Shop for Paper Craft and Art Supplies

COME JOIN US!

Essentials by Ellen Challenges

Blog Our Blinkie

Subscribe to this blog's feed

Your email address:


Powered by FeedBlitz

Categories

Impression Obsession

February 28, 2018

Coloring Gold Embossed Images

Good morning and welcome to the CLASSroom.  I don't know about you but I have become a little overwhelmed with all the coloring choices available to us today.  I have several different kinds of markers, watercolor paint, acrylic paint, watercolor pencils, etc., but I still love using Distress Reinkers when coloring gold embossed images.  My clean and simple card today was made using the cherry blossom images from the Impression Obsession Pink Clouds by Pink Ink and the sentiment is a sneak peek from one of Julie's new sets being released on March 4th.

1

Secure the flowers, foliage and sentiment stamps and white cardstock and in the Mini MISTI, apply versa to the images and stamp the images. 

10

Sprinkle the image with gold embossing powder and heat with heat gun.  I always use Ranger Super Fine Gold Embossing Powder for fine lined images.

11

Use a small brush and pure Spun Sugar, Peeled Paint and Vintage Photo reinkers to paint the images.  I like to use the lids of my coordinating Distress Inks as a palette for my reinkers so whatever is left when I'm finished will be there the next time I use it.

2

3

Cut out all the images with scissors to avoid having the white outlines left by die cutting.  There is nothing wrong with cutting out the images with dies and having the white outline around the images.  I just personally prefer using the images without the borders. There is a coordinating Pink Clouds die set you may want to use.

4

Use a Rose Pink Copic marker to create a border for the background layer that perfectly matches the pink flowers. Attach the border layer to the base image layer with ATG adhesive.


 5
Apply mounting tape to the back of the image layer and attach to the card base.

 6
Gently form the flowers and leaves using a molding pad and the stylus from the Garden Tool Set.

7

Create dimension and interest to the background image by arranging and attaching extra flowers and leaves with glossy accents.

8

9

I used the Pink Rose marker to add a little extra color to the flower centers but was very careful to use a soft touch so the alcohol ink wouldn't damage the gold embossing.

Cherry Blossoms Pink Cloud 1 right

I love how elegant the colored gold embossed images look against the all white background.  The arrangement of cherry blossoms was a perfect choice to use with the Sending Good Fortune Your Way sentiment.  You are going to love the sentiments in Julie's new set. I can't wait for you to see all of them.  Thanks for coming by the CLASSroom and I hope you have a great day.

Posted at 12:00 AM in Color Trend, Impression Obsession, Misti, Pink Ink, Tips and Techniques, tips and techniques | | Comments (10)

Tags: card making, clean and simple, coloring, coloring with reinkers, embossing, heat embossing, heat gun, painting with reinkers, paper crafting, stamping

| | Pin It! |

January 15, 2018

Color Trend - How To Incorporate the Pantone Palette "Purple Haze" Into Your Cardmaking

Pin-Sights Color Trend January Purple HazeThe Pantone "Purple Haze" palette is full of lovely, rich colors and our new favorite, Ultra Violet, the color of the year! This palette feels soft but luxurious, perfect for winter florals! Check out this positively stunning card that Kittie created...

Color Trend 4

Color Trend 1

To create this card Kittie used Bazzill cardstock, the Altenew Leafy Garland, Impression Obsession Spring Wreath Set, a border die from the Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Borders 4 and the Essentials by Ellen Lovely set.

On the card front Kittie created a floral spray attached to a white background so all the colors would pop.  The sentiment was a perfect finish for this colorful floral project.

Color Trend 2

Color Trend 3

We've compiled a list of these gorgeous colors in inks, markers, cardstock and more so grab your favorite floral dies and see what you can create!

Distress Oxides

Distress Inks

Pigment Inks

Hero Arts Dye Inks

Altenew Dye Inks

Copic Markers

Sequins

Cardstock

Posted at 12:00 AM in Altenew, Color Trend, Essentials by Ellen, Impression Obsession, Pretty Pink Posh | | Comments (7)

| | Pin It! |

December 06, 2017

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2016 – Day 6 by Kittie Caracciolo and Daniela Dobson

12-tags-challenge-day06-kittie-fw50Good Wednesday morning and welcome to day 6 of the 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2017! I love taking part in this special event each year and am always amazed at how many different and unique ways there are to create holiday tags.

12-tags-banner-designer-kittiecaracciolo Tag and Bow no watermark

I love to use traditional red, green and white for Christmas projects but I decided to step a little out of my comfort zone this year and chose to challenge myself and you with a non-traditional color combination. I thought it would be fun to see what I could come up with using the beautiful colors from the Design Seeds Frosted Flora.  I used the Impression Obsession Floral Ornament, Small Poinsettia Set and Pine Sprig for my project.

frosted flora

Photo credit: Design Seeds Frosted Flora

The first thing I did was to apply Violet Galaxy Nuvo Crystal Drops to a small piece of Ranger Non-Stick Craft Sheet and set them aside to dry. 

1a

I searched through all of my cardstock for the particular color I wanted to use for the base of my ornament and just couldn’t find exactly what I wanted.  I decided to create my own using my Heath V01 Copic Marker on Neenah Heavyweight Solar White Cardstock.

1b

I used the die cut ornament as a template to draw a cutting line to create the back of the ornament and used my scissors to cut it out.

2

3

I applied Versa with the pad directly to the ornament making sure I had good coverage.

4

I applied Ranger Super Fine Gold Embossing Powder and heat embossed using my Hero Arts Heat Gun.  I wasn’t pleased with the first coat of gold so I repeated the steps and applied a second coat of Versa and powder for a richer looking ornament.  I like to keep my embossing powder in plastic storage bowls with a spoon for easy application.  I find it to be lots less messy.

5

I applied tiny touches of Crafter’s Pick Ultimate Glue to the back of the ornament using a Mini Applicator and attached it to the pink background.  The great thing about Crafter’s Pick is that it dries clear and doesn’t show if any of it happens to squish out.  With that said I still always try to use a very light touch when applying it.

6

I used my stylus from my Elizabeth Craft Designs Garden Tool Kit and a Molding Pad to form my tiny poinsettia flower layers.

7

 

8 

I attached the formed flower layers together with Glossy Accents.  I always use Glossy Accents for floral projects because it creates such a strong  bond and dries very quickly.

9

When I finished assembling the flower I attached one of the Nuvo Crystal Drops to the center using Glossy Accents.

10

I attached pine sprigs to the ornament using Glossy Accents to create a foliage base for the poinsettia.

11

The poinsettia was set in place and attached using glossy accents.

12

I finished the tag by attaching several of the Nuvo Crystal Drops to the ornament using Glossy Accents. 

13

Thanks so much for joining us for this wonderful holiday event to celebrate Christmas holidays and creativity.  I hope you will take my challenge and try making a tag of your own using the non-traditional holiday colors. I am wishing each of you a blessed holiday season.

Kittie's Tag Supplies:

12-tags-banner-designer-danieladobson DanielaWe are super excited to welcome our new friend Daniela Dobson! You have probably seen some of the beautiful work Daniela does from Impression Obsession, Technique Tuesday and more lucky companies! We love Daniela's bright & sassy style! Make sure you check out Daniela's blog to see more!

