Week 2 of Distress Class

Following this week's video by Jennifer McGuire, I did two samples of inked backgrounds and then stamped and embossed trees on them.  This smaller sample fit perfectly into Splitcoaststampers card sketch for the week.  

Here's the second card.  Project notes below...

Project Notes:

• For both cards, I inked my acrylic block with Weathered Wood and Peeled Paint distress inks and then misted.  I can not find my water mister!  So I used Angel's glimmer mist instead for a nice effect.
• Then I pressed the block to watercolor paper and repeated as necessary to get enough ink coverage.  I probably would not had to have repeated if I'd had just water.  I then spread the ink with my fingers which caused a lot of staining - my fingers, not the paper.  The paper looked very nice.  Next time I think I would spread the ink with something other than my fingers!
• I let all this dry overnight since I wanted to do some embossing.
• The trees on the first card and the main tree on the second are stamped in Versamark and embossed in white.  The shadowed trees are just stamped in Whisper White.   
• The ribbon is raveled and inked as well to go with the aged look. 
• To create the background for the first card, I stamped some images - script words and flourishes in Versamark and then inked the entire card in Weathered Wood.

I really enjoyed this inking technique for the background.  Check out Jennifer's videos at http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/ .  I'd like to try this again when I find my water spritzer!

Ingredients:  Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, All Holidays from Stampin' Up!;  Text basics from Papertrey Ink; Flourishes from Paper Studio

Cardstock:  Bordering Blue, Soft Suede

DSP:  Soft Suede by SU!; Periphery by Basic Grey

Ink:  Versamark, Whisper White by SU!, Not Quite Navy; Peeled Paint, Weathered Wood, Vintage Photo by Ranger

Brad:  Oriental Trading

Ribbon: Old Olive by SU!; Gold source unknown.

Trick or Treat

Here's my one Halloween card for this year.  It's not really my holiday.  There is one special Trick or Treater to honor and he will find a treat on the inside of this card in the pocket...

Project Notes:

• The front of the card is mainly a designer paper from Basic Grey.  It was heavily distressed and really perfect for Halloween.  I just stamped the skull and bones.
• The letters are cut with SCAL software on the Cricut from a font I downloaded from dafont.com.
• The sheer ribbon was meant to disguise a mistake I made on the front but I really love the effect.  It looks like a pirate's bandana or whatever the head wrap thing is called.

Now I just have to figure out what the treat is going to be and get this in the mail.  A 9 year old boy - what would he like?  Halloween treat suggestions welcome.   Thanks.

Ingredients:  Stamps:  Inkadinkado

Ink:  Basic Black, Dusty Durango, White gel pen

DSP:  Basic Grey Periphery; Creative Memories for the orange

Font:  Mary Jane Windlin from dafont.com

Ribbon:  Hobby Lobby fabric dept.



TIPsy Tuesday - Holiday Cards with non holiday supplies

This is the first holiday season that I have actually purchased an entire paper collection themed for the holidays - Candy Cane Christmas from Stampin' Up!  It's very pretty and I'm enjoying working with it.  However, it is very holiday themed so come December 26 it will get put away for a year.  What I normally do is pull papers, embellishments and even some stamps from my regular stash.

Look through your paper stash and I'll bet you have lots of things you can use for Christmas or other holiday cards that aren't specific to the holiday.  The only thing specific to Christmas on the card above is the tree stamps that were part of a Christmas set.  The other ingredients are:

• designer paper from Pink Paislee 365 degree paper pad
• naturals white cardstock from Stampin' Up!
• DMC cord bought on close out at Hobby Lobby.  It is kind of a mustard color but it matches the paper and the 'lights and star' I colored in for the trees.
• the message stamp is from Mailbox Greetings - an all purpose set from Papertrey Ink.

I love to buy Christmas stamps but they can get limiting and it really adds up for one holiday.  So 'shop your stash' and find many great things to use for this year's holiday cards.

One project note:  To keep the trees light enough, I used watercolor crayon and blender pen for coloring the base and then markers for the decorations.

Thanks for visiting today!

Train Lover

A friend who loves trains just had a big birthday last month.  This card is made from the Oliver collection kit.  While "Oliver" was designed for boys having less monumental birthdays, it is perfect for the train lover, too.

Project Note:  The "Whoo Hoo" is stamped using the "Whooo loves you" stamp set. I used markers to ink the letters I wanted from "Whooo" where I wanted them.

Happy Birthday, Jimmy!  Hope you had a great day.

Ingredients:  Stamps:  Who Loves You by Hampton Arts
Ink:  Basic Gray, Basic Black by SU!; White gel pen from Signo
DSP and train sticker:  Oliver by Basic Grey; Western Sky by SU!
Chipboard Letters:  American Crafts

DSP Day - Designer Paper on the Inside

Consider using some of your pretty designer paper on the inside of your cards too.  You can often stamp and write on tone-on-tone or light backgrounds.  The designer paper  on the inside of this card shows through the stamped transparency layer so you get a pretty view open or closed.

