellon almost looks like felted wool once dry, BUT let me tell you... this is so much easier than felting! The petals shown above is pellon sprayed with Cranberry Color Wash. It is interesting to see how the man-made fibers take the spray. Experimentation is key!
 

Next I want to share how you can use the gorgeous stick pins as flower center. I began by using three petals. Apply adhesive around base of petals and wrap.
 

Off-setting the petals, add three more petals.
 

For this dainty style flower I mixed pellon and crinoline - alternating the layers. Creating these flowers is the same as for the first flower above, the only difference is that there will be more layers and therefore more cuts. Cut the petals as stated below:

• Pellon - Cut down between two petals, to the center - then cut a small circle in the center.
• Crinoline - Cut out one petal and then cut a small circle in the center of the petals.
• Pellon - Cut out two petals and create a small circle where the center once was.
• Crinoline - Cut out three petals and create a small circle where the center once was.
• Pellon - Cut out four petals and create a small half circle where the center once was.
• Crinoline - Cut into three sections of three petals.

Glue as in first example and then insert pin with petals as shown in the photo above.

 

To create the tea cup Sizzix recommends folding the second tea cup back against the score line as shown in the photo above. I have found that this comprimises the design and so rather than cutting my second teacup using the crease pad I simply cut it out and then on the correct side I score through one layer of the Craft-a-Board. Compare the two looks and you will see why I am particular - LOL!

 

I have found that acrylic paint makes a WONDERFUL resist to inks.  For this teacup I used the Pearl Dabber to ink these fabulous crochet stamps. I masked the handle and stamped my teacup with the trim pattern.
 

Allow the paint to dry and get prepared for some magic!
 

Spritz with Lettuc Color Wash. The Craft-a-Board absorbs these colors in an absolutely delicious way. With a little finessing I think that you could achieve a wonderful gradient effect, but for this project I simply spritzed the exterior and interior.
 

I use a paper towel to dab the excess Color Wash from the paint stamp design to allow it to pop even further.
 

TIP: Bend pieces so that interior of score lines are exposed. Spritz and allow to dry.

Paint the handle, cup lip and saucer edge using Aged Gold Metallic Paint. Allow to dry.

 

Apply adhesive as shown on instructions. I applied to one side of the teacup only and then prepared my styrofoam fill.
 

Trace shape and cut out styrofoam. Spritz the top of the styrofoam and allow to dry.
 

I also prepared some mulberry leaves using Butterscotch Color Wash and Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls Mist.

I pulled apart one of the brand new Webster's Pages Floral sprigs and attach some of my flowers to the wire stems. I added wire stems to all of my leaves as well. Insert the wire stems and pins into the foam. Your flowers will be firmly in place. Add a little FabriTac adhesive to some petal edges as shown above and then sprinkle with Twinklets Diamond Dust. Shake off excess.

Insert styrofoam into teacup.

 

The Butterscotch color wash was also used to dye the tag to emulate a tea bag. The sentiment was stamped using Palette Noir ink. Palette ink is one of my all-time favorites for utilizing on "odd" surfaces.

This little "pretty" can be used at a tea or luncheon to decorate each place setting or give as a gift to "warm" someone's day if they are not feeling well. So many possibilities!!!
 
stamps: Studio 490 In Love with Art, Inkadinkado Inchie Greetings

ink: Adirondack Color Wash - Cranberry, Butterscotch and Lettuce; Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls Mist, Viva Pink Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Palette Noir

paper: Essentials by Ellen Craft-a-Board

accessories: 3-D Teacup Die, Inkssentials Craft Scrubbie, Webster's Pages Waiting For Santa Floral Pick,

 ***Please note - please check in the alterable items category at www.ellenhutson.com, shortly for precut teacups, and other Sizzix die shapes. We realize that many of you simply don't have the resources for all of these dies and may only want to create one or two projects using some shapes. We (my daughter Maddi is cranking away :-D) are currently working on preparing some kits especially for you. So check back soon!

We can't have the 12 days of Christmas without some gifts ;-D So start humming the tune...

On the First Day of Christmas my goodie box could be...

• Just So Artsy stamps to play with!

 

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

What new discoveries have you made or techniques have you learned by visiting us here in the CLASSroom? Knowing that we do make a difference helps give me the energy to just keep at it ;-D

Sweet Sisters~Sweet Moments by Sharon Harnist

 

A very merry Christmas to all of you!  Today I wanted to share a scrapbook page of my sweet daughters that make the holiday season worth every sweet moment!  Webster's Pages Sweet Season papers were a perfect match this time of year, but a lot of this Sweet Season 12x12 Paper Pack can be tweaked for any time of the year, as I've done here today!

 

I used the beautiful round scalloped sheet of roses & "Christmas" tree paper from this pack, cut it up and used it in two different spots on top of the dress form paper.  It's covering a few candy canes at the top of the page and I used the rest of it to frame the photo with more roses!  The purple of the "Christmas" tree now blends in and works well to compliment the purple boa my oldest daughter is wearing.

A Cosmo Cricket Buck Naked Alpha Buttons, letter "S" was covered with a smaller scale pink print from Webster's Petite Paper Pad-Waiting For Santa & Sweet Season.  Basic Grey's Precision File Set makes it easy to sand and file the edges of any type of chipboard, especially this curvy letter S!  I've had my set of files for about 5 years and it's still holding up very well -- most of the tools are metal and should last you through a lifetime of papercrafting!  The chipboard S was tied with some beautiful green velvet ribbon from Webster's Sweet Season & Waiting For Santa Trim Collection.  The letter is popped up on top of one of Ellen's fabulous white Small Doilies -- this pack contains some great sizes that are perfect for small accents on scrap pages or cards!  The rest of my page title was created with the bright pink stickers that are included with this paper pack -- makes for quick & easy scrapping!

 

I used Tonic's Retractable Craft Knife to cut around part of the dress form, so I could slip the photo underneath it and help frame the photo.  The photo was framed with the "candy striped" paper from this pack -- love all the bright colors! 

The butterfly is another sticker included in this paper pack -- I adhered it to green cardstock and trimmed around it, then popped it up on foam tape.  The lower right corner contains a Sweet Season Journaling Card, where I noted my girls ages and date the photo was taken.  Journaling was done with Copic's Multiliner-Black .05 -- it's a great permanent acid-free pen that won't fade and will last ages!

 

Wishing all of you a very sweet holiday!  We'll back in the Classroom on Sunday, December 26 to begin the 12 Days of Christmas!  ~ Sharon

 
Paper: Webster's Pages Sweet Season 12x12 Paper Pack & Petite Paper Pad-Waiting For Santa & Sweet Season, Sweet Season Journaling Cards
Ink: Copic Multiliner-Black .05,
Accessories: Webster's Pages Sweet Season & Waiting For Santa Trim Collection, Essentials by Ellen Small Doilies, Cosmo Cricket Buck Naked Alpha Buttons, Basic Grey Precision File Set, Glue Glider Pro with Perma Tac Cartridge, EK Success 3D-Dots, Tonic Retractable Craft Knife,

Let It Snow Projects by Julia Stainton

Snowflakes are one of those beautiful timeless images that never go out of style. I love using them not only for Christmas projects but also throughout the winter. Snowflakes are classic.

Where I live we've had unprecedented amounts of snow. It's definitely a winter wonderland and so I've been inspired by nature around me to create a few snow themed card designs to share with you today. I hope you'll enjoy the different styles and techniques.

The first card is a fun and trendy design. I started off by creating a tree from some Pink Paislee paper.

 It has a beautiful embossed design and by applying some Crushed Olive Distress Ink with a sponge, it tints the paper and also brings out the embossed design.

This card was so much fun to create as I used some Webster's Pages fabric to create an overlay in this design. Notice how stitching the fabric over the tree adds depth and makes it look like it is snowing.

Supplies: Holiday Sayings stamp set by Hero Arts, Basic White 6x6 paper pad by Basic Grey, sewing machine, twine, Mitten Weather chipboard by Cosmo cricket, Vintage Inspired Netting by Webster's Pages, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Crushed Olive Distress Ink by Ranger, Crystal Star Trinket Pins by Maya Road, Parisian Anthology Fancy Filigree paper by Pink Paislee

 The next snowflake project uses some simple stamping and embossing. The beautiful snowflake images are stamped onto a piece of Craft-a-Board and then heat embossed with Clear Embossing Powder. Craft-a-Board makes a wonderful chipboard substitute. The white color is perfect for inking, painting or leaving as is.

 Often when creating a resist, I sponge on ink but I wanted to create a slightly different look and used Glimmer Mist to spray on the project.

The shimmer of the Glimmer Mist and the glossy embossed snowflakes looks so beautiful in person.

Supplies: Grunge Flakes stamp set by Advantus, Holiday Sayings Stamp Set by Hero Arts, Clear Embossing Powder & Jet Black Archival Ink & Distress Embossing Pad by Ranger, Sanding Block by Advantus, Solar White Cardstock by Neenah, Bayou cardstock by Memory Box, Craft-a-Board by Essentials by Ellen, Deep Plum & Caribbean Blue Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels

 I've saved my favorite project for last. I love white on white designs. To create the background, I've taped some Tim Holtz Tissue Tape across a white cardstock panel and then trimmed the edges.

Next I painted these sweet Maya Road Snowflakes with some Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint and allowed them to dry. When painting and misting I love working on a Non-Stick Craft Sheet. It makes clean-up a breeze. If you don't own one, do yourself a favor and buy yourself one for Christmas. It makes a fabulous work surface. In the final photo you can see how beautiful the snowflakes look when the paint has dried and cracked.

 One of my favorite products from the past year are the Pink Paislee Artisan Elements. There are so many things you can do with them. I decided to keep this one it's off-white color and stamp a sentiment on it with Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger. Heat set the ink after stamping for a permanent impression.

And here's the close-up of the final project. The combination of different textures makes this white on white card work. If you wish to see more detail in any photo, click on it to enlarge.

Supplies: Solar white cardstock by Neenah, Mini Snowflake Chipboard by Maya Road, Vintage Pearl Trinket Pins by Maya Road,  Innoscence line flower by Prima, white embroidery thread, White Vintage Buttons by Jenni Bowlin, Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint by Ranger, Holiday Sayings stamp set by Hero Arts, felt snowflakes by Hero Arts, Sparklers by Webster's Pages, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Tidings Tissue Tape by Advantus, Pink Paislee Ornaments Artisan Elements

While all these snowflake projects are Christmas cards, you can change up the sentiments to make them work all winter long. A fun frosty design may be just what you need to send some warmth and cheer this winter.

