the CLASSroom

Stamping on Wood by Julia Stainton

One of the biggest trends over the past few years has got to be wood and woodgrain. I for one am thrilled that it is still going strong!

Wood is definitely a classic and can be paired up with so many things. I love its texture, it's warmth and it's flexibility in design. Wood is perfect for masculine designs as well as feminine. What's not to love?!

 

Some of the most recent popular wood crafting items are the laser cut wood embellishments. Very cool! Today I decided to design a card featuring the new Maya Road Wood Shipping Tags.

They come in a package of 8 tags in 4 sizes. I've used the two largest size tags in this project and all these tags are perfect for stamping on.

I've used a Hero Arts stamp set and some Ranger Archival Ink to stamp on these tags. Stamp on them in the same way you would stamp on paper. I find the Archival Inks to be the best for stamping on surfaces such as wood and fabric. Just stamp the image and then heat set with a heat gun.

Quick Tip: When stamping on two side by side items, place them approximately in position when stamping the images so that you get a nice balance of design and color.

The card looked pretty with just the tags on it but I decided it needed a little something more for some subtle texture. A woodgrain embossing folder was just the trick. This folder wasn't quite large enough to cover the 5x5 inch card so I left the top area blank by sliding down the folder to where it looked best. I find that by dividing the card in thirds is a great place to make a transition so that is approximately where I placed the top of the folder.

Here's the cardstock once it's been embossed. The cardstock I used has a white core so by sanding it after this step, I got a nice highlighted texture that you can see below.

This card could easily be altered to fit the season. Think how changing the colors up to warm yellows, reds and oranges would make this into a stunning fall themed design.

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

Supplies:

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Tribal Trends by Julie Ebersole

I'm sure you've noticed the tribal trends that have been resurfacing throughout 2012 not only in fashion and home decor, but also in paper crafts!

I've never been one to really sport animal or geometric prints in my wardrobe (Alright, alright!!! I will confess to owning some soft grey leopard spotted flannel pajamas...), however, the modernized way this trend has been updated intrigues me and even if it's something I might not ever wear (out on the street, cuz I have zero fashion sense...), it's fun to experiment with these kinds of prints and patterns with your paper crafts!

{image credit}

This gorgeous image from Pinterest.com caught my eye and I was instantly drawn to the rug--so striking!  I love the generous expanses of white accented by little splashes of bold color and the dramatic look the zebra stripe pattern gives the entire room! *swoonage*

This, of course, inspired me to pull out the latest addition to my Cover-a-Card Background stamps: Zebra

I love the fact that I can call all the shots with background stamps like these--if I want PINK zebra stripes all I need to do is swap ink colors--I'm limited only by the number of ink pad colors at my disposal! *fist pump*

If you find mixing and matching patterns challenging, like I do, take baby steps! The only pattern you'll find on my finished project is the Zebra print; the rest is simply the subtle textures found in the embellishments (Black Glaze pen on the Savvy Stamps Brush Flower Head) and linen/canvas weaves of the solid papers used for the rest of the card!

Enjoy the video here or in HD on YouTube!

Have you thought about incorporating any tribal trends into your projects? What do you find intriguing about these particular trends?

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Supplies & Materials:

Savvy Stamps, Brush Flower Head	Impression Obsession Cover-a-Card Cling Stamp, Zebra	Mega Mount Acrylic Stamp Handle	Memento Ink Pad, Love Letter
Memento Ink Pad, Gray Flannel	A Cardstock, Essentials by Ellen: White Linen #100 Cardstock, 25 Pack	EEE3 Cardstock, Pool	Core'dinations Cardstock, Adirondack Collection
A1 Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White, 25 pack	A1 Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White, Ream	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream
Paper Trimmer, Tonic Guillotine 8 1/2"	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	Honey Bee Non Stick Scissors	Glue Glider Pro
Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac 58'	Ornare Piercing Pad	3D-Dots, 1/16" Thick	3D-Dots, 1/8" Thick
Tweezers, Stainless	Glaze Pen, Black, 2 pk

