the CLASSroom

Designing with Neon by Julie Ebersole

When I was a teenager back in the '80s, neon was hot! I must admit to being intimidated when the trend came back into vogue this year... But, then I took it as a challenge to stretch creatively! :)

Probably one of the easiest ways to interject these hot new colors into your projects is by playing with inks, like the new Hero Arts Neon Inks! It took some experimentation to find the right combinations that I was satisfied with, so don't worry if your initial attempts leave you feeling a bit unsure--I look at it as part of the process. :)

Even so, I do have some tips to share that will hopefully guide you on the quest to incorporate this fun trend into your paper crafting!

And, be sure to enbiggan the pics by clicking on them!

For me the biggest rule of thumb, when it comes to neon, is that less equals more; use it sparingly!

This design features two neon speech bubbles, flanked on the right by a more subdued, yet still bright "pool" color of blue.  It compliments the neon orange and pink quite nicely, without overwhelming or competing, as do the birds stamped simply in black ink.

Partner neon with a neutral hue, such as grey. In the above example, the soft grey (it's actually called "Cloudy Blue", but it stamps "grey") color used on the alpha letters acts as a counter-balance to the vivid neon orange and yellow scattered dots. A little bit of Crystal Stickles also reflects the color and enhances the overall effect in a very light and airy way!

Use neon colors with patterned border stamps (Chevron - My Happy by Hero Arts/Studio Calico, Polka Dots - Geo-Graphic by Paper Smooches, Zig Zag Stitching - Sew Artsy by Hero Arts)--it will give great "pop"! The white spacing gives some breathing room to the neon hues; a black base card and some black accents also help ground the design and keep it from being overly dominating. I think this makes a great teen card, or just even fun for a guy card!

Want a dramatic blended effect? Sponge neon hues onto white card stock, allowing them to overlap and mix, creating additional hues--this combo would make a fantastic sunset effect on a scenic design as well! The white popped up flowers (Sew Me Flowers - Hero Arts) offer a nice contrast to the neon backdrop.

Try stamping a neon hue with a large background stamp (Square Pattern Background, Clippings Collection by Basic Grey/Hero Arts) directly over the top of another color--this example above features neon pink atop a non-neon mandarin orange colored card stock.  Neon pink and green washi tapes (from my stash) accent the design, and the focal sentiment is stamped in full-on neon pink, and subtly edged with neon orange.

This simple design was inspired by a Letterpress card I had seen--the Citrus ink is not necessarily neon, but when paired with the Neon pink, the combo offers a refreshing jolt--I love that it makes me sit up and take notice! The "Thank You" banner by Savvy could also have been stamped with the Neon pink, and then the panel mounted to a neon pink base card if I'd had one on hand; I must admit to being particularly fond of green, however--green just seems to go so well with practically every other color on the planet. ;)

Thanks for joining me in the CLASSroom today and I hope today's post sparks some fun ideas for turnin' up the neon in your projects!

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS

STAMPS: Telephone Lines by Impression Obsession; He Said/She Said, Geo-Graphic by Paper Smooches; My Happy by Studio Calico/Hero Arts; Sew Artsy, Many Birthday Wishes, This Is Big , Sew Me Flowers by Hero Arts; Square Pattern Background, Clippings Collection by Basic Grey/Hero Arts; Monogram Alphabet by My Favorite Things; "have a wonderful...[birthday]" and Scattered Dots by Savvy Stamps

INKS: Neon Pink, Orange, Yellow by Hero Arts; Adirondack Cloudy Blue, Pool, Citrus by Archival Black by Ranger; Mistery Huey's Mist in Inky Black; Copic Marker in YG23 New Leaf

PAPERS:  Neenah Solar White (25 sheet pack or ream); Key Lime by Memory Box; Pool and Sunshine Layering Papers by Hero Arts; Black Card Stock

EMBELLISHMENTS: Crystal and Lime Green Stickles; Washi Tapes (from my stash)

TOOLS: 1 3/4" Circle Punch

OTHER: 3D Dots; Round Sponges (quartered)