Sending you all my very warmest wishes for a blessed Christmas and a wonderful year to come.

New Gallery, Blog Candy Winners Tag #10, #11, #12, and more...

I promise I'm still here. Can life get any busier? Why yes it can! LOL! Finally back with our winners and a little update :-D

First off I would like to welcome you to our new gallery! To visit and become a member just click on this link and it will take you to the final destination of our Hero Arts Scavenger Hunt.

 

Now on to our winners - a huge congratulations to each one of you and a thank you to all who have come to join us here in the CLASSroom!

Tag #10

Kim C. we have some UTEE, a Distress Embossing Ink Pad (love the cinnamon smell this stamp pad emits!) and the filmstrip die ready to be shipped out to you so that you can get creative!

Tag #11

Brenda Chilcott you have won Tim's 100th stamp set, a set of Fanciful Accoutrements and the Holographic Embossing Powder Beks and I are in love with :-D

Tag #12

Gerri Greening you are the winner of the Carved Ornaments Die, Damask/Regal Flourishes Texture Fades and some Craft-a-Board.

Hero Arts Catalog Winner

Kathy W. we are happy to share the latest Hero Arts 2011 Catalog with you

Scavenger Hunt Gallery Find

Michelle I (Crafty Cat) you are the winner of our Hero Arts surprise package! We appreciate you taking the time to explore our latest project and hope that you enjoy the fun prizes below. Whenever there is a new catalog debut we receive supplies to do make n' takes - well, it's pretty hard to do a make n' take over the internet and so we used some of those items, along with some of my favorites to put together this prize package!

 
GALLERY DEBUT

and finally our last prize for this busy time period - the choice was EASY, we have our first participant in our new gallery!!!

KathyN we want to thank you for sharing your projects in our gallery! Kathy has been a wonderful customer from the very beginning and has a wonderful blog where she shares her fabulous creations. We appreciate you SO very much Kathy and thank you for your enthusiasm, support and friendship.

 
If you could each send us your snail mail address to [email protected] we will get your presents right out to you. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!! Now I need to get busy on the newsletter, as well I am still working on another project that has been in the works for a couple of months! (Yes, we have another surprise coming soon - I hope!)

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist - Day 12

What an incredibly inspiring two weeks! I have really enjoyed learning more about some of the latest products Tim has designed and his thoughts as to how to use them. Today I played with a ton of ideas that I hope I have time to post about in the days ahead. With limited time I decided I could only finish one tag today - I hope you enjoy this experiment. One of THE most important things I hope you learned this week is to just give things a try, even when you don't know what the result will be. It is this experimentation that allows you to explore your own creativity.

Oh how I wish that I could capture a better photograph of this tag because the sparkle is beyond belief.

I have loved trying to cut all sorts of things with these new dies. Today I wanted to explore with gold foil (you could substitute other foils or metals as well.) I began by adding Be Creative or also known as Sookwang tape to the back side of the gold foil. I then adhered this to Craft-a-Board.

Run it through the Big Shot.

Next place the ornament in an embossing folder and run it through the Big Shot again. The very cool thing about Craft-a-Board is that it adds sturdiness to your projects, but also embosses perfectly!

I am now switching out to the second ornament because I did an additional experiment with the ornament above and I am still waiting for it to dry. I can hardly wait to see what it looks like when I return to work tomorrow!

Using a felt applicator, ink with Various Ink Refills BG72 and B23. Ink back side of ornament.

Drip Various Ink, colors BG72 and B23 (or any other alcohol ink) directly on to face of ornament. Allow it to spread and just blow on it to move it around.

Remove excess ink using felt applicator, leaving plenty of ink on surface. Barely touch the felt to the surface to pull up excess ink. If you leave too much ink on the surface it can have a sticky feel to it.

I loved the way it looked but was still concerned about it being a little sticky and so I sprinkled some holographic embossing powder on the surface and the melted the powder with my Heat It tool.

Oh my, oh my!!! WOW!!! Incredible! You asked for other alcohol ink techniques and I think this is a must try for anyone who likes to experiment.

To balance the bling I cut a piece of backed Be Creative tape (the sheets come backed) using the Scrollwork die. I then cut it slightly smaller than shown above and attached it to the Jovial paper and applied Sand Microfine Glitter Ritz and burnished it in place with my finger (search Burnished Velvet using the search mechanism in the top right hand corner of our blog for more information.)

I then did the same with the reinforcement, inked it with embossing ink and dipped it in UTEE creating a sparkly reinforcement similar to the red one created a couple of days ago. Super blingy I tell you and so pretty!

This is the base tag.

Affix a bling swirl to the ornament, tie on some Vintage Netting and embellish with a Sparkler button, baubles and seam binding.

May your holidays sparkle as much as this tag! Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season ahead!

ink: Copic Various Ink B23 and BG72; Distress Embossing Ink, Adirondack Stream Dye Ink

paper: Basic Gray Jovial 6x6 Paper Pad, Inkssentials Manila Tag #8

accessories: Tim Holtz Carved Ornaments and Scrollwork Dies, Regal Flourish Texture Fades, Bauble; Gold Foil, Craft-a-Board, Be Creative (Sookwang) Tape Sheet, Webster's Pages Vintage Inspired Netting, Vintage Sparkler Button, 7 Gypsies Adelaide Seam Binding, Zva Coffee Flourish, Holographic Embossing Powder, Sand Microfine Glitter Ritz, Clear UTEE

One last day of blog candy! We would like for you to be able to make some of your own ornaments, so we are giving you the Carved Ornaments Die, Damask/Regal Flourishes Texture Fades, and some Craft-a-Board. You will be able to make some VERY cool things using these tools!

The drawing for this tag closed in December 2010. Thank you!

To be eligible for the random drawing for this batch of goodies all you have to do is leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you are most excited about trying from the techniques that, Tim or we shared. We are going to leave this drawing open until Wednesday morning, because Tuesday morning is going to be busy already with Hero Arts drawings. Don't forget to take a quick peek at what we shared on our Hero Arts Scavenger Hunt page and leave us a message!

Remember to get your shopping done before 12/15/2010 midnight if you want to purchase items in our 12 Tags of Christmas category and use the 15% discount promo code - timstags.

Blog Candy Winner Tag #9 and Scavenger Hunt Update!

"It's the most wonderful time of the year" is playing in my mind this morning. I hope that you have enjoyed the flurry of creativity that has been happening. In my zest to have a wonderful time I keep forgetting to complete all my tasks - LOL! Thank you for your patience with me as I scurry about. Sometimes that little extra time though is what you need to be a winner :-D Look which number our random number generator selected today - the very last person to leave a comment on Tag #9! Cher we are so very thrilled that you are enjoying our tag series!!!

You are the winner of the Rosette die we are giving away! If you could please email us your snail mail address to [email protected] we would appreciate it. We can then get your die out to you ASAP.

You must read through Becky's post below - her tag is so incredibly beautiful!!! Don't forget to leave her a comment :-D

So perhaps we were just a little too "clever" with our Scavenger Hunt clues yesterday - LOL! It appears we have lost a lot of you along the way. No worries though - I am going to help those of you who attempted to find your way and got lost a new route. I have gone back in to my Scavenger Hunt post and added direct links for those who got stuck along the way. You can use the clue or the link to get to the next destination. If you find that you do not have time during this busy time of  year to play along I have also added a link that takes you directly to the final destination. So head on back to the Scavenger Hunt post and see what we have been working on as well as leave a comment for a chance to win a Hero Arts surprise package.

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist - Day 11 by Becky Olsen

Is it difficult for anyone else to believe that this year's collection of tags is almost at an end? It has been a wonderful experience following along with Tim and Ellen and to have a couple of opportunities to share what I have created from all of the inspiration. I also want to remind you that the products that have been featured from Tim's Tags are in the shop and can be purchased at a discount by using the code "timstags" when you checkout. 15% off all the goodies you need to play along with him makes for a happy and creative holiday season!!

Here is a quick peek at the tag I created today...

and another!

I had a great time making this, and can't wait to share with you what I learned and how to get the look!

We are going to start by making our own stamp! I had heard of this technique long ago, but had never been really interested because the die cut shapes weren't really interesting to me. But with Tim's product releases from Sizzix I have found that die cut mojo and the addiction is in full bloom!

I started by lining up four of the Movers and Shapers dies in the Movers and Shapers magnetic tray. I used the Love, Wish, Joy and Hope dies.

I bought a piece of fun foam that had the adhesive backing already on it, it was only $.99 cents and it let me save my fantastic adhesive sheet for another day. It was trimmed at 3 3/4" wide and 9" tall. This gave it a little overlap for the tag and gave me different options for lining it up later. I am also really excited to use this particular idea on a scrapbook page so I wanted it to be pretty big.

Place the fun foam adhesive side down, foam side up. This lets the die cut create a reverse of the words which is what you want when you are stamping. (more to come on why I am an expert on this topic)

Sandwich the foam, dies and tray in between the acrylic cutting pad pieces and roll through your machine. Then carefully remove the foam from the dies.

Cut a piece of Crystal Clear Plastic that is 4 1/2" x 10". Remove the protective blue coating from both sides and then remove the backing from the adhesive side of the foam and press it into the center of the clear plastic.

So now here is where I share how I became an expert on the topic of which side to put down on the dies. The top stamp was my first go, I got everything in place, the tag cut and inked, stamped the embossing ink onto the tag sprinkled my embossing mix and started the heating process, only to come to the realization that it was backwards!! What a great laugh the kids and I had as I called them in to come and witness what a goof their mom was  :o)

So now that we know that our stamp needs to be a reverse unless we want to hang it behind our bathroom mirror to be able to read it, lets get some ink Tea Dye Distress ink onto the edges of a #8 Manila tag that has been covered with Pink Paislee's Father Christmas "Special Delivery" and get it ready to be stamped again.

Now that the tag is ready (so proud that I remembered to do that step first, twice!!) Get the Distress embossing ink onto the stamp, be very generous with the application as the foam seemed to be pretty absorbant to me.

I made a little more of the mix that I used on the reindeer in the Day 6 post. It is a combination of UTEE, Clear and Holographic embossing powders.

