Layout Challenge: American Crafts I Do

Oh what fun it can be to take a line of paper that was made with a specific theme in mind and use it for something unexpected.  That's what I did with this American Crafts I Do Bouvardia and Hydrangeas double-sided patterned paper.

Here's how the products looked before I began.  This photo shows the monthly Scrappers Cove layout contest kit:  American Crafts I Do Bouvardia and Hydrangeas, Bazzill pink bling and gray, Memento Dew Drop in Cantaloupe and a variegated grey ribbon.

I used the tree die from the QuicKutz Cookie Cutter tree and birds set to create a disposable cardstock stencil.  I taped it over the background layers of my layout.  (The pink layer is cut from the Sizzix Bigz Pro Ornate Square die.)

Once that was in place, I used Ranger's Adirondack Paint Dabber in Mushroom to cover the inside of my tree stencil.  While the paint was still wet, I quickly sprinkled lots of Sparkle N Sprinkle Crystal Ice Glitter over the paint.

While that was drying, I used some Bazzill Basics embroidery thread to hand stitch a little border along a photo mat.  I used the QuicKutz 12" Flourish border die cut in an attempt to dress up the area under the ribbon.

I die cut my title from chipboard and patterned paper using Sizzix' Shadowbox alphabet then stamped over it.  Spreading some Ranger's Rock Candy Distress Stickles over the title letters, really made them sparkle.  A few cuts to the Sizzix pine tree, covered in glitter mixed with white Flower Soft continued the flow of the wintry-cold Christmas theme of my layout.

Here's how the completed layout looks:

I think that enough of the sparkly bare branched tree shows and adds another layer of that wintry-cold Christmas feeling.

Copic Creations Challenge: Sparkle!

The Copic Creations Challenge, running through January 14, 2011, is all about adding sparkle to make your Copic artwork bright and shiny.  JustRiteStampers is offering two cling stamp sets and a mini binder storage box AND Marianne Walker is offering an atyou Spica set for the random winner of this challenge.  Whew!  That's a major prize just for entering!  Find out more about the challenge, JustRiteStampers and Marianne Walker here.

The Scrappers Cove added these items to this month's card art kit challenge:  Bo Bunny A Gift of Love double-sided patterned paper in Winter Joy Snow Angels and Winter Joy Snow Fall, Bazzill cardstock in purple and light green, a "chilly" ribbon slide, a Doodlebug pastel sugar coated brad, iCandy Winter Joy enamel brad, Hero Arts felt snowflakes in purple and blue.

I used a Spellbinders Scalloped Octagon to die cut my stamped and Copic filled image of the Magnolia Snowy Hug from the 2010 Merry Little Christmas Collection.

I masked the diecut using a mask of the filled image and the Spellbinders border then airbrushed a background.

I added sparkle with Ranger's Star Dust Stickles straight from the bottle and by painting some over areas using a paint brush.

After edging the card with Colorbox Chalk Ink in Prussian Blue, I used Stamp-n-Stuff Kaleidoscope Transparent embossing powder to line the edges of my card.  Metallic Ribbon, distributed by Michael's, adds some sparkle between patterned paper pieces.  My Sentiments Exactly Innie & Outie adds a touching sentiment.    Punch Bunch snowflakes and Bazzill Basics self-adhesive jewels add a little more shimmer.

I love how the Magnolia Doohickeys Poinsettia and Bon Voyage Foliage adds a beautiful, simple touch.

Here's a side view of the full card that I'm entering for the Copic Creations Sparkle! challenge and submitting for the Scrappers Cove card kit challenge.

Copics Used:
Snowman:  B000, R20
Snowman Hat, Tilda Pants:  BG72, BG18
Broom, Hair, Shoes:  E55, E57, E00
Hairtie: V17
Skin:  E000, E00, YR00, R20
Jacket:  BV000, BV00, BV11
Hat, Mitten:  YG03, YG23, YG25
Outline:  B0000
Airbrush:  BG18, Y32

Canvas Tag Art - Tim Holtz' 12 Tags of Christmas

Each December, for the past few years, I've eagerly awaited Tim Holtz' daily blog posts for his 12 Tags of Christmas.  I have alot of completed, full-sized tags, sitting in a drawer, ready to reference for technique reminders and artsy inspiration.

