Blog Archives

Challenge: It's A Stitch Up

8/29/2016

The Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for August 29, 2016 has issued a challenge to make a project including some reference to stitching. It could be themed stamps, dies or stencils or it could include real or faux stitching.

I have a drawer full of stamps which are sewing themed as well as at least one embossing folder and a few dies. Naturally, the one stamp set I was looking for has gone walk-about and I couldn't come up with a way to make my embossing folder and/or dies work with what I had left. So I decided to improvise by going to my quilting stash!

I stamped an Indigo Blu sewing pattern image on some plain tissue wrap and used Multi Matte Medium to glue it to the front of a white card:

It looked a little stark, however, so I brushed some Collage Medium "Vintage" over it to age the background a bit.

While waiting for the background to dry, I played around with several stamps but had issues with scale with most of them. I settled on two images from an Indigo Blu set called "In Stitches", stamped them on white card in Archival "Jet Black" and colored them with Distress Markers. I the fussy cut the images and wrapped the spool of thread with some Kreinik Fine Braid. .

Meanwhile, I rummaged around in my crazy quilt fabric stash and found a scrap of fabric that draped nicely and had some "texture". I used a neutral thread to shape the drape, securing it at the top with a vintage "Basic Grey" button and then adhering it to the card from with Multi-Medium Matte, leaving some softness and dimension to the drape by only applying adhesive in select places.. I attached the two fussy cut images to the bottom right of the drape using more neutral thread and Multi Medium matte to anchor the fabric to the bottom of the card front, :I spun out a length of braid from the top of the spool to add some visual interest to the right side of the card.

The card lacked a sentiment so I used a "For You" stamp from my word stash on a white banner (for contrast - the card was beginning to appear all one color), embellished with faux stitched in fine-tip black pen:

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Indigo Blu "Sewing Pattern" (SEW) and "In Stitches" (IS); Rubber Soul "For You"
Inks: Archival "Jet Black"; Distress Markers "Pumice Stone" and "Fossilized Amber"; Pigma Micron 05 #1 Archival Ink "black"
Papers: The Paper Studio Value Pack "white"; scrap white card; Idea-oloy Tissue Wrap "plain"
Embellishments: scrap of fabric, Basic Grey Button "Marmalade" (fab-8012); Kreinik #8 Fine Braid "gold" (002)
Adhesives: Multi Medium Matte, Collage Medium Vintage; Viva Las Vegas "Miracle Tape"

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Challenge: Floral Infatuation

8/27/2016

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The design team at the Frilly & Funkie challenge blog has gotten all infatuated with flowers! They wan the challenge for August 24, 2106 to have a floral element as the focal point. SO I went through my stash of floral embellishments, looking for a color or a theme that would work of m I settled on burlap and a pop of color and went with the (possibly now retro) color scheme of chocolate and turquoise.

I made a base card using chocolate brown card, inked a sentiment with Versamark and heat embossed with a custom blend of white and turquoise embossing powders. I then set about arranging a spray of burlap flowers around the sentiment:

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Hero Arts "Time to Enjoy" (F1843)
Inks: Versamark
Embossing Powders: Commotion Clear Tops "Bright Mediterranean Blue" (161327); Top Boss "white"
Papers: Brown card stock
Embellishments: The Paper Studio Mixed Media "Burlap Button Daisies" (916395) and Spare Parts "Blue Burlap Flowers" (879999)
Adhesives: Ranger Multi Medium Matte

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Challenge: It's Hip to be Square

8/27/2016

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Over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog, the design team has determined that "It's Hip to be Square!" No, they aren't referring to the Huey Lewis and the News hit from 1966 (or maybe they are?). They want the challenge project for the week of August 34, 2016 to feature squares in some way. So I went "whole hog" with squares: three different sizes of square punches and a square base card! In this collage, the card is 5 1/8 by 5 1/8 inches square. The scalloped shares are 2 1/4, 1 1/2 and 1 inch squares. Layered with an ideology small chat sticker:

Products used in making this card were:

Punches: Marvy Uchida scalloped squares 2 3/4, 1 1/2 and 1 inch
Papers: scraps of various brown textured card stock, The Paper Studio Value Pack "white" (cut down to a square)
Embellishments: Ideology "Small Talk"
Adhesives: Viva Las Vegas "Miracle Tape"

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Mini-Challenge: "Best"

8/23/2016

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The August mini-challenge on More than Words is to use the word "BEST" The critical rules are that the word has to be visible on the project and that the project has to be "small" (i.e, a card, tag or ATC rather than a layout or a larger art piece).