Project Notes: 

• The card is cut on the Cricut with SCAL software.
• The transparency film is stamped with Bordering Blue craft ink and then embossed using clear powder. It gives a pretty texture and a light bit of color.  Keep the heat gun moving when embossing transparency film and always guard your fingers.  I used ink jet printer film.
• Whisper White craft ink is sponged around the edges of the cutout to accent the inside further.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Ingredients:  Stamps:  Serene Snowflakes by SU!; greeting by Inkadinkado
Ink:  Bordering Blue and Whisper White craft by SU!; Not Quite Navy classic ink for greeting
DSP:  Candy Cane Christmas by SU!
Cardstock:  Not Quite Navy
Ribbon:  Fabric store.

Distressed Anniversary Art

My parents have a wedding anniversary coming up soon.  They have been married for over 50 years!

Instead of a card, I did this 6 1/2" square design my Mother can display and remember her wedding day.  This is the only photo taken on that day.  They couldn't afford a photographer and my Aunt Betty took this picture after Mother had changed into her going away outfit.  I had scanned the photo for their anniversary party a few years ago.  I just printed another one and distressed it.

There is a lot of distressing on this as I was trying some favorite techinques and some new ones from Jennifer McGuire's video for Two Peas in a Bucket.  This starts an 8 week class they are hosting on 'inking.'  Linked here:  http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/events/9-holiday-thinking-inking-2010/The   video was very well done and I look forward to more of these.

Project Notes:

• The background paper and a light chipboard base are cut with the Cricut and the Storybook cartridge.
• I used Ranger's distressing tool featured in the video to add quite a bit of Vintage Photo distressing ink to the edges of the papers.
• The flower started out white but is colored with 4 blended colors of distressing ink and then stamped with a flourish in Basic Gray ink from Stampin' Up!
• My Mother found that button for me when we were out shopping one day so I thought it would be a pretty touch for the flower.

We are planning a trip to the Grove Park Inn in Asheville for brunch one weekend.  My friend Karen reminded me of this treat the other day.  Daddy loves their brunch and Mother loves the shopping in Asheville.  October is such a pretty time to visit the city nestled between the mountains.  It will be a treat for all of us.

Ingredients:  Stamps:  Flourishes 2 by Autumn leaves

Ink:  Basic Gray by SU!; Vintage Photo, Old Paper, Tea Dye, and Tattered Rose by Ranger

DSP:  Thrift Shop 8" paper pad by October Afternoon

Flowers:  Petaloo and large silk flower from Hobby Lobby

Rhinestones:  Kaiser craft

Metal frame:  Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware from Stampin' Up!
Brad: Stampin' Up!
Teal ribbon:  Basic Grey

The First Time they saw...the Ocean

The children had never seen, tasted, smelled, or splashed in the ocean!  It was our pleasure to introduce them to the Atlantic. 

Project Notes:

• All the designer paper is from an 8"x8" pad so I spliced together some papers for the right hand border. 
• The 'seaweed' branch is cut in two sizes with the Cricut Storybook branch border.
• Basic Grey's Magnetic Mat (featured in yesterday's post) made lining up these letter stickers a lot easier!

It's starting to turn cold here in NC.  Wouldn't a walk through the edges of the water on a warm day feel great?

Ingredients:  DSP: Daily Grind by Fancy Pants

Cardstock:  Hobby Lobby

Ribbons:  Cosmo Cricket and fabric store

Button:  Oriental Trading

Brad:  Basic Grey's Offbeat collection

Stickers:  American Crafts puffy stickers in blackberry, various Basic Grey collections, October Afternoon Mini Market, Cosmo Cricket mini

TIPsy Tuesday - Tilted Magnetic Mat

A couple of months ago I started having some awful neck and shoulder pain.  It is much better now after time and many adjustments to the way I do things.  My crafts were not the cause of the problem but they did contribute to the aggravation while it was going on.  Tilting my head down was a particular problem. 

During this time I noticed on some Internet videos the Basic Grey Magnetic Mat being used for scrapbooking and card making.  It was positioned flat on the work surface.  Yet, I wondered if everything was held on with magnets, couldn't I tilt it so that it would be easier to see and reach the items I was working on?

The solution my husband and I found was to clip the mat to a board attached to hinges that would allow me to tilt it up.  The components are:

• Basic Grey Magnetic Mat kit including 8 magnets and magnetic ruler - available through Amazon.com or Two Peas in a Bucket.
• A piece of masonite cut 15"x15".  Any firm board will work.
• Two 8" triangular hinges - available from Lowes Hardware

• Two bolts to attach the hinges to the masonite.  Be sure to countersink the screw heads into to the board so you have no lumps beneath the mat.
• Two binder clips to hold the mat to the masonite.  I didn't want to attach it permanently.  This way I can take it off and use it directly on a work surface.  The mat also works as a cutting mat and I would probably want it flat for cutting.  I still have my regular cutting mat available.
• Two small dowels cut to a length that will achieve the desired angle.  I just bought a dowel rod from Lowes when I got the hinges.

I really love this system for scrapbooking!  With the ruler and all the edge markings on the mat, I can line up letters, photos and embellishments easily on my scrapbook pages.

The magnetic mat is a great tool even if you want to just use it flat and not tilt as I have.