the CLASSroom

Copic Poppies by Sharon Harnist

As this year comes to an end, I reflected upon some of my favorite techniques I tried over the year and wanted to try this one again: Copic Direct to Rubber Background <== Click to see another example of this technique).  While I did the original technique back in March using the Copic Airbrush System, it's just as easy to accomplish the same look with just the Copic markers!

I used Copic T7 to ink the entire rubber stamp. I like using the chisel end of the marker -- the broader surface covers the stamp a little quicker and is less likely to damage the brush tip.  You don't need to be concerned about the color looking a little streaky at this point -- this technique is very forgiving and how the stamp is colored won't matter in the end!  Be sure to also ink all of the flower details.

Then, fill a Mini Mister with Copic Colorless Blender Solution and spritz the stamp.  Hold the mister further away from the stamp, for a finer mist.  I sprayed closer to the stamp, to achieve this water drop effect.  If you look closely where I sprayed more solution in the center of the stamp, the effect is lighter because the Blender Solution diluted the color of the T7 more -- just like it would if you used the Blender marker over T7 marker colored directly on paper.

After spritzing with the Blender Solution, be prepared to stamp the image VERY QUICKLY, because the alcohol-based solution will evaporate and dry quickly!

Using the gray marker, I think this looks like the poppies are blooming in a snow storm and I love the dimensional effect!  Next, I colored the poppies with these Copic markers and Black Atyou Spica Glitter Pen:

I trimmed the image, leaving a white border and adhered it to a Memory Box Licorice Notecard.  The lovely sentiment is from Hero Arts' Poly Clear-Essential Messages.  It was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black onto more X-Press It Blender Card and the corners were rounded with the Corner Chomper. 

I love how this ended up looking a little like a colorized black and white photograph!  I hope you'll give this or YOUR favorite technique from this year a try over the last few days of the year! ~ Sharon

Stamps: Hero Arts Clings-Poppy Background & Poly Clear-Essential Messages,
Paper: Copic X-Press It Blending Card; Memory Box Licorice Notecards & Envelopes,
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black,
Copic Markers: R24, R29, R39, G24, G28, T7, Black Atyou Spica Glitter Pen; Copic Colorless Blender Solution, 
Accessories: Ranger Mini Mister, Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper, 
Other: Narrow red silk ribbon 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas
and
Happy Holidays 

from all of us here at Ellen Hutson LLC!

Natural Beauty Card by Julia Stainton

Nature and natural materials have been a big trend lately. The beauty of kraft and canvas, burlap and twine translate really well into paper crafting as well. You might think that this neutral palette could get boring quickly but they complement each other so beautifully I could create with them over and over.

Today's project combines many natural elements and tones for a card design that will work any time of the year. This card has a definite feminine feel to it but by removing the flower and doily, This card would work really well as a masculine design as well.

There are a few tricks to creating with a natural palette. The first is to add subtle interest with small patterns or text to add visual interest.

The base layer of the card is stamped tone on tone with a script stamp from Hero Arts. To add further subtle interest, I pulled out one of my favorite new products, the Mr. Huey's Calico White Color Mist by Studio Calico.

The other main element for making these very neutral palettes work it to add a lot of textures. The textures of canvas, burlap, cardboard and wood all work together well.

The corrugated cardboard layer is the main layer of my design that anchors all the other elements together. I've used some great corruaged Kraft paper from Ellen Hutson LLC to die cut this element from. I love this new paper as it die cuts so cleanly and while adding texture, it doesn't get too bulky to use. My favorite is the Kraft E-Flute Corrugated Stock for it's fineness.

A really fun way to add interest to a die cut shape is to add a doily. To do this, adhere the doily to your kraft cardstock before die cutting and then cut both layers together. I love this pretty look.

Here's a look at how everything is layered together.

To finish off, I added in my final embellishments. Dont' be afraid to add small touches of color, especially if they are colors you find in nature. The canvas flower is misted with some Glimmer Mist. I used one I had on hand but you can find another canvas flower in Ellen's shop here that will work in the same manner.

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom! I hope you've been inspired. I also want to take this time to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, the happiest of holidays and a wonderful year to come.

 

Supplies: DesignBlock Old Letter Writing Stamp by Hero Arts, Coffee Archival Ink by Ranger, twine, Mr. Huey's Calico White Color Mist by Studio Calico, Kraft Cardstock by Memory Box,  Kraft E-Flute Corrugated Stock, Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint, Frame Back Ornate #3 Bigz Die by Sizzix, ATC Burlap Mini Shapes, Birds Bigz Die by Sizzix, Assorted Doilies by Essentials by Ellen, Basic Grey Canvas Tags Kraft, Green Leaf Trinket pins by Maya Road, canvas flower, Electric Blue Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels

Hero Arts Preview Party Winners and Reminder

Oh goodness - I apologize for completely spacing out on the drawings for our Hero Arts goodies! Do you ever just simply forget that you need to do something? It scares me when this happens... makes me wonder what is happening to my mind!

A HUGE thanks to all who helped us spread the word about the new Hero Arts products! We appreciate that you are willing to share our business with others - if it weren't for you we wouldn't be here. We know that and we thank you so much for your support!

The winner of the $25 gift certificate is...

 

 

Congratulations and thank you Geri! Please email us at [email protected] and we will get you hooked up so that you can go shopping!

 

 

Karen and Lu C please email us at [email protected] with your snail mail address and we will get a new catalog sent out to each of you. We hope you enjoy the beautiful samples in these catalogs!

Now don't forget that you still have time to play along in our Hero Arts Take 'n Make challenges, cause if you are anything like me you may have forgotten - LOL! Here are the links to the three challenges that are open until January 15th:

• Hero Arts Wood Take 'n Make
• Hero Arts Cling Take 'n Make
• Hero Arts Clear Take 'n Make

I am happy to share that our furniture is now pushed back into place, but I still have not had the opportunity to put things away. Sometimes there are just more important things to do ;-D. This week I took the time to take my girls downtown Seattle to relive old memories and create some new ones. My now 17-yr-old daughter asked if we could ride the carousel and take Santa pictures. When they were little we always used to join their Dad for lunch and make an "event" of it. As they grew older we were met with frowns at the suggestion, so I can honestly tell you that I was absolutely thrilled to jump right in. It took a little more talking with the younger one to convince her that it didn't matter that they were no longer little :-D

I love these two so very much and am so very lucky to be their mom! On behalf of our family we would like to wish each of you the merriest of Christmases, and if you do not celebrate Christmas the happiest of holidays!

Easy Watercolor with Distress Inks by Julie Ebersole

I'll admit it:  I'm a sucker for a pretty flower.  Prolly cuz I can't keep real plants alive; I have more of a black thumb than a green one . . . *chuckle* So, I have to "garden" on paper. With rubbah. *wink*

I thought the Classic Tea Flower would look so pretty watercolored, so I inked up the stem and leaves with Crushed Olive Distress Ink, and the blossom itself with Barn Door Red and stamped it onto watercolor paper.  I'm really into red this year. No clue why.

Distress Inks react quite wonderfully to water, so all I had to do at this point, was take my water brush and gently/quickly watercolor different areas of the image--I don't get too carried away, and like to leave some of the detail intact; otherwise, I end up with a mondo blob of color and you wouldn't know it actually was a flower to begin with.  Hah!

I borrowed a butterfly from the Antique Flowers & Butterflies Set and stamped that with Adirondack Pitch Black, as I don't yet have the Distress pad in Soot . . . yet. *wink*

I also white embossed a small greeting from the All Occasion Messages Set onto black card stock--that set is so so handy! I love all the little words in it because they help me get a sentiment onto a card when I otherwise don't have room because I didn't think ahead all the way on a design. (sometimes, I get so caught up in the images, I forget to leave room/allow for a greeting on the front)  This set saves my bacon all the time!

I likey!!! It still has some vintage aura to it, but with a very clean translation.

Hope you enjoyed today's project!  I just adore watercolor, don't you?

•••••••••••••••••
SUPPLIES:
Stamps:  Hero Arts Classic Tea Flower ; Hero Arts/Sizzix Stamp & Diecut Set Antique Flowers & Butterflies ; Hero Arts All Occasion Messages Set
Inks:  Distress Ink Barn Door Red, Crushed Olive; Adirondack Pitch Black ; Versamark
Paper:  Watercolor Paper ; Black Card Stock ; American Crafts Cream Card stock from my stash (for the base)
Tools:  Waterbrush ; Heat Tool
Other:  White Embossing Powder ; 3D Foam Dot Adhesive

Feminine Twist Tag Bloopers

On the way to fun creations there are always a few bloopers (or maybe more than a few ;-D) that occur. Many items hit that circular file, otherwise known as the garbage, and others end up being quite spectacular. I hope you enjoy seeing some of the "experiments" that occured along the way to the final 12 Tags of Christmas series.

Colored Pencil and Picket Fence Distress Stain

You know you have a fun idea, you can hardly wait to share it... oops you stamped it all too low on the tag to make the balance work. So you start all over - hmm... what to do with the old tag? Well, I like to experiment because I'm simply curious. What would the colored image look like with Picket Fence Distress Stain over top as well as underneath? The answer is - quite soft and beautiful!

Lesson relearned from tag #2 - position your key elements before beginning. Yes, I already knew this lesson, but in my excitement... oh well - we now get to see what colored pencil looks like stained with Picket Fence ;-D

Testing 101

Use those little tidbits that are left over after diecutting to test with! When trying something new and different, rather than using the key elements, I like to use the tidbits to test my ideas.

When I know what is going to work the best, THEN I'm ready to roll on my key elements :-D What an amazing time saver AND good use of these tidbits!

Remember how Tim suggested a nice thick layer of Rock Candy Distress Crackle paint. Well... sitting in my studio all alone on a Sunday, waiting and waiting for it to dry... finally giving up and taking my Heat It tool and ever so gently trying to coax it along... What could have been a beautiful piece... not so much! ha, ha! Lesson learned - leave it alone - do NOT heat Rock Candy Distress Crackle paint!

Thank goodness for innovation. Yes, on Tag 4 I waited for a very long time before realizing I might be at the studio all night, and all the next day, waiting for my project to dry. So I started all over with a nice thinned out layer which ended up being spectacular!