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Tissue Pear by Sharon Harnist

Hello and happy weekend, everyone! Ever since Ellen started her tissue paper series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), I had this idea I wanted to try with dimensional tissue paper shapes and here's what I came up with:

How much fun is this dimensional pear?!!  I had a blast creating it and it was so simple . . . my head is spinning with all the die shape possibilities!  Here's all you need to do:

1. Die cut as many layers of tissue paper you can TWICE with your selected die shape.  Here, I used Memory Box's Classic Pear:

2. Stack the two die cut pear tissue paper stacks together and stitch down the center.

3. Next, put adhesive on one side of the stitched pear and fold that side of the tissue paper over to the other side. This will hide the stitching in your finished shape:

4. Die cut another pear shape out of coordinating paper/cardstock, to use as a base for your tissue pear and adhere the tissue pear to the die cut base using double-sided tissue tape:

5. The last step takes just a little bit of time/patience but is worth it -- Fan fold, separate & fluff the layers of tissue paper so they form a dimensional shape:

I stamped a greeting onto the die cut leaf (from Hero Arts ClearDesign All Occasion Messages, which sadly, seems to be out of stock at this time but it was the only one I could find to fit, so my apologies!).  To make the greeting stand out and sparkle, I traced it with Pitch Black Copic Atyou Spica Glitter Pen.  

The card base is a Memory Box Parsley Notecard and the fabulous patterned paper is from Echo Park's For The Record 2-Tailored 6x6 pad.  A button tied with black baker's twine completes this card.

I hope you'll find some fabulous things to do with this fun technique . . . I know I will definitely be trying it again!  

EDITED: A few of you mentioned in the comments below that this card would require a box to mail or couldn't be mailed at all . . . quite the contrary!  The beauty of using tissue paper is that it's thin and all you have to do is part the tissue shape in half again and lay it out flat and it won't be any more bulky than the button!

~ Sharon

Memory Box Notecards & Envelopes, Parsley	Echo Park 6x6 Pad, For The Record 2-Tailored	Memory Box Dies, Classic Pear	Copic Spica Glitter Pen, Pitch Black
High Tack Double-Sided Tissue Tape, 1/4"	Sew Easy Baker's Twine, Black

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You Rule! by Krystie Hersch

Hello!  Fall is in the air and school is in full swing!  My family has been busy getting adjusted to our school year routine.  My kids have awesome teachers again this year, and I want to start the year off by buttering them up, umm, expressing our appreciation to them!  hehe!  

When I saw these little rulers, I knew I had to make a 'you rule!' card!  Although I made it with teachers in mind, I think it's great for kids, too.  My six year old thinks this is the best card ever.  :)

Tip:  Although these rulers are lighter than you might expect, any time I am using a large embellishment on a card, I cut the card base so that the fold is at the top.  That will keep your card from falling over when the recipient has it displayed.  

I started the card by die cutting my letters and the heart.  I ran a red Copic marker around the edge of the heart.  I sometimes do this with dies to give it a finished look.

I knew I wanted my main panel to look like notebook paper.  I found piece of grid paper in a pad from My Mind's Eye that was perfect.

To transform it into notebook paper, I just used my Crop-A-Dile to punch holes all along one side.  I just used the grid paper as my guide for spacing.  Next, I snipped from the edge of the paper at each punched hole and bent the paper to give it a torn look.  

I used the Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher to add the tiny staple in the corner, just a cute little detail.

I adhered the letters with a Quickie Glue Pen, and used regular liquid glue on the ruler.  

Thanks for stopping by today, and to any teachers reading, you rule!  

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Velveteen Stamping with Karolyn Loncon

It is so much fun to share our guest designer, Karolyn Loncon, with you today! It has been my honor to know Karolyn now for several years and to have had the pleasure of her company here in our office/warehouse. Yes, Karolyn lives in the Pacific Northwest during the prettiest months of the year and it is always wonderful to see her when the opportunity arises. Karolyn's clean and simple style has earned her many accolades - she was crowned a Stamping Royalty winner in 2011. She is a "Girl Friday" and works wonders with her electronic cutter as part of the Cameo Spotlight design team.

