the CLASSroom

Satur-YAY! 08.27.16 - Quick And Easy Shimmer Watercolor Featuring Daniel Smith Watercolors

Hi everyone!  Welcome to Satur-YAY!  We're celebrating the weekend by getting our craft on.  I hope these projects leave you so inspired, that you can't wait to get in your craft space and create.  This week on The CLASSroom blog, we've been playing with the Cosmo Cricket WIP Art Deck.  I'm going to walk you through a few projects featuring some pieces from the Art Deck, as well as some shimmer watercolor with Daniel Smith Watercolor.

Daniel Smith watercolors are fabulous, artist grade watercolors.  The colors are beautiful and they are very easy to work with.  Sandy did a whole series on these watercolors.  You can check out those videos by clicking HERE.

Today, I'm going to be doing some basic watercolor with the Daniel Smith watercolors.  But in true Carissa fashion, I'll be adding a touch of shimmer to the watercolor with the Daniel Smith Pearlescent Shimmer watercolor.  This sheer, shimmery watercolor can be mixed with any watercolor to give the finished product a beautiful shimmer and shine.  And what's a handmade card without some shimmer and shine?

The Pearlescent Shimmer is very easy to use.  All you have to do is pick a little up with a damp paint brush, just like you would your regular watercolor, and mix it in to the color you are using.  Want more shimmer?  Just add more.  Want a very subtle shimmer, just add a teeny amount.

I didn't do a lot of mixing of colors for these cards.  I fact, I was so enamored with the Amazonite Genuine when I tested it out, that I couldn't bring myself to venture out from there.  I ended up using this color on several of my cards.

The Cosmo Cricket WIP Art Deck is full of preprinted designs on watercolor paper.  The designs include gold foil and clear embossed images.  The clear embossed images appear when you add color over the top of them, just like the emboss resist technique.  This Art Deck is full of fun phrases and images in all different sizes.  I am adding watercolor over the top today, but you could add any kind of water based ink over the top to make the emboss resist areas pop.

The foiled areas act like emboss resist as well.  They also help contain the watercolor within boundaries...you'll see me paint in some letters in the video tutorial.

I love that I feel like I've created a masterpiece with just a quick swipe of a paint brush.

 

Once watercolored, these pieces make perfect focal images for card fronts.  I wanted the beauty of the shimmer watercolor to take center stage, so I kept the cards and embellishments very simple.

I'll walk you through the creation of these cards in the video tutorial below.  Be sure to check it out.

As I said before, the beautiful designs of the Art Deck, along with the watercolor call for very little embellishing.  These are so easy.  Dare I say, "Even a caveman could do it"?

I hope these card projects have inspired you to get your craft on today!  What better way to spend the weekend than creating a little handmade somethin somethin?  It's you're turn now.  I'd love to see what you're creating.  Be sure to share your creations on social media using #EllenHutsonSaturYAY.  

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope you enjoy these projects.  I'll see you on the last Saturday of next month for another Satur-YAY.  Until then, I hope you have a fabulous day!

Watch The Video

You can watch this video in HD on our YouTube channel by clicking HERE.  Don't forget to subscribe while you're there so you won't miss a single video.

Supplies

Cosmo Cricket WIP Book Art Deck by Julie Comstock

Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Love You So by Julie Ebersole

My Favorite Things Cling Stamps, Bold Diagonal Stripes Background

Essentials by Ellen Designer Dies, Brushstroke Love by Julie Ebersole

My Favorite Things Die-namics, STAX Circle Set 1

Heidi Swapp Color Shine Spritz, Gold Lame

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 15ml Tubes, Phthalo Blue - Red Shade

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 5ml Tubes, Phthalo Blue - Red Shade

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 15ml Tubes, Pearlescent Shimmer (Luminescent)

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 15ml Tubes, Amazonite Genuine (PrimaTek)

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 5ml Tubes, Amazonite Genuine (PrimaTek)

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 15ml Tubes, Quinacridone Magenta

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 5ml Tubes, Quinacridone Magenta

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 15ml Tubes, New Gamboge

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 5ml Tubes, New Gamboge

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 15ml Tubes, Perinone Orange

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 5ml Tubes, Perinone Orange

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 15ml Tubes, Permanent Alizarin Crimson

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 5ml Tubes, Permanent Alizarin Crimson

VersaMark Ink Pad

Essentials by Ellen, White Linen #100 Cardstock, 25 Pack

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pk

Essentials by Ellen 40 lb. Vellum, 25 pk

American Crafts Cardstock, Gold Glitter, 12x12, 2 pk

Grumbacher Goldenedge Brush, Round 2

Grumbacher Goldenedge Brush, Round 7

Grumbacher Goldenedge Brush, Round 10

Grumbacher Goldenedge Brush, Round 12

Grumbacher Goldenedge Brush, Wash 1 inch

Fiskars Deluxe 12 Inch Paper Trimmer with Aluminum Cut Rail

EK Craft Tweezers

Fiskars Titanium Micro-Tip Easy Action Scissors

Teflon Bone Folder

Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini

Tim Holtz Tonic Retractable Craft Pick

Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 4 mm Cupped, Sparkling Clear

Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 6 mm Cupped, Sparkling Clear

Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, Sparkling Clear Mix (4mm, 6mm, 8mm &10mm )

Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 4mm Cupped, Metallic Gold

Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 6 mm Cupped, Metallic Gold

Powder Tool Adhesive Deactivator

Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder, White

Hero Arts Embossing Gun

ATG Kit, Advanced Tape Glider

ATG Double-Sided Refill Tape, 2 pk, 1/4"

Ranger Multi Medium, Matte Mini, 1/2 oz.

Quilled Creations Precision Tip Glue Applicator Bottle 0.5 oz.

Scotch Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape

Sizzix Big Shot White & Gray

Sizzix Cutting Pad, Standard

Sizzix Accessory, Magnetic Platform for Wafer-Thin Dies

Dahle Vantage Cutting Mats, Black 12x18

Live in Color Watercolor Card by Julia Stainton

Live in color. A little bit of color always goes a long way and this week has been all about color, watercolors and the fabulous Cosmo Cricket WIP Art Deck by Julie Comstock. Perfect for documenting the WIP…work in progress…we call life!

So let's talk color shall we? The Cosmo Cricket watercolor papers from the WIP Art Deck are fabulous for journaling but they are ALSO fabulous for scrapbooking and card making as well. They are beautiful resist designs on watercolor paper with gold foil accents. It's SO easy to get this on trend look with this product.

By adding color, you can get the mood you want. I've added warm tones as pinks, oranges and yellow always seem happy to me. I've blended them together in this design and using colors that are analogous or side by side on the color wheel make mixing and blending colors so easy. They flow seamlessly one into the other and you don't have to worry about getting muddy colors. Mixing complementary colors or colors opposite on the color wheel result is brown, brown, brown. Lots of mud.

Here's a look at just a few of the WIP Art Deck images. I'm loving all the phrases and images and there's just so much you could do with this art deck. In fact it was really hard to decide what I wanted to work with and have the rest of these sweet images stashed away for more projects. As you can see, there's a resist that you can paint over and it will highlight that area by NOT allowing paint on it. The gold foil is so pretty and shiny and I find these papers of high quality and very easy to work with.

I'm using Prima Watercolors for this project. I love how these sweet watercolors come in a darling little tin that you can also use as a palette. I'm using the Tropical set and the colors are so beautiful...just my style.

When you open up the tin, it has two metal flaps that are perfect for mixing your paints on. The paints come in cute little square cakes of color in white plastic squares.

To use the watercolors, simply remove the pans from the tin and remove the packaging. These are small pans of intense color and while they are tiny, a little goes a long way.

To place the watercolors back into the tin, press into place until you here a click which means that the clip will now keep them from falling out.

To create my project I used Ranger Brushes and mixed my colors will water directly on the tin flaps.

I started off with the violet/pink color and added watercolor paint over the L. You can see how the resist prevents the color from reaching the paper in some areas.

While the first letter was still wet, I then added in oranges and yellow, a color for each letter. The paints blend well into each other by working quickly while it is still wet. Finish off the design by adding in color on the gold dot centers.

The foil and resist really show up well on the angle but what I really wanted to highlight in this image was the thickness of this layer. To make it a nice firm layer, I backed the watercolor paper with Craft-a-Board and then trimmed the edges.

For the background I wanted to emboss some watercolor paper and carry the pigment through to this layer as well. This layer was die-cut first and then embossed with an embossing folder. I've listed a few below in the supply list that would work well for this design and technique. Remember to die cut first so that you don't lose them embossing detail by running through the machine a second time.

Add drops of watercolor pigment over some of the embossed dots to bring the design detail to the background. Once dry, adhere to the card base.

Adhere the main panel to the card front using dimensional foam squares and clip on a gold hinge clip accent. I've also added a few clear sequins with glossy accents to add a little sparkle.

 Thanks so much for joining me today in the CLASSroom! I hope you've enjoyed another way to use watercolors and the WIP Art Deck!

Julia

Supplies:

 

Cosmo Cricket WIP Book Art Deck by Julie Comstock

Essentials by Ellen, Craft-a-Board 6x12, 12 pk

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pk

Prima Marketing Watercolor Confections, Tropicals

Ranger Artist Brush Set (7 Piece)

Taylored Expressions Embossing Folders, Lots of Dots

Taylored Expressions Embossing Folders, On the Spot

Taylored Expressions Embossing Folders, Swiss Hearts

Taylored Expressions Embossing Folders, Snowfall

Taylored Expressions Embossing Folders, Bubbles

My Favorite Things Die-namics, Blueprints 13

Sizzix Big Shot White & Gray

Pebbles Jen Hadfield Homemade, DIY Home Gold Clips

Scrapbook Adhesives Thin 3-D Foam Squares, Mix White

Ranger Accents, Glossy Accents

Ranger Accents, Mini Glossy Accents

Taylored Expressions Sequins, Wedding

Save

Save

Save

#throwbackthursdays - Denim Blue Background by Carly Tee Minner

Hi! It's Carly popping in for another #throwbackthursdays, where we find inspiration in The CLASSroom archives!

Can I just tell you that I have learned so much from Ellen! She is a wealth of product information, teaching me all sorts of wonderful things about the fun goodies in the EH warehouse. And in addition to the amazing product library that is her brain, she is also an expert in the elements of design (thanks in part to her background of interior design). As you know this week in the CLASSroom we are all focusing on the design element of color. Wanna learn more from Ellen about color? Check out these awesome articles:

COLOR...

THE MANY MOODS OF COLOR!

As I have learned from Ellen, the color blue communicates trust, confidence, serenity, and reliability. And yellow brings about a feeling of optimism and happiness. Perfect color combo to create a card for a dear friend!

And here is the blue & yellow card I created:

Nothing says blue to me like denim so I set out to create a faux blue denim background. Here's what you need if you want to create some faux denim:

• your favorite paper for ink blending (I love Bristol)
• blue ink (I used Distress Ink Chipped Sapphire)
• ink blending tool
• clear gesso
• palette knife
• plastic comb (just a regular 99 cent comb)
• piece of RUBit SCRUBit (optional)

Apply blue ink to cardstock with blending tool. I like to work with the 5.5 x 5.5 squares of Smooth Bristol so I can leave an un-inked section to hold while I'm inking. Keeps my fingers clean (er) and leaves less smudges in my freshly inked area.

Use a piece of RUBit SCRUBit to create "scratchy lines" in the wet ink by pressing firmly and pulling it across the paper. NOTE: this step is optional but I like the depth & texture it adds to the final background.

Apply a layer of Clear Gesso with a palette knife.

Use a comb to create horizontal lines in the wet gesso.

When the gesso is partially dry, use the comb to create vertical lines. And then dry completely (air dry or heat gun).

Admire your gorgeous faux denim background for a minute, LOL!

Now use the amazing faux denim background. I used a pre-printed flower from the Cosmo Cricket WIP Art Deck. The Cosmo Cricket WIP pieces are super easy to watercolor and they are printed in gold foil, gorgeous!

Add a sentiment and ta-da!

Hope you have fun making denim too!

xo, Carly

Want to learn more about the elements of design? Checkout this article:

Elements and Principles of Design

Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Totally Awesome

Essentials by Ellen Designer Dies, Totally Fabulous by Julie Ebersole

Ranger Distress Ink Pad, Chipped Sapphire

Ranger Distress Mini Ink Pad, Chipped Sapphire

Ranger Distress Mini Ink Pad, Kit #12

VersaMark Ink Pad

VersaMark Ink Pad, Small

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 050, Yellow

Essentials by Ellen, Julie's Smooth Bristol, 10pc-8.5" x 11"

Essentials by Ellen, Julie's Smooth Bristol, 20pc-5.5" x 5.5"

Strathmore Bristol Pad 9x12

Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Blueberry Sour, 10 pk

Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Blueberry Sour, 25 pk

Bazzill Specialty Paper, Metallic Gold Foil 5pk

Cosmo Cricket WIP Book Art Deck by Julie Comstock

ZIG Watercolor BrusH20, Detailer

Ranger Dina Wakley Media Gesso, Clear, 4 oz.