Melt with the Heat It tool and watch the magic happen!

Apply Fired Brick Distress ink to the areas that were not covered with the embossing mix, I used a piece of Cut N' Dry foam.

A quick little side note, while I was making the one large stamp, I made individual ones as well with the smaller pieces of foam and Crystal Clear that were left over.

Cut a piece of the Tim Holtz Ruler ribbon at about 6" making sure to get the number 25 in the piece so that it can be centered in the Tim Holtz Ornate Bookplate.

 

Adhere a piece of Be Creative 1/4" double sided adhesive tape to the back of the ribbon.

I used an extra piece of Craft-a-Board that I had kept, it was the perfect size for the smaller reindeer in the Reindeer Flight Tim Holtz Bigz die.

Cover the reindeer with Glossy Accents and then sprinkle the Melissa Frances Glass Glitter in Pure Silver over the top.

Gently press the glitter into the adhesive and then tap off the extra, set aside to dry. I have to share how much I love this type of glitter with you, today it is a gorgeous and brightly glistening silver, but give it a month or two and you will start to see some aging and tarnishing begin to occur and that is when the true beauty is revealed! It will make this tag look like it has been around for decades!

While that is drying adhere the Ruler Ribbon to the tag and then place the Ornate Bookplate over it and set it in place with brads.

Use the double sided tape to create little pleats in the ribbon and then fold it back onto itself to finish the edges.

Place two Tim Holtz Metal Corners on the bottom corners of the tag.

Press into place with your thumbs and then use a small hammer to properly set the metal into the tag. I set my tag onto a mouse pad first and then hammered a couple of times with the flat side and then a few more with the rounded side to get some dents that would hold them in place.

Use the Glossy Accents to adhere a small bow tied from red ribbon. Set aside to dry.

We are going to use a Tim Holtz Trinket Pin, a Philosophy Tag, some Jump Rings and the star from the Adornments to attach the Olive Green Silk Ribbon to the top of the tag. 

Use your finger to rub some Blank Canvas Studio Paint into the letters of the Philosophy Tag. Remove the excess paint with a damp cloth or baby wipe.

I ended up adding some Maya Road Dangling Chandelier Trinket Bead with Jump Rings as well to bring a little more glitz and glam to the party  :o)

Pin through a piece of the silk ribbon and the Ruler ribbon that has been threaded through the tag hole.

Now that the reindeer is dry I used Scrapbook Adhesives 3-D foam squares that have been stacked two deep to adhere it to the tag.

Now it is time to call all the kids back into the room and let them ooh and aaaah over how fabulous the tag turned out after such a funny mistake! 

It is really a pleasure to share what we create with others, it feeds our soul and those whom we share with as well. Thank you so much for letting me share what I love to do with all of you. My hope is thatyou have much joy in your lives and that your holidays are full of delight and wonder.

B-

Becky Olsen you are one talented, clever girl! I absolutely LOVE this little beauty!!!

Would you like to know what our blog candy is today? ;-D How about Tim's 100th stamp set, a set of Fanciful Accoutrements AND some Holographic Embossing Powder in honor of the amazing things Beks has done with it!!!

Simply posting a comment below and sharing your thoughts with Becky will enter you in today's random drawing - you have until Monday morning to enter. It's hard to believe that we have only one tag remaining - I'll be back with it tomorrow evening :-D

Thank you for joining us here in the CLASSroom!

 

Preview Party Scavenger Hunt

Welcome! It's time to have some fun! You will want to work through the hunt as quickly as possible, because at the final destination you will find a series of four special codes. The first three codes are one time use only. The first place code will offer a 25% discount on everything in your shopping cart at the time of purchase. The second place code will offer a 20% discount, and third place 15%, on everything in your cart at the time your order is placed. (Please note that we will not be able to add to your order if an item is not included at the time of purchase.)

The good news is that there is also a fourth code for ALL who participate in our scavenger hunt! It can be used repeatedly over the weekend. This code will offer you a 10% discount on everything that you are purchasing. (Valid on in stock merchandise only.) There is no huge hurry on using this code because it will be valid until midnight on Monday, December 13th.

Once you have completed your journey, you will want to come back to this post and leave us a message regarding what you find - your comments will enter you into a random drawing for a surprise package of Hero Arts goodies!!! (You will also want to become a member and upload at least one card for something special as well ;-D) You have until Midnight on Monday, December 13 to leave your comment to be included in this drawing.

ETA: I guess we were trickier than we wanted to be - remember that we have a search mechanism on our blogs (all four blogs are linked in the sidebar) AND in the store. Put one key word in the search mechanism and all the posts or items with that word will come up that showcase that information on the blogs. The search mechanism is a life-saver after all these years of blogging :-D Hope this helps!

Remember to laugh along the way and enjoy yourselves! So let's get started.

Edited to Add Part 2: For those who got lost along the way we wanted to help provide you with a means to an end :-D We have now added links at the end of each clue that you can use if you are stumped. We would like to invite you to see what it is that we have been working on and once again invite you to join in the fun on this post by leaving a comment regarding what you find!

CLUE #1

"Face it" and see what we are up-to on a daily basis. If you are not a "fan" we would "like" you to join us and celebrate the holidays by writing on our wall! 

ETA: Direct link to Clue #2 - Facebook Fan Club)

ETA: Direct link to Clue #10 - final destination.

Hero Arts 2011 Catalog Debut Scavenger Hunt

In honor of the 2011 Hero Arts Catalog debut we are once again sponsoring a Scavenger Hunt here at Ellen Hutson LLC. Be certain to head back here tomorrow, Saturday December 11 at 12:00 noon Pacific Time (that is 3:00pm Eastern Time) to get your first clue. We hope that you have fun along the way and enjoy the surprise we have for you at the very end! There's a little something for everyone we hope :-D

Hero Arts has also coordinated a wonderful Blog Hop today that showcases some of the new images - they are fantastic. If you haven't had the opportunity I would highly recommend hopping around the internet tonight and then going and filling your cart in to take advantage of a special surprise at the end of our Scavenger Hunt!

Click on the image above to take you on this special journey or click THIS LINK.

We also have a little something special right here for you and you have the whole weekend to leave your comment. You have until midnight Pacific Standard Time to be eligible for this random drawing. We would like to hear from you - which images are must haves for you from the 2011 Hero Arts catalog release? Leave your comment below and you will be entered in a random drawing for one of the latest catalogs! These catalogs are little treasures themselves with the many ideas showcased within!!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist - Day 10

It is hard to believe that it is already December 10th!!! How time flies! When I saw Tim's tag today I started to giggle - you should see the mass of plastic packaging I have been saving for techniques such as this. I REALLY need an assistant to come in and break down my packaging, cut it up into file folder size pieces and contain it. :-D I just haven't had the time, but it is on the "to do" list.

Today's tag is designed especially for all those of you who have responded in the comments that you like clean and simple. My hope is to guide you into learning some fun new techniques and apply them to your own unique style. So here we go with the tag where simplicity and vintage collide.

When designing interiors one of my personal favorite styles was to create a very simple, clean-lined room and then accent it with vintage touches. Dynamic, powerful and just a ton of WOW in this combination.

As soon as I saw the packaging being die-cut I knew that I wanted to try using the film strip on today's tag.

I have to admit that I have not used the Sizzlit strip style of die that much (other than the rosette) and I had never tried using it on plastic. I was disappointed when I discovered that no matter how I tweaked it I could not cut through the plastic packaging. So I tried a different avenue - transparencies. SUCCESS!!! I was so thrilled because I REALLY wanted to create a vintage film strip for this tag using plastic and the film strip die.

The first method I would like to share to alter and make this film strip more realistic is to utilize alcohol ink and the felt applicator to create your base strip. I dripped about 6-10 drops of black on to my non-stick craft sheet and then added 4-5 drops of E09. By blending these two colors together on the non-stick craft sheet I was able to create a new color that felt more appropriate than the harsh black.

Using one of my favorite Christmas pictures that was taken of my girls with Santa several years ago I cropped it to fit within the specifications of Tim's film strip die. I then reduced the color saturation on all of the small pictures except for the focal image. This was then printed on an inkjet transparency.

To affix my filmstrip above I sprayed adhesive on the back side and gently set it in place over the girls pictures creating a very realistic looking film strip which includes the actual picture of my girls.

Can you imagine the cool Christmas cards this technique would make!?!

For those who do not have alcohol inks there is another method that is also VERY cool. Dab the film strip with the pitch black paint dabber. Now use this wet paint as your adhesive. Yes, you heard me right. Take your film strip and place it atop the strip of pictures that you printed on an inkjet compatible transparency as shown below.

I apologize for the picture above. I was so excited about the reverse print that appeared when I picked up the filmstrip and was thinking how cool this would be to use on a project that I barely caught the corner of my completed project. OOPS! Simply position your strip atop your little pictures, set in place gently, apply pressure and allow to dry. Voila, the transparency is completely secured.

I did find that my transparency wanted to stay in the tiny holes. It is best to remove these before cutting your next project or these holes will not cut through completely. Simply pick them out with the Crafter's Pick.

The last little tip for today's project is creating your own reinforcements. I have shared how easy it is to use the little die cut reinforcements and turn them metallic by inking with embossing ink and then applying silver or tarnished gold embossing powder. You can also create gorgeous colorful reinforcements.

Place the reinforcement on your non-stick craft sheet and ink directly with the Barn Door Distress ink pad. Then swirl the reinforcement around in the remaining ink to really make it red!

While still wet dip it in UTEE. I used my Crafter's Pick to lift it out and set it down on my non-stick craft sheet.

Melt the UTEE using your Heat It tool. If you find that it is not "rounded" or perhaps better said "mounded" enough you can wait for it to cool, press it on your embossing ink pad and dip again. I absolutely LOVE the finished, rounded look of this colorful reinforcement. Attach to your tag using the mini Glossy Accents.

The final touches included adhering 7 Gypsies holiday tissue tape to the tag. Stagger the endings as shown. Then cut a small white rectangle to back the key image in your film strip. Affix it to the tissue tape directly behind the focal image in your film strip. Staple the film strip in place.

Ink the holly leaves with Forest Moss around the edges and then ink the entire stamp with Lettuce. This will soften the crisp edges of the darker ink and give your image depth. Attach pearls for your holly berries.

