the CLASSroom

Zen Apples by Sharon Harnist

 

I loved the idea Ellen shared in this post about filling larger open stamped images with doodles or Zentangles, so I thought I would try my hand at tangling and had a BLAST!  To start, all you need is any stamp image with enough room to doodle in ... I chose Karen Lockhart's Perfect Apples (they reminded me of school starting again next month!) and stamped them with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Copic X-Press It Blending Card.

Next, just have fun randomly drawing images within the stamped image, using Copic's Black Multiliners -- I used 0.1 for most of my details and 0.3 for the thicker lines.  You can find the refillable markers individually in Ellen's store or both of them in this disposable pack.  Using the Copic Multiliner, which is the same permanent ink as Copic markers, ensures no fading or bleeding should you want to also add color to your tangled images.

 

If you need help with patterns to doodle, Ellen carries a wonderful selection of Zentangle books that give you ideas and easy to follow patterns.  After finishing my designs, I colored each of my apples individually with Copic markers (colors listed below): 

 

To finish my card, I die cut the apple image and mounted it with 3D Foam Squares to another die cut of Memory Box Cranberry cardstock and then to a black card base embossed with Tim Holtz Texture Fades Wooden Embossing Folder -- I love that these folders are the exact same size as an A2 cardfront!  For accents, I added red twine and green felt leaves attached with a gold brad.

I hope you'll give tangling a try, I think you'll like it -- I sure did!  - Sharon

 
Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Co-Perfect Apples,  
Paper: Copic X-Press It Blending Card; Memory Box Licorice & Cranberry notecards
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black,
Copic: Black Multiliners-Refillable 0.3 and 0.1 or disposable 4-piece set, Markers-RV34, R35, R37, BG13, E35, G21, G24, G07, YG17, Y08, YR23 
Accessories: Tim Holtz Texture Fades Embossing Folders-Bricked and Wooden, Jillibean Baker's Twine-Red & Brown, Hero Arts Felt Poinsettia & Leaves, gold brad, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares, Zentangle books,

Embossed Metal Foil Tape By Becky Olsen

I have been on a bit of an embossing kick, it is because I am enjoying those Tim Holtz Texture Fades so much. This project also uses a few more products that are unique that lend themselves to a luxurious, vintage feel.

To start the project I cut a 4" x 6" piece of Grungepaper and a 4" x 6" piece of the Metal Foil Tape.

Remove the backing from the tape and adhere it to the Grungepaper. I then ran it through my Sizzix with the Damask Texture Fade embossing folder. 

This is where I got a little creative with adding some color to the foil. I wanted to soften the silver color, and also give a bit of an aged appearance. 

I had also wanted to use my felt ink applicator, but had run out of the replacement felt. So I used a piece of Cut N' Dry Foam, used my Copic markers (YG95, E44, YG63) to apply ink to the foam, put a few drops of Gold Metallic Mixative and Copic Blender solution on the foam to loosen it all up and make it easy to apply. 

After the ink and mixative was dabbed on, the piece was trimmed and ready to be put onto the card base. Basic Grey Out of Print was used along with the Tattered Florals die to make the flower, an Ornate Bookplate, some Maya Road Trinket Pins, and a big Organza Ribbon bow. Then sentiment is Cosmo Cricket Top Secret Tiny Type stickers.

The color and dimension of this card were hard to capture. The lustre from the foil and the vintage feel from the papers all combined to make this card a lot of eye candy, and I am excited to try this technique again on other projects.

Hope it has given you a little inspiration as well!!

B-

The Painted Gate by Julia Stainton

When I was a teenager, I loved to paint. As the years pass, my free time seems to shrink and while I've wanted to get back to painting for awhile now, I just don't have the time or I admit, the confidence to do it. This brought an idea to my mind. Why not paint over a stamped image using acrylic paints so that it looks more like a painting than a stamped image.

Using the stamp as a guide, I've created my own mini painting to use on a card or piece of altered art. It's a fun and unique approach to using a stamped image and I hope you'll enjoy it.