Double-Embossed Copic Background by Sharon Harnist

Experimentation is one of the best aspects of papercrafting, I think.  Here's what one recent experiment turned up -- a Copic Double-Embossed Background:

To achieve this look, DRY EMBOSS a piece of Neenah Solar White Cardstock with an embossing folder -- I used Lifestyle Crafts Floral Embossing Folder (and wouldn't you know it -- I didn't check to see if this particular one was in stock before creating my card and it's currently not available! But Ellen has a SLEW of other embossing folders to choose from, HERE):

Next, HEAT EMBOSS the background by gently swiping a Versamark ink pad or Ranger Distress Embossing Pad over the top of the raised dry embossed background.

TIP: Using a freshly inked emboss pad will achieve different results.  My older pad was definitely in need of reinking and I was having to press too hard to get the ink applied to the raised dry embossing. Thus, more ink got into the crevices and flat base of the cardstock than I intended/wanted, so you may achieve different results! I will definitely be ordering a Versamark Reinker and trying this technique again soon!

Next, use Clear Embossing Powder and Heat It Craft Tool to heat emboss the background, then have fun by using your Copic Airbrush System and a few Copic Sketch Markers (I used BG53, RV55, and YG03) to airbrush the background:

Then take an alcohol prep pad (alternately, you could use Copic Colorless Blender Various Ink on a tissue or paper towel) and gently wipe off the surface of the raised embossing until you achieve results you like.  The Copic ink will easily wipe off the slick surface of the heat embossing, but still remain on parts of the cardstock that were not heat embossed (or use a lighter touch and only remove Copic ink from the raised areas)!

This is where I wished the flat areas of my background had not picked up as much emboss ink as it did, but that's okay -- I like the softer pastel results I got!

To finish my card, I used Copic's High-Tack Tissue Tape to securely attach the background to my black card base and here's why: a large area of heat embossing will usually warp cardstock (even though I heated the background from the underside, to try and help counter react some of the warping) and the high-tack tape works very well to keep the background flat against the card base.

Next, I used Maya Road's Vintage White Paper Roses and airbrushed them to match my card . . . I love that all the colors perfectly coordinate!

Lastly, I stamped a Hero Arts Everyday Sayings sentiment with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto more Neenah white cardstock and die cut it with these pretty Sizzix Framelits Fancy Labels dies. While the cardstock was still in the die, I airbrushed my lightest pink Copic RV52 around the edges of the sentiment.

I popped the sentiment frame up with Copic's X-Press It Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape over another black die cut frame.  Black Baker's Twine finishes off my card. Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom today!  ~ Sharon

Stamps: Hero Arts Clear-Everyday Sayings;
Dies & Embossing Folders: Lifestyle Crafts Floral Embossing Folder; Sizzix Framelits-Fancy Labelsdies;
Paper: Memory Box Notecard-Licorice; Neenah Solar White Cardstock; 
Ink: Tsukineko Versamark ink pad & Memento-Tuxedo Black; 
Copic Sketch Markers: BG53, RV52, RV55, YG03
Copic Airbrush System & Windstorm Sparmax Air Compressor;
Accessories: Ranger Clear Embossing Powder & Heat It Craft Tool; Sew Easy Baker's Twine-Black; Maya Road Vintage White Paper Roses; X-Press It Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape & High-Tack Tissue Tape;
Other: Alcohol prep pad or Copic Colorless Blender Various Ink; 

Nautical Party by Krystie Hersch

Welcome to the CLASSroom!  It's that time of year for beach trips and afternoons by the pool, I guess that's what put me in a nautical mood when I was putting together this party set!  The nautical theme is very versatile.  This set could be used for a baby shower, toddler's birthday, or a pool party.

I kept a consistent look by using the Savvy Wave Background stamp and Lawn Fawn sentiments on all of my projects. 

Let's start with the toy boat invitation.   I die cut 2 - 2" circles, cut them to the desired size, and added white eyelets.  For the sail, I used a little snip of canvas and some orange striped paper.  

One finishing touch I added was to run a coordinating Copic color along the edge of each piece.  It just gave it that little something.

