Non-Stick Craft Sheet Storage

I cannot live without my Non-Stick Craft Sheet. It is a tool I use on almost every project I do, one I require in most of my classes and one I put on the must-have list for new croppers.

The sheet can be used as a palate for paint or a protective surface when working with ink or heat. And, it wipes clean every time.

The only problem is that it is made with glass and if you fold or bend it, it will eventually break down. So, I carry mine in the box it came in, which is fine, but not very attractive.

Another student in a class I took recently had this incredible case for her Non-Stick Craft Sheet. I fell in love with it and she gave me permission to take the idea and run with it. So, I’ve created my own version and plan to teach it as a class.

In this class, we’ll use Graphic 45 paper, bits and pieces from the Ideaology line by Tim Holtz, Piccolo pieces and enamel powder by Globecraft Memories, May Arts ribbon, Grungepaper, dies by Tim Holtz and Lifestyle Crafts, Distress Ink and more.

The class is set for Aug. 30 from 6-7 p.m. at Capture a Memory in Flint Township. Call the store to register … I look forward to helping you create your storage tube.

Technique Thursday: Shimmer Sheetz UPDATED

It is Thursday and that means it is time for another technique.

This one is double amazing — amazingly simple and amazingly beautiful…

See what I mean? And they look even better in person! You can stop by and see all of these samples, and try it for yourself at Capture A Memory in Flint Township today from 2-6 p.m. today.

Let me tell you how easy it is … you only need three products: Shimmer Sheetz by Elizabeth Craft Designs, an embossing folder (I used ones by Sizzix/Tim Holtz) and StazOn Ink. (I used jet black.)

Shimmer Sheetz are an acid-free mylar, or type of plastic. They come in two different varieties: iris and metallic. While both types come in a variety of colors, the iris ones are the ones with the gradient and iridescent colors, like the sample above. The metallic ones are solid and can be used with some additional techniques, which I will share a little later.

First, let’s do this quick and easy technique …

Step 1: Cut the sheet of Shimmer Sheetz to the desired size (it cuts easily in a paper trimmer or with scissors).

Step 2: Place it inside a textured embossing folder and run it through your die cut machine (Big Shot, Vagabond, Cuttlebug, etc.)

Step 3: Flip your StazOn ink pad over and smear it over the front of the Shimmer Sheetz. You may need to apply a little pressure, but not too much. The idea is to just ink the highlighted areas on your image. Let it dry for a minute or two and it is done.

Simple, huh.

To turn it into a card, you can mat it, like I did in the sample above, or do something like this …

For this one, I cut the Shimmer Sheetz into 3 parts (after I inked it) and then placed them side-by-side on the card. Then, I added a strip of ribbon and a couple of pins from Maya Road. Then I used a punch to create a circle out of some unaltered Shimmer Sheetz and stamped on it with Staz On ink.

So, now you know you can cut, emboss, ink, stamp and punch Shimmer Sheetz. You can also sand it after embossing for a different look and you can run it through your die cut system and cut it with a steel-rule die — the thick ones by Sizzix/Tim Holtz.

But wait, there’s more …

The solid color or metallic sheets of Shimmer Sheetz take alcohol ink!

There are a few cautions here …

1. DO NOT use the iris colors. The alcohol ink will remove the color.

2. Only ONE side of the Shimmer Sheetz works. The alcohol ink will remove the color on the other side.

So, how do you tell which is which? Take a bit of blending solution and apply it in a corner. If you are on the right side, nothing will happen. If you are on the wrong side, it will first turn silver and then become completely clear — which might be a cool look, but you could save yourself some trouble and use acetate for that!

Anyhow, I applied layers of alcohol ink with the felt applicator, letting it dry between layers. (I noticed it takes a little longer to dry than normal. I kept finding my fingerprints permanently inked in places, so take your time and really let it dry.)

Then I embossed and added ink just like the ones above. Then, I cut it into pieces and applied it to a cigar box that I had painted black. I used additional stickers from Elizabeth Craft Designs to cover the seams. And, when it was all dry, I added a coat of Diamond Glaze to the entire box. And, when that was dry, I added one of the new knobs by Tim Holtz and a few metal gears.

The piece on the front was not embossed, so you can see how beautiful it is with just the alcohol inks.

It is a little bit funky and extremely shiny and not really, “me,” but I absolutely love it and I am dying to show it to all of you!

Stop by  Capture A Memory in Flint Township today from 2-6 p.m. today. I cannot wait to see you!

A Special Birthday Card

In a few weeks, my baby boy will be 21.

I know. I cannot believe it either. It seems like just yesterday I was meeting him for the first time.

I always thought I would be with my kids when they turned 21 and I looked forward to buying them their first drink. But, since my son is halfway around the world, serving his country at a Naval hospital in Guam, I won’t be able to share the special day with him. Instead, I thought I would send him a very special card …

This card was created by Kathy at Paper Phenomenon. You can follow her step-by-step directions, here …

It can be used as a mini-book, added to a scrapbook page or whatever. It’s super adorable and I’ve already made several. But this one I wanted to serve as a card for my favorite little boy!