A Hero Arts Christmas sentiment, a couple of jingle bells and some gorgeous silk ribbon and this simple, vintage tag was completed. I hope that these different styles of tags helps each of you utilize the techniques that we are sharing in new and different ways.

stamps: Hero Arts Sending Holiday Cheer, Stampers Anonymous Mini Holidays 2

ink: Barn Door Distress Ink, Distress Embossing Ink, Copic Various Ink Refills - 100 and E09

paper: Neenah Solar White, Inkjet Transparency

accessories: Tim Holtz Film Strip Die, Felt Applicator, Pitch Black Dabber, Mini Glossy Accents, Tiny Attacher, Jingle Bells, Moss Silk Ribbon, Red Pearls, 7 Gypsies Printed Paper Tape, UTEE

3 more days of blog candy! AND you will need to stay tuned for more information regarding our fun scavenger hunt tomorrow in honor of the new Hero Arts 2011 Catalog Debut.

Today we have UTEE, Distress Embossing Ink Pad and a Filmstrip Die!

Leave your answer in the comments section below (one comment per person please) to be included in this random drawing, you have until Sunday morning. Have a fabulous weekend!

Tag #8 Blog Candy Winner

The energizer bunny's batteries died today :-D A power nap and the battery is rejuvenated - yippie! So here we go playing a little catch-up. We have a winner of that fabulous Bigs Ornament Die and Craft Assistant... Linda G thank you for your very sweet comment --- you are our winner!

Please email us your snail mail address to [email protected] and we will get these goodies out to you in hopes that you will still have time to create with them this holiday season. Don't forget to leave a comment on Day #9 and I hope to have Day #10's tag posted soon. Once again I took a different journey on this one so I hope you will stop by and then spend some time this evening getting creative in some way.

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist - Day 9

I started to laugh out loud when I saw that today was a monochromatic, elegant look Tim created. I simply thought, "Well shoot Tim, your killin' me here - I just did that yesterday, so now what?!?" So I put on my thinking cap --- Steampunk anyone? Yes, I went totally out of my element and decided to see what happened. Remember that discussion yesterday about the whole can't get out of the elegant box - well... is it still elegant? LOL! 

I love the old Christmas tune,  "It's the most wonderful time of the year," and felt that this sentiment would be perfect with the Steampunk look I created today. I was excited that Tim had selected to use the Rosette die today as I had set one aside for blog candy - yes, one lucky person can win that die today! It is such a versatile little shape that can be used in many ways!

I had brought in an old pattern in hopes that I could use it at some point during this tag series. Using the rosette die cut one out of the pattern directions and ink using the ink blending tool and Antique Linen Distress ink. Using the Weathered Wood pad ink directly to paper, or in this case pattern.

Next use the Perfect Medium pad to also direct-to-paper randomly rub the scalloped edge of the rosette to the pad and then brush on Pewter Perfect Pearls.

To create the flower center I used some gorgeous gold fabric that Julia had brought to work that was left over from her Halloween costume. Use Be Creative (Sookwang) tape to attach the fabric to cardstock.

Place a piece of pattern, then the cardstock (fabric side faced towards die as shown above) atop the rosette pinked die center and run it through the Big Shot.

As you can see I did use my little snips to make certain that it separated perfectly.

Attach the two ends of the rosette together to form a circle. (Tim has done a video for you so be certain to watch it if you are having trouble with the rosette die.) I wanted to share how the size of the rosette can vary when you are working with a lighter weight paper.

It all depends on how you hold the rosette as you adhere the pinked circle. See how tight it can be vs. the look shown in the photo above this one.

After with exchanging emails with Tim regarding how to hold the rosette together I am totally convinced that the old hot glue gun is definitely the best tool and glue to keep the rosette from popping open. I apply the glue generously to the pinked circle...

and then position it atop the rosette. Repeat for the opposite side and your rosette will be solid.

Since my glue gun was out I thought I would do a VERY old technique that many of you may have forgotten about. Ink your red rubber stamp generously with embossing ink (this is to make the removal of the stamp from the glue extremely easy.) Then squeeze a circle of glue on to your non-stick craft mat. Wait for the glue to cool down slightly...

and then place your stamp directly into the puddle of glue as shown above. Allow to sit until the glue cools and remove.

You can leave this embellishment in a button-like form, or use scissors (preferably non-stick) to cut out the image.

Remove excess embossing ink with a soft cloth. Ink with Perfect Medium Ink and brush on Pewter Perfect Pearls. Add rhinestones attaching with mini Glossy Accents to firmly affix and add that little extra bling.

Ink the music background with Coffee Archival ink and dry. Brush a coat of Matte Multi-Medium over entire tag. Crumple pattern and then straighten out and attach to tag. Brush another coat of Matte Multi-Medium over the top of the pattern paper like you would when you Mod Podge. Allow to dry and then using an ink blending tool and Vintage Photo Distress ink add character to the edges.

To create some funky leaves punch Mega Gian Dahlia Petals from the pattern directions. Ink in the same manner as the rosette, using Distress Antique Linen and Weathered Wood, and the Perfect Medium Ink pad. Apply Pewter Perfect Pearls.

I LOVE flattening wire and it was perfect for this application. Attach the flattened ends to your paper leaves using the mini Matte Multi-Medium as your adhesive. It is so very easy to control when using this little applicator. Curl some additional wire as shown below.

Print the sentiment on a piece of typing paper, then affix a small piece of the pattern directions directly atop the sentiment using Temporary or Repositionable adhesive.

I love the Glue Arts repostionable adhesive and keep one in my "gun" at all times. I do use repositionable adhesive quite frequently and so it comes in so very handy.

Gather some gold crochet trim by pulling one of the threads and attach to fabric piece cut to size using Be Creative (Sookwang) tape.

Create another strip from pattern paper using the rosette die. Run a piece of Be Creative tape along the bottom and apply Silver Embossing Powder. Be Creative/Sookwang tape can be heated - simply use your Heat It tool to melt the embossing powder. Attach to trim piece using more tape and attach entire embellishment to your tag using another strip of tape.

Add a few more rhinestones, some dangles and your sentiment as shown. So today you've been "Steampunked" - hope you enjoy this funky alternative and that it inspires you to try something different this holiday season!

stamps: Stampers Anonymous Festive Sounds and Winter Sketchbook

ink: Distress Embossing Ink, Perfect Medium, Distress Antique Linen, Weathered Wood and Vintage Photo

paper: Inkssentials Manila Tag #8, McCall's, Simplicity or Butterick Pattern

accessories: Tim Holtz Rosette Die, Tiny Attacher, Silver Embossing Powder, 7 Gypsies Time Flies Hardware, Copper Rhinestone Borders, Clear Chandelier Crystals, Punch Bunch Mega Giant Dahlia Petals, 18-gauge Bronze Wire, Chasing Hammer, Steel Bench Block, Rubber Block

Here we go - this die is a must have! It is so fun in SO many ways.

So yesterday I asked you what style you thought you created in - today I am going to challenge you. What have you NOT tried yet that you think just might be fun to give a try? Step out of your comfort zone and tell me what you are going to try this coming year! Leave your answer in the comments section below to be included in this random drawing. You have until Saturday morning - and trust me when I tell you that you are going to want to be here on Saturday morning - just sayin' ;-D

You can post a comment each day on the current post (one comment only please) for a chance to win today's goodies. We have 3 more tags and prizes to go AND we have Hero Arts stamps going live sometime tomorrow morning. The question is can I keep this exhausted body of mine up until midnight, will I wake up in the middle of the night or will it be when I crawl out of bed tomorrow morning - I wish I knew, but I'm just plain tired so I just can't promise. We also have some fun announcements coming tomorrow morning!

Headed out here momentarily to listen to some festive holiday music that my sweet Trina is singing tonight with the choir :-D

Thank you once again for the excitement you have shared in your comments. I know there is a prize attached, but I am REALLY enjoying having you here! THANK YOU!

Tag #7 Blog Candy Winner

Thank goodness for the many helpers around here today. We JUST received the information and product from Hero Arts new release and we are scrambling! Julia is working to get the products to be able to go live in the store sometime next morning, Erica is working on our Scavenger Hunt, Shirley is counting in the new stamps and packaging orders and I am madly working on the latest tag. WHEW!!!

We are thrilled to tell Gloria Morizen that she is the winner of Tag #7's blog candy - congratulations!!!

Please send us your snail mail address to [email protected].

Don't forget to head to Tag #8 to leave your comments and be eligible for the blog candy awarded there and stay tuned for a rather "unusual" tag from me today :-D

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist - Tag 8

I started laughing with the girls today here at work as I started finishing up my tag. Why does everything that I create end up with an elegant twist? That was not my intention initially, but I guess it is something I just need to give in to. My intent was to use this season's "in" color - gray, to put my feminine twist on Tim's tag techniques. I related to them how in the "old days" we would have two trees in our house. In the family room we would have a tree with colored lights, sentimental ornaments and all things we love. In the living room was "Ellen's tree." This tree was a mix of white, off-white, gold and copper - yes, it was elegant - LOL!

This tag reminded me of those days. Oh to be younger and have the energy to still "do" two trees - I guess I'll just stick with the tag, it was so much easier ;-D

Tim used his new seasonal masks for his tag this a.m. I wanted to share a different way that you can create your own mask if you do not have one of the wonderful premade ones.

As you all know I am SO very excited about masking as well - LOL! The combination of the Copic airbrush system and masks is fantastic, so I was excited to be able to share with you once again how to create your own mask.

We sell a magnetic masking material that is excellent for creating masks! I cut the sheet down in size to a generous fit for the die. This masking material is so thin that it cuts easily with my little Tonic guillotine cutter.

As you can see in the photo above you end up with both a snowman and a snowflake with this die. I cut the masking material slightly larger than the die to make airbrushing with it super easy.

The base tray is an excellent tool to have if you have purchased any Movers and Shapers dies. I have so many ideas for this little toy - oops, I mean tool - so be certain to stay tuned. As you can see in the photo above I placed the "love" Movers and Shapers die in the base tray. I then flipped the snowman magnetic mask, black side up, and positioned it over the love die, and then cranked it through my Big Shot as shown above.

The resulting mask is OH SO COOL! I opted not to use it for this project, but just had to share this option with you in case you want to give it a try.

Cut a tag from the Pink Paislee Parisian Anthology paper. This paper is so very different from many of the papers on the market today. Special ink is applied to the paper during manufacturing which resists dye ink when applied with an ink blending tool or mister.