Prima Marketing Art Basics Mixed Media Essentials, 3 pk assortment

Ranger Ink Blending Tool, 1 Inch Round

Hero Arts Embossing Powder, Gold

Cosmo Cricket WIP Flower & Daniel Smith Watercolor by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom.  For my project today I had a wonderful time playing with the Cosmo Cricket WIP Book Art Deck and the Daniel Smith Watercolor Essentials.  I am impressed with the quality of watercolor paper and there are so many wonderful pre-resisted images, designs and sentiments in the WIP (work in progress) Art Deck. This was my first time having the opportunity to use Daniel Smith’s watercolors and I have fallen in love.  I am not a great water colorist but these paints are so beautiful to work with that I almost felt like I could be. 

 
I chose this big flower from the Art Deck because I love that the image is gold embossed.  As I began to add color to the image I was excited to see white embossed lines popping up on the petals. I chose Pyrrol Scarlet and New Gamboge paints to work with.

I used a mini mister to lightly mist the image with water to prepare the paper and help move the paint more easily.

I began by adding a light wash of the New Gamboge color to the image.

Next I added more depth of color to the flower by applying the same paint mixed with much less water. 

I mixed a small amount of the Pyrrol Scarlet paint in with the New Gamboge and began applying it to the center of the flower.  

I worked my way out from the center of the flower adding deeper mixtures of color. I almost squealed with delight as the beautiful mix of colors were adding depth to the flower.

I kept adding the darker mixture of color until I felt it looked alive and more natural. A little color slipped out of the lines but I didn’t care.  Sadly the pictures do not show off how much color variation and detail there really is.

I wanted to create a simple card layout that would allow the total focus be on the flower.  I couldn’t find any color of cardstock as vibrant as the orange and reds on the flower so I painted a border on a separate piece of watercolor paper with the same mixture of paint.

I attached the flower to the border layer with ATG adhesive.

I stamped the sentiment from Julie’s newly released Lovely sentiment set on vellum with versa and embossed with gold embossing powder and attached it to the flower layer.  The flower layer was attached to the card base with mounting tape.

“If Flowers Could Hug I Would Send You A Thousand”.  I love this sentiment and there are several more in Julie’s Lovely set that are perfect for flower projects.

Thanks so much for coming by and I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.  You’ll find all the links below to the products I used on my project today.

Card size:  5.25” square

Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Lovely by Julie Ebersole

Cosmo Cricket WIP Book Art Deck by Julie Comstock

Canson Arches French Bound Cold Press Watercolor Paper Pad 9x12

Essentials by Ellen 40 lb. Vellum, 25 pk

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White, 25 pk

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors, Essentials 5ml Set of 6

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 15ml Tubes, Pyrrol Scarlet

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 5ml Tubes, Pyrrol Scarlet

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 15ml Tubes, New Gamboge

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors 5ml Tubes, New Gamboge

Grumbacher Goldenedge Brush, Round 10

VersaMark Ink Pad

Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder, Gold

Hero Arts Embossing Gun

Inkadinkado Embossing Magic Bag

Art Alternatives, Eldajon Palette

Scotch Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape

Tonic Maxi 12 Inch Guillotine Paper Trimmer

ATG Kit, Advanced Tape Glider

ATG Double-Sided Refill Tape, 2 pk, 1/4"

Teflon Bone Folder

Wildflower: A Cosmo Cricket WIP + Prima Confections Watercolor card video Tutorial

Hello! Carolyn Peeler with you today to share a card tutorial featuring the Cosmo Cricket WIP Book Art Deck and Prima Confections watercolors along with an assist from the beautiful "From all of us" floral stamp by Clearly Besotted. Won't you join me as I take you through this video tutorial of my process:

Thanks so much for watching today. Here are the links to the products used in today's tutorial. Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments section.

Clearly Besotted Clear Stamps, From All of Us

Ranger Archival Ink Pad, Jet Black

Ranger Distress Mini Ink Pad, Tea Dye

Ranger Distress Ink Pad, Tea Dye

Cosmo Cricket WIP Book Art Deck by Julie Comstock

Ranger Watercolor Paper, 10 pk

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Heavyweight, Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb, 25 pk

Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Peanut Fudge, 10 pk

Prima Marketing Watercolor Confections, The Classics

Ranger Tim Holtz Water Brush, Detailer/Fine Brush Nib

Grumbacher Goldenedge Brush, Round 10

Royal Brush Paint Palette, Round

Kuretake Umezara Palette

Scrapbook Adhesives Thin 3-D Foam Squares, Mix White

Ranger Heat It Craft Tool

Ranger Non-Stick Craft Sheet

My Sweet Petunia MISTI Stamping Tool

My Sweet Petunia Mini MISTI Stamping Tool

Watercolor Blocks by Julia Stainton

Hi everyone! I'm back from CHA and super inspired and excited to get back to creating and back to the CLASSroom! What I've been missing most as I've been away is my watercolors and it seemed like a great place to start by creating a few watercolor projects to share with you today in the CLASSroom. There's just something wonderful about all that fabulous color!

I've been hoarding some beautiful Cosmo Cricket Just Add Watercolor Canvas Blocks and it's way past time to get them out and get creative with them. One of my resolutions for 2016 is less hoarding and more crafting! So let's get to it!

Here's my finished projects, just so you can see what I'm making. The Cosmo Cricket Just Add Watercolor line is a stunning line of products with watercolor paper. There's something for everyone. Cards. Tags. 12x12 papers. And of course, canvas watercolor blocks that I'm using today.

They come pre-printed with beautiful embossed and gold foil accents so that you can easily make your own art. All you need to do is just add watercolor. These are a great project for any age as you really can't mess them up. Just add whatever colors you like and it all looks artistic!

In this shot you can see the areas that are gold foiled and clear embossed. The clear embossing repels the pigment so that you'll have a lighter area in these points.

My favorite watercolors are the Peerless Watercolors. Pgiment infused papers that have beautiful colors and the color picks up on your brush like a dream. I've used the Joanne Sharpe edition here on this project. The colors are bright and beautiful and if you're looking for a place to start, this set is well-priced to try them out!

When picking up the color, I always like to try it out on some scrap paper. Pigment can sometimes be deceiving and this allows me to check the hue as well as gauge the intensity of the final color.

The hardest part of this project is adding in the initial color. Just load up your brush and get started. When using watercolors, make sure you have lots of water on the brush so that the color will flow.

I traced the You portion of the sentiment using shades of watercolor. The colors will blend well if you work wet-in-wet which means you don't allow them to dry in between adding them together. Use a tissue or paper towel to blot off the excess pigment and reveal the embossed area.

To create a background, I like to add lots of water to the area first and then add in the color. This makes it spread out and blend well.

Once the painted areas were almost dry I added in some flecks of watercolor by loading up my brush and then flicking the area with paint. You can use a heat gun to dry the watercolor and finish it up or allow to dry naturally.

You can do whatever you like with these canvases. Add whatever colors and make it as simple or as complex as you wish. Hang it up and enjoy your art!

While I was creating, I thought it would be fun to create this little accent for Valentine's Day as well. Once again, it's simple to just add watercolor.

I missed taking a picture but to create the ombre stripes I just brushed color across the top of the surface, then added a little more water to my brush and created another stripe. Add a little more water each time without adding pigment and each stripe will get a little lighter.

It's also easy to blend your own watercolor hues with colors you have on hand. I took a yellow and a pink and mixed them together on the Ken Oliver Best Craft Mat to create a yellowish orange.

I used this new color to highlight the o areas and give them a little more definition.

And that's it! Fun and simple!

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

Supplies:

Cosmo Cricket Just Add Watercolor, Canvas Block, XOXO (Retiring)

Cosmo Cricket Just Add Watercolor, Canvas Block, Beyoutiful

Peerless Watercolor, Joanne Sharpe Edition, Set of 15

Ranger Artist Brush Set (7 Piece)

Collapsible Water Cup

Ranger Heat It Craft Tool

Hero Arts Embossing Gun

 

Sweet Deer Holiday Decor by Julia Stainton

It's never too soon to start getting ready for the holidays. If you start your holiday crafting soon, then there's no rush down the road to get it all done in a few short weeks. As the days get colder, I'm finding it easier and easier to spend more and more time tucked away in my craft room making pretty things.

 

Today's design came together in a couple different ways. A couple months ago I ordered some Cosmo Cricket Gallery Blocks to create with. I was actually thinking I could use the solid reverse sides to begin experimenting with a new art medium, encaustic. It turns out that I should take more time to read the product description and not just jump to conclusions about what I'm getting as these sweet little blocks have a nice hanger on the back-side. I had been planning on flipping them but that was no longer an option.

It turns out they are actually little blocks that can be covered with fabric for easy DIY home dec projects. Super sweet and what a great concept. And yes, had I read the product details it was very clear in the wording. Ellen Hutson LLC does a great job at this, so if you're in doubt, please check out the product info or contact customer service. They are always happy to help!

As I knew I'd be able to find a wonderful use for these blocks, I set them aside to think about it. It turns out they make fabulous little shadow boxes. You can stack them or use them separately. Each side has some GREAT sticky adhesive on the sides. This is perfect if you cover them with fabric or whatever else you with to use.

To start off my project I was inspired to make a little holiday decor accent using some new holiday goodies, the Basic Grey Juniper 6x6 paper pad, some darling Boxwood Twine and Trophy Antlers from Tim Holtz. To create the wreath, I just snipped off a length of the boxwood trim and then twisted it into a wreath. It's a double wrap and the wire in the trim holds it nicely into shape.

The Basic Grey Juniper paper is a gorgeous new paper pad. I used it on a few elements of this design. The first use it to cut 4 strips of paper that are 1" x 4" in size. Remove the adhesive backing along the sides of the wood frame and cover with the patterned paper strips.

Glass glitter is the epitome of glitter in my opinion. It's so beautiful and shiny and has a wonderful heavy texture. Be careful with it though, as it IS glass. This is the Prima Sterling Glass Glitter and it's perfect for the holidays.

To apply the glass glitter to the front of my wood shadow box I liberally coated the edge with Glossy Accents. Sprinkle with glitter and allow to dry before shaking off the excess. A Tidy Tray works great for keeping this glitter in one place as you definitely don't want it on the floor.

 

The sweet Tim Holtz Trophy Antlers are so much fun and play off the big trend of the past couple years. It's a resin embellishment and I wanted to give it a frosty feel. Some more Glossy Accents to the rescue, along with some Rock Candy Distress Glitter and he looks properly festive.

Since creating this project, the store is now sold out of the sweet little Antlers. To get a similar look, why not try die cutting a dear image from chipboard and then cover it with white glitter? The Essentials by Ellen Prize Stag die would be amazing as a substitute or simply just have the wreath with a lovely sentiment banner.

To put it all together, a 3" square piece of patterned paper from the Juniper paper pad lines the inside of the wood frame. The antlers needed to pop out a little more so that they wouldn't hit the frame so I created a little extra layer from some patterned paper and a piece of Craft-a-Board. It was cut 2" square and then covered with the paper.

To finish it all off, some sweet twine and jingle bells accent the wreath and a little hanger is formed on the back of the wood frame from some tape measure trim.

Have fun getting in the festive mood for crafting this year!

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom and have a fabulous and creative weekend!

Supplies:

Imagine Crafts Craft Mat

Cosmo Cricket Gallery Block, 4x4

Funnel Tray

Prima Marketing Art Ingredients Glitter, Sterling

Ranger Distress Glitter, Clear Rock Candy

Ranger Accents, Glossy Accents

Basic Grey Juniper, 6x6 Paper Pad

Maya Road Ribbon, Vintage Tape Measure Trim, White, 2 yds

Lawn Fawn Hemp Cord, Aquamarine

Jingle Bells, 1/4", Silver

Essentials by Ellen, Craft-a-Board 6x12, 12 pk

Tim Holtz Boxwood Twine

Tim Holtz Trophy Antlers

Tim Holtz Pine Twine

Watercolor Fabric Background by Julia Stainton

I'm always up for exploring new products and techniques. Recently the Prima Water Soluble Oil Pastels caught my eye and I just had to order them and give them a try. One of the things that intrigued me about this product was the the oil pastels were water soluble. I'd always been taught that oil and water don't mix. Of course I had to try them to see if they worked!

One of the things I wanted to try using the oil pastels on was fabric. Today's project shares a scrapbook page created from a watercolor oil pastel background on beautiful embossed canvas. I love all the texture this creates and the resist is so pretty.

To start off with, I chose a few colors of pastels to create my background. These pastels are so vibrant and have a beautiful texture.

The color is easy to apply to fabric or paper just by scribbling it onto the layer. Add in colors where you want them. This background is so easy that anyone can do it.

To blend the colors on fabric, simply add water. You can use watercolor brushes or mist the pigments to blend them together. For this project I actually used both to get my colors blended the way I wanted them. This will leave the canvas very wet. I had placed a Craft Mat under my project to protect my work surface. Blot up excess water with a paper towel and allow to dry. I actually hung my canvas on the line for an hour. You can also press the fabric with an iron at a very low setting to flatten it well.

My next step was to add a photo area to my canvas. The She Art Coffee Filter Sheets are perfect for this and I adhered a 6x6 piece (with top edge torn) to the right side of my canvas. Multi Medium works great for this and I love how some of the color shows through the coffee filter layer.

I always love adding lots of embellishments to my projects. One of the things I used on this one was some plastic Basic Grey Capture Photo Frames. These came with a plastic protective coating on them that you just peel off.