I adhered the pieces to the card, leaving the edges of the canvas a bit curly.  I liked the dimension and texture.  A bit of hemp cord served as the mast.

Now for the little milk carton party favor.  After I die cut the carton, I added the wave background.  It was the perfect length for two squares, so I didn't have to worry about matching edges.  Note, I also punched a hole with my Crop-A-Dile before I assembled the box.

I found that the easiest way to assemble was by starting at the top and working down.  Fill the bottom with treats and seal it up!

This die set also includes three circles and a label die.  I used the largest and smallest circles to create my life preserver.  I used the same orange stripe paper, and then made another ring in white for the details on the ring.  As I did with the boat pieces, I ran a Copic marker around the edge of the ring.

To make the swallowtail flag detail, just put the edge in a square punch.

Assemble your flag on a lollipop stick and add a little hemp cord rope detail to your ring.

Cute and easy party favors!  Sidenote:  Can you guess what my kids' swim teachers are getting as gifts this year?  ;)

Finally, I made a thank you note to send after the party.  

I love these little dies.  You could carry this theme further by using the hemp cord and these dies to create wineglass charms, tie napkin rolls closed, etc.  

This is my favorite cord, it's really soft and malleable, and there aren't any of those "wild hairs" that some twine have.  I found it easiest to adhere the charms first.  Then I was able to thread and knot the hemp cord where I liked it.

I hope you've enjoyed this projects, thanks for visiting the CLASSroom today!

STAMPS:  Wave Background by Savvy, Sophie's Sentiments by Lawn Fawn

DIES:  Milk Carton by Lifestyle Crafts, Sizzix Framelits Dies, Circles, My Favorite Things Die-Namics, Sea Charms

TOOLS:  Crop-A-Dile, 3/4 Square Punch

PAPER:  Memory Box Robin's Egg, Dots and Stripes Paper by Echo Park, Neenah Desert Storm cardstock, Neenah Solar White

INK:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Archival Ink Viridian, Copics: YR02, YR21, E55, E41, BG10

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Lawn Fawn Hemp Cord Neutral, Canvas, American Crafts Mini Eyelets

Stamping Fun with Dew Drops by Julia Stainton

 

Ink pads can often be the unsung heroes of the stamping world. One of the best things you can do as a stamper is get to know your inks. What are they good for... what are they not? Can I use them for things besides just regular inking of stamps?

The Tsukineko Memento Inks are some of my favorite inks. They work excellent on clear stamps as well as rubber and the Tuxedo Black is perfect for using with Copic Markers. I love these inks so much that I started with the Dew Drop size and have since purchased full-sized pads. I've still hung onto the Dew Drops though. Why? Well today I'm going to show you a few fun tricks with these small droplet shaped ink pads.

Petals:

My first project highlights the fun small shape of these ink pads. The Dew Drop makes for a great petal. You don't need a stamp to create these bright fun flowers. Simply stamp the ink pad itself. As you can see above, leaves are easy to create with just one press of a green Dew Drop.

To create evenly spaced petal for the flowers, I first start out by four petals at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock.

In each space I then space out and stamp two more petals...

...until the flower looks like this.

Sweet and simple.

Swiped Background:

Another little idea that I tried experimenting with was another direct to paper trick. By pressing down your ink pad and then swiping it across the page you get a fun and quick artistic background. I've used five different Memento Dew Drops to get a rainbow effect.

Variegated Background:

Memento Dew Drops have a really great size and shape. The small size makes them easy to take with you, and they are perfect for inking small stamps. You can also use them to create a variegated background which would be difficult to achieve with a larger size pad.

To create this fun background, ink up a background stamp by dabbing on color with coordinating hued ink pads. The small rounded end works great for dabbing on the color. Once your background stamp is completely inked, stamp onto some cardstock and finish your project.

Tip: Start inking your variegated background using the lightest color to prevent color transfer between pads. Once your are done inking the stamp, press off some color from the dew drops ink pads onto some scrap paper to make sure any color transfer is removed.

