Card Hop: Happy Thoughts

Welcome to A Year of Card Techniques Blog Hop where each month we feature a different card technique.  We’ve assembled a team of card makers who range from new to advanced, so you’ll see a great variety of cards and ideas.

June‘s hop is devoted to basic card folds; featuring drapery/curtain fold, peek-a-boo fold or double-z gate-fold.  And we’re adding a twist of using double-sided paper.   We hope this gives you lots of ideas and will inspire you to try these card folds yourself…and pull out that double-sided paper as well!    If you would like to check out our past technique hops, you can do that here:

• January-Shaving Cream Marbleizing
• February-So Sketchy
• March-no hop this month
• April-Stamp Set Showdown
• May-World of Watercolors

We have an amazing sponsor this month, Candy Spiegel.

Please take a moment to check out all the crafty goodness on her blog, Candy Scraps.

And the awesome prize this month is four stencils from Elizabeth Craft Designs:

We  really appreciate feedback, so please leave a comment on each of the blogs in the hop today.  While you are encouraged to comment at any time, only comments received by  Friday, June 23, 2017 at 8:00pm (EST) will be eligible to win.   The winner will be announced on Sunday,  June 25, 2017 on A Piece of (my) Heart’s blog, so be sure to check her blog on Sunday.

And speaking of winners, the lucky hopper from last month is SUSAN ELIOT; picked by Random Name Picker.  Congratulations, Susan!  Please get in touch with last month’s sponsor, Jodie Park, to claim your prize.

You should  have arrived here from Jodie’s Blog. If you’re visiting  here first, you might want to start at the beginning so you don’t miss a thing and increase your chances of winning by commenting on  each blog.

 

Flamingos always make me smile, so I thought this would be the perfect card to cheer someone.

I started by cutting black cardstock 4 1/4 x11 and scoring it at the 5 1/2 mark. Then I cut flamingo paper (by Doodlebug) 4 1/8 x 5 3/8.

I used a centering ruler (by Tim Holtz) to find the center on the side of the paper and marked it with a pencil.

Then I cut a slit at the mark about 1 1/2″ into the paper, as shown. Then, fold each corner back.

I added flamingo brads a friend gave me and then adhered it to the black card base.

Finally, I stamped “Happy Thoughts” to the front and it’s ready to send!

Now  you’re off to visit with Debbie. Hope you had fun and thanks for stopping by.  See you next month with another technique!

Here’s the full line-up in case you get lost:

• Sharon
• Claudia
• Kim
• Wilma
• Jearise
• Amanda
• Card A Day Challenge Team
• Lisa Frederick
• Sandy Bell Hentzel
• Jodie Park
• Candy Spiegel
• Debbie Rumrill Bonczek

Foxy Watercolors

Welcome to A Year of Card Techniques Blog Hop where each month we feature a different card technique. We’ve assembled a team of card makers who range from new to advanced, so you’ll see a great variety of cards and ideas.

For May, we are venturing into the world of watercolor. There are so many watercoloring techniques available to us today; far too many to list here. But actions speak louder than words; so our team has worked with their favorite mediums to bring you lots of examples and loads of inspiration.

If you would like to check out our past technique hops, you can do that here:

• January-Shaving Cream Marbleizing
• February-So Sketchy
• April-Stamp Set Showdown

We have an amazing sponsor this month, Jodie Park of Close to My Heart:

Please take a moment to check out the great products Close to My Heart has to offer. To visit Jodie on Facebook page, just click here.

And the awesome prize this month is:

We really appreciate feedback, so please leave a comment on each of the blogs in the hop today. One winner will be chosen from all comments on the hop as of May 26, 2017. The winner will be announced in our June hop; so be sure to come back next month.

And speaking of winners, the lucky hopper from last month is Golden Goddess Designs; picked by Random Name Picker. Congratulations! Please get in touch with last month’s sponsor, Wilma Payne at wpayne@email.com, by May 26th to claim your prize.

You should have arrived here from Jodie’s blog. If you’re visiting here first, you might want to start at the beginning so you don’t miss a thing and increase your chances of winning by commenting on each blog.