Cracked Glass Technique

In the mean time I had PLENTY of time to experiment and started trying to think of other ways I could achieve a similar look. So I decided to try an old standby I learned years ago - Cracked Glass. Inking my ornament with Distress Embossing Ink and applying a layer of UTEE. Heat, reink and apply a second layer...

and finally a third layer. As you heat the last layer you can alter the texture of the finished project. As you can see at the bottom of this ornament the texture is glossy and smooth - this is the UTEE completely melted. Up in the right hand corner you can see the bumpy texture - if you start melting the UTEE and then move on to a new section you can achieve a completely different look. The choice is yours!

As you can see I went with the completely smooth look.

Allow the UTEE to cool completely and then gently bend your project, cracking the UTEE. You can apply another layer of ink over the surface. It will seep into the cracks and create an even more dramatic look. So many choices, so little time :-D

Colorizing Metal Foil

As you can tell I had a LOT of time on my hands, so I decided to experiment a little further with a look that I then altered for my Mexican Tin Ornament on Day 6. Using Snow Cap Alcohol Ink Mixative I covered the surface of my foiled and embossed ornament. (See Tag 4 to learn how to create this ornament)

Apply a layer of alcohol ink using an alcohol ink applicator. Allow to dry for a few seconds and then use a sanding tool to brush away the top surface of alcohol ink products, exposing the now brushed foil beneath.

Such a striking look and SO very easy to do!

More UTEE Shrink Plastic Embellishments

Shrink plastic also comes in white. Create your embellishment as shared in our Tag 11 post.

Pigment ink also works beautifully as a release when stamping into hot UTEE or hot glue. I inked my stamp using the gorgeous Delicata gold ink.

Remove embellishment from the melting pot and drag across your non-stick craft sheet, immediately stamping as shown above. Allow stamp to sit until UTEE cools slightly, about 3-5 seconds, and remove.

Once again use the hot edge of the melting pot to refine your embellishment.

If you ended up trying this technique and created some pieces that didn't quite cut the mustard, you can still salvage them with this technique.

Clean up the edges of your embellishment by cutting away or melting away the excess UTEE. Place into a clean melting pot project pan, or something similar.

Heat with your Heat It tool, softening the surface, and sprinkle on glass glitter. Allow to cool and then pick up and release excess glitter.

You will end up with a gorgeous, embellishment with glass glitter embedded into the UTEE.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my experiments and "recovery tactics" from this last set of tags. Yes, when trying new things there are going to be quite a few that are questionable :-D Wishing you a stress-free, productive and creative week ahead!

12 Tags Winners - Day 9, 10, 11 & 12

Is there such a thing as "catching up" at this time of year? ha, ha!

Today is the announcement of the last four winners of our Feminine Tags! Congratulations!!!

Day 9 Winner - Kristin!

 

 

Day 10 Winner - Angela Person!

 

 

Day 11 Winner - Debbi George!

 

Day 12 Winner - Barbara T!

 

 

Please contact us at [email protected] with your snail mail addresses so that we can get your new goodies sent out to you! Thank you to everyone for joining in the fun!!!

Be certain to scroll down through the posts below for our new Hero Arts preview party posts!

Take 'n Make with Hero Arts 2012 Debut Day 3 - Clear Stamps

Oh how I remember the day that Hero Arts accidentally sent me some of their clear stamps. I think that was all part of their grand scheme to hook me ;-D LOL! Well... they did. I am now a true convert and enjoy many aspects of the ClearDesign product line!

If you have not had the opportunity to do the Hero Arts Preview Party blog hop you have missed out - so many wonderful projects and this one created by Ms. Julie E, our very talented and oh so sweet and funny CLASSroom teacher, blows my socks off!

Following are three more projects designed by the talented Hero Arts designers. A huge thanks to the many wonderful ladies who help create these samples for us!

• Cleardesign: This is Big
• Soft Brown Shadow Ink
• Latte Chalk Ink
• Foliage Designer Paper
• Snow Layering Paper
• Sunshine Designer Paper
• Latte Notecards
• Blush Buttons
• Clear Gemstones
• Glossy Accents

 

• Cleardesign: All the Time
• Cleardesign: Right at Home
• Soft Yellow Shadow Ink
• Black Dye Ink, like Adirondack Pitch Black
• Snow Layering Paper
• Pool Layering Paper
• Sunshine Designer Paper
• Blush Designer Paper
• Daffodil Notecards
• Clear Gemstones

 

• Cleardesign: Cheer Up
• White Pigment Ink, like Adirondack Pigment Ink Pad in Snow White
• Latte Chalk Ink
• Soft Pool Shadow Ink
• Blush Designer Paper
• Pool Layering Paper
• Snow Layering Paper
• Kraft Notecards
• Accent Pearls, Medium
• Accent Pearls, Large

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Day three brings our last "Take 'n Make" Challenge - we hope that you will have some time during the holiday season to do a little creating. If not there will be time afterwards to join in the fun. So put your thinking caps on and start dreaming up what you will create to join in the fun! This prize package is valued at over $65!!!

 

• Cleardesign: Say It All
• Cleardesign: Wish Big
• Hero Hues Black Dye Ink
• Soft Pool Shadow Ink
• Soft Sand Shadow Ink
• Soft Brown Shadow Ink
• Snow Folded Cards
• Snow Envelopes
• Pool Designer Paper
• Art Flowers, White and Cream
• Cream Adhesive Lace
• Accent Pearls, Medium
• Accent Pearls, Large

Following are some simple instructions sharing how you can participate in the random drawing for our Hero Arts Clear Take 'n Make:

1. Create a project using a Hero Arts clear mounted stamp(s). You can use additional stamps of various assortment, but you must use at least one Hero Arts CLEAR mount stamp. Cards, scrapbook pages, home decor items, etc. - all types of projects are welcome.
2. So that you can begin creating pronto you do not need to use stamps from this release, but your project MUST include a Hero Arts clear mounted stamp. When taking a picture of your completed project simply place the stamp you have used alongside your project and snap your photo.
3. Share the project you create in one of the following locations - the Gallery, your blog, Hero's Flickr gallery, or Splitcoaststampers Gallery.
4. Please add the title Ellen Hutson LLC Hero Arts Clear Take 'n Make some place in your description - this will help us identify that it is for this challenge.
5. Once you have your project uploaded come back and share a link to your project at the end of this post using the InLinkz tool provided.
6. Please enter only new projects in this challenge. Take advantage of the extended time frame and enter as many different projects as you would like - but remember they must include a clear mount Hero Arts stamp.
7. Deadline for entering in our Clear Take 'n Make random drawing is January 15th, 2012 at 11:59pm.

Thank you for joining us again today here in the CLASSroom - don't forget to tell us your favorite new stamp set to be included in our random drawing and we hope you find time during this busy season and in the weeks ahead to join in today's challenge!

 

Take 'n Make with Hero Arts 2012 Debut Day 2 - Cling Stamps and Catalog Giveaway!

Some of my favorite stamps are the Hero Arts Cling stamps. I am a sucker for a red rubber stamp that is cling mounted because storage is much less of an issue and I can use the images for so many different techniques! As you probably have noticed I am a bit of a technique junkie and these are perfect for techniques!

We are excited to share our next challenge with you today - so be certain to read to the end of this post and when you have a moment to get crafty join in the fun!

Once again today we are sharing some of the beautiful projects created by the Hero Arts designers! I am happy to report that a cleaning company came in yesterday to work on the carpet, etc. and the fan was blowing all night long. I have to admit I have no idea how long one is supposed to let the carpet dry before putting furniture back on top of it, especially damp furniture. I think perhaps I should be moving the furniture around or maybe even try placing it on it's side to allow the bottom to dry better. I would love to hear the advice of anyone who has had to deal with a problem similar to ours!

• Newspaper House Cling Stamp
• Leaf & Floral Background Cling Stamp
•  Keep Calm Cling Stamp Greeting
• Soft Pool Shadow Ink
• Cup o’ Joe Mid-Tone Shadow Ink (coming soon)
• Mocha Laying Paper
• Snow Layering Paper
• Blush Designer Paper
• Carnation Notecards (reversed)
• Accent Pearls, Small
• Accent Pearls, Medium
• Heart Punch

 

 

• Keep Calm Cling Stamp Greeting
• Silhouette Vines Cling Stamp
• Snow Layering Paper
• Blush Designer Paper
• Cup o’ Joe Mid-Tone Shadow Ink (coming soon)
• Snow Notecards
• Accent Pearls, Large
• Accent Pearls, Small
• Accent Pearls, Medium
• Glossy Accents
• Butterfly Punch
• Circle Punch

 

 

• Very Special Cling Stamp Set
• Dot Flower Pattern Cling Stamp
• Soft Pool Shadow Ink
• Snow Layering Paper
• Blush Designer Paper
• Cup o’ Joe Mid-Tone Shadow Ink (coming soon)
• Mocha Notecards
• Glossy Accents
• Accent Pearls, Small
• Accent Pearls, Medium
• Butterfly Punch

You probably have noticed that there are some "coming soon" tags on the products shown above. We were so excited to discover that Hero Arts is coming out with a mid-tone range of inks, new cardstock colors, fabulous Pool embellishments and of course even more new stamps :-D

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We look forward to sharing the new Hero Arts catalog with 2 lucky readers of our blog!

To be eligible for this random drawing all you need to do is head over to our store, take a peek through the stamps shown here. In the comments section below tell us what your favorite image is and how you see using it, or why you like it. Do so before 11:59pm PST, December 15th to be included!

Now on to our second "Take 'n Make" Challenge! The goodies below are valued at over $60!