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

Julia

 

Supplies:

STAMPS: ClearDesign: Essential Messages Stamp Set , Anytime Messages Stamp Set, Cling Classic Fabric Design Stamp by Hero Arts

INK: Jet Black Archival ink, Pear Tart Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad, Rose Bud Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad, Tangelo Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad, Summer Sky Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad, and Lilac Posies Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad by Tsukineko

PAPER: Solar White Cardstock by Neena

TOOLS: Corner Chomper Tool , Clear Acrylic Block with Guides, Big Shot by Sizzix, Movers and Shhapers Base Tray by Sizzix, Movers and Shapers Mini Heart Set by Sizzix

EMBELLISHMENTS: Crystal Trinket Pins by Maya Road, Vintage Wood Mini Butterflies by Maya Road, Rock Candy Distress Stickles by Ranger, Buttons by Basic Grey, Wedding Shoes Innoscence Flower by Prima Marketing

ADHESIVES: Craft Glue Dots Sheets, Mixed 3D Foam Squares

OTHER: twine

Welcome Blog Candy Winner

Thank you everyone for welcoming Krystie to the CLASSroom!! It has been super busy around here with getting all the new Summer CHA products ordered. With attending my niece's wedding it just wasn't in the cards for me to head to Chicago this year and so trying to do it all via email was a little tricky, but I think we will be set to share the latest goodies with you as they begin to arrive over the next few weeks to months. It is always so very fun to see what is new and so now the wait begins - LOL!

The winner of the fun goodies shown above is...

Congratulations Carol - thank you for being such a wonderful customer and support of our site! Once again, thanks to all who were so kind to come and leave a few words of welcome for Krystie!

VIDEO: Fun with Glassine Envelopes by Julie Ebersole

I've been playing with Glassine Envelopes lately and today I thought I'd share some fun things I've made with them!

Glassine is akin to wax paper, very thin, smooth and translucent. Although not water proof, it is considerably water (and air) resistant and small envelopes made from glassine have long been used to organize, preserve and archive items such as collectible postage stamps, fragile insect specimens, garden seeds, etc. Glassine bags and paper are also frequently used in the food service industry, and you'll often see it used to wrap baked goods because it is also grease resistant.  Additionally, glassine is a biodegradable material, so it can be recycled or composted!

There are so many uses for these adorable little envelopes! I love using the 1 3/4 x 2 3/4" size to create little translucent shaker effects, like shown on this birthday design:

(stamp credit: Savvy Stamps)

Just stamp a piece of card stock that's sized to slip into the envelope, tuck it in first, then add a sprinkle of shapes punched from colorful card stock, making sure it falls on the stamped side that will show on the card front. Seal the envelope shut and mount it to your card front and you have a super quick and easy shaker card effect!

It's fun to let your card design show thru the envelope, and decorate the ouside, as I did here with some fun Cakewalk "Numbers" Washi Tape by October Afternoon:

(stamp credits: Savvy Stamps [cake] and Hero Arts [cake and ice cream])

Make a little stack of these to keep handy for those last minute card-giving emergencies!

They are also irresistible for gift presentation and I love to package them with little goodies, as shown in this sample:

I have a video to accompany the treat "bag" shown above! I actually stamped on the envelope prior to embellishing it and also created custom tinted ribbon match as I didn't have any in the color I wanted for this sweet thang--you could tuck a small gift or edible goodie inside--ooh, some tea bags in a delicious flavor would be nice! Wouldn't they make darling party favors?  Enjoy!

BTW, I am constantly asked where folks can get the tweezers I use in my work. You can get them HERE.

 

TIPS FOR STAMPING ON GLASSINE:

• Use an ink designed for non-porous surfaces, i.e. Staz-On and Brilliance by Tsukineko are my go-to inks for slick surfaces such as glassine
• When creating a random pattern, start your stamping towards the center and work your way out; if using a variety of image sizes, begin with your largest images, then fill the gaps with the smaller images where they fit best
• If embossing, be aware of areas that may be folded or bent, the embossing may crack on the fold line and flake off; mask off those areas prior to stamping to eliminate this as much as possible
• Glassine is not designed to withstand the high heat temperature required for thermal embossing; pre-heat your heat tool, and be prepared to move the heat tool in and back out again quickly. Bring the heat tool in just close enough to melt the powder and do not linger long in any one spot to avoid scorching!