Daniela Dobson 01

Daniela Dobson 02

Daniela's Tag Supplies:

25 Store Credit 2017Thank you for joining us once again this year for the sixth day of our 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist series! Simply leave your appreciation for the beautiful tags of today's dynamic duo, Kittie and Daniela, and you will be eligible for the random drawing of the $25 gift certificate to our store www.ellenhutson.com. Leave your comment here before noon on December 18th to be included (one comment per person please.) Be certain to return tomorrow to see what our next team will have to inspire you!

Posted at 06:00 AM in 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist, Christmas Inspiration, Impression Obsession, Tips and Techniques | | Comments (113)

| | Pin It! |

August 01, 2017

Diagonal Window Die by Kittie Caracciolo

KC Diagonal Window Frame center

Good Tuesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom.  My project today was made using the Essentials By Ellen Diagonal Window Die paired with the Avery Elle G’Day Mate Stamp and Die Set, Impression Obsession Branches Corner, Grass, Grass Border and Small Grass Border.

I used the Diagonal Window Die to make a Surprise Thank You card for the CLASSroom a couple of years ago. I wanted to do something different with it for my project today.  I did a search in the CLASSroom looking for inspiration and I found Julie’s great post and video showing how she created a collapsible style shadow box card.  I love using frames for my scene cards and loved the idea of creating a frame using the window die that would add dimension without the heaviness of mounting tape. I attached most of the elements of the scene flat to the card base and they created noticeable dimension yet could still allow the card to be mailed in a regular envelope. 

1 

Start by scoring an additional set of score lines to each section 1/4” inside the original score lines.  Check out Julie’s video to see this step more clearly.2

Use a craft knife or scissors to cut where the diagonal lines intersect.

3 

Turn the paper over and fold back each triangle section along the main score line and create a firm crease with your bone folder. Do you own a Teflon Bone Folder? It’s a wonderful tool and doesn’t leave a shine on your cardstock.

5 insert

4 

Fold the triangles forward on the 1.4” score line and firmly crease with your bone folder.

5

Sponge in a cloudy background with Tumbled Glass ink using an ink blending tool and cloud template.  I love this small cloud template made by Inky Antics. I flipped it from front to back repeatedly as I worked my way down the page so my clouds wouldn’t look so uniform.

6

Apply glossy accents to the back of the grass border and attach to the card base.

7

Apply 1/8” double stick tape to the back of the small grass border and attach to the card base.

8

Cut off the extra grass border on both sides.

9

Apply double stick tape to the back of the branches corner and attach to the card base.

I stamped the kangaroo image twice on Arches Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper using Black Versafine and embossed with Ranger Clear Super Fine Embossing Powder. I’m sorry I failed to get photos of that step.

10

I used Antique Linen and Vintage Photo inks to watercolor the images using a Zig Waterbrush.

11

I cut the pouch and baby section of the image off to paper piece over the base to add a bit of dimension. I fussy cut the images out with my snips instead of die cutting so I could eliminate the outer edge for the paper piecing.

12

13

I used rolled up 3/8” glue dots to attach the baby pouch section over the base image.

14

I stamped the butterflies twice using the versa ink and embossed.  I cut the little front wing section off and pieced over the base butterfly to add a tiny touch of dimension.  Yes…..my fingers were too large to cut those tiny pieces well and my eyes are too old to see well…but I just couldn’t help myself.  I had to do it.  LOL!  I attached the butterflies to the base using glossy accents.

15

The kangaroo was tucked in behind the grass and attached with a piece of mounting tape.  I added the taller grass sections to add interest to the scene and attached with glossy accents.

16

I attached a piece of 1/2” inch of double stick tape to each triangle section, set the scene base inside the opening and secured in place with the taped triangle sections. I used ATG adhesive to attach the framed scene to a green A2 card.

KC Diagonal Window Frame left

I hope you enjoyed seeing the new G’Day Mate kangaroo image used with the Diagonal Window Die in this collapsible scene card.  It’s lots of fun.

Save

Posted at 12:00 AM in Avery Elle, Dies, Essentials by Ellen, Impression Obsession | | Comments (9)

| | Pin It! |

May 31, 2017

Dragonfly and Cattails with Dye Ink by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom.  The focus this week is on different types of ink.  I am using Distress dye inks for my card today. Distress inks are water based inks that mix well with water and can be used to watercolor.  I especially love using Distress reinkers to watercolor. Distress inks also dry slower than other water based inks and can be used for embossing in some circumstances.

KC Impression Obsession Dragonfly and Cattails flat

For my project today I used the Impression Obsession Dragonfly and Cattails, the coordinating Large Dragonfly and Rectangle 6-in-1 Frames. I am showing how I apply Distress inks with mini applicators to a die cut made with Arches Hot Pressed Watercolor paper   I like how the ink sponges on the smooth watercolor paper better than regular cardstock.

I started out using Tumbled Glass  on the dragonfly wings.

1

Next I applied Dusty Concord to the main body and tail portion.

2

I added Broken China to the wings to add more depth of color and then went back and sponged out more of the Dusty Concord from the body and slightly out on the wings.

3

I used Peeled Paint and Gathered Twigs to color the cattails.

4

5

I repeated the same coloring steps to color the extra dragonfly.

6

I Googled pictures of dragonflies to get color ideas.  One thing I noticed was how shimmery their wings are.  I decided to apply Clear Rock Candy Glitter with Cosmic Glitter Glue to add sparkle to show it off more nestled in the cattails.

7

I wanted to use a rectangle frame with the die cut but it was just a tad bit bigger than the frame.  I cut one end and one side off so it could fit perfectly behind the frame.

8

I used 1/8” double stick tape on the back of the frame to attach the die cut scene.

9

This picture shows that although I cut part of the frame off there was still plenty of the sections to attach to the frame to hold it in place.

10

Thin strips of mounting tape were attached to the back of the frame, cattails, dragonfly and foliage and then was attached to the card base.

11

12

The dragonfly was attached to the card base with two square pieces of mounting tape.

13

14

I specifically used a white card base for this so the images would show up well.  This could be used for some many different occasions.

KC Impression Obsession Dragonfly and Cattails right

Thanks for coming by and I hope you are enjoying our posts using different types of inks.

Save

Posted at 12:00 AM in Impression Obsession, Ink Pads | | Comments (7)

| | Pin It! |

May 17, 2017

Faux Graniteware Pitcher and Hollyhocks by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom.  I was first introduced to paper crafting years ago at a Stampin’ Up! stamp camp and the first project was made using gold embossing powder and a heat gun.  Needless to say I was totally hooked  and still love it to this day! We are focusing on embossing this week and I used the Faux Graniteware technique to create the flower pitcher using Hero Arts Unicorn White ink, Wow Opaque Bright Embossing Powder and Ranger Archival Cobalt ink. I used the coffee pot from the Impression Obsession Coffee Set and Essentials by Ellen Craft-a-Board to make the pitcher. Faux Granite right

The coffee pot is the perfect image to create an old-fashioned pitcher for a flower arrangement.  I cut the lid portion off the pot to create the opening.

1

I used an ink blending tool to apply ink to the pot to get full color coverage.  I could have smooshed the pot down into the pad but I didn’t want to take a chance of bending the craft-a-board.

2

3

I applied embossing powder and heated with a heat gun.

4

5

The random dotted image from Julie’s Bokeh Dot set was the perfect stamp to use to apply the white pigment ink.