Arrange all the layers to suit you and then adhere them to the canvas. When adhering things to fabric, I often use either a sewing machine or a hot glue gun.

Gold accents are always a fun way to glam up a project. I love this gold hastag sticker and the gold glitter text on the vellum envelope by Cosmo Cricket.

My journaling was adding in on the sweetest stitched tag from Studio Calico. Isn't it darling? And I didn't even have to pull out my sewing machine!

Have fun getting creative with different watercolor looks!

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

Supplies:

Prima Marketing Resist Canvas, Dots

Pebbles Jen Hadfield Homemade, DIY Home Gold Clips

Prima Marketing Oil Pastel Crayons 24 pk

Ranger Distress Sprayer By Tim Holtz

Tim Holtz Heirloom Roses

Ranger Artist Brush Set (7 Piece)

Maya Road Transparencies, Vintage Butterfly, White

Basic Grey Capture, Photo Frames

Studio Calico Chipboard Shapes, Cameras, Gold

Maya Road Ribbon, Felt Roses, Milk White

Cosmo Cricket Envelopes, Glittery Vellum

Studio Calico Atlantic, Cork Stickers, Circles

Pebbles Jen Hadfield Homemade, Large Alphabet Stickers, Gold

Studio Calico Classic Calico Vol. 2, Stitched Tags, Notebook (Retiring)

Crate Paper Craft Market, Wood Hoops

Pink Paislee She Art, Printed Coffee Filter Sheets - Words

Ranger Multi Medium, Gloss Jar, 4 oz.

Maya Road Transparencies, Time Flies Clock, White

Cosmo Cricket Tiny Text Stickers, Pink Punch

Imagine Crafts Craft Mat

Shine On Gift Duo by Julia Stainton

Do you love paper crafting? I do! In fact I love all kinds of crafting. I guess that makes me an equal opportunity crafter. That means I'm always up for trying new things. Or old ones for that matter.

Remember string art? I had some fun with it as a child and it was always so much fun. When I saw some darling string art boards by Cosmo Cricket last January at CHA, I knew one had to go on my wishlist. It's been awhile since January but yes, I'm finally getting to the project. As long as you get there eventually, right?

Having fun with the string art board was fun and it inspired this gift duo. I started off with the string board and then created a card that coordinated.

The Cosmo Cricket String Art boards come in three different patterns. Star, heart and anchor. These boards are super cut finished wood and are 8"x8" in size. They make great decor accents and are so easy to do. There's no right or wrong way to add in the string. In fact random looks fabulous and fun. As I created mine my younger boys were very intrigued and as it is something that young or old can do, I think I'm going to be purchasing a few more for them to craft with as well.

This is also why the string boards are so awesome. No black thumbs from hitting them with a hammer and no scratches from nails. The metal pegs on these boards are smooth and wonderful.

I found some wonderful twine in my stash. It's the Jute Twine from Prima and comes in a myriad of colors. I've linked the Teal jute that I used in the supplies below but if you like other colors, be sure to do a search in the store as there are some really pretty ones.

To start your string art, simply pick a non-conspicuous peg and tie the end of the jute to it. I double knotted mine and then trimmed away the tail.

From there just start wrapping twine around pegs until it it nice and full. I made sure that each peg had at least a couple wraps around it to "tie it all together."

This is what it looks like when finished. I love it in the teal but it would be sweet in red or green for the holidays, or how about three stars of red, white and blue?

Here's a peek at the side of the project. You can see how I've kept the string up towards the top of the pegs to highlight the texture and dimension.

To create a little personalized touch, the Tim Holtz Typewriter Charms make a cute accent.

See how fabulous it looks for very little work?

From there I wanted to design a matching card. Inspired by the star shape and the teal twine, I thought of an adorable hand stitched wood accent for the focal point of the card. These sweet wood pieces are from Maya Road and you can stitch on anything you wish. I created a five point star just by stitching my needle through the holes.

This kraft cardstock layer mimics the wood base of the star design. It was easy to create by stenciling on a woodgrain pattern with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink.

To put the card together I layered on my paper layers. The top ephemera map is adhered with foam tape to add some extra dimension. I choose cardstock to match the jute twine and went with a more masculine theme for this project.

By adding in the wood embellishments with the woodgrain background it really gives a fun and unique look.

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom! I hope you feel inspired to get your craft on!

Supplies:

Cosmo Cricket Wood Charms, Tiny Text

Cosmo Cricket String Art Board, Anchor

Cosmo Cricket String Art Board, Star

Cosmo Cricket String Art Board, Heart

Maya Road Vintage Wood, Stitch Scallop And Circle

Maya Road Vintage Wood, Stitch Heart And Arrow

Prima Marketing Jute Trim, Teal

Tim Holtz, Heart Charms

Tim Holtz, Typewriter Charms

Tim Holtz, Mini Paper Clips

Tim Holtz Stickers, Big Chat

Ranger Distress Mini Ink Pad, Frayed Burlap

Tim Holtz, Ephemera Pack, Expedition

Tim Holtz, Memo Pins

Tim Holtz Stencils, Woodgrain

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 25 pk

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pk

Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Candy Necklace, 25 pk

High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/2"

 

Beach Scrapbook in a Jar by Sharon Harnist

When my family went on vacation this summer I had this project in mind, so I set out to collect some sand and shells from each of the islands we visited and decided to display the collection in these adorable Tim Holtz Mini Mason Jars to create what I like to call a "Scrapbook in a Jar"!  It's fun to add photos and any other little memoirs or souvenirs to the jars, too!  The jars measure approximately 3.75" tall x 2-3/8" wide at the bottom of the jar.  

(All bold products are linked below in the supply section):

General details for the whole project:

I used BasicGrey's South Pacific Collection Pack papers, which includes nine sheets of 12x12 two-sided patterned papers, one sheet of coordinating alphabet stickers and one sheet of coordinating element stickers.

Details for Gallery Block tray:

I used Ranger's Caribbean Coast Dye Ink Pad and a Mini Ink Blending Tool to apply the ink to Cosmo Cricket's wooden 10x10 Gallery Block raised lip and edges, because that's what I had on hand -- but the Caribbean Coast Paint Dabber may be a little easier to apply, I think. The dye ink ends up acting more like a transparent stain than a paint on the wood and I really like that look!  Plus, Ranger claims the dye ink is permanent and waterproof, so I thought it would be a good choice for this project.

To soften the color a little and give it a weathered beachy touch, I dabbed on a little Picket Fence Distress Stain and wiped it off/into the wood with a paper towel, so some areas are a little lighter than others.

The Gallery Block has a VERY good, strong adhesive on the edges, that wraps around about 1/4" onto the back of the tray, which makes it very easy to cover with paper, fabric, or even probably burlap or cork!  For the floral edges I used the Tahiti patterned paper from the BasicGrey Collection pack:

Above, I added my own X-Press It 1/2-inch High Tack Double-Sided Tissue Tape to hold the Bora Bora patterned paper on the front/inside of the tray.

To finish the back of the tray, I used the Polynesia patterned paper:

 

Note: There is a hanging hole drilled into the back of the tray, so it can be hung on a wall, if you choose. Since I knew I would be using this as a tray, I just covered the hole with the paper.

Details for each jar:

General: I always struggle with getting paper to adhere to glass and this time I used Glossy Accents to secure the die cuts to the jars and lids ... I don't know why I never thought about trying it before, but it worked great!  I printed a few favorite photos from each of these islands approximately 1.75" square and stuck them in the sand, along with some shells from each island.

Each jar lid is wrapped with Lawn Fawn Silver Sparkle Hemp Cord, secured with X-Press It 1/4" High Tack Double-Sided Tissue Tape.

Barbados -- The cute flip flops were die cut from more of the BasicGrey South Pacific papers using Taylored Expressions Flip Flop Garland die set.

The "Barbados" word was created with alpha stickers included in the BasicGrey South Pacific Collection Pack. The lid was cut from some of the leftover paper I used on the Gallery Block background. Inside is a photo of my girls playing in the sand on that beach!  

P.S. This was THE prettiest sand of all the beaches we have ever visited ... the softest, finest, whitest sand with beautiful flecks of pink shell in it. I'm SO GLAD we have this reminder and anytime I'm needing a beach fix I can just open the jar and feel a little bit of heaven!  Plus, I think it's fun to see how much the sand varies from island to island!

St. Croix -- I die cut more of the BG paper using Taylored Expressions Ray of Sunshine Cutting Plate, cut it in half and adhered only half of it to the jar. I like that it still lets the sand show through. The lid was die cut from a sticker included in the BG Collection Pack and the "St. Croix" word created with more alpha stickers from the pack. 

I used a fine 0.03 Black Copic Multiliner to outline the St Croix word stickers, to help them stand out from the tag background. Multiliners make great scrapbook journaling pens, as they are waterproof and archival!  Inside the jar is a photo of my husband and girls taking a horseback ride on the beach!

St. Maarten -- The beach scene was created with Taylored Expressions Eventful-Pool Party border die. I die cut a base of it out of Neenah Desert Storm cardstock, then also die cut some of the items from the BG patterned papers and white X-Press It Blending Card (for the chairs), snipped them apart and adhered them to the Desert Storm base.  To adhere small intricate die cuts like these, I like to use Copic's X-Press It Glue Marker.

The white chairs were shaded with Copic C1 and the palm tree trunks accented with Copic E42.  More alpha stickers from the BG pack were used to create the St. Maarten word.

The buckets of drinks were colored with Copic's new Kirarina WiNK marker pens -- Silver Metallic for the bucket and Dandelion for the bottles. These amazing pens are similar to a paint pen and provide opaque shimmery coverage (even on this kraft paper AND even black paper!) -- the shimmer comes from minute specks of glass, similar to Copic's Atyou Spica Glitter Pens!  You will definitely see more in-depth projects from me using these pens!

On the lid is another one of the BG collection pack's stickers --  you may think it's odd to have an airplane associated with a tropical island, but one of the main tourist attractions to St. Maarten is that the airport landing strip starts only a few feet from the edge of the island/beach and you can be standing in the water at the beach, while the airplanes are coming in (very low over your head!) for their landing ... and that is where this sand came from!

The tray can either be used as a backdrop for the jars:

Or as a tray like I showed in the first photo above:

I think I have some room on this tray for more jars from other destinations, don't you?!!  :)

I hope you've enjoyed this project and picked up a few good tips along the way that you can use for your own scrapbook in a jar project!  ~ Sharon

Cosmo Cricket Gallery Block, 10x10

Basic Grey South Pacific, Collection Pack

Tim Holtz Mini Mason Jars

Ranger Acrylic Paint Dabbers, Caribbean Coast

Ranger Distress Stain, Picket Fence

Ranger Dye Ink Pad, Caribbean Coast

Ranger Ink Blending Tool, 1 Inch Round

COPIC Multiliner Set Fine, Black, 4pc

Lawn Fawn Hemp Cord, Silver Sparkle

Taylored Expressions Dies, Flip Flop Garland

Taylored Expressions Dies, Cutting Plate - Ray of Sunshine

Taylored Expressions Dies, Eventful - Pool Party

My Favorite Things Die-namics, STAX Circle Set 2

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, 25 pk

Blending Card by X-Press It, 25 Pack

X-Press It Glue Marker

COPIC Sketch Marker C1, Cool Gray No. 1

COPIC Sketch Marker E42, Sand White

Kirarina Wink Pen, Dandelion (002)

Kirarina Wink Pen, Silver Metallic (021)

Fiskars SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer (12")

Sizzix Big Shot White & Gray

Cheery Lynn Designs Metal Adaptor Plate

Ranger Accents, Glossy Accents

High Tack Double-Sided Tissue Tape, 1/2"

High Tack Double-Sided Tissue Tape, 1/4"

Folio Journal by Julia Stainton

Some of my very favorite projects to put together are for memory keeping or altered art. I love switching things up in paper crafting. Most of the time I create cards but there's something so wonderful about making something for yourself now and then. Something to treasure and keep.

Today I'm excited share this new project I've created. It's kind of a multi-purpose project. It's a bit of memory keeping and journaling and little bits of treasures all mixed together. And actually, the project that you will see really isn't finished yet. It's just the beginning. I plan to fill it with inspirational quotes, a bit of journaling, photos and just random bits and pieces of my life.

To start off with I am using a Tim Holtz Folio. These come in two sizes and the one I'm sharing today is the larger sized one. It's such a great and unique way to store ideas or memories, to art journal or even a little porfolio. The Folio is held together with elastics and you unfold it to open it up.

Inside the Folio you find the binding piece. This can be left loose in the Folio or adhered. I suggest not adhering it before you are done as this makes it easy to pull out and embellish or even stitch, like I did.

You can use any kind of paper or ephemera in this Folio but for this project I used some of the great Tim Holtz Pocket Cards. There are a TON of cards in this pack and I mixed and matched prints and sizes throughout my folio project.

There's really no right or wrong way to create this project so I'm going to give limited instructions on it and let a LOT of photos do the talking. After all, they are worth a thousand words are they not?!

My first step when creating my folio was to gather bits and pieces of things and layers that I thought would work well together in my project. You may notice that not everything in the above picture made the final cut but most did. That's often how it works. Go with the flow.

I decided to keep the exterior detail to a minimum on my folio. This was for two reasons. 1. This way it can store easily on a shelf and not collect dust. 2. When you keep the outside simple, it's like a wonderful surprise to open it up to find all these layers of wonderful things.