Thanks for hangin' with me in the CLASSroom today!

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS FEATURED IN TREAT BAG/FAVOR & VIDEO:

STAMPS:  Hero Arts Cling Birthday Set, Hero Arts/Basic Grey Let Them Eat Cake Clear Set; Hero Arts Cling Dot Flower Background

INKS: Hero Arts Soft Pool; Staz-on Cotton White; Archival Coffee; Copic Marker in R21 Sardonyx; Versamark (for thermal embossing)

PAPERS: Basic Grey Paper Cottage 6x6 Pad; Glassine Envelope 3 1/2 x 3 1/2"; Neenah Desert Storm (25 sheet or ream)

EMBELLISHMENTS: [flat seam binding ribbon] Tim Holtz Trimmings in Lavish White

TOOLS: Big Shot Personal Die Cutting Machine; [Die] Hero Arts Message Frames Stamp & Die Set; 3/4" Square Punch, 1 1/2" Circle Punch; Tweezers (my favoritest!!!); Non-stick Craft Sheet

OTHER: 3D Dots; Ranger Super Fine Gold Embossing Powder

Hello Note by Krystie Hersch

We are thrilled to welcome a new designer to the CLASSroom today! Krystie Lee Hersch has a beautiful clean and simple style and she will be sharing it with us here on a regular basis! Being that Krystie lives only about 10 minutes from our office/warehouse we have had the pleasure of getting to know her and her sweet kiddos a little when she stops in to pick up some goodies to create with. Having a designer who lives so near by is always so much fun for us as we anticipate her visits.

It was back in 2008 that Krystie (also known as Krystie Lee) was a Dirty Dozen designer on Splitcoaststampers. You can also see more of Krystie's work on her blog, appropriately titled, Clean and Simple Cards!

We would really appreciate if you would take the time to say hi and welcome Krystie today by leaving a comment below. Of course we will be thanking you for doing so with some special treats that Krystie used in her project today. You have until Tuesday, July 17th at Midnight to leave your comment to be included in our random drawing.

Krystie we are so very lucky to have you here - WELCOME!

---

I'm very excited to share my first project in the CLASSroom today!  

It's such a nice surprise to receive an unexpected card in the mail.  I am making an effort to send more "just because" cards to friends and family, so that's what I wanted to share with you today.

I find myself reaching for dies on almost every project lately.  I wanted to use the birdcage die and a soft yellow color palette to create a cheerful hello card. 

I love all of the intricate dies that are coming out now.  I recently started using the Memory Box metal adaptor plate when I die cut and it's been working really well for me.  Prior to using that, I had been making my own cardstock shims, which were hit and miss.  The adaptor plate is easier and I've been getting consistently clean cuts.

The Hearts Delight die makes a cute border and cuts hearts in several sizes...very useful!  Felt cuts really easily, just die cut it as you would paper and the results are great.  

I wanted a soft floral background, so I stamped off the flower on scrap paper and used the second generation impression.  

The light color of the flowers stays in the background and doesn't compete with the sentiment.

Note the shape of the birdcage.  It has a rounded top, so I repeated that shape by rounding one corner on the stamped panel.  Repeating elements will make your design more harmonious.

Since my sentiment was black, I repeated that with a bit of black in the twine.  The terra cotta felt is the perfect little touch of color and texture to finish the card.

 

Thank you so much for stopping by the CLASSroom today!

STAMPS:  Savvy Poppy With Leaf and Memory Box Just a Note Combo

INKS:  Archival Saffron, Memento New Sprout, Memento Tuxedo Black

PAPER:  My Mind's Eye 6x6 pad Be Amazing Follow Your Heart, Memory Box cardstock in Eggshell and Dove Gray, Neenah Solar White cardstock

DIES:  Poppystamps Vintage Birdcage, Memory Box Hearts Delights, 

TOOLS:  Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Machine, Memory Box Metal Adaptor Plate, Crop-O-Dile Corner Rounder

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Doodle Twine Beetle Black, Terra Cotta Felt

Wood You Just Roll With It by Sharon Harnist

I absolutely love Kim Hughes' whimisical style of Paper Smooches stamps ... they beg for a clean, graphic style that I love to create every so often!  Aren't these Spiffy Scooters adorable?!! 