6

I didn’t want to use the full cluster of dots on the stamp so I only used a small corner portion. I applied the ink using a mini applicator and repeated the step over and over until the pot was covered. 

7

8

The white powder was applied and heated with the heat gun.

9

I applied a little vintage photo ink over the pitcher to see if I could tone down the white spots to create a more aged look and then let it dry.

10

I cut several hollyhock stems and applied color to the centers of the flowers with a mini applicator to create a more natural appearance.  Have I mentioned lately how much I love mini applicators!!!

11

The stems in between the flowers were colored with a green marker.

12

I began assembling the base of the arrangement from the back adding the taller stems of flowers and foliage and attaching them together with glossy accents.

13

As I worked forward I added shorter stems and foliage to create layers and attached with glossy accents.

14

15

As I assembled the arrangement I kept putting the pitcher in front of it to see how it was fitting and adding foliage or stems to get it the way I wanted before attaching it permanently.

16

I added a couple foliage pieces to the back of the pitcher and then attached mounting tape.  The arrangement was attached to the back of the pitcher and held in place by mounting tape and then the pitcher and flowers were attached to the card base using glossy accents. 

17

Once the arrangement was secured in place I added a few more stems and pieces of foliage to fill in and make a balanced floral arrangement. I finished the card adding a frame and the beautiful sentiment from Julie’s Lovely set. I love the full arrangement of hollyhock stems in the old pitcher.

faux Granite close

I hope you have been inspired to create a project using the Faux Graniteware technique.  You can see Wendy Vecchi’s post on the Ranger site using the technique on glass.  It looks like lots of fun! 

Save

Save

Posted at 12:00 AM in Dies, Essentials by Ellen, Impression Obsession, Tips and Techniques, WOW! Embossing Powder | | Comments (15)

| | Pin It! |

March 10, 2017

Watercolor Beauty by Julia Stainton

It's Impression Obsession week here in the CLASSroom and I've been enjoying all the beautiful creations. How about you? One of the things I love about Impression Obsession stamps and dies is the attention to detail. The designs are simply fabulous!

Everything-beautiful-ful

Today my creation features a beautifully ornate die frame and sentiment. They are so stunning in themselves the challenge was how to create a design that was beautiful but didn't take away from the inherent beauty of the product.

I decided that a lovely watercolor background was really in keeping with the scripture sentiment and a lovely fresh and on trend technique.

Everything-beautiful-promo

The Ornate Oval Frame is a beautiful die set. I love how it can be layered and pieced together for different looks. The Impression Obsession sentiment is lovely script stamp called He Made Everything by Lindsay Ostrom. They pair up beautifully!

Impression-obsession-frame-die

First of all to start my project I die-cut the Ornate Oval Frame from Solar White Cardstock. When you die-cut it, it will give you four pieces. I've used the outer two on this design and set the other pieces aside for another project.

Stamp-detail

Next comes the sentiment. I've stamped it on watercolor paper with Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger. It's my very favorite ink ( I think I say that every week but it's true!) and it's perfect for watercoloring with. I like to heat set the ink for added assurance but once dry, it should never run or smear.

Everything-watercolor

Next up I pulled out some of my Peerless Watercolors and a brush. I didn't even use a palette for this project. A watercolor background is oh so simple. But make sure that you only try this with watercolor paper. No other will do!

Watercolor-background

To create the background, first you start by simply adding WATER without pigment over the areas you want to paint. You need it fairly wet.

Then pick up watercolor pigment with a wet brush and add it into the water. I've used a yellow, pink and a blue and allowed the colors to mix. That's why you want it quite wet so that they will run and blend and make new colors. One thing to note is to not mix up the colors too much. You don't want the yellow, pink and blue all in one area as they will mix together to make MUD. Yuck. Keep adding color until you get a nicely pigmented look but don't overwork it. Some white spaces really look great in the design. If you get the look you want and are worried about further blending, simply apply heat with a heat tool and dry it quickly.

Pen-detail

Once the watercolor is REALLY dry, then you can add some white gel pen accents to the script text to add in highlights and extra interest.

Adhere the frame die cuts in place. I've used two right next to each other as I needed the visual weight to make it stand out enough.

Beautiful-detail


Adhere the watercolor layer to a card base. I always use a VERY strong adhesive when working with watercolor paper. I find dry adhesives don't always hold this porous paper well and a wet adhesive usually is best.

All you need for embellishments are a very simple Maya Road Paper Flowers, some hemp twine and some Sparkling Sequins.

Everything-beautiful-slant

Are you an Impression Obsession fan? Take a peek at the amazing selection in the Ellen Hutson shop and get inspired to create!

Thanks so much for joining me today in the CLASSroom!

 Julia

Supplies:

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

Posted at 12:00 AM in Backgrounds, Cards, Impression Obsession, Watercolor | | Comments (7)

| | Pin It! |

March 09, 2017

#throwbackthursdays - Thanks A Berry Bunch by Carly Tee Minner

Happy Thursday! It's Carly and I'm here for another #throwbackthursdays, where we find inspiration in The CLASSroom archives! This week in addition to learning from past posts by our fabulous team, we are celebrating one of our long time favorite brands, Impression Obsession!

Impression Obsession makes an amazing assortment of stamps & dies and our girl Kittie makes AMAZING things with them! Kittie is especially a genius with die cuts! Here are some of my favorite Kittie creations...

Spring Wishes by Kittie Caracciolo

Apple Tree Scene by Kittie Caracciolo

Spring Wreath by Kittie Caracciolo

And I want to be like Kittie so I created this...

Berry Basket 11 wm

To create this card, start by die cutting the berry basket. I wanted a very specific shade of blue-green that I didn't have in cardstock so I used Smooth Bristol. Then I colored it with Distress Ink Tumbled Glass & Cracked Pistachio and a blending tool.

Berry Basket 01

Next stamp a background on the front of an A2 card. I used the scalloped lines from the Essentials by Ellen Wonky Backdrops and Distress Oxide Cracked Pistachio. I also added a sentiment from the Essentials by Ellen Warm Fuzzies set.

Berry Basket 04

Die cut the strawberries & stems (or the tomatoes that come with the basket or IO makes cute carrots too). I already had my Smooth Bristol out so I used that along with Distress Ink Twisted Citron, Worn Lipstick & Abandoned Coral.

Berry Basket 05

Adhere the berry basket with foam tape to the card front.

Berry Basket 06

Assemble strawberries and adhere in basket, some flat and some with foam adhesive.

Berry Basket 07

Berry Basket 08

Ta-da! And I love it so much! I see baskets of carrots and tomatoes in my future!!! Thank you for the inspiration Kittie!!!

Berry Basket 12 wm

Berry Basket 14 wm

Have a great day!

xo, Carly

Supplies:

Posted at 06:00 AM in #throwbackthursdays, Dies, Essentials by Ellen, Impression Obsession | | Comments (6)

| | Pin It! |

March 08, 2017

Impression Obsession Framed Bouquet

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom.  We’re showcasing Impression Obsession products this week and I’m sharing some of my favorite dies and the steps to make a pretty clean and simple framed flower garden. I used the Impression Obsession Ornate Square Frame, Bouquet set and Leaves and Stems.

KC Bouquet left

Start by creating a string of rolled double stick tape to attach the two frames together by placing a strip down on a clean surface.

double stick tape 1

Roll the strip with your finger.

double stick tape 2

Apply the rolled double stick tape to the back of the frame.