It's been a rough few days around here and I wasn't really in a crafty mood but I had an idea for clean-and-simple ATC. I stamped a floral image (inked with Distress Markers) three times on white card and a word stamp ((Inked with Archival Ink) over them. I colored in the letters with the markers and, when dry, rubbed Distress Micro Glaze over the images. I then applied diluted Distress Stain with a brush to create a wash background. Finally, I added Glossy Accent dots to each of the "flowers" on the card:

I tried this three times with different stamps and colors but this is the one I liked best.

Products used in making this ATC were:

Stamps: Hero Arts "Fanciful Dot Filament" (F3245); Me and My Big Ideas "Best Buds" (MRS10470)
Inks: Archival "Jet Black", Distress Spray Stain "Twisted Citron"; Distress Markers "Lucky Clover", "Squeezed Lemonade", "Salty Ocean", "Picked Raspberry", "Wilted Violet"
Other media: Distress Micro Glaze; Glossy Accents

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Challenge: Go Fish

8/22/2016

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Simon Says Stamp Monday has a challenge for August 22. 2016: create a card with the theme "Go Fish".

So I searched my stamps for something "fishy" that I haven't used in a while and set about creating a small note-card.

I stamped the image twice, once in Versamark on pale blue card (heat embossed in white) and once in Archival "Jet Black" on white card. I use Distress markers to color the fish on the white card (which I then fussy cut) and the waves on the blue card. I added some white pen and Glossy Accents to the bubbles on the blue card as well. I then trimmed the blue card and mounted it on a pre-folded dark blue card. I used Ranger Collage Glue Stick to attach the colored fish to the blue background:

Products used in making this card were:

Stamps: Paper Parachute 1992-2000
Inks: Versamark; Archival "Jet Black", Distress Markers "Squeezed Lemonade", "Mustard Seed", "Spiced Marmalade", "Ripe Persimmon"< "Tumbled Glass"; Sigma Uiball board "white"
Embossing Powder: Top Boss "white"
Papers: Die Cut With A Veiw Card Stack "Blues", scraps of pale blue and white card
Adhesives: Ranger Collage Glue Stick; Glossy Accents; Viva Las Vegas "Miracle Tape"

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Challenge: Make For The Border

8/20/2016

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The August 17, 2016 challenge from Simon Says Stamp Wednesday was "Make for the Border". The design team wants to see "some sort of interest around the borders of your project, whether it is using a decorative border stamp, punch or die along one edge or around the whole project, ...". Well, I have a few border punches but they didn't inspire me, and I have issues with border dies since my Big Shot won't allow me to do a whole card and I didn't want to layer a die-cut card over another piece of card. As for border stamps, I was at a loss until I started organizing the pile of new "stash" on my work space and found a stamp set that was a cover freebie from "Cardmaking & Papercarft" Magazine! It had borders galore and it immediately gave me an idea...

First I used my MISTI and stamped in Versamark one of the borders along the bottom and opening side of a piece of shimmery white card cut to the size of my pre-folded white card, and heat embossed with gold:

Next, I stamped a focal image from the same set, again in Versamark, on a scrap of aqua card (this Art Nouveau set made me think of the jewelry of the time, often in gold and set with turquoise and/or decorated in cloissone enamel) and heat embossed, again with gold.

I colored the peacock with Inktense Pencils in shades of green and blue and blended with a Tombow N00 blending pen. I then layered the panel (after trimming), first on a scrap of mirrored gold and then on dark teal card before attaching it to the card front.