I stamped the scooter with Memento's new Gray Flannel ink onto Neenah Solar White Cardstock -- I like that this color is a bit softer than black ink (and more of a true toner gray), but darker than Memento's only previous lighter London Fog gray (which has a bit of a green tint to it). I colored it with the Copic Sketch Markers shown below ... I went with a girly pink color scheme, but you could make this a boy's scooter & card just as easily!

I found that the Copic Toner colors matched best with the Gray Flannel ink.  

Copic Tip: To achieve the shiny chrome-like highlight on the scooter's fenders, I just left those spaces white when coloring my first base coat of T1 in those areas. Then I added a darker T3 towards the bottom of the fenders for shading. The tires and seat were colored with T3 & T5. The pink parts of the scooter were colored with RV000 and R81; R83 for tail lights and YR31 for the front lights.

After coloring the scooter, I decided to stay with a pink and gray color scheme for my card, so I stamped Kim's Timber background with Spun Sugar Distress Ink onto a Memory Box Bubblegum Notecard.

How fun is this background?!!  In the description, Kim says:

"This is not an ordinary wood grain pattern. Paper Smooches' woodgrain is unique! It has thicker lines that look so cool when stamped! Use it for ripples of water, a zebra pattern or how about smoke for a camping (or red hot) theme?"  Versatile ideas I never would have thought of!

To make the road, I chose a pretty metallic Galvanized cardstock and used Tim Holtz Design Ruler and White Opaque Pen to evenly space and draw the stripes down the road:

The sentiment was also stamped with Spun Sugar Distress Ink inside the cloud (or poof of engine exhaust fumes!) and adhered directly on the card front. The scooter is popped up on a double layer of Copic's High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape:

A quick little bow of this fun Maya Road Sparkle Silver Twine Cording finishes my card.  I hope you "just roll with it" this weekend and have some relaxing (stamping?!!) fun!

~ Sharon

Stamps: Paper Smooches by Kim Hughes-Spiffy Scooters & Timber; 
Paper: Neenah Cardstock-Solar White; Memory Box Notecards & Envelopes-Bubblegum; Curious Metallic Cardstock-Galvanized; 
Ink: Memento Gray Flannel; Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink-Spun Sugar; 
Copic Sketch Markers: RV000, R81, R83, T0, T1, T2, T3, T5, YR31
Accessories: Tim Holtz Design Ruler; Ranger White Opaque Pen; Maya Road Twine Cording-Sparkle Silver; Copic High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape; 

Simple Summer Stamping by Julia Stainton

 Those lazy days of summer are here and wow...it's hot outside. In weather like this I like to enjoy making the most of it. I'm a die-hard crafter no matter what time of the year so I'm still creating but find summer is a great time for making things clean and simple.

Here's the simple summer card I have to share with you today. When I first saw this stamp set I just knew I had to have it. The woodgrain, the circles, that darling little bird....lots of possibilities.

 

If you look at the set there is a wide variety of images. I love this as it really makes a stamp set versatile. But sometimes this can also leave you wondering how to tie it all together. I have a couple tips to share with you today.

First of all... LAYER your stamps. I don't mean lots of layers on the card as I've actually only used two here but layer your stamps by overlaying the images when you stamp them. If you look up to the original photograph, you can see that everything in my design touches.

Even the sentiment is anchored in by overlaying the ink over the chevron image. There's always exceptions. Many times the sentiment looks best on it's own but stamp with a definite plan in mind. By having design elements touch in a project, it ties it all together.

Secondly, REPETITION is another great element of design. By using a shape such as a circle repeatedly, it makes a more cohesive design. There are three circle elements in this design, the circular frame, the wood button and the circular woodgrain stamp. I've carried the repetition into using this woodgrain stamp in three different ways.

One of the ways I've used this woodgrain stamp is to stamp the kraft heart trinket pin. These pins by Maya Road are so stinkin' cute that I just want to use them on everything.