1

Attach the ornate frame to the square frame base.

2

Die cut the foliage using Bazzill Easter Grass and multiple colors of flowers using Sour Grape, Sour Lemon, Robin’s Egg and Taylored Expressions Cupcake cardstock.

3

Form each flower section by placing face down on the molding pad, pressing down with the smaller end of the stylus from the Garden Tool Kit and rolling to create a round cup.

4

Turn the flower face up on the molding pad and press down in the center using the small tipped stylus.

5

Attach the flower sections together using glossy accents. I found it lots easier to attach flower sections together while sitting them in place on the molding pad.  It only took me five years of making paper flowers to figure that out.  LOL!11

Apply double stick tape to the back bottom section of the frame.

6

Attach the foliage sections to the double stick tape on the back of the frame.

7

Trim off the excess foliage stems once each section is secure in place.

8

Secure the larger flowers to the foliage using glossy accents.  Fill in the lower sections of the foliage by adding a few foliage stems and tulips.

9

Apply thin strips of mounting tape to the back of the frame and attach it to the 4.50” square card base.

10

I hope you enjoyed my framed bouquet tutorial.  I love the soft colors of the flowers and foliage against the all white decorative frame and card base.

Save

Save

Posted at 12:00 AM in Cards, Dies, Impression Obsession | | Comments (7)

| | Pin It! |

March 06, 2017

Hello, Monday 03.06.2017

Iostamps rainbow specs web02(click on the pics to enbiggan)

It's a quadfecta! *fist pump* I'm doing some rainbow die-cutting using the Impression Obsession Large Glasses die set today!

To achieve this particular effect, I custom made my "rainbow" card stock.  It's important to keep in mind that low-profile dies can only cut so deeply; the thicker the material the harder it will be to get a crisp clean cut all the way through.  For this technique, colored card stock is bonded to typing weight paper with a very thin, double-sided sheet adhesive called Stick-It.  

Please watch the video for all the step-by-steps!

  

LINK:  Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE.  Thanks for watching and giving us a thumbs' up!  Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a webisode!

 

Iostamps rainbow specs web01

As you can see in the video, due to the nature of these particular dies, I was able to create FOUR pairs of of fun rainbow eyeglasses from the DIY rainbow card stock I made, by mixing and matching the various pieces! *fist pump*

 

Rainbow specs detail web 03

I originally wanted a high gloss finish, resembling epoxy, but after applying a thick coat of Nuvo Crystal Drops in Clear Morning Dew, I set the card on a window ledge to dry.  It was really cold by the window, however, and I'm guessing that is what caused the Nuvo Drops to "crackle" as they dried!

I actually like the unintentional crackling effect, but I'll have to experiment more to figure out if the cold air really is what caused it, because I'd like to be able to encourage it OR avoid it by design, rather than by accident, LOL! 

 

Rainbow specs web 04

If you are looking strictly for high gloss, Ranger Glossy Accents works extremely well--it goes on a little cloudy, but becomes crystal clear when dry.  Be sure to keep your project flat/level as it dries, to avoid pooling.

 

Rainbow specs web 06

This is such a fun way to use up paper scraps and packs a lot of punch, color wise! 

Happy Mundane! :)

1Julie

SUPPLIES:

Posted at 08:00 AM in Cards, Dies, Hello, Monday, Impression Obsession, Tips and Techniques, Video | | Comments (7)

| | Pin It! |

February 08, 2017

MISTI and Large Stamps by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom.  I don’t know about you but I have always had problems stamping a good image when using large background stamps. This week we are featuring the MISTI and I used it to get a perfect stamped brick image on my cardstock.

KC MISTI left

Line up the cardstock on the right side of the MISTI and attach the stamp in place on the right.  Apply Glacier White pigment ink to the Distressed Brick Cover-a-Card stamp and close the MISTI.  Press down with your hands in several key spots to make sure the image is evenly stamped.    

1

12

Apply white embossing powder and heat set using a heat gun.

2

Apply double stick tape to the back of the brick piece and attach to the card base. Die cut two Small Madison Window sections.  Use a window as a guide to draw lines for cutting out the window.

3

Cut out the window opening using a a craft knife.  You may need to make a couple cuts to get through two layers of cardstock.

4

Apply thin strips of mounting tape to the back of the window and attach it over the opening. Open the card to the inside, apply double stick tape to the back of the second window, line it up over the opening making sure it matches up with the outside window and attach. The inner window will cover up the raw cut lines and create a nice finished look.

5

Apply double stick tape to the back of the Grass Border and Small Grass Border and attach to the front of the fence section.

7

Apply thin strips of mounting tape to the back of the fence section and attach to the card base.

6

Assemble the Birdhouse Village pieces using glossy accents. Attach a small piece of kraft cardstock on the backside of the birdhouse to fill in and cover the hole. Apply a double layer of mounting tape to the back of the birdhouse and attach to the window. Two layers of tape will allow the house to stand out from the window and create more dimension.

8

Form several Tiny Flowers using the small tipped stylus and molding pad.

9

Die cut two or three Foliage sections and cut them apart into smaller pieces.  Attach a few flowers to each foliage piece using glossy accents. Tuck the foliage in behind the grass and attach with glossy accents. Continue adding foliage and flowers until you have filled in across the whole fence line. I added a few small pieces of foliage and flowers to the birdhouse and post to create the appearance of trailing flower vines.

10

Cut small squares of mounting tape, apply to the back of the Cardinals and attach them in and around the scene as desired.

11

The addition of the red cardinals near the top of the scene draws the eye up from the heavy fence arrangement at the bottom of the card.

KC MISTI right

I hope you enjoyed my see thru window and birdhouse house project and especially what a great brick background I was able to stamp using my MISTI.

Save

Save

Posted at 12:00 AM in Cards, Dies, Impression Obsession, Memory Box, Misti | | Comments (14)

| | Pin It! |

January 25, 2017

Interactive Window Card by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom. Window cards are so much fun to make especially when you can add a little surprise inside the window. My project today was made using the My Favorite Things Interactive Window Stax, Leafy Greenery, Stitched Flowers, Stitched Square Scalloped Edge Frame, Stitched Mini Scallop Square Stax, Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Borders 4 and Impression Obsession Large Fence.  I used the Penny Black Beau Jardins designer paper to create a pretty floral background for my flower garden and sentiment.

KC Interactive Window Stax closed

Cut a 5.50” x 4.25” inch piece of white cardstock and designer paper.  Apply ATG adhesive to the back of the flower paper and attach to the white cardstock. Secure the window die in place on the card front with painter’s tape and run through the Big Shot. Hint: test a small piece of designer paper layered over cardstock and run through the Big Shot to make sure the die can cut through the double layered paper. 

1

Stamp the sentiment on the scalloped layer using black versafine and emboss with clear embossing powder.  Apply double stick tape to the back of the scalloped frame, attach to the sentiment layer and then attach the framed sentiment to the window cover with double stick tape.

3

Place the green stitched border on the base to measure how much to cut off on each side.

4

Cut the fence section into two pieces to be placed on both sides of the card base. Attach the fence the fence sections to the card base with mounting tape on the tops and glue dots on the bottom. Attach the green stitched layer in front of the fence sections with double stick tape.

6

Apply strips of mounting tape to the back of the window base and attach to the card base. The popped up window base will allow space behind the window front for the flower. 