Many of the embellishments on the cover are repeated throughout the folio. I love adding machine stitching to my projects. It gives them a sweet feminine look and it's also a great way to adhere lace so that it doesn't fall off.

Here's what my folio looks like opened up. The fun idea behind the folio is to layer and stagger the layers so that you get little peeks here and there of what lies beneath. Each panel or layer is adhere along the stitched spine and forms a flap.

Inside the front cover is a great creativity quote from the Tim Holtz Pocket Cards. It's also embellished with a Tim Holtz flash card and a Maya Road Travel Token.

This is a very interactive project so make sure when you are adhering things that you use a very strong adhesive. Hot glue, a strong liquid adhesive or Ranger Adhesive Strips are good options.

Too add to the peek-a-boo features of this project I've used some sheer and translucent layers. First of all I used an Avery Elle Vellum Envelope on one of the top pages/layers. It's also a great place to tuck in little mementos.

As you lift each flap more and more of the project becomes visible.

I plan to fill in the spaces with notes and musing and photos. This is one of those projects that will keep growing along your journey.

In this photo you can see that for one of the pages I've stitched some White Dot Acetate to the create the layer. I love how it shows you some items from the other side right through it.

Each page has little touches and embellishments adhered to it. Some have flowers, buttons, flair, stitching or trims.

This page has some sweet Tim Holtz Photobooth images on it for a vintage touch. Don't you love old photos?

This project is very much a creative experience in collage.

When creating your folio make sure you repeat some of the design elements throughout the project to give it cohesion.

That brings us to the last page/layer. Now it's all ready for me to fill up. I suggest using a Copic Mulitliner or other permanent marker or pen as this will be a project you'll want to keep and treasure.

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom! I hope you've been inspired to try out a folio of your own!

Happy creating!

Supplies:

 

Tim Holtz, Collection Folio, Large

Tim Holtz, Collection Folio, Small

Tim Holtz Pocket Cards

Tim Holtz Photo Booth

Tim Holtz Flash Cards, Elementary

Ribbon, Vintage Crochet Trim, Pom Pom, Ecru, 3 yd precut

Maya Road Ribbon, Felt Roses, Milk White

Little B Tape, Wide Gold Stripes, 25mm

Hero Arts Self-Adhesive Lace, White

Maya Road Round Jeweled Centers

Prima Marketing Jute Trim, Wheat

Studio Calico Atlantic, Cork Stickers, Circles

Maya Road Vintage Tape Measure Trim Pack

We R Memory Keepers 12x12 Acetate, White Dot

Tim Holtz, Adornments, Nature

American Crafts DIY Adhesive Chalkboard Badges

Maya Road Vintage Trinkets, Geo Tag Love Clips

Cosmo Cricket Cabochons

Ranger Adhesive Strips, Variety Pack

Maya Road Wood Tokens, Travel

Tim Holtz, Alpha Parts, Ransom

We R Memory Keepers Sequin Stickers, Gold

Gelatos Canvas Block by Julia Stainton

I think I may have found my new favorite surface for mixed media art! I've been absolutely loving the new Just Add Watercolor line from Cosmo Cricket. Last time I was in the CLASSroom I shared a couple projects using the Just Add Watercolor 8x8 paper pad. I admit to having such a crush on it that I've purchased pretty much the entire line!

Today I've been busy creating with a watercolor canvas block to make this bright and fun mixed media altered art piece. Stay with me while I share all my step outs and tips to recreate it yourself.

This simple and very humble look white canvas block is from Cosmo Cricket. It's covered with watercolor paper so you can use it to watercolor your own designs with. I decided to think outside the box a little and see how well it would work with other medium as well.

The first step was to stamp on it. This block is nice and firm and this makes it ideal for stamping on! I just can't get enough of the new Bold Blooms stamp set by Julie Ebersole and it makes a perfect set for a mixed media project.

After stamping my surface with Versamark ink, I clear embossed it to form a resist. The embossed areas resist pigment and prevent it from adhering to the canvas.

Now for the fun part! Adding in the color! Just scribble on the Gelatos to the surface. Don't worry about how it looks...just get it on there. For the first layer of color I used a wet paintbrush to move the color around and cover the entire background. The colors I used in creating this project are Snow Cone, Guava, Margarita Mix, Green Tea and Bubble Gum. If you've never tried Gelatos they are a beautiful medium of a solid gel mixed with pigment. They can be thinned with water to paint with or applied and blended while solid.

Keep adding layers of color and blending them together. You can use a sponge dabber but I just used a piece of paper towel to smear and blend the colors together. This step also helps remove any excess pigment from the embossed areas.

When altering a 3D block I always think it looks more finished to add color to the sides of the block as well. Once again I've scribbled on color and then blended it in to get a rich and subtle blend of color.

One of the latest releases from Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft is the Mixed Media Stencils, 101. To add an additional layer of color, I used the circle stencil to apply dots over the surface and edges of the canvas. The sponge dabber tool that is included in the Gelatos Tool Kit is perfect for this.

You can also add layers of stamping on top of the Gelatos pigment. The Art Journaling Stamp Set from Maya Road is full of great words to use on mixed media projects. I've stamped a couple on the surface using the Black Pitt Big Brush Pen which has a wonderful India ink formulation that is perfect for adding to mixed media designs. I've also brushed the edges of the canvas with this marker to emphasize them and visually frame the design.

 Thanks so much for joining me today in the CLASSroom! I hope you'll be inspired to try out some new mixed media techniques in your creative projects!

Supplies:

 

Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Bold Blooms by Julie Ebersole

Cosmo Cricket Just Add Watercolor, Canvas Block, 4x4

Gelatos Designer Set, Tropical

Faber-Castell Mixed Media Stencils, 101 Collection

Gelatos Double Scoop, Guava

Gelatos Double Scoop, Snow Cone

Gelatos Double Scoop, Green Tea

Gelatos Double Scoop, Bubble Gum

Gelatos Double Scoop, Margarita Mix

Pitt Big Brush Pen, Black

Gelatos Tool Set

Essential Tools Kit, 7pc

Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder, Clear

VersaMark Ink Pad

Ranger Heat It Craft Tool

Maya Road Clear Stamps, Art Journaling Words

Hello, Monday with Sandy Allnock, Bokeh Flowers

Hello everyone! My name is Sandy Allnock, and I'm delighted to be filling in on Hello Monday! I was inspired by some cool new products and I hope you enjoy my embossing and resisting!

First - the inspiration! I went to Ellen Hutson's studio and got to play with the new Cosmo Cricket 8x8 pad. In the video you can see the shine that the varnish and foil provide - so much fun! I made two cards to share with you from that before getting to my project.

Those were both made by just adding watercolor! Super easy, as I show you in the video.

The resist got me thinking of a card I made with the Bokeh stamp set recently (that post using Copics is HERE)...and I wanted to try that idea but using a watercolor resist instead. And oh my. What fun!

Enjoy the video here on our YouTube Channel or watch below, and thanks for taking a moment to give it a thumbs up! Please subscribe - there is a lot of really "good stuff" on our channel! :)

 

Wasn't that just the most fun? You could even go crazy and add some white zentangling or doodling on some of the flowers and leaves as I did in that original card. 

And one other idea - what if these were birthday balloons instead of flowers? Oh my. The ideas keep coming...I think I better sign off before I make another video! :)

Hope you guys have a fabulous Monday....take care!

Sandy

 

Cosmo Cricket Just Add Watercolor, Paper Decks, 8x8

Peerless Watercolor, Bonus Pack, Set of 40

Peerless Watercolor, Joanne Sharpe Edition, Set of 15

Peerless Watercolor, Small Bonus Pack, Set of 40

Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Bokeh Dots by Julie Ebersole

Ranger Embossing Powder, Clear

VersaMark Watermark Pen

VersaMark Ink Pad

Ranger Distress Watercolor Cardstock

Sweet Chipboard Designs by Julia Stainton

With it being Valentine's weekend, I wanted to create a few more "love"ly projects to share today. Each design features chipboard items from the gorgeous Crate Paper Kiss Kiss chipboard sheet. I just love how starting with pre-made chipboard elements makes for some quick project ideas and also inspires the card designs.

While you can use these chipboard sheets just as they are, I always like to make them "my own" and add little touches to make them special and unique.

Isn't this chipboard stunning? I just adore the gold glitter accents. If you're like me and love the look but not the mess, this is definitely the way to go!

One thing to note is that while this IS a Valentine/love theme line, you can use it for more of the year than just February. We all have people we love that would love to hear how much we love them. I frequently send my daughter who is away at college little love cards and care packages. As I look at the chipboard I can easily see some of it being used for all kinds of celebrations such as birthday, wedding, engagement, anniversary...and even missing you cards or get well wishes.

 

My first card design starts off with a tag with the gold glitter accents on it. It's so pretty I couldn't wait to use it.

My quick and easy technique for this piece of chipboard was to simply sand the edges. First of all, it takes off any stray edges where it may have been attached to the sheet and it gives the chipboard a lovely soft and distressed look.

Design Notes:

• vellum makes a great layer to add a soft layer and still not totally cover up the pretty paper underneath
• attach the vellum with adhesive in the middle where it will be covered with the chipboard accents
• fold three layers of twine together before tying a bow to get a lovely full look
• use sandpaper or a sanding block on the chipboard edges

My second design is not necessarily for Valentine's Day. Why not follow your heart all through the year? This pretty chipboard technique features stitching and layered chipboard.

Have you ever tried machine stitching on chipboard? Seriously, it works and it's easy! The Kiss Kiss chipboard pieces are adhesive backed which makes them super easy to use. We do run into a problem with the adhesive when using the sewing machine so my solution was to die cut a doily and adhere it to the back of the large heart chipboard sticker.

It is then easy to place the chipboard under the presser foot and stitch away. Be sure to stitch slowly and carefully to keep the stitching smooth and accurate.

Once the chipboard is stitched you can adhere it to the card front and then layer on more chipboard and embellishments.

Design Notes:

• use a metal shim with intricate dies such as the doily to get a nice clean die cut
• cut up the follow your heart sticker to make it fit the design better
• notch one end of the sentiment sticker to create a banner look
• adhere sequins with Glossy Accents for a clear and strong adhesive

 

Finally I wanted to create a sweet card design using the tall and narrow hello love window chipboard piece.

With all the windows in this piece I decided to fill each window with bits and pieces of embellishments and vintage buttons. It's so simple I'm not sure you can call it a technique but more of just a pretty idea.

Design Notes:

• card measure 7"x3.5" in size
• gather twine into a circle of 3-5 layers and then tie
• adhesive gold sequins add shine and glitz
• adhere a strip of gold washi tape to add interest to the background

 

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom! Happy Valentine's Day!

-Julia

 

Supplies:

Crate Paper Kiss Kiss, 6x6 Paper Pad

Maya Road Wood Bingo Motifs, Alterable

Crate Paper Kiss Kiss, Chipboard Stickers

Essentials by Ellen 43 lb. Vellum, 25 pk

Little B Tape, Gold Foil Chevron, 25mm

Pebbles Jen Hadfield Homemade, Decorative Tape, Glitter and Number

We R Memory Keepers Sequin Stickers, Gold

Maya Road Antique Mini Quill Feathers

Tim Holtz, Tiny Attacher

Tim Holtz, Tiny Attacher Refills

Tim Holtz, Sanding Block

Prima Marketing Flowers, Marcelle, Spotlight

Ranger Distress Ink Pad, Brushed Corduroy

Cosmo Cricket Wood Charms, Tiny Text

Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, 6 mm Cupped, Sparkling Clear

Ranger Accents, Glossy

Cosmo Cricket Tiny Text Stickers, Punch Me

Neenah Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pk

American Crafts DIY Adhesive Chalkboard Badges

Cheery Lynn Designs Metal Adaptor Plate

Savvy Stamps Dies, Doily

Crate Paper, The Pier Clothespins

Maya Road Transparencies, Our Town, Black

Maya Road Trinket Pins, Vintage Kraft Flag

Fiskars SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer (12")

Hello, Monday 02.09.2015

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

Lately, I've been been ogling a lot of Kate Spade.  So clean, crisp and classic--makes me swoon!  So, that was the inspiration behind this sweetly simple Valentine card. But, it does have a bit of a twist in that the closure is a tuck and fold style, made possible by the Savvy Stamps Love Typed die!  *fist pump*

 

 

Some things to note:

• Card base measures 4.25 x 11"
• Score at 3.5" and 8 1/8" from the short end to create bottom and top folding flaps; you can make adjustments as needed, but this was a starting point that worked great for me.

Enjoy the video in HD on our YouTube channel and if you'll kindly take a moment to give it a thumbs' up, it is much appreciated!