The kraft trinket pins come flat so that you can stamp or alter them as you wish before putting them together. I'm inked up my woodgrain stamp with Vermillion Archival Ink and stamped the little kraft heart as my first use of the stamp.

Archival Inks by Ranger are my absolute favorites for their range of use, depth of color and crisp impressions. One drawback they do have is that they can stain your stamps. This really does not bother me in the slightest. The results far outweight the staining but I thought I'd bring it to your attention just in case you are someone who gets a little anxious over things like that.

The above stamp has been well-cleaned but is still rather red. It will fade over time. The color won't transfer off...

...this stamped image in green was stamped with the above stained stamp. No color transfer at all.

So onto my second use of the woodgrain stamp...a circular border. I like to use an acrylic block with grid lines for all my stamping. By lining up the circular stamp directly on the center of the block, it makes it easy to stamp evenly along the edge of the card.

Using clear stamps along with the grid makes it so easy to get a perfect border. To vary the pattern on the woodgrain, I've turned the block 180° each time for a more interesting look.

The final place I've used the wood grain stamp is for the leaves. I've stamped the image on white cardstock this time with Pear Tart Ink. Making paper leaves is quick and easy with a circle punch. First punch out a circle and then place it back into the punch. Slide to you get the size of leaf you want and punch again.

You should be able to get two leaves from each circle you punch. For this project I've used a 1.5" circle punch but this works with any circle punch. The large the punch, the larger the leaves.

Here's a closeup of the focal point. It's punched out an adhered with dimensional foam adhesive.

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom. Hope you've enjoyed these simple techniques. Stay cool and happy crafting!

 

Supplies:

STAMPS: Studio Calico My Happy Stamp Set from Hero Arts

INK: Jet Black Archival ink, Vermillion Archival Ink and Aquamarine Archival Ink by Ranger, Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink by Ranger, Pear Tart Memento Ink by Tsukineko

PAPER: Pool Cardstock, Solar White Cardstock by Neenah

TOOLS: 1.5" Circle Punch, 2.5" Circle Punch, Clear Acrylic Block with Guides

EMBELLISHMENTS: Vintage Kraft Heart and Butterfly Trinket Pins by Maya Road, Wood Alterable Buttons by Maya Road

ADHESIVES: Craft Glue Dots Sheets, Mixed 3D Foam Squares

OTHER: twine

 

Happy 4th of July

Wishing each of you a VERY happy 4th of July! I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all those who are in our military forces, as well as those who have family members enlisted - thank you to each of you for helping to maintain the freedom we treasure!

This card was a happy little accident. My first idea was to use the largest star in the STAX to create an opening in my card front, but the star was too close to the overall size of the card and so I scaled back to the next size in the My Favorite Things Star STAX. Awww... perfection, as I could now add in a side strip to replicate the stars AND stripes of the American flag.

Cut a star opening in to the front of a 3 1/4" x 5 1/2" strip of Neenah Solar White cardstock.

Design Adhesives make for extremely quick and easy projects. Cut out a sentiment that suites the scale of your project and apply it to the lower portion of this same piece of cardstock.

 

The cool thing about Design Adhesives is you can use glitter, flock, foil AND even embossing powder to create different looks. I used Adirondack Stream embossing powder because it coordinated perfectly with this oh, so cute Authentique Celebrate paper.

I also cut out one of the tiniest stars from my Star STAX and applied embossing ink to one side and added the same embossing powder to create a coordinating embellishment.

Apply strips of decorative paper to your card front as shown in the photo above.

Wrap baker's twine around the accent piece and pop it up off the card front using dimensional foam squares.

 

Finish it all off with the tiniest little red gemstone atop the popped up embossed star embellishment.

Let's all celebrate our freedom together on this special day!

ink: Distress Embossing Ink

paper: Authentique Celebration 6x6 Paper Pad, Neenah Solar White

accessories: My Favorite Things Die-namics Star STAX, Celebrate Design Adhesives, Stream Adirondack Embossing Powder, Doodlebug Bakers Twine, Red Gemstone, 1/16" 3D-Dots
 

A Basic Shaker Card by Julie Ebersole

Shaker cards never fail to delight folks! If you've never done one before, I hope you'll be encouraged to try it after today's post because they are so easy!