Karolyn shares many inspirational projects on her blog, Paper Therapy - and yes, it might be her therapy, but I can assure you it will be therapy to just feast your eyes on her delicious projects as well. I would like to invite you to head over to Karolyn's blog and help us say thank you for sharing her talents with us here in the CLASSroom today. Please leave your comment on her post about being our guest and as our way of thanking you for taking the time to do so you will have a chance to win some of the fab goodies used in today's post! You know you are in the right spot if you see the following picture.

Thank you Karolyn for sharing your creativity with us here in the CLASSroom! -Ellen

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Hello from the CLASSroom!

I was so honored and humbled when Ellen asked me to prepare a little project for you all, especially in light of all the other wonderful guest designers that Ellen has had here. Her CLASSroom is one of my most favorite places to visit to learn about
this craft that I love so much.  I’m so excited to share my project with you, and hope that you enjoy it as much as I did preparing it for you.  So let’s get to it, shall we?

Let’s be honest – I don’t do a ton of techniques in my crafting life, mostly because my card design style is pretty clean and simple.  So when I came across the Velveteen Stamping technique on Shari Carroll’s blog several months ago, I squealed with delight as I feel like it’s a technique that lends itself to clean and simple designs, and offers a huge WOW factor!  BONUS!

First, I inked up and stamped the Houndstooth Background from Paper Smooches onto white cardstock with the most amazing white pigment ink that I’ve EVER used – Unicorn Pigment Ink by Hero Arts/Memories!  No joke – this ink offers incredible coverage and a perfect image every single time!  I can’t imagine my crafting life without this ink – no craft room should be without it! You’re welcome.  HeeHee

Back to the project – okay, so you don’t need to wait for the pigment ink to really dry; in fact, this technique really pops when the ink is still a little tacky.  It’s also important that the background be stamped in a pigment ink or this technique won’t really work.  Next, you’re going to want to choose images to stamp that have a good amount of solid space – silhouettes work best.  I used images from another Paper Smooches set called Reflections. 

I used three different Hero Arts Dye Inks for the next step, which is to stamp your silhouette images onto the pigment houndstooth background.  Again, it’s critical to
use dye inks for your silhouette images as the dye inks will be resisted as they’re stamped onto the pigment ink.  As you stamp each image, you’ll want to have a rag or towel available to “blot” the dye ink and allow the houndstooth background to show through.  I stamped, blotted, and cleaned the stamp every single time I stamped an image. 

I continued this process until I had my desired pattern.  I adhered the image panel to a Kraft card base with foam squares.  I trimmed out a banner strip and stamped the sentiment, adhering it to the image panel, again with foam squares.  To finish off the project, I adhered tiny white pearls to the centers of the flowers, which I think added a really simple yet elegant touch, don’t you?

Here’s a close-up of what the stamping looks like when it’s finished.  Isn’t it yummy?  I love how that houndstooth pattern peeks through each of the silhouette images to add some great interest and dimension– yet it’s one layer!  Amazing, right?!

Well, that’s it for me, kids!  I loved sharing my project with you today, and hope that you’ll try this technique for yourself!  Thanks so much for joining me in the CLASSroom today!

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6 Cards and a 6x6 Paper Pad by Julia Stainton

My biggest paper crafting addiction of late has to be the 6x6 paper pad. I love all those lovely scaled down prints in a single easy to use pad. They are perfect for cards and other small projects and I love how well all the papers work together.

Recently I've bought an entire stack of 6x6 paper pads. Today I'm going to focus on one single pad. While I've never actually sat down and figured out just how many cards you can make from one of these little pads, the other day I made a start with six different cards. I love how you can get so many looks from one purchase.

So here's a peek at a few of the cards and below is the paper pad they came from. I love this "Honey" 6x6 paper pad from the sweetest thing line by My Mind's Eye. Such a beautiful mix of prints.

