the CLASSroom

Creating a Paper Crown Card Template by Julia Stainton

There are many ways to create a card design. Most often we start with a basic A5 card base and go from there. The creativity is in how we work within that 4.25" x 5.5" surface. Sometimes we change things up a little and create a tall card, a square card design or one with a unique fold but for the most part...it's that same old card base every time.

What if we decide to change that card base and make it into a unique shape? A shaped card design is always fun and unique and they are very easy to create. Designing a template is the key to making shaped cards over and over. Once you create the template, your shaped card design is a breeze and can be used endlessly. Yes, it does take a little time to create the template but you'lll be glad you did.

Today my tutorial is on how to create a template and I'll be showing you how to design a crown template that I created a few years ago. Once you've created one template, your imagination is the limit.

I find templates with basic shapes and straight lines are the easiest to create. To start with you need some cardstock the size you wish the card template to be. Do a little planning ahead on what size would be easiest. How does your design space itself out? The crown is symmetrical which makes it easy and needs a definite center point. It also divides into thirds so I've chosen to make my card from 12x12 cardstock that folds in half to form a 4" x 6" card base.

1. Draw a line across the crown to divide it in half horizontally and do the same vertically.
2. Draw a second horizontal line one inch from the top of the card template to mark the tops of the smaller triangle points.
3. Divide the center horizontal line into thirds on both sides. You'll want to make a tick mark at 1", 2", 4" and 5" measurements along that line.
4. To create the markings for the top of the smaller triangle points, mark off the 1/2" and 1 1/2" measurements from both the right and left sides.

Once you have your template markings laid out, use your ruler and a permanent marker (I've used a Copic Multiliner) to trace out the crown pattern and cutting lines.

Cut out the template and label it so that you don't throw it out.

Trace the pattern template onto a folded 4" x 6" card base and then cut it out.

Once your card is cut out you can alter it however you wish. I've created this card numerous times in a very feminine pink sparkly look so I thought I'd try a more spring themed natural shabby look this time. The new My Mind's Eye Pretty Things paper pad is just stunning.

To embellish my card I first added in some pretty trims and fabric tap across the bottom 2 inches of the card design. Then to finish it off, I adhered beautiful premade flowers, twine and added in the sentiment on a stamped linen tag. The final touch was to add a little shine and shimmer to glam up the crown a little. Diamond Stickles is one of my favorite ways to do this. I like to squirt a little onto some scrap paper and then smear on a very light coat with my finger. This prevents the paper from buckling with too much liquid and gives a lovely subtle look.

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom! Have a wonderful and creative weekend!

Supplies:

Record It! Pretty Things 6x6 paper pad	Diamond Stickles	Tim Holtz Wire Pins	Cream Pearl Ball Pins
Yellow & Grey Velvet Pleats Flowers	Neutral Hemp Cord	Khaki Frayed Edge Pleated Trim	Woodgrain White Flowers by Prima
Khaki Beige Stripes Fabric Tape	Cosmo Cricket Natural Burlap Brads	Wood Mini Spools	Wave Vintage Crochet Trim
Linen Mini Tag Pieces	Archival Ink Pad, Jet Black	Distress Ink Pad, Brushed Corduroy	Ruler, Tim Holtz Design
COPIC Multiliner SP - 0.3, Black	EK Tools, Precision 5 Inch Scissors with Sheath	Tonic Paper Trimmer Guillotine, 8.5"

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Spring Wishes by Kittie Caracciolo

Spring is just around the corner and brings the promise of beautiful flowers, lovely butterflies and warmer temperatures. My project today shows the spring season in full bloom. 

My project today was made using Impression Obsession’s Hollyhocks, Large Fence, Tall Grass, Grass Border, Small Grass Border, Cloud Set and Butterfly Set.  The sentiment is from the Easter Basket set stamp set.

I started by cutting all the pieces for my project using bright spring colors.  Did you know Ellen is now carrying a beautiful line of smooth, heavyweight cardstock by Bazzill? I used Cotton Candy, Sour Grape, Easter Green, Icy Mint and Sour Lemon.  

 

I lightly applied a touch of PanPastel to the flowers and butterflies with a mini applicator to add depth.

 

I used a green Copic marker to color in the stems.

I used my stylus and molding pad to form the flowers.

The large fence die is just a little short of covering the width of the card base.  I cut two pickets off of a second fence and attached one picket with glossy accents to the back of the end piece of the full fence. 

I stamped the sentiment on the largest cloud using black versafine.

I applied thin strips of mounting tape to the back of the fence and attached it to the card base.

I applied the tall grass and grass border to the front of the fence using my AATG adhesive.

I cut a portion off the bottom of each flower to be the correct height for the fence.  I applied a touch of glossy accents to the bottom of each one and tucked them in behind the grass border.  I use the point of my leaf tool to scoot the stems down and to secure in place. 

I attached rolled glue dots to the back of a few of the flowers to hold the upper stems in place.

I applied thin strips of mounting tape to the back of the small grass border and attached it in front of the grassy border.

I applied small pieces of mounting tape to the back of the clouds and attached them to the card base.

I lightly bent the wings of the butterflies up so they would appear to be flying and attached them to the card base with a small touch of glossy accents.  I held them in place for a second using the point of my leaf tool.

Can you ever add too many butterflies?  I don’t think so. 