As you can see in the photo above I positioned my tag on the Craft Assistant and placed my magnetic mask over the tag. I then used my Copic airbrush system and W4 marker to apply ink to my tag.

The result is so very pretty - a smooth and even application.

If you do not own Copic markers or the airbrush system you can also use the traditional method of masking and use the ink blending tool together with dye ink. Swirling from atop the magnet onto the paper tag creates a beautiful effect. It is important to note that you will need to hold the small magnet pieces in place when using this method, whereas when you are using the Copic airbrush system you are totally hands free.

The joy of using a magnetic mask is that you will not damage your tag/paper when removing the mask. At times the sticky masks can be too sticky - that is never the case with a magnetic mask.

As you can see the result is quite similar to the airbrushed look.

The next step was to add a "snowy" sparkle to the tag. When misting the dye resist tag be careful to prime your mister first and apply from a distance. Dye ink will puddle if the application of mist is too wet. When misting over an airbrushed surface their is no need to worry, as alcohol ink will not be affected by the moisture of the mister.

I wanted to give the snowman a swirly scarf and hat embellishment. The Prima Pearls and Flowers were the perfect choice as the flower has a slightly gray tint to it. Select the portion of the pearl embellishment that best suites your project and then cut it apart at the points that are not appropriate.

In the photo above I am trying to show how I removed a large pearl and repositioned a flower in it's place - it just suited the placement in the snowgirl's top hat. :-D

Yes, more vintage glass glitter! This is a snowflake cut out of Craft-a-Board, painted with a Pearl dabber and allowed to dry. Due to the delicate nature I found it easiest to use my adhesive spray and then pour the glass glitter over the snowflake. The silver mix shown in the picture was just a little too bright and so I sprinkled on some Tarnished Silver Glass Glitter and some Warm Highlights Microfine glitter to soften the look.

Once dry simply thread a needle with metallic thread and...

attach a jump ring as shown. Leave the metallic thread long to add to the overall look.

What could look more like snowdrifts than the On the Edge Scrollwork die? Love it when inspiration hits! Once again I applied the Matte Multi-Medium using a brush. By using a brush you can determine the exact locations you would like to place this fabulous adhesive. I then sprinkled the remaining glass glitter mix created above over the snowdrifts.

The tiny attacher was used to add my "chain link" fence. I love this chain trim from Webster's Pages - it is reversible for multiple looks! I placed the flat side up and then used my W4 (warm gray) Copic marker to modify the intensity of the color to bring it more in conjuction with my other silvers.

I hope that you enjoy this offbeat, little elegant twist, that gray brought to the scene today. Thank you once again for stopping in to enjoy what it is we have been creating. Wishing you a relaxing evening, good nights sleep and fantastic day ahead tomorrow!

ink: Pumice Distress Ink, Copic Marker W4

paper: Parisian Anthology Beautiful Butterfly

accessories: Art Magnetic Masking Material, Craft Assistant, Tim Holtz Winter Wonder, Love Movers and Shapers, Base Tray, Scrollwork on the Edge, Perfect Pearl Mister, Pearl Dabber, Prima Pearls and Flowers, Pink Paislee Smoke Dangle Elements, Airbrush System, Air Compressor, Martha Stewart Scalloped Tag, Silvery Moon Glass Glitter, Tarnished Silver Glass Glitter, Warm Highlights, Webster's Pages Chain Trim, Tiny Attacher, Tonic Cutter

Now on to today's goodie package - I'm hoping that today's tag inspires you to use this fun new die design by Basic Grey together with the Magnetic Masking Material and Craft Assistant:

So my reminiscing today has brought the question I would love to hear your response to as you leave your comment today - if you were to define the "look" that you create most often, what words describe your papercrafting style? Simply leave your response in the comment section below to be included in this random drawing. You have until sometime Friday morning to leave a response (yes, I am unpredictable as I seem to be trying to do too many things right now so I don't have a precise time - LOL!). You can post a comment each day on the current post (one comment only please) for a chance to win todays goodies. Be certain to stay tuned for another 4 days of tags and prizes :-D

Thank you for sharing in the festivities here in the CLASSroom!

Tag #6 Blog Candy Winner

So I am busily editing pictures for today's tag and Erica says to me - do we have a blog candy winner today? OOPS!!!  Yes we do :-D Christine N. you are our winner- Congratulations!!!

Please send us your snail mail address to [email protected].

It is so fun to have Julia playing along today - don't forget to visit Julia's post today and leave her some love to be entered into our current random drawing!   Just to give you a heads up we will have another tag posted this evening and I am VERY excited about how it turned out ;-D! Once again thank you for your words of support for our 12 tags series!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist - Tag 7 by Julia Stainton

Just eighteen more days until Christmas. I'm starting to get excited and the record amounts of snow we've been getting in my area really has me in the Christmas mood. It's also very busy but part of keeping sane during this busy time is taking time for yourself. For me that's finding time to create. Pair that up with some holiday projects and it's a fabulous excuse for getting inky.

 

Today I had a wonderful time creating my own holiday tag and putting my own girlie spin on it with what I had on hand. This tag is a spin off of Tim's tag today and it's full of fun techniques to play around with.

While there are many things that constitute feminine, I just decided to go with my own favorite colors, products and embellishments. As I'm a girl...things that I like should therefore make it feminine, right? My favorite two colors of Distress Ink are Tumbled Glass and Crushed Olive so I swiped them onto the inside of the Bingo Texture Fades Embossing Folder. The tag is placed in the folder and run through the Die Cut Machine which leaves you with a really cool look when done. I decided to use a tag I had on hand which is the Number 5 Medium Manila Tag. Yes it's a bit smaller than the #8 size but I like it.

The tag looked great as is, but to put my own spin on things, I brushed on a layer of Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint. Once dried, the fine cracked finish is so pretty and icy looking.

Next step was creating the beautiful Poinsettia from Claudine Hellmuth Sticky Back Canvas. I'm shocked this was the only photo I took of the process but I was enjoying creating it so much I guess I got caught up in it. Once again I used what I had on hand. I didn't have any Ranger Colorwash so I substituted Viva Pink Glimmer Mist to make a beautiful shimmery pink poinsettia. I love that color of flower when I find it rather than the straight red. The leaf was created by swiping the sticky back canvas with Crushed Olive Distress Ink. You can accomplish this easily by adhering your canvas to the Non-Stick Craft Sheet before inking.

After you ink your canvas, apply it to sheets of Grungepaper and then die cut the flowers with the Tattered Florals Die and the leaves with the Tattered Leaves die. The flower is created by cutting each petal towards the center to create 6 separate petals. Distress the edges and turn them around, adhering what was originally the outter edge of the petal to the center of the flower.

The center of the flower is created by tying a Jenni Bowlin button with twine and adding a few more of my favorite embellishments. This time they are the Vintage Pearl Trinket Pins by Maya Road.

If you click on this photo to enlarge it, you can see a bit of the finely cracked clear finish on the tag. To add a little "snow" to the edges, I've brushed it with some Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint.

While that Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint was out, I created a snowy looking sentiment by brushing it on my sentiment. The joy letters are from the Grungeboard Minis package. They are adhered to the tag using Glossy Accents.

Another feminine touch on this tag is the lace trim on the bottom. The Hero Arts Adhesive White Lace is beautiful and so easy to apply.

Two last embellishments finish up my project. A Kiwi Chandelier Crystal hangs from the twine at the top of the tag and a rhinestone flourish by Zva Creative adds a sparkly touch to the side of the flower.

The last step is easy...tie it on a gift bag and go.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom today. I wish you much JOY this holiday season.

Julia

Thank you SO much Julia for joining in the fun and creating your version of Tim's tag!!

Today's blog candy includes Tim's Lavish trims, Rock Candy Stickles (this is a must have item in my opinion) and a package of embossing folders.

 
(These are not included, but I just had to share how gorgeous the trim is when dyed with Color Wash, Misters, or Reinkers! It's all about the versatility of white - simply stunning!!!)

To participate simply leave a comment for Julia on today's post. You have until our next tag is being posted to leave some love for Julia (one comment per person please.) We will once again use a random number generator to select our winner. You can post a comment each day on the current post for a chance to win that days prize package, so be certain to stay tuned for another 5 days :-D

We will be posting the winner of Tag #6 blog candy tomorrow morning so be certain to leave your comments for Becky!

Thank you once again for joining in our seasonal celebration!

 

 

Tag #5 Blog Candy Winner

Thank you for your continued excitement! Kelly Toth we have an awesome die to send to you :-D 

Please send us your snail mail address to [email protected]. Don't forget to visit Becky's post today and leave her some love to be entered into our current random drawing. I REALLY appreciate her contribution and am thrilled to share that Julia is playing "tag" with us today too! So you will have another wonderful treat in store for you tonight or tomorrow morning when she gets her version of Tim's tag posted. Thank you so much for your words of support for our 12 tags series - I must tell you how much your comments mean to me, to us. We appreciate your support!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist - Tag 6 by Becky Olsen

I just love this time of year, when the air is so cold you can see your breath and every child is wishing for snow. That thought inspired me to create a reindeer that delivers these frosty delights.

I started with a manila #8 tag that I covered with Graphic 45 paper from the Christmas Past collection, some black Brilliance Graphite Black ink, a couple of darling Hero Arts stamp, Graphic 45 paper from the Once Upon a Springtime collection and Hero Arts Kraft card stock.

 I stamped the house from the Mi Casa set onto the green dot, and then used a precision knife to remove the windows and door.

 The roof was stamped onto the kraft and then trimmed out as well.

I used my Copic E44, and E31 as well as the colorless blender to add some dimension to the roof.

Just swipe down lightly to feather and then apply the lighter color to blend, followed by the colorless blender.

 

Adhere the house pieces to the tag using Scrapbook Adhesives dimensional foam squares. One layer for the house, two layers for the roof.

 Next, I made a frosty mix from UTEE, Clear Embossing powder and Holographic embossing powder. Just use a little food service taster cup and pour in a little of each.

 

 To make a paste for the bottom of the house, drop a little Glossy Accents into the cup and mix with a small wooden stick.

Use the same stick to smear the paste onto the bottom of the house.

 Apply Glossy Accents to the roof, tops of the windows and the door and then sprinkle the mix on and then lightly tap to remove the excess.