To start off with, I've stamped my image onto some Sticky Back Canvas and then heat set it. I'm using one of the latest Lockhart stamps here, Petunias on the Gate, and stamped it in Jet Black Archival Ink. This is a great ink that is permanent when heat set making it perfect for adding liquid paints to.

You can see that this stamp is quite detailed and beautiful and could be colored with Copic Markers, colored pencils, watercolored or whatever medium you wish. Today's project uses a more loosely interpreted approach where you use the stamp as a guide and then cover it up totally with paint. You'll be able to see how closely the final painting follows the stamp but is not a slave to it.

Acrylic paints are wonderful things and I love how you can apply them thick like an oil painting or thin them to a wash to resemble watercolors. To create the background apply water to the area you want to "wash" with paint and then pick up a small amount of color with a wet brush and put in a thin transparent coat of paint to form the background.

After your wash is dry, begin adding thicker coats of Studio Line Acrylic Paint to build up color and totally cover the stamped image. Feel free to add in your own highlights and greenery. Above is a photo of my painting midway through.

I've added in my flowers randomly. By the time you get to the flowers, most of your ink should be covered so add them where you wish. I love adding dots of colors to resemble flowers. An easy way to get lovely dots is to turn your brush upside-down and dab the paint on with the end of your brush.

I used the Ranger Non-Stick Craft Sheet as a worksurface for my canvas and also to mix colors directly on. Get variations of colors by mixing two or more paints directly on the mat. It simply wipes off or the paint will peel off if you allow it to dry.

These are the Studio Line paint colors I used.

This is my final painting while drying. You can see that some of the flower dots are still wet.

Finally a detail shot of the finished image. Don't worry if the painting isn't perfect. It just adds to the charm of the project. One last thing to note...the smaller the stamp detail is, the harder it will be to recreate. If you're looking for extreme detail, Copic Markers or watercoloring may be a better coloring method for you.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom and happy creating!

Supplies: Petunias on the Gate stamp by Lockhart Stamp Company, Find Joy Stamp set by Hero Arts, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Sticky Back Canvas by Ranger, Non-Stick Craft Sheet by Ranger, Smidge of Blue, Sable Brown, Blank Canvas, Sky Blue, Landscape Green, Yellow Pastel and Dash of Red Studio Line Paints by Ranger, Studio Artist Brushes, Pink Vintage Button by Jenni Bowlin, twine, sewing machine, Mini Pin by Tim Holtz, Solar White cardstock by Neenah, Mocha Cardstock by Memory Box

Jennifer McGuire Blog Candy Winner

Congratulations to our winner from Jennifer McGuire's Post on Watercolor Stamping with Distress Inks.

Brenda B's comment was chosen at random from the great response on Jennifer's blog. Thank you to everyone who participated.

 

Brenda, if you could email us at [email protected] with your snail mail address, we will get your goodies to you ASAP!

Watercolor Stamping with Distress Stains by Jennifer McGuire

A big welcome to Jennifer McGuire to the CLASSroom! Jennifer is a longtime friend to Ellen Hutson, LLC, first time poster here. Her blog Jennifer McGuire Ink is always chocked full of projects, classes, videos and fun. She is a Go-To-Gal with Paper Crafts Magazine and a talented designer for Hero Arts for seven years running.

We are so glad to have yet another talented guest designer, we appreciate their time and creativity so much. Please show Jennifer some love and help us thank her for joining us in the CLASSroom by leaving your comment on her blog. Comment on her post mentioning the post featured here for a chance to win a bundle of goodies! A winner will be randomly selected from those comments left before midnight CDT, July 16th and announced Monday July 18th.

 Watercolor Stamping with Distress Stains by Jennifer McGuire 

Projects:

 
 
 
 

Steps:

Clean stamp well. Dab Distress Stains directly onto stamp, being careful not to touch another color with the tip.

 

Give the stamp 2-3 mists of water from about a foot above.