This year I felt a little more free-spirited and decided to create my tags using another art form that I learned from Tim last March:  Canvas Tag Art.

I prepped a 12x12 canvas with spritzes of water then added Smooch from my stash.  A light coating of Glimmer Mist helped add some sparkle to the canvas.  When dried, I adhered some of Tim's metal corners.

Canvas spritzed with Smooch and Glimmer Mist

Using a single sheet of Bazzill Extra Thick cardstock, I cut 12 tags in a variety of sizes to fit onto this canvas.

Only after Tim posted his final tag, I began planning how to best showcase them on my canvas.  Since my tags were cut in a variety of sizes with different orientations, I did my best to choose the correct tag to meet the highlighted technique of each of Tim's versions.  There was a lot of thinking to do about how I could make it work but I sure didn't hurt myself trying - LOL!!!  I don't even have any tags in my dud pile caused by re-dos.  I'm happy about that!

Here's my version of 2010's Tim Holtz' 12 Tags of Christmas, all combined on a Canvas Tag Art layout that's ready to be displayed on the wall.  Yay!!!  This is my submission for the Scrappers Cove Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas contest.  Find the Scrappers Cove newsletter here.


Canvas Tag Art - 2010's Tim Holtz' 12 Tags of Christmas

I think each tag showcases Tim's highlighted technique of the day.  I did have to tweak, make adjustments and substitute in some areas with products that I already had in my supply stash.  Although the baubles and adornments that usually hang from the ribbon secured through the tag holes are missing, I don't think that takes anything away from the basic content of the techniques displayed.

Die cuts are still my favorite form of paper crafting.  Something about the ease of diecutting cool shapes makes me happy.  Cutting cool shapes out of many different materials makes me feel like jumping up and down!

Tag 1 - Rickety House

I love to add metal to my projects.  Most of my projects just don't feel "done" unless there's some metal somewhere, even if it's just a brad.

Tag 9 - Paper Rosette

I tend to avoid using packaged flowers but I do love to make my own.

Tag 7 - Poinsettia

Stamping techniques are totally awesome to me:  inking, masking, and embossing make me step back and admire the simple coolness.

Tag 2 - Custom Ink Pad

Thank you Tim for your thoughtfulness and generosity in sharing yet another December with me, teaching and inspiring creativity, in so many ways.

Layout Challenge: Sassafras Mix and Mend

Here's a photo of the products from the latest Scrappers Cove layout challenge kit:  Sassafras Mix and Mend free composition and fancy free double-sided patterned papers, coordinating Bazzill cardstock, a Cats Eye butterscotch chalk ink pad, and a Sassafras Entwined Bloom.

It didn't take me long to figure out where to start with these products . . . I began cutting, distressing and inking all of the papers' edges . . . Yay!  I'm lovin' the look of an old lacy tablecloth on the Fancy Free sheet and thought of the perfect heritage photo to use on this layout.  Placing Tim Holtz' idea-ology flourish mask in a few places, I swept some Ranger's juniper paint dabber over it.

The lacy feel of the paper made me want to make it more interesting by adding the contrast of metal, yet keep the overall layout feeling somewhat delicate-looking.  I used the Tim Holtz Alterations elegant flourishes die to shape some chipboard then painted over it with Ranger's gold paint dabber.  Ahhh . . .

I feel the need for more metal.  How about a few of the Tim Holtz Alterations gadget gears? . . . Oh yeah!  Gave them a metal look using Rangers gold, silver and copper paint dabbers.  That Entwined Bloom softens those gears just a little, don't ya' think?

A few copper pieces of We R Memory Keepers metal, adhered around the layout, helped to pull it all together.

I needed to pull a little more softness back into this layout by using some thickers felt letter stickers.