I thought the big puffy cloud was the perfect place for the Special Spring Wishes.

I hope you have been inspired to pull out your dies and create a spring scene that will help warm you and melt away all of that February winter snow.

Impression Obsession Dies, Hollyhocks	Impression Obsession Dies, Lg. Fence	Impression Obsession Dies, Grass Border	Impression Obsession Dies, Grass
Impression Obsession Dies, Sm Grass Border	Impression Obsession Dies, Butterfly	Impression Obsession Dies, Clouds	Impression Obsession Clear Stamp Set: Easter Basket
Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Cotton Candy, 10 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Easter Grass, 10 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Sour Grape, 10 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Sour Lemon, 10 pk
Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Icy Mint, 10 pk	PanPastel Sofft Mini Applicators, 12 pk	PanPastel Ultra Soft Artist Pastel 9 ml, Permanent Red 340.5	PanPastel Ultra Soft Artist Pastel 9 ml, Diarylide Yellow 250.5
PanPastel Ultra Soft Artist Pastel 9 ml, Violet 470.5	VersaFine, Onyx Black	Sizzix Accessory, Magnetic Platform for Wafer-Thin Dies	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal
Tonic Paper Trimmer Guillotine, 12x6	Teflon Bone Folder	Sizzix Accessory, Tool Kit inspired by Susan Tierney-Cockburn	Accents, Glossy
Copic High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/2"	COPIC Sketch Marker G99, Olive	Glue Dots, Mini (3/16")	Clear Acrylic Block, 2.5 Round w/ Alignment Grid and Finger Grips

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 02.24.2014 + a GIVEAWAY! :)

To accompany today's video we have a fabulous Giveaway of a complete set of Avery Elle's new pigment inks PLUS the two sets featured in today's project! WOOT!

Please be sure to scroll down and a leave a comment on this post to enter your name by 11:59 Sunday, March 2nd! A winner will be randomly drawn and announced Monday, March 3rd!

 (click on the pic to enbiggan)

This Happy Spring set by Avery Elle really caught my eye and stood out for me at CHA--the images and art style have a delightful, whimsical British flavor about them! Fox with a top hat? You had me at 'ello!!!

The triangular accents are from the Texture Tiles Be Cool set--I had to laugh because initially I looked at that super tiny triangle and thought I would never have a use for it. Welcome to Village WRONG!!! *monkey clapping*

Enjoy the video here or you can also view it on our YouTube Channel and thank you for watching & subscribing! Be sure to switch to 720p for optimal viewing quality!

 

Happy Mundane!

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SUPPLIES:

Avery Elle Clear Stamps, Happy Spring	Avery Elle Clear Stamps, Texture Tiles: Be Cool	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Fizz	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Celery
Memento Luxe Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Licorice Twist, 10 pk
Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Licorice Twist, 25 pk	EK Craft Tweezers	EK Tools, Precision 5 Inch Scissors with Sheath	Scissors, 5" Titanium Blade
Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool, Angle & Photo Corner	Tonic Paper Trimmer Guillotine, 8.5"	Crop-a-Dile Eyelet & Snap Punch	Nesting Paper Punch, Circle 1/2"
Teflon Bone Folder	Sew Easy Baker's Twine, Black	Doodle Twine Spool, Beetle Black	Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue, 0.88 oz.
Glue Glider Pro	Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac 58'

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File Folder Cards with WRM Envelope Punch Board by Sharon Harnist

Like a lot of you, I jumped on board and purchased the fabulous new Envelope Punch Board by We R Memory Keepers last year. And then my family started cleaning up and packing things away in order to sell our house and move!  Months later (late last year), when I was finally able to get it back in my hands, I made sure to set it aside so I could have a chance to play with it.  Since I am horrible at actually mailing most of the cards I make, I set out to see what else I could do with this crafty tool. An Internet search revealed a HUGE myriad of fabulous items that can be made with this innovative tool besides awesome custom envelopes ... I urge you to do the same!

Since I've always loved the look of a file folder greeting card, this particular idea really appealed to me -- especially since I've been meaning to purchase a die that would give this same look!

The bonus with making your file folders with the Envelope Punch Board is that you can adjust the file tab to whatever size and position you'd like!  It's very easy -- here's how (click on any photo for a larger view):

INSTRUCTIONS FOR A 3-TAB FILE FOLDER CARD:

Start with a normal card-sized piece of cardstock for the base of your file folder card -- a half sheet of 8.50" x 11" = 8.50" x 5.50". 

1. You can choose to notch the far right and left corners, depending on the look you prefer and you can either do it at the beginning or end. Here, I did it first but it may be easier for you to align the edge of the cardstock with the ruler if you punch this corner last. You want to put the edge of your cardstock right in the center of the little punch opening you see in the lower center of the round blue punch "button".

2. Move the left edge of your cardstock over the 1-3/4" mark of the Envelope Punch Board and punch.

3. This is the completed left file folder tab.

4. To make the right and middle tabs, flip the left side of your cardstock over so the tab is now on th right and repeat steps 1 and 2 above.