5

Place all the flower layers face down on the molding pad and form the petals using the smaller end of the stylus.

7

Turn the flowers over and push down in the center with the small stylus tip.

8

Attach the flower layers together with glossy accents.

9

Attach a few pieces of foliage and the flower inside the window opening with glossy accents. 

10

Tuck pieces of foliage in behind the grass border and attach with glossy accents.

11

Attach the flowers to the foliage using glossy accents. Finish by adding one single small flower and a couple pieces of foliage to the window front. Note: There are several different sizes and shapes of flowers in the Stitched Flowers set.  I mixed and matched them together to create my whimsical garden.

12

I loved the stitched patterns in the flowers and thought it would be fun to carry the stitched theme on with the stitched frame and stitched grass border.

KC Interactive Window Stax Openjpg

I hope you have been inspired to try your hand at making an interactive window card.

Save

Save

Posted at 12:00 AM in Cards, Dies, Impression Obsession, My Favorite Things, Pretty Pink Posh | | Comments (9)

| | Pin It! |

January 11, 2017

Cupcakes and Chibi Light Birthday Candles by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom.  We’re having fun this week playing with the Chibitronics Chibi Lights LED Light Kit. I have to admit I was very intimidated about starting my project but I didn’t need to be.  The booklet in the starter kit has very clear step by step instructions that are easy to follow and explain how to create a circuit and place the lights.

KC Chibitronics 3

I would like to suggest that you take a look at Julie’s October 24 CLASSroom post where she shows a wonderful video tutorial on how to create a Simple Circuit and shares some great tips to consider before you start your project.  You will also want to check out Carissa’s Let There be Light November 15 In Touch post showing how to create a Parallel Circuit.

My project was made using the Impression Obsession Cupcake Stand, Ornate Frame, Candle Border, Border Duo 2 and Leaves and Stems.

1

Cut all the parts and pieces of the cupcake tray. I chose to make chocolate cupcakes using Peanut Fudge cardstock and the cupcake papers and tray using Shimmering Pink Pearl cardstock. The card base and frosting were made using Neenah Heavyweight Solar White cardstock.

1

Assemble the the cupcake parts and attach together using glossy accents.

2

Cut tiny leaves and punch tiny circles and attach them to the top of the frosting to embellish the cupcakes.3

Roll glue dots to attach the cupcakes to the tray. 

4 

Apply small pieces of mounting tape to the back of the frame and attach it to the card base.

7

Apply pieces of mounting tape to the back of the cupcake tray and attach it to the card base. 8

Die cut two Candle Borders using vellum and a third using white cardstock. Color the flames of one vellum candle border using a Mustard Seed Distress Marker.5

Cut the flames off the top of the cardstock candles.  Apply double stick tape to the back base of the border and a small dot of glossy accents to the back of each candle and attach it to the vellum candle border.

6

Cut a front base for the candle border 4.25” wide and 1.75” tall and die cut the scalloped border using Border Duo 2.  Cut a second base that is slightly smaller than candle base to attach the circuits, LED lights and battery.

Use the second vellum candle border as a template to show where the lights need to be attached to line up with the front candle border.

9a

Draw a line straight across the paper indicating where the lights need to be attached. Use one of the lights to get a measurement of how close the copper tape wiring needs to be attached so that both the top and bottom of the light touches both wires. I drew the additional lines across as a guide where to place the tape.

9

Mark the back side of the candle border to show where the lights will be set.  I failed to get a picture of the next step.  I placed the back layer over the front candle border and used my paper piercer to lightly punch through to mark where I needed to make the holes for my lights. Next I punched holes through each spot on the front layer using your paper piercer.  I worked the piercer around in the holes to make them large enough for the lights to fit through.

10

Attach the copper wiring along both the top and bottom lines.  I wanted the battery to be placed in the lower middle of my candle layer so I turned the corner with the copper wires and continued around with both layers of tape.  It is very important that you don’t allow the two sets of wires to touch. Remember when building your circuit that positive always goes with positive, and negative always goes with negative.

11

The copper tape is the wiring for the circuit so you need to make sure you burnish it down to create strong connections between your copper wires, lights and batteries.  Place the lights  using your tweezers and burnish the connections. I used my teflon bone folder.

12

I had to run my copper wiring to the back of my light layer for the placement of the battery.  I needed the front candle layer to be perfectly flat for the lights to pop through and show behind the candle flames. I secured the battery in place with the positive side of the battery facedown and attached to the positive wire and the negative wire attached to the top side of the battery.  I applied three layers of mounting tape and attached the light layer to the card base.  

13

I lined up the candle flames directly over the light and attached in place using double stick tape.

14

I attached three layers of mounting tape around the battery and back side of the layer and attached it to the card base.KC Chibitronics 4

Save

Save

I have to admit that I made some boo boos for my first Chibitronics project but I learned a lot and am really looking forward to making another. I hope you have been inspired by this week’s special focus on Chibitronics and that you’ll give it a try.

Save

Save

Posted at 12:00 AM in Chibitronics, Dies, Impression Obsession | | Comments (8)

| | Pin It! |

November 30, 2016

Grand Stag and Pine by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom.  I love the Memory Box Grand Stag Oval Frame and Pine Branch Oval Frame.  Using the two frame dies together creates a wonderful dimensional scene.  We most often think of using deer for masculine projects but I adore how soft and elegant the scene is with the all white images against the soft pink background.  KC Grand Stag left

Start by cutting the two frames and cutting the  5.50” x 4.25”card base using white cardstock.1

Use the negative of one of the frames to draw an oval on the pink cardstock to be used on to the back of the scene.  Cut about an 1/8” outside the line to make the oval large enough to be attached to the back of the framed scene.  2

Apply glitter glue to the evergreen branches on both frames but being careful not to get the glue on the outer framed edge.

3

Use your finger (my tool of choice) to carefully spread the glue on the branches.  Hint:  Keep lots of baby wipes close by. 

4

Apply the Rock Candy glitter to the branches and allow to dry.

5

Punch out several evergreen sprigs using the Martha Stewart Branch Punch, apply glue and dip them in the glitter and set aside to dry.

6

Apply 1/4” double stick tape to the back of the base frame. 

7

Attach the pink background piece to the frame and then apply adhesive and attach to the white card base.

8

Apply small pieces of mounting tape to the back of the frame and deer. Cutting across the width of the tape creates the perfect size to fit along the rounded edges of the frame.

9

Remove the back off the mounting tape, line the frame up and attach to the base frame.

10

Tuck the evergreen sprigs around the legs of the deer and attach to the base with glossy accents.

11

Cut a couple sets of stars from the Impression Obsession Obsession Sun and Moon set, apply the glitter glue and dip in the glitter. Attach to the sky area of the scene with glossy accents.

12

My camera just didn’t want to let me capture the Bazzill Pale Rose cardstock. No matter how hard I tried in my editing the color in most shots appear darker pink than it actually is.  KC Grand Stag right

I recently made this same basic layout using an Icy Mint background.  I couldn’t resist showing both cards. And I think this would be a gorgeous holiday card done with a bright red background but I really love the soft pale colors the best.

KC Memory Box Grand Stag Oval Frame 1 left

I hope you have been inspired to create an all white image scene with your die cuts. Images don’t always have to be colored to be beautiful.