Next is a step that would have been much easier had I done it when I covered the card with the patterned paper, so if you are playing along, do this step first thing after you cover your tag with the patterned paper!

Use a small piece of Cut N' Dry foam to apply Brushed Corduroy Distress ink around the edges of the tag to frame it and give it that wonderful aged appearance.

 I used the Tim Holtz Reindeer Flight die cut to cut this Grungeboard deer. It was then painted with Stream colored Adirondack Dimensional Pearls that had been loosened up with water from a Mini-Mister. I set it aside to dry while I worked on the next step.

Again I wished I had done this step at the beginning, but these projects are so organic in nature that I just go where it takes me. If you are playing along, you may want to do this after you ink the tag and before you adhere the house.

With a Silver Adirondack Paint Dabber I stamped this cute little Hero Arts star cluster from the Monster Fun set all over the top of the tag to get a starry night look.

After the reindeer had dried, I started coloring section with a Ranger Perfect Medium pen and then sprinkling on the frosty mix and melting it with my Heat It tool.

This is what it looked like when it was all finished. I wish I could explaing to you how gorgeous the holographic glitter is in this mix. The holographic embossing powder changes colors based on the amount of heat it is given. So the reindeer has different colors all over it!

I wanted a little wreath on the door so I used my Distress embossing ink on the foliage pieces.

I then reversed the colors for the piece that I wanted to be on the reindeer. I wanted it to look like holly leaves and a berry.

I added a few Baubles, a Wish stick that are tied onto some yummy May Arts ribbons with Jump Rings to finish it up.

The Wish Word Stick is perfect for this tag and this time of year. We all have special things that we wish for, and one of my personal favorites is snow. I also want to Wish all of you the very best that this holiday season brings.

B-

I would like to thank Becky for helping me out tonight!!! Your tag is GORGEOUS Beks! Thank you for sharing your talents with us. We will be doing our drawing for Tag #5 tomorrow morning :-D

Our goodies for this post are one of the wonderful texture embossing folders and a fantastic stash of paper!

 
 

Simply leave some love in the comment section below to be included in our next random drawing. You have until tomorrow evening as I write my post to enter. You can post a comment each day on the current post for a chance to win those days goodies, so be certain to stay tuned for another 6 days :-D

Thank you for visiting us again today and sharing your support for Becky!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist - Tag 5

I would like to begin tonight by thanking you for the comments you have left. With family "goings on" it is so very important to me that I take the time to spend with them and so I apologize that it seems to be getting later and later each day by the time I get my project posted. Your words have encouraged me to continue on my merry way and I enjoy the process of creating; it is so much fun figuring out what to make and what I will teach. Editing photos and writing it up --- not so much (LOL!) To know that you appreciate it does make a difference. So thank you for stopping in and sharing your support.

Do you recognize the pretty angel from yesterday's post? It was an amazing coincidence that when I was finalizing this tag I looked over to see the remaining angel facet from yesterday and it was the perfect final touch!

This next technique is one we learned at Ranger U. It is a variation of the technique shared by Tim on his tag today. Using a Juniper dabber (always select a light color dabber when doing this technique) I swiped the dabber from my craft mat on to the tag in a whispy type of way to immitate the look of fir trees.

Tip: When you use your dabber for the first time simply dab the color on to an adhesive backed label and punch out the circle. Place this atop the dabber cap and it will be easy to identify your colors in the future.

The next step is to use an ink blending tool and swirl dye ink onto the tag, again starting on your craft mat and swirling on to the tag. I began with Distress Bundled Sage and finished with Pine Needles.

Today I wanted to use a Hero Arts image so that I could share with you that we will be participating in the newest Catalog Debut starting in just a few days! I hope you will continue to join us as we have fun with their latest release!

I also wanted to select an image that would allow me to color it in using Copic markers. Copic markers are a fine art tool that can be utilized with watercolors and dried acrylics. The effect is REALLY interesting and I would like to encourage you to give this a try. The paint dabbers are an acrylic paint that when dried can be colored over. Distress inks are dye ink pads and Copic markers are perfectly compatible with water soluble materials.

I realize now that I am at home that I forgot to take a picture of the colors I used to color in my image. I will do my best to shoot that picture and add that information from work tomorrow.

To begin, stamp your key image first using Memento Tuxedo Black ink as shown above. Then add the remaining branches to fill in the space.

I also realized that I need to do a more thorough explanation of the mover and shaper dies. These are so much fun to work with because of the options they provide. If you want to have the basic shape of the die you simply place the small square into the center of the die as shown.

If you would like to have a shape then you place the shaped die into the position desired. As you can see I used the small square in the top die and a key hole in the bottom die.

I

The small square has a magnetic sheet backing and helps you more easily remove your die cut shape after cutting. The keyhole is shown turned over as well. As you can see there are little magnets set into the die and these stick to the steel backing in the open space on the larger dies.

For today's project I cut out the styled labels from Craft-a-Board.

I determined that rather than having a shabby look which the distress crackle paint provides I wanted a more pearlized, elegant look. This is also a technique that I learned at Ranger U and I believe that it can only be accomplished with the Pearl Dabber. One of the cool things about the metallic dabbers (and the Pearl is considered a metallic) is that you can have a couple of different looks to the finished piece. The top piece shows a smoother finish. This is obtained by first dabbing the Craft-a-board with the paint and then smoothing it down by swiping it. If dabbed and left alone the final result is a more speckled or bumpy look as shown in the bottom piece.

I ended up making the top piece a little more textured than what it appears in the picture above for my final piece by simply reworking it.

Once again I used alcohol ink to colorize this pearlescent piece. This time I used the more traditional method of applying alcohol ink to the felt applicator beginning with my dominant color YG63 Various Ink Refill. Each Various Ink container comes with a nozzle that looks similar to an applicator. Simply squeeze one drop from the bottle and then move to the next spot and squeeze another drop until it looks similar to the photo above.

I am showing the ink drop application in steps so that you can get a better idea of the coverage and amount of ink I applied with each new color. Next was color BG72.

The final and darkest color to be added was BG75. I utilized the least of this color so that it would not become dominant.

To add even greater sparkle and depth I added one drop of Silver Metallic Mixatif. It is always important to use Metallic Mixatif in VERY small quantities so that it does not over power. As you will see one drop was plenty.

Dab the applicator over the entire piece.

Now go back and add a generous amount of Blender Fluid to the applicator felt and go back over the entire piece again.

As you can see the final result is STUNNING!

Another way to enamel metallic products such as the foliage is to press the foliage into the Distress Embossing ink pad.

Then dip it into the Stream embossing powder. By holding the flower with the teflon tweezers pressed open you can heat set the embossing powder and bring it to the perfect enamel finish. The embossing powder will then easily come off the tweezers.

For the brad I wanted to try the technique that Tim shared today. I inked the end of the brad with the Pearl dabber and then dipped it into Pearl UTEE and heat set it. Dipped it again while still hot and wet and heat set again. All I can say is WOW, so cool!

The leaf foliage was colorized by simply dabbing it with the Pearl dabber and allowing it to dry. Use the crafters pick to punch a hole to insert the brad and affix the foliage.

A few more pearls, gemstones, ribbon and baubles and my tag was completed. I must say that I am absolutely in love with this color scheme and would love to have a tree decorated in these colors!

I hope that you enjoy these fun techniques and are able to put them to good use in some of your upcoming projects!

stamps: Hero Arts ClearDesign Magic of Christmas and Get Merry

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress Bundled Sage and Pine Needles; Copic Various Ink Refills - YG63, BG72, BG75

paper: Memory Box Tinsel, Craft-a-Board, Neenah Solar White

accessories: Tim Holtz Tag and Bookplates, Styled Labels, and Keyhole Dies, Silver Metallic Mixatif, Baubles, Facet, Foliage; Bliss Pearls, Sparkling Diamond Jewels, Pearl Dabber, Antique Silver Reinforcer, White Silk Ribbon, Silver Organdy Ribbon

It has been so much fun reading about how you found us - thank you for sharing as I am always curious about where you come from and how you find us! Kim C congratulations you are the winner of the Grunge Flakes stamp set and the Facets. If you haven't heard from us shortly please email us at [email protected] with your snail mail address so that we can get you your new goodies.

This time round we are giving away one of Tim's latest dies - the pine tree!

Simply leave a comment below to be included in our next random drawing. You have until tomorrow evening as I write my post to enter. You can post a comment each day on the current post for a chance to win those days goodies, so be certain to stay tuned for another 7 days :-D

Thank you for sharing in the festivities here in the CLASSroom!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist - Tag 4

Tonight's tag is most definitely girly. As I created this tag today my sweet daughters were on my mind - I am ever so grateful for them and simply wanted to reflect on the blessing they are to me. Angels come to mind when I think of Christmas and so today's tag features guardian angels.

The technique that made an impression on me today was the use of stickles, in conjunction with glossy accents, when adhering images to the fragments and charms. LOVE IT!!!

So my experimentation began. The first charm I created I edged the charm with stickles and then filled the center with glossy accents. I realized when I pressed the charm in place atop the guardian angel that I had added WAY to much adhesive and because the stickles were around the edge most of the sparkle squeezed out. On to attempt #2.

As you can see I altered the placement of my stickles and the amount of glossy accents. It worked out perfectly with only a little excess coming out the edges. I used a soft cloth to remove the excess and allowed the images to dry.

Tip #1 - Carefully remove the excess glossy accents from the hole using a toothpick or crafter's pick before it dries.

Once dry use the crafter's pick to punch a hole through the cardstock. Trim excess cardstock to the edge of the charm.

Another idea I have had that I have wanted to try is to use the new Design Adhesives to add interest to the charms. I positioned the adhesive on the back, added Sand Ultrafine Glitter and burnished it into place. I then adhered the charm to a piece of Cranberry cardstock using Glossy Accents.

After adhering the angel to a large flower I added jumprings to all the charms to dangle them from the wrinkled seam binding.

The tag was created using the very convenient tag die. The words that were created to fit within the carved ornament die also works create in the tag die! Simply position the mover as shown above and run it through your Big Shot. Isn't that a fun way to add interest to your tag?!?

This next technique is a resist technique. Ink your image with Embossing ink and use clear embossing powder to create your resist image. Heat set the embossing powder and then use an ink blending tool to make the image pop.