5. By creating the second end tab, you've also created the middle tab.

Next, decide which position of tabs you want to create. In the photo below, the right side of my file folder is a center tab, so I just used my paper trimmer to take off the left (or top) and right (bottom) tabs. So on the left side of my folder, I removed the center tab. Now when the folder is closed (left side folded to the right), you'll be able to see the center tab:

To add extra authenticy to the folder, I scored down the normal 4.25" center mark of an A2-sized card, and then 1/4" on each side of center.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR A 2-TAB FILE FOLDER CARD:

(For the times you may need a larger tab)

1. Align the left side of the cardstock at the 2-3/4" mark, punch. Then punch the ends, same as step 1 above:

To decorate the front of my card, I stamped Penny Black's beautiful Floral Applique slapstick cling with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Copic X-Press It Blending Card and colored it with these Copic Sketch markers: RV63, RV66, YG23, YG25, YG17, and Y21.

For the background, I used E41, E42 and E43 to color around the flower on the lower part of the panel (I wanted to soften the white cardstock to blend and match it to the Neenah Desert Storm kraft colored card base). Then I flicked the lightest E41 from the flower upward, to create a transition into the blue sky I airbrushed with BG000. After flicking the E41, I softened the top edge and blended it out to white, using the 0-Colorless Blender:

Having that little bit of E41 Pearl White "buffer" right up against the flower allowed me to airbrush the BG000 sky up to the Pearl White without having to mask the flower and without fear of getting BG000 overspray on the already-colored flower (yes, that's the lazy way because I don't like cutting masks!).

After stamping the Hero Arts Celebrate Everyday sentiment on the tab, here's what the file folder card looks like open:

To finish the card front image, I used the corner rounder that's included on the top of the Envelope Punch Board's punch button and accented the top right of the colored image with Ellen's Iridescent Vanilla Sequins, secured with Mini Glue Dots.

To add to the authenticity of my file folder, I used the tabs I cut off the back side of the folder and adhered them to the front tabs, to act like the reinforced tabs you see on some file folders!

This birthday card is for my husband's Aunt whom we are celebrating her 90th birthday this weekend! I know she did a ton of filing in her 35-ish years of working, so I don't quite know if she'll look forward to this card or not!  But she usually loves whatever I make her, so I think she'll probably appreciate it! Thanks for joining me today!  ~ Sharon

We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 25 pk	Blending Card by X-Press It, 25 Pack	Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black
Penny Black Cling Stamp, Floral Applique	Celebrate Everyday STamp Set by Hero Art	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	Copic Sketch Markers
Copic Airbrush jSystem Starter Kit 1N	Sparmax Windstorm Airbrush Compressor	Essentials by Ellen: Sequins, Iridescent Vanilla	Glue Dots Sheets, Mini

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Watercolor stamped flowers by Heather Campbell

From wedding invitations to handmade cards, watercolor is everywhere. I've been trying to wrap my head around this trend but I have to admit that I'm not a messy crafter.  I'm just not good at things that require one to get messy.  So watercolor - something I can't control - it almost puts me into a panic.  Now stamping to achieve a watercolor look, that's right up my alley and how I created this card.   

To create these watercolored florals, I simply used Distress Markers, perfect pearls, water and watercolor paper.  

After trying lots and lots of watercolor paper, I finally have found my favorite - it's the Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock.  And there is a reason why... 

it has a smooth side!  It also has a side that's a little more textured but I flip it right over to the smooth side almost every time!  I tried to get a picture for you to capture the difference so click on the pic to see the detail!

To start my card out, I stamped a sentiment from Avery Elle Laurels in Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Since water will be involved, I had to use a water-friendly ink.  

To create the watercolor flowers, I took my Distress Marker and brought it right to my stamp.  For this card, all the flower stamps are from Wplus9 Fresh Cut Florals. 

Then, I took a paint brush dipped in water mixed with Perfect Pearls to give them some subtle sparkle.  

This diluted the amount of ink that was on the stamp and created a natural watercolor look to it when I stamped it. 

Then, I took my two-step stamp for the inside of the flower and used the same technique of bringing ink to the stamp with the marker directly onto the stamp.  This allowed for a darker inside to the flower.  

Then, I followed that same technique and just built upon it to add more flowers in different colors.  

It took a little practice to get the right amount of water on the stamp so that it would stay somewhat to the original stamp shape and not diluting the original color too much. 

I did the same thing to add the leaves, except I waited to add the inside of the leaves until the very end.  

Tumbled glass... so pretty.  I love this color.

Dried Marigold and Mustard Seed to create the orange/yellow combo.

Once I had a pretty arrangement, I was ready to go back in and finish the leaves.   

Here it is all finished! 

Before I added some gold to the inside of the flowers, I thought I'd die cut my panel down to size using the Mama Elephant Femme Frames die. 

I stamped Delicata Golden Glitz to the inside of all the flowers.  Hopefully you've heard that Delicata will be releasing Silver very soon and it will be available at Ellen Hutson! 

Then, I wrapped some Hemptique twine around the top to tie in the rustic feeling of the kraft.  

There's a close up!  Again, I love that smooth paper and yet it's still watercolor paper! 

Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing part of your day with me!  Have a great day!