You'll find that most of the prints in a collection work really well together. That measn you can mix and match to your hearts content with one small paper purchase. Don't be afraid to mix prints. Just vary the scale and balance the colors and they will look beautiful. Your eye will tell you what works. If you are still a little hesitant, here's a link to a tutorial I wrote on the In Touch Blog about Mixing patterns. It's been almost 3 years since I wrote it but it's still very relavent and a great place to start.

I started creating where it's always a great place to start...with the papers that inspire you the most. I was just itching to use these ones and paired them up in a simple timeless design.

I love putting together embellishments to add a focal point to my designs. Choosing embellishments in your favorite colors or in neutrals is a great and cost-effective way to design. That way you always have what you need on hand.

My next card is a classic square design. I loved matching up the pink and red patterns for a sweet love themed congrats card. To embellish the card I've used some torn washi tape overlaid with some die cut hearts.

Next was on to the most elegant design from this paper pad. Pairing up monochromatic colors is always beautifully elegant and nothing says class like black, grey and white. In this design, a circle punch adds some movement to the design.

You may have noticed but most of these cards do not have a sentiment. When sitting down and creating a stack, leaving some cards without sentiments allows you to have a card that is perfect for any occasion at a moment's notice.

The beautiful soft pink and grey prints just had to go together for the next card. So soft and sweet, I wanted to make a very girlie design. This card just uses two prints for subtle look. When you use two prints, make sure one is the predominent one and the other is just an accent. Balance is the key.

From soft and sweet, I just had to go to something a little more bright and fun next. This paper pad had a great collaged print in it. It just begged me to cut it apart and make some accents with the paper. After cutting them out, I've collaged them together again. This time they are overlapped and layered for some extra dimension.

Finally, we have one last square card and what has to be one of my favorite classic layouts. The nine-patch layout is an old favorite quilting block design and always looks great with a mix of prints. I've cut some scraps into 1.5" squares and put this together in a jiff.

If you want to make some fun fast cards, a 6x6 paper pad is a great place to start. I hope you have some fun mixing and matching and these few ideas kick start some fun paper crafting.

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Supplies:

NEW Archival Ink Pad, Jet Black	Distress Ink Pad, Brushed Corduroy	The Sweetest Thing Honey 6x6 Paper Pad	Light Pink & Grey Velvet Pleats
Medium Fabric Leaves	Prima Rose Lily	Antique Pearl Ribbon	Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack
Vintage Linen Burlap Roses	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool	Ledger Alterable Alphas	Vintage Paper Posies
Wood Alterable Buttons	Crystal Star Trinket Pins	Trinket Pins, Vintage Pearl Butterfly	Vintage Black Pearl Trinket Pins
Tim Holtz, Tiny Attacher	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink	Romance Novel Washi Tape	2.5" Large Circle Punch

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Kick Start Online Classes Winners

Class starts Monday!! So if your name does not appear below you still have time to register for this fabulous class and get in on the first day of class! Jennifer and Kristina will be contacting the lucky winners below - congratulations ladies and have fun in class!!

 

For complete details on this fabby class simply click through the following link:

Register now for

KICK START

with Jennifer McGuire and Kristina Werner

Faux Embossing by Julie Ebersole

(click on the pics to en-biggan)

Faux embossing.  Faux embossing?! How can it be faux???!!! *chuckle* This fun (and surprising!) technique has been around for a long time--I thought it would be fun to share it again. It's one of my favorites because people always have to run their finger over it to prove that it really is an optical illusion!

 

NOTE: More often than not, this technique is applied to mid-tone or darker colored card stocks; you begin by stamping the image in a tone-on-tone fashion, i.e. stamping the image with a red ink that is slightly darker than the red card you're working on, such as cranberry ink over red paper.  

But, I've found I also love the look on KRAFT card stock, and when I played around with different colors of ink, I found I didn't have to stick within the tone-on-tone rule of thumb! I could start with different colors of ink, such as Tangelo, Bahama Blue, and Pear Tart all on the Kraft paper, just as I did on this particular card!