You will notice that I inked the edges of the tag with Spun Sugar before embossing. I wanted the edges to be softer than if I had left the entire tag white before embossing.

Spun Sugar and Victorian Velvet were used to bring out the music background.

Yesterday I had an "oops" moment. When I went to pour the Vintage Glass Glitter back into it's container I was not paying close attention and dumped it into my Tarnished Gold embossing powder. I used a spoon to scope out the mixed portion and decided that today I would experiment with the mix as shown above.

It was an accident that was meant to be - I love the gorgeous effect!

Adding detail over the embossed background was possible by using Coffee Archival ink.

Playing with charms is so much fun. Hopefully I will have an opportunity to play with the alcohol inks and Archival Ink resist technique that Tim shared today later in this tag series.

Thank you for stopping in again today and I hope that you enjoy this Christmas angel tag.

stamps: Stampers Anonymous Festive Sounds and Fancy Flourish

ink: Distress Embossing Ink, Distress Spun Sugar and Victorian Velvet, Coffee Archival Ink

paper: Melissa Frances Angel Die Cuts, Neenah Solar White, Memory Box Cranberry Cardstock

accessories: Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers Tag and Hope Dies, Facets, Baubles; 7 Gypsies Antique Brass Reinforcer, Adelaide Seam Binding; Melissa Frances Tarnished Silver Glass Glitter, Tarnished Gold Embossing Powder, Sand Microfine Glitter, Prima Sweet Taffy Flower

Congratulations Curt! You are the winner of Tim's Winter Sketchbook stamp set and Tidings Tissue Tape. Please contact us with your snail mail address at [email protected] if you have not received an email from us shortly so that we can get these goodies into the mail to you.

Today we have another fun selection - Grunge Flakes stamp set and a package of Facets.

To be entered for this fun blog candy we would like to know how you found us and how long you have followed our blog -you have until tomorrow evening as I write my post to enter. You can post a comment each day on the current post for a chance to win some fun goodies, so be certain to stay tuned for another 8 days :-D

Wishing you a restful night and remainder to your weekend!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist - Tag 3

This morning after I absorbed Tim's tags AND videos I had one of those "duh" moments - LOL! Tissue tape is made of tissue - goodness, gracious I can be blonde sometimes. I had discovered on my own that it tore easily, was easily repositioned once placed, and could be used to cover some pretty odd shapes, such as the large clothespin we carry. I also found out that it had a waxy like coating and that the best way to color it was with alcohol ink, using either an alcohol ink felt applicator or my airbrush system. I didn't realize that Distress Inks would adhere once heat set, so that was a great educational tip. I have also discovered that paint will adhere as well and have aged it using my dabbers. I have a beautiful project that I made in the beginning of October but I just haven't had the time to post it - yikes!

I loved the challenges Tim provided today - using tissue tape to create a flower and collage a background. I could have selected a different die, but I LOVE this little bird. What is it with birds? I am SO very afraid to be contained in a closed environment with them, but I put them on absolutely everything :-D

Tip #1 - When working with the tissue tape, do not let it go back on itself as you work on your project. Why you may ask? Simple... if you are of the age that reading glasses are necessary - it takes FOREVER to find the end again -LOL! Handy tip I'm sure - ha! ha!

Randomly apply your tissue tape to either cardstock, grungeboard or as I did, Craft-a-Board. Again, if you haven't tried Craft-a-Board I encourage you to do so. It is SO affordable and you will be amazed at what you can do with it!!!

As you all know I love my Copics and so I have not invested in yet another set of Alcohol Inks. One of the most popular things you wanted to learn about was how to use Alcohol Inks. I want to share that any method you use for your Copic Alcohol Various Ink Refills can be applied to the Ranger Alcohol Inks. I will continue to try and share information regarding how to use Various ink in other ways once these tags are complete. I would also like to encourage you to try the "search mechanism" in the top right hand corner of our blog. Simply type in the words "Various Ink" and many articles will show up in which Various inks have been talked about.

As you can see I have added the alcohol ink to my applicator in a different way than what is typical. The reason for first dripping it on my non-stick craft sheet was to allow the two colors to mix somewhat before I applied them to the felt. The purple tones in the Copic colors are pretty true in value, or in other words very bright. I wanted the purple that I was using to coordinate with the Graphic 45 christmas papers. By mixing the V17 together with W4 I was able to gray down my color and have it coordinate beautifully.

Don't be afraid to mix colors! If you are afraid of ruining your project apply your applicator to a piece of scrap paper before setting it to your final project.

Dab and swirl, dab and swirl until the entire surface is covered. Then run this piece through your Big Shot using the Caged Bird die. The finished size of the piece above is approx 2 3/4" x 5 3/4". This allows me to cut my bird out with very little waste.

Tim sparkled his birdie up using Rock Candy Stickles. I love the Stickles, but felt that I should try something else to see what would work. My first attempt was to attach Be Creative Tape to the surface before cutting out my bird. That was a bit of an experiment - LOL! Be Creative tape (otherwise known as Sookwang tape) is VERY sticky! When I went to remove the top coat I literally pulled up all the tissue tape leaving my Craft-a-Board bare. Another duh moment because I already knew that tissue tape is easy to remove once applied. So on to experiment #2.

As you will see experiment #2 was successful :-D Covering the bird and wing with a thin coat of Matte Multi-Medium and then...

covering the surface with Ultrafine Warm Highlights created a magical effect! The beautiful thing about the Transparent Highlights is that you can see the imaging from below. The warm golden, sparkly surface is mesmerizing.

I dumped off the excess and then used my finger to gently rub the surface to help the glitter adhere, as well as "sand" off excess to create an absolutely stunning little creature.

I then coated just the tip of the wing with Matte Multi-Medium again and dipped it in the gorgeous Melissa Frances Vintage Shards.

Capturing the beauty in a photograph is nigh to impossible and so I hope that you can get just a hint of what it looks like in real life.

Now on to my tissue tape flower. Tim did a wonderful job explaining the process in his video. I began with a 5/8" circle punch because I wanted a rather petite flower.

The only problem I had was trying to adhere my tissue tape to my cardstock dot without it coming back up again. Being solution driven I ended up plastering the surface with glue dots. It worked GREAT!

As you can see I went around a little over two times. I then followed Tim's lead and lifted the center piece up just a little to lay down some hot glue. Yes, my trusty old hot glue gun is being utilized more than usual with some of these new products. I highly recommend the glue gun to secure your rosettes (created using Tim's fab new rosette die) as well.

To bring my flower into balance with the remainder of the tag I edged it using alcohol ink.

I next rolled it on the Embossing Ink pad and then in Tarnished Gold embossing powder (LOVE this stuff!)

Just a little more sparkle to balance out my birds wing! Once again I used Matte Multi-Medium randomly applied with a paint brush and topped the flower with a sparkly Webster's button.

A little more sparkly Webster's ribbon was position beneath the button, a gorgeous little accent piece from the 8x8 paper pad clipped to the tag and the bird popped off the surface in a triagular shape to create my focal point. One little design tip I would like to suggest is that when positioning your elements on a small surface like this you will want to overlap the pieces that are your focal point to create balance and draw your eye to one place. It also enhances the piece to let these elements float off the edge of your tag.

To add the final balance of my purple element I put just a little bit of purple paper on my to/from tags and added some purple twine. The little "believe" sentiment, a pearl and some gorgeous metal foliage were the finishing touches.

Once again I would like to encourage you to try one of these techniques using tissue tape. I know that a LOT of you already own some, so I hope you will join in the fun and please don't be sad if you don't have everything - just make do with what you do have and improvise. How about pulling out that trusty old masking tape?!? AND if you can't make an entire tag, just make an element and save it for use on a tag or card later :-D

Thank you for stopping in again today and for keeping the encouragement coming with your comments. I must admit I am tired and have a lot on my plate right now, but doing these tags is SO much fun, so I'm commited :-D I'll be coming back into the office again tomorrow and on Sunday so that I can try to continue to inspire you and share in the fun. Have an awesome weekend and enjoy a few creative moments!

stamps: Hero Arts to/from

ink: Various Ink Refills - V17 and W4, Archival Coffee, Distress Antique Linen, Distress Embossing Ink

paper: Graphic 45 Christmas Past Deluxe Edition 8x8 Pad, Craft-a-Board

accessories: Tim Holtz Caged Bird Die, Tidings and Nostalgic Tissue Tape, Foliage, Baubles, Alcohol Ink Felt Applicator Tool; Martha Stewart PATP Vintage Lace, Melissa Frances Tarnished Silver Glass Glitter, Tarnished Gold Embossing Powder, Matte Multi-Medium, Warm Highlights Ultrafine Glitter, Believe Vintaj Tag, Ivory Silk Ribbon, Webster's Pages Scalloped Sparklers, Webster's Pages Waiting for Santa Trim

WOW - thank you to everyone who visited today and left a comment - I am using the love you shared to get me through the day today :-)! It has been a hectic and exhausting week after the snowstorm we had last week, a long road-trip to visit my Mom through the Rocky Mountains for Thanksgiving (worth every minute of the 30+ hours on the road) and enjoying the companionship of my dog and daughter here at work. I'm READY to sleep in in the morning!

A huge congratulations goes to Patti! Thank you for your comment and questions yesterday Patti - you helped me to realize that I really needed to add more information to my explanation. I hope that you have had the opportunity to go back and reread the information. I have your Typepad message flagged in hopes of getting back to you today - I didn't even have a chance to check with Erica to see if she was able to let you know that I tried to add more information :-D

Please send your snail mail address to us at [email protected] and we will get these fun toys out to you and you can give this technique a try!

Today our prize is inspired by Tim's Tag - how about a stamp set and some tissue tape everyone! We have Winter's Sketchbook and Tidings Tissue Tape for today's goodies!

Simply posting a comment below will enter you in this random drawing - you have until tomorrow evening as I write my post to enter. You can post a comment each day on the current post for a chance to win some fun goodies, so be certain to stay tuned for another 9 days :-D

Thank you for joining me here in the CLASSroom!

12 Tags of Christmas Supply Source

To assist you we have created the special link shown below. The banner below is also featured on the home page of our store. Each day Julia updates it to include the new tag and all supplies used on that tag are referenced when you click on the tag. It will show the tag being out of stock because, well... I couldn't afford to compensate Tim for all the tags I know you would order - LOL! and to be perfectly truthful I could never create that many tags myself either :-D 

We hope that you are having fun playing along and would love to have you post your tags on our Facebook page!