WPlus9 Design Studio Clear Stamp, Fresh Cut Florals	Avery Elle Clear Stamps, Laurels	Perfect Pearls Mists, Perfect Pearl	Tim Holtz Water Brush, Detailer Brush Nib	Distress Marker, Dried Marigold
Distress Marker, Picked Raspberry	Distress Marker, Worn Lipstick	Distress Marker, Mustard Seed	Distress Marker, Tumbled Glass	Distress Marker, Shabby Shutters
Tim Holtz Distress Markers	Mama Elephant Creative Cuts, Femme Frames	Distress Watercolor Cardstock	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 250 Sheet Ream	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream
Delicata Ink Pad, Golden Glitz	Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black	Tombow Adhesive Dot Stamp Runner, Permanent	Kool Tak White Foam Adhesive, 1/4 Squares (1/16 Thick)	Tonic Paper Trimmer Guillotine, 8.5"
Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 02.17.2014

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

 

As I mention in the video, this card was inspired by a story on Facebook about a soon-to-be 11 yr. old young man, who has a disability similar to Autism. Unbeknownst to him, his Mom is trying to give him a very special birthday!

As a mother, wait, no... as a HUMAN BEING, their story really got to me and my heart went out to both Colin and his Mom. Having been the recipient of many a SMAK myself (Small Acts of Kindness), I wanted to SMAK it forward. If you're interested, you can check out the whole story at this link: Happy Birthday Colin

I love the versatility of this particular design--it can be so easily modified by simply switching color schemes and patterned papers! The fonts featured in the stamp set (Cake & Candles by Avery Elle) are "ageless" and adaptable to either gender, which is a GREAT bonus in any type of greeting set. I also love that the dies in the Uplifting set by Penny Black come in two different sizes so there are plenty of options.

Enjoy the video here or on our YouTube Channel and thank you for subscribing! You can switch to 720p for best viewing quality, as well.

 

 

Happy Mundane!

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SUPPLIES:

Avery Elle Clear Stamps, Cake and Candles	Memento Ink Pad, Espresso Truffle	Penny Black Dies, Uplifting	Basic Grey Hipster, 6x6 Paper Pad
Basic Grey Hipster, Collection Pack	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 250 Sheet Ream	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 25 pk	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal
Glue Glider Pro	Kool Tak White Foam Adhesive, 1/4 Squares (1/16 Thick)	Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac 58'	EK Craft Tweezers
Tweezers, Stainless	Teflon Bone Folder	String by the Spool, Natural Burlap	Natural Hemp Cord On Spool, 10 1b

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In Detail: Product Reviews & News – 11 Must-Have Craft Tools by Jean Manis

Today we are covering eleven must-have tools for paper crafters. I chose these eleven items by analyzing which tools you’ll almost always find out on my work area. These are the tools that I reach for on a regular basis for stamping, embossing, die cutting and fussy cutting. You won’t find big tools on this list, such as my die cutting machine, paper cutter or heat gun. Instead, this is a list of those smaller “essentials.”

This list is by no means comprehensive. Depending on the paper crafting category, there are many more essential tools. For example, someone who watercolors would most certainly include brushes on their list. I purchased several of these tools on the advice of Ellen when I first began card making. Others I’ve more recently discovered as I’ve tried more techniques. If you’re an experienced crafter, you may already own all of these tools. If you’re just starting out, you may have considered the purchase of some, but not known enough about a particular tool to do so.

Let’s take a look.

1. Fiskars Compact Stamp Press

One of the first stamping tools I purchased was the Fiskars Compact Stamp Press, which has a 3" x 5" grid. I use this regularly for stamping, especially for stamping sentiments directly onto a card base, because the tool makes it easy to position clear and cling stamps. See those ink splotches on the press? When using the press, it’s easiest to stamp the stamp with the stamp pad (rather than put the stamp into the pad). When I inked the stamp, some of the ink got onto the press, but that ink won’t transfer to the card unless I pressed extremely hard on the edges. The press is also available in a larger size. However, I find this compact size perfect for just about anything I stamp.

2. EK Success Scissors

Ellen demonstrated the EK Success scissors when I asked her which scissors to purchase for fussy cutting. Like the stamp press, these scissors were an early investment. The precision-ground tips are intended for making intricate cuts. I don’t use my pair for anything but fussy cutting, not even cutting baker’s twine and certainly not for cutting foam adhesive. I have a different pair for those tasks. I wanted to maintain the sharpness of these blades specifically for fussy cutting. As Ellen taught me, turn your paper, not your scissors. 

3. Tim Holtz Ruler

The Tim Holtz Ruler is a recent investment. On one side, the ruler is labeled in a standard manner from “0” to “12” inches, in 1/8" increments, while on the other side, “0” appears in the middle and the measurements go left and right from “0” to “6.” This enables one to easily center an item, such as a die when cutting the shape out of the base as a window.

4. Tim Holtz Tonic Craft Pick

I use the Tim Holtz Tonic Craft Pick to remove delicate die cuts from a die after cutting by poking the tool through the small holes in the dies. The tool can be used to pierce a variety of materials as well, although I don’t use it to do so. The pick is retractable, which I personally prefer to a cap, for safe storage. 

5. We R Memory Keepers QuickStik

Although the Lifestyle Crafts QuickStik can also be used to remove die cuts from dies, I primarily use it to pick up delicate die cut pieces when applying glue to the pieces. The tool contains a sticky tack that is exposed by turning the top slightly. The tool can be used to pick up anything small, such as beads or gemstones. The opposite end includes a double-tipped poker with both a sharp point and a chisel tip to control small pieces. I occasionally use the chisel end to maneuver my die cuts as I'm gluing them.