• Fancy Keys Cling Background
• Watch Gear Cling Stamp
• Keep Calm Cling Stamp
• Soft Sand Shadow Ink
• Hero Hues Dye Ink in Black
• Snow Folded Cards
• Snow Envelopes
• Snow Layering Paper
• Kraft Paper
• Sea Mixed Accents
• Earth Mixed Accents

Following are some simple instructions sharing how you can participate in the random drawing for our Hero Arts Cling Take 'n Make:

1. Create a project using a Hero Arts cling mounted stamp(s). You can use additional stamps of various assortment, but you must use at least one Hero Arts CLING mount stamp. Cards, scrapbook pages, home decor items, etc. - all types of projects are welcome.
2. So that you can begin creating pronto you do not need to use stamps from this release, but your project MUST include a Hero Arts cling mounted stamp. When taking a picture of your completed project simply place the stamp you have used alongside your project and snap your photo.
3. Share the project you create in one of the following locations - the Gallery, your blog, Hero's Flickr gallery, or Splitcoaststampers Gallery.
4. Please add the title Ellen Hutson LLC Hero Arts Cling Take 'n Make some place in your description - this will help us identify that it is for this challenge.
5. Once you have your project uploaded come back and share a link to your project at the end of this post using the InLinkz tool provided.
6. Please enter only new projects in this challenge. Take advantage of the extended time frame and enter as many different projects as you would like - but remember they must include a cling mount Hero Arts stamp.
7. Deadline for entering in our Cling Take 'n Make random drawing is January 15th, 2012 at 11:59pm.

Thank you for joining us again today here in the CLASSroom - don't forget to tell us your favorite new stamp set to be included in our random drawing and we hope you find time during this busy season and in the weeks ahead to join in today's challenge!

 

Share the News - Hero Arts Preview Party!

We are so excited to announce the arrival of the new Hero Arts preview products here at Ellen Hutson LLC and we need your help! If you love to shop with us and want to share the news with your friends and fan base we would greatly appreciate it!

We have created this special blinkie for this occasion. For those who take your time and "space" to help us, we would like to thank you by including you in a special random drawing for a $25 gift certificate to our store. If you are interested read on:

To install the Blinkie on Typepad:

• Create a new "Typelist"
• Make it "Notes"
• Copy and paste the following HTML code in the Notes area: <a href="http://www.ellenhutson.com/servlet/the-Hero-Arts-Preview-Party/Categories" target="blank"><img border="0" width="150"  src="http://ellenhutson.com/hero-2012-blog-blinkie.gif "></a>
• Activate your Typelist by clicking on "Publish" and then "Save Changes"

To install the Blinkie on Blogger:

• Go to your home page and choose "Layout"
• Click "Add a Page Element" in the Page Elements section
• Click HTML/Javascript
• Copy and paste the following HTML code into the "Content" box, and then click "Save": <a href="http://www.ellenhutson.com/servlet/the-Hero-Arts-Preview-Party/Categories" target="blank"><img border="0" width="150"  src="http://ellenhutson.com/hero-2012-blog-blinkie.gif "></a>

You should now see our Blinkie on your blog.

Once you have installed the blinkie head back here and leave a comment, including the link to your "spot." To be included in our random drawing on December 16th please put the blinkie up and add your comment before 11:59pm PST December 15th.

Be certain to come back to the CLASSroom over the next two days for more fun to come!

Take 'n Make with Hero Arts 2012 Debut - Wood Stamps

Sometimes life happens and "life" definitely has happened around here - LOL! The best laid plans of mice and men have gone by the wayside and we are now taking a whole new twist on our Hero preview.

I'm not certain if I have ever posted pictures of my studio, but this is what it looked like before yesterday afternoon's little flooding episode. Thank goodness for the lovely Alex carts on wheels! Those babies were rolled out of the studio faster than you could imagine. The end cabinets... not so much - LOL!

Everything had a home, even if it wasn't in it's home after the tag series.

Now our eating area is filled with furniture and haphazardly loaded boxes...

and stuff is a mess, with a capital M. I have NO clue where anything is because speed was of the essence in cleaning out the end cabinets and getting things out of the way of the water. Needless to say my heart goes out to those who have experienced REAL flooding because this is minor in comparison, but it certainly does throw a nice little wrench into my plans. So I thank you for your patience as I just go "with the flow," so to speak - ha, ha!

So here goes Plan B!

There is nothing more fun then a fun Make n' Take. Being an on-line store doing Make 'n Takes is really not an option. What we have for you instead is a "Take 'n Make" valued at over $40!

• Just Thinking of You
• Flower Border
• Colorbox Pumpkin Patch Chalk Queue
• Daffodil Folded Cards
• Daffodil Envelopes
• Kraft, Poppy and Snow layering paper pieces
• Art Flowers, White & Cream
• Accent Pearls, Light Yellow
• Mixed Accents, Earth
• Dots, Sunshine

Following are some simple instructions sharing how you can participate in the random drawing for our Hero Arts Wood Take 'n Make:

1. Create a project using a Hero Arts wood mounted stamp(s). Cards, scrapbook pages, home decor items, etc. - all types of projects are welcome.
2. So that you can begin creating pronto you do not need to use stamps from this release, but your project MUST include a Hero Arts wood mounted stamp. When taking a picture of your completed project simply place the stamp you have used alongside your project and snap your photo.
3. Share the project you create in one of the following locations - the Gallery, your blog, Hero's Flickr gallery, or Splitcoaststampers Gallery.
4. Please add the title Ellen Hutson LLC Hero Arts Wood Take 'n Make some place in your description - this will help us identify that it is for this challenge.
5. Once you have your project uploaded come back and share a link to your project at the end of this post using the InLinkz tool provided.
6. Please enter only new projects in this challenge. Take advantage of the extended time frame and enter as many different projects as you would like - but remember they must include a wood mount Hero Arts stamp.
7. Deadline for entering in our Wood Take 'n Make random drawing is January 15th, 2012 at 11:59pm.

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Now on to some fun projects! Over the course of the next three days we will be sharing the beautiful projects created by the Hero Arts team! With each set of new products - wood, cling, and clear - we were sent display boards. We will be sharing those photos with you today along with a complete list of products used to create each card.

• Classic Tea Flower
• Beautiful Birthday
• Black Dye Ink, like Adirondack Pitch Black
• Foliage Markers
• Accent Pearls
• Snow Layering Paper
• Pool Layering Paper
• Earth Designer Papers
• Watercolor Paint

• Zig Zag Cupcake
• Entitle Coupon (Coming Soon - this adorable stamp is on order, but was not a part of the Preview Party release)
• Punch Chalk Ink
• Black Dye Ink, like Adirondack Pitch Black
• Snow Layering Paper
• Pool Layering Paper
• Kraft Layering Paper
• Blush Designer Paper
• Pool Designer Paper
• Blush Mixed Buttons
• Diamond Stickles
• Glossy Accents

• Big Eyes Owl
• Need a Friend
• Black Dye Ink, like Adirondack Pitch Black
• Tea Dye Distress Ink
• Pool Designer Paper
• Snow Layering Paper
• Blush Buttons
• Blush Ribbons
• Glossy Accents
• Hero Hues Foliage Markers

Stay tuned for more fun coming your way shortly!

 

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 12 by Ellen

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house...

This is the theme of my last tag of the year. Day 12, Tag 12 - the end of our 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist for the year 2011. We hope you enjoyed the twists that we shared here in the CLASSroom this year. Yes, it is a labor of love that pushes us through each year. It is a "mission" each day just to get these completed in a manner that we hope inspires you.

Today it is my desire to share several more ways for you to use tissue paper in your projects, as well as share one more resist technique with you!

Don't you find these contemporary, yet rustic little dwellings, sitting in a snowbank with Santa flying overhead simply cute!

Adhering tissue paper to a surface can be done in ways atypical to the usual glues and adhesives. If you would like to add color to your project Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Line is the PERFECT way to add your tissue paper! First cut the dwellings from Craft-a-Board. Apply a layer of Studio Paint.

For variation and interest I added a second color in a streaky manner. You could stamp patterns or use stencils to add variation as well. I was trying to keep today's projects simple and colorful.

Immediately, while the paint is still wet, attach your tissue paper to your project by placing it on the painted surface and applying pressure evenly over the entire surface. Magically the color appears through the tissue paper in a wonderful muted way.

Aren't these just the sweetest mix of colors - right now I am picturing myself in a tranquil setting on the Italian coastline where their homes are so magically colored. How divine!

To add snow to the rooftops follow the same technique I showed a few days ago. Using Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint apply along the roofline and drag a piercing tool through the paint for a random appearance. Sprinkle silver and clear glass glitter (Twinklets Diamond Dust) into the wet paint. Allow to dry.

Streak Picket Fence Distress Stain randomly over a manila tag.

Add "icicles" to the manila tag surface by randomly streaking Rock Candy Distress Crackle paint on the surface. Apply enough so that you get random cracking. The more you apply, the larger the cracks, with thinner layers providing smaller cracks. Allow to dry.

This surface is absolutely fabulous and very "icy" looking, but I had more to show you ;-D

Using an ink blending tool, in a circular motion, add both Tumbled Glass and Stormy Sky distress ink at random to your surface.

Stamp snowflakes in both Stormy Sky and Tumbled Glass.

Make a corner of a soft towel or paper towel damp and wipe the excess ink from the surface where the Rock Candy Crackle paint is applied. Your snowflakes will start disappearing into the night sky.

To create your snowbank use a piece of tissue that has the tiny pinked edge formed by the cutting blade on the packaging on one side and a haphazardly torn edge on the other side. Crumple your tissue paper and then straighten back out. Apply Tumbled Glass distress stain in a random way and dry with a heat tool.

Cut a piece of manila cardstock to fit the width of the tag from the edges of the houses. Tear a random pattern in the top of this snowbank.

On the side opposite of the Distress Stained tissue paper, apply a layer of Gloss Multi-Medium.

Pleat, crumple, and mash the tissue paper to fit and adhere to the manila cardstock snowbank you created above.

Apply another layer of Gloss Multi-Medium to the surface by pouncing with a paintbrush. Sprinkle with both silver and clear glass glitter. Allow to dry.

I love having both 1/16" and 1/8" dimensional squares for adding depth to projects. When you need to layer items one on top of another you can achieve a "flat" look by combining the adhesive squares dependent upon where it is being attached to your project.

As you can see, one of the edges of my blue house is mounted on the tag and the other is mounted on top of the other dwelling. By placing the thicker dimensional on the side that is mounted directly to the tag it keeps my house level. Yes, the perfectionist in my is always coming out and I thought I would share this little trick with you in hopes that it will help other perfectionists out here in cyberville - LOL!