 

Happy Mundane and don't forget to send some love in the snail mail to your sweeties! :)

SUPPLIES:

 

Savvy Stamps Dies, Love Typed

Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Cotton Candy, 25 pk

Cosmo Cricket Self-Adhesive Glitter Sheets, Starlet

American Crafts Cardstock, Rouge Glitter, 12x12, 2 pk

American Crafts Specialty Paper, Christmas Glitter, 6x6 Paper Pad

American Crafts, Pow! Glitter Paper, 12x12 Rouge Solid, 2 pk

American Crafts Cardstock, Gold Glitter, 12x12, 2 pk

American Crafts, Pow! Glitter Paper, 12x12 Gold, 2 pk

Bazzill Specialty Paper, Metallic Gold Foil 5pk

Pebbles Jen Hadfield Homemade, 12x12 Gold Foil

Bazzill Specialty Paper, Metallic Gold Matte 5pk

Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal

Tombow Mono Zero Eraser, Silver Round

Tombow Mono Zero Eraser, Refill

Tweezers, Stainless Eliza's Backporch Design

Teflon Bone Folder

Martha Stewart Scoring Board

Tonic Paper Trimmer Guillotine, 8.5"

Fiskars SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer (12")

Fiskars Craft Knife, Fingertip

3M Micropore Paper Tape, 2 pk

Tombow Stamp Runner Dot Adhesive Runner & Refill

Tombow Stamp Runner Dot Adhesive Refills, 2 pk

Glue Glider Pro Tool w/ Pro Plus PermaTac Cartridge

Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac Value Pack 58'

Hello, Monday 12.15.2014

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

I've been wanting to make confetti tape for, like, ever.  Just never got around to it until today, because I really didn't have an idea in mind.  Then along came the "Cheers" stamp by Hero Arts--perfect for a New Year's card, or any time you want to celebrate something like a birthday, or getting a promotion... You know, something GOOD! :)

I actually punched all my confetti by hand for this project, and ended up with a pretty tired hand/arm (I suffer from tendonitis) but there are a number of dies that would make it MUCH easier/faster! Hello, come live at my house! 

A large typeface image, in either a stamp or a die, works particularly well for this kind of design because it allows all the other elements to really pop in tandem with it! *fist pump*

You can enjoy the video in HD on our YouTube Channel, and we appreciate you taking a moment to give us a thumbs up! So glad to have you subscribing and joining us each week, too!

 

Happy Mundane & Happy Holidays!

••••••••••••••

SUPPLIES:

• "Cheers" by Hero Arts
• Versamark Ink
• Gold Embossing Powder
• Neenah Solar White Card Stock
• Cosmo Cricket Self-Adhesive Glitter Sheets
• Be Creative Tape 1/2" Width
• Heat Embossing Tool
• Confetti Style Dies
• Assorted Colors of Card Stock (I used Sour Lemon, Banana Split, Gold Coins, & Wax Lips)
• Gold Metallic Card Stock
• Gold Glitter
• Glossy Accents
• Tombow Mono-Multi Glue
• Big Shot

Stenciling on Black by Julia Stainton

Stencils, stencils, stencils! I just can't help myself. I'm a stencil addict and keep adding more to my collection. Why? Well...they can be used over and over and over and there's so many ways to use them!

 

Usually when creating with stencils, you start with a lighter surface and add color. The other day I was doing a little experimenting and yes, you CAN use stencils on dark backgrounds. I'm loving the look! Here's how I did it...

First of all, I started off by creating this softly romantic card design.

The key to using stencils on black or other dark cardstock it to use pigment ink. Dye inks sink into dark backgrounds and you can't see them. While you can also add color with paint and/or embossing, I really wanted a soft dreamy look.

Pigment ink can be applied through the stencil using a sponge but I love these new Tim Holtz Mini Blending Tools. Apply ink to them and then lightly rub ink over stencil in a circular motion.

Designer Tip: To get a soft dreamy look, don't cover the entire background. I love just highlighting part of a stencil and allowing the color to fade off.

I've tried a few different pigment inks on these projects including Avery Elle, Memento Luxe and Hero Arts. I loved them all. One thing you'll want to know with pigment inks is that they take MUCH longer to dry. Put them aside for awhile to prevent smearing or dry them more quickly with a heat gun.

I adore these sweet little wood sentiments from Cosmo Cricket. Absolutely adorable! You may or may not be able to see in the picture but they come with tiny bumps where they were attached to the main sheet of wood. The Precision File Set makes quick work of smoothing them out with one of the many files included.

These pretty roses are lovely the way they come...all white. I wanted to add some color so I sponged them with the Rosebud Memento Luxe Ink to coordinate.

For the last step, adhere on all the wood and embellishments. I like adhering the wood especially with Glossy Accents as it holds it really well.

While I had all my supplies out on my crafting table, I decided to create another design. Nothing like procrastinating cleaning up, right? This design is a 3" x 5" tag and it's a much more masculine design.

Once again I'm stenciling with pigment ink on black. This time I've used white pigment ink for the stars.

A wood button is painted orange for a hit of color at the top of the tag.

To add in a sentiment, I first die cut an arrow from the MFT Lead the Way die set and then stamped it with a Hero Arts stamp from their Anything Can Happen Set.

Thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom! Happy creating and have a fabulous weekend!

 

Ink Blending Tool, 1 Round	Tim Holtz Stencils, Hearts	Tim Holtz Stencils, Stars	Tim Holtz Mirrored Stars
Wood Alterable Buttons	Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Licorice Twist, 10 pk	3-D Foam Squares, Mixed Black	Neutral Hemp Cord
3-D Foam Squares, Mixed	Memento Luxe Ink Pad, Rose Bud	Avery Elle Ink Pad, Lemon Grass	Seaglass Ink by Avery Elle
Sunset Orange Acyrlic Paint Dabber	laraine pearl white flowers	Gold Hearts Chipboard Shapes	Chalkboard Badges
Tiny Text Wood Charms	Precision File Set	Crystals Trinket Pins	Accents, Mini Glossy
Accents, Glossy	My Favorite Things Die-namics, Lead The Way	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 03.24.2014

(click on the images to enbiggan)

No-mess glitter sounds like an oxymoron, but the Cosmo Cricket Glitter Sheets are the perfect way to achieve it! If you love the look, but can't tolerate the mess of loose glitter, this stuff needs to come live at your house. Just sayin'... ;)

You can cut it, punch it, die cut it, and each set comes with a gorgeous trio of colors that look stunning together!

Be sure to save the leftover/trimmed off pieces! They'll be great for yet another card so it's like getting two for one! *fist pump*

Enjoy the video here or over on our YouTube channel! Thanks for watching & subscribing! Switch to 720p for HD quality, too.

 

 

Happy Mundane!

•••••••••••••••••••

SUPPLIES:

 

Cosmo Cricket Self-Adhesive Glitter Sheets, Tinseltown	My Favorite Things Die-namics, STAX Stars	Hero Arts Wood Block Stamp, You're A Star	WPlus9 Design Studio Clear Stamp Set, Borders & Backgrounds 3
Delicata Ink Pad, Golden Glitz	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, 25 pack	A Cardstock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Ream	Kool Tak White Foam Adhesive, 1/4 Squares (1/16 Thick)
3-D Foam Squares, Mixed	Tonic Paper Trimmer Guillotine, 8.5"	Stamp-a-ma-Jig	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool
Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini

InLinkz.com

PanPastel Resist Background by Julia Stainton

One of my creative goals for 2014 is to experiment with new (or new to me) techniques and products. Today my project experiments with PanPastels and creating a resist background. It creates a beautiful soft background and a lovely vintage look.

Here's the card design. I've used the PanPastels on black cardstock. They work well on light or dark backgrounds and I especially love how flexible they are in that way.

PanPastels are beautiful soft pastels that come in an amazing array of colors. These are the three I've used in my project and you can find their links below. Pastels are best applied with foam applicators.

To create the Pastel Resist Background I first stamped the black cardstock with Versamark ink and then heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. You can then sponge on the color. I like to use three colors for lots of depth of color. The pastels blend so easily for a subtle look.

PanPastels, like all pastel products blend easily but they also smear easily as well. When you are finished using them be sure to spray the surface with a fixative such as the Krylon Matte Finish Spray.

When designing with a pretty stamped background, I like to keep the rest of the card design simple. Die cutting a sentiment into the background is a great trick to add the sentiment without adding in extra layers that will cover up the background. I've combined two different fonts for the sentiment. Script and sans serif fonts always seem to work well together.

Here's what it looks like after die-cutting. The black cardstock card base really makes the sentiment pop. After this step I adhered it to the card base with dimensional foam adhesive to make it "pop" even more.

Another place the PanPastels really shine is by brushing them onto paper flowers. The look is so subtle and vintage. I couldn't quite capture it here and it looks even more beautiful in real life.

The embellishments needed a touch of black to tie in with the background but I wanted something very light looking as well. The Tim Holtz Film Strip Ribbon was the perfect solution. To make the ribbon accent I simply folded a piece in half, notched the ends and adhered it under the flowers.

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

Supplies:

PanPastel Yellow Ochre	PanPastel Sofft Tools Combination Set, 44pk Includes Sponges, Applicators, Knives, and Covers	PanPastel Ultra Soft Artist Pastel 9 ml, Permanent Red Tint 340.8	PanPastel Magenta
Etched Bouquet Background Stamp	VersaMark Ink Pad	Thank You Dienamics	Black Cardstock
laraine pearl white flowers	Ranger Embossing Powder, Clear	Heat It Craft Tool	Cream Pearl Ball Pins
Cosmo Cricket Cabochons	Neutral Hemp Cord	Tim Holtz Film Strip Ribbon

InLinkz.com

Hello, Monday 12.16.2013

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

They say presentation is everything... I must admit that I agree with that... as long as the presentation isn't painfully time consuming to create, LOL!  I dunno 'bout y'all, but I can *always* use yet another quick and easy-to-make gift card holder for the holidays--especially when I'm frantically trying to get everything wrapped at the very last minute.

This card holder features a sliding mechanism, along with a fold & tuck closure--it took just a few minutes to make, but it looks so special! 

The dimensions and score lines for the two main pieces necessary are in the video, but I'm going to list that info here, as well:

• Main piece: 4 1/4 x 11"

Score at 2, 7 1/4 and 7 3/8" (from the short side)

• Slider/Insert Pocket: 3 1/4 x 6 1/2"

Score at 1 3/4 and 6" (from the short side)

Watch the video for construction/assembly instructions--these are SO easy, you'll be able to bust out many of them at a time and they are super fun to embellish and decorate!

You can also enjoy the video here on YouTube--thank you, as always, for watching and subscribing!

 

Hope today's video makes your Mundane brighter as we swing into the Holiday Season! ;)

•••••••••••••••••••••••

SUPPLIES: 

Savvy Stamps Dies, Winter Tree	A Cardstock, Essentials by Ellen: Woodgrain Embossed #110 Cardstock, 10 Pack	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, Ream	We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board
Soft Grip Embossing and Stylus	Martha Stewart Scoring Board	Project Life 12x12 Designer Paper Collection Pack, Heritage Edition	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal
Cosmo Cricket Wood Charms, Stars	Ice Stickles Platinum	Stickles Dry Fine Glitter, Platinum	Be Creative Tape, 5mm (1/4")
Be Creative Tape, 12mm (1/2")	Kool Tak White Foam Adhesive, 1/4 Squares (1/16 Thick)	Accents, Mini Glossy	Accents, Glossy
Tweezers, Stainless

InLinkz.com

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist - Day 2 by Julie Ebersole

(click on the pics to enbiggan)

The 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist is a tradition I always look forward to being a part of! This year, my tag features a city scene within a window and lots of creamy shades of white!

I chose to create a video instead of step-outs and hope you have a steamy hot cuppa sumpin' delicious that you can sip on while you watch! :)

I can't wait to see what tomorrow's tag will be! Thanks for joining us!

Happy Christmas!

Savvy Stamps, Holidays Typewriter	Savvy Stamps Dies, Cityscap	Lifestyle Crafts Dies, Nesting Card Templates	Essentials by Ellen: Craft-a-Board 6x12, 12 pk
Essentials by Ellen: Craft-a-Board 12x12, 12 pk	Cosmo Cricket Paper Deck, Simple Surfaces	A Cardstock, Essentials by Ellen: White Linen #100 Cardstock, 25 Pack	Bazzill 40 lb. Vellum, 25 pk
VersaMark Ink Pad	Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder, 1 oz. Gold	Hero Arts Embossing Gun	Essentials by Ellen: Sequins, Iridescent Vanilla
Lawn Fawn Hemp Cord, Silver Sparkle Single Cord	Glitter Ritz Microfine, Dark Gold	Be Creative Tape, 3mm (1/8")	Kool Tak White Foam Adhesive, 1/4 Squares (1/16 Thick)
Accents, Glossy	Glue Dots Sheets, Mini	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal	Tweezers, Stainless
Soft Grip Embossing and Stylus	Tweezer Bee	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool, Angle & Photo Corner	Crop-a-Dile Eyelet & Snap Punch
Glue Glider Pro	Glue Glider Pro Plus Refill, High Tac 58'

InLinkz.com

---

Please join us in thanking Julie for once again sharing her always inspiring style with us! Leave your comment below to be eligible for the random drawing of the $25 gift certificate to our store www.ellenhutson.com - be certain to do so before noon on December 13th to be eligible (one comment per person please.) Join us tomorrow when we debut a new tag designed by Ronda Palazzari!

Dripping Gold - A Card by Julia Stainton

Gold is back!

Back on trend & I love it!

For a while, silver seemed to reign but gold is back and just in time for the holidays. Autumn is such a golden time with the warm rich colors of harvest and it blends seamlessly into the golden sparkling time of Christmas.

Today's card project isn't holiday themed but I think gold is classic for all the year through. Feel free to take some of these ideas and change up the design to make it work for your holiday  projects this year.