6. EK Craft Tweezers

I learned about the EK Craft Tweezers from Julie Ebersole. The reverse-action feature means that you can use the tweezers as a third hand, for example, when tying a bow in baker’s twine. I also use them to hold die cuts or other embellishments while gluing them to a card base.  

7. PolyShrink Sanding Blocks

I use the PolyShrink Sanding Blocks, abrasive-coated foam blocks, in two ways, neither of which are their intended use. I use the blocks to sand off rough edges on my card sides. The grit on the blocks is such that it doesn’t tear the cardstock. I also use the blocks to gently sand new stamps to season them if I get any splotches with my first stamp. This is another “trick” I learned from Ellen.

8. Copic Swatch Book

I’ve included the Copic Color Swatch Book in this list even though it’s not a typical “tool.” I don’t have a storage system for my Copics that makes it easy to see what I’ve got, so I just flip open the book when I’m looking for a particular yellow-green, for example. It’s also easy to see which color families I own when choosing for a project.

Finally, I’m sharing a couple of tools that just weren’t that exciting to photograph but are essentials nonetheless.

9. Ranger Non-Stick Craft Sheet

The Ranger Craft Sheet, sized 15" x 18", was another item Ellen advised me to purchase when I began paper crafting. It’s an invaluable work surface. I have my craft sheet on my worktable whenever I’m working with embossing pastes, Distress inks, Distress paints or Distress stains. I have also used the mat when misting through stencils in an outdoor environment. The sheet is easily cleaned; I simply put it in the sink to wash it off.

10. Inkadinkado Embossing Magic Bag

Whenever I heat emboss, I pounce the Inkadinkado Embossing Magic Bag on the cardstock surface. The bag will need to be replaced after many uses.

11. Thermoweb Adhesive Pick-Up Square

I use the Thermoweb Adhesive Pick-Up Square to remove adhesive from my cards, as well as to clean up little spots that inevitably get on my cards. I also use the square, which has a rubbery texture, to season clear stamps before use.

Have I missed one of your often-used paper crafting tools? 

--Jean

Fiskars Compact Stamp Press	EK Tools, Precision 5 Inch Scissors with Sheath	Ruler, Tim Holtz Design	Tim Holtz Tonic Retractable Craft Pick
QuickStik	EK Craft Tweezers	PolyShrink, Sanding Blocks	COPIC Color Swatch Book
Non-Stick Craft Sheet	Thermoweb Adhesive Pick-Up Square	Inkadinkado Embossing Magic Bag

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Clean and Simple Valentine by Kittie Caracciolo

Valentine’s day is just two days away and I needed to create one more quick and easy project.  The clean and simple design is not always easy for me but I have found I am most successful when I use a bright splash of color for the main focal point placed against an all white background.  An all white background does not have to be plain or boring.  Adding  decorative elements like the die cut heart borders and frame opening add dimension and interest but still allow the rose to be the star of the project.

I laid the cardstock on my magnetic platform and placed the Double Heart Edger and Heart die dies face down. The magnetic platform held the dies securely in place for the cutting process. Have I told you that I that platform. 

I applied mounting tape to the back of the frame and attached it to the card base.

I cut several leaves using the Leaf Cluster and formed them with my stylus and molding pad. 

I placed the Love You sentiment on my acrylic block, applied versa versa, stamped it on the small flag and embossed with gold embossing powder.

I attached the Mini Rolled Rose with glossy accents in the center of the frame opening. 

I applied glossy accents to the leaves and tucked them in all around the rose.

I attached the sentiment flag with rolled glue dots and finished with the tiny gold bow.  

I love that the rose, foliage and sentiment are framed so beautifully against the all white background.

Who would know this sweet romantic card only took a few minutes to make! 

Thanks for coming by the CLASSroom today.

My Favorite Things Die-namics, Mini Rolled Rose	Impression Obsession Dies, Double Heart Edger	Impression Obsession Dies, Heart Set	Impression Obsession Dies, Leaf Cluster
Accents, Glossy	Copic High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/2"	Sizzix Accessory, Magnetic Platform for Wafer-Thin Dies	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal
Teflon Bone Folder	VersaMark Ink Pad	Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder, 1 oz. Gold	Impression Obsession Dies, Flags
String by the Spool, Metallic Gold	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	Memory Box Cardstock, Parsley	B8 Cardstock, Holly Berry

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 02.10.2014

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

As I mention in this week's "webisode" (ha ha!), watercolor is probably my most favorite coloring method--it just makes me happy to slop the color around, LOL!

When I first began stamping over 20 years ago, the first watercolor method I learned is one I still use today--it's kind of a cheat, but on the other hand, I love multi-uses of any supply or tool (in this case, the new Distress Mini Ink Pads) I have in my arsenal, don't you?! 

I also made a recent discovery that has me bouncing off my chair--I can watercolor on Bazzill Basics Card Shoppe Marshmallow Card Stock.  I was already in love with the weight and surface texture of this paper, and now??!! Um, pardon me while I fist pump. Majorly. *grin*

DISCLAIMER: Card Shoppe card stock is not a watercolor paper; it is a smooth, 100# weight card stock. As I mention in the video, if your brush is too wet or you over saturate the paper with water, it will pill.