Here’s my project:

I have to admit, watercoloring has not been my thing. I can never get it to look right. But this technique, I think looks pretty good and it’s super easy. It’s sort of my take on the Watercolor the Art Impressions Way by Bonnie Krebs (click here to learn all about it). I love her techniques and I bought quite a few of her stamps, but I wanted to apply some of the same techniques to other stamps, so I tried it with Distress Markers and these stamps from Krista Schneider.

First, I put the stamps on an acrylic block and colored directly on them with a Distress Marker.

I stamped them on watercolor paper and then used a damp brush to drag the color from the edges to the center of the image. The trick is to limit the amount of water. I dipped my brush into a cup of water and then wiped it on a paper towel before using it. If it is too dry, it won’t move the color — just wet it a little more until you can see the color move. If you use too much water, your image will become a lake of mud …

I went back in with the marker to color the nose and a bit of shading on the fox and did the same thing with the owl’s beak and the center of the flowers.

I then used the coordinating dies to cut out each image. Use either a magnetic plate or washi tape to hold the dies in place while cutting.

I took another piece of watercolor paper and cut out the Dotted Oval die by Elizabeth Craft Designs. I inked the border with Distress Ink.

For the background, I smeared Distress Oxide ink on the acrylic block, wet it and then swiped it over the cardstock. I then sprayed it again with water and used a paper towel to remove some of the color … I just wanted the impression of sky and grass …

I put the two pieces back together and adhered them to the new papers from Elizabeth Craft designs and then onto a white cardbase.

Then I put the pieces I had stamped, watercolored and cut out back into a scene.

I love the soft look of watercolor with these whimsical stamps — it’s OK to go out of the lines on this project!

Now you’re off to visit with Debbie. Hope you had fun and thanks for stopping by. See you next month with another technique!

Here’s the full line-up in case you get lost:

• Sharon
• Claudia
• Kim
• Wilma
• Jearise
• Amanda
• Card A Day Challenge Team
• Lisa Frederick
• Sandy Bell Hentzel
• Jodie Park
• Candy Spiegel — You are here —
• Debbie Rumrill Bonczek

Coffee Four Ways

Welcome to A Year of Card Techniques Blog Hop where each month we’ll feature a different card technique. We’ve assembled a team of fabulous card makers who range from new to advanced, so you’ll see a wide variety of cards and ideas.

The month of April features a Showdown! A stamp set showdown, that is. We’re using one stamp set in various ways. Let’s face it, stamp sets are getting more and more expensive; so we’re here to inspire you by demonstrating how to s-t-r-e-t-c-h those stamps!

If you would like to check out our past technique hops, you can do that here:

• January-Shaving Cream Marbleizing
• February-So Sketchy

 

 

We have an amazing sponsor this month, Wilma Payne of Fun Stamper’s Journey:

Please take a moment to check out the great products Fun Stampers Journey has to offer. To visit Wilma’s blog, click here and her Facebook Group here.

And the awesome prize this month is:

We really appreciate feedback, so please leave a comment on each of the blogs in the hop today. One winner will be chosen from all comments on the hop as of April 28, 2017. The winner will be announced in our May hop, so be sure to come back next month.

You should have arrived here from Sandy’s Blog. If you’re visiting here first, you might want to start at the beginning so you don’t miss a thing and increase your chances of winning by leaving a comment on each blog.

I decided to work with stamps that match my latest obsession … coffee. I chose this set from JustRite Clear.

The set is huge with many possibilities. So, to keep within the spirit of the challenge, I limited myself further … I “required” myself to use the coffee-house cup on each card.

For the first one, I stamped the cup with Wendy Vecchi’s Potting Soil Archival Ink, added a sentiment on the label and a saying. I worked on a kraft card and added a bit of Distress Ink (in Ground Espresso) around the edges of the card. It’s simple, but I like it for its simplicity.

Next, I stamped the image twice, colored it with Copic markers, cut it out and adhered it with dimensional foam adhesive to the layered card. The black is done with Memento Ink; the brown is the same Wendy Vecchi ink. The coffee stains and the saying are also from the stamp set.

For this one, I stamped the cup over and over in order to create a background with it. I used the coffee beans to make a strip and stamped another of the sentiments, as well, which I cut out and adhered.

And, finally, my favorite one … I used the same inks, but this time layered the elements in a soft teal. I stamped the cup on paper, added the word Java to the label and then cut out the image and adhered it with dimensional foam adhesive.