Tip: Create a more unifed balance by spacing these dwellings of different sizes and shapes in an assymetrical way. In other words, don't center the red house or it will not look right. It's all about breaking up your space into thirds and fifths - the Roman mean. Yep, that puts me right back in Italy and I'm going back to the Cinque Terre - ha, ha!

I needed to use my second set of hands, my self-closing tweezers, to knot my baker's twine and add the little jingle bell.

Since it is Christmas Eve I decided to add one simple "window" to my dwelling, but needed to alter the color ever so slightly to coordinate with the house on the left and Santa's face - Delicata Gold ink to the rescue!

One last parting shot of our last tag of the season. We hope that you have enjoyed your time here with us and with that we would like to close with... Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

stamps: Tim Holtz Winter Sketchbook 

ink: Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass and Stormy Sky, Distress Stain - Picket Fence and Tumbled Glass

paper: Manila Cardstock, Craft-a-board, Terminology Tissue Wrap

accessories: Studio Line - Dab of Yellow, Yellow Pastel, Modern Red, Dash of Red, Sky Blue, Landscape Green, Glossy Multi-Medium; Off White Twill, Silver Tinsel, Santa Christmas Ornament (these are absolutely darling and the size is perfect for crafting!), Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint, Silver Glitter Glass, Twinklets Diamond Dust, Bakers Twine, Jingle Bell, Game Pieces

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It's our last day of blog candy, but the party is far from over! Be certain to join us again tomorrow as we get our Hero Arts preview party started. Due to the "inconveniences" of today (yes, my studio is in complete disarray as the neighbors flooded toilet made an amazing mess in our office and warehouse - who would have thought a toilet contains that much water!) I am not certain when we will be able to get our first post up, but it is on to Plan B for the short term as I try to wade through this - ha, ha! Gotta laugh about it or I just might be sitting in a puddle crying - double ha, ha!

To be eligible for the random drawing of the goodies shown above please leave a comment here on this post by noon Pacific Time, Wednesday, December 14th. 

One last reminder that the goodies in the 12 Days Tag Time will be on sale until tomorrow morning at 9:00am, so if you have been inspired to try something new and different please head over to take advantage of the savings.

Thank you all once again for joining us here in the CLASSroom. We sincerely hope that we have brought a bright spot to your holiday season, that you have been inspired, and hopefully, have picked up a couple of new ideas to use in your creating!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 11 by Ellen

It was 10 years ago, when I attended my first rubberstamp convention here in Puyallup, WA, that Suze Weinberg was showing Melt Art. I dabbled with my Melting Pot since that time having loads of fun when I pull it out. It was so fun to see Tim playing with it today, showing how to create Shrink Art embellishments. We have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new rebranded product - I am hoping that Tim posting means that they will soon be on their way! 

I thought I would share a twist on the technique Tim shared with you today; one that brings in some of the other products you may have in your stash.

These irridescent beauties sing in real life - LOL! OK, so that's stretching it just a touch, but they certainly are stunning. I think they might make the cutest earrings, as well as tag embellishments.

For this particular project I used Black Shrink Plastic. You can find it in this Sample Pack. I hope in the days ahead to share several of the other techniques that I played with today while I had my Melting Pot ready for action. There are SO many possibilities!

I put about 2 oz of UTEE into my Melting Pot turning the heat to the UTEE setting. Put the lid on and leave it untouched until the UTEE is completely melted.

Do not be alarmed by the twisting and turning motion of the shrink plastic as you place it in the hot UTEE and it begins to melt.

Remember UTEE is HOT!!! So always be cautious while working. I always have my Kooltoolz handy along with my self-closing Teflon tweezers. The spoon shown above works great for flattening your shrink plastic into the UTEE and you do not need to worry about damaging it with the hot pot and UTEE.

Once my piece is flattened I like to move it towards the front end of the pot into a more shallow area of the liquid and then grab the end with my non-stick tweezers. The UTEE will build up on the non-stick tweezers, but it is easily removed!

Before removing the shrink plastic ornament from the UTEE ink your stamp with Perfect Medium. This will aid in easy release of the stamp from the UTEE and provide the perfect medium for adding Perfect Pearls.

I followed Tim's recommendation to pull the embellishment along my non-stick craft sheet before continuing. It worked like a charm (ha, ha - get it, "charm.") Immediately impress your stamp into the warm UTEE. Allow the stamp to sit for a couple of seconds and then remove. Magical texture!

Perfect Pearls over black is STUNNING! Use a soft brush to apply the powder and to remove the excess.

I wanted to test a clear stamp to see if it would work, because I wasn't certain how it would hold up. Once again I inked the stamp with Perfect Medium.

It was wonderful being able to see through the stamp to precisely place my image on the ornament.

Perfection! As you can see the detail in this stamp is super fine, whereas the red rubber stamp I selected had a bolder image. Exciting to know that both types of stamps work for this technique!

Once again you will see the pattern and texture emerge as you brush on the powder. Place the excess powder back into the container when you are finished.

As you can see I had little "nubbins" on the edges of my ornaments. Once the UTEE has cooled you need to be careful about removing the excess, so as to not crack your project.

I like to use the edge of my Melting Pot to finesse my UTEE pieces. Be super careful so that you don't put your fingers on the hot surface. I find it quite simple to hold the piece and use the heat to soften and melt those weird little pieces that jutt from the edges. It also helps to soften the UTEE slightly so that cutting with scissors and or just scraping with your fingernail works easily.

To create my tag background I use a very old resist technique. This is one of the very first techniques I learned as a stamper and I love it to this day. Glossy cardstock lends a contemporary feel to a project and I wanted that feel with these ornamental beauties.

Ink your background stamp with a watermark resist ink and stamp on white glossy cardstock. I like to place my tag atop the stamp as shown above and then use a piece of scratch paper over the top and apply pressure evenly over the surface. Glossy cardstock is slippery and this helps me keep from smudging it with excessive movement.

Lightly heat the surface of the tag and set the ink. Then apply dye ink to your brayer and roll it over the tag. It is like watching a ghost appear :-D So cool!

Add a second color for interest. In this case I elected to use two green dye inks that are fairly monochromatic.

After brayering on the second color use a soft paper towel or cloth to remove the excess ink.

I don't know how many of you like to work with wire, but it was so fun to use it on this project. I like using a heavier gauge wire, shaping as needed. THEN to add interest hammer the wire, flattening it. You will not be able to change the shape once you flatten the wire so be certain you have the desired shape before hammering. Hammered wire is so cool looking!

I hope you enjoy the contemporary twist that I took with today's tag - bold, yet simple and elegant at the same time.

stamps: Hero Arts Cling Dot Flower Pattern, Antique Sweet Threads Cling Stamp,

ink: Perfect Medium, Inkssentials Watermark Resist Pad, Adirondack Juniper Dye Ink Pad, Iced Spruce Distress Ink Pad

paper: Glossy Cardstock

accessories: Tim Holtz Ornaments 2, Vintage Lace and Tags & Bookplates Die, Assorted Polyshrink Sampler, Perfect Pearls Brush, Perfect Pearls - Sour Apple, Grape Fizz, Pink Gumball, 20-gauge wire, Inkssentials Metal Foil, Brayer, Clear UTEE, Melting Pot, Kooltoolz, Tweezer Bee, White Silk Ribbon

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Day 11 - it's hard to believe how quickly time passes! I have very much enjoyed reading your comments! Christmas Eve is typically spent together with my husband's family. I think it is their Welsh background that brings the tradition of making homemade beef and noodles each year. The noodles have to be hand-rolled and laid out on the counters to dry. It is quite the spectacle and oh, so delicious! I would love to hear what one of your favorite Christmas Eve traditions is. By leaving a comment (one comment per person please) below you will be eligible for the random drawing for the Mini Reindeer & 25 Die set and Shabby Accoutrements shown above. Please do so by noon on Tuesday, December 13.

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 10 by Ellen

Tim's technique of the day today is ubber fun to play with!

Yes, it truly does look like Vintage Mercury Glass when you add the Inkssentials Foil behind the transfer!!!

I began by applying packing tape to a beautiful Melissa Frances image. Be certain to burnish the tape to the image making certain there are no air bubbles. Then place the tape in bowl of warm water. To remove the paper gently rub between your fingers. I find that if I finish the image as I run water over it under the tape I am able to remove the final bits of paper easily. Work gently so that you do not scratch your image.

Partly remove the backing from a piece of Inkssentials Foil and carefully adhere your packing tape transfer. Make certain that the adhesive side of your packing tape is attached to the sticky side of the foil.

I would like to try this on a larger sized image and try diecutting a foil backed tranfer. It looks so cool just as it is!

To make a statement piece I used a Facet and yes, I applied WAY too much glossy accents - LOL! I have created these embellishments before where I did not apply enough glossy accents and ended up ruining the piece, so I have always been a little too generous with my glossy accents since that time. You will notice that I have also used Icicle Stickles around the rim. By adding the Stickles to the edges you get a little bit of glitter just around the edges of your image.

Place the fragment down on to the foil backed transfer and squeeze out any excess adhesive. Very careful wipe it away as you do so to avoid getting it on the face of your facet. Allow to dry and cut out around edge.

Diecut six wings from Craft-a-Board. Use the base of one wing and trace the edge to alter the length of a second set of wings. In hindsight I wished that I had run these through a textured embossing folder at this point. Perhaps tomorrow I will find the time to try this because when looking at the final photos it just isn't as pretty in the photo as in real life because I couldn't capture the variance in the sheen.

Spray with Biscotti Perfect Pearl mist.

Spray with Calico White mist and then spray with a little more Biscotti Perfect Pearl mist in some spots.

Use the gold paint dabber to "tip" the wings.

Apply some Ultimate Glue randomly to the edges of the wings and add glass glitter. Attach the wings by applying dimensional adhesive dots between layers.

This is one of my favorite "shabby" background techniques. Use a Snow Cap dabber to apply paint to a background stamp.

Allow to dry before proceeding.

Use an ink blending tool and in a swirling motion apply ink starting on non-stick craft sheet and swirling onto the tag. This is what really makes the white pop and colors it ever so slightly at the same time.

Add some tulle and pleated satin trim to the base of the tag.