 

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist - Tag 2

Please read all the way to the bottom to find the winner of our blog candy and find out how you can enter into today's random drawing!

I have started my routine - each morning as I eat my bowl of cereal I sit down to take a peek at Tim's tag, so that as I drive to work I can think about what I will create. It was a couple of years ago when I first saw Tim do this technique and I have wanted to try it ever since. Can you believe it took me two years?!? So here we go :-D

At first I was stymied with how I would make this look "girly," but in the end I think I managed ;-D

ETA: When considering this technique it is most interesting to select an image that has some broader based lines, as well you will want to be able to create "sections" of ink on your felt stamp pad to get crisp, clean colors. Creating a custom felt ink pad is a huge time saver - essentially it replaces the technique where you color directly on your rubber stamp using a waterbased marker. This allows you to custom color the image and stamp repeatedly in a quick manner.

I found that a pencil works great to trace the stamp on the cut-n-dry felt  (not foam) pad.

I couldn't live without Tim's Tonic scissors - they work fantastic for cutting out stamps, but also work fabulously on so many other things, including the cut-n-dry felt.

I noticed a question in today's comments asking if there is another material that would work if you don't have the cut-n-dry felt. I don't believe that there will be anything quite like it. This material appears to be identical to what is used in the dye ink pads that Ranger manufactures. BUT please be advised that this is only a guess, because I truly do not know. The felt is fabric topped and it works great - I really don't know of anything on the market that is even similar.

Again I went with the ink that Tim recommended - the Archival Jet Black and stamped my image on to the felt stamp pad (fabric side up.) This has really become one of my go-to inks if I am not coloring with Copics.

Cleanup of the Archival ink is a little different due to it's waterproof quality. I find it easiest to simply wipe my stamp with a dry cloth, then use the CleansIt cleaner, followed by the RubIt ScrubIt. I have a plastic container that is slightly larger than my RubIt ScrubIt pad and I simply add water to barely cover the pad. I quickly scrub aand rinse my stamps on the pad and then use my trusty, stained wash cloth to dab it dry.

As I beginner I felt that a step-by-step photo process may be helpful. I don't know if there is any rhyme or reason when adding colors to the image, but I went with the method I would use when coloring an image with markers and then huffing. I started with my focal point and the lightest color - Antique Linen. Apply the ink generously using the dropper that comes in the bottle.

Apply Vintage photo to the face only.

Add Victorian Velvet to Santa's clothes. As you can see I ended up getting a droplet of ink in a spot that I didn't intend, but no worries - my project turned out just fine!

Apply Forest Moss to the tree.

Apply Tumbled Glass to the snowflakes.

I ended by applying Vintage Photo to the remaining open areas and all the way around the edge to almost "frame" the piece.

Your new custom inked stamp pad is now ready for use. Use it just as you would use a regular dye ink stamp pad, being certain to align your stamp directly with the stamp pad as you ink it each time.

I then stamped my image on Neenah Solar White cardstock. (First image stamped is on the right.) I wasn't completely happy with my coloring and figured it wouldn't hurt to see what happens when you add different colored inks directly over the areas already inked.

(I loved Tim's storage idea, so I will be attaching the image on the left to my plastic ziplock baggie. A suggestion that I have heard that may keep this pad moist longer is to first wrap it in Saran Wrap before placing it in the ziplock bag.)

I felt the face was TOO dark, so I went ahead and applied Victorian Velvet directly over the Vintage Photo. I also really wanted my snowflake tip to be more blue than brown, so added a little more Tumbled Glass to the tip of the large snowflake.

I am REALLY excited about the results - the final look is so much better than the dark brown and I believe that it looks so much better than if I would have made his entire face the Victorian Velvet color. SO... what you can also do is make your own custom colored ink pads if you can't find that perfect color for a project!

(left to right - Hero Arts Watercolor Paper, Arturo Single Cards, Neenah Solar White)

It is so important to experiment as you create! I literally have a dozen different stamped images in my studio - I tried SO many different things because I just wanted to know what would happen. The above samples are all ones I experimented with water.

These samples were all embossed with clear embossing powder and then (from left to right):

• accent colored with Copic markers,
• watercolored with distress ink,
• Antique Linen distress ink was smudged on Non-stick Craft sheet, misted with water and then tag was laid in ink. Tumbled Glass reinker was then mixed with water and splattered on the surface.

To add to the girly factor one must add glitter! Using Icicle stickles to add sparkle to Santa's hat and sleeve, the tree and snowflakes is so very easy.

A few baubles and a to/from tag edged with Embossing Ink and Tarnished Gold all place atop some beautiful Webster's Pages papers and my tag was complete.

stamps: Tim Holtz ATC Christmas Miracle

digital download: Traditional Seasonal Alphabet

ink: Archival Jet Black, Distress Embossing Ink, Distress Reinkers - Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Victorian Velvet, Tumbled Glass and Forest Moss

paper: Webster's Pages Waiting for Santa and Waiting for Santa 6x6 pack, Neenah Solar White, Hero Arts Felt Paper, Arturo Singles, Manila Tag

accessories: Tim Holtz Tag & Bookplates Die, Baubles, Tiny Attacher, Cut-N-Dry Stamp Pad Felt, Tarnished Gold Embossing Powder, Icicle Stickles, Webster's Pages Waiting for Santa Trim, CleansIt Cleaner, RubIt ScrubIt

The drawing for the Baubles and Accoutrements is now closed - our winner is Andi Sexton.

Thank you Andi for always sharing your love with us here in the CLASSroom! Please send us an email to [email protected] with your snail mail address if you read this before we have a chance to contact you!

Today you have an opportunity to win Tim Holtz ATC First Christmas and a package of Cut-n-Dry Stamp Pad Felt:

Simply posting a comment below will enter you in today's random drawing - you have until tomorrow evening when my next post goes live to enter. You can post a comment each day on the current post for a chance to win some fun goodies, so be certain to stay tuned for another 10 days :-D

Thank you for joining me here in the CLASSroom!

 

12 Tags of Christmas With a Feminine Twist - Tag 1

ETA: We have our winner! Congratulations Jody!!!

 
If you haven't heard from us shortly please send us your snail mail address to [email protected] so we can get A Compendium of Curiosities in to the mail to you. You will love all the tips Tim shares in this book! :-D Be certain to leave your comment below - perhaps you will be our next winner!

It is with much excitement that I share my first finished tag. Your enthusiasm most definitely drove me forwards today as I had so many other things to do, but the creativity part was so much more fun!

When Tim shared the use of the Rickety House in an "other than Halloween version" I was tickled pink. I had wanted to create a Christmas version as well and this was my golden opportunity - yippie!

So here we go with a "girly version." I hope you like it and see a new way of using this die.

I felt that a simple layer of cardstock would not quite be sturdy enough for the project I had in mind, so I cut out a paper version and a Craft-a-board version. The thing I LOVE about Craft-a-board is that it is slightly off white in appearance and is quite "moldable." For today's project I simply painted on a thin layer of Studio Matte Medium and adhered my paper.

I then distressed the edges of my house with Faded Jeans ink. Following Tim's directions I used a paint brush to generously add Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint to my house and allowed it to fully dry.

Once dry I decided to add curtains to the interior of my house using some gorgeous trim. I then added the Glossy Accents and used Polar White Flower Soft for my snow.

I wanted to have a feel of wallpaper peeking through the windows. Using the reverse from my Craft-a-Board cutout I was able to trace and cut out a piece that would fit neatly under the house. Using 3D dots I adhered it behind the house.

It was another one of those "yippie" moments for me when Tim suggested using regular manila file folders this morning. Not only do file folders come in the "manila color," but they come in other colors as well!!! YEAH for red!

I stamped the snowflakes using the Snow Cap Dabber, rather than an ink pad. The fun thing about this dabber is that it gives you a more painterly, shabby feeling which is a perfect accompaniment to the Melissa Frances papers. When the paint is dry you can use an ink blending tool and a soft Distress or Adirondack color to shabby it up even more.

Rather than using an ink blending tool I decided to try and age it using my Perfect Pearls Turquoise Mist.

The doily is intended to represent the night moon. After splashing it in the mist I dried it and then used a silver dabber around the edges. Using a dabber allows for the very faintest paint application.

Next the tag was placed in the mist and dried, then placed in the mist again. I repeated this until I felt that just the right amount of blue sparkle was represented.

By placing my little round "reinforcement" on the Embossing Ink Pad and then dipping it in silver embossing powder and heating it I ended up with a very rustic looking reinforcement for the top of my tag.

To create the light post I stamped using Distress Embossing ink and silver embossing powder. It was then aged using Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

The flame was added with a Y21 Copic Marker and a glow was brought in with a Sand Prismacolor colored pencil.

Tinsel trim and small green and pink pearls are intended to bring that old-fashioned Christmas look into the piece.

I love how the paper had the perfect Santa to come peeking up out of the chimney! A few more baubles and pretty trim and we have the cutest little Rickety Christmas House!

stamps: Stampers Anonymous Mini Holidays 2

ink: Distress Embossing Ink, Distress Ink - Faded Jeans and Antique Linen

paper: Red File Folder (office supply store), Melissa Frances Home for the Holidays 6x6 Paper Pad, Neenah Solar White, Craft-a-Board

accessories: Tim Holtz Rickety House Die, Baubles, Distress Crackle Paint - White Picket Fence, Mini Glossy Accents, Snow Cap White and Silver Paint Dabbers; Studio Matte Multi-Medium, Perfect Pearls Turquoise Mist, Polar White Flower Soft,  Webster's Pages Sweet Season & Waiting for Santa Trim and Tinsel Trim, Ivory Silk Ribbon, Pearls - Hot Pink and Green, Mitten Weather Button, Sky Chandelier Crystals (you can use clear and color with Copic Markers as well), Silver Embossing Powder, 3D-Dots, Small Doilies

Now on to the good stuff! What could be more girly than Baubles and Adornments?

You have until my next post goes up tomorrow evening to leave your comments on this post (one comment per person please). I would love for you to share one "must-have" craft item with me. It can be one you really, really want - OR one you already own that you just couldn't live without. We will once again randomly draw a winner from the comments left.

I am closing the previous post now for comments and will be back later this evening to post our winner! I'm off to my daughter's school and will be back soon.