 

To create this project I started with a chipboard butterfly. It's not currently available in the shop so you can create your own by die cutting some chipboard with a die or using an alternate chipboard shape. This card is going to give you lots of ideas for adding gold into your projects and to coat the chipboard in a beautiful soft gold, I colored it with a Krylon Gold Leaf Paint Pen. These pens are easy and beautiful to use. Here's a few tips...

• shake pen well before starting to smooth out the paint inside
• depress the nib on scrap paper to prime the nib and get the paint flowing
• add color as desired...if nib gets dry, simply depress again to pump up the paint flow
• cap these pens tightly so they don't dry out

If you've been on Pinterest lately you'll notice that gold dipped is also a hot trend. Well...how about a double whammy of gold? Gold dipped with gold glitter. Yes please!!!

To apply the glitter smooth on some Glossy Accents over the area you want to adhere the glitter to. Sprinkle with gold glitter, remove excess and voila! It's soooo purdy!

Next...how about some gold inked edges. I haven't quite inked the edges yet in the above shot but the new Hero Arts Shadow Gold Ink is so lovely! After covering the chipboard tag with patterned paper, I simply brushed the edges of the tag with the ink pad, direct to paper.

Now while I'm chatting about the patterned paper, here's another quick thing to note: I started off with the two GORGEOUS patterns of paper from the Cosmo Cricket Creative Girl 8x8 paper pad. They are the ones on the BASE of the card. I needed a third print to cover that tag and darn...nothing else from that same pad was exactly what I was looking for. Going through my paper stash for something could have taken me FOREVER. Not what I had in mind. I wanted something now. So...where did I start looking? The same paper manufacturer of course! You'll find that a lot of paper manufacturers use similar styles and color hues throughout their different lines.

Did it work? Yes! The first pad I went through was the Cosmo Cricket Sweet Dispositioin pad and I found a print that was just the ticket immediately.

Onto my fourth way to add gold to this project...

How about a sweet little glass vial of gold glitter?! Just fill it and cork it!

I like to assemble all the embellishments I plan to use before I start gluing things down. They are so pretty, even just scattered on the desk.

And here they are adhered to the card front. You'll notice I added gold a fifth and final time by using these beautiful premade gold letters stickers. If you like things quick and easy with little mess, these are a great way to get that gold look.

Did this inspire you to add a little golden glow to your projects? Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful creative weekend!

Supplies:

Creative Girl 8x8 paper pad	Sweet Disposition 8x8 paper pad	Krylon Gold Leafing Pen	Corked Vials
Shot Through the Heart Chipboard	Distress Ink Pad, Brushed Corduroy	Glitter Ritz Microfine, Dark Gold	Hero Arts Shadow Gold Ink
Truffle Sherwood Roses by Prima	Cream Pearl Ball Pins	Shipping Tags Chipboard Set	Gold Thickers
Tim Holtz, Tiny Attacher	Precision File Set	Accents, Glossy

InLinkz.com

The Shabby Burlap Canvas by Julia Stainton

I'm a big fan of mini canvases.

I'm a big fan of burlap too.

That being said I just couldn't resist checking out the new Tim Holtz Burlap Panels.

I was pretty excited to get them and love how my first creative journey went with them. I made this sweet little mini canvas with one of the canvases. There's four in the package and that has me looking forward to creating more!

Here's what the burlap panel looks straight from the package. The texture is amazing! This panel measure 3"x4" in size.

To highlight all that gorgeous texture, I started off by brushing on some gesso. I like to put just a little on a brush and lighting brush it across to that you just get the tops of the fibers to make them stand out. Gesso dries really quickly so you can be onto the next step before you know it!

I like to use the Studio Multi-Mediums as an adhesive with mixed media projects. I've torn out a bird from some printed tissue. I like torn edges in mixed media as straight cut edges seem a bit hard and interrupt the flow of the design. This particular tissue by 7 Gypsies has recently sold out of Ellen's store but you'll find a link below to the Tim Holtz Melange tissue which is really very similar in style and works great as a substitute.

Another of Tim Holtz's new products that I just had to order and try is the new Fabric Packs. I love fabric and these swatches are going to get lots of use from me. They are perfect for paper crafting but I'm pretty sure my sewing machine will be coming out soon too! They come in 6x6", 8x8" and 12x12" sizes. I've used the 6x6" Eclectic Elements Pack.

Here's a piece of one of the prints cut out of the fabric using pinking shears.

Fabric is wonderful added to mixed media projects and it can be applied easily with the Studio Multi-Medium. I like to brush lots of the back of the fabric and in this case I've brushed it over the top as well once the fabric was adhered to the burlap panel.

Here's where I started experimenting a little. Rummaging through my stash looking for paint, I found some Ice Stickles and thought a little glitter and glam might be just the ticket on this project. I simply squirted a blob of it onto my work surface and spread it onto the burlap with my finger. Really truly, it wasn't that messy as fingers wipe clean easily and I was able to press it into the texture of the burlap exactly where I wanted it.

I found this a really great way to get the glitter into the project and not have it flying all around the room.

Next step in my canvas, I added in a little color using some Classic Teal Studio Paint. You'll see light touches of it here and there in the finished project. I still had a little on my brush when I painted the chipboard frame with white gesso and I love the hint of color it gives.

I like it so much that I just had to brush a little on the petals of these sweet paper flowers.

 I think these sweet mirrored stars are my absolute favorite product that Tim Holtz released at the recent tradeshow. I had to add one of them to the design as well.

The frame was adhered to the burlap panel and then all the pretty embellishments were adhered to finish off the design.

Lastly, here's a little closeup of all the fabulous texture on the edge of the burlap panel. When creating a canvas, don't forget the edges. Adding interest to them will finish off your design. If you'd like to see more detail on any of the images, just click on them and they'll expand in your browser.

With Christmas around the corner, this project has me thinking. Some little burlap panels would make a lovely and creative gift. What do you think?

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

Supplies:

Studio Gesso	Tim Holtz Mirrored Stars	Cosmo Cricket Canvas Brads	Ornate Tags Chipboard Set by Maya Road
laraine pearl white flowers	Melange Tissue Wrap	Tim Holtz Burlap Panels	Studio Multi-Medium, Matte
Studio Artist Brushes	Vintage Pale Pink Pearl Ball Pins	Ice Stickles Platinum	Studio Acrylic Paint Mini, Classic Teal

InLinkz.com

Transparency Tricks by Julia Stainton

Transparencies or overlays have been a long-time favorite crafting product of mine. The shine, the patterns, and the way they add an extra layer of dimension without hiding what's underneath all play into making them intriguing to design with.

I love the new Cards Overlay sheet by Alison Kreft for Webster's Pages. It's a 12x12 transparency sheet that can be used on a layout as is, or cut up to make ATC sized accent transparencies. I chose to do the latter and have designed three cards so show different and easy ways to adhere transparencies. Some crafters find them intimidating to use as they are not sure how to adhere them, but it's really so simple.

Obviously, you can't use regular adhesive when adhering clear items as the adhesive can be seen right through them. This first card layers a chevron printed transparency over layers of patterned paper. It gives a fun look because you can see the different prints through the transparency.

For this card I used my favorite, and the easiest way I know to attach the transparency to the card. A couple staples at opposite corners is fast and holds it on perfectly.

For the second card I wanted to try something a little different. The beautiful birds inspired a more simple and dreamy look.

An experiment seemed to be in order so I went searching through my crafting stash.

Two colors of Distress Stickles were squirted onto the reverse side of the transparency...

...and then smeared together with my finger to cover the entire reverse side of the transparency. Make sure you get right to the edges and then flip over and adhere to a card front. Lay it flat to dry so that the transparency doesn't slide.

 Once dry, your transparency will be adhered and you'll be left with a beautiful glittered background.

Another quick way to adhere a transparency is with washi tape or fabric tape. I've used Maya Road Fabric Tape here to add this fun journaling style transparency. To keep it extra secure you can add a little adhesive on the reverse side of the overlay where you plan to add the fabric tape as it will cover it.

Here's the detailed view. Transparencies are very easy to adhere embellishments over the top of. I like to use a hot glue gun for the heavier embellishments but stickers work fun on their own.

Finally, I'm sure I've shared this trick before but it's worth repeating. One sheet of Fabric Thickers can be changed into any color you want with Copic Markers. It's as simple as coloring them in.

Have a fabulous weekend and thanks for joining me today in the CLASSroom!

Supplies:

InLinkz.com

Imagine Paris Tag by Julia Stainton

I seem to be hooked on tags these days. Last time I was in the CLASSroom I went the art journaling route with a bunch of tags to make a mini album for my daughter. Today's post uses a tag as well. Inspired by a big beautiful black tag and the chalkboard trend, I've gone vintage collage style with them.

There are many ways to stamp on dark surfaces. You can use embossing powder,or a pigment ink, but I've found that paint always works really well. I've been a fan of stamping with paint for years. The interesting thing with stamping with paint is that it never turns out exactly the same each time. I think that adds to much to the vintage style. That perfectly beautiful imperfection.

I love using the Adirondack Paint Dabbers for inking up a stamp with paint. You can use a foam brush with any acrylic paint and brush it on the stamp, but the paint dabbers make it so easy and there is no cleanup. Simply dab the paint with the foam applicator onto the stamp and then press onto your surface. These dabbers also work really well for "inking" the edges of your paper to define them.

• step one - stamp the ATC and apply paint to the edges of the ATC and the Tag

Tip: Wash your stamps off immediately as the acrylic paint is extremely difficult to get off if you allow it to dry. This is the voice of experience and it was painful.

• step two - stamp postage marks onto the black tag
• step three - adhere torn coffee filter paper with Multi-Medium...wrinkle the paper when applying it for added texture

Note: Multi-Medium is a fabulous adhesive and and essential mixed media product. Just brush it on the back to adhere or on the front to add a glaze.

• step four - adhere adhesive lace and then stamped ATC
• step five - tie tag with twine and tie on button

• step six - adhere flowers and insert trinket pins
• step seven - pin metal tag to flower

Tip: When creating a black and white project, add one pop of color to brighten it up.

Thanks so much for joining me today in the CLASSroom! I hope you'll give stamping with paint a try. Have a fabulous weekend!

Supplies:

InLinkz.com

Favorite Finds from CHA Winter 2013 - Video

Hi, everybody!

In lieu of a Hello Monday video, we're sharing some of the things we found at the CHA Winter 2013 show!  

CHA is the Craft & Hobby Association Trade Show that occurs every winter, typically down in Anaheim, CA. The show is open to the trade only (retailers, manufacturers, and other industry related businesses) and showcases products and lines that manufacturers are debuting for the new year.

Ellen and I arrived a day ahead of the show, and took classes to learn more about some of the exciting new products being released, such as the new Ranger Distress Paints!  This water based paint is very unique and features some very interesting properties, unlike any other paint we've ever worked with before! Watch the video to see and hear more about these paints and some of the other items we were *monkey clapping* over! 

You can enjoy the video here, or on YouTube!

Thanks for joining us, and we hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse of some of the coming new products!  Keep your eye on the "Coming soon from CHA Winter 2013" category to see what will be arriving soon!

Hello, Monday Video: GOT CANDY? by Julie Ebersole

(click on the pics to en-biggan)

I had seriously way too much fun making this Halloween design--this tiny shopping bag is to die for--LITERALLY!!!

I can't help but have a lot of fun when it comes to Halloween--it's the Mister's birthday! Candy, cake AND ice cream???!!! Oh, yeah, baby!!!

This week's video shows you how the whole thing came together and you can watch it right here, or hop over to YouTube to watch it in HD!  Enjoy!

••••••••••••••••••

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, Ream	A3 Cardstock, Neenah Environment Desert Storm, Ream	Echo Park 6x6 Pad, Dots & Stripes, Soda Fountain	Echo Park 6x6 Dots and Stripes - Homefront
Memory Box Dies, Mini Shopping Bag	Memory Box Dies, Dangling Spider	Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Black & Pink	Be Creative (Sookwang) Tape, 3mm (1/8")
Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	Soft Grip Embossing and Stylus Set	Tweezers, Stainless	3D-Dots, 1/16" Thick
Uni-ball Impact Gel Pen, White	Teflon Bone Folder	Sakura Quickie Glue Pen	Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type Stickers, Black
Glitter Ritz Microfine, Black	Xyron 1.5" Create-a-Sticker Machine	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool, Angle & Photo Corner

InLinkz.com

Breast Cancer Awareness and a Thank You Challenge

Life takes so many twists and turns and it is one of those tough twists I share with you today. It was a complete shock to receive the phonecall from my mom this past June telling me that she had breast cancer. I don't know why it had never dawned on me that women of all ages can be struck by breast cancer. For some odd reason I had thought that if you passed menopause and not had to face breast cancer you were "home free." It was stunning to attend the class where I learned how to care for my mom after surgery to find the room filled with elderly women.

One of the messages I would like to convey today is that no matter your age, young and old alike, we must continue to do our breast self-examinations AND if we find a lump we must act on it immediately. I am so very grateful that my mom is still here with us and continually improving. It has also rung the bell in my head that I must to do this and that I must get a physical each year. My life is so busy that sometimes I just don't do a very good job of taking care of myself, but if I don't take care of myself I will not be here to take care of my children - not an option in my opinion!