I created the background paper by placing each of the coffee beans on a single acrylic block and then turning and stamping repeatedly. I made sure to stamp off of the paper in some places and even stamped a few beans a second time for a softer look. I love how the background paper turned out!

I’m the last stop on the blog hop this month, but if you missed the earlier ones, it is worth a visit to the beginning.

I hope you had fun and thanks for stopping by. See you next month with another technique!

And, if you choose to try this one, post a photo of your creations on my Facebook page or, send me a copy and I’ll post it here.

Candy

Here’s the full line-up in case you get lost:

• Sharon
• Claudia
• Kim
• Wilma
• Jearise
• Amanda
• Lisa
• Jodie
• Card A Day Challenge Team
• Ronda
• Sandy
• Candy

Exciting News

I mentioned that I had a revised business plan and some news to come in a future post … well, today is the future.

Although I am continuing with Candy Scraps, I am going to be helping another scrapbook vendor, Bayview Scrappers, with videos, samples and classes. It’s a perfect collaboration and I am excited about this new venture.

Bayview Scrappers is made up of Cheryl, Lori and Peter. They offer a full-service paper-crafting store on wheels … literally the largest I have seen. They offer paper, stickers, stamps, dies, stencils, ink, adhesive, albums and all of the usual stuff. If it’s new, on trend or unique, they carry it. But they also do photo printing and enlargements and album embossing all on site. Based in Traverse City, they travel around Michigan and also hold crops in the Traverse City area.

They have lots of plans and ideas to grow, but there is too much work for just the three of them, so they asked me to help out with the things I love to do. Since I’ve been sending customers to their booth quite a bit already (I hate for someone to have to wait for something when another vendor has it, so I often direct people to other booths), I was happy to help.

I’m going to start by working with stamps and Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pens. Lori first introduced me to the pens and I totally fell in love with them. Now I’m completely engrossed in the research-and-development stage — watching videos, trying techniques, practicing blending and following through on the “I wonder what would happen if …” stuff.

I put together a quick video as a test … to see how my new tripod works and to see how the coloring would show up. So, it’s not perfect, but here it is … please let me know what you like/don’t like and what should be changed. I want to create the best possible videos for Bayview Scrappers!

Click here to watch me color Riley in the Tree

Commissioned Art

For years, I have been looking for a special piece of artwork for my living room wall. I fell in love with a huge canvas photo in an art gallery and dreamed I would someday take a picture and have it mounted. So far, that hasn’t happened and I was anxious to get something on the wall. So, I decided to commission myself to make a piece of art.

I started with a large, 6-pane window I bought at Green Door Studio. I washed it up, but left the white paint just as it was.

I added metallic silver paint to the majority of the window.

Next I added a bit of blue paint here and there …

And then some brown. Then I went over the top of the entire window with a semi-gloss glaze mixed with brown paint. Then I was ready to decorate …

I used a Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 rubber stamp to add some text to two of the corners. Archival Ink works well — I heated it just to be sure.

Then I went over the top with Texture Paste on a stencil.

I added a bit of paint over the top …

I used the same techniques in the opposite corner, but I added Lake Superior rocks and a bit of birch bark to that corner.

In the center of the panes, I used a stencil to add a compass with Archival Ink.

Then I added the photos behind the glass. I used Mini Glue Dots because I wanted to be able to change them out. I don’t like that the dots show in some places, but I really wanted the photos behind the old glass.

I also added a few tags, some wood pieces and more rocks to various spots on the window.

At the bottom, I added a piece of driftwood from the beach, along with a few more rocks.

I also added a charm from Tim Holtz.

I love how my window came out. I hope I’ve inspired you to make art of your own!

Stamp It Stencil It Genius

One of the things I plan to offer regularly on my blog are product reviews and tutorials. With fewer independent stores, we are forced to purchase the majority of our products online. The problem is, no one shows us how to use the products and we cannot see and touch them ourselves. While I cannot let you see and touch things on my blog, either, I can try my best to critically review and share as much as possible about the products to make it easier for you to make a purchase decision. Some of the products I will feature I sell in my retail store. Others I do not, but I will provide you with links so you know where to get them.

The first product I want to start with is not new. It has been around for several years, but since I did not understand how it worked, I have not purchased it before. At the Great Lakes Mega Meet, I finally got up the courage to tell Wendy Vecchi, the genius who created this product, that I didn’t get it. She showed me the part I was missing and my head exploded!