In most cases, I prefer to work with a waterbrush--I tend to have more control, and they are perfect for a girl who tends to be a bit clumsy in the studio *sheepish grin*, but you could just as easily use a nice brush (I love this set) and a small jar of water.

Enjoy the video here or over on our YouTube channel, and thanks for watching and subscribing! You can always select 720p for best viewing quality, as well!

 

 

Happy Mundane!

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SUPPLIES:

Claudine Hellmuth Clear Stamps, So Retro	Avery Elle Clear Stamps, Framed Fonts	Hero Arts ClearDesign: Typewriter Letters (Retiring)	Distress Mini Ink Pad, Kit #1
Delicata Ink Pad, Golden Glitz	Hero Arts Shadow Ink, Soft: Granite	VersaMark Ink Pad	Distress Embossing Pad
Hero Arts Embossing Powder, Gold	Hero Arts Embossing Gun	Heat It Craft Tool	Zig Wink of Stella Glitter Brush Tip Marker, Gold
Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Marshmallow, 10 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Marshmallow, 25 pk	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 25 pk	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 250 Sheet Ream
Tim Holtz Water Brush, Broad Brush Nib	Tim Holtz Water Brush, Detailer Brush Nib	Waterbrush, Small	Studio Artist Brushes
Tonic Paper Trimmer Guillotine, 8.5"

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Love Treats by Sharon Harnist

With Valentine's Day just one week away, I figured I might need to get a few "love treats" ready for my sweethearts and boy did I have F-U-N ... I was definitely bouncing in my seat while creating these!!

These treat covers were all made with this great Sizzix Tim Holtz Movers & Shapers Matchbook Base Die -- both sizes worked well for a variety of candies:

I just recently tried out these fabulous Movers & Shapers dies for the first time and am loving the ability to place any kind of shape I'd like into the centers of the base die shapes, to create windows/openings! For these treat covers, I used Mini Hearts and Mini Love Struck Magnetic Die Sets inserted in the centers of the matchbook covers:

 

I die cut from three cardstock colors (Carnation and Punch Hero Arts Layering Paper and Neenah Desert Storm cardstock) and Authentique's adorable Smitten 6x6 patterned papers:

Use the Sizzix Premium Crease Pad (above) on heavier weight cardstocks, to get a good impression of the fold/crease lines. After die cutting all the pieces, I had fun finding different candies that would fit into the matchbook covers. Here's a closer look at each one:

Left Cupid above - I liked the Desert Storm/kraft colored cardstock for a more masculine look and combined him with a dark chocolate square shaped single-wrapped candy -- I liked the gold/brown/red colors of the candy wrapper peeking thru the Cupid opening creating little red "socks" for Cupid! The sentiment is from Hero Arts ClearDesign Year Round Sentiments, stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa ink. To hold the candies in place in each of these treat holders, I used the Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher stapler.

For the pink girly Cupid below, I inserted the red die cut Cupid in the pink die cut matchbook and then adhered a piece of pretty patterned paper on the inside (being generous with adhesive) -- this will hold the inset die cut in place:

The darling "pucker up" sentiment is from Paper Smooches Fruitastic stamp set, stamped in Memento Love Letter ink. And here's what's inside -- lip balm!

I just wrapped a piece of cardstock around the lip balm and stapled it in place, then stapled it to the inside top of the matchbook. The lip balm slips out of the holder easily. The smaller heart shaped cutout matchbook on the right in the photo above holds tri-colored Valentine M&M's in a Glassine Flat Bags (2.75" x 4.125") folded to the side needed and stapled in place. The "I love you" sentiment is also from the Hero Arts Year Round Sentiments stamp set:

Next are some more masculine treats (below) ... I adore the "Hello handsome" sentiment from the same great Hero Arts Year Round Sentiments stamp set! These two examples below show the different ways I did the closures of the matchbooks -- the Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher (left) can either staple thru the flap top to keep bulkier candies in place, or leave the flap open while stapling the bottom piece in place, then insert the top flap just inside the bottom "lip". For the right example, I punched holes thru both flaps and then tied a piece of twine through to keep it closed:

Inside the Hello handsome matchbook is a Ghirardelli chocolate square -- I sliced through the top of the matchbook and let some of the striped packaging poke through, for some added decoration!  Here's what's inside the right "hugs & kisses" (Avery Elle Simply Said: Love) cover -- a slim pack of gum:

I loved the flame showing through the heart opening!

Lastly, another sweet Cupid cutout (left below) contains another glassine bag filled with peppermint sticks (I love that the colors show through!). The pretty "Happy Valentine's Day" sentiment is from another great Hero Arts set, Celebrate Everyday, stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black.  The right heart cover holds a lollipop; the sentiment is another one from the Paper Smooches Fruitastic stamp set, white heat embossed:

Inside Cupid:

Inside the lollipop cover:

Just punch a hole through the bottom flap and insert the lollipop stick. One small staple at the top holds it in place. Tuck the top cover into the bottom stapled flap.