Now to glam it up a bit.  Whew!  A few spritzes of Ranger Perfect Pearls Mists in perfect pearl really makes this layout sparkle.  It's always difficult to show the sparkle by photo on monitor but this side view gives a pretty good idea of how the perfect pearl covers everything so nicely with a sparkly sheen.  (If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see the sheen covering even the felt letters - cool, huh?)

Pop a photo in place, personalize it with a little handwriting and this layout is done.

While working on family history, sometimes there is just one picture to accompany important genealogical facts.  I found that the vintage look of this Sassafras Mix and Mend line allowed me to record this important photo yet play with techniques, products and design elements.  I just had too much fun mixing this layout up!

Card Art Kit Challenge: Echo Park and Magnolia Prince Philip

This month's Scrappers Cove card kit contained these products . . . Echo Park Life is Good Brown Floral and Set the Table double-sided patterned papers, Bazzill cardstock, Hero Arts Stamp it! message and Ranger Liquid Pearls Petal Pink.

The largest of the Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 17 is a big enough die to complete a nicely shaped easel card.  There are enough smaller sized dies in that set to use for matting and layering similarly shaped pieces.

I used the Prince Philip Magnolia stamp from the Fairy Tale Collection 2010 as the focal point of my card front.  A few Bazzill Walnut self-adhesive jewels top his crown nicely.  The little pink pearls at each corner are made by barely touching the tip of the Ranger Liquid Pearls to the paper.  Liquid Pearls is a pearly paint mixture that can remain dimensional when dried.  I'm lovin' the look of this beautiful pearl texture as well as the ease in using it.

The Hero Arts Stamp it! message fit perfectly in the Spellbinders Labels 17 smallest die.  I used scraps from the patterned paper to die cut a couple of Sizzix 3D Flowers.  I filled the center of those flowers using the Ranger Liquid Pearls Petal Pink.  A little lace strip with some added leaf punches and I've set my Prince Philip in what I hope appears to be his natural surroundings.

A sentiment from Stamps N More covers the card base with an added Basic Grey button and another Sizzix 3D Flower.

This photo shows the full, shaped easel card that is my entry for the Scrappers Cove card kit challenge . . .

Click here for another example of a die-cut shaped easel card.  Click here for more specific information on how to create an easel card.

Copics used:
frog - YG11, YG13, YG17, 0
crown - Y13, Y26, Y28, atyou Spica gold
airbrushed sky - BG13, BG18
airbrushed grass - YG11

Copic Creations Challenge: Light Source

The latest Copic Creations Challenge focuses on attention to a light source.  Placement of an imaginary light source is a particularly useful technique that helps images look more realistic by providing a guide for adding shading and shadows.  Whimsy Stamps is sponsoring this challenge and offering a $15 gift certificate and 5 free digital stamps for two (2) random winners.  Find out more about this challenge and Whimsy Stamps here.  I'm thrilled to use a Whimsy Stamp for my entry in this challenge.

(The latest iCopic Color Challenge is to use dark blue, light blue and white colors.  Although I've added some browns for the walrus, a significant part of this image focuses on the ice and calm water so I think it meets the color criteria for blues with white.  iCopic is offering 6 Ciao markers and 2 sets of Christmas Washi tapes to a random winner of this challenge.  Find out more about the iCopic challenge here.)

I'm really excited about how the front of this card turned out.  I first prepared this image as a part of my class sample for an upcoming Colors of Copics - Reflections class.  When I saw what I had done with this walrus on the class sample, I could hardly believe that I made it myself!  LOL!!!  I kept looking at it and wondered if I'd ever be able to do it so nicely again.  So, I challenged myself to a re-do.  Here's the results of my self-challenge and a peek at part of my Copics Reflections class.

This adorable Whimsy Stamps Walrus is perfect for filling with Copics as it's a great big open image with lots of room for shading and highlighting.