This technique tends to work best with bold/solid type images, as opposed to outline or detailed--the Savvy Stamps Cityscape is PERFECT for achieving this effect! As you can see, I first stamped it with Bahama Blue Memento Ink onto Kraft card stock.

The next step is to thoroughly clean the stamp--use a good stamp cleaner like Ultra Clean, and after cleaning, tap the stamp against a piece of clean white typing paper to make sure there is no residual ink of any kind remaining on the surface of the stamp. This will eliminate any contamination of blue ink into your Snow Cap pad. Trust me, you'll be extremely glad you did this because a clean white Snow Cap pad is a happy Snow Cap pad! And, when a Snow Cap pad is happy, it stamps mo'h bettah.  Just ask me how I know... !

Now you're ready to re-ink the stamp, but this time with Adirondack Snow Cap, a fast-drying white pigment ink! I love this particular white ink because it does dry fairly fast on porous card stocks (on glossy/coated card stocks, you will need to heat emboss it because it is a pigment ink and will never dry on non-porous surfaces). I also love that it looks very bold and striking against dark colored card stocks and it's become a staple ink that I always keep handy right on my work surface!

Stamp the cityscape a 2nd time, right over the top of the previously stamped blue cityscape, BUT don't worry about being precisely/directly on top--you want the 2nd stamping to be slightly "offset" from the first. You can stamp it slightly higher and to the right, or lower and to the left--whichever direction you prefer. I usually eyeball it by crouching down to eye level with the stamp so I can easily see and align the bottom edge of the rubber image to the bottom edge of the image stamped on the card, and I typically offset the 2nd stamping  (Snow Cap ink) slightly high and to the right.

Here's a closer shot of the end result:

The Cityscape was first stamped with Bahama Blue Ink, and the speech bubble with Tangelo ink. "HEY" was used (stamped with Brilliance Graphite Black) from the same Studio Calico/Hero Arts "Hey Y'all" stamp set

Inside the card, I stamped the "Miss You" with Pear Tart first.

The colored inks, beneath the Snow Cap, create a sort of "drop shadow", giving the illusion that the images are actually dry embossed onto the paper surface--a fantastic and cleverly deceptive way to create a "dimensional" look!

A smidge of patterned paper, some corner rounding and detailing the edge with a the White Gel Pen complete the look.

To re-cap:

1. Bold/solid images work best
2. Stamp your image with a mid-tone or darker colored ink first (if working on Kraft card stock; on colored card stocks for a monochromatic design, stamp with an ink color slightly darker than the paper)
3. Clean stamp thoroughly
4. Ink stamp with Snow Cap Ink
5. Stamp over top of previously stamped image, slightly off-setting

Have fun playing around with this technique and thanks for hangin' with me in the CLASSroom today!

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SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

 

Savvy Stamps, Cityscape	Studio Calico ClearDesign, Heydey Thoughts from Hero Arts	Studio Calico ClearDesign, Hey Y'all from Hero Arts	Adirondack Pigment Ink Pad, Snow Cap
Memento Ink Pad, Bahama Blue	Memento Ink Pad, Tangelo	Memento Ink Pad, Pear Tart	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, Ream
A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 25 pk	Echo Park 6x6 Pad, Dots & Stripes, Soda Fountain	Uni-ball Impact Gel Pen, White	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool

InLinkz.com

Tissue Paper and Die Cuts - Part 2, Faux Watercolor

I hope my recent post has you thinking about new ways of using your dies together with tissue paper! When thinking about what makes tissue paper unique I remembered that when wet, color puddles form... and it dawned on me - I could use it as a watercolor medium!

Begin with watercolor paper - in this case I used Hero Arts felt finish paper. My guess is that the Jennifer's watercolor paper we carry, would work even better. OR if you have Julie's Bristol you could try that as well. I just didn't have quite enough time to try all three and do a side-by-side comparison that day. Be certain to watch for an update as I give that a try!