Save

Save

Posted at 12:00 AM in Christmas Inspiration, Dies, Impression Obsession, Memory Box, Punches | | Comments (32)

| | Pin It! |

November 16, 2016

Honey Bee Country Blooms by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom.  Our team focus this week is Honey Bee Stamps products and my project was made using the Country Blooms set. The floral spray images in this set are so sweet and perfect to use  to create a clean, simple, fast and easy black and white project. The sentiment is the lower case Thanks by Impression Obsession.KC Country Blooms right

Set the white 3 3/4” by  5.00” piece of cardstock on the Mini MISTI and lay the stamps face down where you want the images to be stamped. Close the top to attach the stamps.

1

Apply Onyx Black Versafine to the stamps and close the top to stamp the image.  I love how easy it is to get a clean stamped images using my MISTI.2

Apply Ranger Super Fine Black Embossing Powder and heat with your heat gun. Note:  I failed to get a picture or to mention that I prepared my cardstock using my Embossing Magic Bag before stamping so the black powder wouldn’t stick where I didn’t want it to. 

3

4

The black background layer is 4” x 5 1/4”, the white sentiment strip is 1 3/8” x 4.00” and the black sentiment layer is 1 1/2” x 4.00”

 5

Attach flower layer to the black layer using ATG adhesive.

6

Attach thin strips of mounting tape to the back of the flower layer and sentiment strip and attach to the card base.

7

8

Place a 1/4” strip of Be Creative Tape on a clean surface, remove the tape backing and roll the strip with your finger to create a rolled strip of adhesive to use to attach the sentiment.

9

10

Attach the rolled tape to the back of the sentiment and attach to the sentiment layer. 11

12

I think popping up the sentiment adds more interest than being attached flat to the surface. The rolled double stick tape makes it pretty easy even on the thin die cut letters.

KC Country Blooms left

Thanks for coming by and be sure to check out all the new Honey Bee Stamps.  

Save

Save

Posted at 12:00 AM in Dies, Impression Obsession, tips and techniques | | Comments (7)

| | Pin It! |

October 19, 2016

Halloween Treats by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom.  Halloween is just around the corner and is a time for fun treats and party favors.  I have two products to share with you today that help make fast and easy bags and containers. First is the Avery Elle-ments Treat Tag and Box.

Avery Elle Treat Tag and Box

Cut two box sections.

1

Fold and score along the score lines.

2

3

Apply double stick tape to the bottom of one box section and adhere to the second box section.

4

Apply double stick tape to the right side of the four corner tabs and secure them in place to the

5

The box is three inches square and the perfect size for candy and cupcake Halloween Treats.  6

I filled mine with candy and decorated the tags with with assorted Impression Obsession Halloween dies.

Avery Elle Treat Tab Box 2

My second set of projects were made using the We R Memory Keepers Goodie Bag Guide.  The gingham paper pattern for the bags was printed on printer paper.  You could use printed designer paper, glassine or vellum.

We R Memory Keepers Goodie Bag Guide

The guide is made up of four sections that allows you to make various size bags. You can make the length of your bags as long or short as you would like.

goodie bag 

I used section A and D for my six inch wide paper. My finished pencil bag is 5.50” long and my finished pen bag is 3.00”.

Lay the guide over the paper and lining the edges up on both sides at the six inch mark. Press firmly on the guide to hold it in place and begin tearing the paper slowly and gently and work your way to the center. 7

Go over to the opposite side and repeat the tearing process until you work your way to the center. 

8

Move the guide straight down the paper to the length you would like your bag to be, keeping it in the same position and repeat the tearing steps working from the bottom of the paper.

13

There is a special notch on both sides of the guide that signify the scoring line for folding the bag.  See the arrows on the photo.  Line the guide up on both ends of the paper and fold and crease it against the guide.  Repeat on both sides of the bag.

9

Line the guide up on the bottom of the bag and allow a small portion on both sides of the paper to be included in the fold.

10

Apply double stick tape to one side of the bag and attach to close the sides together.

11

Apply double stick tape to the bottom and fold up to close the bottom.  Note:  I folded up a little more on the bag in the photo than I had originally planned to make it fit my pens.

12

Have fun decorating your bags.

We R Memory Keepers Goodie Bag Guide 2

You can check out the Oh Goodie Bag Guide video tutorial on You Tube for a closer look.  Thanks for coming by and I hope these projects have inspired you to make your own Halloween treats.

Save

Posted at 12:00 AM in Avery Elle, Dies, Fall, Halloween, Impression Obsession | | Comments (5)

| | Pin It! |

July 27, 2016

Monochromatic Beach Scene by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom.  I really enjoy making monochromatic beach scenes and have made a few over the last couple of months.  I thought I would share the process with you.  Using the same color in different shades on the images and background creates such an interesting scene.  The frame was made using the My Favorite Things Pierced Rectangle Frames.  The images were made using the Impression Obsession Beach Fence, Mini Shell Set, Sea Birds, Tall Grass and Ocean Border.

KC Beach right

I chose to use Antique Linen ink for all the different pieces of the scene.

Apply the ink with the ink pad directly to the fence, grass and ground pieces and use a mini applicator for the smaller pieces.

1

2

3

Apply double stick tape to the bottom of the ground layer and attach the second piece.

4

5

Apply double stick tape to the back lower portion of the frame and attach the ground pieces.

6

Mask off the sky area and apply ink to create the water line using an ink blending tool. Remove the mask and apply a much lighter shade to the sky area.

7

Apply glue to the water line ( I used my finger to spread the glue) and then apply glitter.

8

Apply glue to the mini shells and apply glitter.

9

Apply thin strips of mounting tape to the back of the frame and attach to the scene base.

10

Bend the fence sections around lightly to make them appear old and weather worn and tuck them in behind the ground layers and attach with glossy accents.

11

12

Cut the grass sections apart and tuck them in and attach in front of the fence sections.

13

14

Apply small pieces of mounting tape to the back of the mini shells and birds and attach to the card the scene base.  Attach the tiny sailboat in the background with a touch of glossy accents.

KC Beach center

Here are a couple more similar projects. 

KC Impression Obsession Mini Shell Set 1 right

KC Impression Obsession Sea Birds 6 left

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial.  Monochromatic scenes are fun to do and can be done with lots of different images and themes. I’ll look forward to being back next time.

Posted at 12:00 AM in Dies, Impression Obsession, My Favorite Things | | Comments (11)

| | Pin It! |

July 13, 2016

Wedding Cake Card by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom. My project today is a sweet wedding card made using the Impression Obsession Wedding Cake Set paired with the Ornate Rectangle Frame and the Lawn Fawn Scalloped Rectangle Stackables. I used the Crafter’s Companion Green Envy and Pink Pearl Shimmering cardstock.

KC Wedding Cake right

Here is a picture of all the parts.  I’m sorry the pictures are a bit washed out.  I had trouble photographing this color pink and white laying flat.

1

Cut the frame and attach the frame and inner rectangle piece together with double stick tape.

2

Apply double stick tape to the work surface and roll with your finger to create a thin adhesive strip to apply to the back of the frame.

3

4

Attach the white scalloped layer to the card base with mounting tape and then attach the frame to scalloped layer.

5

Attach the three graduated sections of the wedding cake together with double stick tape.  Cut the cake trim pieces to fit the cake layers and then attach them to the cake with tiny dots of glossy accents.