I wanted this fellow to appear to be floating on a piece of ice so I used cardstock and scissors to freehand cut an imperfect block of ice.  I used temporary adhesive to place the block of ice over the stamped image of the walrus.  Using a pencil, I lightly traced around the mask, leaving the spaces through the walrus unmarked.  (This image shows lines through the walrus - don't do that!  LOL!!!)

I want to show a reflection of the walrus over calm water and that means the block of ice will be reflected too, so I flipped the hand cut block of ice and using a pencil, lightly traced around the entire piece, to create the reflection of the block of ice.

My walrus has some added height over its reflection due to the block of ice it sits on.  Much of the walrus reflection is hidden by the ice.  I had to place a thin mask (cardstock is too thick) over the walrus, ice and ice reflection to protect those areas from ink when I added the walrus reflection in the next step. I stamped the image onto a clear plastic Stamp-a-ma-jig mat in Memento London Fog grey ink and IMMEDIATELY lined up the base of the grey image with the base of the black image (bottoms of walrus’ flippers) and pressed the ink from the plastic mat onto my project.

Cool, huh?  Now I'm ready to use my Copic markers to fill this little guy in with some magnificent color.

A little paper trimming, corner rounding, and embellishing with QuicKutz flourishes and Sizzix 3D flowers left me very happy with this card as an example of how to add a reflection to icy cold but very calm water.

Can you tell that my light source is coming from the upper right hand corner, far above the bow-tied star?
 
Copics used:
Walrus - E31, E35, E47
Top Ice - C3, C1, C0, B000
Bottom Ice - C5, C3, C1, C0, B000
Water - B91
0, Multiliner 0.2 Black

Zentangle Tiles from Introductory Class

I had the pleasure of spending a few hours on Saturday afternoon with fellow paper crafters who are interested in learning more about the art of Zentangle.

I love to see the individuality added to each piece when the guidance and instruction was the same.

Here's a photo that shows the group's tiles after their introduction to their first four tangles . . .

It made me very happy to see their smiles as they completed their first Zentangle tiles.

This photo shows tiles of their second set of tangles . . .

When each individual adds their own perspective, after receiving the same guidance and same instruction, very unique works of art are formed.  That's just one of the many aspects of the Magic of Zentangle.

Magnolia Stamps Sampler Mini Book, Continued (II)

I enjoyed paper-piecing on my Magnolia Secret Tilda from the 2010 Merry Little Christmas Collection for the latest Copic Creations Challenge so much that I thought I'd add one to my Magnolia Stamps Sampler Mini Book.

I stamped Tilda three times:  once onto Bazzill Smooth White and one on each side of the Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses Thin Ice patterned paper.

I used Copic markers to fill the skin, blonde hair and gift areas of the image stamped on white paper.  I cut pieces of clothing from the images stamped on patterned paper.

I used a wet glue pen to adhere my clothing pieces to the image on white paper so I could glide the pieces into place and make sure they were lined up properly before drying.  Here's how Tilda looks before I shaded her clothing pieces . . .

Here's how Tilda looks after I used coordinating Copic colors to add some shading to the paper-pieced areas . . .

I used a QuicKutz tag die to cut beyond the edge (find more examples of using the "cut beyond the edge" technique here and here).

I adhered the tag to a Sizzix die cut chipboard scalloped square covered with both sides of Basic Grey's Eskimo Kisses Thin Ice double-sided patterned paper.  I added an ornament sticker and a few coordinating handmade poinsettias.  Here's how the completed page looks . . .

Here's how this page looks in my Magnolia Stamps Sampler Mini Book . . .

See the cover and page one of my Magnolia Stamps Sampler Mini Book here.  Find page two here.  I think that this page will serve as a good reminder to use my Magnolia images to create some exciting gift tags.

You can find another example of this image paper pieced with My Minds Eye patterned papers here.



Copics used:
skin:  E000, E00, YR00, R20
blonde hair:  Y21, Y26, Y28
gift:  RV93, RV95, RV99
gift ribbon:  G82, G85, G99
shade shirt/slippers/headband:  RV93
shade pants:  B01