To create a watercolor background spritz your watercolor paper with water (I'm going to have to try Perfect Pearls mists and Studio Calico mists soon as well!) Position your die cut leaves randomly atop the paper. Continue to spritz and lay down more leaves until your sheet is covered.

Once you have your finished look you must allow it to rest for a while to allow the tissue paper to release it's color into the watercolor paper surface. I have to admit I'm not certain how long I was patient enough to leave it this way - perhaps 30 minutes. I then pulled out my Heat It tool (LOVE this embossing tool because it doesn't blow things every which way!) and hurried the drying process along. Your finished piece will be warped, but simply drawing it back and forth over a soft table or desk edge will help straighten it to look like new. :-D

Impression Obsession Dies, Leaves	Memory Box Die, Metal Adaptor Plate	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink	Vagabond Cutting Machine by Tim Holtz
Watercolor Paper, Felt Finish Bright White	Hero Arts, Layering Paper, Iris	Basic Grey, Little Black Dress ClearDesign, Love and Lace from Hero Arts	Shadow Ink, Soft Purple
Inkssentials Mister, 2 oz.

InLinkz.com

Lockhart Lanterns by Sharon Harnist

Labor Day weekend usually signifies the end of summer and that autumn is on its way (although someone definitely needs to notify Mother Nature to turn the heat off down here in Texas!). So I felt these darling Lockhart Party Lanterns would be a nice way to say goodbye to summer and hello to the recepient of this card:

I stamped the group of three lanterns three times across the bottom of a Solar White panel and then colored them with Copic Markers (BG13, RV63, YR12) and festive, sparkly Copic Atyou Spica Glitter Pens (Lemon, Melon, Orange, Pink, Turquoise), to match the pretty Lily Bee Buttercup patterned papers I chose.

TIP: Keep what you would consider your "springy/summery" patterned papers close at hand year round for festive party invitations and birthday cards!  You might also want to consider stocking up on these end-of-the summer papers when they go on clearance!

A Memory Box Mango notecard, which matches the patterned paper, was used as a quick card base.  I matched up the lanterns with this great Hero Arts ClearDesign Say Hello sentiment and stamped it with coordinating Memento Rose Bud ink onto a white Inchie Arts Inchie + Square. The square was framed with a black Scallop Square die cut.  Yellow Stickles dotted around the lanterns finishes the card.

I hope the end of summer has come to your part of the country but if not -- enjoy the last of the long warm days & nights!

~ Sharon

Lockhart Party Lanterns	Hero Arts Clear Design-Say Hello	Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black
Memento Ink Pad, Rose Bud	Copic Sketch Markers	Copic Atyou Spica Glitter Pens	Inchie Arts Inchie + Squares, White
Memory Box Cardstock, Mango	Memory Box Licorice Cardstock	Sizzix Framelits Die Set, Scallop Squares	Ranger Stickles, Yellow

InLinkz.com

Jen's Sunshine Blog Candy Winner and New Online Card Class - Kick Start Class Spot Giveaway!

Big thanks to all those who have reached out to help Jennifer Scull and her family by purchasing this digi set, as well as to those who have left their warm regards to cheer her on! The winner of our $25 gift certificate is:

Congratulations Geri - thank you for sharing your love with Jen!

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As well today I have some more fun news to share with you - I have THREE spots to give away from Online Card Classes newest class called KICK START! All you need to do to win the spot is leave me a comment regarding how you tend to be inspired below in the comments section. You have until midnight Pacific Time, Saturday, September 8th and I will randomly draw the winners on Sunday!

Do you ever find yourself stuck in a creative slump? Never fear! Break down the mental blocks that keep you from creating! In KICK START, Kristina Werner, Jennifer McGuire and a team of all-star artists give you a front row seat to their creative process and explore ways to get back your creative mojo!

Kick Start's 20+ videos will cover many topics including organizing inspiration, making the most of card making sketches, getting more from your supplies, smart shopping and much, much morel. Take a peek into the creative minds of Tim Holtz, Shari Carroll, Kelly Purkey, Julie Ebersole, Lisa Spangler, Dawn McVey, Kelly Rasmussen, Kathy Racoosin, Amber Daigre and Maile Belles. Many cards will be shared along the way, too!