I look forward to using this same concept for other holidays and maybe even for birthday party treats, etc!  Happy Valentine's Day!  ~ Sharon

Sizzix Tim Holtz Movers & Shapers Die Base, Matchbook	Sizzix Tim Holtz Movers & Shapers Magnetic Die Set, Mini Love Struck	Mini Hearts Movers and Shapers Die Set	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal
Hero Arts, Layering Paper, Carnation	Hero Arts Layering Paper, Punch	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 25 pk	Smitten 6x6 paper pad
Ellen Hutson Glassine Flat Bags, 2.75" x 4.125"	Sizzix Premium Crease Pad	Hero Arts ClearDesign, Year Round Sentiments	Celebrate Everyday STamp Set by Hero Art
Avery Elle Clear Stamps, Simply Said: Love	Paper Smooches Clear Stamps, Fruitastic	Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black	Memento Ink Pad, Love Letter
Memento Ink Pad, Rich Cocoa	Tim Holtz, Tiny Attacher	White Embossing Powder	Heat It Craft Tool
Doodle Twine Spool, Beetle Black	Doodle Twine Assortment, Sweet Cakes Valentines Collection

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Love ya by Heather Campbell

Hello!  With Valentine's Day just over a week away, are you getting as excited for it as I am? Sending handmade cards in the mail to family and friends is so fun for me.  I'm trying to do a better job of that and Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to surprise a few friends!

This little cupid from Paper Smooches Lovestruck is simply adorable and I love that it's not completely Valentine's themed, the arrows are so trendy and would work year round. 

First, I stamped my cupid in Memento ink and colored him with my COPIC markers. I'm not the best COPIC color-er so I love that the thick lines on Paper Smooches stamps are a little forgiving and allow my to color with a bit more whimsy. 

I die cut my cupid out with the coordinating die (using my favorite trick of adhering the die to the paper with a bit of washi tape!) and added glitter to the wings with my Wink of Stella glitter marker.

With my card base cut and scored, (I used Memory Box Water - it's the perfect shade of sky/water!), I stamped a background pattern in Soft Pool ink to resemble the sky.  I used the Hero Arts Envelope Design Block - it's fantastic and so versatile. 

With my card base finished, I started on the clouds. I used the Mama Elephant Landscape Trio die and die cut 'clouds' from the Essentials by Ellen white linen cardstock - the texture is perfect for clouds!  

To know how big I wanted my clouds, I cut them from a 4-1/4" by 5-1/2" pice of cardstock - which gave me the perfect end result.

I die cut the word 'love' and ran it through my Xyron sticker maker.  This is the perfect way to add adhesive to the back of fine die cuts.  To make sure the adhesive doesn't string, I ran my embossing stylus tool around the periphery of the sentiment. (The one I have is ancient so I linked up a current one below!)

I adhered the heart and die cut love then stamped another sentiment right over the top.  

To give him some dimension, I popped my cupid up onto my card with dimensional adhesive. 

I place him onto the card so his arrow was pointing at the heart and love die cuts. 

In the same color cardstock at the die cut love, I die cut a scalloped border and trimmed it down. 

I adhered it to the bottom of the card, it's an unexpected touch of whimsy. 

Here you can see how adding just a touch of the lightest blue COPIC to the cupid wings and the glitter it makes them appear almost translucent. 

Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing a part of your day with me!  I hope you have a wonderful day and get some time to craft too! 
- Heather

 

Paper Smooches Clear Stamps, Scripty Sayings	Paper Smooches Clear Stamps, Love Struck	Paper Smooches Wise Dies, Love Struck Icons	DesignBlock Envelope Pattern
Paper Smooches Wise Dies, Hearts	Paper Smooches Wise Dies, Love Word	Paper Smooches Wise Dies, Borders 2	Mama Elephant Creative Cuts, Landscape Trio
Zig Wink of Stella Glitter Brush Tip Marker, Clear	COPIC Sketch Marker E37, Sepia	COPIC Sketch Marker E33, Sand	COPIC Sketch Marker R20, Blush
COPIC Sketch Marker E00, Skin White	COPIC Sketch Marker E21, Baby Skin Pink	COPIC Sketch Marker C1, Cool Gray No. 1	COPIC Sketch Marker B0000, Pale Celestine
A Cardstock, Essentials by Ellen: White Linen #100 Cardstock, 25 Pack	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	Memory Box Cardstock, Raspberry	Memory Box Cardstock, Bubblegum
F4 Cardstock, Water	Soft Grip Embossing and Stylus	Xyron, 1.5" Create-a-sticker Machine	Kool Tak White Foam Adhesive, 1/4 Squares (1/16 Thick)
Hero Arts Dye Ink, Black	Shadow Ink, Soft Pool	Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal

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Hello, Monday 02.03.2014

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

I was pretty excited when I finished this card--love loVE LOVED it!!! ... until I realized my mistake...

No, I didn't stamp anything upside down...

Or glue the inside shut...

Oh, no... Nothing nearly that simple...

The camera I featured isn't the type that produces Polaroids... Good grief, Charlie Brown!!! *smacks forehead down onto desk*

I decided it was cute anyway, and if someone were to point out the mis-match, they don't deserve the card and I take it back. *hair flip* :)

Did a little bit of stamp dissection to produce this, but don't worry! No stamps were permanently harmed by this procedure! Yay!!!

Enjoy the video here or over on YouTube! Be sure to switch to 720p for best viewing and, as always, thanks for watching and subscribing!