Lightly sand the Antique Brass reinforcer before applying.

What says Christmas more than Baby Jesus in the Manger surrounded by angels? So soft, pretty and angelic.

stamps: Hero Arts Cling Classic Fabric Design

ink: Distress Ink - Bundled Sage and Iced Spruce

paper: Manila Cardstock, Melissa Frances Deck the Halls, Craft-a-Board

accessories: Angel Wings Die, Tim Holtz Tags & Bookplates Die, Facet, Inkssentials Metal Foil, Packing Tape, Glossy Accents, Icicle Stickles, Snow Cap and Gold Paint Dabber, Melissa Frances Gold Glass Glitter, Maya Road Tulle and Pleated Satin Trim, White Studio Calico Spray, Biscotti Perfect Pearls Mist, 7 Gyspies Reinforcer, Silk Ribbon

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I loved hearing what your favorite holiday movies are so much that I decided this time round I'd like to hear what your favorite holiday treat is? It can be food related or simply something you do for yourself during the holiday season that makes it special. Leave your comment on this post and it will automatically enter you in the random drawing for the Distressed Doily die and Calico Shine spray shown above. Do so before noon on Monday to be eligible. Wishing you a lovely before holiday weekend and hoping that you are able to check off items on your to do list :-D

More Winners - Day 7 and Day 8

Thank you to all for coming and visiting us during our 12 Tags series - I absolutely love seeing what the girls create!!! They are all so talented!

Following are our winners for days 7 and 8 - Congratulations ladies!!!

Day 7 Winner

 

Day 8 Winner

 

Pat B and Mary Mac please contact us at [email protected] with your snail mail address! Again congratulations and to everyone else we still have 4 days of goodies to go - good luck everyone! 

12 Tags of Christmas With a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 9 by Becky Olsen

Hi CLASSroom visitors!! So fun to be back sharing a post as a guest with all of you, many thanks to Ellen for graciously sharing this opportunity with me! I loved creating the tags in years past and can't wait to share my twist on the tag today!

It is frothy, sweet and makes me giddy to look at! I am hoping you are as excited as I am as I share the steps on how to create your own version :o)

Okay so the first disclaimer is that I don't own any of the fun goodies that Tim played with, so in the spirit of making do with what you have, we are going to start by making our own stamp!

Use the Movers and Shapers small snowflakes and die cut them out of foam that already has adhesive on n the back. Apply to Crystal Clear Plastic and you have made your own stamp.

Use Spun Sugar Distress Ink and stamp one of the snowflakes randomly on a #8 Manila tag. (The tags I used are American Tag white, they are no longer being carried by Ellen, but the manila will be beautiful as well.) 

To my clear embossing powder I sprinkled in a little Holographic embossing powder to kick the up the girly factor another notch.

Apply this fun concoction over the snowflakes and gently tap to remove excess and then melt with a Heat-It tool.

Next stamp the other snowflake with clear embossing ink and then sprinkle and melt embossing powder.

Apply Shabby Shutters Distress ink with the foam applicator, lightly in some places and a little more in others. Sprinkle with the embossing mixture and melt.

After you have done that, apply a layer of Tea Dye Distress ink to age it and give it a warm glow.

Now that we have the base of the tag done, let's make the icing for this cake!

Die cut a deer from Craft-a-Board and spritz with Cappuccino Perfect Pearl Mist.

When it is done drying (or you have rushed the process a little with the Heat-It tool), apply Frayed Burlap Distress ink over the whole deer and then if you want, spritz again. (It didn't need it, but I did and it gave it just a little extra glimmer)

Now we can set that aside to dry while we do a little die cutting and sanding, and when I say a little, I actually mean a lot :o)

Start by cutting 2" strips from Core'dinations Adirondack stack in varying shades of green. I didn't end up using the red so you could skip it if you wish. I also die cut tags using the banner die cut strip and lacy edge die cut strip. 

Stamp the banner using Graphic 45's 'Tis the Season sentiment in Black Soot Distress ink.

Spinkle with embossing concoction and melt with Heat-It.

Apply Old Paper and Tea Dye Distess ink to the banner piece and then curl and bend to get dimension. Set aside until we are ready to add during final assebly.

Apply Spun Sugar Distress ink to the more pointed edge, sprinkle with embossing powder mix and melt.

Apply clear Distress Embossing ink to the more rounded edge, sprinkle with embossing powder mix and melt.

Set both of those aside and then start sanding that card stock. I didn't want to ruin my non stick mat so I used an old school folder that can take the punishment alot better than the desk top or piece of regular paper can.

When you have sanded the paper, take it out of the strip and start assembling the wreath for the deer's neck. Layer a few of the greens together and then adhere to the deer. (worst pic of the day sorry!)

After you have that done, start assembling the greenery/wreath at the top of the tag. Adhere pieces and colors in layers to really accentuate the beautiful shapes.

I then adhered the rows of lace edging to the bottom with double sided tape, colored a pearl bauble with my Copic RV23 and tied it with a piece of May Arts 1/4" silk ribbon in white. Adhered the bow and bauble to the center of the greenery on the deer and then adhered the deer to the tag.

Finish by adhering the banner over the greenery and of course it must be tied up with a big bow from May Arts pink silk ribbon.

This is where it is time to stand back and admire your handiwork, or go to the dentist to check for cavities because it is so sweet!!

Thanks so much for sharing some time with me in the CLASSroom, and I hope you have found some inspiration!

Merry Christmas Friends!!

B-

Supplies Used:

Inkssentials Manila Tag #8, Crystal Clear Plastic, Movers and Shapers Tray, Movers and Shapers Mini Snowflakes, Reindeer Flight Bigz Die, Festive Greenery Sizzlets Decorative Die Strip, Tattered Banner Sizzlets Decorative Die Strip, Vintage Lace Sizzlets Decorative Die Strip, Distress Embossing Ink, Frayed Burlap Distress Ink,  Old Paper Distress Ink, Black Soot Distress Ink, Shabby Shutters Distress Ink, Spun Sugar Distress Ink, Tea Dye Distress Ink, Superfine Clear Embossing Powder, Holographic Embossing Powder, Perfect Pearls Mists Cappuccino, Graphic 45 Christmas Emporium Cling Stamp 3, Craft-a-Board, 1 1/4" Pink Silk ribbon, 1/4" White Silk ribbon, 1/8" Double Sided Adhesive Tape, Baubles, Copic RV23, Core'dinations Adirondack Collection.

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We are SO thrilled to have Becky joining us again this holiday season to share her feminine twisted tag. She has absolutely rocked these tags the past two years! To have her back is such a privilege - please share in our excitement by leaving her a comment on this post!!! Your comment will automatically enter you in our random drawing for the goodies shown above! You have until noon on Sunday to share your thoughts with Becky!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 8 by Ellen

Steampunk - oh dear, not something I'm particularly good at - LOL! A couple of things popped into my mind this morning when I first saw Tim's tag and I ended up going with the first idea because, well... it's just simply ca-ute! Having just seen the fabulous street scene in the October Afternoon Holiday Style collection the idea of using a gear as a wreath on a lamp post was the first idea.

OK, so it's not very Steampunk, but - it's cute! AND I used a couple of awesome techniques to get to my finished project that I'm going to share with you today, so... here goes.

How to achieve the look of a street post? I began by cutting a strip of Manila cardstock wide enough to cut out the Holiday Lamp Post. Using the direct-to-paper technique, apply the Iced Spruce directly to the surface of the manila cardstock.

Cover the tag with clear embossing powder and remove the excess. Now typically you do not want to flick your paper after applying the embossing powder, BUT today I want you to try holding it over a garbage can and using your fingernail to give the back side a VERY firm "flick" or two. This will remove some of the embossing powder.

When heated it will give you this fabulous "orange peel" like texture. Be certain to double click on the pictures to enlarge them so you can really see the details.

Run this through your diecut machine leaving the pieces intact as Tim showed in an earlier tag post and as shown above. Use Black Soot Distress ink and your ink blending tool to age the lamp post.

Wipe the excess ink off the surface with a paper towel. The resulting finish really reminds me of the finish on an old lamp post!

Remember how on my day one post I wanted to try "colorizing" my lightbulbs. Well, today was the day. I wrapped tissue tape around the base to help avoid getting alcohol ink on the silver base and simpy added a drop or two of alcohol ink directly from my Various Ink refill to the bulb surface. If you get alcohol ink on the silver base simply use a small corner of a paper towel with a little blending solution on it to remove the excess.

Insert a piece of wire and curl it. Now don't you think these would make THE cutest holiday earrings or necklace?!?

The foil is an extra from my project on day one as well. It was cut using the Vintage Lace die and Metal Foil attached to Solar White cardstock. By attaching the foil to the cardstock it made it a lot more durable. It was still too bright a silver color even after a light sanding and so I used W4 Various Ink Refill to "dirty" it slightly to blend better with the Gear Wreath.

When turned upside down this trim felt like little snow drifts and so I went with that idea and added a little Picket Fence Distress Crackle paint to the top edge. While still wet sprinkle Twinklets Diamond Dust, a fabulous glass glitter, on to the wet paint. It will stay embedded after the paint dries and cracks. It really looks SO cool! 

A little "snow" was added to the other embellishments as well. Allow the pieces to dry and then proceed.

A little red velvet ribbon, silver tinsel, a couple of holly berries on your wreath (Berry Pearls) and some glass (Fantasy Film) in your lamp post and your sweet scene is complete.

So, there you have Ellen's version of Steampunk - pretty lame, I'll admit it - LOL!

But hey - it was a really cool technique I happened upon for the lamp post and you just have to love the snow ;-D Julia E. here at work said, "If you entertain yourself, you're half way there on entertaining everyone else!" We're quite the bunch aren't we?!?

ink: Distress Ink Pads - Iced Spruce (Winter Limited Edition Color) and Black Soot; Copic Various Ink Refill - R59, W4

paper: Neenah Natural White, October Afternoon Holiday Style 8x8 Pad, Hero Arts Pine Layering Paper

accessories: Tim Holtz Vintage Lace, Holiday Lamppost and Tag & Bookplates Dies, Sprocket Gears, Light Bulbs, Metal Foil, Clear Embossing Powder, Berry Pearls, Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint, 20-Gauge Wire, Dandelion Fantasy Film, Red Velvet Ribbon, Silver Tinsel

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The other idea was by far more hysterical and definitely way more Steampunk, but I just couldn't get the cute factor of the new Holiday Style collection from October Afternoon out of my mind. I have to share the idea for all those of you who are truly diehard Steampunk fans because I think you will get a kick out of it.