Products used in making this card were:

Stamps: Jennifer Ellory's "Art Nouveau Stamp Set"
Inks: Versamark:Inktense Pencils "Sea Blue" (1200) and "Teal Green' (1300)
Embossing Powder: Top Boss "gold"
Papers: Paper Studio Value Pack "white"; Stamping' Up! "Shimmery White", and scraps of aqua, dark teal and mirrored god card
Adhesives: Vival Las Veagas "Miracle Tape"

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Challenge: Summer Fun

8/20/2016

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The August 15, 2016 Challenge from Simon Says Stamp Monday is "Summer Fun". They suggest we use our favorite summer activity as inspiration, whether is be "building sandcastles on the beach, swimming in the ocean waves, enjoying a barbecue with friends, cycling along the forest paths, or..." Sadly, there is no way I can illustrate staying indoors in aiir conditioned comfort and doing needlework. Just don't have the stamps, dies, or stencils to show that! To be honest, I'm not really a fan of summer so the closest I can come is to harken back to the days when I was in elementary school when summer vacation was welcomed, and a visit to the shore with the grandparents was a highlight of the summer.

I started with a stamped collage image, heat embossed and then colored with Inktense Pencils and a Tombow N00 blender. I matched the seaside color scheme with a die-cut piece of aqua card and a pre-folded sand-colored card. I layered all these to create this card:

Of course, as a child, there would NOT have been a tropical drink in a cocnutshell with a paper umbrella, my sunglasses were NEVER this ornate and I never wore flip-flops. But the idea is there: searching for shells and building sandcastles (near had a beachball either!) and relaxing in the sun (and risking massive sunburns). Wish I did have a stamp that portrayed the carnival rides at the boardwalk in Asbury Park, especially the big merry-go-round complete with brass rings. But there you go, you work with what you have!

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Outline Rubber Stamp Company 1795
Dies: Thinlits "VACATION" (661287)
Inks: Versamark; Intense Pencils "Poppy Red" (0400), "Sea Blue" (1200), "Ink Black" (2200), "Tangerine" (103), "Baked Earth" (1800). "Sun Yellow" (0200) and "Teal Green" (1300)
Embossing Powder: CraftEssentials "black"
Papers: Stampin' Up! "Shimmery White"; Die Cut With a View "Card Stack "Earth", scrap of aqua card
Adhesives: Viva Las Vegas "Miracle Tape"

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Challenge(s): Knocking out Three with One Small Box!

8/13/2016

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I don’t know what happened to me this week — Maybe it was creative overload from finally completing Summer of Creative Chemistry. Maybe it was various real-world commitments that messed up my schedule. Maybe it was the weather. Anyway, whatever the cause, I was having trouble coming up with paper crafting ideas, despite three different challenges posted this week.

The Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge on August 8 was “Try to Contain Yourself” and required a container of some kind, either created, recycled, altered, etc. I try to avoid three-dimensional projects because of a lack of space to put them once finished. So I seriously considered skipping this one…

The Frilly & Funkie Challenge for August 10 was “It’s a Small, Small World”!. Whatever we created had to be less than 4 x 4… I was thinking making an ATC, but it didn’t really feel right.

The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge for August 10 was “Let’s Go Wild”! We could use a wild animal image, or go wild with wildflowers, or use “wild” colors, or… I had just received some Graphic 45 Safari Adventure Papers and coordinating stamps so that was a clear possibility…

Then I saw a You-Tube video from Lindy’s Stamp Gang where one of their design team, KareenBH, altered a small box. While I do have some Lindy’s Stamp Gang product, I haven’t used them much, but her approach stuck me as something I could do with Distress Media. All I needed was a box… and I found one at Hobby Lobby for 99 cents! Not so large that it would take up a lot of display space and not so expensive that I would regret ruining it if I failed.

Now, Looking at this mixed media box tutorial, it occurred to me that I could use it for both the “Try to Contain Yourself” and “It’s a Small, Small World” challenges. If I threw in my Graphic45 papers and coordinating stamps, it could also go as “wild”!

So…, three challenges with one tiny box!
I started with a small round papier mache box (roughly 2.5 inches in diameter)

And gessoed the lid as per the tutorial. I then applied some Distress Spray Stains and Distress Mica Spray to the life and let it dry.

While I had my sprays out, I streaked a Graphic45 tag (“It’s GoIng to be Wild”! ) and added a stamped lion silhouette; and sprayed some fabric flowers with Distress Spray Stain and Distress Mica Spray.