 

 

Hope your Mundane is happy, happy, happy! ;)

•••••••••••••••••

SUPPLIES:

 

My Favorite Things Die-namics, Cute Cameras 2	Savvy Stamps Dies, Photo Frame	Mama Elephant Clear Stamps, Water Blooms	Avery Elle Clear Stamps, Framed Fonts
VersaFine, Onyx Black	COPIC Sketch Marker RV42, Salmon Pink	COPIC Sketch Marker C1, Cool Gray No. 1	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Marshmallow, 10 pk
Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Marshmallow, 25 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Licorice Twist, 10 pk	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Licorice Twist, 25 pk	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, Ream
Shape 'N Tape, Black	Stickles, Fruit Punch	Elizabeth Craft Designs Spring Action Scissors	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool
Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	Kool Tak White Foam Adhesive, 1/4 Squares (1/16 Thick)	Teflon Bone Folder
Be Creative Tape, 5mm (1/4")	Sakura Quickie Glue Pen

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In Detail: Product Reviews & News - Sizzix Magnetic Platform by Jean Manis

Happy Saturday! In this installment of In Detail, I’m evaluating the Sizzix Magnetic Platform that uses magnets to hold wafer-thin dies in place during cutting. According to Sizzix, the platform is compatible with the BIGkick, Big Shot, Big Shot Pro and Vagabond machines. Standard Cutting Plates are required as a separate purchase.

The tests for the magnetic platform were run on my Big Shot machine, and as such, I can only vouch for how the platform performs in the Big Shot. I purchased my machine with a multi-purpose platform, which is now retired. {As an FYI, the equivalent platform consists of the Solo Thin Die Adapter, Solo Shim and Solo Platform. This diagram shows the cutting sandwich for those products.}

The magnetic platform is a single platform that is the thickness of the multi-purpose platform with both tabs closed. You cannot use the magnetic platform to emboss or to cut with dies that do not require as much thickness for die cutting.

The die is placed on the cardstock cut side down. The cutting sandwich is illustrated on the platform.

The magnetic platform works well for die cutting stamped images that have companion dies. I discussed Stamp Set Companion Die Cuts in the most recent In Detail article. 

Without the magnetic platform, I normally hold die cuts in place over stamped images with washi tape. The magnetic platform, which I tested with several stamped images on Neenah cardstock, eliminates the need for the tape. I tested two sizes of Stamp Companion Die Cuts, the thinking being that the die might shift depending on the size, but both cut without issue. Using the magnetic platform is a much more preferable way to cut these stamped images than using washi tape.

Avery Elle "Petals & Stems" flower die and stamp

Mama Elephant “Party Kit” heart die and stamp 

I ran similar tests with Craft-a-Board, cork, foam and felt. In all cases, the platform worked well. The pull of the magnetic plate even through the foam was strong.

Mama Elephant “Party Kit” heart die and stamp on Craft-a-Board

Perhaps it goes without saying, the platform worked well with standard die cuts, ones that would not need to be held in place with tape. I did not extensively test this category as it is not one that has a noticeable or significant benefit with the use of the magnetic platform over a non-magnetic one.

I also tested individual die cut letters from Lawn Cuts Cole’s ABCs lined up to spell “THANKS.” The idea being that the sentiment would be cut out of the card base.

This was one of the uses of the magnetic platform about which I was especially interested, because cutting a sentiment this way can be tricky using washi tape to hold it. Unfortunately, the die cut letters interacted with the underlying magnetic grid structure in a manner that made it difficult to line them up and space them out properly. 

Similarly, I tested a pattern of hearts created with Lawn Cuts “Hearts.” For certain patterns, I was able to get the hearts to stay in the position I placed them.

While in other cases, some of the hearts rotated.

On the other hand, the magnetic plate worked without any issues to cut the Paper Smooches “Quote Tag” dies with one pass. So in some configuartions, the dies will stay in position, while in other configurations, they do not.

I also tested the use of the Memory Box Metal Adaptor Plate with the magnetic platform. I placed the metal plate under the bottom cutting plate, directly on top of the platform.There were no issues using the plate with the magnetic platform. 

Considerations

The magnetic platform carries a warning label for pacemaker wearers.

If your acrylic plates are warped, the cutting results may be compromised. My acrylic plates are warped, so I would want a dedicated set of plates for use with the magnetic platform.

The magnetic platform is 6-1/8" wide x 8-7/8" long x 5/8" thick. It is essentially the same size as the multi-purpose platform. On the other hand, the replacement platform for the multi-purpose platform is extended; it is 13” long. As I am currently using the shorter platform, the length is not a concern.

I die cut frequently, and as such, I would purchase the magnetic plate. In fact, I use my Big Shot primarily for die cutting. For the times that I do need to emboss, I will simply pick up the multi-purpose platform and use the appropriate tab configuration. But the magnetic platform is definitely a luxury item. Furthermore, I will still need to use washi tape to hold the dies in certain situations.

--Jean

 

Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	Sizzix Accessory, Magnetic Platform for Wafer-Thin Dies	Sizzix Cutting Pad, Standard	Avery ELLE-ments Dies, Petals & Stems
Avery Elle Petals and Stems Stamp Set	Mama Elephant Creative Cuts, Party Kit	Mama Elephant Clear Stamps, Party Kit	Lawn Cuts Dies, Cole's ABCs
Lawn Cuts Dies, Hearts	Paper Smooches Wise Dies, Quote Tag	Essentials by Ellen: Craft-a-Board 6x12, 12 pk	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack
Mama Elephant Creative Color Ink Pads, Lollipop

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