This inventive product is called Stamp-It Stencil-It. It comes with a cling mounted rubber stamp and a matching stencil. You can use either piece on its own. But the magic happens when you use them together. The stencil actually acts as a mask for coloring in the flowers quickly and easily.

Since it is called, Stamp-It, Stencil-It, Wendy says you stamp it first. Then you line up the stencil and use it to mask off the leaves while you color the flower and then mask off the flower while you color the leaves. Notice in the photo above how, when lined up with the flower, the leaves are covered. This allows you to take an ink blending tool or makeup sponge and color the flower quickly and easily. Genius!! (just be careful not to go off the edge of the stencil).

The technique works so well that I was able to use the stencil to add Transparent Gloss Texture Paste over the middle flower to make it glossy and beautiful.

And here is the finished card … the flowers and leaves are colored with Wendy Vecchi’s Archival Inks. The background is colored with Distress ink.

You can order the inks and texture paste from me. The Stamp-It, Stencil-It sets are available from Stampers’ Anonymous. There are dozens of ink colors and even more stamp sets to pick from. I brought several home with me. And, yes, I wish every stamp came with one of these stencils!

Created by Sydney

This is Sydney. She is my cousin’s daughter parrot. Becky, my cousin, has five parrots and each one is awesome, but Sydney is special. She is an amazing bird. She talks, she sings opera, she laughs at jokes. Sydney even senses emotions and responds accordingly.

I recently spent a few days with my cousin and while she at work, it was just me and the birds. While I was upstairs in Becky’s studio, Sydney, who was downstairs, called me repeatedly. We spent hours yelling through the house and mimicking each other. “Hi” “Hi” “Helllloooo” “Hellloooo” etc.

But, one day I was particularly sad (I suffer from chronic depression). That day, Sydney started calling me “Baby,” singing to me, and telling jokes — I couldn’t understand what she was saying, but I figured it out when she started laughing. After a few hours, I really did feel better. I figured the change in Sydney was because she was getting to know me better, but the next day we were right back to “Hi”.

Anyhow, Sydney likes to go up to the studio when Becky is creating. She has a special cage on Becky’s desk where she works on her own cards and creations with leftover cardstock and adding-machine tape. I “stole” some of Sydney’s adding-machine tape when I came home so I could turn her work of art into one that would forever hang on my wall.

I started with a blank canvas that I painted with Distress Paint. (Distress Paint is like acrylic paint, but while wet, it reacts with water. And I love the feel the paint has after it dries.)

 

Then I used stencils, Distress Paint, Ranger Archival Ink and Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 Embossing Paste to create a background.

Then, I went over the top with a light layer of paint and some Distress Ink to help calm down the boldness a bit.

Next came Sydney’s work … I sprayed the adding-machine tape with Glimmer Mists and crinkled it up. All of the tears and cuts along the edge are Sydney’s work. After it was dry, I sprayed it lightly with Ink Refresher to keep it soft and malleable while I was gluing it to the canvas.

Next, I stamped some quotes and sayings from Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 onto white cardstock. I cut them apart and used Distress Ink to color them.

 

 

 

I added a photo of Sydney and some feathers from some of Becky’s birds.Then I added a variety of doo dads and flowers to finish off the piece.

I also made one for Becky to hang in her studio …

 

One-of-a-Kind knobs from Home Depot

So you can’t really BUY one-of-a-kind knobs at Home Depot, but you can buy plain wooden knobs and make them one of a kind.

That’s what I did for some of the knobs on my tree.

Wooden knobs sell for less than $1 each and I used paper-crafting products I already had on hand, so these knobs were practically free, as well as being unique.

I coated the first two knobs with Globecraft & Piccolo Embossing Powder. I popped the top on the dabber adhesive and used a paintbrush to coat the wooden knobs with Globecraft & Piccolo Embossing Adhesive. Then I dumped the powder on them and then heated them.

This one I did in Mermaid Tears …

I found that my Ranger Heat Gun was taking forever to melt the powder, so I pulled out my traditional heat gun on these. I had a lot of bubbling as I heated them — caused by the amount of adhesive that was painted on and the intense heat of the gun. I just let them cool for a minute and then hit with heat again until I got a somewhat smooth finish. There are still some bubbles, but since this is such a rustic piece, I thought they fit right in.