It opens …

And opens …

and opens …

And opens …

And then it has three little tags that come out (I made mine with the Tiny Tabs & Tags Sizzix/Tim Holtz Die and the Cricut Gypsy & Old West cartridge).

I love it. It only takes one piece of 8 1/2 x 11 paper to make the base. Then I used scraps from Bo Bunny, American Crafts and Webster’s Pages, along with some leftover rub ons, Jolee’s and a few metal pieces from Ideaology.

Soon, it will be off to Guam to welcome my baby boy into adult hood!

The Cat Who …

I recently discovered The Cat Who series of murder-mystery novels.

The books, written by Lilian Jackson Braun, tell of the adventures of a semi-retired journalist, Qwill, and his smart Siamese cat, Koko. They take place in Moose County, a rural region 400 miles north of everywhere, in Michigan.

While I enjoy the basic mystery portions of the novels, I also like to read about the slow-paced small-town life, the quirks of Koko and other small tidbits in the stories. I am particularly intrigued with the creative license Braun uses in her fictional county. It appears she has taken the best of Michigan and combined it into one location. So taken by trying to figure out where Moose County is, I decided create a scrapbook page about the clues in the book.

As always, click on the photo for a larger view …

The paper and flower stickers are from Cloud 9 Design. The state die cut was a gift from my sister. I printed the journaling on vellum and the clues on cardstock. The cat is a digital stamp by Doodle Pantry, printed on X-Press It Blending Card and colored with Copic Sketch markers.

As a side note … Copic will not react with laser or toner from a copy machine. They may react with ink jet printers. I have an HP and it works fine. I haven’t tried it with my Epson photo printer yet. So, always check your printer before coloring. Trust me, you will not like it when the black bleeds into your images and you could damage your nibs.

Back to the layout … the large letters and question mark are Grunge Board from Ideaology. The question mark is painted with Adirondack Paint Dabber and then covered with Diamond Glaze. The small letters are chipboard from Maya Road. They are colored with Rusty Hinge Distress Ink … a lot of ink for a solid color, less ink for the spotty ones … and then covered in Diamond Glaze. The black is painted on, then glued to the top of the squares and then the entire image is covered in Diamond Glaze. I love the finished look … especially the way the Diamond Glaze puddles where the letters meet the blocks. Once dry, I used Black Soot Distress Ink to ink the edges and then adhered it to my page. My favorite adhesive for these is Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear. I used Removable Glue Dots to hold the letters to my Nonstick Craft Sheet while painting. Trust me. You will want to do this!!

And the Eagle will Fly

I’ve been doing a lot of cards lately … mostly because I have been having fun coloring with Copics!

But, I thought it was time to share some of the scrapbook pages I have been making lately.

This one features a photo that my husband took on one our trips to the Detroit Zoo. I wanted to highlight what the eagle symbolizes — America, freedom, the stars and stripes, etc.

Here’s what I came up with …

The papers are from Tim Holtz (they’re the back sides). I love them because they are solids, but with the built-in distressing, they have depth and are not boring. I edged each piece with Distress Ink and layered them. The Betsy Ross image is cut out from another sheet of paper.

Next, I added a strip of ribbon from Maya Road and attached it with a few Craft Glue Dots. I’m not sure who made the lace ribbon, but I inked it with Distress Ink to match and then attached it with the Tiny Attacher.

Then, I added a few cardstock stickers (also from Tim Holtz).

The stars are from Close To My Heart — they are corrugated kraft paper and were just released a few days ago. I painted them, unevenly, with Distress Crackle Paint. When that dried, I brushed the tops with a bit of Distress Ink. Then, I added a bit of gold Paint Dabber in spots and, finally, edged them in Black Soot Distress Ink. I love the effect. You can click on the photos for a closer look.

I wanted the page to reflect some of the hardworking, blue-collar labor that has made this country what it is today. So, I added some brads, washers and a game spinner from Ideaology and a couple of star charms from My Mind’s Eye. Then, I added some staples, using the Tiny Attacher, as additional accents.

What do you think?

Altering a Notebook

I found this little notebook in my scrapbooking room. It’s cute, but it’s not really my style. So, I decided to alter it to my own tastes.

This is what I came up with …

Not wanting to mess with the spiral binding, I decided to leave a bit of the original cover and incorporate it in my design.

I started by applying paper that didn’t quite go to the edge of the notebook. I used papers by My Mind’s Eye and a bit of Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

Then, I added the flock paper, also by My Mind’s Eye, this time going all the way to edge on the right side, but off center on the left. I used Glue Lines to attach the papers since I wanted the adhesive to be near the edges.

Then, I added the blue ribbon (My Mind’s Eye) with a few more Glue Lines.

Next I added the flower. It is from Prima, but it was white. I sprayed it with Adirondack Color Wash and then, when dry, added a bit of Gold Adirondack Paint Dabber to the tips of the petals. I attached it with a Craft Glue Dot.