6

Roll the tiny rolled roses around the tip of your tweezers and secure the rose closed with glossy accents. You may need to get your highest powered reading glasses out for this part.  LOL! This is the cutest little rolled flower ever. 

7

8 

Cut the leaves off the stems and attach to the cake layers with glossy accents.  Attach the tiny roses over the leaves with glossy accents.

9

Color the tiny bride and groom with a black and yellow marker and attach to the back of the cake top with double stick tape. apply mounting tape to the back of the cake and a small piece to the back of the bride and attach to the card base. The cake fits perfectly inside the frame.  If you look close you can see the tiny rolled rose and green stems bouquet in the bride’s hand.

10

I love the combination of the decorative border on the frame and the pretty wedding cake. What a perfect card to send the bride and groom or to attach to the gift. This would look pretty done in any color combination.

KC Wedding Cake left

Thanks for coming by and I’ll see you next time.

Card size:  5.50” x 4.25”

Posted at 12:00 AM in Dies, Impression Obsession, Lawn Fawn, Wedding | | Comments (11)

| | Pin It! |

June 29, 2016

Stitched and Patchwork Blocks

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom. I have been intrigued by all the different dies being released with stitching and piercing. I used to love adding faux stitching to my cards with a paper piercer and template when I first began paper crafting years ago. Now we can find a multitude of different dies that give us the same effect.  I thought the stitched border around the frames, flowers and leaves would be a perfect combination to create a fun quilt pattern for my card front.  KC Impression Obsession Patchwork Elements right

My project today was made using the Impression Obsession Patchwork Elements and My Favorite Things Mini Scallop Square STAX. The frame openings were cut using the We R Memory Keepers Nesting Squares. You can see all the parts and pieces below. The card base is 5.25” square and the raised layer is 4.50” square.

3

Attach thin strips of mounting tape to pop up the raised layer and attach to card base.

6

7

Cut the scalloped squares and then layer the  nesting square die to cut the frame opening. Sorry for how bad my Precision Base Plate looks in these photos.

1

2

Cut and apply thin strips of mounting tape to the back of the scalloped frames and attach them to the card base.

8

9

Turn the flower and center circle face down and secure the center in place with a piece of double stick tape to create a solid base.

4

Turn the flower face up and attach the yellow flower center with a glue dot. 

5

Apply small pieces of mounting tape to the back of each flower and attach them to the card base. I’m sorry I failed to get a picture.

Cut a small amount off of each leaf to fit under the flowers and gently bend them with your fingers to create dimension. 

10

Apply glossy accents to the back edge of the leaves and tuck them under the flowers.

11

12

Purple, green and white is one of my favorite color combinations. I would love to have this pattern made into a patchwork quilt. I wasn’t sure that placing all the leaves in the exact position around the flowers worked but when I tried placing them in all different positions it look too unorganized. KC Impression Obsession Patchwork Elements left

Thanks for joining me in the CLASSroom and I hope you have a wonderful day.

Card size:  5.25” square

Posted at 12:01 AM in Dies, Impression Obsession, My Favorite Things | | Comments (0)

| | Pin It! |

June 15, 2016

Patchwork Gator and Balloons By Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom. Creating scenes using die cut images is so fun for me and the new Impression Obsession Patchwork sets are cute, whimsical and large enough to use as a focal image on a card front. My project today was made using the Patchwork Gator created into a scene with the balloons from the Patchwork Elements, a floral border using flowers from the Bouquet set, Leaves and Stems, Small Grass Border and embellished with dragonflies from  Dragonfly Set and framed using the Rectangle 6-in-1 Frames. The gator was created using coordinating papers from the Authentique Springtime Bundle. 

KC IO Patchwork Gator left

I cut out the gator using a few different coordinating papers to create the little guy in a patchwork of patterns.  If I had it to do over again I would have used a much brighter combination of paper so all his body parts would be more defined. Note:  I usually don’t cut my die sets apart when there are so many small pieces that could be lost in my messy craft clutter.1

I played around with several combinations before I finally decided on these patterns. I assembled the gator using both glossy accents and glue dots.

2

Apply glossy accents to the back edge of the gator body to attach the curvy spine.

3

4

Attach the head and tummy portions to the body using glue dots.  Note:  I like to use glue dots to attach pieces like these instead of a glue because the tiny amount of glue dots thickness makes the pieces stand out for just a touch more dimension than if they were totally flat to the base. 

5

6

7

The front legs were attached with doubled over glue dots.  The back legs were attached flat to the back of the body with glossy accents. The little eyes were attached to the head using glossy accents.

8

At this point I wasn’t sure what I would use to create the scene other than these main elements.

9

Attach the two frame sections together with double stick tape. Note:  I wanted the frame to be a little more substantial than using just one section.

10

Attach the grass border to the back of the frame.

11

Apply double stick tape around the whole back of the frame and attach it to the card base.

12

13

Apply mounting tape to the back of the gator and attach him to the card base.  He is put in place first so all the other elements can be arranged him. I chose to keep the background of the card totally white so the pale patterns on the gator would show up better. I used plain colors of cardstock for the frame, grass and other elements so no other pattern would fight with the gator patterns. I hope that sentence made sense.  LOL!14

Lightly round the balloons with your fingers and attach to the frame and card base using mounting tape.  I had tied thread around the ends of all the balloons but ended up cutting the them off the two back balloons. I attached the front string to the back leg of the gator with a glue dot.

15

I cut and assembled a few flowers and stems to fill in around the gator. I tucked them in behind the grass and attached with glossy accents.

16

17

I finished the scene by attaching a few flying dragonflies in the sky area using glossy accents.

The next time I make this little guy I will use coordinating papers that are much brighter and that won’t   blend so closely together so all the parts and pieces show up more distinctly.  Live and learn.

KC IO Patchwork Gator right

I hope you have enjoyed seeing this fun card come together.  I think the little gator would be so cute for a child’s birthday card. Thanks for coming by today.

Card size:  5.50” X 4.25”

Posted at 12:00 AM in Dies, Impression Obsession | | Comments (3)

| | Pin It! |

June 01, 2016

Sand and Surf by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom. The summer heat has struck us here in Florida and makes me long for sitting on the beach watching the waves roll in. With that in mind I decided I would share a beach scene with you made using the Impression Obsession Single Beach Chair, Sea Birds and Mini Beach Fun Set.

KC Beach Chair right 

Create a frame mask by cutting a 5.00” x 3.75” piece of printer paper and cut the rectangle frame using Nesting Card Templates. Apply removable adhesive on the back of the frame and attach it in place on the scene base.

1

Apply blue ink on the bottom portion of the paper with an ink blending tool to create the water.

2

Use a mini applicator to apply brown ink on the water’s edge to create the beach. I used the mini applicator instead of the larger ink blending tool since it was for a smaller area.

10

Turn the scene upside down and apply the blue sky area with the ink blending tool. 3

Sketch out a few sections of sea grass with a green marker.

4

Apply embossing paste along the water’s edge to create the appearance of sea foam.  I used my finger to dab on the paste so I lightly spread it around.

5

Remove the mask. I took my green marker and sketched out a couple more sprigs of grass on the white frame area.

6

Apply mounting tape to the back of your scene and attach to the A2 card base. I think popping the scene up adds dimension and interest to the project.

7

Lightly apply gray ink to the bird wings with a mini applicator.