I cut a strip of Graphic45 patterned paper and used double-sided tape to adhere it to the side of the box (I only used a one-inch-wide strip, leaving space at the top of the box for the lid to slide over.

Once the lid was dry, I added tinted texture paste (a spritz of “Rusty Hinge” Distress Spray Stain mixed in with a palette knife before applying) around the edges, and and pressed “Prills in to the wet paste.

After spraying once more with Distress Spray Stain and Distress Mica Spray, I adhered a scrap of the Graphic45 paper (the remnant from the strip around the box, opposite side of the double-sidedpaper) and, the dyed flowers to the lid:

After stamping a silhouette of a lion in Archival Ink on the tag, I used matte medium to stick it on the lid:

Voila! A container that is small and has gone WILD!

Products used in the making of this project were:

Papers: Graphic45 Safari Adventure 8x8 Pack
Stamps: Hampton Arts (for Graphic 45) “Safari Adventure 1
Inks: Distress Spray stains “Rusty Hinge”, “Antique Linen”, “Mustard Seed”, “Hickory Soke”; Distress Mica spray “Tarnished Brass”; Distress Marker “Ground espresso”, Distress Ink “Vintage Photo”; Archival “Jet Black”
Embellishments: US ArtQuest Mini Prills; Prima “Olivia” (571313); Jolee’s Boutique 50-60482
Media: Liquitex Acrylic Gesso; Raner texture Paste; Multi Medium matte
Adhesives: Viva Las Vegas “Miracle Tape”,

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Summer of Creative Chemistry 2016 - Week Nine, Day 6 Bonus

8/10/2016

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While there were no "techniques" demonstrated in the lesson for Day 6 of Creative Chemistry 103, there was a bonus that Tim Holtz shared which used his letterpress embossing folders and station. he called it Letterpress Embossing and I thought I'd play around with it to see what I would get.

I prepared a tag using Distress Stain mono printing and some blending with Distress Inks. I then used the embossing folder, the letterpress station, Versamark Ink and gold embossing powder and...

The photo doesn't really show the debasing very well, but the technique DID work!

Products used in making this tag were:

Inks: Distress Stains "Blueprint Sketch", "Mermaid Lagoon", "Wilted Violet"; Distress Inks "Cracked Pistachio", "Lucky Clover", "Mermaid Lagoon"; Versamark
Embossing Folder: Letterpress "Authentic" (659555)
Embossing Powders: TopBoss gold regular.
Papers: small manila tag

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12 Tags of 2016 - August

8/8/2016

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The tag for August 2016 over on Tim Holtz' Twelve Tags series features a remix of techniques previously demonstrated in July 0f 2013 (Brayered Stains) and April 2014 (Frameworks)

For my interpretation of his tag, I went back to my "'over" file and found some frameworks already die cut, along with a number of filling pieces and a butterfly (and later two scrollwork pieces) which I planned on using:

Of course, this didn't eliminate the need to get out my Big Shot and start cutting more honeycomb frameworks becsaue I needed some metallic and fabric pieces to finish the piece (my framework "'tover" envelope only got thicker!).

I stained and dabbed Distress Apint on the honeycomb lattice:

and stamped some words on some of the filler precessing Archival "Jet Black"

After making my brayered stain background on my tag, I ran the lattice and the greenery through my Xyron Sticker Maker andI assembled my version of the August 2016 tag. I added a feather, the embossed die-cut butterfly and some rub-ons. I also stitched a line or two down one side and added a crinkle ribbon (a freebie from Funkie Junkie Boutique) that coordinated with the "Wilted Violet" in my background.

Products used in making this tag were:

Stamps: Hampton Art Stamps "Life Consists..." (KK2622)
Inks: Distress Ink "Black Soot", "Vintage Photo", "Old Paper". "Hickory Smoke"; Distress Paints "Old Paper". Distress Stains "Broken China", "Wilted Violet", "Weathered Wood" and "Hickory Smoke"; Archival "Jet Black"Dies: Frameworks "Honeycomb" (659430); Framelits "French Flight" (659884); Alterations "Festive Greenery" (657462)
Embellishments: feather, Remnant Rubs "Botanical" (TH93119); Crikle Ribbon,
Adhesives: Tiny Attacher; Collage Glue Stick; Xyron 250 Sticker Maker

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