 

Leaving the stamp facing up on the table. Lay a piece of watercolor paper onto the inked stamp and press around. It is will messy and splotchy and yucky at first. But never fear – it will look lovely when it dries! (You can use regular cardstock. I just like the color of watercolor paper.)

  

Let the piece dry or heatset it with a heatgun. If desired, stamp over the image with a Shadow Ink for a look of texture.

  

You can also use Distress Stains to color flowers. For a dark flower, just dab the Stain directly on the white flower to color. Mist with water heavily to blend and let dry.

  

If you would like a flower with shine, use Perfect Pearl Mist instead of water. Let dry.

  

Stains will make the flowers dark if you put them directly onto the flower. If you want a softer flower, put some Stain onto your Craft Sheet (or a piece of plastic) and add lots of water or Perfect Pearl Mix. This will “water” down the Stain, making it lighter. Then just drag the flower through the color. Let dry.

  

 

• Distress Stains (purple card: Forest Moss, Faded Jeans and Dusty Concord; pink card: Fired Brick, Spun Sugar and Vintage Photo; blue card: Weathered Wood, Broken China and Faded Jeans)
• Cling Classic Fabric Design
• Basic Grey, Sweet Threads Cling Stamp, Antique from Hero Arts
• Cling Lotus Background
• ClearDesign: Special Note of Thanks
• Versamark 
• Hero Arts White Embossing Powder
• Mini Mister
• Perfect Pearls Mists, Perfect Pearl
• Hero Arts Watercolor Paper White
• May Arts White Silk Ribbon 1/4"
• Buttons
• Hero Arts Notecards (Blush, Sea and Floral)
• Prima Craftable Flowers

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ETA: Blog Candy Winner

Congratulations to Brenda B! Her comment was chosen randomly from comments left on Jennifer McGuire's blog!

 

Thank you to everyone who participated, the response was great!

Brenda, if you could email us at [email protected] with your snail mail address, we will get your goodies to you ASAP!

Glassine Flower By Becky Olsen

There is a great product in the shop now, it is from the Tim Holtz Idea-ology line and is called Glassine. I have always loved the look of vintage glassine, it seems very proper with just a hint of naughty as you can catch a veiled glimpse of what might be waiting for you behind its frosted exterior. The glassine that Tim has devised is very clever, it is a gorgeous combination of kraft color, with a bit of that soft waxy feel you have come to expect from glassine and a lustrous transparency. With three different options available in the shop; envelopes, pockets and sheets, there is sure to be one that fits your needs. When I considered my crafting habits I went with the sheets. I could of course still fold them into envelopes or pockets if I desired, but I tend to like making my own embellishments, so flat and ready to go made the most sense for me.

Meet my new friend Kraft Glassine Stash:

First I got out my Post Card Texture Fades embossing folder and cut a sheet of the glassine in half so I had two pieces that were 4" x 5". I also got out my Tattered Florals die so I could cut the pieces to make a flower after I had embossed the glassine.

After the flower was made, it needed a card to go on  ;o)

So how perfect is the Haven collection from Jenni Bowlin? The sentiment was stamped with the Maya Road Just My Type stamp set with Jet Black Archival ink. The center of the flower is a Graphic 45 Staples Metal Button. 

I have to tell you, after the sheets came out of the embossing folder it was pretty hard to run them back through with the die cut. They were so pretty all by themselves. They just as easily could have made a really beautiful card face or ATC background. The one thing I do have to mention that was a challenge for me was the adhesive I selected. Because of the waxy surface, it will require patience for finding a way to adhere this product. But trust me, the look is worth it!

Thanks for popping by the CLASSroom, and if you use the glassine and post it to the Gallery, please leave me a link here in the comments so I can come by and leave you some love!!

Happy Crafting!

B-

Summer Bliss Card by Julia Stainton

The beautiful warm and lazy days of summer are here. For some that means more crafting time but for others like me, that can mean less. The kids are home and the lake is calling. I still want to find time to create. I still want the cards to be "me".