8

Attach the chair in place using a thin strip of mounting tape along the seat section but apply tiny drops of glossy accents to the feet so they stay down on the sand.  I added a little more embossing paste around the feet of the chair.  Attach the birds and bucket in the scene with mounting tape and the flip flops with glossy accents.

9

It is so fun to see how sponging a little blue and brown ink on paper can be turned into a pretty scene with the addition of a few die cuts. 

KC Beach Chair left

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you have been inspired to create a beach scene of your own.

Card size:  5.50” x 4.25”

Posted at 12:00 AM in Dies, Impression Obsession | | Comments (12)

| | Pin It! |

May 18, 2016

See Thru Window Scene by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom.  I have so much fun making cards with whimsical window scenes especially when I can add a few curious cats. My project today was made using the Elizabeth Craft Designs Carolina Window & Shutters, Garden Edges Tulips, Taylored Expressions Bead Board, Impression Obsession Picket Fence, Cat Set, Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Borders 4 and My Favorite Things Fresh Cut Grass. 

KC Winndow right

Attach the embossed layer to the card base using ATG adhesive. Cut two windows, one for the front and one for the inside of the card.

Use the inner border of the die cut window as a template to draw cutting lines on the card front for the window opening.

1

Cut just a little outside the lines of the window using a craft knife.

2

Apply mounting tape to the back of the front window and attach over the window opening on the card base.

3

4

Use the outer border of the window to draw the cutting line for the window shade.

5

Cut out the shade and crimp it to add a little dimension.

6

7

Open the card to the inside cover and attach the shade with double stick tape over the window.

8

Apply double stick tape to the back of the second window, line it up with the front window and attach it directly over the shade and window opening.

9

Cut two tulip borders and cut small portions of each green tulip head off. This step makes it easier to line up and attach the pink tulips so the green won’t show.

10

Apply glossy accents to each flower and attach the pink tulip.

11

12

Attach one tulip border to the grass border with double stick tape.  Lightly form the tulips with the stylus and molding pad.

14

Attach strips of mounting tape to the back of the picket fence and attach to the care base.

13[6]

Attach strips of mounting tape to the back of the grass and flower border and attach it to the fence. I’m sorry I failed to get a picture of this step.

15

Cut the second tulip border apart into individual flowers. Tuck the individual flowers around the front border with glossy accents and turning them from side to side which will create a more natural looking flower garden border. 

16

Attach some of the individual flowers together with glossy accents to form a small bouquet. Hand cut two little matching flower pots and attach them to both the front and back side of the bouquet with glossy accents. 17

Apply a thin strip of double stick tape to the bottom edge of the flower pot and another strip to the middle window frame.  Tuck the bottom of the pot in between the two windows and attach the flowers to the tape on the window frame.

KC Window inside

Attach double stick tape and mounting tape to the shutters and attach to the card base.

18

I couldn’t resist adding some kitty cats in the scene. Funny that they look just like my Toby, Sophie and Cassie. They were attached with mounting tape.

19

I think this is such a sweet scene.  This card will be going to my mother-in-law who has been in the hospital for several weeks. 

KC Window left

I hope my see thru window card  has inspired you to try making one of your own.  Thanks for coming by today and I hope you have a great day.

Card size:  5.50” x 4.25”

Posted at 12:00 AM in Dies, Impression Obsession, My Favorite Things, Pretty Pink Posh, Susan's Garden, Taylored Expressions | | Comments (12)

| | Pin It! |

May 04, 2016

Ornate Best Wishes by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom.  I love creating projects with die cut sentiments and enhancing them with gorgeous decorative frames. My project today was made using the Impression Obsession Best Wishes and the Ornate Oval Frame paired with the Lawn Fawn Scalloped Rectangle Stackables.

KC Impression Obsession Best Wishes left

Attach the white scalloped rectangle to the blue layer using ATG adhesive.

6

Apply thin strips of mounting tape to the back of the blue layer and attach it to the card base.

7

Cut the frame and sentiment. I like using the three frame sections attached together.

1

Turn the frame sections face down and line them up inside each other.  Place a few anchoring pieces of double stick tape around the frame to hold the sections snug in place.

3

Apply double stick tape around the whole frame to complete securing the three sections together.

4

Apply small pieces of mounting tape around the back of the frame and attach it to the card base.

5

8

Attach small pieces of mounting tape to the back of the sentiment. Normally I attach the finer die cut sentiments with rolled up double stick tape but the letters on the best wishes are a little more hefty and I like popping them up with mounting tape to be on the same level as the frame.

9

Line the sentiment up inside the frame and attach.

10

I think this would be a perfect card for a birthday, anniversary, wedding or retirement.  The blue frame and sentiments really pops against the white background.

KC Impression Obsession Best Wishes right

Thanks for coming by today.  I hope my project has inspired you to use to pull out some of your decorative frames and sentiment dies.  They don’t take much time but make such a big visual impact.

Card size:  5.50” x 4.25”

Posted at 12:00 AM in Dies, Impression Obsession, Lawn Fawn | | Comments (4)

| | Pin It! |

April 20, 2016

Sunny Hi There by Kittie Caracciolo

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to the CLASSroom. I have a sweet and cheery project to share with you today made using Julie’s precious All Inside Stamp Set and coordinating All Inside Die Set. I used these sets a couple of months ago to make a bold black, white and red All Inside Love project for my CLASSroom tutorial and having the bear holding a heart in his hands… oops..I mean paws. I thought it would be fun to place him in a sunny floral garden scene holding a sweet bouquet of flowers with a flowery designer paper background from the Authentique Springtime Bundle. I love the expression on the sun’s face and I added another sunny element to the scene by framing the Impression Obsession Sunburst Background with the Rectangle 6-in-1 Frames and created the flowery garden using the Small Grass Border, Leaves and Stems and tiny flowers from the Elizabeth Craft Designs Country Flora 1.

KC All Inside 2 left

Here’s a photo of all the parts of the project.

1

Cut the bear and sun pieces, apply black versafine to the coordinating stamps and stamp the images.

2

Apply clear embossing powder and heat with your heat gun.

3

Cut out flowers to match the background paper and form them with Susan’s Garden Tool Kit stylus and molding pad.

4

Cut several stems, attach glossy accents to the top three leaves of each stem, pick up the tiny flowers with tweezers from the tool kit and attach to the leaves.  Note:  I am using the Ranger Fine Tip Applicator that attaches to the mini glossy accents bottle.  I love how much easier it makes applying tiny dots of adhesive and also keeps the nozzle from clogging.5

6

Attach 1/8” double stick tape to the lower back portion of the frame.

7

Attach the first grass border, apply another section of tape and attach the second grass border making sure to offset it slightly from the first.

8

Apply thin strips of mounting tape around the back of the frame.  Cut the sunburst down in size slightly to fit behind the frame and attach it.

9

10

Apply double stick tape all the way around the frame and attach it to the card base.

11

12

Attach mounting tape to the back of the sun, sentiment sign and bear and attach them to the card base.

13

Create a tiny three stem bouquet of flowers for the bear to hold in his hands and attach with glossy accents. Tuck several stems of flowers in behind the grass surrounding the bear and sign on both sides and attach with glossy accents.

14

Here’s a closer view.  Isn’t he the cutest thing ever with his bouquet!!!

KC All Inside 2 close

Thanks for coming by and I hope you enjoyed the tutorial.  See you next time.

Card size:  5.50” x 4.25”