I LOVE The Christmas Story movie --- one just cannot forget the Leg Lamp! In the Steampunk Debutante collection there is the image shown to the left. Wouldn't this just make THE most hysterical Christmas tag ever if you turned it into a Leg Lamp?!!

Someone just has to do it and when you do we would LOVE to see it, so be certain to let us know! 

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Do you have a favorite holiday movie? If so, what is it and does it inspire your creativity? By leaving a comment below you will be eligible for today's random drawing for the fabulous Vintage Lace die, Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint and Light Bulbs shown above. You have until noon Saturday, December 10th to share your thoughts about my tag or movie below (one comment per person please.) We hope to have brought a smile to your face today - thank you for once again stopping in here in the CLASSroom!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 7 by Julia Stainton

I've always believed the saying that inspiration breeds more inspiration. I love being inspired by other crafters and for today's tag, number 7 in our 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist, is definitely inspired by Tim's tag. I hope you enjoy this version that takes some of the techniques and elements and makes them work for my style and what I have on hand.

 

The other night I was watching a Christmas special and the set was beautiful white, silver and a hint of blue. I decided I just had to create a project using that color scheme so that is what I went with today. Here's what I did...

First of all I was inspired to use Kraft Glassine but I didn't have any on hand. What I did have though was a Kraft Glassine Envelope and as it is fairly close to a tag in size and shape, decided to make it into my tag base for my project. I started off by crumpling it up for some texture.

I don't have any alcohol inks on hand so I decided to play around with my kraft glassine envelope and see how it would take white paints and inks. I love how this really lightened the glassine kraft color.

To get my finished look I first rubbed in Picket Fence Distress Stain onto the envelope/tag and then heat set it. I wanted a snowy look so I then misted it with Calico White mist and then heat set again. Lastly I stamped the tag with snowflakes in white pigment ink and then heat set it.

Next I moved onto my snowflake accent. I die cut it with my Big Shot from Craft-a-Board and then painted it with Brushed Pewter Distress Crackle Paint. This step takes the longest to dry. I admit I was a bit impatient and this photo is before it was totally dry and cracked.

Altering embellishments with Alcohol Inks was an idea that intrigued me but again, I didn't have any. Copic Ink Refills to the rescue! You can use them the same way. I squirted some into a bag and then colored the pearl tips of my trinket pins. For all of you who support Ellen's Store, you'll know that she ships many of her liquid products in small plastic zip bags. Save them as they are perfect for this purpose!

My little tag was created by pressing some Distress Stain onto my Craft Mat and then swiping the paper across it.

It may be difficult to see in the picture but the flower is accented with dabs of Diamond Stickles for an icy look.

Finally here's a top view of how it all goes together.

I hope this tag inspires you and gets you into a frosty holiday mood

Supplies: Tim Holtz Kraft Glassine Envelope, Snowcap White Pigment Ink by Ranger, Mr. Huey's Calico White Color Mist by Studio Calico, Picket Fence Distress Stain and Tumbled Glass Distress Stain by Ranger, Tim Holtz Grunge Flakes stamp set and Tim Holtz Odds and Ends stamp set by Stampers Anonymous, heat gun, Snowflake Die by Sizzix, Wedding Shoes Flower by Prima Marketing, Diamond Stickles by Ranger, Tinsel Trim by Webster's Pages, Brushed Pewter Distress Crackle Paint by Ranger, Pearl Trinket Pins by Maya Road, twine, Hinge Clip by Advantus, Small Doilies by Essentials by Ellen, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink by Ranger, B00 Frost Blue Copic Refill

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Oh how I love a pretty tag - and Julia S never fails to create beautiful projects with loads of depth. I love how she was able to alter the Kraft Glassine using a completely different method! Please she your love with her this holiday season - by leaving a comment on this post you will be eligible for the random drawing of the stamp set, Kraft Glassine envelopes and Calico White spray above! Please leave your message no later than noon on Friday, December 9th to be included in our random drawing.

Day 4 and Day 5 Tag Gift Winners

We really appreciate that you take time to leave comments for each of the designers as they share their projects here in the CLASSroom!

Day 4 Winner

Day 5 Winner

 

Congratulations Phyllis B and conil!!! Please contact us at [email protected] with your snail mail address. Stay tuned for Julia's beautiful Day 7 tag in just moments!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 6 by Ellen

Inspiration comes in interesting ways! It always amazes me how memories in the recesses of one's mind come to the forefront when creating. When I first peeked at Tim's tag this morning I paused - I knew that it reminded me of something, but I could not put my finger on it. Christopher Radko makes some of the most beautiful glass ornaments and the bright colors just struck a cord in my mind, but that wasn't it. It was when one of our sweet customers stopped in, exclaiming that it looked like a Mexican ornament, that it truly dawned on me what memory was trying to find its way to the surface.

(remember to double click on the photos if you want to see them in more detail)

It was a trip to Old Town San Diego when my girls were little! We purchased two very sweet little Mexican Tin Ornaments for our Christmas tree. I always like to purchase a Christmas ornament when we take a trip, so that when we decorate our tree each year it brings back fond memories of time spent with my family. Well guess what... we haven't had the time to decorate our tree yet this year and my mind was blanking... and yet the idea was still there!

Are you tired of me using the Inkssentials Metal Foil yet? LOL! When Tim used it today I knew that I wanted to try another idea I had discovered and will be sharing that "blooper" discovery with you after the tags are completed. Today's creation pushes that blooper a step further!

Adhere a piece of Metal Foil to the Craft-a-board (picture showing this is on Day 4 Tag.)

Place in embossing folder making certain that the debossed area is pushing down into the metal foil.

This particular embossing folder is exquisite! I love the textural difference of the metal foil where it is untouched vs. embossed!

Now being the complete tease that I am, I wanted to post the picture above and say - here is the completed Day 6 tag. I LOVE how simple and beautiful it is!!! You could crank out a TON of these!! But, I had an idea and I carried on :-D

Apply Snow Cap Alcohol Ink Mixative to the felt applicator and dab the entire tag with it.

Then, one drop at a time, use Various Refills (which are alcohol inks) to color in the debossed areas. I used a fine tipped old paintbrush to paint in the color. It is not critical that you stay within the lines, but working in a "neat" manner will make it easier in the long run.

As you can see the color flows fairly well within those debossed areas.

Apply all colors before moving on. I like working on my non-stick craft sheet. Cleanup is super easy - to clean your paintbrush put a small amount of alcohol ink blending solution or rubbing alcohol into a tiny container and swish the brush clean between colors. Then use the solution to clean up any mess on your non-stick craft sheet when your project is complete.

Alcohol ink dries quickly! It still may feel a little tacky, but you can proceed. Put your project on a piece of scrap paper (don't sand directly on your non-stick craft sheet or you may destroy it) and sand the top surface of the tag. Using a corner of the small Lucky Squirrel sander you can also rough up the painted interior of the flowers if desired. It is so fun to see the satiny foil appear through the white mixative!

Use a soft cloth to remove dust from sanding.

I love that the Webster's Pages trims are mounted on a clear backing. This allows you to easily see what your project will look like if you apply these fun jewels. Add additional bling to the flower centers.

I hope you like today's interpretation of Tim's tag and for those of you who love simplicity and are way behind, just stop at step 1! So simple and gorgeous, or detailed and colorful - you pick!

ink: Snow Cap Alcohol Ink Mixative, Various Ink Refills - R29, YG67, Y17, V17, Colorless Blender Solution

paper: Craft-a-Board

accessories: Tim Holtz Tags & Bookplates Die, Sizzix Basic Grey Winter Botanicals Embossing Folder, Inkssentials Metal Foil, Sanding Block - Tim's and Lucky Squirrel, Alcohol Ink Applicator, Webster's Pages Botanical Christmas Dazzle Me strip, Yellow Gemstones Large and Small, Violet Silk Ribbon, Red Tassle

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What is the favorite new tool/product that you have tried recently? By sharing your comment below you will automatically be entered in our random drawing for the goodies shown above. Be certain to leave your comment before noon on Thursday, December 8th to be included. Thank you for once again joining us as we celebrate creativity at this festive time of year!

Tag 2 and Tag 3 Winners!

Yeah!!! We are thrilled that you are enjoying our "twisted" tags here in the CLASSroom! Be certain to scroll down for Julie E's tag today. I am in love with the clean and simple version she created - VERY doable!!!

Now for our winners of the last two days of fun goodies!!!

Day 2 Winner

 

Regina aka Mrs. Ham you are the winner of the Picket Fence Stain and the fab and very retro style Christmas Memories stamp set! Please email us at [email protected] with your snail mail address :-D

Day 3 Winner

 

 

Connie Pruitt we are excited to share with you that you are the winner of the gorgeous Festive Greenery and the other fun goodies on Sharon's Day 3 post! If you could also please contact us at [email protected] with your snail mail address we will send these new toys off to you :-D

Don't forget to scroll down and leave a comment for Julie on Day 5 and for me too on Day 4 because there are more goodies awaiting someone who takes the time to leave some love here on our blog ;-D

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 5 by Julie Ebersole

OK, I gotta admit to being somewhat intimidated by the challenge set before us--I'm pretty much a clean & simple girl, so I had to peek between my fingers to see what Tim's tag would look like today.

My tag is probably worlds apart, but, here goes:

Got out my trusty Crop-a-Dile Chomper with the Angle Corner to make my own clear/acetate tag and one to match from some patterned paper in the MME Rosy Collection (not a Xmas themed pad of paper, but the colors work beautifully!)

Used the Memory Box Lavier Die to cut a wreath shape from Parsley Card Stock.

Made a "reinforcer" from a scrap of red card stock I had laying around, using my 1/4" circle punch and my 1/2" circle punch. Ran that down the shoot of my little Xyron X machine, and secured it to the clear tag.