This one is done in Vintage Silver.

Next I turned to paint … I painted two additional knobs with Claudine Hellmuth’s Studio white paint. I screwed the knobs through a box to hold the knobs in place while I worked on them.

Once dry, I added some of the new rub-ons designed by Tim Holtz to one of them (I was surprised at home easy these went on and how well they adhered!) Then I coated it with Glastique.

For the other one, I used Wendy Vecchi’s new Red Geranium Archival Ink and one of her stamps to create a background. I thought the red would match some of the red in the barn wood. Then I added a few more rub ons. Next, I coated the entire thing with Glastique and while it was still wet, I sprinkled clear Vintage Glass Glitter from Art Glitter over the top.

It came out a little more orange than I had hoped, but I still love it. I sparkles as the light hits it!

Finally, I had one black knob that I also got for practically nothing at Home Depot. I painted a bit of white paint across the top and then wiped off the very top with a towel and came up with this …

So, the next time you need a few new knobs, consider making them one of a kind with your paper-crafting supplies!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Got Wood?

September is a special month at Scrap It Girl.

In addition to the back-to-school challenge, we are also having a wood challenge. And, to get your mojo going, each of the girls on the design team created a project using a wood book from Genuinely Jane Studios.

Prior to this challenge, I had not even heard of Genuinely Jane Studios, nor seen any little birch books, so I was eager to try it out.

This is the little mini book I received. It’s made in Missouri, a definite plus!

Anyhow, there were a few tiny chips around the edges, so I took my Tim Holtz sander and went around each edge, then wiped it with a microfiber towel to remove any dust. It was easy and only took me about 30 seconds per page.

I pulled out my Distress Stains to color the book. I wanted to give it the look of water, so I added a variety of blues and greens.

Then misted them with water and let them blend on their own.

I then dabbed off the excess water/stain and dried with a heat tool because I am always impatient.

Once I got the background how I wanted it, I added a bit of metallic stain to it and dabbed it around with a paper towel. It created a beautiful effect — much like frost on a window. Click on the photos for a larger picture to see the details.

I wanted the cover to resemble a port hole, so I coated it in Tarnished Brass Distress Crackle Paint and let it dry. (heat tools and crackle paint do not mix)

Once I had that part done, I got to decorating the cover and filling in the book.

I filled the book with inspirational quotes I found with a nautical theme. I added buttons, twine and stamps as well. (click on the pictures for a better view)

This is my favorite page … a ship on one side and a Michigan lighthouse on the other!

On the back page, I added a bit of fiber to soften it up a bit.

I added lots of little things on the cover … Dew Drops, metal and a tiny compass.

Here’s a look at the front again …

Now it’s your turn. You do not have to create an entire mini album. Just use a bit of wood on your scrapbook page, card or layout and post it here. One person will win an amazing prize package filled with woody goodies!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t just make it; Wear it!

I finally had some time to play this week, so I tried my hand at making some wearable art.

This piece started as a plain bookboard bezel from Globecraft & Piccolo, which I coated in the new Platinum Embossing Powder.

Then, I chose a stamp from Northwoods and stamped an image on the front with Staz-On Ink.

I was not too concerned about the image on the stamp, since I knew I would be covering most of it up. I just wanted some pattern for any blank spots on my pendant.

Next, I added a few pieces of Fantasy Film from Art Glitter. I attached them with Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear Adhesive.

I didn’t want to have cows on my necklace, so I cut out and tore a few pieces of Graphic 45 paper to attach. I used Burnt Umber 3D Enamel Gel to add a bit of aging to the papers.

Then I added some different glitters and Vintage Glass from Art Glitter.

Then, I added a Piccolo piece covered in Vintage Gold and some additional glitters.

Then I coated the entire thing, front and back, with Globecraft & Piccolo’s new Instant UV Resin. (This product will be available online soon.)

I wanted to add beads from Tim Holtz to the bottom, but I found the pearl color too bright. So, I placed them in a plastic bag and added a few drops of Alcohol Ink.

After letting them dry for a few minutes, I attached them with a jump ring to the bottom and hung my pendant on a chain (also by Tim Holtz).

Here is the finished piece. What do you think?

I used the same Piccolo Bezel to create a hot-air balloon pin. Head over to the Globecraft Blog to see how I made this one.