On this version, I wanted a very filled effect, more than a lot of shaker action, so I put quite a bit of punched card stock confetti in it, but you could add less and get a lot more shaker action; with shaker cards it's all about how much room your filler has to move about.

Years ago, when we made shaker cards (yes, I'm talking more than a decade when I say "years ago", *chuckle*), we basically cut square window shapes--we didn't have our own die cutting machines to make all the fun shaped windows we can today. Unless, of course, you were handy with a craft knife and didn't mind the time and labor it took to cut something more intricate than a square...

Today, we have soooooo many quick and easy options! I wanted to make a shaker card that used the "By The Numbers" die set, as this is a card for my parents who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this month! Like it says on the card, "This is BIG!"

One thing I wanted to mention has to do with die storage; not sure about you, but my die collection is growing by leaps and bounds, especially with all the great low-profile dies! I initially lined some cupboard doors with magnetic sheets, but I quickly outgrew that--didn't have enough cupboard doors to line! ACK!

I also tried keeping the dies in their original cello envie packaging, in a drawer; too cumbersome to take them out, then put away after use.

But, a new solution is the ArtBin Magnetic Die Storage Case! This thing can hold up to 21 magnetic pages/inserts, fully loaded with dies! I love how compact this system is, and how easy it is for me to take my dies with me, if I want! The dies only stick to the white side, but I think that's probably good; otherwise, as you flipped through the pages, dies opposite each other would probably knock each other off, something that would drive me crazy. LOL!

If your die collection is growing like mine, you might like this system as much as I do!

Now, moving on to today's project!

Most low profile dies, like this awesome alphabet by My Favorite Things, come connected by little tines. You can leave them as is, or, if you want to increase the versatility of how you use your dies, you can twist them apart, and trim the little nubs down with wire cutters; if you have any rough edges remaining, it's a good idea to sand them down with a metal file or dremel tool, to avoid snagging on something, or possibly scratching or cutting yourself because those nubs can be quite sharp.

Additionally, sanding them down smooth/flush with the outer edge of the die will give you a much, MUCH nicer finish, if you decide to use the negative cut out piece, as I did for this project.

I positioned and cut my numbers where I wanted my shaker "window" to be.

Applied adhesive around the outer edges of the numbers on the back side of the panel, and mounted a piece of Crystal Clear Plastic overtop, to seal the opening.

Some thin strips of foam tape were then mounted around the perimiter to create a "box"; if you plan to use something finer than punched card stock for your filler--such as glitter, or sand, etc. you will want to make sure there are no gaps between the strips of foam tape or that filler material could "leak out".

I used a variety of different sized circles to create my confetti, and also punched from dyed card stock, because I didn't want any white sides showing, and filled up the little "box" from the back side.

I removed the liner papers from the foam tape and mounted a piece of colored card stock to the back to seal the confetti inside the "box".

I added a separate matt layer before mounting the whole thing to the card base, and then finished off the card with some twine and a fun sentiment from a Hero Arts set!

And, I couldn't resist continuing on the inside with a "Woo Hoo!" because, well, 50 years is somethin' to get excited about, wouldn't you agree?!

Thanks for poppin' over here today! Shake it up, baby!

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Supplies & Materials:

STAMPS: Hero Arts "This Is Big" Cleardesign Set; Hero Arts/Studio Calico "Heyday Sentiments"

INKS: Tangelo Dew Drop by Tsukineko; Soft Pool Shadow by Hero Arts

PAPER: Natural White by Neenah, 25 sheet or ream; Sherbert, Lagoon by Memory Box; Coredinations Adirondack Card Stock

DIES: By the Numbers by My Favorite Things

TOOLS:  Big Shot Personal Die Cutting System

EMBELLISHMENTS: Doodle Twine "Boy"

OTHER: Crystal Clear Plastic; Tombow Stamp Runner; ArtBin Magnetic Storage Tote; ArtBin Magnetic Die Sheets