Applied some Ranger Glossy Accents to a scrap of some paper from that same MME Rosy pad, applied a clear button, let it dry, trimmed it out and threaded it with some slate baker's twine.

In lieu of the pearls Tim used, I decided to stamp some pretty snowflakes with Palette New Canvas Ink and heat set them, then attach the wreath and button with Glue Dots.

Layered the two tags together and tied them with some white seam binding ribbon from my stash.

I love my tag!

Sometimes, inspiration takes you down a completely different path. And, ya' know what?  It's all GOOD.

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

Stamps: (Snowflakes) from Hero Arts Cleardesign Let's Get Merry and Decorate Your Holidays Stamp Sets
Ink: Palette New Canvas
Paper: My Mind's Eye 6x6" Rosy Paper Pad; Memory Box Parsley Card Stock; Red scrap
Tools:  Corner Chomper (Angle); 1/4" Circle Punch; 1/2" Circle Punch; Xyron X Sticker Machine; Big shot Die Cutting Machine; Memory Box Lavier Die
Embellishments: Hero Arts Clear Buttons; White Rayon Seam Binding Ribbon, 5/8"; Slate Twine; Ranger Glossy Accents
Other:  Crystal Clear Crafting Plastic; Glue Dots

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Oh how fun it is to see the beautiful tags created by my wonderful colleagues! Please leave some love below (make certain you do it on this post and not the post that announces our previous winners) for Julie! By doing so you will be included in the random drawing for this fun stamp set. I love the versatility of the Mini Holiday stamp sets! Be certain to add your comment before noon on Wednesday, December 7th to be included :-D Wishing you a happy, creative and productive week ahead!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 4 by Ellen

Welcome to Day 4! The inspiration I took from Tim's tag today was the beautiful cracked detail! The first thing that popped into my mind was the beautiful old glass vintage ornaments that I have seen in photos and so I decided I would try and play with that idea.

I am going to apologize right now for the quality of my photos and promise I will try to take some better pictures during the daylight hours tomorrow. I'm not certain what I did, but the white balance on my camera was definitely not accurate and combine that with the sparkle and sheen... well the quality of my photos tonight is definitely off. I considered going back down to work to reshoot them, but admitedly I'm just too tired - so I decided to share them as is and try to get better photos tomorrow.

OK - so this is a new day and a new photo. The color is much more accurate in this photo, but now you can't see the pretty sparkle - LOL! Oh well, it's all good because I know that you all have wonderful imaginations :-D

To begin adhere the Inkssentials Metal Foil to Craft-a-Board. Craft-a-Board is a product that works BEAUTIFULLY with embossing folders and diecuts. It adds stability to your projects and yet allows all the detail to show.

Use Carved Ornaments #2 to cut out the ornament shapes.

The detail of this embossing folder also reminds me of the patterning I have seen on vintage ornaments. Align the ornament within the folder using a small piece of tissue tape to hold it in position. Run it through your diecut and embossing machine.

Use the alcohol ink applicator and YG63 Various Ink refill to colorize the metal foil. Drip several drops of Various Ink onto the felt pad and dab on the ornament surface.

Lightly sand the raised surface of the ornament. It is incredible how gorgeous the detail looks when the burnished satiny silver appears above the light green.

Apply a light layer of Rock Candy Crackle paint to the surface. Using the Ranger scraper remove the excess Rock Candy by dragging the scraper across the surface. You could also use an old credit card or Starbucks card to achieve the same result.

By removing the excess Rock Candy it exposes the satiny silver finish better and the thinner layer of Rock Candy will crack into the most beautiful fine scale which works perfectly with this embossed pattern. It truly does look like an old vintage ornament.

Add a little extra Rock Candy Crackle paint to the top edge of the ornament and the very bottom. Sprinkle Vintage Glitter Glass on these areas. Allow to dry. Rock Candy Crackle paint takes a LONG time to dry - LOL! This is experiment #4 I believe - when we have completed the 12 days series I hope to do a "bloopers" post. I think you will be highly amused and begin to understand why these posts go up so late each night ;-D

I tried so hard to get a picture that captures the gorgeous cracked detail, but argh - my pictures just are not good today - hopefully you can envision the absolute beauty in this little decoration.

Using the technique that Tim shared today I swiped Picket Fence and Bundled Sage Distress stains on my non-stick craft sheet. Spritz your tag with water and then pull it through the inks on the craft sheet.

When creating my tag base I decided to experiment with the combination of Picket Fence and Bundled Sage. I was curious if there would be a difference between the tags if I added Picket Fence or left it out. I was quite surprised that there was a subtle difference between the two tags. Can you guess which one has the Picket Fence stain added?

It's the tag on the left - the Picket Fence seemed to give a more subtle, "grainy" appearance. It is so fun to compare! I'm certain if you were using a darker stain color that it would be even more defined.

Ink the snowflake stamps with Bundled Sage Distress Stain and randomly stamp the tag background. The difference when stamping using an image inked with Distress Stain vs. an ink pad is quite noticable. Distress Stain will give you a looser, more watercolor like look (shown on the left), whereas your stamp pad will define the image clearly (shown on the right).

Cut the evergreen foliage using the Tattered Pine Cones die from excess plastic packaging. It is fun to know that there is a recyclable use for the packaging from the dies. If you do not have any Clearly for Art works in a very similar manner.

Use Snow Cap and Silver Metallic dabbers to ink the foliage. Then lightly heat the plastic and shape. You need to work quickly as the plastic cools it hardens into whatever form you have created. Good news is that you can always reheat and reshape.

One last parting shot that also has really bad coloring - LOL! Be certain to double click on the photo and it will pop bigger so that you can see the cracked detail. Please use your imagination to input the color above to coordinate perfectly with Bundled Sage, then add an incredible sparkle and a silvery satin quality and you've got it :-D Sorry for the bad photos but I do hope that this inspires you to try playing with these fun techniques!

stamps: Winter Sketchbook

ink: YG63 Various Ink Refill, Picket Fence and Bundled Sage Distress Stain

paper: Neenah Solar White, Craft-a-Board

accessories: Tim Holtz Tags & Bookplates, Carved Ornaments #2 and Tattered Pine Cones Dies, Lifestyle Crafts Whimsy Embossing Folder, Inkssentials Metal Foil, Alcohol Ink Applicator, Melissa Frances Pale Green Glass Glitter, Rock Candy Crackle Paint, Webster's Pages Vintage Netting, Vintage Satin and Lace, Lavish Trimmings, Snow Cap and Silver Metallic Dabbers, Sanding Block, Baubles

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I love dies - there are SO many to pick from! Tell me which dies you currently use frequently - by doing so you will automatically be entered in our random drawing for the Carved Ornaments #2 Dies shown above. You have until Tuesday, December 6th noon Pacific Time (one comment per person please) to share your comment.  We look forward to hearing from you!    

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 3 by Sharon Harnist

Hello, it's Sharon here today -- I'm thrilled to participate in Ellen's 12 Tags of Christmas with a feminine twist!  (With just a *tiny bit* of panic, not knowing what Tim would create today and worried if I would have suitable products on hand, LOL!)

For his tag technique today, Tim used Cut-N-Dry Stamp Pad Felt and Distress Dye Reinkers to create a custom multi-colored stamp pad. A pretty cool and a great time-saver if you plan on doing a lot of projects with that stamp and want a multi-colored image with just one stamping -- great for big projects like holiday cards or tags.  Unfortunately, I didn't have any of the stamp pad felt on hand to try this out, so I improvised!

I decided to use Memento dye-based markers to ink up my beautiful Tim Holtz Santa's Wish stamp: 

(Note: My stamp is several years old and was wood mounted then. But the Santa image is exactly the same in this pretty updated cling-mounted set.)

After coloring the rubber stamp with the markers, lightly mist it with water -- this will reactivate the marker ink that may have already dried on the stamp; then stamp onto a #8 Manila Tag. You don't want too much water or the marker ink will run together, but not enough water might leave some areas that won't stamp out nicely . . . it's a fine line and might take a little practice!

I filled in the top of the tag with this pretty swirl Lockhart Millinery Vine Embellishment, stamped in Antique Linen Distress Ink. Next, I distressed the edges of my tag with Tim's Paper Distresser and then inked the edges and top of the tag with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink.

I don't have the gorgeous Festive Greenery die that Tim used on his tag today (and Ellen is giving it away to a lucky winner on this blog post!), so my feminine twist to this tag was to use what I did have on hand -- Tim's Tattered Florals and Tattered Leaves dies:

When die cut out of the right colors (Memory Box Cranberry & Dill cardstock) and stacked together, one of the flowers looks like a poinsettia! To add some texture to the leaf die cut, I folded the leaf and sanded the crease, then inked the crease with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink.

To finish my tag, I used a combination of Antique Linen Distress Reinker mixed with Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls and a little bit of water in a Mini Mister. This really gives everything on the tag a lovely golden holiday glow and a little bit of a tea stained look! (Hopefully you can see the lovely sparkle better by clicking on the photo above for a larger view). Alternately, Ellen carries Ranger's Perfect Pearls Mists (where the pearls are already mixed up for you in a spray bottle) and Heirloom Gold would be a close alternative.

A jingle bell, tied with pretty gold cord, adorns the center of the poinsettia and red crystal gemstones accent the holly in Santa's hat:

Pretty green Prima lace is held onto the bottom of the tag with Tim's Tiny Attacher, for more of a feminine twist!  I hope you enjoyed today's tag -- I certainly had fun creating it!  ~ Sharon

Stamps: Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz Santa's Wish; Lockhart Millinery Vine Embellishment; 
Paper: Ranger Inkssentials #8 Manila Tag; Memory Box Cardstock-Cranberry & Dill;
Ink: Memento Markers-Rich Cocoa, Bamboo Leaves, Rhubarb Stalk; Antique Linen & Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks; Distress Ink Reinker-Antique Linen;
Dies: Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz Dies-Tattered Florals & Tattered Leaves;
Accessories: Ranger Perfect Pearls-Perfect Gold, Mini Mister Set, Ink Blending Tool; 1/2" Silver Jingle Bells, Advantus Tim Holtz Sanding Block & Tiny Attacher; Tonic Tim Holtz Paper Distresser; green Prima Lace-Donegal; Hero Arts Red Crystal Gemstones;

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A huge THANK YOU Sharon - thank you for sharing your tag with us today! Please be certain to leave Sharon your love in the comments section below - and guess what, by doing so you are automatically entered in our random drawing for the goodies shown above. This Festive Greenery is gorgeous and the Cut N' Dry felt is definitely a tool that should be in everyone's craft stash :-D You have until Monday, December 5th noon Pacific Time (one comment per person please) to share your love with Sharon.