The second message is one that I hope will help make another small difference. There are some wonderful people who have helped my mom (and therefore me) throughout this time and what better way to say thank you than with a special card! It is so very important to let other's know how much they are appreciated by saying thank you. Life get's so busy and yet it should never be too busy to say thank you. 

Today and tomorrow we are featuring the Unity Stamps on our site and we have a special challenge for you, so please read through this post and join us in saying thank you or making it easier for someone else to do so!

 

One of the wonderful things about the Unity stamps is that many of the sets we carry are coordinates to the very popular 6x6 paper pads! For example today's project is a combination of Unity stamps produced using Cosmo Cricket images.

In thinking about this design the idea of creating another type of ombre background came to me. Ombre simply means to shade, or create a graduated change in color tone.

Begin by stamping these trendy women using a Distress embossing ink pad together with clear embossing powder. After heating use an ink blending tool in a swirling motion, being certain to start on your non-stick craft sheet to avoid leaving a "print" on your project. Work your way from the lower edge of the cardstock up your project without reinking so that as you move upwards the color becomes less intense until it completely disappears. I recommend practicing on a piece of scrap cardstock to see how much ink works best.

Tip: To add additional interest you could start at the opposite edge with a different color and work your way back in to the first color.

Create your focal point by stamping the bra on patterned paper and cutting out. To make the sentiment pop off the colored cardstock I used Butterscotch Adirondack embossing powder. The little clothespins and gemstone are the finishing touches to this simple card.

 

stamps: Unity Stamps: Upcycle's Hey Girlfriend and Sexy, Silly, and Sassy
ink: Distress Embossing Ink, Watermelon Adirondack Dye Ink
paper: Cosmo Cricket Upcycle Paper Pad
accessories: Cosmo Cricket Upcycle Jewels, Hero Arts Mini Clothespins

Breast Cancer Awareness Challenge

So here is our challenge - the first is to make certain that you do your self-examinations and schedule a physical/mammogram if you haven't done so yet this year. This first challenge is one that may save your life --- please do it!

The second is one that we can see that you are joining in and are excited to reward you with a special prize! This month Splitcoaststampers is hosting a month long series of Hope You Can Cling To challenges and asking participants to send the cards to a Cancer Center in Texas. We would like to encourage you to participate in this worthy cause! You could also contact a Cancer Center near you --- having blank thank you cards available to patients and family members will spread that feel good spirit and help bring positive thoughts to many.

These two simple words "thank you" do make a difference in life!

You have until 11:59pm Pacific Daylight time , Wednesday, October 12 to add your Breast Cancer Thank You note below using the InLinkz tool. We will be doing a random drawing and awarding TWO individuals a beautiful selection of Unity Stamps we have pulled from our inventory valued at approximately $50 to our lucky winners --- it is our way of saying thank you to all that participate. Good luck and go create something "pretty in pink!"

Using Circle Punches to Make a Banner By Becky Olsen

Circle punches are one of the staples that I just can't live without in my crafting supplies. A few different sizes were one of my very first investments in this fun hobby years ago, and still to this day whenever I see a size I don't have I will buy it. They are so versatile and being able to quickly punch out multiples is very handy.

With the popularity of banners still in full sway, I thought it would be fun to use a circle punch to create a celebratory banner for one of the many events that I will be needing a congrats card in the next few weeks for. By using scraps from some of my favorite papers I feel like I am maximizing my paper purchases as well, that makes me smile, I never want to waste an inch of any of those gorgeous papers.

For this card I used October Afternoon Five and Dime papers and Five and Dime chipboard and scraps from the October Afternoon Seaside collection. A 1 1/4" circle punch, Jillibean Soup Beanstalks Twine in brown and Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type letter stickers in blue.

I began by punching circles from some of my delicious scraps, and cut a workable length of the Jillibean twine. I also laid out the card design and machine stitched it together.

I then folded the circles in half, making sure that the edges matched up.

Apply adhesive and overlap over the twine, then repeat for the size of the card. If I were doing a larger project I would just cut the twine longer and add more pieces.

Of course you could make your banner different sizes by just changing the size of the circle punch that you use.

I hope that this fun banner inspires you to get out one of your most basic supplies and have a little fun with it, after all it is the celebrating time of year!

Happy Punching!

B-

Paper Lilies Dress Up Art Parts

I am hoping that you have had time to head over to Kim Kesti's blog and share some love with her - if not please do so, she is an absolutely remarkable woman! That sweet, sneaky girl changed up my desire to share our love with her in the "comment" section and turned it around where you have shared your words with us here at Ellen Hutson LLC. Your words of kindness about the amazing women who I have the privilege to work with here and in the CLASSroom, as well as your beautiful words about who I am as a person bring tears to my eyes. Yes, I am passionate about sharing creativity with others because I truly believe that creativity helped to save my sanity and I want to share that with others - so thank you from the bottom of my heart for your love, financial support (through your purchases) and kindness - it is appreciated more than you could ever know!

If you haven't had the opportunity to enjoy the incredible video Susan helped us make I would like to encourage you to visit this post over on In Touch (our newsletter archive blog) and leave some love for her there as well! Today I would like to share a much more "simple" project for those who may be creating paper flowers for the first time. Sometimes one very simple element can make a huge difference on a project and I think that the paper flowers do just that, so I hope that you enjoy this simple twist.

 

This project is created for yet another woman who has supported me over the past couple of years with her kindness. I felt that the words were so powerful and applied so strongly to the support she has shared with me. My desire is to share my appreciation with her through this project.

 

As Susan stated in her video I did challenge her to work with white paper only :-D. As someone who places a huge value on resources, my desire is to always try and share more ways for you to utilize the tools you may already have in your craft room and in this case I was thinking specifically about Neenah paper, the many Copic markers and now the new Faber-Castell products you have purchased from us. So hopefully here is yet one more way for you to use these awesome markers, pencils, pens, etc.

Before beginning a project in which I am trying to achieve natural coloration I google the flower I am trying to mimic. In this case I found this gorgeous lily picture.

 
I used the smallest petal on the Lily punch to create this little bloom. Begin with the lightest value marker and stroke up from the base of the petal to the tip. After adding the darkest value, color back over the entire petal with the lightest color to blend the colors. 

 

I have really been enjoying the Pastel Pencils to add additional veining and depth in my flower petals.

 

As shown in the video I used the sponge to mute the color somewhat. Isn't it amazing how well the colors work with the Cosmo Cricket papers!

 

Due to the small scale of the calyx on this bloom I simply cut the Alta Flake down in size before adhering the petals.

Just a quick shot of all the colors I used in creating this lily. 

 

As you can see I have added little flecks of color to the petals to mimic the real life lily. The ubber fine point on the Faber-Castell Artist pen is perfect for adding this element.

Susan also taught me an alternate way to make stamens for my lilies and I would like to share it with you. I simply colored a small rectangle of paper. Snipping it down and leaving it connected along the base.

I then used my quilling tool to roll it. I realized after the fact that I forgot to snap a second picture after changing my mind and creating a second stamen with the pistil's colored in E08 - oops.

For detailed directions on creating a lily I would like to encourage you to watch the video in this post  - Susan's work is simply magical.

 

For the remainder of the project I simply covered Art Parts and the Sewing Dress Craft-a-Board base with decorative paper, added my sentiment, a chipboard cameo (made using Maya Road pieces painted with Studio Paint) and some other simple, yet elegant embellishments and my piece was complete.

My desire is that one little bloom will show my appreciation. Thank you for once again visiting us here in the CLASSroom and don't forget to head over and leave some love for Kim Kesti and Susan Tierney Cockburn AND win a chance at some fun little goodies!

 
stamps: Tim Holtz Stuff to Say

ink: Jet Black Archival, Antique Linen Distress Stain, Antique Linen Distress Ink Pad, PITT Artist Pen - #133 and PITT Pastel Pencil - #193, Copic Markers - YR30, R81, R83, R85, YG00, YG63, YG67, YG95

paper: Cosmo Cricket Upcycle 6x6 Paper Pad, Craft-a-Board

accessories: Punch Bunch Mega Lily, Slotted Tool, Sample Pack Art Parts, Maya Road Cameo Mini Chipboard, Vintage Black Pearl Pin, Tim Holtz Mini Tassel and Ornate Book Plate, Hero Arts Foliage Dots, Everyday Ribbon, Studio Matte Multi Medium, Studio Painterly Pink Paint, Eco Green Crafts Clam Shell Paint, Ultimate Glue, Flower Soft - Earth

Learn With Me! by Kim Kesti

It is always such a huge honor when our invited guests agree to teach here in the CLASSroom! Today we would like to give an ENORMOUS welcome to Kim Kesti as she shares her creative ideas here in the CLASSroom. Kim is constantly inspiring her readers on her blog think fast, as well you will find her work as a Paper Crafts Go-to Gal on the Moxie Fab and Paper Crafts Connections blogs.

Once again we have a special "something" for those who take the time to visit Kim over on her blog - so head over to think fast and leave a comment for Kim! We will be doing a random drawing and announcing the winner together with Kim on Monday, April 18th, so don't delay - read her post here and then head over to her blog and be inspired!

Kim is a VERY busy designer and mom and to have her take the time to share with us here... all I can say is a simple and huge THANK YOU Kim! -Ellen

 

LEARN WITH ME! by Kim Kesti

I’m so excited to be here with you in the Ellen Hutson CLASSroom. I am a huge fan of all the teachers here and hope I can bring a little bit of my own experience and personality to share with you today.

My name is Kim Kesti and I’ve been paper crafting for about five years. I currently work with Paper Crafts magazine as a Go-to Gal, it’s the best job in the world! I love trying new techniques and even after five years, there are so many things I want to learn. Won’t you learn with me? (I kind of sounded like Mr. Rogers there, didn’t I?)

My main “style” of paper crafting is pretty bold and graphic. I tend to like simple patterns and straight lines. But, I was recently introduced to the Tim Holtz Distress Inks and I think I am in love. Although the project I am showing you today is clean and simple in nature, I adore how the Distress Ink just gives it that little touch of vintage. Plus, I think the look perfectly suits these Hero Arts stamps, don’t you?

 

First, I stamped my image in my favorite Memento Tuxedo Black. 

Then I grabbed my Ink Blending Tool from Ranger and my Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I used the blending tool to add ink to the edges of all my stamped images. I learned the trick to making the ink smooth is to work from the outside edge toward the center, always moving your blending tool in a circular motion.

  

This technique gives such a pretty, soft edge to your images. It works exactly the same way on patterned paper, too. I was so happy with my stamped images that I decided to create a little set of blank note cards as a gift.

 

This Cosmo Cricket Social Club paper could have been made with these stamps in mind, don’t you think? Love them together.

  

Here’s a close up of how the ink just softened those edges a wee bit. Really nice.

  

Of course, every card set needs a little tag, right?

I created a simple tag with the Memory Box Eggshell cardstock, a piece of the Social Club Ready, Set, Chip  and a sweet little scrap of 7Gypsies Paper Tape. I tied the set together with some twine and an old button. Fun!

Would you like to see one more coordinating project? (I know, I’m on a roll now). It’s basically the same format I used on my cards, but I made this little guy into a mini notebook.

  

I think it was this camera image that inspired the idea. That stamp is so awesome. To make the notebook, I adhered the cardstock panel to a piece of Craft-a-Board. Oh my – love the Craft-a-Board! It’s my first time using it and I already know I need another pack! Hee, hee.

One tip on using the Bind It All: pre measure your finished size to make sure the holes are spaced properly. I’ve learned the hard way to always double check the size first. It’s such a shame to punch your finished project and find out one of the holes is half way off the edge, right?

  

You can see in the photo that my notebook is sized to fit six punched holes across just about perfectly. Sweet.

 

I also wanted to show you how easy it is to figure out where to cut the coil. I place my coil right on to my project, then snip right where the punched piece ends. (Use the instructions that are included with the Bind It All to finish the notebook).

  

Well, there you go. A cute little set of cards and one notebook to match. I think this would make a great gift, don’t you? 

Thanks for trying something new with me! I hope to be back someday to share again.

Kim Kesti

 
stamps: Hero Arts Vintage Stamps

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress Ink Vintage Photo

paper: Cosmo Cricket 6” Mini Deck Social Club, Cosmo Cricket Ready Set Cup Social Club,  Memory Box Eggshell, Lagoon, Squash and Persimmon Cardstock

accessories: 7 Gypsies Paper Tape Christmas Wrap, Zutter OWire ½” Antique Brass

Copics + Faber-Castell = Beautiful Blooms

Do you ever need to create a REALLY quick card? Well today I want to share a card that took about 15 minutes to make, with less than 10 minutes spent coloring. Using a combination of Copic Markers and Faber-Castell Aquarelles and Pastels you can quickly achieve a gorgeous colored image.

 
Before beginning to color pick the designer paper you would like your project to coordinate with, otherwise finding a paper will take longer than coloring the image - LOL! 

 

Stamp the image using Memento Tuxedo Black. Color image using Copic Sketch Marker. There is no need to be careful - streaks and going outside the lines a little can be very appealing :-D

 

Next scribble color using an Aquarelle pencil as shown above.

 

Add a slightly darker Aquarelle color.

 

Use a waterbrush to paint the color within each petal. I am working on Neenah cardstock above, so it is extremely important not to add too much water. It takes very little water to "dissolve" the Aquarelle pencil color and spread it. Work quickly and leave little pools if they appear. These add to the overall feel of the finished project.