A great way to create cards and projects in the busy summer is to start with premade embellishments. Ellen carries a phenomenal selection and today I was drawn to create with some gorgeous Melissa Frances chipboard pieces. I could have created this card without the distressing and altering additions and it would have been perfectly beautiful and easy, just the way it was.

If you're like me though, you like to personalize things and truly make them your own. You like to get a little inky and play around with products that can quickly add dimension and alter a piece.

Here's a few things I did to step this card up just a little and still be able to put it together quickly.

1. Stamping: The large background chipboard piece is quickly stamped with a ledger stamp to anchor my cluster area and just add a little extra something.

In the above photo you can see the stamping and also take a peek at how the other embellishments looked before they were altered.

2. Ink: The quickest and easiest way to alter something is to brush or sponge it with ink. I've used white craft ink on this sweet little chipboard butterfly.

3. Crackling: I love a cracked glass finish. The garden lady chipboard piece was covered with Ranger Glossy Accents. Ranger's Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint would also work perfectly for this.

I admit to being a little impatient on this step for it to dry and used a heat gun to speed things up. If you allow it to dry naturally you will get MUCH better crackling on your item.

4.Stickles: Adding Stickles from Ranger is a great way to add a quick dab of shimmer and shine. I've used Rock Candy Distress Stickles to alter this white flower and add some very subtle texture. I love the Distress Stickles line when designing in a vintage style as the look is much more in keeping with the style.

Supplies: Cream Cardstock by Neenah, twine, 5th Avenue Chipboard Accents by Melissa Frances, Trendsetter/Ladies & Gents Petite Papers by Webster's Pages, Glossy Accents by Ranger, Rock Candy Distress Stickles by Ranger, White Pigment Ink, Mini Kraft Tickets by Maya Road, Leaf Trinket Pins by Maya Road, Doilies Designer Threads by Webster's Pages, Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink by Ranger, Sepia Archival Ink by Ranger, Cream Ribbon Lace by Hero Arts, Wedding Shoes Flower by Prima, Receipt Stamp by Jenni Bowlin, Chipboard Butterflies by Magenta, Tiny Attacher by Tim Holtz

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom and have a wonderful summer weekend!

Canvas Fun by Sharon Harnist

 

Canvas is a hot current trend and Ellen carries a HUGE selection of almost any kind of canvas item you'd like to try out . . . from pre-printed or blank canvas tags, to albums and 3-D items, purses or camera bags, even canvas laminated chipboard!  I decided to try out this Maya Road Alterable Canvas Wristlet (measuring approximately 3.5" x 4.5"), because I thought it would be the perfect size for my daughter's iPod Touch (or even a cell phone) and I was right ... it fit perfectly!

To dress it up, I chose these fun, bright and cheerful Prima Canvas Embroidered Fabric Flowers:

The bonus here is that not only do you get the printed fabric flower in the package, but also a plain canvas flower to use on another project (and there will be more from me, I'm sure!).

Upon examining the structure of these flowers, I discovered the petals of the printed fabric flower (but not the canvas flower) were all stitched separately, and then glued together well to form the flower.  I gave two of the petals a firm tug to take them off, so that three of the petals, center and stem would all fit on the back of the wristlet:

I used Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive to secure the flower to the back of the wristlet, wrapped the stem around to the front of the wristlet, and then finished off the front with one of the two remaining petals.  My experience with Fabri-Tac is that it holds extremely well, but you could also hand stitch the petals into place, if you wish.  The wristlet can even be clipped to jeans or shorts belt loop or a backpack, ready to hold the iPod or phone, complete with earphones!  There is also a pocket on the front, to hold money, credit card, etc.  I also like that with this whole project being made of canvas and fabric, it's totally washable!

Hummm . . . Mom just might have to borrow this wristlet for her own iPhone or iPod for her walks or bicycle rides!  What a great gift this would make for any pre-teen or teen . . . they could even make this project themselves!  ~ Sharon

 
Maya Road Alterable Canvas Wristlet (3.5" x 4.5"),
Prima Canvas Embroidered Fabric Flowers,
Beacon Adhesives Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive,