the CLASSroom

Ready Set Grow by Sharon Harnist

Hello and welcome to the CLASSroom today!  I got a few things planted in my yard over the long holiday weekend and it put me in the mood to create something about growing, too!  I don't think I ever colored this sweet Lockhart Ready to Plant image when it first came out this time last year, so I thought it was the perfect choice. I stamped it with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Copic X-Press It Blending Card and then colored it with these Copic Markers:

I recently discovered that Ellen started carrying this wonderful line of Sizzix Framelits dies and I couldn't wait to try them! I started off with these Fancy Labels:

While my colored image was still in the die, I airbrushed it with Copic BG11 for the sky and G40 for the grass. Then I die cut a matching frame out of this fresh, springy My Mind's Eye Be Happy-Follow Your Heart 6x6 patterned paper. I hand cut little flags of coordinating paper and machine stitched them to my card base.

The card base is a fabulous new cardstock by Neenah: Environment-Desert Storm! The product information about this pretty cardstock says: 
"Neenah's Environment Papers are made with 100% green electricity. The smooth surface is wonderful for creating designer looking cards." I like that!  It is 80 lb. weight and definitely IS a lovely smooth cardstock AND such a pretty warm, light kraft color!

I finished my card with light pink seam binding custom dyed with Copic Various Ink Refills R21 and R22. Pinking shears were used to trim the bottom edge of the card.  Are you ready for all the pretty flowers of summer?  I sure am!  Thanks for visiting today!  ~ Sharon

 

Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Company Ready to Plant #2151; 
Paper: Copic X-Press It Blending Card; Neenah Environment-Desert Storm; My Mind's Eye 6x6 Be Happy-Follow Your Heart; 
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; 
Copic Markers: BG11, BV02, C4, C6, C7, E31, E35, G40, G43, R21, R22, Y08
Copic Various Ink Refills: R21 & R22
Dies: Sizzix Framelits-Fancy Labels; 
Accessories: Copic Airbrush System 3 (ABS-3); Sparmax Windstorm Airbrush Compressor; 
Other: pinking shears, light pink seam binding, sewing machine + thread

Seamless Tiers Card by Julia Stainton

Having images flow from one layer to another is a fun visual trick that adds an interesting element to a design. A couple weeks ago I shared how to do this with patterned paper but how can you do it with stamping? It can be very difficult to line things up perfectly when stamping in layers. Almost impossible if you will. There are all sorts of stamping methods for lining things up but I must admit that I dislike any technique that takes too long.

Today I'm sharing a fun technique I learned years ago that I've always loved. It's so long ago that I can't remember how I came across it and what it might be called so I've made a up a name for it that describes it in my mind....Seamless Tiers. Each layer of stamping flows from one layer seamlessly to the next. When I first saw this technique I was quite amazed and then surprised at how easy it is to do.

To start off with you'll need three layers of cardstock. I've designed this card as a 4.25x5.5" vertical card but this technique also looks beautiful on a square card design. Very classic. Make sure each of your layers evenly stack with an even border.

 Next I chose my stamps. This technique looks beautiful color but I love how graphic it looks in black and white so I chose some Hero Arts stamps that coordinate in style and and also look beautiful in a simple black image.

Just before you begin stamping you want to make sure all of your layers are lined up perfectly on top of each other and lightly adhered so that they don't shift. I used some Micro Glue Dots for this. You want an adhesive that you will be able to take apart the layers in a later step.

When beginning stamping a collage, it's always a good idea to stamp the sentiment first if you have one so that you get the placement just where you want it. The other stamps can fit easily around the sentiment. Next comes the larger images as the smallest can fit into any spaces you might need filled at the end.

Here's my finished stamping. Note how the depth of the cardstock leaves a small unstamped area  around each layer. Matting the layers with a thin mat will cover that up.

Take the layers apart, adhere the largest stamped layer to the cardstock base. To cover up the faded edges, mat the other two layers with a very fine mat in black cardstock. I like to use a mat that is 1/8" larger than the height and width of the layer. When adhering the layers, carefully line up the images to get that seamless look.

I loved this card in simple black and white but decided to add the slightest subtle touch of color the the images as a highlight. Pastel Pencils are a quick way to add soft color to each flower center and you can also match up the white roses by adding some pastel color to them as well.

 Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom! Have a wonderful and creative weekend!

Supplies: Cling Etched Flowers Stamp, Essential Messages Stamp set and Indie Bloom Butterflies and Wildflowers stamp set by Hero Arts, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Solar White Cardstock by Neenah, Black Cardstock, Vintage Paper Roses by Maya Road, twine, Vintage Black Pearl Trinket Pin by Maya Road, Yellow PITT Pastel Pencils by Faber-Castell

VIDEO TUTORIAL: DIY Washi Tape by Julie Ebersole

Gorgeous stuff, Washi Tape is! I own quite a few rolls of this marvelous stuff!  What exactly is Washi Tape? It is a translucent, decorative tape from Japan. It is more delicate and sheer than what we know as regular masking tape here in the US. In addition to coming in stunning patterns and an unbelievable array of colors, this beautiful tape is also removable/repositionable!

Collecting Washi Tape is as fun as using it--and I do tend to use it a lot because a little bit of Washi Tape can go a long, long way--especially when using it on card designs! There are patterns and colors that are now staples among my paper crafting supplies.

But, bonafide Washi Tape can be expensive, if you're trying to collect LOTS of different patterns and colors.  Because so much yardage comes on a single roll, if it's a pattern you might not use very frequently, you may be hesitant to purchase a whole roll. Or, perhaps there is a design/pattern you want, but it doesn't exist (at least, not yet, anyway! *chuckle*)

This is when you take a look at the stamps in your collection, drag out your ink pads, Be Creative Tape, and some Canvas Corp Tissue and spend an enjoyable evening making custom Washi Tape! Then, when you need it, you'll have it on hand for those last minute crafty projects and cards!

NOTE:  One thing I neglected to mention in the video, is that it can take the dye ink a considerable amount of time to dry; I speeded up the process by using my heat gun, taking care not to get so close that I scorched the tissue. When the ink is no longer shiny/wet in appearance and has a matte finish appearance, it is dry. You can also blot carefully with typing paper to ensure it is completely dry.

Enjoy the video!

 

 

 

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS FEATURED:

Stamps: Flower Blossom Outline, Flower Cluster by Savvy Stamps; Wood Grain and Greenery Cover-a-Card Background Stamps by Impression Obsession; (Chevron) Hero Arts/Studio Calico My Happy Clear Stamp Set; Technique Tuesday Bring On the Sun Clear Set

Inks: Memento Nautical Blue, Love Letter, Cantaloupe, Pistachio; Adirondack Lettuce, Sunshine Yellow

Paper:  Neenah Solar White Card Stock; Tissuestock White, Tissuestock Kraft by Canvas Corp

Embellishmments: Red Button from my stash; Doodle Twine in Bumblebee

Tools:  Ranger Heat It Tool; Teflon Bone Folder; Corner Chomper

Other:  Be Creative Tape, various widths

Color Block Blog Candy Winner

Thank you again Maile for such a gorgeous project and detailed instructions!

A huge thanks to all those who left comments for Maile on her beautiful card - we have our lucky winner of the components Maile used to create her white embossed color block project...

Jasmine, if you could please contact us at [email protected] with your snail mail address and we will get your goodies out to you!

 

Embossed Color Blocking with Maile Belles

It is time for another guest designer to share a fabulous tip and project here in the CLASSroom and we would like to welcome Maile Belles! Maile's clean, simple style is so appealing and I am excited to share it with you here. You can see more of Maile's beautiful work on her blog Simply Stamped.

Please join me in welcoming Maile here in the CLASSroom by leaving a comment for her here on this post. You will have until midnight Thursday, May 17, 2012 Pacific Daylight Time to leave some love for her and also be included in our random drawing for some of the fun products Maile used to create her beautiful color-blocked card!

Head to the bottom of this post to find the comments section.

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Color blocking is a great way to add color and style to any project.  It’s also the perfect use for those cardstock and pattern paper scraps that we all have lying around.  Then for added coolness, try heat embossing on top.  It’s really quite impressive how well the embossing stands out amongst all the beautiful colors.  So, let me show you just what I’m talking about!...

To create the color block panel, I began by trimming a white cardstock block to the desired size of 3 ¾” x 5”.  Then gathered an assortment of colored paper strips, cut to different width.  The Memory Box paper colors I’ve chosen to work with are Peony, Thistle, Parsley and Graphite.

To attach the strips, I adhered double-sided tape to the white cardstock block and then carefully placed each paper strip as close together as possible.

Once all strips were in place, I flipped the color block panel over and trimmed off the excess with scissors.

Using a portion of a label die, I die cut an opening for the sentiment from the color block panel.

Using VersaMark ink, I stamped the stem image (from Hero Arts Butterflies and Wildflowers stamp set) and then heat embossed in white.  I love how the image just pops! 

Before attaching this panel to the card base I wrapped it with silk ribbon and tied the ends into a bow. Once attached, with dimensional adhesive, I finished the card off with a stamped “Hello”.

Well, there you have it! Thanks so much for joining me today.

Maile

stamps: Hero Arts/Basic Grey Butterfly and Wildflowers

ink: VersaMark

paper: Memory Box Cardstock - Peony, Thistle, Parsley and Graphite; Neenah Solar White

accessories: Fillable Frames #4 Die by Papertrey Ink, White Embossing Powder, White Silk Ribbon

Sweet Baby Gingham Card by Julia Stainton

 

 Gingham is such fun and timeless pattern. It makes me think of summer, picnics and it's also perfect for sweet baby clothes. Today I have a fun little baby card design to share with you featuring the gingham patterns from the Lily Bee Design Double Dutch line.

I didn't have a particular baby in mind when I created this card so I wanted it to be rather generic and suitable for both boys or girls. Yellow, green and blue seemed to be a pretty neutral color scheme and the three colors are side by side on the color wheel giving it a nice subtle look.

To create my onesie accent, I turned to a Maya Road mini album. Yes you CAN use these sweet little albums for other things. The smaller ones are perfect as accents on cards or layouts.

To cover the chipboard shape, I just adhered the patterned over the chipboard and then filed away the excess paper. The Basic Grey Precision File Set is my favorite tool for sanding chipboard edges. Don't worry about the little hole left in the chipboard from the album binding. Once it's covered with paper, no one will know it's there.

Now for what I really like about this design...the gingham patterned paper matches up perfectly and seamlessly. Because all three papers are from the same line and are the same scale, they are exactly the same. To easily line things up, make sure you cut from the same corner. I cut two squares 4.75" in size from the top left corner. The green paper was then cut into half both ways to have squares that would perfectly line up over the blue.

Stamp your sentiment onto the chipboard onesie before adhering it to the design. I've used a favorite Hero Arts set called Say it All. It's perfect for covering almost any occasion you can think of.

One of the latest additions to my favorites list is the Burlap Rose you see embellishing this design. They come rolled and folded and that neutral texture is so pretty.

 

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom. Have a fabulous weekend!

Supplies: Double Dutch 6x6 Tiny Tablet by Lily Bee Design, Kraft Layering Paper cardstock by Hero Arts, Cleardesign: Say It All Stamp Set by Hero Arts, Solar White Cardstock by Neenah, pinking shears, Precision File Set by Basic Grey, Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink by Ranger, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Vintage Linen Burlap Roses by Maya Road, Wood Mini Spools by Maya Road, White and Yellow Stars Trinket Pins by Maya Road, twine, vintage buttons

Starbursts on Clear by Julie Ebersole

Have you tried making a clear card? So fun and different!

 

I love the colors in the What's Up! Paper Pad by Basic Grey and thought a piece of that would make a great layer behind the Starbursts.

I cut a card base from Crystal Clear plastic--this is my favorite for making clear cards because it really is super clear, and has the most "glass-like" look--and scored it--it doesn't create a deep score line, but it will be just enough to guide me when it's time to crease and fold the card. I typically don't fold the card until later, after I'm finished, because I like a super flat surface to stamp on.

I have a piece of tissue paper underneath the clear plastic, otherwise it's hard to actually see the card on camera. LOL!  There are several inks you can use to stamp on slick/non-porous surfaces, such as Palette New Canvas. Palette will require heat-setting on glossy surfaces, such as plastic and glossy card stock. Be especially careful not to get so close that you melt or warp the plastic you have stamped on while heat setting. I keep my tool about 14-16" away.

You can also use Staz-On Opaque Cotton White, which I used on this project.  Staz-on also comes in gorgeous metallic colors, and you can see them all HERE. It does not require heat setting on glossy surfaces--just set it aside to dry for a few minutes while you work on other aspects of your project.

When using Staz-On Opaque inks, there are very explicit instructions on how to ink the pad--and all the Opaque inks come packaged with refills.  With the Opaque inks, you need to reink the pad surface each time you bring it out of storage to work with. With the metallics, it is especially important to heed the warning to use only a few drops and spread/distribute them across the pad surface with the little squeegee tool that comes packaged with the pad and refill.  If you over-ink, you'll have a thick layer of ink on your stamp and have slipping/sliding issues.

These inks also tend to be "sticky" until they are dry, so it is not uncommon for the acetate to stick to the stamp when you try to lift up, so you might anchor the back half of the card down to your work surface with Post-It Notes or a few pieces of Washi Tape, while you are stamping the front. You can also use the Post-It Notes to mask off the back of the card, if you are stamping a large background pattern on the front panel.

TIP:  When you fold the card and crease the fold line with your bone folder, place a piece of clean typing paper over the top of the fold--this will keep you from accidentally scratching the surface of the card and keep it looking pristine.

The clear card shown here is a standard A-2 (4.25 x 5.5") size, but the inner white card is 1/4" smaller all around--I wanted to have the gap to show off the fact the card is clear. After mounting the patterned paper, which is a 1/4" smaller all around than the white card, it's time to mount the white card to the clear card.

There are a few different ways you can attach them together, but I often use these Mini Glue Dots--I love the sheet style Dots especially, because they have individual liner papers and are perforated so you can tear away what you need, but not worry about it sticking anywhere because both the liner papers remain intact until you remove them.

Here, I've applied them to each corner on the back of the white card, but I left the clear liner papers on because I want to make sure I had this piece positioned exactly where I want it; then I can peel each corner at a time, making adjustments as I go, in case the card shifts or moves a bit.

I chose a greeting from the Thank You for Being My Friend set that I just love--I adore typewriter fonts, and this whole set is one I use frequently because it often has just the right phrases for friendship cards, which are my favorite to make.

To create the faux "Dymo Label" effect, I just white embossed the greeting onto black card stock and then cut it apart.  I love this look--kinda retro and modern and the perfect way to make a sentiment fit an area on a card that it otherwise wouldn't. Gotta love that kinda versatility! *fist pump*

I added a few Black Crystal Gemstones to the flower centers--perfect accents for a card like this!

Thanks for stopping by today!

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

Stamps: Hero Arts Starbursts, Hero Arts Thank you for being my friend Cleardesign Set

Ink: Staz-On Cotton White, Versamark

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Black Card Stock; Basic Grey What's Up 6x6 Paper Pad

Embellishments:  Hero Arts Black Crystal Gemstones

Tools: Martha Stewart Scoring Board; Soft Grip Embossing Stylus Tool; Teflon Bone Folder; Embossing Magic Anti-Static Pouch; Ranger Heat It Tool

Other: Ellen Hutson Crystal Clear Plastic; Mini Glue Dots; Tombow Stamp Runner (dot adhesive); Hero Arts White Embossing Powder

Fold It, Flip It, Pop It, Zip It Class Winners

We are so excited - Fold It, Flip It, Pop It, Zip It started this morning and it has definitely started with a POP! Love your first project Julie!

There were some WONDERFUL projects entered in our InLinkz interactive cards drawing! A big thanks to everyone who shared their creations with others by joining in the fun. The winner of the InLinkz drawing is...

ETA: It is definitely a busy Monday around here - I have no idea how I managed to select the wrong winner - SO we are going to have two winners - LOL!

Marina is our actual winner!!! Thank you JJ for letting us know, we appreciate your honesty and would like to honor it with a class spot as well! Marina's project is fabulous as well - you must all check it out!

JJ Bolton!

 

 

 

I just had to share her card here - it is fabulous!

Visiting her blog I found all kinds of gorgeous creations - you will definitely be inspired if you visit! Congratulations JJ!

We have two additional winners from those who left a comment for Julie here in the CLASSroom:

Thank you to everyone who participated and if you haven't already signed up for class you may just want to do so - this will be a wonderful opportunity to laugh and learn with Julie, Julia, Sharon, Christina and Maile!

If the winners haven't heard from us later today please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. Have a wonderful day and happy crafting!

What's an Interactive Card? + a Giveaway! :)

 

 

FOLD IT, POP IT, FLIP IT, ZIP IT!

An online "interactive cards" class

We've been receiving some questions, so we're sharin' some answers! :)

What exactly is an "interactive" card?

It's the type of card that involves the recipient in a more active way.  It might contain a mechanism that causes something to happen when the card is opened, such as movement. Or features a specialty fold that is different from the typical top or side folding card.  Sometimes, an interactive card has a unique closure that the recipient must open to see inside the card.

These types of effects often delight both children and adults alike, because they are unexpected.  They are both fun to make and fun to receive!

Perhaps you've made such a card? Care to share? Hook us up with a link below to your creation, and you'll be entered to win a spot we are giving away to the class!

OR

Never made an interactive card before, but anxious to learn? Leave a comment to this post, and you, too, will be entered to win one of 2 spots!

Giveaway closes at 11:59pm PST (in other words, midnight) Sunday, May 6, 2012.

C'mon and join the fun! :)