 

As you can see the blossom has a wonderful look to it.

 

I felt that I wanted my flower just a little darker and so added a little more Aquarelle to my bloom.

Adding highlights using the white pastel pencil brings even more depth to the bloom. I will need to color something with higher contrast, which is easier to photograph, for a future project so that you you can see where I have added the white highlights.

 

After cutting out my bloom and looking for a paper I realized - oops I needed a little yellow in my blossom. I quickly added some gold highlights and painted the bloom again. As I said earlier - all this took less than 10 minutes!

 

Finally a closeup of the finished bloom. Add stickles to the stamens for a little additional sparkle. Unfortunately I was in a hurry and didn't have time to allow the stickles to dry, I can hardly wait to see the finished appearance tomorrow. If I get the chance I'll snap another photo and add it here for you to see what it looks like when the stickles dry. :-D

Just a quick review:

• stamp using Memento Tuxedo Black
• quickly color image using light colored Copic Marker
• add depth with several colors of Aquarelle pencils
• paint with waterbrush to blend Aquarelle colors (don't overwet)
• highlight with Pastel pencils

For all those of you who have both Copics and Faber-Castell products I would like to encourage you to try using them together! It is best to use the Copics first and add depth with the Faber-Castell products. Thank you for visiting the CLASSroom!
 
stamps: Hero Arts Sweet Petals

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

paper: Cosmo Cricket Upcycle, Memory Box Peony Notecard

accessories: Faber-Castell Aquarelle Pencils (124, 126, 250), Faber-Castell PITT Pastel Pencils Neutral (White), Icicle Stickles

Creating Unique Embellishments Using UTEE and Mold and Pour

Ever have one of those moments when you are looking for that perfect embellishment for a project, but nothing on hand really is working for you? How great would it be if you had the things on hand to create a unique embellishment that would be the perfect touch for that special project? It can happen, it is something that take just a few products and gives you creative freedom for so many of your crafting needs.

The way I will be showing you how to do this is using a product called Mold and Pour and also a selection of UTEE colors. I pulled some random 3 dimensional objects from my crafty stash, I wanted to experiment with different types of shapes so I chose a wide variety of brands and styles.

For this basic round shape I used one of my Webster's Pages Sparklers, and used equal parts of the two components that make up the Mold and Pour. Take the two equal sized portions of Mold and Pour and knead them thoroughly together.

Shape it into approximately the size of the object that you want to make.

Then gently press the object into the Mold and Pour and set aside for about 10 minutes to dry. Carefully remove the object after the Mold and Pour has become dry. The mold will have a very rubbery and flexible finish when it is done, this makes it easy for the removal of the objects that you create later.

A few of the objects that I tried that worked well with the UTEE were Melissa Frances Scrolls, Tim Holtz Fragments, and the Webster's Pages Sparklers. What I also found was that items that weren't very deep or had open areas in the design didn't do very well when the UTEE was poured into them. I do think that they would be great for clay or other products that you have a little more control over how they are put into the molds.

This Cosmo Cricket Circa 1934 card was complimented perfectly by the black round UTEE button that had come from the Sparkler mold and the scroll from the Melissa Frances mold.

I hope that you have been inspired to play with ways to create your own embellishments using items that you already have in your craft stash and some Mold and Pour.

B-

12 Days of Christmas: Day 11 - By Sharon Harnist

A new year brings a new release from Lockhart Stamp Company . . . wait until you see these darling new images!  I chose three new images and three new sentiments to share with you today:

 

These cards and tag were all created with papers from Cosmo Cricket's 6" Mini Deck-Pixie Licious . . . I thought they were a good representation of Spring and whimsy that would coordinate well with the whimsical style of Karen Lockhart's stamps.

How sweet is Bennie Bear?!!  I think he's my favorite of this new release!  Combined with this darling I'm here if you need me sentiment, I thought he would make a great encouragement card for a child or friend.  Or wonderful new baby cards!

 

I stamped Bennie on Copic's X-Press It Blending Card -- if you haven't tried this wonderful cardstock yet, you will be very pleased with how easily your Copic markers blend on it (and how easily mistakes erase/blend right off of it!).

Bennie's sweater was colored with Copic BG11 & BG72, then BG75 was added to the deepest crevices & folds of the sweater, and along the neckline of the sweater where it would naturally cast a shadow underneath the deep cable knitting:

 

COPIC TIPS: Don't be afraid to add quite a bit darker colors for shading, as it will make those areas recess and give your image a more realistic look.  Bennie was colored with E30 & E31, and E35 used for the deepest shading (in the folds where his legs meet his body, along the bottoms of his legs where light would be blocked by the tops of his legs, and under the sleeves of his sweater where the sweater would cast a shadow on his arm).

Along the same lines as adding darker color to the deepest folds of skin or clothing, keep features like Bennie's protruding nose and feet amongst the lighter colors you are using, since they are closer to you.  This will instantly make his nose appear closer to you.  Visualize where your light source is coming from -- I usually have mine coming from the upper right, as it's easier for me (being right-handed), to add darker colors over on the left side of images.  W1 & W0 were used for Bennie's cast shadow on the floor.  Using the W1 first, then softening the edges with W0, will fade the shadow along the outer edges nicely.

I finished the image by circle die cutting it.  The background was airbrushed BG11 while the image was still in the die (*See more about airbrushed background Copic Tip below).  I die cut a scalloped border from coordinating Cosmo Cricket striped paper and placed tied buttons in the centers of the scallops.

These darling Ducks will make great Easter or new baby cards, or when combined with this new Ducks in a Row sentiment, a fantastic "sorry I'm late wishing you a happy birthday" or late for anything type of card!

 
 

*COPIC TIP: On these cards I stamped my images and die cut them first, then airbrushed the backgrounds.  Then I used my Copic 0 Colorless Blender marker to remove any overspray that may have gotten on the images.  I find this is quicker than stamping and fussy cutting out a mask!

 

The ducks were colored with Y11 and shaded with Y21 and the areas receiving the most light (tops of heads & bodies) were left white.  An orangey YR21 was used for their beaks & feet.  G21 for grass & leaves and V01 for flowers.  BG11 & E31 were airbrushed for sky and ground; W1 was used for ground shadows. The image was oval die cut and is popped up on foam tape.  Crop-a-Dile's Corner Chomper was used to round the top corners of the card -- it cuts through multiple layers of cardstock and paper like butter!

This Caught A Bug? in a jar cracks me up -- and it's sure to cheer up anyone you know that may be ill!  I thought he'd make a good tag to tie onto a jar of homemade soup to share with a sick friend:

 

Bug is colored with Copic G20, G21, V01, & V05.  BG10 was used in the corners of the jar, where it would have the deepest color and BG0000 was used on the rest of the jar.  The cork was colored with E30 (lightest top of the cork), and the sides shaded with E31.  The part of the cork inside the jar was also colored with E30 & E31, then BG10 colored over it to make it darker and give it a realistic look that it's really inside the jar.

 

The image was die cut with a Labels-Lg die and popped up on foam tape over the scalloped circle tag base. 

I hope you'll take a look at the rest of this new Lockart stamp release and answer the question below, for your chance to win a fabulous Lockhart stamp package!  ~ Sharon

Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Company Bennie Bear #1011, I'm here if you need me #10080, Caught A Bug? #4006 & Caught A Bug? Sentiment #10079, Ducks #2135, Ducks in a Row #10078,
Paper: Cosmo Cricket 6" Mini Deck-Pixie Licious, Copic X-Press It Blending Card, Memory Box Lagoon notecards, 
Ink: Tsukineko Memento-Tuxedo Black,
Copic Markers: BG10, BG11, BG000, BG72, BG75, E30, E31, E35, Y11, Y21, YR21, V01, V05, G20, G21, BG10, BG000, W0, W1, 0 Colorless Blender marker, Clear Atyou Spica Glitter Pen
Acessories: Copic Airbrush System & Air Compressor, Spellbinders Labels-Lg, Oval & Classic Scalloped & Classic Circle Nestabilities, Big Scalloped Border Petites; Hero Arts Art Buttons-Spring (green) & Summer (teal), Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper, EK Success 3D foam dots,
Other: white embroidery thread, plum satin ribbon

ETA: We are aware of the gramatical error in the newest sentiment and are happy to share with you that Karen is working on it immediately. With all things in life, little mistakes happen - the good news is that we always do work to fix them as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience and support.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

On the eleventh day of Christmas my goodie box could be...

• African Violets in a Teacup
• Bennie Bear
• Caught a Bug?
• Caught a Bug? (Sentiment)
• Clear Lake Chair
• Ducks
• Ducks in a Row
• English Garden Flowers
• I'm here if you need me
• Ribbon Heart
• Lavender in a Teacup

 

To participate in this random drawing, please leave your answer to the following question as a comment to this post. Please limit yourself to one comment only for each goodie package. The last day to submit a comment to this post will be January 6th at Midnight. We will post the winners (which will be drawn using a Random Number Generator) for all twelve days on January 7th.

What is now at the top of your paper crafting wish list?  Is there a specific product or product line that you are enamoured with?  Please share in the comments section below to be entered in this random drawing!

Remember to visit the following 12 Days of Christmas blog candy drawings -- be certain to post a comment to the question on each individual post to be included in that drawing!

• One Stampin' Treasure
• Two Melting Tools
• Three Copic Goodies
• 3 Stamps + 1 Color Sampler = Four Memory Box Treats
• Five treats from Claudine's Lines
• Six Sizzix Goodies
• Seven Alterable Items
• Eight Oodles of Inchies
• Nine Packs of Paper
• Ten Toys from Tim's World

Let It Snow Projects by Julia Stainton

Snowflakes are one of those beautiful timeless images that never go out of style. I love using them not only for Christmas projects but also throughout the winter. Snowflakes are classic.

Where I live we've had unprecedented amounts of snow. It's definitely a winter wonderland and so I've been inspired by nature around me to create a few snow themed card designs to share with you today. I hope you'll enjoy the different styles and techniques.

The first card is a fun and trendy design. I started off by creating a tree from some Pink Paislee paper.

 It has a beautiful embossed design and by applying some Crushed Olive Distress Ink with a sponge, it tints the paper and also brings out the embossed design.

This card was so much fun to create as I used some Webster's Pages fabric to create an overlay in this design. Notice how stitching the fabric over the tree adds depth and makes it look like it is snowing.

Supplies: Holiday Sayings stamp set by Hero Arts, Basic White 6x6 paper pad by Basic Grey, sewing machine, twine, Mitten Weather chipboard by Cosmo cricket, Vintage Inspired Netting by Webster's Pages, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Crushed Olive Distress Ink by Ranger, Crystal Star Trinket Pins by Maya Road, Parisian Anthology Fancy Filigree paper by Pink Paislee

 The next snowflake project uses some simple stamping and embossing. The beautiful snowflake images are stamped onto a piece of Craft-a-Board and then heat embossed with Clear Embossing Powder. Craft-a-Board makes a wonderful chipboard substitute. The white color is perfect for inking, painting or leaving as is.

 Often when creating a resist, I sponge on ink but I wanted to create a slightly different look and used Glimmer Mist to spray on the project.

The shimmer of the Glimmer Mist and the glossy embossed snowflakes looks so beautiful in person.

Supplies: Grunge Flakes stamp set by Advantus, Holiday Sayings Stamp Set by Hero Arts, Clear Embossing Powder & Jet Black Archival Ink & Distress Embossing Pad by Ranger, Sanding Block by Advantus, Solar White Cardstock by Neenah, Bayou cardstock by Memory Box, Craft-a-Board by Essentials by Ellen, Deep Plum & Caribbean Blue Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels

 I've saved my favorite project for last. I love white on white designs. To create the background, I've taped some Tim Holtz Tissue Tape across a white cardstock panel and then trimmed the edges.

Next I painted these sweet Maya Road Snowflakes with some Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint and allowed them to dry. When painting and misting I love working on a Non-Stick Craft Sheet. It makes clean-up a breeze. If you don't own one, do yourself a favor and buy yourself one for Christmas. It makes a fabulous work surface. In the final photo you can see how beautiful the snowflakes look when the paint has dried and cracked.

 One of my favorite products from the past year are the Pink Paislee Artisan Elements. There are so many things you can do with them. I decided to keep this one it's off-white color and stamp a sentiment on it with Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger. Heat set the ink after stamping for a permanent impression.

And here's the close-up of the final project. The combination of different textures makes this white on white card work. If you wish to see more detail in any photo, click on it to enlarge.

Supplies: Solar white cardstock by Neenah, Mini Snowflake Chipboard by Maya Road, Vintage Pearl Trinket Pins by Maya Road,  Innoscence line flower by Prima, white embroidery thread, White Vintage Buttons by Jenni Bowlin, Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint by Ranger, Holiday Sayings stamp set by Hero Arts, felt snowflakes by Hero Arts, Sparklers by Webster's Pages, Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger, Tidings Tissue Tape by Advantus, Pink Paislee Ornaments Artisan Elements

While all these snowflake projects are Christmas cards, you can change up the sentiments to make them work all winter long. A fun frosty design may be just what you need to send some warmth and cheer this winter.

Sending you all my very warmest wishes for a blessed Christmas and a wonderful year to come.