This two-week interactive class includes free downloads, prizes, shopping discounts, (yes, once again we are offering a discount code to our store Ellen Hutson LLC in this class) galleries, a Q&A forum and lifetime access!

Class runs September 17-29, but content will be available for a lifetime!

Click here for more info & to register!

Glittery Ghosts by Krystie Hersch

Hello!  The little Ghost Trio die jumped to the top of my wishlist as soon as I saw it!  You can cut felt with them, cut patterned paper, but I really wanted to make glittery ghosts.  

I started by die cutting.  I went ahead and cut Twiggy Tree at the same time.  When I'm cutting detailed dies, I always add the Memory Box adaptor plate to help get all the detailed cuts.

Now that I have a stack of ghosts, I want to add the glitter.  I'm going to use one of my favorite methods for this, which is the Xyron.  It's a little machine that turns your die cuts into stickers.  The adhesive is perfect for glitter.  It provides a strong hold, doesn't warp your paper, and has no dry time.

Drop your items in the top of the machine and then manually pull paper out below.  

Peel back the cellophane and you're left with a sheet of stickers!  Peel them off and cover them in glitter.

Now I'm ready to add them to my designs.  First, I chose to combine them with some Dots and Stripes patterned paper.  I like non-traditional color schemes, so I went with light blue.

I used Ellen's new linen-textured cardstock for my card base.  It adds a wonderful texture to your card, and is still subtle enough to capture the detail on your stamps, as you can see on the sentiment below:

Lastly, I combined the Ghosts Trio die with Twiggy Tree for a spooky scene.  

I embossed the sentiment in white and added small strips of patterned paper.

Thank you for stopping by today!  

InLinkz.com

Tissue Paper and Die Cuts - Part 1, Collage

It is hard to believe that fall is in the air! The air is crisp now in the evenings and mornings and the leaves are beginning to turn. This time of year brings SO much inspiration!

It was while putting together a birthday package that this idea came to mind and I really think that it is going to trigger something fun in each of your minds. This is the first of a couple of different ideas I am sharing using tissue paper and die cuts, so let the fun begin!

Claudine's video on how to use Studio Multi-Medium (find it at this link) will come in handy when creating a project similar to this. The beauty of tissue paper is that it is semi-transparent one wet and when it dries the pattern of the stamped image below shows through.

Die cut various colors of tissue paper - I was able to cut through at least 6 sheets of tissue paper at one time. You will need to carefully pull the sheets apart once they are removed.

I began by stamping through a circular mask on to linen cardstock using the Hero Arts woodgrain stamp - LOVE this stamp! Be certain to use a waterproof ink such as Archival ink.

Apply a thin layer of Multi-medium to the cardstock surface and place your tissue paper leaf in the wet area and paint over the entire leaf using more Multi-medium.

If you are uncertain of leaf placement allow the first piece to dry, or if you are confident in your layout just keep working. Add a leaf at a time until your project is complete.

To adhere the letters I held each one using a pair of tweezers and applied Multi-medium to the back side of each letter. Multi-medium dries clear and is a phenomenal adhesive. I liked using it for this project because it allowed me to scotch the letters around on the wet surface until I had them perfectly straight. Tweezers are an absolute must for crafting in my opinion!

I hope to see loads of projects using die cuts and tissue paper from each of you - let's see how long this idea takes to catch on :-D My hope is that I have planted a new seed and I can hardly wait to see it sprout (or leaf out - ha, ha!)

Memory Box Dies, Maple Leaf	Memory Box Dies, Parker Lower Alphabet	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink	Memory Box Die, Metal Adaptor Plate
Hero Arts Designer Woodgrain	Archival Ink Pad, Sepia	Essentials by Ellen, White Linen Cardstock, 25 pk	Studio Multi-Medium, Matte
Studio Artist Brushes

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