Next, I attached the gems (also from Prima).

The frame is from Tim Holtz, as is the stamped saying. I selected pink cardstock to help tie in the background color and stamped with Ranger Archival Ink. I used a Craft Glue Dot to hold the cardstock in place. The frame is attached with brads.

Then, I wrapped a sheer ribbon (from May Arts) around the inside of the cover and tied it on the front. I used a Craft Glue Dot discretely hidden under the knot to hold it in place. Be careful not to pull too tight or you will bend the cover. And, don’t leave it too loose or it will shift around.

As a final touch, I added a tassel, pin and button onto the knot. All three are from Tim Holtz. For the button, I cut off the shank and used a couple of Craft Glue Dots to hold it in place.

Now the notebook is covered in flocked paper and trimmed in a bit of bling, metal and elegance. What do you think?

I’m back!

Wow! I can’t believe how time flies when you’re having fun. It’s been forever since I posted anything. I’ve been crafting, planning classes, preparing for my daughter’s graduation and open house and, finally, going on a much needed vacation.

So, now I’m back with all sorts of things to share.

For starters, I want to share my latest page — featuring my husband and me at the Sleeping Bear Dunes along the shore of Lake Michigan.

I created this page for Glue Dots, which I love since they are strong enough to hold metal embellishments.

The papers are all from We R Memory Keepers. I cut the ones in the middle to 8×8. Then I inked the edges of each paper with Walnut Distress Ink. For the background paper, I folded the corner and used a Craft Glue Dot to secure.

For the smaller papers, I used a distress tool to add a bit of texture and added a few tears here and there. Then, I layered them and used Ultra Thin Glue Dots to hold them in place.

I cut a piece of white card stock to serve as my photo mat and then inked it with Distress Ink and attached my photo and then attached it to the page.

Next, I added twine from My Mind’s Eye. I wrapped it around the back of the page, secured it with a Glue Dot and then cut out a small piece of leftover paper and layered it over the top.

For the title charm, I attached a clear charm by Tim Holtz to one of my photos of the dunes with Glossy Accents. This takes a long time to dry — I let mine dry over night. Then, I trimmed the charm, added a bit of twine and attached it to my page with Craft Glue Dots. Finally, I used the Zig Photo Writer Pen to write the title on top.

For the final touches, I used metal flowers by 7 Gypsies. The one at the bottom features a button from Tim Holtz, which is attached with Craft Glue Dots to the flower and then I used Craft Glue Dots to adhere the flower to the page. The top one is adhered with a brad from Bo Bunny. The little coin is also from Tim Holtz and is also attached with a brad.

I like how the page turned out … simple, rustic and relaxed — just like my trip!

Unzip the man

Inspiration is all around us and I take it from a lot of places — scrapbooking magazines, galleries, blogs, idea books, as well as advertising, fashion and home decor. Sometimes, I am inspired by the paper itself.

But this time, it was the new mini gear die from Tim Holtz/Sizzix that provided the inspiration and pulled all of the pieces together.

I am an as-I-go sort of cropper. I rarely have a finished picture in my head when I begin working. Normally, I gather things I think go together and then play around, adhering things as I go and figuring out the rest of it at the end. Somehow, it usually works.

I had this paper by Creative Imaginations (Be A Man) for a while, but hadn’t quite got around to using it — until the new die came into the store.

Suddenly, I saw the entire finished page in my head. I knew exactly how it would look, what tools I would need and how I would put it together. In fact, the hardest part was finding a photo of my husband that would fit the page. Eventually, I gave up that task and used a favorite of the two of us together.

Here’s how I did it …

The ribbon is from Maya Road. It comes with the zipper together. Since there is no zipper pull and I wasn’t sure I could back together if it came apart, I adhered the part I wanted to stay closed to the fence-link paper by Creative Imaginations, first. I used Glue Lines because they are strong and adhere instantly.

Then, I carefully took the zipper apart, adhering the rest onto the paper.

Once that was done, I used scissors to cut off the paper behind the zipper ribbon — so it would look like the paper was unzipping. Then I backed the whole thing with another sheet of Creative Imaginations paper, so everything was strong and secure. I matted the photo and attached it, cut out the title with my Cricut and then got to work embellishing the page.

The back of the gear paper has a lot of words on it and I really liked some of the phrases, so I cut those out (of an additional sheet) and adhered them. Then, I added a couple of stickers off of the coordinating sticker sheet.

Using some circle punches in various sizes, I punched out some of the gears from that extra sheet of paper and placed them around the page — some of them using dimensional foam. Then, using the gear die, I cut out a few gears from cardstock, dipped them onto an embossing pad and then covered them with embossing powder from JudiKins. I heated them to melt the powder and then placed them on the page as well.

Finally, I added some metal gears, brads and coins from Tim Holtz/Ideaology.

Here’s a closer look.

By the way, I used Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear adhesive to attach the metal pieces.

Click on the images for a larger picture or visit Scrap Tales in Brighton for an in-person look.