We once again thank you for joining us here in the CLASSroom for our 12 Tags series!

Tag One Tattered Pine Cones Winner

Thank you for all the lovely comments - it is fun to read through them and hear that you are enjoying the feminine twist we are sharing as well as to learn where you find inspiration!

We have our first winner - Congratulations Marie L! You are the winner of the Tattered Pine Cones Die!

Please send your snail mail address to [email protected]

Kudos to those of you who caught me sleep-walking last night! Yes, it was Day 2 and not Day 3, so I have changed that so when Sharon posts Day 3 sometime tonight we don't mix anyone else up - LOL! Thank you for all being here and sharing in the fun! Be certain to scroll down and leave a comment on Day 2's tag for a chance to win some fun goodies!

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 2 by Ellen

Melissa Frances papers always speak to the girlie side of me. When I saw Tim's tag this morning I immediately thought of the Deck the Halls collection, but it was not until well after lunch time that I was finally able to head in to my studio to begin today's adventure.

Today I wanted to explore what media I could use to lay color over a surface covered in Picket Fence Distress Stain. I knew that I could use colored Distress Stains over the top to alter the appearance making the stains more pastel in nature. I also knew that I could use my ink blending tool and Distress Ink Pads, but I wanted to see if other products would work.

To create a softer look I decided to create my own resist paper using red ink, yet I wanted my focal image to really "pop." I created a mask using Hero Arts holly image and stamped over the mask using Vermillion Archival ink. At this point I didn't know if I would try watercoloring and so I went with a waterproof ink.

Tip: It is much easier to stamp words straight if you get them on your acrylic mounts straight. I have found the easiest way to do this is to set my cling image on my work surface and then align the grid pattern over the sentiment. A slight press and the cling words attach to your mount - now it's easy to stamp straight!

Stamp the words using Distress Embossing ink and cover with clear embossing powder. Remove excess and heat.

I'm not certain if my Picket Fence stain is thicker than Tim's but as you can see it goes on quite white and thick. I like that it does this because it allows me the opportunity to really cover darker items.

To remove the excess stain from my project I simply moisten an old diaper using my mister and rub away the excess Distress Stain as shown above.

I then added a little more back in around the edges.

To stamp the holly I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig. I can't live without this tool - it helps my sanity because I like things perfect - LOL!

I decided to try one of my favorite go-to tools - Prismacolor Pencils. I then added in some Faber-Castell Pastel Pencils.

As you can see the effect is really quite beautiful. On a practice sheet I then tried rubbing additional Picket Fence over the colored image, but felt it dulled it just a little too much. I forgot to snap a photo to share it with you. I will try and do so and then come back and add it to this post when I return to work on Monday.

I attached some of the red Deck the Halls paper to a piece of Craft-a-board (this adds body and stability to the deer) using Sookwang tape and then diecut this gorgeous deer. Adding a Vintaj chain and a Jenni Bowlin pearl necklace (I removed the silver eye pin and replaced it with a Vintaj antique brass head pin) helped give the deer a more feminine touch.

I look forward to giving watercolors a try over top the Picket Fence stain soon!

stamps: Hero Arts Cling Classic Holly and Collage Music, Tim Holtz Christmas Memories

ink: Vermillion and Jet Black Archival, Distress Embossing Ink Pad, Picket Fence and Bundled Sage Distress Stain

paper: Inkssentials #8 Kraft Tag, Melissa Frances Deck the Halls 6x6 Paper Pad

accessories: Tim Holtz Reindeer Flight and Vintage Lace Dies, Craft-a-board, Burlap Panel, Essentials Ribbon, Hemp, Jenni Bowlin Pearl Charm, Vintaj Figaro Chain, Head Pin and Star, Clear Embossing Powder, Faber Castel Pastel Pencils and Prismacolor Color Pencils

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We would love to hear from you, simply leave a comment on today's post telling us what product or products you like to use the most. We will once again use a random number generator to select our winner. You have until Sunday, December 4th noon Pacific Time (one comment per person please) to share your comment.

Thank you for joining me again today!

5th Anniversary Challenge Winners

I am so very glad that Random.org does such a good job of picking challenge winners - I could never decide between the beautiful entries so random is good :-D

A huge THANK YOU to all those who created a special project to enter our little challenges. Without further ado following are our wonderful winners!

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Back in Time Challenge Winner

Congratulations Jennie, thank you for stepping back in time with Sharon! It is such a thrill to see these beautiful replicates of Julia's ornaments - beuatifully done!

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Sketch Challenge Winner

Tracy - your use of Julia's sketch is spot on - I love how you used the snowflake, together with the Nordic collection. Gorgeous!

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Color Challenge Winner

Lin, you rocked this color combo Julie provided! The delicate use of different colored snowflakes is genius.

If each of you lovely ladies could contact us at [email protected] with your snail mail addresses, we will get your goodies sent right out to you.

Now I must get busy!!! I have so many things to do today with one of the tops on the list being Tag 2. Yikes, I'd best move it :-D

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2011 - Day 1 by Ellen

Welcome to Day 1 of our 12 Tags journey! I have to admit I almost felt panic in my stomach this morning - LOL! What if I couldn't create something worthy to share with all of you - it has been far too long since I have allowed myself the gift of creating and I'm feeling RUSTY! Life has been SO busy - moving my MIL, helping my daughters with all their school projects, trying to keep things running smoothly here at work, starting new adventures and trying to wrap up the old - I just haven't found the time to allow myself this luxury. Yes, today was a gift - once I started to create the ideas just began to flow and I am so thrilled with the final tag - I hope you like it. Be certain to read the end of this post, because we have a special surprise for you!

(you can double click on all the photos to make them bigger)

When I saw Tim's tag this morning my mind reverted to a page I had seen in the Crate and Barrel holiday catalog. There was a wreath - it was all white and it had white painted pine cones in it. There were also pages showing a combination of white, silver and either gold or cream --- and the thoughts started to flow as I worked.

I did exactly what Tim suggested. Neenah cardstock is quite stiff, so before diecutting I broke down the fibers by rubbing it back and forth on both sides, and in different directions, over the edge of my work table. Next I cut out the tattered pine cone and folded over the edges and creased each scale with my fingernail.

Using hot glue attach the first scale to the end of a toothpick.

Begin to roll the toothpick, wrapping the scales around the toothpick as shown. Now this isn't quite as easy as I am making it sound. I will be completely honest with you and tell you that I believe that Tim has had a little more practice than I have - he may just be the master tattered pinecone maker ;-D

I did cheat and once I had it wrapped around and fitted I unwrapped it and put a couple little spots of glue on the toothpick along the way. My dexterity is lacking in comparison I guess - LOL!

I didn't worry about the excess hot glue on the toothpick stem because I knew I was going to be clipping it off at the base and wanted to be certain it was secure. Hopefully this sideview will help you see the spacing as you work.

When working with white on white it is extremely important to provide a lot of texture. Using the Distress Embossing Ink Pad I brushed the tips of the scales, then dipped the pine cone in white embossing powder and melted it with my heat tool.

Use a pair of self-locking tweezers to hold it while you work so you don't burn your fingertips!

Clip the toothpick to make it easy to affix the finished pinecone to your project.

As I created the pinecones I thought about how I could create a wreath. Maya Road creates the loveliest trims! I have been so looking forward to playing with it and this tulle screamed wreath.

Using about an 8" piece of 20-gauge stainless wire I began "sewing" with the wire along the natural seam in the trim.

Work the tip of the wire in and out of the tulle, just like you are using a needle.

Approximately every 1 1/2" of gathered tulle I would add a lightbulb. Lightbulbs are SO Christmas and it was after I was almost finished with the tulle that the "lightbulb" went off and I pulled all the tulle off to add these cute little embellishments. I can totally see using alcohol ink to color them and create a more modern, contemporary wreath! Someone please try it for me :-D

As I stated earlier when working with white on white texture is critical. I love the fact that Tim has a couple of stamps that coordinate with the embossing folders. I wasn't certain if this was going to work, but figured nothing like a good experiment.

Stamp and emboss the image with white embossing powder.

I needed to be in good light to be able to align the text with the message in the folder and then used a piece of tissue tape to attach my tag to the folder interior so that it wouldn't move.

Run it through your machine and magic happens. Beautiful texture on texture, beautfiul white on white!

To create balance with the silver in the light bulbs I adhered some metal foil to Neenah cardstock and then sanded it with the sanding tool. As you can see in the photo above the variation in the texture is stunning - it has a much more satin-like appearance after you sand it, allowing it to coordinate beautifully with the satiny finish on the lightbulb bases.

Using more burnished foil attached to cardstock I cut out the foliage for the pinecones.

Now not only do you have a beautiful tag, BUT you have created the sweetest ornament for your tree. Gift it to someone on a package - that someone will feel special as they hang their tag on the tree!

stamps: Seasons Silhouettes

ink: Distress Embossing Ink Pad

paper: Neenah Solar White Cardstock

accessories: Sizzix Dies - Tag & Bookplates, Vintage Lace and Tattered Pine Cone, Christmas Background Texture Fades Embossing Folder, Tim Holtz Light Bulbs, Lavish Trimmings, Sanding Block, Metal Foil Tape Sheet, Maya Road Ribbon Tulle Pleat Trim, White Opaque Embossing Powder, 20-Gauge Silver Beading Wire, 7 Gyspies Antique Silver Reinforcer, Hot Glue Gun

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Join in the fun and leave us a comment telling us where you find inspiration for creating your holiday cards? Your comment will automatically enter you in a random drawing for the Tattered Pine Cones die - you have until Saturday noon Pacific Time (one comment only per person please.)

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